I’m turning the Round Pen over to my special guest today. Please welcome author, Megan Morgan! She’s here to enlighten us on the post title.
Hello everyone! I’m happy to be here today on the Ranch and want to first thank Calisa for having me.
I’m always eager to chat and make new friends! My name is Megan Morgan and I’m an urban fantasy and paranormal romance author—I also write a bit of contemporary erotic romance on the side. You could say that’s my ‘naughty’ side. I’m an author with Lyrical/Kensington and last year was the debut of my Siren Song urban fantasy series with them.
I’m here today to talk about the connection between urban fantasy and romance. Some people say urban fantasy is a subcategory of science fiction while others feel it’s a subcategory of romance. Sometimes urban fantasy is even relabeled as paranormal romance. Much urban fantasy out there today does involve a romantic subplot, even if the main focus is on something else.
In my series, my heroine June Coffin has a lot on her plate, but she also finds herself in a romantic triangle with two very different men. June is a siren living in a world where paranormal people exist, are acknowledged by the general population, and are scientifically studied—sometimes, to nefarious ends. June tries to keep her power low-key and stay away from all the politics and science, until her brother is taken hostage by a shady scientific institute in Chicago and she has to rescue him.
June must find some help to do this, however. She meets Micha Bellevue, a non-paranormal human who advocates for paranormal rights. Micha is a sweet, wholesome, handsome, good guy, who is fascinated with June and her slightly less wholesome, spunky, punkish ways. However, there’s one huge problem—Micha’s wife has just been murdered, but he has no memory of it, or of her, because June accidentally erased his memory with her power.
She also meets Sam Haain, the brash and outspoken leader of a paranormal group that believes humans and paranormals shouldn’t mix—and that scientists certainly shouldn’t be studying paranormal people. He’s the tall, dark, and handsome type with big ambitions and an even bigger mouth. He thinks June would be much better suited in his corner, fighting the good fight at his side.
At first June has misgivings about both of them, for many obvious and not-so-obvious reasons, and she’s much more focused on saving her brother and getting out of Chicago. However, as the series progresses, feelings blossom and she finds herself torn between them. Even in the upcoming third book, on the surface she appears to have made her choice, but deep down, she really hasn’t.
So, does this make my particular series a subcategory of romance? There’s certainly a lot of emotions involved as the story unfolds, and romance does bloom. However, the story doesn’t always focus on the relationships, so does that mean it’s not romance?
I think it’s up to the reader to decide. Fans of urban fantasy probably have a lot of opinions on the matter. As for myself, I like urban fantasy that has a romance subplot. Some say urban fantasy tends to be sexier and racier than typical romance, but again, I think this depends on reading tastes and the author.
How about you? Do you think urban fantasy fits in the romance category, or do you think it’s something else? I’d love to hear your opinions! Comment and you’ll be entered to win an e-copy of the first book in the Siren Song series, The Wicked City.
BLURB FOR THE WICKED CITY (Siren Song #1)
She’s got a voice to die for…
Whatever June Coffin says, goes—literally. And it’s not just because she’s a chain smoking rebel. As a Siren, June has the ability to force people to obey any command she voices. But in a world where those with supernatural powers quickly become lab rats for science, she’d rather look out for herself than fight on the front lines…until her similarly gifted twin brother, Jason, is captured by Chicago’s Institute of Supernatural Research.
To save Jason, June has no choice but to enter a hidden world of conspiracy, murder—and strange bedfellows—including a widowed paranormal advocate whose memory June accidentally erased, and a fiery paranormal separatist leader. Soon the lines between attraction and strategic alliance become blurred. But in a city exploding with paranormal crossfire, and her brother’s life at stake, June will have to face her inner demons and finally take a stand.
Read the first chapter.
WHERE TO BUY:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | All Romance Ebooks | iTunes | Google Play
BLURB FOR THE BLOODY CITY (Siren Song #2)
On the run…
It’s been four months since the head of the Institute of Supernatural Research was murdered. But that doesn’t mean June Coffin is out of hiding yet. In a world where being different can get you killed, it’s best to keep a low profile. Especially for a Siren who can control other people with the call of her voice. That goes double if your powers might be inexplicably growing…
On the hunt…
But June isn’t the only one trying to clear her name. There’s Sam, the charismatic paranormal rights leader, and Micha, the first human on record to go paranormal. All of them must bargain with a mysterious vampire named Occam Reed if they want to stay alive.
Out of time…
As tensions increase between humans and paranormals, June must decide who to trust. If only she could hear the song inside her heart…
Read the first chapter.
WHERE TO BUY:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes | Google Play | All Romance Ebooks
BLURB FOR THE BURNING CITY (Siren Song #3)
When the smoke clears, who will be left standing?
Tattoo artist June Coffin has another, more hidden talent: she’s a Siren who can influence people with the sound of her voice. But in the wake of a murder and shake-up at the Institute of Supernatural Research, her own powers are starting to kill her. The only chance she has of saving herself—as well as her kidnapped brother and best friend—is to become a vampire. But joining the ranks of the vengeful vamp, Occam Reed, is the last thing June wants to do.
Occam isn’t the only danger June needs to worry about. Power hungry telepath Robbie Beecher will stop at nothing to gain control over Chicago. He’ll destroy anyone who gets in his way—and June’s lover, Sam, is high on the hit list since his bid for Mayor. With the city and June’s heart being pulled in different directions, it’s only a matter of time before the powder keg explodes…and time isn’t something June has much of left. With a city on fire, can she rise from its ashes?
Available July 5, 2016
WHERE TO PRE-ORDER:
Amazon | B&N | Google | iTunes | Kobo
***
AUTHOR BIO:
Megan Morgan is a multi-published award winning urban fantasy, paranormal romance, and erotica author from Cleveland, Ohio. RWA member, bartender by day, and purveyor of things that go bump in the night, she’s trying to turn writing into her day job so she can be on the other side of the bar for a change. Hailing from the often-wintry shores of Lake Erie, she lives with an attention-seeking cat and her adult son, both of which shed too much.
Website: http://www.meganmorganauthor.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/morgan_romance
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/megan.morgan.author
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/1/116773473236786103709/about
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mmorganauthor/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8380732.Megan_Morgan
Amazon Page: http://www.amazon.com/Megan-Morgan/e/B00LBHTUSE/
***
Well, these definitely sounds exciting, Megan, and those covers are to sing for! 😉 To make her visit even better, did you notice up there ^ that Megan is offering one ecopy of THE WICKED CITY (Siren Song #1) to a lucky commenter who leaves their email for her. Believe me, I wish I could qualify to win this one! 😆 *She will randomly draw the winner by nine p.m. tomorrow (Wednesday) night, so get your email registered by commenting now! 😀
As usual, I want to thank Megan for dropping by and all of you who visit her. Please don’t forget to Like and share this post from any of the many buttons provided above. 🙂
*If no email is available for contact, and the winner doesn’t respond in the comments with one within 24 hours, Megan will draw another winner, so be sure to check back often to see if you’ve won. 🙂
Osiyo~
Welcome one and all! Grab a beverage of choice, something sweet and sinful. No-no, not the men. What’s the matter with you? You know the hands-on rules… The guest gets first pick! 😉 Take a comfy seat for another, or a first, spin in the Round Pen.
I’m thrilled to welcome my wonderfully talented guest today, Christa Maurice, who is sharing their book, Waiting For A Girl Like You with us!
Please show Christa some real Ranch love!
Before I get to the nosy 5-3-4 part of this interview, tell us a bit about you.
Okay, I’ll begin with five questions, then follow with three more, and end with four final ones.
My writing area at the moment is a corner of the couch in my living room. What does your writing space look like?
Last year I returned from four years living overseas where I was teaching kindergarten. I had a whole room with a lovely corner desk, but I usually ended up sitting on the couch in the living room. Since my return I have been staying with my mother while house hunting and sitting on her couch.
For a lot of writers it’s a life-altering event coming up with titles and character names. Others it comes as naturally as breathing. Which is it for you?
Names are easy. I have been known to walk around for days muttering about how that’s not his/her name, but once I have the name, I have the character. Titles are another issue. Most of the time they are the most difficult words to write in the entire book. For the Drawn To the Rhythm series, I opted to use song titles for each of the books. Satellite Of Love (Lou Reed) worked for book one as a 1972 Plymouth Satellite figured heavily in the plot. Heaven Beside You (Pearl Jam) for book two because it is set in West Virginia and heaven is West Virginia’s nickname, believe it or not. The original title of this book was Twenty Flight Rock (Eddie Cochran) because the elevator in Alex’s building is out of commission and she lives on the tenth floor. Kensington didn’t like that title so I hunted for another and came up with Waiting For a Girl Like You (Foreigner) which suited because Marc is the oldest member of the band so he’s been waiting for Alex. Plus, it’s an excellent earworm.
Earworm? What advice would you offer aspiring and new writers?
Two things:
One) Write. You will suck. When you leaned to walk, did you not fall? The first time you rode a bike, was it perfect? When you started your first job, were you the best anyone had ever seen? Don’t expect this to be different.
Two) Find a critique partner. I learned as much about writing from seeing what other people were doing wrong and recognizing it in my own work as I did from having them point things out to me.
The constant shift of the industry makes me often scratch my head and ask ‘what next?’ So, what do you think it takes to be a successful author at the moment?
I’m pretty sure you have to be a tech savvy octopus with a marketing background who doesn’t need to sleep.
I’ve often thought the same! Who would you like to meet in the publishing industry- dead or alive- and why?
I have no idea. My training as an English teacher taught me to not assume the author shared the character’s opinions so I tend to take a book as a complete entity. I’ve also sought out many of the people I found interesting. The only person I was never able to catch was Denny Neill when he was editing Batman. The two times I was in the DC offices, he was out.
Rats, Batman! Foiled again and again. lol
It’s time for 3 in 1! I’ll ask the questions and you answer them in one word. 😆
Favorite animal?
Leopard
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter?
Summer
Favorite food?
Chocolate
And whose isn’t, right? Well done! 🙂
Okay, Flash four. Ready?
What are you working on now?
Right now? A dystopian series and a sports romance.
Interesting switch from this one. What are you sharing today?
Waiting For a Girl Like You
They could make beautiful music together…
Hoping to dodge a scandal that could destroy her personal life and her career, Alex fled grad school for a summer job in tiny Potterville, West Virginia. She didn’t expect the town cupids to orchestrate a “chance” meeting with Marc—a sexy, brooding rock star who appreciates her love of poetry. But Alex doubts he’ll want anything more if he discovers the indiscretion she can’t forgive herself for…
Marc came to Potterville to get some space from his band and clear his head. But before he knows it, he’s intrigued with the waitress at the local diner. Alex is not only smart and beautiful, she’s inspiring his songwriting and taking it to the next level. Soon he’s falling for her—and then she runs away. For the first time, Marc is chasing after a woman—and giving both himself and Alex a chance to heal past hurts and take a chance on the future…
Excerpt:
The pneumatic hinge on the stairwell door was easing closed. He pushed through and heard Alex’s footsteps running up.
“Alex!” Marc leaned into the gap between the railings. Based on the white fingers wrapped around the railing, she appeared to be on the third floor. “Alex, hold on.”
Nothing. No footsteps coming down, no footsteps going up. Marc watched her fingers as he climbed. When he came around the fourth flight of stairs to the third floor landing, she was standing as if frozen with one foot two steps higher than the other and her hand with a death grip on the railing.
“Alex?”
She stood, staring down at him, poker faced. “What are you doing here?”
Marc put one foot on the bottom step. Somehow, the energy to climb up to her wasn’t there, like she was putting out some kind of force field that wouldn’t allow him any closer. “You left so suddenly. I was worried that something was wrong.”
“Nothing’s wrong. I submitted my thesis, and if I can get it approved in time, I might be able to have a teaching post here this fall. Everything’s great.” Her voice lacked all the music it had always had before. Now it was off key and toneless. If she’d been a guitar, he would have thought she needed work on her bridge.
“And yet you sound so happy.” With effort, Marc hauled himself up a step. “Ida wasn’t pleased.”
“It was important that I get back here as soon as possible. Far more important than some waitressing job.” She pursed her lips and then licked them. Nowhere near as sexy as usual. “I’m getting back together with my old boyfriend, too.”
The deep dark baggage. “Oh?”
“When I came back to school, I saw him and we talked.”
“And again, you sound so happy.” Her entire body looked like it was carved from one piece of hard wood.
“It’s none of your business.”
Marc braced himself to attempt another step. This was like walking into a blizzard. He picked up two risers this time, bringing him to what should have been arm’s reach and level with her shoulder. Up close, her face looked even more shuttered than it had before. He’d been mistaken about the hard wood. She was carved out of marble.
“I think it is.”
“That’s because you’re a self-centered celebrity who thinks everything is about him. You—” She twitched and something awful surfaced under the marble.
“No, it’s mostly because five days ago we were in WVA playing board games, watching Airplane! and talking about going to Italy, and twelve hours later you had vanished and everybody blamed me.”
“I just woke up. There’s no way you and I could have a successful relationship. I’m intellectually superior to you.”
Marc blinked. It sounded like she’d just called him an idiot. Harsh. “Okay. You could have said good-bye, at least.”
“I assumed you would have figured that out when I left town, but if it helps, good-bye.”
She turned and walked up the steps. Marc stood listening to her footfalls all the way up, followed by the sound of the fire door at the top opening and closing.
Damn.
***
I LOVE that scene! Thanks for sharing it.
Where can we find you and your books?
Probably the easiest place to find me is www.christamaurice.com or swing by my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/ChristaMauriceWriter?ref=hl where I put up ARC offers and words of wisdom or nonsense.
Where will you be next?
I have no idea.
I do have a quarterly mailing list with a regular contest, which will help figure out where I am and what I’m doing. I can really only plan life three months in advance. You can sign up for that here: http://eepurl.com/4VZuD. I love music so if anyone would like to chat with me about songs, bands or the latest antics of Kanye West, leave me a comment.
Thank you so much for playing along Christ! Wishing you much luck with your book and writing. I hope you’ll come visit again one day.
Dodadagohvi~
Free June 8 to June 10: ECLIPSE LAKE by Mae Clair #RomanticMystery
If you enjoy romance, mysteries, and suspense, I invite you to take advantage of my limited time offer for ECLIPSE LAKE. Grab your Kindle copy, June 8 to June 10 for FREE. This is a stand-alone full-length novel of old wounds, buried secrets, and sweet romance. It’s not part of a series, so you can enjoy the complete tale.
BLURB FOR ECLIPSE LAKE:
Small towns hold the darkest secrets.
Fifteen years after leaving his criminal past and estranged brother behind, widower Dane Carlisle returns to his hometown on the banks of sleepy Eclipse Lake. Now, a successful businessman, he has kept his troubled past a secret from most everyone, including his seventeen-year-old son.
But memories in small towns are bitter and long.
Ellie Sullivan, a nature photographer for a national magazine, has a habit of ping-ponging across the map. Her latest assignment leads her to Eclipse Lake where she becomes caught up in the enmity between Dane, his brother Jonah, and a vengeful town sheriff. When freshly-discovered skeletal remains are linked to an unsolved murder and Dane’s past, Ellie is left questioning her growing attraction for a man who harbors long-buried secrets.
Grab Your Free Copy from Amazon here
If you don’t have a Kindle, download a FREE Kindle Reading app for the device of your choice
I hope you enjoy ECLIPSE LAKE and ask only that when you’ve finished reading you’d leave an honest review on Amazon. Authors love hearing what readers enjoyed about our novels (even what didn’t work). It’s a favored reward J
I’d also like to ask for your support in the release of my brand new Halloween-themed romantic suspense novel, MYTH AND MAGIC. There’s nothing like a little October spookiness for weaving a touch of magic into your summer.
MYTH AND MAGIC:
Love and danger intertwine
AS CHILDREN THEY PLAYED GAMES OF MYTH AND MAGIC…
Veronica Kent fell in love with Caith Breckwood when they were children. As a teenager, she was certain he was the man she was destined to marry. But a traumatic event from Caith’s past led him to fear a future together. He left Veronica, hoping to save her from a terrible fate. Twelve years later, Caith, now a P.I., is hired to investigate bizarre incidents at the secluded retreat Veronica manages. Returning to his hometown, Caith is forced to face his nightmares—and his feelings for the woman he’s always loved.
THEN ONE DAY THE MONSTERS BECAME REAL.
After the callous way Caith broke her heart, Veronica isn’t thrilled to see him again. But strange occurrences have taken a dangerous toll on business at Stone Willow Lodge. Forced to work together, Veronica discovers it isn’t ghostly apparitions that frighten her, but her passion for a man she has never forgotten. Or forgiven. Can two people with a tarnished past unearth a magical future?
***
Release day for MYTH AND MAGIC is June 9, but you can pre-order prior to that. It’s available from all of these bookstores:
Purchase MYTH AND MAGIC and grab your copy of ECLIPSE LAKE for free. You get TWO full-length books of suspense, mystery and romance for under $4.00! Either way I hope you will enjoy the free book. Both stories plus their characters hold special places in my heart.
Thank you for your support and I’d love to hear from you! You can find me at any of the following haunts:
Kensington Books Author Page
Goodreads
About Mae Clair:
Mae Clair opened a Pandora’s Box of characters when she was a child and never looked back. Her father, an artist who tinkered with writing, encouraged her to create make-believe worlds by spinning tales of far-off places on summer nights beneath the stars.
Mae loves creating character-driven fiction in settings that vary from contemporary to mythical. Wherever her pen takes her, she flavors her stories with mystery and romance. Married to her high school sweetheart, she lives in Pennsylvania and is passionate about cryptozoology, old photographs, a good Maine lobster tail and cats.
Suggested tags for blog post:
Eclipse Lake, Myth and Magic, Free reads, Free Kindle Read, romantic suspense, romantic mystery, Mae Clair,
Blood Stitches
By Erin Fanning
Coming May 12, 2015 from Lyrical Press
Love and danger intertwine…
Blurb:
It’s called El Toque de la Luna—The Touch of the Moon. At least that’s how nineteen-year-old Gabby’s older sister, Esperanza, refers to the magical powers she inherited from their Mayan ancestors. Esperanza says women with El Toque weave magic into their knitting, creating tapestries capable of saving—or devastating—the world. Gabby thinks Esperanza is more like touched in the head—until a man dressed like a candy corn arrives at their Seattle home on Halloween. But “Mr. C” is far from sweet…
Soon, Gabby and her almost-more-than-friend, Frank, find themselves spirited away to a demon ball, complete with shape shifters—and on a mission to destroy Esperanza’s tapestries before they cause an apocalyptic disaster… And before it’s too late to confess their true feelings for each other.
Excerpt:
A gust of wind scattered leaves across the University of Seattle campus. My hair tangled over my face. New contacts tortured my eyes, and books weighed down my backpack. It didn’t matter. A tornado could have snatched me up. As long as it carried me home and put an end to the anniversary of the worst day of my life.
“Watch out, Gabby.” My best friend Frank thrust his hands deep into the pockets of his pinstriped suit. “We’re being followed by a giant candy corn.”
“Giant candy corn? Yeah, right.” If I turned around, Frank would laugh and say, “Gotcha”, or some other dorky thing. The mind-numbing boredom of Calculus I, our last class of the day, always set Frank off, making him zanier than usual.
“I mean it. We’ve got a candy corn on our tail.” Frank whistled a Lester Ruben song as he sauntered ahead.
“Okay, okay. Let me see this Halloween wonder.” If I didn’t give in, Frank would never leave me alone. I whirled, ready to hear Frank’s laugh, and almost ran into a man. His face glowed orange, like someone who’d spent too much time in a tanning booth, and he wore a white cap pulled down to his ears. A yellow scarf hid his neck and chin. For once, Frank wasn’t kidding. The man resembled a giant candy corn.
Shredded paper and a postage stamp poked out of his scarf, and a moon decorated an edge of the knitting, like one of my older sister Esperanza’s creations. It didn’t seem possible, but no one else I knew added garbage and a signature moon to their knitting. A wool coat covered the rest of him, except his face and steel-tipped boots.
“Sorry.” I jumped back.
Frank’s chuckles mixed with squirrels chattering in a nearby tree. Drizzle moistened my forehead, and a cold dampness seeped into my bones. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion, like watching Esperanza unravel her knitting one stitch at a time to fix a mistake.
***
About the author:
Erin Fanning spends her summers on a northern Michigan lake, where her imagination explores the water and dense forest for undiscovered creatures. In the winter, she migrates to central Idaho, exchanging mountain bikes and kayaks for skis and snowshoes. She’s the author of Mountain Biking Michigan, as well as numerous articles, essays, and short stories.
Links
Website: www.erinfanning.com
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Stitches-Erin-Fanning-ebook/dp/B00ONTR8I6
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23450191-blood-stitches
Osiyo~
I’m turning the round pen over to a friend, ex crit partner and a downright darling lady today. Cait O’Sullivan joined me at Lyrical Press, Inc. shortly before their sale to Kensington Publication Corp. and I was honored to help edit this delicious story I’d already read some of as her CP. Then in the midst of edits, the sale happened, and she had take it to a friend of mine who made the move to the new publisher as editor (which I did not do–so if you see anywhere that I work as editor for Lyrical Press, please let me know so I can correct it!), to make Cait’s book the masterpiece it is now. I still claim this book as one of my favorite works by an incredible new author!
Hot, romantic alpha male meets strong, determined traveler woman… What more could you want when sexy dance is introduced to reunite these two hot bloods? I’ll let Cait tell you all about her book.
Taming the Tango Champion by Cait O’Sullivan
On travelling…
I have to admit to being addicted to traveling, that feeling of looking out of the plane window and saying goodbye to a country well known and knowing that the next time you see land so close, it’s going to be somewhere (if you’re lucky) new and exciting.
It’s the pleasure of the unknown, I think. The known and the reliable are pretty lovable too, don’t get me wrong, rather like a wonderful teddy that’s been part of your life for some time. But the brand new and shiny unknown? Glittering away at you, enticing you closer? Pretty damn seductive, in my opinion.
When I traveled around the world, like Ava, I had a very special time. Unlike her though, I finished off my twelve months hiking the Inca Trail to Macchu Picchu, one of my dreams and it was fabulous to fullfil. BUT! I am a bit envious of Ava, horse trekking through the Andes with such an incredible Alpha male and after writing about it, would love to live that dream (do you think that could work? Maybe by the very act of writing something, you could make it reality. That’d be fun, wouldn’t it?. Matthias took her through the Andes, a bit of skinny dipping involved, bit of fireside lovin’ going on and it was all rather fabulous.
One thing again that we didn’t have in common, Ava and I, was that I was very careful of my heart. The last thing I wanted to do was to lose it to some gorgeous man who lived halfway around the world from my family and friends. That way, in my opinion, lay heartbreak.
Ava, on the other hand, just couldn’t resist Matthias and took the bull by the horns (!). But after that lovely night, doubts crept in and to save the remaining vestiges of her heart, she fled. Too late!
When she found out she was pregnant, she returned, her romantic nature whispering to her that they could make it work. Only to discover that he had become engaged to another, a hot-blooded and beautiful Argentine.
Once more, she fled, back to London and a life as a single Mum. Here the commonality starts to creep back in again. I’m a divorced mum of two beautiful girls and it was quite cathartic writing about how difficult it can be, being solely responsible for the lives of two small people. Don’t get me wrong, there are also some very beautiful times that make up for it all, the way parenthood so often is and I hope I conveyed both the ups and the downs of being a single mum.
Also, and possibly more importantly for the sake of the book, I love love LOVE dancing. You know that Irish saying ‘sing like no-one is listening, dance like no-one is watching, live every day as though it’s your last’? I had that laminated and it hung off my backpack when I travelled and I do dance like no-one is watching (easier to do when you’re at home on your own J ). That feeling of freedom, of allowing the music to direct your body so your mind can disconnect and quieten down for a while is addictive. Writing about it was an enormous pleasure, and Ava falling in love, not just with with Matthias, but with dancing and the sheer joy of moving your body in ways you never would normally.
I feel a dance coming on….
Find Cait and her books: www.caitosullivan.blogspot.co.uk
Buy from: Kensington Press Amazon.com Amazon UK
Also, should you want to read those initial chapters (unedited) where Ava and Matthias actually meet, check them out here!!
Yes check those chapters out! 🙂
Thanks for visiting and entertaining, Cait!
Dodadagohvi~
Osiyo~
Welcome my first guest of the new year! Gemma Brocato is a sister Lyrical-turned-Kensington author here to share her debut book. I can’t wait to read it. 🙂
Take it away, Gemma!
Hi Calisa!
Thanks for having me over today and introducing me to your readers.
Here’s a little fact about myself… I love to travel. I live to discover new and exciting places. Frequently, my discovery of new places occurs because I want to explorie old places. Like the castles and keeps I dragged my husband to in England. I was on a quest to spend weekends visiting all the Tudor castles while we lived there. Mr. Gemma finally had to put his foot down and insist he wasn’t going to another heap of smelly stones. One year, I dragged my husband and children to Vermont, in search of Larry, Darrell and Darrell. We never found them, but I developed a love of the Northeast and the Eastern Seaboard while I was there.
The setting for Cooking Up Love came from a trip I took to Boston with my high school choir. That city was fascinating to my impressionable young self. The historical sites and beautiful architecture, the exceptional restaurants, the old churches, even the feel of community I sensed there.
When I started to write my story, I wanted a place that reflected Boston’s history, but still embodied the small town camaraderie I’d known growing up in the Midwest. So I created Granite Pointe, a tourist hamlet my heroine, Jemima George, decides to move to after inheriting a café located there. Building the world of the town, and its citizens included drawing a mental map of the harbor, the main street, and throwing in a high school. I further developed the town while writing Hearts In Harmony, book 2 in the series, to include a farmer’s market and a Christmas Tree Farm. Book 3, which I’m working on now, has a lovely new park and a seaside museum.
I think the best part of Granite Pointe is its residents. The people Jem George meets while settling into her new surrounding made the town a home she comes to love. I tell my children home is wherever your family is and I made the citizens of Granite Pointe Jem’s family. My imagination continues to build a solid, warm community that welcomes guests and new residents. I think I could easily move to Granite Pointe.
Book Title: Cooking Up Love
Author: Gemma Brocato
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Lyrical Press
ISBN-10: 1616504277
ISBN-13: 978-16165-4272
Blurb
Mix a chef and her contractor, stir in a mystery, and cook up a romance.
Jemima George leads a charmed life as a personal chef and assistant to reality television’s latest darling. But that changes in a New York minute when her Aunt Caro dies under odd circumstances, bequeathing her a small restaurant. Jem plans to sell the café and continue her life in NYC, until a dramatic phone call from her cheating boyfriend convinces her to experiment with the ingredients for happiness and accept her Aunt’s legacy. Throwing herself into remodeling the restaurant with the help of the town’s delicious contractor, Jem revamps the menu and renews her faith in herself.
Jack Kerrigan considered Caro a surrogate mother and hates the idea that the café could be sold. He doesn’t need the remodeling project, but if it means Caro’s beautiful, fascinating niece will stay to run the restaurant, he’s all in. He wouldn’t mind being savory to Jem’s sweet.
Jack’s brassy ex-wife is cooking up a scheme of her own, where Jack tosses Jem like a salad and comes back to her. Fold in a creepy attorney hiding secrets of environmental mayhem, add Jem’s claustrophobia, half-pint niece and nephew twins, one mysterious lockbox, and bring to a boil–a recipe for romance.
Excerpt
His sexy baritone voice breezed up her spine and her breath stuttered as his warm hand wrapped around hers.
Oh, no. She was in trouble. Standing this close to him, he even smelled like a hot guy, fresh, outdoorsy, a hint of distinctive male. He had great hands. Narrow wrists, long, elegant fingers, calloused enough, making her imagine how they’d rasp as they trailed along her flesh. She had always been a sucker for a long-fingered man.
Time to put the brakes on those ideas. His gaze roved over her body, not hiding the fact that he was checking her out. Heat bloomed in her cheeks and she mentally shook her head to clear the fireworks going off in her imagination when she caught sight of deep dimples bracketing either side of his full, smiling lips and even white teeth. Oh good
Lord, why’d he have to have dimples?
When his gaze made the journey back to hers, she looked pointedly at her hand, still clasped in his. His look was almost apologetic as he released his grip.
***
Author Bio
About Gemma Brocato
Gemma’s favorite desk accessories for many years were a circular wooden token, better known as a ’round tuit,’ and a fortune from a fortune cookie that said she was a lover of words; some day she’d write a book. All it took was a transfer to the United Kingdom, the lovely English springtime, and a huge dose of homesickness to write her first novel. Once it was completed and sent off with a kiss even the rejections, addressed to ‘Dear Author’, were gratifying.
After returning to America, she spent a number of years as a copywriter, dedicating her skills to making insurance and the agents who sell them sound sexy. Eventually, her full-time job as a writer interfered with her desire to be a writer full-time and she left the world of financial products behind to pursue an avocation as a romance author.
Her gamble paid off when she was a 2012 Finalist in the prestigious Golden Pen contest for Romantic Suspense and she received contracts for her first and second book.
Gemma loves to connect with readers. This is where you can find her:
Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/gemma.brocato
Twitter, @gemmabrocato or on the web at www.Gemmabrocato.com
Buy Links
Due to the recent acquisition of Lyrical Press by Kensington books, my debut novel, Cooking Up Love is temporarily off the market. But not to worry – it will be back soon. In the meantime, I have some print copies of the book I’d love to give away (A US winner only, please). Leave a comment below to enter a drawing for a signed copy.
Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Cooking-Up-Love-Gemma-Brocato-ebook/dp/B00G36CD0K/
Kobo http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/cooking-up-love-3
Barnes and Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cooking-up-love-gemma-brocato/1117213296
iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/cooking-up-love/id688219548?mt=11
Before she goes, Gemma has a question.
If you could call any place in the world home, where would it be?
It’s been wonderful having you and your awesome book on the Ranch, Gemma. Thank you for visiting!
Dodadagohvi~
Welcome Liza! I can’t wait to hear about your ghosts so let’s get right to it! 😀
I live with a ghost. An Irish fellow once offered to get rid of my ghost for me. I refused without hesitation, because a) this is her house, her brother built it for her, and b) I rather like having a ghost hanging around. She is a very nice lady, named Mrs. Martin.
Not that she told me her name. It’s just my house has only had three owners, and the only person who has died in this house is Mrs. Martin. While she’s never spoken to me, nor materialized before me, she has made her presence known in many ways.
Floorboards constantly creaked as if someone was walking on them. Doors would open, I presumed from a draft. Cabinet doors opened as well. All of these oddities I attributed to the house being 50-years-old.
But then, the throw rugs I placed in various places to protect the carpet began to move. I’ve never seen them move, but I put them in a certain spot and the next time I enter the room they are placed somewhere else. Now the creaky boards sounding like footprints took on another possibility. So I asked my neighbor if anyone had ever died in my house and discovered the original owner of my house had indeed died in her bedroom.
I thought perhaps all the walking about and opening doors was because she searched for the adorable five daughters who lived in the house before me. I told her the little girls had gone to live by the shore and she was stuck with me now. And just like that, the constant door openings and floor board creaking ceased. The rugs still move, even to this day. But otherwise, she’s pretty quiet now.
However, when my dad came to visit and I put him in her room, she got riled up. The first morning he comes in to the kitchen and asks me if I have a ghost. I admitted I did and asked him how he knew. He said he’d heard what sounded like boots slam down on the floor and then stomp over to him. Then he heard a heavy sigh and the sound of boots leaving the room.
While I’ve never seen her, one Halloween I went to the door, where a mother stood with her little monsters. She complimented me on my Halloween scene. I had no idea what she spoke of. She insisted an old woman sat at my piano playing.
I was highly insulted Mrs. Martin would show herself to strangers, but not me. She got scolded. And when the next batch of monsters arrived, I told her she could answer the door. She refused.
How does this equate to my fictional ghost, Lassier?
Well, Lassier not only materializes, but does so in a convincing manner. He can even excite his molecules sufficiently to generate the sensation of warm skin. So most of the million women he has made love to never had a clue he was a ghost.
Also, he’s much older. He was alive in the 15th century. Nor is he the only ghost in the castle. Any Durran buried in the family cemetery will return as a ghost. However, since Gar refuses to invite anyone to the castle, most of the ghosts float about as white orbs. Materializing takes a great deal of effort, and if no one is even going to notice, why bother? Only Lassier materializes daily and can do so in spectacular form.
His ghost ocelot is a bit different. You cannot see the cat, but you can feel him. And when he walks across something soft like a bed, you can see the indentations. He also has a deep resonating purr that can put you at ease.
Having a real ghost opened my eyes to all sorts of potentials, and one night I dreamed of a sexy ghost lover. The next morning I googled the matter and discovered this matter has been talked and written about since early man. So I decided to write a book with a sexy, lascivious ghost, who is treated as a real person instead of something evil or paranormal.
Ghost Lover
By Liza O’Connor
Contemporary Romance with a touch of paranormal
Blurb
Two sexy English brothers. One irresistible ghost. Who would you choose as your lover?
Completely broke and with a criminal record to boot, Senna Smith is one day from eviction from her apartment when Brendon, her promiscuous roommate from London, suggests she go to England, marry him, and manage his fortune. With few other options, she agrees to an open marriage. But she’ll never, ever, have sex with him, knowing if she falls in love with him, he’ll break her heart.
As trustee of Brendon’s family fortune, there is no way Brendon’s older brother, Garrison Durran, is going to let him marry a self-professed American gold-digger. As Senna tries to embrace castle life and English society for Brendon’s sake, Gar discovers Senna is the perfect woman for him–beautiful and intelligent, kind and caring. Now, if she wasn’t already engaged to his brother…
The ancestral ghost of Durran Castle has to intervene if the Durran brothers have any chance of an heir. He can’t leave them to fix matters on their own. They are useless buggers when it comes to love. As counselor to Gar, matchmaker for Brendon, and lover to Senna, a ghost’s work is never done.
CONTENT WARNING: Allergy warning: Ghost cat in book.
Excerpt
Senna woke to her breast beeping. Trying to make sense of the oddity, she pushed herself up to rest on her elbows and discovered the noise came from Brendon’s wristwatch. Somehow, his hand had found its way beneath her bra during the night, and now chirped like a baby chick.
She contemplated tearing his hand off at the wrist, but he looked so angelic with his curly dark hair framing his handsome face. With a heavy sigh, she unlatched her bra and eased his hand out, then gently shook him until his face scrunched into a pained grimace.
He groaned and frowned at his noisy watch. “This is a god-awful hour to be woken up,” he said in his sexy British accent. “Never bothers me when I’m coming home at this hour.”
Senna rolled her eyes. “Speak for yourself.”
Pushing himself up, he shook his head. “Remember the second night I came around? You kept yelling at me, ‘Did I realize it was four in the morning?’ At the time, I couldn’t understand your fuss.” He groaned and scratched his scalp. “Well, I certainly understand it now. It’s bloody hell to be woken at this ungodly hour.”
***
BUY LINKS
AUTHOR INFO
About Liza O’Connor
Liza lives in Denville, NJ with her dog, Jess. They hike in fabulous woods every day, rain or shine, sleet or snow. Having an adventurous nature, she learned to fly small Cessnas in NJ, hang-glide in New Zealand, kayak in Pennsylvania, ski in New York, scuba dive with great white sharks in Australia, dig up dinosaur bones in Montana, sky dive in Indiana, and raft a class four river in Tasmania. She’s an avid gardener, amateur photographer, and dabbler in watercolors and graphic arts. Yet through her entire life, her first love has and always will be writing novels. She loves to create interesting characters, set them loose, and scribe what happens.
***
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT
LIZA O’CONNOR:
Liza’s Blog and Website Facebook Twitter
Click Here for More Information
About Ghost Lover
FREEBIE!!!!
To One Lucky Commenter, I’ll give away one copy of Worst Week Ever
What do you get when you put a hardworking, can-do middle-class young woman together with an egoistical, outrageous, billionaire boss, then throw in the worst week of disasters imaginable?
A humorous disaster romance of epic proportions.
Just leave an email address in your comment and tell me you want the book.
Osiyo~
Welcome one and all! Grab a beverage of choice, something sweet and sinful. No-no, not the men. What’s the matter with you? You know the hands-on rules… The guest gets first pick! 😉 Take a comfy seat for another, or a first, spin in the Round Pen.
I’m thrilled to welcome my wonderfully talented guest today, Mae Clair, who is sharing her book, TWELFTH SUN, with us!
Please show Mae some real Ranch love! Thank you for visiting again, Mae!
Before I get to the nosy 5-3-4 part of this interview, tell us a bit about you.
Hi, Calisa! Thanks for inviting me to the Ranch today. I live in Pennsylvania, am married to my high school sweetheart and have been creating stories since I was six. Since writing doesn’t pay the bills (yet!) I work full-time as a marketing professional for an independent real estate firm. I’m a cat fanatic, love old photographs and have an avid interest in folklore, cryptozoology and American history.
I almost went into real estate a few years ago. What an exciting occupation. Okay, I’ll begin with five questions, then follow with three more, and end with four final ones.
My writing area at the moment is a corner of the couch in my living room. What does your writing space look like?
LOL! That’s a loaded question as hubby and I are currently in the process of remodeling my den from the floor up. We completely gutted the room and it’s getting a full makeover. I’m even going to add a corner electric fireplace when it’s done (I can’t wait to use it come autumn). In the meantime, I’m wedged into the corner of our spare room with two rooms of furniture piled around me (everything from my den has been moved into the spare room along WITH the spare room furniture). At the moment, the area where I write looks like a cyclone hit it. Stuff everywhere!
I can well imagine! I have a shed we’re working on making into an office and right now it’s a jumbled mess. I can’t wait to get it cleaned and fixed up! 🙂
For a lot of writers it’s a life-altering event coming up with titles and character names. Others it comes as naturally as breathing. Which is it for you?
Most of the time I do great with character names (I always have several percolating, waiting in the wings), but titles are a challenge. I was fortunate with both WEATHERING ROCK and TWELFTH SUN in that I actually had the titles before I started the stories. Probably the only two times it’s ever happened.
So maybe you only need to write those whose titles speak to you since those are the sellers? 😆
What advice would you offer aspiring and new writers?
Be prepared to be exhausted, LOL.
Right? I’ve long learned sleep is way overrated. LOL
Okay, being serious….everyone says not to give up and keep trying, and that’s pretty much what you need to do. Through rejections, impossible deadlines, juggling too much on your plate and yes, exhaustion, because there’s an abundance of that.
You need to be a whack-a-mole. Every time you get knocked down, you have to pop up and dive back into the game. Sooner or later, the powers-that-be with the mallet are going to run out of juice. 😉
Unfortunately, that is so true, Mae. The constant shift of the industry makes me often scratch my head and ask ‘what next?’ So, what do you think it takes to be a successful author at the moment?
I’ll answer that with a quote from Stephen King: “Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work.”
It isn’t enough to write a great book and have it accepted, you have to constantly market too, which can take a toll — especially when you’re juggling family commitments and (often times) another job.
When I’m feeling down and have that insane moment of “why-am-I-doing-this?-I-should-toss-in-the-towel,” I remember that quote, dust myself off, and tackle whatever hurdle stands between me and my dream of being a professional writer.
Great quote from SK. Who would you like to meet in the publishing industry- dead or alive- and why?
Mark Twain. A brilliant man and a great humorist. It think it would be a blast as well as a learning experience to spend an afternoon chatting books and writing with him. Imagine how entertaining! Charles Dickens would be a close second.
Those are wonderful choices. It’s time for 3 in 1! I’ll ask the questions and you answer them in one word. 😆
Favorite animal? Cat
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter? Summer
Favorite food? Lobster
Well done! 🙂
Okay, Flash four. Ready?
What are you working on now?
A romantic mystery called ECLIPSE LAKE. It involves two estranged brothers, a free-spirited photojournalist who falls hard for one of them, and an unsolved missing person’s case.
Ooh, I do love a good mystery! I’ll be watching for that one!
What are you sharing today?
My current romantic mystery, TWELFH SUN.
Blurb:
The hunky young PhD knows all about seduction, but what does he know about love?
Reagan Cassidy is settled in her life. She has a thriving interior design firm, an upscale condo, two cats, and a goldfish. As a favor to her uncle, she agrees to team up with his marine archeologist friend to validate and retrieve a nineteenth-century journal, reputedly that of a passenger aboard the doomed schooner Twelfth Sun. Finding a hunky twenty-five-year-old coming out of the shower in her hotel room wasn’t part of the deal, but it’s hard to complain…
Dr. Elijah Cross is cocky and he knows it. He enjoys trading barbs with the lovely Reagan. Barbs, and some innuendo. He can tell she’d rather get back home to her business than stick around for the extended treasure hunt they’ve been talked into, but he’s fine with the situation. At least, until the “clues” start getting personal.
Reagan finds Dr. Gorgeous is as skilled in matters of the heart as he is behind the lectern. Throw in a series of clues which mean more to Elijah than he’ll explain, several odd-ball competitors out to win the journal, a saboteur, and a lavish seaside mansion, and Reagan has enough trouble keeping her head straight, let alone her heart.
WARNING: Younger man, older woman, nautical riddles and romance.
EXCERPT:
Reagan glanced at her watch. She’d dragged herself from bed hours before any civilized person should be up, for the sole purpose of meeting Elijah Cross. The marine archeologist was already ten minutes late–not a brilliant way to begin a working relationship. She’d learned through firsthand experience many of her uncle’s friends were as unreliable as they were eccentric. Foolishly, she had hoped Dr. Cross wouldn’t fall into the same category.
Resigned to passing the time, she added hot water to her tea. From the corner of her eye she spied movement at the door of the cafe. A man stepped inside, shaking rain from his jacket. The door banged shut behind him, ensnaring her full attention. He wore a battered black fedora and worn jeans with scuffed dock shoes. There was something oddly familiar about him. He turned slightly and she caught his profile, realizing he was the man from room ten. Self-conscious, she looked away, hoping to sink through the floor. He spoke briefly with the hostess and then headed in her direction.
She tensed. What were the odds of encountering him now when she was scheduled to meet Dr. Cross, a highly-respected and, no doubt critical, academic? How would it look to her uncle’s friend if he walked in on a conversation revolving around naked men and the color of her undergarments?
Chagrined, she bowed her head over her teacup. Her hair spilled forward, concealing her face behind curtains of red-gold. With any luck he’d go away. With any luck, he’d leave her alone.
“Hi.”
Reagan raised her head fully convinced mischievous imps had tracked her to Shipwright Landing and were even now performing rituals of bad luck. “Hi.” She pressed her lips together. “I don’t mean to be rude, but I’m expecting someone.”
“Yeah, I know.” He grinned. “You’re Reagan Cassidy.”
She blinked. She’d given the hostess her name only because she was expecting Dr. Cross and neither had any idea what the other looked like. She certainly hadn’t expected the woman to share her name with any longhaired Lothario who asked for it. “The hostess told you.”
He nodded. Removing his hat by the crown, he dropped it on the table. “Some storm.” He shrugged out of his jacket and hooked it over the back of the nearest chair. “Good thing it’ll be over soon.”
Reagan watched flabbergasted as he sat across from her and picked up a menu. “Excuse me.” Her voice rose sharply, edged like a knife. “I didn’t invite you to sit. I told you I’m expecting someone.”
“Yeah, I know.” He flashed that same irritating grin. “I’m Elijah Cross.”
***
Where can we find you and your books?
You can find Mae Clair at:
Twitter (@MaeClair1)
Facebook Author Page
TWELFTH SUN is available from:
Where will you be next?
Tomorrow, I’ll be visiting Jennifer Lowery’s blog for character interviews with Elijah and Reagan from TWELFTH SUN. It should be a lot of fun. Who knows what they’ll say – especially Elijah 🙂
Do you have a question for your visitors?
I’ll be giving away a Kindle or Nook copy (winner’s choice) of TWELFTH SUN to one commenter. Just answer the following question and be sure to leave your email address:
I love books with a beach or coastal setting, which is why I chose to set TWELFTH SUN there. What are some of your favorite settings for a novel?
Thank you so much for playing along, Mae! That cover is both mysterious and sexy. I’ve always been a sucker for men with longer hair! 😉 Love it! Wishing you much luck with your book and writing. I hope you’ll come visit again one day. I’ll be reading readers’ responses to this question. 🙂
Thanks for having me, Calisa. It was a blast!
Bio: Mae Clair
Mae Clair opened a Pandora’s Box of characters when she was a child and never looked back. Her father, an artist who tinkered with writing, encouraged her to create make-believe worlds by spinning tales of far-off places on summer nights beneath the stars. She snagged the tail of a comet, hitched a ride, and discovered her writer’s Muse on the journey.
Mae loves creating character-driven fiction in settings that vary from contemporary to mythical. Wherever her pen takes her, she flavors her stories with conflict, romance and elements of mystery. Married to her high school sweetheart, she lives in Pennsylvania and is passionate about writing, old photographs, a good Maine lobster tail and cats.
Discover more about Mae on her website and blog at www.MaeClair.com
As usual, you’ve been a fun and super guest, Mae!
Dodadagohvi~
Jun 28
This gallery contains 3 photos.
…with Red Shoes for Lab Blues How did the writer’s journey begin for you? It began with a glass of wine and my overactive imagination – more on that later J. I always wanted to try my hand (keyboard) at fiction, but other priorities (career, hubby, kiddos) delayed my attempts until the tender age of […]
Yippee, it’s June! I love this time of year – the beginning of summer – warm evenings with a glass of wine on the front porch after the kids are asleep, my pup at my feet, the smell of lilac and storms. Tired, but a good tired, after fitting as much as possible into one summer day.
Where I am in the north, our twilight will stretch until 10:30pm around the summer solstice. My enjoyment for this time of year is deeply rooted from when I was a wee thing. My mum allowed us to play outside until the street lights came on, so you can imagine my anticipation and thrill of long June nights.
June is the time for love. Flowers are blooming, birds are singing, sunset skies and stargazing. Everyone is feeling a little frisky after a long winter in hibernation. Summer romance is on the horizon – the possibilities exciting.
So, I’m looking for some Summer Lovin’ – stories with great sexual tension, action and adventure – from sweet to steamy.
Even if none of the below fit your manuscript, I am still happy to take a look, or you can submit it directly to the Lyrical Editorial team at: https://lyricalpress.submittable.com/submit
Keep in mind, I am always on the lookout for the following genres: Contemporary (from sweet to sexy), Historical, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, and anything that falls under the Lyrical Lines: Entice, Embrace, Once Upon and especially Hometown Heroes – I have a soft spot for men in uniform.
I look forward to hearing from you. Go on – sweeten my summer! corinnedemaagd@lyricalpress.com
Living in the Oklahoma countryside with my husband is all the inspiration I need.
Pen of The Dreamer 