Guest Author - Jenny Schwartz

Please welcome Carina Press author Jenny Schwartz to the blog:

Hi Wynter! I'm delighted to be visiting. I was thinking of a topic to post about, and as always, once I started dreaming, my mind drifted to food. So, I thought, why not go with it? Hence, today's guest post is "Food as Inspiration, or Feed Your Muse".

Three Wishes released this week. It has a Syrian setting, and writing it I became addicted to raw pistachios. Heaven knows why, but something in my brain was adamant pistachios were the Mediterranean snack food, and who am I to argue when they're so yummy?

I always thought pistachios were nuts, but technically they're kernels and you need a male and female tree to grow them. I know this because once I became addicted to them, I naturally wanted to see if I could grow them. This is what a pistachio tree looks like (with thanks to Oceanbaby via Flickr).



I don't think I can squeeze two more trees into a suburban yard.

Kebabs are my favourite fast food--and a great Mediterranean meal. I'm lucky. Our local kebab shop is also a Turkish bakery, so in addition to takeaway meals and dips (hummus, anyone?), we have yummy sweets, baklavas and Turkish delight.

Did you know true Turkish delight is made without gelatin? Maybe everyone but me knew this. You use cornflower instead, adding it to the boiling toffee and beating hard. Me, I've given up making toffee since I burned my little finger. Thankfully, there's aloe vera in the garden and that stopped it scarring.

Hmm, I'm rambling a bit. But that's what Mediterranean food inspires--a leisurely, indulgent approach to life and all the good things in it, casual conversation and siestas. My kind of life!

***

She is the Bringer of Death

Cali, a djinni, has sworn to twist the wishes of humans so they die by their own greed and evil. Her latest master is arms dealer David Saqr, a man Cali believes deserves the fate she has in store for him. But this time she finds herself up against Andrew, David's guardian angel.

He is a Protector of Life

Andrew believes David can yet find redemption. He fights Cali for the man's life, even as he tries to persuade her to give in to the sizzling attraction between them. He shows Cali another side of David, and invites her to trust again, to hope. But centuries of being enslaved have hardened Cali's heart--it's going to take all of Andrew's love to convince her to open it and let him in.

from Carina Press


***

You can find Jenny at her website, on Twitter and Facebook and indulging her love of pretty pictures on Tumblr.

A Mother's Work...

On the home front, we are waiting for permits to be approved before our contractor can start on a big plumbing project. Until we get the job finished (and our bank account cleaned out) we can't do any laundry or run the dishwasher. We have to take short showers which is an unbelievable and totally cruel punishment for our seventeen-year-old daughter. (Yes - we planned this all for her inconvenience!)

This all leads me to why I haven't gotten a thing written today. After five days without use of a washing machine, everyone in my family suddenly realized they were running out of important clothing items -- DH was actually cleaning out his dresser drawers in search of the black t-shirts he must wear under his uniforms. DS discovered that two work shirts were not enough (which I told him a year ago). DD decided she needed to go shopping because she refused to resort to the secondary or tertiary wardrobe that resided in the back of her closet.

So who do you guess paid the piper for all of them? Moi, of course. I had to shlep three laundry baskets to the homes of generous friend willing to share their working plumbing with me. (God bless them). But after hauling around the heaviest laundry baskets ever (I brought all the clothes home wet since I do have a dryer I could use) and then had to fold and hang for hours.

All this to say I had no time or energy to write today. But there's always tomorrow, thank goodness.

Friday, May 27, I will be over at Borders True Romance Blog, which is very exciting for me, as a fan of the blog. I will be discussing Dedications and some interesting quotes from authors. Although I know you are dying to read my scintillating discourse about dedications, I am entering all those who comment in a drawing for a $25 AMC Theatres gift card (US addresses only) or a free download of Protective Custody or their choice of any book from my backlist (for those outside the US).

A New Book...Sort of

Another Chance to Win!

I'm over at The Romance Studio's Blog today about the all important first kiss in a romance novel. Please come by and comment. I will enter you in a drawing for a copy of Protective Custody.

Interview with Author Maureen A. Miller

Welcome, Maureen and thanks for stopping by today. I can't wait to read your brand new book, Endless Night.

 How long have you been writing? Did you always know you wanted to be a writer?

It feels like I have been writing since sometime in the late 1700’s, but in actuality on a dedicated level it has been about ten years.  I always wanted to be a writer, but it’s not as simple a task as some people make it out to be.  Nine years ago I received a Golden Heart nomination from RWA, which at that naïve time I thought would open all sorts of doors for me, but I learned like everyone else that nothing comes easy. You have to persevere and maintain a day job while your writing is still in the ‘hobby’ stage.

What genres do you stick to?

Romantic Suspense has always been my forte, but the novel I am currently working on is more of a romantic adventure, along the lines of Indiana Jones…but maybe with a little more heat.

Do you read the same type of books that you write?

Absolutely. I am very fond of the genre and the bevy of talented authors out there inspires me in my field.

Where are you from? Tell us a bit about your home life.

I am a bit of a mutt. I am from New Jersey but have spent a vast amount of time in the Tampa region, and I now reside in North Carolina. This mixture provides the components for a unique accent.
Home life is all about writing until football season comes around. I am a die-hard Tampa Bay Buccaneer fan, and you can rest assured that on Sundays in the fall I have to take a time out from the keyboard.

Tell us about your current release.

ENDLESS NIGHT is a romantic suspense with a gothic feel to it. The gothic influence comes from the dark setting on the blustery Maine coast in a sinister mansion perched on the cliffs. The heroine, Megan Summers is hiding in the most remote place she can find after having witnessed a murder in Boston. Jake Grogan shows up on her doorstep with a letter in his hand from a woman claiming to be his biological mother. The woman has told him to locate his grandmother in the very house Megan is now occupying. A storm stands Jake there with Megan and together they band to discover his heritage and to battle her enemy.

Where do you see yourself in ten years?

At a poolside with a margarita in my hand.  I see myself there tomorrow as well, but neither will probably happen.  
In ten years I hope to be doing what I enjoy doing the most…writing romantic suspense.

Where can we find you on the web?

Website: www.maureenamiller.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MaureenMillerBooks
Twitter: http://twitter.com/MaureenAMiller

**** I will be giving away a free copy of ENDLESS NIGHT in either ePub or PDF formats to a random commenter.****

 

Summertime and the Winning is Easy!

Want another chance to win a copy of Protective Custody? Come and say hello at Coffee Time Romance on Monday, May 16th and I'll enter you in a drawing.

How about doubling your chances? I'll also be at Lovin' Me Some Romance today. Comment there and you could also win.

If you miss those blogs, come over to Tawny Taylor's blog on Tuesday, May 17.

And in other news, the lovely and talented Maureen A. Miller has her first release with Carina Press today - please check it out HERE.

Now that the announcements are out of the way, I have a movie recommendation for you. DH and I had a date night Saturday and I got to choose the flick. So, we went to see Bridesmaids and even he had to admit, it was damn funny. This might look like a chick flick and in some ways it is, but there are plenty of laughs even the guys enjoy. The audience was almost half men. So there.http://tinyurl.com/3dxg49p

My Big Week Continues...

And today you can find me at Maureen A. Miller's blog and over at Tracey Kitts' place. Please come by and say hello.

A Giant, Big, Awesome Week

This is a big week for me. Tomorrow is my birthday and today is release day for my first book from Carina Press, Protective Custody. I'm also doing a blog tour and will be all over the blogoshere. If you'd like to find me and have a chance to win some of the prizes I am giving away, here's my schedule for the next couple of days:

Monday: Not Your Usual Suspects, Naughty Author Chicks, You Gotta Read and Book Junkie. Tuesday: Manic Readers and Book Junkie. Wednesday: Carina Press Blog, Romance Junkies, The Romance Dish. For a full list of blog stops and interviews, check my website.

Here’s a little about Protective Custody from Carina Press:

Witness to a murder, but no one will believe her…

Shocked by the brutal crime she witnesses through the window of her small office, Megan Jackson calls the police and is devastated when they question the truth of her story. With no body and no evidence of a crime, she’s written off as a nutcase.

Megan suspects the killer saw her face. Terrified, she calls the only person she can trust—her ex-boyfriend and former police officer, Will McCoy.

Despite a devastating breakup, Will jumps at the chance to help the woman who broke his heart. When the killer ramps up the stakes, Will is forced to take her into hiding—where the passion they once shared reignites, deeper and hotter than ever. But can Will keep Megan alive long enough to win back her heart?

Text Copyright © 2011 by Wynter Daniels

Cover Copyright © 2011 by Harlequin Enterprises Limited

Permission to reproduce text granted by Harlequin Books S.A. Cover Art used by arrangement with Harlequin Enterprises Limited. All rights reserved. ® and ™ are trademarks owned by Harlequin Enterprises Limited or its affiliated companies, used under license.

Cheers to Mom

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there. So many authors and readers I know are also moms. Since today is your day, I hope someone will be pampering you, doing at least some of the millions of chores and tasks that normally fill up your plate.

I for one, will happily give over much of the cooking and clean-up (although I may have to redo some of my husband's and kids' attempts to help).

Now if only I could get them to continue their suddenly helpful ways beyond today.

I also plan to call my mother to wish her a wonderful day and to thank her for a lifetime of fulfilling a vital role in my life.

What will you be doing for Mother's Day? Just remember to give props to your mother if you're lucky enough to still have her in your life.

Want to Win a Book?

I'm guest blogging today at Whipped Cream Reviews about Too Stupid to Live Characters. Please stop by and comment to be entered in a drawing to win a book!