EQ Welcomes Whitley Gray!

Exquisite Quills Welcomes Whitley Gray as part of our author interview series

EQ: Welcome to EQ! Tell us a little bit about yourself!

Whitley: I live in the Rocky Mountain West, and work in healthcare. Everyone in my family reads a ton, be it books, newspapers, or blogs. My house is full of books, and my Kindle has over 600 books on it. I write when I can, around work and other obligations. When I write, I sometimes fall into the story and forget to eat. Right now, my favorite writing fuel is Hot Tamales.

EQ:What was your defining moment as a writer?

Whitley: When I got my first acceptance—I felt like I could make it as an author. It would be wonderful to be successful enough some day to quit my day job, but I don’t see that happening for a long time.

EQ: Pick out one of the best lines in your novel. What do you love about it?

Whitley: “Zach. It’s robbery/homicide. Wake up and smell the testosterone.”

It’s typical of the way Beck chooses to get across his point, and it happens in the kitchen when they’re making coffee, which is the usual permutation of the phrase. My editor also loved it, and she’s hard to impress. I tend to agonize over things like this, and I love it when something memorable pops up!

EQ: Describe how you came up with the plot of your novel.

Whitley: During the midterm elections in 2010, watching all the cutthroat campaigning. I wondered how far some of these people would go to win. Eventually I wondered if they’d sacrifice their young, and the kernel of the plot was there. I was also taking an online class taught by a retired police officer. Part of her blog was a list of all the law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty—that gave me the idea to have one of my cops barely survive a shooting.

EQ: Tell us a little bit about your most recent release.

Denver homicide cop and shooting survivor Beck Stryker lives to solve the case that left him with PTSD, chronic pain, and killed his co-investigator four months previous. Now his career hinges on his ability to work with the man who shut down his advances two years ago.

After last parting ways with Beck, psychiatrist-turned-FBI profiler Zach Littman never anticipated seeing the detective again. Being sent to Denver to work on a series of killings that have continued after the only suspect died is bad enough. Discovering the detective in charge is Beck leaves Zach gritting his teeth and girding his loins.

The last thing either of them needs is romantic entanglement with a fellow investigator, but danger is a powerful aphrodisiac. The case heats up, and friction between them ignites a fire neither can ignore, first at work and then in the bedroom. As they zero in on the plot behind the murders, the crosshairs zero in on Beck and Zach.

Titles by Whitley Gray:

High Concept

Midwinter Night’s Dream (Coming Soon)

Find out more about Whitley Gray:

BUY:

Loose Id: http://www.loose-id.com/high-concept.html

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/High-Concept-ebook/dp/B00F3H6S1A/ref=zg_bsnr_14044691_7

Website: www.whitleygray.com

Blog: http://whitleygray.blogspot.com/2013/09/high-concept.html

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whitley.gray

The Genesis of a Book - Finding Hope by Emma Carlyle

The Genesis

I’m a news junkie. Most of my plot ideas have arisen in part from newspaper article I’ve read. I start playing the “what if” game, adding elements from my own personal experiences or those of others I know. Such was the case with Finding Hope, a Romance Writers of America Golden Heart finalist that’s now available as an ebook.

The idea for Finding Hope came to me after reading about a fertility doctor in Virginia who had used his own sperm to impregnate the eggs of his in vitro patients. My cousin had gone through many years of unsuccessful fertility treatments at that point. When her insurance refused to pay for another treatment, she and her husband adopted a baby from China. But what if my cousin had become pregnant and years later she and her husband discovered he wasn’t the biological father? That “what if” led to other “what if’s” which I won’t give away here because I don’t want to include any plot spoilers. Let’s just say, I gave the factual story a few very unique fictional twists.

I’ve also been deeply touched by our troops overseas, especially those who have given their lives to keep us safe. I’ve often wondered about how their young widows have coped with the loss. So I sent Hope’s husband off to war where he’s killed in action.

In addition, I put some of my own experiences into the book. I have a degree in graphic design and illustration. My husband is an architect. I made Hope an artist and Ben, my hero, an architect. Write what you know, right?

For me, Finding Hope was an extremely emotional book to write. Even though I’ve infused it with touches of humor (how can you not have humor when you’ve got three-year-old triplets in a book?) there were many places in the book where I cried as I wrote the scenes. I still get teary-eyed when I reread parts of the book. If you like romance that tugs at your heartstrings, I hope you’ll give Finding Hope a read. If you do, I’d love to hear from you to find out how you liked it.

 

Blurb

Hope Morgan was always the good girl, doing what her conservative parents expected: she gave up her dream of going to college, became a secretary right out of high school, and married the boy next door. When Hope is suddenly widowed, she finds the courage to pursue her own dreams. Twelve years later, after working full-time and going to school at night, she obtains her degree and is offered a position at a prestigious architectural firm.

That’s when her long-exiled libido decides to resurface, and Hope finds herself falling head-over-heels for Ben Schaffer, her married boss. What Hope doesn’t realize is that Ben’s marriage is less than ideal. Within days of Hope starting her new job, Ben’s wife walks out on him and their three-year-old triplets–the same day the nanny lands in the hospital. When Ben can’t find a last-minute replacement, Hope agrees to step in as a temporary nanny, not the best decision she’s ever made, given her raging hormones.

Ben is fighting a battle with his own hormones, but an office romance is the last thing he needs or wants. However, neither he nor Hope are a match for three very determined three-year-olds on a mission to find a happy ending.

 

Bio

Emma Carlyle is the pen name of award-winning author Lois Winston. As Emma, she writes romance, romantic suspense, and chick lit. As Lois, she writes mystery, women’s fiction, romantic suspense, and non-fiction. Kirkus Reviews dubbed her critically acclaimed Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery series, “North Jersey’s more mature answer to Stephanie Plum.”

Buy Links

Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008GN66JW/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B008GN66JW&linkCode=as2&tag=loiswins-20

Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/finding-hope-emma-carlyle/1111938500?ean=2940014654494

Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Finding-Hope/book-1rkz-NSDeUeFA0HDrgm0pg/page1.html?s=dbLdu88a_kyNj814wR2aaA&r=3

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/208925

Sony: https://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/emma-carlyle/finding-hope/_/R-400000000000000776589

iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/au/book/finding-hope/id550942405?mt=11

Bookstore Without Borders: http://www.bookstorewithoutborders.com/ebooks/emma-carlyle/finding-hope/

Links

Websites: http://www.loiswinston.com and http://www.emmacarlyle.com

Blog: www.anastasiapollack.blogspot.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Anasleuth

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/anasleuth

 

First Kiss Wednesday

Kisses are the mainstay of romance writing.  No matter how sweet or spicy our stories are, they usually involve at least a kiss or two.  And the first kiss is especially lovely - that first, soft touch of lips - or perhaps the kiss is fierce and hungry.  Maybe the characters murmur words of love or words of teasing while discovering the texture and taste of each other.  Maybe the only sounds they can emit are gentle, timorous moans or deep, throaty groans.

 

Okay, now that we've set the premise, here's what you can do for First Kiss Wednesdays.  In the comment box, give us a maximum of 300 words of the first kiss of a published work or a work-in-progress and one link to your website or blog or Amazon Author Page. 

 

Read and luxuriate in the glories of the first kiss...

Oh, and lips only...  ;-)

Set the Scene in Six Sentences - Sunday

One of the finest aspects of fiction writing is the ability to set the scene.  Characters act and react, but they don't do so in a vacuum.  In their world, they meet, fall in love, solve problems, sometimes horrendous problems.  Maybe it's a small town, maybe the big city, the green, humid jungle, dust-dry desert, a mountainous region.  On the sea.  Under the sea.  In space! 

Setting the scene is also done by using character dialogue to paint a picture of loveliness, danger, evil, trepidation, excitement, awe...

Give us six sentences that set the scene.  Set the Scene in Six Sentences - Sunday is a new opportunity on the Exquisite Quills! Blog to tout your talent.  How have you set the scene in your books?  How have you put the reader into the life of your characters?

Every Sunday, the blog will be open to six-sentence scene-setting.  Just post your six sentences, your name, and one link in the comment box.  We can't wait to read you!

Pass the word!  Open to all!