Zara West's Blog, page 7
October 20, 2021
Love Paranormal Romance? Meet Neely Powell
It’s the time of year when faeries and witches come to mind. Meet fellow Rose author Neely Powell. She writes paranormal romances you will love.
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Neely Powell is Leigh Neely and Jan Powell. The first time we met, we discovered our husbands had been good friends in high school. That instant connection was the beginning of a great friendship and our shared interest in writing romance novels. We both went on to individual professional success. We talked about writing fiction together for a long time with a few failed attempts. We finally found our groove when we decided to focus on witches, shifters, fae, and other supernatural creatures.
We’ve written four paranormal novels and endured a lot of life along the way. Just as we started our fourth book, Jan’s husband passed away suddenly—after a wonderful weekend spent with Leigh and her husband. The grieving process took a toll on our writing, and it felt as if we’d never finish the third book of our Witches of New Mourne trilogy. Then Leigh’s husband was killed in a car accident. The pain literally knocked the legs out from under our creativity.
However, last year, in the midst of the pandemic, we found our rhythm again and finished HEALING MAGIC, available now from The Wild Rose Press. The heroine from this book has lost her first love, and perhaps our own grief helped us bring her to a new place in her life. Bringing this story arc to a close was cathartic in many ways, and the creative bond we’ve felt for so long is now humming along.
What interesting jobs have you had? How have those jobs affected your writing?
When we met, we were both working at a rock ‘n roll radio station. Leigh was a DJ, and Jan wrote and produced commercials. Leigh loved making public appearances and once won a contest for eating McRib sandwiches and was kissed by Tom Jones in his dressing room after a show while her husband took photos. Jan just loved the rock music and crazy young DJs. When Jan left for another job, Leigh went to work in the creative department writing ad copy. They both feel that writing for the ear gave them an edge on writing crisp, clean dialogue.
Can you tell us about any other upcoming books, series, or writing plans?
Having completed the first three-story arc in the Witches of New Mourne series, we’re working on a new book. This one features our first dragon that lives on Old Baldy, one of the North Georgia mountains near the fictional town of New Mourne. We’re very excited because our setting has moved to the Buckhead area near Atlanta. We both enjoy an urban setting and the busyness of life in the city. We plan to release this book in 2022.
What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?
One of our characters is a faerie named Willow. She’s a mercurial and ancient creature who can appear to be your friend one moment, then show her sharp, pointed teeth the next. She loves to aggravate the coven and throw her power around. Willow is delicious to write, so bad, so cunning and wicked. And she’s not even the main villain in the books!
Can you tell us about your challenges in getting your first book published?
After we had written the first book of The Witches of New Mourne series, we submitted it to a major romance publisher. They responded with an enthusiastic yes! On our first conference call, the editor compared the story to Practical Magic. It was heady stuff. We were picked to launch a new line of paranormal romance with three other authors. Imagine our devastation when the plans for the launch were scaled back, and the whole project was scrapped. After getting our rights back, we sold to a smaller publisher, and they folded!!
Lesser women might have folded their tent. We didn’t. Finally, our story found a home with The Wild Rose Press and our wonderful editor Callie Lynn Wolfe. It’s been quite a journey.
Healing MagicThe Witches of New Mourne Book ThreeNeely Powell
An empathic witch. A magical warrior. Joined by love, they battle a demon and an evil spirit.
Eva Grace Connelly is a witch and a beloved healer. Rodric McGuire, paranormal expert and descendent of faerie warriors, adores the flame-haired beauty. But their future is on hold as a family curse threatens her life.
Centuries ago, the Witches of New Mourne struck a dark bargain with the Woman in White. In exchange for peace, the malevolent spirit takes a Connelly witch from each generation.
Eva Grace is convinced she can heal the ghost’s troubled spirit and end the reign of terror. But violence and family heartbreak challenge that resolve. As Samhain approaches, the Woman and her vile demon have control.
Is sacrifice the only road to peace? Can Eva Grace and Rodric uncover the secrets and lies at the heart of the curse?
Available from AMAZON | B&NLearn More about Neely PowellLeigh Neely and Jan Hamilton Powell are the writing team of Neely Powell. They met working at a rock ‘n roll radio station, discovered they’d both rather be writing fiction, and have been close friends ever since. Their path to cowriting paranormal romance took some detours.
Leigh’s resume chronicles a diverse career as a disk jockey, newspaper reporter, advertising copywriter, magazine writer and editor. Jan wrote 24 romance novels as Celeste Hamilton for Silhouette and Avon Books and then built a career in corporate communications and public relations.
Neely Powell became a successful team when they turned their attention to shifters, werewolves, witches, ghosts, fae and all things supernatural.
Their first novel was TRUE NATURE from The Wild Rose Press, followed by AWAKENING MAGIC and HAUNTING MAGIC. The Witches of New Mourne trilogy will conclude in October 2021 with HEALING MAGIC. Their rules for maintaining a partnership are simple: be honest, be kind, and bring Diet Coke and chocolate.
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Neely Powell would love to hear from you and answer your questions. Please post your comments below.
The post Love Paranormal Romance? Meet Neely Powell appeared first on Zara West Romance.
September 22, 2021
Meet Romance Author Peggy Jaeger
Multi-published, fellow Wild Rose Peggy Jaeger brings her life experiences to every book she writes. She shares some of those special moments with us today.
Welcome, Peggy Jaeger,
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
The basic bio is that I’m 61 years old, a retired nurse, married for 33 years and have 1 grown daughter who is imminently making me a grandmother. I have been a life long romance reader and lover and finally decided in 2013 during the worst menopause Mother Nature ever gave a woman, in which I developed menopause induced insomnia, I decided to use all the time I wasn’t sleeping to pen my own romance novel. It was published in 2015 by The Wild Rose Press and to this date I have almost 40 full length novels on the market. My tag line is that I write about strong women, the families who support them, and the men who can’t live without them.
Is there an event in your life that affected you as a writer?
This is a great question and my answer is yes! When I was eight-years old, my grandmother gave me one of those old-fashioned diaries with the lock and key. It had 88 pages, double-sided, single-lined and was Barbie Pink in color. I filled that diary within 2 months, not with any thoughts about my life, but with stories about an only child from divorced parents – a girl – with no friends who went on adventures all over the world and made new friends and helped people. They say write what you know, and at that time I was an eight-year-old girl from divorced parents who was a shy, introverted, lonely creature with no friends. I gave that little girl a fascinating lifestyle.
Have you written non-fiction or children’s books? How has that influenced your fiction writing?
I worked as a Registered Nurse for decades, first in a hospital setting, then later in a nursing home’s Alzheimer wing, and during those times I had multiple non-fiction articles written in nursing journals about mental health, senior care, and the state of nursing. I also wrote a series of articles on parenting and being a first-time mom for a few parenting magazines and periodicals. Writing those pieces helped me edit quickly, and not use fifteen words when five would be enough.
Is anything in your book based on real life experiences or purely all imagination?
To answer this question, I have to tell you about a pivotal character in the book, Bronte. I began writing A Pride of Brothers: Aiden beginning in 2020, just a few weeks before Covid became a thing. In September of 2020, my husband and I adopted an eight-week-old female chocolate Lab we lovingly named Maple Leaf. Hey, she’s a New England girl so she needed a New Englandy name!
Maple proved very smart very quickly, and I began training her before she reached nine weeks with simple commands. I also assigned hand signals to those commands to reinforce the word. The reason I did this is a little convoluted, so bear with me.
I have a condition called Presbyphonia, which, in the simplest form, means I have aging vocal cords. In my case, though, my laryngologist says I have the vocal cords of a one-hundred-year-old woman who smoked for ninety years! I am not close to that age (thankfully) nor have I ever smoked a cigarette, but he predicts that in four to five years, I may be totally aphonic—without a voice.
It made no sense to train Maple in voice commands if I wasn’t going to have a voice to command her, so I devised the hand signals. Eighty-five percent of the time now when I give her a command, it is nonverbally, and she responds. She now has an extensive vocabulary for words and signs.
When I devised Brontë as a companion for Aiden, I already knew she was going to be his medical-support dog, but I wanted to make their relationship even closer, so I gave him my hand signals, reasoning that if the migraines ever got so bad he couldn’t speak through the pain, he could at least have a form of communication with the dog.
Can you tell us about any other upcoming books, series, or writing plans?
Since I am a hybrid author, I have a bunch of new indie projects on the line for 2022—seven, in fact. My newest series will be titled Heaven’s Matchmaker, about a small town matchmaker in Heaven, NH ( a fictionalized city). In one of the books, the matchmaker herself with find her HEA. I also have one more book in the Pride of Brothers series for the Wild Rose Press, and then one for the Dickens Romance series. I’m also part of a new MAP series with the title Last Man Standing and owe one book to that series as well.
A Pride of Brothers: Aidanby Peggy Jaeger
Lexi Buckley wants answers about her younger sister’s death. The police have labeled it a suicide, but Lexi doesn’t believe it. Stymied in her investigation, she doesn’t know where to turn next.
After a chance encounter with a private investigator, she thinks her prayers have been answered. Aiden Keane has never been an answer to a prayer before, but he agrees to help Lexi. A quirky combo of brains and beauty, the pixie blonde makes him feel things no professional ever should for a client. When their investigation puts Lexi’s life in jeopardy, her safety becomes his number one priority. The hard part is not falling for her.
Available fromAMAZON | B&NLearn more about Peggy JaegerPeggy Jaeger writes contemporary romances and rom coms about strong women, the families who support them, and the men who can’t live without them.
Family and food play huge roles in Peggy’s stories because she believes there is nothing that holds a family structure together like sharing a meal…or two…or ten. Dotted with humor and characters that are as real as they are loving, Peggy brings all aspects of life into her stories: life, death, sibling rivalry, illness, and the desire for everyone to find their own happily ever after. Growing up the only child of divorced parents she longed for sisters, brothers and a family that vowed to stick together no matter what came their way. Through her books, she has created the families she wanted as that lonely child.
As a lifelong diarist, she caught the blogging bug early on. You can visit her at peggyjaeger.com where she blogs daily about life, writing, and stuff that makes her go “What??!”
Website/Blog: http://peggyjaeger.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/peggy_jaeger
Amazon Author page: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00T8E5LN0
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Peggy-Jaeger-Author/825914814095072?ref=bookmarks
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/peggyjaeger/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13478796.Peggy_Jaeger
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peggyjaeger...
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/peggy-jaeger
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDR8RRIlssIyS0FYZWeGqsg/videos?view_as=subscriber
Peggy Jaeger would love to hear from her fellow romance lovers.Please post your questions and comments below.The post Meet Romance Author Peggy Jaeger appeared first on Zara West Romance.
September 15, 2021
Liz Crowe Writes Romance of All Kinds
Today I welcome fellow Wild Rose, Liz Crowe. She is here to tell you about her many romance series and her new book up for preorder now.
What interesting jobs have you had? How have those jobs affected your writing?
I’ve had a lot of jobs, and I’m pretty sure that I’ve drawn on all of them in my books. This most recent book comes directly from my experience owning and running a brewery/bar/ event space. I didn’t know a single thing about beer other than the few versions of it I enjoyed, but I did know marketing, public relations, and a LOT of people in the town where I lived at the time. My business partners taught me about the beer, and I got their company off the ground and literally opened and closed the bar every single day for at least a year.
But it did not end well for me. Brewing is still a very male-dominated industry and in the end, I was pushed out by them. I have channeled that into my fiction novel (there was no husband or divorce in my case, although it felt like one, in a lot of ways).
I also sold real estate for nearly seventeen years, which influenced one of my best -elling and most popular set of books: The Stewart Realty series. I drew on a lot of my own experiences in the business of selling houses for it.
What other genres of novel would you love to write?
I am currently working on a mystery/thriller with a manuscript developer/editor right now! I hope to have the final draft done this fall.
In the future, I hope to put some creative energy into more romcoms and chick lit style novels that have a kind of cool concept that I’ve started calling “Sideways crossed with Wine Country—only with beer.” It’s a road buddy story with three women friends in an electric SUV driving to a bunch of off-the beaten-track (read: fictional) breweries in Michigan while they work through some serious issues in their lives and their friendships, get mixed up with hot dudes, and get stranded when they can’t recharge the car. A lot of laughs but also poignant and revealing about their own personalities.
Have you written a book you love that you have not been able to get published?
Yes, although it did find a home on Radish, the reader app. It’s a medical thriller that I worked on for at least 3 years, had edited, beta read, critiqued out the wazoo before trying to find an agent for it to no avail. It’s called Precious Vessel. I was really proud of the work I did on it and am glad that readers can enjoy it on Radish now.
Is anything in your book based on real life experiences or purely all imagination?
In What Happens in Denver, Andi’s experience founding a business in an industry that is new to her is 100% real-life experience. I knew little to nothing about beer back in 2008 and now I’m almost a certified Cicerone—which is a fancy way of saying I’m an Official Beer Expert (yes, those exist). I have also attended the “big beer expo” I refer to in Denver three times. It’s a hoot, but can also be a drunken mess at times.
Will you have a new book coming out soon? Do you know the release date?
What Happens in Chicago is the sequel to What Happens in Denver and will release early next year. It’s very much a contemporary erotic romance, and tells the story of Sloane and Michael, the other couple in the original novel whose backstory is much more let’s say fraught, sexy, complicated, and, eventually happy.
I also have a new book coming out October 7 It’s called GOAT—the acronym for “Greatest of All Time” used in sports, usually. It’s book 4 in my Detroit Sports Network series about a fictional TV sports network run by women. It’s a fun, funny, sexy series that I keep adding to because I can’t seem to stop coming up with more storylines for it!
I also have a stand-alone contemporary romcom adjacent romance called Win Place Show that comes out March 22, 2022. It’s about a couple who were friends as kids, drifted apart, but keep coming back to together one weekend a year in their hometown of Louisville. She has moved away and only returns for the Kentucky Derby Weekend each year. He is the 3rd generation owner of his family’s bourbon distilling business in Louisville. It’s a lot of fun with a ton of cool Derby hats, dresses, events, and other silliness. I have been to the Derby five times, and hope to go again next year.
What Happens in Denverby Liz Crowe
Meet Andi Rigby. She and her husband own a famous bar. Andi can mix a cocktail, change a beer keg, soothe ruffled customers, and drink you under the table — all within the same hour. Life is good, until the day she finds herself both divorced and unemployed. After a suitable period of ice-cream and whiskey infused mourning, she heads to a beer fest in Denver on a mission to rediscover her joy, not to mention a new job.
Between fielding gossip, saving a drunk woman from herself, and dodging a hot, but ill-advised boozy hookup, the weekend doesn’t go quite as planned. She ends up employed with an unexpected bonus—a new friend. Oh, and the guy she kissed? Turns out her new job includes selling his brewery’s beer. No big deal. Except the bit about him being practically perfect for her at a moment she’s determined to focus on her own success.
A story of new friends, fresh starts, and a side order of romance, served up with a nice cold pint.
Available for PreorderUniversal: https://books2read.com/whathappensindenver
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09BZZMVHM/
Trailer: https://youtu.be/0mFc-jGVq8Y
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58740150-what-happens-in-denver?
Liz Crowe is a Kentucky native and graduate of the University of Louisville living in Central Illinois. She’s spent her time as a three-continent expat trailing spouse, mom of three, real estate agent, brewery owner and bar manager, and is currently a social media consultant and humane society development director, in addition to being an award-winning author. With stories set in the not-so-common worlds of breweries, on the soccer pitch, inside fictional television stations and successful real estate offices, and even in exotic locales like Istanbul, Turkey, her books are compelling and told with a fresh voice. The Liz Crowe backlist has something for any reader seeking complex storylines with humor and complete casts of characters that will delight, at times frustrate, and always linger in the imagination long after the book is finished.
Follow along with Liz Crowe online:TWITTER: https://twitter.com/LizCroweAuthor
FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/lizcroweauthor
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/lizcroweauthor
TIKTOK: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMeQoUHjD/
BOOKBUB: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/liz-crowe
AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE: https://www.amazon.com/Liz-Crowe/e/B00573TC7M
GOODREADS PAGE: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4350864.Liz_Crowe
WEBSITE: http://www.lizcrowe.com
SIGN UP FOR THE LIZ NEWSLETTER & GET A FREE BOOK: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/r2a2q5
INTERESTING HUMANS PODCAST INTERVIEW; https://interestinghumanspodcast.buzzsprout.com/639664/6917804-liz-crowe-romancing-the-romance-novel
BOOKS ON THE MIC PODCAST INTERVIEW: https://www.audible.com/pd/Books-on-the-Mic-Ep-16-Liz-Crowe-Desiree-Holt-Podcast/B092QRW2HP
EMAIL LIZ: lizcroweauthor@gmail.com
Liz Crowe is waiting to hear from you. Please post your questions and comments for her below.The post Liz Crowe Writes Romance of All Kinds appeared first on Zara West Romance.
August 17, 2021
The Freedom to Read: Zara’s August Book Reviews
I am a romance writer so, of course, I love reading romance. But that is not all that I read. This summer I have read my usual number of romances, but I have also read several novels that I found exceptional. I thought I would share these with you. Maybe you will discover a new genre or author to love as I have done.
Bent Road by Lori Roy
In this women’s fiction historical novel, a Great Depression era family must uproot from the city and move back to the Kansas farm the father grew up on. But their return is accompanied by the reigniting of secrets long kept hidden– secrets the father had run away from many years before. Now his wife and children will come to suffer for his failure to be honest with himself and do what was right.
Beautifully written and told from multiple viewpoints, Bent Road builds in tension, power, and horror as the layers are peeled back on the tattered personal and abusive relationships in this small farming community.
Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri
Daughter of a governor for the all-conquering Empire, Mehr lives a constrained life in a culture where women are kept closeted and controlled. But she is different. Her mother was not of this culture, but from the desert people who have been driven to near extinction by the Empire. From her mother, Mehr has inherited power and magic that she will only learn about when she is forced to serve the Emperor’s religious leader, and which she will only take control of when she discovers true, true love.
Building on non-Western traditions, this fantasy is rich in imagery and powerful emotions.
The Lady Brewer of London by Karen Brooks
Life was extraordinarily hard for women in the 1400s. But when Anneke Sheldrek’s ship merchant father drowns at sea, she faces untold debts, troubles, and tragedies. Time after time, she makes knife-edge decisions, all with the goal of keeping her family together. Not all of them work out to her benefit.
This book is not for the faint-hearted. Every time you think nothing worse could happen, something does. There is violence, rape, and abuse. Several times, I was tempted to put the book down and read something lighter. But reading to the end of this historical novel with romantic elements was well worth it.
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
This fantasy is set in a gray, overly rigid world where those with magical powers are discriminated against. Told from the point of view of a meek, quite unmagical inspector of orphanages, the story unfolds like a blossoming flower as he inspects an orphanage on an island in the sea.
Through the magical children he meets there and the man he comes to cherish, we are treated to a beautifully constructed story about the rewards of accepting and loving others no matter how different. A book that teaches without being didactic.
Salt the Snow by Carrie Callaghan
Writing a novel about an unlikeable person is a true challenge. Carrie Callaghan has taken up this challenge in recreating the struggles of real-life reporter Milly Bennet, a woman resisting the conventions of her time. Callaghan effectively captures the confusion and struggle of being a woman alone in a culture she barely understands, living in harsh physical circumstances, facing untold gender discrimination, and working in a language in which she is less than fluent.
Drawn to Russia by the communist revolution, Milly becomes disillusioned by her career, by the politics, and by love. But these are not Milly’s biggest issues. Her very boldness and outspokenness risks herself and her friends and her very life. She is hard to like and hard for the reader to sympathize with, but she is also very real. Bravo, Carrie Callaghan.
Read to be Free. Read What You Choose.As you can tell, there was some romance in these books., but there was also plenty of tragedy, gut-wrenching secrets, and horror. Yet, I found each one worthy of the time I spent reading each. Every one was memorable. Every one was a new take on the world. Reminding me that there is no one right way to write a book or tell a story.
I have a number of romances to read next. I am looking forward to those guaranteed happy endings. But I encourage you, my readers, to explore books outside the genre too. Read for fun. Read for tragedy. Read to explore. Read to learn. Read to experience the highs and lows of life.
Read freely!What have you read this summer? Feel free to share a book that inspired or affected you strongly.The post The Freedom to Read: Zara’s August Book Reviews appeared first on Zara West Romance.
July 13, 2021
Zara’s Summer Reads 2021 Recommendations
Are you looking for your next great read? The following books are an assortment of wonderful stories in genres and styles that I have enjoyed reading over the last six months. Many are by authors I have interviewed this year. Look for the double star and link to their interview.
All In by Simona Ahrnstedt
A sensitively written romance between a ruthless CEO out for revenge and a retiring, but ambitious, woman who lives on the outskirts of her high-powered, old wealth family. Set in Sweden and written by a popular Swedish romance author gives this a fresh read appeal.
Desert Gold by Kris Bock**
If you like high action stories this romance is for you. Two women search for a lost treasure while pursued by ruthless men . Enter a handsome, heroic helicopter pilot, and the story really heats up. Highly recommended.
**Read my interview with Kris here.
This is a powerful story about a hard-working, self-sacrificing nurse and an equally hard-working, and caring sheriff. Despite their initial attraction, their rocky pasts and societal pressures drive them apart. Constant tension and amazingly sensitive moments kept me turning the pages. An amazing interracial romance by a fantastic interracial husband-and-wife team.
**Read my interview with A. M. Kusi here.
If you love magical books, you will love this fantasy romance by Serena Lindahl. Two sisters, one endowed with magical abilities and the other with tech skills, are on the run in an alternative America where the country is divided between techs and mages, and hate and discrimination keep them divided. Lindahl’s story is full of secrets, amazing twists and turns, and a wonderfully complex hero and heroine. Highly recommended.
Delightful characters. Energetic plot. Hot sex. Good friends. Laughs and tears. The heroine is torn between wanting her independence and allowing someone to love her. Throw in an art competition between her and the man who loves her and fireworks fly and love spreads.
Read my interview with Sadira here.
The post Zara’s Summer Reads 2021 Recommendations appeared first on Zara West Romance.
June 23, 2021
Ash & Marcus Kusi have Romances Galore for You.
Welcome Ash & Marcus Kusi. I am so glad to interview you. You are my first husband and wife writing team AND you use Booktok!
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
We’re Ash and Marcus Kusi, a wife-and-husband author team under the pen name A. M. Kusi. We enjoy writing romance novels that are inspired by our experiences as an interracial/multicultural couple. Our novels are about strong women and the sexy heroes they fall in love with, are emotionally satisfying, and always have a happy ending.
Is there an event in your life that affected you as a writer?
Ash: I have always used reading and writing as a form of escapism since childhood. Creating worlds where I could be anything and go anywhere away from the difficult reality I lived in was what saved me a lot of times.
Marcus: Definitely, the moment when we got feedback about one of our books changing someone’s life. That makes it all worth it.
What do you do when you are not writing?
We are usually at the beach with our kiddos, buried under a pile of Legos, or cooking/baking. We have a lot of food allergies in our family so we have to make a lot of things ourselves.
How do you market your work? What avenues have you found to work best for your genre?
TikTok! We make a fool out of ourselves (Marcus even tried a labor simulator) and share a lot of laughs on Booktok. We’ve gotten a ton of engagement and people interested in our Shattered Cove series from there. Our favorite part is when readers make a TikTok about one of our books and how it affected them.
Can you tell us about any other upcoming books, series, or writing plans?
In The Grey, which is book 6 of our Shattered Cove series, is coming out in August. This book was extremely difficult to write for Ash as it’s literally so much of her on the page. Our heroine is dealing with undiagnosed depression and self-harm. These are two topics that Ash has experienced personally so writing it was both therapeutic and triggering. We poured our hearts and souls into this series, and this book and our third, Defying Gravity, were especially hard for us to write. The feedback however, has been phenomenal.
We strive to face difficult topics, surrounding trauma or different lived experiences that are socially relevant and bring them to the reader in a way they can empathize. We don’t shy away from difficult topics, but we try to write them as respectfully as possible. Of course we add some humor and light-hearted scenes, and we always promise a HEA.
We will finish writing the Shattered Cove series this year, with the last book being published in January 2022. Then we will be staying in the same town and writing some spin off series.
Defying Gravityby A. M. KusiA Black nurse with a teenager to raise.
A white cop hiding a tender heart.
Do they have what it takes to indulge their forbidden passion?
Caregiver Belle Jones always puts her own needs last on the list. As a busy nurse and sole provider for her teenage brother, she has no time for meaningless hookups. And when her younger sibling arrives home in the backseat of a police car, the fury she feels for his strutting uniformed escort far outweighs her spark of desire.
Sheriff Bently Evans works hard to protect his town… and keep his emotions locked away. When it comes to relationships, that means burying his real feelings behind crass humor and his flirtatious playboy reputation. But after driving a stranded African American teen home, he meets a stunning woman who makes it impossible to sustain his act.
As Belle slowly falls for the rugged lawman’s true gentle nature, she fears he’s not the type to ever commit. And just as Bently is ready to be vulnerable, an ominous warning forces him to push the woman he desires away from a deadly risk.
Will a judgmental society drive a wedge between them, or can they conquer all with their powerful love?
Defying Gravity is the tantalizing third standalone novel in the Shattered Cove contemporary romance series. If you like off-limits passions, socially relevant reads, and couples who triumph over adversity, then you’ll adore A. M. Kusi’s page-turning tale.
***No cheating. HEA guaranteed. ***
Buy Defying Gravity to find hope and healing today!
AMAZON | B&N Ash and Marcus Kusi would love to hear from you and to answer any questions you might have. Please post your comments and questions below.The post Ash & Marcus Kusi have Romances Galore for You. appeared first on Zara West Romance.
June 2, 2021
Sandra Owens writes Suspenseful Romances
Welcome, Sandra. I am thrilled to have you here today.
Please tell us a little bit about yourself.
Hi, I’m Sandra Owens, and I live in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. I’m a full-time author (that means I spend a lot of time staring out the window, but at least I have a beautiful view). My family thinks I’m crazy but dare me to do something and I’ll pretty much do it. I’ve jumped out of a plane, have ridden in a stunt plane that was doing stomach-dropping stunts, and the faster, higher, and scarier an amusement park ride is, the happier I am. My favorite things to do are to write books and read books.
What interesting jobs have you had? How have those jobs affected your writing?
My favorite of all is being an author, but I’ve had some really interesting and fun jobs. One was as the manager of a private airport in Indianapolis. I got to meet race car drivers—NASCAR, Indy Car, and Formula One—when they arrived in their private planes for a race at the Brickyard. I’m a big race car fan, so I really enjoyed meeting some of the drivers.
The other coolest job I had was the general manager of a Harley-Davidson dealership. I met some of the coolest people, both ordinary ones like you and me and also some famous Harley riders. I rode a Harley for years and had some of the most amazing bike trips. I do miss my biker girl days.
As for how those jobs had an effect on my writing, LOST IN HER, the fourth book in my bestselling K2 series featured a female stunt pilot. I so want to be her! My Harley riding days were a big help in writing my (also a best-selling series) Aces & Eights series about three brothers who were undercover FBI agents. I fell in love with the Gentry brothers as I wrote Alex, Court, and Nate’s stories.
Is there anything in one of your books based on real life experiences?
Yes! I think every book I write has something in it that’s based on a personal experience. The one that hit closest to home was Logan’s mother in CRAZY FOR HER, a book that sold over 100,000 copies. Logan’s mother was a prostitute and the town drunk. My grandmother, my father’s mother, was the role model for that character. Like my father, Logan was pretty messed up until the woman he would love until the day he died saved him from his self.
What is your favorite part of a book to write?
OMG, I love, love, love writing the beginning of a new book. For some reason, a book’s beginning is so easy for me to write. The middle of a book, though… like slogging through vats of neck-high pudding. If only the middle of a book was as easy to write as the beginning!
What project are you working on now, and what book will be next?
I’m working on the Operation K-9 Brothers series. Book two, KEEPING GUARD, just released, and I’m in the middle of edits for MOUNTAIN RESCUE, book three in the series. Here’s the blurb for the series.
When SEAL Jack Daniels and his dog are wounded by an IED, Jack brings Dakota home with him to Asheville, North Carolina. They both need time to heal, and Jack has decisions to make about his future. Finally accepting that he’ll never be able to return to his team, Jack decides to start Operation K9 Brothers, training service dogs for veterans in need.
Eventually, he will bring SEAL teammates Noah Alba and Dallas Manning onboard. Each man has demons to conquer and futures to decide. Not one of the men has falling in love on their agenda. They are too damaged, too broken for relationships.
What the men don’t see on the horizon are the women they will each meet in a surprising way. Women that this band of brothers can’t get out of their minds—or hearts—no matter how hard they try.
KEEPING GUARD by Sandra Owens
Finding the future they deserve will mean leaving the past behind…
Navy SEAL Noah Alba is on extended leave after a terrible mistake resulted in the loss of his K-9 partner. He arrives in Asheville, North Carolina, hoping to get his head on straight before he returns overseas. When an old friend recruits him to train service dogs for veterans, he doesn’t feel ready. Still, rambunctious rescue dog Lucky is awfully hard to resist—as is the drop-dead stunning bride Noah encounters while hiking.
When she finds out her fiancé is only marrying her to gain control of her family’s brewery, Peyton Sutton’s I do turns into a hard pass real quick. But Peyton’s father and now-jilted ex are determined to force the match at any cost. Running away can only get her so far, until Noah—and his adorably fierce canine companion—step in as an unlikely protector.
Guarding a runaway bride in the close quarters of her downtown loft is no way to avoid a simmering attraction. But Peyton can’t outrun her ex, and Noah can’t outrun his past; they’ll have to find a way to move forward together, or risk making another terrible mistake.
Available fromAmazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Apple Books ~ Google Play ~ KoboLearn more about Sandra Owens
Website: https://www.sandra-owens.com
Social Media Links
Facebook Reader Group – Sandra’s Rowdies: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1827166257533001
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/SandraOwensAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SandyOwens1
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandraowensbooks/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7096008.Sandra_Owens
Sandra Owens would love to hear from you and answer your questions. Please post your comments below.The post Sandra Owens writes Suspenseful Romances appeared first on Zara West Romance.
May 26, 2021
Meet Romance Author Leigh Court
Welcome, Leigh Court,
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
I’ve been writing since age eleven, starting with adventure stories that were published in my elementary school newsletter. I eventually grew up to be a television news reporter, a job which took me on real life adventures!
What interesting jobs have you had? How have those jobs affected your writing?
Besides my job as a TV news journalist, I was also an entertainment reporter, a job which led to a fateful meeting and happily-ever-after with my music-industry husband. Since then, I’ve travelled the world with more than a dozen rock bands. I hope my latest contemporary romance, Rock Star, will give readers a behind-the-scenes peek at the inner workings of a rock-and-roll tour!
What project are you working on now or what book will be next?
Right now I’m working on book #2 of my Rock Star series, this one focusing on the womanizing guitarist Nick who wants the one woman he can’t have. He’ll need to fight for her! It’s a fun story to write.
What other genres of novel would you love to write?
I also write sexy Victorian romances, with a trio of books out called The Disciplinarian, The Disciplinarian’s Daughter and The Bet.
What do you do when you are not writing?
I do Chinese Brush painting to relax, the ‘fine line’ style. It’s a very detailed method of watercolor painting on silk or rice paper, but it’s exactly the precision of it that draws me to it. Creating a painting is like writing a book – very structured.
Rock Star by Leigh Court
He’s a rock star with stage fright. She’s a therapist with a dangerous secret…
Sebastian Roe was shot onstage during a concert five years ago, sending him into a creative tailspin and leaving him with a deep fear of performing. But his love of music is too strong to keep him off a stage forever, despite the fact the police never caught the gunman. He just needs a little help getting back in front of an audience, and he figures announcing a U.S. tour will force him back onstage. Unfortunately, it’s bringing up his worst nightmare and puts his sold-out comeback tour in jeopardy.
New York therapist Mia Merrill was in the audience the night of Sebastian’s fateful concert. She loves his music and wants to help him overcome his PTSD and get back onstage, but there’s another reason she’s determined to take him on as a patient.
She’s the reason he was shot.
Driven by guilt and a need to atone, Mia takes Sebastian on as a patient. Romantic sparks fly between the two during their therapy sessions, but no sooner do they start to make progress on Sebastian’s stage fright than the gunman announces he’s back to finish the job.
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3ui5YPK
KOBO: https://bit.ly/3nEEEZs
iBooks: https://apple.co/3nRCshz
Smashwords: https://bit.ly/3ugHW7C
Learn more about Leigh CourtVisit Leigh Court’s website: www.leighcourt.com
Leigh would love to hear from you. Post your questions and comments below.The post Meet Romance Author Leigh Court appeared first on Zara West Romance.
May 12, 2021
Meet Romance Author Jennifer Wilck
Welcome fellow Rose, Jennifer Wilck. So glad to have you here today.
Is writing something that comes easy to you or not?
In the past, writing always came easy for me. I’d sit down and write the stories that were in my head. I’ve always been a very structured person, so I’d stick to a daily writing goal, whether it was a word count or chapter goal. Since the pandemic, however, I’ve had a hard time focusing and getting inspired, so writing has been difficult. Luckily, I have manuscripts I wrote in the past that I’ve wanted to get ready for publication, so I can work on editing and polishing them. I’m hoping that as the pandemic eases and I can get out more, and as my life gets closer to normal, I’ll be able to get back my writing inspiration.
What are some of your favorite things?
I love flowers and photography, neither of which I’m particularly talented at, but I do enjoy them as hobbies. I’ve been planting lots of bulbs around our house—my husband doesn’t understand why bulb packages keep arriving—and pleading with the wildlife to eat the weeds, not the flowers. Occasionally, I’m successful. I love taking photos of the flowers (and the wildlife), and my camera disk and phone are filled with photos of both. In fact, we currently have a family of foxes that I can see and photograph out my window, and I’m constantly grabbing my camera to get a picture of them.
Where is your favorite place to write?
I like sitting at my dining table, looking out the French doors to our backyard, while I write. Since I use my laptop, I can move around my house, retreating to the sofa when I want a comfy seat or blanket, o moving onto the deck when it’s sunny out.
How much research do you do for each book you write?
It really depends on the book. For A Reckless Heart, I did a lot of research into therapy gardens, which help both my hero and real people with physical and emotional disabilities. It was so interesting learning about the benefits of working in the soil. Google is my friend, and like many other authors, I’m sometimes worried about what people will discover if they examine my search history.
Is there any particular author or book that influenced you in any way either growing up or as an adult?
One of my favorite authors is Lynn Kurland. She writes fantastic time-travel romances and no one shows emotion the way she does. The feelings just drip off the page. As a reader, I love being transported back to medieval England and Scotland, and as a writer, I am enthralled by how well she conveys longing and desire. I can only hope to write half as well as she does.
A Reckless Heartby Jennifer Wilck
Meg Thurgood, former society girl, took the blame for her friend and paid a steep price. Now all she wants is solitude and a chance to rebuild her life. She thinks she’s found that in an isolated house she rents from a mysterious stranger.
Simon McAlter has hidden in his house on the coast of Maine since a fire left him scarred. A successful landscape architect who conducts his business and teaches his classes remotely, he’s lost his inspiration and is trying to pretend he’s not lonely.
Simon’s new neighbor is more than he bargained for. When he learns Meg’s secret, will he retreat into the shadows or will he learn to see past the surface and trust in Meg’s love?
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08X429BMX
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-reckless-heart-jennifer-wilck/1138858163?ean=2940162335382
Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/a-reckless-heart/id1554790505
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/a-reckless-heart-1
Learn More about Jennifer WilckJennifer started telling herself stories as a little girl when she couldn’t fall asleep at night. Pretty soon, her head was filled with these stories and the characters that populated them. Even as an adult, she thinks about the characters and stories at night before she falls asleep or walking the dog. Eventually, she started writing them down. Her favorite stories to write are those with smart, sassy, independent heroines; handsome, strong and slightly vulnerable heroes; and her stories always end with happily ever after.
In the real world, she’s the mother of two amazing daughters and wife of one of the smartest men she knows. When she’s not writing, she loves to laugh with her family and friends, is a pro at finding whatever her kids lost in plain sight, and spends way too much time closing doors that should never have been left open in the first place. She believes humor is the only way to get through the day and does not believe in sharing her chocolate.
She writes contemporary romance, some of which are mainstream and some of which involve Jewish characters. She’s published with The Wild Rose Press and all her books are available through Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
Website: https://www.jenniferwilck.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Jennifer-Wilck-201342863240160/
Newsletter: https://www.jenniferwilck.com/contact.html#newsletter
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JWilck
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorjenniferwilck/
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/jennifer-wilck
Linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/JenniferWilck
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57176551-a-reckless-heart
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/a-reckless-heart-scarred-hearts-book-1-by-jennifer-wilck
Do you make up stories in your head? Jennifer Wilck would love to hear from you. Please post your thoughts and comments below.The post Meet Romance Author Jennifer Wilck appeared first on Zara West Romance.
April 21, 2021
D.V. Stone Shares Her Writing Life
Welcome back. I can’t wait to here about your latest book and what’s happening in your life right now.
What do you do when you are not writing?
I work full-time in a medical office but will be retiring in May. I also have two blogs a week. Welcome to the Campfire and Take a Peek Through the Window are insights into other authors’ lives and books. Social media and marketing take up a lot of time. But it’s not all work. I love camping, hiking, reading. I also dabble in painting and making jewelry.
Is anything in your book based on real-life experiences or purely all imagination?
Rainbow Sprinkles is a combination of both. I dedicated this book to my sister. About twelve years ago, she was widowed at a young age, like Gloriana, my main character. I remember the struggles she had and the difficulty with new relationships. I’m happy to report that she is now in a long-term relationship with a wonderful man.
I also used to own an ice cream parlor. One year, in particular, was awful—rain, power outages, to name a few things that Gloriana and I share. And while inspiration often comes from real life, there’s quite a bit of whimsy and imagination.
Oh, I almost forgot the two Bassett Hounds in the book are based on my own Fred and Sadie, who crossed the Rainbow Bridge many years ago.
Are there certain characters you would like to go back to, or is there a theme or idea you’d love to work with?
One of the often-mentioned scenes that people comment on is about the relationship between Nathan and his daughter, Lacey. I’m working on a story called” Christmas Cookie Chaos” with her as the main character.
Where do you get your ideas?
Ideas come from many places. One of my works-in-progress is based on a short scene in a movie. Sometimes it’s a song lyric. Life experiences and people around me like my sister or my Bassets. Someone once asked me if I ever woke up with an idea. No! When I sleep, I sleep.
What other genres of novel would you love to write?
I’m a multi-genre author. My published works are in Contemporary, Fantasy, Suspense, and mid-grade paranormal. I considered myself a fantasy author in the beginning. My first books are that genre—magic, wizards, and warrior elves. Rainbow Sprinkles is a light fantasy/paranormal, so I guess not to off the genre though it’s contemporary. The biggest stretch for me is the Agent Carter series. I never considered mid-grade, but my 7-year-old nephew asked me to write a book about him riding a motorcycle with a long mustache. I’ve recently published my second in the series and am mulling over the third.
Rainbow Sprinklesby D. V. Stone
BlurbRetired and widowed Gloriana Jones is forging on with the plans she and her late husband dreamed of—bringing joy and happiness, one ice cream cone at a time, to Lake Unami. But bad weather is drowning her dream. A trip to Upstate NY is bittersweet for Nathan James. He is excited to see his first granddaughter but without his wife he’s lonely. When his car breaks down, he heads to the only light he can see, an ice cream shop. With aid from a heavenly source, electricity sparks, but will the two weather the summer storms and find love a second time? Or will their hopes and dreams melt away?
Excerpt“Do you mind if I wait until the tow truck gets here?” He plucked the wet shirt away from his chest with the long fingers of one tanned hand. “It must be electrical, even the radio stopped working.”
“No, you’re welcome to hang around as long as you need.” Gloriana riffled through a cardboard box under the counter, pulled out an extra-large t-shirt, and tossed it to him. “Here you go. The restroom is through there.”
Mr. Gorgeous beamed a perfect toothy smile. “Thanks. I’ll be right back.”
When he disappeared into the hallway, and the door clicked shut, Gloriana fanned her face. What the hot fudge was wrong with her? “Coffee. Make coffee.”
Learn More About D. V. StoneHi, my name is D. V. Stone. I am a multi-genre author of two independently published books. Felice, Shield-Mates of Dar is a fantasy romance. Agent Sam Carter and the Mystery at Branch Lake is a mid-grade paranormal. Recently, Rock House Grill was released by Wild Rose Press. I also host Welcome to the Campfire and A Peek Through the Window, both weekly blogs. Here’s a little more about me.
Born in Brooklyn, D.V. Stone has moved around a bit and even lived for a time on a dairy farm in Minnesota before moving back east. Throughout her wandering, she always considered herself a Jersey Girl. She met and married the love of her life, Pete—a lifelong Jersey Man, and moved this time to Sussex County. They live with Hali, a mixed breed from the local shelter and their cat Baby.
You can find out more about D. V. by following her on Social Media
Website Amazon Author Page Facebook Twitter Instagram
Pinterest Bookbub Goodreads Newsletter
Blogs
Welcome to the Campfire Blog Peek Through the Window
D.V. Stone would love to hear from you. Please post your thoughts and comments below.The post D.V. Stone Shares Her Writing Life appeared first on Zara West Romance.
