Krystal Shannan Interviews - Jerrie Alexander - The Green-Eyed Doll - Give@way

Please help me welcome Jerrie Alexander to the blog today! I'm super excited to hear about her new release.

Krystal! Thank you for inviting me to hang out with you and your readers today. I appreciate the opportunity.

So glad to have you, Jerrie. Tell us a little about yourself. 

A student of  creative writing in her youth, Jerrie set aside her passion when life presented her with a John Wayne husband, and two wonderful children.  A career in logistics offered her the opportunity to travel to many beautiful locations in America, and she revisits them in her romantic suspense novels.  

But the characters went with her, talked to her, and insisted she share their dark, sexy stories with others.  She writes alpha males and kick-ass women who weave their way through death and fear to emerge stronger because of, and on occasion in spite of, their love for each other.  She likes to torture people, make them suffer, and if they’re strong enough, they live happily ever after. 

Jerrie lives in Texas, loves sunshine, children’s laughter, sugar (human and granulated), and researching for her heroes and heroines. 

Did you always want to be an author? What made you choose to write romance?

I discovered journalism back in high school, but the more I wrote, the more I wanted to embellish the story, which of course wasn't allowed. So I switched to creative writing. Life and work took me on a different path for a while, but writing was never far away. 

I'll share a secret with you. I still have the stories I turned in for grades. They moved with us from Texas, to California, Arkansas, Georgia and back to Texas. No one will ever see them but they are that important to me.

What is your favorite part of being a writer/author?

Entertaining people. Nothing pleases me more than taking them out of their everyday life and into a world of danger, love, and suspense. 

When a reader finishes one of my books, I hope they feel as if they personally knew the characters, that they loved the conflicts and romance. If that happens with every book, then I'll have achieved my goal!

Tell us a little about your book. What inspired you to write it?

Research! I was studying FBI profiler files on serial killers, looking at the different triggers or events that cause a person to snap. In the middle of a discussion on what I'd read and the direction I'd picked, my daughter named the book. 

BLURB:

Catherine McCoy is running from her past. She's been on the move for a year, hiding the secret and guilt in her heart. When she lands in small-town Texas and meets Sheriff Matt Ballard, he ignites a flame she thought lost forever.

Matt has scars of his own. He left the big city after an undercover operation went bad and his partner was killed. Now, as Matt hunts for a serial killer who paints his victims like porcelain dolls, Catherine becomes a safe haven for him. Two tortured souls finding comfort in each other's arms—until he uncovers her secret, and their bond of trust is broken.

When Catherine disappears, Matt races to find her, fearing the murderer has found his next green-eyed doll. But the killer has a surprise coming. Catherine will fight to the death before she'll be a victim. But will her determination be enough?

Here's a sneak peek at THE GREEN-EYED DOLL!

Catherine paced and argued with herself. Should she stay or go home? She’d told Matt he’d need a friend after the first woman went missing and now this. She couldn’t imagine the pressure he must be under. Her plan was to have a hot supper waiting for him. She’d basted and basted until the roast withered and fell apart. The once firm potatoes? Mush. The gravy was a light brown paste. 

Benedict Arnold stood and trotted to the back door before Catherine heard Matt’s pickup. The dog was glad to know Matt was home, too. She leaned back against the kitchen counter and waited.   

“Hey.” A lame greeting, but seeing him stunned her speechless.

 Dark circles and cold, weary, blue eyes marred his Michelangelo face. His black hair fell in disarray and looked like he’d raked his fingers through a number of times today. His chiseled jaw and chin were dark with a long day’s stubble. With a couple of long strides, he pinned her between him and the counter. He framed her face with his hands, closed his eyes, and lowered his forehead to hers. They stood in silence for a long time, unmoving, their bodies not touching. Fear for the missing woman radiated off him.

His anguish, more than she’d planned for, hit her hard. His dedication and concern, traits she admired, shook her conviction that no man could be trusted. His tenderness, something she’d never had, touched a long-neglected place in her soul. 

Do you plot and outline or do you just write?  Plotter or Pantser?

Plot? I can hear my critique partner if she reads this. She'll roll around on the floor laughing. She's worked diligently and demonstrated an amazing amount of patience to teach me to plot. I know how, just can't make myself. I do a full blown character profile on and the players before I start writing. I get to know them in depth, point them toward a disaster and let them take over. I guess you could call me a plotster.

Can you tell us about the process of getting your first book published?

Can you say rejection? They're not fun but for me it was part of the learning process. I didn't keep them, but I tried to learn from each one. I rewrote, tweaked, and rewrote some more until I got it right. 

What advice would you give new authors? What have you learned about the business?

First thing that came to mind was to never give up on your dream, but I have to add research. Know what you want to write. What makes you happy? I tried straight contemporary at first, but that genre wasn't a good fit for me. I love romantic suspense and things started to click when I swapped genres. 

This business is tough, and requires hard work. You have to keep writing, and writing, and writing!

SO TRUE! Don't ever let the stories stop :-)

Do you have another book in the works?

I do! THE LAST EXECUTION is waiting release. And HELL or HIGH WATER, the first book in the LOST and FOUND, Inc. series is waiting for a release date. They may have dates by this time.

My current work in process, His to Lose, is the second book in the series.

What do you like to do in your free time, besides read and write of course?

I love to hang out with family and friends. I paint a little and love to bake. There's usually a cake, or brownies, or pie in my kitchen. 

Where do you dream of going on vacation?

Anywhere the ocean is clear, the water is warm, and the snorkeling is stellar. Australia is a long flight but snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef would make the trip worth every minute.

Boxers or Briefs? Briefs

Cookies or cake? I have to choose? Okay...cake

Pizza or hamburger? Pizza

Beer, Wine, or mixed drink? If I can't have coffee, bring me a bloody mary. :)

(Hero/Heroine Character Questions)

What were your first impressions of each other?

Catherine McCoy: The last thing I need was to be pulled over by a nosey sheriff who I thought was going to give me a ticket for an illegal u-turn. I mean, really? No way could I spare that kind of money. Behind his aviator sunglasses was a gorgeous pair if blue eyes that apparently saw my predicament. He gave me a warning.

Sheriff Matt Ballard: First impression? Hmm...for a routine stop, I thought she was a bit too nervous. She damn near knocked me down with her car door. She broke my sunglasses and blinded me with her wildfire red hair and green eyes. 

What’s your favorite characteristic of each other?

Catherine: His honesty and truthfulness. He's dedicated to defend and protect those who can't protect themselves. 

Matt: She's the most determined, hardheaded woman I've met. She refuses help of any kind. It's frustrating sometimes, but I respect her desire to be self-sufficient. 

What are your plans for the near future? 

I hope to have, SOMEONE to WATCH OVER ME, a short story sold soon. And finishing HIS to LOSE is a priority. Plus we're celebrating the release of THE GREEN-EYED DOLL!

Jerrie will be awarding a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn commenter at the end of each week, and a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to one randomly drawn commenter from all comments during the tour, awarded at the end of the tour. Be sure to leave your name and email, remember no email = no entry.

Tour Stops

(She's also awarding a Barnes and Noble GC to one randomly drawn host...... so please leave me lots of great comments so I can win too!!!! Hugs!)

Be sure to visit Jerrie@

http://www.jerriealexander.com

http://www.twitter.com/jerriealexander

http://www.facebook.com/JerrieAlexanderAuthor

http://www.Goodreads.com/jerriealexander

Krystal Shannan Interviews - Toni Anderson - Dangerous Waters

Please help me welcome Toni Anderson to the blog today!

Tell us a little about yourself.

Hi, Krystal, thanks for having me on your blog today. I write Romantic Suspense stories. When I’m not writing Romantic Suspense stories I’m a mom of two middle-school kids and the wife of a university professor. I’m owned and walked twice daily by my rescue dog, Holly, who looks like a chocolate lab but is really a hound/pit bull/ lab mix. As a writer I’m well aware that appearances can be deceptive J.

I used to be a marine biologist but now I live smack bang in the middle of North AmericaJ. I used to live in temperate Britain but now live in the weather extremes of Manitoba. Life is different but good.

Did you always want to be an author? 

I always liked to write, but I never dreamed I could be an author. I was doing my second post-doc when I started trying to write a full-length novel. After that I became hooked on writing and determined to never give up.

What is your favorite part of being a writer/author? 

I like planning my own time and not having to go into the office/lab every day.  However, it’s not quite so simple when you have deadlines and a million things pulling you in different directions.

Tell us a little about your book.

My latest release is a Romantic Suspense novel set in a remote town on Vancouver Island. It combines a strong female lead, RCMP Sergeant Holly Rudd, who becomes involved with a former elite soldier, Finn Carver, who is now the dive master at a world famous marine lab. The story encompasses a modern day murder and a thirty-year-old mystery and I’m hoping readers enjoy both the mystery aspect and the romantic tension.

Known as the Graveyard of the Pacific, Barkley Sound is notorious for surging swells with the power to pull helpless victims into its merciless abyss…

Sergeant Holly Rudd arrives in the coastal community of Bamfield after local divers discover a body with a knife jutting from its chest in the waters of Barkley Sound. As she investigates the crime, Holly soon realizes the sleepy town is rife with secrets. But what unsettles her most is the residents’ insistence that she bears a striking resemblance to the victim of a murder from three decades earlier. She shrugs off the uncanny likeness as a coincidence. But her simmering attraction to Finn Carver, one of the divers who discovered the corpse, isn’t so easy to ignore.

Finn, a former Special Forces soldier, knows it’s best to keep his distance from Holly. Yet it isn’t long before they both give in to the consuming desire they share. And as the danger escalates, Finn and Holly must rely on each other to thwart the plans of a cold-blooded killer who’s intent on keeping the past buried.

Excerpt:

Holly Rudd stepped off the speedboat and looked around. Vancouver Island was the size of Scotland, but with a population of only three-quarters of a million people, most of whom where based in the provincial capital, Victoria. The rest were scattered among tiny out-ports and communities like this one—Bamfield, population one-hundred and fifty-five hardy, adventurous souls, according to the last census.

“You can’t moor that there.”

She looked the guy up and down. Surfer blond hair and bare feet. Rugged good looks and attitude to match. She dumped her bag at her feet and turned to the guy who’d ferried her over from Ucluelet. Handed him fifty bucks. “Thanks for the ride.” He waved as he sped away.

She turned back to the dude who stood with arms crossed over his broad chest, radiating impatience and hostility. Sexy as hell. She was tired from lack of sleep, exhilarated by the thought of what the day might bring, but she sure as heck wasn’t blind.

“This is private property.” Blue eyes glittered. Pale hair glowed like white gold in the rays of the rising sun. Hot, tanned, gorgeous. Just her luck.

She raised a brow and checked her watch. “I’m meeting someone here.”

“Public dock is another minute that way.” He jerked his thumb down the inlet.

She smiled coolly. Twelve long years on the job and she was still dealing with macho bullshit. “But someone’s dropping a car off for me here.” She pointed up at the Department of Fisheries and Oceans sign on the side of a large wooden building and started toward it.

He blocked her path. “There’s no one there today.”

She rocked back on her heels, let her eyes range over the square jaw and heated eyes. “You’re not very friendly.”

He didn’t crack a smile. “Not in my job description.”

Not in hers either, but she found smiles worked better than growls when gathering information.

His mouth pinched, then he backed off, relenting. “Tell me who you’re supposed to meet and I’ll get someone to track them down.”

“Who are you?” She had a feeling she knew.

He blew out an impatient sigh. “Look, lady, I don’t have time for this—”

“Sergeant.”

“Excuse me?” Those pale brows formed a formidable line.

She held out a hand. “Sergeant. Sergeant Holly Rudd. I’m with the Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit.”

“You’re a Mountie?”

A proud member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police by any other name. She nodded.

He stood stock still, nothing moving but the glitter in his eyes. Finally he sucked in a breath and shook her hand. “Nice uniform.”

She glanced down at her ragged old t-shirt, cut-offs, and thongs. “I was caught a little unprepared this morning as I was officially on vacation. Thankfully I always pack a uniform.” She tapped her bag with her foot, smiled widely, and watched his eyes grow a lot more friendly. And then they shifted straight back to suspicious as he realized she was cataloguing his expressions like a facial analysis program. “And you are?”

“Finn Carver.”

Ah. Her fingers tightened on his when he would have let go. “You called it in?”

“I did.” He forcibly disconnected her fingers.

“I’m going to need all the gear you wore last night, and the other diver’s. Forensics will want to check it out.”

He regarded her with one of those silent, steady gazes people used when they wanted to argue but couldn’t. “I’ll need it back ASAP. I have a busy dive schedule this week.”

“You can use something else for a day or two, right? I’ll make sure they do a quick turnaround.” She needed this guy on her side.

The little time she’d had before the boat trip she’d used to pull up background information on the two guys who’d found the body. Finn Carver had been in the military. Right now he looked ready to go into combat. “Any chance the dive team arrived yet?” she asked.

“No. Their ETA is eleven o’clock. West Coast Marine Service had a call north of Prince Rupert last night. It’s going to take them a few hours to get back here. So far you’re it.” His eyes scraped her form. He didn’t look impressed. She should be insulted, but she worked best when people underestimated her.

“I want to check out the crime scene ASAP.”

His face gave away nothing but skepticism. Those arms crossed again over that muscular chest. Mouth pressed into a firm line. She let her eyes wander over him. He really was very attractive and absolutely untouchable. Knowing that gave her a distinct advantage.

“You can take me down,” she suggested.

He gave her one of those sideways glances. Not hostile. Not friendly. “Whoever is in charge of the investigation probably wouldn’t be very happy about that.”

“Me. I’m in charge. On the ground anyway.” Although she was the newest member of the major crime unit here on the island, she had plenty of experience. She let her grin reach her eyes this time. This was her first case as primary investigator in a murder investigation and she didn’t usually have to work this hard to charm anyone. “I just helped solve a case down in Blaine.” RCMP, municipal, and FBI collaboration. A hell of a big deal. “Guy murdered his wife, dumped her in Semiahmoo Bay. We found enough evidence to prove he was lying and he confessed.” To her, at the end of a bloody knife. She rubbed the newly healed scar on her arm. “I’ve been working with forensic experts in Burnaby for some time, looking at decomp after seawater submergence.”

His lip started to thin. He was definitely not buying it.

“If you’re too scared to go back down there…”

He snorted and whirled away. “What am I, eight?”

“If you don’t take me down I’ll find someone who will,” she called to his retreating back.

He stopped, tension stretching the muscles tight across his shoulder blades. “I thought people who found the bodies were suspects?”

Knowledgeable about police investigations. Check. “At this stage everyone’s a suspect, but I can take care of myself.”

A harsh sound was forced out of his mouth. “Just what a potential dive buddy wants to hear.” He swiveled back to her and moved so close she smelled his scent and felt his body heat. She held her ground, watching his nostrils flare. He was trying to intimidate, but she’d been a cop for over a decade, had grown up with cops. There wasn’t much she hadn’t seen or dealt with, and brawny guys with bad attitudes did not scare her. “This isn’t some macho pissing contest. Wreck diving is dangerous, especially at this sort of depth. Only experienced divers should be down there.”

“I can handle it.” Her voice was sharp. He wasn’t a pushover for female charm or pretty smiles. Perhaps proving she was damn good at her job would work instead.

He went to walk away, but she reached out to touch his arm.

“I have dive training.” She spoke softer this time. She’d learned to dive exactly so she could pursue this sort of investigation.

He paused, those eyes of his diamond hard. “Prove it.”

She let go of his arm and bent to pick up her bag. Unzipping the tote she pulled out her brand-new PADI diving certificate. “I just completed the basic dive training yesterday.”

“Fortuitous.” He plucked the book from her fingers and flipped through it. “You did four open water dives and think you’re ready for a thirty-meter wreck dive?” He shoved the book back in her hand and stalked away. “Not on your life, Sergeant Rudd.”

“I checked you out, Mr. Carver.”

“I bet you did.”

She followed him into a low-slung single-story building, the room full of tanks and neoprene. The desk overflowed with papers, keys, coffee mugs. Where was everyone? The place was quiet as a graveyard. He picked up the phone.

“I heard you’re the best dive instructor this side of the Pacific. If anyone can get me into that wreck it’s you.”

“Getting you into the wreck wouldn’t be the problem.” His eyes flicked over her, unmoved by flattery. He started talking on the phone. “Johnny? Finn Carver here. I’ve got a woman called Holly Rudd claims she just completed a PADI course with you?”

It went silent and Holly leaned against the doorway, straining to hear above the background sound of running water.

“What was she like under pressure? Think she could hold her own on a thirty-meter wreck dive?”

She watched his face, trying to gauge the answers, but his impassive features gave nothing away.

“Would you trust her with your life?” The reply made Finn smile. “That’s what I figured. Talk to you later.” He hung up.

“What did he say?” She could have kicked herself for asking.

He stared at her, then bent down and started filling an air cylinder. “You don’t want to know.”

Her eyes widened despite her efforts to conceal her emotions. “Well, it won’t be anything I haven’t heard before.” She lived in a man’s world and never forgot the fact, but she was done playing games. “Are you taking me down or not? So far we’ve only got your and Professor Edgefield’s word a body even exists. And even if there’s a body, it doesn’t mean it’s a homicide.”

He snorted. “Trust me, it’s a homicide.”

This was her first murder as lead investigator, and she would not be thwarted. Checking out the crime scene with the body still in place was imperative as long as she didn’t contaminate the scene. The guys on the Underwater Recovery Team were no more likely to take her down than he was. She geared herself up for an argument.

“You do exactly as I say. No pulling rank or cop bullshit when we get down there. And you’ll owe me.” Carver disconnected one cylinder and began filling another. His eyes were flat and hard.

“You’re going to take me down?” A rush of adrenaline shot through her. She nodded. “As long as it isn’t illegal, I’ll owe you.” She nodded.

“Down there I’m boss. You have to trust me implicitly.” He took a step closer and her mouth went dry. “If I put my hands on you…” He rested both hands on her hips and she felt the imprint of each burning hot finger. She forced herself not to react. This was a test. She didn’t fail tests. Ever. “If I grab you, you don’t freak out. You help me do whatever the hell it is I want to do. You follow my lead exactly and we’ll both get out of there alive.”

She found herself staring up into those bright blue eyes, only inches from hers. Energy sizzled between them. A sudden wave of sexual awareness mixed with mutual mistrust, a subtle perfume of complication.

Red burned his cheekbones. He released her. He hadn’t expected it either.

“I have to trust you. Think I can do that?” Blue eyes held her gaze.

She didn’t make a joke about putting her hands on him because suddenly it wasn’t funny. One, he was a suspect and she refused to feel anything for him that wasn’t strictly professional. Two, they were going to dive a hazardous shipwreck at thirty meters with a rotting corpse at the end. It wasn’t the sort of treasure most divers dreamed of, but she wasn’t most people. She kept her mouth shut. Nodded.

Do you plot and outline or do you just write?  Plotter or Pantser? 

I’m a plotter but things often change as I start writing, more detail emerges, complications and unforeseen threads, and I have to adjust the plot as I go. It’s a messy process and I hate it, but it’s mine.

What was your favorite part of the book? 

There’s a scene on Pachena Beach, which is one of the prettiest beaches in the world (I have pictures on my blog and Pinterest), where the heroine and hero share their first exchange about how they might feel about one another if things were different. I loved writing that scene.

Do you have another book in the works? 

Yes, I’m writing a sequel to DANGEROUS WATERS right now, tentatively titled DARK WATERS.

What advice would you give new authors?  What have you learned about the business? 

Advice? Write every day. Read. Read craft books.  Read across genres. Read. Read. Read. Also, join a writing group (online or local) and develop a network of writer friends who will support you through the good and bad times. And ignore those people who drain your enthusiasm and creative energy.

Boxers or Briefs? Boxers

Pizza or hamburger? Pizza

Beer, Wine, or mixed drink? Gin & tonic

If you could spend a week anywhere in the world, where would it be?  Would you write or read there, or do something else? 

Tricky question. I’d love to go to Africa or New Zealand. I wouldn’t write. I’d explore and store up the memories and then I’d write about it when I got home.

(Character Questions)

What were your first impressions of each other?

Holly: Big, blond, built. Someone I could manipulate to get the information I needed.

Finn: Trouble.

What’s your favorite characteristic of each other?

Holly: His protective instincts—even though I don’t need protecting *grin*

Finn: Her dedication to finding the truth.

About the Author:

Toni Anderson is a former marine biologist who conducted her Ph.D. at the Gatty Marine Laboratory in St. Andrews, Scotland, and traveled the world with her work. She was born and raised in rural Shropshire, England but, having lived in five different countries, finally settled in the Canadian prairies with her husband and two children—about as far from the ocean as possible. She combines her love of travel with her love of Romantic Suspense and writes stories based in some of the places she’s been lucky enough to visit. Coming next are two Romantic Suspense books set in the wilds of Vancouver Island for Montlake Romance. 

She’s a member of Romance Writers of America, Kiss of Death Chapter, and The International Thriller Writers’ Association.

When not writing, she’s walking the dog, gardening or ferrying the kids between school, piano, and soccer games.

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Krystal Shannan Spotlights Stephanie Queen - The Hot Shots Book 2

Please help me welcome Stephanie Queen to the blog today!

Tell us a little about yourself.

SQ:     I’ll divulge a secret, Krystal—I’m not really a royal. Although I do indulge in occasional crown-wearing. Also, I love to wear heels and prefer my skirts above the knee. My favorite pajamas are fleece and I adore Meryl Streep in Julie and Julia. I cook everything with butter now. (No, I’m not a heart attach waiting to happen!)

Did you always want to be an author?    

SQ: Only since the second grade.

What is your favorite part of being a writer/author?

SQ:  How much time do you have?  Really, maybe instead I should point out the one thing I don’t like.  I sometimes get tired of my own company after being trapped (inside my head) in my house by myself for hours, days, weeks, writing away on the computer with only my cat, Kitty to talk to. (No, she doesn’t talk back. Geesh, what do you think I am, crazy?) (Yes, I should probably get out more.)

Tell us a little about your book.

SQ:  Here’s the SNAP on THE HOT SHOTS :

Would you jump off the USS Constitution into Boston Harbor with a perfect stranger?  You would if that stranger was hot shot Scotland Yard detective Chauncey Miller, the usual tall-dark-handsome type, especially since he has an assassin with a score to settle who just caught up with him…

Decorator Sophia “Pixie” Alano’s career gets side-tracked from the moment she meets hot shot Chauncey. He's on the run from a madman terrorist out for revenge when Sophia ends up targeted too.  Now he has to protect his spitfire of a Pixie while they escape to London to outwit the madman. But once Chauncey catches their would-be killer, how can they go back to the lives they had before?

THE HOT SHOTS

STEPHANIE QUEEN

Decorator Sophia Alano’s career gets side-tracked from the moment she meets hot shot Scotland Yard detective Chauncey Miller. On the run in Boston, Chauncey must now protect this spitfire Pixie from the madman out for revenge. But once he catches their would-be killer, how does he hold onto his Pixie decorator?

Chapter One Excerpt:

“I have a favor to ask,” Grace said from behind her desk, pencil in hand and dimple in place. “I need you to pick up David’s latest recruit from Scotland Yard at Logan Airport today and keep him busy for the day. Show him around.” 

Sophia couldn’t stop her usual sarcasm in spite of the fact that Grace was her boss as well as her best friend. This so-called favor made no sense. Even for Grace.

“Are you serious?” Sophia planted her hands on her hips. “Let me make sure I understand you--You’re asking me to babysit one of David’s Scotland Yard hot shots on the eve of my possible career breakthrough?”

Grace nodded. Her big blue eyes were wide and honest. Something was up.

“That’s crazy talk. Tomorrow’s the shoot for the audition tape.” Sophia knew that Grace knew this since Grace helped set it up for her, but she felt it was worth mentioning the obvious.

“Yes. I know.” Grace smiled then looked back down at her drawing. “And a distraction is exactly what you need to keep your nerves at bay.”

“What? My nerves are fine.” If her dam voice hadn’t squeaked at that moment, she’d have been more convincing. Something was definitely up. And Sophia would never admit it to Grace, but she did feel a bit edgy--if edginess included nausea, headaches and sleeplessness.

“I know you.” Grace paused and gave her the serious-yet-loving older-sister type look that she mostly put up with. “This will be good for you and…and I’d really appreciate it.”

Grace was playing dirty pool now with that appreciation bit, but Sophia still didn’t buy it.

“And what if I didn’t have time today?  Were you going to tear me away from my project?”

“Actually, yes.  I wasn’t going to mention it, but some of the men were complaining about your presence at the set and asked me to have you back off just a smidge.” Grace scrunched her brow. “But don’t worry, honey, they think you’re wonderful. It’s just lately...”

“Great. That’s great.” Her hands flew into the air. “I got painters and paperhangers and carpenters talking to my boss behind my back.” This was not good. She plunked herself on the edge of Grace’s desk and folded her arms. She tried staring at the stack of fabric samples on the other side of the office so Grace wouldn’t notice if a tear slipped out. Because, damn it, she might be on the brink of crying.

Grace picked up the box of tissues and handed it to her. “You’ll be alright, Pixie honey. This is the perfect way to get your mind off everything to do with decorating and the design show audition filming and TV cameras. I’m asking for a one-day one-shot favor.”

Grace’s voice sounded a little too sweet, even for her, and “Pixie honey” or no “Pixie honey”, that was cause for suspicion.  She blew her nose. Okay, so maybe she needed a break, but she wasn’t convinced that playing tour guide to some British guy fresh off the boat...or rather airline--was the way to go.           

“I’m saving up my vacation time and I don’t think you have the authority to assign me to pick up some random guy at Logan Airport and show him around town while I’m on the clock.  We’re in the decorating business.”   She remained seated on the edge of Grace’s desk, tossed the balled-up tissue in a basket halfway across the small office and re-folded her arms.  “Besides it doesn’t even sound safe.”   She blew the blunt-cut bangs off her forehead for emphasis.

Grace looked at her with that smile and said, “He’s from Scotland Yard, honey.  Of course it’s safe.  It’ll be fun.  I don’t know what you’re worried about.” Her face brightened and she added, “You don’t have to use vacation time. Consider it a client recruitment assignment.”  Grace went back to the sketch she’d been working on.

Sophia looked at her best friend and boss with a suspicious squint.  What it sounded like to her was another one of Grace’s blind date set-ups in disguise.

When did you start writing and when did you finish your first book?

SQ:  Guess it was a long road for me now that you ask. I started writing my first book in about second grade, but I never finished one until I was just out of college. (I’ve improved my writing speed since then.)

Where do you get your inspiration?

SQ:  The other day I got inspired when I went to the local middle school gym to vote. Happens every time I go out. It’s a curse. No matter where I go there’s a story lurking. I’m putting off an overdue trip to the hardware store because who knows what will happen there. That’s why I don’t go out much. Every time I venture out I’m struck with more inspirations for stories to write and I already have enough to last me until I’m 107. We’re starting to push the longevity envelope here.

Or, maybe I’m going to have to kick up my writing speed another few notches. Hmm…

Do you plot and outline or do you just write?  Plotter or Pantser?

SQ:  I’m a Hybrid, just like the new fashionable cars. I make the most of both gasoline and electric energy—err—I mean, I do some plotting and some pantsing.

What was your favorite part of THE HOT SHOTS?

SQ:  I have to admit it was the jump into Boston Harbor. (Did I mention I’m a big James. James Bond. Fan?). I loved the crazy notion even if it was a logistical challenge—and a very protracted extension of the suspension of disbelief.

Rate your story in terms steaminess?  

SQ:  It’s about 2.5 tamales out of 5. It’s got some spice, but it’s edible.

Do you have another book in the works?

SQ:  Wouldn’t be without one. I’d be naked as a writer!

THE HOT SHOTS is book 2 of the Scotland Yard Exchange Program Series (THE THROWBACKS was book one and is available now), so I’m working on book 3 of the series featuring Joe Allario from the Hot Shots. He’s sent to London to visit the Queen—err, I mean for a special assignment on the royal protection detail.

What have you learned about the business?

SQ:  I learned that I LOVE this business! Start to finish, everything about it!  ESPECIALLY the readers! Kisses to you all! (Picture a Queenly wave here, except I’m throwing kisses.)

Seriously, I get some of the most wonderful notes from readers—and I really love it when I meet a fan in person!  I’ve been known to reward my fans—sign up for my newsletter if you don’t believe me.

Boxers or Briefs? 

SQ:  I don’t usually wear either, but if I had to—I’d try Boxers. Pink ones.

Pizza or hamburger?  

SQ:  Pizza – I’m Grace Marie DelVecchio’s granddaughter all the way!

Beer, Wine, or mixed drink?   

SQ:  Must I choose?   Okay. For now, I’ll choose beer--to go with the above-noted pizza.

If you could spend a week anywhere in the world, where would it be?  Would you write or read there, or do something else?

SQ:  It would be less of a place and more of an occasion—somewhere—anywhere—with all my family and best friends. Maybe I’ll hire out a cruise ship and invite them all along…

As for the writing and reading—no—I can do that anywhere anytime.

Fabulous! Thank you so much for being my guest today! Readers, be sure to leave a comment and email addy for Stephanie. She will draw a name for her first book 

The Throwbacks, Book 1 of the Scotland Yard Exchange Program.

About the Author:

Stephanie Queen lives in bucolic New Hampshire where writing happy, snappy romances takes most of her time. However you can also find her watching UConn football and basketball games whenever they’re on TV, and sometimes even in person. Right now, she’s busy writing her next book in the Scotland Yard Exchange Program Series. Visit her website to learn more at StephanieQueen.com or connect with Stephanie Queen on Twitter or Facebook.

Website / Facebook / Twitter

Krystal Shannan Interviews - RT Wolfe - Black Creek Burning - Romantic Suspense

Please help me welcome R.T. Wolfe to the blog today!

Thank you for having me today on your lovely blog, Krystal!

You are quite welcome!

Tell us a little about yourself. 

My romantic suspense, Black Creek Burning, is the first in a series set in beautiful upstate New York. I enjoy creating diverse characters and twining them together in the midst of an intelligent mystery and a heart encompassing romance.

It’s not uncommon to find dark chocolate squares in my candy dish, my Golden Retriever at my feet and a few caterpillars spinning their cocoons in their terrariums on my counters. I love my family, gardening, eagle-watching and can occasionally be found viewing a flyover of migrating Whooping cranes.

Did you always want to be an author? 

Writing chose me. I’m not sure what made me type out those first few sentences years ago. They turned into a few pages, then a few hundred pages. The research, the editing, revisions, critiques…I love it all. Writing quickly became my crack cocaine and there’s no turning back now. 

What is your favorite part of being a writer/author?

My readers. I would write without them, but they are my favorite part. I love to give someone the opportunity to escape to another time and place; to feel warmth, emotion and closure. When someone contacts me to say they’re using toothpicks to hold their eyelids open at work because they were up late reading my book, that’s a good day. 

Tell us a little about your book. 

Black Creek Burning is a romantic suspense about Brianna Chapman, the only witness to the murder of her parents…an arson that was meant for her. After several years, Brianna learns to cope by burying herself in her beloved teaching job by day and landscaping business by night. What she doesn’t count on is nationally renowned woodworking artist, Nathan Reed. He and his two adorable young nephews move into the run-down historical farmhouse behind her. Nathan pushes his way through Brianna’s hard shell and is determined to both win her heart and solve the murder.

Brianna Chapman learns to handle just about anything. Witnessing the murder of her parents had that effect. Knowing the unsolved arson had been meant for her isn’t as easy to overcome. Instead, she stuffs her guilt soundly into her subconscious through diving into the teaching job she loves by day and the dirt of the landscaping business she owns by night. Her habit of remaining aloof to personal relationships is, well, working.

Will her guilt be as easy to keep buried if the killer comes back to finish the job?

In the midst of juggling a scorched yard, dead animals on her doorstep and her vandalized car, the one thing she didn’t count on was the staggering Nathan Reed. A nationally renowned woodworking artist, Nathan and his two priceless nephews move into the run-down historical house behind her and over Black Creek. They have a canny way of maneuvering around her aloof demeanor and into her heart. Will they still want to be part of her life when they discover she is haunted by past memories and hunted by present dangers?

Excerpt:

“I’m not above doing that. You should know that. I can take care of my own car.” Brie turned as she thought of just how she was going to do that, and reached up to pull out a single tea bag and mug. “And there is no you and me. It was just a kiss. Now, we have to move backward for Andy’s sake.” And mine, she thought.

He made his way to her in three long strides, picked her up by the shoulders and plopped her on the kitchen counter, smashing his mouth to hers. Framing the side of her face with one hand, Nathan laced his fingers in her pinned up hair with the other.

She couldn’t think and for the first time in her life let go. Slipping away from her blessed control, she blocked out the possible consequences and surrendered to the now. Her skin nearly ignited from the feel of his body as she pulled him in closer. She held onto his lanky back, his strong arms, feeling his rough hands on her face, in her hair. His mouth and his tongue emptied her mind. She clamped her eyes shut and wanted to stay right there. As he’d done at the midnight hour in her basement, he pulled away as quickly as he took her.

Nathan whispered close to her face, “Just a kiss my ass.”

Love it!

Do you plot and outline or do you just write?  

I try to be a plotter, honestly I do. But my characters have other ideas…and their ideas are generally better than my outline. So, I’ll say I am a plotter…who revises constantly. 

Can you tell us about the process of getting your first book published?

Crimson Romance ran a call for submissions. I responded and was offered a contract…which spurred other offers. It was the craziest week of my life, but Crimson was the one who asked first. So, I chose them.

What advice would you give new authors?  

I would tell new authors to finish their books. I know so many who have written for years without finishing a single project. I am closure gal. It makes me sad. 

What have you learned about the business?

It varies as much as any other, I suppose. The trick is writing a quality piece, finding an honest publisher and juggling marketing without letting it make you crazy. I’m getting there. lol

Do you have another book in the works?

Yes. Black Creek Burning is book one in the Black Creek Trilogy. Book two, To Fly in Shadows will debut in February with the third installment, Dark Vengeance, following in July. But don’t worry, there are no cliff hangers in my work…closure, remember? 

What do you like to do in your free time, besides read and write of course?

I drive all over the Midwest watching my sons’ swim meets. Three sons who all swim competitively? How did this happen? I love it. In my spare time, I am a school teacher, a Pilates instructor and a green belt in Tae Kwan Do. Gardening is my second drug and I spend time working with my golden retriever every chance I get. 

Busy lady!

Where do you dream of going on vacation?

Alaska. Can I just live there? I love the open and nature. Cold doesn’t bother me. 

Boxers or Briefs? 

Briefs. Yum. 

Cookies or cake?

Cookies!

Pizza or hamburger?

Burger

Beer, Wine, or mixed drink?

Bottle of Bud to go with the burger, please

(Hero/Heroine Character Questions)

What were your first impressions of each other?

I thought Nathan was a lazy father who moved his sons into a rundown, piece of crap farmhouse so that he could play in the enormous garage and brush his kids off onto their grandparents. Okay, maybe he was an attractive, swaggering, hot lazy father, but none the less…

Brie was someone to shake your head at, that’s for damned sure. Not pretty in the standards of society, but confident in an irresistibly sexy sort of way. I had my own life to work on. Hell, I sold my woodworking business just so I could move back to my hometown and create a better life for the nephews I inherited after the death of my brother. But when you have a brunette who spends more time outside in the dead of winter than most do in the summer time…you wonder.

What’s your favorite characteristic of each other?

Nathan is calm, and sly, and somehow maneuvers around the careful walls I’ve so meticulously built. He’s never scared off by the…things that keep happening to me and my home. He and those dang adorable nephews of his worked their way right into my heart. 

Brie goes out of her way to help an elderly neighbor, a boy who’s teased at school and holds an enormous party in honor of her deceased parents even though it pains her. There’s something about digging into those green eyes of hers and finding out what’s behind them. 

What are your plans for the near future?  

The near future is filled with publishing this trilogy. My readers are ruthless. They hound me, taunt me, threaten me and I love every minute of it! 

R.T. was born and raised in the Midwest, the youngest of six children. She married at a young age and decided early on she wanted a family herself. With three small boys in tow, she and her husband flipped two houses with R.T. in charge of the landscape design and install. Now, she is rooted in the final home they designed inside and out.

Now that her boys are nearly grown, R.T. spends much of her time on the road traveling from one sporting event to another serving as mom and cheerleader. When at home, she enjoys Pilates, working with her Golden Retriever and digging in the glorious dirt of her landscaping plots.

During one of many busy and restless nights, R.T.’s first novel began to pluck its way onto her laptop. It was a drug, an instant addiction that only grew with time. Moments borrowed and stolen at her laptop are, now, between all of the travel and work and many of those busy, restless nights. After several edits, revisions and versions later R.T.’s first novel, Black Creek Burning, will debut September 24th.

Be sure to visit R.T. @

My website is http://www.rtwolfe.com

I’m on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/RT_Wolfe

My Facebook Author Page is http://www.facebook.com/RTWolfe2012 

My Pinterest Page is dedicated, mostly, to my characters. So fun. http://www.pinterest.com/RTWolfe 

She's also got a fabulous giveaway going on during her tour!

Be sure to leave a comment with your email to enter to win a $40 Amazon or B&N gift card!

no email = no entry

Her other tour stops can be found here!

Scene and Structure #7 - 12 Tips to Writing a Great Scene

I promised I'd share Jack Bickham's 12 tips on planning a scene this week, so here they are.

1. Make sure that the state scene goal is clearly relevant to the story question. Don't assume it's obvious to the reader. Spell it out.
2. Show clearly that the viewpoint character considers the oncoming scene as vitally important. Have him/her say so, or think so, or both! Never allow a lead character to enter a scene with a lackadaisical attitude.
3. Make sure you have provided enough background for the opposition character --or have him state enough motivation at the outset. 
4. Make sure your opposing character clearly states his opposition early in the scene, and never lets up.
5. Mentally devise a moving game plan for both the lead character and the antagonist so that even if you don't tell the reader what either is thinking, you know what both are thinking. 
6. In searching for your scene-ending-disaster, don't always grab the first idea that comes to your mind. Your reader will be guessing along with you, and you don't want him to outguess you. You always want to keep the reader guessing!
7. Don't be afraid to have your antagonist try to get the lead character "off the point" of argument as one of his opposing tactics. Just make sure the lead character always finds his way back.
8. Don't hesitate to use dialogue at cross-purpose once in a while as a scene-building device. Such dialogue can be defined as story conversation in which the conflict is not overt, but where the antagonist either doesn't understand what's really at issue, or is purposely non-responsive. However! Avoid characters lecturing each other.
9. Remember, in building conflict in the scene and in devising your disaster, that people are not always entirely rational, especially in stressful situations. Your story people --even in the toughest scenes --are not wholly logical robots, LOL.
10. Plan and write the scene for all you can get out of it. Revise if its impact suddenly seems to great for what your plot calls for next, and cut it only if you reread it later and sense that it may get dull in spots.
11. Always be alert for ways to raise the stakes in a scene, as long as you don't turn it into Armageddon!
12. Never let your characters relax or feel comfortable when disaster is right around the corner.

Next week we will begin considering how to CONNECT scenes and how better to motivate them. Hope you enjoyed this week. See you next Wednesday.

Happy Writing

Happy Reading

Krystal Shannan