Category Archives: Past Present & Future
Past, Present, & Future with Jami Deise [Plus Giveaway!]
In the spirit of my debut novel, Fast Forward, I’m doing a series of interviews with authors about their past, present & future. Today, please welcome author of humorous women’s fiction, Jami Deise!
PAST:
1. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A doctor. But I never had any aptitude for math and science.
2. What did you do before you became a writer?
My only non-writing jobs were before graduating college with a journalism degree. I worked at McDonald’s. I was an RA in my dorm at the University of Maryland. I babysat.
3. What is one of your most treasured memories from the past?
I won a poetry contest in the 5th grade. That was pretty cool.
PRESENT:
4. What’s your latest/upcoming release about and/or what are you currently working on?
Right now I’m plugging “Keeping Score,” which is humorous women’s fiction about a divorced mom, her 9-year-old son, and his first summer playing travel baseball.
5. What’s a typical day like for you? (If there is such a thing!)
Walk the dog, go the gym, spend the afternoon writing. Make dinner for my son. Spend the evening reading or watching TV. Most of my days are typical!
6. Name three things you are grateful for in your life right now:
That my son is living with my husband and me and is doing well. That we haven’t been affected by economic turbulence or Congressional shut-downs. That my parents are healthy.
FUTURE:
7. If you could fast forward in time to any age or year for just one day, what would you choose & why?
66. My son will be 40. I want to know how his life is going to turn out.
8. If you could have any new technology or invention in the future that would make your life a whole lot easier (or more fun), what would it be?
A robot to make dinner and do dishes.
9. What are your hopes & dreams for the future?
To be able to support myself as a writer or with a job in the publishing industry, and that my son is successful in a job that he loves.
Thanks for taking part, Jami!
>You can visit Jami online at her blog, facebook, and twitter pages, and you can buy her latest book Keeping Score here. It’s only 99c for a limited time!
>WIN! Jami is also giving away 2 ebook copies of Keeping score… to enter, simply leave a comment below! Winners will be drawn on 11th October and contacted via email and notified in the comments.
KEEPING SCORE:
When her 9-year-old son wanted to play summer travel baseball, Shannon had no idea the toughest competition was off the field….
When her son Sam asks to try out for a travel baseball team, divorced mom Shannon Stevens thinks it’ll be a fun and active way to spend the summer. Boy, is she wrong! From the very first practice, Shannon and Sam get sucked into a mad world of rigged try-outs, professional coaches, and personal hitting instructors. But it’s the crazy, competitive parents who really make Shannon’s life miserable. Their sons are all the second coming of Babe Ruth, and Sam isn’t fit to fetch their foul balls. Even worse, Shannon’s best friend Jennifer catches the baseball fever. She schemes behind the scenes to get her son Matthew on the town’s best baseball team, the Saints. As for Sam? Sorry, there’s no room for him! Sam winds up on the worst team in town, and every week they find new and humiliating ways to lose to the Saints.
And the action off the field is just as hot. Shannon finds herself falling for the Saints’ coach, Kevin. But how can she date a man who didn’t think her son was good enough for his team … especially when the whole baseball world is gossiping about them? Even Shannon’s ex-husband David gets pulled into the mess when a randy baseball mom goes after him. As Sam works to make friends, win games and become a better baseball player, Shannon struggles not to become one of those crazy baseball parents herself. In this world, it’s not about whether you win, lose, or how you play the game… it’s all about KEEPING SCORE.
Past, Present, & Future with Jacqui Jacoby
In celebration of the release of my debut novel, Fast Forward, I’m doing a series of interviews with authors about their past, present & future. Today, please welcome Jacqui Jacoby who also has a book to give away for one lucky reader…
PAST:
1. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
When I was a kid it was called being a stewardess. Today the politically correct term is a flight attendant. I had dreams of travelling the world.
2. What did you do before you became a writer?
I graduated UCLA before I wrote my first story and then I became a housewife and a stay at home Mom, raising my three kids. In fact, it’s the same thing I did as I was a writer, too.
3. What is one of your most treasured memories from the past?
My favourite memory is not from the distant past, but one that occurred just ten years ago. My husband and I renewed our wedding vows on board The Queen Mary in Long Beach, California for our twentieth anniversary. Our kids stood up for us: my oldest daughter as the maid of honour, our son as the best man and my youngest as the flower girl.
PRESENT:
4. What’s your latest/upcoming release about and/or what are you currently working on?
My upcoming novel, With a Vengeance, is my debut release. It’s about two friends who realize they want more from their relationship. It’s set in the backdrop of CIA action and adventure. The project I am working on now is also a romantic suspense. It’s about a Russian hero and the heroine who figures out his secret. I’m hoping to have it completed by my birthday in May.
5. What’s a typical day like for you? (If there is such a thing!)
When I had the kids at home, my days were unpredictable and full of surprises. I could never know what was coming next and always had to be prepared for the unexpected. Now that they are grown and I am entering into the anticipated “Empty Nest” my days are more routine. I rise late – one of the perks of the kids being grown – and take my walk. Walking is good to clear the mind and get it ready to work. I come home, shower, watch a little bit of Twilight Zone or M*A*S*H – another Empty Nest perk . Then I hit the computer to get started on the day’s work. What I am working on depends on what is due. Right now I am editing a suspense novel for submission and getting ready for The Brenda Novak auction where I will be auctioning off a mentor program.
6. Name three things you are grateful for in your life right now:
1. My relationship with my husband of thirty years.
2. The relationships I have with each of my three children, and the relationships they have with each other.
3. That I was able to be a Stay at Home Mom while working in a career that I love. I got the best of both worlds.
FUTURE:
7. If you could fast forward in time to any age or year for just one day, what would you choose & why?
To my fiftieth anniversary where my husband and I will renew our wedding vows one more time and my oldest daughter will stand as maiden of honour, my youngest daughter as a bridesmaid and my son as my husband’s best man. All our grandchildren will be there and their children, too. It will be euphoric!!
8. If you could have any new technology or invention in the future that would make your life a whole lot easier (or more fun), what would it be?
It would be a machine that takes the ideas for stories and characters straight from my brain and puts them onto the page without me having to type everything out.
9. What are your hopes & dreams for the future?
I’m a frustrated French student trapped in the body of a fifty-year-old woman. For as long as I can remember I have always wanted to speak a second or even a third language. My hope and dream is that I will return to the university this coming fall to obtain a degree in Modern Languages (French/Spanish). I don’t have any plans to travel with the degree, but it certainly would be possible to visit Paris and Barcelona.
Thanks for visiting the blog, Jacqui!
>>To WIN an e-copy of Jacqui’s book, WITH A VENGEANCE, please leave a comment below. Winner will be drawn on Wed 22nd May and notified on this blog and via email. Good luck!
Visit Jacqui online at her website, blog, facebook, and twitter. You can also check out her book at Amazon and via her publisher.
Past, Present, & Future with Natalie Charles (plus giveaway!)
In celebration of the release of my debut novel, Fast Forward, I’m doing a series of interviews with authors about their past, present & future. Today, please welcome… Natalie Charles!
PAST:
1. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be an actress. Now it makes me laugh, but of course acting was very serious business. I used to write my own plays and direct kids in my elementary class, and I acted throughout high school. I fell in love with the idea of being someone else and bringing words to life, and I still draw on those experiences. When I write, I need to immerse myself in a character and to hear them speak. I spend a lot of my writing time on dialogue, listening to the rhythm of my characters’ conversations.
2. What did you do before you became a writer?
I was a sales clerk at my family’s independent pharmacy throughout high school, then I held odd jobs on my college campus like writing tutor, graduation program assembler, orientation leader, public relations assistant…basically I had no standards. If it paid, I wanted to do it. Over the summers I was a park supervisor in my town, which sounds like I was some kind of ranger, but really I made lanyards with local kids and told them not to swear. After college I worked in logistics for a construction company, shipping fixtures to national retail locations. That lasted about five minutes, and then I quit to work as a makeup sales clerk (seriously). Then I went to law school (seriously), and now I’m a lawyer.
I still work full-time as an attorney. I write laws, so it’s sort of a writing job, but not as much fun as writing romantic suspense.
3. What is one of your most treasured memories from the past?
Christmas Eve at my grandfather’s house. We’d have this formal Italian dinner and then these beautiful desserts: cannoli and cookies and fruit. I never ate the dessert or much of the dinner because I was too busy waiting for Santa to come, although I do remember eating pomegranate seeds. I can’t imagine one easily forgets the first time they eat pomegranate seeds.
The dinner took forever! There was a white tablecloth and all these fish dishes that I wouldn’t touch, and of course we had to dress up. Torture. My brother and sister and I would periodically excuse ourselves to dash to the living room, waiting for presents to appear under the tree. We practically wore the carpet thin, running between the living room and the dining room. At some point, we’d go to the living room and it would be filled with presents. We never saw Santa or had any idea that the gifts were being delivered. I was lucky to have such magic in my childhood.
PRESENT:
4. What’s your latest/upcoming release about and/or what are you currently working on?
My debut for Harlequin Romantic Suspense is called THE SEVEN-DAY TARGET. It’s about an FBI agent named Nick Foster who discovers that his ex-fiancée, prosecutor Libby Andrews, is being hunted by a serial killer who leaves six signs over six days before killing on the seventh. She broke his heart, but now he has no choice but to protect her – even if it means putting his heart at risk!
5. What’s a typical day like for you? (If there is such a thing!)
I wake up too early and cook my husband and daughter breakfast. Then I head off to work, where I draft legislation and do my best to not muck up anyone’s life too much…unless that’s what my clients want, of course. Then it’s home to make dinner, bathe my daughter and put her to bed. I collapse on the couch to write after all of that, and when I’ve finished writing, I collapse in bed. Sometimes my husband and I manage to fit in a conversation, but you asked about a typical day.
6. Name three things you are grateful for in your life right now:
I have so much to be grateful for! I’m grateful for my health, first and foremost. My youngest brother is a childhood cancer survivor, and I try to remember to never take a healthy day for granted. I’m endlessly grateful for my family, especially my husband and my daughter and the baby we have on the way. And I’m grateful for the support I’ve had in reaching this point in my life, because I haven’t done anything alone.
FUTURE:
7. If you could fast forward in time to any age or year for just one day, what would you choose & why?
Tough question! I don’t know that I’d want to do this. I’m definitely a person who dwells in the future, but I like my future unwritten and full of possibility. I think that actually seeing the future might make me feel like some kind of destiny was involved. Naive or not, I like to imagine I’m in control.
8. If you could have any new technology or invention in the future that would make your life a whole lot easier (or more fun), what would it be?
I’d want a teleporting machine like they have on Star Trek. This way I could travel all over the world in a matter of seconds. I live in New England, where we have dark and cold winters. Summers here are absolutely beautiful, but I’d love to hop a teleporter to somewhere tropical on the winter weekends, or spend a chilly afternoon on a beach in Fiji.
I hope someone smarter than myself gets on that, stat.
9. What are your hopes & dreams for the future?
You mean besides writing the Great American Novel? I want to raise children who call me regularly as adults and travel to beautiful places with my husband. I plan to continue writing what I love to write, and if I happen to make a living at it, that would be a dream.
Thanks for visiting the blog, Natalie!
>>To WIN a copy of Natalie’s book, THE SEVEN DAY TARGET (blurb below), leave a comment for Natalie.
*Competition open WORLDWIDE (US/Canada residents will receive a signed print copy, international readers will receive a Kindle copy. Winner will be drawn Wed 10th April (Sydney time).
Good luck!
Natalie on the web:
The Seven Day Target
He never meant to speak to her again. Back in Arbor Falls for a funeral, Special Agent Nick Foster has moved on. He has no plans to stay in his tiny hometown-or to reunite with the beautiful Libby Andrews. His onetime fiancée broke his heart, and what’s past should stay buried.
Libby doesn’t want his help. Her childhood sweetheart can never know the real reason she ended their engagement three years before. But when a serial killer targets her, she must team up with the rugged agent for her own safety. Something in her past has put her in danger, and the passion they’ve reignited puts their future in deadly jeopardy.
Read Chapter One
Read Reviews
Buy Links:
Amazon B&N Powells BAM IndieBound
Past, Present, & Future with… Me!
In celebration of the release of my debut novel, Fast Forward, I’ve been doing a series of interviews with authors about their past, present & future. Today I thought I’d do what Jenn J McLeod did recently on her blog, and interview myself! (Weird, I know. But if you’re still with me, read on… 😉
Welcome Juliet!
Thanks Juliet!
😉
PAST:
1. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Many things. A dancer (did it), an artist (did it), a singer (but soon realised I was missing a vital requirement – singing ability), a fashion designer (didn’t do it), a fairy (I used to practise flying off my bed), and I’m pretty sure I thought making up stories was normal, so I think I was destined to become an author!
2. What did you do before you became a writer?
Many things (see above question!). I studied a lot – fine arts, visual merchandising (like window display and fancy sign writing), interior decorating, until I started a degree in health science and became a qualified naturopath. I ran my own natural health clinic for a number of years, and set up an online health business, while also doing the odd bit of dance teaching, until I changed course in order to homeschool my son. It was at this stage I decided to try my hand at writing novels.
3. What is one of your most treasured memories from the past?
This is such a hard question! Who came up with these questions?? Oh yeah, I did 😉
I’ll share three. I used to love it when I was a little kid on Christmas Eve and would look at the sky, trying to spot Santa on his sleigh, or even Rudolph’s red nose. It was so exciting!
Getting my university degree was also a great memory. I remember an overwhelming sense of achievement after I accepted my degree and sat back down in the audience and finally looked at it. I studied for the majority of this degree at home by distance learning, in between feeding and changing and comforting a baby, and dealing with years of sleep deprivation. It took me six and a half years, and it was a great feeling to finally finish.
Another great memory is when my son took his first steps. It was the day before his first birthday and a few weeks after his father had died. He simply held onto his own hands for support and walked towards me with a big smile on his face. Didn’t even fall. Unforgettable! 🙂
PRESENT:
4. What’s your latest/upcoming release about and/or what are you currently working on?
My debut release FAST FORWARD was published in February. It’s a romantic comedy with a time travel twist. Here’s the blurb:
Aspiring supermodel, Kelli Crawford seems destined to marry her hotshot boyfriend, but on her twenty-fifth birthday she wakes in the future as a fifty-year-old suburban housewife married to the now middle-aged high school nerd.
Trapped in the opposite life of the one she wanted, Kelli is forced to re-evaluate her life and discover what is really important to her. Will she overcome the hilarious and heartbreaking challenges presented to her and get back to the body of her younger self? Or will she be stuck in the nightmare of hot flushes, demanding children, raunchy advances from her husband and hideous support underwear forever?
In December 2013 my novel, THE JANUARY WISH will be released. It’s a contemporary romantic women’s fiction set in a small Australian seaside town, and is about how one woman’s life changes when her secret past collides with the present. (I seem to enjoy writing about all things past, present, and future!)
As for what I’m currently working on… A LOT! See my works-in-progress under each of the genre categories on this blog 😉
5. What’s a typical day like for you? (If there is such a thing!)
Ha! Typical?… Wake up, check email and facebook and twitter, eat breakfast, do stretches, shower, write a bit if I can, upload & schedule blogs, answer interviews, book promotion, answer emails, deal with any pressing business matters (I still run an online health site), feed and pat affection & food-obsessed cat multiple times each day, kindly turn away door-to-door sales people, chat to my critique partner via messenger about our plots and characters, tweet & facebook some more, help son with his Year 10 homeschooling/distance ed (majority of day), write lists to help me stay on top of everything, write more lists to stay on top of the lists, more tweets, facebook replies, and emails, write down plot ideas when they arise, clean up spills in the kitchen and remind son to put his rubbish in the bin and drinks back in the fridge, cook dinner, clean up after dinner, write, and if I’m lucky, watch a bit of TV before reading and going to bed – usually after midnight!
6. Name three things you are grateful for in your life right now:
1. The beautiful seaside town I now call home and have been living in for about two years.
2. My supportive family.
3. Being a published author and getting to make stuff up!
FUTURE:
7. If you could fast forward in time to any age or year for just one day, what would you choose & why?
I’d go about ten years into the future to see how my son is going as an adult and whether he is happy and following his career dreams. I’d also love to see how many books I’ve managed to write (and hopefully sell!) by then.
8. If you could have any new technology or invention in the future that would make your life a whole lot easier (or more fun), what would it be?
Apart from a magical cleaning robot who does everything for you, I’d like some kind of device that allows you to have an express sleep of about an hour or two but with the benefits of a full eight hours! Think of all the writing and reading I could do with the extra hours in the day 😉
9. What are your hopes & dreams for the future?
To keep following my passions, have good health long into the future, be a bestselling and award-winning author, have a movie made from one of my books (or two, or three, whatever ;)), see my son live a happy, healthy, and successful life, and enjoy my life with people I love.
Well, that was fun! And weird 😉
I hope you enjoyed reading about my past, present, and future!
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To read other past, present, future interviews, click here. 🙂
Past, Present, & Future with Kamy Chetty (Plus a Giveaway)
In celebration of the release of my debut novel, Fast Forward, I’m doing a series of interviews with authors about their past, present & future. Today, please welcome… Kamy Chetty!
PAST:
1. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I’ve wanted to be a nurse since I was five years old. Not sure why or how but I know that if I didn’t follow that path I wouldn’t be a writer today. Weird I know, but life worked out like that.
2. What did you do before you became a writer?
I was a clinical nurse and then a nurse manager. I was pretty good at it too but now I work part time as an education manager so that I can write part time. I would like to think that I would one day hit the bestseller list and never have to work a normal job again but writing full time is a hard life.
3. What is one of your most treasured memories from the past?
Having no responsibilities and being in school. I know I hated it while I was there and couldn’t wait to be grown up but ain’t hindsight a wonderful thing.
PRESENT:
4. What’s your latest/upcoming release about and/or what are you currently working on?
Falling into Paradise is an emotionally charged off the charts heat level romance about two people who are scared to love. Damon is the playboy who had his heart broken and he falls in love with Sophie who can’t trust him or anyone else. Together they break through their walls and find that special thing we all desire.
5. What’s a typical day like for you? (If there is such a thing!)
Well I work part time so I go to work in the morning like everyone else and then I work my five hours and come home and work my real job, the one I’m passionate about. Sometimes I forget to feed my kids and they’re knocking on my door saying, ‘what’s for dinner?’
I tend to get lost in my character world, the scary thing is my children know my characters names and what they look like. I am forever having discussions with my teenage daughter about why Henry Cavill shouldn’t be the hero in my next book because it seems I am stealing all her heroes.LOL.
6. Name three things you are grateful for in your life right now:
That’s easy.
My family, because they encourage and love me and don’t get too mad when I don’t feed them.
The power out there that’s made this happen and has guided me through this journey. I’m really blessed by what I have and what I’ve accomplished.
The family and friends and people in my life that have been so amazing. I am always grateful to them for making my life richer.
FUTURE:
7. If you could fast forward in time to any age or year for just one day, what would you choose & why?
That’s a hard one. It might have to be on both the days my children graduate from college. I think it would be a proud moment because as parents we try so hard to do right by them but in the end, they make their own choices. I’d like to know I’ve taken them that far.
8. If you could have any new technology or invention in the future that would make your life a whole lot easier (or more fun), what would it be?
I’ll take the fun one on this. I think life would be a lot more fun if we could teleport. Then I wouldn’t have to travel anywhere and if I wanted to sit on the beach in Fiji, I could think about it and snap- I’m there. Hot cabana boy optional of course 😉
9. What are your hopes & dreams for the future?
I am going to be a New York Times Best Seller. I am going to set the world alight with my talent and be someone to look out for. That’s my dream and that’s what I will work towards. It takes hard work but I know I can do it.
Thank you so much for having me here, it has been an absolute pleasure.
[Juliet: Thanks Kamy, I enjoyed reading about your past, present, and future, and here’s hoping we’ll see you on that bestseller list!]
Visit Kamy online at her website, blog, facebook, and twitter. You can buy Falling Into Paradise here.
>>GIVEAWAY: Kamy is giving away an ebook copy of Falling Into Paradise. To enter, please leave a comment below. Winner will be drawn on March 28th (Sydney time) and is open worldwide.
Past, Present, & Future with Lisa Heidke
In celebration of the release of my debut novel, Fast Forward, I’m doing a series of interviews with authors about their past, present & future. Today, please welcome…Lisa Heidke!
PAST:
1. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A veterinarian – before I realised I would have to deal with blood and operate on sick animals!
2. What did you do before you became a writer?
I was an Acquisitions Editor for a publisher, then moved to ACP where I wrote for several magazines including Bride To Be and Practical Parenting.
3. What is one of your most treasured memories from the past?
The toga parties at university were quite memorable…But as a kid, probably growing up with a menagerie of animals. We had dogs, cats, goats, rabbits, guinea pigs, fish and birds. I loved them all. (Maybe not the fish. They were difficult to get to know.)
PRESENT:
4. What’s your latest release about and/or what are you currently working on?
I am currently writing a manuscript with the working title of Lily’s Little Flower Shoppe about a corporate woman whose career and love life have fallen flat so she embarks on a tree change. It’s not turning out like she (or I) expected.
5. What’s a typical day like for you? (If there is such a thing!)
I drag the kids out of bed, kicking and screaming, then shoo them off to school. I then faff around answering emails, checking out Facebook status updates and spying on who’s tweeting what in Twitter world. Then, and only then do I finally settle down to write. At the moment, my anxiety peaks around 5pm when my oldest son wanders through the door and suggests we ‘go for a drive’. He has his Leaner’s permit. Life on the road is a little scary. #Youhavebeenwarned
6. Name three things you are grateful for in your life right now:
* Healthy children, loving family and friends.
* Maximum airbags in my car…should anything untoward happen when driving with son.
* At the moment, we are doing a huge pool/outdoor renovation and I am grateful I will only be living with mud, filth and excruciating noise for another six months.
FUTURE:
7. If you could fast forward in time to any age or year for just one day, what would you choose & why?
January 2014…so I could see if the new pool the kids promised they would swim in – and clean – becomes a reality.
8. If you could have any new technology or invention in the future that would make your life a whole lot easier (or more fun), what would it be?
A sure fire cure for hangovers that doesn’t involve eating my body weight in sugary calories.
9. What are your hopes & dreams for the future?
Personally: Well–adjusted and healthy kids. That’s not ever going to change.
Professionally: To write the best stories I can and continue to get published. I won’t fall apart if I never get published again, but I am passionate about writing and reading. I won’t stop. #determined
Thanks for visiting the blog, Lisa!
You can visit Lisa at her website, blog, facebook, and twitter. And check out her funny, relatable women’s fiction/chick lit books at Amazon – they’re great! 🙂
Past, Present, & Future with Jenn J McLeod
In celebration of the release of my debut novel, Fast Forward, I’m doing a series of interviews with authors about their past, present & future. Today, please welcome another debut author, the fabulous Jenn J McLeod!
PAST:
![Jenn%20-%20the%20young%20author[3]](https://julietmadison.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/jenn20-20the20young20author3.jpg)
1. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I was supposed to be a multi-disciplined musician (like my Dad), study at The Conservatorium (like my Aunt), be a famous opera singer like my cousin (whose sons – Ben and Alexander Lewis – (think Phantom!) are now making their own musical mark internationally). Instead I wrote, my keyboard of choice a computer, leaving the old upright piano to languish in the living room as I followed my labyrinthine road and wrote my own story. (Excuse me while I sing my theme song…“I did it myyyyyyy way!”)
So as the daddy longlegs weave their webs around the piano’s soundboard and strings, I weave stories that give my characters a life and a voice. My stage is country NSW, my tree change many years ago like coming home. I guess it must have been all those hours I spent in my room as a child, riding my bed-end rather than practicing piano! Yep, that’s right: a pillow for a saddle, a dressing gown tie as a bridle and voila! I was National Velvet.
2. What did you do before you became a writer?
You mean besides being National Velvet? That answer is a novel in itself. Let’s see (in order): Hairdressing, cosmetic sales, retail security (nabbing shoplifters), hotel security at Sydney’s Intercontinental Hotel (where I met celebrities and heard stories I can never tell), Event Management, Road Safety Education, Corporate PR & Communications, Intranet Producer, Cafe owner, B&B Operator and finally… Author.
[Juliet – what a wealth of experience to add to your stories!]
![pam%20and%20me%20001[2]](https://julietmadison.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/pam20and20me200012.jpg)
3. What is one of your most treasured memories from the past?
Besides pretending to be National Velvet, you mean? 🙂 Hmm, that would be winning a national road safety award for a young driver education initiative. Here I am accepting the award with my colleague, Pam Leicester. As friends and colleagues we were a formidable team; Pam inspiring me then and more recently. (My House For All Seasons character, Sara, was inspired by Pam who is sadly no longer with us. Creating Sara allowed me to give Pam her happy ever after.)
[ Juliet – Congrats on the award! And what a nice gesture for Pam]
PRESENT:
4. What’s your latest release about and/or what are you currently working on?
House For All Seasons is now available. It is the story of four estranged school friends forced to return the NSW country town of their youth to claim an unexpected inheritance – the century-old Dandelion House.
As restless teenagers, desperate to forget a tragic end-of-school muck-up day accident, they escape the confines of small town life and never speak to each other again.
Twenty years on, coming home to the country triggers mixed emotions and the women must face their shame and self-doubt if they are to reconcile their past with their present.
Only after spending a season each in the old place – a condition of the will – do they discover the reason for the inheritance and how they are forever tied to the house and to each other.
[Juliet – what are you waiting for readers? Dash to the bookstore now! Well, after you read this interview of course ;)]
5. What’s a typical day like for you? (If there is such a thing!)
A mess! I have no fixed agenda and I need to change that. I need to fit in the networking side of this business without losing entire days! I must write – not Facebook. I must write – not tweet. I must write – not blog. Oops!
[Juliet – sorry about that!]
![Jenn%20J%20McLeod_fence_web[3]](https://julietmadison.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/jenn20j20mcleod_fence_web3.jpg)
6. Name three things you are grateful for in your life right now:
Right now? As in today? As in 8 March 2013? Forgive my preoccupation, but as my debut novel has just released (with a couple five-star ratings already) I am a little dizzy (and I feel a Gwyneth Paltrow Oscars acceptance speech coming on, so we’d best move on.)
FUTURE:
7. If you could fast forward in time to any age or year for just one day, what would you choose & why?
Fast forward! Crikey, I so wish I could go back. I would love to be doing what I am doing now as a 40 year old!
But, okay, to fast forward it would have to be to the day a book is an interactive hologram. Remember those pop-up storybooks? I loved them. I used to walk my fingers through the pages. Imagine the future: holograms that let you wander through scenes—touching, tasting, smelling, hearing, seeing, feeling… ooh la la!
[Juliet – You’re in luck, there just might be a hologram or two in Fast Forward! Great minds huh?]
8. If you could have any new technology or invention in the future that would make your life a whole lot easier (or more fun), what would it be?
A George Jetson Winnebago (ie it folds into a briefcase for easy parking).
[Juliet – Patent it NOW!]
9. What are your hopes & dreams for the future?
That people love my books and want more (so I can keep writing while travelling in that Winnebago.)
Thanks for visiting, Jenn, and all the best for HOUSE FOR ALL SEASONS!
>>You can visit Jenn at her website/blog, facebook, and twitter. You can buy her book from all good bookstores in Australia or you can order online here at Dymocks, or as an ebook at Amazon.
Past, Present, & Future with Carla Caruso – & Giveaway
In celebration of the release of my debut novel, Fast Forward, I’m doing a series of interviews with authors about their past, present & future. Today, please welcome a fellow writer of a time travel romantic comedy… Carla Caruso! Carla is giving away a copy of her new release Second Chance to one lucky commentor!
PAST: 1. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Carla aged about 18, with her sister, Natalie, out on the town!
It’s rather boring of me, but I only ever wanted to be a writer – either as a novelist or magazine reporter. I’ve done both. Probably because I wasn’t creative enough to come up with any other ideas. I didn’t know what, for example, a forensic scientist was at the time…
2. What did you do before you became a writer?
Oh dear. I’ve done everything from being a checkout operator to a newspaper thrower, bank teller, gift wrapper, shoe salesperson, soccer stadium attendant, and public servant – and failed miserably at most of the gigs. Now I also moonlight as a freelance journalist.
3. What is one of your most treasured memories from the past?
Dressing in matching clothes with my elder sister, Natalie! I also used to love spending summer holiday stints at my Nonnis’ (Italian for ‘grandparents’). I remember hearing the rooster crow at breakfast time, eating too much biscuit dough when Nonna was trying to teach me how to bake (I’m still hopeless at it), and watching daytime TV together.
PRESENT:
4. What’s your latest/upcoming release about and/or what are you currently working on?
My latest is called Second Chance and it’s out through Destiny Romance . The premise… After a disastrous 36th birthday, Flora wishes she could be 20 again and delete all her romantic mistakes. She wakes to find she has gone back in time – the summer of 1998, to be precise – but things don’t go to plan!
I’m now working on a rural romance, set in the SA coastal town where I had my first media job.
5. What’s a typical day like for you? (If there is such a thing!)
I’m a freelance journalist, as well as an author, so there’s often a lot of sitting at my computer and tapping on my keyboard – sometimes with my mischievous tabby cat, Luca, nearby. I work from home and my hubby is also a freelance photographer, so we always seem to have unexpected visitors dropping by to keep things interesting.
6. Name three things you are grateful for in your life right now:
My husband, my family, and being able to write for a living!
FUTURE:
7. If you could fast forward in time to any age or year for just one day, what would you choose & why?
Hmm… maybe to my last day, so I’d know what age I was going to get to and could plan accordingly!
8. If you could have any new technology or invention in the future that would make your life a whole lot easier (or more fun), what would it be?
Something that could do the tedious daily routines for me like teeth-brushing or hair-brushing haha!
9. What are your hopes & dreams for the future?
To start a family, be an author full-time (no other work distractions hehe!), and visit New York and the Hamptons – one day soon hopefully.
Thanks for visiting the blog Carla!
You can visit Carla online at her website, twitter, and blog.
You can also buy Second Chance at:
WIN! To go in the draw to win an ebook copy of SECOND CHANCE, simply leave a comment for Carla. (Open worldwide. Winner drawn 7th March)
Past, Present, & Future with…Juanita Kees
In celebration of the release of my debut novel, Fast Forward, I’m doing a series of interviews with authors about their past, present & future. Today, please welcome… Juanita Kees (who, incidentally, was my wonderful editor on Fast Forward!)
PAST:
1. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Sleeping Beauty, I knew my prince would come and rescue me from my tower 🙂
2. What did you do before you became a writer?
I worked in the motor industry in administration and customer service.
3. What is one of your most treasured memories from the past?
That’s a hard one. I have so many to choose from. Our home was always filled with music, books and board games. Dad used to read to us every night and we used to sing with Mum while we washed the dinner dishes (no TV or dishwashers back then, lol). On Sundays, we barbequed at my aunt’s house where we played music and had a sing-along. Dad and his twin brother played harmonicas, my cousin played the piano, I played the recorder and the rest of us played the fool.
PRESENT:
4. What’s your latest release about and/or what are you currently working on?
Fly Away Peta is the story of Jaime and Peta; lovers separated by time, distance and a little interference. They’re brought together again ten years on when Peta’s daughter is kidnapped. There is so much they need to sort through, including finding Bella and healing the emotional wounds inflicted on them by the nasty Paul Price, before they can find happiness. Peta is reluctant to trust Jaime again even though she’s never stopped loving him. He left once before without a fight, what’s to stop him leaving again? Jaime has to make a big decision. Does he stay or let her fly away again?
I’ve recently finished my favourite manuscript, Under The Hood, which will be published by Escape Publishing in March. This is a fast-paced, energetic tale of a woman determined to fulfill a dream even when it puts her in constant danger. When Scott Devin buys a struggling car dealership in a semi-rural area in Western Australia, the last person he expects to see in charge is a stilletto-wearing, mini-skirted foreperson. Exactly the distraction a struggling, male-dominated workshop doesn’t need! But there’s more to TJ Stevens than meets the eye.
TJ Stevens has two major goals in life: to preserve her grandfather’s heritage and protect the program – and she’ll go to any lengths to do it. Scott Devin’s presence is a threat to everything she’s worked hard to achieve, so keeping him at arms- length shouldn’t be a problem…or will it?
5. What’s a typical day like for you? (If there is such a thing!)
Totally unpredictable! I start with checking my emails, followed by a little Facebook before I knuckle down to editing or writing. The emails and Facebook can send me scuttling off in all difference directions over the web before I have to reign myself in and log out. I’m a terrible procrastinator.
6. Name three things you are grateful for in your life right now:
Only three? Sorry kids 😉 – My health, my mind and chocolate
FUTURE:
7. If you could fast forward in time to any age or year for just one day, what would you choose & why?
Ten years into the future when my kids have kids and I get the chance to say ‘Remember when I told you the same thing?’ and ‘I told you so’.
8. If you could have any new technology or invention in the future that would make your life a whole lot easier (or more fun), what would it be?
A robotic housekeeper to iron, cook and clean for me. I don’t like housework at all. I’d much rather be writing.
9. What are your hopes & dreams for the future?
Tough one! I’d love to see world peace and acceptance among people. Maybe one day it will happen through strong, solid leadership, who knows. As for dreams, I’d love to see one of my books on DVD or in the cinemas with Chris Hemsworth in the leading role 🙂
To win a copy of Juanita’s book, Fly Away Peta, please leave a comment!
Visit Juanita online at her website, blog, facebook, and twitter. Buy Fly Away Peta here.
Past, Present, & Future with Valerie Parv
In celebration of the release of my debut novel, Fast Forward, I’m doing a series of interviews with authors about their past, present & future. Today, please welcome the amazing… Valerie Parv!
Past
1. What did you want to be when you grew up?
Any way I could work with words would have suited me. A Mad Men type advertising man who knew my father, read some of my teenage writing and suggested I become an advertising copywriter. Guess that makes me a mad woman LOL. I finished the three year advertising diploma in one year and had a thrilling next few years writing about everything from hardware to doing your own plumbing, but at least I was writing.
2. What did you do before becoming a writer?
See above. I had my work published in the children’s pages of the Sunday papers, as well as reams of fiction that I wrote when I still had trainer wheels. Some of that early work is archived in the State Library of NSW who have collected my literary papers for many years. Writing for advertising led to freelance journalism, then to my first non-fiction book, and from there to romance fiction.
3. What are some of your most treasured memories?
Finding my soulmate while working in the advertising department of a big Sydney hardware chain, a relationship that friends described as 38 years of first dates. Meeting one of my personal heroes, Neil Armstrong, which felt like shaking hands with Christopher Columbus. Getting writing advice from Gene Roddenberry, creator of the Star Trek universe. I’ve been blessed with so many memorable moments.
Present
4. What’s your latest release, and what are you currently working on?
With Birthright, I’ve taken my writing to the stars. It’s a romantic suspense with aliens and evil astronauts. A reviewer described it as unlike anything she’s ever read, which is a great compliment. Two follow-up books about the characters from Birthright are in the works, and an original romantic suspense movie I wrote is in pre-production.
5. What’s a typical day like for you (if there’s such a thing)?
As any author knows, writing isn’t a 9-5 activity. I write every day, but it’s as likely to be at 2am as 9-5, depending on when the characters are whispering in my ear. I mentor an emerging writer through the Valerie Parv Award set up in my honor by Romance Writers of Australia, and in my (laughs) free time, I enjoy indoor/carpet bowling, meeting up with friends, seeing movies, and pampering my rent-a-kids and rent-a-pets.
6. Name three things you are grateful for in your life right now.
Good friends; more ideas than I can possibly develop; and health, without which the rest doesn’t matter.
Future
7. If you could fast forward in time to be any age or year for just one day, what would you choose and why?
Easy answer – I wouldn’t. I try to practice the Zen ideal of living in the present, squeezing every ounce of juice out of the here and now that I can.
8. If you could have any new technology in the future to make your life easier and more fun, what would it be?
Now you’re talking. A Star Trek replicator to eliminate cooking and cleaning up; the robot maid from The Jetsons, and a thought-to-keyboard translator for my writing.
9. What are your hopes and dreams?
Apart from world peace – war makes absolutely no sense to me – I’m looking forward to seeing my movie script go into production. I’d also like to keep my wits enough to be able to write until my last breath. A joke on Facebook recently said, “I’d like to go like my grandfather, peacefully in my sleep, and not screaming in terror like his passengers.”
Thanks, Valerie, for joining me on the blog today, and all the best for Birthright!
You can visit Valerie at her website, blog, facebook, and twitter.
Valerie Parv is one of Australia’s most successful writers with more than 29 million books sold in 26 languages. She is the only Australian author honored with a Pioneer of Romance award from RT Book Reviews, New York. With a lifelong interest in space exploration, she counts meeting Neil Armstrong as a personal high point. So it’s no wonder she’s taking romance to the stars and beyond In Birthright, her most ambitious novel yet. She loves connecting with readers via her website valerieparv.com, blog valerieparv.wordpress.com, @ValerieParv on Twitter and on Facebook.
About Birthright
Former police officer turned deputy governor, Shana Akers, is used to handling high-stakes situations. But after learning that a space shuttle mission about to be launched from her island home may have a shocking secret agenda, she must turn for answers to the man who has challenged her mind and emotions for years.
Scientific genius and space center director, Adam Desai, is a truly self-made man. Found adrift at sea as a baby, he knows nothing about his origins until two VIPs attending the launch force him to confront the truth about his past, changing everything Adam has ever believed about himself.
Faced with a danger that threatens the entire world, can Adam and Shana find the strength to trust not only each other, but the mysterious VIPs whose unusual abilities defy logical thinking? Especially when it becomes clear that they’ll need all of their combined resources to reclaim humanity’s BIRTHRIGHT.
Published by Corvallis Press USA 2012.
Birthright a near-future romantic suspense available now on Amazon. Read a review here.
JULIET MADISON 