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Calisa Rhose welcomes Alicia Dean on Friday FanFare! #mfrwauthor #fridayfanfare #ruined
Friday Fanfare Welcomes:
Alicia Dean – Ruined: Martini Club 4 – The 1920s
How did the writer’s journey begin for you?
I’ve wanted to write all my life, and I wrote my first romance at age 11. I put writing aside when I married and raised my three children, but in 2001, I took a writing class with Mel Odom, and my inspiration and drive was renewed. I published my first novel in 2007, and I now have 24 published works.
BIO
Award-winning, multi-published author Alicia Dean began writing stories as a child. At age 11, she wrote her first ever romance (featuring a hero who looked just like Elvis Presley, and who happened to share the name of Elvis’ character in the movie, Tickle Me), and she still has the tattered, pencil-written copy. Alicia is from Moore, Oklahoma and now lives in Edmond. She has three grown children and a huge network of supportive friends and family. She writes mostly contemporary suspense and paranormal, but has also written in other genres, including a few vintage historicals. She is a freelance editor in addition to being an editor for The Wild Rose Press.
Other than reading and writing, her passions are Elvis Presley, MLB, NFL (she usually works in a mention of one or all three into her stories) and watching her favorite televisions shows like Vampire Diaries, Justified, Sons of Anarchy, Haven, New Girl, The Mindy Project, and Dexter (even though it has sadly ended, she will forever be a fan). Some of her favorite authors are Michael Connelly, Dennis Lehane, Lee Child, Lisa Gardner, Sharon Sala, Jordan Dane, Ridley Pearson, Joseph Finder, and Jonathan Kellerman…to name a few.
Tell us three things about you-the writer-readers wouldn’t typically know.
- I always use celebrities as the model/inspiration on which to base my main characters.
- My first few drafts are always a hellacious mess, and it takes several passes to polish my work before it’s ready to share.
- Each time I begin a story, and several times while I’m writing it, I am racked with self-doubt and I often struggle to get even a sentence down, let alone an entire scene.
It all began when…
When my three writer friends and I, who gather each week at the Martini Lounge in Edmond, Oklahoma, decided to write stories centered around a place like the ML.
Where did you get the premise for this book?
I knew that each of our heroines were running from something in England, and I decided my girl was running from a lecherous Earl. My mind went to the irony of her escaping his lechery, only to end up a prostitute.
What stands out about this story that made writing it different for you?
Mainly that it was in the 1920s. I had never written anything other than contemporary (well, about the same time, I wrote a 1957 short story, but other than that, all my books are contemporary). I really had a blast researching the time period. I love the colorful terminology, the spirit of independence and change, and the creative ways people managed to skirt the whole prohibition thing.
Were there any difficult challenges or special subject matter you came across while writing this book?
It was difficult to not only write my heroine as British, but to keep the 1920s feel and accuracy. I ran across some fascinating stories during my research, a few of them ended up in the book.
What about this book would make us want to read it more than others of similar taste?
I think the uniqueness of my heroine being a prostitute would be compelling. But, also, the fact that I wrote this as part of a series with my three writer friend, and it’s fun to see how our stories are separate, yet interconnect from time to time.
What do you want readers to take away from this book?
I want them to feel as though they stepped back in time and were thoroughly entertained.
Tell us about the finished book. Is there anything special we might not know after reading it?
I used Robert Redford as my inspiration for Vince Taggart, and I used an actress unknown to me, Jamie Alexander, who seemed perfect for Eliza. When I finished the story, I was kind of sad it ended. I really loved visiting that time period, and I wanted to do more.
Blurb:
She vowed she’d be no man’s doxy, but fate had other plans…
After the Earl of Goodwin attempts to force himself on her, housemaid Eliza Gilbert flees England for New York, hoping to build a better life. But the land of opportunity proves as harsh as the London docks, and she finds herself in a situation more dreadful than the one she escaped.
When Vince Taggart ’s childhood friend disappears, he heads to New York in search of her and meets Eliza, a woman with a less than honorable reputation. Inexplicably captivated, Vince can’t force himself to stay away, especially when he learns Eliza may be the key to finding his missing friend.
Ruined Excerpt:
The ballroom was magnificent. Sparkling chandeliers hung from the ceiling like diamonds dripping from the sky. Grecian columns with golden draperies strung between them bordered the entire room. Paul Whiteman’s orchestra was performing on a platform stage set within a rectangular alcove at the western end of the room. Meggie would be joining them soon. What a fabulous opportunity for her. All her dreams were coming true.
Why her, and not me? Why can’t my dreams come true?
She nearly gasped in horror at the unbidden thought. Her cheeks warmed with shame. How could she be envious of Meggie? She deserved every happiness in the world. Just because Eliza had made poor decisions and ruined her life, it didn’t mean she couldn’t be happy for her friends. She blinked back tears. She was happy for her friends. Really, she was.
She clutched a champagne flute in her damp palms, praying she could get through the evening without being forced on a ‘date.’ Across the enormous dance floor, Oscar stood conversing with two men. Please don’t let either of them choose me…
***
Where can readers find you and your books?
Website: www.aliciadean.com/
Blog: www.aliciadean.com/alicias-blog/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008364070487
Twitter: www.twitter.com/Alicia_Dean_
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/aliciamdean/
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/468339.Alicia_Dean
Is there anything else you want to share or add?
The four of us have a fun blog where we post every Sunday, and all four books are currently on sale for 99 cents. You can find the blog and the books on Amazon here:
www.martiniclub4.wordpress.com/
Please check out and ‘like’ our Facebook page:
The entire series can be found at this link on Amazon:
There you have it. Check out Ruined by Alicia Dean!
Thank you for visiting the Ranch.
Calisa Rhose presents ~ UnCover Monday ~ April #MFRWauthor #CoverLove
![A2Z-BADGE-000 [2015] - Life is Good](https://calisarhose.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/a2z-badge-000-2015-life-is-good.jpg?w=300&h=300){kind=icon}
Osiyo~
Since I’m doing the Blogging A to Z Challenge this month, I’m going to make this month’s UnCover Monday part of the challenge.
is for~
Enjoyable books and Excellent covers!
So, here’s a brilliant UnCover Monday post for April. Talk about diamonds, these babies glitter and shine!
Enjoy awesome cover art and the super authors, publishers and artists who made them possible for you to gaze upon this month and each month. It would be great if you leave a comment letting everyone know what you think about them and maybe even check out a few author links to meet those behind the books. Or just say hi. Don’t forget to tell your friends to stop by so they can appreciate some greatness too!
UnCover Mondays on The Ranch!!! This feature is only to highlight the authors and artists (though if you see one you want to buy I’m sure the authors won’t mind 😆 ). Enjoy this months’ covers to ogle and explore. If there is one provided, you can follow the artist links by clicking on the name, if there’s an artist link provided, to learn more about the amazing creators of these beautiful covers. If I have it, I link the cover to the artist, otherwise, it’s linked to the author. I think they deserve fair mention since they helped create the book! I wish everyone a fabulous new year in 2014!
There’s a heat level rating for covers, one through five scale, for your benefit. You should never see a 5* on the Ranch. If there’s anything else you’d like to know about covers being revealed here, please don’t hesitate to let me know. You can leave it either in a comment or by my contact page https://calisarhose.com/say-hey/ with what you’d like to know. 🙂
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Title: Rebellious: Martini Club 4 – The 1920’s Book 1
Author: Amanda McCabe
Weblink: www.ammandamccabe.com
Genre: Vintage Historical
Heat Level: 1- sweet- sensual kissing only
Publisher: MC Publishing.
Cover artist: Kelli McBride
Release date: February 26, 2015
Can an aristocratic lady melt the cold heart of a Russian gangster?
Lady Jessica Hatton fled her high-society London debutante life for one of investigative journalism in New York—only to be relegated to the fashion pages. Searching for a juicy story leads her to Club 501, the city’s most glamorous speakeasy—and its handsome, mysterious owner, Frank Markov. But his past of war and revolution puts their hearts—and their lives—in danger…
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Title: Ruined: Martini Club 4
– The 1920’s Book 2
Author: Alicia Dean
Weblink: www.aliciadean.com
Genre: Vintage Historical
Heat Level: 2- Sensual
Publisher: MC Publishing.
Cover artist: Steven Novak
Release date: February 26, 2015
She vowed she’d be no man’s doxy, but fate had other plans…
After the Earl of Goodwin attempts to force himself on her, housemaid Eliza Gilbert flees England for New York, hoping to build a better life. But the land of opportunity proves as harsh as the London docks, and she finds herself in a situation more dreadful than the one she escaped.
When Vince Taggart’s childhood friend disappears, he heads to New York in search of her and meets Eliza, a woman with a less than honorable reputation. Inexplicably captivated, Vince can’t force himself to stay away, especially when he learns Eliza may be the key to finding his missing friend.
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Title: Reckless: Martini Club 4
– The 1920’s Book 3
Author: Kathy L Wheeler
Weblink: www.kathylwheeler.com
Genre: Vintage Historical
Heat Level: 2- sensual
Publisher: MC Publishing.
Cover artist: Kelli McBride
Release date: February 26, 2015
Lady Margaret turned Lady Bootlegger…
Singer Margaret (Meggie) Montley needs money…fast. Her friend is in a dire situation with nowhere to turn. While Meggie is on the brink of stardom, it’s not soon enough to save her friend.
Harry Dempsey is out to avenge the deaths of his father and brother at the hands of a ruthless gangster. But trouble spirals out of control when Meggie Montley shows up the night he meets his nemesis to settle the score. Saving the impetuous woman from a crime lord might be easier than saving her from her own reckless behavior.
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Title: Runaway: Martini Club 4
– The 1920’s Book 4
Author: Krysta Scott
Facebook: www.facebook.com/krysta.scott
Genre: Vintage Historical
Heat Level: 1- sweet
Publisher: MC Publishing.
Cover artist: Steven Novak
Release date: February 26, 2015
Can she prove her innocence before more than her dreams are destroyed?
After escaping an arranged marriage, Lady Charlotte Leighton lands on a new shore, determined to realize her dream of opening her own bakery. But her plans are shattered when her former fiancé follows her to New York. Now, she finds herself in a fight for her freedom.
Haunted by a string of failures, Detective Felix Noble is determined to solve his latest case. But his efforts to find a murderer are jeopardized by a forbidden attraction to his number one suspect. While he’s certain Charlotte Leighton is keeping secrets, instinct tells him she’s not the murderess he first believed.
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Title: At His Command
Author: Ruth Kaufman
Weblink: www.ruthkaufman.com
Genre: Medieval Romance
Heat Level: 3.5
Publisher: Ruth Kaufman.
Cover artist: The Killion Group
Release date: January 14, 2015
Could she defy her king for love?
England 1453: King Henry VI sends Sir Nicholas Gray to protect the recently widowed Lady Amice Winfield from undesirable suitors. Though Nicholas intrigues her, she yearns to run Castle Rising without a man’s control.
Nicholas has no interest in marriage, but can’t deny he’s attracted to Amice. He’s surprised to finally find in Castle Rising a place he feels at home. A kiss sparks desire neither can ignore, yet serving opposing factions seeking to govern England threatens to pull them apart.
At court, the king and queen reject Amice’s pleas and choose a new husband for her, a highly-ranked lord who’ll provide connections and coin for the king’s depleted coffers that Nicholas cannot. How can she follow the king’s command when she’s a scribe for his rival? How can she marry another man when she’s falling in love with Nicholas?
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Title: Darkness Calling
Author: Laurie Olerich
Weblink: www.laurieolerich.com
Genre: Urban Fantasy Romance
Publisher: Laurie Olerich
Cover artist: Angela Bauer
Release date: March 5, 2015
ad infinitum: endlessly, forever, without limit
Finally freed from a century in purgatory, former-wild child Aisling just wants to raise her son and live as a normal human again. Her taste of freedom is cut short the moment her past comes to claim her.
Sean is sick and tired of his baby mama’s hateful attitude. Her mood swings give him whiplash, and he’s seriously thinking of strangling her. But when a brutal old enemy shows up to destroy everyone Sean loves, he discovers Aisling is hiding more than her feelings for him.
Joining forces to protect their son, Sean and Aisling set out on a journey that leads them from the city streets of Manhattan to the elegant hotels of Vienna to the final terrifying showdown in the bowels of Rome.
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Title: Hatchlings Curse,
Book 2 of the Dragshi Chronicles
Author: Helen B. Henderson
Weblink: www.helenhenderson-author.webs.com
Genre: Romantic Fantasy
Heat Level: Three Flames
Publisher: High Eyrie Publications
Cover artist: Fantasia Frog Designs
Release date: November 26, 2014
Lord Branin is a dragshi, a human who can exchange bodies with a dragon. After millennia of waiting… and searching, Branin and his dragon counterpart, Llewlyn, have found their intended mates–the Lady Anastasia and her dragon soul twin, Jessian.
For the dragshi, the freedom of flight comes with a price. Now that he has found Anastasia, more than anything in the world, Branin wants to find a cure for the hatchling’s curse and end the childlessness of his kind. His hopes soar when Anastasia uncovers the location of First Rising, a hidden valley. But it comes cryptic references to mating flights and dark references about the deaths of suitors.
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Title: Shift Happens (A Carus Novel, Book 1)
Author: J.C. McKenzie
Weblink: www.jcmckenzie.ca
Heat Level: 3 flames. Spicy.
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Cover artist: Debbie Taylor
Release date: March 27, 2014
Andrea McNeilly’s job as a government agent is not asking questions, but then a routine assignment turns into a botched assassination of a Master Vampire’s human servant. Answers become a priority. Her search to discover the truth is riddled with obstacles, the largest being an oversized Werewolf who resembles a Norse god. Andy can’t afford the distraction he offers, because if she fails, she faces eternal enslavement.
Wick’s job is to monitor Andy, but he prefers more intimate activities, none of them G-Rated. His choices, however, are often not his own. His ability to help Andy is limited by his bond to the Master Vampire.
Facing many trials and challenges along her path to redemption, Andy learns the value of her freedom might be set too high.
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Title: The Bear Goddess, The Arcadia Series Book 1
Author: Kelley Heckart
Weblink: www.kelleyheckart.com
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Heat Level: 4-Hot
Publisher: Kelley Heckart
Cover artist: Louca
Release date: November 9, 2014
Forbidden love… Broken vows… Betrayal…
Callisto, daughter of the great Arcadian King Lycaon and the nymph Maia, has studied all her life to attain the high position of Bear Goddess among the nymphs of Artemis, taking a sacred vow of purity. But when she meets a mysterious man, her life changes forever.
Kasin is a prince among the fierce centaurs and one of few who can take human shape. A follower of Zeus, he is mystified to save a nymph’s life and even worse, to fall in love with an enemy of the centaurs. He is torn between his duty to his people and his love for Callisto.
When the nymphs capture Kasin for their next sacrifice, Callisto cannot allow him to die, but before she can help him escape, they are caught together and their secret connection exposed. Surrounded by armed guards, they manage a daring escape. On the run from the nymphs, danger and betrayal follow Kasin and Callisto. To survive, they must evade a god obsessed with having Callisto for himself as well as others who also want to keep them apart. Will their love for each other be enough to save them?
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Title: Tyburn
The Southwark Saga, Book 1
Author: Jessica Cale
Weblink: www.authorjessicacale.com
Genre: Historical Romance
Heat Level: 4- Hot
Publisher: Liquid Silver Books
Cover artist: Dar Albert
Release date: December 8th, 2014
Sally Green is about to die.
She sees Death in the streets. She can taste it in her gin. She can feel it in the very walls of the ramshackle brothel where she is kept to satisfy the perversions of the wealthy. She had come to London as a runaway in search of her Cavalier father. Instead, she found Wrath, a sadistic nobleman determined to use her to fulfill a sinister ambition. As the last of her friends are murdered one by one, survival hinges on escape.
Nick Virtue is a tutor with a secret. By night he operates as a highwayman, relieving nobles of their riches to further his brother’s criminal enterprise. It’s a difficult balance at the best of times, and any day that doesn’t end in a noose is a good one. Saving Sally means risking his reputation, and may end up costing him his life.
As a brutal attack throws them together, Sally finds she has been given a second chance. She is torn between the tutor and the highwayman, but she knows she can have neither. Love is an unwanted complication while Wrath haunts the streets. Nick holds the key to Wrath’s identity, and Sally will risk everything to bring him to justice.
Unless the gallows take her first.
I write contemporary and paranormal romance, with sensuality as the key ingredient and spice for kick.
Pen of The Dreamer 