How did you get started writing?

You know, I get asked this question a lot, and I usually talk about the way writing came into my life, but honestly? I started writing after having my first child. I had said for years that I wanted to write a book, and I decided that I didn’t want to be the kind of person who said I WANTED to do something and then made excuses for all the reasons I couldn’t do it. I wanted to be the sort of person who DID things. So I wrote my first book. And my second. And now five years later, I’ve written fifteen books—thirteen have/will be published. It’s been a wild ride and I wouldn’t change a thing!
What genre(s) do you write in and why?

I write young adult, new adult, and contemporary romance, all set in the South. I like to say I write Southern romance or Southern fiction, because while all my stories contain a centralized romance, it’s important to me to give a solid nod to Southern culture, the sense of community, food, and family. Think of the movie Sweet Home Alabama or the show Hart of Dixie and you’ll get a good idea of what you will find in one of my books. 🙂
Tell us about your current series.

The Hamilton Stables series features the three Hamilton brothers and their journeys through managing the family farm and horse racing business, while simultaneously juggling love and all the fun and games that come along with it!

What is your favorite part of writing?

I really enjoy drafting the manuscript. There’s something exciting about discovering your characters and story for the first time. I love it!

What is your least favorite part of writing?

Copyedits, hands down. At that point in the process, you are not allowed to make large-scale changes to the story, but as an author, we ALWAYS want to make changes to the story! It’s very hard to go through the book without wishing you could tweak this or rewrite that.

What is your next project and when will it be released?

My next project is NO FALLING ALLOWED, a sweet and sexy NA/CR crossover that is tentatively set to release this July.

How much time do you spend promoting your books?  What works best for you?

Too much time! LOL! I’m kidding…sort of. I’m not naturally very good at shouting READ MY BOOK! But in the current publishing climate, it’s absolutely necessary that you promote your books or no one will know about them! I try to stay active on social media, and then I use a variety of marketing techniques, combined with my publisher’s efforts.

Where do you get the ideas for your stories?

Everywhere! Songs, dreams, random people I see while people-watching. I find there are stories all around us, and if you pay attention, you’ll almost always catch a tiny detail that’s just waiting to become a full story.

EXCERPT

“What are you doing here?” Becca asked.

“I had something important to tell you.”

“Okay?”

“I want you.”

The beer bottle slipped from her grasp, shattering, but she couldn’t pull her gaze from his.  “What did you just say?”

Nick smiled at her, the picture of ease. “I said I want you. I wanted you at eight. I wanted you at eighteen. And I want you now. That part has never been in question. Doubt whatever you want, but don’t doubt that. I want you. Trip and Alex, the town, they all think you’re my match because I can’t stop talking about you, can’t even look at anyone else. For me, there’s only you.”

Pushing off the swing and tiptoeing around the broken glass so she could see him better, she asked, “But what about our friendship?”

Nick edged closer to her, one step, but the impact on her heart was the weight of a thousand. It felt like they’d been walking toward each other for a lifetime, only to finally find the right route, the right location, the right way to each other.

Tentatively, he reached for her hand, his gaze trained on their linked fingers as though he were watching something miraculous happening. “I don’t know.” Then he flicked his eyes up to hers. “But if I don’t do this, I’m going to go insane.”

And then in one more move, he had her in his arms, his face coming down to meet hers as he captured her lips with his…

Buy links for series:

http://www.melissawestauthor.com/hamilton-stables.html
SILENT HEARTS blurb:

Nick Hamilton has always known he’d take the reins of the family business when his father died, but that doesn’t make it any easier when the time comes. Especially with his two siblings tempted by a shrewd offer from a huge corporation to buy Hamilton Industries. Needing advice, Nick turns to his sensible childhood friend, Becca Stark—and finds her suddenly grown-up beauty ignites brand-new confusion, and crystal clear desire…

Becca has loved Nick for as far back as she can remember, but she decided long ago that telling him would be a mistake. Stubborn, strong Nick doesn’t see her as anything but the tomboy she used to be—or does he? As she helps him untangle his feelings about the ranch’s future, the familiar bond between them heats into an explosive attraction—and the kind of love that just might take the lead…

Author bio:

Melissa West writes heartfelt Southern romance and teen sci-fi romance, all with lots of kissing. Because who doesn’t like kissing? She lives outside of Atlanta, GA with her husband and two daughters and spends most of her time writing, reading, or fueling her coffee addiction.

Connect with Melissa at www.melissawestauthor.com or on Twitter @MB_West.

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Tell us a little about yourself and your latest book.

Hello! My name is Olivia Dade, and my third Lovestruck Librarians book, Mayday, comes out May 10. It’s a contemporary romantic comedy full of sex, banter, and assorted nerdery, set in and around the Downtown Niceville Library. In fact, the heroines of my entire Lovestruck Librarians series all work in the same Maryland library system.

The whole library connection isn’t a shock, considering that I worked at a public library for five years. Before that, I taught high school and led tours through Colonial Williamsburg. So basically, I’ve held lots of jobs that required me to feign a certain level of decorum I don’t actually possess. Now I don’t need to pretend anymore. Such a relief!

Tell us about your hero.  Give us one of his strengths and one of his weaknesses.

Mayor Wes Ramirez may be my favorite hero I’ve ever written. Handsome, well-respected, and ambitious, he wants desperately to bring locals and tourists back to his economically troubled hometown via the city’s May Day celebrations. On the surface, he seems polished and confident. But in reality, he still struggles with a deep, abiding sense of failure that lingers from the abrupt ending of his athletic career—and from his ill-fated one-night stand with Helen, the local librarian he finds so appealing. So he’ll use every tool at his disposal to save his town and reclaim his woman: his intelligence, his creativity, his persistence, and (in the case of Helen) his sexual prowess.

And oh, does he deliver. This is definitely the sexiest book I’ve written to date!

Tell us about your heroine.  Give us one of her strengths and one of her weaknesses.

I hope my readers will find my heroine, Helen Murphy, as delightful as I do! A loyal, funny part-time reference librarian living with her parents, she’s eager to declare her independence at long last. So she’s looking to snag a full-time position as the library liaison to the mayor and the Niceville community, and she’s willing to do just about anything to get the job. Anything. Even work side-by-side with the source of her greatest humiliation, Mayor Wes Ramirez.

Nerdy, bespectacled, and plus-sized, she’s nothing like his usual girlfriends. And like him, she has confidence issues. She can’t see how he might want her for long. But she’s exactly what he needs. He simply has to convince her that he can make up for their past and become what she needs as well.

Did you always know you wanted to be a writer?

Maybe? For a long time, I was certain I’d become a professor, so I assumed I’d end up writing a lot of academic essays using the words “problematic” and “furthermore.” But I always believed I couldn’t write fiction, that my imagination simply didn’t work that way. You often hear authors talk about how they always made up new endings to books, kept journals, or spun tales to entertain siblings or children. I did none of that. I do none of that. So it shocked me when I sat down and wrote my first romance at the age of thirty-seven. Now, though, I can’t imagine doing anything else.

How did you get started writing?

I’ve been reading romances since well before I had any idea what a “manhood” was or why it kept throbbing so desperately. If I was going to write fiction of any type, then, it was definitely going to be romance. And after five years at the library, my work there had come to revolve around troubleshooting our public computers. A necessary job, but not one I especially enjoyed. I often came home with nothing to say, no stories to tell. Then one day, I sat in front of my computer and started randomly making up my own damn stories. I don’t remember the exact day, and I don’t remember the thought process involved. I think I simply needed an outlet for all the creativity my work wasn’t harnessing. So thank goodness for those public computers and their endless problems!

What is your favorite part of writing?

I have days when each new word comes hard, and I struggle to fill a page or two. But on good writing days—the best writing days—I enter a flow state, where I become so immersed in my writing that it’s no longer a conscious process, really. I look back at the screen filled with sentences and paragraphs, and I know I wrote those words, but I don’t have much memory of how they came to me or why. It’s a profoundly joyful experience. For one of my books—a futuristic romance written under the name Olivia Dart—I spent the entire first draft in that zone. I wrote the whole thing in three weeks! Usually, though, each book has its difficult moments interspersed with days when the story emerges effortlessly. At this point, I’ve learned to push through the former and celebrate the latter.

Do you have critique partners?

I have one critique partner, the amazing, whip-smart, and hilarious Mia Sosa. I first saw her on the “craft” forum of the Romance Writers of America website. She was looking for a CP, and we’ve been writing partners and good friends ever since. I can’t overstate her importance to my writing life. When I hit an obstacle, she helps me clamber over it. And when I accomplish something, she rejoices as wholeheartedly as I do. I’m lucky to have her, and I know it. By complete coincidence, her second book—One Night with the CEO—also comes out this month, which we think is pretty exciting.

What are you currently working on?

I’m about to finish revisions on the fifth book in the Lovestruck Librarians series, Driven to Distraction. In Mayday, I actually introduce the hero and heroine for the book and set up their dynamic: instant attraction followed by intense bickering. I love Constance and Sam’s story so very much, especially the way they circle closer and closer to each other with every day spent together in the tight confines of the Bookmobile. As it turns out, Niceville’s pragmatic, metaphor-mangling Bookmobile manager might not be able to resist the siren call of a hot, geeky IT guy once he gets under her skin and by her side. (Not to mention: in her bed!)

Excerpt:

After almost twenty years, Wes had managed to clear the stench of failure from his lungs. The air smelled cleaner. The chatter he heard from the arriving committee members sounded sweeter. More cheerful. Even the colors looked more vivid.

One color in particular, actually. A flash of brightness came bobbing in from the doorway, almost entirely obscured by a tall blond woman walking ahead of it. He craned his neck, trying to figure out what source of light had caught his eye. Then the blonde moved to the side, and he could finally see. His gaze focused on a head of coppery red hair and a pale, dimpled face.

He froze, unable to breathe for a long, painful second.

Helen. Former schoolmate. One-time lover. To his shame, one mediocre time at that.

Helen, the woman who had unwittingly served as the catalyst for his recent successes.

Helen, his greatest regret of the past year.

Chatting with the blonde and not looking his way at all, she selected a seat at the end of a back row. From what he could tell, she hadn’t changed much in the last ten or so months. She still appeared soft, all curves and gentle, round warmth. Her fiery mane of red curls hung maybe an inch longer than he recalled, barely brushing the shoulders of that dress. And as he watched, she pushed the frames of her horn-rimmed glasses onto the bridge of her nose, precisely as he’d seen her do that night.

Helen. Still lovely. Still exuding intelligence and lively enthusiasm.

Their encounter nearly a year ago should have been all about her. Even through a haze of self-disgust and frustration, he’d noticed how she shone in a crowd. But he’d needed a way out of his own head more than he’d wanted the possibility of a real connection with a woman.

So he’d used her. Used sex to distract himself from his failures, in a grim repetition of old patterns he’d tried so hard to break. And afterward, he’d looked down at Helen sprawled across his bed—all tousled red curls and pale, velvety flesh, the embodiment of his secret dreams—and known he’d screwed up. Big-time. Because a man wanted to give a woman like her the world, and he couldn’t give her anything. Not even a decent romp in bed, and certainly not a man worth her attention and energy. So he’d turned her away, hurting her. Hurting himself.

 She’s still a woman who deserves more than you can offer, an insidious voice whispered inside his head. A whiff of that familiar stench drifted his way again, and he shook his head hard to remove it from his nostrils.

No. That wasn’t true anymore. Now he could offer her something. An apology. An explanation. Above all else, a man worthy of her time.

What would happen between them without alcohol and despair muddying their interactions? Would they enjoy each other’s company? Would she accept his apology? Could the two of them make a fresh start and see where it led?

He didn’t know. But he could find out. Right now.

Author bio:

 Olivia Dade grew up an undeniable nerd, prone to ignoring the world around her as she read any book she could find. Her favorite stories, though, were always romances. As an adult, she earned an M.A. in American history and worked in a variety of jobs that required her to hide her bawdy interior under a demure exterior: Colonial Williamsburg interpreter, high school teacher, academic tutor, and (of course) librarian. Finally, though, she realized the call of the hussy could no longer be denied. So now she writes contemporary romantic comedy with plenty of sex, banter, and nerdery. When not writing, she cooks alongside her husband, dabbles in photography, and tries to hide her collection of throbbing-intensive romances from her curious daughter.

Purchase links:

 Here are the individual purchase links:

1. Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Mayday-Lovestruck-Librarians-Book-2-ebook/dp/B013ZNGZW0

2. Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mayday-olivia-dade/1122536585?ean=9781616509378

3. Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Olivia_Dade_Mayday?id=Ld5fCgAAQBAJ

4. Books-A-Million: http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Mayday/Olivia-Dade/Q672234296?id=6300597355308

5. iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/mayday/id1039679614?mt=11

6. Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/mayday-17

To find the links all in one place, readers can go to either of these sites:

1. The Kensington website: http://www.kensingtonbooks.com/book.aspx/32306

2. My website: http://oliviadade.com/books/

Author website (which includes my blog):

 oliviadade.com

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Thanks for inviting me to be a guest on your blog, Cynthia!

Give us an elevator pitch for your book.

The only thing standing between Angie and her happily ever after is the stubborn man she’s in love with…and a deadly group of criminals.

Tell us about your hero.  Give us one of his strengths and one of his weaknesses.

Matthias has a brilliant mind, and a stubborn belief that you have to take life as it’s dealt.

Tell us about your heroine.  Give us one of her strengths and one of her weaknesses.

Angie believes anything is possible, and is impatient with people who let love override sensible thinking.

Where do you get the ideas for your stories?

Here, I have to say I believe in magic because the stories simply come from my fingertips. Honestly, I rarely know what’s going to happen until it’s happening on the page. My characters constantly surprise me, and I love it.

Tell us about your current series.

The series began as loosely connected stories with a common theme of “everyday women stepping up and showing courage in the way they lived their lives.”

The theme has stayed, but the characters took over in about book #3, and informed me they were around to stay. So now within the series, you’ll find familiar faces from Meyers, and ETCETERA.

Meyers is a family-run security company operating out of their family ranch in Texas. ETC is a clandestine agency made up of scientists, security specialists, psychics, telepaths, etc.

What do you have planned for the future?

More books in the Intrepid Women Series, with #7 coming out in late October (2016). I’m also working on a non-fiction book for writers, as well as a special project for a cat rescue group.

Do you have any rejection stories to share?

My first rejection—on the first book I ever wrote—was exactly what I needed to keep me believing that maybe one day I would be an author, not just a writer. A very well-known and respected agent wrote me a lovely note saying that although my work was not yet ready for publication, I was “clearly a gifted storyteller.”

I continued to work very hard at learning the craft of writing while holding those four special words close to my heart.

Having achieved your goal to be a published author, what is the most rewarding thing? 

Every note from a reader saying they enjoyed my book. Even just a few simple words will have me grinning for hours. (Reviews can cause happy-dancing in the writing cave.)

Will you share some encouraging words for authors still struggling for that first contract?  

Don’t give up. Finish that book, put it aside, and write a new one. Skiers headed for the Olympics don’t just strap on skis and conquer the world. They practice over and over and over again. Writing takes the same kind of dedication and hard work. Trust me, if you pick up manuscript #1 after you finish writing ms #4, you will be able to see the improvement.

So put your fingers to the keyboard and write, and write and write.

All She Wanted

Chapter 1

“I. Don’t. Do. Christmas.”

Angie resisted the impulse to argue. Their relationship had been on his terms for years, and for a very good reason. But this time Dr. Matthias Alejandro Martinez was just being stubborn.

And she still had four months to strategize. To convince him how important it was to spend Christmas at the ranch with her and their son. Until now, she’d never argued, never asked for anything, believed she had no choice but to go along with him because that’s what you did when you were in love with a heart-stoppingly gorgeous man who didn’t exist in the real world.

“Are we good here?”

Oh, not by a long shot, pal. “You know I have to be gone, like, ten minutes ago.”

He reached out with the sureness of an old lover and ran a fingertip along her jawbone, cupped her chin. “Will you kiss me goodbye?”

He always asked, never took. And, dammit, she couldn’t look into those serious blue eyes and deny the man anything. He’d been making her crazy for years, so why would it change now? She lifted to her tiptoes, and slid her fingers into the thick, unruly hair brushing the back of his white collar. “I hate you,” she said and dragged his mouth down to hers.

“I know.” Hands on her butt, he lifted her off her feet, and just when she was afraid the top of her head was going to blow off, the vibration of his cell made her groan.

“You programmed that, didn’t you?”

He set her down with a sexy chuckle and slipped on heavy, black-rimmed glasses to check the display. “I have to take this.”

“No worries. I need to be gone anyway.”

Before she could turn away, he caught her hand, ran his teeth across the knuckles, then put the phone on speaker. “Martinez, stand by.”

Angie closed the door softly behind her and made it halfway to the stairwell before she stopped. She could go back, make him understand how important Christmas was for her, why she was making plans in September. She gave her head a shake. No. And no point standing here looking like an idiot, either. Every inch of this place was on video monitor…except for the offices, washrooms and private suites. ETCETERA acknowledged few boundaries, but certain privacies were respected.

By the time she traversed a complex network of tunnels and reached the secure warehouse where her ride was stashed, she’d managed—as always—to put things in perspective. She loved a man who couldn’t follow the regular rules of relationships. A man who lived outside societal norms, underground—literally—and she was one of the few people who even knew he was alive.

Links

Website: http://kathrynjane.com/

Blog: https://kathrynjane.com/blog/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/kathryn.jane.921

Pre-order now at the sale price, for an April 30^th delivery from:

KINDLE

KOBO

APPLE

NOOK

Award winning author Kathryn Jane writes the popular Intrepid Women Series. Novels filled with mystery, suspense, adventure, psychic abilities, and romance. Think MacGyver, I Love Lucy, Criminal Minds, and the Mentalist…

Kickass women and the men who dare to love them.

1. Tell us about your current series.

My Women of Vegas series is about redemption. The Dictionary defines sin as “a transgression of divine law … especially a willful or deliberate violation of some religious or moral principle … any reprehensible or regrettable action, behavior, lapse etc. great fault or offense”. But what you or I perceive as sin, may not be viewed by others the same way. Each book carries this theme. Although not religious by any means, the characters struggle with their own demons, while battling the real sinners, the people who would hurt them.

2. What inspired your latest book?

Rhonda, my heroine actually inspired Sin on the Run. She was first introduced in Sin on the Strip and I fell in love with her. Over the years I’ve met men and women who’ve worked in clubs and they had interesting stories to tell. I wanted readers to see stripping from the dancer’s point of view. The story has ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ overtones.

3. What is your favorite part of writing?

I have friends who enjoy writing the first draft but I prefer the second. That’s where I can get creative. It’s like building a house. The fun is in decorating, at least it is for me.

4. What is your next project and when will it be released?

The next book is Sins That Haunt. Shannon’s past is catching up to her, courtesy of her dead father and former childhood sweetheart, special agent, Noah Monroe. It’s set to be released September of 2016.

5. Where do you get the ideas for your stories?

Inspiration can come from anywhere. My next series will be about the men of ICU, the investigation collection unit from the first series. I’ve started plotting out Cowboy’s story. He’s introduced in Sin on the Run. I like country-western music and the inspiration for his story came from a song. Sometimes it’s the characters themselves. I write a secondary character and something about them just speaks to me. I start asking what if and away I go.

6. How likely are people you meet to end up in your next book?

I got permission from Someecards to post one of their postcards on my website

It answers this question. “I’m a writer. If I’m staring at you I’m not being rude. I’m trying to decide if you need to go in my next book. If you’re a snot, I’m trying to decide how to kill you”. So, very likely.

7. What is most difficult for you to write?  Characters, conflict or emotions?  Why?

Actually the most difficult is the suspense. Each detail has to be methodically thought out to make sense. I could be stuck on a point for days. I’m basically writing two stories, the suspense and the romance and they have to jive. But it’s a blast getting that ah-ha moment.

8. Do you or have you belonged to a writing organization?  Which one?  Have they helped you with your writing?  How?

I belong to Romance Writers of America and our local chapter. I think I can honestly say I wouldn’t be published, nor represented by the Knight Agency, without them. Besides giving me the opportunity to pitch my work, I attended workshops to improve my writing. Let’s be honest, few of us come out the womb a Mozart. Even painters take classes and singers lesson. The best advice I can give to unpublished writers is to join an organization that can help you find your path and make publishing a reality.

Blurb Sin on the Run

There are some secrets even Las Vegas’s 24/7 glitter can’t hide. Lucy Farago’s dazzling new series ups the ante as a fiery stripper fights to protect an elite detective from danger–and both their killer pasts…

Living in the red-hot now is how Rhonda Deagan survives. Onstage, this sexy Goth stripper always stays on top, no matter how much her real-life dreams shatter. So why not risk a scorching fling with a gorgeous groomsman after her best friend’s wedding? Too bad Blake Cameron is in someone’s lethal sights. And saving this cool-headed investigator’s life just put Rhonda on the run with him–and on his personal, oh-so-seductive hit list…

For Blake, figuring out who doesn’t want him dead is easier than keeping his new raven-haired friend safe. The only way he can buy time to out-think their pursuers is to hide them both in the aristocratic world he thought he’d escaped. But there’s no escaping the incendiary attraction between him and Rhonda. Walking the knife-edge between desire, lies, and naked truth may be their best chance to live–if it doesn’t cut too deep to survive…

an excerpt from Sin on the Run

“You realize the bartender is free pouring? And your four shots come close to, oh…twelve ounces, give or take?”

After downing his fourth drink, he turned his head to see who had disturbed his drowning of sorrows. Rhonda. She looked even freakier close up. Freaky was good. Hot. And damn, wouldn’t freaky freak out his grandmother. While he never tallied the ounces he’d consumed, he did realize if he’d said what had just ran through his mind out loud he’d sound drunk. Instead, he motioned the bartender over with a finger pointing to his empty class. He watched the man pour and concluded Rhonda was right.

“And now you’re up to fifteen. I’d say that bartender likes you. Be careful,” she whispered, drawing closer. “He might try to take advantage of you. Then again,” she checked out the bartender, “he’s cute.”

He crooked a finger at her, beckoning her forward.

“He’s no’ my type.” He didn’t drink that often anymore, but when he did there was no mistaking his Scottish brogue. Now he was out of practice and definitely feeling the effects.

“Oh? Who is?”

Was she coming on to him? The idea intrigued him. “Dark,” he answered, his head beginning to swim. He’d actually dated more blondes than brunettes, but had never taken the time to consider which he preferred.

“What, you like them evil?”

What on earth was she going on about? “Noooo, dark.” However, he had nothing against a little evil. He licked his lips. Vixens could be worth the effort and the one standing in front of him was in a league all her own.

She stared at him for such a long time he was beginning to wonder if she’d heard him. Then a slow smile curled her luscious mouth, her green eyes sparkling with naughty mischief. “You’re drunk,” she said in astonishment. “What kind of an Irishman are you? I thought you guys could hold your liquor?”

“Irish!” he said insulted. “I’m no’ Irish.” He placed a hand over his chest, “I’m Scottish. Born and bred.” He winced, not needing or wanting to be reminded of his breeding, or why he’d sat his ass at the bar in the first place.

“Scottish, Irish what’s the diff?” She shrugged. “But if it makes you feel better, either is super sexy.”

She was coming on to him. Wasn’t she?

The bartender came over to refill his glass, but Rhonda waved him away. “If he’s not your type,” she hooked an arm beneath his and lifted him to his feet, “then let’s find someone who is.”

While perfectly happy to sit at the bar and keep drinking, he allowed himself to be dragged away. Better to have a beautiful woman on his arm than the floor under his back.

Available at:

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Sin-Run-Women-Vegas-Book-ebook/dp/B0138NHENQ/

Nook http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sin-on-the-run-lucy-farago/1122454918?ean=9781616508197

iBooks https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/sin-on-the-run/id1039680040?mt=11

Kobo https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/sin-on-the-run

Books-A-Million http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Run/Lucy-Farago/Q574350555?id=6406146426809

Lucy Farago knows there is nothing like a happy sigh at the end of a good book. With the encouragement of her loving husband, she wrote her first manuscript. An unpublished historical, it sits in a file on her computer, there to remind her how much fun she had learning the craft and becoming part of an industry whose books make you believe anything is possible. A big fan of Agatha Christie, she set out to write her first romantic suspense novel. Thrilled to be a published author, Lucy also teaches yoga, enjoys cooking, and saying what other people are thinking. In her fantasy world, her beautiful Siberian husky, Loki, doesn’t shed and her three kids clean up after themselves. Alas, that fantasy will never see fruition.

www.lucyfarago.com

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Get to know the authors of Come Love a Cowboy a bit better–

Julie A. Darcy, author of The Shape of Destiny:

HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN WRITING?   

At the time there was no such thing as Fantasy Romance, which is the genre I mostly write in.

I was reading a romance and they were becoming too formula. I loved fantasy books but it frustrated me there was no romance in them. In the end I chucked them both and said to my husband, “I can write a better book than this”.” He said “Why don’t you?”

I wrote a Fantasy Romance which I got published almost straight away and it went on to win a big award. I have been writing ever since.

www.julieadarcy.com

Margo Bond Collins, author of Leaving Necessity:

HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN WRITING?

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been making up stories. The first story I remember actually writing down was basically fan-fiction of The Wizard of Oz. I wrote it in long-hand in a yellow legal pad. I’ve been writing ever since. But about twelve years ago, a friend suggested I join in National Novel Writing Month (nanowrimo.org). Until then, I had always written short stories. That year, I finished the first draft of what would eventually become Legally Undead—it was my third published novel, but the first one I wrote.

I ended up as an English major in college because I was fascinated by the ways stories work. And then I went on to graduate school because I couldn’t figure out what else to do. I ended up with a Ph.D. in literature almost by accident; I just never quit wanting to learn about all the stories in the world!

So now I teach literature and writing in my day job, and the rest of the time, I write, both as a fiction author and as an academic.

http://www.MargoBondCollins.net

Caroline Clemmons, author of Grant Me the Moon:

WHAT INSPIRED YOUR STORY?

My husband and I love visiting pre-historic dwellings and remains. The inspiration for GRANT ME THE MOON occurred on a trip from our home in the DFW Metroplex to visit family in Lubbock, Texas. We drive through Post in Garza County on that trip. The Garza site, named after the county, is on private land with no public access. I’ve always wanted to see that dig, which is a Clovis site. So, I decided to have a similar fictional (but slightly better) site for my story discovered by the hero on his ranch.

http://carolineclemmons.com

Hebby Roman, author of  Border Affair:

HOW LIKELY ARE PEOPLE THAT YOU MEET TO END UP IN YOUR BOOK?

Pretty likely, as in you will see friends, family, acquaintances, etc. in my books, but you won’t recognize them. What I do for my writing process is come up with my characters and/or a situation facing them first. Never certain which will happen first, the characters or the situation, and then I write characters to fit the situation or vice versa, situations that mesh with the characters.

When I first start my writing process for a new book, I sit down and do a detailed biography and background for both my hero and heroine. I tell myself about their childhood, their likes and dislikes, their conflicts, their challenges, their weaknesses and strengths, and of course, their physical attributes. Where do I get these bits of information, especially about their backgrounds and what they have had to face? From my life, from my family’s experiences, from friends I know and so on, but I never use a person in whole. Instead, I weave bits and pieces of real people together to make a whole new person–my character.

So, long answer to short question: yes, people I meet will end up in my book, but seldom will you recognize them. On occasion, however, I do take a real person for a secondary character and leave them relatively intact. One good example I can think of is the grandmother in SUMMER DREAMS, my first contemporary romance after writing four historical romances. The grandmother in that book is modeled on my mother-in-law. And before you ask, she didn’t mind–she actually thought it was fun.

http://www.hebbyroman.com

Andrea Downing, author of Bad Boy, Big Heart:

TELL US ABOUT YOUR HERO.  GIVE US ONE OF HIS STRENGTHS AND ONE  OF HIS WEAKNESSES.

Chay Ridgway is a man caught by circumstance and responsibilities.  While he was still in High School, his mother ran off and his father took to drink and became ill, forcing Chay to quit school.  He tried to keep his ranch going, but selling off land and stock became necessary as did having to work for another ranch.  He’s clever and well-read, and enjoys his life as a cowboy and bareback bronc rider.  Perhaps most of all he enjoys the company of women.  His one great strength, then, is that he saw what needed to be done,  recognized his responsibilities, and accepted them.  His weakness, of course, turns out to be K.C. Daniels…

http://andreadowning.com

Patti Sherry-Crews, author of Desert Heat:

WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY WORKING ON?

Currently I’m working on a novel I’m calling the Lake House. This story is based on an experience my friend had. She and her now ex husband went away with another couple. While they were on vacation, the other couple’s marriage imploded when the wife discovered her husband was having an affair, but then they were all stuck together in a remote location for days!

In my version, this second couple, Claire and Grant, are strangers. When their friends’ marriage ends up in crisis, Claire and Grant are forced into a strange situation. In the days that follow while they attempt to amuse themselves, they grow close—and their mutual attraction grows as well.

Unfortunately, Claire is going back to her boyfriend in Chicago when the week is done. Handsome, charismatic Julian has swept her off her feet.

Claire makes her choice, but can she live with it?

http://pattisherrycrews16.wix.com/author-blog

Keta Diablo, author of Three for the Win:

WHAT IS YOUR NEXT PROJECT AND WHEN WILL IT BE RELEASED?
My WIP right now is the 3rd book in the Sky Tinted Water series. These are clean historical westerns set in Minnesota. Sky Dreams, the third book, features the daughter of the hero and heroine from Sky Tinted Water, Book 1 and Sky Dance, Book 2.

I’m hoping to release Sky Dreams in mid-May. You can find the first two books here (don’t forget to read the reviews: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B93HNCK
Thanks so much, Cindy, for hosting Come Love A Cowboy on your blog

~ Keta ~http://ketaskeep.blogspot.com

COME LOVE A COWBOY

Eight stand-alone Contemporary Western Romance novellas from Bestselling and Award Winning Authors.

From firefighters, bronco busters, and wealthy ranchers to bad boys, we have them all for you!  If you’ve ever wanted to fall in love with a sexy, alpha cowboy of today…now’s your chance.

A savings of more than 75% if the books were purchased separately.

Luke’s Fate by Kathleen Ball

Meg O’Brien hoped never to lay eyes on the one man who broke her heart. To her dismay, Luke Kelly arrives at her ranch a much different and broken man. Can Meg ever forgive his callous treatment of her and help Luke become the man he used to be?

Grant Me The Moon by Caroline Clemmons

All Tory Fraser intended was to show her high school history club students a local archeology dig. How could she know the excursion would involve a murder?

Three for The Win by Keta Diablo

Hollis should have known better than to fall for a bone-melting man like Stede. He’s gone now and Eli is left to pick up the broken pieces of her life.

Border Affair by Hebby Roman

When his partners’ daughter is kidnapped in México, a self-made millionaire must confront his feelings about their affair and the future of their relationship.

Leaving Necessity by Margo Bond Collins

Mac has one week to convince his ex-girlfriend Clara not to sell his oil company. In this high-pressure reunion, can they strike love again?

The Shape of Destiny by Julie A. D’Arcy

A young male shape shifter. A beautiful female ranch owner. Can love be born in a web of deceit?

Bad Boy, Big Heart by Andrea Downing

She’s a New Yorker escaping her parents.  He’s a Wyoming cowboy supporting his dad. One summer, two young people—three months to find love.

Desert Heat by Patti Sherry-Crews

A single mother struggling to keep her guest ranch puts her own desires on hold. When a handsome and persistent fireman sets his sights on her, she must decide how much she’s willing to give.

Universal Buy Link:  myBook.to/Come-Love-A-Cowboy

Excerpt from Bad Boy, Big Heart:

Chay shoved a forkful into his mouth, having obvious difficulty chewing as he was smiling so much. Finally he got it down, stretched to grab a napkin from another clean place setting, and gave a wide grin to K.C. “Am I your hero, then? Riding in to save the day? How are you?”

“I’m fine. Thanks. Fine, but reluctant to keep telling everyone I’m fine.”

“Okay then, message received.”

K.C. studied him for a moment, melting at his pale green eyes. She suddenly reached across and gently poked the small dimple in his chin. Oh dear, what was she going to do about this man?

“You’re supposed to ask, aren’t you? You can’t just go around poking people in the chin, can you?”

“Golly. What have I started?”

“I don’t know. What have you started?” The smile was replaced by a very direct look.

“I…I’ve been told things about you. I don’t want to be a summer romance. And I do have to leave at the end of the summer, and the summer is fast fading.”

“It’s only June, K.C.” He hesitated before, “What sort of things were you told?”

K.C. looked around to make sure they weren’t being overheard. “That you like to…to date the girls who work in the office because we leave at the end of the summer, and it makes for a clean break.”

“True.”

K.C. blinked at his honesty.

“But it doesn’t mean it will always be the case.” Chay fidgeted on his chair. “What time do you get off? Let’s go for a ride. You do ride, don’t you?”

“I ride…English.”

“Oh, yeah. Bob said something about that. That can be fixed. So what time?”

“Five-thirty weekdays, Saturday noon as long as the check-outs are complete. Sunday is hit or miss; I work virtually all day until all the check-ins are done.”

“Hmmm. I’m taking out a pack trip tomorrow, back Friday. Meet me down at the barns as soon as you’re off Saturday.” Chay swung out of the chair and stood, then leaned in and stabbed one more bite of cheesecake. “Saving you calories,” he said. “You’d be amazed at what goes into this.” And with that, he stuffed the piece in his mouth and was off.

K.C. sat there, turning over Chay’s words in her mind: ‘It doesn’t mean it will always be the case.’ Yet the fact was, her Master’s degree meant two years…oh, what was she thinking? That was way ahead and, while she knew she was deeply attracted to Chay, it didn’t necessarily mean…. She stared at the remaining cheesecake on her plate, then pushed it away.

What was ‘the case’?