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romance

Meet Women’s Fiction Author, Grace Greene

July 31, 2016 by Patricia Sands 1 Comment

This week it’s a pleasure to welcome Grace Greene to my blog.Grace Greene Grace writes women’s fiction and contemporary romance with suspense. A Virginia native, Grace has family ties to North Carolina. She writes books set in both locations. Allow me to introduce you to her.

Hello, Grace! Thanks for taking time to slip away from the beach and visit with us. What a summer you’ve been enjoying! I know writing new stories has been a top priority.

Now let’s share some of your news with everyone!

 

PS ~ Congratulations! You recently left your job to write full-time and that’s a serious step to take. Were you involved in writing-related work before?

GG ~ I’ve worked in financial institutions as a risk manager for many years. It is fascinating work. Basically, you look for what may go wrong before it actually does and seek solutions to prevent it, or if the problem has already occurred, you look for a resolution. From a wordsmith’s perspective, the job didn’t align with novel writing, but in terms of story development, it did. Not so much in the details, but rather from the perspective of how “what-ifs” function. Prior to that I worked in the cable industry and dealt with customer complaints and cable theft. It gave me unexpected, surprising insights into human nature and the extreme lengths to which some people will go to get what they want, including television programming, and that job certainly contributed to understanding the vagaries of character.

PS ~ Your debut novel, Beach Rental, won the Booksellers Best contest in both the Traditional and Best First Book categories. What was the inspiration behind the story?

GG ~ The original idea for Beach Rental didn’t involve the beach at all, but rather, it Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000032_00032]was a story of “What if a young woman who grew up in a variety of foster homes with no advantages and no family, who values being independent and self-sufficient, but has never learned to dream ~ is given the opportunity to dream and the means by which to achieve those dreams?” I needed somewhere to set the story and thought of Emerald Isle. My family and I had spent a week at an oceanfront home in Emerald Isle, North Carolina several years ago. I believe it was the inspiration I personally experienced at the ocean that I wanted to bring to the story, to use it to inspire the character, Juli. I chose the house where we stayed as the primary location for the novel and the publisher allowed me to design the cover using a photograph I’d taken of the white Carolina rockers on our porch during our stay there. It’s pretty cool to be able to say I sat in those rocking chairs while visiting the ocean and also get to enjoy them on the cover of my book.

Emerald Isle Trip - The House

PS ~ As a fiction writer, what do you enjoy most about the process? Do you have a specific writing regime?

GG ~ This is a great question, and it’s especially timely given my move to full time writing. Almost three months ago, I left the day job to write full time. It was a big decision. I had a great job but between the demands of that job and the needs of my mom who has Alzheimer’s, I was exhausted in the evenings and weekends and was writing almost nothing. If I left the day job, I’d have lots of time to write but what if I was lured into chasing distractions? Or what if the words dried up? Some of my writer friends had already made the leap. I asked them what they’d learned during their transitions. They advised me to stay open—to plan when to write but to be guided by what worked best. I’ve done that and have found that my best writing time is in the morning, so I start my writing workday in my jammies and write until almost noon. At that time, I shower and dress and, hopefully, write more in the afternoon. My goal at this time is 3000 words a day and that’s happening pretty reliably during the first draft stage.

It was a huge coincidence that at the same time I was giving notice at the day job, Amazon’s Women’s Fiction imprint, Lake Union, approached me about writing two Women’s Fiction novels for them. What amazing timing that was! I could never had taken on that challenge while working full time. Yet, being offered that opportunity at that time was like a validation of my decision.

PS ~ Many of your novels involve a suspenseful story line. What is your favorite genre to read?

GG ~ I enjoy reading almost all genres of fiction, some more than others, of course. I love Women’s Fiction, because it combines multiple genres, generally a love story or relationship story of some kind, combined with suspense or mystery, but dwells most particularly within the protagonist’s experience—the woman’s journey. I like that the best. I also enjoy reading mystery and suspense, and horror, too, if the authors are Stephen King and Dean Koontz.

PS ~ When you have time to take a break, do you have any particular hobbies, interests or sports that you enjoy?

GG ~ I like to take walks and ride my bike when the weather is good, but I incorporate my writing tasks into those activities by using Dragon (for dictating) or Text Aloud (listening for editing) or listening to audio books about writing. For pure relaxation, I like to walk on the beach (not terribly convenient since I live in central Virginia) and take photos, or watch a movie.

How I travelI also love photography and graphics and spend a lot of time in Photoshop, but again, I’m usually doing book or book marketing related tasks in Photoshop.

My husband and I like to travel whether for day trips or cruises or more. I enjoy visiting historical homes and botanical gardens. We were in Hawaii last Christmas and traveled to Alaska a couple of years before that. We hope to do more traveling now that I’m my own boss.

I’m rarely in the photos, though, because I’m the one behind the camera!

PS ~ What might we expect next from you?

GG ~ I am currently working on the two Women’s Fiction novels for Lake Union. The first book is currently in the editing stage and I’m working on the first draft for the second. They will be published in 2017, in February and July, respectively. I am enjoying working on them. Writing full time instead of part time makes a huge difference in the progress and in my enjoyment.

When I accepted the contract for those two books, I put aside a book that I was working on, the third full length novel in the Emerald Isle, NC Stories series which I self-publish. The first novel in the series, Beach Rental, is Juli’s story. The second, Beach Winds, is Frannie’s story. Readers have told me that Maia needs her own story, and I wholeheartedly agree. As soon as the two Lake Union novels are finished, I’ll have the opportunity to finish that third Emerald Isle novel, and I can hardly wait because “It’s always a good time for a love story and a trip to the beach.”

Thanks so much for stopping by, Grace! See you online!

To learn more about Grace’s novels, please click here to visit her website.

You can also follow Grace on Twitter, Facebook.

Readers love Goodreads! Here’s the link to Grace’s page.

Do you have fun on Pinterest? So does Grace! Follow her there.

 

 

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Filed Under: Author Promotion, Blog, Uncategorized, Writing Tagged With: author, fiction, Grace Green, Lake Union Publishing, mystery, romance, the Emerald Isle books, thrillers

Love ~ With a Chance of Drowning

May 14, 2013 by Patricia Sands Leave a Comment

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Today is the North American launch of this fabulous memoir written by my friend, Austrialian author, Torre De Roche.torre Within weeks of self-publishing this book, agents and a movie producer were knocking on Torre’s door and her world turned upside down … in a very good way. The past few months have a been a flurry of excitement as Love  With a Chance of Drowning has been launching: first in the land Down Under and now in the USA and Canada.

Torre is the first to inform you that she worked on this memoir for 8-1/2 years. That’s how long it took her to become an overnight sensation! Her message to fellow writers is to never give up and keep on writing for the love of what you do. See the post “Don’t Quit” today on her blog. We can all use that reminder!

Torre is talented, quirky, hilarious, sensitive and the kind of girlfriend you would love to have around. Since we can’t all get together with her for a beer or a latte in person, I highly recommend you have regular meet-ups with Torre on her blog The Fearful Adventurer. 

But first, dash out and buy her book or simply click here to download. You won’t be disappointed!

Love with a Chance of Drowning is part travel journal, part memoir, with a side dish of ‘Dear Diary’ as Torre bares her soul and discloses her deepest fears, her honest observations and feelings about her relationship with Ivan, and sometimes secret longings for their future.

The adventure begins in a bar in San Francisco, after one too many dirty martinis, when a chance meeting with handsome and charming Ivan leads to a sweet love affair that ends with Torre realizing she either has to wave goodbye to her lover from the dock or join him in his dream to sail around the world … no matter how terrified she is of the ocean and what dwells beneath.

As a lifelong travel junkie, I’m always ready to take a trip but this is one I would only do in the pages of a well-written book. Torre’s unique voice and her gift of blending humour with sensitive, poignant, honesty will keep you riveted from beginning to end. And then you will wish for more!

I don’t normally do book reviews because there are many others who do a great job of that. I like to focus on the story behind the book and the author’s individual story. Torre answers a few questions here about the journey itself.

Paper sailboat - fearfuladventurer.com

How long was the sailing trip? Where did you go?

I sailed two years and around 7,000 nautical miles. We left from Los Angeles and traveled down the Baja California Peninsula to reach Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. We departed Cabo on my 26th birthday and sailed 26 days through empty ocean to get to French Polynesia. From there, we spent two years island hopping through the South Pacific: Hiva Oa, Tahuata, Toau, Apataki, Rangiroa, Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora, Raiatea, Aitutaki, Niue, and Tonga to name a few jaw-dropping stopovers.

Before you set off across the Pacific, had you sailed before?

When I was teenager, I went sailing for a week with my parents. I was seasick and terrified of sharks, which was odd—we were on a flat lake.

Having never sailed on an ocean before, what was your experience of sailing the Pacific like?

At first, I hated it. While sailing down the California coast, we ran into bad weather and—as I vomited everything but my large intestine—I was certain I was going to die. After we reached Cabo, I had to decide between staying aboard for a month-long passage, or quitting and flying home. If I flew home, one of two things would happen: Ivan would give up his sailing dream to follow me, or he’d go without me. Both options were unimaginable, and I didn’t want my fear to stop us from having this amazing adventure. So I decided to go for it. From that point on, the sailing got easier.

What’s Ivan’s story?

Ivan immigrated to the US from Argentina when he was 17 seeking a better life. Argentina was politically unstable and it didn’t offer good opportunities for Ivan to do what he wanted to do: computer science and economics. After they moved to the US, his family of 4 earned a meager $18,000 between them in their first year. Ivan watched children’s TV because it was the only English he could understand. They scraped by, living together in a small apartment and pooling everything they earned.

Ivan got a full time job at Starbucks to pay for his economics degree and his rent and food, which was often a can of creamed corn eaten with a spoon. He eventually earned his degree and worked his way up the ranks to become a senior project manager in Silicon Valley. By 30, he owned an ocean-ready boat and had saved enough money to sail for five years.

Did Ivan have sailing experience?

Yes. He did a sailing class with UCLA and he also studied navigation. He practiced a lot by sailing his boat around LA and to Catalina to gain experience. When he was 27, he joined a crew of 2 other people to deliver a yacht across the Atlantic. After that experience, he knew he could sail oceans on his own.

How did Ivan convince you to get on board?

He was very subtle about it. He planted seeds of inspiration for me to find, like leaving books with beautiful pictures of the South Pacific islands on the coffee table. Even though I tried to convince him that I suffered from this debilitating dysfunction called Fear, he didn’t buy it. I was finally convinced when Ivan gave me a book called Maiden Voyage, by Tania Aebi. I read the story of a clumsy, scared 18-year old who sailed the world on her own, and I thought: If she can do it, maybe I can too?

What is the most incredible sight you saw?

After traveling 26 days and 2,600 nautical miles without any land in sight to get from Cabo, Mexico to Hiva Oa in French Polynesia, I got out of bed on our first morning of being safely anchored and there was a luminous rainbow arched right over the boat. It was almost too magical to be real.

What was your favorite place in the South Pacific?

There’s a stunning atoll in the Tuamotu Archipelago in French Polynesia that’s populated by a family of just ten people. It’s called Toau and the only way to get there is by boat. We were welcomed with open arms by the island family, and we fished, explored, cooked, played games, watched movies, laughed, danced and partied with them. They spoke French, so we could hardly communicate, but this didn’t stop them from adopting us for three weeks. Sailors battle wind and waves to have these kinds of experiences.

What one tip would you give anyone who is about to embark on an adventure?

Try not to let unreasonable fears stop you. Fear is a survival mechanism and it’s okay to feel scared, but it doesn’t need to hold you back. Admit to feeling afraid and have a laugh at yourself—this will shut it up.

What has been the biggest thing you’ve learned from your experience?

I’ve learned that there’s no use worrying about all of the ‘what if?’ scenarios. When I first started sailing, I’d panic every time I saw a squall on the horizon. After two years at sea, I realized that squalls often blow themselves out by the time you reach them, so I learned to relax until forks of lightning were directly overhead. When the worst did happen (and it did!), I was far more cool and calm than I imagined.

The life lesson is this: deal with what’s going on right now, because worrying about the distant horizon will waste your energy and steal your time enjoying the present.

Reading LOVE WITH A CHANCE OF DROWNING offers food for thought for everyone who is afraid of something … anything, really!  Torre has a fabulous contest on her blog right now about just that topic. Write about what it is that you fear the most and you might just win a $1000 airline ticket! Click here and spill what your most fearful adventure might be. See you there!

P.S. Speaking of travel, which you know I do on a regular basis, I want to give a shout out here to the fabulous Words and Peace website where my new release,  The Promise of Provence , is the book of the  month giveaway! Already have your copy? Win one for a friend!

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Filed Under: Author Promotion, Blog Tagged With: fears, humour, Love With A Chance of Drowning, romance, sailing, Torre De Roche

Cover reveal!

September 12, 2012 by Patricia Sands Leave a Comment

I wish I could say it was the cover for my next novel but I’m not there yet! However Angela Wallace is right on track for her new paranormal release, Earth Tones, and this is the day we all get to see the fabulous cover!

I am always impressed and amazed by authors who write in very specific genres with such talent and imagination. Paranormal romance, mystery, murder, intrigue, fantasy, suspense, creating other worlds … how do they do it? With a great deal of talent, that’s for certain!

To read more about Earth Tones and be captured by the story line, please visit Angela’s blog by clicking right here … after you admire the cover, of course! Here it is … drum roll please … tadaaaaaaa …

Who is Angela Wallace? If you don’t already know, read on.

Angela Wallace has been penning adventures ever since she was sucked through a magical portal as a child. What she saw and whom she met gave birth to exciting and complex fantasy worlds where defying the laws of physics was a bonus. She has since come back down to earth, only to discover this mortal realm has magic of its own. Now she is quite at home in the world of urban fantasy, though believes that love, faith, and hope are of a stronger magic than fire wielding and sorcery. She loves gun-toting good boys, and could have been a cop in another life except real blood makes her queasy. She’ll have to stick to solving supernatural mysteries. Language is her pleasure, whether it’s weaving words on a page or lassoing linguistics into translations as a sign language interpreter. Angela is currently working on her next book.

Take a few minutes to see the book trailer too!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIQdq4Nr2RY

Congratulations, Angela! You’ve done it again!

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Filed Under: Author Promotion, Blog Tagged With: Angela Wallace, cover art, Earth Tones, Elemental Magic, fantasy, paranormal, romance, werewolves

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