FRIDAY FIRSTS with Stephanie Queen

The first five sentences of... PLAYING THE GAME

“Damn it,” Roxanne muttered. Her drink had splashed on her dress. Looking right, and then left, at the partygoers around her, she took a surreptitious glance down to inspect the damage.

A very large, dark, wet spot spread over her left breast. Luckily it was only ice water—or maybe not so lucky, on second thought. 

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Available now!
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FUN FIRST FACTS ABOUT STEPHANIE

1. Who was your first love? 
He was a summer love. We were 17, lived on a lake and water skied every day. He got to be real good and wanted to become a professional water skier--he even learned to ski barefoot. We were engaged at age 18 but the following summer he was in a terrible water skiing accident and shattered his elbow. The doctors told him he'd never water ski again. He fell apart. We were dis-engaged by the age of 19. Tragic and True. Of course now every time I tell the story over a margarita I can't stop laughing at the youthful absurdity.

2. What was the first Rated R movie you ever saw?
My tragic water-skiing hero and I, on our first date, went to see Live or Let Die, a James Bond movie, at the drive-in no less. He was hot to see it because there was a speed boat chase scene and he and James Bond happened to have the same speed boat. Geesh. I should have known then...

3. If you could live your life over again, what’s the first thing you’d do differently or change? 
Mostly I've had a wonderful life so far--although it's far from over yet! But maybe I would skip the engagement to the tragic water skiing guy... just saying.

More about Stephanie: Stephanie Queen is a romantic at heart, a writer by nature, and has the soul of a cheerleader. She enjoys creating stories where her rose-colored glasses-view comes to life and the good guys always win. Spending most of her life in New England, she's attended many of the area colleges, including Harvard, and even earned a couple of degrees along the way. Although she lost count of all the jobs she's had before she settled on being a Novelist, her favorite was joining with the Keebler Elves to sell cookies.

Playing the Game is Stephanie’s latest release. Other novels by Stephanie Queen include a romantic comedy, The Throwbacks, first in the Scotland Yard Exchange Program series, and a contemporary romance, Between a Rock and a Mad Woman. Both are available atAmazon, Barnes & Noble and Smashwords. Her next release, The Hot Shots, the second book in her romantic comedy mystery series, will be out this summer.

Visit the author at www.StephanieQueen.com or at her Stephanie Queen author page on Facebook and follow her @StephanieQueen on Twitter.

The first five sentences of... DEADLY OBSESSION

Don’t forget Nic—you belong to me. If you stray, she’ll pay.

The darkened theater closed around Nic Lamoureux like a cave, filled with unknown, unseen dangers. Clenching the cell phone in his fist, he glanced at his Bad Days co-star, Jane Carver, sitting on his right, then at his agent, Vivian Carmichael, on his left. How had the stalker gotten his private number and which woman was the message targeting?

Publisher: Self-published

Genre: Romantic Suspense

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Available Now!

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FUN FIRST FACTS ABOUT KRISTINE

1. What was the first Rated R movie you ever saw?

The first Rated R movie I ever saw was Risky Business starring Tom Cruise. It was my birthday, a group of girlfriends were sleeping over, and we pretty much had the run of the house. And for those of you on the younger side, let me tell you, Tom Cruise was hot stuff at that time. Two scenes I'll never forget: when Tom sings "Old Time Rock and Roll" in his pink shirt and tighty-whities, and the train scene. I've loved Phil Collin's "In the Air Tonight" ever since!

2. What’s the first thing you notice on an attractive member of the opposite sex?

To test this out, I first had to go look at some photos of hot guys. I figured out that the first thing I see is how tall and broad they are. Okay, that's more than one thing, but it goes together. I like men who "look" tall, which doesn't mean they have to be 6'5" or something like that. A man can be 5'9" or 5'10" and still look tall. It's a matter of proportion. In addition, I like men who have a broad chest and shoulders. No skinny model boys for me. LOL.

3. If you had a free afternoon, what’s the first thing you’d do?

My favorite thing to do on a free afternoon, weather permitting (which is quite a rare thing here in "sunny" Seattle), is to sit in my rocking bench on my backyard deck, with a cold glass of ice tea and some strawberries. Once I have all that and I'm well-settled, I dive into a steamy romantic suspense or paranormal romance and spend a couple hours reading in the sunshine. Ah, paradise :)

MORE ABOUT KRISTINE:  

Kristine Cayne is fascinated by the mysteries of human psychology—twisted secrets, deep-seated beliefs, out-of-control desires. Add in high-stakes scenarios and real-world villains, and you have a story worth writing, and reading.

The heroes and heroines of her Deadly Vices series, beginning with Deadly Obsession, are pitted against each other by their radically opposing life experiences. By overcoming their differences and finding common ground, they triumph over their enemies and find true happiness in each other’s arms.

Today she lives in the Pacific Northwest, thriving on the mix of cultures, languages, religions and ideologies. When she’s not writing, she’s people-watching, imagining entire life stories, and inventing all sorts of danger for the unsuspecting heroes and heroines who cross her path.

Readers can learn more about Kristine and her writing on her website/blog, Facebook and Twitter.

FRIDAY FIRSTS with Terry Odell

The First Five Sentences of... HIDDEN FIRE 

Under the table, Sarah’s toes found the cuff of Randy’s pants and inched their way up his calf, the coarse hair tickling her foot. His eyes widened, his eyebrows arched and the standard restaurant candle-in-a-jar caught the hazel flecks in his otherwise brown eyes. He brushed a lock of hair from his forehead, but it flopped back the way it always did.

She smiled at the hovering waiter, placed her hand over her empty coffee cup, and shook her head. “No more, Tony. Thanks.”

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Available now

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FUN FIRST FACTS ABOUT TERRY

1. What was the first romance you ever read?

Son of the Morning, by Linda Howard. My mother had been visiting and she left it behind. Since I'd been writing Highlander Fan Fiction at the time, the time-travel and Scottish setting intrigued me. Of course, I was also shocked that my mother read books with the word "penis." Then again, when I finished it, I gave it to my daughter. So I guess it wasn't that big a deal.

2. What’s the first thing you do when you sit down each day to write?

I look at the dreck I wrote the day before. When I finish a scene, I print it out and read it in bed. Then, the next morning I look at the notes I've made on that scene and fix it, which gives me a running start back into the manuscript.

3. What was your first date with your significant other?

I was taking a Biology class at UCLA, and the lab TA wanted to do a "dry run" of a field trip to the tide pools before the actual event. He invited me and one other girl from the lab section to go along. He dropped her off first, and because I didn't scoot over to the window after she got out of his pickup truck, he figured there might be some interest. We had dinner afterward, but we didn't officially 'date' until after the quarter was over, since it wouldn't have been appropriate. So, our first real 'date' was dinner on New Year's Eve at the Pirate's Cove Restaurant in Marina Del Rey. Have no clue if it's still there.

More about Terry: Terry Odell was born in Los Angeles, moved to Florida, and now makes her home in Colorado. An avid reader (her parents tell everyone they had to move from their first home because she finished the local library), she always wanted to "fix" stories so the characters did what she wanted. Once she began writing, she found this wasn't always possible, as evidenced when the mystery she intended to write rapidly became a romance. When she thought about it, she realized that her favorite mysteries were series where she could follow the developing relationships of the protagonist—to the point where she'd read the book twice; once for the relationship and again to follow the crime and its solution. So, she started reading romance, and found there was a genre that included mystery themes as well as a relationship.

Although her genre is labeled "romantic suspense", Terry prefers to think of her romantic suspense books as "Mysteries With Relationships."  HIDDEN FIRE is the second book in her Pine Hills Police series, a sequel to FINDING SARAH.

You can find more about her at her website, http://www.terryodell.com.

Blog url: http://terryodell.blogspot.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/terry.odell

Twitter: @authorterryo

FRIDAY FIRSTS with Carla Angela

First Five Sentences of... FULL EXPOSURE

"Ridiculous! I mean, how does a guy think he’s going to attract a woman by giving her VIP access to his nostrils?"

Lake spun her laptop around on the glossy, white countertop to show the offending on-screen image to her friend, and business partner, Fenella. A determined flick of Lake’s chestnut plait over her shoulder served to emphasize her point.

Fenella, carrying a tray of freshly baked chocolate brownies, emitting an intoxicating aroma, peered at the screen from behind.

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Publisher: Bookstrand

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Available Now!

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FUN FIRST FACTS ABOUT CARLA

1.Tell me about your very first kiss.

Oh gosh, I wish it was more like the smooches I love to write about - knee-trembling, mind-blowing, head-spinning sort of kisses! But I didn’t see any stars when it came to my first time puckering up. No siree! My left foot didn’t kick up like in the movies nor did the Earth move beneath my feet...

It was New Year’s Eve. I was 16 and out on the town with my feisty cousin, who’d always push me to be a little more rebellious than usual. I got talking to a random guy and he asked if I’d kiss him. I accepted, because I was keen to get my first kiss over and done with – not because I was particularly attracted to him. All I remember was too much saliva and tongue. Then, a few minutes later, I saw the guy kissing another girl! Ick. Wish I’d waited for a better debut kiss.

2. What’s the first thing you do when you start reading a new book?

I like to check how many pages the thing is! I don’t know if it’s a sort of goal-oriented thing, so I can work out how long it will take me to read it first up, but it just makes me feel comfy knowing. I also love to read about the author, from the dedication at the front of the book to their notes at the end. I guess I’m just curious to find out what compelled them to write the actual tome and if real-life in any way inspired their scribblings! Sometimes though it can give away a little of what’s going to happen between the pages – a word of warning.

3. What’s the first thing you notice on an attractive member of the opposite sex?

I’m a sucker for a cheeky gleam in the eye, which can be a tell-tale sign of a sense of humour and an overall playful character! I like to know that a fella doesn’t take himself too seriously and that he’s an all-round nice guy. Showiness or superficiality definitely doesn’t do it for me. I also love the tall, dark, handsome stereotype (and, hence, married such a breed!)

More about Carla: Carla Angela is a freelance writer by day and erotic fiction author by night. Watching telemovies and obsessing over her star sign are guilty pleasures. More on Carla Angela can be found at www.carlaangela.com. 

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FRIDAY FIRSTS with Cathy Perkins

The first five sentences of... THE PROFESSOR

The body lay in dappled shade. Patches of light caught pale flesh—an ankle here, a hip there. Resurrection ferns spread lacy fronds, partially concealing the limbs. Mick wondered if the irony was deliberate.

Publisher: Carina Press

Genre: Romantic suspense/mystery

Available Now

Carina Press|Amazon|Barnes & Noble

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FUN FIRST FACTS ABOUT CATHY

1. Who was your first love?

My first love was Philip C. As long as I can remember, I’ve been a sucker for dark hair and blue eyes—and he had both. I don’t think we ever kissed, but it was True Love. We in first grade and were going to get married. I think it lasted a month. Which is an eternity when you’re six.

2. What’s the first thing you do when you start writing a new story?

My stories seem to grow out of day dreams, the snippet of an idea, a what-if. For example, my husband and I were hiking in a game refuge near our house. While pushing through dense undergrowth beside the Snake River, I glanced over my shoulder and said, “Wouldn’t this be a great place to find a body?” My current WIP grew from that What-if.

Once an idea takes hold, the plot and character evolve together. But – don’t throw things, Becky –  I’m a plotter, so the first thing I do when I think the idea has possibilities is sketch an outline of the plot. That outline grows and evolves as my characters’ personalities and motivations flesh out. Things that of course they’d do add layers or subplots as the story unfolds.

3. What was the first meal you made for your significant other?

I went to college on the combination of a scholarship and a part-time job, so I had no money. Seriously. None. My last year, I moved off campus into a tiny apartment and lived off things like peanut butter sandwiches and Ramen Noodles. My husband (who has dark hair and blue eyes, by the way) and I had just started dating when he brought over a bag of mushrooms. I had no idea what to do with them, but I had one, count ‘em, one cookbook. I thumbed through the index – the recipe had to be easy and couldn’t use a bunch of ingredients. And voila, stuffed mushrooms. Clearly, I’d never made this dish before, but apparently I did a bang up job because he still talks about those mushrooms. J

More about Cathy: Cathy Perkins’ suspense writing lurks behind a financial geek day-job, where she learned firsthand the camouflage, hide in plain sight, skills employed by her villains. Born and raised in South Carolina, the setting for THE PROFESSOR, she now lives in the Pacific Northwest with her work-a-holic husband and a 75-pound Lab who thinks she’s still a lap-puppy.

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Thanks so much for having me here today to talk about some of the “firsts” in my life. You can find me here online:

www.cperkinswrites.com

http://facebook.com/CathyPerkinsAuthor

http://twitter.com/cperkinswrites



FRIDAY FIRSTS: Maris Soule

Please welcome author Maris Soule to the blog today.

FIRST FIVE SENTENCES OF...THE CROWS

The crows cawed a warning. Then came the gunshots. Three in succession, a pause, then two more. The sound was close—too close—and a shiver of fear slid down my spine. Those shots had come from somewhere in my woods.

http://marissoule.com 

The Crows is available now!

Fun FIRST facts about Maris:

1. What was the first romance you ever read?

The title was Bold Venture, but I don't remember the author. It was a YA romance (although I don't remember them being classified as that back then) about a girl, a horse, and a riding instructor. The big, exciting moment was when he kissed her.

The romance that had the biggest initial impact on me was written by Kathleen Woodiweiss. The Flame and the Flower. What wasn't there to like? Even years later, when I started writing, I'd go back to that book to see how she did something. I always planned to only read a paragraph or two, but soon I'd find myself turning pages, once again caught up in the story.

2. What was the very first piece of fiction you ever wrote?

It was was when I was 12. If I recall correctly, it was a bit of a romance, but mostly a horse story. I thought it was so great, but no one else did, so I threw it away and decided writing wasn't for me. Many years later, I gave writing another try. That first attempt was really, really bad, but I didn't give up this time. That story never went anywhere, but I took parts of it and used them in several of the 25 romances that I wrote and had published after that story.

3. What's the first thing you do when starting a new story?

For me a book usually starts with an idea or a character. Generally I start by playing with the idea in my head, asking myself questions: What would happen next? Why? How can I make this more complicated? For example, in THE CROWS, which opens with the 5 sentences here, the idea came from an actual shooting that took place in the woods about 6 miles from where I lived. Two men were found dead and it took several years before they discovered who shot them. In my mind, I began playing with the idea. I wanted my main character to be female and for her to have a dog (a Rhodesian Ridgeback) like the one I had. I needed to decide why she would be walking in the woods and how to create a situation where she would have to be involved in solving the crime. I didn't want her to be in law enforcement, but I knew I would  need someone in law enforcement to help her, so why not also create a romance between those two? And that's how things progressed. I'm working on the third book in my "Crow" series and right now, in my head, I have a boat blowing up on Lake Michigan. It's the whys and hows that have me stumped, but I'm getting there.

 

Thanks so much, Maris! Your book sounds awesome.

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