Lyssa Layne's Blog, page 19
June 14, 2014
Saturday Morning Characters: Charles Stafford from Till You Come Back to Me
Welcome back to another edition of Saturday Morning Characters! This week the very talented, and fellow #romanceinamonth author, Chicki Brown is with us. Today we’ll be meeting Charles Stafford from Till You Come Back to Me. 
Introduction to Charles Stafford from Chicki Brown
Hi Chicki! Thanks for stopping by today. Tell us what Till You Come Back to Me is about.TILL YOU COME BACK TO ME is a contemporary romance featuring the second brother in my Stafford Brothers series. Charles Stafford is a successful plastic surgeon who has become tired of performing vanity surgeries. He decides to sell his practice and devote his time to an international medical organization. The day he arrives at his destination, he meets the woman who will make the real change in his life.
Do you relate to this character? I can relate to Charles because, like myself, he was raised in good family in which morals and standards were stressed.
Is Charles based off someone you know in real life? No. He is purely a figment of my imagination.
In real life, would you want to date Charles? If I was single, I’d love to date a man like Charles. He’s not only intelligent, successful, and handsome, but he’s also kind yet strong.
Where would you want him to take you on a date? Somewhere quiet and romantic where there wouldn’t be a lot of noise or distraction and we could talk and get to know each other.
Why do you love Charles? I love Charles because he had the strength to make a major life change. He’s caring and compassionate without being wimpy.
Anything else we need to know about him? I think he’ll tell you more about himself as he answers your questions.
Interview with Charles Stafford
Hi Charles! I’ve hard a lot about you, please tell us a little bit about yourself. I come from a family of six brothers, and I’m a twin. My father and his two brothers are physicians, so we come from a medical tradition. My brothers Vic and Jesse and I are also doctors. I’ve been quite successful as a plastic surgeon, but recently I’ve had a strong desire to use my skill to do more than enhance boobs and butts. I want to make a real difference in people’s lives, and since I’m single with no kids, this is the time for me to make that change.
Wow! A big family and full of doctors? That’s impressive. Well, we’ll start off easy with the interview. Tell me some of your favorites.
Word- Seriously? Because I never cease to be amazed by some of the crazy things I hear.
Color- Blue. It’s calming and peaceful, and I’m told it brings out my eyes.
Charles chuckles…I have to agree with you Charles, you do have lovely eyes.
Food- Anything Italian with tomato gravy. I think I was born with Italian tastebuds, if that’s possible. Drink- Heineken. I’m not a big drinker, and when I do over-indulge it’s not a pretty sight. He smiles and his green eyes twinkle.
Subject in school- Science, particularly biology.
Where did you grow up? – Atlanta, Georgia.
Tell us about your family… He laughs aloud and scratches his neatly trimmed beard. How much time do you have? Growing up in a big family was a challenge at times, especially since all of my brothers have different personalities. We’re all pretty competitive, so one-upmanship was an art form in our house. Education took top priority in our house with church running a close second and community service third. Everything else, like sports, was considered unimportant. My mother had her hands full just keeping the six of us in line, but one of the things she instilled in us what that we were more than our looks. I hated that my honor roll, National Honor Society, and Dean’s List status were ignored while my looks took center stage. Nobody ever seemed to be able to get past my face to see that I had a brain. That kind of ignorance ticked me off, even though I kept my calm and internalized what people said, but Marc instantly got physical with them. He handed out more, who are you calling a pretty boy? beat downs during our school years than I could count.
Why did your last relationship end? I was dating two women and broke it off when I announced that I was leaving the country to work overseas. But I did it with jewelry so it went better than expected.
Ah yes, jewelry always softens the blow. Tell us your thoughts on love. I believe in love—that all-encompassing, forget about all other women kind of love. I’ve just never experienced it. Getting married and having kids is something I’ve always wanted only I’ve been too busy with my career. Family is important, and I wouldn’t want to leave my wife alone all the time the way my father did when he was building his medical career. When I settle down, I want to spend time with my family.
Charles, it’s been a pleasure visiting with you. I wish you all the best with your new job and I hope that one day you’ll find that all-encompassing love.
Stay in touch with Chick Brown to find out what happens with Charles and his brothers. You can follow her blog, Twitter, Facebook, Google, Pinterest, or on Goodreads. You can purchase this book from Amazon or visit her Amazon page for a full list of all of Chicki’s books.
June 13, 2014
Playing #LuckySeven
I’ve been tagged in #LuckySeven by my good friend Katerina Baker.
The rules:
Go to page 7 or 77 in your current WIP
Go to line 7
Post on your blog the next 7 sentences or 7 lines–as they are!
Tag 7 people, who’ll do the same.
Now back to beach and to writing.
Here’s a snippet from my WIP The Right Pitch that I’ve been working on during my #romanceinamonth class:
She bats her eyes at Grant and I want so badly to roll my eyes, but I refrain. It’s obvious she has no idea who he is other than a gorgeous male. I slide my arm around his waist and he looks down at me trying to hide his surprise. He quickly pulls me close to him, this obviously isn’t the first time I’ve “been his girlfriend.” For that matter, I think I’ve “dated” almost every guy on the roster. Well, except for the playboys who don’t mind the attention.
I tag:
And any authors that want to play!!!
June 7, 2014
Saturday Morning Characters: Dimitri Fridolf from the Kadenburg Shifters Series
Hello readers and welcome to the first post of Saturday Morning Characters. Each Saturday I will feature an indie author and interview one of her/his characters. This week’s author is T.E. Ridener and her character Dimitri Fridolf from The Truth about Kadenburg the Kadenburg Shifters Series.
Introduction to Dimitri Fridolf from T.E. Ridener.
Hi there! Please tell us a little bit about yourself and the character we’ll be meeting today.
Well hello! My name is Tonya and I go by T.E. Ridener. I write paranormal and urban fantasy with lots of romance, action, suspense, and drama. I’m 28 years old and I live in Kentucky. The character I’ve brought along with me today is Dimitri Fridolf. He’s a very hunky, tortured werewolf from my Kadenburg Shifters Series. Dimitri is 29 years old and he has dark red hair and beautiful hazel eyes, oh and his smile? To die for. He’s one of my favorite characters. (They are all my favorites. I can’t lie.)
In your words, give us a brief summary of your book.
The Truth about Kadenburg is book #1 in my Kadenburg Shifters Series. It focuses on the town of Kadenburg, Tennessee where the human population is surrounded by old magic, ursithropes (bear-shifters), werewolves, and other beings that have yet to be mentioned. You get to see heartache, love, and courage prevail against evil.
Do you relate to this character? If so, how?
Dimitri is a broken character. His life has never been easy. He was orphaned as a young pup and put into the care of a sinister werewolf named Breslin Connor (the main villain of Kadenburg). When book 1 starts you quickly learn that Dimitri lost his mate who happens to be the MM’s older brother. But don’t fret-I love Dimitri and I firmly believe in a happily ever after for everyone. His is coming, I swear.
Is this character based off someone you know in real life?
He is! He has a lot of characteristics and a similar personality to one of my best guy friends. He’s strong, loyal, brave, and he seriously fights for what he believes in. It’s hard not to fall in love with Dimitri.
In real life, would you hang out with this character?
In a heartbeat. I think Dimitri would have a lot to say and I’d spend all night listening to him. He’s wise beyond his years. He was forced to grow up early and I would feel really safe being in his company. (The dude is ginormous and he can turn into a wolf, okay? ‘Nuff said.) I’d like to think we could be best friends.
Where would you want him to take you on a date?
Hahaha. If I could convince Dimitri to take me on a date I think we would go to a baseball game. He seems to be fond of sports and it would be great to get him away from the drama of his life for a little while. I’m not really big on sports myself but I think it would be worth it to see him enjoy something so much.
Why do you love Dimitri?
I love him because of his heart. It’s been shattered beyond the point of repair yet he refuses to give up. He keeps moving forward and I admire his perseverance. No matter what has happened in his past Dimitri sticks true to what he believes in and it definitely makes him a worthy ally. Loyalty from Dimitri is truly invaluable.
Anything else we need to know about him?
Sorry, Ladies. Dimitri is gay. But I do feel the need to clear something up on his behalf. Despite his human half preferring men over women; his inner wolf does have a mind of its own and will try to pursue a she-wolf in heat. It’s very frustrating for him (and for me to write).
Interview with Dimitri Fridolf
Hi Dimitri! Thanks for joining us today. Please tell us a little bit about yourself.
Hi. My name is Dimitri Fridolf. I don’t really think there’s much to know about me. I don’t remember too much about my childhood but I think I’m from Massachusetts. I know I have the accent. My pack, and I use that term loosely, lingered around the area until I was eleven or so. My parents died when I was very little but I wish I could remember more about them. I loathe my alpha and I can’t wait for the day to come when I can kill him. It’s a death well deserved.
We’ll start off easy, tell me some of your favorites.
Word- My favorite word has to be censored. It starts with an F and ends with an ‘uck’. Is that too much? Sorry. There are so many ways to say it and it has unlimited uses. My vocabulary is pretty colorful.
Color- I’ve always been a fan of brown but I think that’s because Liam’s eyes were such a beautiful brown color. I look good in brown too. I have a brown leather jacket that I sometimes wear in hot weather. Is that weird?
Food- I’m not biased when it comes to food. I’ll eat anything and everything I can get my hands on, though I do have a strong fondness for PB&J sandwiches.
Drink- Chocolate milk and coffee. I can’t live without either. Truth be told though…Liam loved chocolate milk and that’s when I started to like it too.
Subject in school- I never actually went to a real school. I was ‘home-schooled’ if we can call it that. I learned most things I know on my own. I’m not saying I’m the smartest cookie around but I know how to keep myself from getting killed. If I had to pick a subject I think it would have been music.
Where did you grow up? Like I said previously I was raised around Massachusetts but I’ve been all over the world. My pack didn’t settle in one place for too long.
Tell us about your family.
As far as I know my parents are dead. There’s one possibility about my father and I refuse to believe that. I don’t have any siblings that I know of, I can be my own pet, and I had a boyfriend but he died. This interview just went downhill fast, didn’t it?
Yikes! I’m sorry to hear that. What happened if you don’t mind me asking?
Ehhh, like I said. He died. My alpha didn’t like that I was dating another man…let alone one of a different species. He ‘took care of it’ as he likes to say, but I’m going to take care of him soon enough. I miss Liam. He was my heart and we were supposed to be together for the rest of our lives. I’m still pissed about it.
How has that made you feel about love and marriage?
I thought love was beautiful once upon a time. I thought it would be my saving grace after a lifetime of hell and hate…but I was wrong. I think marriage can be a great thing if you love somebody enough, you know? I was going to marry my mate but I don’t think kids would’ve been a part of the package. Liam probably would’ve made an awesome dad…me though? I don’t know. I like kids but I’m not going to let my wolf get the better of me and bring on a pup. It’s too dangerous and a child deserves two loving parents. I never had that and I’d never put someone else through it.
Dimitri, thank you for taking the time to talk to me this morning. I wish you all the best of luck and I hear you’ll get a happily ever after soon enough. Hang in there!
Stay in touch with T.E. Ridener to find out what happens with Dimitri and the rest of his pack. You can follow her website, blog, Twitter, Facebook, or on Goodreads. You can purchase this book from Amazon U.S. or Amazon UK.
June 5, 2014
Love is a Fire Excerpt
In case you were still wondering whether or not to read Love is a Fire, here is a quick excerpt!
At mile four, Katy turned around as he lagged fifty feet back. She was going to ask if he wanted to push their run to seven miles, but seeing him huffing and puffing, she figured she already knew the answer. She jogged in place until he caught up. He saw her waiting and slowed to walk. Smirking, she questioned, “Thought you could hang for five miles?”
In between breaths, he mumbled, “I…didn’t…know we were…going to be…running record pace.”
Katy laughed. “Come on, macho man, it’s barely a seven minute mile.” She playfully punched his arm giving him a hard time.
Nick stood up having caught his breath. “Macho man, huh?” He reached out and in one swipe picked her up and threw her over his shoulder.
Katy giggled as he carried her down the path then set her down. It was the second time in the span of a few hours that she’d laughed like a schoolgirl which was two times more than the past two years. As her feet touched the ground, he let his hands linger on her waist. Even though they’d just met, the chemistry between them was undeniable.
Standing almost a foot taller than her, he leaned down to get a better look at her face. Katy’s heart did a somersault as she thought that he was going to kiss her. She jumped back stepping on a patch of ice. She looked like a cartoon character as her feet skidded and she ran in place trying to get her balance. Nick reached out to steady her and as she leaned into him, he caught the ice patch too. They both landed in a puddle of ice cold water.
Nick landed on his back with Katy on top of him. He had his arms wrapped around her tightly and despite the fact that the water was Arctic temperatures, she felt warm all over as she lay on him. She enjoyed the safety of his arms around her and her hormones were going crazy as she took in his scent. He was definitely wearing Paul Sebastian, it was a scent she had grown accustomed to since it was the cologne Jeremiah wore. As Katy lay on top of him reminiscing, she felt him shake her frantically.
“Katy, Katy, are you okay? Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry. That was my fault.” Katy snapped back to reality. She realized she had him pinned down in the freezing water, although he was twice her size and could have moved her at any time he wanted.
She jumped up and offered her hand to him apologizing. He stood up laughing and pulled her into his arms, rubbing his hands up and down her arms trying to warm her up. “Was that your plan? Bring me to the park and take advantage of me?” he teased.
She stood in their embrace thinking she could get used to being in his arms and then pulled back. “I’m sorry, Nick, but I can’t do this.”
He looked at her confused. “Do what?”
“This. It’s just that…I don’t date. Especially not firefighters.”
June 4, 2014
Love is a Fire on Sassy Southern Book Blog
Hey readers! Go check out the post about Love is a Fire on Sassy Southern Book Blog. Thanks for the post, Julie!
June 3, 2014
My New Release with Chantel Rhondeau
Check out my new release Love is a Fire on Chantel Rhondeau’s site!!! Much love to my fellow authors helping me promote my new book.
June 2, 2014
June 1, 2014
Saturday Morning Characters
Wow! It’s been a whirlwind weekend since I published my debut novel Love is a Fire. I have seen and felt so much love from the entire indie writing world from fellow authors, reviewers, bloggers, and the list goes on. I’ve done author interviews and been offered to do book promos, I just can’t believe it!
I want to be one of those authors that pays it forward to my colleagues so I’m going to try a series called “Saturday Morning Characters.” The idea came to me from Saturday morning cartoons. I will host character interviews each Saturday morning from books of indie authors on my page. If you are an author that is interested in being featured here, please leave a comment or email me at authorlyssalayne@gmail.com
Happy Writing!
May 30, 2014
Backdraft
Anyone remember the movie Backdraft with one of the Ballwin brothers and Kurt Russell? I had completely forgot about it until my sister finished reading Love is a Fire. When I was in fourth grade, my family when to Seattle for family vacation. Since all it does in Seattle is rain, we went to what I can remember to be my “real” movie which happened to be Backdraft.
I sat intensely in the theater watching every bit of the movie and when it was over, I was sobbing. The entire ride back to our hotel through tears, I’d moan and repeat, “Why’d the cute guy have to die?” To me, I thought the cute guy was Kurt Russell…sorry for that spoiler if you’ve never seen the movie.
As I wrote Love is a Fire, that movie didn’t even cross my mind. As soon as my sister finished it, she called me and the first thing she said, “All I can think about is you at the end of Backdraft.” Hmm…I guess that movie was the start of my creative writing, who knew I’d make my own version of the story one day!
