Connie Bretes Author of Blue As Sapphires
Give a warm welcome to Connie Bretes, author of Blue As Sapphires released February 16, 2017!
Pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the cooler, a Chocolate Chip or Peanut Butter cookie from the plate, and let’s find out a little about Connie and Blue As Sapphires.
National Statistics. On average, nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States. … 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have been victims of [some form of] physical violence by an intimate partner within their lifetime.
Boy those are scary stats.
Statistics – National Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Blue As Sapphires was born from my love of sapphire digging, and gold panning in the beautiful Gem Mountains and Rock Creek River that runs through Philipsburg, Montana. Another issue that I’m passionate about is doing away with domestic abuse. I took the two subjects and combined them into a story that made Marissa determined to survive and overcome her ex-husband’s physical and emotional abuse, and the sheriff, Riley McCade, who is determined to love and protect her.
Tell us a little about Blue As Sapphires:
Escaping from her abusive ex-husband, Marissa Simpson came back to her hometown to start over. She had no intention of getting involved with another man, or with the community she left behind all those years ago. That is, until Riley McCade showed up.
Riley was the Sheriff of Granite County and he commanded a work force of fifteen deputies. He loved his community and went out of his way to protect and serve. When he met up with Marissa, he was bound and determined to get to know her even though she said she wasn’t interested.
The more he got to know her, the more he learned of her past. Could he protect her and earn her love?
Buy Links: Amazon Beachwalk Press Barnes & Noble
A Word About The Author
Connie began her career as a secretary in 1977 for the State of Michigan as a civil servant. She retired from the Michigan Department of Transportation after 38 years as the department’s forms analyst. She has an MBA in Business Administration – Leadership Studies, and a BA in Business Management.
She has six books published, with five more on the way.
Connie spends most of her time behind her computer, writing, editing and researching for her next story. When she’s not there, she can be found checking out ghost towns, sapphire mining, and gold panning with her best friend and husband, Jim. Her other hobbies consists of basket weaving, and jewelry making.
She is a member of RWA’s From The Heart Romance Writers, and Kiss of Death Romance Writers, and lives in Basin, Montana
You Can Find Connie Bretes on:
Website: www.constancebretes.com Blog Twitter Facebook Goodreads
How about a peek into Blue As Sapphires?
Marissa laid back and wrapped her arms around Riley’s neck. She brought her lips to within an inch of his. She stared into his eyes and noticed how tender they looked. She moved in a little more, and her lips met his. He moved his mouth over hers, devouring it. While the fireworks were going off in the sky, Marissa felt her own fireworks. His kiss sent a shock wave through her entire body. Riley guided Marissa so she was on her back and he was partially on her. His Stetson concealed their faces. They continued to kiss and touch, looking lovingly at each other, and then kiss again.
The fireworks lasted for fifteen minutes, and suddenly a flashlight shone on them and voices interrupted them. Three firefighters stood in front of them singing a line from Burning Love.
Riley and Marissa quickly broke apart.
“What the hell?” Riley said. A hint of irritation laced his voice. He abruptly stood up, grabbed Marissa’s hand, and pulled her up.
“We were told that there was sparks on the ground, and we were asked to put it out,” Mitch said, laughing.
“Just who the hell told you that?” Riley asked.
“Heidi,” John, second firefighter, said with an amused smile on his face.
Riley and Marissa shot Heidi a glance.
“We can see that the sparks have been put out so we’ll head back to the truck.” Mitch smiled even wider.
Dave and Cindy stood off to the side chuckling. Someone from the crowd that had gathered around them asked, “Hey, Sheriff, got a new girlfriend?” Ripples of laughter rang through the crowd.
Marissa continued to glare at Heidi. She couldn’t believe her friend would do something like that. As the party broke up, Marissa said to Heidi, “We will talk later.”
Stop by here, http://www.constancebretes.com/news–things.html for a chance to win a free copy of Blue As Sapphires.
It was wonderful having you with us today. Please feel free to stop by anytime. Good Luck with Blue As Sapphires!
Views: 55
Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Connie Bretes, Contemporary, Domestic Abuse, Romance, Sapphires, small town by Tena Stetler with 2 comments.
Welcome, Author Charlotte O’Shay
Give a warm welcome to Charlotte, author of The Marriage Ultimatum, just released on June 24, 2016!
Pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the cooler, a Chocolate Chip cookie from the plate, and let’s find out a little about Charlotte.
Charlotte O’Shay was born in New York City into big family and then married into another big family all of which provided her with enough drama, noise and inspiration for a lifetime of stories.
Negotiating skills honed at the dinner table led her to a career in the law. After four beautiful children joined the crowded family tree, Charlotte gladly traded her legal career to write about happily ever afters in the City of Dreams.
Why do you write what you write?
I write contemporary, sometimes spicy, stories because for the most part that is what I’ve always liked to read. But I enjoy historicals, especially a good Highlander romance. And I like anything set during the U.S. Revolutionary War period although I haven’t read too many of those. Maybe some day I’ll write a romance set in that era.
What inspired you to write?
Stories have transported me to a happy place since I was old enough to read. I always read everything I could get my hands on and words have always fascinated me. I want to tell the kind of story that always brought me to that special place where character and story linger in my head long after I close the book or turn off e-reader.
And your settings?
For the most part my stories are set in New York City. They say write what you know and I know the city well but the real reason I choose to write romance set in NYC is the energy and sense of possibility here. I want to tell a page turning story about the men and women who migrate here to make their dreams come true. When I walk in the city I feel like I can hear all 8 million stories just waiting to be told.
Where do your story ideas come from?
Some story ideas have come to me in the middle of the night and I do have a scribble pad on my night table. I also have fallen asleep with a story problem at the forefront of my mind and have sometimes worked through the answer by morning. I wish this happened more often! As with most authors, I think, ideas come at the strangest times and questions about my characters are answered sometimes as part of an unrelated non-book conversation. I think answers that come that way are the most true and organic. That being said I follow the news and I often hear or read something that starts a chain of what ifs in my head and the story takes off from there.
And if you had a time machine, a cloak of invisibility and one hour? Where would you go and what eavesdropping would you do?
This is such a great question. Can I change what happens if I go back in time? If so, I would go back to push Aaron Burr’s hand up to the sky and deflect the gun shot that killed Alexander Hamilton. I read the Ron Chernow book Hamilton and I’ve been in awe Hamilton’s brilliance and the story of his improbable rise since school days. Hamilton is the quintessential New York immigrant who ‘made good’ and I wonder what more he could have done if he lived.
Tell us a little about The Marriage Ultimatum.
Dead-end job? Dreary apartment? Disastrous love life? Check, check, and check. Toddler who makes it all worthwhile? Absolutely. Juggling work, college, and the care of young Alex was never Sabrina’s plan.
But Sabrina’s dreams are bigger than any curve ball life can throw at her. Her top priority is keeping her small family together, no matter what the cost.
Vladimir Grigory doesn’t believe in dreams. He earned his position at the top of New York’s corporate ladder with his own sweat. His empire is his baby, and he’ll destroy anyone who threatens it. Even the sexy employee who challenges him on every level.
When the New York tabloids and the world call him the baby daddy of Sabrina’s son, Vlad believes Sabrina is part of a plot to expose the secrets of his past. He threatens to destroy her future. But since Sabrina has secrets of her own, she has no choice but to agree to Vlad’s marriage ultimatum.
Do you happen to have an Excerpt?
“What’re you doing creeping up on me like that? Who are you?” Her gaze narrowed in on him even as she took a step back.
He stared right back, sinking into eyes so mercurially gray then green, then gray again, it was like he’d fallen into the turbulent depths of the Atlantic. With her wild eyes, untamed hair, and skintight clothes, she was a mermaid and absolutely the answer to this sailor’s prayers.
She shoved an unruly swath of hair back over her shoulder, all attitude. One hand was on her hip and the other fiddled with the hem of her sweater. His gaze tracked her every move.
Her chin angled up. “Seen enough? You know what they say: Take a picture, it’ll last longer.”
The Marriage Ultimatum Buy Links:
Please visit Charlotte on the links below:
Website: (wordpress) http://charlotteoshayauthor.com
Facebook: Charlotte O’Shay http://facebook.com/charlotteoshayauthor
Twitter: @charlotte_oshay http://twitter.com/charlotte_oshay
Instagram: charlotte_oshay_author
It was wonderful having you with us today. Please feel free to stop by anytime.
Views: 13
Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Contemporary, Romance, Spicy by Tena Stetler with 19 comments.
Welcome Author – Katie O’Sullivan
Give a warm welcome to Katie, author of Crazy About You!
Pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the cooler, a peanut butter cookie from the plate, and let’s find out a little about Katie.
What inspired this particular story?
CRAZY ABOUT YOU was actually inspired by an article in Scientific American, yeah, a bit strange, I know. The article talked about the “plastisphere” of trash floating in the ocean, which led me to search online or more information, and I started wondering about the men and women who devote their lives to researching things like this… and things grew from there.
What secret do you use to blast through writer’s block?
Oh my god, if someone has a secret to do this I need to know!
I’m a total pantser and if I write myself into a corner I can sulk for weeks and not write anything until I figure a way out of it. With CRAZY ABOUT YOU, I found it helped to call up my neighbor and drag her along for a beach walk to talk out the plot points. She’d ask questions and the answers would help me realize what was going wrong with the plot.
Did you tell friends and family that you were writing a book? Or did it take a while to come out and tell friends and family you were a writer?
As an English major, I think my friends and family all expected me to become a writer. No one expected me to choose romance or young adult genres, though. It makes me happy to write books like the ones I like to read – escapist romances with intelligent women getting a second chance at love.
What do you want your readers to take away from your books?
I want readers to finish my stories with a smile. I make my characters go through some crazy situations, but in the end they get the happily ever after – or punishment – they deserve. I also love writing stories set on Cape Cod, and hope readers fall in love with the scenery enough to feel as if they’ve taken a mini-vacation. Umm, is that too much to ask? Well, as long as I’m going for it, throw in world peace and a resolution to climate change.
Tell us a little about Crazy About You.
Climate scientist Chase Anderson races from one project to the next, unwilling to slow down in his quest to save the world’s oceans. He has no time for family or relationships until he crashes into an impetuous blonde with a quirky sense of humor. One sizzling kiss makes him seriously reevaluate his priorities. And his sanity.
Emma Maguire left her small Cape Cod hometown years ago, seeking the fast pace and anonymity of New York City. She’s not sure what she’s searching for, but when a family crisis brings her home to Provincetown she’s caught in a crazy tangle of half-truths and mistaken identity… and falls for the handsome stranger who broke her cell phone. Will untangling the web of lies drive them crazy, or lead to something even crazier – like love?
Buy Links:
AMAZON:
THE WILD ROSE PRESS:
BARNES & NOBLE
Here’s an Excerpt:
A blinding smile lit her face, and she waved with enthusiasm. His heart skipped a few beats as his blood all went lower down.
She beelined to the table, calling his name. “Chase? Chase! It’s so good to see you again! Thanks so much for inviting me to lunch!”
He found himself rising to greet her for the second time inside an hour. Instead of sitting, she came to where he stood and wrapped her arms around his neck. She planted an exaggerated kiss on his cheek, like the one he’d envied Tony for the prior day, those soft red lips wet on his skin. His arms slipped around her waist and his stomach clenched hard, inappropriate thoughts racing through his head at breakneck speed, leaving him dazed. Staring down, he saw similar confusion mirrored in Emma’s eyes, as if she felt it too, that electric current running fast and furious between them at every point where their bodies connected. And she wasn’t letting go.
A fun feel good story!
Katie O’Sullivan lives on Cape Cod, drinking way too much coffee and inventing new excuses not to dust. Living next to the Atlantic influences everything she writes, from her YA series about mermaids to her contemporary romances for The Wild Rose Press. A recovering English major, she earned her degree at Colgate University and now writes romance and adventure for young adults, and something steamier for the young at heart. Katie loves to hear from readers. You can find her at:
Website: www.katie-osullivan.com
Blog: http://katieosullivan.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKatieOSullivan
Twitter: https://twitter.com/OkatieO
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3326303.Katie_O_Sullivan
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/author/katieosullivan
It was wonderful having you with us today. Please feel free to stop by anytime!
Views: 25
Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Cape Cod, Contemporary, Romance by Tena Stetler with 14 comments.
Welcome Author – Charlotte Copper!
Give a warm welcome to Charlotte, author of CALIFORNIA BLUE!
Pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the cooler, a Chocolate Chip cookie from the plate, and let’s find out a little about Charlotte.
Who is your favorite character of all of the books you’ve written and Why?
There is a demon hunter in my first book, SILVER BLADE, and his name is Oscar (Oz) McAvoy….I’d have to say he is my favorite. I think the way you always remember your first boyfriend, he is my first hero. He’s big and bald and gruff, and I love him. (So much so that he makes a couple of brief appearances in my current WIP.)
Did you tell friends and family that you were writing a book? Or did it take a while to come out and tell friends and family you were a writer?
No. They thought I was spending time playing computer games on my laptop…which is strange since I’m the only person in the house that does NOT do that. I think I was writing for about six months before I finally confessed.
What do you want your readers to take away from your books?
In my YA books, CALIFORNIA BLUE and STRAWBERRY SUMMER, I want young girls to feel confident in themselves. I have a daughter and two step-daughters, so girl power is very important to me.
What do you like to do when you are not writing?
I love to read and craft, and admittedly have far too many hobbies. Right now, I’m knitting a scarf and a blanket, working on a crewel pillow and a cross-stitch, and sewing a bag for summer. I usually have one or two books that I’m reading, and often have a number of photos waiting for the scrapbook.
Tell us a little about California Blue.
High-school junior, Halen Stone is starting a new school in sunny California. When her twin brother, Floyd, brings home his new friend Austin, Halen only has one word: wow!
School, running, babysitting and barbeques bring them together, but one thing keeps them apart, Austin’s gorgeous girlfriend.
A timely break-up and the school’s Halloween dance finally give Halen and Austin a chance to be together…as more than friends
Do you have an Excerpt for us?
“Halen,” a voice called from within the group. Definitely not Floyd’s. She took a deep breath and turned as Austin emerged from the crowd. A leggy blonde in a short skirt and high heels watched them with narrowed eyes.
“Hey,” he said. “I spoke to the coach this morning. He said it was too late to join the team. Something about paperwork and all that. Sorry, I should’ve asked him before I mentioned it.”
“No problem.” It’s not like she wanted to join in the first place. She’d hardly thought about it on her run this morning. Well, perhaps a little. Cross country, of course, not Austin.
“Maybe you and I could run together some time,” he said. “We’re supposed to practice on our own twice a week, but to be honest, I don’t have much willpower when I’m expected to do it myself.”
He wanted to run with her? Really? “Sure. Anytime. You know where I live,” she said with a chuckle. Ha-ha. That was funny, right?
Austin laughed, and from behind him a pair of eyes, heavy with blue eye shadow and dark eyeliner, aimed invisible beams of dislike at Halen’s chest.
You can find California Blue at the retailers below:
I love stories set around Halloween, my very favorite holiday! Now let’s see what keeps Charlotte busy.
As mother to one daughter and two stepdaughters, Charlotte Copper has been reading young adult books for years. The girls have moved out and moved on, but Charlotte’s love of books about young, strong women continues.
Charlotte lives in Stouffville, Ontario, Canada where she works fulltime and likes to craft, go to the movies, read, and of course, write. Charlotte loves to hear from readers. You can find her at:
Email: charlottecopper.author@gmail.com
Website: http://charlottecopperauthor.com
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/charlotte.copper.52
Twitter:: @charlottecopper https://twitter.com/CharlotteCopper
It was wonderful having you with us today. Please feel free to stop by anytime!
Views: 23
Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Contemporary, Romance, YA by Tena Stetler with 20 comments.
