Author Interview: Robin DeJarnett

I won a copy of Robin DeJarnett's new release Whirlwind, and read it after receiving it in the mail. It's a contemporary romance with an element of suspense. I found the relationship between Jason and Melissa to be charming and magical. I also loved the interaction between Melissa and Jason's brother as their friendship is tested. The emotional elements in the story are wonderful. After finishing Whirlwind, I emailed Robin a few questions, which she so graciously answered for me to share with you.

ABOUT WHIRLWIND
Love at first sight is a myth to aspiring journalist Melissa Williams, but when she meets Jason McAlister at a friend’s wedding, a Cinderella-like fantasy turns her no-nonsense world upside down. She sees in his penetrating blue eyes not just an evening, but a lifetime together that includes much more than a glass slipper and a kiss.

Realizing she shared a few salacious emails with Jason months ago, a humiliated Melissa loses herself in the crowd, thankful he doesn’t know who she is. But he does know—and with a gentle touch and a steamy kiss, he soon picks up their flirtation right where it left off.

As midnight strikes, Melissa succumbs to Jason’s sexy pull, unaware that a woman’s body has been discovered in the wake of the party. When evidence points to Melissa as the killer’s next target, the lines between fantasy and reality blur. She goes into hiding, charmed by one mysterious man and hunted by another.

Cinderella lost a shoe—Melissa could lose both her handsome prince and her life.

INTERVIEW WITH BRENDA & ROBIN

Brenda: Do you think guys like Jason that are tired of superficial beautiful women and want something more are really out there?

ROBIN: I really do think they're out there. Yes, there's plenty of guys who only are interested in women of a certain body type, but there are many others who will take the time to get to know a woman and want someone who can carry on an intelligent conversation, no matter what she looks like. I think guys who are serious about having a long term relationship are looking for (and more satisfied by) a woman with brains. Intelligence is sexy - in both women and men.

BRENDA: I am always intimidated by the idea of writing a mystery/crime plot because I'm afraid it won't come off realistic. You did a great job with Whirlwind. Did you do research before writing? Also, did you have to make changes to the plot as it moved along, or did it pretty much go as you planned?

ROBIN: Thank you! I love reading mysteries and watching crime dramas on TV, so the skeleton of the crime came pretty easily. I did do some research as I went. When I sketch out a scene, I have an idea of what needs to happen. As it unfolds, if there's something I question, I'll dig into Google or contact an expert I know. I have a wonderful group of friends with experience in all kinds of occupations, and they are happy to tell me if what I'm writing makes sense or not. Once the first draft was done, though, a few things did change during editing. The crime remained pretty much intact. The bulk of the revisions involved fine tuning the villain's character and making him more creepy.

BRENDA: Be honest, did you know someone that was like "Tricia"? I swear there is always one person in each wedding party like her, so I had to laugh at her character.

ROBIN: I'm sure I've encountered several Tricia's, but no one that was of exactly this Tricia's particular...ilk. There was one particularly mean girl back in seventh grade who might qualify - I haven't thought about her in years! Tricia is a combination of a lot of undesirable traits I've seen in people. And I'll admit it's fun to write someone like her. She does have some pretty good lines!
BRENDA: What part of the story was the most difficult to write?

ROBIN: Probably the "morning after" - rather the "midnight after" - scene. Both Melissa and Jason share some intense feelings in that scene, and understanding Jason's reaction took a couple tries. That chapter was rewritten several times before it was right.

BRENDA: Are you working on your next story, or has promotion been keeping you too busy?

ROBIN: Recently, promotion has been claiming a lot of my attention, but I am working on book 2, tentatively titled Quicksand. I have an awesome critique partner who's also working on her own book, and every week we get together on Skype and hold each other accountable for getting our writing done. The "I got my chapter done, did you?" challenge works pretty well - I'm a little competitive. But knowing she's waiting for the next chapter is also great incentive. Being able to bounce ideas off someone who knows my characters as well as I do is a blessing I don't take for granted.

I just completed the editing on a short story, Concessions, that will be part of Omnific Publishing's Summer Lovin' Anthology: Heat Wave, coming July 5th. It's a very special project because all the proceeds from this book and it's sweeter romance twin, the Summer Lovin' Anthology: Summer Breeze will be donated to the cancer-fighting organization Save the Ta-tas. Concessions is my first paranormal romance, so it's a little different. But it involves a very sexy vampire named Devon, and a snarky girl named Lindsey. Vampires in Vegas? Who knew?

MORE ABOUT ROBIN
To learn more about Whirlwind, and Robin's new story in the anthology Heat Wave visit her website at http://robindejarnett.com

This is a fun interview with Jason, the romantic interest and hunk in Whirlwind:
http://ataleofmanyreviews.blogspot.com/2011/06/meet-jason-hunky-hero-in-whirlwind-by.html

~Brenda

Interview With Author Sarah McNeal

I met Sarah McNeal on an online writers and readers email list last month and loved her wit and her dedication to research and plotting. She's given me some excellant tips on reforming my nonplotting ways. Her newest release has one of the best titles I've run across for a story: Harmonica Joe's Reluctant Bride. Isn't that amazing? It made me ask:

Who is Harmonica Joe?
Why is he called that?
Why does he have a reluctant bride?
Did he force her into marriage?

Without reading a blurb or excerpt she had me wanting to buy the book JUST with the title. That's a truly creative author.

I finished Sarah's book last week and loved it. She is a wonderful writer who pays attention to details, yet she conveys emotion that reaches out and grabs the reader. I sent her a few questions, and wanted to share her answers.

INTERVIEW WITH SARAH & BRENDA
Hello Sarah:) I finished your new release and loved it. I have a few questions for you if you don't mind my picking your brain.

Brenda: I loved the time travel aspect to your story, and the fact that you added twists that were unlike other time travel stories I've read. Did you have that plotted out ahead of time, and was it hard to figure out what you wanted to happen?

Sarah: First, let me thank you for that tremendous compliment. I love to write time travel but I like to make the story more about the characters and giving the time travel a real purpose in the story line. I’m happy that you got that.

I’m a plotter and a planner. I write the synopsis to a story first and use it as my outline. Sometimes I get an epiphany along the way and then I go back and tweak up my synopsis. I know exactly where the story is headed when I begin to write it.

Brenda: I know you love research, so how much research did you do to get the details down for your story? I thought you did a wonderful job with the details.

Sarah: Thanks again for that compliment. It means a lot to me to get the details right. Without the details, no one would get that the story takes place in 1910.

I did extensive research for Harmonica Joe’s Reluctant Bride. I love research because it’s just fun and sometimes I get lost in it. I found a great book called Remember When that is a detailed account of American history, culture and growth from 1900-1930 that had pictures on every page. I also used The Timetables of History by Grun and Domestic Technology by Nell Du Vall that tells when a new technology came into being and then when most households had it. Then there are my personal experiences. My grandmother had a coal burning stove in her old Victorian farm house that basically heated the whole house upstairs and down. She cooked on it and I watched how she set it up and what she did to cook on it. She had an outhouse, a huge garden (everyone in my family had a garden) and a big barn with all kinds of farm animals including horses.

Brenda: Your story was a cross between sweet and sensual, at least in my mind. How did you decide how detailed to get with the sex scenes? There's been a lot of talk about how readers really seem to want the detailed erotic scenes, but I thought your story was sexy without going over the top. How did you decide on what to write when it came to the sex scenes?

Sarah: I am not an erotic author. I prefer to write about the sexual tension and the build-up rather than a detailed description of each sexual act, put it under a microscope and show it on You-Tube with a scoreboard. I love it when a kiss becomes exciting and eye contact between the couple send sparks off the page. It’s important to me, whether I read a story or write one, to get the emotional involvement between the hero and heroine into the act of lovemaking.

Brenda: I highly recommend Harmonica Joe's Reluctant Bride to fans of time travel stories, cowboys, historicals and happily ever afters.

Sarah: Thank you, Brenda, for reading my book and I am happy as a clam that you liked it.


Harmonica Joe's Reluctant Bride
from Western Trail Blazer
http://westerntrailblazer.yolasite.com/online-store.ph

Lola Barton discovers a warp in time in an old trunk when she falls into 1910. She finds herself married to Joseph Wilding, a stranger shadowed by secrets. Mistaken for Callie McGraw, a thief and a woman of ill repute, Lola is threatened by a scoundrel. Joe stands between her and certain death.With danger threatening all around and secrets keeping them apart, can Joe and Lola find their destiny

You can visit Sarah at her website, http://sarahmcneal.com/, for more information on her writing, her blog and links to buy her books.

The Summer of Ilona Andrews

The last two weeks has been an amazing Ilona Andrews Read Festival for me. It started with the release of Magic Slays, which came out May 31st and I gobbled it up at the speed of light. It was amazing. I then felt the need to read Magic Bleeds, the book released last year, again because it had a been awhile since I read it, and I wanted to connect some of the plot points in my mind.

Next was Magic Mourns, a short story featuring Andrea and Raphael, that was in Must Love Hellhounds, which I somehow missed along the way. This is an amazing story and gives a cool little tidbit about Kate and Curran, which fans will love. This quote from Andrea was my favorite:

"If I weren't a trained professional, I'd have fainted from the sheer overload of his badassness."

I then ran out and bought Hexed, an anthology that also includes stories by Yasmine Galenorn, Allyson James, and Jeanne Steine. Ilona's story features Jim, the alpha of the Clan Cat, and Dali, the mystic vegetarian weretiger. Not only is the lore used in the story fascinating but Dali is an amazing character. Having read all of the Kate books, I've loved Jim for a long time, and wondered what kind of person would capture his attention. Dali is unique and powerful in an unexpected way.

I haven't done any teaser words in a long time but I'm going to do a list that combines one word goodness from all three stories. You'll have to read them to understand why:)

ILONA ANDREWS' TEASER WORDS
Ass fire
Fido
shade
Big gun
ice spider
K-Y
apples
roll over
sleepy
demon
mother
snail
webs
tofu
tall bed
freezer
undead knitting
babycakes
rocks fall
love rodeo
Bob

If you want to learn more about the books, the authors and the goodness you can visit their website here: http://www.ilona-andrews.com/

By the way, the ending in Magic Slays? BEST EVER.

~Brenda

Memorial Day Goodness

If you are hanging around the Blogosphere this weekend because of work, bad weather or just lack of plans. There are some cool things you can take part in today and Monday.

The first stop you have to make is the Tour de Troops from An Indie Book Collective. I'm working my way through it in between writing and blogging since my husband is working.

It's simple: visit the author’s blogs, make a comment, and receive the coupon code for a free copy of their eBook. The tour starts at one blog, then we go from there to the next one by clicking the link provided. You can start with Day 1 and catch up if you wish. The main blog with the information is here: http://indiebookcollective.wordpress.com/

"Every comment gets that person the title being given away at that particular blog PLUS one to a troop. Readers can even designate a particular troop to give it to if they desire. All participating authors have graciously agreed to donate however many eBooks are requested.

We’ve all donated $15 of our own money to help purchase the Kindles! In addition, we want to give as many KINDLES to as many troops as possible. This means that we need your donations! Did you know that eBooks are one of the TOP requests made by our troops? Let’s get them what they so desperately want—together!"

Next, stop by Diane Wylie's place and check out what she is doing:

In honor of Memorial Day, Diane Wylie is donating a portion of A Soldier To Love to an organization that offers support to fallen soldiers.

"For every copy of my Civil War short story, A Soldier to Love, that is sold, I will donate 50 cents of the 99-cent price to RememberingtheBrave.org. It is an organization that honors our fallen heroes and helps their families."

You can read an excerpt and find more information on her website: http://www.dianewylie.com/asoldiertolove.html

THE MUSIC OF AMERICA
You could also stop by The National Jukebox, which is a very cool online resource at http://www.loc.gov/jukebox/.

The Jukebox includes more than 10,000 recordings made by the Victor Talking Machine Company between 1901 and 1925. Content will be increased regularly, with additional Victor recordings and acoustically recorded titles made by other Sony-owned U.S. labels, including Columbia, OKeh, and others.

Remember that a national moment of remembrance takes place at 3:00 p.m. local time on Monday. Take a moment to remember those who've served our country.

~Brenda

The Infernal Device: Steampunk Art

Last October I blogged about Art Prize, including the awesome Steampunk Pig (you can read about him here.) I just found out that this year there is going to be another awesome steampunk exhibit that will have moving parts. The video below explains:



The Infernal Device is a collaborative project by American painter and engraver Myke Amend, Enginartist Steve Brook, and Steam-machine Sculptor Todd Cahill. You can find out more about them here:
http://infernaldevice.net/Artprize/

ArtPrize is an open art competition, giving away the world's largest art prize. Part arts festival, part social experiment because the winners are decided solely on a public vote. Art festival runs Sept. 21 through October 9 this year in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

The artists are registering right now, so they don't have a searchable list of who will be there. I'm hoping there will be other steampunk entries!

~Brenda

Slam Poetry is the Coolest

I love when teachers make literature and/or poetry fun for their students, but more than that I especially love when they help kids express themselves. My oldest son, who's a senior, took a poetry class this year, and not only did he love it, he and a friend who was in the class too, read their poems at a poetry reading at our local theater. They were among poets of all ages, including one who'd been writing poetry for 8o years. This was such a cool event! Here is a picture of Steve and my son Chuck giving me their "poet" pose:

I want to share my son's poem not only to brag a little bit on him, but also because his feelings reflect my own. During the last 10 years or so I have seen and met more kids who were living with parents that didn't want the responsibility of having children. I've seen kids walking to school alone that were far to small to be on their own. I've seen kids come to school dirty, eating candy or popsicles for breakfast. As my kids got older I met teenagers that were bright, creative and basically on their own. Giving a child a bed to sleep in does not mean you are a good parent. Kids need to know they are loved and safe. I can't tell you how many times I've wished I had a home large enough to take in kids that I've met who needed a place to stay where they would feel that way.

(sorry about the formatting..."slam poems are best heard, not read" as my son told me:)

KIDS THESE DAYS
by Charles A. Hyde III

“Kids these days.”
Adults mumble in incredulity,
Recalling a simpler time when children were more respectable,
More lovable, more probable to be tolerable.
They wish that little Johnny would just mow the lawn,
Suzy would take out the trash,
Billy would clean his room,
Brittany would eat her veggies.
And maybe it's true--
But I believe that they have been blinded by a sheaf of nostalgia,
A love of misremembered memories,
Concealing their true motives and recollections.
And it only grows worse as their precious gems reach maturity--
The teenage wasteland that is America enrages them so they cannot even speak.
Yet are these kids any different than their high and mighty parents?
They, too, had many tales of love,
Tales of conflict,
Tales of woe,
Tales of heartbreak and repair.
Tales of their first prom, their worst date,
Their first fight over a girl that wasn’t even worth it.
And yet they persecute the prodigal sons and daughters of my generation,
Preferring to harshly disable them,
Hold them to high expectations, but then bring them down.
Now, I understand that there are good parents,
Role models, heroic figures that would throw themselves upon a grenade for their kin.
And they may be a majority--
Dear God, I hope that they are.
But this is not about them.
This is about the father that causes fractures in their family, physically and formatively.
This is about the mother that makes her masterpiece feel meek and misunderstood.
This is about the parents that should not have been.
Dammit, this is about the so-called “adults” and their never-ending hatred,
Their loathing,
Their putrescent distaste for the good in life.
They wage war, and send the kids they disrespect to fight it.
They allow predators to roam the streets,
And in some cases, they are the predators.
They are responsible for the world,
Not us.
No, not us.
Not yet.
And I hope that when we inherit this disillusioned planet,
We do a damn better job running it than them.
So, to sum it all up, to add up my points,
To break it down for you, in just three words, a simple phrase:
“Adults these days.”

This picture is my son, me and our friend Doowy, who showed up for support and to keep me company.



~Brenda

Featured Book: Take Me Away

I can't imagine how exciting it would be to submit a story, only to find out it's release day is less than a month later. Of course it's also a whirlwind of activity as the author puts together the promotion. Tina has amazed me with her organization and amazing energy as I watched her put everything together for her newest release.

I told her the cover alone will sell this story:) Be sure to watch the trailer below...the ending makes me smile every time.

Take Me Away
by Tina Donahue
She’s everything he escaped…and all that he desires

Three years ago, Kyle turned his back on a pro-football career and being the target of tabloids or gold-digging groupies. Craving privacy, he gets it at his roadhouse in Northern California until Lexi Sands invades his life. Indulged and surely phony, she’s exactly what Kyle fled.

An actress since childhood, Lexi’s fresh out of an anger management program, court-ordered when she lashed out at a badgering paparazzo. Weary of the press’s harsh scrutiny, she sees Kyle’s secluded cabin as the ideal place to hide out and him as a damn-near perfect alpha male. Deliciously virile. Protective. Principled. She offers him serious cash to let her stay for two weeks, assuring there will be no complications or touching.

Yeah, right. Passion flares, along with tenderness. Kyle recognizes how lonely Lexi really is, while she’s falling hard. Through intimate days and impassioned nights, they explore their most shameless needs, until a cruel betrayal exposes their growing love, forcing a choice neither anticipated.




Read an excerpt here:http://www.tinadonahue.com/books/take-me-away/
Buy Take Me Away: http://www.jasminejade.com/p-9333-take-me-away.aspx

Tina Donahue is a multi–published novelist in erotic, paranormal, contemporary and historical romance. Booklist, Publisher’s Weekly, Romantic Times and numerous online sites have praised her work; she has reached finals and/or placed in numerous RWA–sponsored contests. Three of her erotic novels were named finalists in the 2011 EPIC competition. She was the editor of an award–winning Midwestern newspaper and worked in Story Direction for a Hollywood production company.

Website/blog: www.tinadonahue.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/tinadonahue
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000458023097

~Brenda