Meet Margery Scott

Hi Margery.

Welcome to Adventures in Authorland and thank you for being my guest today.

Would you like to tell us a little about your writing adventures.

How many books have you written? Which is your favourite?

Right now, I have seven books and one short story available on Amazon. My favourite? Wow, that's like asking me which of my children is my favourite. They're all my favourites, each in their own way, but my favourite of all is always the one I'm working on right now.

Can you give us some details about your upcoming release/s?

I'm in the process of releasing three medical romances.

Stranded with the Surgeon is available now. Surgeon Aidan Stowe's hands will never fully recover, and he wants nothing more than to escape from the city and wallow in self-pity. When the plane carrying him to the Yukon crashes in the Canadian wilderness, only his knowledge - and nurse Kerry MacIntyre's hands - can save the lives of the injured passengers until help arrives. Both of them have sworn off romance for their own reasons, even though they can't deny the chemistry between them. But when they are rescued and the danger is past, can they leave their mutual attraction behind?

The second, The Surgeon's Homecoming, will be available on Amazon within the next few weeks. Family doctor Diana Guthrie never expected to see trauma surgeon Mark Chambers again after he turned his back on their love and opted to stay in Toronto rather than return to their home town in northern Ontario. But when her father, the only surgeon in the area, is injured, Mark, home on vacation, is persuaded to pitch in. Soon, he's not only healing Cooper's Crossing, he's healing Diana's heart as well. But will he break it again when he leaves?

And last but not least, The Firefighter and the Lady Doc. Heading the Emergency Department of a busy hospital and running a medical clinic in "Cockroach Estates" is all that Dr. Kate MacNaughton has time for. She certainly doesn't have the time or the need for any other commitments, especially not for Mike Lawurence, the firefighter who is a painful reminder of her late husband's tragic death. For Mike, winning Kate's heart, although difficult, is not impossible, but convincing her to take a chance on another firefighter just might be.

 When you are not writing, what are your hobbies, passions, etc?

Where do I start? I have so many other interests, and because of that I'm easily distracted. I knit, I crochet, I play (with) my piano. But the one thing that takes up most of my leisure time - I shoot pool. I play on a team in a competitive league, and even when I'm not playing in a match or a tournament, I spend a lot of time playing and practicing on the table in my basement. As with writing, practice brings improvement.

As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up? Writing, or something else?

I was always an avid reader, but it didn't occur to me as a child that someone actually wrote the books I

loved. From the time I was tiny, the only thing I wanted to do when I grew up was to be a doctor. Believe it or not, I even read medical dictionaries for pleasure J Back then, scholarships and loans weren't available, so medical school wasn't possible. So I did the next best thing - I spent (mumble,  mumble) years working in the Pathology Department of my local hospital.

If you could time travel back, or forward, for one day, where would it be and why?

Easy question. I'd go back to the old west. Even as a little girl, I loved western novels and the western TV shows - Wyatt Earp, Wild Bill Hickok, Wagon Train, etc. I have no idea why I was drawn to this time in history, especially considering my background. But every Saturday, I was glued to the TV to watch the pioneers and outlaws of the wild west. Unfortunately, I'm sure the reality wouldn't be even close to the Hollywood version.

Have you ever cried during a movie? If yes, which one and why?

LOL. Only one? Anyone who knows me knows I can cry on command. I can cry at anything that touches me - movies, Hallmark commercials, songs, even cartoons. As I've gotten older, I find I'm much more emotional than I used to be, probably because now I know from personal experience what real loss and sorrow are. These days, if there's a chance I'm going to need tissue, I make a point of watching alone.

Bio:

Although she was born in the Scottish lowlands, Margery now divides her time between her home in Canada and a vacation home in Florida.  To her, writing in only one genre is like eating only one kind of candy. Boring. A late bloomer, she didn't start writing until she found herself with an empty nest, free time, and an old typewriter her father found somewhere she'd rather not think about. She still has the empty nest on a lake far away from the city, but the typewriter has been replaced by a computer and free time is a thing of the past. Margery writes all across the genre board, from historical and medical romances to mainstream thrillers. When she's not writing or traveling in search of the perfect setting for her next novel, you can usually find her wielding a pair of knitting needles or a pool cue.

Thank you for visiting Margery. It was fantastic.

Jean

Meet Mackenzie Crowne

Time for another Adventure in Authorland. This time, fellow Wild Rose Press author, Mackenzie Crowne,  takes centre stage.

Sorry about the pics, Mac  

 What inspired you to write your first book?

To tell you the truth, I began writing down the stories in my head when I read one too many, really bad books. I figured, geez! If this person got published, I shouldn’t have a problem. How naïve I was. LOL But once I’d begun, I found I couldn’t stop writing, despite the occasional rejection letter. I forged ahead with an ‘Ignorance is bliss’ attitude, and I’m so glad I did. I spent the next years developing my voice and learning the craft. I hit a writer’s block wall when my dad died, and didn’t write for nearly five years, until I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Dad’s spirit was heavy with me as I went through the various, nasty treatments, and I swear at one point, he chastised me for walking away from something I love. As soon as I felt well enough to think clearly, I began writing in earnest. Gift of the Realm was the first story in my renewed effort. 

 Do you see writing as a career?

 I’d love to say, yes, I do, but I know how competitive the industry is. I also know myself. If I allow myself to get bogged down by the concept of writing as a business, I’m afraid I’ll eventually burn out. Losing my love of writing would be like losing a part of my soul. So, while I won’t gripe over any financial success I find through my writing, I continue to focus on telling my stories for the simple joy of the process.

 In which genre do you prefer to write and why?

 I prefer to write contemporary romance, as those are the stories I reach for most often when I want to be entertained. However, any genre in romance does it for me, as long as the characters are engaging and the story is an interesting one. While most of my stories are contemporaries, I do have a couple of suspense manuscripts tucked away in a drawer. Gift of the Realm is the only fantasy I’ve attempted. I find it amusing my odd departure gained me my first contract, but satisfying too, since I wrote the story with Dad in mind. He always loved a good fantasy tale.

 Can you give us some details about your upcoming release/s?

 My next release is a light-hearted contemporary romance. THAT DATING THING, available the first week of June, is a love story set against the backdrop of Wall Street greed. Sounds odd, I know, but I love the juxtaposition of financial crimes and heart-warming romance. Add a thirty million dollar inheritance, a rambunctious Great Dane, and a sexy, assistant district attorney with political ambitions, and Rylee Pierce, the only daughter of Wall Street’s most notorious stock swindler, is in for the ride of her life.

 Have you ever travelled to a place and come away with a story unexpectedly?

 All the time. Gift of the Realm came from a visit to our ranch on the side of Mt Graham near the New Mexico border. My husband and I were headed to the ranch one night when I spotted a beam of light off in the distance. Someone must have crested a hill in their vehicle, because suddenly, the twin beams shot up into the sky like a door of light only to disappear a moment later. Just don’t ask me how I went from a door of light to a fairy door within a ring of stones, because even I can’t explain the path of my imagination on that one.

 If you could have any super hero power, what would it be?

 The power to heal. As a breast cancer survivor, I wouldn’t’t wish the treatment necessary to beat the disease on my worst enemy. Wouldn’t’t it be awesome to cure those women facing mastectomies and poisonous treatments before they had to actually experience them?

Tell us something about yourself, Mac

I’m a wife, mother, and grandmother. My husband and I have been blessed with two rambunctious little boys who we managed to raise into wonderful men without any disfiguring mishaps. Dirt bikes and ESPN are the order around our house, and life at the ‘Testosterone Ranch’ more closely resembles one of today’s wacky reality shows, than yesterday’s Leave It To Beaver. I’m one of eight kids, raised just north of Boston. My childhood was blessed with hordes of family and friends and I’m happy to report, that continues to be true today. I moved to Phoenix as an adult because living in the southwest feeds my soul. My love of books, specifically the romance genre, has been a lifelong affair, both as a reader and a writer. A bout with breast cancer sharpened my resolve to see my stories shared with others. As of today, I am a four-year survivor, living my dream.

My friends call me Mac. I hope you will too.

You can find me @ Mackenziecrowne.com

 Twitter & Facebook

Gift of the Realm is available @ The Wild Rose Press& Amazon

Meet LaVerne Clark

Hi LaVerne,

It's great to meet you. Thank you for sharing your Adventure in Authorland with us, and for sharing your latest release.

It’s a pleasure to be here. Thank you Jean!

What inspired you to write your first book?

Guardian of the Jewel was written in response to a submission call put out by The Wild Rose Press. My friend and writing buddy, Cherie Le Clare, challenged me to write a story for them. I’d never submitted anything to a publisher before even though I’d been writing for years, so this gave me the kick-in-the-pants I needed to take the plunge. Imagine my surprise and delight when they came back to me saying they wanted my book. There was much screaming and dancing around the house that night!

What book are you reading now?

Two years ago, just before becoming published, I became a preliminary reader for TWRP. I read and evaluate manuscripts that writers have sent to the publisher for consideration, giving the editor and the reading coordinator my honest opinion on the book’s good and not-so-good points. I have a read I’m in the middle of at the moment which is pretty good. In between that and critiquing my writing buddies work, I don’t have as much time as I used to in reading for pleasure. The most recent book I read and enjoyed immensely was The Help. Loved that book! And I’m eyeing up Jodi Picoult’s latest.

Can you give us some details about your upcoming release/s?

Thanks for asking J  Here is the blurb on my June 27 release, Affinity, a romantic fantasy set in Auckland, New Zealand.

In the wrong hands, Jenna Thomas’s legacy could be a curse—in her mind it already is.

As a child, a routine x-ray awakened an abnormality in Jenna’s DNA giving her the ability to “call” creatures and take on their attributes. Labeled a freak since then, Jenna’s learned to keep everyone at a distance. But all that changes the day she saves a young boy from drowning, and the story goes viral.

Nick Hawke, an off-duty policeman, witnesses part of the drama. Captivated by Jenna’s exotic beauty, he decides to investigate, not sure what to believe. Jenna puts his cynicism to the test—even as the attraction between them grows.

As word of her extraordinary rescue spreads, a dangerous man who will stop at nothing to control Jenna’s abilities draws near. With her feelings for Nick putting him in danger too, can Jenna risk everything to protect them both?

When you are not writing, what are your hobbies, passions, etc?

I own a retired greyhound. We adopted her when she was four and we all fell completely in love with her and the breed. I’ve just recently resigned from my position as Area Coordinator for Greyhounds As Pets, but I’m still actively involved in spreading the word of how amazing these dogs make as pets. We go to things like A&P Shows, Women’s Expo – basically, anywhere to show off our hounds and to remind people they are an incredible option when thinking of taking on a dog for the family. You’ll find a certain animal finds itself a bit of a star in each of my books!

I also play social netball twice a week – but very badly J

 
As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up? Writing, or something else?

As a horse-mad girl, I grew up reading Patricia Leach’s “Jinny” stories which I devoured. I was a capable pencil sketcher and would spend hours filling whatever bits of paper I found within reach with drawings of horses – just like the heroine Jinny. Back then, I thought I’d like to be an artist. 

What historical person would you want to meet and why?

Ooo – great question Jean! I’d love to meet Mary Magdalene. There are so many conflicting stories about this woman. I’d love to hear her own story in her own voice. I don’t have any particular religious leanings, so finding information on her that strikes me as true rather than elaborated on frustrates me!

I love to meet new friends, so feel free to come and visit me at my homes on the net:

http://www.laverneclark.blogspot.co.nz

http://www.facebook.com/AuthorLaVerneClark

Thank you LaVerne. It's been great to meet you.

Jean

http://www.jeandrew.co.nz/

jeandrew@xtra.co.nz

Meet Vonnie Hughes

Hi everyone.

I'd like you to meet Vonnie Hughes, a dear friend and fellow TWRP author. She very kindly volunteered to tell us about her adventure for this first blog. I sent her a whole bunch of questions, of which she was asked to answer six.

Apologies to Vonnie. I had problems uploading her book cover.

So drum roll please, for Vonnie Hughes.

What book are you reading now?

I read a tremendous number of thrillers and romantic suspense novels. They are my favourites. At the moment I’m just finishing J.D. Robb’s Kindred in Death. It is, of course, as polished as all the others in the ‘In Death’ series. Like just about every other reader who has got hooked on these books, I love the back stories of Eve and Roarke because they are so individual and no-nonsense. It is refreshing to have gush replaced with gutsiness and to have a hero and heroine (particularly the hero) with borderline criminal tendencies that he’s not afraid to exploit. I’m not fond of prissy, perfect heroes.

How many books have you written? Which is your favourite?

I’ve had five full novels published, along with many novellas, short stories and poems. My favourite amongst my books is the one that came out first, Coming Home, a Regency novel published by Robert Hale Ltd. It is still available in both hardback and e-book formats. The reason I like it is that it was never intended to see the light of day. I was about two-thirds of the way through what eventually became its prequel when I undertook an online writing class. Somehow Coming Home spun off from the original book (now published and called The Second Son)Hom because the protagonists became real to me. As part of the emerging middle class in Britain in the early years of the 19^th century, Colly and Juliana struggled to find their places in the world. I’m a sucker for heroes stuffed full of angst, so all of my heroes have big crosses to bear.

Do you see writing as a career?

I don’t think of writing in career terms. Writing is something I’ve done since I was about four, and I’m unlikely to stop now. Like many writers, I have to write. I couldn’t stop if I tried. And I have tried. I’ve got fed up with rejections or just plain bored with the process, and tried to give up. The longest I lasted was two weeks. I definitely get writer’s block and of course have to push through it, but I write something every day.

In which genre do I prefer to write and why?

Umm…this is difficult. I’m known for my Regencies, but I prefer to read and write romantic suspenses that verge on thrillers. (See the latest article on my blogsite

http://www.vonniehughes.blogspot.com/ where I discuss the blurring of the lines between the various mystery and crime genres). By that I mean novels by writers such as Gayle Wilson and Sharon Sala. I’ve noticed that whatever genre I write in, mysteries and crime-solving seem to creep in, so I guess the answer lies there. Ideally I’d like to write about a 19^th century sleuth, but it’s been done and done, so I won’t revisit that scene.

Who are some of your favourite authors?

There are so many! Sandra Brown because she always delivers. Anything in any genre by Jayne Ann Krentz (a.k.a. Amanda Quick and Jayne Castle). Love her quirky characters and the way she sucks me in to wholly believe in her other-worlds. It’s those light brush-strokes of setting that sing to me. James McGee is another author who sets his novels in the 19^th century. The raw authenticity appeals to me and he’s a master of research. I enjoy Beverly Barton’s romantic suspenses set in interesting, unhospitable places and I’m one of many thousands of readers who mourn Beverly’s passing. And I find that books by Karen Rose and Dean Koontz are consistently good reads. As with many others, I was brought up on Georgette Heyer Regencies and no matter how many times I read them, I still love them. They form the basis of my keepers bookcase.

As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up? Writing, or something else?

Actually, I wanted to be a journalist/reporter. I’m ancient, and in the sixties, nice girls did not go junketing around, pencil and shorthand notebook in hand, like the male racing reporters did. Very few women were employed by newspapers in those days and even if my parents had allowed me to, I doubt I’d have got a job as a cub reporter. But you can’t keep a writer down. I wrote quite a few articles for papers and magazines during the sixties and seventies, even if I didn’t get the career I wanted. And woot! Here I am, writing for a living anyhow.

About The Second Son:  

 

‘Second.’ The word defines him. Now an accident has given him the right to be first. Be careful what you wish for.

 

Vonnie's books can all be obtained from her Amazon author page here:

 

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Vonnie+Hughes&x=18&y=20

 

Time to get this adventure going

I always find it difficult to find something to write about in a blog. I mean, who really wants to know my opinion on the anything? Who cares what my cat ate for breakfast? Who wants to know about the pair of shoes I found in a little shop in the souk? And if I'm asked to advise on writing, there are so many people out there who know much more than me, it doesn't seem right.

So this blog is about you, with maybe, the occasional blog from me. I'd like to publish your Adventures in Authorland.

I am sorting through some questions that I will pose via email to romance authors who might like to tell us of their travels to far off places. Whether they found a story there. I might even throw in one or two of my own. I've had a couple.

I'm sure readers will want to know what book/genre you really want to dabble in and why.

Or how about your adventure towards publication.

Life is one big adventure in which we're all  travellers, so I'm sure you can come up with some of your own.

As for me, I'm still working through this blogging adventure. But if you will forgive some early goofs, of which I'm sure there will be some, and not make it too complicated for me, I'll be back next week.

Until then enjoy the adventure

Jean

jeandrew@xtra.co.nz
http://www.jeandrew.co.nz/
Twitter: genie5

Welcome to the launch of Adventures in Authorland.

I'll soon be looking for guests to blog twice a month, to help give their books more promotion. As soon as I get the hang of this blogging thing.

Be seeing you soon

Jean

http://www.jeandrew.co.nz/
Twitter @genie5
jeandrew@xtra.co.nz