Angela Scavone

Today I would like to welcome the very friendly, very talented and one of the most interesting people I have ever met, Callie Hutton. I have read every book Callie has written and they are just phenomenal, my favourite being A Wife by Christmas, I cannot wait for her next book Angel in the Mail due out May 23rd. 
 
Take a peek into Callie's world!!

A little about myself

After appearing on so many blogs when you’re doing a blog tour (and this is my second), you’re pretty sure everyone who will read this knows everything about you, except maybe your bra size. So I will skip the, I live with my wonderful husband, precocious children, adorable pets….blah, blah, blah.

How about if I tell you I one time interviewed Peter Lawford for a magazine article?  Or that the very first article I sold was to
a magazine in Scotland? Or that I appeared as an extra in a movie with Bette Midler? One time I delivered a newspaper to Paul Anka, and he opened the door—where was his butler, don’t they all have that?

Interested yet?

I read over 200 books a year. I read Gone With the Wind seventeen summers in a row. I started college when I was eighteen, and over the years finally worked my way up to an Associate’s Degree when I was 57. Hubby and I have lived in seven different
states. We both had the wanderlust. When we filed our first income tax return together, we had a combination of sixteen W-2 forms. The government must have groaned to find out we married each other.

During the ERA campaign, I burned my bra on the courthouse steps, was thrown into a paddy wagon and hauled off to jail. Fun times. I made it half-way to Woodstock when the car my friends and I were in, broke down. Sorry I missed that.

One last thing.  I want to be Betty White when I get old.

So that’s a little bit about me. Different, eh?

Tell us about your book.

I have two new releases coming out in May.  On May 23^rd, An Angel in the Mail releases from Soul Mate Publishing. That’s the one I’ll talk about today. It’s a mail order bride story.

Love and physical attraction were the last things Oregon widower Nathan Hale wanted when he advertised for a mail order
bride. What he desperately needed was a sturdy woman, willing to care for his five children, cook, clean and maintain an orderly household.

When beautiful Angelina Hardwick’s father dies, the bank seizes all the assets of the man’s estate, plunging the former New York socialite into imminent poverty. Angel’s stepmother, in a frantic attempt to secure a place for the young woman, arranges for Angel to be Nate’s mail order bride.

Will Angel’s new husband send her packing when he discovers she has no domestic skills, and misplaces his children? Or will she win a place in his heart and bed, despite the efforts of someone determined to come between them?

What is one of your favourite memories of while you were writing this book?

I wrote An Angel in the Mail in the summer. When I ran into a plot snag, I’d hop into the backyard swimming pool, and float
around until I worked it out. Then I’d run, dripping and shaking into the air conditioning to write before I forgot. Teeth chattering, and goose bumps rising on my arms, I frantically wrote some great scenes with stiff fingers. (Well, all right, maybe not great scenes, but good ones.) I loved Angel and Nate and the five kids.

What are you working on now?

I just finished A Prescription for Love, the third in the Oklahoma Lovers series. Right now I’m writing a Regency, The
Elusive Wife. I started it last year, and put it aside for edits, and to complete other stories. I was quite pleased when I resurrected the manuscript recently to see what I’d written. I think my readers will like Olivia and Jason’s story.

How do you come up with story ideas?

Everywhere and anywhere. It could be a TV show, a song, a movie, another book. Or sometimes just a word or name. I was in
church one Sunday and the family in front of us had a little girl named Olivia. As soon as I heard her name, the idea for The Elusive Wife came to me. I took out a blank check and wrote the entire outline while the Pastor gave the sermon. I sincerely hope the Good Lord excused me that day.

Why did you start writing romance? Would you ever consider trying another genre?

I started writing romance because that’s what I read. So many times I would sit and ponder the book I was reading, and thought ‘I could do this. Hell, I could do it better.” So I bought a book called “You Can Write a Romance” and read it cover to cover. Then I outlined a Linda Lael Miller book I had just finished, and used her outline to write my first book—which I will re-write later this year. I like writing both historical and contemporary, although I’ve only written one contemporary, called Annie’s Attic, which is due out from The Wild Rose Press on May 30^th.

Years ago, I was a murder mystery fan. Everyone from J. Conon Doyle and Agatha Christie to Lawrence Sanders and James Patterson. If I ever switch from romance, it would be to that genre. My idol, Sandra Brown, started with romance, and moved to mystery. As did Judith McNaught, another of my favorite authors.

Here is an excerpt from An Angel in the Mail:

A small wooden table in the corner drew her.  She placed the glass on the table and eased her sore and tired body onto the chair. One leg shorter than the other three, the chair rocked as she settled. A woman the size of the counterman came through a curtain separating the area from whatever was in the back. With a brisk nod in Angel’s direction, she headed her
way.

“Y’all one of them new whores Dolly’s expectin’? She asked me to look out for ya.” She jerked her thumb in the counterman’s direction. “Jedediah’ll git you out there as soon as the stage pulls out. Dolly’s sure needin’ the help. She cain’t never take a break herself.”

Angel sat in silence, her eyes wide and mouth slack as the woman continued. “Ya’ll gonna have to git rid of them black clothes, though. Dolly’ll fix ya up nice and fancy.”

Tears sprang to her eyes and she gasped, vigorously shaking her head. “No, ma’am, I am not one of the new wh-whores.” She stumbled on the word, and backed the rickety chair against the wall.

“Well, gosh darn. Thadda be a pity.” The woman shifted a wad of tobacco from one cheek to the other, expelling a stream of juice right next to Angel’s shoe. Her gaze roamed over her. “A looker like you’d make a lot of money for yerself. Men around here are dying for some new faces.”  Then she thought for a minute and grinned. “And new bodies, too.”  She threw her head back in laughter, spaces from missing teeth exposed.

“Jedediah, git yoreself back to work.”  The woman shouted in the counterman’s direction as she returned to the back area.

Angel got up from the table and quickly headed for the door.

I’d rather sit in the blazing sun.  What have I gotten myself into?

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I don’t have a buy link yet, but it will be available from Soul Mate Publishing on May 23^rd, and Amazon shortly thereafter.

Thank you Callie for spending some time with us today and giving us a sneak peek at Angel in the Mail. I wish you all the success in the world and would like to hear more about Peter Lawford!!

If you want to see more of Callie, check her out on her webpage at calliehutton.com

Welcome to another Saturday interview!! Today we have Rebecca Heflin! Thanks for stopping by and saying hi to Rebecca!

Hi Rebecca! Tell us a little about yourself.

By day, I’m an attorney for a major research university, by night, I’m a Girl Friday for the non-profit my husband and I created, and on weekends, I’m a writer. I’m exhausted just talking about it.


Tells us about your book.

My debut novel, The Promise of Change, is about a lawyer (go figure), who’s recently divorced, dissatisfied with her career, and still searching for what she wants to be when she grows up. Problem is, Sarah doesn’t like change, so it’s kind of hard to reinvent yourself if you don’t want change. Typically cautious and deliberate, she starts making impulsive decisions, some of which don’t turn out so well.

After making the mother-of-all impulsive decisions, she takes a trip to England, where she meets – you guessed it – the hero. Alex, a.k.a. the Earl of Rutherford, is a member of the lucky sperm club, but prefers to be known for what he’s accomplished, rather than a fate of birth. Notwithstanding his family’s disapproval, he is determined to work in his chosen profession of acting. He’s always preferred casual flings with beautiful women who have no illusions of marriage. That is until he literally bumps into Sarah in an Oxford pub.

Will Sarah’s decisions leave her life in shambles, or will they lead to the promise of change? You’ll have to read the book to find out. 

How do you come up with story ideas?

Other stories come from – I don’t know where they come from – they just materialize from my very fertile imagination. Those are the most fun to write, because in a way, I’m experiencing through my characters, something new and exciting.

That is wonderful! I would love to go to England!  
If your book turned into a movie, and you could choose anyone, who would you like to play the hero and heroine?

Today's featured author is the very talented BJ Scott!
I have asked her several questions about her book Highland Legacy

Thanks for stopping by and taking a peek!!

First off, please tell us about yourself.

With a passion for historical romance, history in general, and anything Celtic, B.J. always has an exciting work in progress. Each story offers a blend of romance, adventure, suspense, and, where appropriate, a dab of comic relief. Carefully researched historical facts are woven into each manuscript, providing a backdrop from which steamy romance, gripping plots, and vivid characters—dashing alpha heroes and resourceful, beguiling heroines you can’t help but admire—spring to life. A member of RWA, World Romance Writers, Celtic Hearts Romance Writers, and Savvy Authors, B.J. also writes contemporary, paranormal, time travel, and romantic suspense.
C.S. Lewis first captivated B. J.’s imagination in the fourth grade, and her desire to write sprang from there. Following a career in nursing and child and youth work, B.J. married her knight-in-shining-armor, and he whisked her away to his castle by the sea. In reality, they share their century-old home in a small Canadian town on the shore of Lake Erie with three dogs and a cat. When she is not working at her childcare job, on her small business, or writing, you will find her reading, camping, or antique hunting.

 
Tell us about your book.

Highland Legacy is set in 1306, an epic time in Scottish history and the fight for independence. Movies like Bravehart gave us insight, albeit historically incorrect in many areas, and I wanted to share not only my love for Scottish history, but to extend the readers understanding of  life during this turbulent time and other heroes who played a roll.

Faced with an abhorrent betrothal, Cailin Macmillan flees her father’s castle and quickly learns that a woman traveling alone in Medieval Scotland is an easy target for ruthless English soldiers. When Highland patriot Connor Fraser comes to her aid, his steadfast dedication to king and country is challenged by his overwhelming desire to protect Cailin—even if he must marry her to do so.
Accused of murdering one of her attackers and determined to rely on her own resourcefulness, Cailin dresses as a lad, intent on seeking refuge at the camp of Robert the Bruce. Can she elude an enemy from her past—a vindictive English lord bent on her utter demise—or will she fall prey to his carnal intent and be executed for a crime she did not commit?

What are you working on now?

 I am currently under contract with Soul Mate Publishing for the sequel to Highland Legacy, entitled Highland Quest. This story picks up where the first left off and continues the saga of the Fraser brothers and their quest to rid Scotland of English tyranny once and for all. When I wrote Highland Legacy, I wove several secondary characters into the book with the intent of writing a sequel. The response to Bryce, the youngest brother in the book has been amazing and a book revolving around him a logical choice. I also have another Scottish historical WIP and a paranormal/time travel/ historical that I hope to finish once Highland Quest is off to the publisher.

What was your favourite subject in school?

My favourite subject in school was history and geography. English class was down near the bottom. But I was a kid and what did I know? Lol

Now for something fun, What is your favourite ice cream flavour? 

Strawberry, but do love a Dairy Queen soft serve with hot fudge or strawberry sauce. 

 mmmmm Dairy Queen...excuse the drooling :)

BJ, where can we find you and your book?

 my web site

book Trailer

  Amazon

SoulMate Publishing 

Barnes and Noble

Thanks for coming out today and sharing with us BJ!!

St Patrick’s Day is upon us today. There are many people around the world that celebrate this day with parade’s and parties. March 17th is a national holiday in Ireland (as well as a provincial holiday in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador) and to mark the occasion  they have festivals that usually run from March 15th to the 19th to celebrate their rich heritage.

I personally have always loved St Patty’s day. It’s the only time of year I’d wear green   When I was a child I would play with the neighbor kids, who had recently moved from Ireland. I would be welcomed into their celebration with open arms and told all about the culture and traditions of a far away land. We would eat Irish soda bread and some super amazing soup and play games. It was all so new and fascinating, especially for a kid that hadn’t been anywhere further than North America and even at that I’d only seen parts of the American east coast.

In my young adult years the celebration would move more to a pub setting. My friends and I would head to the pub as soon as work ended and we would stay there until it closed … Ahh the days of staying awake 23 hours a day and still having the ability to function! Those days were a lot of fun, I remember this one time my friend was a little drunk and she started a bar fight with a guy that was wearing a Boston Bruins hockey jersey – that’s a different story for a different time but it makes me laugh just remembering that St Patrick’s day and having to pull her off of the table while she’s yelling at him across the bar. Oh the memories.

This year I plan on sticking my head into my computer and getting some of my latest project done and possibly bringing my dog to the vet for a check (I’m sure he’s fine but he is concerning me a little and for those that know me, I know that doesn’t come as a shock – I’m always worried about the dogs) other than that it’s going to be pretty low key. However I do wish I could eat dairy as I could SO go for a shamrock shake today!!

Do you have St Patrick’s day traditions? If so, what are they?

A little fun fact did you know that each leaf on shamrock has meaning? They do! The first leaf means hope, the second leaf means faith, the third leaf means love and the fourth leaf means luck, which is why four leaf clovers are considered lucky!

Here’s to wishing you all a happy  and safe St Patrick’s day!