A Self-Indulgent Interview

Hey, folks!  I'm ba-a-a-a-ck!

I once read an interview that contained “questions” I adored.  (Actually, they weren’t so much questions as fill in the blank type statements, but you get the gist.)  I’ve always thought I’d love for someone to interview me in this style, and to date, as lucky as I’ve been to be interviewed by some wonderful journalists and bloggers, I haven’t yet gotten to answer these particular questions.  So, since it’s a party here at the Pavilion, I’m going to self-indulge a bit and share with you my answers to the interview I’ve always wanted.  Here we go!

 

I write…

thrillers and suspense, usually things much more gory than my grandmother would've been  comfortable with.

The first book I ever read and loved was…

Totally Disgusting by Bill Wallace.  It might not actually be the first book I ever read and loved, but it was the first one to come to mind, so it obviously made a huge impression.

I wouldn't be where I am today without…

my parents and my husband

Books are to life what…

salt is to food- the best kind of addition that makes everything better!

Every child should be required to read…

different things until they find out what they like.  Then, they should read that!

I can't write if…

I have so many things on my to-do list that I'm distracted by them.

In another life I would have been…

a cat.

I'd never have become a writer if I hadn't read…

the Ramona Quimby series and the Goosebumps series

The best book I've read in a long while was…

Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult

The worst book I've ever read was…

The Thomas Berryman Number by James Patterson.  I love me some James, but this was a HUGE "miss" for me.  I kept reading, thinking at some point it would get better, but unfortunately, I never got caught up in it.

When I'm not writing I…

am usually really frustrated.

I'm at my most contented when…

I've written, blogged, and been indulgent in social media on a given day so that I can have plenty of family time without worrying I’ve dropped a ball somewhere.

I'm at my most discontented when…

the people I love are out of touch or I'm out of touch with them.

My favourite hero of fiction is…

Albus Dumbledore

My favourite hero in real life is…

my husband, David

My most treasured possession is…

My video camera or my laptop- tough tossup.

My greatest extravagance is...

staying in nice hotel rooms when I travel.  I'm a bit of a hotel snob.

The best advice I ever got was…

It's true that good things come to those who wait, but it's also true that the better things come to those who get off their lazy cans and do something about it.

The 3 authors I would most like to invite for a dinner…

R.L. Stine, Lisa Gardner, and J.K. Rowling

If my house was on fire, I would save…

My family (including my pets), my laptop, and my video camera

Part 2 of this interview coming soon, so stay tuned!  And don't forget to comment on any of my posts today to be entered for a chance to win the Chain of Command messenger bag.  You can comment as much as you'd like, but only one comment per post will put your name in the bowl for the drawing.  So if you comment on all four posts, you will have four chances to win!  Be sure to follow me on Twitter or Facebook, since I will be announcing the winner of the giveaway there.  Here are the links:

Follow me on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/colbymarshall

Like me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorcolbymarshall

The bag will be given away the afternoon of February 4!  In the meantime, tell me a few answers of your own to these questions!

Researching Aphrodisiacs in Saffron Nights

“Saffron Nights” will be released February 6 by e-Kensington. One of the questions I'm ure I’ll be asked is if aphrodisiacs really work. Well, I am not going to answer that. I reserve the right to be coy and say “read the book and you will know what I think.”

But I did find out a lot about reported aphrodisiacs all over the world when I was researching. The first one was durian, which is this spiky fruit that gives off a foul smell, but is tasty and sweet. It’s  native to Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia and many believe in its sexual enhancement powers.

Culinary superstar Anthony Bourdain says:”Its taste can only be described as…indescribable, something you will either love or despise. …Your breath will smell as if you’d been French-kissing your dead grandmother.”

 You either hate it or you love it. In my research, I found out that many people can’t get beyond the smell of it, which is exactly why some public places ban it.  So Maeve, the main character in the book, has a bad reaction to it as she is traveling through India’s mountains and durian groves. It adds an extra obstacle for her, of course, and definitely for Jackson, the photographer who is so worried about her that it difficult for him to work. But he manages and she rallies.

But with the Stinkhorn or MAMALU O WAHINE (woman’s mushroom)  that grows in Hawaii, among other places, Maeve is pleasantly surprised. She hates mushrooms and doesn’t even want to try them. (You can see a photo of it here. But as the mushrooms are cooking, the scent pulls her in. “Okay,” she thinks “I’ll try it.” She takes the plate with her to her room and locks the door. She is alone with her mushrooms and its affects—but don’t feel sorry for her. She wants it that way, preferring to keep Jackson on the other side of the door.

There are all sorts of stories about women and these mushrooms in Hawaii. Unlike Maeve, I love mushrooms. I’d be willing to try this particular mushroom, but it’s difficult to get your hands on, like much of the exotic food I am writing about in this book. This mushroom is at the top of my list to try–but I’d have to send my girls off for the weekend and lock the doors with just my husband and I inside—if the reported affects are true.

Stay tuned. I’ll be writing more about my research into the food of Saffron Nights. In the mean time, what are your experiences with exotic food–or even aphrodisiacs?

Please visit my site for more information about me and SAFFRON NIGHTS http://www.lizeverly.wordpress.com .  If you want to check out the first 2 chapters of the book, they live there. I also blog at http://www.ladysmut.com.

Twitter @lizeverly1 ; FB author page.  Please click on the book cover if you are interested in purchasing SAFFRON NIGHTS from Amazon.

Check out my Goddess Fish Book Blast on February 6. Leave a comment on any of the blogs and get a chance to win handmade organic saffron and cedar body wash and soap. Yum.

Romantic Thriller Byzantine Gold with swag bag

I hope everyone is having a good morning. I'll be posting excerpts and info on my latest release, Byzantine Gold. The romantic thriller moves from Paris to Istanbul to Cyprus. It is book two in my Dangerous Waters series. All the favorite characters from Golden Chariot have returned.

Byzantine Gold was given a 5-star review and designated "Top Pick" by Night Owl Reviews.

I look forward to talking with everyone. I am giving away a swag bag with 1 ecopy of Golden Chariot, a tote with the book covers, a Turkish charm keychain and a small box of soap petals shaped like a rose.
Smiles,
Chris Karlsen

Back cover blurb for Byzantine Gold

 

A sunken warship from the Byzantine Era carrying an unusual cargo of gold has been found off the coast of Northern Cyprus. News of the valuable cache has attracted the attention of a terrorist cell. They plan to attack the recovery team’s campsite and steal the artifacts. On the Black Market, the sale of the relics will buy them additional weapons.

 Charlotte Dashiell, an American archaeologist, and her lover, Atakan Vadim, a Turkish government agent, are scheduled to be part of the recovery team that brings up the artifacts. While en route to Cyprus, they find themselves caught in the crosshairs of Maksym Tischenko, a Ukrainian contract killer bent on revenge. Charlotte, Atakan and Tischenko share a grim history. As a result, Tischenko is a man who will stop at nothing to achieve his goal—seeing them both dead.

 

Excerpt #1

 

Charlotte answered on the fourth ring. Caller I.D. showed “restricted.”

“Hello.”

“They are called, Angelique tulips. You admired them in the hospital garden in Paris.”

Charlotte froze, holding her breath as she listened to the nightmare voice, remembering how his Eastern European accent rounded certain sounds and how he stressed the last syllables in his words. Called became cawl-d.

Tischenko.

“Everything in time,” he said and hung up.

Charlotte dropped the phone on the table. She turned to Atakan.

The shock must’ve shown on her face. “What is wrong?”

“That was Tischenko,” she said, finding her voice. “The flowers are from him. He was watching me in Paris when I was at the hospital. He—”

Atakan didn’t wait for her to finish. He rushed into the living room, grabbed his gun from the bookshelf, and ran out of the apartment.

Charlotte followed as he flew down the four flights of stairs to the street.

“Stop.” Catching up to him on the sidewalk, she hooked his elbow with her hand. Fearful an armed Tischenko hid nearby, she positioned herself in front of Atakan, thinking to shield him. “We can’t stand here. He could be anywhere taking aim at you right now.”

“Go back inside.”

“Not without you.” She tugged on his shirt, pulling him toward their building. “Atakan please, let’s leave. Call the Director.”

Atakan shoved her behind him. Silent, his eyes searched the dark doorways of neighboring apartment buildings and parked cars.

“Atakan please.”

“Get inside.”

She stepped in front of him again. “We stay here together or we leave together.”

An eternity of seconds passed. Neither moved or blinked.

They both jumped and turned at the bellow from the horn of a passing truck. Thankfully, the driver was waving to another coming the opposite direction. He never saw the man in the sling pointing a gun at him.

“Please,” she repeated.

Atakan nodded. He stopped at the building’s entry door and took a last look, surveying the street. “He moves us around like pawns in a private game.”

 

 

Wintertime Blues and Writing

 Some people treat winter as just another season, but a lot of folks, including yours truly, dread the shortened days and the exhaustion that comes with them. It starts around November / December (if you live in North America) and wanes come March / April. I think of it as “wintertime blues.” The pros label it seasonal affective disorder. Whatever you call it, as the days shorten and the temperatures drop, some people get sleepy and find it harder to concentrate. A craving for sweets sets in, along with sadness, and lethargy. There is no “get up and go.” For me, the worst of it is the poverty of energy. It takes twice as much effort to write a difficult scene during winter, with maybe six of my best curse words. I might show up at meetings only to nod off during the lecture.  

What causes this? Less sunlight. Humans need sunlight the way I do balloons. What’s more, lack of light may play with a chemical called serotonin, which affects mood. During the winter, I have to think twice before answering a question, and if I’m tired, consider not answering at all. Most times I sleep nine to ten hours a night. Since I work full time and need that much sleep, that leaves little time for writing, socializing, or feeding my balloons. The docs coughed up several solutions – drugs, light therapy, and walking outdoors in sunlight. I found that the last one works best. The morning walks left me with more energy for writing and my other chores. It also helps if I take an afternoon nap. Ditto for staying healthy.

It is really important to stay healthy during the winter. Recently, I’ve had a severe bout with back pain, and that drained what energy I had fast. I had been struggling through a difficult scene in Blood Moon Rising, and I understand why. If I come home from work tired and in pain, at the crux of wintertime blues, I’m gonna have a hell of a time focusing on a scene or anything else. One day last week I came home extremely tired and headed straight for bed. Today is Sunday, my day off. Yesterday, I went to see John Cassidy, the balloon man and magician, and that did my heart good. I came home, refreshed, ready to write some blogs, and later, work on my WIP.

Drugs and light therapy weren’t options for me because of the side effects. The late morning walks work best, along with afternoon nap and staying healthy. My corral of Mylar balloons helps, too. I made a note to take that walk more frequently.

Do you struggle with wintertime blues? How has it affected your writing? What helps you? I’d love to hear about your experiences.

Barbara Custer

www.bloodredshadow.com

Super Bowl, Shmooper Bowl

Are you ready for Valentine's Day?

Get in the mood with FROST's  HOT-HOT-TOO-HOT-TO-HANDLE hero, Max Raines.

Max is a mysterious, reclusive painter of erotic art, who lives in solitude, channeling his most lustful impulses into his art. He's also a fire-sex demon with an unfortunate tendency to burn his partners to a crisp.

Want a peek at tall, dark, delicious Max?

Here's a peek at the FROST video to get you in the mood!

 

 

 

Leave a tantalizing comment for a chance to win some yummy swag!

BUY: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Decadent | ARe| Smashwords | BookStrand | CoffeeTime

How Do You Do It?

I recently did a podcast with the Newbie Writer's Group, and one of the questions asked was, "How do you find the time to write?"  Hmm.  Finding the time to write isn't the problem.  Finding time to do all the other things a mother of three needs to do?  Now THERE is a challenge.

With three boys there is ALWAYS something that needs to be done: cooking, laundry, sewing the stuffed dog's ear back on, helping with homework, refereeing the latest squabble over the XBOX, and the list goes on and on and on....  I've seen many an interview where the author talks about how they squeeze writing in here and there, between their day job and a load of whites.  I guess I'm abnormal (and lucky).  From the moment I get up I think about writing and I sit in front of my computer shortly thereafter.  Then, in between Chapter 17 and the next plot twist I may load the dishwasher or fold that load of towels that's been in the dryer for three days.  I may not.  Somehow, the household still functions, my children still get fed, and I still manage to remind my husband why he married me (kidding, I don't KNOW why he married me).

These days I have one less boy to worry about, or at least I have one less to deal with.  My oldest, Devon, started his journey to become a US Marine on January 6th, and although I still worry about him I don't have to deal with him (one down, two to go, lol).  This lack of one child has also dramatically reduced my workload, adding to my available writing time.  If I didn't have excuse not to write before (and I didn't), I REALLY don't have one now.  I am lucky enough not to have to work outside the home, so, Monday-Friday from 8:30 - 3:00 p.m. the house is empty, quiet, and perfectly suited to writing.  Now if only my brain would be so accommodating....

THE DOUBTING HEART - Welcome & Giveaway

Hi all, I'm Brenda Gayle and I'm so glad you could stop by and help me celebrate the release of my romantaic suspense, The Doubting Heart.



Don't you just love the cover
done by the wonderful Debbie Taylor
at The Wild Rose Press?

The Doubting Heart is the second book in my Heart's Desire series. The series follows the trials and tribulations of three cousins as they try to navigate the minefield of their family's expectations to find their own path to love and happiness.
 

In book one, The Hungry Heart, a fourth cousin disappears during a research project on a ranch in southern New Mexico. This becomes the catalyst for The Doubting Heart.

 

Shelby Holt, knows she can’t trust her heart, but when she meets the new ranch hand she doubts she can trust her head either. He looks uncannily like her mentor and best-friend, a man she respected and adored—a man she believes was murdered.

Chad Graham, burned by love and war, is not quite what meets the eye. Posing as Chad Greene, he’s come to Wildhorse Pass, New Mexico, to investigate the woman making wild claims about the death of his cousin. Can the official reports be wrong? Or is Shelby trying to ingratiate herself with his wealthy family? He knows she’s hiding something. But then, so is he.

In close proximity, despite the danger, sensual attraction simmers and deception deepens. Because the closer Shelby and Chad get to one another, the closer they get to the answer...and the closer they get to danger—until Shelby herself becomes the target of a killer.

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/The-Doubting-Heart-ebook/dp/B009KELTAC

The Wild Rose Press: http://bit.ly/YrBwNX

I'll pop back later with an excerpt and some fun stuff about the book. In the meantime, I'd love to know your thoughts about series romance? Do you like them? Do you have a favorite you can recommend? In addition to Goddess Fish's $10 gift card to be awarded one commenter today, I'll be giving away a digital download of The Hungry Heart, the first book in the series, to someone who comments on one of my posts.

I love to talk books. You can connect with me via website, Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.