by Christine | Writer Wednesday, Writing
Today I welcome in mystery writer Marian Lanouette to Writer Wednesday. Enjoy the interview!
CA: Marian, what made you decide to write a novel?
ML: I’ve written most of my life but recently after open heart surgery I had the opportunity to write full-time while recovering. So instead of short stories or poems, I put the story down on paper I had in my head for years. In two short years I got it published.
CA: Why mystery?
ML: I write mysteries with romantic elements. It’s the puzzle and the steps required to solve a mystery that intrigues me. I love reading a good mystery but I love my romance too. So, both together is a home run.
CA: Ah! Gotcha. I love me the romantic suspense, too. How many books/short stories do you have planned for this series?
ML: So far, I have five books plotted out and started. If they continued to be as well received as If I Fail, A Jake Carrington Mystery, I’ll write as many as my readers want. And as long as I feel I can maintain the integrity of the series.
CA: Where would you live, if you could live anywhere in the world?
ML: I would love to live on a Caribbean Island with a house overlooking the water. I think it would be a great place to write.
CA: Name 3 simple joys in your life.
ML: 1.) My husband and family 2.) Walking outside 3.)Reading
CA: Those are three of my simple joys, too. Well, MY husband and family, of course, not yours. ANYway…If you could have dinner with any person, living or dead or fictional, who would it be and where would you go to eat?
ML: Maxine’s in Paris, since I saw a movie with Audrey Hepburn. I’d love to have dinner with her. Not only did I enjoy her movies but she was a great humanitarian.
CA: I’m an Audrey fan, too. If you could give just one piece of advice to a writer starting out, what would it be?
ML: Ah, it would be research. Research your genre. There are rules. And research the publishers, agents and readers in your genre. I’d also make sure to take some grammar refresher courses and ones on POV. I did both after many rejections. If I did them first I would have saved myself a lot of heartache.
CA: What do you do when you’re not writing?
ML: I walk with my sister, visit with friends, attend writing groups, and last but not least I love to read.
CA: Do you have a Day Job?
ML: No.
CA: Lucky girl! Name one thing your fans would be surprised to learn about you.
ML: In my latest novel, Burn In Hell, A Jake Carrington Mystery, the woman Jake dates works in a crematory. I too worked in a crematory/cemetery for over ten years.
CA: Wow. You must have a million stories to tell! Is there anything else you’d like to talk about?
ML: I just want to let everyone know the Burn in Hell, A Jake Carrington Mystery released on January 18, 2013 from Muse It Up Publishing.
CA: Let’s take a look at the cover.
Blurb:
A botched missing person’s case. A nervous mob boss.
Lt. Jake Carrington’s gut tells him Phil Lucci is being cagey—with good reason. Jake can see this case has been mishandled from the beginning. Sloppy police work? Or does Lucci’s hand reach as far as the WPD? It’s Jake’s job to find the answers.
Then Jake meets Kyra Russell, a woman with an unusual job—she runs the local crematory. Despite the heated attraction between them, Jake becomes more and more suspicious of Kyra. Her gambling problem has already cost her a marriage and custody of her son. More than that, she also happens to be friends with Phil Lucci. Kyra assures Jake that it’s just coincidence, but Jake’s experience and his instincts warn him not to believe in chance. Can Kyra be burning bodies for the mob? If she is, what will Jake do about it?
Marian Lanouette Bio:
One of ten children, Marian took to writing to explore new and adventurous places. While her friends traveled on planes for vacation, Marian traveled in books. With an overactive imagination, it didn’t take long for her to start creating her own characters and stories. If I Fail, A Jake Carrington Mystery that released in 2012, is the first book in the series.
As an avid reader, she discovered mysteries by reading the Daily News as a youngster. Intrigued by the real life crimes, and how the police worked and eventually solved them, ignited her imagination beyond the ordinary.
An English professor marked her final paper with an A, but wrote a note that said, “Well done, though you’re not Virginia Woolf yet, so add a little action to the story.” That one line had her punching up the action in stories to come.
Marian has many plans (books) for Jake Carrington and his crew. She invites you to discover these wonderful characters and share your impressions at: marian.author@gmail.com or www.marianl.com .
You can also find Marian here:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/marian.lanouette
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorMarian
Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/DnmqRl-J0co
BUY LINK if you are so inclined (and I hope you are!)
The book sounds way cool! Thanks for stopping by, Marian. So folks, what do you think? Do you have any questions for Marian? Let ’em fly! You know I LOVE hearing from you!
~ Until the next time, cheers – and remember to drink responsibly! ~
Demon Soul, Blood Dreams and Demon Hunt are all available for the Kindle! Have you fallen into the Caine Brothers’ world yet?
by Christine | Life, Observations
I’m so thrilled that I’m carrying a camera with me everywhere. I had the great good fortune to speak at the monthly Orange County Chapter of RWA last week. Here’s me with the WANA folks that came. I was so happy to see them! From left to right – Jenny Hansen, me, Tameri Etherton, Kate Wood, Bethany Lopez, and Debra Kristi, all of whom are kick-ass writers and bloggers, so please go check them out. We have Kristen Lamb and the We Are Not Alone group in common, so it was doubly nice to see them in person.
The WANA gang at OCC RWA 1-12-13.
As you may know, we here in So Cal have been bitching whining upset about the cold temps we’ve been going through. A couple of weeks ago there was ice – not only all over my poor basil, killing it dead, but even in the streets. Here’s a photo of the partially-frozen gutter water. Hey, to a San Diegan, this is way cool stuff.
Ice in the gutter outside my office, about 9am.
The other day I tried to explain to someone my unreasoning hatred of palm trees. I couldn’t convince this guy from Ohio that palm trees are pretty dang useless. I mean, they don’t provide lots of shade from the sun, and they don’t give us anything to eat. And when they’re planted with a pine tree of some sort between, it causes a synapse interrupt for me. As in, these trees do not compute. (Don’t talk to me about date palms. Would you eat dates from a palm tree grown in Los Angeles? Yeah. Didn’t think so.)
Do the palm trees look out of place, or is it just me?
I guess there’s no changing the whole palm-tree thing now. I’m just a few decades too late. Are there trees planted in your neighborhood that just don’t go together? I’d love to know!
That’s it for today. Thanks for stopping by! On Writer Wednesday, Marian Lanouette will be here with her latest release, so we hope to see you then.
~ Until the next time, cheers – and remember to drink responsibly! ~
Demon Soul, Blood Dreams and Demon Hunt are all available for the Kindle! Have you fallen into the Caine Brothers’ world yet?
by Christine | Wine Friday
In these days of high unemployment and global financial crisis, it’s nice to relax with a bottle of wine that doesn’t break your pocketbook. I’m here to sort out the memorablefrom the truly awful, and each bottle is under $10 unless noted otherwise.
I came across a couple of bottles of Lambrusco a while ago, and while I don’t remember where I got them or how much I paid for them, I do remember thinking they were under $10 and, therefore, perfect fodder for the blog. (Lambrusco, just so you know, is a soft wine whether red or white – and it has a very slight effervescence to it.) So without further ado, here you go…Lambrusco.
Lambrusco Dell’Emilia Bianco Dolce White Lambrusco Le Grotte; Product of Italy. Alcohol 8% by Volume.
On the Label: “Lambrusco is one of the best selling wines in the world. It is a unique product. White Lambrusco, fruity and fresh, obtained through the white vinification of Lambrusco grapes and the natural fermentation process, this wine comes from one of the oldest grape varieties grown in “Emilia Romagna”, the gourmet region of Italy. Lambrusco Bianco Le Grotte is a soft white wine, light and refreshing and ideal for any occasion. Lambrusco should be served well chilled and refrigerated after opening.”
My Take: Seriously? Okay, at first I was charmed with the idea of getting two bottles of Lambrusco, one white, one red. Because one of the first places Hubby took me to dinner was at The Old Spaghetti Factory in San Diego, and he always ordered a bottle of Lambrusco just to watch the waiters tug at the cork, since it was like a Champagne cork, only not as well-behaved. Which means it takes some serious muscle. But…this wine didn’t live up to my hopes. It had a flavor somewhere between aluminum and sour, unripe grapefruit. It wasn’t bad enough for both of us to agree to pour it down the drain, but I couldn’t drink it. Hubby did. I just sipped, shuddered, and turned to whatever else we had open.
My Rating: ~ Undrinkable ~ As you probably suspected. I can’t think of anyone who would like this wine, as it had a tinny, gag-inducing (in me, not the hubs) flavor that was hard to get rid of. Buy at your own risk.
Reggiano Lambrusco Rosso Dolce Consorzio Vini Reggiani – Reggio Emilia, Product
of Italy Alcohol 8.5% by Volume
On the Label: Lambrusco is one of the best selling wines in the world. It is a unique product, slightly soft red wine, fruity and fresh. Obtained througha natural and traditional fermentation process, Lambrusco is one of the oldest grape varieties, grown in “Emilia Romagna”, the gourmet region of Italy. Lambrusco “Le Grotte” is a ruby red wine, with violet scents. The bouquet is delicate and intense, with notes of fresh strawberries, cherries and raspberries. Lambrusco is a pleasant, well balanced refreshing wine. It is an ideal wine for parties, barbecues or even Italian Pizza. Lambrusco should be served well chilled and refrigerated after opening.”
My Take: Okay. So, my experience with Lambrusco, until this tasting, was with Reunite Lambrusco. (Remember the tag line, “Reunite on ice, that’s nice”? Pronounced ReeYouNeeTee, btw.) Anyway, Reunite Lambrusco is better. That doesn’t mean I wasn’t relieved when THIS wine proved to be adequate to the dinner I had planned – one of sausage, veggies and a side of pasta. It wasn’t a wine I was willing to pour down the drain – a total relief after the white.
My Rating: ~ Drinkable ~ But if you want to try a slightly sparkling red wine, I highly suggest you try the Reunite Lambrusco.
Don’t let my experience with Lambrusco put you off the wine, however. There are also Secco Lambruscos – dry ones – that might be better in both the red and white versions. If you find one, let me know, okay?
As usual, this is just my honest opinion and depend upon my mood, the weather, and what cycle the moon is in. Your taste buds will differ.
~ Until the next time, cheers – and remember to drink responsibly! ~
Demon Soul, Blood Dreams and Demon Hunt are all available for the Kindle! Have you fallen into the Caine Brothers’ world yet?
My Rating System: Undrinkable, Barely Drinkable, Drinkable, Very Drinkable, and the ever popular Stay away! This is MY wine, you slut!
by Christine | Writer Wednesday, Writing
Today I’m featuring Wendy S. Russo, and her new YA novel January Black, which I also had the pleasure of reviewing. Oh – and somewhere in this post, there’s a super secret hidden link to a super secret second blurb for the novel…look carefully! When you find it, the password is “matty”. All you have to do is click on the link, put in the password, read the excerpt, and then leave a comment and you’ll be entered into a drawing to win a copy of JANUARY BLACK! Woot!
Let’s take a look at the cover:
Isn’t that cover stunning?
January Black Blurb
Sixteen-year-old genius Matty Ducayn has never fit in on The Hill, an ordered place seriously lacking a sense of humor. After his school’s headmaster expels him for a small act of mischief, Matty’s future looks grim until King Hadrian comes to his rescue with a challenge: answer a question for a master’s diploma.
More than a second chance, this means freedom. Masters can choose where they work, a rarity among Regents, and the question is simple.
What was January Black?
It’s a ship. Everyone knows that. Hadrian rejects that answer, though, and Matty becomes compelled by curiosity and pride to solve the puzzle. When his search for an answer turns up long-buried state secrets, Matty’s journey becomes a collision course with a deadly royal decree. He’s been set up to fail, which forces him to choose. Run for his life with the challenge lost…or call the king’s bluff.
My Review:
I lost a few hours as I read this book. It’s a Young Adult novel that is refreshingly and astonishingly intelligent, and the love story is perfectly played out.
Set in a world that is similar to our own but far removed, with a King who leads the people and set mostly in the royal city of Aventine, Matty is given a problem to solve. What was January Black? It takes him two years to solve this question; in that time, we as readers get to know this fascinating world, and delve along with Matty into astronomy, computer coding, chess, a rogue section of the city and even the words of Shakespeare. But as Matty draws closer to an answer, it is the politics of the question that will turn his world upside down.
From Matty’s lightheadedness when he walks into the King’s immense library of real books (ah! The scent of old books!) to the stargazing, to the cryptic messages passed between people who are known only by their number, to the sweet, tentative steps of first and lasting love between Matty and Iris, this is a book to be savored, read, and then read again.
Do you want an excerpt? Click RIGHT HERE for Excerpt Number One. Remember to look for the hidden link to Excerpt Number Two! Password is “matty”.
And of course, here’s a BUY LINK.
You can stalk find Wendy at these fine places:
Blog: http://wendysrusso.wordpress.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wendy-S-Russo/134565346603922
G+: https://plus.google.com/112814882028410401663
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/wendysrusso
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/wendysrusso
~ Until the next time, cheers – and remember to drink responsibly! ~
Demon Soul, Blood Dreams and Demon Hunt are all available for the Kindle! Have you fallen into the Caine Brothers’ world yet?
by Christine | Observations
So, I was filling my gas tank the other day. And I saw this cool thing for adults to stretch while they’re bored, filling their tank. Which I didn’t take a picture of. But as I walked around, stretching, the other side of the advert caught my eye. Take a look.
Hysterical. And very interesting! But it’s up so high, I’d have to lift any kid into bugs way up over my head so s/he could see. The thought is nice, though…just FYI, there were six more bugs on this that I couldn’t get into the photo.
~ Until the next time, cheers – and remember to drink responsibly! ~
Demon Soul, Blood Dreams and Demon Hunt are all available for the Kindle! Have you fallen into the Caine Brothers’ world yet?
