Author Spotlight - Samantha Birch

For possibly the first time ever, we're featuring a non-fiction book on The Minxes of Romance. Today's spotlight book is The High Street Bride's Guide, a one-stop, design-your-own-wedding (affordably) book from Samantha Birch.

1. Tell our readers a little bit about yourself.
Well, I’m a twenty-eight-year-old writer from Derby, and I live in Hertfordshire with my husband. We finally got married last November after being engaged for four years – two years and eight months of which we spent in his childhood bedroom! We’re now renting a two-bedroom flat with a kitchen in the living room while we save up the deposit for a house.

2. What number book is this? First? 100th? 200th?(Nora only!)
This is my first published book! I’m so excited! I have no idea what to expect, but I’ve worked really hard so I’m crossing my fingers and hoping for the best!

3. What inspired this book?
It was a mixture of planning our wedding, chatting to my friends and the jobs I’ve had: I’ve worked in-house at You & Your Wedding and Cosmopolitan Bride and freelanced for Brides. One day I gave a work colleague advice on her wedding and she told me I should write a book, which I took a bit literally! I realised me and my now-husband weren’t the only ones struggling to save up for our wedding and really wanting it to be as beautiful as our better-off friends’ big days. I wrote down all the ways we could make it happen for less, I did a lot of research into the most affordable brands and I put it all together into The High-Street Bride’s Guide.

4. Have you any burning ambitions to write a story in a different genre?
Funny you should mention that; I’m actually writing a novel at the moment. Writing fiction has always been a dream of mine, and I’ve finished two manuscripts in the past, but I wrote them both when I was a teenager and they lacked the maturity of my old age! The book I’m writing now is a steampunk fantasy, so a bit of a switch from a non-fiction guidebook, but I love the change of pace, and it appeals to my nerdy side.

5. What was the most fun part of writing this book?
The intros to each section; I could just have fun with them. I decided not to hold back, but just to write what I thought was funny, even if it wasn’t all cakes and flowers. After all, my readers aren’t only brides, they’re people; they have a whole life going on besides their wedding, same as I did. So I threw in bits like Dylan Moran’s wisdom on women and shoes and a parody of those White Fang-type movies, you know where the kid tells the wolf or whatever that he hates it so it’ll go off and be free…

6. Do you have a writing routine? Do you write every day, and is there a time of day that works best for you in terms of being productive?
Yes, I write every day, but not always on my work in progress. Having spent four years commuting in and out of London I’m now a freelance writer for titles like GLAMOUR, so I write articles as well as books. I’ll at least look at the book I’m working on every day – preferably in the morning, which tends to be my best time for inspiration – and I’ll play with some ideas and mull it over, but some days I’ll toy with new words and they just won’t feel right. I know that sounds crazy and I wish I had more control over it, but I’ve realised those days are more about thinking, letting my brain work on the story in the back of my mind or maybe working on a character board or something. It’s taken me a long time to get to a point where I’m okay with counting that as work; I can be impatient and I used to think words on the page were the only thing that mattered, but now I know sometimes they don’t come if you haven’t given yourself the headspace find them.

7. How long does it take you to complete a book?
Non-fiction is quicker than fiction for me. The first edition of The High-Street Bride’s Guide took a month flat, then I spent a week or two revising and extending it for Harper Impulse. Fiction tends to take more like a year, and because of the complexity of the novel I’m writing at the moment, I think it could take closer to a year and a half.

8. Are your family and real-life friends supportive? If so, in what ways? If not, do you have another support network for your writing?
Yes, my husband, my family and my friends have always been really supportive of my writing; I’m so lucky to be surrounded by so many encouraging people. My poor husband has to listen to excerpts of whatever I’m working on at random intervals; I’ll just run into the living room with my laptop and go: “Read this please!” then make him a coffee and disappear so I don’t have to be in the room while he does. Sometimes I want his feedback on where a scene is going wrong or whether it feels truthful, or I’ll be having an attack of self-doubt and I need him to tell me whether it’s founded. Others I’ll just be really excited that it feels like a scene has gone well and I’ll want to show it to him in the hope that he thinks it’s as funny as I do!

Recently I’ve found another support network for my writing too: the lovely authors at Harper Impulse! I hit a writer’s block in my current novel that made me nervous about going back to the manuscript, but they were quick to reassure me that I hadn’t gone mad and that most writers feel the same sometimes, and to fill me in on lots of tried and tested tips that got me back on the page again. At times like that it’s good to have people in the same industry to make you feel like you’re not alone; I’m now back on track and heading for the 20,000-word mark!

The High -Street Bride's Guide

Brides-to-be, this one’s for you!
You can say your vows in a catwalk gown so beautiful it reduces your mum to tears (and not because she paid for it).
You can style a reception so stunning your guests won’t believe you didn’t hire an A-list planner.
And you can sprinkle the day with personal touches that make everyone feel like you gave them special attention before they even got there. Without spending a house deposit on it. Honest.
Samantha Birch has written for GLAMOUR, Brides, You & Your Wedding and Cosmopolitan Bride. She knows a thing or two about planning a wedding on a budget, how much you can expect to pay for everything and where to go to get it for less. And she’s put it all down here.

The High-Street Bride's Guide is available from Amazon, Amazon UK, and iTunes.
You can chat to Samantha on Twitter or on Facebook.

Author Spotlight - Nikki Moore

Hello to Nikki, author of Crazy, Undercover, Love into the Minxy spotlight.

1. Tell our readers a little bit about yourself.
I live in beautiful Dorset not too far from the sea. By day I'm a Human Resources professional and by night I turn into an author... though I'm not sure my brain ever really switches off from the writing lol

I have two kids and love spending time with my family and friends. I'm definitely an extrovert and I love meeting new people and trying new experiences. I'm also a devoted reader, when time allows! I'll read anything covered in words – my reading tastes are very eclectic :)

2. What number book is this? First? 100th? 200th?(Nora only!)
I've had three short stories published in the last few months but Crazy, Undercover, Love is my first full length book. I'm very excited!! And I hope this is the first book of many :)

3. What inspired this book?
This will probably sound a bit weird but I had a dream one night about a couple stranded in a cabin somewhere up north, arguing about career versus love ... I woke up with the characters in my head, begging for their story to be told. I started the book a few days later - almost four years ago now - and the storyline has grown and evolved loads since then, with the book undergoing an unmentionable number of rewrites (unfortunately I'm a total perfectionist). It's also now mostly set in a hotel over a weekend in Barcelona, a city I love. I feel - and hope - I've done justice to those characters (Alex and Charley) and their story.

4. Who or what was the inspiration for your hero?
I read quite a lot of Harlequin Mills & Boon romances in my early teens (so it's a thrill that one of my short stories A Night to Remember has been published in the HM&B / Romantic Novelists Association anthology Truly, Madly, Deeply) and my favourite type of hero tended to be Chief Executive Officer/Managing Director/business men. I think there's something about dynamic men in suits that's very attractive! So it was no real surprise to me when this story emerged that the hero is a CEO but I wanted him to be a bit different to the more traditional arrogant, driven, obstinate CEO types I've read before. So Alex is a fairly down to earth, relaxed guy when he lets his guard down, who actually would rather not be a CEO if given the choice!

Inspiration wise physically? Ooohh... yes, please! I never miss a chance to drool over hot men! Originally Alex was a cross between the actor Ryan Reynolds and David Boreanaz from the TV series Bones. More recently he's less Ryan and mainly David but with hints of Henry Cavill. What can I say... the man (HC) is beautiful!

5. Have you any burning ambitions to write a story in a different genre?
In a word – yes! I would love, love, love to write a New Adult book. It's a great age, when you're transitioning into an adult, and there's loads of material to be written about in terms of the experiences people tend to have at that age. I'll be emailing my editor at some point about it (watch out Charlotte!) Lol

6. In what way is being a published writer different to how you thought it would be?
I'm not sure yet as I've not been published very long and I don't yet know what the response to Crazy, Undercover, Love is going to be. But I suppose what I hadn't really anticipated is that weird time when you're promoting one book while writing another. It's difficult to juggle two different books and the practical aspect of promo versus the creative flow of writing. It's right versus left part of brain. But I'm not complaining! I've worked hard to be published, am disciplined about juggling everything and am mega-excited about finally being a published author :)

7. Do you have a writing routine? Do you write every day, and is there a time of day that works best for you in terms of being productive?
Sadly I don't write every day even though I'd love to, but I do try and do something writing related every day. It may be connecting with people through social media or writing blog posts or preparing posts for other authors to appear on my blog.

When I do write, especially a first draft, it's in the evenings and it's fast and furious. I can be quite productive late at night. To be honest I can write pretty much any time, anywhere and on anything, be it a laptop, tablet, notepad or a scrap piece of paper!

8. Are your family and real-life friends supportive? If so, in what ways? If not, do you have another support network for your writing?
My family and friends are very supportive. I'm soooo lucky in that no-one ever said to me I wouldn't get published or that writing was a waste of time. Quite the opposite – they know how much I enjoy writing and how passionate I am about it and all pushed me to keep going. They've been very excited about my publication credits! My work colleagues have also been very supportive, which is lovely.

I also have a support network through my membership of the Romantic Novelists Association. It's an amazing organisation full of tireless, warm and encouraging people including authors, publishers, agents. Being on the New Writers Scheme for the last few years definitely helped me on my journey to publication. I can't rate the RNA highly enough and would thoroughly recommend it for any aspiring romance author, no matter what genre they write in, be it historical, contemporary, saga's, rom-coms or anything else that comes under the romance/women's fiction umbrella.

9. Do you connect with your readers at all, and if so which is your favourite platform for reaching them?
I try and connect with readers through a variety of social media including Facebook (I have both a personal and author page), Goodreads, my blog, Google+ etc I have to say that Twitter is my absolute favourite although it's so quick its easy to miss a lot. But I do like the speed and ease of it and that you can RT and 'favourite' interesting articles, reviews etc and also thank people for their support very easily :)

BLURB

Uber-feisty career girl Charley Caswell-Wright travels to Barcelona for a weekend assignment as PA to the gorgeous Alex Demetrio, CEO of Demetrio International.But she's there under entirely false pretenses: to get her life back on track. Having lost the job she worked so hard to earn, she’s determined not to give it up so easily, especially when she didn’t deserve to lose it in the first place.Mr Dreamy CEO is her only chance of clawing back her career – and her reputation. So she has to keep things strictly professional… boy, is she in trouble!

Crazy, Undercover, Love is available from Amazon, Google Play, iTunes and Sainsbury's.

Author Spotlight - Jacqui Jacoby

Today we welcome new Samhain author Jacqui Jacoby into the Minxy spotlight.

1. Tell our readers a little bit about yourself.
I am a kick-ass, rocking, still going strong, retired mother of three, married thirty years to the same man who shares our empty nest. I love Earl Grey tea, drink Snapples to obsession, and have a thing for make-up and eye shadow colors. I feel every woman is entitled to a regular pedicure on the basic principal she deserves to be pampered and I am a grown-up with imaginary friends who I do talk out loud to when no one is watching. And I’m shy!! LOL

2. What number book is this? First? 100th? 200th?(Nora only!)
This is my second book out, though the first was a first only run of a Time Management book. With A Vengeance was the first legitimate book I wrote (though the third) and that was … maybe nine or ten books ago? Something like that. I have not produced as much as I could as I did end up ill and had to take some time off.

3. What inspired this book?
Music. There was this band I listened to at the time and when I heard them, I thought plot and characters. And the need to see a woman who could handle herself. This book was written before tough chicks were popular so it led the crowd even if it wasn’t discovered right away.

4. Who or what was the inspiration for your hero?
I had several. An actor named Spencer Rochfort from the early nineties. Scott Leonard of the band Rockapella. David Beckham in a certain photo … that is how it works for me. It’s not ever “the actor” or “the musician.” It’s **one** particular photo that is **it** … it is the one to capture what I was looking for. The overall person might not appeal to me at all, but that ONE photo … nailed it!! It’s been so long since I wrote the original, I no longer have the photos.

5. Have you any burning ambitions to write a story in a different genre?
I started out in CIA Action Romance. In 2004ish I switched to Paranormal. I have not wanted to leave that arena. It’s way too much fun to get to make facts and things like ghosts and goddesses. I just got down completely ripping apart vampire myth and rewriting it. It was a blast.

6. In what way is being a published writer different to how you thought it would be?
In the process? Nothing. I am still doing what I always did: writing stories that appeal to me rather than what might appeal to a market. If someone says to me “write a sequel to Vengeance” (as they have) I can’t just turn on the magic button and make that plot appear. In the submitting aspect of the story telling, more work. A lot more work. Editing, deadlines, promoting. Promoting is a big one and drains the soul, a bit, I think.

7. What was the most fun part of writing this book?
Research. I got to spend three days with a rock band for research. I spoke to the CIA and they were not only helpful but friendly. I got to go see places, use places I had been. It was a lot of fun. To this day, all these years later, I do not buy an outfit without thinking “Would Jaime wear this?”

8. Do you have a writing routine? Do you write every day, and is there a time of day that works best for you in terms of being productive?
Yes. I write every day. Seven days a week. Holidays and birthdays included. I usually hit about six hours, but maybe ten and have gone fourteen depending on the project. I sleep late so I don’t start to write until about 11:30ish. If I have nowhere to be, I will be in my pajamas –cute ones, of course, with my hair done and make-up on. The creative writing, getting the story down, that is fun. Every second is an adventure. The editing and spell checking and formatting, is the fourteen hour, “I have a six week headache” day. I just did that for my new project which goes to New York on Monday with a publisher already requesting it.

9. Are your family and real-life friends supportive? If so, in what ways? If not, do you have another support network for your writing?
I had a party last week to celebrate the launch of With a Vengeance. It was an intimate gathering or family and friends. My daughters joined us for the cake cutting via Skype and my long time friend in Australia used Facetime. It was amazing and so sweet!!

10. How long does it take you to complete a book?
With A Vengeance, I wrote in 1994. I revised it nineteen times based on agent/editor interest and I submitted it fifty-eight times before I stopped counting. And then I just stopped counting. I was still submitting it. DEAD MEN PLAY THE GAME, going to New York Monday, I wrote it in seven months, from conception to completion. I wrote the first draft of the second book in the series, DEAD MEN SEAL THE DEAL, 100,000 words, in thirty days. So … I guess it depends.

Blurb

The more she wanted out, the more they dragged her back in.

Daughter to murdered CIA officers, niece to a deputy director, Jaime Walsh has never known life outside the world of espionage. Until a high-action case in Buenos Aires leaves her gutted. Physically, emotionally…and professionally.

She’d planned for her long-overdue vacation to be a time to rest and reassess. With her longtime partner Stephen not far behind, it’s a tropical paradise away from work. A paradise where boundaries will be tested.

From their training days, Stephen Reid has watched Jaime kick ass while performing what has become his second job—watching her back. But now his feelings have grown.

As best friends look at each other in a new light, they like what they see. And Jaime dreams of a new life outside “the company”.

Except someone from their past won’t be satisfied until Jaime and the man she loves are hunted to the brink of death. Now Jaime must find the strength to trust her heart and let go of her fear. Before she loses everything…


With a Vengeance is available direct from Samhain, and from Kindle and Kindle UK. You can find out more about Jacqui at her website www.JacquiJacoby.com.

Author Spotlight - Jane Linfoot

1. Tell our readers a little bit about yourself.
I’m Jane Linfoot, and I write fun, flirty fiction, with feisty heroines and a bit of an edge.
I live in a mountain kingdom in Derbyshire, England, which is less remote than it sounds, but is very muddy. When I write romance it’s the one time I get to wear pretty shoes instead of wellies. I love hearts, flowers, happy endings, all things vintage, most things french. I enjoy walking and gardening, and on days when I want to be really scared, I ride a tandem.

2. What number book is this? First? 100th? 200th?(Nora only!)
This is number 2 for Harper Impulse, but I had a co-written paperback out with Snowbooks back in 2006.

3. What inspired this book?
I grab my inspiration from anywhere and everywhere, then fuse the different strands together. With The Right Side Of Mr Wrong the heroine, Shea, was inspired by someone I met at a hen party, and Brando grew out of an article in a Sunday paper about a lonely rock star. The plot came from a TV programme I saw, where a playboy had a neglected castle he never visited, and the presenter suggested he needed a wife to help him with the project. It was a fabulous location, which looked perfect to use in a novel, and when I went on the website to find out where it was I discovered that lots of women had left messages on the website offering to marry the guy! Awesome! So The Right Side Of Mr Wrong grew from that!

4. Who or what was the inspiration for your hero?
Although I didn’t write Brando with Henry Cavill in mind, they’re not far apart.

5. In what way is being a published writer different to how you thought it would be?
Wow! Good question! I kind of imagined being a published writer would be about hiding away, writing books, but it couldn’t be more different from that. These days self-promotion is be a huge part of being an author, and keeping a high profile on social media is crucial. The promo side is much bigger than I’d anticipated.

6. What was the most fun part of writing this book?
Some books are a struggle, but The Right Side of Mr Wrong was a blast to write. I loved every bit of it, because I had such fun hanging out with Shea and Brando. You’d think it would be great to get to the part where you write “The End”, but by the time I got to that bit I had tears rolling down my face, both because of the emotion (even though it does have a happy ending!), and because I was so sad that my time with Shea and Brando had come to an end.

7. Which of your characters would you most like to be?
I’d like to be Shea from The Right Side Of Mr Wrong, because I’m totally in love with Brando (from the same book)!

8. Do you have a writing routine? Do you write every day, and is there a time of day that works best for you in terms of being productive?
I try to write every day – my favourite time to write is late at night, when the writing’s going so well I don’t want to stop.

9. How long does it take you to complete a book?
A book can take anything from six weeks to six months!

10. Do you have any tips, tricks or sacrificial rituals you do when you hit a story roadblock?
I always head off into the woods with the dog, onto a circuit that takes in an abandoned ice house. Usually by the time I’m a couple of hundred yards along the path ideas and solutions are popping into my head.

11. Where do you write?
I’ve always written in the room between the kitchen and the rest of the house – that way I see everyone as they pass, and I can easily dip in and out as the family needs me.

The Right Side Of Mr Wrong

One-off, moving on sex wasn’t meant to be this hot…
When determined singleton Shea Summers is persuaded to become the “wife” of the Lord of Edgerton Manor, the last thing she wants to do is play house with a stranger.

Brooding playboy Brando Marshall, is far from happy when Shea turns up at his sprawling estate with production crew in tow. Surely she’s just another woman after his wallet? And if she’s looking for Mr Right, she’s definitely hitting on the wrong guy. Then again, after catching an unscheduled glimpse of her knickers, perhaps Brando needs to teach this “gold-digger” a lesson!

She’s seizing the moment, he’s breaking the rules, and when bad boys can be so much fun, who can resist getting on the right side of Mr. Wrong...


The Right Side of Mr Wrong is available from Amazon and Amazon UK.

You can chat to Jane on Facebook, Twitter or her website.

Author Spotlight - Hannah Emery

Welcome to new Harper Impulse author, Hannah Emery, talking about her debut novel, Secrets in the Shadows.

Tell our readers a little bit about yourself.
I have written stories for as long as I can remember. I love writing about how fragile the present is and how so much of it depends on chance events that took place years ago. I studied English at the University of Chester, and I now work in a college where I mentor higher education students. The most important things in my life are my family, my friends, books, baking on a Saturday afternoon, getting glammed up to go out for champagne and dinner and having cosy weekends away. I live in Blackpool with my husband and our little girl.

What number book is this? First? 100th? 200th?(Nora only!)
It’s my second book, but the first to be published. I learnt a lot from writing my first, but I felt I could do better!

What inspired this book?
Lots of things: Blackpool, my fascination with twins, my obsession with family history and the amazing way that one decision can affect future generations for hundreds of years.

Who or what was the inspiration for your hero?
There are two heroes in Secrets in the Shadows, and my inspiration for them is my years of chatting to friends, watching things like Sex and the City and wondering why some people go for Eliots, and other people go for Noels…

Have you any burning ambitions to write a story in a different genre?
I adore the YA genre so I would love to try that. I’d also like to try and write a children’s book. Reading to my daughter is one of my favourite things to do, and her favourite books are amazing and inspiring. Julia Donaldson is a genius.

What was the most fun part of writing this book?
I loved researching Blackpool. It’s changed a lot in the last hundred years or so, and it was fascinating to learn about its history and incorporate what I found into my book. The event that sparks the main story of Secrets in the Shadows is a fire that actually happened on North Pier in September 1921. Reading a newspaper article about the fire was amazing - I love old newspapers.

Which of your characters would you most like to be?
I would like to be Grace. Although she is troubled, she’s strong, gifted and likes to have fun. And she owns a book shop!

Do you have any tips, tricks or sacrificial rituals you do when you hit a story roadblock?
I read. My favourite authors always inspire me again!

Where do you write?
Ooh - well at the moment, I write on my laptop on the sofa or sitting on the bed - normally with coffee. But we’ve recently moved, so I will soon have an office space! I’m going to be doing a blog post about my office soon, so look out for it on my blog!

Blurb:
A must-read for fans of Kate Morton!

In 1920s Blackpool, eleven year old Rose wanders away from her parents and has a unique gift bestowed upon her. This gift will leave a haunting legacy, seeping down through the generations…
Decades later, Louisa has a vision of her mother walking into the sea. This isn’t the first time it happens and it won’t be the last, but what she sees isn’t always what she wants. The rest of her life is spent trying to change the future that haunts her.

In present day Blackpool, Grace is going to be married someday. She knows this because she’s seen it; a vision of a white dress, daisies embroidered on the sleeves, the groom by her side, vowing to love her forever. Except the man in her premonition doesn’t belong to her- he belongs to her twin sister, Elsie.

Haunted by what they know and what they are afraid to find out, all three women must make a choice: in the face of certain destiny should you chase the outcome that’s “meant to be”, or throw away fate and choose your own future?

Twitter: @hannahcemery
Blog: http://hannahcemery.wordpress.com

Secrets in the Shadows is available from Amazon, Amazon UK and all other major eBook retailers.

Author Spotlight - Genie Davis & Linda Marr

Today, for the first time in Minxy history, we introduce a novel-writing duo into our spotlight. Welcome to Genie and Linda.

1. Tell our readers a little bit about yourself.

Genie Davis is a multi-published novelist and produced screen and television writer. Recent releases: the mystery thriller Marathon, the romantic suspense of Executive Impulse, The Model Man, and Five O'Clock Shadow, the literary fiction of Dreamtown. Her erotic romance Rodeo Man, written as Nikki Alton won a Romance Writer's of America Passionate Plume award. In film, her work ranges from supernatural thriller to drama, family, teen, and comedy. She’s written on staff for ABC-TV's Port Charles; written, produced, and directed for TLC, Lifetime, PBS, and HGTV, many television commercials, corporate videos, and the independent film, Losing Hope.

Linda Marr is a producer/writer on the news magazine juggernaut America Now. She’s also the co-writer of the comedy point of sale hit Dear Neighbor. She began her career in television journalism in NYC. Since then her many projects have included everything from the NBC situation comedy series The Mommies to HGTV’s House Hunters and Design on a Dime, to a skateboarding special for Nickelodeon and some of the most successful and famously mocked infomercials on the air starring iconic celebrities like Debbie Reynolds, Ricardo Montalban, Jenny Craig and Faye Dunaway.

2. What number book is this? First? 100th? 200th?(Nora only!)
This is the seventh book that Genie has published and the second for Linda. It is however the first book that we wrote together but definitely not the last!

3. What inspired this book?
We originally thought it would be fascinating if there was a romance writer who could make her books come true – literally right off the page. We’d originally thought something magical could be the impetus for this happening, but in the end we decided it would be simple circumstance and a hero who had read her material and was drawn to it.

4. Who or what was the inspiration for your hero?
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau from Game of Thrones and the young Josh Holloway from Lost.

5. What was the most fun part of writing this book?
By all means it was working together! Having worked as film and tv writers as well as writing novels on our own, there was nothing nearly as much fun as being able to have the back and forth experience of sitting next to each other and creating our own world.

6. Which of your characters would you most like to be?
We already are just like Jenna ha ha. Except for the hot private investigator saving either of our lives!

7. How long does it take you to complete a book?
Linda and I work very quickly but because we both write a lot of other things and Linda works as a television producer, too we usually only are lucky enough to write about 8 hours a week. So each book tends to take us about three months –we talk about what we’re working on even when we are not sitting down together, and we do outline.

8. Do you have any tips, tricks or sacrificial rituals you do when you hit a story roadblock?
Whenever we hit a road block, because we’re not writing alone, we can just talk it over, and basically have fun bouncing ideas between us. If all else fails we get a Corona !

9. Where do you write?
When we work together, we usually write at Linda’s house in her den which looks out on her pretty front lawn. Her weiner dog mixes are nearby and there’s usually a plate of delicious vegetarian food on the desk for us to snack on. Right now we are using a lap top on Genie’s dining room table where her cat is relentlessly purring because he loves Linda too.

10. Do you connect with your readers at all, and if so which is your favourite platform for reaching them?
Facebook and Twitter are both great places for us to share things we love our readers to know about. Genie is a big social media fan and finds herself always checking in and finding some cool new link to post. Here’s where you can find us-
Twitter: @geniewrites @lindafromTN
Facebook for Genie and Facebook for Linda
Website: www.geniedavis.com

BLURB:

Erotic romance writer Jenna Brooks lives an ordinary life in a quiet Oregon town, putting her sensual heart into her fiction rather than her everyday life. Deeply involved in her latest story about glamorous lovers on the run, she laughs off a carnival gypsy’s prediction that she’ll find everything she desires “between the sheets”u8212 apparently those her DeskJet is printing. Because suddenly, Jenna finds herself drawn into her own stories, literally. When the seductive, mysterious Riley Stone rescues her from an attempted hit and run, she’s plunged into a reckless, wild relationship unlike anything she’s ever experienced—except on paper.

Meanwhile, Riley is feeling pretty upended himself. A consultant with the FBI, he’s on a mission to derail a drug kingpin whose wealth and extensive real estate is managed by Jenna’s neighbor. He’d planned to ingratiate himself with Jenna just enough to gain access to her neighbor’s apartment so he can keep a close eye on his comings and goings. Instead, he finds himself not only drawn to Jenna, but falling for her, hard. On the heels of this realization comes the discovery that her new neighbor didn’t move in next door by chance: Jenna’s father is the last hold-out against a drug-money fueled billion dollar development scheme, and her neighbor plans to take and hold Jenna hostage until the necessary papers are signed.

As Riley struggles to keep Jenna safe, the romance they’ve woven could force them to pay the ultimate price: admitting they’ve fallen in love—for real.


Between the Sheets is available from Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble and direct from Entangled Publishing.

Guest Post - Alissa Baxter

Romance Fiction vs Everyday Life

Romance novels represent slices of life arranged in such a way that a story can be told. The great thing about these stories (unless you read authors who delight in “padding” their books) is that the focus is on the interesting aspects of a character’s life. If something is dull or mundane, an author will often exclude it from her manuscript if it isn’t necessary to drive the story forward. A good love story will keep you enthralled from beginning to end, and you will close the book with a sigh of satisfaction, having been kept on your toes throughout the tale.

Reading romance fiction, therefore, opens you to a world where you don’t have to deal with ordinary or everyday occurrences. When you read about the heroine’s love life, very few authors will make you wade through pages and pages of descriptions of the dull details of her life, such as what she ate for breakfast, or the hours she spent in the arms of Morpheus (including each snore) before her alarm clock went off the next morning. No, the extraneous details are left out and you are plunged straight into the action.

In real life, however, we don’t get to delete the dull and ordinary from our everyday existence. We live through every minute of every day, and although there may be exciting bits here and there, the vast majority of our lives are made up of things that aren’t particularly special or interesting: brushing teeth, washing hair, showering, putting on clothes in the morning, driving to work in the traffic, walking up a flight of stairs to a school or office, making small talk with a colleague, sitting down at a desk, turning on a computer… We do these things every day, and sometimes I imagine that it would be great fun to fast forward life to the interesting bits, and leave out anything that didn’t measure up to a certain level of excitement.

But life doesn’t consist of an endless supply of exhilarating moments, and even if it did, those extraordinary moments would soon become ordinary if they were in endless supply. It is our recognition of the dull that enables us to appreciate the splendid, and a life well lived consists of the mundane and the exciting, the deep and the shallow. Every ocean has a shore, after all, and the ordinary parts of life only throw the extraordinary into light.

I guess this is why reading romance can be such an escape from real life. The novel is a form of art which can be made up entirely of a series of scenes where interesting things happen. Reading a romantic book is a great way to while away an afternoon or evening. The only instance where it could become problematic, I imagine, would be if someone started to live their life only within the confines of romantic fiction – eschewing the everyday shade and looking only for the escapist light.

Alissa's book, The Blog Affair, is available now from Amazon, Amazon UK, and direct from Decadent Publishing.

Twenty-something, white, South African Emma Bradshaw has a pattern of falling for unsuitable men and starts a blog about these so-called “serial datists”. Her search for new beginnings takes her to Cape Town, where she gets a job working for sexy author, Nick Reynolds. Romance with her boss is a no-no, but slowly, Nick works his way around her defenses. Trust him, or not, especially with her awful track record with men?

When an anonymous male reader of the blog challenges her on her ideas about the male species, Emma realises she must confront her past and find her true self before she can move forward...and love can blossom again in her future.

Author Spotlight - Lindsay J. Pryor

We're very happy to welcome Lindsay J. Pryor to the minxes spotlight today, so without further ado, here's her answers to the minx questions!

Tell our readers a little something about yourself. 
I’m the author of the dark paranormal romance series, Blackthorn. I was discovered by my publisher through Harlequin Mills & Boon’s New Voices Competition after I was a finalist in both 2010 (Blood Roses) and 2011 (Blood Shadows, then known as Beguiling The Enemy). Blood Shadows has recently gone on to become a No. 1 Best Seller in Gothic Romance on Amazon.com and Paranormal Vampire Romance on Amazon UK. As well as being an author, I’m a special needs teacher and I live in the South West of England with my husband and our rescue bunny.

What number book is this? First? 100^th? 200^th? (Nora only!) 
Blood Torn is the third in the Blackthorn series. I’ve got several books outside of Blackthorn locked safely away in my bottom door – but most won’t ever be granted bail, let alone release. I’m currently writing the fourth book in the series, Blood Deep, which was signed a few weeks ago.

What inspired this book? 
The series started as a concept over 16 years ago with the ‘third species’ (vampires, lycans etc) forced into an oppressive human-ruled system that they need to somehow break out of. It was inspired by me getting lost in an isolated and run-down part of the city I had just moved to. The forbidden romances that evolved within that world became inevitable because I’m a romance writer at heart. I soon found that those romances were the driving force for the change this world was going to face. So, after deciding on the series ending and working backwards in loops, each book became inspired by the catalysts that needed to happen for this change to take place.

Who or what was the inspiration for your hero? 
Jask (leader of the lycans in Blackthorn) is an integral component in the eventual outcome of the series. But if you mean a physical inspiration, there wasn’t one. I’ve never used images or real people to inspire. When I needed to help the cover designer out though, I sent through an image of Josh Holloway. He’d make a perfect Jask.

Have you any burning ambitions to write a story in a different genre? 
I think I’ll always slant to either paranormal or psychological thrillers – in Blackthorn’s case, both. 

Outside of romance, I’ve got a supernatural crime thriller (though with romantic elements admittedly!) I’ve had underway for a number of years that I’m aiming to polish in the forthcoming months. Away from paranormal completely, I’ve also got a romantic psychological thriller I’m writing. It’s very dark, of course, as that type of hero has become something of a trademark now.

What was the most fun part of writing this book? 
I love it when the characters take over – when they write their own dialogue, turn left instead or right, reveal things I hadn’t worked out for myself yet, anything like that. I’m quite stringent with how I want a story to turn out because I can’t unravel too many plot threads in the series, but I always enjoy it when characters take things into their own hands (within reason!). Phia, the heroine of Blood Torn, was real handful and the most unpredictable character I’ve had to manage – but a fun challenge. I’m just glad she walked into Jask and not Kane or Caleb.

How long does it take you to complete a book?
With the first three in the Blackthorn series, which range between 115-140,000 words, they each took me about 3 months to write the first draft then maybe another two-three months of redrafts or edits. This is bearing in mind though that Blackthorn has been under construction for years with lots of groundwork in the background in terms of characterisation, world-building and plotting, so it’s not like starting a novel completely from scratch.

In general, I think it depends on the complexity and length as well as how clear a story is in my head before I start. I’ve always found my standalones quicker to write because I can focus on one book rather than write back and forth between books to ensure everything fits together.

Where do you write?
In terms of planning, I have a notebook with me wherever I go (except on my teaching days). As for actual writing, I’ve not quite mastered writing outside of my house yet – mainly because I have a habit of talking aloud when I’m absorbed! Any first drafts are written on my laptop because it doesn’t have any internet connection, thus no temptation to surf! I’m often sat in my lounge keeping my house bunny company during that stage. When it comes to redrafts, edits and polishing, I sit at my desk in my study. Before all of that happens, in the very early stages of devising a book, I’ve always had a habit of pacing around the house as I mull. I’ve now invested in a treadmill to avoid the floors wearing out.

Do you connect with your readers at all, and if so which is your favourite platform for reaching them? 
I connect with my readers regularly, mostly via Twitter and Facebook or through my website. A lot of my readers like to connect with me through email too, especially those who don’t like chatting in an open forum – which I totally get that having avoided it for so long myself. The main thing for me is enabling readers to contact me whichever way they prefer. There’s nothing quite like hearing from someone enjoying the series.

Book Blurb for Blood Torn

‘Vampires might bite, honey, but lycans tear.’

Jask Tao, lycan leader, rules his pack with absolute dedication and demands the same loyalty in return. In the world of Blackthorn, where respect is a rare commodity, Jask has earned his – few dare to cross him, and fewer survive to tell the tale.
When he captures Sophia, a rare serryn witch – whose blood is lethal to vampires – Jask knows just how valuable she can be. Despite her fiery nature, he also can’t shake the feelings that she rouses in him – feelings that he thought died along with Ellen, his mate.
Sophia knows she has to escape from Jask’s lycan compound – and fast. Inheriting her sister’s serryn powers can only mean one thing – that her family is at risk. She’ll have to get past the dangerously attractive Jask first but, scarred by memories of her mother’s murder, Sophia won’t ever give up.
Sparks fly between Jask and Sophia but, as both her family and the pack come under threat, they might just need each other if they, and their loved ones, are going to stay alive…

In this thrillingly sensual novel, Lindsay J. Pryor returns to the shadowy dystopian world of Blackthorn, where tensions are rising, the risks are high, and the most powerful loves are formed in the face of great danger.

‘DARK, SEXY AND THRILLING.’ ~ The Demon Librarian

‘MY FAVORITE BOOK OF THE SERIES, SO FAR.’ ~ Moonrise Book Blog 

 Buy Links

http://ow.ly/tZllT      Amazon.co.uk/Kindle 
http://ow.ly/tZlA8    Amazon.co.uk/Paperback 
http://ow.ly/tZlRt     Amazon.com/Kindle 
http://ow.ly/tZm9Y  Amazon.com/Paperback

Thanks for going minxy for the day, Lindsay!

Author Spotlight - Zara Stoneley

We here at the Minxes of Romance love good bit of erotica. So we are delighted to have erotica author Zara Stoneley in our Spotlight today. Welcome Zara.

1. Tell our readers a little bit about yourself.
I’ve has been writing stories for just about as long as I’ve been reading them. I sold my first erotic novel to Xcite Books in 2012, and since then have had hot romances accepted by several publishers. My stories have featured on romance and erotic bestseller lists in the US and UK.
I divide my time between a country cottage in the UK and a Barcelona apartment, and love my family, sexy high heels, sunshine, good food and wine, coffee, cats, horses, dogs, music, writing and reading - but not necessarily in that order! I like my heroes just how I like my coffee – hot, strong and moreish.
Find out more at: www.zarastoneley.com

2. What number book is this? First? 100th? 200th?(Nora only!)
Sadly, I am no Nora! My first release was in April 2012, and I’ve now had two erotic novels published with Xcite Books, one of which is being published in paperback by a New York publisher soon (more news when I can!), Xcite have also published two of my novellas. I’ve also self-published a series of three books, and had a few short stories published in anthologies. ‘Love Is A Four Letter Word’ was published by HarperImpulse (Harper Collins) on 27th February, and is my second erotic romance with them.

3. What inspired this book?
I do love a bad boy, and the whole idea of rich girl/poor boy rather than the other way round really appeals to me. I think, quite often, independent sassy women are drawn to that ‘wild streak’… although of course appearances can be deceptive and the ‘bad’ bit can just be skin deep! Human nature is fascinating, and the whole opposites attract idea is irresistible… and then if you throw in the idealistic ‘love has no price’...

4. Who or what was the inspiration for your hero?
Well, I’m going to show my age a bit here! Back when I was a teenager I was in love with David Essex, the original bad boy.

Image courtesy of http://geordiebiker.wordpress.com/category/80s/

David (for those younger than me) is a singer and actor. He was in a film called ‘That’ll be the Day’ in the 70’s, as a real bad boy, and also in ‘Silver Dream Racer’ as a motorcycle racer. And he was exactly what I had in mind for Jake. But I’m afraid (please forgive me gorgeous David), I did also ogle this man quite a bit (a more up to date version!)

5. Have you any burning ambitions to write a story in a different genre?
I’ve been lucky enough to have erotic and contemporary romance published, but I’ve also hankered after writing a ‘bonkbuster’ for years. My lovely editor has given me a nudge in that direction, so I’m thrilled. And after that? I’d love to write a thriller/suspense.

6. In what way is being a published writer different to how you thought it would be?
I spend far too much time on promo – I’d love to just sit in an exotic location (preferably hot and sunny), with a glass of wine and write beautiful prose, whilst somebody else did my marketing! Unfortunately the reality is sitting anywhere I can find to grab the odd hour or writing in between the other bits of life.

7. What was the most fun part of writing this book?
Day dreaming about Jake! No, seriously this pair have some serious chemistry and some great banter going on. I loved the teasing and the way they provoked each other. This was one couple I’d like to hang around for longer.

8. Do you have a writing routine? Do you write every day, and is there a time of day that works best for you in terms of being productive?
I aim to write at least 5 days a week, but sometimes it’s 7 days, sometimes 2! I aim to write around the 10-12k mark each week, but some weeks I can spend most of the time wrestling with planning if I think the story is losing its pace. As long as I get to the end of the month with 30k written then I’m happy, any less and I panic. My day kicks off with coffee and social networking, emails etc. and then I will have a quick read through the last few pages I’ve written before starting properly for the day. Unfortunately my muse often kicks in at 10pm which isn’t always ideal! If you’re serious about writing though, I think you do need to see it as a job and make sure you have some goals and discipline – and aim for a routine, even if it doesn’t always work out!

9. Do you have any tips, tricks or sacrificial rituals you do when you hit a story roadblock?
Pause, read the last couple of chapters, have a dig into the characters and try and find out why they’re doing what they are. Then set a word challenge – as has been said many times before, you can’t edit a blank page.

‘Love Is A Four Letter Word’ by Zara Stoneley, published by HarperImpulse


Sometimes being bad can be too good to miss...

Take one rich girl who has a thing for the bad boys.
Take one tough guy who thinks possession is nine-tenths of the misery law.
Mix generously with a land dispute and a whole lotta lust…. And what have you got?
Sometimes being bad can be just too good to miss...

Love is a Four Letter Word is available from Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Sainburys and Google Play.

Author Spotlight - Eve Devon

Into today's spotlight we welcome author Eve Devon. Eve hails from the UK and is published by both Entangled Publishing and Harper Impulse. She's here today to talk about her Harper Impulse novel, Her Best Laid Plans.


1. Tell our readers a little bit about yourself.
Hello Lovely Readers, I’m Eve and I love writing about sexy heroes, sassy heroines and happy ever afters!

2. What number book is this? First? 100th? 200th?(Nora only!)
LOL – on the ‘Nora-stat’. If only. I’m incredibly privileged to write romantic suspense for Entangled Publishing and contemporary romance for HarperImpulse. My debut romantic suspense The Waiting Game came out last year and this, Her Best Laid Plans, my second published book, is my debut contemporary romance with HarperImpulse and it releases today *happy dances*

3. What inspired this book?
I’ve always been fascinated by two particular approaches to life: the planned approach and the wing-it approach! Of course the best approach is probably a combination of the two, but then I started wondering…If you’re an extreme version of either planning or winging-it through life, what—or, who, is going to show you why changing things up might not be such a scary thing? It would take someone pretty special…

4. Who or what was the inspiration for your hero?
My hero Jared King is an ex bad-boy-turned-businessman. Ten years ago he deviated from the plans set out for him at birth and as a result life is now measured; planned. Two words: Tom Welling! I love that he looks so rock-solid…but with a delicious hint of rebelliousness.

5. Have you any burning ambitions to write a story in a different genre?
I’m so lucky that I get to write romantic suspense as well. Being from the UK I like to think I have a touch of the Agatha Christie about me (!) and growing up I was always re-writing my own TV police procedurals to ensure the protagonists got together EVERY time. But sitting in a drawer is a Superheroes manuscript I would love to take out and dust-off and re-write. I love all things superhero (as you can probably tell from my photo of Tom Welling as Clark Kent!)

6. Do you have a writing routine? Do you write every day, and is there a time of day that works best for you in terms of being productive?
I try to write a minimum 1000 words a day. Sometimes those 1000 words can be done in a couple of hours and then I do promo/admin work—sometimes those 1000 words take all day, and some of the evening! Now I’m writing to contract, I try to leave weekends free so that I get a little downtime and don’t burnout. For some reason I’m always most productive right before I have to start dinner!

7. Do you have any tips, tricks or sacrificial rituals you do when you hit a story roadblock?
I think I’ve learnt that sometimes you really have to push on through when you reach a road-block because sometimes you really haven’t reached a roadblock, what you’ve actually done is back-off of writing something difficult. If I keep writing but then end up getting myself into even more of a tangle, I tend to start walking around the house muttering darkly until Hubby finally tells me to “cut myself some slack and go do some craft”! He knows me so well! Craft—not tea, is the panacea of life. That break I give my brain usually lets me unravel where I’ve gone wrong in my plot and allows me to get back into it.

8. Where do you write?
I write in my garret – the technical term I use for the tiny room at the top of our stairs. I write with my back to the window to avoid distraction and when I can’t write because I need a distraction I plod downstairs to write at the dining-room table. There I have a wonderful view of all the jobs I haven’t got around to doing in the garden!

9. Do you connect with your readers at all, and if so which is your favourite platform for reaching them?
I love chatting with readers and I’m on Twitter, Facebook or my website most days, so please feel free to drop by for a chat 

Book Blurb: Her Best Laid Plan

Love is what happens to you when you’re busy making other plans…

The Totally Perfect Life Plan of Amanda Gray:
Step 1 – Take control of own destiny and avoid getting too caught up in the details.
Step 2 – Definitely do NOT kiss gorgeous bad-boy businessman who doesn’t know how to live life without scheduling it six months in advance, even if he is absolutely irresistible.
Step 3 – Don’t even THINK of accompanying him to London as his PA to enjoy steamy encounters in a metropolitan paradise.
Step 4 – Absolutely, positively, whatever you do – do NOT fall in love with him…

Her Best Laid Plans is available from Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, iBookstore and Kobo.

Author Spotlight - Caroline Storer

Caroline Storer has long been an active supporter of this blog, so we are super delighted to have here in our Spotlight today with her debut Roman romance, The Roman.

* * *

Firstly, thank you Minxes for having me here. I’ve been a fan of this Blog for years now, and it’s lovely to be here amongst so many of my cyber friends.

Tell our readers a little bit about yourself.
Hi, my name is Caroline Storer, and I live on the beautiful (if slightly windy) island of Anglesey in North Wales. (Anglesey, you may recall was recently the home of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge – William and Kate. I did invite them over for tea, but unfortunately they were too busy!) I’m happily married to my own Alpha Hero, Colin, and have one step-son and grandson. By day I’m an Environmental Health Officer for the local Council. My work can be quite challenging to say the least, and no one day is the same. I find escaping into a good book (either reading or writing one) a great way of relaxing once I’ve finished work. I am a voracious reader of anything “romantic” and have been since I “borrowed” one of my gran's Mills and Boons when I was around 13!

What number book is this? First? 100th? 200th?(Nora only!)
“The Roman” is my debut book for HarperImpulse. (I’m still at the pinching myself stage BTW at the thought of being published!) When I recently got the cover for my book I nearly swooned in delight. He’s absolutely gorgeous and just what I imagined my hunky Roman would look like. I hope you agree.

What inspired this book?
My love of Roman history, which has been with me since childhood and the film’s The Gladiator and Ben Hur. I also loved the mini-series Spartacus. The late Andy Whitfied was born in Amlwch, about 10 miles
from where I live (((sigh))).

Who or what was the inspiration for your hero?
General Maximus Decimus Meridius – a.k.a Russell Crowe in The Gladiator. I’ve watched this film about 10 tens now and I’m still bowled over by his gorgeousness! He is the typical alpha male Roman hero IMHO.

Have you any burning ambitions to write a story in a different genre?
Yes! As well as writing Roman historicals, I’ve recently finished writing a “Viking romance”. I’m plotting a “Regency romance” at the moment and I’m toying with a romantic suspense. I’ve also got a futuristic romance on my hard-drive waiting to be written, along with several contemporary romances. Sometimes it’s a fight as to which one will get written next! So far the “Romans” have won.

In what way is being a published writer different to how you thought it would be?
Having a contract and deadlines tend to focus the mind somewhat. Also, having revisions from my editor was a steep learning curve. Thankfully, there weren’t a lot of them and my editor liked what I sent to her. But the one week turnaround in getting them back meant burning the midnight oil. Publicity is another big learning curve. Having to get yourself, and your book “out there” is something I hadn’t really thought about before I became published.

Do you have a writing routine? Do you write every day, and is there a time of day that works best for you in terms of being productive?
I’m always in awe of the productivity of some writers, and wish I could be as disciplined at they are. But I’m not. I do try to write every day except Wednesdays when I have other commitments. I find the weekends and evenings work best for me. Not having young children around means I’m not as constrained by the hustle and bustle of life as some writers are. I have learned by trial and error as to what works for me productivity wise. I did try the “get up at 5am to write” scenario before I went to work to try and increase the word-count but that was a disaster – Facebook and Candy Crush - but no writing! I’m definitely more productive the late afternoons and early evenings.

Are your family and real-life friends supportive? If so, in what ways? If not, do you have another support network for your writing?
On January the 1st 2007 my husband said he was “popping out for a bit”. Three hours later he returned with a laptop he bought for me in the January sales. As he handed me the box he said, “Now there’s no excuse for you not to write that book you’ve been going on about.” So yes, my husband has been hugely influential in supporting (and starting) my writing career. I’ve also been blessed by having huge support from my two best friends I met at university over (gasp) 30 years ago. They have been fabulous. And it goes without saying that other writers, (Minxy ladies you know who you are!), out there in blogland, and on Facebook, have been so helpful and supportive.

Where do you write?
I’ve actually got 3 writing places. One, sitting in my arm chair in the living room with the laptop on a small laptop table and with a footstool elevating my feet. The second, is a recliner chair that sits in the corner of our bedroom (with another footstool), and thirdly, the spare bedroom where I’ve got my own little office with desk and computer chair. But I seem more productive in the bedroom (that sound rude doesn’t it!) as I can type away quite happily for hours while hubby watches what he like on the TV in bed. The only thing I need to block out interruptions are my earplugs, then I can pretty much tap away to my heart’s content!

Thanks again for having me, Minxy’s! Caroline x

The Roman

Famous charioteer, Aulus Epidius Marsallas wants revenge against Justina Philipus - the only woman he’s ever loved, but who’d betrayed him by becoming his uncle’s mistress. Forced to meet Marsallas for the first time in six years, Justina is shocked at the changes she sees in him. Gone is the carefree youth she once loved, now replaced by a hard muscular stranger. But there is no denying the attraction that still flows between them, and when his uncle dies, Marsallas offers sculptress Justina a challenge – a bronze stature of himself, and his four horse chariot, to be displayed at the Circus Maximus. Justina knows that this commission is just what she needs to make a name for herself, and give her the freedom she covets, so she accepts Marsallas’s challenge. However, Justina is unprepared when Marsallas states one further condition – she must become his mistress. But Justina has a secret, she’s still a virgin, she just hasn’t told Marsallas yet…

The Roman is available from Amazon, Amazon UK and all other eBook retailers.

You can find Caroline on her blog, on Facebook and on Twitter.