Thursday, March 31, 2016

Romance Readers Want to Know: Author Diane Wickles

Romance Readers Want to Know
Every Thursday on the J.Q. Rose blog


Ah, winding up March guest authors on a high note with newly published author D.Dominik Wickles aka Diane Wickles. Diane’s books always have a happy ending, but the road to that point is rife with mystery and danger. Check out the questions readers ask her and the fun answers she shares with us. Also look for an excerpt below from her new book, Hong Kong Treasure.

Welcome, Diane!!

Questions from My Readers by Diane Wickles

 

I’m still a newly published author so I might not have as many or as diverse questions as the seasoned, best-selling authors; however, I do have a couple of questions from my readers to share with you.

When I tell people about the story lines of my next book I see a dazed look come over their faces and they ask, “How do you come up with an idea each time for a book?” As if they imagine I think of each book, one at a time after the preceding book is finished. The exact opposite is true for me. I’m currently finishing up my second book while the next two books are percolating on my mind’s back burners, waiting their turn to be written.

The next question I get is “How can you possibly write 70,000 words?Hong Kong Treasure was originally 100,000 words and I cut it back to 74,000. Once you get writing a story with all its characters, settings and subplots the words really begin to add up.

When I first signed my contract for Hong Kong Treasure I was floating on Cloud 9 and wanted the whole world to know about it. Big mistake. Being new to the publishing industry I did not understand how long it would take to actually get the book on the shelves.

It’s like when you first find out you’re pregnant and spread the news. You spend the next 7 & ½ months telling people, “No, I didn’t have the baby yet.” Only in publishing, it will take a heck of a lot longer than 7 & ½ months for the book to be available for purchase. So I would constantly be asked, “When is your book coming out?” My soaring Cloud 9 began to droop a little when I had to repeatedly assure people that I wasn’t just pulling their leg; that my book really was going to be published.

Some people, I’m sure were thinking, “Right, but show me the proof.” At least when the cover was finalized I had something to show them and I was ecstatic once more when I received the advance copies. Moral: Keep your excitement to yourself and close friends for awhile before announcing it to the world. Or else come up with some clever responses for why your book isn’t out yet.
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Hong Kong Treasure

Back of the Book : Hong Kong Treasure by D. Dominik Wickles

Deshi Han, a martial arts actor and director, thinks a serious relationship would hamper his career. On a charity trip to the Philippines he agrees to take a young American woman back to Hong Kong to rest and regain her memory.
                Once back in Hong Kong, Deshi reluctantly allows the young woman, whom he names Annie, to accompany him on the movie sets and on his trips across China. Despite his attempts to remain aloof with Annie, a romance develops between them.
                Meanwhile, Annie is troubled by nightmares which allude to a danger lurking from her past and someone on Deshi’s crew is trying to sabotage their budding romance. As Deshi is forced repeatedly to disrupt his work schedule to protect Annie, it serves to confirm his belief that careers and relationships don’t mix.
                But when it looks like Deshi will lose Annie, and he risks everything to save her, will it be too late?

Book Excerpt:
Leyte Province in the Philippines. Her running steps echoed from the walls. Would he catch her? It meant white slavery if he did. Slamming open the kitchen door, she burst out of the hotel despite the typhoon ravaging the eastern coast. The destructive winds and rains were buffered in the alleyway behind the hotel, but she still had to fight for each step away from the man she knew was just behind her.
             Without warning, massive walls of water rushed into the alley from both ends. The sixteen-foot wave scooped her up and battered her against the buildings. When the storm surge receded, she lay bruised and unconscious beneath a mass of water-logged debris.
***
 “I’m told there are eleven buildings, besides this church, serving as shelters,” Father Donovan said. “I haven’t left here since the typhoon hit four days ago. Is the damage extensive?”
“Yes. Very. Many people with no homes, no food,” Deshi Han replied.
Father Donovan put his hand on Deshi’s shoulder. “You brought much-needed food and supplies. Your movies are loved but your charity work is well-known here in the Philippines. I thank you. You are truly doing God’s work, my son.”
Deshi watched as a volunteer passed out the blankets he had brought, which would help to cushion the pews they were using for beds. He shook his head. “I wish I do more.”
“Perhaps there is something …” Father Donovan began.
“What, Father?” He followed the priest to a courtyard. A young woman sat beside a storm-crushed rose bed. Deshi guessed her to be American, in her early twenties. “Who she, Father?”
“No one knows, not even her.” Father Donovan tilted his head to the side and sighed. “She has no memory of anything before the typhoon. One of the doctors informed me that she just needs rest to regain her memory.”
Deshi watched the girl slowly gather the broken branches from around the few unharmed plants. A child about five years old ran up and tapped her on the shoulder. The young woman’s solemn face broke into a smile as the child led her away toward another section of the church.
Father Donovan turned to Deshi. “But she won’t get that rest here. She has nightmares and cries for the orphaned and injured children. I’ve prayed for someone to claim her and take her away from here.”
“We delivered the supplies to the kitchen.” Jun Chew, Deshi’s assistant, spoke in Cantonese as she approached them.
Deshi turned away from the doorway, nodded at Jun then called to his business manager, “Where the next shelter, Paul?”
Paul Wu shook his head then responded in English. “We have distributed all the supplies we brought, Deshi. That is all we can do today.”
“Besides,” Jun continued in Cantonese, “we have to get back or you will be late for the senior citizen center opening.”
The supplies had gone so fast. They had only been to six of the eleven shelters and there were so many people still in need. “Maybe one more thing I can do today,” Deshi said with a sigh. “Father?”
The priest’s right hand clutched the large cross at his neck and he smiled. “Yes, my son?”
“I will take her.”
Buy Links:

About Diane:
D. Dominik Wickles is the pseudonym for Romance author, Diane T. Wickles. Diane has always been overly curious and loves to try new things. Some of her interests have included studying martial arts, getting her degree in Criminal Justice, ice skating, traveling and of course,
Author D. Dominik Wickles
writing stories. Her career path has taken her from bank teller to probation officer to computer instructor to library clerk to author.
She has explored many genres including horror, humor and mystery publishing several short pieces on various online magazines. Diane’s books always have a happy ending but the road to that point is rife with mystery and danger. She is a member of Pennwriters and is active in two local writing groups.
At her home in northwestern Pennsylvania, she talks to her cat, reads 2-3 books at a time, constantly searches for new vegan recipes and creates her characters. In her spare time, she loves camping and building dollhouses.

Contact her at: ddominikwicklesATgmailDotcom
Social Media Links:
Website: https://romancebyddominikwickles.wordpress.com/
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Thank you, Diane. Now I know you're prepared to answer questions from visitors to the blog. So sit tight because I'm inviting all the visitors to ask you a question in the comments section below.

Thursday, April 7--Sweet romance author (and critique partner) Joselyn Vaughn will be our guest on Romance Readers Want to Know. Come on over as we enjoy discussing questions from readers. I promise to have popcorn for you with lots of butter and parmesan cheese!






Monday, March 28, 2016

Running Your Author Business, Resources for Authors, This Week

Hello and welcome to the J. Q. Rose Blog!
Hello from J.Q. Rose
According to the Holiday Insights Website, March 29 is the National Mom and Pop Business Owners Day. This day is one close to my heart because my husband and I were small business owners. We had a flower shop, greenhouse, and garden center for twenty years. And let me tell you, we put in enough hours to equal forty years of work. Owning your own business requires a lot of work.

Authors are small business owners too. Did you ever look at it that way? Your book is your product. I know you didn't write a book thinking about selling it. I know the story swirled in your brain until you just had to write it down. But because you had a message or a desire to touch people's hearts, you shared it with the public. At the moment the book is published--indie or traditional--it becomes not just a heart work, but also hard work. You need to set aside the creative area of your personality in exchange for the practical reality of being a business owner. Your responsibilities include editor, publisher (indie), marketer, speaker, and book keeper.

I never realized there were so many "jobs" associated with being a published author until my first novella, Sunshine Boulevard, was published. The good news is there are many resources to help you learn about running this small business- books and online websites, writing groups, and authors who are willing to share their experiences.


I hosted a blog featuring romance and mystery authors who shared their tips on writing, marketing, and publishing. Not only was it a wonderful opportunity to meet authors, but also a chance for writers to gain valuable information from the experienced authors. Here are some of the resources they use in their writing business. Check them out for your writing business.
Publishing
Joel Friedlander, The Book Designer http://www.thebookdesigner.com/

Marketing
Karen Cioffi, Writing and Marketing http://www.karencioffiwritingandmarketing.com/
Build a Business with Your Book http://buildabusinesswithyourbook.com/

Book Marketing Tools http://bookmarketingtools.com/
Joan Stewart, The Publicity Hound https://publicityhound.com/

Author Groups
Insecure Writers Support Group-http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html
Writers Chatroom http://www.writerschatroom.com/

Romance and Mystery Authors on Writing
Available at Amazon--99 cents
It was my privilege to gather the writing tips shared on my blog (plus more) in one place in the writing tips e-book--Romance and Mystery  Authors on Writing: the Writing Process, Publishing and Marketing. Contributing authors in the book are:
Conda Douglas
C. Hope Clark
Gail Roughton
Heather Fraser Brainerd
Heather Haven
Helena Fairfax
J.Q. Rose
Joan Curtis
Joselyn Vaughn
Kathy McIntosh
Marsha West
Melissa Maygrove
Miss Mae
Roseanne Dowell
Sara-Jayne Townsend

What are your favorite online resources on writing? Do you look at your writing as a business?
Please leave a comment below. Thank you.

This week:
Romance Readers Want to Know
Thursdays on the J.Q. Rose blog

March 31--Author Diane Wickles rounds out our March guest authors. Bring your questions about her writing process. Looking forward to a great discussion next week.

Look who's coming in April! 
You're invited to fire up those questions for the following authors:

APRIL
7Joselyn Vaughn
14Spring Break
21Sandra Cox
28P.A. Estelle




Thursday, March 24, 2016

Joyous, Blessed Easter to You, Easter Reading from Romans 8



Wishing you a joyous, blessed Easter !

Easter Reading from 

Romans 8:15-17, The Message Bible

15 This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It's adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike "What's next, Papa?" 
16God's Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children. 
17 And we know we are going to get what's coming to us - an unbelievable inheritance! We go through exactly what Christ goes through. If we go through the hard times with him, then we're certainly going to go through the good times with him!
***

Because Easter is early this year, we are in Florida. Our family won't be with us. We'll attend the 8 a.m. worship service--such a special time filled with beautiful music and joy. 
If you are a follower of Christ, how do you celebrate Easter? 
* * * 

Romance Readers Want to Know Will Resume Next Thursday, March 31. when author Diane Wickles rounds out our March guest authors. Bring your questions about her writing process. Looking forward to a great discussion next week.

Look who's coming in April! 
You're invited to fire up those questions for the following authors:

APRIL
7Joselyn Vaughn
14Spring Break
21Sandra Cox
28P.A. Estelle

Monday, March 21, 2016

Why I Write by J.Q. Rose

Why I Write by J.Q. Rose
Why I Write by J.Q. Rose
Last night we attended a concert by Joseph Martin, a master pianist and composer of sacred music. When he played the piano, the music was so beautiful, tears surprised my eyes. Emotions of joy, inspiration, power, thankfulness filled the night as Mr. Martin shared his mastery of the piano and his anthems sung by our church choir. One after another were simply feeding my heart. What a gift he has for blessing others with his music.
Joseph Martin--Master of the Piano
Photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.com by nuchylee

As I listened, I realized this is what I want to do for readers. I want to give them joy when they read my stories. If a reader finishes my book, and the story is one she will remember for the entertainment, the surprises, the humor and the emotions that played through her as she read, then I have accomplished my reason for writing.

What about you? Why do you write? And for the reader, what are you looking for in a book of fiction and/or non-fiction?

For more information about this world renowned composer and performer, go to Joseph Martin's website here.
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I'm adding a reader's guide to my e-book for middle grade girls, so I need to change the book cover. Here are a couple of ideas I'm working on. If you have time, I'd appreciate any feedback on the designs--fonts, colors, spacing, etc. Take a peek here. Designed using canva.com. Thank you.

Book Cover #1 white background

Book Cover #2 solid red




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This Week:
Thursday, March 24--The Romance Readers Want to Know series will be suspended for this one week because of the celebration of Easter this Sunday. Come back Thursday, March 31. when author Diane Wickles rounds out our March guest authors. It will be her turn to answer questions from readers.

Look who's coming in April! You're invited to fire up those questions for the following authors:
APRIL
7 Joselyn Vaughn
14 Spring Break
21 Sandra Cox
28 P.A. Estelle

Thank you for stopping in.


Thursday, March 17, 2016

Romance Readers Want to Know: Author Helena Fairfax, Free Romantic Suspense eBook



Romance Readers Want to Know
Thursdays on the J,Q. Rose Blog
Happy St. Patrick's Day! Hope you're wearing your green today otherwise you'll get pinched. Our guest author, Helena Fairfax, is also wearing her green because she celebrates in  England too. 

Besides celebrating with the Irish, we are also throwing a party for Helena's new romance novella, just released last weekend--The Scottish Diamond, a romantic suspense novella.
Be sure to read on to discover how you can receive a free copy of the Palace of Deception, the romantic suspense novella which first introduces us to Lizzie and Leon.


Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Romance Readers Want to Know by Helena Fairfax

Thanks so much for inviting me to take part in this series, JQ. I’ve loved getting to know new authors through your posts - and I love answering readers’ questions!

A question I’ve been asked a few times by readers is “How do you write a whole book?”
I know exactly what they mean. Even though I’ve written four full-length books now – and several short stories and novellas – I still find it both exciting and daunting to be faced with that blank page and the start of a new novel. It’s a very long way from having an idea for a story, to actually putting that idea down on paper and creating a full-length novel out of it.
The way I approach writing a new romance novel is to have a clear idea of the romantic conflict between the hero and heroine before I start. What is it that is keeping my characters apart? Why are their goals in conflict? Why – if they are two attractive, single people – can’t they get together on page one?
After that, I begin writing the novel, sometimes with no clear idea of how I’m going to progress – how will I avoid that “saggy middle”? What happens in chapter twelve? – but as long as I remain true to the characters, and true to their conflict, I keep writing and keep dreaming up situations that test this conflict to the max. I’m often hit with inspiration on the way, which leads me to question two:

Where do you find your ideas?”
I love this question, and it’s a source of endless fascination to me where writers (and all artists) get their creative ideas from. I wish I had the answer! What I’ve found works well is having an enquiring mind. I’m quite a curious person (my husband might say “nosy” :) ) and I often find myself wondering “What would happen if…”
I’ve had most of my ideas from asking myself questions. I love antiques, and while watching a reality TV programme about antique shops, I started asking myself, “What would it be like to own an antique shop and be surrounded by these wonderful connections with other lives in history?” My novel The Antique Love grew directly out of this question. I dreamed up a heroine who is a romantic dreamer and who is fascinated by old objects.
I ask myself these questions all the time. Have you ever walked past a lighted window and cast a surreptitious look inside and wondered, “Who lives there?” If you are as nosy as me, you could be a writer :)

Did you always want to be a writer?” I often get asked this question, too. The answer is yes – but as a child I was more in love with the idea of being a published author than actually sitting down to the painful process of writing! There is a famous quote that goes “It’s a wonderful thing to be a writer. It’s a terrible thing to write.” (I’m sorry, I can’t remember who said it.) I think that sums it up. I do love being a writer – I love the days when my book is released. It’s a very exciting feeling. But the reality of writing is a long, hard slog to get your book to a publishable state, involving a lot of hard work and persistence.
# # # #

Here is the blurb to my latest release, The Scottish Diamond:

The Scottish Diamond by Helena Fairfax
 What do you do when nothing is what it seems…even the man you love?

"Fair is foul, and foul is fair..."  When Lizzie Smith starts rehearsing Macbeth with her theatre group in Edinburgh, she's convinced the witches' spells are the cause of a run of terrible luck. Lizzie's bodyguard boyfriend, Léon, is mysteriously turned down for every job he applies for, until he's finally offered the job of guarding "The Scottish Diamond," a fabulous jewel from the country of Montverrier.

But the diamond's previous guard has disappeared in mysterious circumstances. The Scottish Diamond has a history of intrigue and bloody murder, and Lizzie is plagued by nightmares in which Macbeth's witches are warning her of danger.
Then Lizzie discovers she's being followed through the streets of Edinburgh, and it seems her worst fears are about to be realised...

Excerpt
I continued to frown up at him, troubled. He took my face in his hands and kissed me.
‘I know what it is,’ he said, his eyes twinkling. ‘It’s all your talk of witches and ghosts. Your Scottish superstitions are rubbing off on me and I’m seeing things in this gloomy weather that aren’t there at all.’
He swung me into his arms and kissed me again.
After that, Léon dismissed his vigilance as something brought on by the strangeness of his new city. And once he began his new job at the Castle, he didn’t mention being followed again, and in fact, all the tension he’d been showing disappeared, and he became almost his old self. He left the house with a sense of purpose that had been lacking in his previous aimless wanderings around Edinburgh. And the best thing was, he was beginning to understand more and more of our Scottish brogue every day.
I later discovered it wasn’t just our Scottish way of speaking he was mastering. A few days after he started work, I was in the kitchen preparing our evening meal, when I heard the front door close and Léon’s light tread in the hall. Usually he went straight upstairs to change, but this evening he came directly to the kitchen and put his head round the door. His eyes brimmed with amusement.
I stepped closer to give him a kiss, and he pushed the door wide. My mouth fell open. He was dressed in a kilt. The green tartan cloth was thrown over one broad shoulder in Highland fashion, and the pleated skirt revealed an inch or two of tanned, muscular leg above a pair of thick, cream-coloured socks.
‘Wow,’ I stuttered. ‘You look…’ I breathed out in a long whistle. ‘You look amazing.’
He smiled broadly, showing his white, even teeth in one of the first real smiles I’d seen him give since we left Europe.
‘This is my new uniform.’ He spread his arms a little, glancing down at himself. ‘Not a bad effort for a half-Italian, half-Montverrian. What do you think?’
‘Not bad at all.’ My face decided right then and there to turn a decided pink, and to hide the fact that I couldn’t keep my eyes off him, I threw my arms around his neck and planted a kiss below his ear.
His arms encircled me, and he murmured, ‘Ever made love to a man in a kilt?’
And after that, everything between us was perfect again. All my worries about Léon wanting to go home to Italy, and all his former tension vanished, and we were just as we had been during those idyllic two weeks we’d spent at his home on the Amalfi coast that summer.
But of course, perfect times can’t last forever. Everything changed when I realised it wasn’t Léon who was being followed. It was me.

Buy Links  for The Scottish Diamond by Helena Fairfax
Amazon US

About Helena:
Helena Fairfax writes engaging contemporary romances with sympathetic heroines and heroes she's secretly in love with. Her first novel, The Silk Romance, was a contender for the UK's Romantic Novelists' Association New Writers' Scheme Award and a runner-up in the Global Ebook Awards. Helena Fairfax was shortlisted for the Exeter Novel Prize in 2014.
Helena is a British author who was born in Uganda and came to England as a child. She's grown used to the cold now, and these days she lives in an old Victorian mill town in the north of England, right next door to the windswept Yorkshire moors. She walks this romantic landscape every day with her rescue dog, finding it the perfect place to dream up her heroes and her happy endings.

Social Media Links

If you’d like to get in touch, or find out more about my books, writing, and photos of my settings or the Yorkshire moors where I live, please follow my newsletter by subscribing here.
All new subscribers to my newsletter will receive a FREE copy of Palace of Deception – a romantic suspense novella

You can also visit Helena online:
 Helena Fairfax website 
Facebook
Twitter 
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Thank you so much for having me today, JQ. It’s been a lot of fun taking part in this series! I hope your readers enjoyed my post. If anyone has any more questions – or any comments at all – I’d love to hear them!



Monday, March 14, 2016

Infinity Dreams Award, 9 Facts about J.Q. Rose, and Questions for J.Q.



infinity-dreams-award
Infinity Dreams Award 
Thanks to Emaginette (Anna Simpson) for awarding the Infinity Dreams Award to her blog readers. I of course, I glommed on to it because I ache to receive awards, attention, and applause whenever I can! 
Actually I think the award is a lot of fun and if you would like to play along you can receive the award because I am tagging all my readers. If you choose to add the Infinity Dreams Award to your blog, let me know so I can spread the word about it. 

9 Facts About Myself
1. I like potato chips dipped in ketchup accompanied by a cold glass of chocolate milk.
2. I kicked up my heels as a hobo from Hooverville in the chorus line of the community players production of Annie. So much fun and a dream fulfilled.
3. I helped to build the ark. No, not THAT ark, silly. The ark is the centerpiece of the Ark Park, a playground for the community.
4. In my bio photo, the red Mustang convertible was a surprise birthday gift from my hubby in 1995. Still drives like it’s new.
5. My older brothers and I all played cornet/trumpet in the school band. They made sure to stand out on the front porch when I practiced at home so the neighbors could see they were not the ones tooting out those sour notes.
6.  I am not a great cook, more of a mediocre cook.
7.  My husband and I were full-time RV'ers for eight years. We traveled and did mission work for our church, as well as pick up odd jobs along the way.
8. We are snowbirds, living up north in summer and in Florida in the winter. I prefer to be called a sunbird because I like the idea of flying toward the sun.
9. I love to play Corn Hole, Ladder Golf, and the board game Pegs and Jokers aka Social Security in Canada.

So here are the 9 questions (and my answers) every blogger in the event will answer:
1) What’s your favorite part of being a blogger? I love designing the page. Yeah, really. Finding the photos to go with the words, choosing fonts, what to bold, what to italicize. Then I step back and see what I've created with words and pictures. I love bringing life to a blank page!
2) How many books in a year do you normally read? Funny, but I have never kept track of that. At least 12 and probably up to 36 including fiction and non-fiction.
3) Hardcovers, Paperbacks, or eBooks? I prefer ebooks
4) What does your name mean? Don’t know, make it up. According to Google Janet means "God has been gracious. A feminine form of John." That kind of makes me blush. 
5) Have any of your dreams come true? Tell us. Yes, I imagine all writers dream of being published. I have a byline for freelance articles and an author name for published mystery and non-fiction books. I don't have a print book...yet.
6) What’s your favorite quote? 
The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. - Eleanor Roosevelt
Courtesy of Brainy Quote--I based my e-book for MG girls, Girls Succeed! Stories Behind the Careers of Successful Women on this quote.

7) What are you looking forward to this year? A trip to the South West USA and family camping with kids and grandkids.
8) What’s the first thing you see in the morning? When the blinds aren't closed, I can see the sunrise breaking in the eastern sky. 
9) Guilty Pleasure? Chocolate Frosty (ice cream) from Wendy's

If you want to play along, follow the guidelines below. Have fun!!

GUIDELINES FOR TAGGED BLOGGERS:

– Use the Infinity Dreams Award picture
– Thank the blogger who tagged you (that’s me, Anna!)
– Tell us 9 facts about yourself
– Answer the 9 questions (below)
– Tag 9 bloggers or cheat like I did. :-)

THE QUESTIONS YOU ANSWER:

1) What’s your favorite part of being a blogger?
2) How many books in a year do you normally read?
3) Hardcovers, Paperbacks, or eBooks?
4) What does you name mean? Don’t know, make it up.
5) Have any of your dreams come true? Tell us.
6) What’s your favorite quote?
7) What are you looking forward to this year?
8) What’s the first thing you see in the morning?
9) Guilty Pleasure?
Please leave a comment below. Tell me if you share any of the same answers or not! Thanks for stopping by today.

Romance Readers Want to Know
Thursdays on the J.Q. Rose Blog

Thursday, May 17--Come back on Thursday, May 17, because romance author Helena Fairfax will be on the hot seat answering questions from romance readers. We'll also be celebrating the brand new release of her romantic suspense novella, The Scottish Diamond AND St. Patrick's Day!!

Thursday, March 10, 2016

Romance Readers Want to Know: Author Shirley Martin, Giveaway

Romance Readers Want to Know
Every Thursday on the J.Q. Rose Blog

Hello and welcome to another posting in the Romance Readers Want to Know event! So glad you joined us today. I'm happy to have a fellow Books We Love author today, Shirley Martin.She is an author with a "vivid imagination" and has penned stories in many genres. Today a lucky commenter will win a PDF copy of her romantic fantasy, Magic Mountain. Deadline to enter the drawing is Sunday, 9:00 PM, EDST. (Yes, time change on Sunday to Daylight Savings Time.)

If you have a question for Shirley, please ask in the comment box below. Now let's see what her readers want to know.

Romance Readers Want to Know by Shirley Martin

1. The question I’m most frequently asked, is where do you get your ideas. My answer?  From everywhere!  With my two historical romances, Destined to Love and Forbidden Love I got my ideas from actual historical events.  For Destined to Love I was reading a history of my hometown, Pittsburgh, and read of the early colonial days when many people were captured by the Indians.  So I got the idea for my heroine, a young woman captured by the Indians. Forbidden Love centers around a steel strike in Pittsburgh in 1892.  My heroine is a wealthy society lady–married!–who falls in love with a steelworker from the wrong side of the tracks. This romance is in print now and available from Amazon.
I love writing fantasy and paranormal, where you can let your mind run free.  My Avador series of fantasy romances begins with Night Secrets.  There are five books in this series.
2. Another question I’m often asked, What advice would you give an aspiring writer? One piece of advice is, be willing to take advice.  I once belonged to a local critique group that had two writers who refused to take advice.  Neither of them got published, and they are both deceased now.  And if you want to be a writer, then write. Set a certain time every day for writing, and stick to that schedule, barring illness or an emergency.  Know grammar and punctuation rules and watch your spelling.  Read everything you can get your hands on–newspapers, magazines, fiction and non-fiction books.  Be an authority on the subject you’re writing on.
3. One further question I’m often asked–What is your next project?  My last project was a fantasy romance, Magic Mountain. I’m starting on a sequel titled The Door to Forever.  I’m very excited about this fantasy romance. Part of it will take place in the contemporary world, and part of it will be in an elven country. 
And speaking of Magic Mountain, here’s part of the blurb.

Magic Mountain by Shirley Martin
Fantasy and Romance
Gold!  Legend tells of a fortune in gold, hidden in a mountain in a land far away. Princess Olwen must find the gold because a neighboring warlike country has held her brother hostage for years and demands a vast amount to free him.  Olwen’s father doesn’t believe the legend about the treasure and refuses to send anyone to find it.  So Olwen sets out on her own, without her father’s permission, to find the treasure. Along the way, she finds magic and danger, but also romance.

BUY LINKS:
Amazon
Kobo
Also available at all major online booksellers.
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Thank you, Shirley!
As a prize, Shirley is generously giving away a PDF copy of this fantasy romance. Leave a comment below and you may be the lucky winner in the drawing! Do you have a question for Shirley about her writing? Now's the time to ask.

About Shirley:
Shirley Martin
Author Shirley Martin
Born in western Pennsylvania, Shirley Martin graduated from the University of Pittsburgh. She taught school for one year, then obtained a position as flight attendant with Eastern Air Lines. Based in Miami, she met her future husband there. After raising three sons, she devoted her time to writing, something she'd always wanted to do.

With a vivid imagination and a love of storytelling, Shirley has always enjoyed writing. Her first published novel, "Destined to Love" reflects her familiarity with western Pennsylvania and her love of romance writing. From this historical romance, she blossomed out to other romance genres. "One More Tomorrow" is a vampire romance, one her publisher dubbed "a sizzling seller." With several fantasy novels and novellas, her writing should appeal to just about every lover of romance. Her books have been sold at Amazon and most major bookstores and have garnered great reviews.

A widow, Shirley lives in Birmingham, Alabama, with her two cats.

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