Harper Impulse Release Day Party!

**BELLS, WHISTLES, CONFETTI**

I'm so excited because my friend and fellow author, Lori Connelly, is here today with her hot-off-the-press release The Outlaw of Cedar Ridge! Whoo Hoo!! Check this cover, people!

The day Evie met Benjamin Rolfe, a man with unbridled enthusiasm and grandiose plans, she knew they’d marry and live happily ever after…

Five years later, the charming rancher is now a bitter, cynical stranger with a shaky moral compass. She no longer believes in fairy tales, too many shattered dreams.

When they lose the homestead, it's already strained to breaking point. Can their love survive this second chance?

~ * ~

Lori, I am thrilled for you and so excited to have you here on your release day! Huzzah! To get things started, tell us how your writing career began.

I believe my writing career began when a lovely lady, by the name of Charlotte Ledger, saw potential in my SYTYCW 2012 contest entry and wanted to read my full manuscript. I never dreamed that less than a year later I’d have a contract with Harper Impulse. My debut book, THE OUTLAW OF CEDAR RIDGE is out today and I can’t stop smiling.

I know, right? So thrilling!! And I totally agree with you about Charlotte. She couldn't be more lovely. With the break-through you achieved with Outlaw, do you think you'll continue writing westerns, or do you plan to branch out write across genre lines?

I love to write about cowboys, but I also have contemporary and paranormal works lurking in my files.

Oh, that's fantastic! I can't wait! What are you working on right now?

I’m working on the third story in The Men of Fir Mountain series.

Oh awesome, this is a series of books! Lovely! What about your reading preferences? What's on your nightstand (or downloaded onto your Kindle) that is waiting to be read?

Sinfully Summer by Aimee Duffy and On the Scent by Angela Campbell and over fifteen other books in my TBR list.

LOL Sounds like my overloaded Kindle. I've got Aimee's book in there somewhere too, I believe. Let's talk a little about your home life. Does your husband read your work? And, if so, what's his reaction?

He does. He says he’s always left wanting to read on about my characters, however he’d like me to write more fantasy.

He's a man after my own heart, darling. I love me a good fantasy. To give our readers a better idea of what Lori is all about, list the five top words your best friends would use to describe you.

Compassionate, imaginative, loyal, klutzy, and shy.

Favorite cocktail?

A glass of Irish Crème Whiskey. I’m afraid that’s as fancy as I get.

Sounds perfect! What are your hobbies?

Reading, writing, camping, hiking and rock hounding.

Oh! That looks almost exactly like my list! LOL Any pets?

We’ve two dogs at home. Technically, Bart, who’s ½ English Mastiff, ½ St. Bernard and 100% love, is my middle son’s dog and Roxy, the Rat Terrier, who’s 15lbs of moxy without an ounce of fear, belongs to my husband, but I call them my fur children all the same.

AWESOME! Thank you so much for stopping in on what is sure to be a very busy day! And congrats on your release!!

Thank you for having me.

Lori was born, raised and still lives in Oregon with her best friend who also happens to be her husband. She has three sons, one daughter-in-law, one grandbaby to be and two very spoiled dogs. Although she made up stories as a child, wrote them down as a teen, life delivered a number of challenges and pursuing her writing career had to wait. Now her dream has become a reality. Her favorite pastime is getting lost in a story be either writing or reading. She also enjoys camping, rock hounding, and long walks with her husband.

Cedar Ridge, Idaho--Spring 1891
Her eyes popped open.  In the darkness that enveloped her,   Evie Rolfe swallowed hard.  Sometime during the night, her lamp died and left the young woman alone.  Her fingers tightened into a white knuckled grip around the rifle while she listened for anything unusual.  She didn’t dare move, waited untold minutes locked in fear until light trickled through the cabin’s only window. 

While ebony grayed, shadows faded, she gained a measure of courage.  Evie scanned the modest room in search of what had woken her.  A simple chair sat beside her in front of the stone fireplace.  Cast iron pots and a frying pan were stacked on the hearth by short rounds of pine.  Along the walls was a long low bench with towels folded neatly on top, a four-drawer dresser, a metal pail then a bed in the corner.  Nothing appeared out of place so far.

Nervous Evie twisted so she could look at the wall behind her.  A gap in the window curtains allowed a glimpse of crimson sky.  Against the door, a crudely made wood table remained snug with the oil lamp in the center.  To the right of that her cloak and a large tan wicker basket hung side by side.  A rough broom she’d fashioned stood propped in the corner.  Relief seeped through her. 

The breath she’d held released.  Evie sagged against the chair her grandfather made.  Her left hand lifted, rubbed over her face then lowered to slide palm down over a scarred, oak arm.  Loneliness, a muted ache, haunted.  The worn rocking chair was all she had left from her family.  She sighed, soft almost soundless. 

A distinct thud carried through the log walls.  Her short-lived calm vanished.  Blood raced through her veins.  Heart in her throat Evie gathered the edges of the quilts close around her.  Slow, cautious, rifle cradled to her stomach, she pushed up to her feet then turned to face the window. 

A minute then another passed.  Evie heard nothing, saw nothing.  She drew in a breath and stepped close to the glass pane.  With the rifle muzzle, she pushed the washed out material aside.  Her gaze found the source of the sound, what likely woke her, right away.  Fear evaporated. 

Drained, her grip loosened.  The blankets slipped, sagged around her waist.  Anger whispered.  Evie turned around and, jaw clenched, stalked to the fireplace.  She hung the weapon back on the hooks above the mantle where it belonged.  The hard packed dirt floor chilled her bare feet, hastened her pace as she moved to the corner. 

Beside the empty bed, Evie stilled, stared at it for a few seconds, her lips compressed into a hard thin line.  With a snap of her wrists, she spread the thin patchwork quilts over the mattress.  Sadness, resentment and frustration crashed over her in waves as she pulled her nightgown over her head, tossed it on the covers.  Goose bumps soon dotted her skin.  In quick, jerky movements, she donned stockings, undergarments, a faded blue long sleeved shirt and a brown ankle length skirt.

Another thud sounded.  Evie ground her teeth.  She sat down on the bed and pulled on well-worn black boots.  Her hair fell across her face in the process.  Exasperated, she plucked her hairbrush off the wall where it hung by a leather thong. 

With the ease of long practice, she swiftly tamed her waist length dark brown hair into a single thick braid that hung down her back.  Evie stood and slapped the brush back in place.  Her hands shook as she stomped over, shoved the table away from the door.

 

Orange and pink stained the clouds on the horizon when she stepped outside.  Tall pine trees populated the landscape to her right, a sea of green as far as the eye could see.  On her left lay the road to town and a couple of small cleared fields.  Daisy, her cow, called out, impatient.  Four hens scratched the grass for bugs.  Evie noted it all but focused on what brought her out at dawn. 

A mare, all black except for a short white stocking on each leg stood just outside the barn.  Its open door swung in the gentle wind.  It hit against the wall, and again created the sound she’d heard while inside.  Evie hissed through clenched teeth, irritated, as she moved with swift steady strides to the horse. 

Her temper simmered as she led Sugar into the fenced area attached to one side of the barn.  Evie stripped off the mare’s tack, propped the saddle against a fence post.  With bridle in hand, a pat and promise of oats later, she headed to the barn.  

Evie stepped into the shadowed interior of the weathered structure.  While her eyes adjusted to the low light, she took a couple of hesitant steps forward, one hand on the interior wall for assurance.  She hung the bridle where it belonged then moved on. 

It didn’t take long before she found him near Sugar’s stall sprawled face down on some loose hay. 

For a second, intense emotion seized her.  Evie shook with the force it.  Although the desire to turn around and leave held strong appeal, she just couldn’t do that.  She knelt down beside him, leaned in and whispered his name.  He didn’t react.  With both hands, she shook him, called his name with force.  As she half expected, Ben still didn’t respond. 

Evie got to her feet and with some effort, rolled him onto his back.  Shaggy brown hair fell across his face.  She crouched down, reached out and swept the mass to one side.  His familiar features stirred a storm of conflicting emotions.

Tears burned tired eyes.  It’d been some time since they’d been affectionate, intimate and, unable to resist, her fingers ran down the side of his neck, a light caress.  Scratches and purple bruises marred his skin.  Her hand came back up to rest her palm on his cheek.  As upset as she was, Evie savored this simple physical contact.

Caught up in the moment, his groan startled her.  She gasped.  A hand came up, covered hers.  His eyes opened and sorrow pierced her.  The amazing forest green eyes that had captured her fancy years ago were so bloodshot it was painful to witness.  A crooked smile spread across his face.   

“Hey doll,” His voice low, rough, almost playful.

Strong whiskey fumes slapped her and Evie reared back as if physically struck, sparking her temper.  His hand dropped to his side when she pulled away.  Words she’d mulled over for months were on the tip of her tongue, about to explode from her when she noticed he’d passed out again.  An incoherent sound of pure frustration passed her lips. 

~ * ~

Find The Outlaw of Cedar Ridge here:  Harper Impulse Author and The Outlaw of Cedar Ridge on Amazon.

Here's where you can find Lori on the web:  My Blog  Facebook   Twitter

 

THANKS FOR VISITING EVERYONE!

XO AJ XO

Harper Impulse Day Three with Carmel Harrington and Beyond Graces Rainbow!

I've got a super treat today because visiting with me is the gorgeous (if you don't believe me, scroll down and look at her picture) and limitlessly talented Carmel Harrington!! Whoo Hoo! I love this girl. Besides being an all around fabulous, witty and generous soul, she is an artist extraordinaire and lives in Ireland. Hello! Guess who's coming to visit, Carmel! LOL I'll be knocking on your door soon!!

***Carmel's digital photo art is featured during her interview.

She graciously sent me several pieces to use for today's post! Whoot!***

So, let's start by telling everyone how your writing career began.

 

I’ve always been a book worm (nerd!) and read voraciously as a child and teenager.  I was forever scribbling in my journal and I secretly harbored an ambition to be an author and one day, see my work on a bookshelf in my local library.  But like a lot of people, I ignored my creative self for decades until a story about a young mother called Grace took root in my head and I had no choice to but get it down on paper.  I wrote the first shaky draft then left it gathering dust for over 6 years (the shame!) until I eventually got the courage to finish it in 2012.  So I am what you might call a late starter to writing!

 

Six years?!? You're right! I'm wagging a finger now. Imagine the audacity of keeping this lovely story all to yourself! I know Grace's story is a romance, but I'm not sure of the sub-genre. Moving forward, will you stick with the same type of story or write across lines?

 

I think the story dictates to me which sub-genre I fall into!  Beyond Graces Rainbow falls in the contemporary romance genre but my writing does lean towards suspense/mystery I think!  I have been told by many that my writing is emotive and if you read the reviews of Beyond Graces Rainbow, the words tear jerker and Kleenex pop up more than once!  Is tearjerker a subgenre? Sleep of Dreams my second book, which will be published by HarperImpulse at the end of this year I think has both feet firmly in the suspense genre but with a sprinkling of paranormal too.

 

Wow! That's awesome! Any time my stories are described as tear-jerkers, I'm happy. But, of course, I'm evil that way, making my readers cry. I'm just dying to read your work now. Tell us, of the characters you’ve created, which one is your favorite and why?

 

I’m not sure I could pick a favorite, as that would be like asking me to choose a favorite child! But having said that there are a couple of characters that are special to me.  Grace in Beyond Graces Rainbow will always be in my heart, as she was the first character I dreamt up and there is a lot of me in her.  Gerry was a lot of fun to write as he is so over the top and that appealed to my dramatic nature!  If Gerry did exist I reckon we would get on beautifully! In my second book Sleep of Dreams, there are a couple of proper nasty characters in it and they were enormous fun to create and develop.

 

I love writing a right evil antagonist. They are just so much fun! Have you ever considered self-publication?

 

Absolutely, I have already done so with Beyond Graces Rainbow.  Thankfully it got really great reviews and even made the bestsellers charts, (yes I have the screen shots!) winning a kindle book award in March of this year.  All of these little wins gave me an excellent platform to get noticed by first my literary agent Tracy Brennan and then ultimately with my book publisher HarperImpulse who offered me a 2 book deal, which has now turned into a 3 book deal. It’s hard work, self-publishing, though and also not for the faint hearted and there is no doubt that with the backing of a reputable publisher like HarperImpulse, I have a much better chance at longevity in this industry.

 

Congrats on all the wonderful accolades! The more I learn, the more I can't wait to dig into your stories!! What are you working on now?

 

I have several WIPs on the go at any one time as my mind is always buzzing with new ideas.  But then one of them will just capture me and I’ll have to finish that.  At the moment, the story that is taking over everything else is a sequel to Beyond Graces Rainbow.  I’ve been asked a lot to write this and I wasn’t sure if I would or not.  But a few weeks ago I started to think about Abby and Gerry a lot and wondered where they might be in 2013.  I spoke to HarperImpulse about my ideas and they love them, so we’ll have another peek over the rainbow in 2014 I think!  The sequel will revisit all of the old gang but will focus more on Abby and Gerry’s story, with a few new characters too.

 

Fabulous! That's wonderful news! So with all these projects percolating, do you take time off in-between or dive right in to the next story?

 

I definitely need a few weeks in between writing one novel and starting the next.  I need to find a way to say goodbye to the characters I’ve grown to love during the writing phase before starting to develop new ones for the next book!

 

I do the exact same thing. In fact, I usually end up having myself a nice little crying jag once the book is send off into the cybersphere. What about your reading tastes? What’s on your nightstand (or downloaded onto your Kindle) right now?

 

Next on my book list to read is Lori Connelly’s Outlaw of Cedar Ridge.

 

It looks so good, doesn't it? I have this one too! LOL Who is your favorite author and why?

 

I think it’s impossible for me to name just one author, as it changes so often!

 

How about a Superhero? If given the choice, which one would you most love to date and why?

 

Hmm, that’s tricky.  There’s a few I would be happy to have come rescue me from a burning building.  But I’m not sure I could date a man who looks better in lycra than me, so that rules out quite a few.  Batman is tempting cos’ he has a butler and that could come in very handy! I think I will choose Iron Man if I may!  He’s quite witty and very clever and would certainly keep me entertained.  Plus he’s a billionaire and that can’t hurt ;)

 

I love Iron Man! He's one of my most favorite! LOL Let's talk real life heroes for a second. Does your husband read your work? And, if so, what’s his reaction?

 

My husband Rog does read my work, but he was a little reluctant to at first I think.  It must have been a bit daunting for him, as if he didn’t like my writing he would have been in a very difficult situation admitting it!  After he read Beyond Graces Rainbow, he told me he got very emotional at the end and that was a big moment for me, knowing that he got lost in the story enough to feel moved by it.  He has almost finished my second book Sleep Of Dreams now.  He does read my blog every day too, if only to keep an eye on what I’ve said, as along with all the H’s he often gets a mention!

 

Aw, that's gonna make me cry! What a great guy! Okay, give me the five top words your best friends would use to describe you.

 

I decided to ask some friends to answer this question for me and this was the general consensus!  Thank Goodness they were in a good mood the day I asked them!!! Fun, Compassionate, Wise, Chatty and Loyal.

Favorite cocktail?

 

Mojito’s all the way!  Although I could never say no to a Cosmopolitan or a Bellini.  Actually scratch that, I’d never say no to a cocktail full stop!

 

Carmel, you are my kind of girl! What are your hobbies?

 

I love photography and in particular digital photo art.  I like to combine my writing and love of photographs together and have quite a few Carmel originals scattered around the house ;)

 

Thank you so much for visiting! Now let's take a peek inside Carmel's Beyond Graces Rainbow.
 

~ * ~

 

When Grace Devlin, a young single mother receives the devastating news that she has cancer she feels like she has been hit by a truck.  But she knows that she must fight with every core of her body to beat cancer, as she refuses to leave her adorable little boy Jack all alone in the world.

 

To further complicate matters, Grace is told that her best chance of survival would be to receive a bone marrow transplant from a family member. As she was adopted as a baby, this means she must make the brave decision to embark on a heart breaking search for her biological family.  This search will unravel a web of lies and deceit that has spanned over thirty years in rural Ireland.  And just when she thinks life can get no more complicated, Jack's estranged father Liam is back in town and he's made it clear that he's not leaving until he's won her back.  Grace is confused and scared as old feelings that had been long buried are back in full force.

 

Helping Grace muddle through this are her gang of friends.  Tara and Sean are desperate for a baby of their own and we watch the emotional turmoil as they face disappointment month after month. Abby meanwhile, is single and lonely and has decided it's time to find her one true love.  The friends resident drama king Gerry steps in and is determined to play matchmaker.  Tom, Gerry's boyfriend plays a key role in helping Grace find her biological family (whilst trying to keep an eye on Gerry, who has a habit of maxing out their credit cards!)  Beyond Grace's Rainbow will suck the reader into Graces world where friendship, courage, loyalty, laughter and above all love are abundant.

~ * ~

Grace was abruptly pulled back from her daydreaming by a demand from Gerry.  ‘Right Grace, I’m in suspenders here for too long!  Why are we all here?  Don’t tell me you’re preggers again!’ Gerry laughs.

‘Nah couldn’t be that Gerry, the sperm of the devil hasn’t been around for years now!’ Tara joked.

Tara was talking about Liam.  She never missed an opportunity to have a dig at him, never forgiving him for leaving Grace on her own. 

‘Very funny Tara.  When are you going to stop laying into Liam?  He’s guilty of a lot of things, but sperm of the devil is going a bit far I think.  Remember he’s Jack’s Dad.’ Grace responded a bit sharply.

Seeing Tara’s hurt face made Grace feel instantly guilty for snapping at her.  She was only joking after all.  She smiled lamely to try to take the sting out.

‘Gerry is right thought.  I’ve put off telling you my news for long enough now.  I did get you guys around here for a reason.’  Making sure everyone had a full glass, Grace figured it was now or never. 

‘No getting anything past you lot!  I’m not sure how to start.’ Grace faltered.  ‘This is harder than I thought.’ 

‘Are we talking ‘It could happen to you’ kind of news? Gerry interrupted with a smile.  ‘Nicholas Cage, Rosie Perez winning the lotto.  Nick gives half his winnings to a waitress played by Bridget Fonda.  Rosie goes frigging nuts!’ With every word Gerry’s voice had raised a pitch with excitement.

‘Jaysus Gerry, you don’t have to give a synopsis of every movie you quote - we have been to the cinema on occasion too you know!’ Tom quipped.

‘Fraid’ not, Gerry.  No lotto wins here.  No Nick Cage either for that matter!  I suppose it’s more of a Terms of Endearment moment actually.’  Grace responded. 

Gerry loved it when his friends played along with him.  With a big grin he started his narrative.

‘Jack Nicholson, Shirley McClaine, Debra Winger.  God Jack was gorgeous in that movie.  As for Shirley, she was simply divine.  Can you guys remember that scene in the hospital? I swear I needed Valium because I was crying so much.’

And with that Gerry stopped.  The meaning of what Grace had just said hit him and for everyone else too.   Four pairs of eyes turned away from Gerry and looked at their friend.

‘Right, I need you guys to be strong.  No tears, OK?’  They all nodded silently, so Grace continued.  ‘It’s a bit of a bitch, but I’ve got cancer.’

This was the first time that Grace’s friends had all been silent.   Tom found his voice first of all.  ‘Grace, this is one sick joke.  Not even a good one.  See, nobody’s laughing.’ He gestured maniacally around the room.

Grace thought this was the first time she’d ever seen Tom look scared.

‘It’s not a joke though, is it?’ Abby asked Grace.

‘No pet.  It’s no joke.  Or at least if it is, the joke is on me.’ Grace answered softly.

Sean then spoke quietly.  ‘If you guys have any questions, I’ll answer them for you.’

Tara jumped up then, angrily pointing at Sean, barely able to get the words out, ‘You knew about this Sean? You knew and didn’t tell me.’

~ * ~

This story is so hot off the press, I just got the buy link this morning!
Go here to find Beyond Graces Rainbow  

With my husband Roger and two beautiful children Amelia and Nate, I live a pretty idyllic life in Ireland, full of stories, songs, hide and seek, Mickey Mouse, walks on the beach, tickles, kisses, chocolate treats and most of all abundant love.   To make life even more perfect, I have now fulfilled a lifetime ambition to be a writer as I am both a published author with Harper Impulse and a playwright.   I believe in Happily Ever After’s because that’s what happened to me.

 

Here's where you can find Carmel on the web:

Website:  http://carmelharrington.com/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/happymrsh

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/happymrsh

 

Tomorrow we're taking a short break from our HarperImpulse tour for a special treat! Stay tuned!!

 

 

THANKS FOR VISITING!

XO AJ XO

 

Harper Impulse Day Two!

Greetings and welcome to Day Two of our week with Harper Impulse! It is my extreme pleasure to introduce the multi-published, uber-talented contemporary author Charlotte Phillips, who graciously submitted to an interview (poor girl) and brought with her a lovely excerpt from her latest release, Your Room or Mine? Sounds FABULOUS! LOL

Charlotte Phillips writes modern, fun, it-could-happen-to-you stories for Harlequin KISS/Mills & Boon Modern Tempted and sexy contemporary stories for HarperImpulse.

She lives in Wiltshire, England, where she squashes her writing in between looking after her family, who have been taught not to notice that she's rubbish at housework. Her stories are fuelled by lots of coffee and years of daydreaming.

Let's get things started by asking a few questions to get everyone better acquainted. First, tell us how your fabulous writing career began!

I’ve always been an avid romance reader – I love the escapism of them, the happy-ever-afterness that lifts your spirits. When I was a student in my early twenties I had a try at writing one of my own but it never came to anything. Life got in the way, as it often does. Writing was a vague dream of mine that I never had time to do anything about until I had my youngest daughter five years ago and suddenly I had some time on my hands. My husband was massively encouraging and I eventually subbed a partial to Mills and Boon. To my amazement an editor contacted me with revisions. That story went through two rounds of revisions and there were hefty rewrites, and then it was rejected. But the editor asked me if I’d like to work on a new story with her, developing my skills. I jumped at the chance and was halfway through a new story when I entered New Voices 2012. I ended up finalling in the top four of that competition and my success really followed that. The following year I sold my first story (Secrets of the Rich & Famous)  to Mills & Boon RIVA and there’s where it all began.

That's an amazing story! How cool! So do you stick to the contemporary romance genre or write across lines?

I am in the Contemporary Romance genre and it fits me very well, but I wouldn’t rule out trying anything different in the future. I’m very open to ideas and I’m learning so much with every new story I write. My long-term goal is to write a single title and I have some ideas for that cooking away in the background.

Yep. LOL Sounds like me. New ideas always percolating. Since we're broaching the topic of contemporary romance, tell us what heat level you prefer to write. And what's the heat level you prefer to read? Are we keeping that bedroom door open or closed?

I read across all heat levels without preference, definitely I think if a story is strong enough it doesn’t need to rely on hot sex for me to enjoy it. I started out writing warm and cosy – my couple would have a bit of a snog and then the hero would slam the bedroom door with his foot and it would cut to breakfast. That kind of level! My first couple of books for Harlequin are pitched at this level. But as I grew in confidence as a writer I wanted to experiment with writing sex scenes to see how a hotter level might work with my overall style. The result was Your Room Or Mine? which is very hot! There are quite a few sex scenes in there and they are pretty detailed.

Sounds like my kind of story!! What about self-publication? Have you ever considered that as an alternative avenue in your career?

I haven’t considered it but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t in the future. I do think it gives you a lot of freedom to manipulate the price point and boost ratings and visibility, but I also think there is such a flood of self-pubbed stuff on the market right now that it can be hard for the reader to be sure they are buying quality editorial, and having the backing of an established publisher is an advantage in that respect. I also think writing is quite an isolating job, and since signing with Harper Impulse in particular I’ve loved having a fantastic group of writers around me, we have a forum for chat which is always busy and there is lots of information sharing and support.

Nothing in the world is better than having a group of supportive writing peers watching your back. That's for sure. So what can we expect in the future. Do you have any projects in the works right now?

I’ve just submitted the second book in the Do Not Disturb trilogy for Harper Impulse. These are three standalone stories but they are linked by the same backdrop, an exclusive boutique hotel in London. Room Service (working title) follows the story of Matt Stanton, a playboy American pro tennis player for whom image is everything and Layla Jones, the Guest Services Agent at the hotel whose job is to meet his every demand. Matt is lying low in London in the wake of a press scandal and Layla, for her own reasons, loathes all things celebrity.

That sounds outstanding. Love the premise. What about your personal reading preferences? What’s on your nightstand (or downloaded onto your Kindle) right now?

Far too many things, some of which will sit there for months while the to-read list keeps growing. At the moment I’m reading Call For The Dead by John le Carre, partly because I find it hard to read romance when I’m writing, it can make me crash my head on the desk in despair that I’ll never be as good as that! And also because I like thrillers and spy stories, and my fifteen year old son had just finished it and handed it down.

LOL! I know the feeling, my friend. Who is your favorite author and why?

I have a lot of favourite authors but I would have to say Stephen King as I’ve read so much of his work. I especially love his earlier stuff, I think his characters are terrific and he is a master of childhood nostalgic storytelling. I recently read his ‘Full Dark, No Stars’, a collection of four stories all of which were superb.

Really? I have that on my nightstand right now...or somewhere in the teetering pile of books in my bedroom. I'll have to move it closer to the top of the stack! Let's talk a little about your home life. Does your husband read your work? And, if so, what’s his reaction?

My husband doesn’t read my work as such, but he’s very good for bouncing ideas around if I’m struggling with something. I did ask his advice when I started writing hotter sex scenes, but he was bemused by the kind of language used (no harsh descriptive words etc. and the inclusion of emotion) and his suggestions were all a bit too FHM/Loaded!

LOL! I asked my husband about that once...and only once. Ahem. Enough said? Give me the five top words your best friends would use to describe you.

Can’t say no to anyone. (I really need to learn how to do this. I always have far too much on and end up angsting that nothing gets done well!)

Those are a great five! LOL Any pets?

I have a dachshund called Dave who is great company when I’m at home writing. There is a lovely office with desk upstairs in our house which I’m supposed to be sharing with my husband, but it never gets used because Dave (who isn’t allowed upstairs) sits on the bottom step and howls if I go upstairs for any length of time. My writing space is now the kitchen table while he snoozes in the corner!

That's hilarious! I have a German Shorthair who prefers to sleep standing with her head in my lap while I write. Works out great until she falls over, poor thing.

Charlotte it has been my great honor to have you here today to share with us all the wonderful facets of your life! And now...for the moment we've all been waiting for...I give you Your Room or Mine?

**WHOO HOO! BELLS, WHISTLES, CONFETTI!!**

1 cheating ex, 3 bottles of white wine, an emergency pep talk from the girls… and this seemed like a good idea at the time:

Izzy Shaw’s Getting-Over-Him Action List

1. eBay his entire collection of football memorabilia and spend all profits on treating myself to fabulous new wardrobe.

2. Turn plans for ‘Loved-Up Mini-Break’ at exclusive boutique hotel into a weekend of spa pampering, me-time and shopping at Harvey Nicks.

3. Don’t get even, get even better. Have one night stand with drop-dead gorgeous stranger – Mr. Tall, Dark & Handsome in the hotel lobby is just what I need!

Your room or mine? Go on Izzy…

‘You had a one-night-stand?’  Shauna stared at Izzy, incredulous. ‘You?’

Izzy took a defensive sip of her coffee because she still couldn’t quite believe her own behaviour, and glanced around the café to make sure no one had heard.

‘It WAS on the ‘Get-over-Him List,’ she pointed out, keeping her voice low and hoping Shauna and Suzy might do the same. ‘You suggested it. Right there at number nine, right after eat your own body-weight in ice-cream, blow some cash on a new wardrobe and get plastered on white wine.’ She paused. ‘All of which I did.’ Shauna was shaking her head.

‘It wasn’t a real suggestion. I’d had a couple of drinks. It was just one of those things that come up when you brainstorm. I never for one second thought you’d actually DO that one. If I did, I would have told you about all the caveats that come with it.’

Oh for Pete’s sake.

‘Caveats?

‘Exactly.’ Suzy, veteran reader of womens’ magazines, leaned in as if about to impart a great secret. ‘There are rules you need to follow if you’re going to do something as reckless as have a one-night-stand.’

‘Go on.’

She flapped a hand at Izzy, the other clapped to her forehead.

‘Don’t rush me, don’t rush me, I’m trying to remember. OK, first and foremost, you don’t pick anyone you’re likely to encounter in daily life. Far too complicated. No bosses, no brother’s-bestmates, no colleagues…'

‘That’s fine then,’ Izzy said with a note of triumph. ‘Box ticked.’

Suzy nodded approvingly.

‘There’s more. You make it clear from the outset there won’t be anything further than this one night.

Izzy took a sip of her coffee and nodded.

‘Ground rules. I did all of that. I’m not a complete idiot.’

‘Safe sex?’ Shauna said and Izzy inhaled a mouthful of coffee.

‘Of course,’ she managed, trying not to cough.

‘And you can give him no way of finding you afterwards. No phone number swapping.’

‘Even if you want it to be more?’ Izzy asked with sudden interest. Not, of course, that she did.'

‘Especially if you want it to be more. They never look that good the next morning you know. You go to sleep thinking you’re with an Adonis and then you wake up and he looks like a troll.'

Whatever Izzy was uncertain of regarding the previous night, she was sure about one thing.

‘He wasn’t a troll,’ she said. She could hardly think of him without her stomach melting.

‘Trust me, he was. They always are. The magic never extends past the next morning,’ Shauna insisted. ‘Best to bail out of these things while it’s all going well.’ She sat back in her chair and folded her arms authoritatively. ‘Basically, what it all comes down to is one thing: A one-night-stand can only ever be a success if it’s anonymous. Meddle with that and it can only end badly.’

~ * ~

Find the lovely Charlotte Phillips here on the web:  Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

And here's where you can find Your Room or Mine?AMAZON US / AMAZON UK / GOOGLE PLAY / BARNES & NOBLE

THANKS FOR VISITING!

XO AJ XO

A Week with Harper Impulse!

I'm so excited because today starts a week-long series of blog posts featuring some of my most favorite authors in the world -- yes, the world. I've been fortunate enough to schedule in the amazing talents of the Harper Collins UK Impulse line, and am thrilled to share with all of you what are sure to be books that will top the charts in the coming year!

First up is Wendy Lou Jones, author extraordinaire who brought with her today a lovely post and a sneak peek inside her latest release, The Songbird and the Soldier. Here's a little more about Wendy Lou and her journey to publication! (Note from AJ:  You absolutely must...must, must, MUST read the except below. You must. It's brilliant and heart-wrenching and completely beautiful. I'm heading to Amazon to purchase this book right NOW! Go read it. Have a tissue handy.)

Breaking the Mould – by Wendy Lou Jones

My back was hurting, so I had spent the night in the spare room on the comfy mattress. Waking early, alone, from a vivid dream, I lay there fidgeting, trying to get comfortable and started thinking… What would have happened in the dream if I hadn’t have woken up right then? What must have happened to get the girl there in the first place? And these thoughts began to consume me, plaguing me while I was making tea, while I was driving into town, anywhen my mind wasn’t occupied. In the end I started writing it all down. I wrote until gone midnight almost every night for 6 months.

The story never got published and probably quite rightly so. Still, by then I had got the bug. Having grown up barely reading at all, my urge to write was a little unexpected. I’m a film girl really, or used to be. The arrival of the Kindle has changed all that. I have probably read more in the last six months than in the first 40 years of my life. In fact when I got an A in O-level English Lit., my teacher almost fell off her perch! “How did YOU get an A?” I think were her exact words.

This year I got lucky. I was obviously in the right place at the right time. After 5 years of nondescript rejections I decided to bite the bullet and send my manuscript in to an editor, because how do you know if you’re moments away from stardom, or completely wasting your time unless you try? I found Jefferson Franklin in the Writing Magazine and they said they’d check my first chapter for free, so I sent it in and waited with baited breath. When the reply came in, I found a constructive appraisal telling me what my good and bad points were and what I needed to do to improve. I bought books on my weaker points, read them cover to cover and rejigged my MS before sending it all back in.

Unbelievably, my editor loved it and his kind words gave me the confidence to get myself out there. I sent out to agents with no luck and so in the end I self-published, something I never thought I’d do. A month later Harper Impulse put out a call for submissions and without expectation I sent mine in… and here I am!

The Songbird and the Soldier is a tale of love across the miles, a journey of the heart between a woman and a soldier serving in Afghanistan and the trials of doubt and uncertainty, rival loves and deception that mould their lives through the toughest of times.

Blurb:

Sometimes it’s when you least expect it, that something wonderful happens, but for Andy Garrington the timing couldn’t have been worse. Being sent halfway round the world to Afghanistan, Andy is prepared for a fight, but what he doesn’t expect is the most important battle of his life to carry on at home.

For Samantha Litton, running into her childhood crush at the pub one evening seems like good fortune. But when he is called away to war and she is left behind, things don’t seem quite so clear and Sam has to determine who is telling her the truth and who is playing her for a fool, when all seems fair in love and war.

Excerpt:

Sam read Andy’s next letter and blushed.  She had never intended to be provocative.  It had been an honest mistake.  Well, not a mistake, but she had never even thought how her words might make him feel.  ‘Beautiful woman’ he had said.  Her?  He was picturing her.  Sam’s stomach clenched.  What was this she was feeling?  She looked at the photo smiling at her from the back of her desk.  But there was Dean.  So how should she reply?

Dear Andy,

I’m not sure where the school stands on teachers carrying arms in class, but I shall certainly look into it.
 

Humphrey is mine.  I’ve had him about 18 months and he’s adorable.  But would he like you?  Probably not.  He’s not very good at sharing my attention, but don’t be afraid, he’s not the kind of dog to savage a man.  He might lick you to death, but apart from the odd yap, he’s completely harmless.

I bike through a beautiful park on the way to school and back every day.  The grass is very green at the moment because we have had quite a bit of rain.  The borders are full of colour and the pond is dappled, with quacking ducks.  A weeping willow hangs lazily on one side and I have to duck down under its branches on my way through.  I know I shouldn’t be riding through the park, but there’s no one around at that time of the morning, so don’t tell, okay?

What do you get up to in your time off?  Do you get time off?  I’m sorry; I’m a bit of an idiot when it comes to knowing anything about the army.

It got up to 22 degrees over here today.  How hot is it with you?

I’ve got parents’ evenings coming up this week - ugh! - So long days and lots of work for me.  I need my pillow.

Write soon,

Your weary schoolteacher,

Sam 

PS gargoyles don’t keep pictures of themselves!  I could describe myself if that would do?

PPS Heathcliff?

Three days later a small terraced house came up for sale on the edge of town.  It was an old place, but it had been well kept and updated over the years.  It had one good-sized bedroom, a little room and a bathroom upstairs and a living room, cloakroom and kitchen downstairs.  Sam took her mum and dad along to see it, hoping for their approval and she wasn’t disappointed.  Sam had been left a large amount of money by her grandmother a few years before and had been saving as much as she could ever since to afford a place of her own.  So when the next letter arrived, she had plenty of news to tell.

Dearest Sam,

You obviously still have no idea how many times I read your letters.  Can I just say that your turn of phrase is destroying me?  How is a guy supposed to concentrate on killing all the bad guys when the words ‘lick to death’, ‘hot’ and ‘pillow’ are swimming around in his brain?  What are you trying to do to me?!  And if you think you’re going to get away without sending me a picture of you, you’ve got another thing coming.  Gargoyle, indeed!  You’re beautiful.  I have met you, remember.  If you can manage to look at a picture of my ugly mug and still put pen to paper, I’m sure I can look at you.  And no, a description will not do.  Unless it is in the style of a hot Mills and Boon novel, of course? Ahhh!  Bagpipes!  No, I couldn’t take it!!!  Nuns.  Nuns.  Okay.

I take it this is a pushbike you ride every day? You’re not a Hell’s Angel, are you?  The park sounds wonderful.  What I wouldn’t give to walk barefoot around the soft green grass in that park right now.

Yes.  In answer to your question, we do get down time.  Some guys play cards, some listen to music.  There is time to write letters and re-read old ones.  The mundane things that back home would take a matter of minutes take a lot longer out here, as everything has to be done by hand, so that fills up a bit of time too.  Guys like Spike tend to keep fit - tell your friend Kate to expect a letter very soon – and others like Karl – Chloe’s guy – just top up their tans. 

My hidden talent, it seems, lies in poker.  I’m getting pretty good, even if I do say so myself.

The weather out here is hot, with intermittent bouts of scorching sun to break-up the monotony.  It got up to balmy forty three today!  I’ll send you some over if you like.

Write soon, WITH PHOTOS!

Yours,

Andy  x

PS Still no!

Sam had reached a watershed.  To go on now would be to admit there was more to this relationship than just friendship.  Friendly banter had gone and flirtation was now definitely on the table.  Was this really what she wanted?

~ * ~

The Songbird and the Soldier is available now from Amazon and other eBook sellers.

Contact Wendy at:  www.facebook.com/escapeintolove and you can find hers and other wonderful reads at:  http://www.harperimpulseromance.com

Stay tuned for more wonderful authors from the Harper Impulse team! Thanks for visiting!!

 

XO AJ XO