A little too perfect

Knowing people will critique your books the moment you let someone read it has to be the hardest thing to face as an author. I've been blessed to have multiple best sellers and to have published eight (I think) great books. Still, my hands sweat and my heart beats at a very unnatural rhythm when I go in search of those reviews.

For the most part I've been blessed. The majority of those who offered to share their opinion were kind. Even most of the not so great reviews were kind. But boy do you learn a lot about your writing style!

To most I have good dialogue. Now I see that as a great plus. But my heroes are too perfect and my heroines too whiney. And when pointed out I do see that. My mind begins to search for the perfect way to enhance them. What will my next set of characters do (or not do) now that I see them through someone else's eyes?

Sure, not everyone who picks up my book is going to be one of my diehard fans. (Though those that are thrill me!). But because I'm an artist (and a mother) I aim to please.

So to my next heroine, my wish for you, stop being so wishy washy. (yes I see it.). And to my hero (though I know and love so many softies) grow some, will ya?!?

To everyone who has left their thoughts, I thank you. It takes guts to put your opinion out there, as it did for me to share my story. I hope that through each comment I can continue to be a better writer.

Happy Reading!
Bernadette Marie

Interview with Alexa Bourne

 Come join the party for HER HIGHLAND CHAMPION, a brand new contemporary Scottish romantic suspense! Learn more about Alexa Bourne as she travels on a blog tour! Leave a comment and be in the running for a free copy of HER HIGHLAND CHAMPION, a $10 Amazon gift card, and a Scottish surprise! The more you comment, the better your chances of being the winner! Hope to see you there!

Alexa Bourne Interview with Bernadette Marie

Hello Alexa. Welcome. Can you tell us where the inspiration for Her Highland Champion comes from?

Absolutely! It started as an idea while I visited Glenfinnan, Scotland. It was such a beautiful and peaceful place, and I immediately began thinking about a contemporary romance set there. The story took quite a journey because that 1^st trip to Glenfinnan was in 1997, back when I really didn’t know how to craft a good story. But the scenery, the characters that sprang to life while I was there and the story stayed with me until I was able to revise it and submitted it to Decadent Publishing for the Honor Guard series.

What was the hardest part of writing Her Highland Champion?

Cutting out scenes that I loved but that, I knew as a writer, wouldn’t work. The first version of it was a 400-page novel. When it came time to revise it for Decadent, I had A LOT of chopping to do! But ultimately the chopping exercise has made me a better writer and it has made the story the best it can be.

Which of your characters is your favourite?

In Her Highland Champion, my favorite character is actually Jamie MacDougall, the pub owner. He’s a giant of a man, with a heart of gold even if he sometimes drives me (and the other characters) insane! I hope someday I’ll get the opportunity to write his story as well.

What strengths do you like to give your hero and heroine?

I like to make my heroines brave enough to ask for what they need…eventually. Often they start out not even really knowing what they need and certainly not able to voice what they need. I like my characters to be survivors, people who trudge on even when things get difficult. Sometimes it’s both characters, sometimes it’s only one and the other finds that strength during the book. For my heroes, I like them to be strong enough to protect the innocent, whether that’s the heroine or someone else in the story, even when they don’t want to get involved. I like my heroes to have the courage to do what is right even when it will affect them and their plans.

Thank you for talking with me today, Alexa.

Thank you for having me!

Biography

Alexa Bourne is a teacher by day and a romantic suspense writer by nights, weekends and all school holidays. She also teaches online classes for writers throughout the year. She is thrilled to be writing for Decadent Publishing and to have the chance to share her love of Scotland with readers everywhere.

When she’s not concocting sinister plots and steamy love scenes or traveling and exploring cultures, Alexa spends her time reading, watching brainless TV and thinking about exercising. She loves to hear from readers. To find her, visit www.alexabourne.com or http://alexabourne.blogspot.com, http://www.facebook.com/AuthorAlexaBourne or follow her on Twitter @AlexaBourne.

Her Highland Champion

A Decadent Honor Guard story…. Heather Winchester leads a charming life. With good friends, a beautiful flat in one of the most amazing cities in the world, and a promising future once she finishes her Ph.D, she is finally pursuing her own dreams instead of catering to everyone else’s…except she doesn’t remember any of it. Malcolm Fraser has returned to his Highland village to forget his failings as a professional bodyguard. Believing he could just lose himself in the mundane activities of running his bed & breakfast, he finds a woman’s lifeless body by the loch instead…. Captivated by Heather as she regains her memory, Malcolm is thrown into the line of duty. As danger comes knocking on their doors, will he be strong enough to love her and keep her safe? Genre: Contemporary romance, adventure, suspense/thriller Heat level: 3 Word count – 23k

Champion Excerpt: She turned to the bedside. A man stood there dressed in dark green sweats, with both hands clenched around the silver bedside bar. He was handsome, with light eyes, dark hair cropped close to his head, and a firm jaw. It was his hands, though. They drew her attention. Clean skin, defined knuckles, large fingers. Hands rough from a hard day’s physical labor, and yet, she imagined, gentle enough to caress the afternoon’s sufferings away. “It’s good to see you awake.” He smiled. “You gave us all quite a fright.” Okay, the Scottish accent drew her attention, too. At once, it both melted away some of her fears and sparked a whirlwind of questions. “Where am I?” Her throat scratched like sandpaper. “St. Catherine’s Hospital.” She swallowed hard. “Where is that?” “Fort William.” He reached for something on the table by her bed and brought back a plastic cup with a straw. “Here.” “Thank you.” The warm water coated her sore vocal cords. She handed the cup back to him. Wait a minute. Fort William? The only Fort William she knew was in Scotland. “I don’t understand. How did I get here?” Ignoring the aches in her body, she pressed both palms to the sheets on each side of her and pushed herself up. The blanket fell away from her chest and a new chill surrounded her. “What’s going on?” Her arms shook, and she collapsed back to the bed. “Relax.” The man set his palm on her shoulder, as if to keep her flat against the mattress. The heat of his fingers seeped through her hospital gown and into her skin. “I found you unconscious on the beach in Glenhalish. I called for an ambulance, and they brought you here.” “I was in Glenhalish?” “Aye, on a three day tour of the Highlands. Do you not remember being there?” “No.” She squinted and studied him. No memories surfaced. “Do I know you?” He shook his head. “Only from the beach. I’m Malcolm Fraser.” She opened her mouth and then closed it again. Her gaze drifted to her lap as tears burned in the corners of her eyes. Panic swelled in her chest and into her throat. “What is it, lass?” he asked with such tenderness. “Can you tell me my name?”

Buy Links

Amazon.com:

http://www.amazon.com/Highland-Champion-Honor-Series-ebook/dp/B007PJ1GM0%3FSubscriptionId%3DAKIAJBDF5XQBATGDX4VQ%26tag%3Dspea06-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB007PJ1GM0

Decadent Publishing:

http://www.decadentpublishing.com/product_info.php?cPath=75_197&products_id=508&osCsid=jh2l9gpp7ne49cevf4ujdcvrm1

All Romance Ebooks:

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-herhighlandchampion-769535-149.html

Bookstrand:

http://www.bookstrand.com/her-highland-champion

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GRETCHEN GREENE by CJ West

When a team of assassins destroys the lab Gretchen Greene, ecoterrorist turned energy researcher, is working in, she must flee for her life. Cunning and crafty Randy Black has undergone a transformation from his previous tragic past and believes he's been sent to save Gretchen, but he must learn what she's done and why she's surrounded by armed men all intent on having her in one way or another.

SHE BELONGS TO ME by Carmen DeSousa

After secrets and a mysterious background leave a wife’s life hanging by a thread, a husband must look for answers in the only place he knows—the past.

CART BEFORE THE HORSE by Bernadette Marie

Gabriel Maguire thought he'd buried his past until the night he met Holly, only to lose the woman he cared about, again. Holly Jacobs has always put the cart before the horse. A prodigy who shot to stardom in textile design, she never knew a normal life—and there's nothing she longs for more than to be normal.

Interview with Andrea Heltsley

It is my honor today to have Andrea Heltsley on the Warrior Princess Blog.

Andrea is a biology nerd who loves reading just about anything paranormal and some chick lit. She enjoys sunshine and her two Italian greyhounds with her husband. She always writes to music, it helps the creative process. Dissolve is her first novel. She has been writing ever since she was in grade school and finally decided to make a career out of it. More books to come summer 2012 and 2013.

Please welcome Andrea Heltsley!

Is There a Message in Your Novel That You Want Readers to Grasp?

  

I want to relay genuine emotions.  There are too many books where the heroine is portrayed as tough and nearly without emotion.  In real life, things can get tough and it is realistic to feel things such as loss, love, friendship and jealousy.  Some may see the characters as a little whiny, but I wanted them to be realistic.

  

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

I love to write, but making outlines are especially tough for me.  I like to write and let the story weave itself.  More creativity goes into it that way.

How many books have you written and which is your favorite?

This is my first published book, but I have two more coming out this summer.  Each of the books is the beginning to a different series.  Dissolve out 4/10, Dreamwalker out 6/10 and Dancing with Death out 8/10.  I particularly love Dreamwalker because it was the most creative by far.  The story allowed me to challenge my creativity and brought in a more intricate plot.  It is the only strictly adult paranormal romance I have written.

If You had the chance to cast your main character from Hollywood today, who would you pick and why?

For Dissolve, I would have to pick Emily VanCamp from Revenge.  I don’t really have a reason, I just love her.

When did you begin writing?

I started writing in grade school, but only decided to make an official career out of it at the end of 2010.

How long did it take to complete your first book?

I wrote each of my books in about six months give or take.

Did you have an author who inspired you to become a writer?

 Nathaniel Hawthorne after reading Young Goodman Brown

  

What is your favorite part of the writing process?

Writing and creating the characters.  I also enjoy the publishing side of things.  I particularly hate editing.

Describe your latest book in 4 words.

Dystopian, paranormal, romance, young adult (depends on who reviews it whether it is adult or young adult)

Can you share a little bit about your current work or what is in the future for your writing?

I have just finished the rough draft of Dancing with Death and am excited to get it ready for publishing.  In the pipeline for me this year, I have all three book sequels I hope to have out in 2013.

Dissolve sequel- Detour

Dreamwalker sequel- Divine Destiny

Dancing with Death sequel- Dancing with a Demon

To find out more about Andrea Heltsley or to purchase copies of her books, please use the links below. 

Website/Blog: http://www.andreaheltsley.blogspot.com

Facebook

Links to Purchase

Amazon

Everything seemed to be going right for Cora. She had a wonderful fiance, a great best

friend and a fulfilling life. One day, a tragic event causes that life to crumble around her.

She turns to her best friend in her time of need. They embark on a search for answers,

delving deeper into a web of magic and destruction. The closer they get to the truth, the

more questions they have. To Cora, magic was the stuff of fairy tales. Immersed into a

very different kind of world, the real storm was just beginning to take hold. “It felt like

I was nowhere yet everywhere all at once. I was invisible and completely panicked. The

millions of pieces I had dissolved to drift on the breeze and away from my nightmares. It

was kind of like floating weightless in a pool, perfectly relaxing. The warm breeze from

the window embraced and soothed me. I let the air current carry me as far as it could

through the summer city.” “Defeated, I closed my eyes and took a few calming breaths

trying to relax myself. I pictured the dandelion in the park today and took a deep breath

as to blow the fluffy seeds in all directions. I pretended I was light and fluffy and started

to feel a tingling in my body. I began to feel as light as the dandelion seeds and soon I

felt like mist floating. This time, I tried to keep myself in the room, swirling in a humid

block.”

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a member of Reading Addiction Blog Tours and a copy of this book was provided to me by the author. Although payment may have been received by Reading Addiction Blog Tours, no payment was received by me in exchange for this review. There was no obligation to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, publisher, publicist, or readers of this review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision’s 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning Use of Endorcements and Testimonials in Advertising*

Life as a writer isn't always about writing

The art of writing is sometimes relaying observation.  In my case, writing contemporary romance, I watch people very closely.  I see how they interact with other people and how their eyes change when you know they are lonely.  I can tell that a couple has shared fifty good years by the way they still  hold hands, or a young couple isn't seeing eye to eye.

Of course its so much more than just observing body language or specific looks.  It's watching human nature with a fresh set of eyes and choosing to take what I learn and apply it.

Last week I blogged about the moment I gave up the word hate.  I took a slap to the face and changed my life.  In the past week I've been inundated with moments which I've embraced and held on too.  I came across a 99 year old woman, at a Taco Bell.  She was smiling.  She wore bangle bracelets on both arms.  I was moved that she was in public, on her own, dressed so nice, and smiling.  She walked out of the restaurant and drove away in her own car.  But what stuck with me was loneliness in her eyes.  Yes, it was there, but you know she was still living her life and it was as if she silently said to me, "Its all worth it."

I'm very keen on watching my children grow and taking every morsel and savoring it.  Is it all good, no.  We have arguments.  At times I'm a bad mommy, but even those moments are important.  I know for a fact I'm the easily distracted mommy who works too much.  I catch myself hoping they don't notice that I'm not interacting with them, but they see that I'm in the same room.  But you know, they notice.  IF I sit down to watch TV not one of the five of them misses the opportunity to say, "this is nice that you're sitting with us."  There have been some tears, shed in my closet of course, just thinking about how the days are slipping from me to have a house full of messes and noises.  Next year one goes to high school, another to middle school, and three move up in elementary school.  Once upon a time I had a first grader, a preschooler, two toddlers and an infant and I thought things were hard.  But because my eyes are wide open and I'm very in tune with what's going on around me, and I commit each feeling to memory, I make sure to lean from each moment.  I hug.  I compliment.  I just sit and watch in amazement at how wonderful my life is.  And I make sure to take those moments where I need to work, and I go swimming, play basketball, or sit and watch TV with my boys instead.

Today as I was running on the track at the rec center I was again moved by my observations of humanity.  There was a couple walking and when I came around behind them I realized the woman was walking very close to her husband, holding on to his shirt as if maybe she needed a little support.  Another lap and I stopped to stretch.  They were on the bench and I realized he was recovering, from what I would imagine, was a mild stroke.  They had a drink, took a rest, and then headed back out to the track with her holding on to his shirt to support him.  It still brings tears to my eyes.  My heart squeezes when I think about that couple.  What happened to him?  What did that do to her?  But there she was, helping him heal, her hand holding tight to his shirt.


Being a writer has made me observe everything.  But sometimes it goes so much deeper and because I'm a writer I'm observing life and learning to live it.

Interview with Melynda Price

I am thrilled to have author Melynda Price with me today.

An avid lover of paranormal romance, Melynda was inspired to write her own series after reading the Book of Enoch. She’s always had a fascination with stories about angels, and the role they’ve played in the history of our multi-dimensional world.

She attended Bethel University in Minnesota and graduated in 2003, holding AA, ASN and BSN degrees.

She lives in Northern Minnesota where she has plenty of snow-filled days to curl up in front of the fireplace with her Chihuahua, and a hot cup of coffee, to write. She’s blessed with two amazing children, and a wonderful husband of seventeen years.

Until Darkness Comes:

“Writing Until Darkness Comes has been a fantastic adventure, culminating a world of mystery, suspense, love and deception. Have you ever wondered what it might be like if we could see beyond our dimension? Step into Olivia Norton’s world, where nothing is quite as it seems, and evil lurks where she least expects it.”

As a fellow 5 Prince Publishing author I say, "Welcome, Melynda."


What genre(s) do you write?

I write paranormal romance. I love paranormal because it’s an escape from the “everyday-norm” and it opens the door to create a world of endless possibilities. I can create characters that are larger than life, and there are no “rules” except to make the unbelievable believable.

What was the hardest part of writing your book?

Writing the ending was the toughest part. Since Until Darkness Comes is the 1^st book in my 4-part Redemption series, I needed to find a way to conclude the story that still left an opening for the second book, without leaving the readers hanging. I find it very frustrating when I read a great book and then the ending feels like the story was rushed or just chopped off. I wanted to make sure that didn’t happen to Until Darkness Comes so it took a long time and a few re-writes to get it right.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Hmm…probably a pantser. I had a rough idea of what I wanted Until Darkness Comes to be about, but I had no idea what was going to happen until I sat down to write it. I try to let the characters write themselves, instead of trying to make them fit into “my plan”. For me, I think that gives them more personality and a stronger voice.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Yes. Until Darkness Comes is ultimately a story about love, sacrifice, forgiveness and second chances. I hope readers are impacted by my characters and can identify with their difficult choices, their mistakes, and consider the possibility that sometimes things aren’t always as they seem.

How much time did it take from writing your first book to having it published?

It took me a year to write Until Darkness Comes, and another year to find the right home for it. When I signed with 5Prince Publishing, I had also received another offer to contract Until Darkness Comes. I rewrote my query letter at least ten times during that year. Frequently, the decision to consider a submission is based on the query letter alone, so when Until Darkness Comes got rejected, I tried not to take it personally. I knew they weren’t rejecting my book, they hadn’t even read it; they were rejecting my query letter. Learning to pitch your work is a process and an art, all in itself—it takes time. I have some links on my website that show examples of writing a query letter and synopsis that I found very helpful. http://melyndaprice.com/

Before I go, I want to say thank you, Bernadette, for hosting me, and thank you to the readers who have stopped by today. I’d love to hear from you. J Melynda@MelyndaPrice.com

You can find me at www.MelyndaPrice.com I blog here weekly, posting excerpts from my latest projects.

Find UNTIL DARKNESS COMES at these fine retailers:
AMAZON
Barnes and Noble
Smashwords
All Romance eBooks





Be sure to leave a comment for Melynda Price and you could win a copy of her book! (be sure to include contact information so we can find you!)

Candy Kisses

Candy Kisses...yum.  No matter how you sum it up.  Chocolate and love go hand in hand.

Meet Tabitha Knight.  Chocolatiere extraordinaire!  Owner of Tabitha's Chocolates, in the elite shopping district of Cherry Creek (a very real elite shopping district in Denver, Colorado), believes in selling chocolate to those who believe in true love, quick love, love forever, and any other reason.  However, she does not believe in love.

Really, why should she.  The only daughter of a mother who enjoys marrying often and falls for the line, "I love you," Tabitha has learned that those words carry no merit.  That was until he best client's son walked into her store and swept her firmly planted feet out from underneath her!

Preston Banks is a business man.  He understands a good business deal and a good working relationship.  He also knows what falling in love quickly is all about.  Raised in the wedding planning business, Preston has seen all sorts of marriages.  Those with long engagements, elopements, and spur of the moment proposals with strangers which lead to a lifetime of happiness.  He's not afraid of Tabitha's less than enthusiastic response to his feelings of love at first sight.


Candy Kisses has hand an interesting journey prior to becoming published at 5 Prince Publishing.  I had many times given up on the story, but there were many parts that were near and dear to my heart.  The story itself revolves around the area in which I call home.  Cherry Creek is a beautiful shopping district nestled in Denver.  Morrison is where you will find Red Rocks Amphitheater and the Hog Back was in fact a place I took field trips in elementary school.  The geological point of interest is only miles from where I live.  I suppose, however, the most fun was planning weddings in the Green Room at the Colorado School of Mines.  This was in fact my childhood dream.  To walk down the stairs that lead into the room fascinated me my whole life.  Due to costs I didn't get married there, but it was in fact the first place I called.  But my wedding cake had stairs and that was just important.  (I did go to prom there, so I was dressed up once walking down those stairs.)

Candy Kisses was my first novella.  In many ways it was quite an experiment in itself, but I hope it gives you a taste of what I do.  I love happily ever after.  My books might be a bit predictable, but in the very best way.  I never want my readers to walk away with an empty feeling.  If you're reading me its because you want it to all work out in the end, and that is my promise to you.

Today Amazon has Candy Kisses for FREE!  So please download a copy and enjoy! DOWNLOAD FOR FREE 4-13-2012

Thank you for stopping by!
Bernadette Marie

Interview with Christina OW

Today my guest is Christina OW, author of Star Bright, published by 5 Prince Publishing.

What is your favorite thing about being a writer?

I can put all the stories and personas in my head on paper so that other people can enjoy them as much as I do.  People can finally see what goes on in my head and be apart of my world.

And to quote Carmen DeSousa, I love to rewrite the ending of a bad or sad story and give it a happy or bearable ending.

What genre(s) do you write?

Romance, YA Fantasy, Suspense Romance, Thriller, Paranormal

What was the hardest part of writing your book?

Writing the next chapter!

In every love story, everyone imagines the hero as some super human hero who’s also prince charming and capable of doing everything and anything for the woman he loves. My challenge was keeping Dave realistically human.

Instead of readers saying, ‘that would never happen in the real world,’ I want them to say ‘yeah I can do that’ or ‘yeah my guy can definitely do that for me.’

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

A plotter. I like planning out my books especially the series. It gives me a sense of direction and how and when the characters are to grow. Except for two books: Love Forever After and Star Bright.

In Star Bright I was a pantser. I knew who Maria was and who Dave was at the beginning of the book but when the other characters come in, they just shaped them and they became these other people, very different from whom I thought they would be. Maria grew into this fierce confident woman, mother and wife and this was all because of Dave and to some extent Ricky, the villain. 

Why do you think people should choose your books over another author?

I can’t say my books are better than other authors but I can say that they are competition. With some of my books I try to keep them realistic and with others I like to let my mind run wild. I have variety as a writer, my books have some lessons and inspirations in them and they are for everyone.

What do you hope readers take with them after reading one of your stories?

 It’s not wrong to dream, true love does exist and to always think of yourself and be selfish sometimes. Or you could risk getting lost or stuck.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

In Star Bright. The message is don’t make excuses when you are in an abusive relationship because there is a man out there just waiting to show you what true love is.

‘I am the master of my destiny, the leader of my actions, the dictator of my world for the power lives in me and no one else.’

How long have you been a writer? 

I love writing poems and I’ve done so for many years. I started writing novels in 2010, so two years.

How much time did it take from writing your first book to having it published?

 Star Bright, it took me six months to finish writing it, about three months of queries and finally four months of editing.

What other careers have you had?

I was an intern at a law firm for three months and then I did two months as an apprentice at a fashion house. I also feature in other artists songs

Do you write under more than one name? Why?

No. I use only one pen name Christina OW.

 My real name is Rinah Lidonde

Are any of your characters based on real people or events?

Star Bright yes. Spousal abuse is everywhere so this was my way of writing a happy ending to all of them.

How would you describe yourself if you were “speed dating” your readers?

I’m an onion.

What’s something fans would find fascinating about you?

I’m a twin. We have the same interests, writing being one of them but we are two completely different people, its even visible in how we write.

What books or authors have most influenced your life?

Stephanie Meyer, Ann Rice, Sydney Sheldon, James Patterson, Nora Roberts, Danielle Steel, Sherrilyn Kenyon

How do your family and/or friends feel about your book or writing venture in general?

The rest of my family is like congratulations. My sisters are very encouraging and excited for me but my mom takes the cake! My mom is so supportive. She’s more excited than I am! Once the book cover was out, she sent it to everyone who’s ever sent her an email.

That’s why I use her name as my author’s name. She’s done everything she humanly could to help me become the person I am and do everything I set my mind to. She deserves all the credit.

Where are you from?

Kenya but right now I live in South Africa. I’m still in University for a BA in International Studies

How do you come up with the titles?

I try to sum up what the story is about in five words or less

Has your life changed significantly since becoming a published writer?

Not really. The only thing that has changed is my demeanor in all my ventures. I’m more confident with what are do, school, writing, designing. There is an extra 50% in everything I do.

Do you work on one project at a time? Or do you multi-task?

Multi-task. When I get stuck in one story it helps to go to the next story.

                                                                                                  

When not writing, how do you relax?

I design garments, I draw and I sing

Please tell us 5 miscellaneous facts about yourself.

Quiet, Thoughtful, Creative, Very Private, Sometimes Gullible

Please share with us your future projects and upcoming releases.

Love Forever After- it’s a love story that is very out of the norm. It’s about a guy who is so in love with his wife and can’t take the fact that she is dead. He goes on this destructive path and his wife is forced to come back and force him into this unorthodox solution for his depression.

Guardian Assassin- It’s a about a guy who pushes three women to ‘get rid of’ their abusive husbands.

The Fate books; Fate Reborn, Twists of Fate, Fate Unchanged, Reins of Fate and Fate’s New Dawn

Please share any links you would like listed in the Interview. Website, Myspace, blog, facebook, yahoo group etc.

Facebook- Christina OW

Twitter- @christina_ow

Wordpress- christinaow.wordpress.com

                        

BIO

I have a Diploma in Law and I'm currently in my last year for my BA in
International Studies.

i love reading novels that take me on a ride of wild emotions. books
have always been an escape for me, for a few hours i love to live the
lives of characters i grow to cherish and admire.
i've always had an active imagination and because of it i've lived in
my head more than i have been in the outside world. i've always
imagined scenerials and wondered how it would turn out in the end, and
what kind of emotions it would envoke.
i began writing down the many stories in my head in 2010.

writing was never a career path for me it was just a release as
fashion design is my true passion, and now writing has become a vital
part of me and my family as my twin sister is also a writer.

                                                     

Description of Star Bright

“Someone won’t be winning parent of the year anytime soon either.” The edge of his lips rose in half a smile. He looked at her and then at his sleeping daughter, he loved seeing them like that, they looked perfect.
Maria stared at him, a smile automatically dominating her face. “Your parenting skills are contagious.”

Maria’s fear and hate for men is solidified by Ricky’s abuse and his obsession to kill her. In an effort to save her son, she runs away and crosses paths with Dave, a man going through his own tribulations with his wife. He is determined to protect her, and to show her that not all men are evil and that true love does exists. And he in turn, finds a woman worthy to be a mother to his daughter, and his wife.
But their dream of having a loving family is short lived when a ghost from Maria’s past comes back to take it all away from her in the most brutal and torturous way.
But Maria isn’t alone anymore and most importantly, her father finally shows up to do what he was supposed to five years ago. Protect his daughter.

Excerpt

Chapter One

Maria weaved through the booths and walked to table five balancing four plates on her arms and hands. Sometimes she wondered why she took this job in the first place. But she didn’t have much of a choice, that and the fact there wasn’t much in the small town of Jacksonville Mississippi to do, and there weren’t many options of a job position for a twenty- two year old girl who didn’t have a college education, with a four year old son and a dead beat boyfriend. It was a good thing her mother worked as a seamstress or they would be struggling more than they already were.
“Two burgers with fries, a veggie salad and an omelette with toast,” Maria repeated their order with a smile as she set the plates down on the table. She placed the veggie salad in front of the girl silently congratulating her on her efforts to lose weight. She was so round and hefty, at first Maria didn’t think she would fit in the booth, but somehow she managed. She placed the omelette and the burgers in front of the three guys sharing her table. “Would you like anything else?” she asked with a pasted smile that her manager had insisted she needed to have on at all times.

“You got our orders wrong!” the girl answered, looking at Maria with lethal eyes. Her freckled forehead was creased and her chubby cheeks looked even bigger with her lips curved down.

Maria looked at her with equally hostile eyes. She had a long day with many obnoxious, perverted customers, there was very little polite left in her. “Oh, I’m sorry which one?” she said feigning concern. She was sure she had gotten the orders right and the girl just wanted to annoy her, for some incomprehensive stupid reason, customers thought it fun to make waitresses run around like hamsters on a wheel under the notion of customer service. She was about to pull out her note book from the front pocket of her apron when the girl switched plates with one of the burger guys and pulled the omelette closer to her. Maria looked at her shocked, “Those are both yours?” The shock echoed in her voice.

“Yeah, so?” the girl barked.

Maria looked at the man who didn’t have food, he was tiny and was wearing a shirt three sizes too big. He sucked on his straw nosily, looking at her from under his long brown hair and then she turned to the one who got the salad. His clothes fitted tightly on his small frame. He looked like a pubescent girl tossing the salad around on his plate. He needed that burger more than the chubby girl did. The two were thin enough for her to eat with one bite each “Enjoy your meal.”