Interview & Giveaway: JB Lynn

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I'm so excited to welcome the awesome JB Lynn to my blog! JB is a fellow Carina Press author and today is the release of her romantic suspense novel, THE FIRST VICTIM. I've been looking forward to reading this book since I first heard about it and I'm so happy she agreed to let me interview her.

About the Book: 

Fifteen years ago, Emily Wright barely escaped from a serial killer dubbed the Baby Doll Strangler. She wants nothing to do with the small town where she was abducted, but when her father is hospitalized she reluctantly returns home to care for her teenage sister. 

When her sister's friend is killed and left in front of Emily's house, Emily begins to relive the nightmare she endured long ago. Soon she realizes that her sister, too, is in danger from the killer—and the only person who can help is the man Emily left behind: Deputy Bailey O'Neil. Together, Emily and Bailey must discover the killer's identity before he claims his next victim...

Welcome, JB! Tell us a little about yourself.

Thanks so much for having me! I’m a voracious reader, an obsessive writer, a long distance walker, and someone who drinks way too much coffee. When I was a little girl I pretended to be Nancy Drew…or when I was feeling particularly adventurous, The Hardy Boys (didn’t matter to me if I was Frank or Joe…their adventures were equally thrilling). As I got older, I thought it would be pretty cool to be Alex Cross from the James Patterson novels. Now I’m resigned to the fact that I’m most similar to Isabel Spellman from The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz. Except I’m older, married, and I’m not a P.I.

Please tell us about The First Victim and what inspired you to write it.

I wrote the kind of story I like to read. I have a soft spot for really creepy villains. I’m a fan of victims becoming victors. And, of course, I’m a sucker for love conquering all, lol. I wanted to explore all those things and that’s just what I got to do in THE FIRST VICTIM.

How much research was involved in writing The First Victim? 

I consulted with a former FBI agent and a forensic psychologist – don’t those sound like two really cool jobs? I mean, they’re the closest thing to Alex Cross I could find in real life, lol.

What appeals to you about writing romance suspense? 

I think a romantic storyline enhances the suspense in a novel. It raises the emotional stakes for the hero and heroine and allows the reader to root for them (not just against the villain). The romantic suffering of the hero and heroine results in something more than the defeat of the villain. It results in a loving relationship…and I don’t know about every other reader out there, but that’s the part I can identify with (having never hunted down a psychotic serial killer myself).

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

I’m a plantser…I do some plotting and some pantsing. I plot out all the major turning points and I don’t start a project without knowing how it’s going to end, but I don’t do a fifty page outline the way some writers do. Hence my “plantser” status.

What is your writing schedule like? 

Ha! In a perfect world I’d say that I write Monday thru Friday and edit on the weekends. Or maybe I’d say I write five thousand words five days a week. Or maybe I’d say I work on one project at a time. But those are all delusions. Most weeks I end up writing about ten thousand…and then deleting at least five thousand when I sit down to edit. Really it’s a miracle I ever finish anything.

Can you tell us what you're working on now? 

I could tell you but then I’d have to kill you! Only kidding. Maybe. I’m working on a new humorous crime series. It’s sort of Carl Hiassen meets Lisa Lutz…with a healthy dose of JB Lynn’s warped bent thrown in. I’m a big fan of old movies like ARSENIC AND OLD LACE and THE THIN MAN series that managed to integrate humorous elements into crime stories, so in some ways, this is an homage to them (although my books are considerably darker). I’m also developing a novel featuring FBI agents Chase Morgan and Sebastian Black from THE FIRST VICTIM.

Do you have a website or blog? 

http://jblynn.com

http://killerchicks.org

What good books have you read recently that you'd like to recommend? 

I thought Kate Brady’s ONE SCREAM AWAY was a great read and I loved Allison Brennan’s LOVE ME TO DEATH (then again, I love all of Allison’s suspense novels). And I highly recommend Emma Donoghue’s ROOM.

What advice do you have for aspiring writers?

Learn how to finish writing a book. It’s relatively easy to start a book, but getting through the middle and to “The End” is a real challenge. And from the wonderful wisdom of Galaxy Quest “Never give up. Never surrender!”

Thanks for stopping by, JB!

Thanks so much for having me, Angela. I’d like to give away a copy of The First Victim to one of your followers. To enter all they have to do is leave a comment telling me their favorite villain(s) of all time. I’ll announce the winner (who will be chosen at random from the entries) in the comments section on June 17th!

To celebrate its release, I’m running multiple contests this week, so everyone should check out my blog to find other ways to be entered to win a copy of The First Victim.

Interview & Giveaway: Amy Plum

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I'm so thrilled to welcome author Amy Plum today! I met Amy on twitter and she graciously agreed to an interview about her first YA novel, Die For Me. The book is set in Paris and releases in the UK on May 5th and here in the states on May 10th. And check out that gorgeous cover!

About the book: 

“In the City of Lights, two star-crossed lovers battle a fate that is destined to tear them apart again and again for eternity.”

“When Kate Mercier’s parents die in a tragic car accident, she leaves her life—and memories—behind to live with her grandparents in Paris. For Kate, the only way to survive her pain is escaping into the world of books and Parisian art. Until she meets Vincent.

Mysterious, charming, and devastatingly handsome, Vincent threatens to melt the ice around Kate’s guarded heart with just his smile. As she begins to fall in love with Vincent, Kate discovers that he’s a revenant—an undead being whose fate forces him to sacrifice himself over and over again to save the lives of others. Vincent and those like him are bound in a centuries-old war against a group of evil revenants who exist only to murder and betray. Kate soon realizes that if she follows her heart, she may never be safe again.

1. Welcome, Amy! Tell us a little about yourself and your new book.

Hi Angela! Well, I’m an American living in France with my handsome French husband and two young children. We moved from NYC to the Loire Valley to live near my husband’s father when I found out I was pregnant with my first child. It’s great having the grandparents around, but I sure miss the big city!

DIE FOR ME is actually my second book. The first, a memoir about living in the French countryside, is unpublished. So I got a bit of practice with that one before throwing myself into a YA paranormal novel. I set the book in Paris, where I lived for 5 years when I was in my twenties. Maybe it was my isolation here in the countryside that made me want to visit Paris every day in my mind!

2. Describe Kate Mercier, the heroine of Die For Me.

Kate is sixteen when the book starts, and for her age she is pretty strong and mature. But she starts out at a disadvantage: her parents have just died, and she is suffering. She and her sister Georgia move to Paris to live with their grandparents and that is where the story begins.

3. How much research was involved in writing the book? 

Most of the book was written from my own memories of Paris. But for some of the older characters, I did a bit of research to make sure their names were appropriate for the period they came from.

4. You used to live in Paris. What was that like? 

 
I lived in Paris for five years. And even though I was working, commuting, and living a normal life, every day that I stepped outside my front door into the street I looked around myself in wonder and couldn’t believe how lucky I was. Paris is a magical place.

5. How much of the book is based on your own experiences in Paris?

Many of the locations are taken from places I know or lived in in Paris. And a lot of the activities that Kate and the others take part in are from my own experiences.

6.  Can you tell us what you're working on now? 

I am in the editing process for Book 2 at the moment, and am working on an idea for a completely different YA series!

7. Do you have a website or blog?

My website (and blog) are at http://www.amyplumbooks.com

Thanks for stopping by, Amy!

Amy sent me some autographed bookmarks for Die For Me! Just leave a comment below before April 30th for your chance to win one.

Interview & Giveaway: Carolyn Moncel

Today it's my pleasure to welcome author Carolyn Moncel! Carolyn is an entrepreneur and the author of Encounters in Paris. I met her through Goodreads and she was nice enough to stop by and tell us about her book. Carolyn has also graciously agreed to give away an eBook of Encounters in Paris to one lucky commenter!

About Encounters in Paris

Life is filled with random encounters and Ellery Roulet, a 35-year-old American PR executive living and working in Paris, has experienced enough of them to last five lifetimes. When betrayal, loss, mistakes, regrets and even acceptance enter Ellery's life at different times, she learns it is not what one experiences, but how one chooses to deal with those experiences that shapes the soul within. This bittersweet collection of tales shows just how messy and complicated life can be, and that sometimes there just aren't any neat and easy solutions at all.

Welcome, Carolyn! Tell us a little about yourself.

At night I write but during the day, I own two companies, MotionTemps, LLC, a digital project management company; and also Mondavé Communications, a media relations training company. I’ve been living in Lausanne, Switzerland since 2007 with my husband Philippe, two daughters Chloe and Jillian and a very, very old cat called Poeme.

Describe Encounters in Paris and what inspired you to write it.

Encounters in Paris is a collection of short stories. Since all of the stories are connected, it almost reads like a novella instead of a collection of short stories and that was a deliberate decision.

The inspiration came from observing life in general while living and working in Paris. Expatriate life is hard, and I wanted to address some of the more common scenarios but through the eyes of this one character. There are five stories that all center around Ellery Roulet, a 35-year-old African-American who lives and works in Paris. Ellery thinks she has everything. She is married to handsome French guy, Julien, has twin daughters and runs a successful bilingual PR firm in one of Paris’ trendiest parts of the city. Unfortunately, Ellery soon realizes that life isn’t always so perfect. In one story she loses her job, in another she finds out her husband is having an affair, and yet in another she deals with the death of her mother. She realizes that life can be quite messy; some problems can be solved while others can’t and that’s okay.

You once lived in Paris. What was that like?

My family and I lived in Paris for exactly five years, from 2002 until 2007. In the beginning, I did not enjoy living there. We moved there very suddenly due to my husband`s job. When we arrived I had two small daughters (five and two weeks old) and everything (language, culture, city, country) was completely new. Gradually I found my footing. I learned the city, made friend and my business took off. After about two years everything was fine. There were plenty of days when I was ready to leave, but I would wake up and see a beautiful sunrise or sunset and think to myself, “Well, I think I can stay just one more day!”

How much of Encounters in Paris is based on your own experiences?

I would say that these stories are about 25 percent real and 75 percent imagination. I take my inspiration from everywhere. For example, there are some aspects of my own life represented here, but only a tiny bit. I spend a great deal of time watching other people and observing how they behave or react in different situations. I also get ideas from watching television programs or reading books and magazines. My family and friends tell me some outrageous stories at times as well.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Most of the time I am a pantser to be sure. I tried to be a plotter and all I got out of it was procrastination. I really try to follow George Orwell`s advice “…Write from the heart and then edit with your head.”

What is your writing schedule like?

I write every night from 9 pm until 11 pm. I write a bit more on the weekends. On the weekends I write between 6 am and 9 am. By then my children are up and about and the real day begins.

Can you tell us what you're working on now?

I just finished my next book called 5 Reasons to Leave a Lover. It will be released in September 2011. One day recently, I was walking down the street and heard Paul Simon’s song, “50 Ways to Leave a Lover.” I thought, well that song is only half right. The ways in which to leave a lover are infinite, but the reasons are pretty finite. At the end of the day, it usually boils down to death, divorce, cheating, deception, and ambivalence. So I decided to write a fresh batch of stories surrounding these themes and Ellery and Julien Roulet from Encounters in Paris return in this series, providing further explanation into their story, but there are new characters as well.

Do you have a website or blog?

Yes, I do. My website is: www.carolynmoncel.com.

What good books have you read recently that you'd like to recommend?

Currently, I seem to be spending a lot of time on the African continent! I am reading some really good books right now. I just finished Baking Cakes in Kigali by Gail Parkin. I am also really enjoying The Memory of Love by Aminatta Forna and Strength in What Remains by Tracy Kidder.

What advice do you have for aspiring writers?

I know it sounds like a cliché but aspiring writers should persevere and never give up. All of us have experienced rejection but you just have to keep going. Over time, you learn to distinguish between bad luck or timing, cruelty and constructive criticism. Take the positive and negative feedback and use it to become a better writer, and keep reading! 

Thanks for stopping by, Carolyn! 

You have until Tuesday March 1st to comment for your chance to win the Encounters in Paris eBook!

Valentine's Day Interview & Giveaway: Rae Renzi

Happy Valentine's Day! It's my pleasure to welcome fellow Carina author Rae Renzi! Rae's debut romance, RiverTime, releases today and she's been gracious enough to stop by and answer my nosy questions. She'll also be giving away a copy of RiverTime to one lucky commenter!

About RiverTime:

Casey Lord needs a break. Her great-on-paper boyfriend, Reed, is pressuring her to marry him—but she's not sure if he sees her merely as an asset to help his political career. A river-rafting trip in the remote wilderness provides the perfect opportunity to clear her head. Until a flash flood sweeps Casey away from her group—and straight into the arms of Jack, a mysterious man also stranded by the flooding river.

Jack won't tell Casey his last name, and her innocent questions about his life are met with evasive answers. Yet they have to trust each other to survive, and as the pair await rescue, their uneasy truce slowly blossoms into friendship—and love. They agree to keep secret whatever differences may separate them in the real world.

When rescue finally arrives, will it spell an end to their budding relationship or can they find a way to stay in RiverTime?

Welcome, Rae! Tell us a little about yourself.

Talking about myself doesn't come easy, but the basics are that I (mostly) grew up in a tiny town in Oklahoma, although my parents were quasi jet-setters (literally-- my father was an experimental test pilot for McDonnell-Douglas), which made for a two-sided childhood: we were familiar with the cosmopolitan, but intimate with rural small town. I now live in Texas, where I'm an associate professor of cognitive neuroscience. I have written science for years ("publish or perish" is not a myth!), but only recently decided to delve into writing fiction.

Describe Casey Lord and Jack Raines the hero and heroine of RiverTime, and what inspired you to create them.



RiverTime is my debut novel, and also the first novel I penned (not always the same thing). To create the heroine, Casey Lord, I confess that I took the easy route: she is more-or-less autobiographical. Jack Raines, though, was wholly imagined. He was assembled from bits and pieces of various people I've known, and tweaked towards an ideal. His family background was inspired by the (real) stories I heard from friends who work with children and youth raised in acute-risk circumstances. I loved bringing to life someone who had surmounted significant obstacles, but was not untouched by them.

How much research was involved in writing RiverTime?

Most of the research I did related to getting the physical details right for the river and the canyon scenes. A six-day river-rafting trip down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon provided me with a multitude of experiences and sensory impressions to translate to the page, including nearly capsizing in whitewater rapids, brushes with snakes, scorpions and hypothermia, and breathtaking views from the bottom of the mile-high Canyon.

What appeals to you about writing romance?

Everything! Writing (and doing) science is about breaking things down, tearing them apart to gain understanding. Writing romance is about creation, about building a relationship that ends in love. In my case, there is usually some adventure thrown in for fun. It's fantastically uplifting. In fact, after a really hard day at work, I can't wait to get home and create something on the page. It's like going to a super-duper spa.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

I think that most of these categorical designations are probably better described as a continuous line. In this case, if dedicated plotters are at 1, and complete pantsers are at 10, I would be around a 6.

What is your writing schedule like?

Every morning—and I do mean every--I wake up, get a cup of hot chocolate and crawl back into bed with my laptop. Weekdays, I usually stay there for a couple of hours before heading for the halls of academia, and I write again in the evening if I can. On weekends (bliss!) I write as long as I like, or until the mundane world intervenes.



Can you tell us what you're working on now?

I'm currently working on an adventure story with dogs, in which the romance between two of the secondary characters from RiverTime (Ditsy and Nocona) is developed. I've also just about wrapped up a very different kind of story—a love story with ghosts staffing a dating service.

Do you have a website or blog? 



Yes! My website is www.raerenzi.com. I'm also on Twitter: @RaeRenzi.

What good books have you read recently that you'd like to recommend?

I just finished The 
Time Weaver by Shana Abe´, which is a wonderfully romantic fantasy, and The Vet's Daughter by Barbara Comyns, which is a powerful literary novel. Along the lines of fun non-fiction, I'm reading Bats Sing, Mice Giggle, which reveals some of the extrasensory (extra to humans, that is) abilities of animals and plants, by Drs. Shanor and Kanwal. It's loaded with surprises and delights, and a few kind of scary facts.

What advice do you have for aspiring writers?

There is some research out there that suggests that people who get pleasure from engaging in a process are happier than those who get pleasure from achieving a goal. This makes a lot of sense: you can wallow in goal success only so long, but the writing process never stops. My advice is to write for the pleasure of writing. If it isn't fun for you, think again.

Thanks for stopping by, Rae. And don't forget to comment by midnight 2/19  for your chance to win a copy of RiverTime!

Character Interview: Ciaran Letang from Dream's Dark Kiss!

Today it's my pleasure to welcome Ciaran Letang, the heroine of Shirin Dubbin's paranormal romance novella, Dream's Dark Kiss, which releases today!

AH: Welcome Ciaran! Please tell us a bit about yourself. For instance, how do you pronounce your name?

CL: Hullo Angela! Thanks for having me. It’s KEER-un, from the old Gaelic, and means “little dark one”. [holds out arms] Well, mum hit that one on the head.

I have two jobs. During the day I manage an up market hotel. Through the night I carry out psychopomp duties and ferry the dead to the otherside. It’s freaky, I know, but it’s meaningful. The best bit is the “last hurrah” where a soul does something exhilarating before departing. Souls are always joyous in that final moment.

AH: What similarities do you share with author Shirin Dubbin and what are your differences?

CL: Shirin and I aren’t similar at all, although we are cousins. She’s slow to anger and I’m quick tempered. She’s a true southern American and I’m a London girl for true. We have a lovely relationship though—lots of laughs and love.

AH: Oh, I didn’t know you were cousins! That’s so sweet! How did you become a soul conductor?

I actually have no idea. [she laughs] I think it’s a right of birth. Something to do with spiritual proclivity, but I’m postulating ‘cause I’ve never meet another psychopomp/soul-conductor. Have you?

AH: Nope. You’re the only one!

CL: There you have it. I wouldn’t mind meeting someone who understands the life. The Dreaming started pulling me in around the age of ten. Can you imagine dreaming you’ve escorted Mrs. Braithwaite—from down the road—to her final reward only to wake up and find she choked on a toffee during the night? Terrifying.

AH: I’ll bet! As well as conducting souls to the other side, your day job is managing a London hotel. What do you find appealing and unappealing about both of your jobs?

CL: Ah, well, working with wealthy clientele invites all manner of eccentricity: rockers and diplomats strolling the halls in the nude (you’d be surprised how often that happens); heiresses playing call girl for the weekend. But there are just as many perks. I’ve been loaned villas in Tuscany for holiday and given luxury thank you gifts. One client, a princess, sent me an Alexander McQueen silk kimono jacket. God bless her soul.

The dead are eccentric as well. I’ve witnessed several last hurrahs that had me blushing like a smacked arse. Thank goodness, I don’t work with the baddies. I don’t know who escorts them over but I wouldn’t like to have that job. Actually, before I met Keoni and ran into the banes (nightmarish beasts) there were no drawbacks to soul conducting. Once I got old enough to understand the job I quite enjoyed it. Of course, meeting the literal man of your dreams changes everything.

AH: Okay, you knew this nosy question was coming? What's up with you and Keoni?

CL : [she smiles, blushing like the smacked bottom she mentioned earlier] He’s lovely. Better than lovely. I can’t tell you much more. Shirin’s got me under a gag order. My life has become a reality series and I can’t reveal the winner until the episode has aired. But, yes…Keoni is…lovely.

You wouldn’t have a crush on him would you, Angela?

AH: Who me? Um…(blushing)…no! Moving on! Should the waking world be worried about what goes on in The Dreaming?

CL: I shouldn’t say. I don’t want to cause a panic…and really, where would you run?

AH: Okay. Good point. What's next for Ciaran?

CL: I’ll have to tell you the details off the record, but [whispers] I’m on a quest.

AH: A quest, huh? Sounds exciting! Can’t wait to hear about it. Do you know if Shirin plans to give Archer...oops…I mean Keoni's other Somnian brahs their own stories?

CL: Ah ha, you fancy Archer. He’s nice (and I mean that in the British since).

I’m not sure about Shirin’s plans. I know she stalks the boys at, For Whom the Tale Tolls, their favorite pub. They don’t seem to mind though. She’s a funny girl.

AH: Is there anything else you'd like readers to know about you?

CL: I drone on at times and might be a bit pedantic but in this story I expose my deepest pain, shortcomings, failures, regaining laughter and falling in love. I couldn’t be more raw than I am in Dreams’ Dark Kiss. I’m not bothered a bit though. I fought back from the worst time in my life, through the scariest things I’ve ever faced, and came out on the other end—not only intact but better. [she blushes again] Keoni is lovely, isn’t he?

AH: Er, yeah, that’s one word for him ; )! Thank you so much for stopping by, Ciaran!

CL: [grins] Thanks to you. I’ll tell Archer you said hullo.

Want to win a copy of Dreams' Dark Kiss? Just tell us what your fantasy/paranormal dream job is in the comments section. For example, I'd love to be a librarian at Hogwarts or Doctor Who's traveling companion. And if you'd like another taste of how fierce and fabulous Ciaran is, check out her wardrobe below!