An interview with author, Lori Foster! @lorilfoster @harlequinbooks

I am so pleased to have been able to do another q & a with Lori Foster as part of her blog promotion tour for No Limits!  I have to say that I loved reading both No Limits and the prequel novella, Hard Knocks and I know that after checking out this interview, you are going to want to add them both to your TBR pile and, like me, will be waiting on tinderhooks for the rest of this latest series!  

1. Can you tell us a little bit about your latest release, No Limits?


This is Cannon’s story, a character that readers met in my last series, Love Undercover. From the second Cannon showed up on the page, I knew he’d get his own story. He’s that kind of guy, the guy who steps up and takes notice and gets a lot of notice in return.

In No Limits, Cannon reunites with Yvette, another character from the previous series. They parted under strained circumstances, with Cannon just heading into professional MMA and Yvette young and traumatized from a horrific threat. Cannon saved her then, but he was noble because of her age and what she’d been through. Now she’s older, more independent, and he’s ready to make up for lost time.

Guest Review and Interview: Sheila Roberts new book, The Tea Shop on Lavender Lane

My mom (Judy from Retired-Not-Tired) was visiting recently and we got to talking about books and I mentioned that I'd be reviewing another one of Sheila Roberts' books (read about my review of Better than Chocolate here) and she said that she'd be happy to review the latest book, The Tea Shop on Lavender Lane while I took the opportunity to interview the author!  It's all part of her Pump Up Your Book Blog Tour:

Here's what mom had to say:

I finished reading " The Tea shop on Lavender Lane" by Sheila Roberts this afternoon. It was a wonderful summer read. Sheila writes in the same  vein as Debbie Macomber who I love. Sheila tells the story of 3 sisters, 2 who want the same man. The story twists and turns as both sisters figure out what man is their true love. The story has a happy ending and the part I like best is how tea plays a part in solving the issues. Tea is an important part of my life and I see this story  as another way many people come together over a cup of tea.
Sheila's characters seem very real and I can picture them in the small town of Icicle Falls. I look forward to reading more of Sheila Roberts.

Here's what the publisher offers as an overview of The Tea Shop on Lavender Lane:

Behind the Author: Gene Doucette

***This author interview includes links to purchase a book for 18+, although the interview is family friendly.***

Behind the Author - Cindy McDonald

I am so pleased to invite Cindy McDonald to sit down and share a little bit about herself and her latest book in the Unbridled Series, Shady Deals as part of her Pump Up Your Book blog tour:

1. Tell us a little bit about how you write your books:

I love to write in the evening. It is the quiet time of the day. After I have cleaned up dinner, I check to see what my husband is watching on television, and then I pour a glass of wine and go downstairs into my office where my characters are waiting for me—sometimes they are waiting in panic—depending on what debacle I left them in the last time we met. I sit down, take a sip of the wine, and ask myself: what if?

2. How long have you been writing and what do you love about it?

I started writing telescripts in 2005 with great hopes that my Unbridled Series would be a television show—when that didn’t pan out, I started writing the book series—which has been thankfully more successful. I love the creativity of writing—creating characters, situations, romances, and because my location is fictional—I enjoy creating places.

3. What hobbies/interests do you have?

My daughters and I have been showing Quarter Horses for over twenty years. We travel during the summer months to the shows and have also shown at The All American Quarter Horse Congress. Currently, we are showing a Palomino named Magnum. I also enjoy my flower garderns.

4. Something people would be surprised to know about me is…

My first book series, Unbridled, started out as a television series. The Hollywood readers absolutely loved the show, but the sad truth was that we simply couldn’t sell it to the producers. One of the readers who were handling my scripts said to me, “Cindy, don’t be stupid, turn this into a book series!” and so I did.

5. If you could invite 4 people (real or fictional, living or dead) to a dinner party, who would you invite and what would you serve?

This is a question that I always struggle with because I really don’t have an answer to it. I’m not a celebrity worshipper, therefore there really aren’t any celebrities who I would want to invite. I’m not into politics, so the cliché answer of John Kennedy simply doesn’t work in my case. And although I love him and have plenty of questions for him, I don’t think Jesus is the proper answer to this question either—for me. I wish I could give you a solid response to this—I simply can not.

6. I can’t live without…

Chocolate!

6. Tell us a little about this current book - what was your favorite part about writing it?

SHADY DEALS is the fifth installment of the Unbridled Series. In the past three books I have created a romance between Kate West and Veterinarian, Dr. Holden Reese—but something has been wrong throughout the relationship. In SHADY DEALS it all explodes and the outcome is quite damning. That said, all the books are written in a way that you can pick up any one of then and not be lost—you DO NOT have to read the series in order.

My favorite part was writing the chapters that take place at Gerti’s Bed and Breakfast. That’s all I’ll say about that—I don’t want to give anything away!

8. What's next for your writing?

Currently, I am writing two series’: The Unbridled Series, which is the series that SHADY DEALS comes from and The First Force Series, which is my new romantic suspense series. Presently, First Force has one book that released in November, INTO THE CROSSFIRE.

I will be releasing a children’s book in the spring, GEORGE THE BOSS, which is about a stubborn little pony. As you can see I’m a very busy author—no dust settles on my laptop!

9. How can your fans stay up to date with what you are doing?

My website: www.cindymcwriter.com >>> you can read synopsis of all current and upcoming Unbridled and First Force books, view book trailers and sign up for my newsletter, too!

I’m on twitter: @CindyMcDonald7

Of course I’m on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/THE-UNBRIDLED-SERIES/234151313271418

I’m also a goodreads author and on Linkedin!

Thanks so much for stopping by today, Cindy!  Readers if you have any other questions, please feel free to ask them in the comments section!  And of course you should check out Shady Deals!

Behind the Author Interview: Sarah Beard, author of Porcelain Keys

I am so pleased to invite Sarah Beard, author of the Young Adult book Porcelain Keys to her Behind the Author interview here on Acting Balanced!

1. Tell us a little bit about how you write your books: 

            Usually my story ideas begin with a single scene rather than a story premise. I’ll imagine something happening—characters having a serious conversation, or finding themselves in a particular scenario—and I’ll write down that scene. Then I develop that scene into a story by asking questions. Who are these characters? Why does he have a pulse rifle at his hip? And what is she so anxious about? Why does she keep looking over his shoulder like that? It goes on, and on, until I have a story. I try not to think too much about the quality of writing in my first draft. The goal is just to get the story down. If I worry too much about word choice or sentence structure, I get paralyzed. I keep a sticky note above my computer that says, “Dare to write badly.” Because giving myself permission to write badly is the only way I can get through a first draft.

            Once I finish a first draft, I go back and rework sentences and paragraphs to make them prettier. Also, I am a discovery writer, so there are always plot elements and details I have to go back and change to keep things consistent. As I revise, I begin sharing chapters with my critique partners to get feedback, then implement the suggestions I agree with. Then I read through it again and make more revisions. Then I repeat the process. Then repeat it again. And maybe again for good measure. And once it’s accepted for publication, it goes through more revisions. To paraphrase a quote from author John Irving: writing is mostly rewriting, and it’s not so much talent as it is stamina.

2. How long have you been writing and what do you love about it? 

I’ve always loved making up stories. I was that weird kid in elementary who spent most recesses alone in the school yard lost in her own world. But it wasn’t until jr. high and high school that I started capturing the details of those worlds on paper. I wrote a lot of poetry and some short stories, and was on my high school’s literary magazine. Then in college, I took writing classes for my communications degree and wrote a lot of depressing poetry and song lyrics.

            It wasn’t until I was married with two small kids that the novelist came out in me. One day the story for Porcelain Keys hit me out of nowhere, and I knew I had to write it. It took me a few years to finish, and throughout the process I discovered just how much I love writing. Words are beautiful and powerful. I enjoy the process of finding the perfect words and putting them together in way that evokes a specific image or emotion. And I love that I can put to use all the seemingly random scenes that pop into my head. Otherwise they might drive me crazy.

3. What hobbies/interests do you have?

I’m interested in so many things that I have trouble becoming an expert at anything. I’ve dabbled in drawing, painting, guitar, pottery, snowboarding, wakeboarding, karate, photography, and piano. Writing is the one that finally stuck. And I still play the piano a lot, mostly composing my own music. I also like making cookies. Well, maybe not making them. But I enjoy eating them, which is why I make them.

4. Something people would be surprised to know about me is…

I was a wedding photographer for 3 years. I found that I didn’t have a passion for it though, so I got out.

5. If you could invite 4 people (real or fictional, living or dead) to a dinner party, who would you invite and what would you serve?

I would invite all four of my grandparents. I never knew my maternal grandma because she died before I was born, and my other three grandparents are gone now. I really miss them and wish I could sit down with them to ask all about their lives. And we would go out to eat, because I’m not the greatest cook and they deserve a gourmet meal.

  

6. I can’t live without…

A lap cat, chocolate, and a sturdy notebook to keep track of all my writing notes.

7. Tell us a little about this current book - what was your favorite part about writing Porcelain Keys?  

It’s a love story about a girl named Aria and a boy named Thomas. Aria loves music and has been trained as a classical pianist, but she lives in a situation that makes it impossible to play the piano openly. Thomas comes along and helps her find the courage to free herself from the restraints that keep her from her dreams. But what she doesn’t realize is that Thomas is carrying his own burdens, ones that he keeps hidden. The story is full of secrets and twists and turns, and explores the themes of grief, forgiveness, and the healing power of love.

            My favorite part of writing this story was how real the characters became to me. I really grew to love them, and found it very satisfying to write their personal journeys. I also enjoyed the overall process of creation. When I began writing this story, I had two very small kids and had been suffering from postpartum depression. I’d lost touch with my creative side because I was so focused on meeting the needs of my children. So when I began allowing myself time to create again, the depression lifted, and I became passionate about life again. Not to say that I didn’t enjoy motherhood—I did and still do immensely. But water can’t be drawn from an empty well. And writing filled my well after a long dry spell.

8. What's next for your writing?

I’m finishing up the first draft of another young adult romance. This one is on the supernatural side, though I don’t want to call it paranormal because I always associate paranormal with mythical creatures. Everyone is human in my new story and no one has special powers, but there are some definite unearthly things going on. And after that, I have two more young adult romances lined up.

9. How can your fans stay up to date with what you are doing?

They can visit my website at www.sarahbeard.com, or my facebook page at facebook.com/authorsarahbeard, or on twitter @authorsarahb.

Thanks again for visiting Acting Balanced!  Readers if you have any more questions for Sarah, please leave them in the comments section!

Behind the Author: Andre Phillip-Hautecoeur

I am pleased to invite author Andre Phillip-Hautecouer to Acting Balanced today as part of his Pump Up Your Book tour for his book One Exquisite Night in Paris!

1. Tell us a little bit about how you write your books: 

Honestly I think I go about it a little ass-backwards. I start with the title or an opening line or two. Then if it generates any emotion in me I’ll test it on a friend or two then I’ll see if I can add some meat to make a story.

For example the thing that I’m working on – a line came to me in the shower – “I watched my mother kill my father. I was ten.” Then I have to figure out how it all came to that, who am I in the story, who is mom; and daddy must have done something very silly to deserve it.

I don’t go looking for some deep social topic nor do I make up stuff about aliens.

2. How long have you been writing and what do you love about it? 

I’ve been writing short stories for about seven years but never tried to publish anything. Mostly because I think “why would anybody want to read that?”

What I really love about writing is finding the right and few words to present a feeling. So it becomes a puzzle of write-edit-write till every word means exactly something or remains semantic only if I intend it to be.

3. What hobbies/interests do you have?  

Not many hobbies at all. I write and I read and I think about marketing. Marketing is an excellent hobby; fine-tuning a suggestion till someone embraces a thing which they may never have considered before. I know it sounds boring but it presses you to present properly and face disappointment regularly.

Recently I had been reading quite a bit of French history.

4. Something people would be surprised to know about me is…  

People would be surprised to know that there is nothing surprising to know about me at all. I’m insipidly normal, I have existential angst like everyone else, I would never buy a vacation home because that’s just foolish, I live in an apartment because I’m not handy around the house and I’m one of the most superficial people I know. Not fake just superficial in my outlook, I don’t play it out.

5. If you could invite 4 people (real or fictional, living or dead) to a dinner party, who would you invite and what would you serve?  

Jesus, that’s a tricky question but like most people I think I would invite Jesus. Coco Chanel would be first though; I love her-the older version of her in her seventies. Then believe it or not I would invite Adolph. I would really like to know what was he thinking. I mean really; the whole world war, the whole thing. Was it power based thinking, economic; what?

Then Arjuna the son of Pandu (from the Bhagavad Gita). I read the whole thing in my teens about passionate caring with indifference to result and I think it shaped my outlook.

I would serve Kobe stakes with the bone and a gorgonzola-port sauce, small bleached potatoes with pesto and a Chateau Margaux 2009 (3 bottles). We would try the Shipwrecked 1907 Heidseick to start but keep some normal champagne on hand in case it’s corked.

Now Arjuna might not appreciate the beef, being Indian and all but who knows. A cheese plate with toast ends after and then cigars and 50 year old rum.

6. I can’t live without…  Water, my laptop and I love oranges.

7. Tell us a little about this current book - what was your favorite part about writing it? 

My favorite challenge was to attempt to create imagery such that if you had never been to or heard about Paris, each chapter would make you feel like you wanted to see this thing or do that thing and that you would come away breathless feeling you could have the most amazing day of your life by doing this trip.

We live between Brooklyn and Paris so it was annoying if I couldn’t quite remember some details while in Brooklyn. I would have to pause till I got to Paris to get it right. But it was great seeing things critically knowing I was to write about them.

Also of the personal story, I didn’t want to make it too ideal (wine and roses) though there wasn’t really any trauma to report.

8. What's next for your writing?  

What’s next for the writing is actually marketing. I think it’s important to spend the next few months marketing/promoting this book. Just being on Amazon doesn’t suggest that the book will sell.

I started writing at intervals on a first line but haven’t flushed out characters, plot or anything. I’m open to suggestions regarding direction for this opening phrase: “I watched my mother kill my father. I was ten.”

9. How can your fans stay up to date with what you are doing? My blog is at:

http://exquisitenightinparis.blogspot.com/

FB:  https://www.facebook.com/OneExquisiteNightinParis?ref=hl

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  Readers - if you have more questions, please leave them in the comments!

Behind the Author... Kimberly Patterson

I am pleased to invite Kimberly Patterson to visit Acting Balanced today as part of her current book tour promoting The Three Month Plan a YA romance story!  

1.     Tell us a little bit about how you write your books: 

I would like to say that I am a very methodical writer, in the sense that I plan out my books before I actually begin writing them – but that would be a lie. I am the type of writer that basically sits down and just goes with an idea, and lets the creative juices flow. I feel that this is a great trait to have, at the same time as it is a flaw because it typically results in multiple rounds of editing. Apparently, I write the way that I casually speak sometimes. All of my books though stem from some of my personal experiences that I have weaved into the storyline to make them a little more personal.

2.     How long have you been writing and what do you love about it? 

I have been writing since I was very little. I think the first short story I wrote was in kindergarten about a bear going to get his haircut. I am sure I still have this story in a box somewhere in my garage. I would write newscasts and perform them in front of my cousins and family. I also would write and sing songs. And also plays. As a teenager, I entered a play into a play wright contest in San Diego and won. This was the turning point in why I continued to write. I love that readers can connect with the story and be transported into it. My goal in creating the fictional characters in my books was to create someone that the average reader could easily identify with. Plus, writing can also be therapeutic. In the case of The Three Month Plan, the storyline helped ease some of my frustrations with the dating world I was involved in at the time.

3.     What hobbies/interests do you have?

I pretty much like everything. I get bored very easily, and I believe that you should experience everything you can in life, because it’s too short – so I tend to try new things all the time. I love riding horses and have been an equestrian since the age of 4. I have ridden in almost every discipline of English and western riding, trained horses and other people how to ride. I play the piano, love experimenting with makeup and am an avid reader. I am also a yoga instructor.

4.     Something people would be surprised to know about me is…

Even though I grew up in the city, and very much near the beach I have always been a huge tomboy and country girl. I remember going to high school in Orange County and being one of the only girls there who rode horses and wore her cowboy boots and buckle to school every day. Even though I was extremely shy, I competed in rodeo queen pageants and held over 10 titles and competed at the state level. I still have all of my old belt buckles and trophy saddle. I guess you could say I’m very sentimental.

5.     If you could invite 4 people (real or fictional, living or dead) to a dinner party, who would you invite and what would you serve?

The first two are easy. I would invite my grandmother and my mother. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think about how they encouraged me to believe in my dreams and to write. I was truly blessed to have these two women in my life as role models, and I would love to have them there to show them the woman I have become and to share my writing with them. I would also invite my grandfather on my mom’s side that I have never met. He passed before I was born and it sounds like he was an amazingly funny man that I inherited my sarcasm from. I would also invite Elvis, no explanation needed.
As for dinner, I would have a five course meal. Heavy on the dessert.

6.     I can’t live without…

My family. And of course, mascara. Tomboy or not, I still need to look good.

7.     Tell us a little about this current book - what was your favorite part about writing it?  

The Three Month Plan is a fun, quirky light read of a romance. Initially I wasn’t planning on making the book a YA read and was leaning more towards New Adult, but after suggestions from the writers group I work with we agreed that it would be best to keep it YA. The title of the book stemmed from a night out with dinner and drinks with a few of my girlfriends. We discussed our real life dating situations and our desire to change them in a limited time frame. Hence, the three months. My favorite part of writing the book was incorporating some of my own dating experiences and my friends into the storyline and manipulating the story to the way I wanted it to end.


8. Where can readers keep up with you? 

Twitter @redrockbook
Facebook - www.facebook.com/kpattersonofficial 
Email: redrocknovel@yahoo.com
Website: www.thethreemonthplan.com
Blog: http://wordpress.kimberleypatterson.com


Thanks so much for stopping by Acting Balanced today, Kimberly!  It was great getting to know more about you!  For those whose interest has been peaked, here's a little blurb about The Three Month Plan:

Kelly Callahan had everything going for her. Everything that is, except for a relationship. It wasn’t for the lack of trying, it just seemed like she was a magnet for all the wrong ones. But all of that was about to change the minute she laid eyes on Jake. 
On a dare from her close friend, Michelle, Kelly accepts a challenge to date and become Jake’s girlfriend within three months. The consequence of losing is global humiliation, and she refuses to lose. 

Enlisting the help of her childhood friend and confidant, Brian, Kelly manages to catch Jakes attention. She also unknowingly hooks Brian who tries to sabotage the plan. Kelly finds herself with a dilemma; take the final step with Jake and win the plan or follow her heart and reveal her feelings for Brian.

Behind the Author: Emilia Rutigliano

I am pleased to invite Emilia Rutigliano to hang out for a bit on Acting Balanced today as part of her Pump Up Your Book blog tour!  She's touring with not one, but five books that encompass the Layers of Veronica!  The first three books have been released, including Napoleon, which is the first book in the series.

1. Tell us a little bit about how you write your books:

I write whenever I get a free moment regardless where I am – sitting in my car while my daughter is in dance class; sitting in court waiting to be assigned to a judge for trial; in a lounge at the airport waiting for a flight or in bed “trying” to get to sleep. As long as the battery is working, I’ll write. There is no time allotment, or word count goals. I don’t lose the thought. I’ll pick it up several hours later if I have to.

2. How long have you been writing and what do you love about it?

I started writing fiction two years ago, on a dare from a friend. I love it. I specifically love being able to see a situation and work it into my WIP. It’s the most amazing feeling to be inspired by a setting, or a meal or a conversation and know that you could memorialize it in your writing. In the same way someone journals or scrapbooks to preserve a happy memory, I write it into my novels. I’m fortunate enough that people who read my books like hearing and seeing the things I’ve seen.

3. What hobbies/interests do you have?

I love traveling with everything it entails. I enjoy the commute, the hotel stays, the local eateries, the sightseeing and the local commutes and life. I like writing as a means of telling a story. I love hanging out with interesting people and listening to their story.

4. Something people would be surprised to know about me is…

I don’t like large parties. I just don’t enjoy them at all. I see no reason why 300 people need to celebrate an event. I prefer a night at home with close friends and family to any evening out.

5. If you could invite 4 people (real or fictional, living or dead) to a dinner party, who would you invite and what would you serve?

Let’s start with what I would serve: I would have a table laden with salads/antipasti/zakuski/tapas or whatever name you would want to call it. But they would be small appetizing foods that you could eat with your fingers. All of the best conversations of my life were around a dinner table… and the food has to be plentiful and delicious, but not at all fussy. The dress code would be casual. In attendance would be Oscar Wilde, Robin Williams, Malcom Gladwell and Napoleon Hill. It’s a really long explanation why. But that would be my dream dinner.

6. I can’t live without…

Oh are you kidding? I am so particular, I have specific glasses I swear the water tastes better in

I can’t live without my family. I can, of course, but when they are not with me, it’s no fun. They are my favorite companions and entertainers. They make me laugh even when I’m yelling at them.

As far as favorite physical items… my AirBook (which has all my picture, playlists in it). My contigo thermos from which I sip all day (usually with a hot tea in winter, or iced water in the summer.) My iPhone which allows me to shop, keep my schedule and keep in touch with everyone at the same time. My English Pear& Fresia body lotion from Jo Malone (it’s a cult, you wouldn’t understand). And there are roughly 400 other items that I swear by.

7. Tell us a little about this current book - what was your favorite part about writing it?

The Layers of Veronica is a series about a 35-year-old divorcee who is NOT looking for the next relationship. She does, however, take any opportunity to enjoy life and strive up. She is most fortunate to meet extraordinary characters each of whom has a remarkable journey. Each of them becomes a layer (story) in the books. The books are not ‘stand-alone’. You need to start from the 1st and read consecutively to the 5th. There are no repeating or introductory passages in the later books. Those that enjoy Veronica’s story cannot wait to continue to find out how her story progresses and what becomes of all of the other characters. Those that do not subscribe to her lifestyle or thoughts, simply don’t continue. There is a lot to take in, but Veronica becomes a friend. You miss her when the series ends.

8. What's next for your writing?

I’ve just started a series called Alexandra’s Order. It is a three-book series. It’ll take me a year or so to write the three books. I don’t think I’ll publish until all three are written. Until then, I’m looking forward to introducing people to Veronica. All five books should be out in the spring. That makes me very happy.

9. How can your fans stay up to date with what you are doing?

My Facebook page, www.facebook.com/layersofveronica is always current, and I update when a book is published or when an event is coming up. There is also a page dedicated to Veronica, layersofveronica.com, but I don’t update as often as possible. I’m always available by email if anyone wants to ask me anything, too. Emilia@layersofveronica.com.

Behind the Author: Georgia Le Carre

I am pleased to be interviewing Georgia Le Carre as part of her Pump Up Your Book Blog Tour for her new erotic romance book, The Billionaire Banker

1. Tell us a little bit about how you write your books:

Behind the Blogger ... Lolli from Better In Bulk!

I'd like to give a big welcome to Lolli from Better in Bulk!  Thanks for visiting Acting Balanced and answering our questions:

1. Tell us a little bit about your blog: Better in Bulk is a lifestyle blog by a mother of a large family (that's me!). I focus on a little bit of everything related to raising a family - from recipes to parenting tips to entertainment and more. My tagline is - "Kids. Photography. Candy. Cooking. Everything's Better in Bulk!"

Behind the Author ... Prescott Lane

I am pleased to invite author Prescott Lane to hang out on Acting Balanced today as part of her Pump Up Your Book Blog Tour, promoting her new book, First Position, which is currently available as an E-book.

1. Tell us a little bit about how you write your books: 

Behind the Author... P.M. Terrell

I am pleased to be part of P.M. Terrell's Pump Up Your Book Tour in support of her new book, The Tempest Murders! 

1. Tell us a little bit about how you write your books.

 

I am a news junkie and I often get ideas from watching shows concerning national and international intelligence. I also routinely go through declassified documents and it's true what they say - truth is stranger than fiction! I will often take a real mission from the 1970's or before and update it with today's political or international "climate", often weaving in other strands from current news stories to round it out.

 

Once I know what the plot will be, I begin to think through the main characters - who is needed, what their ideal vocation would be, their Achilles' heel, etc. And by forming the story in my mind's eye, I know which point of view is best to tell the tale. Sometimes it's first person and sometimes, close third - and sometimes I will have two main characters' POV and switch back and forth. The key is to create the perfect vehicle for the suspense to really ramp up.

 

2. How long have you been writing and what do you love about it?

 

I began writing in 1967 - yes, that makes me feel truly old! My first book was published in 1984, so I've seen a tremendous amount of change in the publishing industry. I love the writing itself and can't imagine doing anything else. It was always my dream to be a full-time author. I started two computer businesses in the Washington, DC area, which took me away from the writing for a decade or so, but retired from computers in 2002 and began writing full-time.

 

3. What hobbies/interests do you have?

 

I breed freshwater angelfish, which is a lot of fun. The angels are very serene and my "crowning jewels" are about ten inches tall. They are sold at a local pet shop in Lumberton, North Carolina, and are called "Vicki's Angels" after Vicki Boyd, the main character in my Black Swamp Mysteries series, who is a CIA operative but has a job as an angelfish breeder as her front. I thought it was the perfect job for a CIA operative - everyone's eyes glaze over when I start to talk about my fish, so everyone would think Vicki was boring and dull, never imagining that she was involved in international intelligence gathering.

 

I also rescue animals and started the New Leash on Life program at a local prison in Robeson County, North Carolina, where inmates are paired with dogs destined for euthanasia. They train the dogs through positive reinforcement only (no punishment) and once the dogs are trained, they are adopted into loving homes. At the current time, I have three rescue dogs myself - a collie who was being starved to death, a Jack Russell who had been shot in the leg, and a Jack Russell/hound mix who almost died from parvo. They are all healthy and happy now and run the household!

 

4. Something people would be surprised to know about me is…

 

I am only happy when I am working. I write full-time and I also perform editorial work for a publisher. I also co-founded The Book 'Em Foundation, whose mission is to raise awareness between high illiteracy rates and high crime rates, and I founded Book 'Em North Carolina Writers Conference and Book Fair, an annual event to raise money to increase literacy. For more information on our next event, visit www.bookemnc.org.

 

5. If you could invite 4 people (real or fictional, living or dead) to a dinner party, who would you invite and what would you serve?

 

Albert Einstein, Nelson Mandela, Isaac Asimov and Pope Francis. By the end of the evening, I'm sure we'd have solved all the world's problems!

 

I'd serve shrimp appetizers, filet mignon, potatoes au gratin, grilled zucchini, home-baked bread... And a chocolate chess pie for dessert with coffee and Bailey's.

 

6. I can’t live without…

 

Tied for first place: my computer and the Internet.

 

7. Tell us a little about this current book - what was your favorite part about writing it?

 

I love Ireland and became interested in it when I was studying my family's genealogy. I came upon information about the worst storm in Ireland's history, which took place on January 6, 1839. The winds were so strong that they swept the Atlantic Ocean all the way across the island to the Irish Sea. I knew I had to write a story with that storm as the backdrop. Later that year, I experienced Hurricane Irene as it struck the North Carolina coastline before making its way up the Eastern seaboard. The combination of the two and some of the harrowing moments I experienced fused together into a book that encompasses both storms.

 

I wrote almost the entire book in a male point of view, which I'd first done in 2008 with my book, Exit 22. So many people enjoyed the male telling the story that I knew I wanted to begin another series in a male POV - and who better to tell it than an Irish-born detective who was living in North Carolina as Hurricane Irene barrels toward the coast?

 

8. What's next for your writing?

 

I am currently finishing The Pendulum Files, the fifth book in the Black Swamp Mysteries series, which is due for release in 2014. Then I'll write the sequel to The Tempest Murders. It seems Ryan O'Clery, the Irish detective in the book, has quite a following and they're clamoring for the next book in the new Ryan O'Clery series.

 

9. How can your fans stay up to date with what you are doing?

 

The best ways to keep up to date with all that I'm doing is through my website at www.pmterrell.com, by following me on Twitter @pmterrell, and by friending me on Facebook under Patricia M. Terrell Author. There are links from my website to both my Twitter and Facebook pages.

THanks so much for stopping by Acting Balanced today!  It was great getting to know more about you and The Tempest Murders!  Readers, be sure to check out www.pmterrell.com and check out the rest of her tour - including guest posts and reviews - at Pump Up Your Book.

More About the P.M. Terrell:
P.M. Terrell is the award-winning, internationally acclaimed author of more than 18 books in 4 genres. A full-time author since 2002, she previously opened and operated two computer companies in the Washington, DC area. Her specialties were in the areas of computer crime and computer intelligence and her clients included the Secret Service, CIA and Department of Defense as well as local law enforcement. Computer and spy technology are two themes that recur throughout her books. She is the co-founder of The Book ‘Em Foundation, whose mission is to raise awareness of the link between high illiteracy rates and high crime rates. And she founded the annual Book ‘Em North Carolina Writers Conference and Book Fair which takes place each February. She is also an animal advocate and helped to start the New Leash on Life program in which dogs destined for euthanasia are rescued and paired with prison inmates in Robeson County, North Carolina, who train them. The dogs are then adopted into loving homes.

About the Book:
Detective Ryan O’Clery has always had dreams of a beautiful woman he’d loved and lost but when he discovers his ancestor’s journals from his native Ireland, he realizes his dreams are really the other man’s memories.


Now he is working a series of murders in North Carolina that are eerily similar to cases Rian Kelly was working when his soul mate was murdered during one of Ireland’s most horrific storms, in which the Atlantic Ocean swept over the island all the way to the Irish Sea.


As Hurricane Irene barrels toward the North Carolina coastline, Ryan discovers the serial killer’s real target is a reporter who bears a striking resemblance to the woman of his dreams—a woman with whom Ryan O’Clery is falling deeply in love.


Is history destined to repeat itself? Or can Ryan save Cathleen Reilly from a killer intent on destroying everything he ever loved?


You can follow her blog at www.pmterrell.com.com.

Behind the Author Interview with Manuela Cardiga

***Warning, this interview contains adult language and links to a book appropriate for 18+

I am pleased to be interviewing author, Manuela Cardiga, as part of her blog tour promoting Guilty Pleasures, her latest erotic/romance book.

Behind the Author: Cindy Procter-King

A few months ago I introduced you to Borrowing Alex by Cindy Procter-King when I reviewed the book and let you know that it was available for e-book purchase.  Now it is out in paperback form for all of you that prefer the feel and smell of the printed word!  I also convinced Cindy to sit down and tell us a little bit more about herself as part of a Behind the Author interview:

1. Tell us a little bit about how you write your books:

Hi, Heather! Thanks for having me on your blog. I’m delighted to be here.

Behind the Author: Deborah Rix

I am pleased to invite fellow Torontonian and author of External Forces, Deborah Rix to be interviewed for the Acting Balanced Behind the Author segment as part of her Pump Up Your Book tour!

1.   Tell us a little bit about how you write your books: 

So, here’s the thing. I was completely frustrated with another big part of my life (rebuilding a virtually condemned building – you can’t beat City Hall, it’s true.) I was desperate for a feeling of control so I sat down one day and started fooling around, something about being able to make my characters do exactly what I told them to do. Of course it doesn’t turn out that way. The characters just stormed in and took over and told me not to sleep, or do laundry, or take my kids to school. They became very demanding and did surprising things. I was writing one night when all of a sudden I squealed and covered my mouth. My daughter rushed over, “what’s wrong?” “You would not believe what Charlie just did!” was my stern response. True story.

2.   How long have you been writing and what do you love about it? 

I’ve been writing for about two years, and as mentioned above it was an act of desperation. But I do love it, all of it. Well, okay, not the part when I wake up after a virtual all-nighter and I think I’ve done some great work as I stagger around and get the kids sorted out. Then I read it and delete 10,000 words. I’ve done that. Actually, I love that part too. I love the freedom of writing and immersing myself and then being able to say, “crappity crap” and hitting that delete button. And no one knows how terrible it was, except for me. And then I write something brilliant, it just needed to percolate by coming out as crap first. I just wish it didn’t take all night. Sleep deprivation? Not so good.

3.   What hobbies/interests do you have?

Since I started writing? None. Haven’t even watched the last few seasons of Breaking Bad, how’s that for obsessed?  Before that I was a fairly social person. My background is in the music biz, mostly. My husband too. So music is a large presence around these parts. I’m big into community, so I’ve been involved/instigated a lot of things in my neighbourhood. I held a Transit of Venus party last summer, and we played the theme from A Space Odyssey really, really loud as Venus first crossed in front of the sun. I am the proud founder of The Trinity Bellwoods Ladies Scrabble League – about thirty gals who ditch their families once a month and eat and drink and occasionally get a Bingo! I just went to an ‘I fucking Love Science’ event here in Toronto and haven’t laughed so much in a long time.

4.   Something people would be surprised to know about me is…

I have ADD. I can appear very together and can organize incredible events, but paper is not my friend. Neither are bills. There’s this secret cupboard where all the paper goes…

5.   If you could invite 4 people (real or fictional, living or dead) to a dinner party, who would you invite and what would you serve?

Mathematician and ‘inventor’ of gravity Sir Isaac Newton, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield and the current Pope. I’d serve cheeseburgers and ask them if they believe in God. Then I’d grab the ketchup bottle and sit back.

6.   I can’t live without…

Chocolate

7.   Tell us a little about this current book - what was your favorite part about writing it?

EXTERNAL FORCES is the first in a trilogy, The Laws of Motion (Newton again). I never thought of it as a trilogy as I was writing, it is one story. But it turned out to be a long story so I had to chop it up. It’s a bit frustrating when readers comment on something that bugs them and I want to say, “yes, but in book 2…” Secretly I know they’ll say “ah-ha” when they get there. Patience is a virtue, you know? The story is about identity, in all its permutations. Who or what decides who we are? Do we have a choice? It’s an eternal question, especially for teenagers, but it’s redefined in the context of the genetic revolution that we are experiencing. We don’t have to be who we start out as. Conversely, someone else can decide exactly who we do start out as, not just superficial things like eye colour, but the fundamental building blocks of humanity can be altered.

My favourite (excuse the Canadian spellings) part of writing it was getting to do all of the things I wished for in the science fiction I read as a teenager. I hated it when there was some unexplainable super-invention that could do impossible things. I did way too much research and had actual scientifical people vet my science to make sure it was at least plausible. There are things I took out, or rewrote, because the real future caught up with my future and it was happening right now. Like that mix of tense? – Well that was how it felt. I’d make something up and it would come true before I could get to the next chapter.

8.   What's next for your writing?

I am currently rereading the mess of a first draft of book 2, Acceleration. The essence is there, but I’ve learned a lot from working with Howard Mittelmark, my editor. Apparently I’m not allowed to be lazy and I’m supposed to pay attention to grammar and punctuation as I write it the first time. Who knew? Seriously, I’m really excited about diving right in and getting it done. I’ve started waking up in the middle of the night again, thinking about what needs to happen. That’s a good sign. I think.

9.   How can your fans stay up to date with what you are doing?

www.deborahrix.com is my super-fantastic website where they can sign up for my infrequent newsletter. Which means, when I have nothing to say, I won’t say it. When I do, I’ll send out a newsletter. And there’ll be contests and all that jazz along the way on the External Forces facebook page.

More About the Author:

Deborah Rix’s favourite position for reading a book is head almost hanging off the couch and feet up in the air with legs against the back of the couch. She’s been reading too much from Scientific American for research and ideas and needs to get back to some fiction. She has a long standing love of science fiction, some of her favourite authors include William Gibson, Philip K Dick, Kurt Vonnegut Jr, Douglas Adams, Iain M Banks. A bit old school.

Deborah enjoyed a successful career in entertainment publicity, live music promotion and event management. Which means she slogged through muddy fields for music festivals, was crammed into concert halls with too many sweaty teenage boys and got to go to Tuktoyaktuk (that’s in the Arctic Circle) for a Metallica concert. She lives with her family in Toronto, Canada, where she is the proprietor of The Lucky Penny, a neighborhood joint in Trinity-Bellwoods.

External Forces is her first novel.

Visit her website at www.DeborahRix.com.

Connect & Socialize with Deborah!

TWITTER | FACEBOOK | GOODREADS| YOUTUBE

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

About the Book:

Treason, betrayal, and heartbreak.

A lot can happen to a girl between her first kiss and her first kill.

It’s 100 years since the Genetic Integrity Act was passed and America closed its borders to prevent genetic contamination. Now only the enemy, dysgenic Deviants, remain beyond the heavily guarded border. The Department of Evolution carefully guides the creation of each generation and deviations from the divine plan are not permitted.

When 16-year-old Jess begins to show signs of deviance she enlists in the Special Forces, with her best friend Jay, in a desperate bid to evade detection by the Devotees. Jess is good with data, not so good with a knife. So when the handsome and secretive Sergeant Matt Anderson selects her for his Black Ops squad, Jess is determined to figure out why.

As her deviance continues to change her, Jess is forced to decide who to trust with her deadly secret. Jess needs to know what’s really out there, in the Deviant wasteland over the border, if she has any hope of making it to her 17th birthday. Because if the enemy doesn’t kill her first, the Department of Evolution probably will.

Purchase your copy at AMAZON

Discuss this book in our PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads by clickingHERE.