Murder, Mayhem and Mmm, mmm...

Happy release day to Carolyn Matkowsky w/a Cara Marsi for her novella, "Murder, Mi Amore"!

Carolyn is kindly giving away an e-copy of her story, so leave a comment to be in to win!

Thank you, LaVerne, for having me as a guest on your wonderful blog.

It's an absolute pleasure Carolyn : ) Could you tell us a little about what drew you to the series, a little about the process, and how long it took you to write it?

I saw the email from The Wild Rose Press regarding the Jewel of the Night Series in October 2009 right before I left for a two-week trip up the California coast. I thought about it while on my trip. The idea of a story about a stolen blue diamond intrigued me. I loved that it could be set anywhere in the world. I'd been to Italy in 2006 and I was itching to write a story set in Rome, which I love. Things just fell into place after that. The Wild Rose Press had a deadline of March 31, 2010. I'm glad they did because I might still be dawdling over the story. It's a novella, about 40,000 words, but I've never written anything so fast in my life. I started writing in late November 2009. My wonderful critique groups-my online group and my face-to-face group-helped. I got Murder, Mi Amore in before the March 31 deadline. Most of it is set in Rome. There's a chapter set in the small town in the province of Abruzzo, Italy, where my grandparents came from. The story ends in Las Vegas where my son lives.

What was it like writing for a series? Where did you come up with the idea for the plot?

This is the first time I've written for a series and it's a lot of fun. I feel a kinship to the other "jewels" authors. The plot just sort of plopped into my head. I thought about all those Alfred Hitchcock movies where ordinary folk find themselves wrapped up in intrigue. I wondered how it would feel to be an innocent American tourist in Rome who suddenly finds herself in a heap of trouble involving jewel thieves, terrorists, and a hunky, mysterious Italian. I brainstormed my idea with my online critique group and together we worked out the plot.

How smooth was the publishing journey and was it different to others because of the tighter deadline?

It went more smoothly than I would have thought. Having such a short deadline really forced me to focus.

Favourite part of the book/favourite character? Why?

I love my heroine Lexie. But I also fell in love with my hero Dominic. Lexie is an ordinary woman thrust into extraordinary circumstances and she meets her challenges head on. I love that quality about her. And Dominic is so strong and protective. He's been told Lexie is a terrorist, but she's the most unlikely terrorist he's ever known. He wants to protect her, not bring her to justice, which presents a dilemma for him. My favorite scene is the morning when Lexie and Dominic decide to trust each other and make love. It changes the dynamics of the story.

Anything else you'd like to add? How do your readers get a hold of you?

I'll offer a free copy of Murder, Mi Amore through a drawing of all those who leave a comment.
Please visit my website at http://www.caramarsi.com/
I love to hear from readers.

I also made a video trailer for Murder, Mi Amore. Here's the link:
http://www.youtube.com/user/CarolynMat2

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 like 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?

EXCERPT:

Dominic sprang up and flew at the mugger, knocking him to the ground. The two men grappled, rolling together on the cobbled street. Lexie, her heart thumping wildly, looked for an opening to bean the mugger again, to give Dominic a better chance at overcoming him.
“Stop it! Stop it! Leave him alone!” The mugger ended up on top, and she whaled away with her bag, getting in any shot she could.
Shouts and the slap of running feet vibrated through the alley. The mugger swore, jumped up, and raced away, a few men giving chase. Several others helped Dominic to stand, yelling in excited voices, and gesturing toward where their attacker had disappeared.
Dominic winced in pain. Lexie looked down at his ripped, blood-soaked pant leg. “Dominic, you’ve got to get to the hospital. You’re bleeding.”
“I’m okay,” he said. “It is nothing.” Brushing dirt off his jacket, he turned to the men and said something in rapid Italian. With nods, they strode away.
Breathing heavily, Lexie disagreed. “You’re not okay. We’ll get a cab and take you to the hospital.”
He cupped her shoulders. “I’ve been through worse. I’m fine. Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”
“No. I’m…” The full impact of what had happened hit her. The adrenaline that had given her strength suddenly dissipated and she began to tremble. “I’m not okay.”
“Lexie.” Dominic moved forward to take her into his arms. She held on for dear life, needing his strength. He rubbed his hand along her back. “It’s okay, Lexie. We’re both okay. You’re safe with me.”
She clung to him. It wasn’t her imagination. Strange things were happening. She had nothing anyone could want. She didn’t know who to trust. Dominic said she was safe with him. But was she really?

Buy Link:
http://www.thewildrosepress.com/murder-mi-amore-p-4345.html

Thanks so much for those insights Carolyn! For those commenting, the draw will be done Monday 2oth December. Good luck!

Red Hot Release - Riley Quinn

The winner of the e-copy of Guardian of the Jewel is...Maeve! Thanks for stopping by Maeve.


Please help me welcome Riley Quinn to this second installment of the Jewel of the Night series.

Riley's book, "Blood Diamond" has already received some great reviews, and I can tell you from my own experience, you will be blown away with the world she draws you into. Leave a comment and be in to win your very own e-copy of Blood Diamond. Good luck!

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Thanks for having me today, LaVerne.

I first heard about the Jewel of the Night series last fall. A friend who was already published with The Wild Rose Press forwarded the information on to me. I thought it sounded like a lot of fun. Only one problem, I couldn’t think of a story!

So I shoved it to the back of my mind. Then one day I was watching a rerun of Bones, the pilot episode where she’s walking through the airport with a skull. I got to thinking about how physical anthropologists (those that study bones) sometimes went to exotic locations for work. Just that little thought really got the creative juices flowing.

What other kinds of professions required travel like that? Where would I want the action to take place? I didn’t know much about diamonds so Google was my friends. After searching “blue diamonds” for a while, I came across an article that talked about the Republic of Congo getting sanctioned in 2004 for having too many diamonds exported when there were no mines.

Ooh, what could I do with that? So I thought some more. My characters starting talking to me. Around this time last year, I had the kernel of an idea. After the first of the year, I started writing. I turned some pages into a critique group I’m a member of and got some pages of someone’s else’s story about a blue diamond.

What are the chances? So I emailed her and we chatted back and forth. We decided to work with each other to get our stories done and out there. We met for writing sprints. We helped work out plot holes. We helped figure out what our characters were trying to say. We both made the March 31 deadline. I’m proud to say we both got picked up. My book, Blood Diamond released December 1 and my partner in crime, Rachel Lynne’s book comes out December 22.

I had a great time writing my story, thanks in part to working with another author. Writing can be lonely work and for me being in Europe, even more so because of the time difference. I loved my characters and seeing them learn to trust each other. But best of all, I loved the location of the story.

I’ve never been to the Congo jungle where my story is set. I did a LOT of research and I hope it comes across as realistic. It gave me some extra options to add suspense. I hope that my readers enjoy the exotic locale as well.


Blurb:
Dodging an angry warlord and running through the rain forest in Congo Brazzaville was not what Jillian St. James expected when she signed up with Doctors Without Borders. Yet that’s exactly what she gets after a mysterious visit from her brother.
Mercenary Mack Nichols doesn’t have much faith in humanity these days. When the beautiful young doctor denies being part of the theft of a blue diamond from his client, he doesn’t put much stock in her story.
Neither have reason to trust the other and their mutual attraction is an inconvenience to both. A betrayal and the reveal of an evil plan pit these two against an army. Can they put aside their doubts and work together to bring down a corrupt, power-hungry overlord or will their chance at love be over before it ever starts?



Excerpt:
“Are you all right, Jillian?”
The husky timber of his voice sent another shiver through her, this time having nothing to do with fear.
How could she be aroused after being scared so bad? Especially with a man like this one, a man who worked for the General. She was one sick puppy.
“Jillian?” A hand came down on her shoulder and she jumped.
Finally lifting her head, she ignored Mack and trained her attention on the log where she’d been sitting. As recognition set in, her entire body began to shake and her heart pounded so hard she feared cracking a rib. Dear God. A yellow-green snake with ridged scales lay in two pieces on the log she’d occupied. Eyes the same color of its body stared sightlessly toward the fire.
She swallowed, trying to wet her dry throat. “Is that—”
“An African Bush Viper? Yep. I think in the firelight, your hand must have looked like dinner.” Though the snake now lay dead, Mack’s voice still sounded strained.
She stood on shaky legs. “I didn’t even see it there.”
“I’m not surprised. It had coiled its tail around the branch overhead and dropped from there.”
If he hadn’t seen the highly poisonous snake, she’d be dead right now. She launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her face in his throat. She heard a thud and then his arms were around her, surrounding her in a blanket of safety. For the first time, she thought maybe he really would keep his promise.

Buy Link: http://www.thewildrosepress.com/blood-diamond-p-4332.html?zenid=3467be87fcef7a20661864de9906a871

I enjoyed stopping by today and talking about my story. If you have any questions for me, please feel free to ask away. Again, thanks, LaVerne for sharing your space with me.

It's a pleasure Riley : )

Be sure to stop by next post where Christine DePetrillo stops by to talk about her story, Lazuli Moon.

Dazzling Diamonds, Heartbreaking Heros

With my first post fading fast in the rearvision mirror, it's time for another one! With the Jewel of the Night series kicking off with my story last month, I was fascinated by the other stories coming through and how different they all were. Then I thought, how great would it be to learn a bit about each author's thought processes, how they came up with their plotlines and what, if anything, their influences were.

For the next couple of months, I'll be featuring my fellow 'Jewels' and their stories as they release. Sit back, relax and enjoy...it'll be a thrilling ride!

My story came to life as the result of a special submission call by the Crimson/Suspense Line of The Wild Rose Press. The guidelines were simple. Write a suspenseful, romantic story featuring a blue diamond, set anywhere in the world, minimum of 20,000 words.

My good friend and writing buddy, Cherie le Clare (TWRP author) emailed the details and asked me if I thought I could write a story to suit by the end of March. She would help me all the way with critiqueing, encouragement and anything else I might need. At that time, I had three months and thought that was plenty - and it wouldn't worry me if I didn't acheive "The End" in the specified time. I was unpublished and had never submitted anything to a publisher before, so the whole idea seemed surreal to me. Normally, I was very shy about sharing my work - with anyone. I don't think I'd really shared anything with Cherie either. But something got into me that day, and I'm mighty glad it did.

Now there is no stopping me from bombarding my editor and others at TWRP with future offerings. The feedback they gave from the original query and edit suggestions, right through to the final version of my book, were all positive and such a great experience for this newbie to the publishing world. I wish everyone's initiation was as wonderful as mine was.

My knowledge of diamonds was limited to the engagement ring on my finger and how pretty it looks sparkling under lights. Google is a writer's best friend, so I paid a visit to that fantastic search engine and came up some ideas. I liked the sound of South Africa where they mine the diamonds, but wanted to set the story in my home country of New Zealand, which brought on the idea of a diamond stolen and hidden in New Zealand. Then my characters appeared to me - Amy - strong but struggling in all the ways possible, and Gabriel - hig morals and loyal, but yet not all he seems. The character that came to me first though was the villain Razor. I had so much fun writing him. What is it about baddies that they're such fun to write?

BLURB:

After coming to terms with the brutal death of her husband by unknown thugs half a world away from New Zealand, Amy Hamblin concentrates on bringing up their son alone, struggling to make their dream of an action-adventure tourism venture a success.
When a dark, dangerous-looking man knocks on her door late at night claiming to be a guest, the safe, quiet life she’d created is suddenly anything but...
Gabriel Ryan’s task of finding the priceless blue diamond Amy’s husband stole from an organised crime ring, is made all the more difficult by the attraction that sizzles between them. Playing a role had never been so hard, and now, with a ruthless killer on the trail of the missing jewel as well, he needed all his wits about him to keep them all alive.

EXCERPT:
Gabriel’s knee pressed into Amy’s thigh and sent unexpected frissons of longing to race through her system. The thin material of her jodhpurs weren’t any barrier to his heat. She scrambled to regain her composure and urged Pippin away, fixing her concentration on the path ahead.
“I’m not looking for romance,” she stated flatly. “I have a child to raise and a business to run. That’s more than enough for me."
“It’s not nearly enough for a woman like you,” he murmured, his changeable eyes darkened to molten steel and raked over her in thorough appraisal. Her shaky resolve melted away under the heat.
Unable to take a breath, let alone speak, Amy lifted her hand and gave the signal to ride single file. As she trotted ahead, the unmistakable sound of soft laughter followed her. He recognized she was running away and the knowledge he was right made her face flame all the more.

New review link - another 4 stars!: http://www.theromancereviews.com/viewbooks.php?bookid=961

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All comments go in the draw for an e-copy of "Guardian of the Jewel" drawn Sunday 12 December, New Zealand time ; )

Next post will be about the talented Riley Quinn and her story, "Blood Diamond"

See you then!