Megan Hart Precious and Fragile Things Author Interview

Today I'm welcoming Megan Hart to Tongue In Cheek. She's a multi published national best selling author and more fun than a bucket full of sea monkeys. She's here to talk about her newest release Precious and Fragile Things.



Author Bio:

I was born and I lived a while, then I did some stuff. Now I mostly write books and things.


Thanks for agreeing to answer some interview questions about yourself and your new book.

You’re welcome!

So, what is your new book about?


My latest novel is called Precious and Fragile Things.

He’s not about to let her leave.
And she cannot stay.
Gilly Soloman has been reduced to a mothering machine, taking care of everyone and everything except herself. But the machine has broken down. Burnt out by the endless days of crying children and menial tasks, and exhausted from always putting herself last, Gilly doesn’t immediately consider the consequences when she’s carjacked. With a knife to her throat, her first thought is that she’ll finally get some rest. Someone can save her for a change.

But salvation isn’t so forthcoming. Stranded in a remote, snowbound cabin with this stranger, hours turn to days, days into weeks. As time forges a fragile bond between them, she learns her captor is not the lunatic she first believed, but a human being whose wasted life has been shaped by secrets and tragedy. Yet even as their connection begins to foster trust, Gilly knows she must never forget he’s still a man teetering on the edge. One who just might take her with him.


Can you share an interesting behind the scenes tidbit about your latest story?

There’s a scene in the beginning of the book in which the heroine throws her kids out the car window in order to protect them. I wanted to be sure it worked the way I wrote it, so I...threw my kids out the car window. (Someone was there to catch them, but it can be done just the way I wrote it!)


What is your favorite part of the story writing process?

Being finished!


Writing can be such an isolated enterprise. Yet, I’m sure there are people who have helped or guided or inspired you along the way to becoming a published author. Could you tell us about one of them and how they helped you?

I have to give credit to Susan Gourley, who I met at the first writing conference I ever attended. She introduced me to Central PA Romance Writers, and was my first crit partner. I learned so much working with her!


Now for the S.A.T. portion of the interview:

Fill in the blank –
If I were a villain, I would have __________________ for minions to deliver my wrath because _______________________. (And remember, sea monkeys are already spoken for. Mostly)

mutant centipedes - because I dreamed about them last night and my skin’s still crawling!

Sea Monkeys are to _______________ as zombie stinkbugs are to _______________.

Peanut butter
Vegemite

Please tell us where we can find out more about you and where we can buy your books.


www.meganhart.com
www.readinbed.net
www.twitter.com/Megan_Hart
www.facebook.com/meganhart

Thanks again for stopping in!

The 'Possum Queen Low Down

I'm over at Susan Gourley's blog giving the low down on all things Possum Queen. Go on over and check it out!

If you missed the original postings here at Tongue In Cheek, here they are in all their possumy glory.

As The New Reigning 'Possum Queen . . .

Roast 'Possum Recipe

Thanksgiving 'Possum Leftovers

Delinquent 'Possum Queen

Diversified Possum Uses

In other news, I'll be having another author interview on Friday. The wonderful Megan Hart will be here answering questions about her writing and her latest release, Precious and Fragile Things. And yes, she will be answering the sea monkey SAT portion. You don't want to miss that!

Until then, Citizens!

Ahh, Zombieland

Whilst at the zombie prom as part of the zombie response unit last month, Misty Simon's husband made me aware of the movie Zombieland. Misty's enthusiastic endorsement was also key in my checking it out.

All I can say is, Yowza- it's awesome. Definitely in my top five all time horror cult classic list. It hasn't bumped Evil Dead off the very top, but it definitely placed in the top five ranking.

I adored Columbus's lists and Tallahassee's quest for the last remaining Twinkies on Earth. Just gory fun with a small side of Bill Murray. You can't go wrong. I have to say, though, that I was annoyed with the cheap plot device to force an all out zombie mowdown at the end. They could have gotten the same thing without making the heroine, who up until then was smart, make the dumbest choice ever and need to be saved. It was cheap, but really, in a horror movie, you come to expect the writer to have the girl become too stupid to live.

In that vein, just think about the obligatory naked-hot-chick-who-just-gets-done-having-sex-getting-whacked-by-the-bad-guy trope. Even Hitchcock used the make-the-woman-be-dumb-at-the-end-so-I-can-have-one-last-scary-scene in The Birds. Click here for the scene

But, shockingly, I digress. Zombieland. It's good stuff.



Speaking of movies to see, I've found one that I must see. The last one I HAD to see was Ninja Assassin. I expected no plot, lots of action and special effects. Pretty much what I got in all its slasher, kungfu goodness. They must have had tankers full of fake blood on set to supply the amount that was used in the film. But now. NOW! There's this -



Oh you can bet your bottom zombie that I will see this in the theater. Plus it has the actor that played Bones in Star Trek 2009. He is fantastic.

Enjoy!

Funky Friday

It's Funky Friday, people! Time to get the Funk out. So here for your viewing and listening pleasure are the Ohio Players. (And more importantly, I needed to move Skeletor down. Every time I opened the blog, he'd startle me.)



How about some Hollywood Swingin'?



In other news . . .

I'll be interviewed over at Susan Gourley's blog next Wednesday, giving the full low down on my 'Possum Queen journey as a part of her A-Z challenge.

The weather is getting warmer, and I still haven't gotten out on my motorcycle yet. And people ask what pushes me towards villainy. Silly people.

The weekend is coming! I'm ringing it in with funk and villainous plottings. So you know it's situation normal at Chez Quinn. What are your weekend plans?

This Is Me Now

Except add laser beams shooting from my eye sockets. And Death Rays blazing from my finger tips.

My Super Villain plans are back on the barby, baby!

Vicky Burkholder - Prime Time Author Interview

Victoria has lived all over the universe. She looks human - for the most part - but when she starts writing about characters being able to move things or flicking fire from their fingertips, or changing the course of rivers, people tend to get a little freaked out. She found the one guy out there in the universe who loves her for who she is. They've been together forever and raised four wonderful (now) adults. She has served on the board of directors for several RWA chapters. Her writing career includes work as a technical writer/editor, a stringer for the local newspaper, and an editor and copy editor for four e-publishers. At various times in her life, she has been a teacher, a secretary, a short-order cook, a computer specialist, a DJ, and a librarian. She currently has books with Captiva Press, Ellora’s Cave, and Draumr Publishing She can be found at http://writervictoria.wordpress.com or http://burkholv.wordpress.com


Thanks for agreeing to answer some interview questions about yourself and your new book.

Thank you for having me.



So, What is your new book about?

PRIME TIME is a futuristic romance that takes place on the moon. In the dark corners of the Lunar habitats, Deena has safety and friends. In the light—danger lurks. To find those responsible for the death of her parents and the disappearance of her friends, she must join those who work in the light—if they’ll let her. After all, they’re Techies. Jake has every advantage of a Techie. Head of an elite security force investigating the Utopia drug, he is certain the pushers are the Porters. He needs to find a way to integrate with those who work in the dark, but Techies aren’t welcome. Deena and Jake must put aside their differences and work together against a common enemy—a threat to both Techies and Porters. Along the way, they discover love doesn’t care where you come from, and evil has a long reach.

Can you share an interesting behind the scenes tidbit about your latest story?

Actually, the most interesting part is that it’s not all that new. It was published once before, but strictly as an ebook, by another publisher. When they closed down, I got my rights back and my new publisher immediately picked it up and put it out both as an ebook and in print. I am so thrilled to have it out as a paperback book that I can actually hold in my hand.

What is your favorite part of the story writing process?

Creating new and exciting worlds. That’s why I love to write fantasy, science fiction and paranormals. I get to create no only the characters, but entire universes. My second favorite part is writing “The End”.

Writing can be such an isolated enterprise. Yet, I’m sure there are people who have helped or guided or inspired you along the way to becoming a published author. Could you tell us about one of them and how they helped you?

To single out one person wouldn’t be fair. I’m going to wimp out and say CPRW – Central Pennsylvania Romance Writers. They encouraged me, helped me critique and edit my stories, held my hand when I needed holding, and kicked my butt when that was needed. They are a great writer’s group and extremely helpful to writers of all levels.

Now for the S.A.T. portion of the interview:

Fill in the blank –
If I were a villain, I would have ___________ for minions to deliver my wrath because ____________. (And remember, sea monkeys are already spoken for. Mostly)

fire breathing flying horses (Pegasus) because they’re my favorite fantasy creature (besides dragons), and I collect Pegasus statues.

Sea Monkeys are to __________ as zombie stinkbugs are to_______________.

kid’s aquariums
zombie response team weapons (hey, whatever ammo works!)

Please tell us where we can find out more about you and where we can buy your books.

At my blog sites: http://burkholv.wordpress.com ; http://writervictoria.wordpress.com

And my books can be purchased through Captiva Press (www.captivapress.com), Ellora’s Cave (www.ellorascave.com), Draumr Publishing (www.draumrpublishing.com), Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Aarons Books (the small bookstore where I work – www.aaronsbooksonline.com)

Thanks again for stopping in!
Thank you for having me!

Previet! Roller Skating and Vicky Burkholder

Previet! I was checking out my Blogger stats (which can be very addictive to my inner math geek. Graphs and statistics and oooooh pie charts!) And apparently last week I had more views from Russia than the United States. So, priviet, my new friends! That's my best guess on spelling hello in Russian.

I also had a crazy spike one day on my number of views line graph. Apparently at high noon on March 28th I had seventy-four views. Crazy.

But enough about that. The oldest urchin was invited to a roller skating birthday party. She has never roller skated. She did so for the first time last night. With me.

It's been years since I was queen of the rink. Way back in the eighties, I was a skater. I could do a million laps, then take a break for a Slurpee while playing Centipede in the arcade. Nothing like a video game that's controller is a ball. Sigh, they just don't make 'em like that any more.

So in honor of my misspent youth at the roller rink, I give you - Double Dutch Bus.



Ahhh, good times.

Speaking of good times, tomorrow will be the next author interview! Vicky Burkholder will be here to answer questions about her newest futuristic romance release. Come and check it out and see how she fares on the SAT sea monkey portion of the interview!

Until tomorrow, citizens!

Happy Music and Sea Monkeys and Authors-Oh My!!

The Sea Monkeys have begun to warble their war chants from the depths of my bath tub again. And we all know what that means. (If you don't, you may want to check out some back posts over on the right side of the blog. Just pick the Sea Monkey category. It's been a long war.)

They began their germ warfare last week, and I promptly lost my voice. I've been without it ever since. No amount of gargling will bring it back. So, I've decided to turn the tables on them. In addition to my chemical assault on their lair, I've taken a page out of Desert Storm's military tactics. They blasted Van Halen at Sadam's palace at all hours of the night. I'm blasting my happy songs at the Sea Monkeys.

Songs that get me pumped up to kick some sea monkey butt. You know, the ones you wish you could turn the volume up to 11 on the stereo. So turn it up as I blast these water dwelling parasites back to the sewer!

Got My Mojo Working - Muddy Waters
This clip is 7 minutes long, but worth it to watch to the end when Muddy starts dancing with his harmonica player. Priceless!



Long Live Rock - The Who
This is my favorite band. I've seen them in concert four times and loved every experience.



Are You Gonna Be My Girl - Jet


There's lots more where those came from. But I digress.

I wanted to thank Sue Gourley, Misty Simon and Natalie Damschroder for coming over and doing interviews. Go get their awesome books!

I have two more author interviews set up for the coming weeks. Vicky Burkholder, author of fantasy and fantasy romance will be here next week. Then in about two weeks, once she gets back from RT and settled in, Megan Hart, best known for her erotic novels, will be here to run the gauntlet of questions, including the Sea Monkey SAT portion.

But now back to the important part. What happy songs would you blare at a Sea Monkey infestation? I need to diversify my playlist, so leave me suggestions in the comments!

Natalie J. Damschroder & Flight Or Flight Author Inteview

Natalie J. Damschroder is a multi-published author of contemporary and paranormal romance, with an emphasis on romantic adventure. Her 8 novels, 7 novellas, and 15 short stories have been published by Avid Press, Echelon Press, Amber Quill Press, and, most recently, Carina Press. It’s very rare for her to read a book that doesn’t have some kind of romance in it, and impossible for her to write one. But she also loves heart-pounding excitement, life-or-death stakes, and complex villains just begging to be defeated.

Thanks for agreeing to answer some interview questions about yourself and your new book.

Thanks so much for having me, Ava! I hope I don’t bore your readers too much.

So, What is your new book about?
Fight or Flight is a romantic adventure released by Carina Press on March 28.

Eighteen years ago, a group of men killed Regan Miller's boyfriend and tried to kidnap her daughter, Kelsey. Since then they have lived in hiding, always vigilant and never getting close to anyone.

When Kelsey goes away to college, Regan finally begins to relax. She even starts to think she can have a real relationship, perhaps with her flirtatious neighbor, Tyler Sloane. Then Regan is attacked again.

Desperate to get to her daughter, Regan accepts Tyler's help—despite her suspicions about him. She knows nothing about Tyler but he knows a shocking amount about her past. Tyler can't tell her what he knows or who he works for, but he insists she can't face her enemies without him. Tired of living in fear, Regan is ready to take the offensive, with Tyler by her side. But is she relying too much on a man she can't trust—and falling for him, too?

You can read excerpts here and here.

Can you share an interesting behind the scenes tidbit about your latest story?

My original working title for Fight or Flight was Unbreakable. It was a horrible title, because of the movie of the same name, and its lack of success. But it was really hard for me to break my mind away from how well it fit. It fits Regan, the heroine, who will never stop fighting to protect or save her daughter. It fits Kelsey for the same reasons, as well as other reasons I shall not disclose for those who dislike spoilers. :) Finally, after about half an hour brainstorming with some author friends, I came up with Fight or Flight, which is so much more perfect than Unbreakable I still feel stupid.

What is your favorite part of the story writing process?

I’m a flyer, so I don’t see much of the story beyond the headlights. I love when I have an epiphany while I’m writing a scene (or taking a shower—all my most brilliant ideas come in the shower), and I read over everything I’ve already written with the intent of seeding the new idea…and finding that the seeds are already there, but I didn’t know at the time what they were. It’s exhilarating to find my brain working on so many levels! :)

Writing can be such an isolated enterprise. Yet, I’m sure there are people who have helped or guided or inspired you along the way to becoming a published author. Could you tell us about one of them and how they helped you?

I’m going to give my usual suspects a break (the constant praise and thanks can be so wearying) and talk about someone from very early in my career. Ginny Aiken was the outgoing president of my local writer’s group when I first called about joining, and bringing my 7-month-old to the meeting. She was so welcoming and gracious, and made me certain I was doing what I was supposed to do. At my first RWA National conference in 2000, she sat up with me until 1:30 a.m. helping me refine my pitch for the next day. We’ve lost touch with each other over the last few years, but I’ve never forgotten all the ways she kept me from quitting writing, just by her conviction that I would eventually succeed.

Now for the S.A.T. portion of the interview:

Fill in the blank –
If I were a villain, I would have __________________ for minions to deliver my wrath because _______________________. (And remember, sea monkeys are already spoken for. Mostly)

Chupacabras
their mysteriousness and goat-sucking tendencies will strike fear into the hearts of my opponents, who will then give me whatever I demand just to avoid the parasites.

Sea Monkeys are to _______________ as zombie stinkbugs are to _______________.
Castles
Crawlspaces

Please tell us where we can find out more about you and where we can buy your books.

I’m all over the place!

My Website
Facebook
Twitter
My Main Blog
My eHarlequin Profile
My Goodreads Page
The Gab Wagon, a group author blog
Supernatural Sisters, a group author blog about the TV show Supernatural!

Fight or Flight can be purchased (or preordered) at most e-book retailers, including Carina Press, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble. Information on and buy links for my backlist can be found here.

Thanks again for stopping in!

Misty Simon & Strings Attached Author Interview

Wow, what a whirlwind this new segment has turned out to be. I have three more authors lined up for interviews. Today we have author, Misty Simon, who writes books that make you laugh until you snort.

She is a multi-published author with eleven books to her credit. I love her Ivy Morris Mystery series and was sad when it came to its (very satisfying) conclusion after five wonderful installments.

Today she's here to tell us about her latest romantic comedy release, Strings Attached.

Thanks for agreeing to answer some interview questions about yourself and your new book, Misty.



So, what is your new book about?

Here’s the back blurb, baby!

Back at home after his latest tour, Chris Niles, resident jokester and lead guitarist for Lexical Diffusion, is at loose ends. His bandmates are being felled like trees by Cupid's arrow, which leaves him without a roommate or his regular buddies to hang out with. But when he meets the lovely and voluptuous Andrea one rainy afternoon, he thinks she could very well be the perfect diversion.

Andrea Wimer has recently moved back home to help her father. On her way to a house call for her father's business, she drives by Chris who is strolling along in a downpour as if he hasn't a care in the world. Her first impression is that he's crazy. When they end up running into each other later that same night, she adds sexy and fun to the original description. Smitten by his dimple-filled smile, she accepts his offer to show her his side of the town--a no strings attached kind of thing--before he leaves on tour again.

What starts out as a bit of fun becomes more than that with each passing day. As Chris finds himself opening up his heart and his past to a woman who seems content to let him go, he has to admit that his heart is involved for the first time in his life. How on earth is he going to convince Andrea that she wants more, too--the whole package, corny jokes and all--tied tight as a present with Strings Attached?


Can you share an interesting behind the scenes tidbit about your latest story?

LOL! The scene with the mixologist with his pink shirt is almost all true!


What is your favorite part of the story writing process?

I love the freshness of ideas and all the possibilities. The work is hard but then I also love having written.

Writing can be such an isolated enterprise. Yet, I’m sure there are people who have helped or guided or inspired you along the way to becoming a published author. Could you tell us about one of them and how they helped you?

There are a plethora of people who have helped and guided me. To choose one is hard, but I will say that the authors at CPRW have encouraged me and seen me through so many things that it would have been nearly impossible to go through on my own.

Now for the S.A.T. portion of the interview:

YES! MadLIBS!!!!

Fill in the blank –
If I were a villain, I would have _________ for minions to deliver my wrath because __________. (And remember, sea monkeys are already spoken for. Mostly)

I would have rabid gold fish...because no one would suspect them at the carnival!

Sea Monkeys are to _________ as zombie stinkbugs are to _______________.

washcloths :: mountains

Please tell us where we can find out more about you and where we can buy your books.

Pop on over to www.mistysimon.com for any and all info Misty. I’m also on facebook http://www.facebook.com/misty.simon#!/ so be my friend. Don’t make me beg – it’s not pretty.

Thanks again for stopping in, Misty!