Welcome, Author Charlotte O’Shay
Give a warm welcome to Charlotte, author of The Marriage Ultimatum, just released on June 24, 2016!
Pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the cooler, a Chocolate Chip cookie from the plate, and let’s find out a little about Charlotte.
Charlotte O’Shay was born in New York City into big family and then married into another big family all of which provided her with enough drama, noise and inspiration for a lifetime of stories.
Negotiating skills honed at the dinner table led her to a career in the law. After four beautiful children joined the crowded family tree, Charlotte gladly traded her legal career to write about happily ever afters in the City of Dreams.
Why do you write what you write?
I write contemporary, sometimes spicy, stories because for the most part that is what I’ve always liked to read. But I enjoy historicals, especially a good Highlander romance. And I like anything set during the U.S. Revolutionary War period although I haven’t read too many of those. Maybe some day I’ll write a romance set in that era.
What inspired you to write?
Stories have transported me to a happy place since I was old enough to read. I always read everything I could get my hands on and words have always fascinated me. I want to tell the kind of story that always brought me to that special place where character and story linger in my head long after I close the book or turn off e-reader.
And your settings?
For the most part my stories are set in New York City. They say write what you know and I know the city well but the real reason I choose to write romance set in NYC is the energy and sense of possibility here. I want to tell a page turning story about the men and women who migrate here to make their dreams come true. When I walk in the city I feel like I can hear all 8 million stories just waiting to be told.
Where do your story ideas come from?
Some story ideas have come to me in the middle of the night and I do have a scribble pad on my night table. I also have fallen asleep with a story problem at the forefront of my mind and have sometimes worked through the answer by morning. I wish this happened more often! As with most authors, I think, ideas come at the strangest times and questions about my characters are answered sometimes as part of an unrelated non-book conversation. I think answers that come that way are the most true and organic. That being said I follow the news and I often hear or read something that starts a chain of what ifs in my head and the story takes off from there.
And if you had a time machine, a cloak of invisibility and one hour? Where would you go and what eavesdropping would you do?
This is such a great question. Can I change what happens if I go back in time? If so, I would go back to push Aaron Burr’s hand up to the sky and deflect the gun shot that killed Alexander Hamilton. I read the Ron Chernow book Hamilton and I’ve been in awe Hamilton’s brilliance and the story of his improbable rise since school days. Hamilton is the quintessential New York immigrant who ‘made good’ and I wonder what more he could have done if he lived.
Tell us a little about The Marriage Ultimatum.
Dead-end job? Dreary apartment? Disastrous love life? Check, check, and check. Toddler who makes it all worthwhile? Absolutely. Juggling work, college, and the care of young Alex was never Sabrina’s plan.
But Sabrina’s dreams are bigger than any curve ball life can throw at her. Her top priority is keeping her small family together, no matter what the cost.
Vladimir Grigory doesn’t believe in dreams. He earned his position at the top of New York’s corporate ladder with his own sweat. His empire is his baby, and he’ll destroy anyone who threatens it. Even the sexy employee who challenges him on every level.
When the New York tabloids and the world call him the baby daddy of Sabrina’s son, Vlad believes Sabrina is part of a plot to expose the secrets of his past. He threatens to destroy her future. But since Sabrina has secrets of her own, she has no choice but to agree to Vlad’s marriage ultimatum.
Do you happen to have an Excerpt?
“What’re you doing creeping up on me like that? Who are you?” Her gaze narrowed in on him even as she took a step back.
He stared right back, sinking into eyes so mercurially gray then green, then gray again, it was like he’d fallen into the turbulent depths of the Atlantic. With her wild eyes, untamed hair, and skintight clothes, she was a mermaid and absolutely the answer to this sailor’s prayers.
She shoved an unruly swath of hair back over her shoulder, all attitude. One hand was on her hip and the other fiddled with the hem of her sweater. His gaze tracked her every move.
Her chin angled up. “Seen enough? You know what they say: Take a picture, it’ll last longer.”
The Marriage Ultimatum Buy Links:
Please visit Charlotte on the links below:
Website: (wordpress) http://charlotteoshayauthor.com
Facebook: Charlotte O’Shay http://facebook.com/charlotteoshayauthor
Twitter: @charlotte_oshay http://twitter.com/charlotte_oshay
Instagram: charlotte_oshay_author
It was wonderful having you with us today. Please feel free to stop by anytime.
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Contemporary, Romance, Spicy by Tena Stetler with 19 comments.
Welcome Author Kathryn Knight!
Give a warm welcome to Kathryn, author of Haunted Souls, just released June 1, 2016!
Pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the cooler, a Chocolate Chip cookie from the plate, and let’s find out a little about Kathryn.
What inspired this story?
My sister and I are huge fans of all things spooky, and when she came to Cape Cod to visit me, we went on a “Haunted Historical Tour” of Barnstable Village, which began and ended at the Old Jailhouse, the oldest wooden jailhouse in the country. It dates back to 1690 and many, many prisoners died in the crowded cells. I started thinking about what would happen if one of the ghosts followed us home, and the ghost mystery piece of Haunted Souls was born.
Why do you write what you write?
When I was in grade school, I read one of my favorite books of all time, Jane-Emily by Patricia Clapp. It was a ghost story mixed with a very sweet historical romance, and I read it over and over through the years and even read it to my kids. Ever since then, spooky suspense mixed with romance has been my favorite mix of genres…I love the combination of steamy romance and shivers-up-your-spine, haunting suspense.
Do you see yourself in your characters?
I definitely see myself—and some of my best friends—in the group of friends who reunite in Silver Lake. I based this tight-knit group on our high school group, although I pulled different pieces from everyone, mixed them up, and sprinkled them with a healthy dose of fiction. And thankfully, none of us mysteriously disappeared our senior year, only to return with a message from beyond the grave!
Tell us a little about Haunted Souls.
Four years ago, Emily Shea and Staff Sergeant Brett Leeds agreed to part with no strings attached. Sparks flew during their brief affair, but fate intervened, sending Brett overseas. When an unexpected pregnancy derailed Emily’s own plans, her attempts to locate Brett were soon overwhelmed by the challenges of single motherhood. Now, Brett has returned home, and Emily is forced to share her secret.
Despite feeling betrayed, Brett is determined to forge a relationship with their son, Tyler. As the former lovers battle both their inner demons and their mutual desire, another presence enters their lives—Tyler’s imaginary friend.
Soon, however, the chilling evidence points to a different conclusion: a ghost has formed a dangerous connection with their son. Emily’s attempts to help both a lost soul and a friend in need spiral toward a deadly confrontation, and Brett must race to save Emily before he loses her again—forever.
Ohhh… I love ghost stories! Do you have an excerpt for us?
“No, Emily. I don’t want anything to happen to you.” The words slipped out, but they were true. Not much scared him, but a thread of fear trickled through his veins at the thought of her dangerous plans. Brett suddenly realized he’d do anything to protect her, at all costs.
She cocked her head, lifting her eyebrows. “Really? I find that hard to believe.”
“Stop.” Damn it. She was like some kind of gravitational force, pulling him toward her. He closed the distance between them in three long strides. “You know I care about you.”
She stood, looking up at him, her eyes flashing with challenge. “As Tyler’s mom, you mean.” The old clock on her desk ticked off the seconds as they faced off, the heat growing between them.
He pushed at the chair with a savage thrust, and it rolled away quietly on its wheels. Backing her toward the desk, he grabbed her shoulders. “As Emily,” he growled, now angry with himself. But there was no resisting it. He crushed his lips over hers, allowing his desire to take control. His body needed her—it was as simple as that.
You can find Haunted Souls at:
Kindle link
Nook link
Kathryn Knight spends a great deal of time in her fictional world, where mundane chores don’t exist and daily life involves steamy romance, dangerous secrets, and spooky suspense. Kathryn writes contemporary romance spiked with mysterious hauntings as well as YA paranormal romance filled with forbidden love. Her novels are award-winning #1 Amazon Bestsellers and RomCon Reader Rated picks. When she’s not reading or writing, Kathryn spends her time catching up on those mundane chores, driving kids around, and teaching writing classes. Two of her ghost story/romance titles, Gull Harbor and Haunted Souls, are set on beautiful Cape Cod, where she lives with her husband, their two sons, and a number of rescued pets.
Please visit her at @k_knightbooks on Twitter, or at www.kathrynknightbooks.blogspot.com.
http://kathrynknightbooks.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/KathrynKnightbooks/
It was wonderful having you with us today. Please feel free to stop by anytime.
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged ghosts, Historical Romance, Suspense by Tena Stetler with 2 comments.
Welcome Author, Chrys Fey
Give a warm welcome to Chrys Fey, author of the Disaster Crimes Series. Seismic Crimes is her second in the series.
Pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the cooler, a Chocolate Chip or Snickerdoodle cookie from the plate, and let’s find out what makes this author tick.
Chrys Fey is the author of Hurricane Crimes, Book One in the Disaster Crimes series, as well as these releases from The Wild Rose Press: 30 Seconds, Ghost of Death, and Witch of Death. She is an administrator for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group and has participated in the Blogging from April A to Z Challenge.
When Fey was six years old, she realized she wanted to be a writer by watching her mother pursue publication. At the age of twelve, she started writing her first novel, which flourished into a series she later rewrote at seventeen.
Fey lives in Florida and is always on the lookout for hurricanes. She has four adopted cats who keep her entertained with their antics, and three nephews who keep her entertained with their antics. You can connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and through her blog, Write with Fey. She loves to get to know her readers!
AUTHOR LINKS:
Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter
How about telling us a little about Donovan? He’s the hero in your Disaster Crimes series. Right?
Yes. Donovan Goldwyn, the hero in the Disaster Crimes series, is a monster truck driver. Yes, he’s the tall, dark hottie with a love for adrenaline rushes. He’s also romantic and a tad mysterious. I loved writing his scenes, getting into his head, and learning more about him. One scene I had a blast writing was when Donovan took Beth on a ride in his monster truck. There’s monster truck lingo, skilled driving, and a few stunts.
So, what’s my secret you ask?
Well, when I wrote that scene, I didn’t even own a driver’s license. Long story short, I had a fear of driving, which is funny considering my hero loved driving and went all out in his profession—high speeds, extreme stunts, and potential danger. Another funny thing is I am a huge fan of the Fast & Furious movies. I used what I gathered from movies and research to make Donovan’s driving convincing. But you’ll be proud to know I am driving now. Although I’m just a student. Nowhere near Donovan’s skill level.
What can you tell us about Seismic Crimes?
An Internal Affairs Investigator was murdered and his brother, Donovan Goldwyn, was framed. Now Donovan is desperate to prove his innocence. And the one person who can do that is the woman who saved him from a deadly hurricane—Beth Kennedy. From the moment their fates intertwined, passion consumed him. He wants her in his arms. More, he wants her by his side in his darkest moments.
Beth Kennedy may not know everything about Donovan, but she can’t deny what she feels for him. It’s her love for him that pushes her to do whatever she has to do to help him get justice, including putting herself in a criminal’s crosshairs.
When a tip reveals the killer’s location, they travel to California, but then an earthquake of catastrophic proportions separates them. As aftershocks roll the land, Beth and Donovan have to endure dangerous conditions while trying to find their way back to one another. Will they reunite and find the killer, or will they lose everything?
Ohhh sounds exciting… Do you have an excerpt for us?
The moment she realized Buck was shooting under the cars to hit her, the tire she hid behind blew. She squeezed her eyes shut as she tried to make herself smaller by pressing her body into the SUV. The Morse code of bullets hitting metal started up again. She could’ve sworn she felt the SUV shaking with the continuous beat of bullets slamming into it, except the shaking was below her feet. It started gentle but as soon as she noticed, it became violent.
Earthquake!
She fell backward and struggled to get back up. Her body bounced up and down and rolled from side to side simultaneously, which told her the quake’s epicenter was close. The origin could’ve been beneath the hotel for all she knew. A light came crashing down from the ceiling and slammed into the concrete floor with such power it exploded into a trillion stars. Glass shot out in all directions like the Big Bang. Beth screamed and covered her face with her hands as tiny pieces of glass bit the skin on her arms.
She fought onto her hands and knees and hugged the tire to keep from falling over again. The intensity of the tremors grew. The concrete below her feet didn’t feel solid anymore. It felt alive, as if two gigantic gophers burrowed through the earth. The truck behind her slid with the vicious shock waves and bumped into her, pushing her roughly into the tire. She let out a cry of panic
You can find Seismic Crimes at:
DIGITAL LINKS:
Amazon US / Amazon UK / Amazon CA
NOOK / KOBO / All Romance eBooks
PRINT LINKS:
Amazon US / Amazon UK / Amazon CA
Want to get a taste of her Disaster Crimes Series, Hurricane Crimes is on sale for 99 cents.
DIGITAL LINKS:
Don’t forget to enter the GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
It was wonderful having you with us today. Please feel free to stop by anytime.
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Disaster Crimes, Romance, Seismic, Suspense by Tena Stetler with 9 comments.
Welcome Author – Katie O’Sullivan
Give a warm welcome to Katie, author of Crazy About You!
Pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the cooler, a peanut butter cookie from the plate, and let’s find out a little about Katie.
What inspired this particular story?
CRAZY ABOUT YOU was actually inspired by an article in Scientific American, yeah, a bit strange, I know. The article talked about the “plastisphere” of trash floating in the ocean, which led me to search online or more information, and I started wondering about the men and women who devote their lives to researching things like this… and things grew from there.
What secret do you use to blast through writer’s block?
Oh my god, if someone has a secret to do this I need to know!
I’m a total pantser and if I write myself into a corner I can sulk for weeks and not write anything until I figure a way out of it. With CRAZY ABOUT YOU, I found it helped to call up my neighbor and drag her along for a beach walk to talk out the plot points. She’d ask questions and the answers would help me realize what was going wrong with the plot.
Did you tell friends and family that you were writing a book? Or did it take a while to come out and tell friends and family you were a writer?
As an English major, I think my friends and family all expected me to become a writer. No one expected me to choose romance or young adult genres, though. It makes me happy to write books like the ones I like to read – escapist romances with intelligent women getting a second chance at love.
What do you want your readers to take away from your books?
I want readers to finish my stories with a smile. I make my characters go through some crazy situations, but in the end they get the happily ever after – or punishment – they deserve. I also love writing stories set on Cape Cod, and hope readers fall in love with the scenery enough to feel as if they’ve taken a mini-vacation. Umm, is that too much to ask? Well, as long as I’m going for it, throw in world peace and a resolution to climate change.
Tell us a little about Crazy About You.
Climate scientist Chase Anderson races from one project to the next, unwilling to slow down in his quest to save the world’s oceans. He has no time for family or relationships until he crashes into an impetuous blonde with a quirky sense of humor. One sizzling kiss makes him seriously reevaluate his priorities. And his sanity.
Emma Maguire left her small Cape Cod hometown years ago, seeking the fast pace and anonymity of New York City. She’s not sure what she’s searching for, but when a family crisis brings her home to Provincetown she’s caught in a crazy tangle of half-truths and mistaken identity… and falls for the handsome stranger who broke her cell phone. Will untangling the web of lies drive them crazy, or lead to something even crazier – like love?
Buy Links:
AMAZON:
THE WILD ROSE PRESS:
BARNES & NOBLE
Here’s an Excerpt:
A blinding smile lit her face, and she waved with enthusiasm. His heart skipped a few beats as his blood all went lower down.
She beelined to the table, calling his name. “Chase? Chase! It’s so good to see you again! Thanks so much for inviting me to lunch!”
He found himself rising to greet her for the second time inside an hour. Instead of sitting, she came to where he stood and wrapped her arms around his neck. She planted an exaggerated kiss on his cheek, like the one he’d envied Tony for the prior day, those soft red lips wet on his skin. His arms slipped around her waist and his stomach clenched hard, inappropriate thoughts racing through his head at breakneck speed, leaving him dazed. Staring down, he saw similar confusion mirrored in Emma’s eyes, as if she felt it too, that electric current running fast and furious between them at every point where their bodies connected. And she wasn’t letting go.
A fun feel good story!
Katie O’Sullivan lives on Cape Cod, drinking way too much coffee and inventing new excuses not to dust. Living next to the Atlantic influences everything she writes, from her YA series about mermaids to her contemporary romances for The Wild Rose Press. A recovering English major, she earned her degree at Colgate University and now writes romance and adventure for young adults, and something steamier for the young at heart. Katie loves to hear from readers. You can find her at:
Website: www.katie-osullivan.com
Blog: http://katieosullivan.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKatieOSullivan
Twitter: https://twitter.com/OkatieO
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3326303.Katie_O_Sullivan
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/author/katieosullivan
It was wonderful having you with us today. Please feel free to stop by anytime!
Views: 2
Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Cape Cod, Contemporary, Romance by Tena Stetler with 14 comments.
