Please help me welcome Debra Holland to my blog today. Debra is giving one lucky commentor a Smashwords coupon for her book Sower of Dreams.

If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be, and why?

I’d live in Great Britain in a big old manor house. I feel an affinity for the country, as if I’ve lived many lifetimes there. Since I’d also want a sunny climate, I’d have a house in Hawaii as well. I love the ocean and being able to swim every day.

I live in Southern California and could swim in the ocean every day, but much of the year it’s too cold. And our beaches aren’t as pretty as Hawaii.

Have you had other careers before becoming a writer?

I have other careers WHILE I’m a writer.  I’m a psychotherapist and a corporate crisis/grief counselor. I also teach martial arts. However, due to the success of my books, I’ve cut back on my psychotherapy practice and the crisis counseling so I have more time to write.

What genre(s) do you write in and why?

I write in several different genres because I like reading romance, fantasy, and science fiction. So I write sweet Western historical romance, fantasy romance, and science fiction romance.

I also write nonfiction. I have a book on grief—The Essential Guide to Grief and Grieving—and am working on a book on boundary setting with difficult people.

How many books have you written? Do you have a favorite?

I have six fiction books, one novella, and one collection of short Christmas stories. I also have one nonfiction book.

Tell us about your current series/WIP.

I’m finishing up Harvest of Dreams, which is the third book in The Gods’ Dream Trilogy. It has a lot of characters, including the heroes and heroines from the first books, and Gods and Goddesses. It’s proving to be a long and complicated (and thus frustrating) book to write. Sometimes I want to throw it out the window (which would probably destroy my laptop.) But I have fans who are eagerly waiting for the book, so I can’t give up on them. The thought of them keeps me going.

What inspired your latest book?

The Gods’ Dream Trilogy started out as a short story that I wrote to submit to Andre Norton’s Witch World anthologies. But she wasn’t doing them any more. So I changed the details of the story to make it my own world. Then I made the story into a novella, expanded it to a short book, then into a longer book, then to a trilogy. It’s the story that never stopped growing! (Still hasn’t. Harvest of Dreams is getting longer and longer…) The first book is Sower of Dreams, and Andre read it and gave me a critique. Then she endorsed the book. It was probably one of the last endorsements she gave before she died.

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

I’m writing some Montana Sky novellas with Caroline Fyffe. We’re doing a mail order bride series, and my brides go to my Western town of Sweetwater Springs, and her brides go to the towns from her books. We hope to have them out by the end of April.

Where do you get the ideas for your stories?

I will read, hear, or see something that will spark an idea. Then I keep playing with it until I have characters and a story. For example, while writing Montana Sky Christmas, my collection of Christmas stories, I was on a trail run through the hills with some friends. We jogged by an elderly man, and one woman said, “That man is known for always wearing red socks.”

We ran on, and I kept thinking, red socks, red socks…perfect for a Christmas story. By the halfway point, I figured out my hero was a cowboy who always wore red socks and why. On the way back, I figured out the heroine and the plot. Sure made that four-mile run much easier when I had my mind on the story! That idea became, Red Stockings for Christmas.

Something wonderful and unexpected about self-publishing is how it has opened up my creativity. I had a long stretch where my agent couldn’t sell my novels (they weren’t sexy enough.) Discouraged, I switched to writing nonfiction. I’d get ideas for stories and think, “It takes too long to write a book that doesn’t sell.” So I’d squash the idea. Now I have so many ideas, I’ll be writing for years.

What is your typical day like?

I don’t have a typical day, although I have typical weeks. Monday, Wednesday, Friday I take a women’s fitness bootcamp in the mornings. Tuesday and Thursday, I teach karate in the mornings. I write with a friend at her house on Monday and Wednesday afternoons for two and a half hours. I see counseling clients in my office on Tuesdays until late at night. I take a nap every day because I have hypothyroidism and my brain shuts off until I rest. I’ll usually work on the books in the evening.

Of course the schedule explodes when a crisis job occurs. I drop everything to drive to the company that has had a death, accident, robbery, or anything that upsets the employees.

How does your family feel about your writing career?

I’m not married and don’t have children. The rest of my family is thrilled. My mom is my best sales person. She carries around postcards of my books and tells everyone about them.

Of course, my family is benefiting from my extra income. I have three lovely nieces, and I love taking them shopping or out for a special event like going to the theatre. I’ll be able to help with my oldest niece’s college tuition when she goes to school next year. We’ll know in a few weeks if she gets into USC, my alma mater. I can also help other family members when there is a need. What a blessing!

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

I do very little promotion. Sometime I’ll write a blog or guest blog. But I’ve found if I’m doing promotion, I’m not writing. I’ve also found that the very best promotion I can do is publish another book.

In the last four months, I’ve become more active on Facebook, but mostly because it’s sort of fun. 

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

Don’t give up!!! Keep learning your craft. Keep writing. Enter contests for feedback, so you can see what you still need to work on.

Rejection is very discouraging. Believe me, I have a stack of rejection letters. However, it’s a whole new world of publishing, and writers have some amazing opportunities.

My one mistake was to let discouragement stop me from writing fiction for about four years. I would have had more books to self-publish if I’d kept writing stories as well as work on the nonfiction.

I NEVER dreamed I’d have the success I do today, that I’d make a USA Today list, have a book designated by Amazon as a Top 50 Greatest Love Story, that I’d make three times as much as a writer than I do as a psychotherapist. Wow!

EXCERPT

Dream threads wrapped around Daria, tugging her away from Seagem to an unfamiliar place.

She stood on a hilly desert, gritty beige sand under her bare feet. Overhead, a yellow sun blazed in an arching azure sky. The starkness of the color dried the air from her lungs, making her lightheaded.

Then she saw darkness stain the horizon behind him. A clear warning of danger swept through her othersense. She lowered her hand and backed away.

Then the dream threads unraveled. Daria slept on, dreamless.

Sower Amazon buylink: http://amzn.com/B005FA30V6

BIO

USA Today Bestselling author Debra Holland is a three-time Romance Writers of America Golden Heart finalist and one time winner. She’s the author of The Montana Sky Series, sweet historical Western romance, which she self-published as ebooks. In her first year, she had 97,000 sales, made the USA Today list with Wild Montana Sky, and sold Wild Montana Sky and Starry Montana Sky to Amazon Montlake. In February of 2013, Amazon selected Starry Montana Sky as one of the Top 50 Greatest Love Stories.

Debra is also the author of The Gods’ Dream Trilogy (fantasy romance.) She has a nonfiction book, The Essential Guide to Grief and Grieving from Alpha Books (a subsidiary of Penguin).

She has a free ebooklet available on her website, http://drdebraholland.com: 58 Tips for Getting What You Want From a Difficult Conversation.

Painted Montana Sky is her latest novella.

Please help me welcome Jill James to my blog today. Jill has a new book, Love in the Time of Zombies, coming out soon and you get to see the cover here first. Also, Jill will be giving away a $10 Amazon gift card to one lucky commentor, so be sure to leave a comment to be entered to win.

Tell us about yourself. I’ve been writing as long as I can remember. In the fifth grade we were given titles and had to write short stories. I still remember The Runaway Chevrolet and The Peanut Butter Airplane. LOL I hope my titles are a little better these days. I write under the pseudonym, Jill James because my husband is a cop and we like to protect our safety. I live in beautiful Northern California with my husband, two grown children with significant others, and one Brainy Grandson.

Have you had other careers before becoming a writer? Yes, I was a junior accountant with a tax firm and Accounts Receivable with a trucking company until I was rescued by my future husband to be a stay-at-home mom, wife, and writer.

What genre(s) do you write in and why? I have learned to never say never in regards to my writing. I used to say I would never write contemporary romance. Oops! I have a novel and a series in that subgenre. I used to say I would never write in first person. Oops again! I’m writing an urban fantasy in first person right now. I write contemporary and paranormal romance. It will probably always be romance, my favorite. I’m a sap for a happily ever after.

How many books have you written? Do you have a favorite? I have five published books. 1 almost at the publishing stage. And one under the bed never to be seen completed manuscript. My favorite is Dangerous Shift. That is truly the book of my heart. It wrote itself. I wrote 50,000 of its 76,000 words in two weeks.

Tell us about your current series/WIP. My current WIP is a soon to be published urban fantasy; Love in the Time of Zombies. Emily Gray is a rich, neglected wife in San Francisco until the day the Z virus took away all she knew and loved. She discovers her purpose, her power, her strength in the days that follow. She also learns of what love really is with Seth Ripley, a truck-driving poet. Love in the Time of Zombies should be out by the end of March.

What inspired your latest book? I’ve been on a zombie reading/watching kick for about 18 months. I seen good and I’ve seen bad. I believe if you can have zombies after your flesh, baddies after your limited resources, and living with just your wits and skills, and you can find love, how hard can it be in the normal world. Your own someone special is out there, go find them.

Where do you get the ideas for your stories? Most of my stories start as dreams. My dreams are mostly like films that run all night long. When I wake up I have a whole story ready to be on paper or computer screen, as it may be.

How has your experience with self-publishing been? As a whole, it has been great. I love getting the book covers I want, writing the story the way I want it told, and knowing that I have control of my future.

What advice do you have for other authors wanting to self-publish? It will be a roller-coaster ride. Some days you will dance with happiness over 1 sale and some days you will bang head to desk because of some mix-up that made your book unavailable during a massive promotion.

What was the hardest thing you’ve found in the process of self-publishing? What was the easiest part of self-publishing? The hardest part has been making my own deadlines. It is too easy to say “Oh, I’ll just add another week, even though I told everyone it would be out this week.” The easiest part has been learning formatting (I do my own. Print and eBook). It started out hard but I did computer programming in college and although none of those programs are used any longer, the skills are still there.

What advice can you offer to anyone deciding to self-publish? Learn. Learn. Learn. Listen to anyone who is already doing it. Try doing it yourself. Learn what you can and can not do. Learn what you want and don’t want to do.

How likely are people you meet to end up in your next book? Very likely. I will use friends’ last names or first if I really like the name, but not their personalities. I will use conversations I overhear at Panera Bread or Starbuck’s where I write. If you tell me a funny story, be warned: it could end up in a book.

What is most difficult for you to write? Characters, conflict or emotions? Why? Hands down, conflict. I live in a family with an abundance of alpha males. I hate conflict. So it is really hard for me to add that element to my stories. I have to really work to have conflict and to resolve it realistically. Because my answer is to cry and walk away. 🙂

Are you a plotter or a pantser? A total anal-retentive, plotlines, plotting charts, white boards, index cards, plotter. The more, the better.

How far do you plan ahead? I usually plot out the planned books for the coming years. It can change from time to time if some opportunity comes up. But toward the end of one year I will plan the next.

Website: http://www.jilljameswrites.com
Blog: http://jilljames.wordpress.com/blog
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/jill_james
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Jill.James.author

Please help me welcome Terry Blain to my blog today. Terry is generously giving a $10 Amazon ebook certificate to one lucky commentor, so be sure and leave a comment to be entered into the drawing.

What is your favorite part of writing?

The best part of writing? When you feel the story coming together, you really know your characters, and the story seems easy to write. I like writing the first draft, but I do a lot of character studies and storyboarding/plotting before I start the ms.

What is your least favorite part of writing?

Actually getting my butt in the chair and my fingers on the key board. I really like the writing process once I get there, but getting there? Just getting started each day can be a pain. I remember when I first started writing, one of the published authors said she knew she was avoiding getting started when she decided to pluck her eyebrows instead. So guess it not such an odd thing to have getting started the hardest part. Weird, huh?

What does your space look like?

I have an office and when I sold my first book, I bought a desk and several book cases. I don’t have a view from my office (so I don’t spend time looking and not writing). I’m surrounded by books, a big shelf of romance, several book cases full of research books for stories I’ve written and for stories I’d like to write. Collages for the historicals, and a bulletin board with anything I find interesting. Of course the computer and printer. Sorta an organized clutter.

What are you currently working on?

I’m currently working on another contemporary western.

Do you have any rejection stories to share?

My first rejection was for a historical romance (later published as Kentucky Green). The editor said “Your writing took me to another time and another place, I found you hero and heroine realistic and sympathic,” (and by this time I’m hearing the ‘but’ coming) so the editor continued “I took it to the senior editor (another ‘but’ coming?) and the senior editor liked it”, BUT (knew it was coming) “Marketing said ‘no’”’ as Kentucky Green is set in 1794, and marketing didn’t know what to do with it.
So I did write down the good things she said – to remind me that I should keep writing. Then the next historical ms. (Colorado Silver, Colorado Gold set in 1880s) I wrote was in a more ‘market friendly’ era. There is something to learn from every rejection, so now I write in both historical and contemporary setting.

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

My local San Diego chapter of RWA has been a big help and I’ve been a member for over twenty years. Those early years gave me a foundation in craft through workshops as well information on the business of writing. The actual writing, learning the craft came from my critique groups. In my first one, none of us were published, but we wrote and the critiqued each other every week. Then one of our long time published authors gave an eight week workshop attended by ten to twelve of us. Out of that class, we formed a new critique group, at that time all of us unpublished. Now that we’re all published, we morphed into a plotting group – which is where the New Year’s Eve Club novellas came from. If you’re in the right critique group, you’ve got the best learning tool and the best support group you can have.

Tell us a little about yourself and your latest book

I was fortunate enough to grow up in a large Midwestern family with a rich oral tradition hearing stories of ancestor s adventures with Indians, wild life, weather and frontier life in general. This gave me a love history leading to a BA and MA in History and teaching American History and Western Civilization at the community college. So the first books I wrote were historical. However, my latest novella, Sarah’s Cowboy, is a contemporary romance, part of The New Year’s Eve Club.

What inspired your latest book?

Remember when you were young and single and had an idea of that perfect guy you were looking for? Then life happens. The idea for The New Year’s Club series came from a friend of Jill’s and Teresa suggested we do a series of novellas. Our brainstorming/plotting group gets together one or two times a year to work on individual stories, but last year on one of our weekends we plotted all five stories, making sure they mashed and how they would overlap while keeping each story unique. My novella, Sarah’s Cowboy is about a practical school teacher who decides she wants a little adventure. She gets more than she bargained for when she falls for a stuntman on a western film set.

BIO

Terry Irene Blain was lucky enough to grow up in a large Midwestern family with a rich oral tradition. As a child she heard stories of ancestors’ adventures with Indians, wildlife, weather and frontier life in general, so she naturally gravitated to the study of history and completed a BA and MA then taught the subject at the college level. Married to a sailor, now retired, she’s had the chance to live in various parts of the United States as well as travel to foreign places such as Hong Kong, Australia, England and Scotland. She currently writes historical and contemporary romance novels set in the American West.

This novella, Sarah’s Cowboy is part of The New Year’s Eve Club series, https://www.facebook.com/TheNewYearsEveClub

Please help me welcome Devon Ellington to my blog today. She will be giving away a copy of the book, and also a copy of her short romantic comedy/fantasy “Just Jump in and Fly” (under the Ava Dunne name). So be sure and leave her a comment.

Tell us about your current series.
The book releasing today is OLD-FASHIONED DETECTIVE WORK, the second Jain Lazarus Adventure. HEX-BREAKER, the first book in the series, introduced Jain Lazarus, a hex breaker, who arrives on the set of an indie film to help out some friends having a problem with odd things happening. As the events escalate, Wyatt East, a local detective, steps in. When Jain decapitates a marauding zombie — who used to be a crew member — things get tense between them, but their attraction to each other and affinity for each other just keep growing.

OLD-FASHIONED DETECTIVE WORK is told from Wyatt’s POV. It takes place a few months after HEX BREAKER, and the events of the short stories “The Possession of Nattie Filmore” and “First Feet” happen in between the two books. Jain disappears after a romantic weekend away with Wyatt, and he becomes the prime suspect in her disappearance — especially since he was the prime suspect in his family’s deaths years before. In spite of that, one of Jain’s employers hires Wyatt to bypass the paranormal investigative techniques that haven’t found her, and locate her via good, old-fashioned detective work. Along the way there are shape-shifting wolf and coyote packs, a pair of paranormally talented runaways teens, a cantankerous mermaid, and we find out a lot more about both their pasts.

Billy Root, who was a minor character in HEX BREAKER and turned out to be fan favorite with his own fan base (and now, his own blog), is not in this book, but the third book in the series, CRAVE THE HUNT, is mostly from his POV, so his fans have something to look forward to!

How likely are people you meet to end up in your next book?
I often joke that people who annoy me wind up meeting interesting ends in my books! 😉 Seriously, though, as a writer, everything we experience on any level is inspiration, so anyone who crosses our path fits the bill. However, when I do my job properly as a writer, the character evolves away from the inspiration and becomes a unique individual. By the time the book is done, there’s very little of the original person left, and the character is viable on his/her own.

Do you prefer to read in the same genres you write in or do you avoid reading that genre? Why?
I write in several genres. When I’m working on, say, urban fantasy, I read in mystery or non-fiction. If I’m writing a mystery, I’ll read fantasy. I prefer not to read in the genre I’m writing in at the moment. I like to be able to step away from the work and take a breath by reading. Since I’m a paid reviewer, that doesn’t always work — I have to read what I’m assigned. But I like to read as kind of a palette cleanser, so the reading and the writing genres are separate.

I like to read outstanding authors across genre lines and break down how they use structure, revealing character detail, etc., because one never stops learning, and one always strives to make the next book better than the previous one.

Do you have any words of inspiration for aspiring authors?
Sit your butt in that chair every day and write. Don’t make excuses. There’s no such thing as “no time to write”. If you have “no time” to write, it means you don’t WANT to write. Writing is a choice. Not writing is a choice. Both have consequences, and you are responsible for either choice.

Do you or have you belonged to a writing organization? Which one? Have the helped you with your writing? How?
I’ve belonged to several organizations over the years, some useful, some not. For me, the most life-changing is PEN — the international work they do to make the world a better place is amazing, and their World Voices Festival has changed my life for the better every time I’ve attended. As writers, it is our responsibility to entertain and to sow the seeds of positive change. In other countries, the power of the word is either revered or feared, and there are huge consequences to using words. We need to remember and honor that. Genre fiction is a wonderful place to explore social issues and imbalances, when it’s done well.

I was recently named to the Board of Directors of one of my other favorite organizations, the Cape Cod Writers Center. That’s a truly amazing place, and the way it supports and encourages writers at all stages of their careers is really beautiful. I’m excited to be a part of their growth. Their August conference is the best I’ve ever attended.

A good writing organization will offer a supportive environment that gives tough love when necessary, but doesn’t leave any participant as though they’re not “enough” of anything. A good organization has networking and promotional opportunities, but more than that, the best organizations show you new ways to view the world and communicate it effectively to your readership. They encourage growth in community.

What is your writing routine like?
Every day is different, thank goodness, or I’d be in a different line of work!

Mornings are fairly regulated. Up early, yoga, meditation, feed the cats, make the coffee, write my first 1000 words of the day. After that, I blog, check email, and switch back and forth on the contracted, deadlined projects, and work with my students. Since I make my living writing — it IS my day job — I can’t afford, on any level, not to show up and do the work every day, just like anyone else with a job. I’m lucky that I love my job.

I usually run errands and/or have client meetings in the late morning, early afternoon, then go back and do another writing or editing session in the afternoon. I’m getting better about logging off at a reasonable hour and keeping evenings for families and friends.

Of course, if there’s a tight deadline, you do whatever it takes to get it done. If it means getting up earlier or pulling an all-nighter, that’s what you do. I try to stay on top of everything so those are rare, but sometimes several good opportunities land in your lap at once, and you can’t drop any of the balls. So, I’m tired for a few days. But it’s all worth it in the end.

What’s next for you?
Working on the third book in the Jain Lazarus series, CRAVE THE HUNT. HEX BREAKER, the first book, was entirely from Jain’s POV. OLD-FASHIONED DETECTIVE WORK, the second book in the series that released today, is in Wyatt’s POV. CRAVE THE HUNT alternates between Billy’s POV and Jain’s. The fourth book in the series, LOVE AND FURY, will either be entirely in Jain’s POV, or alternate Jain and Wyatt. I’m also working on an aviation mystery set in the 1940s, and a mystery set in a marine life hospital. I work with the National Marine Life Center in Buzzards Bay, and they’re so inspiring I wanted to set something in that environment. I’ve got several short pieces out under various names, and a couple of novels out in the pipeline — I’ll be sure to let you know what hits and where it lands!

Bio:
Devon Ellington is a full-time writer, who publishes under a half a dozen names in both fiction and non-fiction, and teaches writing all over the world. Her Jain Lazarus Adventures are handled by Solstice Publishing (http://hexbreaker.devonellingtonwork.com) and her romantic suspense novel, ASSUMPTION OF RIGHT (as Annabel Aidan) is out with Champagne Books. “Sea Diamond”, featuring Fiona Steele, is included in the DEATH SPARKLES anthology, released in Fall 2012. She’s published hundreds of stories, articles, speeches, and scripts throughout her career. Visit her blog on the writing life, Ink in My Coffee (http://devonellington.wordpress.com) and her website, http://www.devonellingtonwork.com.

OLD-FASHIONED DETECTIVE WORK
A Jain Lazarus Adventure
By Devon Ellington

Detective Wyatt East finds himself the primary suspect when hex breaker Jain Lazarus disappears after their romantic weekend in Vermont. In spite of the suspicions, Jain’s boss, Maitland Stiles, hires Wyatt to track her down, forcing him to face aspects of his own painful past and revealing more about hers.
Saddled with two rebellious runaway paranormal teens, he’s embroiled in a shapeshifter pack disagreement, and must learn to work with both a caustic dragon and a cantankerous mermaid to not only find Jain, but help her help an old friend who’s in over his head. Wyatt learns he is not without psychic abilities of his own, although he prefers old-fashioned detective work.

Excerpt:

“Again, Mr. Collins,” said Wyatt. “What can I do for you?”

“When did you last see Jain Lazarus?”

“We spent a four day weekend together about six weeks ago in Vermont.”

“Have you spoken to her since?”

“I left a few messages on her voice mail, but I haven’t heard back.”

“Yes, we know that. We have her phone.”

Wyatt felt a chill run down his spine. “Why would you have her phone?”

“Was she in good health when you parted?”

“We went skiing in the morning. We went back to change. She got a phone call – on the landline, not her cell, and said she had to go. She left before I did.”

“Interesting.”

“Why?”

“No one’s seen or heard from her since that weekend in Vermont.”

“Are you looking for her?”

“Yes. She was due in our office the very next morning to get briefed on a new assignment. The proprietor of the inn tells a different story.”

“What do you mean?”

“He says the two of you left in the morning, but you came back alone.”

“That’s not true.”

“And there’s no record of a call going through to your room.”

“That doesn’t make sense.”

“Did you argue with Jain that weekend?’

“No. We had a great time.”

“Don’t lie to me, Detective. I’m every bit as capable of discerning a liar as you are.”

“Then you know I’m telling the truth.”

“Either that or you’re even more talented than Jain believed. You are the last person we know who saw Jain before her disappearance.”

OLD-FASHIONED DETECTIVE WORK available from Solstice Publishing on March 4, 2012:
http://www.solsticepublshing.com

Excerpts, buy links, and information for the series on the Jain Lazarus Site:
http://hexbreaker.devonellingtonwork.com

Please help me welcome Kristen Beairsto to my blog today. Kristen will be giving away a ecopy of her book Going After the Heart to one lucky commentor, so be sure and leave a comment.

What is your favorite part of writing?

My favorite part is creating that first rough draft of the story. It’s amazing to see a story pulled out of my mind and take shape on the page. No matter how horrible the rough draft is (hey that’s what editing is for, right? 😉 ) crafting a story and getting it all down on paper is incredible.

What is your typical day like?

In a word: crazy! LOL! During the week, I spend 9 hours each day at a day job. I’m married and have two kids, so there’s usually a softball practice, Girl Scout meeting, homework, or any other of the million things that happen with kids after I get home. I also try to fit in some gym time. Then somewhere between all of that, I try to fit in as much writing, editing, and marketing as I can. So it’s not glamorous but I love it. 

How has your experience with self-publishing been?

In May, I’ll hit my one year mark of being self-published and it’s been a roller coaster so far. Incredibly fun, but crazy. I’ve learned a tremendous amount about the industry and myself, so even if I don’t sell another book, I’ll still consider this adventure a success.
What advice do you have for other authors wanting to self-publish?
Cultivate patience and don’t give up! It takes time, tenacity, and tolerance to be successful in this business. And success isn’t always measured in monetary values. This industry isn’t about overnight success, so keep writing, editing, and publishing and you’ll eventually get to where you want to be.
What is your favorite dessert/food?
At the moment, my favorite food is hummus. (I’m trying to focus on being healthier and I’m silently telling myself as I write this answer that my favorite food is no longer mint chocolate chip ice cream LOL!)

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

I find the most difficult thing to write is realistic character reactions. I know how I’d like them to react in certain situations, but what I want and what’s realistic for that character based on their personality could be two different things. This is especially true in really tense, emotional situations. I always obsess over whether or not a character is acting appropriately for their personality.

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

Gavin is my hero in Going After the Heart. He’s a guy who’s biggest strength is that he knows what is important in life and tries to do what he thinks is right. Gavin’s biggest weakness is not handling emotional situations very well.
Tell us about your heroine. Give us one of her strengths and one of her weaknesses.
Lizzy, Gavin’s wife, is my heroine in Going After the Heart. Her biggest strength is being able to accept that she’s made mistakes. And one of her weaknesses is how easily she seems to get wrapped in her work.

Going After the Heart Blurb

Lizzy Bergstrum thought she finally reached a point in her life when she could honestly say she had it all. A thriving writing career. A wonderful daughter. And a marriage to the love of her life. But looks can apparently be deceiving because her husband just walked out on her and their eight year old daughter hates her.

Gavin Bergstrum can’t handle the direction his life has taken. Not only did he get laid off from his job, but his wife seems to barely remember he exists. Convinced he’s tried his best to change things, he begins to wrestle with the possibility of divorce. But he can’t think straight in the same house as Lizzy. Hating to leave his daughter, but needing time to think and come to terms with what he feels he needs to do, Gavin decides to return to his small home town in Oregon and stay at his family ranch with his father and brothers.

In shock, Lizzy gives Gavin his space. But as time passes and he doesn’t say a word about their marriage, Lizzy decides it’s past time she takes matters into her own hands. Without a word, she follows Gavin to Oregon.

Now facing a daughter who blames her for everything, an irritated husband, and a small town that feeds on the drama, Lizzy finds herself trying to figure out how to convince Gavin to give her another chance, teach her daughter it takes two to make a successful marriage, and overcome her own insecurities – all without compromising who she is.

Going After the Heart Excerpt

“Here’s the keys to the cabin. The round one is to the front and back doors and the square one is for the shed.” Ray’s voice sounded clear and even behind him.
Turning, Gavin watched his father hand Lizzy a small set of keys.
“I had Clare clean it up for you. Like I said on the phone, it’s not the newest place in the world, but it’s still in pretty good shape considering its age.”
Lizzy gave his father a small smile as she took the keys from him. “I’m sure it’s great.”
Her gaze moved to him and resentment swelled watching her smile fade. Although, what did he expect, she hadn’t smiled at him for months prior to him leaving. Why would she start now?
But the indiscernible look settling on Lizzy’s features startled him. After ten years of marriage and five years together before getting married, Gavin would have bet big money he knew every single one of his wife’s expressions. But this one, he realized dumbfounded, he didn’t recognize.
Her gaze dropped down to Sky. “Come on, Sky, we’ve got to go up to the cabin to settle in.”
Beside him, Gavin felt Sky’s shoulders tense.
“No!” She shouted the word venomously. “I don’t want to go with you,” she spat before turning pleading blue eyes up at him. “Dad, can’t I stay here with you and Papa? I don’t want to go with her.”
Apparently he missed the memo about today being Surprise Day, Gavin realized, as he could only stare at his daughter for a moment, never having seen this side of her before.
“I tell you what, little missy, no little girl is welcome in my house that sasses her mama the way you just did. No matter what injustice you think she’s handed you, a child never speaks to their parent that way.” Ray delivered his little speech with an even look and matching tone.
Sky’s cheeks turned bright red. Gavin frowned down at her. “Your grandfather’s right, you know better than to talk to your mom that way.”
Looking up to his wife, he arched a brow. Apparently the statute of limitations for surprises for the day hadn’t been reached yet, he thought silently in disbelief when Lizzy didn’t scold, or even comment on, Sky’s behavior.
Rather than say anything, Lizzy looked away and her back stiffened so much he thought her spine would snap.
What the hell is going on? His bewilderment bothered him.
Seeing Lizzy wouldn’t say anything, Gavin looked back down at Sky. “Honey, since I didn’t know you were coming, I don’t have anywhere set up for you to sleep. I’m sleeping on a cot in one of the extra rooms. I’ll try to look at setting something up tomorrow so you can stay a few nights with me. How does that sound?”
A stubborn look Gavin recognized all too easily surfaced on Sky’s face, but she remained silent, temporarily mollified and nodded. Turning away from him, Sky made her way back to the car and climbed in without so much as a single glance in her mother’s direction.
Gavin returned his gaze back to Lizzy, but she completely ignored him as she turned to climb back in the car.
That, at least, he’d grown used to.

Kristen Beairsto

In between her to-be-read pile and trying to bring the characters in her head alive, Kristen spends as much time as she can with family and friends. Much to her husband’s dismay, she enjoys collecting purses, shoes, and jewelry. During those rare times she’s not working at her day job, rushing her daughters somewhere, watching movies with her husband, and trying to meet a deadline, she can usually be found energetically cheering for one of her favorite New York sports teams.

As with just about every other writer on the planet, Kristen grew up an avid reader. She started with young adult before she technically hit the age range and moved on to sci-fi classics by Isaac Asimov and Ray Bradbury. At fifteen, her best friend gave her a book she just had to read! The book was Honest Illusions by Nora Roberts. Always a sucker for a happy ending, she was a goner and fell in love with the romance genre. Having started writing novel length stories at the age of eleven, Kristen’s stories all took a romantic turn from that point on.

You can connect with Kristen through her website www.KristenBeairsto.com, Facebook www.facebook.com/AuthorKristenBeairsto, or Twitter www.twitter.com/AuthorKBeairsto.

Please help me welcome Marian Lanouette to my blog today. She will be giving a copy of one of her books to a lucky commentor, so be sure and leave a comment for her.

Books:
If I Fail, A Jake Carrington Mystery September 7, 2012
Burn in Hell, A Jake Carrington Mystery January 18, 2013
As the World Ends, Novella January 2013

Thank you so much for having me here today, Cindy. I love your blog and your guests. It’s an honor to be included among them.

What genre(s) do you write in and why?

I write mysteries with romantic elements. It’s the puzzle and the steps required to solve a mystery that intrigues me. I love reading a good mystery but I love my romance too. So, both together is a home run.

Tell us about your current series.

My current series titled A Jake Carrington Mystery is about Lieutenant Jake Carrington and his Partner Louie Romanelli. It’s set in a small city in Connecticut. Jake runs the homicide department and now as the added burden of missing persons department. Each book looks at a couple of murders as we grow to know the detectives in their personal lives.

What inspired your latest book?

Burn in Hell the second book in the Jake Carrington Mystery revolves around Kyra Russell. She and Jake meet at a party and start dating. But soon after he starts to suspect things aren’t right with Kyra. She cremates people for a living (something I used to do.) As I did it years ago, my imagination always took off in different directions with the possibilities of the job. When I created Jake, I thought I’d have to use cremation somehow.

What is your favorite part of writing?

I love the first draft. As the story flows from my mind, to fingers and then the keyboard, it’s so exciting.

What is your least favorite part of writing?

Trying to sell and wade through the rejections. But I understand the need and how it makes the story stronger.

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

My next project after Burn in Hell is released is As the World Ends. It also releases in January 2013. I’m working on the third book in the series, Mated for Life. I’m actually two-thirds done with the first draft.

What is your typical day like?

I get up, exercise, eat, shower and I’m at my desk for the next six hours writing, researching, marketing, blogging and/or answering emails. Then lunch and three more hours of writing or plotting.

How much time do you spend promoting your books?

It’s seems since my first book If I Fail, A Jake Carrington Mystery came out in September 2012, all my time is devoted to marketing. But in reality, I’d say I spend three to four hours a day marketing my writing.

What works best for you?

Believe it or not “Word of mouth” advertising. If one person loves your book they are going to speak it up to another and so it goes down the line. The important thing to do is write so readers love it and want to talk about. I want to stop here and offer a special thank you to all the readers that loved If I fail. You’re a great bunch. Thanks also for the wonderful reviews.

Excerpt Burn in Hell:

With her head down, she sat at her machine, waiting on the supervisor to come back—to unlock the machine so she could play again. More than anything, she needed to win. A hand landed on her shoulder, startling her. Jerking away, Kyra turned to see who belonged to the hand. Crap, not the supervisor. Joe Dillon, not exactly the person I want to see right now.

“Hi, Kyra.”

“Hey, Joe.”

“How’s it going?” Her host sat down next to her.

“Not good,” she whined.

“I’m sorry to hear it. You know you have a payment due soon?”

Double crapola. “Yes, I know.”

“Why don’t you leave the machine for a while? Come have something to eat with me?”

What could he be up to, she wonder?

“Why?”

“Why? Kyra, let’s discuss your loan payment over dinner, explore your options.”

What options? There weren’t any. All week she racked her brain trying to find a solution to the mess. Though a quiet guy, Joe scared her. Deep inside, she understood he could destroy her. Not a person she’d want to cross.

“Kyra? Please, no one’s going to touch your machine. Maybe a break will change your luck?”

“What the hell. I could eat,” Kyra hissed. Something had to change.

“How about a steak?”

“Fine.”

They got up at the same time, bumping into each other. Joe sat back down, let Kyra get up first. He followed her as she headed to the Trenton Steak House. Joe grabbed her arm and pointed to the private elevator that went directly to the entrance to the Whale Room. She looked at him. He smiled.

“What’s up, Joe?”

“I think you need a real break Kyra, so we’ll head up.”

Curiosity got the better of her, but she figured she’d find out what he was up to in good time. Then the fear hit her. Maybe she shouldn’t leave the floor with him. She owed the casino seventy-five thousand dollars. Behind on her payments, she spent three grand tonight trying to win her next payment. Stupid—how could I be so stupid? I should’ve made a partial payment with the three grand instead of gambling tonight. They wouldn’t beat up her up, would they? Tasting the bile as it violently pushed up from her stomach, scorching a path to her throat. Kyra couldn’t control the tears that flooded into her eyes when she started to choke.

“Are you all right, Kyra?”

“I don’t want to leave the public floor, Joe.” Kyra’s hands shook along with her entire body. Unable to control her voice as it cracked, her mind searching for an escape.

“I have a deal for you, but I can’t discuss it in an open area. We’ll discuss it upstairs, over dinner.” He smiled.

Oh yeah, she thought, the farmer leading the cow to the slaughter. “What kind of deal?”

“We’ll discuss it upstairs,” he repeated firmly.

“You’re not going to break my legs or anything like that. Are you?” she half-heartily joked.

“No such thing, Kyra. Relax.” Now’s the time too really worry, she thought. Just like the “trust me” phrase, it gave her the willies.

* * * *

Joe Dillon studied Kyra as they rode up in the elevator. To look at her, you’d never guess she’d lost control of her life. He liked her curves, her full lips, and the wild, curly red hair. Shorter than he, she stood about five feet four inches—he didn’t like looking up at a woman. Too many women today were taller than him. He looked into her green, green eyes, his mind taking off in all directions. Not now, Joe. Kyra’s not worth the trouble. He knew she had a son—her divorce a by-product of gambling. The boss told him this morning she was losing custody of her son. What woman gambles to the point of losing her child? Joe thought about the deal he’d be offering her, dragging her down even further. He pushed the guilt from his mind. Not my fucking problem. Kyra did this to herself. If I ever caught Camile gambling, I’d break her legs. Joe saw what gambling did to families. Too much heartache for too little reward, he mused.

Joe thought of the deal he’d lay on the table for her—two choices—wondering which one she’d choose. Neither was pleasant. I’m only the messenger. That’s how he justified his work. Blinded by greed, these people put themselves in this position with their gambling addictions.

Bio:
One of ten children, Marian took to writing to explore new and adventurous places. While her friends traveled on planes for vacation, Marian traveled in books. With an overactive imagination, it didn’t take long for her to start creating her own characters and stories. If I Fail, A Jake Carrington Mystery that released in 2012, is the first book in the series.

As an avid reader, she discovered mysteries by reading the Daily News as a youngster. Intrigued by the real life crimes, and how the police worked and eventually solved them, ignited her imagination beyond the ordinary.

An English professor marked her final paper with an A, but wrote a note that said, “Well done, though you’re not Virginia Woolf yet, so add a little action to the story.” That one line had her punching up the action in stories to come.

Marian has many plans (books) for Jake Carrington and his crew. She invites you to discover these wonderful characters and share your impressions at:

marian.author@gmail.com or www.marianl.com
Buy links:
If I Fail: Amazon:
MuseItUp Publishing:
Burn in Hell:
As the World Ends