Sharon Wray's Blog, page 89

Author Interviews: Jennie Marts’s New Release You Had Me at Cowboy.

[image error]Today I’d like to welcome another dear friend and Sourcebooks sister Jennie Marts to the blog. Today she’s talking about her new release YOU HAD ME AT COWBOY, the second book in her Cowboys of Creedence series.

“Readers will cherish the scorching sex, snappy dialogue, well-paced plot, and the appeal of the small Colorado town setting.” – Publishers Weekly

YOU HAD ME AT COWBOY

Mason James is the responsible one who stayed behind to run the ranch while his brother, Rock, took off to play professional hockey. Women have used him before to get to his brother—and Mason intends never to get burned again. But after he meets quirky Tessa Kane at his brother’s wedding, Mason discovers he’s ready to take a chance on love.

Tessa Kane is a reporter on the verge of losing a job she desperately needs—unless she’s clever enough to snag a story on the famous Rockford James. But when she falls for her subject’s brother, she’s caught between a rock and a hard-muscled cowboy. What will happen when Mason finds out who she really is?

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SHARON: Welcome, Jennie!! Can you share a teaser from your book?

JENNIE: I’d love to!

“Comin’ in hot,” he warned as he tilted her face the slimmest degree, then leaned in and lightly grazed her lips with his.

She tasted like spearmint and vanilla and something else—something that made him feel the same way he did on a warm summer night when the air was perfect, the stars were out, and the sweetest peace would settle in his soul.

A quiet sound escaped her lips, a cross between a moan and a sigh, as he pressed another soft kiss against her lips.

And it was about the sexiest sound he’d ever heard.

Her hands tightened the grip she had on his shirt, and he couldn’t hold back a grin.

“You said to make it good,” he murmured against her lips.

“Is that all you got?” she whispered back, her voice husky and breathless.

Aw hell. Now all bets were off.

SHARON: Thank you for sharing that wonderful excerpt. How long did you take to write this book?

JENNIE: It usually takes me about 3-4 months to write a book. I wrote Hooked On Love (a 58,000 category romance) in exactly a month and it’s still one of my favorite books. I think I was just so immersed in the story and I loved it so much that it just poured out of me. The one I just turned in is just shy of 100,000 words and I wrote it in 3 and a half months.

SHARON: I feel like such a slacker!! Are you a plotter or a pantser?

JENNIE: I am a plantser. I do plot but then I fill in a lot of stuff as I fly by the seat of my pants.

SHARON: And you do that all in three and a half months. You’re amazing! What is the most challenging part of your writing process?

JENNIE: The most challenging part is the never-ending pages and pages of my to-do list. It’s trying to divide my time between the writing and keeping up with the marketing, my newsletter, my website, running promotions, setting up ads, and all the other pieces a writer is expected to do for their career. If all we had to do was write, this job would be a lot easier—not easy, it’s still like having really hard homework, every single day, but a lot easier. J

SHARON: I wish I could just write all day! Can you share your writing routine?

JENNIE: I work part-time two or three days a week at a bank, so I have pretty specific goals of getting 2500-3000 words written on my days off. I shoot for writing 10,000 words a week. I don’t always make it, but that’s the goal I shoot for. This year, we converted my adult son’s room into a home-office for me, so I write from my desk in a gorgeous pink room surrounded by all of my fun writerly things and every time I walk into my office and sit at my desk to work, it makes me happy. I do also love occasionally meeting other local writer friends at coffeeshops or Panera to spend a day writing and talking about the writing world.

Do you have any writing quirks? I listen to instrumental bluegrass music. . . . the combination of the instrumentals and the super-fast pace of the bluegrass with the picking banjos and quick fiddles, gives my fingers a fast rhythm…
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SHARON: How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?

JENNIE: I turned in my 23rd book last night, so I now have 2 completed books that are in production, but aren’t yet published. And I have four WIP’s (works in progress): a couple of mysteries, a category romance, and a women’s fiction novel.

SHARON: Congratulations! Do you have any writing quirks?

JENNIE: Actually I do. I don’t always listen to music when I write, but when I need to block out noise or speed up my writing, I listen to instrumental bluegrass music. I can’t listen to music with lyrics, because I start trying to sing, or listen to the lyrics, but the combination of the instrumentals and the super-fast pace of the bluegrass with the picking banjos and quick fiddles, gives my fingers a fast rhythm that they try to catch up to. So I end up writing/typing much quicker when I’m listening to bluegrass, like the Orange Blossom Special or Dueling Banjos.

SHARON: What a great idea to listen to only instrumental music. What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

JENNIE: I’m not sure I understand the question. Just kidding. Sort of. I am a hybrid author so when I’m not writing for my publisher, I’m working on an indie book, so I’m pretty much always writing. But my favorite past times are reading, playing volleyball, swimming, and hanging out with my family. And I do love to go to the movies.

SHARON: Apart from novel writing, do you do any other writing?

JENNIE: I primarily write novels, but I do have a non-fiction book published that is written for writers called Writing Sprints Journal: Track Your Writing, Manage Your Time, Increase Your Productivity. It teaches writers how to increase their writing productivity through timed writing sprints and offers a journal to track your sprinting, plotting, and daily to-do lists.

SHARON: I love your sprinting journal and buy one for each new book I start. What are you working on right now?

JENNIE: I just last night turned in the completed manuscript for the 4th book in the Cowboys of Creedence series. If you’re familiar with the series, this one is Logan River’s story (he is Quinn’s brother and readers first met him in Caught Up in a Cowboy, but will get to know him more in book three, It Started With a Cowboy. This one is a Christmas story of redemption and learning to trust again.

SHARON: What’s your favorite writing advice?

JENNIE: The advice I most frequently give to newer writers is to remember that writing is a marathon, not a sprint. The whole process of writing, editing, querying, publishing, marketing, etc, all takes a very long time.

What’s your favorite writing advice? Writing is a marathon, not a sprint. The whole process of writing, editing, querying, publishing, marketing, etc, all takes a very long time. ~ Jennie Marts @JennieMarts
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SHARON: Yes it does! What book are you currently reading?

JENNIE: I’ve been working so hard on this book the last several weeks that I haven’t had time to read, but my birthday is Friday and I’ve asked for Lianne Moriarty’s new book, Nine Perfect Strangers, and plan to make my birthday treat include a few hours of curling up on the sofa in front of the tree with that book. She is one of my favorite authors.

SHARON: I love her too! Can you share the pitch for YOU HAD ME AT COWBOY? 

JENNIE: YOU HAD ME AT COWBOY is the second Cowboys of Creedence book in my hockey-playing cowboy series, & I love this story sooo much! 

Mason is the middle brother who lives in the shadow of his famous brother, Rock. He finally takes a chance on love with the curvy, clutzy woman he met at Rock’s prewedding party.

Tessa Kane is a reporter on the verge of losing a job she desperately needs—unless she’s clever enough to snag a story on the famous Rockford James. But when she falls for her subject’s brother, she’s caught between a rock and a hard-muscled cowboy.

Can’t wait for you to meet Mason & Tess!

SHARON: I can’t wait to read it either!! Congratulations on your newest release and on all of you success. I can’t wait to hear about your next cowboy book!

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Jennie Marts is the USA TODAY Best-selling author of award-winning books filled with love, laughter, and always a happily ever after. Readers call her books “laugh out loud” funny and the “perfect mix of romance, humor, and steam.” Fic Central claimed one of her books was “the most fun I’ve had reading in years.”

She is living her own happily ever after in the mountains of Colorado with her husband, two dogs, and a parakeet that loves to tweet to the oldies. She’s addicted to Diet Coke, adores Cheetos, and believes you can’t have too many books, shoes, or friends.

Her books include the contemporary western romances of the Cowboys of Creedence and the Hearts of Montana series, the cozy mysteries of The Page Turners series, the hunky hockey-playing men in the Bannister Brothers Books, and the small-town romantic comedies in the Cotton Creek Romance series.

Jennie loves to hear from readers. Follow her on Facebook atJennie Marts Books, or Twitter at @JennieMarts. Visit her at www.jenniemarts.comand sign up for her newsletter to keep up with the latest news and releases.

You can find YOU HAD ME AT COWBOY here: Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Apple  |  Google Play  |  Audible

You can find Jennie here: Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest  |  Goodreads

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Sharon Wray is a librarian who once studied dress design in the couture houses of Paris and now writes about the men in her Deadly Force romantic suspense series where ex-Green Berets meet their match in smart, sexy heroines who teach these alpha males that Grace always defeats Reckoning.

Her acclaimed debut book EVERY DEEP DESIRE, a sexy, action-packed retelling of Romeo and Juliet, is about an ex-Green Beret determined to regain his honor, his freedom, and his wife.

EVERY DEEP DESIRE is available on: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iBooks | IndieBound | Kobo |  Google

And adding it to your Goodreads TBR list is also always appreciated!

The post Author Interviews: Jennie Marts’s New Release You Had Me at Cowboy. appeared first on Sharon Wray.

Author Interviews: Maggie Wells and The Last First Date

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Today I’m so excited to welcome my friend and Sourcebooks sister Maggie Wells and her contemporary romance THE LAST FIRST DATE to the blog!

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THE LAST FIRST DATE

First date number forty-eight comes to a screeching halt for Detective Langley Sheppard when his date lifts a pack of gum from the local convenience store. But things start looking up when he encounters spunky damsel-in-distress Jessica Vickers, who’s stranded in the store parking lot. Now Lang is about to discover that on a night when everything goes wrong, falling for Jessica feels spectacularly right.

SHARON: I love this premise, Maggie. Can you tell us about the story?

MAGGIE: This is not a new release, but it’s one of my favorites. It’s a New Year’s Eve gone wrong story. Detective Langley Sheppard is looking for his Ms. Right, but first date number 48 comes to a screeching halt when his date is caught lifting a pack of gum from a convenience store. Jessica Vickers is stranded in the parking lot with a dead battery. Lang is about to discover that on a night when everything goes wrong, falling for Jessica feels spectacularly right.

SHARON: I adore first-date-gone-wrong stories! Can you share a teaser from your book?

MAGGIE: Of course!

A few strange women had flitted in and out of Lang’s life in the past few months, but not one of them had a bizarre fixation on chewing gum like tonight’s winner. Squinting through the sleet-spattered windshield, he peered into the harsh glare spilling from the glass storefront of the T-NT Mini Mart, hoping to catch sight of his date. The multitude of neon signs crowding the spotless expanse lit the puddles of slush in carnival colors. The store’s owner, Max Merida, believed in the laws of plenty. Plenty of light, plenty of cheesy merchandise crammed onto narrow counters, and plenty of markup built into every price.

  Apparently, his date believed in having plenty of gum.

  Five minutes had crept past since she bailed from his car, insisting he stay put. He could only figure choosing the right flavor was a deeply personal matter for Kristin…no, Kirsten.

  Kir-sten.

  No matter how many times he repeated it in his head, the name probably wouldn’t stick.

Not that there was anything wrong with the girl. She seemed nice enough. Blonde and pretty in a slightly overly made-up way. Her dress was low-cut and her legs were long—two features he usually appreciated—but tonight the sparkly package just wasn’t doing it for him. Kir-sten would be his fifth first date this month. He was getting good enough at gauging them to know that this one was not off to an auspicious start.

  In the past six months alone, he’d chalked up a toll booth attendant who thought she was a shrink, a clinging-vine attorney who wanted to sue him for breach of contract when he broke a dinner date, a girl who ate whole cloves of garlic to keep vampires from sucking her blood, a nymphomaniac kindergarten teacher (not as fun as he expected), a woman whose man hands would have made Jerry Seinfeld jump off the Brooklyn Bridge, and a tattoo artist who wrote free-form poetry. On people’s skin.

And those were just the headliners.

~~~~~~~~~~

SHARON: The excerpt is wonderful. Where did you get the idea for this story?

MAGGIE: To me, New Year’s Eve ranks up there with Valentine’s Day in terms of high expectation, so I thought it would be fun to write a story where the holiday goes tragically wrong – and right.

SHARON: It’s a great title. Can you tell us how you came up with it?

MAGGIE: This was one of mine. I love the thought of realizing you might be on your last first date because the right person finally came along. Of course, in Lang’s case, he was on a date with the wrong person, but still…

If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be? Write the stories you want to tell. I find writing more pleasurable when I’m staying true to myself and the stories I want to tell. ~ Maggie Wells @MaggieWells1
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SHARON: Can you share something we won’t find out just by reading the back cover?

MAGGIE: Lang may have been named for a long-running daytime soap opera character.

SHARON: Would that be Anton Lang on All My Children? LOL. Are you a plotter or a pantser?

MAGGIE: I definitely have pantser roots. I long to be a plotter, but find that when I get too in-depth with my story outline, it tends to stymie me. These days, I say I’m more of a plantser.

SHARON: Raising my hand for the plantser side as well. What is your favorite part of your writing process?

MAGGIE: I love brainstorming. There’s nothing I love more than hashing out a kernel of a story with my critique partner. Oftentimes, the initial idea takes off in a direction I had no intention of pursuing. I also love getting developmental edits for the same reason. It’s fascinating to know how others read and react to my work, and how it may be improved.

SHARON: I’m a huge fan of developmental edits which is why I love working for Sourcebooks. Can you share your writing routine?

MAGGIE: Lately, I’ve been relying more and more on dictation. I work a day job, so I find it helps me keep up with my word count goals. I usually dictate on my commute to or from work then let Dragon software transcribe my babble. By the time I am done cleaning it up and shaping it into the actual story arc, I have a decent chuck of work in.

SHARON: I will definitely have to try dictation. If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?

MAGGIE: Write the stories you want to tell. I know this sounds obvious, but when one writes for publication, chasing trends and trying to write to the current market is a constant temptation. I find writing more pleasurable when I’m staying true to myself and the stories I want to tell.

SHARON: How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?

MAGGIE: Other than my work in progress, I only have two books I have shelved. One I stopped writing 2/3 of the way in because I realized I simply could not find the way to tell the story I wanted to tell. The other was a novella I planned to expand into a novel, but haven’t circled back to yet.

SHARON: Do you have any writing quirks?

MAGGIE: I don’t know if it’s a quirk, but I cannot write in silence. I have to have music on in the background.

SHARON: I draft to music as well, but I like to edit in silence. Can you tell us about yourself?

MAGGIE: I work a day job as an office administrator. Unlike many authors, I do not dream of making writing my day job. I find I do better creatively when I am a little crunched for time. I am married to a man I’m still crazy about after almost two decades. We have two grown children, three grandsons, and a very spoiled black lab.

Which book influenced you the most? I’ve recently been moved by Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic. It’s about getting past our fear and becoming more creatively bold. I think that’s a work in progress for most writers. ~ Maggie Wells…
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SHARON: How did you get into writing?

MAGGIE: Fan fiction. I have written over 4 million words of fan fiction for shows like the Gilmore Girls (I’m a long-time Java Junkie!) and The Office (A JAM fan forever!)

SHARON: I never wrote fan fiction but was a huge fan of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan fiction. Which book influenced you the most?

MAGGIE: I’ve recently been moved by Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic. It’s about getting past our fear and becoming more creatively bold. I think that’s a work in progress for most writers.

SHARON: I love Big Magic too. What book are you currently reading?

MAGGIE: This is a trick question, right? On my Kindle app, I’m reading Julie Anne Long’s Malcolm & Isabel. I love her Pennyroyal Green series. In paperback, I have just started Roni Loren’s The One You Can’t Forget. And my audible app is currently playing Lethal Whiteby Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling).

SHARON: Thank you so much for spending the day with us, Maggie. I hope you have a Merry Christmas and a wonderful holiday season!

~~~~~~~~~~~

[image error]By day, Maggie Wells is buried in spreadsheets. At night she pens tales of people tangling up the sheets. This author of feminist, sex-positive romance is the product of a charming rogue and a shameless flirt. Trust us, you only have to scratch the surface of this mild-mannered married lady to find a naughty streak a mile wide.

You can find THE LAST FIRST DATE here: Amazon | Apple | Barnes & Noble  |  Google  |  Harlequin  |  KOBO

You can find Maggie here: Website  |  Facebook  | Twitter |  Instagram  |  Goodreads

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Sharon Wray is a librarian who once studied dress design in the couture houses of Paris and now writes about the men in her Deadly Force romantic suspense series where ex-Green Berets meet their match in smart, sexy heroines who teach these alpha males that Grace always defeats Reckoning.

Her acclaimed debut book EVERY DEEP DESIRE, a sexy, action-packed retelling of Romeo and Juliet, is about an ex-Green Beret determined to regain his honor, his freedom, and his wife.

EVERY DEEP DESIRE is available on: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iBooks | IndieBound | Kobo |  Google

And adding it to your Goodreads TBR list is also always appreciated!

The post Author Interviews: Maggie Wells and The Last First Date appeared first on Sharon Wray.

The Hungry {Romance} Writer: Christmas Sugar Cookies

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Photo by Nicole Honeywill on Unsplash

I love Christmas Sugar Cookies. I love them frosted, covered with sprinkles, and even plain. They’re perfect with a cup or tea in the afternoon or with coffee for breakfast. So, for the next post in my Deadly Force Christmas blog series, Calum and his friends are back at the house, eating cookies, finishing the Christmas Cranberry Punch and maybe breaking into Calum’s stash of Kentucky Bourbon.

Calum Prioleau: I honestly thought the Chocolate Sugar Crinkle Cookies were going to be the hit of the evening, but apparently everyone loves the Christmas Sugar Cookies. 

It could also be because my twin sister Carina is taking Juliet, Samantha, and Sarah on a tour of the house. With the women gone, my buddies are biting the beautifully-shaped cookies and turning them into more naughty forms. All in good fun, of course. Everyone is roaring with laughter and drinking my bourbon. And I’m reminded that all men, at heart, are boys who still love bathroom humor. Even at Christmas time. LOL.

When we hear the women coming downstairs, we stuff the R-rated cookies in our mouths and smile like nothing has happened. They expect more of us and we’d never want to disappoint the women we love.

The Hungry {Romance} Writer: Christmas Sugar Cookies

These are the easiest sugar cookies I've ever made and it's foolproof as long as you don't burn them in the oven. This is a classic sugar cookie recipe that I found in my grandmother's recipe box and an old Pillsbury Flour cookbook and adapted. I prefer to use sprinkles but my family likes the frosting. Honestly, frosting the cookies is too much work when colored sugar works just as well!

1 hr, 20 Prep Time

8 minCook Time

1 hr, 28 Total Time

Yields approximately 60 cookies

Author:


Sharon Wray

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Ingredients

1 12/ cups unsalted butter, softened2 cups white sugar4 eggs1 teaspoon vanilla extract5 cups all-purpose sugar2 teaspoons baking powder1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt and baking powder.In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together sugar and butter until smooth.Beat in eggs and vanilla but do NOT overbeat the eggs.Beat in flour mixture until dough forms.Cover and chill dough for one hour or more. (I've left it in the fridge for days and it's fine)Preheat oven to 450 degrees.Roll dough out on a floured surface 1/4" thick.Cut into shapes with cookie cutters. Place cookies 1" apart on uncreased cookie sheets.Bake 6 - 8 minutes, checking often to make sure cookies don't overgrown.Remove from oven and cool on an iron rack.Decorate with sprinkles while still hot or use frosting once the cookies cool.7.8.1.262http://sharonwray.com/the-hungry-writer/the-hungry-romance-writer-christmas-sugar-cookies/

Here’s another one of my favorite Christmas carols sung by Nat King Cole. Nat King Cole even has a small role in One Dark Wish (Deadly Force Book 2) coming out next September!

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Sharon Wray is a librarian who once studied dress design in the couture houses of Paris and now writes about the men in her Deadly Force romantic suspense series where ex-Green Berets meet their match in smart, sexy heroines who teach these alpha males that Grace always defeats Reckoning.

Her acclaimed debut book EVERY DEEP DESIRE, a sexy, action-packed retelling of Romeo and Juliet, is about an ex-Green Beret determined to regain his honor, his freedom, and his wife.

EVERY DEEP DESIRE is available on: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iBooks | IndieBound | Kobo |  Google

And adding it to your Goodreads TBR list is also always appreciated!

 

The post The Hungry {Romance} Writer: Christmas Sugar Cookies appeared first on Sharon Wray.

The Hungry {Romance} Writer: Chocolate Sugar Crinkle Cookies

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Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

The second recipe in my Deadly Force Christmas blog series, Calum’s Christmas Party, is for one of my favorite cookies of the season: Chocolate Sugar Crinkle Cookies. Not too sweet, with the perfect amount of chocolate, it’s a wonderful addition to the dessert table. (Which, in Calum’s mansion, is huge!)

Calum Prioleau: It doesn’t often snow in Savannah, but tonight we had an early Christmas miracle. While my twin sister Carina and I were caroling with our friends, snow flurries blew around. I think it was just the thing (along with the Christmas Cranberry Punch) to get my buddies–all ex-Green Berets–in the holiday mood.

We started out slow. A few of us (Pete and Detective Garza) sang totally off key. Others (Nate and Ty) lip-synced. And one more (Rafe) outright refused to sing. But once the snow started, everyone began to relax and by the fourth house we were all belting out the songs like we were in a kindergarten concert.

I also bribed them with the fact that if we succeeded in our caroling mission, dessert would be waiting at the mansion. Including my sister’s favorite Chocolate Sugar Crinkle Cookies. (and maybe a shot of my best bourbon.)

Serves 2

1813The Hungry {Romance} Writer: Chocolate Sugar Crinkle Cookies

This recipe came from my daughter. She and her friends starting making them while in middle school after combining a few recipes in their home economics class. They've become an annual Christmas favorite and are a great cookie to make with kids who love to roll sweet chocolate dough in sugar!

30 minPrep Time

10 minCook Time

40 minTotal Time

Yields 30-40 cookies, depending on size

Author:


Sharon Wray

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Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, softened1 1/2 cups brown sugar2 eggs1 teaspoon vanilla3/4 cup cocoa powder (Use a high-quality, dutch-processed cocoa that hasn't been defatted. I like Cacao Barry Cocoa Powder available on Amazon)2 cups all-purpose flour1 teaspoon baking soda1 teaspoon salt1/2 cup granulated sugar for rolling

Instructions

Lightly grease two baking sheets, or line with parchment paper.Preheat oven to 350 degrees.In a medium bowl, combine cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, and salt.In a large bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy.One at a time, add each egg, mixing completely before adding the next.Beat in vanilla.Slowly beat in flour mixture until combined.Cover and chill dough for one hour.Using a teaspoon, scoop dough and roll into a 1 1/2" ball. Then roll the ball in the granulated sugar.Place sugared dough ball onto a baking sheet, spaced 2" apart.Bake for 8-10 minutes until middles begin to puff up and crack and edges seem hard.Cook cookies on the baking sheet for 10 minutes. Then move them to an rack to finish cooling.Store in an airtight container at room temperature.7.8.1.264http://sharonwray.com/the-hungry-writer/the-hungry-romance-writer-chocolate-sugar-crinkle-cookies/

———–

And since this is a Christmas Caroling party, here’s the first carol of the night.

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Sharon Wray is a librarian who once studied dress design in the couture houses of Paris and now writes about the men in her Deadly Force romantic suspense series where ex-Green Berets meet their match in smart, sexy heroines who teach these alpha males that Grace always defeats Reckoning.

Her acclaimed debut book EVERY DEEP DESIRE, a sexy, action-packed retelling of Romeo and Juliet, is about an ex-Green Beret determined to regain his honor, his freedom, and his wife.

EVERY DEEP DESIRE is available on: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iBooks | IndieBound | Kobo |  Google

And adding it to your Goodreads TBR list is also always appreciated!

The post The Hungry {Romance} Writer: Chocolate Sugar Crinkle Cookies appeared first on Sharon Wray.

Daring Debuts ’18: Carol Potenza’s New Release Hearts of the Missing

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Today I’d like to welcome Carol Potenza and her new mystery release HEARTS OF THE MISSING!

“This action-packed mystery, which vividly evokes the beauty of the New Mexico landscape and its indigenous peoples, will attract fans of Hillerman (Tony and Anne), leaving readers eagerly awaiting the next installment.”

~~ Patricia Ann Owens, Library Journal Starred Review, August, 2018.

“Pueblo Police Sergeant, Nicky Mathews, blends science, mysticism and cunning police work as she investigates a tribal murder that leaves her life in jeopardy. Thoroughly researched and masterfully plotted, Hearts of the Missing uses the atmospheric beauty of New Mexico to fully make this mystery come alive.”

~~ Tricia Fields, The Josie Gray Mystery Series

HEARTS OF THE MISSING introduces Sergeant Nicky Matthews, a non-Native police officer working on Native American Pueblo in central New Mexico. A young woman’s suicide leads Nicky to a list of missing tribal members. As she investigates, she discovers not only murder but a horrifying motive that strikes at the heart of what it means to be a member of the Fire-Sky people.

SHARON: Welcome Carol! Can you share a teaser from your book?

CAROL: “She must be willing to sacrifice everything—her career, her life, even her soul—to save the people she is sworn to protect.”

SHARON: I love the premise. Where did you get the idea?

CAROL: From ‘visions’ and ghost stories told by my family members (all true!) and a Zuni petit point coral necklace with a four chambered center, like a heart. The stories are from actual experiences my relatives have had which fascinated me because I’ve never seen anything supernatural in my life. When I lost a stone from the necklace around the same time a close relative passed away, I wrote a short story to explain how the loss of the stone was linked to the death or disappearance of a loved one. The idea for the book grew from this.

SHARON: It sounds amazing. What’s the story behind the title?

CAROL: The original title was ‘Spirit’s Heart’. It was the name I gave to a piece of jewelry that plays a prominent role in the book. The editor thought that title was too ‘romance’ and asked for another.  In the book, one of the characters has a university course project entitled ‘The Hearts of the Missing Still Beat’. I proposed that title and the editor selected just the core for the book.

SHARON: Can you share something we won’t find out just by reading the book jacket?

CAROL: Keres, the Native language of many New Mexico Pueblos, is used throughout the book. For the audiobook, a Keres speaker was kind enough do a recording of the pronunciation of these words.

SHARON: How wonderful to get a native speaker help with the pronunciations! Do you have a favorite character?

CAROL: I really loved writing New Mexico State Police Chief Darlington Xavier (Dax) Stone. Movie star handsome, smarmy but charming, and with U.S. Senate aspirations, he uses the protagonist Nicky Matthews to help him solve high-profile crimes that will boost his political profile, potentially at the expense of her career. He’s a great pot-stirrer and you can’t trust him because he always comes first on his list—except he has a soft spot for Nicky!

SHARON: If you could spend a day with one of your characters, who would it be and what would you do?

CAROL: Ha ha! It would be with Sergeant Nicky Matthews on a ride-along on the Tsiba’ashi D’yini Pueblo. I’d love to see the view from the top of the Fire-Sky Casino and Resort and from the Kuwami K’uuti overlook on Scalding Peak, the dormant volcano at the center of Fire-Sky tradition and culture.

SHARON: I want to come along too. Are your character based on real people, or do they come from your imaginations?

CAROL: Most of them are crafted from the shadows and facets of people I’ve met which I then twist into the characters of the book. It’s like a writing prompt where you’re given the photo of a real person and have to put together their fictional backstory.

SHARON: How long did you take to write this book?

CAROL: I started it in January of the year before it was selected as the Tony Hillerman Prize in March of 2017. It took me about six months to write and six months to edit to the manuscript I sent into the Prize on January 4, 2017. During that time, I pitched it to another publisher who asked for a full, but rejected it. After it was selected, the St. Martin’s Press editor gave me some edits that made the story about a million times better. It took 18 months from the time it was chosen to publication December 4, 2018.

What is your favorite part of your writing process? Twisting the paths of the subplots together until they form the road my protagonist, Nicky, is running down to the finish. ~ Carol Potenza #Authors18 @calypza
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SHARON: What kind of research did you do for this book?

CAROL: I have ‘sources’ on pueblos here in New Mexico that were/are invaluable for questions about the police procedural processes. I did ride-alongs and visited museums and fiestas on Native American Pueblos. I traveled to Native American ruins, talked to members of different tribes in New Mexico, visited mesas, deserts, plains, rivers, forests so I could describe the scenery. And for the science, I learned it from in-depth reading of the literature and talking to doctors and nurses. And of course, Google was/is my best source. I’ve been to some pretty dark and distant places on the internet.

SHARON: With all that research, did you have to remove anything from this book during the editing process?

CAROL: I removed the POV of a character whose voice initially encompassed about 30% of the book! You know what was funny? My crit group had been advising the same thing. I can’t tell how much better that made the story.

SHARON: Are you a plotter or a pantser?

CAROL: I plot in my head, but pants on the page. I always know the beginning, the science, the crime, and the ghost story. I start writing, figure out the end, then write toward it. Sometimes there seems to be an insurmountable chasm to cross, but so far I’ve been able to build that bridge.

SHARON: What is your favorite part of your writing process?

CAROL: Twisting the paths of the subplots together until they form the road my protagonist, Nicky, is running down to the finish. That road is actually an arroyo that’s hard to climb out of, and, by the end, a metaphorical flash flood is chasing her, poor thing.

SHARON: What is the most challenging part of your writing process?

CAROL: Honestly? Finding the time to write. Like a lot of writers, I have a full-time job to pay the bills, and someone at home who I don’t see all day and want to spend time with. (I can’t imagine having children at home! Mine are grown and gone now.) I try to write from about 5:00-7:30 am before work and shoot for 4000-6000 words a week. I usually don’t write in the evenings or on the weekends unless my husband is out of town.

SHARON: Can you share your writing routine?

CAROL: I have a dedicated office, but also sit at the kitchen table as well as a desk in the den. I’m learning to write everywhere under all conditions. But that is tough. I like longer blocks because I chew up my scenes as I stare at the computer screen and am back and forth and back on forth on language and subplots and themes. I write two steps forward, one step back with lots of highlights and notes. I really try to make anything I put on the page relevant to the story: if it’s on the page, it means something!

SHARON: Have you ever gotten writer’s block?

CAROL: I haven’t really. I always have a scene or two waiting in my head that I can write, even out of sequence (although I don’t like to do that).

If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be? I don’t think I had the maturity for what I needed to do before I turned fifty! ~ Carol Potenza #Authors18 @calypza
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SHARON: If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?

CAROL: I only started to write a few years ago. I don’t think I had the maturity for what I needed to do before I turned fifty!

SHARON: Do you have any writing quirks?

CAROL: I write two steps forward, one step back, always tinkering and editing as I work through my first draft.

SHARON: Can you tell us about yourself?

CAROL: I have a Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences from the University of California at San Diego. I did research in plant genetic engineering at New Mexico State University for fifteen, before I started teaching (no more bench or field work) biochemistry at the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at NMSU. I have two amazing children, one in an MD/PhD program at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, and one in a PhD program in Music (he is a phenomenal trumpeter) at the University of North Texas in Denton. I also have a wonderful husband who is a family practice physician (yes, we are all WAY over educated) at health clinics in southern New Mexico. Two goldfish for pets and a bunch of geckos that hang outside on our bedroom window at night eating bugs.

SHARON: What an interesting background! How did you get into writing?

CAROL: For so many years, I lived and breathed scientific research and had two kids who took up my time. When I moved from research to teaching, my children were in or starting college and I found I had a lot more free time. I was getting older and thought about what I wanted to do when I retired and figured I’d write books—things I would want to read. So I started writing them.

SHARON:  What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

CAROL: Spend time with my husband, visit family, and travel for research, mostly to central and northern New Mexico to visit the various Native American reservations and pueblos.

SHARON: Can you share something about yourself most people probably don’t know?

CAROL: My first job was working at Disneyland. I sold hamburgers. Lots of hamburgers.

SHARON: I bet you have tons of stories from that job! LOL. Which book influenced you the most?

CAROL: It wasn’t so much a book, but books by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. I love their innovation, their twisted plots, the science they layer through their work, and the suspense and action that run like a train in all their stories. I literally always learn a new vocabulary word when I read their books. In some small way, I wanted to write like them.

SHARON: What are you working on right now?

CAROL: I’m editing the second Nicky Matthews book in the series, writing the third, and researching the fourth. Keeps me busy.

What’s your favorite writing advice? Write/edit/critique something every day. And . . . write for story, not agenda. ~ Carol Potenza #Authors18 @calypza
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SHARON: What’s your favorite writing advice?

CAROL: Write/edit/critique something every day. And I heard a great piece of advice from a recent meeting I attended: write for story, not agenda. For HEARTS OF THE MISSING, I didn’t come up with a theme or idea and decide to write a story around it. I just started writing something that put together things (mystery, science, supernatural) that I liked to read. I was about half-way through when I realized this might be a ‘Tony Hillerman’ type of book. I was looking for ways to pitch it when I came across the Tony Hillerman Prize. I entered and won!

SHARON: Thanks so much for spending the day with us, Carol. I hope your new release is a huge success!

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Carol Potenza is an Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at New Mexico State University. She and her husband, Leos, live in Las Cruces, New Mexico. HEARTS OF THE MISSING, her debut novel, is the winner of the 2017 Tony Hillerman Prize

You can find HEARTS OF THE MISSING here:

Amazon   |  Barnes and Noble  | Books-a-Million  |  Apple  |  Indie​Bound  

You can find Carol here: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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Sharon Wray is a librarian who once studied dress design in the couture houses of Paris and now writes about the men in her Deadly Force romantic suspense series where ex-Green Berets meet their match in smart, sexy heroines who teach these alpha males that Grace always defeats Reckoning.

Her acclaimed debut book EVERY DEEP DESIRE, a sexy, action-packed retelling of Romeo and Juliet, is about an ex-Green Beret determined to regain his honor, his freedom, and his wife.

EVERY DEEP DESIRE is available on: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iBooks | IndieBound | Kobo |  Google

And adding it to your Goodreads TBR list is also always appreciated!

The post Daring Debuts ’18: Carol Potenza’s New Release Hearts of the Missing appeared first on Sharon Wray.

The Hungry {Romance} Writer: Christmas Cranberry Punch

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Photo by Josh Harrison on Unsplash

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Photo by Roberto Nickson on Unsplash

Calum and Carina Prioleau, characters in my debut novel Every Deep Desire, are twins who live in Savannah, GA. Carina is a Georgia senator and Calum is a respected lawyer. As they are descended from the earliest settlers in Savannah, and their ancestors were notorious 17th century rogues and villains known as the Prioleau Pirates, Carina and Calum are two of the wealthiest people in town.

For years I’ve been hearing about the Christmas Party the twins’ parents put on in their historic mansion–a Christmas Caroling dessert party with punch and cookies. I’ve always wanted to attend but a few years ago their parents stopped having the party. But this year Calum has graciously offered to resurrect the party and give us a peek into his world at Christmastime.

Calum Prioleau: “Welcome to our Christmas Caroling party! It’s been a crazy year with all of the problems my new friends (all ex-Green Berets) have been having with their enemies (crazy arms dealers and a secret army of assassins). So I thought it would be a wonderful idea to take a step away from the intense world of romantic suspense stories and have some fun.

My friends are here: Rafe and Juliet, Pete and Samantha, Nate and all of his men (except for Kells), Detective Garza, and even Sheriff Boudreaux who has come in from the Isle of Grace. We’re serving Christmas Cranberry Punch in the foyer and while they’re imbibing, my butler Ivers is handing out small booklets printed with every Christmas Carol imaginable.

Although some of the men don’t want to sing through the historic district, the vodka in the punch will change their minds. As will the dessert table waiting for them when we return.”

Serves 14-16 punch-cup sized servings

101The Hungry {Romance} Writer: Christmas Cranberry Punch

This is one of my favorite holiday entertaining recipes that I received from my dad. It's sparkly and not too sweet with just enough of a vodka kick to get a party going. One tip: Instead of adding ice to keep it cold, make extra non-alcoholic punch ahead of time and freeze it into an ice ring or ice cubes. That way when the ice melts it doesn't dilute the punch. Of course the vodka is optional.

15 minPrep Time

15 minTotal Time

Author:


Sharon Wray

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Ingredients

1 64-ounce bottle cranberry juice2 cups frozen concentrate limeade2 cups pineapple juice1 quart ginger ale1 1/2 liters club soda1 cup vodka (optional)1 cup fresh cranberries, washed and picked over1 lime, sliced thinly

Instructions

Place the cranberries and lime slices in the punch bowl. Add cranberry juice, limeade concentrate, pineapple and ginger ale. Just before serving, add club soda. Add vodka, if desired.7.8.1.261http://sharonwray.com/the-hungry-writer/the-hungry-romance-writer-christmas-cranberry-punch/

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Sharon Wray is a librarian who once studied dress design in the couture houses of Paris and now writes about the men in her Deadly Force romantic suspense series where ex-Green Berets meet their match in smart, sexy heroines who teach these alpha males that Grace always defeats Reckoning.

Her acclaimed debut book EVERY DEEP DESIRE, a sexy, action-packed retelling of Romeo and Juliet, is about an ex-Green Beret determined to regain his honor, his freedom, and his wife.

EVERY DEEP DESIRE is available on: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iBooks | IndieBound | Kobo |  Google

And adding it to your Goodreads TBR list is also always appreciated!

The post The Hungry {Romance} Writer: Christmas Cranberry Punch appeared first on Sharon Wray.

The Hungry {Romance} Writer: Turkey Stuffing Casserole

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Photo courtesy of Daiga Ellaby on Unsplash

I love the day after Thanksgiving — the leftover food, time spent with family, the quiet pause of the end of autumn before the Christmas season kicks into high gear.

Did I mention the food?

Turkey Stuffing Casserole is an old, day-after-Thanksgiving recipe from my childhood that my kids now love. It uses leftover turkey (any kind of meat, light or dark) and leftover stuffing (any kind including herbed, cornbread, sausage, etc.).

You make a cream sauce, add meat, and layer it in a small casserole with stuffing. Meals for the day-after-Thanksgiving dinner don’t get easier than this, unless of course you make turkey sandwiches which are awesome as well.

Don’t forget pie for dessert!!

The Hungry {Romance} Writer: Turkey Stuffing Casserole

I'm not a huge fan of cooking with condensed soups, but this is one from my childhood that I still love. This is an adaptation from a recipe in the 1963 Good Housekeeping Cookbook. This recipe works with any kind of stuffing you have and, if you served chicken instead of turkey, that works as well. This dish is perfect served with a side salad and leftover rolls from Thanksgiving dinner.

15 minPrep Time

30 minCook Time

45 minTotal Time

Yields serves 6

Author:


Sharon Wray

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Ingredients

1 10 1/2 oz can condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted3/4 cup whole milk3/4 cups cubed cooked turkey1 1/2 cups leftover stuffing1 teaspoon grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

Heat oven to 350 degrees.In a medium saucepan, heat soup and milk until hot but not boiling.Add turkey to the soup/milk mixture.In a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish, layer stuffing in two layers, starting with stuffing and ending with turkey.Sprinkle cheese on top.Bake 30 minutes until bubbly and cheese is golden brown.Serve hot with salad and rolls.7.8.1.279http://sharonwray.com/the-hungry-writer/the-hungry-romance-writer-turkey-stuffing-casserole/

Now it’s off to the last hayrides of the season and then home to watch National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (two of my family’s favorite traditions)!

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Photo courtesy of Patrick Fore on Unsplash

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Sharon Wray is a librarian who once studied dress design in the couture houses of Paris and now writes about the men in her Deadly Force romantic suspense series where ex-Green Berets meet their match in smart, sexy heroines who teach these alpha males that Grace always defeats Reckoning.

Her acclaimed debut book EVERY DEEP DESIRE, a sexy, action-packed retelling of Romeo and Juliet, is about an ex-Green Beret determined to regain his honor, his freedom, and his wife.

EVERY DEEP DESIRE is available on: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iBooks | IndieBound | Kobo |  Google

And adding it to your Goodreads TBR list is also always appreciated!

The post The Hungry {Romance} Writer: Turkey Stuffing Casserole appeared first on Sharon Wray.

The Hungry {Romance} Writer: Pumpkin Pie

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Photo by Sweta Meininger on Unsplash

I love Thanksgiving. It’s one of my favorite holidays and I even like to do the cooking! One of my favorite things to make is my grandmother’s classic pumpkin pie. It’s so easy that I usually make two or three. Because who says Pumpkin Pie is only for dessert? There’s nothing more wonderful, the day after Thanksgiving, than eating pumpkin pie for breakfast!

I also make my own butter pie crust and, if I have the time, roast small pumpkins for the pumpkin puree. Both of these recipes are available on The Hungry {Romance} Writer index page.

The Hungry {Romance} Writer: Pumpkin Pie

This is the classic pumpkin pie recipe found in every Betty Crocker cookbook I have as well as in my grandmother's recipe card box and on every Libby's can of pumpkin puree with a few minor adaptations. Nothing is easier to make for Thanksgiving than pumpkin pie which is why I always volunteer to bring the pies to dinner!

10 minPrep Time

1 hrCook Time

1 hr, 10 Total Time

Yields 8-10 servings

Author:


Sharon Wray

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Ingredients

Crust1 9" unbaked deep dish pastry crust*Pie3/4 cup sugar1/2 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon ground cinnamon1/2 teaspoon ground ginger1/4 teaspoon ground cloves2 eggs1 15 oz can pumpkin puree**1 12 oz can evaporated milkGarnishWhipped cream

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.Line a 9" deep dish pie dish with unbaked crust.*In a small bowl, mix together sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves.In a large bowl, beat eggs with a whisk. Stir in pumpkin puree** and sugar/spice mixture.Slowly stir mixture until there is no foam or bubbles in the batter.Pour pumpkin mixture into pie shell, making sure to flatten out all of the foam and bubbles.Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.Reduce oven temp to 350 degrees and cover edges of pie with strips of tin foil to prevent crust from over-browning.Bake 40-50 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean. (Take off tin foil about 20 minutes before pie is finished cooking)Cook on wire rack for two hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate.Garnish with whipped cream.

Notes

*See link in paragraph above for butter pastry crust recipe.
**See link in paragraph above for homemade roasted pumpkin puree recipe.

7.8.1.272http://sharonwray.com/the-hungry-writer/the-hungry-romance-writer-pumpkin-pie/

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Sharon Wray is a librarian who once studied dress design in the couture houses of Paris and now writes about the men in her Deadly Force romantic suspense series where ex-Green Berets meet their match in smart, sexy heroines who teach these alpha males that Grace always defeats Reckoning.

Her acclaimed debut book EVERY DEEP DESIRE, a sexy, action-packed retelling of Romeo and Juliet, is about an ex-Green Beret determined to regain his honor, his freedom, and his wife.

EVERY DEEP DESIRE is available on: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iBooks | IndieBound | Kobo |  Google

And adding it to your Goodreads TBR list is also always appreciated!

The post The Hungry {Romance} Writer: Pumpkin Pie appeared first on Sharon Wray.

Daring Debuts ’18: Christina Hovland’s New Release Going Down on One Knee

[image error]Today I’d like to welcome another Golden Heart sister, Christina Hovland and her new release Going Down on One Knee, to the blog!

————

Number-crunching Velma Johnson’s perfectly planned life is right on course.

That’s a lie. Sure, she’s got the lucrative job. She’s got the posh apartment. But her sister nabbed Velma’s Mr. Right. There has to be a man out there for Velma. Hopefully, one who’s hunky, wears pressed suits, and has a diversified financial portfolio. He’ll be exactly like, well… her sister’s new fiancé.

Badass biker Brek Montgomery blazes a trail across the country, managing Dimefront, one of the biggest rock bands of his generation. With the band on hiatus, Brek rolls into Denver to pay a quick visit to his family and friends. But when Brek’s sister suddenly gets put on bed rest, she convinces Brek to take over her wedding planning business for the duration of her pregnancy.

Staying in Denver and dealing with bridezillas was not what Brek had in mind when he passed through town, but there is one particular maid-of-honor who might make his stay worthwhile.

Velma finds herself strangely attracted to the man planning her sister’s wedding.Problem is, he ticks none of the boxes on her well-crafted list. Brek is rough around the edges, he cusses, and doesn’t even have a 401(k). But trying something crazy might get her out of the rut of her dating life–so long as she lays down boundaries up front and sticks to her plan…

Sharon: What a wonderful blurb, Christina! Can you share a teaser from your book?

Christina: Absolutely!

————-

Three words. Three. Little. Words. Nothing important.

Okay, so the three words were important. Massive, really.

“Congratulations, you two,” Velma Johnson rehearsed aloud to the vase of a dozen yellow roses gripped in her arms. With a reaffirming gulp of Denver’s crisp spring air, she hustled through the open-air parking garage to the security door of her apartment building.

Her sister, Claire, had big news. To be exact, Claire and her boyfriend, Dean, had big news. Velma had a feeling she knew exactly what their news would be—they were moving in together. The next step in their relationship. Tension in Velma’s neck strung tight at the thought.

A successful career and a posh apartment she could eventually rent out as an investment were steps one and two of Velma’s elaborate five-year plan. She had ticked both those boxes. Dean, three kids, and moving to a two-story house just outside of Denver had been steps three through seven.

Not anymore. Now, her sister was moving in with the man Velma had crushed on for years. The one Velma measured all others against. The one she sang Prince and Madonna songs with at the office.

Yes, they were moving in together. That’s why Claire had called yesterday and asked to take her to dinner. Velma had insisted they meet at her place instead. Her invitation had nothing to do with the fact she liked having Dean visit her apartment—even if he was with her sister. She’d offered because it made sense they’d want a private location for their big reveal. And when the announcement came that they’d be embracing that next relationship milestone…well, being on her home turf sounded pretty darn appealing.

Just as she reached the security door, the sound of a motorcycle that clearly had no muffler cut through her thoughts. She turned. The bike pulled up next to her car—into the parking spot meant for her guests. A super-muscled, badass-mother-trucker of a biker swung his leg over the side of the motorcycle and stood.

Her heart stopped with a thunk.

Vin-Diesel-biker-dude pulled off his helmet and—sweet mother of Mary, had the temperature jumped by ten degrees? She got the picture: he rode a motorcycle, hit the gym twice a day. The type she avoided because she did not do badass. She preferred the suspenders-and-slacks kind of man. Except, at that moment, she debated how important that preference really was to her.

Sharon: Thank you for such a fun excerpt. Where did you get the idea for this story?

Christina: Well, the idea for Going Down on One Knee came to me in early 2016 when I’d just finished writing my first novel—what would become The Honeymoon Trap. I was actually working on a royal series with chocolate and baking and handsome princes. I started percolating on some ideas for putting alpha men into unlikely employment and a biker named Brek blazed into my subconscious. I just knew he HAD to plan weddings. I only had to figure out how to make that happen. Knowing that he’d do anything for his family, the rest fell into place.

I also knew I needed to create the absolute worst love interest for his lifestyle… and that’s when Velma showed up with all of her spreadsheets and life plans.

I had to table everything else and Write. This. Book. So that’s what I did. Now I have a series planned for all of Brek’s buddies—a florist, a cake decorator, and even a bridal shop owner—it’s going to be so much fun

Sharon: I’m so glad this will be a series! How did you come up with the title?

Christina: Originally, the working title was The Biker Wedding Planner Book. Eventually, it evolved to a working title of Things I’ll Never Say—after the Avril Lavigne song. I wanted something that fit the story and was a little edgy. That’s where Going Down on One Knee came in. I loved it. The prequel is called Rock Hard Cowboy. The sequel is called Blow Me Away.

Have you ever gotten writer’s block? I pause and write something else. That seems to always work for me. ~ Christina Hovland #Authors18 @Hovlandwrites
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Sharon: Can you tell us something we won’t find out just by reading the book jacket?

Christina: It’s a pretty sexy book. This wasn’t planned; it just kind of happened as the characters came to me.

Sharon: It’s funny how that happens. Do you have a favorite character?

Christina: Like my children, I love them all equally. J

Sharon: LOL. If you could spend a day with one of your characters, who would it be and what would you do?

Christina: I’d love to just get them all together and we could have dinner at Velma’s. That would be an amazing way to spend an afternoon.

Sharon: That would be so much fun, especially if Brek paid! Are your character based on real people, or do they come from your imaginations?

Christina: They’re all just from my head. There are certain bits and pieces of my life that I infuse into them, but they aren’t based on any one person.

Sharon: How long did you take to write this book?

Christina: Going Down on One Knee only took about three months to write—start to finish. I’ve been editing it ever since! Ha! It’s been through several versions, and I adore what it’s become.

Sharon: Wow. You are a superstar! What kind of research did you do for this book?

Christina: I had to do a lot of online searches about motorcycles. Otherwise, it was all already there in my brain.

Sharon: What did you remove from this book during the editing process?

Are you a plotter or a pantser? I am a solid plantser. I plot. I pants. I can do it all. ~ Christina Hovland #Authors18 @Hovlandwrites
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Christina: Ha! Oh my gosh. So much. So many of the storylines/sub-plots changed throughout various edits. The biggest change was in the original version Velma was trying to stop the wedding. It was almost a relief when my agent and editor encouraged me to cut that out. It never did feel quite right.

Sharon: Thank goodness for agents and editors! Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Christina: I am a solid plantser. I plot. I pants. I can do it all.

Sharon: What is your favorite part of your writing process?

Christina: Holding the book in my hands at the end. That is, by far, the best part.

What is your favorite part of your writing process? Holding the book in my hands at the end. That is, by far, the best part. ~ Christina Hovland #Authors18 @Hovlandwrites
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Sharon: I totally agree! Can you share your writing routine?

Christina: I wish I had a routine. I have four kids, and they’re young still. So I take my writing time as I can get it. Late at night is often the best time for me to write—while the house is silent.

Sharon: I spent years writing between 4 a.m. and 7 a.m. Have you ever gotten writer’s block?

Christina: I pause and write something else. That seems to always work for me.

Sharon: If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?

Christina: Relax. It’ll happen.

Sharon: How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?

Christina: I have two novels published this year and one novella—it’s been a busy debut year!

Sharon: Do you have any writing quirks?

Christina: It takes me a dosage of two glasses of wine in order to write an open-door intimacy scene.

The Hungry {Romance} Writer: Maple Brown Sugar Scones

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Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Last week we served Coffee Hot Chocolate while sitting outside on a bench, in the morning cold, wrapped in the blanket. Today we’re adding Maple Brown Sugar Scones to that early morning fall breakfast! Warm and wonderful, with a maple syrup drizzle, these go perfectly with whatever you drink to start your day!

The Hungry Romance Writer: Maple Brown Sugar Scones

These are easy enough to make in the morning so you can have them fresh and hot and dripping with maple syrup drizzle right from the oven. My kids love to take them, wrapped in a napkin, to eat while they walk to school. My husband likes them with a cup of tea when he comes home from work. Whatever your preference, you won't be disappointed. These were adapted from an old scone cookbook called Simply Scones (published in 1988) that I found in a second-hand shop in Charleston SC. Although the recipe has been changed over the years, these scones are warm and yummy and perfect for a cold fall morning.

10 minPrep Time

20 minCook Time

30 minTotal Time

Yields 8

Author:


Sharon Wray

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Ingredients

Scones2 cups all-purpose flour2 Tablespoons brown sugar2 teaspoons baking powder1/4 teaspoons salt1/2 cup cold butter, cut into pieces3/4 cup half and half2 Tablespoons pure maple syrupDRIZZLE1/2 cup confectioner's sugar1 Tablespoon maple syrup1 Tablespoon half and half

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder and salt.Using a pastry cutter, add in the butter until the dough forms pea-sized lumps.Add the half and half and maple syrup and stir gently until the dough begins to form a ball.Turn onto a parchment-lined or Silpat sheet and form into a circle 1" thick.Cut into 8 wedges and gently separate them.Brush wedges with a little extra milk and sprinkle with sugar.Bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown. Cool on an iron rack.While baking, whisk the confectioner's sugar, maple syrup and half & half.Drizzle over the warm scones and serve with coffee hot chocolate.7.8.1.277http://sharonwray.com/the-hungry-writer/the-hungry-romance-writer-maple-brown-sugar-scones/

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Sharon Wray is a librarian who once studied dress design in the couture houses of Paris and now writes about the men in her Deadly Force romantic suspense series where ex-Green Berets meet their match in smart, sexy heroines who teach these alpha males that Grace always defeats Reckoning.

Her acclaimed debut book EVERY DEEP DESIRE, a sexy, action-packed retelling of Romeo and Juliet, is about an ex-Green Beret determined to regain his honor, his freedom, and his wife.

EVERY DEEP DESIRE is available on: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iBooks | IndieBound | Kobo |  Google

And adding it to your Goodreads TBR list is also always appreciated!

The post The Hungry {Romance} Writer: Maple Brown Sugar Scones appeared first on Sharon Wray.