Category Archives: Interviews

Special Guests ~ Authors Bill Hayes & Susan Seaforth Hayes!

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Hi there, Susan and Bill Hayes. It’s great to see you here. We’d love to hear more about your new release TRUMPET from Decadent Publishing!

Can you briefly tell us about the relationship between the central characters in your latest release?

Lizzie Trumpet, struggling to become an actress on the London stage of 1803, falls for the talented and dangerous Jack Faversham. Their relationship leads to mayhem for Lizzie. Outlawed in England, she flees to Egypt, where fate plunges her into unforeseen adventures with the real-life strongman, Giovanni Belzoni. Her beloved brother George fights the war against Napoleon, whom she meets as well, along with the most glittering, gritty and memorable  people of the age.

What qualities do you most admire about the heroine in your book?

Physical courage, acting talent and a beautiful soprano voice. The story arc covers eighteen years. In that passage, from innocence to worldly wisdom, Lizzie Trumpet faces each change of circumstance with strength and humor. Like a good soap opera heroine (which is where we come from), despite mistakes, she carries on.

Which of your characters from this release would you most like to invite to dinner, and why?

The supporting cast! Lord Dampere, a great noble booby with a lust for Lizzie stuffed into his corset. Carlo Tomassi, her slightly bent voice coach with a hearty appetite for life. Octavia Onslow, the advice-giving courtesan who once had Lizzie’s father for a client. Captains Irby and Mangles, the Navy men who worship Lizzie’s performances and literally sail her into the heart of the story.

What food would you cook for them?

The roast beef of old England. Strawberries for delight, and a mess of ful madamas for Egyptian flavor. (5) And what setting would you choose for the meal? London. Backstage in the green room of The Royal Theatre Drury Lane.

What would your ideal career be, if you couldn’t be an author?

Just what it is: acting! We have been professional performers all our lives, and we intend to keep at it till they carry us away.

If you were to do your career as an author again, what would you do differently, and why?

We started with a double memoir—LIKE SANDS THROUGH THE HOURGLASS—and discovered we had a flare for writing. TRUMPET is our debut novel, another type of animal entirely, and much more fun than just telling tales about ourselves. Do differently? We wouldn’t waste a minute waiting for inspiration, but just hurry to the keyboard and let the story fly. We will do this again, because creating a world together, Lizzie’s London has made our thirty-seven years of marriage even richer and happier.

Trivia:

A. Favourite word? Luminous.

B. Favourite food? Chocolate, dark and rich.

C. Favourite animal? The dog.

D. Favourite TV show? UPSTAIRS DOWNSTAIRS, the old series we quote constantly; we hang upon every episode of the new version, too.

E. Snow or sun? Sun. And ocean, too, please, with a parade of clouds changing and moving overhead.

F. Slippers or sox? Slippers for him, sox for her.

G. Flats or heels? What a question. Flats, to scurry everywhere at top speed.

H. Walk or drive? Walk for joy. Drive to go the distance, as far as possible.

Thank you, Bill Hayes and Susan Seaforth Hayes.

Here is an excerpt from TRUMPET:

“Elizabeth, you must perform. I will teach you a style of acting that is revolutionary. You have seen my work. You understand the art I worship.”

She took a step closer. “Since I was a child, watching my father on stage, I longed to be there with him.” Jack watched Lizzie struggle to go on. “You have just described the dream of my life. There is nothing I want more, but…Mr. Faversham—Jack…I am not free.”

He reached for her hands and pulled her down beside him on the stump. “Explain why you are not free.”

In a long and tearful soliloquy, Lizzie told her story of the past year. She was too candid for propriety and too wrought-up by his presence to withhold anything. In this soulful state, she was so beautiful and vulnerable that Jack had to fight to keep his hands off her.

“You need, as in a play, an ailing uncle to leave you a great inheritance,” Jack suggested with sympathy. “Indeed, I have just been offered ‘protection’ by a gentleman.”

“It must be Dampere, the creature! I guessed as much! That’s why I broke in upon your privacy in such haste. Listen to me, Elizabeth. I promise you a weekly income, not of shillings, but of pounds. From the sound of it, your first concern is caring decently for your family. Join me and you will be able to provide for your father and aunt and whoever else you are carrying on your lovely back.”

The emotional girl looked at him as though he were a god.

Jack turned on his serpent-of-Eden charm. “Why take up with that toad Dampere? Come with me and live your passion while you keep your reputation. I can turn you into a real princess, Pocahontas—a princess of the stage.”

That did it. Dazzled, Lizzie said something irrational that meant yes: “The honor…do all I can…prove your faith.” It was the grateful garble of a person saved.

Satisfied to have gotten his way, Jack sealed the bargain by taking her head in his hands and kissing her full on the mouth. “Gad, we’ll be good; I know it.” He bowed and strode to his hired horse. “I have urgent business in the city. Be glad, Elizabeth. I certainly am.”

He leaped into the saddle and cantered away. Actually, he was off to a backstage intrigue at Covent Garden. Waiting in his dressing room, another would-be actress, of no performing ability whatsoever, was ready to audition what talent she did have on the chaise lounge.

Lizzie watched Faversham until she could see him no more. A freshening breeze lifted the leaves of the oak tree. She touched her tingling lips and thanked God for escaping a sordid life. He is my savior. Now I won’t have to do as Octavia does.

Bill Hayes and Susan Seaforth Hayes

Brilliant and sassy Elizabeth Trumpet fantasizes starring on the London stage, but to become an actress in 1803 is tantamount to losing her virginity in the most debasing way.

After watching her mother die and her father lose his mind, the courageous sixteen-year-old must find a way to save her family. She scores her first acting job as a fencer – the deadly skill she learned from her brother training for the military. Blessed with talent and a rare singing voice, Lizzie pursues her career, learning from theatrical characters high and low.

When reckless actor Jonathan Faversham sets eyes on Miss Trumpet, he knows he’s found the partner of his life. But Faversham carries ruinous baggage from a dark past. Entangled in lust and ambition, Lizzie gives him her heart and they reach the heights together. Until Lizzie gets more applause than he.

From the magnificence of Regency palaces and the Theatre Royal Covent Garden to the sun-baked pyramids of Egypt and the arms of a real-life Samson, Lizzie is never far from trouble. As her brother rides to glory with Wellington in the Napoleonic Wars, great events threaten her survival. Danger lurks behind stage curtains, when a madman sets fire to take her life and she lifts a sword in revenge.

Will this once innocent girl, with her rise to stardom, be remembered for her art? Or for her shame?

Bill Hayes and Susan Seaforth Hayes

Bill and Susan Giveaway!

We have autographed copies of our memoir (LIKE SANDS THROUGH THE HOURGLASS [New American Library, 2005]) and my CD (THIS IS BILL HAYES [with the John Rodby Trio, 2004]) as prizes for our giveaway. Two names will be drawn randomly from those who comment at each blog stop. The drawing is open to overseas readers.

Say Hello to Author S.R. Claridge!

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Today our special guest is Vanilla Heart Publishing author, S.R. Claridge! S.R. lives in Colorado with her husband and two children.  She loves thunderstorms, and chilly fall evenings when she can hunker down in front of her computer with a Vodka Martini and write another romantic suspense novel.


Well, S.R. ~ that vodka martini sounds good, but so do your books! We want to hear more…let’s get this interview started:-)!

Ursula: Do you consider yourself a plotter or a pantser?

S.R.: Definite pantser….though, admittedly, I lay in bed at night and plot.

Ursula: What advice would you give to an aspiring author?

S.R.: Write, listen, learn, precisely follow submission guidelines, re-write a million times and never, ever quit.

Ursula: What is your writing day like? Do you have a specific daily word or page goal?

S.R.: No goal.  In my hectic world with two young kids, my goal is simply to write every day…something, anything, even if it’s just one line.

Ursula: Have you ever experienced writer’s block? If so, how do you find your way back?

S.R.: I don’t freak out over it.  I put the manuscript away for a while and work on a different project. Sometimes just stepping back and taking a breather is all I need to refresh my brain and get it active again.

Ursula: Tell us about your first acceptance!

S.R.: My very first acceptance of anything I had written was the publishing of a greeting card, then came song lyrics and scripts for one-act skits.  It’s always exciting when someone believes in your work enough to publish it. The most exciting of all was when Vanilla Heart offered me a contract for my first novel, No Easy Way.  I smiled A LOT that day!  ☺

Ursula: What are your writing goals?

S.R.: To keep writing and to get my books out there into as many hands as possible.  My goal is to give readers something to look forward to.  I want them to dive into my books to the extent that they can’t wait for the next release.

Ursula: What books are currently on your nightstand?

S.R.: Bible, Evanovich Plum series, several by Mary Higgins Clark, Sue Grafton and some non-fiction by Priscilla Shirer

Ursula: What is the last book you read?

S.R.: Plum Lucky by Evanovich;  Forgotten Covenant by J.J.Woods

Ursula: If you could go back in time, where or in what period would you find yourself?

S.R.: I wouldn’t go back in time…. I’d go forward to see the future of our world.

Ursula: What part of your writing do you enjoy least?

S.R.: Basic grammatical editing… I get bored with it because it’s not the “creative” stuff, it’s the logic stuff that leaves me feeling dry.

Ursula: How long does it take you to write a complete novel?

S.R.: I’ve taken 3 years on one and written another one in 3 months….so I suppose it just depends on the novel and the season of life.

Ursula: What are you currently working on?

S.R.: I am currently writing the second and third books in a mystery series called “Just Call Me Angel.”  Book one in the series (Tetterbaum’s Truth) was just released this month.  I am also writing another stand-alone mystery novel and working on a tender love story.

Ursula: Favorite vacation spot or place you’d like to visit but haven’t yet?

S.R.: I LOVE vacations and traveling!!  Two of my absolute favorite spots are Paris and Rome, and I’d like to see more of Italy.  Italy and France are two countries I will definitely visit again someday. China was an incredible trip and an experience of a lifetime, but I don’t know that I need to go back. Mexico is a must for me every couple years… just to clear my mind and truly relax.  In the States, Chicago is my favorite city to visit and my husband and I sneak away there for a few days every year.

Ursula: Do you have a favorite book and/or author?

S.R.: I like so many books and authors but one of my fall-backs is Janet Evanovich.  I enjoy her stories because they are an easy-read and her characters keep me laughing.

Ursula: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

S.R.: In NO EASY WAY, there is an underlying message of faith and forgiveness.  In TETTERBAUM’S TRUTH and the whole Just Call Me Angel series, there is a message in life’s perspective… how one may perceive something as murder while another perceives it as family loyalty and protection.

Ursula: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

S.R.: I’ve written all my life.  It just never dawned on me that other people might enjoy reading my work.  It took to the age of 40 before I realized I could actually sign with a publisher and pursue writing as a career.

Ursula: What do you like to do for fun? Hobbies?

S.R.: I love to dance…real wild, crazy, erotic dancing…the kind you can’t do in public because people will think you’re nuts.☺On the tamer side, I love to watch movies.  I love to let my mind drift away from reality and dive into the plot of a great action/adventure film.

Ursula: What question are you never asked in interviews but wish you were?

S.R.: Maybe, how important do you feel sex is in marriage?  I have a whole soapbox on that topic. ☺ Suffice to say if we all got laid once a day our world would be a brighter place.         www.desirethefire.wordpress.com

Ursula: What genre are you most comfortable writing?

S.R.: Mystery/Romantic Suspense

Ursula: How do you deal with rejection?

S.R.: I’d be lying if I said it didn’t hurt my feelers, but I’ve learned not to take it personally.  What one person loves another will hate… it’s all very subjective… so just because I get rejected doesn’t mean my work isn’t good.  It means I haven’t found the right “fit” yet.  I have many people critique my work before it goes to the publisher and often times their opinions are not what I want to hear, but it helps me become a better writer.  My editors challenge me to improve myself so in the end, every critique is good and every rejection is a stepping stone.

Great interview, S.R.! Now, more on her books ~ where you can find them ~ and where you can find S.R.!


TETTERBAUM’S TRUTH Book Blurb:
Angel Martin plans to marry Tony and live happily ever after… until Tony disappears.  Nursing a broken heart, she takes a job at Tetterbaum’s Pub, unaware it is the most prestigious Mafia hangout in Chicago.
In a world filled with a pretense of innocence and a past filled with iniquity, Angel’s life hangs in a twisted balance of deception and revenge. Through an unlikely turn of events, Angel discovers her entire life has been a carefully orchestrated lie. No one is who they say they are and everyone has an agenda of their own.
Finding herself in the middle of a revengeful scheme from a past she’s never known and a Mafia blackmail scandal that’s already left several dead, Angel races to find answers.  The trouble is, the closer she gets to hidden evidence and tainted truths, the more the crime families want her out of the way.  With her true identity now exposed, learning who she can trust becomes a matter of life and death and unraveling the past is her only hope for staying alive.
Both books are available on Amazon, B&N, Smashwords and various other outlets or via her publisher’s site: www.vanillaheartbooksandauthors.com/S.R.html

Say Hello to Sibel Hodge!

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Sibel Hodge is the latest amazing author to visit us as we continue on the All Romantic Suspense Blog Tour. Sibel is an interesting gal ~ here’s a little more about her:

Sibel Hodge has dual British/Turkish Cypriot nationality, dividing her time between Hertfordshire and North Cyprus.

Her first novel, Fourteen Days Later, was short listed for the Harry Bowling Prize 2008 and received a highly commended by the Yeovil Literary Prize 2009. It is a romantic comedy with a unique infusion of British and Turkish Cypriot culture. Written in a similar style to Sophie Kinsella and Marian Keyes, Fourteen Days Later is My Big Fat Greek Wedding meets Bridget Jones.

The Fashion Police is her second novel and was a runner up in the Chapter One Promotions Novel Competition 2010. It is a screwball comedy-mystery, combining murder and mayhem with romance and chick-lit, and the first in a series featuring feisty, larger-than-life insurance investigator, Amber Fox. Written in a similar style to Janet Evanovich and Myron Bolitar, The Fashion Police is Stephanie Plum meets Harlan Coben.

My Perfect Wedding is her latest novel and the sequel to Fourteen Days Later.

That surely is an impressive bio, Sibel! We’d love to hear more about you and your writing process:-) Let’s get right to some questions. I’m sure readers are curious ~ so let’s begin.

Ursula: Do you consider yourself a plotter or a pantser?

Sibel: Definitely a panster! I find if I get too hung up on plotting at the beginning, it can curb my creativity. If I just start to write, my plot and characters seem to develop on their own.

Ursula: What is your writing day like? Do you have a specific daily word or page goal?

Sibel: I don’t like to tie myself down to a specific word count, but I try and write a chapter a day. My husband has taken over my desk, so usually I write on the kitchen table or terrace or anywhere else with a spare space.

Ursula: What are your writing goals?

Sibel: Obviously, I’d love to hit the bestseller list! But I want to carry on writing novels that make people laugh. What better way to distress in our hectic lives, than to lose yourself in a fun-packed romp.

Ursula: What books are currently on your nightstand?

Sibel: The Witness Wore Blood Bay by L.C. Evans, Sleight Malice by Vicki Tyley, and The Summoner by Layton Green

Ursula: What is the last book you read?

Sibel: Take the Monkeys and Run by Karen Cantwell. It was a fast, fun read.

Ursula: How long does it take you to write a complete novel?

Sibel: I wrote my debut novel in three weeks. I had to go back and change a lot afterwards, but it taught me a lot. Now I usually write the first draft within a month, but editing always takes longer. For a finished novel, including time with my editor, it normally takes around three months.

Ursula: What are you currently working on?

Sibel: I’m working on the second novel in my Amber Fox cozy mystery series.

Ursula: Favorite vacation spot or place you’d like to visit but haven’t yet?

Sibel: Australia. I’d love to take a few months off and just travel around. I was going to backpack there when I was younger, but then I got a mortgage which tied me down. Maybe one day!

Ursula: Do you have a favorite book and/or author?

Sibel: There’s too many to choose from. My influences are people like Sophie Kinsella, Marian Keyes, Janet Evanovich, and Harlan Coben.

Ursula: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

Sibel: I’ve always loved writing. When I was a little kid, I was always scribbling away. I started my first novel when I was about seventeen but didn’t have a clue what I was doing, so I binned it. I started the second one when I was twenty-seven but never got further than the first three chapters. My third one I started when I was thirty-five and went on to become my debut romantic comedy, Fourteen Days Later.

Ursula: What genre are you most comfortable writing?

Sibel: Comedy. I love reading and writing romantic comedy, but I also love comedy mystery. So I thought why not do both?

Great interview, Sibel. How about a blurb for My Perfect Wedding? Also, where can readers purchase a copy?

Blurb for My Perfect Wedding:

Helen Grey is finally getting everything she wants. She’s about to have the perfect dream wedding and begin an exciting new life abroad on the sunny Mediterranean island of Cyprus. But living the dream isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

After a mix-up at the airport, Helen finds herself drawn into the midst of an elaborate plot to steal an ancient statue and assassinate a local businessman. And as if that wasn’t bad enough, her wedding dress is AWOL, the statue seems to be cursed, and Helen is wanted by the police.

With the big day rapidly approaching, a roller-coaster of mishaps, misunderstandings, and disasters threatens to turn the newlyweds into nearlyweds.

Can Helen prevent an assassination, save the statue, and have the perfect wedding? Or will the day to remember turn into one she’d rather forget?

Review:

“I loved this book. It is a easy read so it didn’t take me long to read it and I just couldn’t put it down. I read it in one afternoon. It is funny, witty and intriguing. If you are a fan of Sophie Kinsella I am positive you will love My Perfect Wedding by Sibel Hodge.” Geeky Girl Books

Links for sale:

Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Wedding-Romantic-Comedy-ebook/dp/B004IK93XS/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&m=A3G5FUGTDGO5ZX&s=books&qid=1296281857&sr=8-6

Amazon.co.uk: http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=sibel+hodge&x=0&y=0

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/36747

Authors website: http://www.sibelhodge.com/

A Visit with C. L. Exline, Author of the Sheryl Locke Holmes Mysteries Series!

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Welcome, Cassie! Please make yourself comfortable and begin by telling us a little about yourself:-).

Thanks for having me Ursula. I was born in the South and raised in the North, so when my Rebel-Yankee creative juices kick in, my readers are in for a real treat.  I’m married and have two children. Of course I also work full time for a weekly newspaper.  Love roses, African violets, and doing research.

We’d love to learn a little about your creative process ~ ready for a few questions?

Ursula: Do you consider yourself a plotter or a pantser?

Cassie: Panster. I get a basic idea and run with it. I do keep notes when the story grows, but I don’t set and outline the story first.

Ursula: What advice would you give to an aspiring author?

Cassie: Write and write and write.

Ursula: What is your writing day like? Do you have a specific daily word or page goal?

Cassie: I write at any time of the day and write as long as possible. No word total or page goal. Some days it flows, some days it doesn’t.

Ursula: Have you ever experienced writer’s block? If so, how do you find your way back?

Cassie: Not writer’s block as in no ideas, but a block in writing at all. I’ll play games or read, but eventually those voices nag me enough that I have to write their story.

Ursula: Tell us about your first acceptance!

Cassie: Short story at Ruthie’s Club. I hadn’t planned on submitting but a fellow author encouraged me. I was thrilled and shocked when I got an email accepting the story. And a big smile when the check arrived.

Ursula: What are your writing goals?

Cassie: Write, write and write.

Ursula: What books are currently on your nightstand?

Cassie: Actually I’ve been reading ebooks when I get the time. I don’t read when I’m involved in writing a story.

Ursula: What is the last book you read?

Cassie: Dolly Departed by Deb Baker (ebook)

Ursula: If you could go back in time, where or in what period would you find yourself?

Cassie: 1800s but I sure would hate to give up my bathroom, potty and air conditioning. Not to mention the computer.

Ursula: What part of your writing do you enjoy least?

Cassie: Ending the story. It’s like my family is going away. Unless it’s Series story, then I know they are just waiting for me to continue writing their tales.

Ursula: How long does it take you to write a complete novel?

Cassie: About two months, barring illness, family emergencies or extra work load at the office.

Ursula: What are you currently working on?

Cassie: Butterfly Dreams

Ursula: Favorite vacation spot or place you’d like to visit but haven’t yet?

Cassie: Hawaii. I’d love to visit there.

Ursula: Do you have a favorite book and/or author?

Cassie: No, I love reading a variety of authors.

Ursula: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Cassie: Never give up. That a person can do anything they want if they want it bad enough. My characters struggle and cry but they will work hard to obtain their goal.

Ursula: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

Cassie: Grade school. I read Trixie Belden and Nancy Drew.

Ursula: What do you like to do for fun? Hobbies?

Cassie: World Search puzzles for fun. I also love doing research for my books for fun too. Amazing what a person stumbles across. Photography has always been my creative outlet, but writing has taken over.

Ursula: What question are you never asked in interviews but wish you were?

Cassie: The Question: Have you ever written anything that would make you cringe to admit? The Answer: Yes.  It was a taboo topic. It was a story challenge and I rose to the occasion.  But oh my, my.

Ursula: What genre are you most comfortable writing?

Cassie: Mystery/suspense and romance

Ursula: How do you deal with rejection?

Cassie: It hurts but it’s not the end of the world.

Great interview, Cassie! Can you tell us a little about, Book 2: Ruby’s Deadly Secret, in your Sheryl Locke Holmes Mysteries series? How about an excerpt:-)? Love your cover!

Blurb:

What do you get when you add a ruby, diary, secrets, and a mansion? A motive for murder. Sheryl Locke Holmes and her best friend, Dot Watson, have been offered an exciting opportunity to explore Bridgeside, a Victorian mansion, to search for items for their antique shop. Their adventure is short-lived when they discover a diary containing dark secrets and a newspaper clipping with a warning written in what appears to be blood. They get trapped in the attic, Dot is attacked and they find out the owner died inside the house. As if that isn’t enough, Jake is spotted with another woman. Clues are pointing to Sheryl as the next target, no matter who gets in the way.

Excerpt:

Sheryl gazed into Jake’s eyes and caressed his cheek. “I’m sorry for overreacting. For a brief moment, I thought I had lost you. I know better, but I’d just been with Mrs. Wallace and listened to how much her husband’s betrayal had hurt her. I wasn’t thinking, not with my head. Forgive me.”

“Take your hands off of me!” yelled a voice in the distance.

Sheryl and Jake looked over to see Dot being physically escorted out of the restaurant.

“Madam!”

“Look, you little toad, take your hands off of me.”

“I better intercede before Dot gets physical.” Jake hurried to smooth things over. “Lawrence, it’ll be okay. I’ll take over.”

Lawrence let go of Dot, but glared at her before facing Jake. “She and that blonde friend of hers are not welcome in our establishment. Both are troublemakers. We run a reputable business and cannot have altercations disrupting our patrons.”

“Like I care to go back in! I wouldn’t go in that rat hole if my life depended on it,” Dot said and rubbed her arm. “You better hope I don’t get bruises from your manhandling me.”

The man snorted before stomping back into the restaurant.

“You didn’t hit Lisa, did you?” Jake asked.

“Lawrence wouldn’t let me.”

**

Ruby’s Deadly Secret came in number eight in Top Mystery Book of 2010 at Preditors & Editors Poll.
Amber’s Mysterious Death is the first book in the Holmes Mystery Series. Start your collection today.

Welcome to Author Chris Redding

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The All Romantic Suspense Blog Tour continues! This week’s guest is author Chris Redding. Hi, Chris. Thanks for visiting:-).

Chris: Thank you Ursula for letting me take over your blog today. These are some great questions and hopefully equally great answers.

Ursula: Can’t wait to get started. Shall we begin? Do you consider yourself a plotter or a pantser?

Chris: A pantser through and through. If I outlined or did anything like that, I’d never write the book. I like to discover it as I go along.

Ursula: What advice would you give to an aspiring author?

Chris: Learn your craft and be persistent.

Ursula: What is your writing day like? Do you have a specific daily word or page goal?

Chris: I only get to write in the morning before work so my day isn’t that exciting. I usually shoot for five pages minimum.

Ursula: Have you ever experienced writer’s block? If so, how do you find your way back?

Chris: I’ve never had writer’s block. I can go through periods when I don’t want to write, but when I want to, the words are there. As a writer you have to believe in yourself and trust that the words will be there.

Ursula: Tell us about your first acceptance!

Chris: It was on my birthday, which really wasn’t a great day until that moment. I checked e-mails one last time for the night and there it was. I screamed. My dh raced into the room thinking something was wrong. I had him read it so I knew I wasn’t mistaken. He almost screamed, then he hugged me.

Ursula: What are your writing goals?

Chris: I’d like to put out two books a year and make enough money to quit my day job. And hire someone else to clean my house.

Ursula: What books are currently on your nightstand?

Chris: My Kindle is on my nightstand loaded among other things Dragon Warrior by Janet Chapman. The only book is The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender.

Ursula: What is the last book you read?

Chris: Champagne with a Celebrity.

Ursula: If you could go back in time, where or in what period would you find yourself?

Chris: I actually have no desire to go back in time. I like now. I like the comforts of now. I don’t even like studying history.

Ursula: What part of your writing do you enjoy least?

Chris: When I really have a story cooking and I can’t get to it because life is interfering.

Ursula: How long does it take you to write a complete novel?

Chris: First draft is about three months. Then I let is sit for a month, then probably another three months of revising.

Ursula: What are you currently working on?

Chris: A story that has the premise, what if Q (from James Bond) had to go out and save the world. It’s got some Arthurian like mythology and a hot nerd. I love hot nerds. (Have you met my scientist husband?)

Ursula: Favorite vacation spot or place you’d like to visit but haven’t yet?

Chris: Hawaii. My boss lived there and he has some beautiful pictures.

Ursula: Do you have a favorite book and/or author?

Chris: Not really.

Ursula: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Chris: Nope. It’s pure entertainment. English students in the next century will not be writing papers about what I write.

Ursula: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

Chris: When I was ten.

Ursula: What do you like to do for fun? Hobbies? What are they?

Chris: In my imagination I make quilts. And do cross stitch. Instead I end up playing Farmville to decompress.

Ursula: What question are you never asked in interviews but wish you were?

Chris: Why are you so beautiful? LOL

Ursula: What genre are you most comfortable writing?

Chris: Romantic suspense. I love crime.

Ursula: How do you deal with rejection?

Chris: I don’t have a ritual, but if it is a form then it goes in a box. If the editor or agent put some suggestions in, then I let it sit for a few days and read it to see what I can gain.

More about Chris Redding and Incendiary!

Chris Redding lives in New Jersey with her husband, two kids and various animals. She graduated from Penn State with a degree in Journalism. When she isn’t writing she works for her local hospital.

Incendiary is about an EMT and a firefighter who must stop a serial arsonist before they go up in flames. Will their past stand in the way of them solving the crime?

Wild Rose Press Author Rachel Brimble is here!

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It’s week eight of the All Romantic Suspense Blog Tour! With us today is Wild Rose Press author, Rachel Brimble. Hello, Rachel and welcome! Today, Rachel will share a little about her creative process and her latest romantic suspense novel, Reluctant Witness. Shall we get started, Rachel?

Ursula: Do you consider yourself a plotter or a pantser?

Rachel: Bit of both – I plot in way of main character worksheets & arcs and then a five page synopsis. That’s my skeleton. Then I write the first draft by the seat of my pants all the way through to the end. Revision comes afterwards…

Ursula: What advice would you give to an aspiring author?

Rachel: Give yourself permission to write a ‘dirty’ first draft – you can always revise a written page, you can’t do anything with a blank one.

Ursula: What is your writing day like? Do you have a specific daily word or page goal?

Rachel: Scattered! I used to have a 1,000 word a day goal but when I start failing more than succeeding, it put on too much pressure. Once I reduced this to 500 words a day, I found I wrote more than ever! I write as and when around my kids, the house and a part-time job.

Ursula: Have you ever experienced writer’s block? If so, how do you find your way back?

Rachel: Never – I don’t allow it. Just write. Anything.

Ursula: Tell us about your first acceptance!

Rachel: I received it via email and stared at the screen so long, I couldn’t quite believe what I was reading, LOL! Then I ran and told my husband and we danced a jig in the kitchen, drank a glass of wine before I emailed my editor back to thank her and generally gush so much, she probably thought I was mentally unstable.

Ursula: What are your writing goals?

Rachel: Too many! I want to write full-time as a career, that is the ultimate goal.

Ursula: What books are currently on your nightstand?

Rachel: Picture Perfect – Jodi Picoult, The Favoured Child – Philippa Gregory and Wanna Be a Writer We’ve Heard of? – Jane Wenham-Jones

Ursula: What is the last book you read?

Rachel: The Man Who Made Husbands Jealous – Jilly Cooper

Ursula: If you could go back in time, where or in what period would you find yourself?

Rachel: Victorian times – fascinating. I have just finished my second Victorian romance and plan to write more.

Ursula: What part of your writing do you enjoy least?

Rachel: Plotting!

Ursula: How long does it take you to write a complete novel?

Rachel: From plotting to final polish – probably around six months

Ursula: What are you currently working on?

Rachel: Just getting to the end of a final polish of the Victorian romance and then I will start on my next contemporary which I have already plotted. It is set in a fictional seaside town in the South of England and about the reunion of the hero and heroine after a friend’s death separated them years before.

Ursula: Favorite vacation spot or place you’d like to visit but haven’t yet?

Rachel: I love where we go every year in Wales – it is quiet, secluded and surrounded by beaches, mountains and forest. So relaxing for a writer! As for hotter climes? I would love a trip to the Caribbean!

Ursula: Do you have a favorite book and/or author?

Rachel: Nora Roberts every time!

Ursula: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Rachel: I didn’t think so until recently but I always seem to turn my stories around to learning to trust again after a disappointment – whether that be being let down by a parent, friend, lover, sibling or stranger.

Ursula: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

Rachel: Very young – I used to make stories up at five, six and onwards. When I was eleven I wanted to be a journalist or novelist. Unfortunately, I didn’t pursue this seriously until my second child started nursery.

Ursula: What do you like to do for fun? Hobbies?

Rachel: I love walking my Labrador in the beautiful Wiltshire countryside where I live so I do that as much as possible – I also love reading, knitting and watch good TV drama.

Ursula: What question are you never asked in interviews but wish you were?

Rachel: The usefulness of networking for new and established writers alike – it’s huge and I wish somebody had made me understand that from my very first novel. Promotion is a lot of extra work but the rewards immense. I don’t necessarily mean in monetary terms but the friends you make, the support you receive and the following readers make writing more fun that I ever dreamed possible.

Ursula: What genre are you most comfortable writing?

Rachel: Romance – and I enjoy writing across the sub-genres. I write contemporary, historical, suspense and comedy.

Ursula: How do you deal with rejection?

Rachel: I have developed a very thick and mature skin along the way and now view every rejection as a chance to improve my craft. I always read, absorb and apply the advice I agree with and ignore the bits I don’t. Every writer needs to understand this business is subjective so not everyone will like their work but on the other hand, editors and agents will provide you with huge ‘aha’ moments too!

Ursula: Please tell us about your latest release.


Rachel: The book I am promoting today is my second romantic suspense novel. It’s called Reluctant Witness and set in the UK revolving around the murder investigation of a much loved resident. I loved writing this book and hope you enjoy reading it.

How about a blurb for Reluctant Witness?

Professional singer Julia Kershaw is leaving town and moving on with her life. She desperately needs an escape from her mother’s grief over the loss of Julia’s brother – shot and killed by an overzealous cop – and an ex-boyfriend who refuses to accept it’s over.

But when she becomes the sole witness to the murder of a man she has known all her life, how can she leave without helping to find his killer? But how can she work with a cop after everything the police have put her family through?

When Detective Inspector Daniel Conway is removed from the city chaos he thrives on, and sent to a sleepy seaside town, the last thing he expects is a murder case.  With an impeccable record that he intends to keep that way, for  both personal and professional reasons, he refuses to allow his very beautiful, sexy – and secretive to walk away from the case. Or him.


Ursula: Rachel, where can readers find you?

A Visit with Noble Romance Author Sarah Ballance

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Welcome, Sarah:-) So glad you could drop by!

Sarah: Thanks so much for having me here today.  I came without my kids, so I’m content to crash on your sofa (otherwise known as hiding from the kids) until you kick me out.  Readers, I’d offer you a drink, but I’m not sure where Ms. Grey keeps the coasters and I don’t want to get stuck with the cleaning bill.  (Ya’ll know you’ve got some “rowdy” in ya!)  Oops – my host is giving me The Look. Let’s pay attention, shall we?

Ursula: Ahem…I thought it seemed a little quieter than usual;-). Tell you what, Rachel ~ I won’t tell the little ones you’re here if you promise to let us in on your writing secrets and tell us a little about yourself. While I’m searching for those coasters, please make yourself comfortable…Okay, back with the drink of Sarah’s dreams…And now for what we’ve all been waiting for! Let’s chat, shall we;-)?

Do you consider yourself a plotter or pantser?

Sarah: I start my stories with an outline – usually as simple as a list of 5-10 plot points.  I start there, and I change it as the story demands it.  I guess you can say I try to plot but my characters wear the pants in our relationship.

Ursula: What advice would you give to an aspiring author?

Sarah: Find a GOOD crit partner.  Your story will  never be perfect, so anyone who can’t find a flaw in it is not doing you any favors.  On the flipside, a good CP will find something nice to say right along with the constructive criticism.  It’s just as important to know what you’re doing right as it is to know where the weaknesses are, and when your CP is a good fit he or she can help you see those points without trying to change your voice.

Ursula: What is your writing day like? Do you have a specific daily word or page goal?

Sarah: I have six kids and they’re homeschooled.  The most consistent bit of structure to my day is opening my netbook, typing in my password, and closing the computer right back up before my file even opens.  I would LOVE to write 1,000 words a day, but as long as I have children under the age of three I know better than to expect it.  That’s as it should be, though.  They’re awesome kids.

Ursula: Have you ever experienced writer’s block? If so, how do you find your way back?

Sarah: Sort of.  I tend to be a perfectionist on the first draft.  I need to reach a certain level of “BAM” with my manuscript before I can move on.  Ignoring that pesky criteria of mine does no good, so I live with it.  Best thing I can do when the words won’t come is walk away.  The alternative is to write a scene later in the book.  I don’t feel like *it* has to be perfect because I haven’t gotten there yet, so to speak, and when I do get there it’s a relatively easy edit.

Ursula: Tell us about your first acceptance!

Sarah: The whole experience was insane.  I subbed less than a week before we found out we were pregnant with #6.  Months later, I got the request for a full.  Then the contract offer came, and through all of this I was sick as a dog.  (I don’t get that.  I don’t even know any sick dogs, LOL, but anyway….)  I couldn’t jump around or cheer because it would have done nothing for my all day “morning” sickness, but fortunately for me I didn’t believe it.  I don’t think I believed it even after my book released, which – incidentally – was just a couple of weeks after my baby was born.  The baby was a shocker because I had my tubes tied after our fifth child was born, so that whole nine month period was just an insane mix of birthing both book and baby.  Unforgettable, to say the least.

Ursula: What are your writing goals?

Sarah: Ultimately, I’d love to write for Harlequin Intrigue.  For now – and to that end – I’d like to finish 2-3 novel-length romantic suspenses a year.

Ursula: What books are currently on your nightstand?

Sarah: Rosalie Stanton’s RIPPLES THROUGH TIME, Renee Vincent’s RÆLIKSEN, and a couple of nonfiction books by Dave Ramsey and Joel Osteen.  Over the nightstand is a shelf one of my kids made me and it’s packed full of Harlequin Intrigues.  My boy actually built it to spec, measuring the books so the shelves were just the right size for my “purple book collection” LOL.

Ursula: What is the last book you read?

Sarah: Renee Vincent’s RÆLIKSEN.  I bawled. Phenomenal book – a must read!

Ursula: If you could go back in time, where or in what period would you find yourself?

Sarah: Well, at this point you’d find me hanging out with Dægan Ræliksen, LOL.  But seriously, I’m not much of a history buff – and I’ll take all of my childbirthing with an epidural, thank you – but I do love colonial America (and have a WIP closely tied to that time period) and also have a thing for the wild west thanks to HBO’s Deadwood series.  But actually being there without my hot showers and my computer?  Eh.

Ursula: What part of your writing do you enjoy least?

Sarah: After a book is published, I almost refuse to look at it.  Every time I do, I find something I wish I could change.  Talk about maddening!

Ursula: How long does it take you to write a complete novel?

Sarah: If I could stick to my goal of 1,000 words a day, it would only take a couple of months to write a 55k-60k word novel.  But then life interferes and it ends up taking six months or more.  I know I need to work on my own mental game because I’m easily distracted, but I don’t want to blink and miss the kids growing up so I try to keep that in mind when I get frustrated.

Ursula: What are you currently working on?

Sarah: A romantic suspense I’m calling UNFORGIVEN.  A year before the story begins, Gage tore Riley’s world apart.  She did the unthinkable in forgiving him, but did so under the condition that he stay out of her life for good.  He kept that promise until he found his brother dead on his back porch; once Gage realizes who pulled the trigger, all bets are off.  The next time Riley lays eyes on him, it’s a gunpoint.  From there, things get interesting.

Ursula: Favorite vacation spot or place you’d like to visit but haven’t yet?

Sarah: I’ve been all over the U.S. and to Europe, but my favorite spot is right here – the Outer Banks of NC.  I’d love to go to Ireland, Italy, or Greece but the H won’t fly and I’m not going in a boat.  I’ll go to the Bahamas in one of our boats, but that’s as much open ocean as I want to see!  I can seriously see us anchored offshore of the Florida Keys, though.  I don’t have to worry about foreign laws there – I would SO  not fare well in prison.

Ursula: Do you have a favorite book and/or author?

Sarah: I love the Harlequin Intrigue series.  I grabbed a free read and fell in LOVE with the whole romantic suspense concept, which is where my urge to write suspense originated.  I think those books will always hold meaning to me because every time I read one, I experience the thrill and the urge to write.

Ursula: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Sarah: No deeper meanings here.  ;c)  I want my characters to hit that third dimension and be real. That would be my greatest accomplishment.

Ursula: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

Sarah: As a kid I wanted it as early as elementary school, but never took the first step in getting there.  In fact, I double majored in biology and biochemistry in college.  Then I married the H and went on to *never work a day in my life* so I could be a stay-at-home-mom for our herd of offspring. It wasn’t until after the birth of our 5th child that I gave it a go, and my first novel DOWN IN FLAMES was picked up on my first query by Noble Romance.  As soon as I saw that cover, I was HOOKED!

Ursula: What do you like to do for fun? Hobbies?

Sarah: We live on the coast and head out in our boat every chance we get.  I also love riding horses (and had one for 17 years until we lost her last spring at the age of 25), cross stitching, cooking/baking, and anything to do with the beach.   We also enjoy hiking.

Ursula: What question are you never asked in interviews but wish you were?

Sarah: I don’t know if there is one!  I do love any chance to tell folks how awesome my publisher is, though, so … pssst.  NOBLE ROCKS!

Ursula: What genre are you most comfortable writing?

Sarah: Romantic suspense.  My first was a romance and I tried for my third to be, but the idea kept resituating itself in my mind until it managed to twist into a suspense.  (That idea is on the shelf for now – a new idea took over.)  Bossy as it is, I think I found my comfort zone.

Ursula: How do you deal with rejection?

Sarah: It doesn’t bother me. I know everything doesn’t appeal to everyone, and even with a great story the timing has to be there for the publisher.  It’s a subjective business from one end to the other and I’m just proud to be a part of it.  One day down the line I may face a rejection I find devastating, but I’m hoping I can fall back on that inner logic when the time comes, LOL.

On that note, here’s the blurb to one which was not rejected: RUN TO YOU.

Mattie James can’t pinpoint exactly when she lost control of her life, but the moment she decided to take it back made the front page of the local paper. Desperate to dodge the fallout— and the tabloids—she jumps at the chance to spend an off-season week in a tiny resort community by the sea. Making the trip with her ex-lover is a complication she can live with; coming face to face with a dead woman is not.

The last thing Sheriff Wyatt Reed expected to find on the storm-ravaged beach was a beautiful blonde with a jealous sidekick, but one look at Mattie left him wanting more. Their first date takes an ominous turn when he gets the call that a woman was found murdered. With a killer on the loose and a troubling lack of suspects or motive, Wyatt has to put his feelings aside to focus on the case. But his vow not to become personally involved is shattered when he discovers Mattie’s life is on the line, and this time the truth leaves her with a deadly choice . . . and nowhere to run.

BUY LINK:  https://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=214

Reviews:

http://hea-reviews.blogspot.com/2011/01/review-run-to-you-by-sarah-ballance.html

http://mizlovelovesbooks.blogspot.com/2011/01/run-to-you-by-sarah-ballance.html

Ursula: Great interview, Sarah! Please stop in again sometime in the near future ~ and bring the little ones along! I have lots of coasters;-).