Interview with Carolyn Brown

I’d like to welcome our guest today, Carolyn Brown. It’s a pleasure having you come visit us at Much Cheaper Than Therapy again, where chocolate is plentiful and advice is free. So grab some chocolate and a lounge chair. Your therapy session has begun.

I've got chocolate, coffee and I'm settled down in a lounge chair. It's great to stop by MCTT today for another therapy session. (You're always welcome here, my dear.)


I understand you have a new release out called My Give A Damn's Busted. Can you tell us a little bit about your fabulous new book?

This is the third book in the Honky Tonk Series. I Love This Bar came out in June; Hell, Yeah in August. The series finale will be out in November with Honky Tonk Christmas. My Give A Damn's Busted is Larissa and Hank's story. Larissa was fed up with trying to find a place to call home. She'd been around the world and no where called her name so one day she decided to let fate have a chance at bringing her happiness. She pulled the map down in the library and stuck a pin in it. The pin came to rest in Mingus, Texas. When she traveled to the Texas town she thought she'd made a wrong turn and landed in hell. But things began to work out for her and by the end of Hell, Yeah she is the new owner of the Honky Tonk. In My Give A Damn's Busted, Hayes Radner is still trying to get the Honky Tonk. And Larissa is just the sassy woman to fight him off. Then Hank Wells shows up and thinks he can dig up dirt on Larissa bu tshe's not going down without a fight. No dime store cowboy can get the best of her or her Honky Tonk. As secrets emerge between the two and passion vies with ulterior motives, its a toss up as to whether they'll learn to trust each other or not.

My Give A Damn's Busted is a very interesting title. How did you arrive at that name?

My fabulous editor, Deb Werksman at Sourcebooks, and I worked together on the titles but she gets the most credit for them. My Give A Damn's Busted is also the title of a Jo Dee Messina and plays a big part all through the book.

What made you decide to write in this genre?

Westerns have always been a favorite of mine whether books, movies or television shows. I love cowboys! They talk slow, walk tall and listen when a woman talks. It don't get no better than that!

Are you a plotter or a pantser and how did it affect the writing of this book?

I think more like a jet air plane pilot than a plotter or a panster. I start off with a destination and a plane full of characters. But about half way to the destination I let the characters hijack the plane and we have this amazing journey that wasn't planned at all.

Did you have to do a lot of research for the book? What are your favorite research books or sites?

Of course, I use the internet to research but my favorite research tool is simply going to the real site and taking a look. I went to Mingus several times during the course of writing the series. Nice bunch of folks down there. If you are ever in the area go by the Smokestack and have a chicken fried steak. They're the best ever!

Where did you get your idea for this particular book?

Well, Larissa had made herself known in Hell, Yeah and showed me she had enough spunk and sass to inherit the place. That rascal Hank Wells...there was something he knew that I didn't and I sure had to keep at him to ferret it all out. So My Give A Damn's Busted just fell into place.

Which character did you like writing about the most, and why?

Oh, dear, that would be like choosing a favorite child! I loved the way Larissa came to life in My Give A Damn's Busted. She showed them all that she had spunk, class and independence. But then I liked Hank and his dilemma and the way his deception lay heavy on his heart. And then Merle, the seventy year old pool shark who's been in all the Honky Tonk books. And Luther, the bouncer, who's just a big old sweet bear of a man.

Tell us about how you develop your characters. Do you create character sheets, do interviews, that sort of thing? How does your research affect your character development?

I just toss them in the airplane, tell them to sit anywhere they want and see what happens!

Do you have any authors that inspired you?

Oh, my, yes, ma'am!! I can't even name them all. If I had to narrow it down to only a few they would be Margaret Mitchell, Mario Puza, Leon Uris and Nora Lofts. That's a bit eclectic but I'll read any and every thing from Hemingway to the back of the Cheerio's box and love it all.

What do you feel is the most effective promotion you have done for your book?

Word of mouth, first and foremost. If someone falls in love with a book they are going to tell their neighbors and anyone who'll stand still and listen. Also, blog sites. It's amazing to me how many people visit blog sites to see the reviews before they read a book. So hats off to all you folks who take care of those sites.

What do we have to look forward next?

Honky Tonk Christmas, the fourth and final installment of The Honky Tonk series will be on the shelves in November, just in time for Christmas. In February, From Wine to Water, a sweet romance from Avalon will kick off the Angels and Outlaws trilogy and then in May, a new series begins from Sourcebooks: Spikes & Spurs with the first book, Love Drunk Cowboy.

Thanks, Carolyn!

Thank you for inviting me to make a stop here to promote My Give A Damn's Busted. I hate to get out of the comfortable chair but my coffee and chocolate is gone so I guess it's time for me to move on and give my seat to the next writer! Happy Reading. (We'll make sure to get you some more chocolate for the next time you visit)

To celebrate her book release, Carolyn Brown is offering a free signed book of My Give A Damn's Busted to one lucky commenter on today's blog. (please check the blog Monday night to see if you won. Chances of winning determined by the number of entries.)

She will be around all day today. I'm sure some of you have questions or comments for her, so please ask away...

Check out author’s website at http://carolynlbrown.com/

Buy http://www.amazon.com/Give-Damns-Busted-Carolyn-Brown/dp/1402239289/ref=sr_1_2?s=gateway&ie=UTF8&qid=1285862218&sr=8-2

Kim Watters here. So, last year we joined the YMCA. For the kids of course. They have a swimming pool, a climbing wall, racquetball courts, a teen center and joy of joy, summer camp. The kids have enjoyed every minute of it. I, of course, enjoyed every minute the kids were there.

Since it’s a family membership, the kids soon got smart. “Hey mom, why don’t you ever come to the Y?”

“Er, because I’m allergic to working out?”

“Really?” Miss Priss gave me a skeptical look.

“Chicken.” Mr. Sarcastic piped in. “Look here, it’s a list of classes they teach. How hard can it be?”

Okay, I’ve been bested by my kids. “You’re right. How hard can it be?”

I glanced at the sheet. Boxing. No way. Body Pump? Sounded exhausting. Body Flow? Hmm. Sounds better but I’ve never done Pilates. Zumba? Can’t dance. Not going there. Ever. Cycling? Sounded good. I used to bike as a kid, no problem. While my son enjoyed the teen center, “gasp” they have daycare for the “mini me”. Drat! I had no excuse now.

So the next time we went to the Y I got dolled up in my cute coordinated work out outfit and signed up for the class. I remembered to bring in a towel and water bottle even though I suspected I wouldn’t be needing it. I stepped inside and my heart dropped to my stomach and breathing became a chore. Sounds like a romance novel, right? Wrong. Those metal contraptions with wheels do not look like the exercise bikes of the past.

Fast forward to the pert, in shape instructor who has legs I can only dream about. “Okay, class, are you ready?”

I nod my head, trying to conserve energy. I have a feeling I was going to need it.
The class kicks me in the rear end. I huff, and I puff, and my backside goes numb. My thighs are worse than overcooked spaghetti noodles trying to hold up a meatball. And that’s in the first fifteen minutes.

Panting, I hang my head in shame. Spinning is much harder than it looks. So is writing.
I grimace each time I hear someone say they can write a book. Okay, so do it. Sit down in that chair and spill your characters guts and emotion. Sweat from places you never knew you could sweat from. Feel the pain and agony of a blank page or another rejection or another level in the bike. Learn and keep learning.

Will I let that class keep me from doing it again? No. The next week I’ll be back in the saddle again and will do much better the next time around. Did I let the last rejection keep me from writing? No. I put the e-mail behind me and started working on a different story that sold.

Because learning to ride a bike is a lot like writing. You start of with training wheels, go slowly and even fall a few times. Then you gain more confidence and you’re off and riding and writing. Maybe at the end, you’ll have a great set off legs and a polished manuscript ready for the editor’s desk. That’s my goal, so take it for what it’s worth.

Inspirational Quote

That which does not kill you makes you stronger.

Neitzsche

Beneath the Thirteen Moons—We have a final cover!

I have just posted this on my website, and I’m very excited to share the cover for the re-release of my first fantasy romance novel, BENEATH THE THIRTEEN MOONS, coming from Sourcebooks in December of this year. Here’s the summary for the book:

He's a ruler in a divided world...

In a magical watery world of the Sea Forest, the divide between the rulers and the people is an uncrossable chasm. Handsome, arrogant prince Korl Com'nder has lived a life of luxury that is nothing more than a fantasy to the people he rules. Until the day he is accidentally kidnapped by a beautiful outlaw smuggler and is forced to open his eyes to the world outside his palace walls.

She's an outcast, but at least she has her independence...

Mahri Zin would stop at nothing to save her village, and when they needed a healer she didn't think twice about kidnapping one. But when she realizes that the healer she so impulsively stole is none other than the crown prince of Sea Forest, Mahri knows that she has a chance to change the fate of her people...

It is available for pre-order, and you can find out more details on my website: http://www.kathrynekennedy.com/

Originally published in 2003 by Thomson-Gale in hardcover, I’m posting the original cover for comparison. I do believe the new cover for the mass-market paperback edition by Sourcebooks more accurately reflects the contents. (There’s an alien world and magical elements and a bit of swordplay, but my books are first and foremost romances.)

What an absolutely different interpretaton of the book.
Without the title, would you even know it contained the same story?

Food for thought,

Until next time,

Kathryne

And the winner is.....

Congratulations CrystalGB, you're the winner of Shirley's book. Please contact Kim at kwatters21 (at) hotmail.com (no spaces) to claim your prize. Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment.

Clutter Update

Last weekend I shared how writing outdoors is my preference, but not practical in the Arizona heat. Yes, it is still over 100 degrees in Phoenix.

I also shared how my daughter's former room is becoming my office/guest bedroom but it is full of clutter. Every time I've asked her to come over and sort through it, she's put it off.




Last weekend, I multi-tasked by judging a contest and shredding documents at the same time. This weekend, I continued to work on getting rid of the clutter in that room.

After spending two years asking my daughter to go through the clothing in her closet, an idea came to me. I was going to take them to her and dump them on her couch, but decided to make one last effort to handle this without drama. I took pictures of two shirts at a time and sent them to her via text message with the note, "Keep or get rid of." To my pleasant surprise she answered "Get rid of." I repeated this many times throughout the day. After sending pics of over two dozen items, the total is Keep - 3 and Get rid of - 23. We still have two feet of closet and 5 drawers to go through, but we made a big dent and I feel the pressure on my nerves releasing.
This means more productivity for me and my writing.

Don't leave things undone. All of those items pile up on your conscious or subconscious and make it more difficult to feel creative. So mend those broken items, or get rid of them. File that pile of paperwork. Shred old documents. And get rid of the clutter. You'll feel so much better.

Until next week,
Happy Writing!
Tina LaVon

Interview with Shirley Jump

I’d like to welcome our guest today, Shirley Jump. It’s a pleasure having you come visit us at Much Cheaper Than Therapy, where chocolate is plentiful and advice is free. So grab some chocolate and a lounge chair. Your therapy session has begun.

I understand you have a new release out called IF THE RED SLIPPER FITS. Can you tell us a little bit about your fabulous new book?

Like Cinders, gossip writer Sarah Griffin has lost a shoe! But this is no glass slipper—it's an exclusive designer stiletto that could cost Sarah her job!

Playboy CEO Caleb Lewis is no Prince Charming, but he does have Sarah's shoe. He offers the intriguing Sarah an ultimatum: in return for her precious shoe, she'll assist him with a commercial proposition—and this means getting up close and personal!

Sarah learned long ago never to believe in fairy tales, but if the red slipper fits…

IF THE RED SLIPPER FITS is a very interesting title. How did you arrive at that name?

It’s part of the “In Her Shoes” series for Harlequin Romance. I love shoes, so when my editor asked me to write a book centered around shoes, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. This story is all about a lost red “slipper”—a one-of-a-kind designer shoe—that forces arch enemies to work together.

What made you decide to write in this genre?

I’m a firm believer in happy endings, and writing in romance just seemed a perfect fit for someone like me. Every book makes me believe in love all over again.

Are you a plotter or a pantser and how did it affect the writing of this book?

I’m definitely a pantser. I have absolutely no idea how a book is going to end until I go to write the end. It makes every page I write an adventure, because I honestly don’t know what’s around the corner. That first draft is almost like reading the book as a reader.

Did you have to do a lot of research for the book? What are your favorite research books or sites?

For this book, since I’m a total shoe-a-holic, there wasn’t a ton of research. It centers around Fashion Week in NYC, and as a frequent reader of anything style-related, I had lots of basic knowledge of that.

Where did you get your idea for this particular book?

I always try to think of the worst thing that could possibly happen to a character. For my heroine, it was losing this one-of-a-kind, exclusive shoe that was the key to her career. And even worse, having to work with the man she has vilified in the press in order to get the shoe back.

Which character did you like writing about the most, and why?

I love creating secondary characters that are quirky and larger-than-life. I always love my hero and heroine—that’s a given—but adding in a quirky secondary character like the shoe’s designer, Frederick K, adds a whole other level of fun to the writing.

Tell us about how you develop your characters. Do you create character sheets, do interviews, that sort of thing? How does your research affect your character development?

I do none of the above, LOL. Truly, they form themselves on the page as I write. I get to know more about them as I go along, and a ton of what I used to do on paper (meaning mapping out the characters and their pasts) happens in my head. It kind of “cooks” while I’m writing. After I come up with a what-if situation for the book, I try to figure out who would be in that situation and why. The rest just kind of morphs from there.

Do you have any authors that inspired you?

So many! I love to read great fiction (Kristin Hannah, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Harlan Coben, Stephen King, Joe Hill, Jodi Picoult) and then try to learn from these fabulous authors who have crafted such strong, memorable stories. I know an author’s good if I get all the way to the end and realize I didn’t dissect a thing—I just loved the book.

What do you feel is the most effective promotion you have done for your book?

Promotion is, IMO, a funny thing. So much of it, if you ask me, is about timing. I had a book come out on 9-11 and at that time, I could have done all the promoting in the world and I know it wouldn’t have affected sales at all (I, like most of the country, was stunned, and didn’t even think about the book then). Another author once told me the only thing you can control is the words you put on the page, so I try to concentrate most on that and not let the rest get me too worked up.

What do we have to look forward next?

I have another AJ Whitten horror novel out in May, called THE CELLAR. Another romance out early next year called THE LOVE LOTTERY, and am working on several more.

Thanks, Shirley!

To celebrate her book release, Shirley Jump is offering a free copy of THE BRIDESMAID AND THE BILLIONAIRE to one lucky commenter on today's blog. (please check the blog Monday night to see if you won. Chances of winning determined by the number of entries.)

She will be around all day today. I'm sure some of you have questions or comments for her, so please ask away...

Bio.

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Shirley Jump spends her days writing women’s fiction and romantic comedies (Vegas Pregnancy Surprise, July 2010) to feed her shoe addiction and avoid cleaning the toilets. As AJ Whitten (www.ajwhitten.com), she also writes horror young adult novels for Houghton Mifflin’s Graphia imprint with her daughter (The Well, September 2009). She cleverly finds writing time by feeding her kids junk food, allowing them to dress in the clothes they find on the floor and encouraging the dogs to double as vacuum cleaners. Visit her website at www.shirleyjump.com or read recipes and life adventures at www.shirleyjump.blogspot.com.

Check out author’s website at http://www.shirleyjump.com/

Buy http://www.amazon.com/Red-Slipper-Fits-Harlequin-Romance/dp/0373176902/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1284940419&sr=8-1