j. rose allister

Friday, February 7, 2014

Amore and Pinot Grigio -Veronica Bell Writing Post

I sometimes spotlight other authors and their books on my blog. Today I'm pleased to welcome Veronica Bell, who is here to talk about her book Amore and Pinot Grigio. Take it away, Veronica

Writing From Her Worldview

Veronica Bell

On a practical level, I am a pretty nine-to-five writer. I don’t stay up till the wee small hours working – I like a sane work day where I have time for my husband and, of course, my pets. But like anyone in any field, I need some inspiration. This quote is taped up on the wall above my computer.

If you can tell stories, create characters, devise incidents, and have sincerity and passion, it doesn’t matter a damn how you write.

- Somerset Maugham I guess it was pretty easy for a writer of Somerset Maugham’s calibre to say such a thing, but I still think it is an excellent quote for aspiring (and actual) writers to contemplate. After all, we can’t all be a Somerset Maugham or an Emily Bronte or a Dante. But we all have experiences and worldviews that could be of interest or help to someone else. And if you are inclined to write about those experiences then I think keeping this in mind is helpful, rather than holding yourself up against an impossible standard. When I decided to try and write a romance novel, I wanted to create characters that to me seemed more realistic than the usual 20-year-old wilting virgin, for example. As a reader, I got tired of the angst-ridden, silly girls who seemed to populate so many stories. And yes, I realize that in romance writing you want fantasy – you want a millionaire hunk and you want an idealized woman and you want a beautiful back-drop, because our own lives so often lack beauty. But as a middle-aged woman who has many university degrees, I wanted to create heroines who might be the type of woman with whom I would be friends. Hence, Sigrid, heroine of Amore and Pinot Grigio, a woman who teaches and who is funny and who volunteers for a cat rescue (I’ve been volunteering in animal shelters since I was a teenager – a long time ago!). I have actually visited the shelter in Rome where she works. It’s a beautiful place. It was also important to me that the hero not be intimidated by the heroine’s wit – indeed, I think Sandro dishes it out as well as he takes it. And I have been grateful for the feedback and reviews I have received which have commented on these factors. In particular, I was humbled by a recent review at The Romance Studio, where Amore and Pinot Grigio was described as ‘magical’. It makes me happy to know that readers can get some escape and joy from my story. Read full review here.
About the Author

Veronica Bell is a Canadian writer currently living in Italy with her husband and pets. She grew up in Vancouver, British Columbia and has far too many university degrees. A life-long animal lover, she began writing as a way to finance veterinary bills and huge bags of kibble!
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Amore and Pinot Grigio: A Guido la Vespa Christmas Tale
By Veronica Bell
Buy Now

The story of a Canadian woman and an Italian man who meet rescuing an injured cat. That they happen to all be in Rome, Italy, makes things sexier, and indeed, the book was given a ‘steamy’ rating by its publisher, SirenBookstrand. The woman has a pink Vespa named Guido and a serious chip on her shoulder after discovering the infidelity of her fiancé. The man just wants to have fun…or so he thinks. It is a Christmas tale only in that it unfolds at Christmas – this story of boy meets and loses and finds girl again can be enjoyed any time of year and is the first in a proposed series.

Thursday, February 6, 2014

Interview with Mackenzie Lucas

J 12:00 AM 9 Comments

From time to time I spotlight other authors on my blog. Today I'm sharing an interview with Mackenzie Lucas, author of Essence. She's also doing a giveaway--see the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card.

Interview with Mackenzie Lucas

Do you have any phobias?

I have a little bit of a fear of driving over water, especially when my kids were little and strapped into car seats. I was always afraid we’d end up in the water and I wouldn’t be able to get to them. There’s a writer’s active imagination for you!

Ever broken any bones?

No. Never. Thank God. I have torn ligaments and had sprains. But no broken bones.

Any weird things you do when you’re alone?

Hmmm. No. I don’t think so.

What is your favorite ice cream flavor?

Anything super chocolatey. Double Chocolate. Chocolate Brownie Truffle. Double Dutch Chocolate. You get the picture.

Which mythological creature are you most like?

I’d say a dragon, because I adore them. I have a paranormal series I’m writing about Dragon Shifters of Derkesthai. So I’d say I’m like a dragon, just because I’d want to be. And since we’re imagining it, why not? My dragons have special magickal abilities, though. So I’d be able to do something extra special beyond “normal” dragon skills/talents.

What are four things you can’t live without?

My computer, internet connectivity, coffee, and chocolate.

About the author:

Mackenzie Lucas is a lover of story in any form. She’s an avid reader of genre fiction, she writes contemporary and paranormal romance, and she listens to an eclectic mix of music that spans from pop/rock to country to gospel. She loves a good story whether it’s an erotic short, a full-length romance novel, or the narrative slice-of-life found in country music. In any story, emotional integrity and authenticity are most important to her as well as a big dose of romping hot sexual tension. She enjoys smart-mouthed, sexy heroines, hunky alpha heroes who know how to take care of their women, and plot twists that surprise her, but most of all, she just wants to experience a satisfying emotional arc of a character falling in love and finding what he or she needs most in life.

Mac is a small-town country girl with a world-traveler’s soul. She grew up in the Allegheny Mountains of Pennsylvania and she’s lived in Dublin, Ireland, within spitting distance of New York City in Long Island, and now in the Washington, D.C. area. She obtained her undergraduate degree in English Literature from Dickinson College and received her M.F.A. in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University. She’s currently an author, writing coach, a mother, and a wife.

With Mackenzie Lucas--whether you’re reading her light paranormal romance, her small-town-based contemporary romance, or her steamin’ hawt erotica--you’ll always get a story about connectedness, community, and emotional authenticity, and, at its core, love. No, and it doesn’t hurt that all her heroes are panty-melting gorgeous alphas and all their sexy, sensually aware heroines know how to stand up to them, give no quarter, and love them just as they are.

Links:

Website: http://www.mackenzielucas.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MacLucas_writer

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MackenzieLucasAuthor

https://www.facebook.com/MackenzieLucasFanPage

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6915570.Mackenzie_Lucas

Essence

by Mackenzie Lucas

All Haven Jameson ever wanted was to own a little piece of paradise. Now, she does, having established a successful luxury spa in St. Augustine, Florida. But when the property next door is sold to a mega developer and his pro-golf celebrity brother who design trendy, bustling playgrounds for the rich and famous, she fears her dream could slip away. Confronted by her late husband’s infidelity, Haven learns everything she believed about her marriage was a lie; so she finally sets aside her grief and opens her heart to loving the widowed pro-golfer who is her biggest professional competition. In the end, Haven discovers that living a safe, loveless life is far worse than embracing passion and taking a chance on a man who’s vowed never to love again. And that, sometimes, no matter how high the risk, the best paradise of all can be found inside our own hearts.

Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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