Welcome to Sugarbeat’s Books – The Home of the Romance Novel
Today we are welcoming Cari Quinn to the blog! Cari is the author of a number of books, but is here specifically to talk about her newest release – Heart Signs – a steamy book – my favorite kind! I hope you enjoy hearing about this interesting sounding book!
Cari – Thank you so much for inviting me to visit Sugarbeat’s Books today!
Barb – Tell us a bit about you and your writing – it seems that you have several books published!
Cari – Yes, I do. I just signed a contract for my 13th book and also have two self-pubbed projects I’m proud to be a part of. I mostly write erotic contemporary romance, although my next release is a sexy contemporary novel that, while definitely spicy, doesn’t quite reach the realm of the erotic. I enjoy writing both and look forward to hopefully branching out to paranormal and maybe even romantic suspense at some point in the future. My work is usually sexy, fun, quirky and emotional, with varying degrees of spice!
Barb – Tell us about your newest release – Heart Signs.
Cari – Heart Signs is a story that came about from a weird jolt of inspiration. I was driving one day and spotted a billboard from a young woman looking for a sugar daddy. From there, I started wondering what if the billboard was written by a man writing love notes to his wife? What if his wife was dead, and they had been estranged before her death? And what if the woman who took his billboard orders found herself falling in love with his words…all before they’d ever met in person? That, in a nutshell, is Heart Signs. It’s one of my favorite stories I’ve ever written. I even cried writing it–and I never do that!
Barb – Do you normally start your writing with an outline or do you just let the characters tell the story?
Cari – My characters seem determined to lead the way whether or not I try to rein them in. I do write outlines now and then, especially when I’m trying to sell a story to an editor, but more often and not the characters veer off and do their own thing. But I keep trying to get better at outlining!
Barb – What is your favorite part of writing?
Cari – There are lots of things I love about writing, but by far, my favorite thing is writing the blurb. I worked in advertising for twelve years so I think I honed my ability to condense the “good stuff” in a story into an appealing blurb to hook a reader. I think a strong blurb is one of the best ways to sell a book and I enjoy highlighting the important elements in my story. Plus they’re just fun to put together!
Barb – What is your least favorite part of writing?
Cari – Writing is truly my dream job, and right now I’m getting to do it full-time, something I never believed would happen! That said, outlining is probably my least favorite part, simply because I know my characters know their story better than I ever could!
Barb – Do you have someone who keeps you writing – someone that cheers you on from the sidelines?
Cari – Several someones, luckily enough. But by far, there are two people who always cheer me on–my mom and my best friend and CP, Taryn Elliott. They’re both my staunchest allies and always believe in me when I don’t believe in myself. (And by the way, Taryn’s first two books are releasing soon…and they’re incredible! She’s an amazing writer.)
Barb – Although I realize that many authors feel their characters are like their children, can I risk offending you and ask if you have a favorite character in Heart Signs 🙂
Cari – LOL, no offense taken here. Wow, that’s a tough one. I’d have to go with Rory, the heroine, though it’s neck-and-neck with Sam, her hero. Rory edges him out for me because we’re so much alike in a lot of ways. Trying to be strong and brave and not always succeeding. And we both love sports! Her favorite sport is football while mine is basketball, but still. We’re also very different in several ways but I loved that she could lay it all on the line when it really mattered. She’s way tougher than me in that respect.
Barb – Where can your fans find your books?
Cari – My books are available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, All Romance ebooks and Fictionwise, but they can always check my website as well for buy links, excerpts and other fun stuff like letters Rory and Sam from Heart Signs wrote to each other. J Now I just need to get my website updated!
Barb – How can your fans keep in touch?
Cari – I can be reached through my website or they can chat with me on Goodreads, Twitter and Facebook. My user name on those sites is the oh-so-creative Cari Quinn. I’m always eager to make new friends!
Barb – Anything else you would like to add?
Cari – Just that I appreciate every person who has ever tried or considered trying one of my books. You’ve made it possible for me to live my dream and I thank you from the bottom of my heart!
Visit Cari Quinn at Her Website or Twitter or Facebook
I’d like to thank Cari for dropping by and answering some questions today! I stole the blurb for Hearts Signs from Cari’s blog so that not only you can find out more about this intriguing book, but you can see an illustration of how good Cari really is at creating blurbs…..really makes you want to run out and get a copy!!
The heart has a language all its own…
Rory Fowler has taken Sam Miller’s billboard orders for the last two years, but they aren’t to advertise, they’re love notes to his wife. Sam’s most recent billboard about his wife’s passing hits Rory hard. When she calls Sam to offer condolences, it sets off an unexpected chain of events that ends with Rory in Sam’s apartment —and his arms.
Reading Sam’s love letters tugs Rory into the romance between him and his estranged, now-deceased, wife. Their lives soon intertwine so completely that Rory wonders how she’ll ever forget the man who makes poetry out of emotions she’s fought to dismiss. And plays her body even more skillfully than he writes love notes.
Consumed by guilt and grief, Sam is shocked by the feelings Rory arouses in him, sexually and otherwise. Now he’s not thinking about yesterday as much as he’s looking forward to tomorrow. He’s just not sure if he’s capable of moving on… or if the woman who helped him find the will to really live again will be by his side.
Related articles
- Guest Post & Giveaway with Author Cari Quinn (lushbookreviewss.blogspot.com)
- Book Review: No Dress Required (thecaffeinateddivareads.multifacetedmama.com)
- Guest Post with Cari Quinn & Giveaway! (theforbiddenbookshelf.com)
Taryn Elliott
*muah* Thanks so much for the shout-out darlin’.
Seriously–read this one people! Sam and Rory will rip your guts out, make you laugh, and make you cheer them on. SUCH a great story. Yeah, I’m biased, but she made me cry and I called her directly after I read the non-edited version. (the perks of being a cp. heh) I love all of Cari’s stuff, but there are certain characters that stay with me more than others…and beyond Spencer. (PROVOKE ME! REAAAAAAAD IT) There’s Sam….from Heart Signs. He makes me want to curl into his huge arms and cry and then lick his deliciously bald head. 😉
Good combo if you ask me.
June M.
This does sound like a really good, emotional story.