Nancy Lee Badger Interviews Amy Jarecki

Today I’m interviewing  author Amy Jarecki. Her book, Chihuahua Momma, is a contemporary romance and was released in eBook on July 28th, and the paperback will be available in mid September.


Please tell my readers a little bit about your book. 
   

It’s a fun romance between an ex-football star and a top notch dog handler who doesn’t think she wants to date. Rebecca’s a widow. She’s got two teenaged kids—there’s no time in her life for romance.This is contemporary romance—sort of Jenifer Cruisie style. I also write historical romance, and have two “Celtic Warrior” romances coming out in the second half of 2014.

Since my heart is in Scotland, I cannot wait to read them! When did you first consider yourself a writer, and when did you start writing toward publication? I’ve been a writer since second grade. I wrote my first novel in the late 90’s, and though it was a piece of literary rubbish, It whet my appetite, and I’ve been striving toward improving my craft ever since.

How did you get into romance writing?I love romance, and after doing my research, I discovered that romance is the genre that sells the most. Why not write something you love in a genre that you have a chance of getting published in?

Let's get really personal: Do you have any rejection stories to share? The most baffling was from an agent who sent me the following e-mail after reading my full:

Thanks for your patience while I’ve evaluated this project. I read the sample in entirety yesterday and I’m afraid I’m going to pass. I think your writing is fabulous, and this is an entertaining read. I’m afraid it’s just the story itself that didn’t really set with me. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with it, like I said, I have nothing but positives to say, it’s really just a matter of personal taste. I realize that’s about the worst thing to hear, but, I wanted to be up front. I think you have a lot of talent, it’s just this one isn’t right for my list. I wish you the best in finding a better suited match.
 
Is research a part of your writing? If so, where do you find the answers?
I do a ton of research. I find answers in books and online—anywhere I can…and if I can’t find it, I make something up and verify the facts later (if possible).

How many books have you written, and do you have a favorite?
Presently I’m just about finished with manuscript #10. My favorite is always the one I’m writing!

We connected as members of the Celtic Hearts Romance Writers. Are you a member of any other writing organizations and have they helped?
I’m a member of the RWA and the chapter Celtic Hearts RWA. I also am a member of the League of Utah Writers. Yes, all of these organizations have helped me immensely. I take a ton of writing classes, as I’m always trying to improve my craft.

Share three fun facts about you that most people don’t know.
1)I used to be a plant manager in the plastics industry.
2)I play the piano badly.
3)I got my master’s degree from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Visiting Scotland is on my Bucket List! What’s next for you? Upcoming releases: Virtue - Release date, Dec. 1, 2013 A contemporary romantic suspense—Dancers, Cruise Ships, a Mayan Temple and the Prophecy of the Golden Goddess.

Rescued by the Celtic Warrior – Roman woman, Pict man, forbidden love. Takes place during the Roman occupation of Britannia, Release August, 2014

Celtic Maid – Sequel to Rescued – Release Dec. 2014

Look for future announcements about my Highlanders of Raasay series…
BOOK BLURB

In the frenetic world of canine pageants like Westminster, where dog hair flies and personalities diverge, Rebecca Lee remains in a cocoon of loneliness. Widowed, with two teenaged kids and a business to run, Rebecca would rather mow through five-hundred poodle cuts than think about dating. But when former quarterback Matt Johnson shows up to buy a Chihuahua, his irresistible grin rocks her world—until Matt’s ex decides she wants him back and Rebecca’s daughter decides she’s against her mom dating. Rebecca now has a choice—crawl back into her realm of dogs or fight for the powerful love that fills her soul.

Excerpt
     Like all males, this one was a sucker for a back massage and he leaned into her skilled hands with a blissful moan. He arched his back when she found that “spot” and Rebecca chuckled at the dog’s leg-shaking response. She glanced in the mirror over the stainless steel doggie bath. The steam always made Rebecca’s red hair frizz and it tickled her cheeks as she worked suds into the Powder Puff Chinese Crested.
     With her teenaged kids at school, Rebecca sang along to the tune of “Uptown Girl” booming from the light-rock station. She sounded pretty good and blasted out the words she knew, substituting “doggie paws” where her memory failed.
     Rebecca took her hand off the Crested to swipe the encroaching frizz out of her eyes. Of course the dog took advantage of the freedom and shook, splattering her with water and suds. “Darn you little rascal.” She twitched as doggie bath water dribbled down her face. Glancing at the mirror, she dabbed her cheeks with her shirt sleeve. The suds in her hair would have to wait.
     As she reached for the warm water spray hose, a muffled doorbell rang. Her eyes shot to a plastic black-and-white Chihuahua clock, its tail wagging to the tick of each half-second. Damn, ten minutes early and he’s at the wrong door. Can’t people read the sign? She fastened the grooming loop on the Crested and folded up the side panel of the bath to ensure the dog’s safety.
     Dashing from her studio, she opened the door of her Southern New Jersey home. With a sharp jolt, her breath caught as a friendly grin and sky-blue eyes gazed down at her. “Hi, I’m Matt Johnson.”
     Rebecca stood motionless. Her mouth hung open, her mind unable to focus.
     “Ma’am?”

A little bit about the author Amy lives in Southwest Utah with her husband Bob and three adorable Chihuahuas. Born in Alturas, California, she holds an MBA from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland. Amy loves dancing, hiking, golfing, but above all, she is a true Chihuahua Momma.

You can visit her at:

 

WEBSITE       BLOG        TWITTER

 

GOODREADS       FACEBOOK

 

Amazon Author Page

 

How can my readers buy your book?

 

Readers can go to the publisher’s HOME PAGE

AMAZON     

 

Nancy Lee Badger Interviews Alina K. Field

Author Alina K. Field stopped by to answer a few personal questions. Her book, Rosalyn’s Ring is a Regency novella and was released July 24, 2013.

Please tell my readers a little bit about your book.  
Thanks Nancy for the opportunity to chat with you today. Rosalyn’s Ring tells the story of an impoverished noblewoman who seizes an opportunity to help another young woman and to recover her father’s stolen signet ring. She braves a precarious Christmas Eve snow storm, meets a mysterious nobleman, recovers the ring and loses it again, and uncovers a secret that changes her life. And, oh yes, she finds love!

I need a good night's sleep and two cups of coffee before I write. What is your writing routine like?
I’m a morning writer, but with enough caffeine, I can go all day. I tend to do better in a quiet setting, but I once put out over 30,000 words in thirty days in a thirty foot motor home with my husband sitting across the table from me and the financial news blaring over my head. I considered that quite an achievement! 

I’m not a pantser, but not a detailed plotter either. So far, what works best for me is to decide upon the characters, the main conflict, and the turning points of the story, and then launch into a fast draft. I say “so far” because I’m always looking for a better way. 

Can I assume a story set in the regency period requires research? Is research a part of your writing? If so, where do you find the answers?  
Yes, research always plays a part in my writing, and I almost always start with the internet. Rosalyn’s Ring touches on the historical practice of wife sales in England. I started with Wikipedia, and from there went to referenced sources, Wives for Sale, An Ethnographic Study of British Popular Divorce, by Samuel Pyeatt Menefee, and Customs in Common, by E.B. Thompson.  For other historical questions, I relied on various online sources, but it was difficult at times to pin down certain critical details. My apologies in advance to readers for anything I got wrong—all historical errors are mine! 

We are writing fiction y'all...  Are you a member of any writing organizations and, if so, have they helped?
Thank heavens for Romance Writers of America and the tremendous supportive network of writers I’ve found there. I’m active in two local chapters, East Valley Authors and the Orange County Chapter, and in the last year I joined two specialty online chapters, Celtic Hearts and Beau Monde.  How have they helped me? Let me count the ways: positive role models, affordable education, networking, fellowship, and constant encouragement. I urge all writers of fiction to check out RWA. 

The recent RWA Conference in Atlanta was inspiring. Will you share some encouraging words for authors still struggling for that first contract? 
The best thing you can do is to keep writing, keep reading, and keep learning. Your craft will become stronger and you’ll find yourself with a body of work that will make you more marketable.  Believe it; I’ve seen it happen with my writer friends. 

Share three fun facts about you that most people don’t know.

  1)  I won first place in a college fencing (as in “sword-fighting”, not “chain-link”) tournament.
  2)  I met my husband on an Immigration raid. He was a cop, I was a fed.  
  3)  I spent a number of years in plain clothes carrying a gun; I hated it. I’m not well-endowed enough to distract from the bulge of a shoulder holster. My hips are generous enough for a belt holster, but then, yipes, I had to wear a darn belt, and try dealing with the bathroom in that (ask a policewoman). And put it in my purse? Forgetaboutit; not only is that not a quick draw, imagine having your tube of lipstick pull the trigger accidentally!

BOOK BLURB
With her true inheritance lost, Rosalyn Montagu has reluctantly fallen into her elderly cousin’s tidy London life of do-gooder spinster. When a young woman from the district of Rosalyn’s childhood is put up for auction in a wife sale, Rosalyn seizes the chance to rescue her—and to recover a treasured family heirloom, her father’s signet ring, purloined by the woman’s innkeeper husband.

Intent on liberating the young wife with the money she has scraped together, Rosalyn braves a precarious Christmas Eve coach ride in the company of a mysterious nobleman. She soon finds she is not the only determined buyer attending the sale. Her rakish opponent not only succeeds in thwarting her purchase; he reveals himself as the man who took everything that should have been hers. Everything, that is, but her father’s ring, which she manages to recover before being tossed out of the inn into the snowy night. 

The newly anointed Viscount Cathmore has accepted there is no way to avoid living his father’s dream of accession to a social class he disdains, but he has drawn the line at marrying a blue-blooded miss. Then he meets Rosalyn, a provoking beauty with an upper crust manner, a larcenous streak, and enough secrets to rouse even his jaded heart, including the truth of her identity—she is the woman whose home and inheritance he has usurped. But more mysteries swirl around Rosalyn’s lost inheritance, and Cathmore is just the man to help her uncover the truth. 

Excerpt from Rosalyn’s Ring

Chapter One

Rosalyn Montagu had calculated there would be dangers on this increasingly madcap mission of mercy, but she never expected to be sitting in opposite seats from one them, and in his snug, well-appointed, private coach, too.

It put her at a disadvantage, it did. The weather, all grey sky and arctic wind with the smell of snow, had halted her public coach at the last staging inn. A private coach waited there for the two silent gentlemen who had joined them that morning, ready to carry the gentlemen onward to the Village of Glen Murray.

With as much dignity as she could muster, Rosalyn had begged a ride for her and her maid. After all, a woman’s future—her dignity, her safety, maybe even her life—were at stake, though Rosalyn did not feel compelled to share the particulars.

Lord Cathmore and Mr. Logan, they were. Not young, not old, for men. Possibly thirty, and both quite handsome. Lord and steward, or Lord and secretary perhaps.

Unfortunately, his lordship was silent no longer. After she and Nelly had settled on his cushioned seats, he had begun a polite campaign to get at those particulars.

“I live in London,” Rosalyn answered him, omitting the precise neighborhood, “with my mother’s elderly cousin. She was kind enough to take me in after my father’s death.”



Author Alina K. Field

It was only a small lie. Almost true. Her cousin and benefactor, Abigail Crompton, had died after Christmas last year. This would be Abigail’s first Yuletide spent underground, rolling probably, at the misuse of her monetary bequest.

Lord Cathmore raised only one wicked eyebrow. 

A little bit about the author

Alina K. Field earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English and German literature, but she found her true passion in reading and writing romance. Though her roots are in the Midwest, after six very, very, very cold years in Chicago, she moved to Southern California and hasn’t looked back. She shares a midcentury home with her husband and a blue-eyed cat who conned his way in for dinner one day and decided the food was too good to leave.

You can find more information

about me, Alina K. Field,

and my book, Rosalyn’s Ring AT:

WEBSITE     TWITTER

 

Amazon Author Page

How can my readers buy your book?  

AMAZON      

BREAKING NEWS! The 2013 Golden Claddagh Contest is OPEN!

 

THE CONTEST OPENED APRIL 1, 2013

Enter Celtic Hearts Romance Writers Chapter contest The Golden Claddagh! Don’t let our chapter name dissuade you; your entry does not have to be Celtic based to enter.

We have four categories for unpublished manuscripts:
Historical, FF&P, Contemporary, and Young Adult.

Our contest opens on April 1st with a final due date of May 1st, 2013. Finalists will be notified by June 15th, 2013 and winners announced at the Celtic Hearts AGM at RWA Nationals in Atlanta. All finalists will be invited to the AGM, if they are able to attend.

ELIGIBILITY: The competition is open to RWA members and non-members. The Golden Claddagh Contest is open to published and non-published authors but the submitted work must never have been published in any format. The entry must be either a full-length novel (greater than 40,000 words) or a novella (no less than 20,000 words and no more than 40,000 words). Short stories and novelettes are not accepted.
 

Entry fee is $15 for CHRW members

 and $25 for non-members.

 

FINAL ROUND JUDGES

Contemporary

Julie Mianecki of Penguin Books

Chelsey Emmelhainz of Harper Collins Publishing

Fantasy-Futuristic & Paranormal

Alissa Davis of Carina Press

Laurie McLean of Foreward Literary Agency

Historical

Meredith Giordan of Carina Press

Susie Townsend of New Leaf Literary Agency

Young Adult

Aubrey Poole of Sourcebooks

Becky Vinter of Fine Print Literary Agency

Find the Contest Entry Form and Rules at Celtic Hearts Romance Writers website.  Sign up today! You know you want to. So what are you waiting for?

Eager to enter? Click HERE for more information

*News item from the Celtic Heart Romance Writers:~Permission to Forward Granted

Nancy Lee Badger, member of Celtic Hearts Romance Writers

Today I would like to take a moment to reflect on writing organizations that have benefited me. I spent a wonderful recent weekend night having dinner with over a dozen people who welcomed our monthly speaker to town.

We had flown Heather Osborn, an editor at Samhain Publishing, to town to speak to our local chapter of Romance Writers of America, the Heart of Carolina Romance Writers. The monthly meeting was well-attended and many of us joined afterward to talk over coffee.

This morning, I spent a couple of hours with one writer as we typed furiously in a local coffee shop, her on her next book nearing its deadline and me on promotional articles for my latest release.

                                                                  

As Co-Chair of the group blog, I then spent the afternoon typing up some blog posts for the Fantasy-Futuristic and Paranormal Romance Writers.As PRO Liaison for the Celtic Heart Romance Writers chapter, I worked on a strategy to get more members motivated to finish their latest manuscript. Both these groups are on-line chapters of RWA.

Why am I bringing this up?

Simple. Writing is a lonely profession. You sit in a room or in a chair, alone, and people expect great things. I play the radio and my cat, Blaze, keeps me company, but the house is quiet (when hubby is at work). A writer needs quiet at times, but a writer needs the stimulating conversation, educational benefits, and joy-filled good times that meeting with others 'of like minds' bring.

Are you a writer? DON'T DO THIS ALONE! Ask for help, sit in on a meeting, join an on-line group, attend a writers conference, find a friend who writes. You'll be a better writer.

Nancy