Eleni Konstantine's Blog: Eleni's Taverna, page 12

Heroes & Villains Blog Hop

I'm sure my blog post is not going to be filled with the intelligent musings that my co-blog hop hosters will talk about. But here goes....

Basically, I believe that on the whole, a hero can not exist without a villain. Sure, there are people that do heroic things, but in the terms of fiction - and let's face it we are talking speculative fiction here - there really has to be the conflict between the two. This would drive both of them forward to stop the other.

In many cases, the hero is not all good, and the villain, all bad.  They have different points of view and if done correctly, as a reader, you can see where they both come from. You may not do what the villain does - but understanding why a villain is bent on their course, helps us understand that for them, this seems like the best course. Unless they are a psychopath or sociopath. And even that label goes on to explain their behaviour.


I'm reading George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series and there are so many different points of view and so many reasons for people doing what they are doing - you wonder if most are truly the villain the others see them as. I mean do you want the Starks to win? - who seem to be the good guys but who all have faults - or do you want the Lannisters? - who you get to know via Tyrion and later on Jamie. Or Daenaerys - a young woman who is from the deposed royal family across the sea.  Who has the claim?


Usually there are reasons for people being the way they are. Joffrey is a little snotty psychopath who likes to belittle and hurt people, but who is a boy who really wanted his father's love and approval.


Does this give him an excuse to behave badly? No. It doesn't. Sorry, Joffrey, slapping around or getting others to slap around people is just wrong. Wanting to kill people for being poor and yelling at you is wrong. I could go on, but I don't want to spoil the story.

Let's take Tyrion. The Starks see him as a baddie. He is after all a Lannister, but he does have heart and we see his struggles of what must be done compared to what he really wants to do. As an 'imp', he uses his wit and sharp tongue to deflate any barbs or any physical challenges.  He knows he is not safe despite being a Lannister (from the Lannisters themselves), and the one thing that makes him falter all the time is need he has for his family to accept and love him.  Hero? Villain? Both?

Okay, let's go for the 'hero' side - Catelyn Stark. Usually a level headed woman who does the best for her husband and her children, but has a total disregard for John Snow, the bastard son of her husband. Her sense of honour has never allowed her to accept him and has treated him like a leper, while most of her children treat him as their brother. It's the one action that has not made me completely love Catelyn - that a woman with so much love to give to her family can't find it in her heart to love a boy whose status of being a bastard is not his fault.

In the world Martin has created, Catelyn's attitude is normal but my 21st century mind finds it hard. So is she a villain?


In the end, the difference between a hero and a villain, is that even if a hero has a dubious moral code, in the end they will do the right thing for others. While the villain only ever thinks of themselves.


What do you think?


For your chance to win a $20 Amazon voucher & a copy of one of my releases, just comment below.




You can read blurbs and extracts of my Musa books here. 


You can read blurbs and extracts of my short story, Sealed With a Kiss  here. 





Please don't forget to visit the other folks who are talking heroes and villains.


Nyki BlatchleyMartin BoltonDebra BrownAdrian ChamberlainMike CooleyKarin CoxJoanna FayPeter B ForsterRon FritschMai GriffinJoanne HallJolea M HarrisonTinney Sue HeathEleni KonstanineK. Scott LewisPaula Lofting-WilcoxLiz LongPeter LukesMark McClellandM. Edward McNallySue MillardGinger MyrickDavid PillingEM PowellKim RendfeldTerry L SmithTara WestKeith Yatsuhashi
~yia~ 

Writing Buddy Wednesday: Shona Husk

Today on Writing Buddy Wednesday, I have the very amazing Shona Husk. I've known Shona online for many years (especially via the paranormal group and being a blog team member of the DarkSide DownUnder blog. I also have designed three covers for her as HelzKat Designs - see end of post). 
I finally met Shona in person this year at ARRC2013 and she's just as amazing in person.
Let's meet Shona...


Your most recent release is Ruby’s Ghost. Can you describe this book for us?

Ruby’s Ghos t is one of those stories that took me a long time to write as it kept getting put aside for other projects (contracted books and editorial deadlines always come first), yet I kept going back to it because the idea of being caught between life and death, the past and future was really interesting. Because the characters are at college they are also on the cusp of becoming an adult and making decisions that will affect their lives. For Tate quite literally after he is involved in a car accident.
It is probably my least paranormal story and probably the trickiest to write, what does it feel like to be kissed by a ghost?



You went the novella route initially. Can you tell us why you chose that path to publication.
I was made redundant in the GFC and around that time I’d had the epiphany that if it took me a year to write a novel it would take me a long time to get my craft right and get published. I’d been reading a lot of novellas at the time from various publishers and I decided that I’d give writing them ago. Write shorter gave me the opportunity to play around with different characters and plots and find my voice faster. Once they started selling was able to use what I was learning by working with editors in my next novel ( The Goblin King ) and it sold. The thing to remember is that novellas and novels are different beasts structurally, but character and voice and dialogue and conflict and setting can be learned by writing short.



What attracted you to the paranormal genre?
I grew up reading fantasy novels and discovered romance in my mid-twenties. Paranormal romance seems like the perfect blending of real world, fantasy and hot heroes :) From a writing perspective I love making stuff up.


Are you a plotter? Pantser? Or somewhere in between?
Plotter. I need to know my characters and the big turning points of the story before I start—that said my characters and still take unexpected turns.

You are a prolific writer – how do you balance life, work and writing?
I work part time ;) I have 2 days a week where I get to write while the kids are at school. The other days I write for at least an hour, if I’m on a deadline sometimes more, but I do it after the kids are in bed. I’ve also developed ways to help me write faster. I spend more time plotting and mapping out the book as it saves me time when writing (and also editing as I often restructure during that mapping stage). I think some of this stuff comes from practise and learning how you work and how to make you work more efficiently. 

What are you working on now? And what’s in the near future for Shona Husk?
I’m working on Lord of the Hunt (Annwyn #2) and Annwyn #3 (#1 The Outcast Prince comes out in July) as well as a couple of sci fi romances for Ellora’s Cave, the first of which Lunar Exposure comes out May 10. 


What is your favourite part of the process of writing?
I really like plotting when the idea is shiny and new, but I enjoy the writing as well and even the edits which make the story shine. The bit I don’t like is reading the final page proofs as it’s a combination of being sick of the story and anxiety because it’s the last chance to find any typos.


What are you currently reading?
I’ve just finished The Lone Warrior by Denise Rossetti (book 3 in the four sided pentacle series) and started The Risk Taker by Kira Sinclair (M&B Blaze which was in the ARRC goodie bag— Blaze is my favourite line, plus it has a military hero so I was thrilled to find it in my bag).


What would be you ultimate research trip? ;)
One that was all expenses paid:) I’d love to go to Europe or South America.


~~~Thank you, Shona!
You can catch Shona at her website, the WINKgirls blog, the monthly What We Are Reading posts on the DarkSide DownUnder blog, Twitter, Goodreads and Facebook.

   
~yia~

Winner of Rachel Bailey's giveaway

Thank you to everyone who made Rachel Bailey feel at home on her appearance on my blog.



The winner of Rachel's book - No Stranger to Scandal - is:


Dora Bramdem

Congratulations, Dora. Please contact Rachel at rachel@ rachelbailey.com to obtain your prize.


~yia~

Anzac Day....Lest We Forget

Anzac Day - a day of remembrance for all our fallen soldiers since WWI.

Australians and New Zealanders know what this means, but for those who don't, or want to remember what Anzac Day is all about, I want to send you to a post made by fellow Wench, Vonnie Hughes, about What is an Anzac?

And to read the poem, The Fallen, visit, RWAus' blog mistress, Imelda Evans' post here.


Lest We Forget.

~yia~

Writing Buddy Wednesday: Jenn J McLeod

Welcome to another instalment of WRiting Buddy Wednesday. My guest today is contemporary Australian author, Jenn J McLeod. I've known Jenn for some time via Romance Writers of Australia - but got her to know her much better via volunteer work (blog team and the 2012 conference committee).  Jenn is a straight shooter and a hard worker, a good person to have on any team. Oh, and she's tall - I think I came up to her knees when I met her in person for the first time at conference last year - yes, I know I'm a shortie (*grin*). 

Let's meet Jenn.... 





Welcome Jenn to the Taverna.

Congratulations on your debut release, House for All Seasons. Can you tell us a little bit about it?


House for all Seasons tells the story of four estranged school friends called under a bequest to return to the country town of their youth. Only spending a season each in the century-old Dandelion House do Sara, Poppy, Amber and Caitlin discover something about themselves and a secret that ties all four to each other and to the house forever. It’s a story of unravelling friendships, a tightening of family ties, and the unsettling after-effects of choices made. But mostly it’s about coming home to find your place in the world and discovering that country roots can run very deep and small towns can keep big secrets.



What was your road to publication like.

Long! Uncertain. Confusing. Uplifting. Devastating. Uplifting again. Scary. How many adjectives am I allowed?

What is it about rural romance you are attracted to?

Those two words – rural and romance – just roll of the tongue, don’t they? While House for all Seasons has a small town setting, I found the story (and characters) took a very different path, with the end result placing my novel in Simon & Schuster’s popular fiction line. There are romantic themes but it is more about personal growth, acceptance and family/friend relationships. Told in four parts, each character has her own distinctive voice and issues:

Sara is a breast cancer survivor afraid to fall in love but her going home does deal with facing unrequited love;

Poppy is a tough, ambitions journo still craving her father’s approval and pretending she doesn’t need anyone;

Amber is a spoilt socialite addicted to painkillers and cosmetic procedures and struggling to deal with a restless and spoilt daughter;

Caitlin is a doctor frustrated by a controlling family and her flat-lining life. Compliance is the chink in her armour.

Returning to their hometown ends up being just the ‘magick’ they need!

What or who inspired you to write?

Major surgery! I had my Thyroid removed when I was 36, which meant a seven-week recovery period at home. At the time I was reading the likes of Nora Roberts and Danielle Steele and I figured I should try writing a novel myself!!! That was 1996 and the 100,000-word novel I write is still in a bottom drawer. One day maybe!

What do you love about being a writer?

It’s a necessary release for me. I would burst if I didn’t have a creative outlet. (I definitely have more ‘right-side’ brain!!!!) As a kid I was always playing make-believe and acting up a storm. I truly thought I would have seen my name up in lights, but alas, I will have to settle for having it in print!  

What are you working on now? And what’s in the near future for Jenn J McLeod? I am biting at the bit to start edits on The Simmering Season. I learned so much from my editor with ‘House’ and cannot wait to develop even more complex characters when I take readers back to Calingarry Crossing.

In the meantime I’m blogging and Facebooking (and other social media stuff) all of which is required these days in order to cut through the glut of books out there now. House for all Seasons went down the traditional print publication path (although it is also available as an ebook. In fact, you can download the first chapter on Amazon right now.) Still, an author wants to get their books out to as many readers as possible and to achieve that one needs a good online presence. I also think readers want to connect with authors, especially when they have enjoyed their novel. I have been amazed at the wonderful reviews House has been receiving and all the personal posts and feedback from readers. 

What would be your ultimate research trip? ;)) 
I sold two books to Simon & Schuster. ( The Simmering Season is out March next year.) My dream is to buy a motor home, sell up, and travel Australia. I did it the hard way in my twenties (in a truck and a tent) and fell in love with this marvellous country of ours. I have travelled overseas and love it when I am there, but hate the idea of travel. There really is no place like home (even if that home is mobile!)

Speaking of country, come home to the country with me now at www.jennjmcleod.com to see what reviewers are saying about House for all Season s and sign up for blog updates.
You can also find me on Facebook-  Jenn J Mcleod.Books  and Twitter: @jennjmcleod


~~~Thanks for joining me, Jenn.
Don't to forget to check out Jenn's book - House for all Seasons  - buy links
~yia~

Musa Monday: Wench Holley Trent

I've had a busy day today, so I'm late with this blog post. Sorry.

A couple of weeks ago, I featured another book by Holley. Today I have an interview with this wickedly funny wench. 




Your upcoming release is ‘Love By Premonition’. Can you describe this book for us?

LbP is what I like to call a “rural fantasy romance.” That’s sort of like an urban fantasy, but my heroine isn’t a bad-ass who wears leather everything and brandishes shiny guns. She wears ratty flip-flops and does most of her grocery shopping in her grandmother’s pantry. She always pays her rent late, but doesn’t get too much flak about it because it’s a small town and her landlord knows she’ll make good on it eventually. (Probably.)

The story is single-title length at around 80,000 words and told in first person point-of-view from the female main character’s perspective. Marcia is a reluctant psychic who does freelance consulting for the police. She’s a bit of a hippie and definitely not a people person. A certain detective finds her crankiness charming, however. (There’s someone for everyone, right?)

There are a few different interwoven plots in the book – the major one being the romance between Marcia and the smooth-talking Scotsman, the second one being the case Marcia helps solve, and the third being Marcia coming to terms with her psychicness.


Please tell us a little about your road to publication.

It took me a while to settle into writing in this style/genre. I started writing sci-fi and “dark” paranormal stories, went to women’s fiction from there, segued into chick-lit for a while, and finally settled in romance. Romance is where I found my footing. I guess I’m a happily-ever-after writer. Wish I’d known that sooner!


You have a great sense of humour and love adding humour to your stories. Is it easy adding humorous elements to your work?

Adding the humor is easy. Editing it so it’s actually digestible is excruciating! I can never tell what jokes will go over peoples’ heads, especially since I make use of local color and colloquialisms to give my characters flavors. Southern Americans have some really confounding idioms! Having an editor from a different part of the country helps me cull out the dialog that won’t universally fly. I’ve gotten a few comment bubbles from editors asking “What do you mean here?!” Rather than try to plead my case, I just try a different joke. Most of my jokes are observational humor, although if I can squeeze in a dirty double entendre, I’ll do it.

Are you a plotter? Pantser? Or somewhere in between?

For the most part, I’m a pantser. When I have an idea for a book, I may do a very loose synopsis/overview type thing that tells me who the characters are and what obstacle they have keeping them apart, but beyond that…I never know how the characters will get from Point A to Point Z until I get into the guts of the story. My first drafts are…interesting.



What are you working on now? And what’s in the near future for Holley Trent?

Guh. I’m working on so many things and they’re all in different stages. The first book of my cambion series starts this summer (it’s called Demon in Waiting). I’ve got a contemporary called Saint and Scholar releasing in July, and an erotic contemporary coming in October titled Calculated Exposure.

Love by Premonition has a spin-off in the works, but I had to take a break from that book. Those characters are absolutely nutty and I’m trying to find the right blend of comedy and sexiness. That’s hard for a first-person book. I don’t want readers to hate the narrator.


What is your favourite part of the process of writing?

Layering in characters’ back-stories and personality quirks. That usually happens in the second draft.



What are you currently reading?

Can’t say! I’m doing contest judging.


~~~Thanks, Holley!
You can find Holley at her website, blog, Twitter, and Facebook.
Love By Premonition is due for release from Musa Publishing later in the month. 


~yia~

Are you looking after yourself?

Do you?

My Musa blog article has been reposted on the DarkSide DownUnder about Looking After Yourself. This can be for everyone, but in particularly targets writers who are at their desks a lot.

I'm giving a copy of Sealed With a Kiss away to a commenter.




Here's a little wisdom from Captain Jack, sorry, I mean, Johnny....






~yia~

Writing Buddy Wednesday: Rachael Johns

Featured today on Writing Buddy Wednesday is fellow Fremantle conference team member, Rachael Johns. I've known Rachael for a number of years via RWAus and I believe we met online with the 50KsIn30Days many many years ago. Rachael always seems to be happy go lucky, and she writes rural and contemporary romance.  
Now let's talk to Rach! (as she's affectionately known).



Welcome Rachael to the Taverna.


Thanks so much Eleni! It’s fabulous to be here *grin*



In just over a year, you’ve had four stories published (two with Carina Press; Two with Harlequin Australia). Can you tell us about your road to publication?


It took fifteen years and then everything started moving pretty fast. As you can see it’s a long story, but I’ll give you the short version! After wanting to be a primary school teacher forever, I changed to writing the week before starting uni. This was because after breaking up with my high school sweetheart, I somehow turned to writing as therapy and discovered I loved it. Sadly, uni taught me little about the craft of writing a good novel and I ambled about for years, not really knowing what I was writing or how to write it. I was writing what I call Literary-Chick-Lit – I was trying to write something that would win great literay prizes (aka what uni lecturers had tried to mould me for) where all I really wanted to write was something like Bridget Jones Diary (I LOVED that book)! In short, it didn’t work.

Anyway, the one good thing I took from my degree (okay probably not the only thing but definitely the best) is an article I’d found at uni about writing for MILLS & BOON. Almost ten years after starting to write, I decided I’d try my hand at writing a romance. While pursuing this I found the Romance Writers of Australia and through their newsletters, online innovations and conferences, I started to learn what good writing needs – things like conflicts! I entered a number of RWA contests and did quite well, then I finaled in a Mills & Boon contest and came runner up in the world! It was still another two years, but because of the friends I met through RWA and the support of editors willing to offer advice on the way, I eventually wrote a book that someone wanted to buy ( ONE PERFECT NIGHT ). Within a few months of that, I’d sold another one (JILTED). It’s all about preservation and finding your niche *grin* 

 



You have two releases currently out – Man Drought (Harlequin Australia) and Stand-In Star (Carina Press). Tell us a little about them.

MAN DROUGHT  is a rural romance set in a small fictional town called Gibson’s Find where the population is almost completely men (Who wants to go there?). The heroine is a widow who, looking for new direction and meaning in her life, buys the town’s run down pub. She has all sorts of challenges as she meets the locals and tries to revive the old place – but the biggest challenge of all is the unwanted attraction she develops towards local farmer, Gibson Black. He’s none too pleased about Imogen’s arrival or his growing feelings towards her either! 

STAND-IN STAR  is about as far from MAN DROUGHT as you can get while still being a contemporary romance. It’s a fish-out-of-water story of an Aussie girl who unhappily goes to Hollywood to accept her estranged sister’s posthumous Academy Award. On arrival, she’s descended upon by paparazzi and rescued by an old friend of her sisters, who not only has preconceived dislike for her, but happens to be an ex paparazzo himself. Sparks fly and this is probably the sexiest book I’ve yet to write.



What is it about the rural romance genre you enjoy and are attracted to?

I love writing and reading about the dynamics in small rural communities – where everyone knows everyone and their business, where half the town is related. Sometimes this is a good thing and sometimes it’s not. But small towns also have a great sense of community and they always pull together and look out for each other in an emergency. It’s these things, and the fact that such characters can be found in the bush, that attract me to rural romance!



What or who inspired you to write?

I kind of answered this above – sorry! I started writing when I broke up with my first love. I wrote our story. It was diabolically written and I killed him off (so no one else could have him) but as well as being cathartic, it unleashed a dream inside me I didn’t even know was there. From that moment on, I wanted to write, be published and one day be able to spot my books in a bookshop J



What do you love about being a writer?

Being able to write in my pjs or comfy house clothes. Being able to write in bed with my electric blanket in winter. Creating worlds and characters and playing God to both! The exciting potential of a blank page. The fact I’m basically my own boss and can choose my hours around family and other commitments. The people I’ve met through writing. The readers who send me emails saying they’ve loved my book. The fact I can count reading as research AND books are tax deductible. Romance Writing conferences! Googling hot men in the name of character research… I could go on forever!



What are you working on now? And what’s in the near future for Rachael Johns?

I’m currently editing my September release for Harlequin Australia. It’s working title is OUTBACK DREAMS but that is likely to change. It’s a friends to lovers story and explores some emotional issues of family disharmony, grief and living with an autistic family member, but I hope that it is also fun and easy to read. Uplifting, not depressing.



What would be your ultimate research trip? ;))

I have always wanted to go to Alaska for some reason. I’d start there and work my way down the continent. Lots of story potential there I reckon!



You work in a family run business, are a wife and mum, are part of the Riding the Waves conference team. How do you balance work-life?

With a very supportive husband who doesn’t mind yielding a vacuum and the most amazing, selfless mother in the world. Seriously, without my support team, this wouldn’t be possible. I don’t iron, and I hardly ever watch TV – and if I did, I don’t think I’d be able to fit in writing. However, I make sure to read as much as I can, so that it’s not all work and no play J





Thanks for joining me, Rachael.


Thank you so much for having me :)


You can find Rachael at her following hang outs on the web....

Blog

Website

Twitter

Facebook

MAN DROUGHT – January 1st 2013, Harlequin Australia (currently only available in Aus/NZ territories)


Imogen Bates moved to the small rural town of Gibson’s Find to start a new life for herself after the death of her husband. Tired of being haunted by the painful memories of her old life, Imogen set her last remaining hopes on the little town and, in particular, pouring her heart and savings into restoring The Majestic Hotel to its former glory. But while the female-starved town might be glad to see a young woman move in, not everyone is happy about Imogen’s arrival.

Sheep and crop farmer Gibson Black once dreamed of having the kind of family his grandfather reminisces about, but he’s learnt not to dream anymore. Living in the mostly male town suits Gibson down to the ground...and he won’t have anyone — least of all a hot redhead from the city — change a thing.

Imogen has never been one to back down from a challenge, especially when it concerns her last chance at happiness. She’s determined to rebuild the pub and create a future for the little town. But can she create a future for Gibson and herself, too?


To buy links:

Amazon

Harlequin Australia

STAND IN STAR – January 7th 2013, Carina Press

As an anthropologist, Holly McCartney is more comfortable in a museum than shopping on Rodeo Drive. She isn’t prepared for the media frenzy on her arrival in L.A. to accept a posthumous acting award for her late sister….or for her sister’s gorgeous friend Nate Devlin to come to her rescue. Though he resents her for some reason, she can’t fight their irresistible chemistry—especially when the paparazzi force her to stay at his mansion.

Photographer Nate only agrees to help Holly survive Hollywood for her sister’s sake, but she soon gets under his skin in a way no other woman has. The more time he spends with her, the more his attraction grows and he finds himself opening up to her in ways he never expected. But will ghosts of the past stand in the way of their perfect Hollywood ending?



To-buy links:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Carina Press


~yia~

Musa Monday: Wench Sara Daniel

Today we have the lovely Wench, Sara Daniel, who writes for Musa and other publishes. She is also bringing along a couple of other guests. 
Over to them...
 



Eleni, thanks so much for inviting me to stop by your blog. For those who don’t know me, I’m Sara Daniel, and I write contemporary romance. Construction Beauty Queen is one of my latest books, and it’s set in a small town with a host of quirky characters. I’ve managed to corral the hero (Matt Shaw) and heroine (Veronica Jamison) for a few quick questions.



Sara: If you could pick a song that sums up your life, what would it be? And why?


Veronica: I’m Movin’ On by Rascal Flatts. I had to walk away from the only life I’ve ever known to make a new life for myself. Leaving home was a heart-wrenching choice, but I had to do it to follow my dreams.



Matt: Guys Like Me by Eric Church. This country song talks about a rough-around-the-edges small-town man who falls for a high-class woman who “has her pick of all the trust-fund types.” Yeah, well…I certainly didn’t plan to fall for her.



Sara: Can you each name something you wouldn’t leave the house without?



Veronica: Definitely something in my signature pink color. I wouldn’t leave without putting on lipstick either.



Matt: My truck. I’ve got all my tools inside that I need for the day’s job. It wouldn’t make sense to go anywhere without it.



Sara: What would I never find in your bedroom?



Veronica: *shivers* I hope never to find a mouse! I cleaned more than I ever had in my life to make that trailer habitable, but it’s still a bit sketchy.



Matt: Makeup, glitter and high heels. If it’s “girlie,” I don’t want anything to do with it!



Sara: What was your first though when you saw each other?



Veronica: Hottie in a toolbelt. Boy, was I right!



Matt: High class and high maintenance. I was right…and I was wrong.



Sara: Thanks Veronica and Matt. You were a blast to write, especially when you were on the page together! Here’s the blurb for Construction Beauty Queen: 
Chicago socialite Veronica Jamison is determined to shake off her sheltered lifestyle and overbearing parents. She heads to her grandfather’s small town of Kortville, ready to roll up her sleeves and work for the family construction business. She’ll prove her worth, even if it means answering to the company’s ruggedly handsome co-owner, Matt.

Matt Shaw just wants to run his business, spend time with the niece he’s raising on his own, and give back to the townspeople who have stood by him. Managing a spoiled-rotten princess he knows he’ll never be good enough for? Not part of his plan. But as he gets to know Veronica, he learns there’s more to her than her beautiful looks and designer clothes. She’s got a heart as rich as her background.

With the quirky townspeople rallying against Veronica inheriting her grandfather’s business, it’s up to Matt to try to drive her out of town. But how can he, when instead she’s driving her way into his heart?



Buy Links:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

iTunes


For more buy links and to preview the first chapter visit: http://www.entangledpublishing.com/construction-beauty-queen/



Reviews:

“I loved Matt and Veronica and fully enjoyed this book. I laughed and cried, it kept me entertained and it was hard to put down.” –Crystal from My Reading Room, 5 stars


“This book was exactly what I needed today. It was sweet, funny and something to get completely lost in for a couple of hours.” –Shannon from Cocktails and Books, 4 stars



Connect with Sara Daniel:

Website

Blog

Facebook page

Facebook individual

Twitter

Pinterest

Google Plus

Goodreads


~yia~

Writing Buddy Wednesday: Rachel Bailey

What can I say about my Writing Buddy guest for today. I absolutely adore Rachel Bailey, who is one of the most hard working people I know. A long time volunteer of Romance Writers of Australia, Rachel is someone I want to be like 'when' I grow up. :) I worked with her during time as editor of Hearts Talk, she organised the Bootcamp 101 and became our Bootcamp mum and honorary member, and was instigator of many other RWAus projects.

So now over to Rachel who has a treat for us (thanks, Rachel!)....





Hi Eleni! Thanks for having me as a guest on your blog today. 


You latest release is No Stranger To Scandal. Can you tell us a little a bit it.
No Stranger To Scandal is part of a six book series set in Washington D.C. (though each books stands alone). The hero is Hayden Black, who has been hired as a criminal investigator for a congressional committee. And he has his sights firmly set on Graham Boyle, the owner of a news network. Hayden is convinced Boyle is behind the phone hacking scandal, and he’s also convinced that Boyle’s step-daughter Lucy is involved. Lucy, on the other hand, is convinced her step-father is innocent, and is determined to prove it. As you can imagine, it was a heap of fun to write!



What attracted you to writing Harlequin Desires?

I love the intensity of Desires. There’s a huge of variety in settings, in characters and in stories, but there’s always an intensity that draws me in.



What do you love about being a writer?

Working at home—it’s just me, my dogs and all the stories I can make up in my head!



What are you working on now? And what’s in the near future for Rachel Bailey?

In October, I have a book set on a cruise ship coming out: Countering His Claim. The heroine is the ship’s doctor and the hero has just inherited half the ship from his uncle. Unfortunately, the other half has unexpectedly been inherited by the heroine, which completely throws the hero for a loop!

And right now I’m working on a Cinderella story set on a flower farm. Delicious!



What would be your ultimate research trip? ;))

A round the world trip! I want to go *everywhere*. *grins*





Rachel has also brought along a snippet of her latest book, No Stranger To Scandal, and a copy to give to one commenter.


Blurb:

Decorum Vs. Destiny

She might be the stepdaughter of one of the most powerful media moguls in Washington, but Lucy Royall is no pampered princess—she's making her own way as a junior reporter. But when congressional investigator Hayden Black accuses her stepfather of criminal wrongdoing, she shows her family loyalty and takes Hayden on. Then, as things heat up, the sexy single dad takes her to bed! Talk about a conflict of interest. Will their illicit passion turn into something more lasting, even in the face of controversy so huge it rocks a nation?







Excerpt:Hayden and Lucy have just spent a day by the river with Hayden’s one-year-old son, Josh. They’re both fighting their attraction and trying to stay focused on the congressional committee investigation…


“Thank you for today—Josh had a great time.”

“I had a good time, too,” she said, her voice barely more than a breath. Her mouth suddenly seemed so close, and he began to lean in before summoning his control and pausing. As she realized his intent, her pupils dilated. The pulse at the base of her throat fluttered like crazy. Still, he held—not leaning in farther, but not able to move away. Her moist, full lips were slightly parted, inviting him. A groan worked its way up from deep in his chest. Desire like this, that consumed, engulfed, had been absent from his life for a long time. He wanted nothing more than to give in to it, grasp it with both hands, to grasp Lucy with both hands and sink into the sensations she evoked in him.

But he couldn’t let his guard down and think of her as a woman. He had an investigation to run and involvement with Lucy Royall would compromise his objectivity. Compromise him. He was ethically bound to keep emotional distance between them.

He clenched his jaw tight and leaned slow, excruciating inches back.

“Hayden?” she asked breathlessly.

He gripped the steering wheel until his fingers hurt, trying to anchor himself to something. “Yes?”

“Were you about to kiss me?”

His heart stuttered to a stop. He should have known Lucy wasn’t the type of woman to let things lie, to choose the sensible path. “There was a moment, before I thought better of it,” he admitted.

“I wish you had.” She said the words softly, but there was no flirtation in them—they were honestly delivered and all the more powerful for it. Desire still tugged hard in the pit of his belly, demanding that he follow through and kiss her, but he couldn’t give in. Wouldn’t.

He muttered a curse and closed his eyes to limit the number of senses being assaulted at once. “Don’t say that.”

“But it’s the truth,” she said, her southern accent thick. He opened his eyes in time to see her pink tongue peek out and moisten those lips that drove him crazy. “I’ve been wondering what kissing you would be like.”

“Lucy, don’t.” There was a harshness in his voice that he hated, but was powerless to help. He was on the edge; every muscle vibrated with the effort of holding them still. If she pushed much further, he’d consign his ethics to hell and reach for her.

“What sort of kisser are you, Hayden?” She turned in the seat, facing him, pupils large in the dim light. “Soft and gentle? Strong and demanding?”

He groaned and banged his head back on the headrest. Was she trying to kill him? “This can’t happen,” he growled. “I can’t compromise my objectivity.”

“What if I never tell?” Her voice was pure temptation, full of invitation and delicious promise, making his thundering heart thump even harder in his chest. For a moment, he wondered…could he? A shudder ripped through him. Could he? He glanced out the window, seeking a sign, maybe permission.

Instead he saw a fashionable D.C. street, and it struck him with the force of a blow.

D.C.

He was in this town to do a job. He’d been employed by Congress, damn it.

He scrubbed his hands down his face and refocused on what was important, then turned to Lucy to make sure she understood as well. “I’d still know. And things would be different between us.”

One corner of her mouth curved up into a half smile. “You don’t think they’ll be different after this conversation?”

“You’ll notice I tried to stop this conversation before it started.”

“Oops,” she said and bit down on her lip, looking anything but sorry. “What should we do now?”

“Pretend it never happened.” It was the only option left.

There was silence for long seconds as she watched him with a small line between her eyebrows. “And if I can’t?”

“We don’t talk about it.” He slashed a hand down to rest on his thigh, hoping he appeared more decisive than he felt. “Never let the topic come up again.”

“Can you do that?”

“Yes.” Sure, he could avoid mentioning it, but the look on her face now in the dim light of the car interior would be burned in his memory, and there was nothing he could do to avoid thinking about kissing her. Dreaming about it.

She picked up her hold-all handbag from the floor and held it close to her chest. “I should probably go inside.”

“Yes,” he croaked. Then he cleared his throat and tried again. “Yes, that would be best all around.”


~~~Thanks, Rachel!
Rachel received a 4.5 star review for No Stranger to Scanda l from RT Book Reviews, which is amazing! Congrats, Rachel. You can read the review here. 
You can also find Rachel at her website, blog, LoveCats Down Under blog, Harlequin Desire Authors blog,  Facebook, and Twitter