Author Spotlight - ABC's Castle - Melanie Atkins drug of choice!

Everyone in the universe should know by now that ABC's Castle is my favorite TV show. Lord knows I've put it out there enough. On Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and as part of Lee Lofland's weekly Castle blog (Tuesday mornings after a new episode has aired) on The Graveyard Shift at http://www.leelofland.com/wordpress/.

I love the drama, the comedy, and the romance. Especially the romance -- and that makes sense, with me being a romance writer, right? I mean, seriously. I hang out on one of the main Castle boards, read Castle fanfiction -- some of it is really, really good -- and rewatch the best episodes time and again. I'm what's known as a Caskett Shipper, and no, that doesn't mean I export coffins. It means I want the show's two leads, Castle and Beckett, or Caskett, to get together... sooner rather than later. All this waiting around is killing me.

Some people talk about the Moonlighting Curse, claiming that if a couple on a show gets together, the show will tank -- but I disagree. Relationships are fluid, and even if Rick and Kate become a couple, they'll still have plenty of conflict to keep the show interesting. I think it will be even better, if you want to know the truth. We'll still have the drama, comedy, and crime solving… with some hugs and kisses thrown in. I'm all for that.



Anyway, I find TV to be great motivation for writing. I watch a lot of other shows, too, nearly all of them crime dramas, with a couple of comedies and a fluffy guilty pleasure or two throw in. I love Justified, Dexter, In Plain Sight, Unforgettable, Person of Interest, Desperate Housewives, Hot in Cleveland, The Big Bang Theory, The Closer, Blue Bloods, Law & Order SVU, and Southland. Yep, that's a lot of TV. Thank goodness for DVRs! I only watch TV at night, except for checking in on the news and enjoying the Golden Girls while I eat breakfast, but I get plenty of motivation in the evenings. And I love it.

I've gotten a good many story ideas from bits of dialogue and the way a character in a particular show might bite the dust, and I've also learned a lot about what not to do… and a lot of that I've learned from Castle and Lee's next day assessments.

Still, goof ups aside, I love that show. Can't wait for the next episode, one we won't see for a couple of weeks thanks to March's basketball hiatus. Bring on the Caskett! I'm ready.

Links:
To buy Quest for Justice: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-245/Keller-County-Cops-Book/Detail.bok
Website: http://www.melanieatkins.com
Blog: http://melanieatkins.wordpress.com
Facebook: http://www.face-book.com/melanie.atkins
Twitter: http://twitter.com/melanie_atkins
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/melanieatkins/

Author Spotlight - Q&A with Nancy Kay

STEPH: I don't know much about "Deadly Revenge." What's it about?

NANCY: In a few words; Rich McConnell's past catches up with him when a sniper's bullet shatters the quiet morning... and with it, his illusion of second chance love with Ada Blaine.

Rich is the laid back owner and manager of an Ace Hardware store in Pine Bluffs, Pennsylvania. Sound dull? Not so, the charming Rich is known as the “Ace Hotware Man”. Although Rich is a touch past the half century mark, the former Marine is a handsome, fit, confident man.

Ada is a successful Culinary Herb Gardener. She moved to Pine Bluffs as a young woman after losing her husband in a fiery car crash. Like Rich, Ada’s now past the Five-O threshold, yet beneath her practical, denim work clothes lies a head turning, sensuous woman.

Ada and Rich have known one another for years, a casual “hi, how are relationship.” Rich sees Ada as a respectable, hard working, lady who shops for garden supplies at his store, until the night she strolls into a mutual friend’s party looking drop dead gorgeous.

Interest spikes, prompting Rich to get better acquainted and, seizing opportunity, delivers supplies to Ada for her garden and lingers to visit. But a burst of gunfire interrupts and has Rich diving to save Ada’s life from a snipers bullet. That single shot is only the beginning. Rich left the Marine Corp years ago, but while serving his country, his unbending sense of duty led to a fellow Marine’s arrest, and the end of Rich’s marriage. He now fears his past may be responsible as threats to Ada’s life escalate.


Deadly Revenge tells how unleashed passion and desire keep Rich and Ada together as twists and turns fraught with danger threaten to drive them apart.

STEPH: "Deadly Revenge is in the Deadly Triad Series. Can you give us an overview of the series? Where it's set? The time frame?

NANCY: The series is set in and around the fictitious town of Pine Bluffs, Pennsylvania. Pine Bluffs does not exist, but all other locations close to Lake Erie – such as Erie, Pa. and North East, Pa. – provide intriguing, beautiful settings. Each story takes place in present day, approximately 2009 thru 2012.

The Deadly Triad Series is linked by location and characters. Beginning with the first book, all characters throughout the series are introduced and somehow connected to one another and to Pine Bluffs.

Cassi Burke and Nick McGraw meet and fall in love in the first book, Deadly Reflection. Cassi’s long lost aunt, Ada Blaine, and long time resident of the sleepy little town, Rich McConnell, discover one another in the second book, Deadly Revenge. Coming in September, lifelong resident TJ McGraw, Nick’s cousin, meets his match in Elaine Delocor, a close friend of Cassi’s in Deadly Encounter.

I’ve created three common threads. One, they all met in Pine Bluffs or have some connection to the town. Two, they all know, love and respect one another. Three, throughout the series each couple faces situations that are potentially Deadly.



STEPH: How long did it take you to write?

NANCY: Deadly Revenge took about a year, including revisions.

STEPH: What was the inspiration for this story?

NANCY: I wanted to do a story about, shall we say, more mature characters. Desire and passion don’t end at 50, or even 60. Sometimes they take a thrilling new direction! I wanted to spin out life’s way of unveiling unexpected gifts, while at the same time, adding a touch of suspense and danger to heighten the excitement.

STEPH: Ada is the heroine. What are her strengths? Weaknesses?

NANCY: Ada had a perfect marriage, until an accident claimed her beloved husband’s life, and changed the course of hers. Following the accident, a love of gardening, instilled in Ada by her deceased grandmother, sustains her. She moves to Pine Bluffs and finds peace in her gardening. In turn, her efforts transpire into a flourishing business, a tribute to her strength and perseverance. Yet Ada keeps to herself, getting close to only a chosen few. She loves her friends, but dismisses the idea of ever falling in love again. Ada is a strong woman outwardly, but inside, she harbors fear. She resists letting anyone capture her heart again, afraid she’d not survive another painful loss.

Rich McConnell touches her, body and soul, and unleashes unbending courage to overcome her fears, and survive the threats she faces with Rich at her side.

STEPH: What does Rich find attractive about Ada?

NANCY: Rich admires her ability to stand on her own two feet, and the life she’s built after losing so much. He likes the feisty determination she exhibits when faced with life threatening danger. But it’s the sensual, uninhibited side of Ada that takes his breath away.

STEPH: How did you come up with the title, “Deadly Revenge?”

NANCY: The definition of “revenge” is: To retaliate or get even. Rich has a checkered past, and from the onset of threats to Ada, he believes that past has come back to haunt him by harming someone he cares about. Ergo: to get revenge.

STEPH: What's your writing space like?

NANCY: The room I use was once my daughter’s bedroom. It overlooks our back yard. I love the changing seasons. The room is not large, about 10 by 12, but allows for my PC, a work table, desk and file. Nothing spurs me to write more than a cold, winter day. I can sip hot tea and let my mind create as snow drifts down, or, drives against the window panes. I like summer, too. Early mornings are best for writing in the summer. Then I can get out, go for walks or putter in our herb gardens.

STEPH: How important is setting to the story?

NANCY: Top of the list! I grew up in a small town, and I didn’t want to write about big cities where so often the stories and movies today are set. My romantic suspense is more the hearth and home variety, yet I write of threats and danger that spill over from cities and into small towns.

On my website I hint at this scenario by reminding readers.....Sometimes bad things happen in small towns. I write about are real places, beautiful places. I want readers to picture rolling vineyards, and breathtaking sunsets on the lake. I feel these settings are the key to making the stories come alive. My brand is Great Lakes Romance...where love runs deep and sometimes dangerous!

STEPH: Fun Question: Who are you rooting to win the Superbowl?

NANCY: Don’t hate me Steph, but until tonight I didn’t even know who was playing! I’ll enjoy high school, even college teams, but when it comes to pro sports....well, let’s just say I’d rather read a good book!

PUBLISHER'S BUY LINK:http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-254/Deadly-Triad-Book-Two/Detail.bok

Author Spotlight -Nancy Kay talks about her passion for romantic suspense

On a recent blog I discovered how to narrow down exactly what type of 'Romantic Suspense' I write, something I've been searching for since completing my first manuscript. One of the first things a new writer must do is to identify their target audience.

Hmmm...target audience. Mulling over this rather misleading term brought several scenarios to mind. Ingredients for Romantic Suspense include creating a strong hero, introducing an intelligent heroine, and then adding a situation and some nefarious character destined to interject roadblocks which make their road to true romance fraught with danger.

Each time I sought to describe my particular recipe for romantic suspense, I stumbled. Because, much as I like reading cutting edge suspense, my stories didn't quite fit the gritty, edgy mold. A friend and fellow author, C J Lyons, suggested my work may fit more in the 'hearth and home' sub-genre of romantic suspense. Her idea made sense, and shortly thereafter I read a blog by Stephanie Giancola at National Romance Novel Examiner entitled "Hearth and Home vs Dark and Scary". CJ's suggestion was right on 'Target'.

The 'hearth and home' aspect fit well with my small town settings and traditional family ties. While at the same time, my theory 'sometimes bad things happen in small towns' depicted within my stories, add the suspense and mystery.

I write romantic suspense because I love romance, I love a good mystery fraught with suspense, and I'm fortunate to have a built in consultant and sounding board with my husband - a 28 year veteran of the Pennsylvania State Police.

****

Nancy's latest release is: Deadly Reflection, a contemporary romantic suspense.

BLURB: When detective Nick McGraw encounters Cassi Burke, his ingrained sense of duty collides with unstoppable desire, because the stunning Miss Burke is gripping a bloody knife and standing over a dead body.

BUY LINK:http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-180/Nancy-Kay-Deadly-Reflections/Detail.bok

Author Spotlight Week -Toni Noel shares her passion for Romantic Suspense

Right after 'Write what you know' should come 'Write what you love to read.' A third rule should be 'Write what readers want to read.' Currently Romantic Suspense is outselling all other genres.

I love to read a good romantic suspense, the kind of book guaranteed to makes you burn the hard boiled eggs and forget to pick up your son after baseball practice. The kind of book you can't put down, with characters you fall in love with on page one, laugh with, cry with and almost die with before the end of the book.

All great reads, but not as easy to write as you may think. Writing romantic suspense is far more complicated than writing a straight romance. I have to remember to sow seeds of doubts, plant red herrings and put off solving the mystery to allow the hero and heroine time to fall in love, not an easy goal.

Plotting these novels is like carefully shuffling two decks of cards. One deck represents the mystery, the other the romance. All the events must be seamlessly merged or the reader will be drawn out of the story and is likely to throw the book across the room. Or delete it from her eReader, a new and possible threat for writers.

And yes, I'm a true believer in romance. If my hero and heroine face death before morning, they're bound to spend their last night in hiding in each other's arms. In Temp To Permanent, my romantic suspense just released by Desert Breeze Publishing, right before Carina gets kidnapped, Greg and Carina spend a night in each other's arms, all the more reason for Greg to find the woman he loves and save her life.

I prefer to read books where the hero seeks the heroine's help to catch a bad guy and they fall in love while thrown together, not books where there is no romance, and I have a long list of authors who never disappoint me. I'll share a few with anyone who leaves a comment here.

Author Spotlight - Q&A with Toni Noel, author of Temp to Permanent

STEPH: I don't know much about Temp To Permanent. Can you tell me a little more about?

TONI: In Temp To Permanent, the beleaguered owner of an advertising firm is thrown for a loop when the temp agency sends her a male replacement for her secretary who has the flu. This man is all she's ever want in a lover, but she's doubtful he'll be able to manage her busy phones.

Greg surprises Carina. His skill with computer graphics far exceeds her secretary's ability, and Carina's thriving business returns to normal, until troublesome things start happening, little irritating things that slow down their production, until the petty cash disappears. Carina suspects Greg is a plant sent by her competition to force her company to fail. Will the attraction she has for him survive her suspicions?

STEPH: How long did it take to write?

TONI: It takes me six weeks to write the first draft of a novel, and may take several years to polish it for submission. During the Temp To Permanent revision I began to wonder who wants to pick up a book about a lady boss who can't keep her hands off the temp help, but must? The situation was already humorous, or could become erotic, which ever I chose.

Not erotic, I was certain. Maybe what I needed was a good mystery to distract my characters, but for them to work more closely together, a situation rife with opportunities for romance. That's why I added the mystery. It gave my characters a problem to solve other than the sexual harassment one they'd face if either acted on their desires.

STEPH: Did you do a lot of research for the novel?

TONI: No research was need for this novel. Authors are instructed to write what they know. I'd worked in accounting offices for thirty years. I knew all about the subtle games office workers play, but there was nothing the least bit romantic about our accounting department. We were kept too busy for office intrigue, so I needed a different setting for my novel and decided on a quieter office situation for my characters, a business with only two employees. I wanted a place where a hero and heroine already attracted to each other would be forced to spend time together in conference every day, rubbing elbows, you might say. I already knew a little about computer graphics. The last company I worked for designed and built remotely controlled underwater vehicles. I interviewed a few of those designers, questioned the owner of a graphic arts business and started writing.


STEPH: Where did the inspiration for the story come from?

TONI: Prior to year end close ach year, I interviewed and hired a temp to take over my timecard duties while I produced financial reports and worked the accounting year close. One year I hired a male temp, not because of his drop-dead looks, but because of his obvious skills. He had an accounting degree and office experience, and best of all, required little training before I was able to tackle my work without interruption. Not so for the rest of the company. Even the married female employees hung out of their cubicles each day when he made his rounds.

STEPH: If your story was going to be made into a movie, who would you cast as the leads?

TONI: Greg would look like Sean Penn, with twinkling blue eyes and curly black hair. Carina would be a young Glenn Close.

STEPH: What is the theme of the novel?

TONI: The theme of Temp To Permanent is Love finds a way. Carina is convinced Greg lacks ambition. In reality, he's ashamed of his past failures, and refuses to talk about his past. To Carina, her father lacked ambition and determined not to fall for someone without goals in his life. She's a highly ambitious, successful businesswoman who has scratched her way to the top of her field, but has recently realized she is unhappy with her current life. Something is missing. She's not sure what until Greg walks into her office and she discovers she wants the very thing she cannot legally have: her temp.

STEPH: What do you want readers to take away from the novel when they finish it?

TONI: I always want my readers to finish my novels with the satisfaction of a happy ending, a resolution that leaves them smiling, and memories of a couple whose newly found love warms their heart long after they read 'The end.

STEPH: Do you have an eBook reader? If so, which one?

TONI: My husband gave me one of the first Nooks, bought when they were still pricey. I have a cover for it that feels like suede and folds back flat when I'm reading. I also have a light for it, but am yet to need it.

My husband recently bought a mini-computer for me to use in the motor home, so I also download .pdf files, copy them to a flash drive and read on the mini. In some ways I like it better.

STEPH: How important was the setting to the novel?

STEPH: Here again, write what you know influenced this novel. For several years I was the accountant for a local hotel and worked at San Diego's Embarcadero. This city's main business district is located a few blocks east of the bay, and all up-and-coming business owners need easy access to downtown, so Carina's opened her business in Little Italy, a stones-throw from downtown, and Greg rented an apartment in Old Town to avoid a lengthy freeway drive to where he hopes to eventually work. This setting gave my characters scenic views right outside their doors, and excellent places to dine while they became better acquainted.

STEPH: What's your writing space like?

STEPH: I emptied a spare bedroom for my office. My desk, a six foot door, turns the floor space into a mini-maze. Four tall, stuffed bookshelves line the wall I face when I write. One narrow end is beneath the window. The other end protrudes into the room, parallel to the bookcases and the sewing machine at my back. When we have company, this room becomes a catchall room for odd , collecting things we'd like to keep out of sight, items that never seem to find their back out of here, so not, my office is not neat, no many how many classes I take on organizing my writing space, but it almost serves my needs.
You'd think with a six foot desk I'd have plenty of room.

Not.

STEPH: Thanks for popping in, Toni! It was great to have you on the blog today!

Author Spotlight Week -Melanie Atkins shares her passion for Romantic Suspense

I write suspense because I love to read it. I crave that edge of your seat, heart pounding breathlessness that prickles my skin, ices my blood, and keeps me turning pages. I want my books to affect people like that.

My biggest influences are Lisa Gardner, Linda Howard, and John Sandford. All of them write delicious, in-your-face suspense that effects me deeply. I always snap up their books as soon as they come out. I read them on my Nook now, but still... I love the twists and turns Lisa gives us with her FBI series, Linda's determined heroines, and John's sexy Lucas Davenport. He might be married, but he still pushes my buttons.

A great read always stays with me, and I want people to recall scenes in my stories in just that way. The more suspenseful, the better.

Author Spotlight Week - Melanie Atkins shares her passion for Romantic Suspense

Suspense is my genre of choice because I like being on the edge of my seat. I love mysteries, and the intricate puzzles detectives must put together in order to solve their cases. Cops, serial killers, danger… if any of those elements are in a book, a TV show, or a movie, I'm there. My favorite shows are cops shows: Castle, Law & Order SVU, In Plain Sight, Rizzoli & Isles, Memphis Beat, The Glades, and so on. And my favorite authors are Lisa Gardner, John Sanford, Tess Gerritsen, Karen Rose, Linda Castillo, Erica Spindler… do you sense a trend here? Scare me, make the hair stand up on my arms, make me grit my teeth. I like reading books that are gritty and dark, with a heaping helping of emotion.

I love to read and watch suspense, and it's what I write. I try to get my facts correct by talking with law enforcement professionals and doing plenty of research on my own. I used to be married to a cop, and I've attended two civilian police academies and Forensic University. Later this month, I'm scheduled to attend the Writers' Police Academy in North Carolina. I can't wait. So look for more cop stories -- along with a little romance -- from me in the future. Those stories get my blood pumping and keep me putting words on the page. Nothing is more motivating than plotting crime fiction.

Author Spotlight Week - Susanne Marie Knight shares her favorite movie

I’m going to cheat--I’ll mention two movies. A criterion for a favorite movie is that it must be one I can watch over and over again... and still enjoy. “Beetlejuice” with Michael Keaton, fits in this category. It’s such an original tale and has so many interesting parts to it. I never tire of seeing the civil service in the underworld or the Handbook for the Recently Deceased--or Diseased! And the dialogue... priceless! At my house, we often quote the characters. “We come for your daughter, Chuck” and “My life is one... big... dark... room” are only two of the numerous funny sayings.

My other favorite is “The Witches” with Angelica Houston. Oh, that movie is rich with humorous lines. Angelica gives a tour de force performance as the Grand High Witch in all the world. Her goal is to change every child into a mouse, starting in England with our hero Luke, and his friend Bruno. If you haven’t seen “The Witches”, I highly recommend it. The story starts out a little slow and is sad at first, with the death of Luke’s parents, but keep watching and you’ll see a fantastic tale unfolding. Missing children living out their lives in paintings, why witches always scratch their heads, and “perfume” that if applied to the skin, grows fur are only some of the topics covered. Rowan Atkinson (Mr. Bean) also gives an inspired performance as the much put upon manager of the resort.

Author Spotlight Week - Susanne Marie Knight shares her passion for Romantic Suspense

What could be more exciting than a good romantic suspense? You have romance, intrigue, sitting on the edge of your seat action! I enjoy weaving a story that has all these elements. For murder mysteries, I also like to throw in those “red herrings” so that my readers can try to figure out for themselves the identity of the killer. Here’s a comment one reader wrote to me: “I kept guessing all the way to the end and I thought someone else was the murderer. Wonderful!!” And here’s another: “very funny, with interesting character interplay. Kept me laughing and guessing, laughing and guessing.”

I particularly love writing the Minx Tobin Mystery Series. This is my first true series and I really enjoy having the chance to explore the characters in depth. Getting to know them so deeply allows me to anticipate how they will react in whatever situation comes their way. When I started THE ILL-GOTTEN INSURANCE, I had no idea Minx had a background in art. Nor did I know that there is actually a type of gun called the .22 short, Beretta Minx. That certainly came in handy! So stay tuned to Minx and Gabe’s adventures. There are lots more surprises in store for them as the series progresses