Fascinating I Am – novelist Margaret Montgomery

                                                    Margaret Montgomery

 Novels Now has been pre-occupied by the A – Z Challenge, did you notice, and neglecting fellow writers for a wee while now. However, there are many super writers and lovely books out there, so let’s get back into the groove. Where better to start than with the debut novel of today’s guest, Margaret Montgomery.

Margaret’s novel is called Beauty tips For Girls and it’s brought to us by Cargo Publishing.

 Fascinating Fact One

Margaret really likes sport. She always has the impulse to do a cartwheel (or two, or three) when  on a beach. When there’s a soft landing, she’ll maybe give a back flip a go.

Fascinating Fact Two

Margaret scored her first rejection slip (it’s called earning one’s credentials) at a very tender age. She entered a writing competition at primary school, gave it her all and was heart broken when she found out it was a ‘handwriting’ and not a creative writing competition.

Fascinating Fact Three

As a teenager, Margaret’s pin-up was William Gladstone. (Very apposite as we career towards a general election, Margaret, and brings a touch of class to Novels Now.) Margaret’s fascination stemmed from the fact that she discovered Queen Victoria was rather nasty to him and made it quite clear she favoured Disraeli. (It’s very British to favour the underdog.)

Fascinating Fact Four

Margaret knows everything there is to know about cardboard and its various attributes. This oddity is one of the results of being a professional journalist. (My DH uses it to accelerate the compost bin.)

Fascinating Fact Five

Margaret worked in the US where she narrowly avoided becoming alligator lunch and seems to have done her best to create an international incident. Read on in her own words “I found that America and the UK are, indeed, two countries separated by a common language. My reputation was put at risk and probably never recovered when I knocked on the door of the professor who had an office next to mine at the University of Florida. I’d been writing some notes in pencil and made mistakes. Surely a good way to meet my colleague and correct my errors was to introduce myself and ask if he had ‘a rubber’? Apparently not, judging by the colour he turned and his reserve towards me ever after.”

Oh Dear!

Margaret Montgomery is a writing tutor at colleges and universities in Edinburgh, and teaches nonfiction writing, English and media. She originally trained as a journalist and has worked as a writer and subeditor on a range of magazines and newspapers. Her first novel, Beauty Tips for Girls, was published by Cargo in March 2015. Margaret also enjoys writing short stories and poetry and has been shortlisted in a number of short story competitions. When not writing or teaching, Margaret likes sport, spending time with her friends and family, reading, working on her allotment and going to the theatre. She grew up in Ayrshire and is based in Edinburgh.

I have my copy of Beauty Tips For girls and it’s going in the packing for my next trip away. If you would like your own, buy links are here:

Buy Links:

amazon UK  http://tinyurl.com/pl8vdlv

Cargo Publishing  http://tinyurl.com/o4hkkyx

 Blackwell’s bookshop http://tinyurl.com/o54odhv

Margaret has a brand new blog. You can catch her here:

http://blundergroundnotes.blogspot.co.uk/

Thank you so much for being my guest, today, Margaret. I’m really impressed to read how fit you are, but I won’t be attempting any cartwheels, back flips or similar. Rising safely out of my chair can be challenging enough. Anne

Sara Jayne Townsend’s Death Scene is Released

DEATH SCENE by Novels Now guest Sara Jayne Townsend releases today, 22nd September. Click the image to buy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://goo.gl/pASdjp Mariah’s Marriage amazon US

“Oh, Mariah, let us not quarrel. We will be married within the month. At least your papa’s house contains plenty of books. You may practise throwing them.” anne stenhouse

http://goo.gl/NxYxj5 Mariah’s Marriage UK

http://goo.gl/PKptQg Bella’s Betrothal US

 …a solitary figure ahead among some gorse and shrubs. Charles thought she made a beautiful picture in her riding habit with the exquisite hat Jenny Menzies wished to inherit. He thought the girl might get it sooner rather than later if he followed his instincts. At that precise moment, he wanted to shake Bella hard. Then he would lock her in the castle in Strath Menzies and hold her forever. anne stenhouse

http://goo.gl/5RBzIm Bella’s Betrothal UK

https://www.omnilit.com/product-bella039sbetrothal-1312055-162.

html https://www.omnilit.com/product-mariah039smarriage-1173550-149.html

Edinburgh’s Online Book festival

Edinburgh’s online book festival hosts several residencies. 19-21 August features three posts about researching the historical by Sheila McCallum Perry.

http://www.edebookfest.co.uk/

And I’m tonight’s featured author. Some of my answers to Sheila’s interview questions also form part of the other two posts.

Harvesting: Johanna Grassick and the Sophie King competition

Johanna Grassick

Johanna Grassick is my guest today. Johanna and I met on a writing course and have kept in touch. We both joined the RNA new writers’ scheme and often attend the conference in July. Johanna writes contemporary romance and has recently reaped an exciting success in the Sophie King short story competition. Johanna came third with her story, Rum Truffle. A really worthwhile way to fill in while waiting for the reader’s report or response from a house. Congratulations, Johanna.

Anthology

I asked Johanna a few questions. To begin, I wanted to know what attracted her to short stories.

Johanna says, when I first started writing more than ten years ago, I began with short stories. I used to attend a writing class once a week and our teacher would set us homework which we could interpret into poetry, plays, novels – anything. For me, it was always a short story (I had a one year-old baby at the time, and could only snatch an hour or two a day to write while he was napping) and I’d bring it the following week for feedback from the group.

Since then a lot has changed: my writing has evolved and novels have been my preferred genre for a good while now. However, I still enjoy writing shorter pieces and, more importantly, entering competitions. These give me deadlines (so important when you’re unpublished), inspiration for new ideas, and the satisfaction of completing something quickly – in contrast with a novel, which is such a long-term project.

I also read more short stories than ever because I have the Kindle app on my phone. I find that if I arrive early for an appointment and have ten minutes to spare, they’re the perfect length for dipping into, and I get through a lot of anthologies.

Question What are you working on at the moment, Johanna?

My current NWS submission is called Her Forget-Me-Not Ex, and it’s a contemporary romance set on a vineyard in Provence. I really enjoyed writing that one because it reminded me of my own childhood and summer holidays spent with my mother’s family in France (though we didn’t have a vineyard!).

Question What else are you writing at the moment?

I’m about to revisit a women’s fiction novel which I began last year. I’m also dabbling with other ideas, including some shorter pieces.

Question How easy is it to move in and out of different disciplines?

Generally, I stick to novel-length work. However, I really enjoy writing shorter pieces because they give such instant gratification. The whole process of drafting, editing and polishing is complete in a matter of days, and that gives me a real rush of satisfaction. I can switch between the different disciplines, but I find that this period in between finishing one book and starting another is the perfect time for experimenting with short stories.

The Love is All You Need  anthology of ten winning short stories from the Sophie King competition can be bought for kindle here. It will be available in paperback in August.

 

 

http://goo.gl/pASdjp Mariah’s Marriage amazon US
http://goo.gl/NxYxj5 Mariah’s Marriage UK
http://goo.gl/PKptQg Bella’s Betrothal US
http://goo.gl/5RBzIm Bella’s Betrothal UK

https://www.omnilit.com/product-bella039sbetrothal-1312055-162.html

https://www.omnilit.com/product-mariah039smarriage-1173550-149.html

 

Marie Laval discusses Place as Character

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Thank you so much Anne for welcoming me on your blog today to talk about the setting of my second historical romance, The Lion’s Embrace, which is published by MuseitUp Publishing.

Where is the Lion’s Embrace set?

The novel is set in Algeria in 1845 and takes my heroine Harriet Montague and my hero Lucas Saintclair on a journey from Algiers to the magical Hoggar mountain range and Tamanrasset in the far South of the country.

Have you been there or anywhere similar?

I always dreamt of travelling to Algeria, where my mother was born and brought up. The stories about her childhood were so wonderful and vivid they captured my imagination, and I often felt I had actually been there myself, gazed at the Mediterranean sea speckled with sunlight or felt on my skin the hot, red Saharan dust swirling in the Sirocco wind.

What aspects of the place excited your writer’s mind?

Everything! I was particularly attracted to the natural beauty and mystery of many of the locations Harriet and Lucas stopped at, such as the lush Saharan oases and the incredibly beautiful Hoggar mountains. I also love the architecture of palaces in the Algiers Kasbah, with their carved doors, intricate mosaics and secret gardens, and that of the ksars, fortified villages of the Sahara.

I must also mention the rich history of the country and its people. From the rock art, which depicts a Sahara teeming with wildlife and people in the Neolithic period, to the tales of the Garamantes’ lost kingdom and the tomb of legendary Tuareg Queen Tin Hinan near Abalessa, the setting just lends itself to endless romantic adventures. It was very hard for me to choose.

Does the place act as an unnamed character in your book?

Definitely. The landscapes and the climate play a crucial part in the novel, not only because of the emotions they arouse in the characters and the way they shape the events, but also because of the legends they have inspired over the centuries.

The Lion’s Embrace

For example, the Tuaregs have many beautiful tales, poems and music inspired by their natural environment. In the old days, the telling of traditional stories was very important, and every tribe had a ‘bag of tales’ which contained a handful of stones, each representing a particular story. When his people gathered around the campfire in the evenings, the tribe’s story teller would pull a stone out the bag and know straight away which story it related to…

‘The Lion’s Embrace’ is available from https://museituppublishing.com/ Also from http://www.amazon.com/The-Lions-Embrace-ebook/dp/B00BACDSK6 And http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=marie+laval+the+lion%27s+embrace

You can find me at http://marielaval.blogspot.co.uk/

Visiting Sara Bain’s Ivy Moon Press

I’m visiting fellow author and publisher, Sara Bain, today at her Ivy Moon Press blog. Here:

Anne Stenhouse

Come by and leave a comment.

Bella’s Betrothal is available now for pre-order and goes live on MuseItUp’s bookstore on 20th September.

Myra Duffy Crime Writer discusses Place as Character

Myra Duffy crime writer is the author of a formidable list of titles. I asked her a few questions about the influence setting has on her work.
Thanks for joining us today, Myra.

Where is Last Ferry to Bute set?

As with all my mystery novels this one is set on Bute, a small island just off the West coast of Scotland.

I assume, as it’s close to the mainland, you’ve been there?

We’ve had family connections with the island for many years and spend a lot of time there. The Isle of Bute has been a favourite holiday destination for generations.

I must say that Bute isn’t the hotbed of crime my novels suggest. In fact there is very little crime and it is a beautiful place with lots of unspoiled beaches and excellent walking, including the West Island Way. A lot of money is being spent on upgrading facilities, including the Art Deco building which features in Last Dance at the Rothesay Pavilion.

What aspects of the place most excited your writer’s mind?

The island is an ideal place to set a crime novel. It has a population of no more than 6000 people, except in the summer months when the holiday makers descend. This provides the benefit of a location that has strong associations for many people, not only in Scotland but for those of Scottish descent throughout the world. In a small place like Bute there are lots of opportunities for local gossip and intrigue to move the plot along.

Does the place act as an unnamed character in your book?

Very much so. You won’t travel far before meeting someone who remembers going there on holiday as a child or whose granny or other relative lived there! And a number of readers have told me that after reading the novels they’ve been inspired to visit the island.

I use different areas of the island in each novel. The latest one – Endgame at Port Bannatyne (out at the end of September) – is set in one of the villages on the eastern side of Bute.

All the Isle of Bute mystery novels are available from bookshops, on Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com and in eBook format on Kindle
http://www.myraduffy.co.uk
http://myraduffy-awriterslot.blogspot.com

Twitter @duffy_myra

JENNY BARDEN: Author Interview: Mistress of the Sea

Jenny Barden, fellow RNA member and Joan Hessayon Award contender, has dropped in today to answer the Novels Now author questions. We’re lucky to catch her as she’s very recently back from Florida.
Welcome, Jenny.
Qu) Like many other great inventions, the e-reader has taken off. Do you read in both electronic and paper mediums? Which do you prefer?

Ans)I have a Kindle but I still much prefer to read a traditional paper book. I find the whole experience of reading much more satisfying with ‘tree books’ – I like the smell of the paper, the feel of it under my fingers, and the ability to flip back and forth instantly to consult maps, glossaries or references to earlier chapters. I find reading from paper much easier on my eyes – I’m not struggling to adjust the light, get rid of shadow or reduce glare. It’s going to take a very special kind of ereader to wean me away from traditional books heart and soul – though my Kindle is very useful for travelling and keeping down weight in luggage! I see the future as being big enough for both, and I think that there’ll always be a place for paper books amongst book lovers and collectors, though I also think that the market for ebooks will continue to grow – they have provided an opportunity for reaching out to more people with more books and that’s got to be good.

Qu) Do you travel to find locations or do you use the ability to go anywhere in the imagination, to do just that?

Ans)I love to travel to the places where my fiction is set, and I will always try my best to get as close as possible on the ground to the locations that form the backdrops to my stories. Of course there are two obvious difficulties with this for me since my fiction is set over four hundred years ago and much of it involves voyages by sea. The identifiable places on land have often changed beyond all recognition from how they used to be in the Elizabethan era, and the precise routes of sea voyages cannot be pinpointed very accurately – indeed, from a storyteller’s perspective, there would be little to gain from doing so (the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Verde looks much the same as the Atlantic Ocean off the Azores!). But familiarity with the ‘location’ of being inside an Elizabethan ship is crucial to me, so I’ve been inside replicas such as the Golden Hinde reconstruction near London Bridge several times (in fact I’ve given talks and signings there) and I’ve had experience of sailing over the years. In researching Mistress of the Sea I travelled to Panama as well as to Plymouth, and I walked the routes that my characters would have taken insofar as I could find them. That meant travelling along stretches of the old Camino Real – the ‘Royal Road’ by which Spanish bullion from South America was transported overland by mule-train across the isthmus. (There’s a piece about that here for anyone interested: http://englishhistoryauthors.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/el-camino-real-path-worn-through-time.html ) It also meant taking a boat around the San Blas archipelago: the white coral islands that formed a secret hideaway for Francis Drake and his men before their raid on the Spanish ‘silver train’, and it meant trying to find the site of the old town of Nombre de Dios now lost under sand or swallowed by the sea. I still went there.

Guns of San Lorenzo

<It was important to me to be where the city of my story once stood.

Qu) What is the most important physical sense of your current heroine? (Taste, touch, sight,hearing or smell)
Ans)Sight is of crucial importance to most description and I'd be disingenuous to suggest that it didn't underpin most of Ellyn Cooksley's impressions about her surroundings, but in terms of what really strikes straight at her emotions then I think smell is the sense that has the most profound and immediate impact. There's a scene in Mistress of the Sea in which Ellyn is imprisoned in the small dark attic room of a garrison behind a bolted door with shutters over the window. She can see little but her other senses are heightened. There is one man she fears above all others: Bastidas, the commander of the garrison, and she can smell him in the room because he wears perfume like a woman. The scent of ambergris is far more potent as a threat than the sight of him which comes later…

Qu) Who is your favourite fictional hero?
Ans That's really difficult to answer; if I could have the dependability of Mr Knightley together with the daring-do of Richard Sharpe then that would be my ideal – as long as he had the sensitivity and intelligence of Captain Corelli as well!

You've given us lots to think about there, Jenny. Now, will you share a short extract of your current book/story with Novels Now, please?

Short extract follows (from Chapter 19 of Mistress of the Sea):

***
Will clasped the little bells in his fist. He did not want them jingling as he brushed by to enter the hut. He could see Ellyn was asleep. So he edged inside; then he settled on a chest from where he could watch her quietly. She sat with her head down, neck arched and turned to one side, eyes closed, lips parted. He took off his cap. He would share a moment with her, and the Cimaroon outside would make sure they were not disturbed. The fort was noisy but, in the place that gave her some privacy, a sense of calm made the hubbub seem less. She had only been on Slaughter Island a few days, and in that time she had hardly relaxed. He was glad to see her resting. Whatever trauma she had been through, rest would help in healing. He was content just to be near her; he would never tire of that.
The pleasure he took in being with her was like waking up in summer time, in England, beneath a bright, cloudless sky. She was a landscape entire. Her body was curved like the coombes and there was promise in her folds. He thought of soft paths through meadow grass leading to field-strips of barley. He looked at her lips, red as poppy petals: lips he had kissed and would kiss again. Merely the imagining was enough to stir him. She was the heartache of home – yearning and joy all rolled into one.
He gazed at her face. No other woman could be as lovely. His blessing was to be with her as she was at that moment, in a time that was his, without sense of its passing. Asleep, her face moved. Her eyelids quivered and her lips curled slightly. She gave a little shudder and took a quick breath. He wondered where she was in her dreams; whatever the place, he would have liked to have joined her. She frowned, rolling her head, and he reached out to calm her. Suddenly she was awake, eyes open and fixed on him.
‘Will! What are you doing here?’
‘Considering you.’ He smiled. ‘Thinking how fair you are.’
‘Flattery will not excuse you. I prefer to invite people into my house.’ She frowned, plainly flustered, and brushed back her hair. ‘What did you see?’
‘You were asleep.’
‘I was pondering.’
‘You were pondering with your mouth open just so.’ He made a little ‘O’ with his lips as if he was blowing a bubble, but he had only mimicked her for an instant before she slapped her hand over his mouth.
‘Will Doonan, you are a heartless, mocking jackanapes. How could you think me fair if I was pouting like a fish?’
He pulled her hand away and kissed it.
‘As easily as I think you fair when in truth you are dark.’
‘So I am not fair?’
At that he reached for her and pulled her to him on his lap.
‘No, not fair at all; so unfair that I expect no justice. You wrong me, sweet maiden.’
‘I wrong you!’
‘Yes,’ he said, kissing her, ‘you do.’ He did not try to put his feelings into words; he doubted that he could, and he feared that if he did then she would only pick whatever he said to pieces. He simply kissed her again.
His reward was her laughter, and her arms around his.
***
Links are:

•Mistress of the Sea on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1bUzhYI

•my website: http://www.jennybarden.com/
•Twitter: https://twitter.com/jennywilldoit

•Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennybardenauthor
•Blogs are on other sites eg: http://historicalnovelsociety.org/diana-gabaldon-takes-time-out-from-packing-for-the-hns-conference-in-florida-to-quiz-fellow-delegate-jenny-barden-about-her-paperback-debut-mistress-of-the-sea/ and : http://whimsandtonic.wordpress.com/2013/06/18/then-and-now-jenny-barden-author-of-mistress-of-the-sea/
•Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6438523.Jenny_Barden

MEGAN JOHNS – Author Interview – A Shore of Secrets

My guest today on Novels Now is UK writer MEGAN JOHNS. Megan and I are with the same lovely Canadian publisher, MuseItUp. Although with children now grown, Megan and her husband live with an adorable Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and enjoy the antics of next door’s alpacas.

Poppy

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Megan's writing features contemporary romance novels ‘with teeth’. That's why she sums up A shore of Secrets with
‘In all secrets there is a kind of guilt.’ Can Abi learn to trust, and Giovanni to forgive?

I asked Megan the Novels Now questions. Thanks for dropping by Megan.
Qu) Like many other great inventions, the e-reader has taken off. Do you read in both electronic and paper mediums? Which do you prefer?

Ans) E-readers offer many advantages. There is no doubt there are huge benefits in their storage capacities, also their size and portability. For holidays, they are by far the best option in that one can transport a range of otherwise bulky books inside a handbag. At home, however, I still find I gravitate towards paperbacks. Why? Habit, perhaps, although I suspect it runs deeper than that. There is something sensual about physically holding a book in one’s hands, as though you own the words, can touch them, can smell the paper. Hard copies also afford the ability to browse a bookcase at leisure, to admire their covers and dip into them at random.

So which do I prefer? I am quite split on this, but recently I have found e-readers cause less eye strain and I suspect my Kindle may well become my preferred medium in the future.

Qu) Do you travel to find locations or do you use the ability to go anywhere in the imagination, to do just that?

Ans)I tend to write about places I know and with which I feel an attachment. Holiday locations have been a great inspiration to me, although this is a by-product rather than a deliberate plan. I admit to organising family holidays to obscure destinations in the past, possibly with a subconscious intention of researching future writing scenarios. Fortunately, the holidays have all turned out fine, so the fact they have inspired me to write is a bonus. I find that actually being in a place and experiencing the lifestyle means one can get beneath the surface and learn more about what makes the place tick. I admire people who can write purely from their imagination, but for me first hand experience is key.

Qu) What is the most important physical sense of your current heroine? (Taste, touch, sight,hearing or smell)

Ans) Interesting question. I would say sight is probably Abi’s most important physical sense. She loves to admire the beauty of the environment and the hero’s attributes do not escape her attention either! However, taste and smell are close contenders with all the delicious flavours and aromas of Italian food.

Qu) Who is your favourite fictional hero?
Ans) It’s got to be Mr Darcy from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. He starts off so arrogant and aloof, but love eventually brings out a more generous side of his nature. We have to go through a lot of pain to get there, however!

Megan has kindly agreed to share an extract from her fresh release A Shore of Secrets with us:

She knew she must have touched a nerve. Ordinarily, his feelings were

concealed behind a wall of seamless armour that exposed no tangible signs of emotion. She observed him straighten his back with an air of possessiveness. Only the brows, drawn together over the blade of his nose, hinted at unease now. It was obvious their brief encounter had reached an abrupt end. Without meaning to pry, it was also clear she had taken a step too far. She dragged a deep breath into her lungs. Dealing with Giovanni was like treading on eggshells.

“Well, I mustn’t keep you from your clients any longer.” Clicking his heels, he tossed an impartial smile, adding in a tone of freezing courtesy, “If you have any queries or require any help, I’ll be in the office.”

What was it about Giovanni that troubled her so, she wondered as he left her alone with her tumbling thoughts? Maybe it was her conscience over Francesca at play. Regardless of the guilt trip, it was so maddening how his condescension could reduce her to a helpless child. She was a strong and independent career woman, for goodness sake.

Shaking herself into action, she swirled round on her heels and beamed a practised smile at the jocular holidaymakers. The secondary purpose of her visit was blanked from her mind.

Buy links: MuseItUp Publishing Amazon Kindle U.S. Amazon Kindle U.K.

Venice is exquisite. Nor is the beauty confined to the place. Hotelier Giovanni Renaldi is tall, dark and devilishly handsome. Yet holiday representative Abi seems immune. Crossed in love, she is in no hurry to fall again. Plus his arrogance is so infuriating.

Surely the discomforting feelings he evokes can only be guilt at covering for his naive sister’s secret lover?

When passion finally wins through, the thrill of their lovemaking is soon wrecked. And Giovanni, proud and fierce defender of his family since inheriting the role of patriarch, is enraged to learn Abi has colluded with his sister.

But Abi quickly discovers her secrecy is nothing compared to Giovanni’s. As the family’s closely guarded secrets begin to unfold, she is sucked into their internal wrangling.

Is nothing what it seems in this clandestine community?

And can love triumph over the turmoil of scarred lives?

MEGAN’S LINKS: Megan’s Web Site http://www.megan-johns.com

Megan’s Blog http://www.meganjohnsinvites.blogspot.com

Megan’s Amazon Author Page http://www.amazon.com/Megan-Johns/e/B002YJONYO/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1368965382&sr=1-2-ent

Megan on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/megan.johns.3766?ref=tn_tnmn

Megan on Twitter https://twitter.com/meganjohns12

Megan on Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3420014.Megan_Johns

BUY LINK https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=601&category_id=69&manufacturer_id=285&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1 http://tinyurl.com/c55958j

Author’s Other Works: ‘The Path of Innocence’, published by Devine Destinies BUY LINK CLICK HERE
Megan’s LINKS: http://www.megan-johns.com http://www.meganjohnsinvites.blogspot.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/megan.johns.3766?ref=tn_tnmn Twitter: Megan Johns @meganjohns12 Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3420014.Megan_Johns

Angela Kay Austin Author Interviews

Novels Now is becoming rather international. Last week my author guest was from Holland and today I’m welcoming Angela Kay Austin from the United States of America. Angela writes romance.

Angela Kay Austin

Qu: Like many other great inventions, the e-reader has taken off. Do you read in both electronic and paper mediums? Which do you prefer?

Ans: I do read in both myself. Some things I want to hold in my hand. I also still love to get autographs from my favorite authors, and I collect and show off my fav books. At one RomanticTimes convention, I jumped around from table to table collecting autographs 🙂 like a kid pumped up on cotton candy and soda! (I have a shelf of signed books collected at conferences, too)
I don’t think I have a preference. I just want some things electronically, and some in hardcover.

Qu: Do you travel to find locations or do you use the ability to go anywhere in the imagination, to do just that?

Ans: I set my books in places I’ve visited or, in some cases, dream of visiting. I watch video, check out websites, and do whatever I need to in order to know it well enough to pull the reader in.

Qu: What is the most important physical sense of your current heroine? (Taste, touch, sight,hearing or smell)
Ans: I don’t know if my heroine in “Give Me Everything” has a most important sense, but I do think her loneliness may be in part due to the lack of touch. She doesn’t have that closeness with anyone, and that is something she’s purposely done. So, when I think about it, yes, touch. It’s changed her life in many many ways.

Qu: Who is your favourite fictional hero?

Qu: Not including superheroes. I’ve loved different characters for different reasons at different times. My favorites, at the moment, are: Rick Castle (Castle), Michael Weston (Burn Notice), and Jax Teller(Sons of Anarchy). I love the humor of Castle, but I also love the drive of Michael, and the “I will kill you” of Jax 🙂 Overall the commitment to friends, family, and lovers makes them near and dear to my heart.

Angela has kindly agreed to let us read the blurb for her Give Me Everything novel and to share a short excerpt with us. Goodness, she does put her heroine through a lot.

Blurb:
He’d sat on top of the world… the perfect woman, a daughter, and a job that made his father proud. Now, Kendis was divorced, and his daughter wasn’t really his. At least, he has a good job…at Brady and Associates, the firm that sends him to Maryland for their client, Eastover. Eastover, one of Maryland’s largest commercial real estate developers, is on a mission to take over older, outdated malls.

She’d been through the wringer in her personal life, and now LaKia thinks the only thing she can control is her career as Marketing Director for a small commercial real estate company. She’d always wanted marriage and children like her best friend has… but she’s given up on ever finding her own Mr. Right.

Until Kendis. He gave her everything, and she gave it right back.

GIVE ME EVERYTHING

The solitary inflated tube bounced clumsily down the frenzied river with its four passengers. Cold water from the New River sprayed LaKia Jackson over and over as she dipped her oar into the crystalline water in unison with the others in her raft.

Urgently Terrence shouted, “Nic, LaKia rock…left!”

Terrence and Kendis removed their oars from the water. LaKia and Nichelle dragged their oars in the river and paddled repeatedly until sweat blended with the mist of river water covering their bodies.

“Rock, right!” belted Terrence.

“LaKia watch your right,” repeated Kendis.

Concentrating on her left, she had ignored Terrence and Kendis’ last call. Her oar collided with a rock, snapping and cracking as it ripped from her hands shattering into smaller pieces. Her fingers quivered from the prickly sensations shooting through them. Her heart leapt from her chest when she saw the rock in front of them.

The momentum from her body cast her from the raft.

Kendis caught her around the waist, but his grip slipped.

She fell sideways, rocking the raft, into the water. The vibration inside her helmet as it bounced off the rubber tube rang in her ears. Cold spring water of the New River gorge rushed into her mouth.

Gasping for air, she tried to pull herself back into the raft. Her hands were too wet. A sickening wave of terror welled up in her belly. “Nic-, Terrence help.”

Frantic, her friends’ hands and arms thrashed through the water. They couldn’t catch her as they guided the raft around the rocks. Waves of salty water filled her nose and mouth; she sank beneath the water, but her vest buoyed her back to the surface.

She had been trained for this…what was it again? Point your feet downstream, keep your body limp, and protect your head. How do you keep your body limp, when you’re scared out of your mind?

Her torso ping-ponged from rock to rock banging her arms and back against every stone in the gorge; slowly consciousness began to drain from her body. Choking from the water in her mouth, she gagged as she slipped beneath the water again. The ragged pieces of her vest, shredded by the gorge’s rocks, floated in the water around her.

The arm that pulled her out of the river felt as solid as the rocks beating against her body. For a moment, she thought she wasn’t being pulled from the water and that she had drowned. But, then she felt the warm air of summer brush

across her cold wet skin; her rescuer’s other arm reached down and wrapped around her body to secure his grip. Shivering as she laid on the bottom of the raft, she opened her eyes. Kendis Washington—her enemy, was now her rescuer.

She stirred and awakened as Kendis slid his hands beneath her limp frame. Each shove of her battered body sent a painful shock through her. Fluidly, he scooped her off the rubber floor of the raft and headed toward the dressing tents.

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