Monogamy Twist at Blurbs in Bloom

I'm visiting Mickie Sherwood today who is featuring MONOGAMY TWIST, on her 'Blurbs in Bloom' Tantalising Thursday blog. 
http://www.blurbsinbloom.com/2013

Here's an excerpt for you to enjoy from Monogamy Twist-  to go with the blurb 'Blurbs in Bloom' is featuring:

Luke had again lost track of what the assembled group were discussing. “We’ve done enough for today guys,” he declared as he turned back to the table. “It’s already well past eight o’clock. We’ll resume our findings tomorrow morning.” For all of them it had been a long day, a very early start. They were all more than happy to wind up their discussions. “Meet at nine tomorrow, here in the dining room.”

A hasty shuffling of paper accompanied happy mutters of where the guys intended to eat that night as they filed out of the room.

On the fringes of the lawn, Rhia held tight to Thor and calmed him as the long file of people exited the upper doors and picked their way down the crumbling staircases. Luke stood motionless at the top, watching her. Only after the last person had disappeared into the parked vehicles did Rhia climb up to meet him.

Luke waited and watched. As she reached him he gathered her into his arms and crushed her to him, dropping his lips to meet hers in a hungry kiss. Rhia clutched at his shirt showing him just how much she’d missed him.

“It’s been hours since I tasted you.” His hands slid up and down her back rumpling the fine camisole she was wearing. He smiled down at her. “Missed me?”

“Now why do you think that?” she teased, her hands sliding round his back and burrowing in even closer.

“Maybe because you almost devoured me?” Luke replied, his mouth returning to hers. Eager for more, he could tell from her response just how eager she was too. “Much as I don’t want to stop, we’ve found this isn’t the most comfortable place. But soon it will be different.”

“I didn’t come here to disturb you,” Rhia hastened to explain, “I just wanted to…” Her embarrassment was evident. “You didn’t need to call a halt to your meeting because I arrived.”

“We were winding up for the day anyway. I do work long hours, but sometimes forget my team needs breaks too.”

That hadn’t quite been true for if she hadn’t appeared he would have made the meeting last longer…perversely so that he stayed away from her for longer…to test his restraint. But she was here now, and testing his self-discipline no longer appealed. Reaching for her hand he drew her into the hallway. Thor bounded in beside them, his paws skittering on the tile floor, surprising himself so much he dropped to his haunches, whining. Luke laughed.

“Thor!” As he bent to the dog his tone was mock serious. “Serves you right, you silly hound. No gamboling inside the house!” He could have sworn Thor nodded and for the rest of their short visit Thor remained glued to his side.

“You’ve got a conquest there,” Rhia informed him. “You don’t realize how wary he is of most people.”

“My only conquest?”

“I’m not going to even think of answering that one,” Rhia laughed up at him, poking him with a sharp little fingertip, boldly pecking at his lips.

Luke deepened the kiss then lifted his head. “I need to tidy up some of the paperwork on the dining table. Then we can go.” His arms were still securely locked around Rhia’s, unwilling to break contact for a second. He hugged her to his inflamed body and propped his chin on her head. “I don’t want to move, but we need to get out of here.”

He extricated himself from her clutches, grasped her hand, and tugged her into the dining room where he strode over to the enormous table that when extended sat at least thirty people. He closed down his laptop, gathered up papers and blueprints and placed them into various containers and wallets. Within minutes he held onto his laptop case with one hand and gave Rhia another filled document case, expecting her to take it without any fuss. She did. He grabbed her free hand with his and led them back out the main door and locked it.

They skipped down the staircase like nimble kids followed by a doting Thor who had tagged Luke’s every movement. At the bottom he paused and held Rhia’s gaze. “Give me time to have a quick shower when we get back to your cottage, then we can go out somewhere for dinner?”

His question fell on deaf ears. She didn’t reply as her eyes twinkled back at him. She didn’t want to share him with anybody, not even a waiter in a restaurant, not for a single second? “You’d rather be at home?” he asked relieved by her decision.

“Mmm…” she muttered, nodding, shining cocoa brown gaze fixed on his lips, smiling a smile of sheer seduction. She was not just a fairy of the woods, she was a spell-maker personified.

Amazon .com   http://amzn.to/Yfk2rX

Amazon.co.uk kindle ebook only  http://amzn.to/OY77zY

TWRP http://bit.ly/WyaGGi

B&N http://bit.ly/10Lv0H3 

Nancy Jardine author pages for all her books: 

Amazon.com  http://amzn.to/RJZzZz

Amazon UK   http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nancy-Jardine/e/B005IDBIYG/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

Slainthe!

Cait O'sullivan visits Welcome Wednesdays

My hello, today, is extended to author friend - Cait O'Sullivan. 

Cait's having an extremely busy time launching her novel - Romancing The Seas.  I'd like you to imagine what Cait's feeling like as she pens this post...

Inspiration – strike me…NOW!

And I sit and write happily. 

Doesn’t quite work like that, does it? Nancy gave me a little nudge on Monday about my guest appearance here (thanks so much, both for the nudge and the blog spot, Nancy!). 

What was I going to write about? I’ve been marketing my debut novel, ‘Romancing the Seas’ for three weeks now and so have become a frequent blogger. (I wonder do I get points?)  

I ran though the themes in my book: 

Travel: Pippa travels to New Zealand to start a new life as head chef aboard a cruise liner, cruising the coast of New Zealand. Tick – I blogged about the joy of travelling. 

Dance: Not really a theme, but a Maori dance that Pippa does is one of my favourite scenes in the book, so I wrote about how I had been dancing myself and danced the same dance she did. 

Changes: quite a popular theme this one. Pippa changed her life totally around in pursuit of happiness. Tick – post about changes went up. 

What was a girl to do? I didn’t really fancy writing about love, to be honest.

Explore the internet. In the meantime, I told Nancy that my brain was creative mush and she very kindly sent me some questions. Big thanks, Nancy. But I had said that I would do a guest blog. 

So I kept searching.  

What else could tie me back into my first book. A-ha thinks I, and go searching for a quote about a first book. Here I should be offering many sage quotes about debut novels but sadly, nothing appealed. Until, I came across one (nothing to do with debut novels) from Stephen King. It just coloured me pink. 

“Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work.”

I can now say that, based on Stephen King’s criteria, I am a professional. I got up and looked for inspiration. Now I know I didn’t actually get up out of my seat but heck, I figured that Mr King said this a good while ago, before the Internet was such a source of possible inspiration. 

Now, both Jonathon and Pippa are professionals …nah don’t worry, I won’t go there J.

But do share -- where do you find your inspiration for the many posts we professionals have to write?

Whilst you’re thinking, have a wee look at the blurb for Romancing the Seas! 

Sous-chef Pippa Renshaw thinks a change of scene will mend a bruised heart, so she swaps her job in a prestigious London restaurant to head-chef on a cruise ship sailing around New Zealand. A great plan until she meets her new CEO, the delectable Jonathon Eagleton, and discovers she has to share a suite with him.

Even though sparks fly whenever they are together, Jonathon steadfastly keeps her at arm’s length, which suits Pippa just fine because she’s still getting over the betrayal of the last time she had a relationship with the boss.

The situation is starting to feel like solitary confinement until a thunderstorm traps them in a tramper’s hut while hiking. Suddenly a different kind of storm unleashes inside the hut.

But will they be able to go back to their previous status now the line has been crossed?

 

Now pop on over to Cait’s Place to read the first chapter of Romancing the Seas.

Buy Romancing the Seas

• Crimson Romance
• Book Strand
• Romancing the Seas from Amazon.com
• Romancing the Seas from Amazon in the UK

A little about Cait:

Cait O'Sullivan is a romance author with a love of words and magic, having had the good fortune to grow up in Ireland. The wanderlust in her blood sent her out to travel the world and now, residing in a leafy suburb of London, it is her thoughts and memories that journey far and wide in order to create her stories.

Stay in touch too on Facebook and Twitter.

Thank you for such an entertaining and candid post, Cait!  Very best wishes for the success of Romancing The Seas. 

Slainthe!

Monday Moments welcomes Tom Gillespie

Today Monday Moments includes an interview with fellow Crooked Cat author, Tom Gillespie, regarding his debut novel - Painting By Numbers.

On 'My Promotions and Book Reviews Blog' you'll find my review of Painting By Numbers and an excerpt from his novel. Click on the tab above to access 'My Promotions and Book Reviews ' blog. 

What is Painting By Numbers all about?

Painting By Numbers is a DARK, SURREAL THRILLER that follows one man’s relentless pursuit into an old truth buried deep within.

Day after day, Jacob Boyce – faltering academic and failing husband – visits a 17th century allegorical painting which hangs in a Glasgow art gallery. By using a series of measurements and calculations, he attempts to create a mathematical theory that will decipher the code locked into its canvas.
As more of the painting’s hidden SECRETS are revealed, and he meets a mysterious young woman, Jacob’s life spirals into chaos.
The object of his obsession has begun to move.

To me, his novel doesn't easily fit any classification, so I asked Tom some questions. Let's see what he says about it...

N:  Painting By Numbers is not an easy novel to fit onto the genre shelves. If you have to classify it as one prime genre category what would you label it under?

T:  I hate genre classification. It’s something dreamed up by the marketing departments of publishing houses and film studios, desperately seeking ways to boost sales targets. Good writing should whisper, shout and sing  to the heart regardless of whatever approximate style a publisher thinks it fits into. When I began working on PBN, I didn’t set out to write something that either slotted into or defied categorisation because I don’t believe such categories exist in the first place. And if you found it a difficult book to classify then that makes me happy. I would say though that my novel is primarily a story about loss and a search for truth and meaning. It is also about finding ways to accept and love who we really are.

You're not getting off the hook quite so easily!  List three sub-genre categories. What would they be?

Oh.. now there you go again. But if you really want me to, then I’d say that PBN is a tragi -comic psychological drama or an unconventional road thriller

When you finally completed Painting By Numbers and dusted off the edits, what kind of gut reaction did you hope for from your readers?

I hoped that the book would raise a number of questions in the reader’s mind about our perceptions of reality, and how honest we think we are about ourselves and the lives we lead. I also wanted the book to remain a puzzle, a conundrum that is open to interpretation. I love writing that is ambiguous, where the reader is left to make up his or her own mind about what they think might be going on. I’ve been amazed by the range of interpretations, theories and explanations I’ve received from readers since its publication. It fills my heart with joy as it shows a serious engagement with the story and the plight of my central character, Jacob. I think though, there is a narrow line between ambiguity designed to draw the reader in, and ambiguity that frustrates and alienates, and I worked hard to ensure that Painting by Numbers walks on the right side of the line. I hope that readers agree that it does. But as far as what it’s really about, my lips are firmly sealed.

The novel seems to cover quite a number of themes. What would you say is the main theme you wanted to explore when you wrote Jacob’s story?

In many ways, the book is about the polarity of opposites; stillness and movement, sanity and madness, fate and chance, truth and lies, damnation and redemption, the list goes on. The art world provided an excellent backdrop to explore Jacob’s actions, motives and state of mind. Baroque artists such as Velazquez were all rather strange people to say the least. They lived in a time where science and the occult were considered pretty much the same thing, and so they dabbled and experimented with all sorts. And I think Jacob was drawn to these strange, experimental and obsessive worlds that the artists created within their compositions. Through allegorical art, he found his means of transport to help him on his psychological odyssey, his long journey home..

I found the plot of Painting by Numbers complex and the time sequencing a thready web with a lot of snags. Did this mean a lot of planning in advance of writing any of the first draft, to create the situations where there could be multiple interpretations?

It was quite complicated to make sure things threaded together, and each time I changed, removed or added a part, I had to re-trace my footsteps and alter related sections as well. I worked closely with a number of people including an art historian and a mathematician to piece together my complex tale, though I think it’s important to bust a myth about the book and say that there’s actually very little mathematics in it. In many ways that too is largely an illusion or deception created through careful and selective use of language and scene setting.

Some authors deliberately plant ‘red herrings’ in their novels, especially so if a mystery is involved. Did you write in some of your characters to throw out particular challenges to the reader?

I think Jacob is the principal conundrum in the book. He believes that there are answers hidden within the configurations and pigments of a painting, but the labyrinth of his own tangled mind is the puzzle he is trying to solve. You may even find yourself asking whether Jacob might be a red herring.. But that’s for you to decide.. Though for me, Red Herrings are for the sea.

Some parts of the novel have a weird levity about them; other areas are deadly serious - as when Jacob is increasingly obsessed with changes to the measurement of the painting. What was your intention when you added the bizarre touches of humour?

Pit black humour runs throughout the book, and I think that may be my Scottish genes at work. I wanted Jacob’s tale to border on the absurd and the surreal, and the humour is designed to add to the sense of disorientation and other-worldliness, but also help reflect what’s going on inside Jacob’s mind and how he is responding and interpreting events and situations going on around him.

I was very interested in the Art appreciation aspects of the novel and loved the descriptive elements in your writing. Did you look at the complex structure of a Velasquez painting and think - I can write a story about that?  Or did you chose the era and style of painting after beginning the first draft?

The novel began as a one page story and was based on an incident I observed on a trip to El Prado Museum, Madrid. A very odd looking Margritte-like man began laying out long lines of thread on the floor in front of  Velazquez’s most famous painting Las Meninas. But within a couple of minutes, two burly security guards man-handled him out of the gallery. This very strange moment stuck in my head  and I hurriedly scribbled down a flash story. My scribbles lay in a drawer for a couple of years but that strange wee man wouldn’t leave me alone, and soon a back and forward story began to roll out in my head. So Velazquez and Baroque art were central characters from the start.When I investigated the painting,  the art and the lives of the great court painters and sculptors of the Baroque period in more detail, I began to understand and sympathise with the man’s motives and  bizarre behaviour that day in El Prado.  The next stage was to find a name. And once I had that, my central character was born. PBN was always about Jacob’s journey and if I’d spotted him in the Goya room or with a Picasso, then my book may have been completely different. 

I know you continue to write flash fiction, but are you also writing another novel at present?

I’ve started work on a second novel. It’s in the planning/draft stages. It’s about a washed-up writer living in a tumble down caravan in the middle of nowhere who is bequeathed a beautiful house by a deceased fan.....  then all hell breaks loose….and before you ask, it’s not autobiographical! 

I've really enjoyed your answers, Tom! Thank you for coming to visit Monday Moments. 

Read on to find out more about Tom.

Tom can be found at: 

Blog: tom-gillespie.com

Facebook:  

twitter: @tom_gillespie

Tom Gillespie grew up in a small town just outside Glasgow. After completing a Masters in English at Glasgow University, he spent the next ten years pursuing a musical career as a singer/songwriter, playing, recording and touring the UK and Europe with his band. He now lives in Bath with his wife, daughter and hyper-neurotic cat, where he works at the University as an academic English lecturer.

Tom writes long and short fiction. A number of his stories have appeared in a variety of anthologies and online collections including Fear: An Anthology of Horror and Terror published by Crooked Cat Books, and East of the Web (www.eastoftheweb.com). He is also a regular contributor to fridayflash.org.

Tom’s writing has been described as terse, minimalist, hyper- realistic and ambiguous, where layers of meaning are conveyed using a concise and economical style.

Painting By Numbers has been nominated for The People’s Book Prize, a major UK literary award. To vote for Tom’s book, please click on the link below

http://www.peoplesbookprize.com/book.php?id=812

 Available from:
Amazon UK
Amazon.com

Smashwords

Please click on 'My Promotions and Book Reviews Blog' now and read an excellent excerpt from Painting By Numbers. 

Slainthe!

  

Welcome to Sneak Peek Sunday!

I'm so pleased to be joining in with The Sneak Peek Sunday blog hop today!

All I have to do is post 6 paragraphs - so, I'm choosing my recently released ancestral mystery - TOPAZ EYES. 


The story so far:

Keira Drummond and Teun Zeger have paired up to search for a collection of fantastic jewellery that once belonged to a Mughal emperor. The quest has been fraught with danger already, though they have located some of the jewellery...

During the night Keira woke suddenly, though had no idea what had disturbed her. Teun wasn’t in the bed beside her and didn’t seem to be in the en suite bathroom either, since the door was open and the light was off. The door to the corridor was open, however, and dim light from the hallway window gave a soft moonlit illumination. As silently as she could, she rose from the bed, yanked on the panties and top lying discarded on the floor, and then tip-toed out into the corridor. 

            Ignoring the squeaks from loose floorboards, she made her way along to the staircase. There was the faintest sound coming from downstairs, as if someone closed a door down below her. What was Teun doing? The jewels? Was he doing something downstairs with them? Retracing her steps, she scurried back to Teun’s side of the bed. Feeling her way across the surface of the nightstand, she located the velvet boxes. For some strange reason a sigh of relief escaped her. Whatever he was doing didn’t include the jewels; she knew that, having made sure the jewellery was still inside both boxes, and no stray pearls having dropped on the floor. 

            Adam? Was it Adam who was unwell and she’d not heard him? Guilt made her embarrassed as she crept back out of the bedroom. How mercenary she’d been. Thinking of the jewellery before Adam’s welfare. Speeding her way down the stairs, the breath whooshed out of her as her foot left the bottom step. A muffled whimper was all she managed as someone tackled her to the floor, before a heavy body pinned her down. What the hell was happening? Face bent onto wooden floorboards, she struggled her way free, kicking her legs wildly. Before she could cry out, a hand cuffed her mouth.

            “What are you doing?” Teun whispered in her ear, his arms tightly clasping her, though he did take his hand away from her mouth. He rolled over with her now on top of him, prostrate, his chest heaving into her back, his arms now a protective clutch. His breathing was so loud at her ear, it deafened.

            “Teun?”

            “What the hell are you doing, Keira?”

Topaz Eyes is available from:  
 http://amzn.to/RhRWK1
www.crookedcatbooks.com
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/261511  

Read some more Sneak Peek Sundays by using this link to hop on over to Sarah Walter Ellwood's blog    Cowboy Charm 

 

**This is also my 'Saturday Freebie' weekend**

 You can still be eligible for an ecopy of my sensual mystery  - TAKE ME NOW - so long as you leave a comment TODAY... 

(Read my post from yesterday (Sat 26th Jan) and see what you have to do - it's really simple! )

It's Saturday Freebie time! Aela's in the hot seat in ... Take Me Now

*My 'Saturday Freebies' will be 

on the last Saturday of the month.*

Since today is the last Saturday in January I'm offering a FREE ecopy of my sensual corporate mystery- TAKE ME NOW. Read on, please, and find out how you could earn youself a FREE .pdf ecopy!

The story so far...
Aela Cameron has taken her injured boss, Nairn Malcolm, down to London so that he can check in to his headquarters whre there have been some some malicious incidents happening. Nairn's strange motorbike accident has left him needing Aela's chauffeuring and office services; there's been damage to stock in his warehouses; Aela has slipped on stairs malevolently tampered with..to mention only a few. They've just been to visit the offices of the company who deals with AD campaigns for his products and are making their way back to Nairn's headquarters building.

Nairn was describing an earlier ad campaign as she drove along the slow lane of a busy divided highway on their return to the office.

“What is—” Nairn broke off when his butt began juddering on the seat.

“Brace yourself!” Aela yelled as her finger flicked on the left indicator, the nearside of the car shuddering even more to the right underneath a yelping Nairn.

 Aela yanked her foot off the gas pedal. Defensive driving techniques she’d learned years before got their first proper airing. She was wrapped in traffic. Car in front; one behind; another in the next lane alongside. A glimpse at the rearview mirror told her the car behind was too close for sudden deceleration. Harsh braking was no option anyway.

“Hazards!” she yelled at Nairn.

Nairn angled forward and punched on the hazard button in the middle of the console. Before sliding back in his seat again he flipped down the visor at his side of the car for a rear view.

“He’s too bloody close, Aela!” he warned.

“No. Look. He’s slowing down.”

Adrenalin pumped fiercely as she guided the convulsing car over onto the hard shoulder, thanking the almighty the driver behind had got the message as soon as the hazards flashed, but he was still a hairsbreadth from her fender as she cleared the carriageway.

Struggling to keep on a straight course, Aela’s grip was indomitable till the car eventually grated to a halt. Setting the parking brake she braced her forearms on the steering wheel. Her whole body was still vibrating, though thankfully the car wasn’t any more. Her head twisted around to look at Nairn before she collapsed back in her seat.

“You okay?” she muttered, a nervous smile erupting. “Bejeezuz! Thought we were done for, there.”

His eyes flickered, his mouth twitching before he groaned. “You sure are a cool customer under pressure. What the hell happened?”

Aela didn’t care to analyze. The adrenaline was still pumping high and all she wanted was to devour Nairn. Unclipping her seat restraint she grabbed his face and took his lips in a kiss robbing both of them of their senses. Still on a roll, she snatched another. Nairn needed no prompting to control the next as his good arm crushed her to him.

Sanity slowly returned. They were not in the safest of places to be conducting any kind of lovemaking, or an affirmation of life. Slipping free of his grip, her chest heaving, Aela grinned. “We are still alive, aren’t we?”

Admiration, gratitude, barely banked lust…and something else, really intense, radiated back to her. When he eventually spoke his voice was the deepest whisper. “Yeah. My…oh…so competent PA. More alive than you know.” His knuckles stroked her cheek.

For an eon Aela stared. Nairn stared back. Neither moved. But the car did from the buffeting blast of other vehicles whizzing past.

“Don’t you dare move yet, Nairn Malcolm! Not till I make sure it’s safe,” she ordered as her pulse settled, just a little.

A swift check of the side mirror told her when it was clear to open the door. Staggering her way around to Nairn’s side, she checked the state of the car.

The front wheel under Nairn was in place though only barely, and was pitched at a precarious angle. Exactly what was wrong with it, she hadn’t a clue. The tire seemed to be intact. Nairn wasn’t sure either when he gingerly removed himself from the car and stood alongside her. Both, however, thought it much too coincidental to be just one of those things. The Range Rover, Nairn explained, was less than a year old and had never had any malfunctions before.

Vehicles gusted past them as they gaped at the wheel, but since the Range Rover displayed no appearance of an accident other road users drove along on their merry way.

“I get the impression a change to the spare tire is not what this needs.” Aela waited for Nairn’s response to her question as he pulled out his cell phone.

“We’re not touching this at all. It would be normal to call the emergency road services, but I’m thinking a bit of advice from Detective woods won’t go amiss on this one. What’s your opinion, Aela?”

Easy to concur.

Available from:

Amazon UK  

Amazon.com

B&N  

The Wild Rose Press

Amazon UKauthor page for all books by Nancy Jardine

Amazon.com author page for all books by Nancy Jardine

One FREE ecopy will go to someone who leaves a comment in 

the comments box telling me what they think might happen next in the story. Please leave a way to contact you in case you are the lucky person who leaves me the most exciting idea. 

Happy commenting and happy reading this weekend.

Slainthe! 

Familiarise Friday with Michela O'Brien and A Summer Of Love

Familiarise Friday interviews Jonah Briggs from A SUMMER OF LOVE by Michela O'Brien.

Jonah Briggs and his friends are delighted that today is  **launch day** for A SUMMER OF LOVE. They're having a party over at Facebook right now. I'm sure they'd welcome you!


I've read M. O'Brien's other Crooked Cat novel - Playing on Cotton Clouds  - and it was a fan tastic read. I'm sure we'll find A Summer Of Love an entertaining novel, too.

Let's get to know Jonah a bit better...

Where do you hail from?

I’m from a small village in Cornwall, not too far from Penzance. It’s a typical Cornish village, with old cottages, a small harbour and a large beach. It’s a romantic place and very inspiring, for an artist like me.

That's sounds like somewhere to stay forever, but I've heard that's not where you are now. Where are you currently living?

I move around a fair bit. I lived in Cornwall, Bristol, London…

Okay! A bit of a rolling stone... Tell me 6 things about yourself.

-          I’m an artist, described as neo-surrealist, and I’m quite successful at what I do.

-          My father is a Vicar in a Cornish Parish. We see life differently and there has been a lot of friction between us. We haven’t always understood each other.

-          Following a tragic accident, I had to spend two and a half years in prison, something that changed the course of my life.

-          I’m a romantic at heart. I never forgot Sally, my first love, even when life has split our paths.

-          I tend to keep my feelings to myself, something that has led to misunderstandings in the past. I try to be more open, now. Honesty is often the best policy.

-          I met the best friend I ever had in jail. Gary’s a bit rough around the edges, but has a heart of gold. I wouldn’t change him for the world! It was refreshing to find someone like him, after having been betrayed by my friend Ewan…

What can I say? You do seem to have got around! So, what would be your ideal place to stay for a month?

I’d love to go to Italy.

Italy? I've been to Florence, Verona and Venice but nowhere else, yet. So many places to choose and things to see. What would you do there?

I’d visit the art galleries, enjoy the food and wine, soak up the culture.

I'd love to accompany you to all those galleries. That's exactly my kind of holiday! On to a different sort of question. What makes you happy?

Painting. It’s the best way I have to express myself and my feelings, even when I’m expressing pain. I can be a bit of hermit, but I discovered that time spent with your loved ones is precious. Family and friendships are important to me, now.

Ah! You want to change your lifestyle. What would you change first?

As I said, I’d be more open with the people who care for me. I also have a bit of a temper, so I’d try to control it more. And perhaps I will need to change my daily schedule, as I tend to start the day late and then work into the small hours. I might have to adjust my routine now that… no, I’m not giving the story away!

Not even a tiny little bit? I guess I'll have to make do with the blurb then... till I can read the whole story. Thank you Jonah for taking time out to let me get to know you a bit better. Best wishes with the book launch today!

About Michela O'Brien:

Michela O’Brien was born in Milan, Italy, in… well, let’s say some time in the last third of the 20th century. In Milan she grew up, studied, worked as a teacher, made friends and wrote, commending thoughts to page, imagining plots and characters, recording events in her life, noting observations about the world: stories, diaries, letters… In an era before personal computers, internet, blogs and social networks, it was pen and paper and she still carries a notebook and a pencil with her to sketch ideas on the spot.
She moved to England in 1994 and for a while she focused her attention on her new family. Writing was sidelined, until, about ten years ago, she went back to her love for words and wrote a novel, published in Italy, and a series of short stories, all in her native language.
Several people asked her if she would ever consider writing in English, but her standard answer was “I wouldn’t be able to. My English is not good enough.” Then, almost as a joke for some friends, she started writing “Like A Rose”, her first attempt to produce a piece of writing in English. It was received so well by those who read it that she thought maybe she could do it again.
She wrote two novels, “Playing on Cotton Clouds”, published by Crooked Cat in April 2012, and “A Summer of Love”, released in January 2013.
She is currently working on her third novel.


Michela can be found at these places:


Blog: http://words-in-a-jar.blogspot.co.uk/
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Michela-Sacchi-OBrien/16450121895
Twitter: https://twitter.com/michela_obrien
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5822651.Michela_O_Brien

A SUMMER OF LOVE – Michela O’Brien

Successful artist Jonah Briggs is a man who has made mistakes. Aged just eighteen, he was sent to prison for two years, leaving his family shattered and his first love, Sally, to wait for his return.

But at eighteen, two years seem like a lifetime, and some promises are hard to keep. 

When Jonah reappears in her life, Sally finds herself torn between him and Ewan, the young Cornish farmer she has married, divided between loyalty and passion, duty and love. 

Over the course of almost two decades, through meetings and partings, secrets and revelations, and two momentous summers, Jonah will have to confront his past and heal old wounds, while Sally will face the consequences of her choices – whether to follow her conscience or her heart.

 Buy from:

Amazon
Crooked Cat Books


Thank you for bringing Jonah to visit, Michela, and best wishes with A Summer of Love. 

Welcome Wednesday to Lisa Wells

Today, I'm starting an author spotlight feature called 'Welcome Wednesdays'. Yes, I know, perhaps not so original. The title has, no doubt, been used before but it IS appropriate, so today I'm welcoming fellow Wild Rose Press author - Lisa Wells - as my first Welcome Wednesday guest of 2013.  

To get to know her better I asked Lisa some questions.  I knew her latest Wild Rose Press release of November 2012, wasn't a first for her so here are her answers:

How many books have you published so far?  5

That's great! How long have you been writing stories? Since I was 6 years old

My daughter was also writing really imaginative stories at 6 years old, but couldn't spell for toffee! Though, unlike you, she hasn't kept the urge going. 

Can you please tell us the name of your latest release?  BE STILL MY LOVER’S HEART

What is the genre/ subgenre of your latest novel? Paranormal/Futuristic Romance

Is that the genre you prefer to write in? I normally write in many genres and this was my first in the futuristic area. Paranormal is my norm, though.

Imagine you are tucked up in a comfy place. Is what you write, the same genre you’d be reading in that cosy nook? Sometimes. As of late, I’ve been reading a lot of the YA series. A bit of a break from what I write and also a bit of research since it is one of the genres I do write in.

I've found that I've also recently been reading quite a lot of what are now being classified as YA novels and some paranormal sub-genres; both of which were quite new new to me as a reader. But... back to your own writing - when do you manage to do most of your fiction writing?  From 2:00 p.m. until 6:30 p.m.

That sounds like a good regular slot. Where would be your ideal place to write? In a padded window, seat overlooking the ocean in an Irish castle.

Sounds very comfy... the view would be fantastic, I'm sure, though perhaps a bit draughty? 

In BE STILL MY LOVER’S HEART please describe your main characters – using three sentences for each.

**Shea (heroine) is living with incredible heartbreak and is only alive because of her best friend, but she is stronger than she knows and beautiful inside and out. Unlike her best friend, she wants no romantic entanglements and doesn’t really care whether she lives or dies.

**Tempest (Hero) has been around for a very long time. He is the leader of what remains of his race, conquered long ago by a hostile force but he is tired of life, living only for the answer to his prayers. He is noble, strong, protective and regal.

Can you give a short description of the situation your main characters find themselves in? Upon meeting, they found they are meant to be together, but Shea’s boss is envious of her and only wants her dead. She and her best friend find themselves caught in his web and nearly lose their lives if not for Tempest. They must fight to keep what they have together and defeat her nemesis to do so.

Which parts of the plot were the hardest to write? The betrayal of her boss, combined with his reasons for doing what he did.

Are you planning to make a series of novels, or a sequel? This is the first of five in this series.

What are you currently writing? I’m currently finishing a contemporary romance for this year’s Holiday Season and working on three other projects, one of which is the second in this series.

That sounds like a good workload to be taking on, Lisa! Best wishes for you future writing projects.

 

Memory Makers - Be Still My Lover's Heart Book One
Ethereal beauty Shea, a Lieutenant in a Universal military, has spent the last four years protecting Colony supply freighters on a small space station. If not for her partner and the hopes of a better assignment, the loss of her husband and a devastating illness would leave her little desire to live.
That is until she meets Tempest, an alien whose species is rumored to be the origin of the vampires. A man who makes her feel alive in ways she's never felt before.
Tempest has prayed to the Divine One for countless years for his bondmate. Shea is his long-awaited answer and so much more. One night will not be enough for a man who has waited a lifetime, but he is determined to make Shea his forever.
With a madman out to destroy them and certain death nipping at their heels, will Tempest and Shea outwit Remi and survive to share a future together, or die protecting all they hold dear?

Excerpt:
“You must be Shea,” he purred, deep in his chest.
The deep, magnetic voice vibrated all the way to Shea’s center. Warm, peaceful currents flowed through her blood, calming her. She looked across the table into the face of the alien male, much more attractive in a royal way. His presence was powerful; he exuded self-confidence, and the air around him nearly sparked, taking her breath away. He looked as though he topped six-feet eight inches, and for the first time since her husband died, her heart clenched. An air of intensity, way beyond her most wonderful fantasies, surrounded him and reached with invisible tendrils to surround her.
A delicious chill ran up her spine. He was beautiful. Large black eyes fringed with dark lashes assessed her with a mix of emotions and, she suspected, a small measure of danger. A dusting of dark stubble ran along the edges of a sculpted, masculine jaw. His blue-black hair was longer than hers by about three to four inches and looked as fine as silk, falling loosely down his back and over his shoulders, but it was his lips that drew her eye, full and dark red. Lips that made hers tingle.
Shea mentally shook herself and smiled.
“The door guard said you wanted to see me,” she said. Her voice came out more breath than vocal, and her heart paused as she glanced around the empty room.

The Wild Rose Press: 

Amazon:

Lisa's Blog:

Thank you for being my first 'Welcome Wednesday' guest of 2013, Lisa. Best wishes to you for a great year. 

Slainthe!