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Daring Debuts ’18: Diane Byington’s New Release Who She Is

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Today I’d like to welcome Diane Byington and her new Women’s Fiction release WHO SHE IS to Daring Debuts!

“Diane Byington wrote a thoughtful, suspenseful story about a determined teenager who overcomes obstacles and who discovers some very surprising things about herself, way more than just that she has a talent for running.” ~ Judi Dressler

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In the fall of 1967, Faye Smith’s family moves to Florida to work in the orange groves, and she has to start a new school… again. She tries out for the track team, knowing her mother would never approve because of Faye’s epilepsy.

When Faye discovers she has a talent for distance running, she and her friend Francie decide to enter the Boston Marathon, even though women aren’t allowed to compete. Desperate to climb out of the rut of poverty, Faye is determined to take part and win a college scholarship.

After the school bully tries to run her down with his car, a strange memory surfaces—a scene Faye doesn’t recognize. Her parents insist that it’s a symptom of her epilepsy, but Faye thinks they might be lying, especially when it keeps happening. To get her life on the right path, she’ll need to figure out what her parents are hiding and never lose sight of the finish line.

—————-

And here’s a teaser:

AFTER SCHOOL THE NEXT afternoon, I sat on the bleachers and watched as six boys in maroon-and-orange T-shirts ran around the track. A slim man in shorts stood on the infield grass, a whistle around his neck, tapping his foot. The coach, I presumed. He glanced at his watch and frowned. Eventually, a boy came out from the school and wandered over. After a short conversation, he joined the others on the track.

I waited, but nobody else showed. Finally, leaving my books on the bench, I made my way over to the coach. He was writing something on a clipboard but looked up when I stopped a few feet away.

The eagerness in his eyes turned to disappointment when he saw me.

He asked in a strong accent, “Can I help you, young lady?”

I couldn’t think of how to begin, so I just stood there, tongue nailed to the roof of my mouth. He tapped his foot and waited.

I cleared my throat and said in as strong a voice as I could muster, “I’d like to try out for the track team.”

The corners of his mouth twitched as he stared at me. “Back home in Cuba, girls were involved in all aspects of sports. But in Valencia, only boys are allowed to join the track team. I’m sorry. I wish I could help you, young lady, but I can’t.” He turned his attention back to his clipboard.

I stood rooted to my spot, getting more annoyed by the second.He obviously needed to add people to the team, and from what I could tell, only one new boy had shown up. After all I’d gone through to be there, the coach wouldn’t even let me try out for the piddly high school track team just because I was a girl?

I cleared my throat. When he looked up again, I said, “Uh, how far is one lap around the track?”

“A quarter mile. Four laps make a mile.” He smiled at me. “You can run for fun if you want to. Just stay in the outside lanes. But if you’re going to run, let me give you a tip: start slow.”

I walked back to my seat and untied the wraparound skirt I’d worn to school over my shorts. I would run a mile that day if I had to crawl. And I would run it as fast as my feet would carry me.

I joined the boys and began to jog on the track’s soft surface. The rubber gave a little with each step. I felt like I was running on a trampoline or a cloud. I stretched out my legs and swung my arms and watched the world whiz by. My mind settled into a peaceful hum, my breath slow and easy.

The first curve arrived quickly. I sped up. The jog turned into a flat-out sprint, with my feet kicking up high behind me and my arms pumping. As I ran, I lifted my arms out to shoulder height, feeling about three years old. I pretended to be an airplane, for no other reason than that it was fun, and laughed for sheer joy.

———-

Sharon: Welcome, Diane! I loved the excerpt. Where did you get the idea?

Diane: I wanted to write about someone who had a goal and achieved it. Then I discovered photographs from 1967’s Boston Marathon, when Kathrine Switzer was assaulted by the race director for daring to run the race with a bib. She managed to finish the race, but the photographs of the assult were horrifying. I wondered what it would be like to have found out about his when I was a teenager, and Faye’s character was born.

If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be? I’ve always wanted to be a writer, but I gave it up in order to make a living. I would tell my younger self to not stop writing, no matter what. ~ Diane Byington…
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Sharon: Did you choose the title?

Diane: For years, the title was “Run Away Home.” My publisher discovered that there were other books with that name, so we had a meeting to come up with another name. The essence of the book is Faye figuring out who she really is, hence the new title. To show that the book is also about running, there is a photograph of dirty tennis shoes on the cover. I love the new title.

Sharon: I love the title and the cover! Can you tell us something we won’t find out just by reading the book jacket?

Diane: At the end, we discover that Faye is back in the small town in Florida where the story mostly takes place, and she is there for Francie’s retirement party. We find out what happened to all the characters during their adult years. People tell me that’s very satisfying.

Sharon: Do you have a favorite character?

Diane: Faye is definitely my favorite character. She’s determined to get away from the life she lives with her migrant farmworker parents. She wants to go to college, and she will do whatever it takes to do that. I love her pluckiness and her ability to persevere.

Sharon: Have you ever gotten writer’s block?

Diane: Nope. I start writing and something comes out. It usually isn’t great, but I love to see words on the computer screen.

Have you ever gotten writer’s block? Nope. I start writing and something comes out. It usually isn’t great, but I love to see words on the computer screen. ~ Diane Byington #Authors18 @dianebyington
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Sharon: If you could spend a day with one of your characters who would it be and what would you do?

Diane: I’d love to spend the day with Faye and have her tell me about her grown kids, her new romance, and what she’s going to do with her life after she retires.

Sharon: Are your character based on real people or do they come from your imagination?

Diane: They are from my imagination. I am the same age as Faye, but she is much braver than I ever was. I’ve never been a good runner, but I admire people who can put one foot in front of the other for a long time. Of course, some people in my life have somewhat similar characteristics as the characters, but nobody was made of whole cloth.

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

Diane: It took about seven years from first draft to publication. There were somewhere around twenty complete drafts during that time.

Sharon: What kind of research did you do for this book?

Diane: I started with Kathrine Switzer’s mesmerizing book, Marathon Woman. And I went from there, reading books about women who ran marathons, talking with runners, and learning about flashbacks. Of course, I spent years as a psychotherapist, so I knew quite a bit about the effects of trauma. That was the easy part. I found a town in Florida that hadn’t changed too much since the 1960s and went there several times to do research. We ended up falling in love and deciding to spend several months each year there.

Sharon: How fun to have found a special place you can return to. What did you remove from this book during the editing process?

Diane: Nothing during the final round of edits. Much earlier, there was an entire sub-plot about buying up the land in Florida for Disney World that didn’t make it past the second or third draft.

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

Diane: My favorite part is thinking through plots. I love complicated stories with lots of twists and turns and surprises, so that’s what I try to put together.

What is your favorite part of your writing process? My favorite part is thinking through plots. I love complicated stories with lots of twists and turns and surprises, so that’s what I try to put together. ~ Diane Byington #Authors18…
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Sharon: What is the most challenging part of your writing process?

Diane: Because I write complicated plots, there tend to be numerous plot holes. Trying to fix them will, of course, changes the plot. It drives me crazy that I miss so many glaring errors.

Sharon: I know all about complicated plots! Can you share your writing routine?

Diane: I know you’re supposed to write every day, but I don’t do that. I generally write for long hours when I’m writing, and then stop to think about it for a while. I wish I were more consistent, and maybe I’ll become that way.

Sharon: Have you ever gotten writer’s block? If yes, how do you overcome it?

Diane: Nope. I start writing and something comes out. It usually isn’t great, but I love to see words on the computer screen.

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

Diane: I’ve always wanted to be a writer, but I gave it up in order to make a living. I would tell my younger self to not stop writing, no matter what.

Sharon: Can you tell us about yourself?

Diane: I’ve done a lot of jobs in my life: college professor, psychotherapist, executive coach, business writer, hot dog maker, yoga teacher, etc. Now I’ve retired from all those jobs and spend my time writing, painting, and kayaking. My husband and I divide our time between homes in Boulder, Colorado, and Tavares, Florida. The fictional town of Valencia, Florida, is loosely based on an adorable neighboring town called Mount Dora.

Sharon: How did you get into writing?

Diane: For an assignment in the fifth grade I rewrote Great Expectations by Dickens, into current life. Pip became Smitty, for example. I loved it and got an A on the assignment. I was hooked on writing after that.

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

Diane: Read, read, read. Do yoga. Kayak. Hike. Spend time with my grandchildren.

Which book influenced you the most? Gone with the Wind. I read it when I was twelve, and I wanted to be Scarlett O’Hara. I didn’t have her gumption, though, so I had to write about it instead. ~ Diane Byington #Authors18 @dianebyington
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Sharon: Can you share something about yourself that most people probably don’t know?

Diane: I used to raise angora goats for fiber. I love spinning and weaving, and my garage is filled with enough wool and mohair to last me several lifetimes.

Sharon: My daughter loves to knit and I’m sure she’d love to see your garage! LOL. Which book influenced you the most?

Diane: Gone with the Wind. I read it when I was twelve, and I wanted to be Scarlett O’Hara. I didn’t have her gumption, though, so I had to write about it instead.

Sharon: I still have my copy of Gone With the Wind from high school! What are you working on right now?

Diane: I’m finishing up a women’s fiction/time travel book in which my main character accidentally finds some journals written by Nikola Tesla about how to do time travel. She wants to go back into her life and change a decision about a relationship she has always regretted. It’s called “The Second Time Traveler.” I love it.

Sharon: What’s your favorite writing advice?

Diane: Believe in yourself. Never stop learning. Keep writing, no matter what. Everything doesn’t have to be published, but it will never be published if it isn’t written down.

What’s your favorite writing advice? Believe in yourself. Never stop learning. Keep writing, no matter what. Everything doesn’t have to be published, but it will never be published if it isn’t written down. ~ Diane Byington #Authors18…
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Sharon: Such great advice. What are you currently reading?

Diane: I’m reading an ARC of Paula McLain’s new book about Martha Gelhorn and Ernest Hemingway. It’s amazing. I’m in love with her writing.

Sharon: I can’t wait to read it! What are the main themes in your book?

Diane: There are three main characters in my book, and they are all looking for freedom/liberation in some way. Faye wants freedom from being forced to do farm labor, Francie wants to prove to the world that women can be distance runners, and Jess, their trainer, wants to support the civil rights movement. I love the theme of freedom/liberation. 1968 was a heady time when all kinds of people were trying to change the world, and my characters fit into that framework. It was inspirational for me to write.

Sharon: Thank you so much for spending the day with us, Diane! Congratulations on your new release!

——–

[image error]Diane Byington has been a tenured college professor, yoga teacher, psychotherapist, and executive coach. Also, she raised goats for fiber and once took a job cooking hot dogs for a NASCAR event. She still enjoys spinning and weaving, but she hasn’t eaten a hot dog or watched a car race since.

Besides reading and writing, Diane loves to hike, kayak, and photograph sunsets. She and her husband divide their time between Boulder, Colorado, and the small Central Florida town they discovered while doing research for her novel.

You can find WHO SHE IS here: Amazon

You can find Diane 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 Daring Debuts ’18: Diane Byington’s New Release Who She Is appeared first on Sharon Wray.

The Hungry {Romance} Writer: Coffee Hot Chocolate

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Halloween is over and I have another book due to my publisher in less than a month. So I’m now working 16 hour days writing and reading and editing to make sure the next manuscript in my Deadly Force series is as good as I can make it. So that means early mornings and late nights and nothing gets me out of bed on a cold, dark autumn morning like Coffee Hot Chocolate.

Yes, it has both coffee and hot chocolate and is the perfect blend of sweet, acidity, and caffeine. I make a cup, go outside to watch the sunrise, and in the silence of the cold morning work on my scenes that I have to write that day. It’s one of the few things that will get me going at 4:30 am!



The Hungry Romance Writer: Coffee Hot Chocolate

Usually for baking, I just use Hershey's Dutch-processed unsweetened cocoa. But this drink requires more fat to offset the acidity of the coffee. So I recommend a cocoa that, unlike Hershey's, hasn't been defatted such as Cacao Barry's Cocoa powder (available on Amazon). There are other brands out there and each one will give you a different taste and texture. It would be a fun experiment to try them all!

2 minPrep Time

10 minCook Time

12 minTotal Time

Yields 4

Author:


Sharon Wray

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Ingredients

1/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder1/4 cup sugar1 1/2 cups whole milk2/3 cup strong coffee or espressoWhipped cream or mini marshmallows for garnish (optional)

Instructions

In a bowl, combine cocoa powder and sugar.In a medium saucepan, heat milk over moderate heat until steaming.Whisk in cocoa & sugar mixture until blended.Rapidly stir in coffee or espresso until frothy.Divide into warmed mugs.Optional: Top with whipped cream or mini marshmallows.7.8.1.278http://sharonwray.com/the-hungry-writer/the-hungry-romance-writer-coffee-hot-chocolate/

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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: Coffee Hot Chocolate appeared first on Sharon Wray.

Daring Debuts ’18: Maria Vale’s The Last Wolf & A Wolf Apart

[image error]Happy Halloween! In honor of the holiday, today I’d like to welcome my lovely Sourcebooks sister Maria Vale–paranormal romance author extraordinaire–to the blog! And before we go any further, I want to congratulate Maria for her book A WOLF APART being selected as one of Publishers Weekly best romances of 2018! Congratulations, Maria! The honor is well deserved!!

——–

Praise for THE LAST WOLF:

“The Last Wolf pits devotion against duty and survival with complexity and emotion and delivers a story that is raw, wild, and intense–captivating to the final page.” — Amanda Bouchet

“…a dense, gooey chocolate cake in page form. A wonderfully descriptive paranormal romance that breathes some much-needed life into the subgenre.” — Kirkus Reviews

Praise for A WOLF APART:

“There’s an emptiness to Elijah…and it’s turning him into a caged animal. It’s sexy and it’s frightening, a heady combination…A feral and fearsome romance that works for its happy ending.”— Kirkus

A Wolf Apart “strikingly explores the core werewolf conflict between civilization and the wild, and offers food for thought about “the nature of strength,” all in the context of a tense, high-energy plot” – Publishers Weekly starred review

Sharon: Welcome, Maria. To start, can you describe what the books, and the series, are about?

Maria Vale's A Wolf Apart is one of Publishers Weekly's top romances of 2018! https://best-books.publishersweekly.c... @MariaValeAuthor #Authors18
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Maria: The Legend of All Wolves—that’s the name of the series—IS about what we would call werewolves though they call themselves pack or wolves, because ‘were’—which means man–has  very little to do with what they are. Their human form is nothing but a tool used to protect pack, land and their true wild selves.

THE LAST WOLF introduces Silver, a runt with a bum leg when she is wild. In a very hierarchical society, she has few expectations for the future, until Tiberius, a wounded stranger comes to the pack’s territory, bringing hope for Silver and possible devastation for the pack and the land she loves so much.

While THE LAST WOLF is almost entirely on the Homelands, A WOLF APART takes place largely Off land, in  New York City where Elijah Sorensson has been serving the Pack as a lawyer for decades, protecting their land and their interests. The Alpha of his age group, he is also a master manipulator of the human hierarchy. But the once-firm lines between his human act and his wild self are blurring and something inside is dying.

Then he meets Thea Villalobos, a human who has learned the price of pretending. A woman who sees beyond the man of the world to the passionate, heartbroken wolf.

Sharon: I love werewolves and your stories are so unique to the genre. Can you share a teaser from one of your books?

Maria: Of course!

From THE LAST WOLF:

Ti opens the big red-and-gray-striped blanket wide. I curl naked into his lap, and he props his head on mine.

I lay my hand on his chest. “Why were you so angry about that man in the gas station? Not the man with the gun. The other one. The man with the dying lungs?”

“I wasn’t. You were getting upset. I was worried about you.”

I frown, my finger beating with the speeding rhythm of his heart. I know there’s something going on inside here. A man as much as threatened him with a gun. But Ti stayed stone faced and quiet voiced. That changed, though—I know it, I smelled it—when he saw the man with the yellow-stained fingers and breath like coal and rot.

“Ti?” I shift up, so I can whisper in his ear. “You know we’re not allowed to kill without eating. But if you need me to, I will eat him for you.”

He doesn’t say anything, but his thick arms pull tight around me. We listen for a while to the coyote shrieks in the distance.

“You know,” he finally says, “you’re the only person who has ever wanted to protect me.”

When the sun is gone and the clouds cover the waxing gibbous moon, he says, “I don’t think he would taste very good.”

“No. I didn’t think he would.”

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Sharon: Thank you for sharing this excerpt. Where did you get the idea for this series?

Maria: I’d read—and thoroughly enjoyed—a  number of books in which werewolves were  either loners or part of a motorcycle gang pack. Testosterone laden bad boys. I felt that this played into our worst misperceptions about wolves and wondered if I couldn’t do something to change that.

Sharon: Well, you did a wonderful job with the changes. How did you choose the title?

Maria: Initially, I’d imagined the book as a standalone and called it Silver, but my editor wanted a trilogy—a thing that turned out to be easier to accommodate than I had thought. As soon as I heard THE LAST WOLF, I thought it was brilliant. Silver, the heroine, is a runt and  has a bum leg when she is in wild and is the last wolf, in that she is at the very bottom of the hierarchy.

Sharon: Can you tell us about your favorite character?

Maria: I love Silver. The Great North’s truest form is always as wolves, but they have varying degrees  of competence in negotiating the human world. Elijah Sorensson, the hero of A WOLF APART is very skilled. Silver is not. She is very smart, but cannot grasp certain basic human concepts and has failed Introduction to Human Behaviors four times.

Who is your favorite character in A Wolf Apart? Silver. She's very smart, but cannot grasp certain basic human concepts and has failed Introduction to Human Behaviors four times. ~ Maria Vale @MariaValeAuthor #Authors18
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Sharon: I loved those scenes with Silver! If you could spend a day with one of your characters, who would it be and what would you do?

Maria: A somewhat minor character is Leonora Jeansdottir, the Human Behaviors teacher. In my imagining of her, she has spent a great deal of time studying the way humans act so she can help wolves blend in but doesn’t always get it quite right. For example, there is a scene when she drinks her coffee from the mug with a straw.

I’d love to take her out to a movie and dinner and maybe help refine her understanding a little.

Sharon: Are your character based on real people, or do they come from your imaginations?

Maria: There are some characteristics that come from real people. John, the Alpha of the Great North Pack in THE LAST WOLF, was based physically on Joe Manganiello who played the shifter Alcide Herveaux in True Blood.

When Elijah Sorensson first appears in A WOLF APART, he has been corrupted by many years Offland working as a lawyer to protect the Pack’s interests. I imagine him as being hollowed out and increasingly obsessed with labels like food and clothing, the externals that serve as signals of place  in the human hierarchy. This (and this alone), I based on Patrick Bateman, the loathsome protagonist of American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis.

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

Maria: THE LAST WOLF took about six months to actually write. I’m a pretty slow writer, so that surprised me. What surprised me even  more was how long the publishing process takes. I signed a contract with Sourcebook a couple of weeks after the 2016 election. There were some developmental edits including edits to turn it from a standalone to the first book in a trilogy.

Luckily, I was tied up in writing book two, or I’d have gnawed my nails to the quick waiting for publication in February 2018.  About ten months later, I got a galley with a moon peeking over mountains  and thought ‘OOO, how pretty.” Little did I know, that this was just for the galley and the real cover was so much  better.

Sharon: Sourcebooks covers are some of the best in publishing. What kind of research did you do for this book?

Maria: I read a half dozen books on wolves and several books on the Adirondacks. My father lived at the southern edge of the park, so I’ve spent some time in the environs.

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

Maria: Since it had been initially a standalone, I changed who was killed at the end and added more about characters who could become useful later but not too much because things develop as I write.

Sharon: Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Maria: I have a general sense of where a book starts, where it is going, a few important scenes and who the characters are. The problem for me is that a plot has a narrative logic, but not necessarily an emotional logic. The emotional logic develops as I write, so the one time I really plotted the whole book out, I found that my characters were doing things that no longer seemed consonant with their hearts. I always discard a fair amount, but that one . . . I think I wrote twice the number of words I ended up with.

What is your favorite part of your writing process? The rare moment of flow. It's like building a sandcastle. First you fill the box with sand. Then you pile it up in a tall pile that looks like, well, like sand in a pile. Then you…
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Sharon: I do the same exact things and always leave thousands of words behind. What is your favorite part of your writing process?

Maria: The rare moment  of flow. When the scene is like a movie playing in my head and I’m just transcribing. The crucial word is “rare”.  Usually it’s like building  a sandcastle. First you fill the box with sand. Then you pile it up in a tall pile that looks like, well, like sand in a pile. Then you start carving.

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

Maria: Clever dialogue. I like reading it in other  people, but when I’m writing, the back and forth of funny quips rarely rings true. Maybe I need a few friends who are better at banter.

Sharon: I think your dialog is awesome! Can you share your writing routine?

Maria: Usually in the morning. I try to set up 30 minute blocks when I’m not going to be interrupted. Being online, especially with social media is very disruptive, so I’ve recently set up a regimen whereby I only allow myself to look at social media when I’m walking up the stairs. As I live on the 12th floor, it keeps me exercising and off social media.

Sharon: Have you ever gotten writer’s block?

Maria: Yes. By the time I got around to the third volume I was editing  volume 2, worrying about sales of Volume 1 and a contract for Volume 4. I was trying to figure out promotion and getting  distracted by social media. I set myself a goal of 500 words per day. Now, that’s less than I usually do, but I found that setting it higher, increased my anxiety and my sense of failure if I couldn’t meet it.

Sharon: That’s the exact point (book 3) when I hit WB as well. If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?

Maria: Start making connections with the writers of your genre early, early, early. Join Facebook groups or Twitter chats and even if you’re just skulking in the undergrowth, it will give you an idea of the downsides and upsides. Other writers are your best support system. Family and friends will make reassuring noises. Readers like what you do, or they don’t.

Oh, and avoid Goodreads. It is the Slough of Despond.

If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be? Other writers are your best support system. Family and friends will make reassuring noises. Readers like what you do, or they don’t. ~ Maria Vale @MariaValeAuthor…
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Sharon: I love that description of GR. How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?

Maria: Two and a half unpublished volumes of a YA trilogy. One contemporary YA standalone. A  standalone romance between a waitress and the angel of death that’s about 2/3rds done.

Sharon: Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

Maria: I have a husband and two children, one of whom is now in college. I’ve lived in New York City for the past 30  years—aside from a four year stint in Germany.

Sharon: How did you get into writing?

Maria: As a freelancer, I used to interview writers and remember a number of them saying they wrote because they couldn’t stand to be in an office. I think the only reason to write is because you have something you want to say. I went through a lot of my life perfectly happy to consume what other people wrote. Then I had something to say.

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

Maria: Unlike most writers, I have very few skills. I read obsessively and enjoy people watching. I like making up stories for random passersby. Right now there is a woman holding a folder in high heels in front of the building across the street. She’s been standing there a while. I’ve decided she is a real estate agent for high-end apartments. She’s just gotten a text saying her client is 30 minutes late or maybe won’t be coming at all. Her face goes tight, but she is a professional and 6% of five million is a lot of money. She smooths her brow with her hand and smiles at no one before texting back. That sort of thing.

Sharon: You’re a natural storyteller. Can you share something about yourself that most people don’t know?

Maria: I hate driving and haven’t had a driver’s license for decades.

Sharon: I can’t stop laughing because I drive thousands of miles every year! What are you working on right now?

Maria: Volume 4 of Legend of All Wolves. The working title is WOLF REBORN and centers on Evie Kitwanasdottir and a Shifter introduced in volume 3.

Sharon: What’s your favorite writing advice?

Maria: There are a number of them that boil down to just shovel words onto the screen. Once you’ve done the shoveling, I move on to Kurt Vonnegut’s “Every sentence must do one of two things: reveal character or advance the action.”

What’s your favorite writing advice? There are a number of them that boil down to just shovel words onto the screen. Once you’ve done the shoveling, I move on to Kurt Vonnegut’s “Every sentence must do one of two things: reveal…
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Sharon: So true. What book are you currently reading?

Maria: I just finished Rose Lerner’s complete Lively St. Lemeston series. It was fantastically addictive. Not much of a historical reader, but I loved this one. Queued up next is Holly Black’s Darkest Part of the Forest.

Sharon: I adore Holly Black and that’s one my favorites of all of her books. Thanks so much for being here today, Maria! I love this series so much and wish you all the luck with your wolves!

—————-

[image error]A logophile and bibliovore and worrier about the world, Maria Vale lives in New York with her husband, two sons and a long line of dead plants. No one will let her have a pet.

You can find A WOLF APART here: Books2Read

You can find THE LAST WOLF here: Books2Read

You can find Maria 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 Daring Debuts ’18: Maria Vale’s The Last Wolf & A Wolf Apart appeared first on Sharon Wray.

The Hungry {Romance} Writer: Roasted Pumpkin Soup

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Halloween is almost here! And with that holiday, which is one of my favorites, comes my most favorite food ever: Pumpkin.

I love pumpkin in all its forms: puree, pie, flavoring in coffee, ice cream, roasted seeds, etc. If it’s made from pumpkin, I’ve eaten it. Today’s recipe, Roasted Pumpkin Soup, is one I love and have made many times.

It looks intimidating but it’s actually really, really easy. And if you ditch the homemade pumpkin puree and use the canned, it’s even easier. This soup is a perfect weekend supper or a starter for Thanksgiving dinner. It can be dressed up with homemade roasted pumpkin seeds or dressed down with rolls from a can. (Yes, those are perfectly acceptable in our house!)

However you serve it, this soup is everything that’s wonderful about fall. It’s delicious and fills you with warmth on those cold autumn nights. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

The Hungry {Romance} Writer: Roasted Pumpkin Soup

This recipe may seem like a lot of work, but it's really quite easy. It's even easier if you use canned pumpkin. But I have to admit that the fresh roasted pumpkin puree tastes better and has a less watery consistency. And it really is easier than it seems at first. This is a great recipe for Thanksgiving dinner or, if you make it ahead, to serve after Saturday afternoon cross country races and baseball games. I always serve it with a loaf of french bread and a green salad, and a block of sharp cheddar cheese. Oh, and wine is nice too. This recipe is an adaptation and conglomeration of recipes I tried from Pioneer Woman, Martha Stewart, an old Bon Appetit magazine, and my grandmother's original recipe for pumpkin soup. At this point, I'm not even sure anymore which parts came from which recipe!

15 minPrep Time

1 hrCook Time

1 hr, 15 Total Time

Yields Serves 8

Author:


Sharon Wray

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Ingredients

Pumpkin puree*2 small "pie pumpkins" or "sugar pumpkins", 4-6 pounds eachSoup4 cups roasted pumpkin (or if you're short on time, use canned pumpkin puree)*6 cups chicken stock1 1/2 teaspoons salt1 cup chopped onion1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried1 clove garlic, minced1/2 cup whipping cream**1/2 teaspoon ground pepper (or more to taste)GarnishFresh parsley sprigsSour creamRoasted pumpkin seeds***Roasted Pumpkin Seeds***Pumpkin seeds from "pie pumpkins" or "sugar pumpkins"2 Tablespoons salt1 teaspoon olive oil or non-stick cooking spray

Instructions

Pumpkin puree* (If you don't want to roast your own, use the canned puree!)Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet lined with tin foil.Cut off the tops of the two pumpkins, then cut them each in half.Scoop out all of the seeds and pulp and set aside in a bowl of cold water (for roasted seeds later)Cut the pumpkin into quarters and lay on the baking sheet, skin side up.Roast for 45 minutes until the pumpkin is so tender you can easily pierce it with a fork and it's a light brown.Remove from oven and peel off the skin with a knife. (It should come off easily)Put puree into a food processor and blend until smooth. If it's too dry, add a bit of water. If it's too watery, strain over a fine mesh strainer. This will all depend on the pumpkin itself and may change every time you make it.If you have more than you need, you can freeze the leftovers in a freezer bag up to a year.SoupIn a large stockpot, combine pumpkin puree, chicken stock, salt, onion, thyme, garlic, and pepper.Bring to a boil.Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.Remove from heat and puree soup with an immersion blender until smooth.Return to low heat and bring to a boil again.Reduce heat to low, and simmer for another 30 minutes, uncovered.Stir in heavy cream.**Pour into soup bowls and garnish with fresh parsley, sour cream, and roasted pumpkin seedsPumpkin Seeds***Preheat oven 325 degrees.In the bowl of cold water, work the seeds through your fingers to separate the seeds from the stringy pulp.Add 1 Tablespoon of salt to a pot of water and add the seeds. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for ten minutes.Drain seeds and dry on a towel.Toss the seeds with olive oil and lay out on a baking sheet. Or, if you don't want to use the olive oil, lay seeds on a baking sheet and spray with non-stick spray.Sprinkle with last Tablespoon of salt and make sure that the seeds are in a single layer.Roast for 25 minutes, checking at 20 minutes to make sure they're not burning on the inside. They should be crispy on the outside and golden brown in the inside.Cool the seeds on the tray. If you want to add them as a garnish to the soup, shell the seeds first. Or you can just eat them as is.They will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-6 weeks or 1 week at room temperature.

Notes

**To reduce the dairy, substitute half-and-half or coconut milk for the whipping cream. It will change the texture and flavor a bit, but both are still delicious options.

****The cooking time is for using canned puree. If you're making you're own pumpkin puree and roasted seeds, you'll have to add on that cooking time.

7.8.1.274http://sharonwray.com/the-hungry-writer/the-hungry-romance-writer-roasted-pumpkin-soup/

And here’s another beautiful interlude from Loreena McKennitt’s album The Visit to listen to while eating dinner. Bon appetite!

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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: Roasted Pumpkin Soup appeared first on Sharon Wray.

Daring Debuts ’18: Jaycee Jarvis’s New Release Deadly Courtship

[image error]I’m so excited to welcome back my Golden Heart sister Jaycee Jarvis and her second romantic fantasy release Deadly Courtship.

Can a minstrel with a knack for predicting the future help a warrior face her painful past?

In a world rife with elemental magic, Han-Triguard Madi’s earth gift strengthens her body, but makes her distrust of fluid emotions. When her former lover Jasper, a water gifted empath, begs her to protect his brother’s orphans, Madi struggles with unwelcome tenderness even as she tracks down a murderous Lord. Then the Lord unmasks her shameful past, forcing her to risk her career—and her heart— to avenge a ghost and save the love she and Jas once shared.

Sharon: Welcome back, Jaycee! Can you please tell us about the second book, Deadly Courtship, in your Hands of Destin series?

Jaycee: Deadly Courtship is the second book in the Hands of Destin series. It continues the adventures of a magically gifted group of friends as they battle corruption in the tropical market town of Trimble. This time we follow Madi as she tries to solve a murder or two, and reconnects with her past, including an old flame.

Sharon: Sounds as wonderful as the first book. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Jaycee:  I’m a romance junky with a weakness for chocolate. I love to travel and explore new places, which is part of why I enjoy reading so much. Reading a book is like traveling without the jetlag!

Sharon: I totally agree! What are some of your favorite things? Foods. Flowers. Books. Whatever.

Jaycee: I’m a huge chocoholic, the darker the better. Fortunately for my waistline, I like chocolate themed desserts more than they like me. I’m lactose intolerant, which keeps me from indulging, though I still make a mean peppermint brownie.

Sharon: I’d love the recipe one day. What was the most interesting place you ever visited?

Jaycee: I was fortunate enough to live in Europe for a year when I was growing up. My favorite memory from that year is climbing the Leaning Tower of Pisa. It is a remarkable structure, and climbing it felt like stepping back into the past.

Do your travels influence your writing? Absolutely! I think that all of a writer’s experiences influence them, but my mind is more open and receptive when I’m traveling so those experiences really inform my work. ~ Jaycee Jarvis…
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Sharon: What a great experience. Do your travels influence your writing?

Jaycee: Absolutely! I think that all of a writer’s experiences influence them, but my mind is more open and receptive when I’m traveling so those experiences really inform my work.

Sharon: Where is your favorite place to write?

Jaycee: I do a lot of writing and editing at home, but when I’m feeling stuck I like a change of pace. There are a few local coffee shops where I regularly meet other writers, and I’m lucky enough to live in a city with a great library.

Sharon: I love coffee shops as well. How did you choose the genre you write in?

Jaycee: In some ways it chose me! I have always loved sweeping fantasies like Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonriders of Pern, but I miss the rich emotional layers found in a good romance novel. I strive to combine those elements–that sense of wonder and magic, and that authentic emotion–into my own fantasy romance novels.

Sharon: I loved the Dragonriders of Pern! Is there any particular author or book that influenced you in any way either growing up or as an adult?

Jaycee: Catherine Coulter was the first adult romance author I read as a teen, and her books opened me up to the whole world of historical romance. While I don’t write historical romance, that genre is still very influential on my work.

Sharon: My first romances were historicals as well and I can still remember my first Rosemary Rogers book. Can you tell us about any other upcoming books, series, or writing plans?

Jaycee: I’m working very hard on the Hands of Destin Series right now. Book one, Taxing Courtship, came out this past June. While book two is in edits, I’ve started drafting book three. The books are what I call companion novels, in that the setting remains the same and the events from one book carry over into the next, but the central characters change in each book as different couples come to the fore. It’s a classic series style for romance novels, and really fun to write. I already know the characters from the previous book, but I get to dive deeper and explore the forces that shaped them. It’s very satisfying.

Sharon: Is anything in your book based on real life experiences or purely all imagination?

Jaycee: I have a vivid, vivid imagination, but I don’t think any experience is really lost either. I try to write emotionally authentic stories, which means exploring my own emotional experiences, even if the circumstances differ.

Sharon: What project are you working on now or what book will be next?

Jaycee: While Deadly Courtship is in edits, I’ve begun drafting the next book in the series, tentatively title Fated Courtship. It’s a friends to lovers story, about a seer who sees a future with a man who wants nothing to do with her visions. I love their conflicting viewpoints and exploring what it means to have a destiny.

Sharon: When sill Deadly Courtship be available for sale?

Jaycee: Deadly Courtship should be out sometime this winter, but no release date yet!

Do you have a writing tip that helped you get published? Perseverance is so important. Writing, and publishing, is a marathon not a sprint . . . .you just have to figure out how you work past that and keep faith in yourself. ~ Jaycee…
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Sharon: Do you have a writing tip that has really helped you get published?

Jaycee: Perseverance is so important. Writing, and publishing, is a marathon not a sprint. Half the battle to get your work out there, is actually completing the work, and then sending it out, and sending it out. Rejection is part of the game, and you just have to figure out how you work past that, and keep faith in yourself.

Sharon: Do you have any websites, blogs, or books about writing that you would recommend?

Jaycee: For character building (I’m a character-first writer) I really love The Complete Writer’s Guide to Heroes and Heroines by Tami D Cowden, Caro LaFever and Sue Viders. I also highly recommend getting involved in a writers community, either online or in person, and attending conferences if at all possible. There is nothing like the comradery of other writers to give you the tools you need for all aspects of this business.

Sharon: I love all of those suggestions! Thank you so much for spending the day with us, Jaycee. And I hope you’ll join us again with Deadly Courtship is on the shelves.

—————–

[image error]Jaycee Jarvis is a Golden Heart® finalist who writes lush fantasy novels with plenty of heart and magic. Book one in the Hands of Destin series, Taxing Courtship, is available now through Kindle Unlimited. When not lost in worlds of her own creation, she resides in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, three children and a menagerie of animals.

You can find Taxing Courtship here: Amazon

You can find Jaycee here: Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Pinterest  |  Goodreads  |  BookBub

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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: Jaycee Jarvis’s New Release Deadly Courtship appeared first on Sharon Wray.

The Hungry {Romance} Writer: Slow Cooker Beef Stew

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Fall is my favorite time of year, but between birthdays, school schedules, publishing deadlines, and work demands it’s also one of the busiest times of year.

That means it’s time to pull out the slow cooker so we can have family meals despite our busy days. Especially when the leaves turn all shades of red and gold in the Shenandoah Mountains and visitors show up hoping to make the 105-mile drive along the ridge of the Shenandoah National Park. It’s nice during the rest of the year, but in the fall it’s spectacular. So this recipe is a must in my fall arsenal of meals. You can use a less-expensive cut of meat and it serves a crowd.

The Hungry {Romance} Writer: Slow Cooker Beef Stew

I love making this when we have company for the weekend, especially for those who visit during the fall to see the Shenandoah Valley change colors. Most of the steps of cutting and dicing can even be done the night before so the next morning you throw it into the slow cooker and beat all the other cars driving along the Shenandoah's famous skyline drive. And when you get home, it's a perfect meal to eat in front of the fireplace. Especially if you serve it with a nice red wine!

30 minPrep Time

10 hrCook Time

10 hr, 30 Total Time

Yields Serves 6-8

Author:


Sharon Wray

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Ingredients

Stew Ingredients1 pound beef round, cubed4 Tablespoons seasoned flour*1 1/2 cups beef broth2 garlic cloves1 bay leaf4 carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds3 medium-sized Yukon gold potatoes, cubed2 yellow onions, peeled and diced1/2 teaspoon dried thyme1/2 teaspoon dried basil1 teaspoon dried parsley1 teaspoon dried marjoramSeasoned Flour*1 cup flour1 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon paprika1/4 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

In the slow cooker, toss the meat with the seasoned flour. Stir in remaining ingredients and mix well.Cover and cook on high for 4-6 hours or on low for 10-12 hours.Serve with a side salad and warm rolls.7.8.1.273http://sharonwray.com/the-hungry-writer/the-hungry-romance-writer-slow-cooker-beef-stew/

This Loreena McKennitt song All Souls Night is from another one of my favorite albums The Visit. Like much of her music, this song in particular reminds me of fall nights eating supper outside before a roaring fire.

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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: Slow Cooker Beef Stew appeared first on Sharon Wray.

Daring Debuts ’18: Diana Holguin-Balogh’s New Release Rosary Without Beads

[image error]Today I’d like to welcome Diana Holguín-Balogh and her new release ROSARY WITHOUT BEADS to the blog.

Rosary Without Beads is a back-hills narrative for the 1800’s Lincoln County War. The novel reboots Bill the Kid’s academic legend and gives voice to the silent story haunting the recorded version. Ambrosia, a Mexican sheepherder’s daughter, encounters fast talking Billy the Kid. Her world reverses its orbit.

————

Sharon: Welcome, Diana! Where did you get the idea for ROSARY WITHOUT BEADS?

Diana: After a cousin’s funeral held on the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation, my brother showed me side by side graves of Shotgun Roberts and Dick Brewer, enemy combatants in the Lincoln County War. I grew up with the story and knew that when Billy wasn’t charming Mexican señoritas, the bilingual Kid fought in that war. Intrigued, I began. My fingers typed away as the story wrote itself.

Sharon: Is there a story behind title as well?

Diana: At the beginning, Ambrosia’s mother is dying. Unable to grasp rosary beads, her index finger rotates a heart shaped motion on the pad of her thumb in prayer. As the story progresses, Ambrosia finds herself with the same nervous habit.

Is there a story behind title Rosary Without Beads? At the beginning, Ambrosia’s mother is dying. Unable to grasp rosary beads, her index finger rotates a heart shaped motion on the pad of her thumb in prayer. As the story progresses,…
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Sharon: Can you tell us something we won’t find out just by reading the book jacket?

Diana: The story was based on Billy the Kid, but the novel evolved into an aggressive woman power performance. From back hills New Mexico, a mentally challenged sister, a disenfranchised Apache curandera, and Ambrosia offer a fierce rendition into their possible involvement in the war.

Sharon: Sounds so intriguing! Can you tell us about your favorite character?

Diana: What? Pick my favorite child? Difficult, but I’ll take a stab. Ramon Salamanca, Ambrosia’s betrothed, is quickly set aside once Billy arrives. On Billy’s last getaway his ankles are dragging chains so he can’t ride a horse. Ramon, a blacksmith, hammers off the irons, so Billy can get out of town. Ramon is a wounded man who maintains and proves his love to Ambrosia rather than striking out with vengeance. He exemplifies what we all should aspire to.

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

Diana: The unforgettable Kid is loved by the locals and hated by those in power. So many unknowns have fueled eternal debate about his true character. Was he good or bad? I’d love to ride horseback with him from San Patricio, Ambrosia’s home, to Fort Sumner. Along the way, he could tell me about his life philosophy, his upbringing, and loves and future dreams. But then, would I have to re-write the book?

Sharon: Only if you wanted to! LOL. Are your character based on real people or do they come from your imagination?

Diana: As I point out in the Epilogue, members of Ambrosia Salazar’s family are fictional except her brother. He truly lived and was Billy the Kid’s friend. All the players in the historic Lincoln County War were real people. Those living only on the page are Tehde, the Mescalero Apache Indian, Ramon Salamanca, his mother, and Father Martinez.

Are you a plotter or a pantser? With historical fiction, I believe the academic outline exists and should not be compromised . . . . so I guess I’m both a plotter of the history in a pantser style. ~ Diana Holguin-Balogh #Authors18…
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Sharon: What kind of research did you do for this book?

Diana: Apart from growing up with the legend and attending many Billy the Kid pageants in Lincoln, New Mexico, I interviewed James Taylor, whose great grandfather, George Coe, fought in the war. I also checked my rendition of Tehde with the curator at the Mescalero Apache research center. I read several books including Pat Garrett’s, The Authentic Life of Billy the Kid.

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

Diana: I originally began telling the story from three points of view, Ambrosia, her sister, Sinforosa, and Tehde, the Mescalera. Ambrosia emerged as the most important narrator so the other two became minor characters.

Sharon: Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Diana: With historical fiction, I believe the academic outline exists and should not be compromised. However, the other, the possible observers of the story, the fictitious intermingling of invented characters, and the hidden conflicts offer literary fodder. I aspire to make that interwoven fabric with the academic outline. So I guess I’m both a plotter of the history in a pantser style.

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

Diana: I’m might be weird but I love editing. Taking a wooden sentence and making it pop gives me such joy.

What is your favorite part of your writing process? I’m might be weird but I love editing. Taking a wooden sentence and making it pop gives me such joy. ~ Diana Holguin-Balogh #Authors18 @dhbwrites
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Sharon: That’s my favorite part too. What is the most challenging part of your writing process?

Diana: How much multicultural element to embed in the story is my challenge. An agent once told me Spanish should be garnish not main course. Because it’s so apparent to me, I have to constantly ask myself if I’m overloading or expecting too much of my reader.

Sharon: Can you share your writing routine?

Diana: ROSARY WITHOUT BEADS was my second novel. My first manuscript is now again on the pitch trail. I have a draft of a third book. Each has evolved differently. My first manuscript was group critiqued for an entire year; however, I found its entirety shortchanged until I found someone to beta read it later. Rosary Without Beads, as I said, wrote itself. The story was so clear to me it came in one nanowrimo episode. Then I workshopped the whole draft at a weeklong master conference. The third, still in the making, had to be story booked as it was so long and convoluted. The skeleton has been scripted, and I am now going back to give it heart. So the process for each novel was different.

Sharon: Have you ever gotten writer’s block?

Diana: If I have had writer’s block, I haven’t recognized it as such. I think of myself as overtired, overloaded, or uninspired. I go out for a long run, and it usually solves itself or goes away.

Have you ever gotten writer’s block? If I have had writer’s block, I haven’t recognized it as such. I think of myself as overtired, overloaded, or uninspired. I go out for a long run, and it usually solves itself or goes away. ~ Diana…
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Sharon: If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?

Diana: Write your passion, not what you think others want.

Sharon: Do you have any writing quirks?

Diana: I sometimes dream a scene, get out of bed at whatever early hour and work on it until daybreak.

Sharon: Can you share a bit about yourself?

Diana: I’m a retired community college psychology instructor. I live with my husband in beautiful Colorado with a shy black cat called Mia.

Sharon: How did you get into writing?

Diana: My undergrad degree was English and Spanish. I always loved words. When I retired, I was finally able to devote the time to my passion.

If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be? Write your passion, not what you think others want. ~ Diana Holguin-Balogh #Authors18 @dhbwrites
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Sharon: Can you share something about yourself most people probably don’t know?

Diana: My great grandfather, Stephen Utter, with his brother Charlie Utter buried Wild Bill Hickok in Deadwood.

Sharon: That is so interesting and I’d love to learn more one day. Which book influenced you the most?

Diana: It has to be Milagro Bean Field War by John Nichols. I have since corresponded with him, and I sent him an ARC of Rosary Without Beads.

Sharon: I loved that book as well. What are you working on right now?

Diana: Sisters of Crumbling Adobe is the story of Ignacia and Josefa Jaramillo from Taos, New Mexico. Josefa was Kit Carson’s wife and Ignacia was Charles Bent’s wife. Bent was the first territorial governor who was scalped and killed in a bloody revolt which the women witnessed. Both watched Mexico become United States.

Sharon: What are you currently reading?

Diana: I have so many colleague Authors18 books on my shelf. I’ve just begun Cirque by Denise Dietz, a frontier fiction writer published by Five Star. And I just finished Mira Lee’s audio of Everything Here is Beautiful. I have so many more to read it’s mindboggling.

Sharon: I totally agree that the debut class of 2018 has produced some amazing work! Thank you so much for spending the day with us, Diana, and congratulations on your new release!

——-

[image error]I am a product of a multicultural family. My father attended only to the fourth grade, and my mother made it to the eighth. Books, other than an old encyclopedia, were not available in my family. My parents could not offer what they knew not. However, my father was a fantastic verbal story teller, and I remember wearing out the fairy tale section of that encyclopedia. In high school I encountered my first love of literature as our English class read Charles Dickens. I was hooked. English and Spanish were easy for me so I double majored and was a first generation college graduate. I went on to get a Ph.D. from Colorado State University and taught psychology at a local community college. After retiring, I began writing. I believe you know the rest, thus, Rosary Without Beads, thus Daring Debuts interview.

You can find ROSARY WITHOUT BEADS here: Amazon

You can find Diana here: Website  | Facebook  | Twitter

[image error]

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: Diana Holguin-Balogh’s New Release Rosary Without Beads appeared first on Sharon Wray.

The Hungry {Romance} Writer: Granny Smith Apple Pie & Butter Pie Crust

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Photo by Freestocks.org on Unsplash

This weekend my kids are coming home from college for Fall Break and I asked them what they wanted for dinner. They all said Granny Smith Apple Pie! Luckily, Granny Smith apples are in season and it’s the perfect time of year to make this tart and sweet dessert. (No, they’re not eating it for dinner! LOL) Although it’s more work than I usually put into a dessert (I hate peeling things), I’ll do it for them even though I doubt it will survive their first night!

Serves 8 - 10

426The Hungry {Romance} Writer: Granny Smith Apple Pie

This a a recipe adapted from one I found in my grandmother's recipe box. I prefer the crumb topping to the pastry crust topping because I think there's more flavor. This is perfect served warm from the oven with vanilla ice cream and caramel topping. I've made a lot of apple pies and this one, with the tart apples and sweeter topping, is my family's favorite.

45 minPrep Time

1 hrCook Time

1 hr, 45 Total Time

Yields 1 9" pie

Author:


Sharon Wray

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Ingredients

Pastry for a single-crust pie (can be doubled for a double-crust pie or for a lattice-topped pie)1/2 cup butter, diced and chilled1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour1/4 teaspoon salt2-4 Tablespoons ice waterPie Filling1/2 cup sugar3 Tablespoons flour1 teaspoon cinnamon1/8 teaspoon salt6 cups thinly sliced peeled granny smith applesCrumb topping1 cup packed brown sugar1/2 cup flour1/2 cup quick-cooking rolled oats1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional for those who don't eat nuts)1/2 cup butterExtra toppingsvanilla ice creamcaramel topping

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.Pastry for a 9" pie crust: In a food processor, combine flour and salt pulsing twice to mix.Add COLD butter until it resembles coarse crumbs. Add 2 Tablespoons of COLD water and pulse six times.Add a third Tablespoon of COLD water and pulse until dough forms into a ball. (If it's still too dry, add another Tablespoon of cold water)Turn dough onto a floured surface. Press dough into a round disc and roll to 1/4" thickness. Flip and rotate the dough on the floured surface so it doesn't stick. Roll dough into a circle a few inches larger than your pie plate, about 12" for a 9" deep dish pie plate.Place dough into pie plate, pressing to fit, and crimp the edges.Pie Filling: In a large bowl, mix together sugar, flour, salt, and cinnamon. Add apple sliced and gently toss until all are coated.Transfer apple mixture to pie plate.Crumb Topping: Stir together brown sugar, flour, oats and nuts. Using a pastry cutter, cut in the butter until topping looks like coarse crumbs.Sprinkle topping over the apple pie mixture.Or, if you prefer, cover with another pastry crust or make a pastry lattice crust. Bake for the same amount of time as you would with the crumb topping (See below) and you may want to use tin foil to cover the pastry for the first 25 minutes.To prevent over-browning of crumb topping, cover edges of pie with strips of tin foil. Bake in 375 degree oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 25-30 minutes or until top is golden brown.Remove from oven and cool on an iron rack.Serve with caramel topping and vanilla ice cream.7.8.1.271http://sharonwray.com/the-hungry-writer/the-hungry-romance-writer-granny-smith-apple-pie-butter-pie-crust/

This Loreena Mckennitt album is one of my favorites that I write to in the fall. And this song, The Mystics Dream, perfectly captures the feeling of the cooler weather, lingering daytime shadows, and longer nights.

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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: Granny Smith Apple Pie & Butter Pie Crust appeared first on Sharon Wray.

The Hungry {Romance} Writer: Garza’s Almond Cookies

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Photo by Hjalte Gregersen on Unsplash

“I know I said no one at my birthday party wanted dessert, but about an hour after dinner was over these Almond Cookies appeared on the table. I’m not a big dessert fan, but these cookies were wonderful. A combination of orange, vanilla, and almonds, they have a chewy outside and soft inside. They also taste great with the coffees that also magically appeared.

I suspect that the wait staff is trying to sober us up a bit since we’ve polished off the bottle of scotch and were loudly debating about what to order next. But the coffee and cookies are a perfect way to end this dinner with my boys. I’d almost forgotten that while my buddies have tomorrow morning off from work, I need to be at the police station by nine a.m.

But instead of leaving, I grab another two cookies in a silent protest. I’ll get in when I get in. In the meantime, it’s back to our conversation about our favorite subject: the women we love.” ~ Detective Garza

The Hungry {Romance} Writer: Garza's Almond Cookies

I found this recipe in my grandmother's recipe box and made some changes since the original used shortening and superfine sugar. This cookie is slightly hard, slightly chewy, and perfect with a cup of tea. It has nice baked coating of egg whites and almonds and is topped with confectioner's sugar. Not overly sweet, they're perfect for a dinner party where everyone is full but still wants a small dessert. Once they're baked, they freeze really well and can be made ahead.

1 hr, 30 Prep Time

30 minCook Time

2 hrTotal Time

Yields 3 dozen cookies

Author:


Sharon Wray

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Ingredients

Cookies1/2 cup sliced blanched almonds, toasted and cooled*2 cups flour1/2 teaspoon baking powder1/2 teaspoon salt16 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature1 cup sugar1 egg yolk, white reserved1 teaspoon vanilla1 packed teaspoon orange zest from 1 orangeCoating1 egg white (reserved from egg above)1 1/2 cups sliced blanched almondsConfectioners sugar for dusting

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F and adjust rack to lowest setting.Line two baking pans with parchment paper.In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt.In a food processor, grind toasted almonds until the consistency of coarse flour. Add almonds to flour mixture and set aside.In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar with an electric mixture, about 3 minutes.Add egg yolk, orange zest, and vanilla to butter mixture, beating only to combine.Slowly beat dry ingredients into wet ingredients until batter forms a dough. Don't overmix!Divide dough into two equal pieces and form each piece into a 1-inch wide log.Cover logs with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour.When dough is chilled, take one log out and cut it crosswise into 1/4" wide slices.Using two bowls, put egg whites into one and the sliced, blanched almonds into the other. Dip each cookie into the egg white and then the almonds. Put cookies on the parchment-lined baking sheet.Bake one tray of cookies at a time for 15 minutes until golden. Cool 5 minutes and transfer to a rack. Dust with confectioner's sugar.Repeat process with second log until all the cookies are baked.

Notes

*Toasted almonds: Preheat oven to 325°F. Spread almonds over a tin-foiled lined baking sheet. Bake about 5 minutes until golden but not too dark..

7.8.1.270http://sharonwray.com/the-hungry-writer/the-hungry-romance-writer-garzas-almond-cookies/

“For the last song of the evening, Matt and Shannon Heaton are playing Midnight Sojourn. It’s perfect since I hear the church bells on St. John’s Cathedral ringing in the new day and reminding us that it’s almost time to leave.” ~ Detective Garza

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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.

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

 

The post The Hungry {Romance} Writer: Garza’s Almond Cookies appeared first on Sharon Wray.

Daring Debuts ’18: Hester Fox’s New Release The Witch of Willow Hall

[image error]Today I’d like to welcome Hester Fox and her new historical fiction release THE WITCH OF WILLOW HALL to the Daring Debuts blog!

“Beautifully written, skillfully plotted, and filled with quiet terror…perfect for fans of Simone St. James and Kate Morton.” -Anna Lee Huber, bestselling author of the Lady Darby mysteries

“Hester Fox’s THE WITCH OF WILLOW HALL offers a fascinating location, a great plot with history and twists, and characters that live and breathe. I love the novel, and will be looking forward to all new works by this talented author!” -Heather Graham

—————-

New Oldbury, 1821. In the wake of a scandal, the Montrose family and their three daughters—Catherine, Lydia and Emeline—flee Boston for their new country home, Willow Hall.

The estate seems sleepy and idyllic. But a subtle menace creeps into the atmosphere, remnants of a dark history that call to Lydia, and to the youngest, Emeline.

All three daughters will be irrevocably changed by what follows, but none more than Lydia, who must draw on a power she never knew she possessed if she wants to protect those she loves. For Willow Hall’s secrets will rise, in the end…

——————

And here’s a teaser:

I carefully take off my shoes, lining them up at the rocky edge of the water. My stockings are next. I peel them off and neatly fold them, placing them next to the shoes. Out come my earrings, off with the pearl hairpin that Catherine stuck in so deep. I shake my hair out so that it spills down my neck and back, my scalp tingling. Lighter and lighter. I can’t take my dress off myself, so I hike it up, tying the torn lace and silk in a knot at my thigh.

Everything is so clear now. My body is light, my mind free of the tangled thoughts that have plagued me for weeks. No more sick Catherine and Charles, no more Cyrus, no more Mr. Barrett, no more spirits forever lurking at the periphery, no more aching loneliness.

—————-

Sharon: I love historical fiction novels, especially those that have a gothic edge. Where did you get the idea for the THE WITCH OF WILLOW HALL?

Hester: During the summer of 2015 I was completing an internship for my museums studies program. Working with the collections manager of Historic New England, I spent a lot of time in various historic properties owned by the organization, but there was one house in particular that grabbed my imagination and ran with it: Barrett House. Built c. 1800 as a wedding present for a prominent miller’s son, Barrett House occupies a beautiful but lonely corner of land in New Ipswich, New Hampshire.

I imagined a young woman on a hot, oppressive, July night, wading into a pond in search of someone she had lost. Who was she? What drove her there? A story began to emerge, incorporating everything I love about New England: sentient nature, melancholy summers, dark history, and of course, resilient women.

While writing The Witch of Willow Hall . . . a story began to emerge, incorporating everything I love about New England: sentient nature, melancholy summers, dark history, and of course, resilient women. ~ Hester Fox #Authors18…
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Sharon: What a great a story! Did you come up with the title?

Hester: I originally titled it WILLOW HALL in the tradition of Gothic fiction using the setting as a title. My publisher really wanted to highlight the witchcraft aspect of the book so we changed it to THE WITCH OF WILLOW HALL. I love it because it retains that sense of setting and also gives the reader a better idea of what the book is about.

Sharon: I totally agree! And it reminds me of one of my favorite books as a kid The Witch of Blackbird Pond. Can you share who your favorite character is?

Hester: I love writing the “bad guys” and exploring them as deeply flawed people. Lydia’s older sister Catherine was interesting to write because she makes it no secret that she looks out for #1, and that gives her a certain freedom. Lydia’s ex-fiancé, petulant, unable-to-take-the-hint Cyrus, was also a lot of fun to write.

Sharon: Are your characters based on real people or do they come from your imagination?

Hester: Completely imaginary. If you’re into allegories and metaphors, you may see some of the social archetypes the secondary characters represent though.

What is the most challenging part of your writing process? Having to wait to see the whole story come together before you really know if it works or not. It’s like painstakingly building an elaborate sandcastle, knowing the entire time…
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Sharon: How long did you take to write this book?

Hester: I wrote a draft in about three or four months, and then let it sit for a couple of months. When I picked it back up I drastically re-drafted the second half. After that there were multiple revisions at every stage, so from start to finish I would say it took about two years.

Sharon: It sounds like a long time but in publishing that’s actually fast! What kind of research did you do for this book?

Hester: A lot of my research was stuff I’d absorbed over the years from my studies as a historical archaeologist and my job as a museum technician.

Sharon: Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Hester: This book was a result of pantsing. That said, I’ve moved to plotting, and that has made the drafting process a lot easier with a lot less frustration and dead-ends.

How do you overcome writer's block? Going for a walk. I’ve never run in to a plot tangle that couldn’t be worked out over the course of a walk. ~ Hester Fox #Authors18 @HesterBFox
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Sharon: I know all about dead ends! LOL. What is your favorite part of your writing process?

Hester: I love the first part of every stage in the process. Drafting is fun at first when you’re just spilling the story out, then later I like coming back and diving into revisions.

Sharon: Revisions are my favorite part. What is the most challenging part of your writing process?

Hester: Having to wait to see the whole story come together before you really know if it works or not. It’s like painstakingly building an elaborate sandcastle, knowing the entire time that you might have to tear the whole thing down when you’re finished.

Sharon: How do you overcome writer’s block?

Hester: Going for a walk. I’ve never run in to a plot tangle that couldn’t be worked out over the course of a walk.

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

Hester: Every book is different. The process will change and that’s ok. No two books will feel the same to write. (I still have to remind myself of this)

Sharon: Can you share a bit about yourself?

Hester: My background is in the museum field as a collections technician which basically means I help take care of objects in museums and historical houses. I live right outside of Boston with my husband and two cats in a little house tucked into the side of a cliff.

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

Hester: A lot of reading