Break Out the Bubbly & Dark Chocolate: Celebrating Christine Glover's Debut Novel The Maverick's Red Hot Reunion

I love my cover!! Thanks Entangled!

Well the day has finally arrived where I can say I am officially a published author! I am still quite a bit in shock about it all. But the last year has been an incredible journey from the first sale moment until now. This is a dream come true and proves that no matter what you should never give up your dreams. I almost did and look where I am today. So I'm celebrating in style and enjoying every positive moment about The Maverick's Red Hot Reunion's release. 

Pop*Fizzle*Pour and raise a glass of Champagne to this big day as I share a little bit about my writing journey with y'all. 

1. How did I end up becoming a writer?

I was born to be a writer, but pursuing it full time didn't happen until after I became a stay at home mom. At first I was busy volunteering in the classroom and doing what a lot of parents do with a growing child. But by the time my daughter was in the fourth grade, I needed more. I dusted off my old dreams and my laptop to begin writing my first story. 

2. What is my favorite genre to write?

Contemporary romance hands down. 

3. Am I a plotter or do I follow the muse?

I am a hybrid writer. I loosely plot the emotional turning points after I figure out my characters' goals, motivations, and conflicts. But I usually don't know how the story is going to be in the end until I've written a first draft and revised it at least twice. Then I send it to my CP Pam Mantovani for her input. After she sends her PAs (Picky Alerts) to me, I get back to work. I love revising so this is the fun part for me.

4. How do I relax after a writing day?

Wine and conversation with my CP Pam, the Physicist & the College Kid. I also love to cook so that's fun for me.

5. What do I read? What are my favorite genres? Who are my favorite authors?

I read all genres except for horror stories. I love historical romances by Eloisa James and romantic suspenses by Lynn Raye Harris. I also enjoy reading new authors and the other Indulgence line authors at my publishing house, Entangled Publishing. 

6. What is my current project?

I'm revising the prequel novella to The Maverick's Red Hot Reunion. It's about Michael's middle sister Jessie and the man who steals her heart. I am also working on the first draft for the sequel to The Maverick's Red Hot Reunion. This story is about Caleb and Hannah's journey toward love. I hope to have the first draft ready for a pre-Pam Mantovani PA attack by the end of July. 

7. Any new releases? 

Jessie's story, tentatively titled Beauty and the Marine, will release before November. It's set six years prior to The Maverick's Red Hot Reunion. You'll get to meet Michael just after his big triple Olympic gold medal wins in the swimming events and watch Kennedy and Zach exchange their first kiss. 

8. Where do I get my ideas for my stories?

I get my ideas from everywhere. Newspaper stories, overheard snippets of conversation, characters that pop into my head might give me a scene to start with and then I ask a lot of  "what if" questions to brainstorm each story.

9. How long was I trying to get published before I got the “call?”

I'd been writing contemporary romances for about nine years, but wasn't actively pursuing publication until 2009. Once I got super focused and treated the writing as a career then things began to move a lot faster. 

10. How did I celebrate the new book contract?

Champagne!!

11. How did I celebrate the “call?”

I was on my way to Zumba so I told my friends in the class before it started. Then that night we went out with friends for Chinese food. The server gave me a piece of cake when she learned I had sold my first book. It was a fun day!!

12. Was the “call” an actual phone conversation or an email or a snail mail?

I got an email from my new editor. The best email of all.

13. Do I have an agent?

No. But maybe one day I will have an agent. So many factors are dependent upon that kind of decision. Right now I'm very happy with the way I've been treated by my publishing house. 

14. What advice would I give aspiring writers?

Write every day even if it's just a word. Treat this as a profession long before you sell. And always build on your knowledge about the craft. I still take classes because I have a lot to learn.

15. What encouragement can I give writers who face rejection?

Well, I have a funny way of looking at rejection. I've called every rejection a "trying to get published badge of courage." I also paid myself for every rejection. A dollar for a rejected query letter. Five dollars for a rejected partial. And ten dollars for a rejected full manuscript. I saved that money and used it to pay for annual conferences, writing costs, etc. I also allowed myself one day of mourning which always included a call to my CP and wine. But you have to move past it. Truthfully, I'm already receiving a different kind of rejection. Not every reader likes my book. And that's okay. It's a subjective business. I just tell myself there are people who do like my story and focus on the positive. 

16. What is the most difficult part about writing for me? 

Writing the dreaded synopsis! Blah. But I am getting better at tackling that beast. 

17. What is the most surprising thing I discovered after I received the call?

That the doubt and fear doesn't go away. It is still with me, on my shoulders, and trying to tell me I can't do it. I still have to battle those demons. I still have to fight for every word. And I still have to tell myself that the only way I will get a story written is to write the thing and revise it. 

Thanks for sharing all the fun and excitement about my first sale today!! I am popping champagne and playing over in my Facebook land from 12-8PM with lots of author friends. There will be giveaways, prizes, and just plain fun!!! You can check it out here.

Here's the back cover copy for The Maverick's Red Hot Reunion:

Can he satisfy his craving without losing his heart?

Corporate Maverick Zach Tanner returns to North Carolina to rebuild his dying friend's resort. He's got the money, the power, and the will to transform Sweetbriar Springs into a premier spa for the glamorous, but he doesn't count on the woman he once loved…and lost…to handle the construction contract. Zach thought he'd buried his desire for Kennedy five years ago. He was wrong, and now he’s determined to satisfy his craving...

Construction company owner Kennedy Gibson is eager to restore Sweetbriar Springs, but when she realizes Zach is her new boss she's terrified he'll learn the truth about their breakup so long ago. She vowed never to hurt him again, but she can't deny the passion he reignites in her. She wants to believe she has a chance for a different future with him, but will her secret threaten to destroy their red-hot reunion?

Buy Links:

Amazon Barnes and Noble kobo Amazon.ca

Born in the Netherlands, Christine moved to Canada where she spent her formative years. Then she married her Texan Alpha Physicist, moved to the United States and she has lived both south and north of the Mason Dixon line. Now Christine resides in Alabama with her husband, two insane cats and her wonderful daughter. She enjoys finding the silly in the serious, making wine out of sour grapes, and giving people giggle fits along with heartfelt hugs. When she’s not writing, you can find her traveling the world, cooking gourmet food, and desperately seeking a corkscrew.

Email: christinegloverauthor@gmail.com

Blog: www.christinegloverauthor.com

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Let's start this party off right. One lucky commenter will win a gift card today!!

Break Out the Bubbly & the Dark Chocolate: Celebrating Dakota Harrison's Debut Novel Exhale

Author Dakota Harrison

Hi Everyone! My dear friend and fellow Southern Magic Chapter mate hooked me up with a brand new author over at Samhain Publishing. Although I haven't met Dakota Harrison in person, we've been corresponding via email for several months. And I'm thrilled to have her on the Veranda as we discuss her debut novel Exhale released July 30, 2013 by Samhain Publishing. It's always fun to learn about how writers became published and what that journey is like for each one of them. So please join me in giving Dakota a warm welcome to the Veranda. 

*Pop*Pour*Sip* 

And nibbling on dark chocolate while we chat about Exhale!

Hi Christine! Thanks so much for having me here today.

 I'm so glad you could join me. Tell me, what what is your favorite genre to write?

My favorite genres are Contemporary and SciFi/Fantasy Romance. I would also love to attempt writing a literary novel one day, I just need to find the right story to tell. My problem is that I love my happy endings!

 I am a big fan of Happily-Ever-Afters myself. When you write your happy endings are you a plotter or do you follow the muse?

I'm most certainly a pantser, but I am learning (due to much prodding from more organized writer friends) how to incorporate some plotting.

 Plotting always seems to elude me. I try, but still the characters take me down interesting paths. I usually unwind with a glass of wine (or bubbly) after a writing day. How do you relax after a writing day?

I tend to write late at night. I have a young family and a busy home business so it seems to bet the only time I get that’s uninterrupted. So, I usually live on tea – most varying flavors – my favorite is Earl Grey, and Lemon when I don’t want caffeine. I also love a long bath with a good book. *vbg* Movies are a huge thing for me, too. I'm very visual, so a good movie really inspires and relaxes me.

 Oh, I love Earl Grey tea. One of my favorites.What do you read when you're sipping tea or soaking in the tub? What are your favorite genres? Who are your favorite authors?

I actually try to read across genres. I’ll try anything if it catches my interest, from romance, to hard scifi, to science texts, to manga, and everything in between.

 That's a wide variety! What is your current project?

I'm working on the sequel to ‘Exhale’. It’s nearly done, and the hero is a character introduced in the final chapter of ‘Exhale’ – Taka’s cousin, Shin. It’s set in Tokyo, and he’s a little more raunchy than I'm used to!

 Oh, that sounds deliciously spicy. Can't wait to see that cover! Any new releases? 

Yes! I have another contemporary romance coming out at the end of October, again with Samhain Publishing, about a woman running away from her past and the repercussions of the bad choices she made, running so far she changes continents.

 I love those kind of stories. Keep me posted about when it releases!! And it sounds so interesting. Where do you get your ideas for your stories?

So many places! Overhearing a line of a conversation; a line in a song; characters in a movie that spark the ‘what if’ bug. I daydream a lot. I believe this is a huge part of my mental plotting technique. At least that way, if a plot line doesn’t work, I don’t have to delete anything!

 I consider daydreaming a form of writing. Now tell me, how long were you trying to get published before you got the “call?”

I was writing seriously for almost five years before I got that amazing email. I was so shocked I sent it to someone else to make sure I was reading what I thought I saw! The enthusiasm my editor showed for my characters was quite humbling.

 Ah, I can relate to the Amazing Email, too. A fabulous feeling to finally see that dream come to life. What advice would you give aspiring writers who are still trying to get published?

The biggest thing I would say is don’t give up, and write, write, WRITE! Even if you think what you’ve written is terrible, or the worst thing ever written in the history of man – Don’t. Stop. Entering contests took my writing to new levels, ones that enabled me to get my work in front of the right person at the right time. It took a while, from entering and doing poorly; to entering and finaling; from finaling to placing; then I finally started winning. And it was an important part of learning. All that feedback, all those well-meaning comments that sometimes completely missed the point of the story, but more often than not, they hit the mark 100%. Also, get yourself a group of peers – critique partners and the such – or even someone who you see as a mentor type person. Someone who may be slightly ahead of where you are yourself, or someone much further along. Then main thing is if you connect on a personal level as well as a professional one, you’ll have yourself the start of a support network, and likely the start of some wonderful friendships.

I'm a firm believer in the power of contests. And in surrounding yourself with a great group of peers who share your passion for writing. What is the most difficult part about writing for you?

BOS – Bum-on-seat! I have procrastination down to a fine art. I work fanatically with a strict or tight deadline. Give me time/leniency/open-ended options, and I crumble. I need that rigid timetable to keep me productive. Give myself a timetable I hear you say? Nope! Doesn’t work. My subconscious works ways around it and ‘tweaks’ the timeframe. The first 20,000 words also are hard for me. Once I get past that magic number, I seem to fall into my rhythm.

BOS is a great way of putting it. I call it BICHOK. Butt in chair, hands on keys. :-) Either way, regardless of what side of the earth we live, we have to sit down and work on the writing. Great advice! And it looks like all the BOS has worked for you Dakota. Y'all, check out the amazing, super sexy cover of her new book Exhale and read the blurb. This one is a story that sounds like one I need to add to my TBR pile :-)

Gorgeous Cover!!

Exhale

Release date ~ July 30, 2013
Samhain Publishing

Takeshi is finishing up a brutal double shift in the ER when a familiar—and bloody—face erases all thought of heading home. The broken body of the woman fighting for her life belongs to Gabby, his best friend’s mother. A woman he's loved since he turned nineteen, when he foolishly declared his love for her.

 She’s not dying today. Not on his watch. And not with a promise left unfulfilled.

Gabby has never forgotten the taste of the kiss Taka gave her under the mistletoe all those years ago. Or the silly promise that surely by now he’s forgotten. She’s wrong. Taka remembers. And she melts as he uses every trick in his highly trained surgeon’s hands to heal her—and rekindle the heat between them.

But there’s a secret lurking in Gabby’s past. And when it follows her all the way to Seattle, it threatens to drag the one man she loves into the nightmare she thought she’d left behind.

You can find Dakota Harrison here and because she's down under she'll be answering all comments in her Time Zone. How cool is that I have an Australian debut author on my blog? Pretty swanking cool!

www.dakotaharrison.com

Samhain: http://store.samhainpublishing.com/exhale-p-72890.html

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CC9PLLA/ref=cm_sw_su_dp

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/exhale-dakota-harrison/1115213409?ean=9781619216518

 

Break Out the Bubbly & the Dark Chocolate: Celebrating Katherine Bone's New Release The Rogue's Prize

Author Katherine Bone

 Ahoy Mates! I've got a special friend and guest on the Veranda today, Katherine Bone. She's a sister writer at two of my favorite chapters, Heart of Dixie and Southern Magic. She got THE CALL last year from Crimson Romance and now she's releasing her second book! We wanted to chat when her first book was released, but life got in the way. But now I'm thrilled to host Katherine and share her publishing journey.

Welcome to the Veranda, Katherine. *Pop*Fizz*Pour* 

Thank you for hoisting your sails and inviting me aboard the veranda today, Christine!!! I’ve wanted to stretch the plank between our two ships for some time now and I’m so glad that our sailing lanes have finally converged!

Me, too! And if you all haven't noticed by now, Katherine's a HUGE pirate fan. What's not to love about a pirate, right? I can think of a few alpha-licious ones right now. Katherine, how did you end up becoming a writer (when you weren't sailing the seven seas)?

With a compass pointing to what you want most, you can get almost anywhere, right? It’s been a long journey. Poetry and romance appealed to me when I was in my early teens. I’ll never forget the joy I felt when my Haiku was chosen to be published in my Junior High Yearbook. In High School, a Literature class tickled my muse as I began to write short stories and got really great grades doing it. A great feeling! Life happened after that: college, Prince Charming, marriage, Army moves, and children. Meanwhile I continued to write poetry until the need to write returned in force. When it did, I sank hook line and sinker into a world of amazing challenges.

I'm so glad you rediscovered your dream and followed your heart. What is your favorite genre to write? 

Hands down (or up) that would have to be historical romance, especially the Regency period, though I have written, and cast aside for now, half of a western trilogy and a published contemporary, Lost Treasure, Captive Princess, too.

Ah, deviations from the chosen genre. I understand that desire, too. So many ideas and so little time. When you do sit down to write, are you a plotter or do you follow the muse? 

Hmmm… very good question, one I think I continue to define. I’m a Heinz 57— aka plantster. I plot characters, they give me the beginning and end of their stories, and then the muse and my fingertips do the rest. ;)

I love character driven stories. After you've plotted your characters and written, how do you relax?

The best relaxation I can think of is cradling a cup of hot tea while watching one of my favorite movies or tv shows, or settling down for a nap with a cozy blanket and my fluffy cat.

Sounds divine! If you're not watching a movie, what do you read? What are your favorite genres? Who are your favorite authors? 

Historical romance tickles my fancy, but I read a variety too. I love to read action/adventure/swashbuckling romance in the vein of Shana Galen, Katharine Ashe, Johanna Lindsey, Julie Garwood, Michelle Beattie, and Jennifer Ashley.  Diane Gaston, Ann Lethbridge, Carla Kelly, and Julia Justiss, along with Lynn Raye Harris, M.V. Freeman, and Annie West round out my list. But there are oh! so many more fabulous writers out there that vie for my attention.

Great list of authors. I've enjoyed reading many of their books. What is your current project? 

I’m currently working on the third book in my Nelson’s Tea Series. The follow up to the first two books in the series Duke by Day, Rogue by Night and The Rogue’s Prize is The Rogue’s Surrender, featuring the antics of Lord Garrick Seaton, aka Captain Blade, and a very passionate, angry Spanish senorita named Lady Mercedes Catalina Vasquez de la Claremont.

Oooh... sounds intriguing. Any new releases? 

What a timely question, Christine! The Rogue’s Prize, the second book in my Nelson’s Tea Series, is a June 24^th release from Crimson Romance. This book follows Captain Henry Guffald as he seeks to redeem his military career by rescuing Garrick Seaton from imprisonment in Spain. What he doesn’t count on is being attacked by a female pirate, Captain Belle, aka Lady Adele Seaton, with an agenda of her own and an adventurous spirit only one man can tame.

Wow. Great story. Where do you get your ideas for your stories? 

Oh, Christine, you do know how to bring my passion out into the open! Where do my ideas start? Research. There’s nothing like researching a subject, person, or place and discovering a tidbit that the muse can’t help but snatch onto. For instance, when I was researching Admiral Nelson, I discovered that he was never without his tea, even on board ship—during battle. What a fascinating man, yes? So I took that fact a step further… With the Napoleonic Wars at full throttle from 1803-1815, what if Nelson used ‘tea’ as code for mercenaries, first sons unsuspected by his enemies or the ton, to rally to his cause when a need arose. And believe me, the need arises quite frequently, me hearties!

That's so clever. I love how you extrapolated the idea from one tidbit of information. How long were you trying to get published before you got the “call?” 

Katherine's Debut Novel. Gorgeous!

Oddly enough, I got the idea for my first book when my youngest daughter was only a year old and we purchased our first computer. I’d read so many wonderful stories to help me survive the lonely times Charming was away on duty that I felt a strong urge to help other readers do the same. That was 20 years ago. Though I didn’t write consistently during that time, I taught myself most of what I knew by reading books about writing and struggling through the writing process alone. During this time, my four children were growing up, participating in sports and so on, which gave me little time to write. It wasn’t until my youngest daughter started High School, in 2004, that I joined RWA and a year later, my local writing chapter. I’ve been writing seriously since then and got The Call, an email from Jennifer Lawler at Crimson Romance on June 11^th, 2012. Partay!!! (Someone tell Jack we need more rum!)

I remember celebrating your release in person. That was so much fun. But how did you celebrate the new book contract? 

When I got the email I was sitting in the beauty salon getting my hair colored. LOL!!! I wanted to call my hubby and friends so bad but it’s hard to put a phone up to your ear when dye will get all over it. So I did the next best thing. I sent texts!!! I also took my picture in the mirror at the beauty salon to chronicle the look of happiness on my face for posterity sake, (never mind I looked a mess). A few days later, my family and I celebrated with dinner out and rum!

That sounds just like you! The Text Queen :-) Do you have an agent? 

I’d love to have an agent in the near future but no, I don’t have an agent right now. I’ve got a new series I’m developing so I’m hoping to submit to agents very soon though!

Wonderful, Katherine. What advice would you give aspiring writers? 

This is the best part of being a published writer—pumping up other writers!!! First, never doubt your own writing style or voice. Believe in yourself, even when those rejections start coming in, and they will. Second, hind sight is 20/20, isn’t it? I look back now and I’m actually thankful for those rejections and bad contest scores/comments, though I wasn’t at the time. Third, my writing and ability to handle the publishing industry has been buoyed by the bridges and friendships I’ve built to help me get across the chasm. Reach out to other like-minded souls. They will be your life lines. Fourth, at times it will be hard to stay positive, but believe me, it gets easier. Five’s the charm: the main thing to remember is “never, never, never, never, NEVER give up.” (Winston Churchill must have been a pirate. That’s a fabulous signal flag if I’ve ever seen one!) Remember: don’t achieve to believe, me hearties. Believe to receive. It’s in your belief in yourself and your stories that you’ll find success.

I love that phrase Believe to Receive. I'm going to write it down and add it to my quote board.  

Katherine's second novel-Another Hit!

What encouragement can you give writers who face rejection? 

Rejections deflate egos. Your ego doesn’t have to make you do the hempen jig. Banish your ego from the room. Remember you aren’t the one being rejected, though it often feels like you are. The story, the characters, the plot or lack of it, isn’t resonating with the editor/agent/contest judge. If you receive a form letter, set it aside and vow to improve your voice. If the comments are hard on you, set them aside and then return a few days later when your brain has processed the information and you can honestly look hard at what you can improve. Overlook the rest. For instance: I was once told by a judge, “Even Jesus asked why.” If you think that was strange, you should have seen the rest of the contest entry. Let rejections strengthen your will, not weaken it. Remember pirates love to pirate and writers love to write. Never quit! Never surrender!

Ah, "let rejections strengthen your will" is a perfect way of approaching this part of the industry. Once you battled back the Rejection Demon, what's the most difficult part about writing for you? 

Arrrr!!! That would be writing the middle of the book. I always seem to get becalmed at about chapters 7-9. After that point, my sails seem to pick up wind and then before I know it, I’m sailing to that coveted horizon… another finished book. On the flipside, the best part of writing is editing! Oh yes, I adore the editing stage, my friends. That’s when research plays a great part in layering in levels of wit, verve, action and adventures galore. That’s when the characters come alive to the point that I want to be them!

Revision is where I find the heart of the story, too. What is the most surprising thing you discovered after you received the call? 

Time disappears. Strange, isn’t it? It’s like being caught in Davy Jones’ Locker, unable to tell the passage of time—until it’s too late. (Hand flail!) When you’re unpublished you dictate how much time you spend on a book. That changes in a heartbeat when you sign that first contract. Before you know it, deadlines loom, panic surges and there are lots of sleepless nights involved. (Actually, if you had a better navigator on board, you might not stress out over deadlines. Hint!) But even through the chaos, there’s a giant learning curve and an insatiable appetite to improve the craft and your storytelling skills. And more importantly: you’re actually getting your stories out to readers everywhere!!!

 I'll have to remember to keep my navigator on Sail Full Speed Ahead, Katherine. Excellent advice!!

Thank you for allowing me to be a guest on your veranda, Christine! I appreciate your kindness and such a great interview!

One last thing, me hearties. Close your eyes. Are they closed? (Well, if they’re closed you can’t read the rest of this paragraph. Pirate!) Seriously now, imagine yourself achieving success. What is it you will do when you get The Call from that agent or editor? Imagine your name on the front of one of your books. Focus on this!!! Contemplate how you can get from point A to point B. Do what you can to improve your craft. Learn. Learn. Learn. Do whatever it takes to finish your book. And as Beverly Barton once told me, “Simplify. Simplify. Simplify.” I don’t promise an easy road, but I can promise you’ll get there if you NEVER quit.

Cue Ace Ventura… “Al-al-al-al-righty-thennnnn.”

Keep your eyes on that horizon!!!

Simplicity is the key for sure. Thanks so much for visiting the Veranda, Katherine. May your sails always have wind billowing them as you go forward in your publishing career!

Katherine Bone lives in the South where she dreams of the power, passion and persuasion of rogues, rebels and rakes and the happily ever afters every alpha male deserves

Katherine's 3rd Book Release!

The Rogue's Prize

Captain Henry Guffald is no ordinary captain. A member of Nelson’s Tea, he’s learned the hard way what treachery will achieve. As a result, he’s sworn an oath never to give in to his ambition. Daring, proud Henry sets out to rescue a comrade captured in Spain. But when his ship is attacked by a female pirate roving the Cornish coast, waylaying his plans, Henry is forced to make her his prize if he’s going to save a good man’s life.

Lady Adele Seaton has been raised in a family profited by a lucrative smuggling business. Though her parents wish otherwise, she would no sooner give up the call to rove than marry. But obtaining independence is a challenge when her brother faces a hangman’s noose. Planning to save him, she captures an English ship. But things go awry and she is dragged home in disgrace, forced to ally herself with the one man with the power to anchor more than her ship— her heart.