Sugarbeat's Books

The Home of the Romance Novel

Author Interview

Interview and Giveaway with Cate Lord author of Lucky Girl

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Welcome to Sugarbeat’s Books – The Home of the Romance Novel!

Today we are taking part in a blog tour to celebrate the release of Cate Lord’s newest book – Lucky Girl.  Lucky Girl is being released today – Yay!!  Cate has agreed to not only share some information about her and her books, but to also offer a copy of her book to a lucky winner!  To be entered into this contest, just leave a comment below with an e-mail address so that I can contact you if you win.

Sit back and read about this very interesting sounding book:

Barb –  Tell us about your new release without using the blurb?

Cate – Thanks so much to Sugarbeat’s Books for inviting me to do an interview! J  I’m delighted to be here to talk about Lucky Girl, a quirky, funny, lighthearted romantic comedy that’s a September release from Entangled Publishing.  Jessica Devlin, the twenty-nine-year-old heroine, is the beauty editor of Orlando’s O Tart magazine and she takes a long overdue vacation to be maid-of-honor in her English cousin’s wedding.  Jess is a bit uneasy about the trip, however, after recently being dumped by her fiancé while planning her own wedding, and an embarrassing episode two years ago after her beloved grandfather’s funeral that involved an English pub, too many drinks, and a handsome Brit who held her in his arms and soothed her while she cried.

Of course, Jess believes there’s a one in a gazillion chance of her running into James Bond gorgeous Nick Mondinello again—but guess who is at the wedding?  Jess firmly believes marketing exec Nick isn’t right for her, since he’s a playboy like her dad who left when she was twelve.  Fate, though, keeps throwing her and Nick together in ways she never expected.  He couldn’t possibly be Mr. Right.  Could he?  J  Lucky Girl is a story that I hope will keep readers entertained and smiling until the very last page.


Barb – How would your friends describe you in 20 words or less?

Cate – A creative, shy, loyal, family-oriented kitchen goddess and cosmetics junkie who adores cats.


Barb – If you couldn’t be a writer, what you would be?
Cate – An antiques collector.  My husband will say I’m already pursuing this career, with the number of books, antiques, and collectibles collecting dust around our house. J

Barb – When you made your first sale, how did you celebrate and with whom?

Cate – I was very, very thrilled to get that first sale.  I shrieked, did a crazy little dance by my computer, then called my husband.  He was excited for me, and took my daughter and me out to dinner at a nice restaurant that evening.  It’s a time I will never forget.


Barb – What is it you love most about writing? What’s the hardest part of writing for you?
Cate – I love finding that creative zone where the words flow and the story seems to unfold all on its own.  It’s the most amazing, exhilarating state of inspiration.  This doesn’t happen every time I sit down at the computer, though.  Some days, I’m tired or I have other things sapping my focus, and I struggle to write two or three solid pages.  That’s the hardest part of writing—producing when the words don’t come easily.  I make myself write even when it’s difficult, because I can always go back to what I’ve written and revise it.


Barb – Which character do you most relate to – or like the most?
Cate – I really adore Jess.  She’s not “perfect,” and that appeals to me, because it makes her fun, sympathetic, and interesting.  In Lucky Girl, she deals with insecurities that most women experience.  She stresses about her weight, appearance, work performance, being embarrassed, saying the wrong thing, being inadequate in the dating scene, and more.  I think of her as a close girlfriend.

Barb – What is your favorite scene?

Cate – I have many favorites in this book! J  However, I especially like the scene where Jess and Nick end up together on the nightclub’s dance floor. Whew!  Hot stuff. J


Barb – Did you know the title before you started writing?

Cate – Yes!  This book was definitely called Lucky Girl from the very beginning.  I love the title; I think it’s perfect for Jess’s story.

Barb – Do you have any advice for unpublished authors?
Cate – It’s a tough market right now.  To increase your chances of getting published, it’s important to keep writing, refining your craft, and submitting manuscripts, including to contests that offer finalists the chance of having material read by an acquiring editor. Also, don’t just write a partial manuscript and move onto a new project; I recommend finishing the whole book. That way you’ve got a completed project to shop.


Barb – Where do you get your inspiration?

Cate – I get my ideas from conversations with my friends and family, magazine articles, traveling, even shopping days with my teenage daughter.  Lucky Girl was inspired by the year I spend studying in England—the year I met the charming, witty Brit who later became my husband.  I lived with my uncle and aunt in Hertfordshire and traveled by train down to London every day.  On weekends, I partied with a great group of friends I met through my English cousins.  Jess’s love of gin and tonics is definitely something she got from me! J


Barb – Are there any particular books and/or authors that inspired you and continue to do so?
Cate – There are too many to list! J  Just about every author I’ve met has been an inspiration in some way.


Barb – If you could write with anyone who would that be and why?
Cate – I’d love to write a novel with my daughter.  She has terrific ideas and an amazing author voice, and I think we’d make a great team.


Barb – Are you working on anything new and if so when can we expect to see it?
Cate – I have several new writing projects in the works, including two paranormal novels.  I’d also love to write a follow-on book to Lucky Girl.  I can’t say much more right at the moment. J

Barb – How can readers stay in touch?

Cate – Readers are welcome to visit my website: www.catelord.com.  I also love to connect with readers and new friends via Facebook and Goodreads.


Barb – Where is your work available?

Cate – Lucky Girl is available in print and ebook formats and can be purchased at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and all major ebook retailers.

Thanks again, Sugarbeat’s Books!  I enjoyed the interview. J

 

We’d like to thank Cate for stopping by and sharing some information with us about her new release.  I’ve included the blurb for this book as well as an excerpt.  Remember to leave a comment to be entered to win a copy of Lucky Girl.

 

Jessica Devlin isn’t looking for love. Heartbroken after being dumped by  her unfaithful ex-fiancé, she’s  determined to have a fabulous time during her  vacation in England where she’ll be maid-of-honor at her 
cousin’s wedding. After working overtime as beauty editor of Orlando’s O Tart magazine, avoiding dating, and putting on ten pounds, Jess is ready  to toss her past like an empty lipstick tube and party like a single gal.
But when she steps into the church on her cousin’s wedding day, she sees the one man who could sabotage  her plan—James Bond gorgeous  Nick Mondinello. She’s never forgotten the London marketing exec who held her in his arms after her beloved grandfather’s funeral two years 
ago. Ambitious, and lusted after by women everywhere, Nick is completely wrong for guarded, Plain Jane Jess. 
Could Spy Man Nick ever fall for her? Nope. Not unless Jess is one lucky girl.

Cate Lord is the contemporary pen name of multi-award-winning historical 
romance author Catherine Kean.  Her novels have garnered numerous  accolades,  including two Reviewer’s Choice Awards and the GayleWilson  Award of Excellence.  Her books also finaled in the 2008 Next Generation  Indie Book Awards and the 2008 National Readers’ Choice Awards. 
Grateful for her wildly active imagination and plenty of story ideas, Cate  is 
busy working on her next book.  She lives in Central Florida with her husband, 
daughter, and a very spoiled cat.

Excerpt:

Cate Lord, Lucky Girl  (End of Chapter Two)
A boisterous rendition of Bach’s Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring started up inside the church. I glanced in. The pews were almost filled. I recognized Aunt Prim. She was impossible to miss, even from behind, her curly gray hair poking out from beneath her enormous white hat spattered with fuchsia, yellow, and pink flowers.
The groom, Andrew Castleton, a handsome guy with wavy blond hair, stood with his best man near the altar. Andrew clasped and unclasped his hands as if he couldn’t keep them still.
Yup, I’d say he was nervous.
Anna and Charlotte moved to my side. When Andrew saw them, relief softened his features. He grinned, and I knew exactly what he was thinking: “Tilly, the woman I love, is here.”
My cousins giggled and nodded.
My attention shifted to the best man. Mmm. Tall, broad-shouldered—
Oh. My. God!
My heart jolted like I’d just stuck my pinkie into an electrical outlet.
Nick Mondinello. The man my cousins had whispered about years ago. Sex God.
Playboy. Heartbreaker.
Spy Man.
He still looked like a younger version of Pierce Brosnan, the actor who’d starred in a couple of James Bond movies. Nick wore his dark hair shorter now and spiked with gel. He filled out his tailored gray suit very, very nicely.
Memories whooshed through my mind. The day after Grandpa George’s funeral. The Creaky Wicket Pub. The potted plant. Heat flooded my face, hotter than if I had yanked open an oven set to ‘broil.’
Aaahhh! How could my mind torture me at a time like this?
Nick glanced at me. Vines seemed to have snaked up from the carpet and locked aroundmy ankles. The heels of my sandals felt rooted to the floor. The murmurs and music around me faded into a weird, Twilight-Zone buzz.
Doo-dee-doo-doo, Doo-dee-doo-doo.
I forced my lips into a stiff, polite smile and adjusted my sweaty-handed hold on my bouquet. It would be just my luck to drop the pretty arrangement on the floor and turn it into a mangled hodgepodge.
Nick looked at someone on the other side of the church, and I exhaled noisily.
Then he looked at me again. He squinted, as though he was trying to place me. Maybe he was wondering why I was blushing so fiercely.
Severe sunburn. Hot flushes. Woman’s stuff.
I hadn’t blushed like this on my first date.
I held the roses tighter to my chest. Thank goodness the big bouquet would draw attention away from my boobs.
My face burned. Scorched, more like it. Embarrassing now, but not quite as mortifying as what I’d done two years ago.
Glancing away from Nick, I watched one of the ushers escort Aunt Cleo to a front pew, where she sat beside Aunt Prim. I felt acutely alert, as if I was a taut spring, about to uncoil with a loud poing like a Jack-In-The-Box.
Was Nick still looking at me?
I struggled to quiet the desperate squeak rising in my throat. Maybe I was worrying for nothing. Maybe Nick didn’t even remember what had happened. He’d been drinking that night. We all had. Some of us—specifically moi—a lot more than others.  I dared a glance. Nick nodded in response to something Andrew said. A smile curved Nick’s mouth.
Hushed voices along with the whisper of silk came from behind me. Valerie, Tilly, and my uncle had entered the church.
My belly squeezed tight. Any moment now, the ceremony would begin.  Dread shivered through me.
A countdown began ticking in my head.
Ten. . . nine. . .
Oh no. In the recessional, I would have to walk arm in arm with Nick. Help!
Seven. . . six. . .
Butterflies swooped in my stomach. My hands felt coated in olive oil. The ushers led the last of the guests to their pews.
Three. . . two. . .
When the guys returned, the organist paused for a moment then struck up a vibrant march.
The Wedding March.
Ping. The moment of truth was upon me.
I hadn’t prayed in months. But as the ushers began a slow walk up the aisle, I prayed I didn’t trip, stumble, or make a fool of myself.
Not in front of Tilly and my relatives.
Not in front of gorgeous Nick Mondinello.
Again.
Anna, Charlotte, and Valerie lined up ahead of me to begin their graceful stroll up the
aisle. As I drew a deep breath, Nick’s gaze locked with mine.
He was still smiling.
In that moment, I knew without the teeniest bit of doubt.
He remembered.

Amazon Purchase Link for Lucky Girl

Interview with Emilie Richards author of Sunset Bridge

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Welcome to Sugarbeat’s Books – The Home of the Romance Novel!

Today we are talking to Emilie Richards, the author of Sunset Bridge.  I posted a review several weeks ago for this book.  I quite enjoyed this book and thought it would be a nice idea to invite Emilie by the blog to get to know her and her work better!

Barb – How would your friends describe you in 20 words or less?

Emilie – Sympathetic, loyal to a fault, scattered, interested, single-minded.

Barb – How long have you been writing?
Emilie – Almost twenty-five years.

Barb – Describe your typical writing day.
Emilie – I spend my mornings on writing-related activities, like promotion, research, email and edits, and writing if I can.  I spend afternoons writing.  I’m at my computer no later than 9 and leave it about 5:30.

Barb – If someone else wrote a blub about your book, what would it say?
Emilie – Utterly riveting novel about women you’ll want to know. 🙂

Barb – What do you love about writing?
Emilie – I love living in my imagination, then trying to find the best way to tell my stories to others.

Barb – What’s the hardest part about writing a book?
Emilie – Living in my imagination and trying to find the best way to tell my stories.

Barb – Although Sunset Bridge is a book that is mainly about a group of women, who is your favorite male character?
Emilie – I love Marsh because he tries so hard to do the right thing but he’s never quite sure how to deal with his own emotions.

Barb – What were the challenges in bringing this book to life?
Emilie – Trying to find a place for each character and a way to tell their stories without going so far over my word limit my publisher decamped.

Barb – How can readers stay in touch?
Emilie – I have an active Facebook “fan” page–I call it my reader page.  They can also reach me through my website under Get In Touch.

Barb – Where is your work available?
Emilie – Everywhere, I hope.  Both print and e-format.

Barb – What is your next book and when can we expect it to be release?
Emilie – One Mountain Away debuts in August 2012 and inaugurates a new series: Goddesses Anonymous, set in Asheville, NC.

 

I’d like to thank Emilie for dropping by and sharing some information with us.  Her latest book, Sunset Bridge is available in bookstores now.

Former socialite Tracy Deloche has nothing to her name but five ramshackle beach cottages and the unlikely friendships she’s formed with her tenants. Wanda, wise waitress turned popular pie-shop owner. Janya, the young Indian wife whose arranged marriage surprises her every day. Alice, a widow raising her complex tween-age granddaughter. And Maggie, Wanda’s daughter, a former Miami cop with a love life as complicated as Tracy’s own.

The new man in Tracy’s life hasn’t mentioned love or commitment— and Tracy has just discovered she’s pregnant. Janya longs to be a mother—and suddenly has two young siblings in her care. Maggie helps out at Wanda’s Wonderful Pies…but is the kitchen big enough for both Gray women? And Alice may lose her beloved granddaughter to someone no one expected….

As a tropical storm brews, the wind carries surprises and secrets over the bridge to Happiness Key. Now, more than ever, five friends will discover just how much they need one another.

Amazon purchase link Sunset Bridge (Happiness Key)

Interview with Dana M. Burnett author of Two out of Three

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Welcome to Sugarbeat’s Books – The Home of the Romance Novel!

Today we are welcoming Dana M. Burnett to the blog to talk about her newest release, Two out of Three.  Dana has answered some questions and I’ve included a blurb and buy links at the end. Here’s Dana:

Barb –  Tell me a little about yourself
Dana – I live in Southern Indiana where the weather changes at the drop of a hat to whatever will make you the most uncomfortable. I’m a widowed single mom and I’ve been writing since high school.

Barb –  Where would you live if you could live anywhere in the world?
Dana – I would have to say that I would be torn between some place warm like Florida or California and London. I’ve always dreamed of going to London and seeing a West End show!

Barb – Do you have cheerleaders….friends or family members that keep you writing?
Dana – My mother is my cherished first reader and my daughter is the true cheerleader. She is a typical seven year old and wants a horse something fierce, she knows exactly how many books I have to sell to get one. Every book I sell, she tells me only X more to go.

Barb –  If someone else wrote a blurb about your book what would it say?
Dana – If someone was going to write a blurb about my book it would bee something like: A New Twist on the Happy Ending. I hate predictable books were by the time you reach the last page, everything is tied up with a neat little bow. Life just doesn’t work that way and a writer can have me all the way to the end and then ruin it if that’s how they end their book. Romance doesn’t always have to have the happily ever after ending, but everyone seems to have forgotten that. Gone With The Wind, anyone?

Barb –  What do you love about writing?
Dana – I love being able to create entire worlds. I always believe that my characters come to life as themselves because that’s the only option that I had. With Two Out of Three, Sarah is a selfish person and Rob is a little on the psychotic side. That is just the way I imagined them from day one, but I loved being able to throw these two opposing personalities together when they are so much better off apart.

Barb –  What’s the hardest part of writing a book?
Dana – For me, the hardest part of writing a book is silencing the inner critic. It’s hard for me to remember that as a writer there will be those days when I’m a genius and there will be times that I’m a complete idiot. I always tend to listen to the idiot idea and tear out whole chapters or start all over. Not very productive.

Barb – Who is your favorite character in your new release?

Dana –  I have to admit, I love Sarah. Sarah is selfish, but also a little insecure despite her vanity. The only time she feels whole is when she’s with Rob, but that’s also when she’s at her worst.

Barb – Do you see yourself in any of your characters?
Dana – I think we all have that evil side to us. I see Sarah in myself when I was younger, had I made some different choices, I could have ended up just as messed up as her. She never really gets past that teenage idea that the whole world is out to get you and makes all of her decisions based on what is going on right then, she never thinks ahead. I’d like to think that I’ve outgrown that.

Barb – What was your favorite scene and why?
Dana – My favorite scene is when Rob returns to New York and finds Sarah. She’s been struggling to fit into the image society has of her, but missing that passion that she had in her youth. Suddenly, here is Rob, the representation of her wild side. The seduction that takes place at the opera….Wow, pretty steamy. You just feel that even though these two people are so toxic together, you want so bad for it to work out for them.

Barb –  What book is currently on your nightstand?
Dana – Fallen by Lauren Kate. I’m about half way through and very impressed. Before that it was Switched by Amanda Hocking. The paranormal romances here lately are just really amazing. I justify all of my recent purchases by saying I’m researching the market for my next book.

Barb –  Do you have an all time favorite book?
Dana – All time favorite book…That would be a toss up between Gone With the Wind or The Witching Hour. Either way, I usually prefer epic, sweeping stories. I’ve just recently gotten into shorter novels.

Barb – Where can your fans find you ?
Dana – Fans can find me at my website , Facebook (Dana Michelle Burnett), and on Twitter. I always try to respond to every comment or question from readers, it may take a few days, but I always write back.

Barb –  Where can readers find your books?
Dana – My books are available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords. My literary novel Ghost Country and Two Out of Three are available for order in most bookstores.

Barb –  Are you working on anything new and if so when can we expect to see it?
Dana – I’m working on a paranormal romance right now. Visitors to my site can read the first few chapters. I’ve gotten a lot of great feedback about it and I’m really excited about it. I’m hoping to have it available by October, but we’ll see. I will also be publishing a graphic novel version of it with the help of my amazing step-daughter Bailey Barnett. She is a very talented graphic artist and this gives me the opportunity to work with her which is really exciting!

Barb –  Anything else you would like to add?

Dana –  I’d just like to add that I really appreciate the opportunity to visit your blog and your readers. Thanks so much.

I’d like to thank Dana for stopping by and answering some questions for us! Keep reading and find out about her newest release, Two out of Three!

He said that he needed her in his life…He swore that he wanted her more than he had ever wanted any woman…But love?  That was never part of the bargain.

Sarah Deardon loved two things:  Dancing and Vincent Allen.  She struggled for years to become the best at the studio while nursing her crush.

When a tragic accident destroys her dreams of dancing, Sarah turns her full attention to Mr. Allen and pursues him with the same relentless determination that she had used dancing.

Vincent keeps her at bay, trying to let her get through high school and college, even putting an ocean between them.  His absence opens the door for the sexy rebel Robert Stewart. 

With Robert in the picture, Sarah’s life takes a dramatic turn leading her across the country and back again.  She seals her fate with a bargain and she finds herself torn between a life of stability and a passion that refuses to be denied.

Amazon Purchase Link for Two Out of Three