Author Interview - Betty Bolte

I’ve got my Liquid Silver pub buddy Betty Bolte over today. She’s a writer of both historical and paranormal fiction, and she’s got a brand new book to talk about. Her LSB release, Traces, is a romantic women’s fiction with paranormal elements, i.e. a romantic ghost story.

Let’s find out more!

1. Hi Betty, and welcome to my blog. As my first guest in this genre, you get to explain the difference between women’s fiction and romance. Is there a distinction?

Thanks for inviting me today! Good question, one that can confuse people, but I’ll try to explain the difference as I see it. Romances feature the love story of two people, so you focus deeply on each of them and only have two points of view, where you see the story through their eyes and feelings. Women’s fiction, however, focuses on the woman’s emotional journey and all the people who play a role in it, so you can have multiple characters to get inside their heads and feelings. When you combine the two, you have a romance that occurs while the woman is sorting out deeper issues and emotions, so you also have more than two perspectives to understand. In Traces, I have three main characters: Meredith, her sister Paulette, and Max, the hunky lawyer.

2. Since I often wish I could write from the point of view of a third character, I understand the appeal. I’m curious about your setting. A plantation in Tennessee sounds very romantic. Is it inspired by an actual place you’ve visited or read about?

I’ve always been intrigued by historical buildings, and plantations in particular, ever since reading and watching Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. But once the idea for the haunted plantation took root for this story, I did make a point to visit the Rattle and Snap Plantation in Columbia, TN. While there, I learned more about the history of that elegant structure and could then use aspects of what I learned to bolster my story and make the place another “character” on its own.

3. Gone with the Wind happens to be one of my favorite movies. I even read Scarlett twice, once translated into Thai and again in the original English. I didn't like either, to be honest (I had hoped my lack of enjoyment was due to the translation being off). 

Back to your story. Why would anyone want to demolish such a lovely place? Does Meredith have a specific reason she’d rather see it turned into a memorial garden?

Meredith is hurting, deeply grieving the death of her landscape architect husband and unborn child in a random attack. She turns from creating buildings to destroying them for a living. Twin Oaks represents the family taken away from her, something she feels she needs to bury in order to put it behind her. But being Irish, she’s still connected to her heritage, the land, so she wants to change it in ways to soothe her pain as well as others who are grieving.

4. Her estate lawyer seems to want to prevent Meredith from doing what she wants. Does he have an emotional attachment to the place, or is he trying to stop her for purely business reasons?

Good question! I’d have to say both. He sees both aspects of the plantation since he’s been a family friend and also specializes in preservation law. But Meredith provides a challenge since he has to convince her to change her plans; he has no legal recourse to force her hand.

5. I’ll end this interview with my standard final question. How did you get your start as an author? What was your road to publication like?

It’s been a long road to publishing a novel! I was first published in magazine and newspaper articles in the early 1990s, then in nonfiction books in the late 90s, mostly work for hire (that is, no royalties for the work, just a flat payment). I earned my BA in English in 1995; MA in English in 2008. I’ve written nonfiction books in the 2000s as well. But writing fiction, especially love stories, remained my objective throughout. Interesting fact, the first version of Traces actually served as the basis of my master’s thesis. All along I’ve been honing my writing skills while tending to family obligations and needs and working full time and going to school. It’s not been easy, but it’s been worth it!

Since Betty’s book just came out, she’s a really busy lady. As such, I have to regrettably let her run off. For more about the book and author, just scroll down. As always, comments are much appreciated.

Traces

Meredith Reed, a forty-year-old architect turned demolition expert, desperately searches for the means to bury her grief. When she inherits her family’s historic plantation home in Tennessee, she decides to start anew by razing the antebellum house and replacing it with a memorial garden.  A plan met with outrage from her family and her grandmother's estate lawyer.

James Maximillian “Max” Chandler needs two things to complete his life plan: become a senior partner and find his soul mate. He's been promised a promotion once his proposed legislation to protect all of the county’s historic properties is approved. The wife part he finds more challenging, having never met the right woman in all of his forty-six years. If only the talented and attractive Meredith weren’t so aloof toward him and didn’t want to destroy the very property he’s grown to cherish.

Meanwhile, Meredith's estranged sister moves in and refuses to leave. The memories of their childhood spent there causes turmoil between them. And while Meredith struggles to reconcile her past and her future, she learns a lesson from the spectral Lady in Blue that may save both her family and the family home from destruction.

Buy Links: Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo | LSBooks

About Betty Bolté

Betty Bolté writes both historical and contemporary stories that feature strong, loving women and brave, compassionate men. No matter whether the stories are set in the past or the present, she loves to include a touch of the paranormal. Traces, a contemporary romantic women’s fiction novel set in a haunted plantation home in Tennessee, was released on April 28, 2014.

Hometown Heroines: True Stories of Bravery, Daring, and Adventure (2012) is a collection of short historical fiction based on the real-life achievements of 19 American girls in the 19th century, each with a landmark in the United States of America. The first edition won Honorable Mention in the 2003 Writer’s Digest International Self-Published Book Awards and 2000 Writer’s Digest Writing Competition. She’s the author of several nonfiction books and currently marketing a romantic historical fiction trilogy.

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Author Interview – Christy Gissendaner

I’m delighted to have author Christy Gissendaner here today. If you remember, she hosted me on Love, Lust and Laptops a while back. Also writing under the pen name Robin Danner, Christy is a multi-published author with quite a number of paranormal and contemporary romances under her belt.

Let’s find out more about Christy and her new book from Etopia Press, In Too Deep.

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1. Hi Christy and welcome to my blog. Since you write in so many subgenres, I have to ask. What’s your favorite? Historical, contemporary, paranormal?

Everyone always asks me that. I think my answer probably changes each time. My first love is historical romance, so my “voice” comes much easier in that genre, but I love the humor and heat I bring with my contemporaries and paranormals.

2. I can’t wait to find out more about your new book. Are we talking classic werewolves this time, or just wolf shifters?

My paranormals are always very light, so classic probably wouldn’t be the correct description. My shifter tales are quite a bit different than most of the ones you find. I try to take the general idea of shifters and then make them normal beings living in a world of humans, just trying to fit in. For this one, the shifters’ history begins during the age of Pilgrims to the New World. I didn’t delve into the mythology very much for this one, focusing instead on the relationship between the hero and heroine. My last work, Unmasking the Wolf, actually detailed the creation of werewolves and I was a lot more scientific in it. For In Too Deep, I just want to give life to an easy, beach read with a hint of the paranormal. That’s not to say, my hero doesn’t become wolfish now and again! ; )

3. And who doesn't love a wolfish hero? So Drake Randolf is literally “Alpha” in this case. What does being the leader of the Secret Society of Savannah Lycanthropes entail? Does he also happen to be rich and easy on the eye?

As the alpha, he has to uphold the rules of the Society. It puts him in quite a predicament when his sister decides to marry a human. When he falls for a human as well, the shiznick hits the fan! He has to balance the Society’s longstanding traditions with his heart’s desire, which happens to be Emma.

Drake is certainly rich and very easy on the eye. I fashioned him after one of my favorite actors, Jonathan Rhys Meyers. He’s just a bit larger and more muscular. But the dark hair and gorgeous baby blues are pure JRM without the accent.

4. Oh gosh, I'm a huge The Tudors fan myself. I didn't think I could come to like a show about Henry VIII, but JRM pulled it off. Back to your book--I’m guessing he and Emma have quite a bit of chemistry. Would you mind sharing their first kiss?

I’d be happy to! Sorry, it’s a bit long of an excerpt, but I wanted you to have the full effect of the kiss. I enjoyed the heck outta writing this particular scene! Probably cause of my fondness for the ocean and sexy, wet men.

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Excerpt

She felt him before she saw him. A shift in the air, a prickle of sensation along her spine, and she just knew. His presence always caused a physical reaction inside her. She didn’t need to hear or see him to know.

She dropped her arms to her sides. Should she turn toward him or wait for him to speak? A light wind blew; even though the air was balmy her nipples puckered and pressed against the Lycra covering her breasts.

What had possessed her to come for a swim, dressed in one of Alyssa’s bikinis? Perhaps she’d known he would find her. Didn’t he always? Drake drew her like the water. Both of them were inescapable, a current tugging at her heart no matter where she was. The quiet ocean soothed her like a lullaby.

A whisper of movement near her nape, and the soft rush of breath across her bare shoulder teased her a moment before he spoke. “Going for a swim?”

She continued to face forward. It was exciting to not be able to see his countenance, to only guess at the emotions he displayed. “I’m thinking about it.”

Something had changed between them since the ride back from Macon. She’d sensed a crack in his exterior, a subtle shift in the way he treated her.

Goosebumps prickled her skin, more skin than she’d ever displayed in public. The red bikini bottom held together by strings at the hips. The top tied behind her back and neck. Alyssa was more top heavy than her, but the tiny triangles of fabric just barely covered Emma’s own modest breasts.

She stepped forward until water swirled about her calves. The warmth of the ocean calmed her, made her bold, much bolder than she’d ever been before. She turned to face him, seduction clear in the purposefully slow pivot. All seductive tactics deserted her when she caught sight of him.

Drake stood where she’d been just moments before. The cuffs of his jeans were damp. A white t-shirt covered his broad shoulders and chest. Despite the tempting body before her, his face that drew her attention. Hooded eyes, turned down lips, and a tightly constricted jaw let her know he battled demons. Could one of those demons be desire?

She held her hands out to her side, her fingers splayed open and her palms facing him. Water tickled her wrists, even though the waves barely crested over her knees. “Why are you here?”

Emotion flared to life in his gaze. “Why are you?”

She had no real answer. None that she would give him. Lust overruled her thoughts. No way could she let him leave without knowing the taste of his kiss. Just once. A brief moment in time to feel wanted by him before they returned the sanity of a world where they could never be together. “I came to swim.”

He stepped forward, heedless of the water soaking the denim of his jeans. “So did I.”

She cast a glance downward. “You’re not dressed for swimming.”

“I can be,” he rejoined.

He moved his hands to the hem of his shirt and pulled it oh-so-slowly over his head. Her mouth watered at the sight of his ridged abdomen, tapering to a wonderful V shape between his hips. He pulled the shirt free of his arms and tossed it onto the sand. Muscles bunched in his shoulders as he lifted a hand and ran it over his short, ruffled hair.

God, he was too beautiful to be real.

His gaze locked on her face, carefully gauging her reaction before proceeding. She stood still, not batting an eyelid or betraying herself by trembling. She wanted this. She wanted him. Oh, how she wanted him. Her desire went beyond mere need and crossed over into the supernatural zone. Nothing short of dying could stop her from her chosen path.

He moved to unbutton his jeans and drag down the zipper. She didn’t lower her eyes when he pulled off the pants, didn’t trust her reaction to that part of him yet.

A dark eyebrow cocked upward. “Still want that swim?”

It was a miracle the water didn’t boil from the heat pouring off her body. Last chance to run. If she stayed, who knew what would happen? She supposed she did know what would happen, but was she ready for it?

Natural inclination toward timidity briefly made an appearance, but a particularly large wave crashed over her without warning. The sensation of the water plucking at her nipples and between her thighs made her gasp. Almost as if Drake had touched her.

A blur of movement and then his hands were on both sides of her waist. “Are you okay? That wave came out of nowhere.”

The touch of his palms on her bare skin heated her from the inside out. She placed her hands on his unbelievably firm biceps, and slowly caressed him. If all she could ever have of him was this, she planned to enjoy it fully.

Her words came out in a silky murmur, “I’m fine. More than fine actually.”

Light blue eyes darkened with swirls of desire. It had to be desire. His grip on her waist tightened. “Emma…”

She put a finger to his lips. “Shhh.”

He nipped at the pad of her finger. Teeth scraped against her skin before the rasp of his tongue soothed it. He encircled her wrist and pulled her hand away from his face. He moved his fingers up her arm and across her shoulder to cradle the back of her neck. “There’s something different about you.”

In truth, she felt different. She never used to be this bold, this sure of herself. But she’d wanted him forever. He finally seemed to be returning the interest. She’d be a fool to let a chance like this pass her by. “Good different?”

He groaned and his fingertips pressed into her wrist. “Fucking awesome. But we…”

“No.” The vehemence in her denial surprised her. “No buts. I want this, Drake. I want you. You can’t possibly even imagine how long I’ve waited for you to wake up and realize I’m not the child you once knew.” She shook her arm free of his grasp and stood on tiptoes to plant her hand against his shoulders. “I’m a woman, a woman desperate for you. Not just a girl. Not anymore.”

He dropped his head forward and braced it against hers. “I’ve never seen you as a child. I’ve seen more than you think, more than you can imagine. But it’s not enough to just see you. That’s the problem.”

She sucked in a breath. What? Joy, caution, and desire swirled around and around in a fierce struggle, muddying her thoughts until one emerged the victor. Desire, pure and simple.

She brushed her palm across his shoulder and touched the dip of his collarbone. “Planning on solving that problem anytime soon?”

“Oh, God.” Drake visibly struggled for control. He lifted his head and met her gaze. Stark need reflected in their shadows. “There are things about me you don’t know, so many reasons I should leave you the hell alone.”

She knew she had him. A self-satisfied smile curled the corners of her lips. “Everyone has their deep, dark secrets. Remember?” She threw his words from that afternoon back at him.

His head lowered. “But not you.”

“Not me,” she affirmed. “It’s no secret that you’re all I can think about. Kiss me, Drake.”

He put his fingers against her lips. “Shhh.” He tossed her word back at her and gave her a cocky smile. “Two can play that game.”

Then his fingers were gone, replaced by the warmth of his lips. Shock radiated outward. Drake was actually kissing her. After so many years of girlhood fantasies, the nights spent dreaming about him, it was finally becoming reality.

The reality was Drake was a damned fine kisser. He kissed with his entire body, his lips and tongue sure of their welcome against her own. His teeth nipped her bottom lip and tugged it open for his tongue to thrust boldly inside. Single best kiss of her life. None could even come close to comparing to his. He’d ruined for all other men, if she hadn’t been already.

He moved forward, towing her with him until they stood waist deep in the water.

So many years she’d pined after him. All those hours of fantasizing about what it would be like to kiss him. He was here, his skin beneath her fingertips, his hands on her back pulling her closer. Another large wave collided against her, forcing her forward. Drake held onto her, his hands settling onto her hips and shaping her body against his.

Waves crashed all around them, pulling them forward and bringing them back together. The unusual roughness of the ocean was disregarded. All she could concentrate on was the rightness of being in Drake’s embrace. She smoothed her palms down his chest, spreading the droplets of water across the heavy muscle and brushing his nipples.

Another wave crashed against them, this one succeeding in knocking them off their feet. They swept under the surge, still clinging to each other, as the water roiled around them. Once it disappeared, they broke the surface.

Drake swept a hand over his hair, flinging water off the ends. Moonlight glinted on the dark strands. A slow, seductive smile made her insides melt. “You’re dangerous to be around. A few seconds more and we would’ve drowned.”

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5. I have to say, I wouldn't mind almost drowning with him around. Okay, before I let you run off, I’ll end this with my standard “How did you get your start as an author?” question. What was your road to publication like?

I began writing my first let’s-try-get-this-published-book while in college. I’d always written for fun, but I got serious and wrote a 90,000 word Regency and sent it in. A full was actually requested by Dorchester. A entire year later, I got a “no” from them, but I sent it into an e-book publisher soon after. Amazingly it got accepted! The company folded before my release, but it was quickly snatched up by another pub. I was very lucky in that publishers continued to show interest in me. After that, I started submitting like crazy and have stacked up 28 published works in the past ten years. Six of those years, I wasn’t actively writing, so I consider that quite an accomplishment.

That is a huge accomplishment, and since I know how fast and well you write, I'm sure they'll be many more to come.

Since new release month is crazy busy, I won’t keep Christy any longer. Read on for more about the book and author. As always, comments are very much appreciated.

In Too Deep

He’ll risk everything for the love of one human.

Agreeing to be her good friend’s bridesmaid, Emma Anderson jets off to Tybee Island for the wedding. Her dress is perfect and her shoes are adorable, but her friend’s elegant beachside home hides an ancient secret…one that threatens to expose a secret society of werewolves.

Drake Randolph has watched his sister’s friend grow into a ravishing woman, but he’s always kept his distance. As the heir to the Randolph fortune and the alpha of the Secret Society of Savannah Lycanthropes, Drake cannot afford to draw the innocent little brunette into the dangerous lycan world.

Passion between them soon blazes hotter than the Georgia summer. But when the wrong woman is kidnapped to prevent the wedding of a lycan to a mortal, Drake must risk everything to save Emma from the ones who will see the downfall of all he holds dear.

Buy Links: Amazon 

About Christy Gissendaner

Christy Gissendaner is a romantic comedy author and believes that laughter and love should go hand in hand.

Christy lives in Alabama with her husband and three sons. She’s always hard at work on her next novel, but in her spare time she loves blackjack, karaoke, and anything resembling a vacation!

To find out more, check out her website!

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Author Interview – Haley Whitehall (Civil War Edition)

As you may remember, I’ve interviewed Haley twice now. We’ve thus far discussed her multicultural romance Midnight Heat and her short story Civil War Valentine. Being the busybody that she is, she’s got yet another new release, this time with Decadent Publishing (yes, she and I seem to be publisher-stalking each other).

Let’s find out more about her historical romance Soldier in Her Lap.

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1. Hi Haley. Before we discuss your book, curious minds want to know—what’s the secret to being prolific? When do you find the time to sleep?

The funny thing is I don’t consider myself prolific. I see some authors publishing a story or more each month. I’d like to increase my productivity. What is my secret? I guess you could say I have too many ideas in my head and I run on coffee.

2. Okay, now that I’ve got my writing tip for the day (as in, I should consider switching from tea to coffee), let’s focus on your book. Can you tell me more about the hunk on your cover? I’m guessing he’s a solider…

The hunk on the cover is Confederate soldier Lucas Grady.

3. So how exactly does Lucas land in Sophia’s lap? Considering the Civil War setting, it must be an exciting story.

Lucas is wounded in a nearby battle. He isn’t too keen on the idea of a sawbones working on him so he takes his health into his own hands. He makes it to Sophia’s porch step before collapsing. She takes care of him and well the romance blossoms from there.

4. I’m guessing interesting things happen while Sophia nurses Lucas back to health. Are you at liberty to share their first kiss?

Oh yes, I can share their first kiss. Here is the steamy snippet.

Stepping closer to him, she inhaled his masculine scent of sweat and dirt and hay. It was so refreshing to be around a man without the stink of liquor on him. She ran her hand down his arm, feeling his lean muscle under his uniform.

“Thank you, Lucas.”

“No need to thank me.” He looked down at her with gentle eyes. “Any man would have done the same.”

She turned to completely face him. This close, his heart still pounded fast and his breath warmed her face. She tipped her head back, and her lips rose to meet his. Their mouths brushed in a chaste kiss. She didn’t know which one of them was holding back. Their touch kindled a fire in her belly. Her cheeks burned, bringing on a foolish grin. The lust in his eyes, as plain as the noonday sun, fanned the flames of her desire. He wanted her.

“Sophia,” Lucas said, “since your papa isn’t here, think we can eat at the table?”

The simple question cut through the sexual tension. “Yes, I reckon we can.”

Lucas hovered near her in the kitchen. She wasn’t used to anyone watching her cook, or watching her that carefully at all for that matter. Her heart palpitated. His heat-filled gaze bored into her backside. Her thighs clenched and she struggled to focus on stirring the stew.

5. Just wanted to say--I'd personally forget about the stew. Now that you’ve got me very curious about how this all pans out, let me ask about your next project. What story/stories are you working on right now?

I am taking a bit of down time at the moment. Midnight Kiss (Moonlight Romance, Book 3) released from Liquid Silver Books on April 14. I haven’t decided if I am going to start a historical western mail order bride series, write Midnight Seduction the last in the Moonlight Romance series or write another Civil War romance.

As we all know, new release month is crazy busy for every author so I’ll let Haley run off. Read on for more about the book and author. As always, comments are much appreciated.

Soldier in Her Lap

Trapped by her alcoholic, abusive father, Sophia Carpenter longs to escape her life of drudgery on her father’s dirt farm in Clark Springs, Georgia. Making matters worse, her father’s scared off every man who tried to call on her. She longs for freedom, but with the Civil War raging, even fewer men are available to fulfill her dreams—unless a soldier landed in her lap.

Conscripted into a war he never wanted to fight, Lucas Grady is tired of battle and refuses to lay his life down for a lost cause. After a musket ball tears through his leg, he deserts from the ambulance wagon rather than risk a field surgeon’s saw. He barely makes it to Sophia’s farm before collapsing.

The wounded soldier’s arrival seems like a dream come true, but first she must save him from his injuries—and her father. As forbidden attraction blooms between them, they will have to struggle to survive. Can their love overcome so many obstacles or will they become another casualty of the War Between the States?

Decadent | Amazon | Amazon UK | B&N | ARe

About Haley Whitehall

Haley Whitehall lives in Washington State where she enjoys all four seasons and the surrounding wildlife. She writes historical romance set in the 19th century U.S. When she is not researching or writing, she plays with her cats, watches the Western and History Channels, and goes antiquing. She is hoping to build a time machine so she can go in search of her prince charming. A good book, a cup of coffee, and a view of the mountains make her happy.

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