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!