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, Joyce M. Holmes, who is sharing her book, Dare to Risk All with us! She’s a new Wild Rose Press sister, too, so congrats for that Joyce!

Please show ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Joyce some real Ranch love!

Before I get to the nosy 5-3-4 part of this interview, tell us a bit about you.

I live in the beautiful Okanagan Valley, in British Columbia’s interior, with my husband and very tiny, very spoiled dog, Roxy. I have three grown boys, two are married, and my oldest has blessed me with two little grandsons. Besides writing, I love photography. The best of all worlds is when I can travel, take tons of photos, then write about where I’ve been on my blog.

Haha We just got a new dog last month (not so tiny shepherd/boxer) whose already spoiled. Granddaughter named her Roxy!

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?

I’m lucky to have an actual office with a desk, cabinets and bookshelves. It’s the smallest room in the house, but I’m happy it’s all mine. I work on a laptop with an attached keyboard and mouse. Although the laptop is connected wirelessly, I rarely go on the internet while I’m writing to avoid distractions. I keep chocolate or other sweets tucked away in the desk drawers (shhh, don’t tell my hubby) and occasionally reach in for a nibble.

I have an actual office, too, but it’s being used as storage at the moment—hence the recliner. Lol 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?

I’ve never had a problem coming up with names for my main characters, but do sometimes draw a blank with secondary ones. I try to choose those names carefully, because you never know when they might ask for a story of their own. As for titles, a working one usually comes to mind immediately, but on occasional I change it once the story is finished. In the case of Dare to Risk All, I was asked to change the title because the publisher already had a book with my original title, and I’m pleased that this one is even better suited to the storyline.

So true about secondary characters, Joyce. I’ve actually had a few start nudging me before I finish the story, so I have to go back and give them better/more fitting names. What advice would you offer aspiring and new writers?

Write. Write and read. And learn the craft. Take courses, workshops, go to conferences if possible. Learn all you can, but most importantly, write. Make sure your work is as strong as it can be before you submit. It’s not an easy career choice and the real hard work comes after the book has been written. But if writing is your love, then write.

Good advice. 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?

If I knew the answer to that, I’d be the next big thing, lol. The absolute most important thing is to write an outstanding story people will want to read. But in today’s industry, you need an edge beyond being a good writer. Part of that might be luck—getting noticed by someone big—and part of that is writing something out of the ordinary. And having a strong marketing strategy is paramount as well. I really do need to take my own advice.

LOL We all could benefit from this advice I think. Who would you like to meet in the publishing industry- dead or alive- and why?

There’s so many, but if I can only pick one, I’d like to meet Mark Twain. Not only was he such a talented writer, I think he’d have been an interesting and knowledgeable man to chat with.

I agree with that choice. It’s time for 3 in 1! I’ll ask the questions and you answer them in one word. 😆

Favorite animal?

Dog

Season?

Spring

Favorite food?

Brownies

Mmm Brownies! I need to rethink my own answer to that one. Lol Well done! 🙂

Okay, Flash four. Ready? What are you working on now?

I’ve just finished a project, so I’m in the brainstorming stage. I’m hoping to do a third story connected to the first two books I published, but it’s being a little elusive at the moment.

What are you sharing today?

Blurb:

Dare to Risk All

Tessa Caldwell’s carefully structured world is thrown into chaos when the handsome stranger she had an uncharacteristic fling with reappears in her life. Ben not only gets the promotion she thought was hers, but is also intent on resuming their physical relationship. Although Tessa’s rational mind insists on a professional association, both her heart and her traitorous body have other ideas. Can her sensible nature possibly win against such temptation?

Memories of the petite blonde with large, blue eyes have haunted Ben Dunham for months. When he transfers to her branch, he anticipates picking up where they left off. Reality doesn’t match memory when the cool and collected lady wants no part of him. If he intends to pursue Tessa, he has to earn her trust. The problem is, Ben carries a dark and dangerous secret. How does he get Tessa to trust him when he can’t trust himself?

***

Where can we find you and your books?

Amazon page:

http://www.amazon.com/Joyce-M.-Holmes/e/B008H5HTV8/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1402703325&sr=8-1

Goodreads page:

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6431862.Joyce_M_Holmes

Blog:

http://JoyceHolmes.wordpress.com

Social Media:

https://www.facebook.com/Joyce.M.Holmes

https://twitter.com/Joyce_Holmes

Publisher:

http://www.wildrosepublishing.com/maincatalog_v151/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=6123

Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Dare-Risk-All-Joyce-Holmes-ebook/dp/B00TBVQEG8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1424381008&sr=8-1&keywords=dare+to+risk+all

Barnes and Noble:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dare-to-risk-all-joyce-m-holmes/1121218050?ean=2940150071254

Where will you be next?

At the moment I don’t have any other engagements scheduled (I hope to be buried deep in the writing cave), but readers can always find me on my website. I post all my updates there and list my books on the bookshelf.

http://JoyceHolmes.wordpress.com

That is one beautiful cover, as I’ve said before! Love Tina Lynn Stout’s work. Who remembers it was Tina who did the cover for my first novella, Home?

Thank you so much for playing along Joyce! Wishing you much luck with your book and writing. I hope you’ll come visit again one day.

Thanks for having me. I enjoyed chatting about my writing with you.

Dodadagohvi~