Tag: spring romance

Posted in Creekside Cafe, interview

Interview with Thyra Dane

Posted on by Sherri

Thyra was my second interview. We will both have stories in the winter historical anthology published by the New Romance Cafe, Kisses and Other Scandalous Pastimes.

Thank you for being a part of my journey as a writer and interviewer. I hope someday to meet in person.

Today I have the luxury of visiting with a new writer friend, Thyra Dane. Some may recognize her name from her years of writing fanfiction. Welcome to the Creekside Café, Thyra. It’s almost fifty degrees here, I imagine our North Carolina winter seems more like spring to you.

view from Thyra’s cabin

Thyra: Yes, I was born in Denmark and grew up just south of Copenhagen. We traveled a lot when I was a kid. When I was 18 I moved to California and then to Norway when I was 19. I met my husband in Norway and live in Oslo now.

Thyra: Thank you so much for having me here, too bad it is only by way of our computers.

Sherri: What would you like to drink today?

Thyra: Tea, tea and tea. I drink different kinds of tea at different times of the day. High on caffeine in the morning, no caffeine in the evening. Right now I’ll take tea with ginger. Yum. And just to be clear, to those of us who live in cold climates, tea is always hot. I’m not yet quite over the shock of people serving me iced tea when I ordered tea in North Carolina.

Sherri: I have a terrible secret that could get me tossed out of the south. I don’t like iced tea, sweet or otherwise. You’ve been to North Carolina before?

Thyra: I have. Several times, actually. One time I drove down the coast from Washington DC to Florida with my husband and two friends. Later I visited my good friend, author Suki McMinn, in Tryon. She and her husband opened their home to me and my family, which was incredibly nice. That last trip was part of a vacation where we visited nine southern states in one summer.

Sherri: Wow that gave you a lot to write about. How long have you been writing?

Thyra: I’ve been writing for a long time but it wasn’t until I found fanfiction that I realized that romance was my genre.

Sherri: I’m not familiar with fanfiction.

Thyra: Fanfiction is huge and is essentially about taking characters from books, movies, TV shows etcetera and playing with them.

50 Shades was originally a Twilight fanfiction named Master of the Universe and one of the most popular fanfictions. It’s the same place I published my fanfiction.

We were a great writer’s group. We encouraged each other and quite a few have branched out and become published authors. Suki McMinn and others have done very well by self-publishing, which is very encouraging.

Sherri: Have you published a novel yet?

Thyra: I did have a nibble with a publisher but they went out of business just as I was finishing my story. They wanted a Viking romance and I did write one, but I wasn’t pleased with it so it was probably just the same that it was never published. I am planning on writing a Viking series about three sisters. I have the titles ready: The Shieldmaiden, The Healer and The Wife. I also have the stories outlined but I always stumble over some historical details. I LOVE the Viking age and don’t want to mess up on historical facts. Unfortunately, it’s almost impossible not to since we know so little about the Vikings.

Sherri: Write the stories. Continue to research but don’t let the details hold you back. I believe we often let our fears cripple us. As we’ve been emailing back and forth for this interview, I have enjoyed your sense of humor.

Thyra: I’ve been reading a lot of romance and I feel that this is what has made me a better writer. I have found my voice, so to speak, and know that I need to write stories with a dash of humor or it just won’t work for me. This is why most of what I’m writing these days is contemporary romance.

Sherri: Do you have another job or do you write full time?

Thyra: I am the manager of a PR agency that does PR and marketing for schools for young adults. I love my job and I love writing. What I don’t love is the fact that the day only has 24 hours and a week only has 7 days. I need moooore time.

Sherri: Don’t we all. I work full time, write and chair my local writers’ group, plus have a very large family, six sons and nineteen grandchildren. Some days feel like there is no end and others need another twelve hours just so I can finish what needs to be done.

Thyra: Wow, 19 grandchildren! That must be a lot of fun!

I have two kids, one is 17 and one is 19. The oldest is away for school and is actually leaving for a school trip to Japan tomorrow. My husband and I met each other when I was 19 and he was 20. We’ve been married for 29 years now.

Sherri: What do you enjoy about writing?

Thyra: I love creating characters and making them do fun things. I love the creative outlet, I love thinking about my characters, trying to solve a difficult situation and suddenly having a great idea. Unfortunately, my great ideas usually come just as I’m closing my eyes and going to sleep.

Sherri: What do you feel are your writing strengths and weaknesses?

Thyra: I would like to think that my humor is my strength and, of course, that I have inside knowledge to Scandinavia. My weakness is procrastination.

Sherri: Who are your favorite authors/genres?

Thyra: I have a lot of favorite authors. I love Suki McMinn’s books and also authors like Laura Kinsale, Courtney Milan, Sherry Thomas, L.H. Cosway, Mhairi McFarlane and Roni Loren. I read all subgenres in romance and the only thing I look for is quality writing and well written characters. Historical, contemporary, urban fiction and even alien romance – I’ll read anything as long as the story is good.

Sherri: Would you like to tell everyone how we met?

Thyra: We met through The New Romance Café (Facebook Group) and through the anthology project we’re both participating in. I’m very excited about that book project because I finally managed to finish a story. I’m terrible at beginning new stories instead of actually finishing some of the many I’ve started over the years. I guess, I needed the deadline.

I have an old blog that was very popular (over a million readers of one of the blog posts) but it doesn’t fit my writing now. It was for my fanfiction. So I’m currently moving the best parts to a new blog I’m currently creating: thyradaneauthor.com I hope to have it up and running in a few weeks.

Sherri: Thanks, Thyra for visiting with me today. I’m looking forward to reading your story in our spring romance anthology, Love in Bloom. The anthology is due out in March 2019. The proceeds will go to Pink Ribbon International. 

Posted in Book Review

How to Seduce a Spy

Posted on by Sherri

by: Catherine Stein

Elle, a French Potions Expert, a working girl, much like a barmaid

Henry, a British spy with an aristocratic heritage

These two very different characters are thrown together in this epic tale of espionage and romance. Traveling from France to Egypt then to America and back to Europe, in search of a reason for the serum shortage.

The serum has magical properties that allows medicines to work, powers vehicles and even lights up a city, and the world is in peril without it. Together, Elle and Henry must work together to search for a new source and discover the cause for the shortage. Others do not wish their mission to succeed.

As their friendship and attraction to each other grow, so does the danger surrounding their mission. The enemy has many disguises, can they root out the true villains before it is too late?

Catherine does an excellent job of world building. If you like steampunk romances or gaslight fantasy, you are sure to love “How to Seduce a Spy.” Also, check out Catherine’s short story, “Love in the Airship” in the spring anthology, “Love In Bloom,” brought to you by The New Romance Cafe Facebook Group.

Posted in Creekside Cafe, interview

Chatting with Miranda Jameson

Posted on by Sherri


I’d like to welcome my new friend, author Miranda Jameson to Creekside Café. I started doing these interviews to help cross-promote my own books as well as introduce other authors to my friends and readers. Thank you for joining us here at my virtual café.

Miranda: Absolutely, Sherri! It’s all about networking. I’m Indie published. It’s not an easy choice, but for most newish authors, trad publishing isn’t an easy choice either. These days, no one does your marketing and networking for you unless you’re an established name. 

Michael Anderle, a highly successful Indie author, advises Indies to ‘Patterson the s@** out of your career’ – referencing James Patterson’s excellent marketing skills! Now, I might not be Pattersoning (haha – invented a new word) but for better or worse, I have control over my own publishing journey. 

Sherri: I think most of us who are indie published or as you say, traditionally published but not yet a big name, have learned to get creative to let readers know we’re here. So, what interesting things have you tried to promote and market your books? Anything you want to share with our readers?

Miranda: It isn’t easy being Indie. It’s a 24/7 job. I made many mistakes, learned a LOT, and became part of the awesome Indie writing community. I received a tonne of help and guidance and try to pay that forward. This year, I plan to boost my marketing beyond organic growth. I have enough books out for a better return on investment. It’s daunting, but doable. 

Sherri: Miranda and I met through the New Romance Café readers and writers’ Facebook group. It’s great to have a supportive and fun online group. 

Miranda: Yes, we met in the Romance Café, of course! It’s a friendly, virtual place where the virtual cake and coffee have 0 calories. Working on our joint project has been great fun. 

Sherri: I’m so excited about the anthology. You and Andi have put in so much work to see this project come to fruition. What are you plans for the future?

Miranda: I have four books planned this year. The first two – Zephyr and Deimos – will complete my Empaths of Venice trilogy. The third one will loop back to before my Warriors’ Council trilogy – and hopefully lead new readers to those books. This story will be set on the Western Front during WW1, so there’s a fair bit of research to do. Its hero and heroine are the two characters in my Love in Bloom story. Henri and Ysabeau appear as supporting characters in all my books. My readers love them and wanted their story. This is another good thing about being an Indie – having direct conversations with readers. 

I like mixing history into my paranormal romances; after all, if you live hundreds of years, you’ve witnessed seismic world events. The last book this year – London Symphony – will be part of my spin-off PNR series set in the 1940s. All my books can be read as standalones, but the stories, events and characters are connected. Readers love cameo appearances by their favourite characters from the other books. 

Sherri: History with the paranormal, that makes sense to me and makes me want to read your books. I too, love history, something I shared with my father. What or who has influenced your writing?

Miranda: Well, I was born in England, grew up in India immersed in stories of gods, goddesses, elephant-riding princes and bejeweled princesses. I studied in both countries, and now live permanently in England. My home is in North Yorkshire, a beautiful part of England steeped in history (which I love).

Like any writer who has read thousands of books, my writing must be an amalgam of all of them – good, and bad. I would encourage every writer to read. You always learn new ways to tell a story better.

Sherri: Have you always been a writer? 

Miranda: Yes, always, but never with any serious intent. It tended to be a clandestine thing. I’m quite a private person and putting my work out there makes me feel exposed and rather vulnerable. After all, writing is a window into a writer’s head. Good reviews take me by surprise because I secretly think my writing is crap! Imposter syndrome – moi?

Sherri: We share the same affliction. It’s exciting when someone likes your work but it’s also a bit surprising and terrifying. I suffer from what if the next book isn’t as good. I try to quiet the voices in my head with creating characters who are more confident, stronger and smarter. Writing is a way for me to speak my mind. I could no more stop writing as stop breathing. What is your favorite thing about being a writer?

Miranda: Creating worlds. Sounds grandiose, doesn’t it, but that’s what writers do. It’s as close to magic as it’s possible to get. Writing is my solution for coping with life’s challenges. It’s also about control. My stories are one place where I get to decide what does or doesn’t happen. Characters become real. Their stories clamour to be told. When I finish writing a novel, I get a real slump because I miss my people!

Sherri: That’s why I write sequels or if you prefer, series. I like bringing characters back for an ovation. Unfortunately, there are also the not so fun things about being a writer. When you start working towards getting something published or sending it to a contest, you are no longer writing for your own pleasure, you are writing for an audience and there are certain expectations between a reader and writer. I suffer the bobble head syndrome. I mean really, how many times can someone nod their head before it rolls off into oblivion. And I reuse the same words and phrases…

Miranda: Oooh! Those gluey glue words. ‘Just’ – why does it pop up everywhere? And what’s with the ‘really’? Delete. Delete! Repeat phrases are something I have to keep my eye on. Thankfully, they get banished during editing. I’m a loose plotter. I have a direction the story has to go and I know the end. I plan plot points and pinch points, but things may change and it’s usually for the better.

Sherri: You mentioned this earlier and I say it to beginning writers all the time, if you want to be a good writer you must first be a reader. Learning what works and what doesn’t by reading other people’s work, developing good techniques and learning the craft of writing, these are important skills that take time to build. What do you think is your greatest strength as a writer? 

Miranda: As for strengths, that’s hard to say. I’ve learned to trust my gut and perhaps that’s a bonus. If my gut tells me a scene isn’t working, it isn’t. I dump it and begin again. I try to create pictures in readers’ minds without miring them in long paragraphs of description. Sight, scent, sound – all those things add layers and make the scene immersive. One reviewer said she felt she was really living in the alternate reality I’d created. Another loves the ‘feels’ in my stories. I like my romances to be romantic. My characters struggle internally, however confident they appear on the outside. Their happily ever afters come with meeting someone who makes them feel right, whatever their flaws. It’s not about feeling ‘completed’, it’s about finding a person who encourages you to be yourself, and loves you despite everything.

Sherri: Yes, anyone can love the beautiful, perfect character but show me the person who loves the recovering addict, the person who is scarred whether inside or out by life’s trials, the person no one else has bothered to really see, that’s real romance. I can’t wait to read your books. 

Who are some of your favorite authors or your favorite genres?

Miranda: I prefer historical and paranormal romances. Probably because I love history, and I love the possibility of powerful, magical beings living alongside us. For historical, I’ve recently discovered Sarah McClean and, through the Romance Café, Lara Temple and Tabetha Waite. As for paranormal, I’ve read all the usual suspects – Larissa Ione, Nalini Singh, J R Ward, and recently, I.T. Lucas. And let’s not forget Anne Rice. Apart from reading romance, I’m a huge fan of mysteries, and historical whodunnits. I blame an early addiction to Agatha Christie. My list of favourite authors is unbelievably long, but if I ended up on a desert island with only two books, I’d want a poetry collection (including Keats and Elliot), and the complete works of Carlos Ruiz Zafon.

Sherri: Wow, the time has just flown by. I hate to bring this visit to an end but I should get back to work on my novel and it sounds like you have a schedule to keep. If you ever get to North Carolina, please look me up. 

Miranda: I have never visited the United States. Can you believe it? It’s a big gap in my travels I hope to fill in the future. Especially since most of my current readers reside in North America. I’d love to see the famous autumn (fall) colours, and I’ve always wanted to visit San Francisco. I’m also a fan of Ina Garten’s cooking shows and enjoy her visits to California’s Napa Valley. Ideally, I’d hire one of those huge RVs and tour around.

Sherri: Now that sounds like an adventure. Let me know when you go visit Ina Garten, I’d love to tag along. 

For those of you who’d like to know more about Miranda or buy her books, here are the links to do just that. 

Miranda’s Bio:

Miranda Jameson grew up in India immersed in stories of gods, goddesses, elephant-riding princes and bejewelled princesses. She firmly believes there is magic all around us if we only take a minute to look.

She now lives in North Yorkshire, England, where she translates her passion for art, history, mythology and travel, into writing action-packed paranormal romances with all the ‘feels’.

 She loves honourable badass heroes with undiscovered depths, and smart dauntless heroines who can save themselves. 

When not clicking away on her laptop, she runs mum’s taxi service and the bank of mum. In other words, she’s got kids. Coffee, gin, and good friends, keep her sane.

Here are my links:

The Warriors’ Council trilogy

Gabriel – https://books2read.com/u/bwqYJ9

Javier – https://books2read.com/u/4NZGBW

Rafe – https://books2read.com/u/4XRKJN   

 

The Empaths of Venice trilogy

Alexis – https://books2read.com/u/m2xvkd

 

Warriors’ Council World prequel novels

Berlin Nocturne – https://books2read.com/u/31OxWa

Berlin Nocturne is also available as a bonus when you sign up to for Miranda’s Inner Circle monthly newsletter https://mirandajamesonbooks.com/

Paris Prelude – https://books2read.com/u/ba0zJy

 

Follow Miranda Jameson on Facebook for updates, sneak peeks, and offers – https://www.facebook.com/mirandajamesonwriting/

 

Posted in Creekside Cafe, interview

A Visit from Author Rachell Nichole

Posted on by Sherri

Today I’d like to welcome contemporary romance author, Rachell Nichole to Creekside Café. 

Welcome Rachell, is this your first time in eastern North Carolina?

to sir new

Rachell: Thanks for having me. No, I’m from the East Coast, so I’ve been up and down the area. Never spent a lot of time in the Carolinas, but a day here and there. We had a stop in Charleston, South Carolina on the honeymoon cruise we took.

Sherri: Ah yes, you’re still honeymooning.

Rachell: Yup, Mr. Nichole and I have been married just over two years now. So we’re still newlyweds.

Sherri: We’re getting ready to celebrate twenty-eight years and my husband says we’re still honeymooning. We’re a little more sedate about it now that we’re older. You describe your books as contemporary with a little kink. That sounds interesting.

Rachell: Wow, that’s an amazing run! 28 years. Congratulations. I have some books that I consider Kink Lite, but some are really quite kinky. Right now, I’m focusing on some heavier kinky books. I’ve also got several different flavors of books that don’t have kink. I have F/F and menage, and multicultural books out as well. All of it is steamy. I’ve also written paranormal and romantic suspense as well, but those are not published yet.

Sherri: I read the excerpt on your blog, A Love Affair in Las Vegas it’s very heart warming. I felt a connection with Barnaby. Like Sylvia Day, you weave real life and emotions with steamy sex. 

What are you working on now?

Rachell: Aw, that’s so sweet. I can’t believe I was just compared to Syl Day! That is one of the best compliments ever! Thank you. And yes, I love Barnaby. He’s such a sweetheart. Right now I’m working on Bound by Submission the second in the ABCs of Submission series, which is connected to the K Club series, that is in this anthology. I also just got ideas for the next two books directly in the K Club series, so I’m simmering those right now and trying to not get pulled into the brand new shiny projects.

Sexy woman face closeup with black lace mask
Sexy woman face closeup with black lace mask cover her eyes and fresh red apple. Seductive red lips and nails. Fashion Make up and manicure

Sherri: We met through The New Romance Café and the Love in Bloom anthology. Tell us about your story for the anthology.

Rachell: Yes, I love that group. It’s such a great place for romance readers and writers to connect. I’m so glad to have met folks just like you there. So, for this story,  I really found it hard to fit Syenca and Jensen’s piece into only 10,000 words, but I also really really loved writing it. I titled it Blooming for Sir because it serves as a prequel story to To Sir, and starts out in the K Club, where the rest of the books in the series really take place. It’s also just got a touch of kink in it, and is about Syneca kind of trying this whole kinky thing out. Syneca and Jensen are both from old money New York families from the Hamptons, and Syneca was arranged from an early age to marry Jensen’s older brother, Jackson. She and Jensen shared a friendship as kids and a few kisses in their youth, but then Syenca broke things off with Jackson and moved away. The story starts out in The K Club during an auction to raise money for Syneca’s foundation to help LGBTQ homeless youth who have been disowned by their families. Jensen offers to buy her for the night, even though he knows she’s not for sale.  I love love loved writing this short piece and I can’t wait to share it with the world. Here is the official blurb: 

It’s springtime in Spartan Nevada, and that means it’s time for the K Club’s 2nd annual fetish ball to raise money for a good cause. This year, one of the club’s owners has chosen a cause close to his heart – the Madison Foundation that helped him when he was a homeless LGBT youth. Syneca Madison Lexington is delighted Dusty wants to help her foundation, particularly since she’s quickly running out of the trust fund money she could still access when her own parents disowned her for being bisexual. But a submissive auction? She doesn’t know if that’s something she can get behind or not. When Jensen Elmwood enters the K Club, intent on purchasing himself a submissive for the night, the last thing he expects is to run into the one woman he’s loved since he was a kid, the same woman who’s been engaged to his brother since high school. When the sparks reignite between them, can a springtime romance bloom into something more? Or will their past hurts and old family influences tear them apart?

Sherri: Well, I can’t wait to see what happens with Syneca and Jensen. I’m sure things are going to heat up. 

You’ve been a published author for several years now. Are you traditionally published or indie? 

Rachell: A bit of both, actually. I have been published now for 7 years. I started with a small press, and indie pubbed a few titles, but the small house I was with closed in 2018, so I’ve since republished my backlist all on my own, with the help of my writer-editor husband. So, with those titles all republished, and with three new titles I wrote and published last year along with the relaunch, I currently have 12 titles out. The story in the anthology will be lucky number 13. 

I’ve been writing for as long as I could string sentences together, and I was writing romance fanfic in high school but didn’t start my first original paranormal romance novel until I was 18. I got my first novel publishing contract at 21, which is really early for so many people, and I feel so lucky to have started my career out that way, with the help and support of the editors, cover artists, and the rest of the team at Loose Id. 

Sherri: You hold several degrees, do you use these in your writing? 

Rachell: All the time, actually. Two of my degrees are in writing. So I feel like I use things I learned in those degree programs every day. The other degree in French is something I pull from in a lot of different ways. I’ve set books in France, and French culture and language end up in several of my books.

Sherri: Do your hobbies and interests show up in your writing?

Rachell: Languages and travel definitely make it into my writing, as does my love affair with food. My characters are eating quite a bit, or cooking for each other, or talking about food. I guess “food” isn’t really a hobby, but I really love cooking, and I think that bleeds into my writing in a lot of pieces. 

I grab most of my recipes online, so here’s one I use a lot that I adore. It’s just some great good, comfort food! https://www.thekitchn.com/roasting-how-to-cook-a-whole-chicken-dinner-in-the-dutch-oven-254129 

Sherri: Do you write full-time or do you hold down another job as well?

Rachell: Hah! There isn’t a job I’ve encountered I haven’t also worked! Currently, in addition to writing, I work a normal 9-5 (though those aren’t my exact hours) four days a week at a law firm and I teach writing for an online college. I also do some tutoring on the side, but not very steadily, just in between things.

Sherri: Oh wow, and I thought I was busy. When do you find time to write? You must really enjoy writing to be able to do it as well as work two, sometimes three other jobs.

Rachell: Sometimes, it’s really hard to balance, but right now, I block my writing time, usually on Fridays-Sundays when I’m not at the firm, and then i work my teaching around those 6-10 hour blocks of time where I’m writing. I’m fortunate that I can work on a piece for multiple hours without a lot of breaks. I love the excitement of a new project rattling around in my head begging to be let out. I also love talking to people about my stories. These characters are so real to me so when I talk to others about them like they’re also real people, the feeling is amazing.

Sherri: Oh yes, I feel that way too, especially when writing a series, you feel like they’re part of your family. Is there anything you don’t like about writing? 

Rachell: Writing. Hahaha. I mean, I love it, but I hate it all at the same time. My very least favorite is the final edits and doing the formatting on a book.

Sherri: You’ve been writing several years and have a dozen books out. What do you feel your writing strengths and weaknesses are?

Rachell: I write cleanly. This comes back to my work as a writer and training, but also the fact that I learned to type when I was 9 and I can type by feel entirely. This makes typos less likely. I write what I call a dirty draft, where I can kick out 50,000 words in three weeks, and then dig in and revise it which I’m only able to do because I can type so quickly and without having to stare at either the screen or the keyboard. As to weaknesses, I overuse the shit out of words and I repeat things. So I have themes and names and things that crop up in each manuscript that I then have to revise out.

Sherri: I think we all have our pet words that show up in our writing. Even some of the more famous authors have said they have to go on a search and destroy mission from time to time. Who are your favorite authors or your go to genres?

Rachell: Hah, pet words. that’s a great way to describe it. As to my favorite authors… that’s really hard. Right now I’m obsessed with Roan Parish, Stephanie Julian, Priscilla Oliveras, and Alyssa Cole, in romance and Juliet Blackwell, who writes mysteries and general fiction. I read almost exclusively romance, but am sometimes looking to branch out. These are insta-buy authors for me right now. That list used to include a lot of other names, but I’m rather irate with a particular author who shall remain unnamed for killing off the heroine in the last book of hers I read. She was an author I always always loved, and I don’t know that I’ll ever read her again.

Sherri: I feel that way about a certain author. He writes beautifully, great characters you just fall in love with and then he kills them off or leaves them in a state of flux. NO! I want my happy ending. Life is hard enough without killing off the characters I love. 

Before you go, give us a little insight into you as a person and as a writer.

Rachell: Well, my husband would say I’m perfect… hahaha, okay, that’s a total lie, but he would say that I’m worth it! He is the second biggest fan of my writing (my mom still holds the first spot) and he tells me all the time how talented he thinks I am which just means so much. As a writer, I like to think I’m a lot like I am as a real person. As to my overall personality, I’m loud, and crass and constantly busy. I flit from project to project, and have an inability to sit still.

Sherri: Rachell, it has been lovely to have you at my virtual café, maybe someday I can make it a reality and you can come back for a real visit. I look forward to reading your story in the anthology and hope to do more projects with you. 

Rachell: That would be so much fun, Sherri. I’m definitely game. Thanks for inviting me. 

Here are all of Rachell’s links. If you enjoyed our chat and her excerpt for the anthology, “Love in Bloom,” you buy your copy with just a click. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07P6FHS1R

Author website: www.RachellNichole.com
Author blog: www.RomanceAccordingToRach.blogspot.com
Author Facebook page: www.Facebook.com/RachellNichole
Author Twitter: @RachellNichole
Author Goodreads Profile page: http://bit.ly/1vZrGId
Author Amazon Profile page: http://amzn.to/1Cy4qE1
Newsletter signup: https://bit.ly/2kYJDVn

Facebook Group: http://bit.ly/RavenousReaders

 

Posted in event, my books, News, promo

“Love In Bloom”–What it means to be a part of an international anthology.

Posted on by Sherri

Are you ready for spring? Well, I have no control of the weather, but I can give you a little taste of spring, spring romance that is. Check out our spring romance anthology, “Love in Bloom.”


When my friend, Tammera Cooper, author of The Water Street Chronicles, first suggested I join The New Romance Café Facebook group, I thought, yeah whatever. Another boring group doing nothing. Boy was I wrong. Right away, I could tell this group was going to be different. The group is a combination of writers, both published and dreamers, and readers, romance readers. The New Romance Café offers a safe haven for those who love reading and writing romance.


The founder and host of The New Romance Cafe, Andie Wood and her founding group have given its members a place that allows us to share our eclectic views on romance, characters, reading and writing. The genre is explored from different perspectives and even if we don’t agree, our views are respected. The Café is a place to discuss what we love, romance. I am surprised at how much I look forward to and enjoy participating with this group. (The New Romance Café is a closed group.)
Shortly after I joined the group, Andie put out a call for short stories for the group’s upcoming anthologies. A vacancy due to a family emergency offered an opportunity for someone else to join the two planned anthologies. Someone was needed who was willing to write a short story for their spring anthology. Without stopping to think, I volunteered. Little did I know, as we were ending the first week of January that the story would need to be finished, edited and ready to go by February first. Uh, what did I just agree to? Thanks to Lauriel Masson-Oakden, who took on the task of editing both for content and grammar, we managed to get my story, R and R, ready with time to spare. Thank you so much for that, Lauriel!


Having the opportunity to be a part of this anthology is important for several reasons. The first, all the proceeds will go to breast cancer research. Eastern North Carolina has one of the highest rates of cancer in the U S. Learning that the group wanted to support an international charity and was leaning towards breast cancer made being part of this project more important. All of us have been touched by cancer whether we are survivors ourselves, have family or friends who’ve fought the battle or lost it, cancer is very real for all of us. Finding the right charity was a little more difficult. When the U S based Breast Cancer Research Foundation was chosen, it was obvious it was the perfect fit. This foundation works globally to help women and men, deal with breast cancer. BCRF is active in teaching preventive measures and searching for a cure. BCRF funds nearly three hundred researchers across fourteen countries and six continents. I am so proud to be a part of this anthology, all the proceeds from “Love in Bloom” will got to BCRF.


The second reason to be a part of this anthology is a selfish one. Because the group is an eclectic one, representing several different countries, I hope being included in this international anthology will put my name out into the world. The anthology will link to our stories to our other works making it easier for readers to find our other books. As indie authors, our biggest hurdle is being seen in the crowd. If you are on a budget, you have to choose where to spend your marketing dollar and hope you don’t get lost amid the plethora of similar books. By being part of the anthology, helps us to stand out in the crowd. If readers like your story, they can find more from you with just a tap.
The third reason I am so glad to be a part of this anthology are the people I have met. I started doing interviews on my blog. Along the way I have discovered other readers and writers, their work and their friendship. I cannot tell you how interesting it is to meet people from Romania, Norway, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and even the good ole USA, each reads and writes different from me, there may be some similarities but where we are from, our education, our ages all play a factor in what we write. Sharing their stories on my blog and sharing space with them in the anthology is a great honor.


“Love in Bloom” is a collection of romance stories from writers from different parts of the world. Some of the authors are multi-published and successful. For some, this is their first published work. Others, like myself fall into the middle. The stories’ subgenres are just as varied: historical, contemporary, suspense, vampire and steampunk to name just a few. It’s midrange on the heat level but high octane on the romance. Our overall theme is Spring.
So, when you purchase “Love in Bloom,” you are not only getting entertaining stories, you are helping search for a cure for breast cancer.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07P6FHS1R
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07P6FHS1R
Posted in Creekside Cafe, interview

Creekside Cafe Chat with Andie Wood

Posted on by Sherri

Today I have the great honor of welcoming Andie Wood, the founder of The New Romance Café Facebook Group and the heart behind the spring and summer anthologies, “Love in Bloom” and “Hot Summer Nights.” Welcome to North Carolina and Creekside Café.

Andie: I’ve never been to the States. I have many friends there and would love to visit one day soon.

Sherri: It means so much to have you here today. I am so honored to be included in the “Love in Bloom” spring anthology. Is this the first time you’ve coordinated an anthology?

Andie: When I started the group (The New Romance Café), I wanted to help empower and provide a platform for aspiring and unpublished writers, as well as connecting them with their readership. More established authors joined as well, and I felt this led to a greater sense of community and purpose. Since it is a romance focused group, it felt natural that the output should be a romance collection or anthology. This also led to the idea that the profits of this should all go to charity.


https://www.facebook.com/groups/292243634861501


I’m very excited that The Romance Café will be launching its first anthology of short stories created by author members. I see the anthology as the first step in generating as much exposure for them as possible, all towards a great cause: breast cancer research and care.  Several members’ lives have been affected by cancer one way or another. Many are survivors themselves. We’re honoring all those whose lives have been touched by cancer.

Sherri: That is one of the things that attracted me to the anthology. Eastern North Carolina has one of the largest groups of death by cancer in the United States.

Where are you from?

Andie: I’m originally from Romania but I’ve lived all over the place. I lived in the UK (United Kingdom) for 11 years, had a stint in Spain and Gibraltar, and for the past 2 years I’ve been in the other side of the world, in New Zealand.

Sherri: I’m so jealous. I’ve never been anywhere except the US and Mexico. I traveled some before David and I married, but haven’t had much chance to travel since. Are you married? Do you have children?

Andie: I’m married, I have a 3-year old son and I’m currently 32 weeks pregnant, expecting a baby girl in April.

Sherri: That’s exciting. I had all boys, six of them but I’ve been lucky to have great daughters-in-law and some awesome granddaughters.

You are so active in The New Romance Café, do you work full-time?

Andie: By day, I roam the virtual streets of digital marketing. By night, I’m a voracious romance reader.

Sherri: I love to read but have less chance to do so now with trying to publish and at the moment I’m eye-ball deep in conference preparations. Who are your favorite authors, what genres do you like to read?

Andie: I love romance and gentle crime. In terms of authors, I have to mention Alexander McCall Smith, Sarah MacLean, Nora Roberts, Tessa Dare, and Jayne Ann Krentz and her alter egos. It’s a long list.

Sherri: I’m not familiar with Alexander McCall Smith, but the others you mentioned are some of my favorites. I’ll suggest Sabrina Jeffries, she writes Regency Romance.

Besides reading, what are your other passions?

Andie: I love reading, of course. My other big love is Pokemon. If you watch any of my Facebook Live sessions, you’ll notice I have an impressive collection of Pokemon mugs.

Sherri: I’m a big fan of Minions. They crack me up. I’ve even made a minion of me.

One of my passions is cooking though I have very little time to do it with work and writing. Do you like to cook?

Andie: In terms of my cooking, I have a mantra: if it’s not ready in 45 mins max, I’m not making it.

Sherri: I watch a lot of cooking shows but mostly dream about cooking. Do you have a favorite recipe or a favorite food?

Andie: I’m a big pizza fan, ideally with a thin crust. I remember the first time I saw a pizza, it was being eaten by the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! I must have been quite young and it’s left an impression on me.

Sherri: Pizza is one of my favorite things to eat, I’m not good at making it. My first memory of pizza was when we lived in Hampton, Virginia we’d pick up pizza from the Giant Open-Air Market and carry it home. The aroma of pepperoni and bell peppers, spicy sauce and yeast still wafts around in my brain like a ghost. I couldn’t have been more than seven or eight.

The bad thing about pizza, for me anyway, is the calories. I need to start dieting and exercising? My youngest son and his wife are big on going to the gym and running. If I’m running, don’t ask questions just keep going. Are you an athlete or into fitness?  

Andie: I’m afraid the most taxing exercise I do is yoga.

Sherri: You talked about having friends all over the world. Do you keep in touch with them? It must be difficult with the different time zones.

Andie: I try to make myself as available as possible to my friends, particularly as distance and different time zones make it difficult to have set times.

Sherri:  You are the founder and host of several online writing and reading groups, tell us about them.

Andie: Even though romance is THE most sold book genre, it has a stigma attached to it, as well as to those who read it. I created The Romance Café in mid 2018 because I felt that romance readers and aspiring writers were lacking safe, non-judgemental places online where they could discuss their favourite books and authors. Join us here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/292243634861501.

Sherri: Thank you Andie for joining me at Creekside Café, I’ve enjoyed our chat. Don’t forget our spring anthology, Love in Bloom goes on sale March 8th, you can preorder your copy. I ordered mine from Amazon US. The proceeds will go to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation #BCRF, a US based company that works globally. For more information about the charity, go to their website https://www.bcrf.org/

Posted in Creekside Cafe, interview

Creekside Cafe Interview with Suki McMinn

Posted on by Sherri

Sherri: Welcome to Creekside Café, Suki McMinn. Let me introduce you to my friends and readers.

Suki: Thank you so much for inviting me to your cafe. I really enjoyed your chat with Thyra Dane. You know, she and I go way back. When I was a brand-new writer, we wrote fanfiction in the same fandom and became great friends online before she came to see me in person. We even hosted a fanfiction contest together. I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek at her short story in the anthology, and it’s a real treat. Her style is so fresh and funny and sexy, all at the same time.

Sherri: I’m looking forward to reading all of the stories. I have to say, I’m excited about the project. For those of you who haven’t heard Suki, Thyra, along with several other international writers will have stories featured in an upcoming anthology.

Suki: This is the first time I’ve contributed to an anthology, and it feels great to be on a team of authors. I was impressed with the New Romance Cafe group and loved that we wanted to donate the book’s proceeds to Pink Ribbon International. I’m a breast cancer survivor, so it’s a cause near and dear to my heart (quite literally!). A routine 3D mammogram saved my life in 2017.

Sherri: While I haven’t experienced cancer first-hand, I have friends and loved ones who have. It feels good to be able to do something good with our talents.

Suki: I can’t wait to read the stories in our anthology, “Love in Bloom,” as well as the summer book, “Hot Summer Nights.” We have such a diverse group of authors from all over the world writing in different sub-genres. It’s going to make an interesting collection. I set my paranormal romance in the fictional town of Hogback where my cozy mystery series takes place, but I steamed it up quite a bit since it’s a romance. All the stories in our book have the theme “spring” in common, and mine is called “The Iris.”

Sherri: It was so cool to learn you are not only familiar with eastern North Carolina but a Carolina girl as well.

Suki:  I am! It’s my favorite place in the world. And did you know North Carolina is known as “the writingest state?”

My newest book, “The Vampire of Waller County?” is set in North Carolina. It’s actually the first book in my new series of novelettes (the Hogback Series). Book 2, ”Christmas in Waller County,” is out now as well.

Sherri: They sound like a lot of fun. Tell us a little about your series.

Suki: I call it a cozy vampire mystery series with sweet romance and humor. (I might have made that genre up. Ha!) My main character is 18, so it could also be considered New Adult. My artist brother, Corey McNabb, painted the artwork and designed the covers, which I love. I set the series in Hogback, a tiny fictional North Carolina town in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It’s just like Tryon but with more biting.

Sherri: Tyron is your home, now?

Suki: I grew up in Asheville, North Carolina, but spent 27 years living in Los Angeles. I returned to North Carolina—to the tiny town of Tryon, where I lived for four years before my husband’s job took us to Phoenix, Arizona. Now I spend my summers in Tryon and the rest of my time in Phoenix.

Suki’s cottage in Tryon, North Carolina

Sherri: You were a model and actress in LA? Seeing your picture, I can see why you, you are lovely. You have a great smile. 

Suki/Susan during her modeling days

Suki: Thank you! It was an interesting profession, and now I write about it. My first novel, “Drop Dead Gorgeous,” is a paranormal romance set in L.A.’s modeling world.

Sherri: Have you ever been to eastern North Carolina?

Suki: Yes! Growing up in the mountains of North Carolina, we spent many of our summer vacations at the beaches of North and South Carolina. My grandparents bought a little house in Bolivia, North Carolina, right on the intercoastal waterway. We called it the “Little Sandy Beach House” because there was a tiny patch of sand at the end of the street where the water met the land and made a perfect private beach. On Saturday nights, we played bingo in the community building, and that was about as wild as it got around there. I sure do miss it. If I had my druthers, I’d have a little house in the mountains and a little house on the coast.

Sherri: My home is north of that area, along the Pamlico Sound, though my oldest son and his family live near Bolivia.

Do you write full-time or do you hold down another job as well as write?

Suki: I write full time. I retired from my on-camera career when I left Los Angeles.

Sherri: How long have you been writing?

Suki: I started writing ten years ago at the age of 49 and fell in love with it. I lived in Los Angeles at the time and wondered what was next for me after working for nearly three decades as a model and commercial actor. My husband and I left L.A. two years later and moved to Tryon. When new friends asked what I did, I said, “I’m a writer,” because that’s what I wanted to be. Then I made it so.

Sherri: I admire your confidence, it took me years to be able to call myself a writer.

Are your books Indie published or traditional or hybrid?

Suki: Hybrid. My first book, “Drop Dead Gorgeous,” had a publisher, but it went out of business a week after my book came out. I’d just ordered the cake for my launch party and invited the whole town of Tryon in a press release, so I gave myself a quick and dirty education in self-publishing and got the book back out in its second edition just in time to pop the champagne. Then I self-published more books, but I continue to look for publishers for some of my books. I write both fiction and nonfiction. I write nonfiction as Susan McNabb.

Sherri: Some days I love being a writer and other days I want to bang my head against the wall. What do you enjoy about writing?

Suki: I love “losing time” as I get immersed in telling a story. There’s really nothing better except maybe strutting down a runway, but I don’t do that anymore.

Sherri: Is there anything you despise about writing?

Suki: The technical stuff. I can spend hours trying to figure out how to place page numbers correctly on a draft. I once deleted the table of contents from a book because one chapter heading was indented more than the others, and I didn’t know why. Those things aren’t in my natural skill set, and they drive me crazy

Sherri: I’m right there with you one that one. I ask my sons or grandsons to help me on the computer and they go bip, bip, bip, okay, it’s done. I’m like, hey wait a minute, you hit what button to get you where?

Sherri: What are your writing strengths and weaknesses?

Suki:  I’m not sure if it’s a strength or weakness, but like many writers, I’m often plagued with self-doubt. My path to being a published author is littered with corpses of finished and unfinished books. They might be brilliant or horrible, but I can’t tell which.

Sherri: Yes, those brilliant ideas that fizzled out somewhere in the middle of the story. But the fact that you went on to write three books says it all. I believe we as authors have to find our voice. Sometimes we have to experiment and see what doesn’t work in order to discover what does.

What type of books do you read? Who are your favorite authors?

Suki My favorite author is Jane Austen. I have an English Literature degree so have enjoyed a fair number of the classics, but I also appreciate many other kinds of writing. I read fiction and nonfiction and only wish there were more hours in the day to read. I love book clubs because they introduce me to authors and genres I might have missed.

Sherri: As we mentioned earlier, Suki and I met in the Facebook group, The New Romance Café.

Suki: And are now bound by an anthology of romantic short stories called “Love in Bloom.” I noticed we had friends in common among our North Carolina authors. It’s a small world.

Sherri: It is interesting that two of us in “Love in Bloom” are from North Carolina when there are authors from New Zealand, United Kingdom, Norway, and several states in the US.

Before we go, give us a little insight into you as a person and as a writer.

Suki: I had no idea writing could be so rewarding or I would have started much sooner. Now, I make it a point to encourage new writers. It can be a hobby or a profession, and you can start at any point in your life. I also advise new writers to join writers’ groups. Writing is such a solitary activity, and sharing experiences with other writers is crucial. I’ve learned so much from other writers in the ten years I’ve been writing, and there is still so much to learn. When I moved to North Carolina, I joined the North Carolina Writers’ Network. When I got to Phoenix, I joined the Desert Rose, a local chapter of the Romance Writers of America. If you can’t find a group you like, start one like we did with Tryon Writers. Reach out and make new friends in the writing world. You won’t regret it.

Sherri: I agree, I love my writers’ groups. I believe it is important to have a supportive local group like the Pamlico Writers’ Group and the Heart of Carolina. But having the resources of a national and international group like the Romance Writers of America has allowed me to take online classes and participate in contests, workshops and other events I would not have known about otherwise.

Part of the reason I started this blog was to connect with people who share my passion for books and writing.

I hope you have enjoyed my chat with author Suki McMinn. For more information on Suki, check out her website www.sukimcminn.com. If you are interested in her non-fiction work, you can find her as Susan McNabb, at (www.susanmcnabb.com).

Here is the list of Suki’s fiction books:


Drop Dead Gorgeous  https://www.amazon.com/Drop-Dead-Gorgeous-Vamps-Book-ebook/dp/B00HORWK28

Christmas in Waller County https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KX5FCB4


The Vampire of Waller County https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FFC94GX/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1531343761