Tuesday, January 31, 2012

An Author Who Digs Archaeology--What Was Your Favorite Class in School?

What do writing books and studying archaeology have in common? Not too much, except a love of uncovering things.
I'm at Cassandra Carr's blog today chatting about favorite subjects in school and how Brooke Richards, the heroine in my debut novel, became an archaeologist. Hope you'll stop by to tell us about your favorite subject in school!

Click here for Cassandra Carr's blog

Brooke Richards,
Underwater Archaeologist,
BENEATH THE SURFACE

Friday, January 27, 2012

Beneath the Surface: Book Trailer Makes Story Come Alive

After spending months with Brooke and Garrett, the heroine and hero of BENEATH THE SURFACE, I felt like I knew them so well. What better way to bring them to life than to make a video featuring the two of them?
I'm visiting with my good friend, critique partner, MRW chapter mate, and awesome author Laura Kaye today on her blog. Hope you'll check out Brooke and Garrett's book trailer there.

Click here to visit Laura Kaye Author's blog and to see the trailer for BENEATH THE SURFACE.

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Vacation Double Duty: Have Fun and Plan Your Next Book Setting

When is a vacation MORE than a vacation? When you can include the setting in your next book. Find out how Flagler Beach, FL became the setting for my debut novel, BENEATH THE SURFACE. We're chatting about using vacations as research for settings at Sarah Grimm's blog.

Hope you'll stop by and tell us where you'd like to vacation: Author Sarah Grimm's Blog

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Blogging with Princesses in North Texas today!

I'm heading to North Texas today (via the magic of the internet) to chat with some fun-loving princess writers. Plotting Princesses, that is. Hope you'll join in the fun as the blog tour for BENEATH THE SURFACE continues.

Hope you'll stop by to comment: Plotting Princesses Blog


Brooke and Garrett, BENEATH THE SURFACE. She needs her independence, he's overprotective. They must work together to find a killer...before it's too late.

Monday, January 23, 2012

Crazy weather and a paddle boat from Baltimore to Hawaii

Is it possible to take a little rental boat from Baltimore's Inner Harbor and paddle all the way to Hawaii? My grandmother believed it. Find out how she cultivated my creative side by listening to outlandish stories. I'm at The Book Boost today chatting about lots of writing stuff and you can enter to win a free download of BENEATH THE SURFACE by commenting here: The Book Boost Blog

I'm also lucky enough to be at Book Addicts blog today chatting about Brooke, the heroine of BENEATH THE SURFACE, and her disability. Book Addicts Blog: Book-Addicts Blog

Friday, January 20, 2012

Winter blues? Read a summer book!

It's cold, windy and there's a snow/sleet ice storm predicted here in Maryland this weekend. When that happens, I love to curl up with a book that's set in the summer. How about you? Do you like to read books about summer during the winter?
We're chatting about this very topic today at Coffee Time Romance. Hope you'll join us and help celebrate the release of my debut novel BENEATH THE SURFACE (which, coincidentally, takes place in the hot Florida sunshine). See you there!
Stop by today:  Coffee Time Romance Blog

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

It's Release Day for Beneath the Surface! It's Release Day for Beneath the Surface!!

Oh. My. Gosh! Can you tell I'm excited? Thanks for sharing in the excitement with me!
BENEATH THE SURFACE, my debut novel releases today!!!!!

Brooke Richards is the very independent underwater archaeologist trying to solve a crime, and Garrett Ciavello is an overprotective policeman who's trying to make peace with his past. Can they put aside their differences and catch a killer before he strikes the beach town again?

Stop by Savvy Author to check out today's stop on the blog tour and I hope you'll check out Beneath the Surface, too!



Beneath the Surface now available at The Wild Rose Press , Amazon , and Barnes and Noble

Double Dates and Love At First Sight

Hope you'll stop by Authors Promoting Authors blog today to find out some cool facts about Beneath the Surface and answer a question or two about how often you think couples should double date.
See you there!
BENEATH THE SURFACE RELEASES TOMORROW!!!

Here's the link to join in the fun: Authors Promoting Authors blog

Monday, January 16, 2012

Don't Get Arrested, There Are Easier Ways to Research Law Enforcement

BENEATH THE SURFACE blog tour continues today with a visit to Greater Fort Worth Writers blog where we're talking about how authors can write a suspense novel when they don't have first-hand knowledge of law enforcement.

Hope you'll stop by today! Greater Fort Worth Writers




An Interview with a Hot Cop!

BENEATH THE SURFACE blog tour continues today with a character interview over at Kat Doran's Wild Woman Author blog. Kat interviews Garrett Ciavello, hero of BENEATH THE SURFACE.

Win prizes just for commenting!
Here's the link: Wild Woman Author Blog

Danger lurks in the depths of the Atlantic Ocean for Brooke and Garrett. Can they work together to stop a killer before he strikes again?


Thursday, January 12, 2012

Why I Chose To Write About a Character with a Disability

Day Two of BENEATH THE SURFACE blog tour! I'll be at Suzanne Brandyn's blog chatting about why the heroine of my debut novel is an amputee. Come join us on this fabulous Friday the 13th! :)

Click here for Suzanne Brandyn's Blog

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Claire Ashgrove: The Most Enjoyable Aspect

Welcome Claire Ashgrove! Claire and I were "release day twins" in December and I got to know and love her writing. I'm so glad she could be here today to chat about how she broke her own rules to write her newest book. You'll be glad she did! Be sure to enter her contest (details below) and check out her web site.


The Most Enjoyable Aspect
For every time I’m asked, “What was the most challenging aspect?” I’m asked “What was the most enjoyable aspect?”  Often, in an interview setting, these two are asked back-to-back.  Equally as often, I have to really dwell on the book to come up with an answer to either.  Not so much this time around.

So what was the most enjoyable aspect of writing IMMORTAL HOPE? 

Quite frankly, as clichéd as it may sound, it was the writing of the actual words.  The thoughts that brought my characters to life.

You see, I’d spent the better part of a solid year researching and letting the base idea percolate.  I waited until the story jumped up and demanded, “Write me now!”  When that happened, I was in the middle of another novel, and I set it aside – something I never do.  But Merrick’s story demanded I put everything else on hold and write it right now.
Write, I did.  And boy did those words fly.  I had the prologue written in less than an hour, and the first chapter finished two hours later.  I had a whole contest entry finished in one setting.  While I do write fast, that’s even fast for me.

It really was like all the words had bottlenecked, all the reactions, all the stuff that was going on in the book.  I had the series outlined, but I didn’t have this book outlined according to my usual, detailed, chapter-by-chapter breakdowns.  In fact, IMMORTAL HOPE flowed so freely that I never did stop and outline what would come next.  My fingers were in a race to keep up with my brain.

And the brain was in overdrive, spurred on by the euphoria of setting free all this research, this planning, this “oooh, what if I did…”
So trite, clichéd, whatever you want to call it, the truth is, of all things that I enjoy about IMMORTAL HOPE (and there are many!), it was the ability to compose what had been processing for so long.  (As an aside – that other book?  It was a terrible pain to go back to and finish.  The key reason why I never set one down until it’s finished.)
With all that said, I’m going to leave you with a peek at one of my favorite scenes in IMMORTAL HOPE:
~Claire

He took a deep fortifying breath at Anne’s door. A small portion of his soul demanded he let himself inside and take the liberties he would have enjoyed had she wandered into his life nine hundred years ago. Whilst he shared the residence with many others, the simple fact remained, she resided in his house. Once he had dreamed of such a circumstance. Now the fantasy only created a bitter taste in his mouth.

Resigning himself to reality, he knocked twice upon her door.

She answered as he lifted his hand for the third, concurrent rap. Briefly, she stared, bewildered. Then, her gaze fell to his armload of supplies, and her porcelain features lit with such delight a fist clamped around Merrick’s heart.

“My things,” she murmured as he moved past her. “Oh, Merrick, you brought my radio.”

The whimsical quality of her voice, the gratitude that turned her words into music, swelled his chest. Damnation. She had turned him as soft as butter. This trial of loyalty would surely be the death of him.

He set the bags down, unwilling to look at her for fear she would see how deeply she affected him. “I brought what I thought you might desire. Should you find something missing, we shall discuss it in the morn.”

“Oh. You’re leaving again?”

His back to her, he closed his eyes. The touch of disappointment that fringed her question disturbed the accursed hollowness in his gut. “Aye.”

Before he could fully shrug off the thick straps digging into his shoulder, her hand settled against the small of his back. “I’d hoped you might stay with me for a while,” she murmured.

Her fingertips slid up his back, warming his skin. As he righted himself, she ducked under his elbow and looped her arms around his neck. Stepping in close, Anne pressed her body to his.

Everything inside Merrick coiled tight. Her warmth, the feel of her breath upon his neck, the perfume in her hair, she overwhelmed him in a heartbeat. He battled with the urge to slide his arms around her waist and draw her even closer. The longing to capture her mouth and drink from her honeyed lips assailed his senses with the force of a battering ram. Like a strangled man desperate for one gulp of fresh air, he disentangled himself from her embrace and took a step away.

He knew only one way to combat the fierce desire she awakened. “I must fight tonight.”

Find Claire here: Claire Ashgrove and here: Tori St. Claire
TWITTER: @ClaireAshgrove

 
Click here for Claire's blog

Claire will be giving away a $25 Amazon.com gift certificate to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour, and a second $25.00 Amazon.com gift certificate to a second randomly drawn commenter at the end of the tour.  Be sure to follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning! Click the Blog Tour badge for a complete list of blog stops.




CENTURIES AGO,
Templar knights defied the archangels and unearthed the copper scroll, revealing the gates to hell. Cursed for their forbidden act, they forever roam the earth protecting mankind from evil. But darkness stalks them, and battles they fight bring them ever-closer to eternal damnation. One promise remains to give them salvation – the return of the seraphs.
Embittered by his purpose, Merrick du Loire must honor an ancient pact and bring peace to his cousin’s soul. When he stumbles upon history professor Anne MacPherson, he discovers she possesses a sacred artifact that marks her as a seraph. Duty demands he set aside his personal quest and locate the knight she’s fated to heal. As he struggles with conflicting oaths, Anne arouses buried hope and sparks forbidden desire that challenges everything he’s sworn to uphold.
Anne has six weeks to complete her thesis on the Knights Templar. When Merrick takes her to the Templar stronghold, he presents her with all she needs—and awakens a soul-deep ache, he alone can soothe. Yet loving Merrick comes with a price. If she admits she's destined for him, her gift of foresight predicts his death.

Thanks for stopping by today, Claire, and best wishes for continued success with your books!

Beneath the Surface Releases in One Week!

Beneath the Surface, my debut romantic suspense novel, releases one week from today on 1.18.2012!

Meet Brooke Richards and Garrett Ciavello today through their book trailer. Thanks for stopping by!




Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Beneath the Surface Blog Tour Revealed

Brooke’s fighting to stay independent — Garrett’s determined to protect her no matter what...


Beneath the Surface, my debut novel, a romantic suspense, releases officially in two weeks! As part of my blog tour, I'll be giving away t-shirts, pens, tote bags, Romance Trading Cards, and more. You can buy it in paperback now at Amazon and The Wild Rose Press

January 12th-27th will be non-stop, fun-filled visits to the author and reader sites below:

Beneath the Surface Blog Tour (I hope to see you there!)


I'm so excited to announce the blog tour for my debut romantic suspense novel, BENEATH THE SURFACE. I'll be giving away t-shirts, tote bags, romance trading cards, and copies of my book. The tour begins on January 12th and ends on January 27th. Hope to see you there.Please stop by for updates, soon.

January 12
Claire Ashgrove

January 13
Suzanne Brandyn

January 16
Greater Fort Worth Writers
Kourtney Heintz
Kat Doran's Wild Woman Author blog

January 17
Louann Carroll

January 18 RELEASE DAY, BENEATH THE SURFACE
Savvy Authors

January 20
Book excerpt at Great Fort Worth Writers
Pat Brown

January 21
Coffee Time Romance

January 23
Book Additcts
The Book Boost

January 24


January 27
Heroines with Heart
Laura Kaye