Meet the Exquisite Quill Authors


Saturday, May 17, 2014

Author Interview: Chrys Fey



Exquisite Quills Welcomes Chrys Fey

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

Chrys: First, I want to say how excited I am to be on Exquisite Quills. I’ve been waiting for this for months! J Now a little about myself…I started writing a series of novels when I was twelve. At seventeen, I started to seriously pursue publication, so it’s safe to say I’ve wanted to be a writer my whole life. I live in Florida with my four adopted cats where I am waiting for the next hurricane to come my way. I just hope it’s nothing like the hurricane in my story!

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

Chrys: Hurricane Crimes is a romantic-suspense story about a woman who is trapped during a category 5 hurricane with a man who might be a murderer. Trees fall, roofs are ripped off houses, suspense grows, lust boils, and bullets fly.

EQ: If you could have drinks with anybody (real/fiction, living/dead,) who would you choose and why? What would be the topic of conversation?

Chrys: If I could, I would have a tea (or cocktail) party with several people including Anne Frank, Louisa May Alcott, Emily Dickinson, Queen Elizabeth I, John Lennon, Jared Leto, Nora Roberts, and JK Rowling. But for a one-on-one conversation, I think I might go with the eccentric route that people wouldn’t expect of me and pick Lady Gaga. Really? Yes, really! I think having tea with her would beat all the rest. We would talk about fashion, music, books, our pasts, our failures, and our dreams.

EQ: What kinds of female characters do you prefer to write?

Chrys: I like to write heroines of steel, like Beth Kennedy in Hurricane Crimes. They are always tough, not afraid to fight for what they want, and they can handle whatever is thrown at them even if they get bruised. I think I like strong female characters because in real life I want to be as strong as they are.

EQ: What kinds of male characters do you prefer to write?

Chrys: My heroes are also tough and they tend to have a little bit of a bad side. There’s nothing more attractive to me than a man who is mysterious and dangerous, so my heroes are always both. And Donovan Goldwyn, my hero in Hurricane Crimes, is no exception.

Find Chrys Fey at these places:

Read these titles by Chrys Fey:
Hurricane Crimes (Short Story eBook)
30 Seconds (Novella Coming Soon)

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Genesis of a Book - Rogue's Hostage by Linda McLaughlin



Genesis of Rogue's Hostage

When I joined Romance Writers of America, I knew very little about writing romance. One of the first Special Events I attended was a day long workshop at a local library taught by Ann Maxwell, aka Elizabeth Lowell. It was an amazing overview of writing romance fiction.

One of the things she said that stuck was how important it was to tap into the reader's romantic fantasies. She went on to list some of the more popular fantasies, like Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, the Guardian fantasy, and the captive story.

The captive story is an old one, with roots in the Greek myth of Persephone in the Underworld, and in reality. Among tribal societies, marriage by capture was not uncommon, a pre-scientific method of enlarging the gene pool. In our own time, the Stockholm Syndrome has been observed, in which hostages begin to identify with their captors. Though "marriage by capture" is no longer widely practiced, it still sometimes happens, not always with a happy ending. 

I was intrigued by the notion of writing a historical captive story, but wasn’t sure where to set it. Later I picked up a nonfiction book about the founding of Pittsburgh, PA, my home town, and read about the French & Indian War where frontier settlers were taken hostage by war parties led by French officers. Aristocratic French officers who stripped down to loincloth and moccasins to accompany their native allies on raiding parties. This struck me as an intriguing starting point for a romance hero, and  Lieutenant Jacques Corbeau, aristocratic bastard, appeared in my mind.

His book became Rogue's Hostage, which was a finalist in a number of contests and was published by Amber Quill Press in 2003. Last year I reissued the book as an indie release.  

Rogue's Hostage  By Linda McLaughlin
Historical Romance

4 ½ stars and a Top Pick from Romantic Times!
Romantic Times Nominee—Best Small Press Romance of 2003!
2nd Place - Lorie Awards - Best Historical Romance!

 Blurb:

 His hostage... 

In 1758 the Pennsylvania frontier is wild, primitive and dangerous, where safety often lies at the end of a gun. Mara Dupré's life crumbles when a French and Indian war party attacks her cabin, kills her husband, and takes her captive. Marching through the wilderness strengthens her resolve to flee, but she doesn't count on her captor teaching her the meaning of courage and the tempting call of desire.

Her destiny...

French lieutenant Jacques Corbeau's desire for his captive threatens what little honor he has left.  But when Mara desperately offers herself to him in exchange for her freedom, he finds the strength to refuse and reclaims his lost self-respect. As the shadows of his past catch up to him, Jacques realizes that Mara, despite the odds, is the one true key to reclaiming his soul and banishing his past misdeeds forever.

Buy links:




Author bio:

Linda McLaughlin grew up with a love of history fostered by her paternal grandmother and an incurable case of wanderlust inherited from her father. She has traveled extensively within the United States and has visited Mexico, Canada, & Australia. A lifelong dream came true with a trip to England where she was able to combine sightseeing and theater with research for her novels. A native of Pittsburgh, she now lives in Southern California with her husband.

Her first book was Worth The Risk by Lyn O'Farrell. Now Linda writes historical and Regency romance. She loves transporting her readers into the past where her characters learn that, in the journey of life, love is the sweetest reward.

She also writes sexy to erotic romance under the name Lyndi Lamont.




Wednesday, May 14, 2014

NEW Hump Day Blurb Share!



Our new Wednesday meme is all about the blurb. Can a few tempting words of introduction grab a reader's attention? Let's find out!

In comments, tempt us with a blurb
300 words or less. Don't forget your buy link and website/blog link. Have fun!

 Share that you're participating with our
ready-to-go tweet:

Discover great reads. Exquisite Quills' Hump Day Blurb Share!    

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Tickle Us Tuesday!




In comments, and in 300 words or less, give us a snippet from your novel that will bring a smile, incite a giggle, or
make us laugh out loud. Don't forget your buy link and website/blog link. Have fun!


Share your participation with a ready-to-go tweet:

Come see my snippet on Exquisite Quills' Tickle Us Tuesday! http://exquisitequills.blogspot.com/   

Monday, May 12, 2014

Mystery Monday!


Theft, secrets, lies, intrigue, murder, espionage, or the unexplainable. Does your novel have something to hide? Post a 300-word teaser to keep us guessing, but don't give too much away! Be sure to add your website/blog link and one link to where your other books can be found. Example: Your Amazon Author's Page.
 Share your participation with our
ready-to-go tweet!

Come see my snippet on Exquisite Quills' Mystery Monday!    

Sunday, May 11, 2014

Sunday Preview!

The Sunday Preview is a chance to post a juicy 300-word snippet from a work in progress or to help get a buzz started for your soon-to-be released novel. Be sure to add your website/blog link, a release date if you have one, and one link to where your other books can be found. Example: Your Amazon Author's Page.
 Share that you're participating with our
ready-to-go tweet!

Come see my snippet on Exquisite Quills' Sunday Preview!