Guest Author Interview: Zrinka Jelic
Happy Saturday everyone! Lucky for me, my friend and fellow Black Opal Author has agreed to spend half her weekend here on my blog talking about her writing and a few other fun things. She's inlcuded an excerpt from her debut novel, Bonded by Crimson, a paranormal romance I read and loved and her new release, Treasured Chest, a swashbuckling pirate romance on the high seas that's waiting anxiously on my Kindle for it's turn. Enjoy!
When did you first know you wanted to write a book and how did you go about it? Did you sit down one day and start typing?
A hard question. I've always liked to write, but never thought anything would come out of it. Believe it or not, my first draft was hand written. Then one day, I was poking around the Internet and came across some sites for writers. That ultimately led me to right people and to RWA. I joined and discovered people with the same interest in the online speciality chapter called Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal (FFnP). I threw my chapters in the mud puddle for reviews and boy was I in for some rude awakening. I never heard of concepts such as POV, info dumping, back story, active vs. passive voice... it was all Greek to me. So I signed up for writing workshops and courses. Needless to say, my writing improved and not just the grammar part of it.
Do you prefer single point of view (1st person) or multiply points of view in your reading and writing? I've never written anything in 1st person narrative, but I don't mind reading the books. I write in 3rd person limited. Meaning, I don't head hop and it bothers me when I come across such book in my reading. It is hard to follow along when the author is constantly taking POV of another character, even the secondary ones, in the middle of the paragraph. In one book I've recently read, the author seemed to go into POV of an inanimate object. Pick a character and stay in his/her POV till the end of the scene. Also, I prefer books with not too many POVs even if they're not mixed. Hero/heroine and in some cases the POV of a villain to get us into his head. You don't have to go into everyone's head, and often times POV of another character is unnecessary and adds nothing to the story.
Bonded by Crimson was a paranormal romance and Treasured Chest seems like a fun, swashbuckling romance. Is there another genre you'd like to venture into someday? Yes, there are different genres that pop in my head, but as I turn the ideas around, I always seem to end up with paranormal or historical. Or mix of both. There's a line in "Forest Gump" movie that's stuck deep in my mind. It goes something like "are we just a bunch of leaves getting blown around the world with no purpose or destination, or is there something more?" I'd like to think there's something more, that our destinies are determined by higher powers and it's up to us to make the best of every situation. And yes, life will hand us lemons and we can make lemonade or...
Speaking of both of your novels, how does it feel to be a multi-published author? It feels the same as being published with just one book out. I don't feel any different. But people do say wow, two books out! That's great!
Do you have a favorite author you'd like to meet someday?I'd go nuts if I meet Perez Arturo Reverte. I've read everything he written so far, maybe not his grocery list, but... you know what I mean.
Just for fun:
Night owl or early riser? In between
Red wine or white, cocktail? Wine, but love Bloody Ceasar, a Canadian cocktail and VERY acquired taste.
Favorite food? Scampi in white wine sauce
Panster or plotter? Definitely panster, but will try plotting again.
If you were stuck on a deserted island which three celebrities would you choice to be marooned with and why? Jason Moma (Conan the Barbarian, Game of Thrones) because he's hot, Curtis Stone the celebrity chef (we're on a deserted island, someone has to cook) and Goran Visnjic (that Croatian doctor from ER which no, I don't know him personally. Croatia is small, but not that small.) The reason I want him, well, he played a doctor maybe he learned something to save lives.
Thank you for hosting me on your blog today. It’s always a pleasure to reach out to new audience and readers.
My debut novel “Bonded by Crimson” has been released on January 28th, and it is available in all formats at Black Opal Books, Amazon, Smashwords, Barnes & Noble Kobobooks and All Romance eBooks
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BLURB
Love isn’t in the cards for her…
After her short failed marriage, Kate tries to rebuild her life and takes a position as a nanny to three small boys. She quickly grows to love them, but their father, terrifies her, while igniting a passion she didn’t know she possessed. Disturbed by his distant manner with his sons, Kate struggles to make him more involved in the boys’ daily lives. Her efforts are mysteriously supported by an entity that cannot really exist. Or can she? And if she does exist, is she really trying to help Kate, or just take over her body?
But when he deals the hand, all bets are off…
Six years after his beloved wife passed away, Matthias is still trying to become the father she wanted him to be. Not an easy task for a three-centuries-old immortal. His search for the ultimate nanny ends when Kate Rokov stumbles to his home and into his arms. The immediate attraction he feels for her seems like a betrayal of his dead wife, a love he’s harboured for over three hundred years. But when Kate is stalked by a deadly stranger, life he clung to in the past begins to crumble and break down. Can Matthias learn to trust and to love again in time to save his family from disaster, or will his stubborn pride destroy everything worth living for?
EXCERPT
He claimed to be immortal, but that was ridiculous...wasn’t it?
Kate’s heart hammered. The experience seemed so real. A low moan escaped her and she bit her lip. Soon warmth surged through her, causing her body to go limp. Her legs gave way underneath her, but Matthias—or whoever this man claimed to be now—wrapped his arm around her waist. His sweet, musky scent clung to her. Ecstasy filled her and she felt as if she hovered in the air. If he intended to kill her like this, she could imagine no better way to die. A voice echoed through her mind, speaking of undying love in centuries old Croatian.
“Wake up,” he whispered close to her ear, his strong arms still locked around her.
“I don’t want to.” Her head wobbled, exuberant with sheer happiness, a kind she had never experienced before.
“You must.” He stroked her hair with tender fingers. “Wake up now.”
“No. I want to stay like this. Forever.” She focused on his handsome face staring at her through her haze.
His smooth cheek brushed against hers. “Me too, but you must wake.”
The fog lifted and his image appeared, clearly now. She blinked once. Twice. What had happened? She pushed away from him and flattened her back against the wall.
“You, you—”
“You,” he said, pointing at her, “asked for proof.”
I had many wonderful reviews on this novel, but this is where you can read my absolute favorite review of “Bonded by Crimson”.
My second novel, a pirate’s romance titled “Treasured Chest” has just been released on November 24th and is now available at Black Opal Books Amazon Barnes & Noble AllRomance eBooks Smashwords and Kobobooks
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The last thing Captain Sirena expected to find on a desolate island was...him!
When Carmen Ventura takes up her post as commander of the Strega, she becomes the new Captain Sirena, the legendary pirate most people think is just a myth created to scare children. Her first quest is to search for the “treasured chest” hidden by her predecessor. But before she can even begin the hunt, she runs into Marko Lucin, captain of the Levant and Carmen’s most insane adventure yet.
How can the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen be a bloody pirate?
Never one to pass up an adventure, especially where pretty women are concerned, Marko finds his ultimate challenge in Carmen. Not only does he fall for her courage, spunk, and intelligence, but the lady pirate can also help him get what he wants—the famous treasure everyone whispers about. His only problem—how long can he play the charming captain before she discovers his true intentions?
EXCERPT
She was ready to walk away and leave him stranded...but the man had a treasure map. What if it was real?
Sirena’s mind raced. Even with different colors hoisted, after the last night’s raid, she ran the risk that the Strega’s sails would be detected as soon as they appeared on the horizon. Her ship could not approach the city’s defensive walls. Not until all the rumors settled and no survivors would recognize them. On the other hand, she couldn’t pass through the Pila Gates as a lone woman. Last time she had spoken to her brother, he had said he’d be docking in Ragusa’s harbor on the second Sunday of August. Still two days away, but she should pay him a visit. Maybe he’d been home and had news.
“I possess a map.” The man’s voice snapped her out of her planning.
She lowered her sword, and her glance, to his feet and flicked a crab into the sea. “Charts are of no interest to me.”
“Ah.” He stroked his chin, leaving sooty fingerprints on his blond beard. “But this is not an ordinary map.” His grin exposed a row of white teeth, a rarity. “It leads to a treasure.”
“Treasure means different things to different people.” Something familiar reflected in his eyes. She stepped back. Now, where had she seen him before?
“True,” he said, “but I believe this map is real.” The same sparkle flashed in his eyes, reaffirming that flicker of recognition, but she still couldn’t place the sense of familiarity.
“What makes you so sure?”
“I’ve had it all my life.” He shrugged and gave a shy smile. “Call me a captain, but I’ve never been able to make any sense of the damn thing.”
KUDOS FOR TREASURED CHEST
Treasured Chest is captivating and action packed. The scenes were so vivid I felt the ship’s deck rolling beneath me while shouting commands to the crew and dreaming of being thoroughly kissed by Captain Marko. Treasured Chest is an exciting story, a shelf-keeper. – JJ Keller, best-selling author of Trade Agreement
I liked the character development and the plot, and it is obvious that Jelic did her homework as the shipping terms, etc., appear to be very authentic. I didn’t once come across something and said, wait a minute this is supposed to be historical—as sometimes happens with historical romances. Treasured Chest is fun and entertaining and the plot has some nice twists and turns. – Taylor, reviewer
I found Treasured Chest to be a strong second novel for Zrinka Jelic. While I enjoyed her first book, I think Jelic’s writing is much stronger in this second book. The character development is excellent, the dialogue convincing, and the plot intriguing. – Regan, reviewer
AUTHOR’S BIO
Zrinka Jelic lives in Ontario, Canada, with her husband and two children. A member of the Romance Writers of America and its chapter Fantasy Futuristic &Paranormal, as well as Savvy Authors, she writes contemporary fiction—which leans toward the paranormal—and adds a pinch of history. Her characters come from all walks of life, and although she prefers red, romance comes in many colors. Given Jelic’s love for her native Croatia and the Adriatic Sea, her characters usually find themselves dealing with a fair amount of sunshine, but that’s about the only break they get. “Alas,” Jelic says, with a grin. “Some rain must fall in everyone’s life.”
Contact me @: www.bondedbycrimson.blogspot.com
http://zrinkajelicromanceauthor.wordpress.com/
Watch the book trailer: Bonded by Crimson
