Sugarbeat's Books

The Home of the Romance Novel

Author Interview

Interview with Cara Marsi of Murder, Mi Amore

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Welcome to Sugarbeat’s Books!

Today we are going to be talking to Cara Marsi about her book, Murder, Mi Amore.  If you are as interested as I am in this book, drop back by on Thursday as we are going to talk to Cara again, but this time about her book, Logan’s Redemption!

So here are Cara’s answers to my questions about Murder, Mi Amore.

Barb – Tell me a little about your book “Murder, Mi Amore”.

Cara – First, Barb, thank you for having me.

“Murder, Mi Amore” is a fast-paced romantic suspense set almost entirely in Italy. I visited Italy for the second time in 2006. Every scene in “Murder, Mi Amore” is authentic, based on places I visited, even the food I ate, when I was in Italy. Of course, I didn’t have someone chasing me to kill me and take back a blue diamond and I didn’t meet a hot, mysterious Italian guy while on my trip. But I was with my hottie husband.

Here’s the blurb:

Lexie Cortese is in Rome to forget. The last thing she expects is to meet a sexy Interpol agent who suspects her of being part of a terrorist plot involving a stolen diamond. Suddenly thrust into a world of murders, muggings, and kidnappings, Lexie doesn’t know what to think—or who to believe.

Dominic Brioni’s assignment is simple. Befriend the American and bring her to justice. Only Lexie seems the most unlikely terrorist Dominic has ever met. Sweet, determined, and direct, she faces life with courage and fire, a fire that sparks his protective instincts and a longing for something more—something he allowed himself to hope for only once before.

But that woman betrayed him, and his boss isn’t about to let him forget it. With his career on the line and Lexie in danger, will Dominic learn to trust his heart before they both get killed?

Barb –  How would you describe this book – genre, target audience,etc.

Cara – Genre is romantic suspense. I think the target audience is a reader who loves a good mystery, especially one set in an exotic location, in this case Italy. And a reader who likes a book with romance, sex, and a hot hero.

Barb –  Which character do you most relate to in this book?

Cara – My heroine, Lexie because she’s always done what’s expected of her. Determined to change her life, she discovers a core of strength she didn’t know she had. And along the way she finds love and romance, but on her terms.

Barb – What 5 words best describe this book?

Cara – Sensual, action, thriller, danger, love

Barb – What was your favorite scene?

Cara – The morning Lexie and Dominic decide to trust each other and make love. Then Dominic learns something about Lexie that makes him doubt his instincts and brings bad memories of another time when he let down his guard.

Barb – Do you listen to music when you write and if so what music helped with this story?

Cara – I like quiet when I write. However, when I’m stuck, I’ll listen to classical music. I have a CD that was made for me by the boyfriend of one of my Australian cousins. This singer is an international tenor and I love his voice. The CD is Italian opera music, and that really helped me over spots when I was writing “Murder, Mi Amore.” Normally my music taste runs to classic rock.

Barb – Do you have a set writing schedule each day or is every day different?

Cara – Every day’s a little different. I usually write in the afternoon. By the time I have breakfast, feed the cat and go to the gym, it’s usually early afternoon before I sit down to write. Husband feeds himself so I don’t have to worry about him, except at dinner. When I worked a full time job, I was on a tight schedule. Now that I’m no longer working outside the house I have a hard time maintaining the same schedule every day.

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

Cara – The original title was “A Diamond for the Kill.” I came up with that before I started writing the story. My wonderful editor at The Wild Rose Press, Laura Kelly, said I should have an Italian title since the story is set in Italy. One of my critique partners came up with “Murder, Mi Amore.” I love the title, and so does my editor.

Barb – What genre do you like to read, and what are you reading now?

Cara – I love all genres of romance. I just finished a romantic suspense which was terrific. I read paranormal romance too. I like all type paranormal romance except vampires. I read more romantic suspense than the other genres so you could say that’s my favorite. I crave happy endings and tortured heroes who are warriors at heart. Those are the kinds of stories I look for. I have a Scottish historical romance someone gave me, and I’ll read that next for a change from suspense. Gotta love those Scotsmen in kilts. (Barb says absolutely 🙂 )

Barb –  Who are your cheerleaders – who encourages and supports your writing?

Cara – My cheerleaders are my critique partners, both my face-to-face partners and my online critique group. Also my sister and female cousins. My husband not so much.

Here are the links to learn more about me and my books:

Website: www.caramarsi.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/carolynmatkowsky

Twitter: http://twitter.com/caramarsi

Watch the video for “Murder, Mi Amore:”

Buy Link for “Murder, Mi Amore,” at The Wild Rose Press

Also available on Amazon Kindle.

I’d like to thank Cara for answering my questions today!  Drop back by to learn about another of her books, Logan’s Redemption, on Thursday!

Interview & Giveaway with Mary Margret Daughtridge author of SEALed Forever

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Welcome to Sugarbeat’s Books!

Today we are learning more about Mary Margret Daughtridge and her book SEALed Forever.  I posted a review of this book on Sunday.  To read my review, click HERE.  Look at the cover of this book!!  Most of you know that I’m quite a visual reader.  Who wouldn’t like a book with a cover like this???  Next up, the hero is a Man in Uniform – a SEAL.  Really, do you need anything more??  This book has been published by Sourcebooks, Inc.  They are allowing me to give away two copies of this book to US and Canada residents.  If you would like a copy of this book, leave me a comment below.  This giveaway goes till Sunday the 22nd!

I sent Mary Margret some questions so that we can learn some more about her and her books.  Enjoy what you learn – I know I did!

Barb – Can you describe SEALed Forever in your own words?

MMD: Black ops, gray ops, SEAL Garth Vale can’t be sure who he’s working for, but when he finds an infant who has been brought into the country hidden aboard a spy plane, he knows, whoever his bosses are, they won’t be happy. Garth has baby to protect and he’s on his own. And the baby acts sick.
Fortunately, Dr Bronwyn Whitescarver has just come to the tiny town nearby. A quick in and out—it’s all he needs.
Yeah. Right. SEALs have a saying: Every operation goes to **** thirty seconds after it hits the ground.

Barb – What was your favorite scene in this story?

MMD: I don’t know if I can choose a favorite. The most plain fun to write was the one I call “Sex In The Canoe.” (Barb agrees!!)

Barb – I loved the character of Garth!  Is he someone you made up in your head or is he modeled after someone you know?

MMD: I don’t get to either model my heroes or to make them up. They just show up in the landscape of another SEAL’s story. At first, all I know about them is what the main characters knows. Garth first came along in Davy’s story, SEALed with a Ring. I had to cut most of Garth’s big scene with Davy. Garth, not Davy, was too much the hero of it—which diluted Davy’s story. But I fell completely in love with Garth’s tender heart. I knew he was large enough to have his own book. In SEALed Forever, I could finally tell the whole story of him and Davy.

Barb – I know that I respond positively to the strong, take-charge, honorable stereotype of a military man or a man in uniform.  Many romances have that sort of man as the hero.  What do you feel makes Garth unique in this respect?

MMD: Every romance reader knows that SEALs are alpha males. Strong, larger than life heroes, it’s tricky not to stereotype them. But haven’t you ever wondered, “What’s it like to live with one?”
What’s special about Garth, and all my heroes, is that the reader gets to see him when he’s not in battle. When he’s in situations where his gargantuan self-confidence, his aggressiveness, his extreme competitiveness are not assets.
The SEAL persona is still there but it doesn’t override everything. The reader can see his quirks, his personal tastes, his vulnerability, and his courage. Courage that has nothing to do with physical prowess. I think too, his need to protect and to serve are highlighted.
All SEALs have a quality—unexpected in an alpha—called nurturance. Garth has more of it than most.

Barb – Who are your cheerleaders—who encourages you to continue writing?

MMD: It would be easier to tell you who doesn’t. My family has always supported me and believed anything I said I wanted to do, I probably could. However, they’re not romance fans (although they read my books.)
A romance writer needs a special kind of support. If any of your readers would like to write romance, even if they’ve never put a word on paper, the best thing they can do is join the nearest RWA chapter. As a rule, romance writers are some of the most generous, the most supportive writers you will ever meet.
In every book I usually wind up acknowledging a special group of friends I lean on, time after time. They never fail to come through for me. My friend Elizabeth Vaughan, MD helped me with the medical background I needed for Bronwyn, the heroine.
I couldn’t fail to mention John Roat, a former SEAL and a writer himself (Class 29, The Making of a SEAL.) From the moment he replied to my first email, saying, “I’m a SEAL. What do you want to know?” he has believed in me. When he doesn’t know how to answer a question for me, he finds a SEAL who does and connects me with them.
None of my characters are based on him but they all have his big heart, his generous spirit, and wicked sense of humor.
Lately, fans have been writing to me, telling me my books are important to them, and urging me, begging, encouraging me to write more—and quicker. 🙂

Barb – I can list all your various contact points, but if your readers want to keep up with what book is coming out next, what is the best way to do that?

MMD: Check out my website and I’d love to be your friend on Facebook
Plus, I love to hear from readers.

marymargret@marymargretdaughtridge.com

Barb – Thank you for taking the time to answer these questions.  I know that I look forward to anything you write – I really enjoyed this book!
MMD: I’m so glad you liked it. I try hard to write the kind of book I would love to read. When readers tell me my book “did it” for them, I feel like I’ve found a kindred spirit. Thanks for letting me visit.

SEALed FOREVER BY MARY MARGRET DAUGHTRIDGE

He’s got a living, breathing dilemma…
In the midst of running an undercover CIA mission, Navy SEAL Lt. Garth Vale finds an abandoned baby, and his superiors sure don’t want to know about it. The only person who can help him is the beautiful new doctor in town, but she’s got another surprise for him…

She’s got a solution…at a price…
Dr. Bronwyn Whitescarver has left the frantic pace of big city ER medicine for a small town medical practice. Her bags aren’t even unpacked yet when gorgeous, intense Garth Vale shows up on her doorstep in the middle of the night with a sick baby…

But his story somehow doesn’t add up, and Bronwyn isn’t quite sure who she’s saving—the baby, or the man…

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mary Margret Daughtridge has been a grade school teacher, speech therapist, family educator, biofeedback therapist, and Transpersonal Hypnotherapist. She is a member of the Heart of Carolina Romance Writers, Romance Writers of America, and Romancing the Military Soul, and is a sought-after judge in writing contests. She resides in Greensboro, North Carolina. For more information, please visit www.marymargretdaughtridge.com and www.sourcebookscasablanca.com.

Thanks for joining me today and remember to leave a comment to win a copy of SEALed Forever!

Interview and giveaway – Virna DePaul

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Welcome to Sugarbeat’s Books!

We are finally at the last event of an exciting week!  This past week we have been participating in the Spring Blog Carnival and Giveaway.  If you want to enter, simply click HERE to go to the form.  Also this week, we have been featuring  Virna DePaul’s books.  She’s an author that I found out about by accident.  I was offered one of her books to read and review by The Romance Reviews and said yes.  I’ve now read 4 of her stories and have enjoyed them all.  This past week I’ve posted reviews of all four stories – each one unique in their own way.  Feel free to cruise back through the week to find out about some great reads!  Virna has been gracious enough to provide us with all the giveaways for this week.  This is a giveaway worth entering!

To tie things up this week, I asked Virna to join us in an interview.  This would allow her to talk briefly about things I didn’t cover in the other posts!  Without further ado – here’s the interview:

Barb –  Can you please explain briefly your transition from prosecutor to author!

Virna – My transition from prosecutor to writer was painfully slow. In other words, I was dissatisfied with law for a long time but it took me awhile to believe I could do something else. I wrote while working for three years, then finally took a leap of faith. I didn’t sell for close to a year after that, but the second I left law, I knew it was the right decision.

Barb –  In Chosen by Blood, what is your favorite scene and why?

Virna – The one where the team parachutes from a spy plane into North Korea.  I love it because it’s action-packed, but also delves into the emotion/nerves of the team, and is one of the earlier scenes that shows them coming to trust one another.

Barb –  Tell us about the sequel to Chosen by Blood and what else you are working on.

Virna – Chosen By Fate, Book 2 in the Para-Ops series, is about the team’s ghost, Wraith, and its human psychic Shaman, Caleb O’Flare.  Wraith and Caleb first meet in Book 1 and their strong reactions to one another are the product of complex back stories.  In their own ways, Wraith and Caleb have to deal with the tension between pain and pleasure, a dichotomy that is brought to the forefront when they set out on their next mission, investigating a series of crimes in the feline community.

I’m also working on a few things for my other publisher. I’m so excited to be writing paranormals for Berkley, but also contemporary romantic suspense for Harlequin.  My debut novel with Harlequin Romantic Suspense, Dangerous To Her, comes out in September 2011.  It’s about an undercover cop who poses as a bailiff in order to investigate a judge.  He ends up reuniting with his college love and discovers she’s harbored a secret for almost a decade.  I’ve also just sold another story to HRS about a woman who must accept the reopening of her mother’s murder investigation by the one man she hoped never to see again.  Finally, in April of 2012, I’ll be launching a new series with HQN.

Barb –  The only one of your collection that I haven’t read or reviewed this week is A Vampire’s Salvation.  Can you tell us a little bit about this story?

Virna – Jacob La Costa Rios is the head of the California governor’s security team; he’s also a vampire who wants the governor, a presidential hopeful, to support the peaceful integration of vampires into human society. Unfortunately, there are others who oppose Jake’s plan. Plus, Jake’s a little distracted by discovering his one true mate, the human female who can give him everything he’s always wanted: love, children, and continuing immortality.

Francesca Marie Stewart is the governor’s “go-green” political consultant. Although she’s been attracted to Jake from day one, her priority is her career and protecting her heart. But then Jake blatantly propositions her and Frankie, who hasn’t experienced sexual intimacy since she was seventeen-years-old, decides it’s time to take what she wants—within reason.

No matter—once Jake makes love to Frankie, he knows reason will be the farthest thing from her mind. Then he just has to eliminate the person threatening her, reveal the fact he’s a vampire, and convince her that trusting him will bring both of them eternal happiness.

Barb –  If you could ask your readers one question, what would it be?

Virna – What’s your favorite scene from one of my stories?

Barb –  I can list all your various contact points, but what is the best way for your readers to get hold of you to keep up to date with what’s going on?

Virna – I definitely try to keep my readers current through social media and through my website.  So if they join my mailing list at www.virnadepaul.com and “like” my Facebook fan page they’ll know about what’s coming next!

Thank you so much, Barb, for interviewing me and hosting me this entire week.  I’ve enjoyed meeting your readers and am so grateful for the way you’ve supported the launch of my debut novel!

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I’d like to thank Virna for being so generous with her books and her time!  I’ve enjoyed featuring Virna for that past week, and I hope that you will enjoy her books as much as I have.

So, as a special treat for those of you who have read to the end…..Virna said that she would love to hear about our favorite scenes…..I’ll giveaway a $10 gift card to someone who comments on this post with their favorite scene 🙂  My favorite scene is from Chosen by Blood is when Felicia and Lucy take down a fighter named Randolph.  Felicia is absolutely a kick-ass heroine!  So what’s your’s??  Just leave a comment!