On Conversations: #interview with #author Karen Whiddon and her #newrelease

Please welcome author, Karen Whiddon to Conversations today! Check out her new Harlequin Romantic Suspense release, The Millionaire Cowboy's Secret and her interview below.

Lisa ~
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THE MILLIONAIRE COWBOY'S SECRET 

Undercover Seduction 

Undercover ATF agent Skylar McClain dreams of justice and lives by the law. She always gets her man. Armed with a killer smile and an undercover identity as a photojournalist, she should have no problem bringing down any criminal—even a sexy millionaire horse breeder. But no assignment has ever tested her boundaries like Matt Landeta. His connection to Mexican drug cartels makes him dangerous. Only, what if there's more to this case than right and wrong?
 
All Matt wants is revenge. Not a gorgeous distraction like Skylar, whose hunt for answers will complicate things. Yet an unexpected enemy is about to bring Skylar closer to the truth…and to Matt. And letting go of his darkest secrets might be the only way to protect her. 


INTERVIEW:

If you weren't writing as a career...what would you be doing?

I've been a licensed insurance agent since 1989.  Until two years ago, my husband and I owned and ran a commercial truck insurance agency.  So I guess it would be that.

What is the craziest thing you've done to research a story idea?

I don't know about crazy, but I did my local city's citizen's police academy.  After the course, I helped train rookie cops.  That was so much fun.  We did scenarios they provided and they came to my house.  Some of the scenarios were wild - like my husband had to pretend to be abusive, or we wanted to go all neighborhood watch on some bad neighbors and the officer had to calm us down.  The supervisor/trainer would stand back and take notes.  One time, I had to be a belligerent woman and a rookie put me up against the wall and tried to cuff me.  Fun times!

Everyone always wants to know about a writer's writing space. What's yours like? 

I love my writing space.  It's my grown daughter's childhood bedroom.  I have bookshelves full of books, my stuffed dog collection, and a lovely, huge desk near a window.

Do you write every day? Every week? Odd times? 

I write every day Monday - Friday.  I try to take weekends off, unless I'm close to deadline.  I work pretty standard hours, trying to be at my computer by 8am and finishing up by 5pm.

What is your favorite thing about being a full-time writer? 

Being with my dogs all day.  And not having to deal with customers, just characters in my book.  Also, writing full time allows me to really get deep into my story, to write outside on nice days, and to be happy with my life.

What are your upcoming books? 

I have a paranormal romance (Harlequin Nocturne) called The Wolf Prince out now, a Harlequin Romantic Suspense The Millionaire Cowboy's Secret out in May, another Harlequin Nocturne The Lost Wolf's Destiny, out in September, and a Harlequin Romantic Suspense Texas Secrets, Lovers' Lies out in October.  Plus I've self-published my 10 book backlist, which is a combination of paranormal romances (5) and contemporary romances (5).  Check them out on Amazon or Barnes and Noble or Smashwords.com.



 

Karen Whiddon lives in Texas with her hero-like husband and three dogs - a Miniature Schnauzer and two Boxers. Now a full-time writer, she writes every day and loves her life!

If you like romance, romantic suspense, paranormal, werewolves, shape-shifters, vampires, Faeries, or just plain enjoy reading about two people in love, check out her books!

www.KarenWhiddon.com
www.karenwhiddon.blogspot.com
The Wolf Prince - Harlequin Nocturne - April 2013
The Millionaire Cowboy's Secret - Harlequin Romantic Suspense - May 2013
The Lost Wolf's Destiny - Harlequin Nocturne - September 2013
Texas Secrets, Lovers' Lies - Harlequin Romantic Suspense - October 2013
 

On Conversations: #author Mona Risk with her #newrelease and a #giveaway

Please welcome author, Mona Risk to Conversations today! She's here to talk about the latest release in her Holiday Babies Series, Mother's Day Babies. For a chance to win a copy of Mother's Day Babies, all you have to do is answer her question below at the end of her excerpt.

Lisa ~
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Thank you Lisa and Ginger for inviting me to your blog and giving me the opportunity to introduce my latest release, MOTHER’S DAY BABIES.

The heroine, Barbara Ramsey, could be your sister, your cousin, your neighbor or dear friend—a woman who met a wonderful man years ago, fell in love and married him. Together they worked and struggled to raise beautiful children and give them a good education. A happy couple many envy, they understand and support each other. 

But suddenly their world shattered. He dies of a heart attack or a long painful cancer.

After thirty wonderful years with a man she’s always adored, she’s alone and lonely, and she tries to continue the same life on her own. A mother in the true sense of the word, Barbara helps her daughters, babysits her grandchildren, volunteers at the church, and makes an effort to visit with her friends.

She claims that her life is perfect. But she misses a man’s hugs and kisses and warmth. At night she cries and feels empty. Will she always be a mother and a grandmother—and a lonely woman when her children don’t need her anymore?

How about being a woman again, Barbara?

Let’s hear it from my heroine, Barbara, who lives and breathes for her five grownup daughters and their babies. 

Excerpt:

     “I can’t go to Paris with that gorgeous man.” Barbara Ramsey scowled at the full length mirror in her bedroom, turned around, and glanced over her shoulder at her reflection. “This dress looks even worse from the back.”
     “Nonsense, Mom, I hope I look that great at your age.” Standing in the master bedroom beside a gaping suitcase, Heather rolled her eyes. “After raising five daughters, one would expect a little extra flesh here and there. No big deal. A nice outfit will camouflage the bulges. Madelyn, hand me that black thing.”
     Her lips pinched, her eldest held out the long silk dress. “Too old-fashioned. Mom, you need a new evening gown.” Madelyn extracted two velvet sweat suits from the closet and shook her head. “Definitely not good for Paris. We need to go shopping.”

     “Why would anyone expect me to play the dating game at fifty-five with forty extra pounds on my hips?” Barbara pinched her side. Yep, definitely more than two inches there. Not that she usually cared about her weight, but under the circumstances...

     Instead of commiserating, the two young women burst out laughing. If Roxanne, Claire and Tiffany were here too, the five of them would have a swell time ganging up on her with comments and advice.

     “Mom, you’re beautiful.” Heather grabbed her mother’s shoulders and spun her back toward the mirror. “Look at your pretty face. You have almost no lines. How many people had told you that you look like our big sister?”

     “You’re too kind, sweetheart.” Barbara patted Heather’s cheek. “So what if I have good genes. I still can’t go to Paris with your sister’s boss.”

     “Mom, let’s put things in the right perspective. You’re not going to Paris as Lou Roland’s date. Roxanne and her family will be there too.” Madelyn threw aside the outfits she’d been holding and rubbed her mother’s back.

     “You’re just accompanying Roxanne on a business trip to France for two weeks,” Heather added. “Why do you assume he has an ulterior motive?”

     “I don’t assume anything. I just don’t know him very well. It’s been two months since we met at Roxanne’s friends’ wedding and I haven’t seen him since.”

     Madelyn planted her fists on her hips. “Lou calls you several times a week. You told me you chat and laugh for hours. You even called him your best buddy.”

     Heather chuckled, her blond ponytail bouncing on her back, and tapped her sister on the shoulder. “I bet you’re not aware that she even sent him a box of her famous cookies.”

     “No way!” Madelyn’s censorious look annoyed the heck out of her mother. “Well, well, if your friendship with Lou has reached that level, I don’t see the problem. It’s about time you started living again.”

     “My life is busy and perfect as is.” Barbara’s mouth twitched and she automatically reached to readjust the golden cover’s corners. She had a beautiful house, the same one where she’d lived with her late husband David for thirty years, and she still attended the same church where they were married. What more could she wish for?

     “Come on, Mom.” Heather threw her hands in the air. “All you do is spend your days in the kitchen, cooking or baking for your grandchildren and church events.”

     “And probably tasting your delicious food,” Madelyn added. “No wonder you’re putting on weight. It’s time to do something different and discover what the world looks like outside of Lexington, KY.”

     “I regularly travel to Florida and—”

   “Mom, visiting with my family and baking for the kids is not what I’d call a real vacation.” Madelyn shook her practical crop of blond curls.

Panic struck Barbara’s chest. Oh David, why have you left me? “Leave me in peace, you two. I’m a mother and a grandmother. Not a glamorous thirty-something bimbo like the women your sister’s boss usually dates.” 

So what do you think? Should Barbara accept Lou’s offer to travel to Paris with his TV crew and her daughter? His compliments flatter her and she’d love to accompany her daughter on a business trip with Roxanne’s boss.

Is she letting herself in for more than she can handle?

For a chance to win a copy of MOTHER’S DAY BABIES, let me know how you would advise Barbara. 

Blurb: Powerful News Director, Lou Roland is certainly not marriage material, yet he has suddenly decided he wants Barbara in his arms. Not an easy task when his pretty confidante from Kentucky proves so difficult to date—unless he follows her rules. Can the over-fifty confirmed bachelor and the widow loyal to her husband’s memory find true love and share a future?

MOTHER’S DAY BABIES is dedicated to the mothers we celebrate on Mother’s Day and those we remember with love.

Available for 99 cents at Amazon.com

About the Author:

From chemistry in the lab to chemistry between people. 

As a director of chemistry, Mona Risk traveled to more than sixty countries on business or vacation. To relax from her hectic schedule, she avidly read romance novels and mentally plotted her own books. Eventually she left a scientific career to share with readers the many stories brewing in her head. Mona likes to set her stories in the fascinating places she visits. 

Mona Risk’s books won Best Romance Novel of the Year at Preditors & Editors; Best Contemporary Romances at Readers Favorite; Epic Award Finalists; and many stellar reviews. 

Other books in The Holiday Babies Series:

VALENTINE BABIES

CHRISTMAS BABIES

BABIES IN THE BARGAIN

Links: www.monarisk.com

www.facebook.com/MonaRisk

www.twitter.com/MonaRiskS

Mona Risk Amazon Page of books

 

On Conversations: Interview with #AAMBookclub #Author Marcia Reid

It is my pleasure to welcome AAMBookclub Author Marcia Reid to Conversations today.  She's here to talk about her latest release, Finally Reid: The Extraordinary Testimonies of an Ordinary Woman. Be sure and check out her interview and get to know Marcia.

Lisa ~ 
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Finally Reid: The Extraordinary Testimonies of an Ordinary Woman by Marcia Reid is the latest release by WheelMan Press. Finally Reid is about the process of author Marcia Reid’s personal discovery through various challenges that helped her grow along the way. It is the life story of a woman with humble beginnings as a little girl from the poor and rural hills of the island of Jamaica, chronicling her struggles with epilepsy as a young girl, with Attention Deficit Disorder as a student and the pain of a child estranged from her father only to feel rejected later when he finally appears. It also tells of a woman fulfilling her dream of moving to New York, a dream that was temporarily spoiled by her marriage to a dark, handsome waiter who hid from her his torrid affairs and his involvement with illegal drug trafficking. Despite her struggles, author Marcia Reid raised herself above it all, achieving an Ivy League education and millions in assets, which she would later lose in the real estate downturn. Her story is one of final redemption, culminating in her finding and marrying the love of her life at the age of 50 — as only an extraordinary, ordinary woman could do.

INTERVIEW WITH MARCIA:

In writing this book, you are quite transparent … Putting your business out there? Why write a book like this?

 
I made the decision to write this book as a seed was planted by one of my professors at Borough of Manhattan Community College over 20 years ago. He told me to write a book to share my challenges and accomplishments to encourage others. It took me this long to believe in myself and feel that I had accomplished enough to share my story with others. I also recognized that one of my purposes here on earth is to help others and expand the kingdom of God. Sharing my story “Finally Reid” is to encourage others who have faced difficult situations. Despite your circumstances and challenges, you can overcome and live a purpose driven life. “Your latter days can be better than your former days.”

How long did it take you to write the book? What was the process like?

 
Many years but it wasn’t until 2009 after an accident that I got really serious. It was a difficult process as I had to relive some very painful periods in my life. At times, I had to stop and take a break for several weeks, even months. Once I was able to get through those painful periods and write about them – it was like a healing process. Writing this book helped me to heal, forgive others and myself.

Why the title “Finally Reid”?

 
Finally Reid is about the relationship with my father and recognizing that he actually loved me. It’s about finding myself  and being liberated from my ex-husband. It’s about recognizing the goodness of God and that he was always taking care of me, even when I did not recognize it.

Despite your financial struggles. How did you manage to gain an Ivy League Education?

 
It’s really important to have a mentor or a professor that takes an interest in your future. In my case Professor Blake asked a question “What next?” He advised me that since I was a bit mature for a college student, it’s best to go to an Ivy League school. He also felt that with my grades? I would be able to get scholarships. He advised me that even if I had to take out school loans, an Ivy League education would provide the means to repay. I took his advice and was able to get scholarships. I received a full scholarship from NYU. I also took out students loans.

Tell us about your invisible disability…ADD. How do you do all that you have done with this condition?

 
Living with ADD is a daily struggle but there are many brilliant people out there with this condition. In fact, there are over 80 million Americans who are living with ADD undiagnosed. If you do a Google search, you will see all the talented, brilliant and prestigious Americans who have or had ADD. It wasn’t until 2007 that I got formally diagnosed and it took me a while to share with others for fear of how others would judge me. I don’t take medication. Over the years, I have developed coping strategies to manage effectively on a daily basis.

Despite all these challenges, what kept you going?

 
I was motivated by a few thing. Number 1 was my son. I wanted the best for him. My Faith in God and believe it or not, some negative comments from others. I was told that since my mother was a maid, I would not amount to anything. I had to show them that they were wrong.

What next?

 
The goal of this book is to help others, share the goodness of God and sell enough books to help churches and nonprofit organizations and if my book becomes a best seller… That would be an added bonus. A movie would be great!! Anything is possible. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Find Marcia:
www.facebook.com/FinallyReid 

www.finallyreid.com
www.wheelmanpress.com

Marcia Windross is a Director of Diversity and Inclusion at Interpublic Group (IPG) where she plays an integral role in leading the company’s vision to be the world’s most inclusive network of marketing services companies. In her role as Director, she provides tailored Diversity and Inclusion solutions and strategic direction to IPG corporate and network of agencies of approximately 40,000 employees globally.

Prior to Interpublic Group, she was the Senior Director of Human Resources and a member of the senior management team for Bowne Marketing and Business Communications (BMBC), a division of Bowne Inc. Before joining Bowne, Marcia was Vice President, Diversity Head of Citibank Commercial Business Group, where she led the development and implementation of diversity and inclusion strategies for Citigroup’s middle market businesses. She joined Citigroup in 1999, as a Senior Recruiter at Salomon Smith Barney and was promoted into a variety of HR roles.

Her prior professional experiences include Senior Human Resources Manager at the Home Shopping Network in St. Petersburg, Florida and Human Resources Manager at County Seat Stores, NY. She also spent many years in the Travel and Leisure industry, including 13 years at Cunard Cruise Line. Her career started at The Half Moon hotel in Montego Bay, Jamaica before migrating to the United States. She was also an Adjunct Professor at the City University of New York, Borough of Manhattan Community College.

She holds a Masters degree in Organizational Psychology with a concentration in Human Resources Management from Columbia University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from New York University.

Marcia is a speaker, sponsor and mentor who believe in giving back to her community and being of service to others. She serves on Harlem YMCA, Black Achiever in Industry (BAI) Steering Committee and was selected as IPG’s 2013 National Black Achiever. She also serves on several diversity councils (AAF Mosaic Diversity Council, AAAA Diversity Council and the RADE Diversity Council). She previously served as an Advisory Board member for the NY Urban Financial Services Coalition (UFSC) and sat on the Board of the Jamaica YMCA in Queens, where she served as Chair for Board Development.

She is a staunch supporter of her high school, Montego Bay High school, Jamaica W.I. and was elected as President of the Montego Bay High School International Alumnae Association (MBHSIAA). The goal of the organization is to provide financial assistance to the school and provide scholarships for needy students.

Marcia recently published her first book “Finally Reid: The Extraordinary Testimonies of An Ordinary Woman.” She is an active member of her church, Hope Cathedral, located in Jackson, NJ, where she resides.