Blog Archives
Mouthwatering Moment… by Darlene Fredette
Today’s Mouthwatering Moment excerpt is from KEEPING SECRETS by Darlene Fredette.
Matt dipped another berry, leaned forward and smiled. “Come on, you know you want to.”
He wiggled the strawberry in the air. Samantha couldn’t resist. She grinned and leaned forward. Matt scooted closer and brought the berry to her lips. She stared into his eyes, opening her mouth. Matt smirked and dabbed the cream cheese on her nose.
Samantha sat back, startled. “Two can play that game.” She dipped a finger in the cream cheese and wiped it across his nose.
Matt let out a hearty laugh.
She selected another strawberry, dipped, and then held it to Matt’s lips. He leaned in, his lips parted, but she pulled the berry away. Samantha slowly licked the cream before biting off the tip of the strawberry.
Matt cleared his throat.
Samantha seductively nibbled another berry, keeping her eyes riveted on Matt, who was watching her every move.
“I so want to kiss you right now.”
The strawberry fell, forgotten from her fingers, and landed on her lap. She swallowed hard and licked her lips.
~*~
Darlene’s favourite meal: roast beef dinner with all the fixings: gravy, mash potatoes, carrots, corn, and of course finish the meal off with warm apple pie and ice cream!
Darlene’s favourite drink: Kahlua, Coconut rum, and milk. It’s like a white Russian but I substitute the rum for the vodka, it’s much smoother.
Darlene’s favourite indulgence: Strawberries. I just love them!
Thanks for sharing your excerpt, Darlene! Keeping Secrets was a great read 🙂
Find out more about Darlene here. And find out more about Keeping Secrets here.
Remember, you can win prizes by leaving a comment below. Make sure to subscribe to the blog to be eligible 🙂
Mouthwatering Moment… by Marilyn Brant
Today’s Mouthwatering Moment excerpt is from ON ANY GIVEN SUNDAE by Marilyn Brant…
Elizabeth caught Rob staring at her again across his mother’s dinner table. He was surprisingly silent amidst the family chaos. She, meanwhile, was left to answer questions galore from Camilla, Sammie and even an occasional triplet. Dishes clattered as roasted potatoes, manicotti, grilled carrots and tossed salad with crouton cubes were passed back and forth. Hunks of bread slathered in garlic butter were distributed to the crew. Wine or soft drinks were offered. Nobody dared refuse anything.
“None of that stinking low-carb stuff for us Gabinarris,” Rob’s brother Tony whispered to her with one eyebrow cocked. They all watched as Rob and Tony’s mom, Alessandra, heaped several spoonfuls of potatoes onto little Sammie’s plate.
Alessandra stopped abruptly, ladle in the air. “What happened to my music?” She looked accusingly around the table. “Roberto, was it you?” she said.
Rob shook his head, wide-eyed but with upturned lips, and his mother’s gaze fixed on Tony.
“Antonio?”
“Oh, all right. Yes, it was me.” Tony rolled his eyes and threw his hands in the air.
His mother continued to glare at him.
“I’ll go put it back on,” Tony said.
“You do that, Antonio.” She set down her bowl and crossed her arms. “Fooling with my CD player,” she muttered until the strains of Madonna’s classic “Get Into the Groove” floated into the dining room. “Hmm. That’s better,” she said when Tony returned. And the clattering, clanking, chattiness and general chaos resumed again at the table.
Fifteen minutes later, Elizabeth had managed to mostly relax. The children’s queries kept her occupied and Tony’s wife tossed encouraging smiles her way. She released a deep, pent-up breath. She’d almost done it. She’d nearly made it through the meal without saying or doing anything too embarrassing, thank goodness. In another half hour she’d be able to go home.
She glanced around the lively table. The triplets were making a game of poking holes in their bread. Sammie was still hiccupping. Camilla and her mother were giggling about something they’d seen in a Disney video. Rob and Tony were in the midst of a rousing debate over the previous NFC and AFC champs and the players who’d make the best draft picks for the fall season. Everyone grinned, talked, munched. She took a big bite of manicotti.
“So, Elizabeth,” the family matriarch said loudly, “don’t you think my son should get married soon?”
~*~
Marilyn’s favourite meal: Homemade lasagna (my Italian mother-in-law’s recipe) with soft garlic breadsticks and a fresh garden salad
Marilyn’s favourite drink: Sparkling white grape juice (non-alcoholic) or Lemon-Drop Martini (alcoholic)
Marilyn’s favourite indulgence: Sea-Salted Milk Chocolate-Covered Caramels (SO GOOD!)
Thanks for sharing your excerpt, Marilyn!
To find out more about Marilyn and her books visit her website.
Don’t forget to comment below and be in the running for some great prizes as part of my Mouthwatering May special event!
Special Guest Author Interview: Trisha Ashley
I’m thrilled to welcome author Trisha Ashley to the blog today as part of my Mouthwatering May special event.
1) Welcome Trisha! Can you tell us a little about your new book, Chocolate Shoes and Wedding Blues?
It’s set in rural West Lancashire, like several of my recent books. I didn’t start out to write a series – they’re all stand-alone novels – but there’s some overlapping of places and characters. The village in Chocolate Shoes and Wedding Blues is Sticklepond, where A Winter’s Tale and Chocolate Wishes also took place.
My heroine, Tansy, inherits a run-down shoe shop from her great-aunt and, when her life goes all Cinderella without a happy ending, she throws herself into recreating it as a bridal shoe emporium.
It is a huge success, which is a bit unfortunate for reclusive Shakespearian actor Ivo Hawksley, who has moved next door in search of some peace and quiet. Like Tansy, he has a few demons from his past to deal with – it’s all about coming to terms with what has happened in the past and how it has shaped you, so you can move on.
I suppose I’d describe my books as romantic comedy, though the humour arises from the characters themselves – I don’t try and write in a funny way, I just write.
2) You also have a book called Chocolate Wishes. What do you love about writing stories with a food theme?
The research, of course! The idea for the Chocolate Wishes of the title came about when I remembered making chocolate Easter eggs for my son when he was small and putting in a message from the Easter Bunny: I thought suddenly that fortune cookies would be so much nicer if they were made of chocolate…
Food is often a strong theme in my books because it can be comforting, exciting, reassuring, celebratory or simply an expression of love. I have no cookery training, it’s all just recipes I picked up along the way, or learned from my mother.
Other strong themes in my novels are gardening, especially roses and knot gardens, family (even if sometimes a little dysfunctional) and friendship, from which can grow all kinds of love.
3) How long does it usually take you to write the first draft of a novel?
On average, I suppose about four months, though the ideas for the next book will have been fermenting gently on the backburner while I was finishing off the last one. I have twice written a first draft in a fortnight in an unstoppable outpouring, which was exhilarating even if a trifle exhausting.
4) You share recipes in your books. Do you have an all time favourite recipe?
The rich dark fruit cake recipe in Wedding Tiers: I use it for birthdays, book launches, Christmas… It’s easy and always works. The very worst that can happen is that the edges catch a little, or the fruit sinks to the bottom, but it will taste wonderful anyway.
5) If you could name three essential ingredients that make up a great novel, what would they be?
The obvious answer would be: a beginning, middle and an end. By that I mean that a book should immediately transport you to a different place and then take you on a journey through it, with stop-offs to see the sights and have a few adventures. If a reader writes and says that I have provided them with that escape hatch, that Alice-through-the-looking-glass experience, then there can be no finer compliment.
6) What do you love most about being an author?
I usually write in first person and I adore becoming someone else and slipping off into a different world. But when all the characters have taken on a life of their own and start having conversations in your head when you’re trying to go to sleep at night, that can be annoying. I know if I don’t put the light on and write it all down, I’ll have forgotten it by morning.
I also enjoy taking two very different people, building the chemistry between them and then finding a way to bring them together. There have often been traumas in their past lives that make this outcome difficult to achieve, but I find that challenge exciting.
But the bottom line is, to quote Stephen King (I do love his book called On Writing!), writing is the most fun you can have on your own!
7) Do you have any words of wisdom for aspiring authors?
This may sound very obvious, but it has to be said: writers write, it’s in the nature of the job description. You write every day and feel guilty and bereft if you have finished a novel and not started on the next. So, don’t just think about it, do it. Get in the writing habit, if only for ten or fifteen minutes a day and then build on that. However busy you are, if you really want to write, you will find the time.
1) If you can’t get started at all, read Natalie Goldberg’s book, ‘Writing Down the Bones’.
2) Once you’ve got into the daily writing habit, then do read Stephen King’s book, ‘On Writing ‘ – he really tells it like it is.
3) Read my novel Happy Endings – the heroine, Tina Devino, is a novelist who also runs a manuscript critique service and there are letters to and from aspiring novelists throughout the book. You will learn a lot about what – and what not – to do!
4) Read a lot of recently published novels in the genre you are aiming at. Consider what length they are and what the readers of that kind of book expect from a novel.
5) You will know your main characters are three dimensional when they start having conversations with each other in your head.
But if you never get beyond chapter three don’t despair and give up, but try short stories instead: some of us are built to be sprinters and others for the marathon, you just have to find the writing form that suits you best.
*
Thank you so much Trisha for taking the time to visit the blog, you’ve given some valuable advice for aspiring authors, and your book cover is beautiful!
~ Trisha Ashley was born in St. Helens, Lancashire, and now lives in the beautiful surroundings of North Wales. She has written twelve romantic comedies and her last novel, The Magic of Christmas, was a Sunday Times bestseller. A Winter’s Tale and Wedding Tiers have been previously shortlisted for the Melissa Nathan award for romantic comedy. Every Woman for Herself was voted one of the top three romantic novels of the last fifty years.Visit Trisha’s website here, and twitter here.
…Remember, as part of the Mouthwatering May special event, you could win prizes simply by commenting below and on any of the posts during May. Be sure to subscribe to the blog too, to be eligible for prizes 🙂
Mouthwatering Moment… by Meredith Mileti (PLUS worldwide giveaway!!)
Today’s Mouthwatering Moment excerpt is from AFTERTASTE – A NOVEL IN FIVE COURSES by Meredith Mileti…
“Don’t move,” he says, getting up from the table and crossing the kitchen. He hefts a large cast iron pot from the oven. He lifts the lid, cups his hand, and wafts the steam upward toward his face. Even from across the room, the smell makes me want to swoon. Jake has made my favorite dish—his signature take on cassoulet, made with wild boar sausage braised in Barolo, cannellini beans, fennel and sweet red peppers. I can hear the hollow snap as he breaks the delicate crust of toasted bread, garlic and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. He fills a shallow bowl and places it reverently in front of me. “It’s not exactly summer fare, but I know it’s your favorite. I missed making it for you this winter. It actually works nicely with your pizza recipe, which has always been one of my favorites. We make a pretty good team, don’t you think?” he says softly. “Go ahead, taste it.”
“Aren’t you going to join me?”
“Of course,” he says, raising his eyes to meet mine. I watch as he fills his plate, picks up a bottle of wine and two glasses, and joins me at the table. He pours us each a glass of red wine. “Well? He asks, his eyes focused, unblinking, on my face.
I spear a piece of meat, which yields easily to my fork, and raise it to my lips. I take a deep breath and close my eyes…The flavors are at once complex and earthy. I taste every ingredient: the thick, slightly gamy taste of the boar; the subtle undercurrent of the fennel, which, when braised, releases a delicate licorice perfume; the gentle creaminess of the beans; the smoky heat of the roasted peppers; the harmonious balance of the wine.
It tastes like love.
Meredith’s favorite meal/indulgence: I love mussels. Any time, any way. (I’ve even been known to eat them for breakfast!) My favorite preparations are either steamed in white wine and shallot butter, or grilled and tossed with basil breadcrumbs. Just add a warm, crusty baguette and a glass of chilled Sancerre and I am a happy, happy girl.
Thanks for sharing your Mouthwatering Moment, Meredith!
Visit Meredith online here, and on twitter here.
To WIN one of two copies of AFTERTASTE, please leave a comment below. This competition is open WORLDWIDE and will be drawn at the end of the month. Thanks for your generosity, Meredith! (All comments left by blog subscribers will also be put in the draw for a Mouthwatering May special prize).
Mouthwatering Moment… by ME!
Today I thought I’d share one of my own Mouthwatering Moments with you! This scene is from THE JANUARY WISH, and unfortunately it is not published, but I hope it will be one day.
‘You never got to eat any Death by Chocolate,’ Mark said, a smile oozing from the corner of his mouth. ‘There’s still an hour and a half left of your birthday, how about we try and catch Café Lagoon before they close, and grab something to take-away?’
Sylvia’s smile grew wider. ‘As Grace told me today, ‘every birthday is a gift worth celebrating’, so I think it’s my duty to make the most of it.’
‘Especially at your age,’ Mark said, spicing his words with sarcasm.
Sylvia twisted her lips to one side and gave him an evil glare. ‘Watch what you say, mister, or –’
‘Or what?’
‘Or…I’ll thump you with my walking stick.’
Mark snorted. ‘In that case, I better think before I speak.’ It felt good to muck around with Sylvia, especially after the stress of tonight. ‘Anyway, in all seriousness, I think Grace is one wise girl.’
‘She sure is,’ Sylvia replied, accepting Mark’s offer of his outstretched hand.
At ten minutes to eleven they pulled up outside Café Lagoon, and Mark jumped out, before ducking his head back in the car. ‘What can I get the birthday girl?’
‘I’ll have a hot chocolate,’ Sylvia replied.
‘And to eat?’
‘Um… surprise me.’
Mark smiled and rushed inside. A staff member was wiping down tables and the last of the customers were filtering out. He paid for his order and then got back in the car, placing the cardboard tray containing the hot drinks on Sylvia’s lap, and the paper bag containing her ‘surprise’ between the two front seats.
‘Let me guess…a dandelion chai for you?’ Sylvia asked.
‘Of course.’
She tried to peer into the paper bag but he stopped her. ‘Uh-uh, wait till we get to the lookout. It’s a surprise, remember?’
~*~
My favourite meal: It’s hard to choose one favourite meal, but a meal I cook often that I love is lamb cutlets with sauteed bok choy and mushrooms, drizzled with toasted pine nuts and mustard dressing. The combination of flavours is beautiful.
My favourite treat: Guylian Belgian chocolate seashells (but I usually only have them a couple of times a year – birthday and Christmas!)
My favourite drink: A frothy soy hot chocolate 🙂
As well as this blog, I have a website you can visit here. And remember to leave a comment below and subscribe to the blog to be in the running for the Mouthwatering May prize draw at the end of the month! (You can see the prizes and rules here.)
Mouthwatering Moment… by Karly Lane
Today’s Mouthwatering Moment excerpt is from MORGAN’S LAW, by Karly Lane, published by Allen & Unwin.
He wasn’t making any sense and Sarah realised this was the first time she’d seen the cool, calm and collected Adam Buchanan flustered. “What’s your pride got to do with anything?”
“I’m beginning to wonder that myself,” he muttered.
“Do you want to just tell me what you’re talking about?” she suggested.
“That’s what I’m trying to do.”
“Well, you’re not doing a very good job of it.”
“Well, if you’d just be quiet and let me finish.”
“Fine. Finish already.”
“Geeze woman do you have to get the last word in every single conversation?”
“Considering I’m the only one who’s having a conversation while you keep talking in riddles –” she’d barely gotten the words out when he let out a low growl and leant closer, his mouth effectively putting a stop to her argument.
He’d kissed her before and it shouldn’t have come as any surprise, but the same electricity that had stolen her breath away the first time had doubled and she was certain something was very wrong with her. Her heart was racing and as she tried to force her brain to work, she was fairly certain she could no longer feel her toes. Maybe it was a stroke?
When he eventually pulled away from her and stared down into her startled gaze, she saw that he was also not unaffected.
“That’s why I’ve been staying away from you. I didn’t want to complicate things more than they already were.”
“Oh.” Oh? She worked with words for a living and had a degree for Gods sake, and that was the extent of her vocabulary?
~*~
Karly’s favourite meal: With the cold weather creeping in, I’ve been having cravings for Lamb shanks! They would have to be my favourite ‘comfort food’ in winter.
Karly’s favourite drink: A Margareta! The best ones I’ve ever had are served at a restaurant we go to in a fish bowl sized cocktail glass!
Karly’s favourite treat: Sara Lee icecream….Oh. My. God.
A BIG thank you to Karly for sharing her excerpt!
You can visit Karly’s website and find more about the book, here. And remember to leave a comment below and subscribe to the blog to be in the running for the Mouthwatering May prize draw at the end of the month! (You can see the prizes & rules here)
Mouthwatering Moment… by Rachael Johns
The first Mouthwatering Moment excerpt for May is from JILTED, by Rachael Johns. This book will be published in June, so here’s a little taste…
‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ he scoffed. ‘You’ll be a wonderful mother. You were always good with Lucy, still are.’
‘Thanks,’ she smiled meekly. ‘But it’s a moot point. First I’d have to find a man to have kids with.’
As if that would be difficult, he thought. Did she really have such a low opinion of herself? Without thinking, he reached out and brushed his fingertips along her cheek, tucking an errant strand of hair behind her ear. She caught his hand against her cheek, holding it there as they gazed into each other’s eyes. His pulse thrummed hard and fast. He felt himself leaning forward, losing his balance and much, much more as he stared at her lips and imagined them playing erotically across his. One hand still pressed to her cheek, he reached the other up to steady himself against the tree and dipped his head.
Right before Lady Gaga’s latest hit started blaring from Ellie’s pocket.
~*~
Rachael’s favourite meal: I’ve got a fantasy meal… it doesn’t really matter what the food is (as long as there’s no mushrooms or olives or seafood involved) but my kids will eat it ALL and they won’t fight and bicker or put their feet up on the table while we’re eating it!
Rachael’s favourite treat: Cake – pretty much any kind except fruit cake.
Rachael’s favourite drink: Diet Coke.
Thanks Rachael for sharing your excerpt, I can’t wait to read JILTED!
You can visit Rachael’s website here, and remember to leave a comment below to be in the running for the Mouthwatering May prize draw at the end of the month!
Emmie Dark Answers Juliet’s Ten Awkward Author Questions! + 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 I’d like to welcome Emmie Dark to the blog!
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!)
You do go straight for the heart! 🙂 Okay, my truthful answer is the one I’m writing now – title-less, only five chapters written, and I’m totally smitten by it. The hero is the hero of my heart – if I could find a way to make him walk off the page and into my life, I’d do it!
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.
Hmm. I’d like to think more than one of these apply to me. But I’ll go with neat. I travel a lot for work, and my friends and family are always amazed that by ten minutes after getting in the door, my suitcase is unpacked, put away and the first load of washing is in the machine.
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 think probably more than one of these apply to me too! I’ll go with Always Late. Not by very much, but I’m regularly a ‘just past the hour’ than ‘before the hour’ kind of person.
4. Have you ever had a romantic crush on one of your characters? Who and why?
Every single hero I’ve written! I always fall in love with my heroes. In my book “In His Eyes” that comes out in August, I have a secondary character called Morris who’s a grumpy old guy with a heart of gold. I think I’m a little in love with him, but it’s more of a girl-crush than a romantic one.
5. When writing an important scene, do you act it out to allow you to better describe what’s happening?
Yes, I have done that! I also read some of my dialogue aloud – I sometimes wonder what my neighbours are thinking!
6. Do you talk to yourself when writing or coming up with plot ideas?
Well, there’s an easy awkward question given I’ve already answered it! 😉 Yes, I will definitely read dialogue aloud. I also find when I’m coming up with plot and character arcs, I need to talk them through with someone. I have a few friends and a couple of crit partners who are handy sounding boards.
7. Who would be ideal to play YOU in a movie of your life?
I’m loving the show “Once Upon a Time” at the moment and I’d love to say Jennifer Morrison. But she’s not really like me – probably I’d more accurately go with someone more quirky, like Tina Fey.
8. If you could be any book character for one day, who would you be and why?
I’d like to be Bastian in The Neverending Story. He gets to have a fabulous adventure and once he’s overcome the Nothing, he gets to create a whole new Fantasia for himself. I’ve always loved that book and I’d very much like to have my own luckdragon.
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
This is a very tough one! I’m hopeless writing long-hand, so the pen and paper would be no use to me. I think I’d probably like an unlimited supply of book, but I’d be lost without an occasional glass of chardonnay. And a gorgeous companion… sigh. I’ll go with books. At least then I can imagine wine and heroes!
10. If you had the attention of the whole world for two minutes what would you say?
Be kind to each other. That’s all.
Thanks for participating, Emmie. You have been awarded Ultra-Brave Author status on the Braveometer!
Check out Emmie’s new book, CASSIE’S GRAND PLAN. PLUS, to WIN a copy, leave a comment for Emmie below!
CASSIE’S GRAND PLAN
BACK BLURB
Four steps to a brand-new life
Cassie Hartman knows what she needs to do to get her life under control. First, she’ll get herself promoted. Then she’ll update her appearance. Steps three and four—marriage and family—well, those will have to wait.
Then Ronan McGuire shows up. The too-sexy, too-polished business consultant has the power to derail Cassie’s plans before she’s even really started. If he doesn’t approve her promotion, she’ll be back to square one—and that’s not an option. Cassie needs to keep her focus on that first step, no matter how much Ronan tempts her to skip ahead to the third and fourth ones….
Buy Links:
Harlequin Amazon Amazon UK
B&N Book Depository
Emmie Dark’s Bio:
After years of writing press releases, employee newsletters and speeches for CEOs and politicians – none of which included any kind of kissing – Emmie Dark finally took to her laptop to write what she wanted to write. She was both amazed and delighted to discover that what came out was sexy, noble heroes who found themselves crossing paths with strong, determined heroines. And plenty of kissing.
Emmie’s overnight success has taken about five years to achieve. She began fiddling around with story ideas when the urge to write fiction became overwhelming. In July 2011 she sold her first book to Harlequin SuperRomance and she’s not looking back, with her second sale in September. Both books will be out in 2012.
Emmie lives in Melbourne, Australia, and she likes red lipstick, chardonnay, sunshine, driving fast, rose-scented soap and a really good cup of tea. Like, a really good cup of tea. She’s particularly fussy about it, and has been known to pack her own teabags when she travels. Most members of her family are too scared to make her a cuppa, in case they get it wrong.
…What about you, do you have a Grand Plan for your life?
Fiona Palmer answers Juliet’s Ten Awkward Author Questions!
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 Fiona Palmer to the blog! Not only is Fiona brave for answering these questions, she is also generous, as she is giving away a copy of her new book, THE ROAD HOME!
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!)
Hmm, I’d have to say the fourth book I’m writing as I’ve grown so much as a writer and I’ve learnt so much now, whereas my first book I was a complete novice. I look back at my first book and cringe with what I know now. 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.
I’d like to say cheerful, but there are days where that just doesn’t happen (I have kids!!) so I’d have to stick with punctual. I just hate being late. If someone says, meet me at 7, then I have to be there by that time, even a little early so I’m not leaving them waiting. My watch is my best friend. 🙂
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.
Well we can rule out the first one. I do like a bit of goss…(I work at the local post office, it’s practically the grapevine lol) But I’d have to go with klutz. But more a klutz in my mind. I can be totally gullible and sometimes just be on a whole other wave length. (I could blame having kids, but I was like this at high school. I have stories, one was ironing my face…I know I hear you all going WHAT, but it happened…and don’t get me started on the other things!)
4. Have you ever had a romantic crush on one of your characters? Who and why?
It was Will from my first book. Who wouldn’t want the hunky wealthy next-door farmer? I always wanted to marry a farmer, until I realised the farm would come first LOL.
5. When writing an important scene, do you act it out to allow you to better describe what’s happening?
No. Well in a way, it’s acted out in my head like a movie. I’ll be staring at a wall as I become lost in my head as the characters come alive and I watch them go about their business. Then I come to and realise my kids have been yelling at me for the last ten minutes! Kids+writing=hard work.
6. Do you talk to yourself when writing or coming up with plot ideas?
Again I do, but internally. I’m not a verbal person, I’d much prefer typing emails than phone calls. Just as well I don’t do it out loud because I think I’d scare a lot of people. And it’s a lot faster just letting my mind whizz through the words and ideas. Talking them would slow me down. (Oh and I also have this problem where my brain and mouth aren’t connected very well. I can think of something to say but it comes out my mouth different! It’s a curse.)
7. Who would be ideal to play YOU in a movie of your life?
I’d have to say Sandra Bullock – Her character in Miss Congeniality is close (I’m a tomboy) and she played that so well, she’s not afraid to be a dork.
8. If you could be any book character for one day, who would you be and why?
Elizabeth Bennet. Because I love her spirit and hey, she’s married to Mr Darcy and gets to live in a gorgeous old house.
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 all of them together would be perfect. Okay just one. Hmm I’d have to say the books because then I could escape to all different places and not have to worry about running out of ideas!
10. If you had the attention of the whole world for two minutes what would you say?
Really I think I couldn’t do it, the pressure would be too much. Trying to figure out what would be the perfect most useful thing to say would fry my brain. Even now I’m thinking OMG what would I say!!
Thanks Fiona, you have been awarded Ultra-Brave Author status on the braveometer!
You can visit Fiona at her website, Facebook, and Twitter (@fiona_palmer)
*To be in the draw to WIN a copy of Fiona’s brand new book (released this week!). THE ROAD HOME, please comment below and answer the following question:
“What would YOU say to the world if you had everyone’s attention for two minutes?”
(Winner drawn Monday 26th March)
Fiona Lowe answers Juliet’s Ten Awkward Author Questions!
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 Fiona Lowe to the blog! *applause*
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!)
Logically, if my very first book hadn’t been published then perhaps none of the others would have been. An author learns with each book she writes and I doubt I could have written Boomerang Bride without the foundation of the previous eleven medical romances. I love this book for a heap of reasons….it is my first single title, it is a completely different style of book from my category romances, it struggled to get published and now it is a RT Book Reviewers’ Choice Award nominee and Harlequin are going to print publish it for their NA Reader Service.
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.
Ohhh, hard choice between generous and cheerful. Better 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.
This one is much easier to answer. Blabbermouth in that I like to talk, but NOT in disclosing secrets because I can be a vault of information if required.
4. Have you ever had a romantic crush on one of your characters? Who and why?
LOL, EVERY single hero I write. I think you have to love him to write him so you can show him warts and all and make your reader fall in love with him.
5. When writing an important scene, do you act it out to allow you to better describe what’s happening?
If it features a lot of movement then I act it out. I have even hung upside down from a window to replicate a scene. Once when I wrote a dinner scene with eight people, I drew a seating chart so I knew who was sitting where.
6. Do you talk to yourself when writing or coming up with plot ideas?
I often find myself having the conversation between my characters. It was only embarrassing when I did it in the supermarket. Got a few odd looks!
7. Who would be ideal to play YOU in a movie of your life?
Alyson Hannigan who plays Lily in How I Met Your Mother.
8. If you could be any book character for one day, who would you be and why?
Elizabeth Bennett from Pride and Prejudice because she gets Darcy AND Pemberley. I love me an English country manor house.
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
An unlimited supply of books.
10. If you had the attention of the whole world for two minutes what would you say?
Treat all people from all nations like you treat your child… care for them, expect the best of them, champion them, encourage them, care for them, give them skills, share your wisdom and love them.
Thanks Fiona, you have been awarded ‘Ultra-Brave Author’ status on the braveometer!
Visit Fiona at her website.
Boomerang Bride Out Now! Top Pick by RT Book Reviews! Published by Carina Press
Nominated for an RT Book Reviewers Choice award!
Sydney Harbour Hospital: Tom’s Redemption April 2012
JULIET MADISON 