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Ten Awkward Questions with Nicole Flockton (Plus GIVEAWAY!)
In this segment, authors will be subjected to a list of awkward questions that may reveal more about themselves than they really wish to share, and they will receive a score on the ‘Braveometer’. If they choose to answer only five questions, they are a ‘Brave Author’, if they answer 6 to 9 questions they are a ‘Mega-Brave Author’, and if they answer all 10 questions they are an ‘Ultra-Brave Author’!
Today, please welcome romance author, Nicole Flockton!
1. If only one of your books could have been / could be published, which one would you choose? (C’mon, I don’t want to hear ‘Oh, I love them all, there’s no way I could choose.’ Time to be ruthless, these are the Ten Awkward Questions after all!)
Bound by Her Ring it was my first and you ALWAYS remember your first 😉 LOL
2. Okay, now which one of your children/family members would you… nah, just kidding! Which of the following words most accurately describes your best personality trait (you must pick only one!):
Punctual. Good listener. Neat. Graceful. Generous. Cheerful.
Umm definitely not Neat if you look at my house and desk at present. But I’m always cheerful.
3. Which of the following words most accurately describes your worst most challenging personality trait (even if you’re perfect, you must pick one):
Always late. Blabbermouth. Slob. Complete klutz. Scrooge. Grumpy pants.
Oh that’s easy, in light of how I started off answering the above – I’m a slob and I own it. LOL
4. Have you ever had a romantic crush on one of your characters? Who and why?
I think when I’m writing the book I have a little crush on all of them. They’ve all got unique little quirks which I sigh over. Like Andrew, he’s a paramedic and he saves lives, you can’t help but swoon over a guy who does everything he can to help people.
5. When writing an important scene, do you act it out to allow you to better describe what’s happening?
Nope, can’t say I do 🙂
6. Do you talk to yourself when writing or coming up with plot ideas?
Sometimes, but I talk more to myself when I’m doing my paid work than writing. I usually can’t get a word in edgeways with the characters chatting amongst themselves.
7. Who would be ideal to play YOU in a movie of your life?
Someone beautiful LOL. But they’ll also have to be short, cause I’m short so maybe Emma Stone.
8. If you could be any book character for one day, who would you be and why?
Oh that’s tough because I like all my girls. So I can’t be all of them then I’ll be Dawn. The reason is she’s been through a lot but she’s learning to live again. So seeing joy in the simple things again would be nice. Rediscovering all the good things about the world.
9. You’re about to be left on a deserted island for a year, and while your basic food and water needs will be met, you can only bring one extra thing from the following. Which would you choose?
a) A pen and notepad that never runs out
b) An unlimited supply of books
c) An unlimited supply of chocolate, coffee, or alcohol (your choice)
d) A gorgeous man/woman depending on your preference
Wow that’s a tough one. I’d have to go for unlimited books. I think I’d be able to use charcoal from the fire to write down ideas on pieces of bark from the trees.
10. If you had the attention of the whole world for two minutes what would you say?
I would say, let go of the past and the pain. You can’t change the past but you can learn from it. Don’t make the same mistakes over. Learn and move on and live life to the fullest. Embrace the ones you love because in the blink of an eye it could be all taken away from you. Don’t regret what you do. Own it. Enjoy living.
Thanks for taking part, Nicole. You have been awarded Ultra-Brave author status on the braveometer!
Visit Nicole at her website, facebook, and twitter.
>>GIVEAWAY! To enter to win an ebook copy of RESCUING DAWN, comment below and answer the following question: What would you take on a deserted island?
Competition is open worldwide and winner will be drawn on Wed 3rd July. Good luck!
Book blurb for RESCUING DAWN:
He helps save lives, now he wants to save hers.
Dawn Granger has loved and lost and it’s a road she’s not prepared to travel again, that is until her past turns up and has her questioning her resolve.
Andrew Holmes has sailed the globe numerous times, when he almost loses his life, he decides he needs to give something back so he returns home and trains as a paramedic. When he runs into his former sweetheart he is surprised to find an attraction he thought dead come to life. When he sees the sadness in Dawn he knows he will do anything to make her smile again.
Dawn tries to resist Andrew but their past pulls at her in ways she thought long dead. Can she trust a man who’s run out on her once before? Can she risk putting her heart on the line again? Or will it all be taken from her again.
Read an Excerpt
Read Reviews
Buy Links: Crimson Romance Amazon
Ten Awkward Questions with Jenna Rutland
In this segment, authors will be subjected to a list of awkward questions that may reveal more about themselves than they really wish to share, and they will receive a score on the ‘Braveometer’. If they choose to answer only five questions, they are a ‘Brave Author’, if they answer 6 to 9 questions they are a ‘Mega-Brave Author’, and if they answer all 10 questions they are an ‘Ultra-Brave Author’!
Please welcome the author of JUST FOR THE SUMMER, Jenna Rutland!
1. If only one of your books could have been / could be published, which one would you choose? (C’mon, I don’t want to hear ‘Oh, I love them all, there’s no way I could choose.’ Time to be ruthless, these are the Ten Awkward Questions after all!)
Well, since I’ve only had one release so far, I’ve got to say, Just For the Summer!
2. Okay, now which one of your children/family members would you… nah, just kidding! Which of the following words most accurately describes your best personality trait (you must pick only one!):
Punctual. Good listener. Neat. Graceful. Generous. Cheerful.
Graceful – NOT! I’d have to go with Cheerful
3. Which of the following words most accurately describes your worst most challenging personality trait (even if you’re perfect, you must pick one):
Always late. Blabbermouth. Slob. Complete klutz. Scrooge. Grumpy pants.
Absolutely complete klutz. My son likes to say, “If you just sit and watch Mom long enough, she’s gonna do something klutzy.”
4. Have you ever had a romantic crush on one of your characters? Who and why?
No, I haven’t yet. Hmmm, something to think about.
5. When writing an important scene, do you act it out to allow you to better describe what’s happening?
Only if nobody is home.
6. Do you talk to yourself when writing or coming up with plot ideas?
All the time!
7. Who would be ideal to play YOU in a movie of your life?
Oh, geez, a young Lucille Ball. (Sorry you young kids probably don’t know who she is.)
8. If you could be any book character for one day, who would you be and why?
Stephanie Plum from Janet Evanovich’s books. Why? To have to smoking hot guys both in love with you? Need I say more?
9. You’re about to be left on a deserted island for a year, and while your basic food and water needs will be met, you can only bring one extra thing from the following. Which would you choose?
a) A pen and notepad that never runs out
b) An unlimited supply of books
c) An unlimited supply of chocolate, coffee, or alcohol (your choice)
d) A gorgeous man/woman depending on your preference
It’s a tossup between the alcohol and the gorgeous man. Since I can only choose one, I’d have to go with the guy.
10. If you had the attention of the whole world for two minutes what would you say?
Without trying to sound like a Miss America runner up, I’d go with the “Learn to love and live in peace.”
Thanks for taking part, Jenna, you have been awarded Ultra Brave Author Status on the Braveometer!
>>You can visit Jenna at her website, facebook, twitter, and Goodreads.
Ten Awkward Author Questions with Michelle Elliot
In this segment, authors will be subjected to a list of awkward questions that may reveal more about themselves than they really wish to share, and they will receive a score on the ‘Braveometer’. If they choose to answer only five questions, they are a ‘Brave Author’, if they answer 6 to 9 questions they are a ‘Mega-Brave Author’, and if they answer all 10 questions they are an ‘Ultra-Brave Author’!
Please welcome Michelle Elliot!
1. If only one of your books could have been / could be published, which one would you choose? (C’mon, I don’t want to hear ‘Oh, I love them all, there’s no way I could choose.’ Time to be ruthless, these are the Ten Awkward Questions after all!)
I would definitely opt to publish “Until We Meet” above the others. I feel that it’s probably my most mature book. I have enough experience of messing up so much with all the other books that I feel this one came out best 😉
2. Okay, now which one of your children/family members would you… nah, just kidding! Which of the following words most accurately describes your best personality trait (you must pick only one!):
Punctual. Good listener. Neat. Graceful. Generous. Cheerful.
I think everyone I know would say “Generous” and in most cases this is probably really accurate – except in any situations regarding chocolate. I am never generous in sharing chocolate!
3. Which of the following words most accurately describes your worst most challenging personality trait (even if you’re perfect, you must pick one):
Always late. Blabbermouth. Slob. Complete klutz. Scrooge. Grumpy pants.
I am definitely a complete klutz! I am so clumsy it is unbelievable. I will fall over my own feet or quite simply – fresh air! And I mess everything up at least ten times before I get it right!
4. Have you ever had a romantic crush on one of your characters? Who and why?
Yes – Two of the characters in my book “Until We Meet”. Why? Well the book, although fictional is actually based around real life events and dates I have been on myself and so it’s natural I actually fancied these ‘characters’ – and in the real life versions too!!
5. When writing an important scene, do you act it out to allow you to better describe what’s happening?
Does going on dates with my own book characters count as ‘acting it out’? If so, then absolutely – and it was great fun too!
6. Do you talk to yourself when writing or coming up with plot ideas?
I talk to myself when I’m not writing but I think I probably do it about ten times more when I am! I have ‘conversations’ with myself about good ideas and bad ones before writing things down.
7. Who would be ideal to play YOU in a movie of your life?
Absolutely a female version of Adam Sandler. He seems to play the daft, clumsy but rather romantic person in most of his films and I think he’d be perfect for playing me – Er, if he was a woman that is!
8. If you could be any book character for one day, who would you be and why?
I would be Ana Steele (50 Shades of Grey!) – and not for the pleasure of Mr Grey himself but definitely for the luxury of his private helicopter and very cute sounding brother!
9. You’re about to be left on a deserted island for a year, and while your basic food and water needs will be met, you can only bring one extra thing from the following. Which would you choose?
a) A pen and notepad that never runs out
b) An unlimited supply of books
c) An unlimited supply of chocolate, coffee, or alcohol (your choice)
d) A gorgeous man/woman depending on your preference
I’d opt for the pen and pad. I think in a year with nothing else to do or occupy myself with I could probably throw out a belter of a book!!
10. If you had the attention of the whole world for two minutes what would you say?
Don’t be afraid to love, trust and take risks even if you get your heart broken. You can only learn from your mistakes and some of the biggest ones can make awesome books *wink*
Congrats Michelle, you’ve been awarded Ultra-Brave Author status on the Braveometer!
You can visit Michelle online at her website and blog.
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.
Ten Awkward Author Questions with Pamela Cook
In this segment, authors will be subjected to a list of awkward questions that may reveal more about themselves than they really wish to share, and they will receive a score on the ‘Braveometer’. If they choose to answer only five questions, they are a ‘Brave Author’, if they answer 6 to 9 questions they are a ‘Mega-Brave Author’, and if they answer all 10 questions they are an ‘Ultra-Brave Author’!
Please welcome Australian rural fiction author, Pamela Cook!
1. If only one of your books could have been / could be published, which one would you choose? (C’mon, I don’t want to hear ‘Oh, I love them all, there’s no way I could choose.’ Time to be ruthless, these are the Ten Awkward Questions after all!)
As I’ve only had one book published so far that’s a tricky question but … in an ideal world I would have chosen the first book I wrote. It’s Literary rather than Genre fiction and closer to my heart, probably because it’s the first one and I spent so long on it. The same reasons why it hasn’t been published to date – it’s easier to be ruthless with writing you’re not so attached to. Having said all that I am over the moon about having Blackwattle Lake out there on the bookstore shelves. And to be working on my next book.
2. Okay, now which one of your children/family members would you… nah, just kidding! Which of the following words most accurately describes your best personality trait (you must pick only one!):
Punctual. Good listener. Neat. Graceful. Generous. Cheerful.
You certainly make it hard Juliet! I’m rarely punctual (just ask my friends), I’m certainly not neat. I’d like to think I’m graceful, generous and cheerful (at least most of the time) but if I have to pick one it would be that I’m a good listener.
3. Which of the following words most accurately describes your worst most challenging personality trait (even if you’re perfect, you must pick one):
Always late. Blabbermouth. Slob. Complete klutz. Scrooge. Grumpy pants.
Definitely the first – I’m always late. For pretty much everything!
4. Have you ever had a romantic crush on one of your characters? Who and why?
Absolutely. I adore Jack from Blackwattle Lake. He’s handsome, down to earth, has a great body and a killer smile. But he’s also scarred by his past which makes him vulnerable and in need of a hug. Although I have to say that Vincent, a character from my current wip could soon take Jack’s place in my heart.
5. When writing an important scene, do you act it out to allow you to better describe what’s happening?
I definitely act it out in my head but I often sit at my computer making crazy arm gestures and pulling bizarre faces to try to get the movements and expressions of the characters right.
6. Do you talk to yourself when writing or coming up with plot ideas?
I certainly do! Thankfully my study, where I write most of the time, is tucked away in a corner away from the main living areas of the house. My family already think I’m a nut case – they don’t need any more ammunition.
7. Who would be ideal to play YOU in a movie of your life?
The toughest question yet. I have to say a movie about my life would be very dull so whoever played me would have to be expert at making the mundane seem extraordinary. Based on that criteria I’d go with Nicole Kidman. Not that we look alike (I wish) but she’s an amazing actor, I know she can ride horses and is a city girl who loves the country. Like me!
8. If you could be any book character for one day, who would you be and why?
I would be Elizabeth Bennet, after her marriage to Mr Darcy. Do I really need to explain why?
9. You’re about to be left on a deserted island for a year, and while your basic food and water needs will be met, you can only bring one extra thing from the following. Which would you choose?
a) A pen and notepad that never runs out
b) An unlimited supply of books
c) An unlimited supply of chocolate, coffee, or alcohol (your choice)
d) A gorgeous man/woman depending on your preference
As much as c and d are appealing it’s definitely between the first two. And although I’d love a whole year to read as many books as possible without being disturbed the thought of having total solitude and an exotic location to write in is irresistible.
10. If you had the attention of the whole world for two minutes what would you say?
I know I’d be tongue tied so I’d read one of my favourite poems, something by Robert Frost or Mary Oliver. Perhaps even Mary Oliver’s Wild Geese. You can hear Mary Oliver reading it herself right here:
Thanks for having me Juliet. The questions were a lot of fun. 🙂
You’re welcome, Pamela… and you have been awarded Ultra-Brave Author status on the Braveometer!
You can visit Pamela on the web:
[Guest Post] Choreographing a Love Scene Underwater, and other things your craft book never taught you. – Ros Baxter
Please welcome fellow Escape author Ros Baxter to the ‘Writing Wednesday’ segment of the blog today! Ros is the author of Fish Out Of Water (Escape Publishing) and co-author of Sister Pact (Harper Collins).
Some people write romance. Some write chick lit. Some write fantasy. Me? I’m an omnivore, in reading and in writing. Like Mae West said: “Ten men waiting for me at the door? Send one of them home, I’m tired.”
That’s me when it comes to books. I’m far too nice to say the word whore, but I never really met a genre I didn’t like.
When I read, it’s all about the book. When I write, it’s all about the story. For me, this time, and this character, it had to be fantasy. Rania, my deep sea mermaid living incognito as a small town cop, hammered at my brain. She was tough. She was cool. There was simply no saying no to her.
I told my sister: I’m writing a mermaid book.
She said something like: Ooooh, cool. Fantasy.
I said something like: No, don’t be silly, you know I don’t write fantasy.
Then she said something like: Erhh…you know mermaids aren’t real, right? I mean, I you had those pyjamas back when you were seven, but…
Et cetera.
So fantasy was kind of an untrod road for me. And, like most paths less travelled, I had to learn some things along the way. Good and bad. I had lots of feedback from critique partners and other readers, and it helped shape what worked and what didn’t.
So first up, the good. You know what I love about fantasy? You don’t just get to break the rules, you get to write your own. If the whole sex-with-a-tail thing is just way too mind-bending – voila! No tails. If your action takes place between the deepest part of the ocean floor and small town USA and your characters need to whizz quickly between the two? No problems. Just invent a cool new way of travelling almost instantly – melting down to the very droplets in the air, with the aid of a very cool, very small blue fish.
And then the bad news. You know what’s tough? There are some parts of any story that transcend genre, and they are the bits you absolutely have to nail. They’re also the hard bits. Story. Heart. And, you guessed it, sex.
And the problem is, very few of us have ever been intimate seven miles down. With a boy who’s kind of a fish. So what to do? Two things really.
First, approximate. Okay, so I don’t know how a mermaid gets lush and loose. But I know some stuff about dolphins, whales, and other sea creatures (well, at least the internet does, and we’re really good friends). I can look at the reality and approximate from there.
Second, keep what you know. The stuff that’s real (and important) from your own experience. Touch, heat, connection. And then use your imagination about how those realities mesh with the new world.
Third (okay, I know I said two things, but like I already said, I’m not much of a rule-follower), don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. Remember the basics – character, conflict, motivation. Whether your character is human, fish, or something in between, your readers are humans. And we need those human connections.
I hope readers can find that spark of connection with my wild heroine and her story of love, secrets and danger.
Thanks for having me.
[Thanks for being my guest, Ros! ~ Juliet]
Ros Baxter has been writing since she was eight and penned a whimsical series of short stories about a race of tiny people who lived on a rainbow. While they were a hit in the playground, a few things intervened – including a career in social policy and four noisy children. Ros started writing again in earnest three years ago. In that time, Ros has secured a two-book deal with Harper Collins Australia, published Sister Pact (a romantic comedy co-written with her sister Ali) and Fish Out of Water (Escape Publishing on 1 April), been a contributing author to the e-anthology URL Love, and finaled in the STALI competition.
Ros writes fresh, funny, genre-busting fiction. She digs feisty heroines, good friends, quirky families, heroes to make you sigh and tingle, and a dash of fantasy from time to time.
Ros also runs a successful business consulting to government and the private sector. She teaches professional writing skills and has authored a writing guide, Clarity.
Ros lives in Brisbane, Australia, with her husband Blair, four small but very opinionated children, a neurotic dog and nine billion germs.
You can email Ros at rosbaxterink@gmail.com or find her at www.facebook.com/RosBaxterInk, on twitter @RosBaxter, or www.rosbaxterink.com.
FISH OUT OF WATER Blurb:
“It’s Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum meets Splash in a sexy, smart-talking debut about a mermaid in a desert, a city under water, and the secret that no-one is supposed to uncover.”
Dirtwater’s straight-talking Deputy Sheriff has a lot on her plate: a nicotine addiction that’s a serious liability for a mermaid, a solider-of-fortune ex who’s hooked on her Mom’s brownies, a gorgeous, naked stranger in her shower, and a mysterious dead blonde with a fish tattoo on Main Street.
Oh, and one other thing.
She’s scheduled to die on her thirtieth birthday – in three weeks – unless she can ‘change the course of destiny and save the world entire’. Throw in a Mom who’s the local Mayor and a Dad who’s been locked in the county jail for twelve years, and that’s all the trouble she needs without her mermaid roots coming back to haunt her.Rania’s heading home to Aegira for a family wedding but she’s starting to have a sinking feeling that’s got nothing to do with hydroporting seven miles under the sea and everything to do with some weird connections that seem to be emerging between her, the dead blonde, her Mom’s shady past and a ten thousand year old prophesy. Now if she can just steal a corpse, get a crazy Aegirian priest off her case, work out who the hell’s trying to kill her and stop sleeping with the fishes, she might be able to unravel the prophesy, the mystery of the missing choirgirls and the secrets hidden in her Mom’s past. And maybe even save her own ass while she’s at it.
Buy Fish Out of Water.
Find out more at www.rosbaxterink.com
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!
Remember, you can subscribe to this blog by typing in your email address in the top right corner to keep updated on my books, read revealing author interviews, enter great competitions, and learn marketing tips.
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To read other past, present, future interviews, click here. 🙂
Is Mature a four-letter word?
Is mature a four-letter-word? Sandra Antonelli and I discuss over at the Escape Blog…
by Sandra Antonelli and Juliet Madison
While proponents of the genre often talk about the breadth and depth of the stories within, one thing remains true: the heroine is young. Now, young is a relative term (I remember when 30 was old), but there definitely seems to be an age line of 38 that no heroine can cross and still expect a happy-ever-after.
But Sandra Antonelli and Juliet Madison pushed the boundaries. Both have written (and published with Escape) stories with heroines that cross the age divide. Granted, Juliet’s Kelly starts and ends at 25, but the bulk of her story happens on her 50th birthday. Sandra’s heroine, Lesley, is forty-something, and A Basic Renovation also features a secondary romance of her 92-year-old grandfather.
I asked these two authors about breaking the age barrier. They asked each other:
Older Heroines in Romantic Fiction – joint interview
By Sandra Antonelli and…
View original post 1,674 more words
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)
JULIET MADISON 