Rosemary Indra

A Warm Welcome to Rosemary                     

Ever since her mom gave her a romance book when she was a teenager Rosemary has enjoyed happier-ever-after stories. She has been writing most of her adult life. When she’s not writing, she enjoys spending time with her family, reading and crafts.

She has two grown children and four adorable grandchildren. Her and her husband live in a small town in Oregon.

Everlasting Love

by Rosemary Indra 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB: 

When Miranda Cummins borrows a friend’s cabin to finish writing her long overdue book, she’s surprised to find the one-room retreat already occupied by Kevin Mathews. Though she feels a spontaneous attraction for Kevin, Miranda has recently escaped a controlling husband and isn’t ready for a long-term relationship.

Unsatisfied with his occupation, Kevin is at a crossroads. Miranda understands and encourages him to look at the direction his life is going. Fired up by her encouragement, Kevin returns to Forest Ridge to resume his firefighting career.

When Miranda is threatened by her ex-husband, Kevin realizes he will do anything to protect her. Miranda has shown Kevin a new passion for life. Can he fan the flames of passion into an Everlasting Love?

Before treating us to an excerpt, Rosemary Reveals:

From where do you get inspiration and what inspired you to write Everlasting Love?

Inspiration comes to me from a variety of ways; conversations, stories people tell me and things I see or articles I read. These ideas are written in a special notebook for later use.

A couple of ideas inspired me for Everlasting Love. I heard a young man comment that all his friends were married and having babies and he wasn’t going to stay long at the party because he was afraid it was contagious. A country sale inspired the opening scene for this book. I enjoy going to estate and yard sales. The rustic house had a bathtub on the deck and I knew this would be the opening scene of my book.
Who controls the story—you or your characters?

I use to hear other author’s say their characters wrote their books. At the time, I didn’t understand their comment. Now that I’ve written more I appreciate this statement. When I do a detail character outline the story writes itself and the characters are definitely in control. The characters are alive in my head, they talk to me and if I don’t listen they make me listen.

Describe the heroine’s character. How do you relate to her?

Miranda Cummins is a RN who recently divorced her abusive husband. In her spare time she’s a romance writer. Since her divorce she no longer believes in romance or Everlasting Love. I personally have not been through a divorce, I have been married to my husband for 32 years. I relate to Miranda because she writes romance books in her spare time. Her writing is a way to escape her everyday life when work at to hospital becomes to stressful. My writing helps me relax and brings a balance to my life.

What do you like best and least about writing?

For me writing is very similar to reading; it takes me away to different worlds and helps me relax. I have a need to be creative and writing fulfills this need and desire. Writing brings a peaceful balance to my life.

The main thing I don’t like about writing is I don’t allow myself enough time to write. I’ve found when I don’t write regularly I have a tendency to become a little gnarly.

Have you ever suffered from writer’s block? Any tips to overcome it?                                                                                                        

I have a lot of book ideas, however, there are times I get stuck in the middle of a story and unsure how to reach the ending I’d planned. The way I overcome this struggle is I write the ending scene then I write a list of ways to achieve this ending. This list helps me overcome the standstill and move on with the story.

What is the best writing advice you have ever received?

When I first started in Romance Writer’s of America I was looking for a critique partner. Someone suggested I talk to Chris Young who was also a newbie in the local writing group. We met regularly to discuss what we learned at the meeting and critique each other’s work. At the time, we didn’t know what we were doing. We’d take the latest advice we were given and rework our stories again applying this suggestion.

Not only did we learn the basics of writing a book but we also built a lasting friendship.

What can we look forward to from you in the near future?

I’m currently working on a May Day novella. This story is a challenge as there are two fairies helping the couple fall in love.

How do you like to spend your free time?

Since it’s summer most of my free time is spent canning. My family and I do a lot of canning, fruits and vegetables for the coming year. We enjoy the freshness of the final product and the fact we know what goes into the jar.

A new activity I’ve added to my schedule is exercising, which has always been a dirty word to me. Back in March I started walking regularly to relieve some stress. I’ve lost weight and I really enjoy the extra energy I have now. On an average, I walk six days a week and have included muscle toning to my regiment.

What was your favorite book as a child/teen/adult? Are you currently reading anything?

When I was a child I struggled to read so reading was a chore not a pleasure. I liked to read biographies about famous people; it was interesting to see how they shaped their own lives. After I graduated from high school my mother gave me a romance book she thought I would enjoy. A lot of people make fun of the old Harlequin books but I learned the joy of reading from them. Now I love to read historical books. Two of my favorite authors are Jodi Thomas’ Westerns and Lisa Kleypas Hathaway series. Currently, I’m focusing on the novella I’m writing so I’m trying not to read.

What is your culinary specialty?

I enjoy baking cookies and bread. I don’t have a bread machine as I love to feel the dough and the kneading process is a great way to relieve frustration.

I have a favorite dish to make called “hay stacks” which is made with chicken and cream of chicken soup.  My family loves it but when I’ve served it to new friends they never come back to visit again. So it’s become a family joke. If anyone would like the recipe I will send it to you.
And now A Taste of Rosemary:

In a small town he had to be cautious. Driving too close to his intended victim would be obvious. He’d lagged back allowing more distance between his car and the one in front of him. When several vehicles exited the highway, he hung back even farther. His prey was no longer insight but he knew the Chevy was still there. He gripped the steering wheel tighter and tried to be patient.

As the city gave way to the mountainous forest, he saw his opportunity; pressing on the accelerator he started to close the space between them. Now, in this isolated wildness, he needed to move in for the kill.

No one would find a body or the missing vehicle for some time. This was the perfect set up. No witnesses. No surveillance cameras. For once and all, he could loosen the chain around his neck and live a carefree life again.

He sped up and still no sign of the other tail lights. The driver must have turned off to another road. He’d passed countless side roads since entering the highway. Finding which road the other vehicle used would be impossible.

He wiped his hand across the back of his neck. Pulling over to the side of the road, gravel crunched beneath his tires. He pounded his fist on the steering wheel. He’d quit his search for now. He’d find his victim another time. Then he’d free himself from his burden.





To follow the rest of Rosemary's tour click here

    LINKS: website www.rosemaryindra.com

    click Amazon BUY link

    Rogue Phoenix Press link

 Many thanks for regaling us today, Rosemary.         Pleasure to meet you!
Rosemary will be awarding a signed cover flat to a commenter at every stop and a $20 Starbuck's GC and their name in her next book to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.

 LEAVE A COMMENT TO ENTER THE PRIZE DRAW

A Warm Welcome to Elaine Cantrell

Elaine Cantrell was born and raised in South Carolina.  She holds a Master’s Degree in Personnel Services from Clemson University and is a member of Alpha Delta Kappa, an international honorary sorority for women educators.  She is also a member of Romance Writer’s of America and EPIC authors.  Her first novel, A New Leaf, was the 2003 winner of the Timeless Love Contest and was published in 2004 by Oak Tree Books.  At present she teaches high school social studies.
Elaine spends her spare time collecting vintage Christmas ornaments, reading, and playing with her grandchildren.
Here's her latest release:

NEVER TRUST A PRETTY WOLF

By  Elaine Cantrell

BLURB:  Liesel Wolf has a secret, a dangerous secret she’ll go to any lengths to conceal. When she’s paired in a charity game with sexy marshal Andy Bryce, a man with secrets of his own, her carefully constructed world comes crashing down, and Liesel’s on a collision course with her past.

Before treating us to an excerpt, Elaine Reveals:

From where do you get inspiration and what inspired you to write Never Trust a Pretty Wolf?  Inspiration comes from almost anywhere; a song, a movie, something someone says, my imagination.  The source is limitless if you open your eyes to the possibilities around you.  In the case of Never Trust a Pretty Wolf, my inspiration is the game my son and his family like to play.  It’s called geocaching.  This is how it works.  A person hides a cache and then posts the latitude and longitude coordinates to the cache on the Internet.  Those who like to play the game will look the caches up on the Internet, find the coordinates with a GPS, and see what’s in the cache.  The caches aren’t valuable.  Sometimes they’re nothing more than a logbook that you write in and replace.  If you take a small something from the cache you’re supposed to put something back so that other geocachers will have something to find.  I started to wonder what would happen if you were paired in a geocaching charity game with someone you didn’t know.  What if the two of you found a dead body and had to run for your lives?  And what if a romance is brewing between the two game players?  Basically, that’s the premise behind Never Trust a Pretty Wolf.

What do you hope your readers come away with after reading your book?  I hope that when readers finish my book, they’ll sigh and wish there was more.  I hope they’ll send me emails begging me to hurry up and write another book, and most of all, I hope they come away with the feeling that events in the story could happen to them too.  I want them to believe that they too are special and worthy of great love and extraordinary events.  Hopefully, their day to day stresses and cares will be mitigated by their escape into my fictional world.

What do you most enjoy about writing romance?
It makes me feel great!  I love the feeling that I’m standing on the threshold of a great adventure with a certain special someone.  There’s so much to learn and discover about each other.  The future shines and sparkles with promise as two lovers go hand-in-hand to meet their future.

Anything special you require to keep the creative juices flowing?   Oh, absolutely.  We authors have to maintain our reputation as eccentric artists, right?  I need two things.  First, a tall glass of cold, cold water.  If it isn’t cold, I don’t want it.  Second, I need a bendy straw.  When I get stuck in a passage or want to read what I just wrote, I need to play with the straw.  Sometimes I tap it.  Sometimes I twirl it around, but either way, I can’t write without the straw.  Members of my family keep trying to steal it every time I lay it down.  How could they risk thwarting genius?  LOL. 

What is the best writing advice you have ever received?  Interesting question.  I’ve taken some workshops and read about the writing process, but I can’t remember anyone ever telling me anything on an individual basis.  I’ve given advice to people myself, though.  My best advice is not to give up.  Writing is a business that could crush your spirit, I think, so it’s important to believe in yourself and keep working at it.

What can we look forward to from you in the near future?  I’m writing a romantic comedy at present.  I don’t think I’m a funny person, but maybe I am because when I read my husband parts of the manuscript he laughed at the right places.  My heroine just got into a bean ball fight with Marilyn Monroe which totally cracked me up.  No, not the real Marilyn. 

What would you most like to accomplish this year?
I’d like to finish my romantic comedy and submit it to a publisher, edit my sequel to Return Engagement and submit it, take a class to learn how to use my photo editing software, and lose fifteen pounds.  I’m not sure which one I’d rank as number one.

What is your culinary speciality?   Chocolate trifle or maybe chocolate cake or macaroni.   If we ever go to a party I’m requested to bring one or the other, depending on what type of party it is.  I’ll give you the recipe for my chocolate cake at the end of the interview.  It’s to die for.

 

A Taste of Elaine

Excerpt:

The minute the blue Mustang came to a halt, the valet hurried to open the car door for the newcomer. A pair of long, shapely legs unfolded from the car. Andy’s mouth went dry as his eyes traveled from her legs to her face. He had discovered a goddess. An overworked cliché perhaps, but he knew of no other words to describe her.

The goddess had Titian hair which begged him to run his fingers through it, freeing those glorious curls. Even from where he stood, her eyes glowed with an emerald fire. Her skin looked as if it would put satin to shame. As he stared at her mouth, a bolt of fire stabbed him right below his belt. He could only imagine how it might feel to kiss and taste those lush, red lips.
She sashayed up to the porch and held out her hand to Melton. “Good evening, Thomas.”
Melton was having a hard time getting his voice under control, but he finally stuttered, “Welcome, L… Li… Liesel. It’s great to finally meet you in person. This is your partner, Andy Bryce. Andy’s a United States Marshal.”
The light left her face. She shot Andy a look of what he swore was dislike, even though they’d never met. “Oh, but I thought you said the mayor was my partner.”
Melton nodded. “He was. But something came up, and his brother’s filling in for him.”
She didn’t want to be his partner. Andy knew it as surely as he knew his own name. He wondered if she had heard about… Yeah, she could have. The story made most of the big papers. The Marshals had trained him to read people, so he knew Ms. Wolf didn’t like him.

Here’s a review quote:   With twists and turns, Elaine Cantrell took me on an entertaining journey. Along the way I got to know her characters very well, understand their fears and motivations, and care for them. I also learned about geocaching, which sounds like a challenging and fun pastime. The story's plot was engaging, the descriptions added interest to the scenes, and the action never lagged, with just the right amount of romance included. Never Trust a Pretty Wolf held my interest throughout.  by  Sandra Nachlinger

And finally Elaine's Chocolate Cake Recipe  2 cups flour, 2 cups sugar, 1 stick butter, ½ cup cooking oil, 1 cup water, 4 TBSP cocoa, ½ cup buttermilk, 1 tsp soda, 2 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla.
 Sift flour and sugar together in a large mixing bowl. Place butter, oil, water, and cocoa into a saucepan and bring to a rapid boil. When mixture boils, remove from heat and pour over sugar and flour mixture. Mix well with spoon and add buttermilk, soda, eggs and vanilla. Beat lightly and pour into greased and floured 13 X 9 X 1 ½ inch pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes.
Chocolate Frosting:1 stick butter,  4TBSP cocoa,  6 TBSP evaporated milk,  1 box powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla 

Place butter, cocoa, and milk in saucepan. When mixture comes to a boil remove from heat and add 1 box powdered sugar and 1 tsp vanilla. Pour over cake while hot. Sounds delicious!



Follow the rest of Elaine's tour here

Read more about Elaine at the following LINKS:

Website:  http://www.elainecantrell.com

Blog: http://www.elainepcantrell.blogspot.com

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/elainepcantrell

Twitter:  http://www.twitter.com/elainecantrell

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

BUY LINKS Astraea Press      Amazon click for links

Many thanks for being a guest today, Elaine. Pleasure to meet you!

Now leave a comment for the chance to win a $25 GC or a pdf from Elaine's backlist

A Warm Welcome to Sheryl Browne

Now residing in Worcestershire, Sheryl Browne grew up in Birmingham, UK, where she studied Art & Design. She wears many hats: a partner in her own business, a mother, and a foster parent to disabled dogs. Creative in spirit, Sheryl has always had a passion for writing. A member of the Romantic Novelists' Association, she has previously been published in the US and writes Romantic Comedy because, as she puts it, "life is just too short to be miserable."

Sheryl's debut novel, RECIPES FOR DISASTER - combining deliciously different and fun recipes with sexilicious romantic comedy, is garnering some fabulous reviews! Sheryl has also been offered a further three-book contract under the Safkhet Publishing Soul imprint. SOMEBODY TO LOVE, a romantic comedy centring around a single policeman father’s search for love, launches 1 July. The book, which also features an autistic little boy and his Autism Assistance Dog, has already been endorsed by Danemere Dog Rescue Centre and is currently being reviewed by Our Dog Publications with a view to future advertising. WARRANT FOR LOVE, bringing together three couples in a twisting story that resolves perfectly, is released 1 August.

Summer Reads from Sheryl Brown

Somebody to Love  &  Warrant For Love

SOMEBODY TO LOVE Blurb:

BUY

 After a turbulent marriage to a man who walked off hand-in-offshoot with something resembling a twig, divorced mum, Donna O'Conner, doubts happy endings exist. She'd quite like to find herself an Adonis with… pecs …and things. Alas, that's not likely, when her only interest outside of work is hopping her three-legged dog in the park, carrying a poop-scoop. In any case, Donna isn't sure she'd know what to do with an Adonis if she fell on one. When PC Mark Evans comes along, gloriously gift-wrapped in blue, however, she can't help wishing she did.

Mark, a single father, is desperate for love. He doesn't hold out much hope, though, that there is a woman out there with a heart big enough to love him and his autistic son. Enter big-hearted Donna, plus three-legged dog. And now Mark has a dilemma. Pretending not to mind her house-bunny chewing his bootlaces, he's smitten with Donna on sight. Should he tell her his situation up-front? Announcing he has a child with autism spectrum disorder on a first date tends to ensure there isn't a second. Or should he skirt around the subject, which amounts to a lie? When one lie leads to another, can he ever win Donna's trust back? Admit that he didn't trust Donna enough to let her into his life?

Somebody to Love has been made with love... love of animals. Sheryl Browne has done excellent research on assistance dogs for the handicapped, specifically their use with autistic individuals. With a focus on romance with police officers, appealing to all readers who love our boys in blue, the author's "teasing but not telling" style makes this read appropriate for anyone, including young adults and older teens.

Here's a taster:

A Lost Little Boy…

The bell tinkled overhead. The soft murmur of voices slowed and, somehow, Mark could sense his son’s nearness. He glanced at the shopkeeper. ‘There wouldn’t be a young boy?’

‘We wondered whose he was.’ She nodded, indicating a room beyond the shop-fronting area they were in. An Aladdin’s cave, stuffed full of toys and magical to a child’s eyes. ‘We were just about to call the police.’

‘Mine. My son,’ said Mark, his throat tight as he watched Karl wander through from the back room, his clear blue eyes wide with wonder, before they alighted on Mark. Then, they grew disconcerted, as if Karl knew he was in trouble, and Mark couldn’t bear that. He knew he should talk to him. Try to instil in him through firm repetition, that he should not do this sort of stuff. Instead, he walked over to Karl and bent down to hug him so tight, he could feel his son’s heartbeat next to his own.

‘Hiya, mate. Did you get your model car?’ he asked throatily, knowing Karl wouldn’t, couldn’t hug him back. Trying hard not to mind, Mark stood to ruffle Karl’s hair. His fringe was tickling his eyelashes again, he noticed.

Time for a trim, he guessed, recalling how, with his long dark eyelashes, Karl had often been mistaken for a girl as a baby. How his wife had joked he’d grow up to be a heartbreaker. Mark’s heart seemed to have broken, that was for sure.

Karl shook his head. ‘No,’ he said, in that gruff, grainy voice that drew people’s stares. Mark didn’t care. At least Karl was speaking. He was two when he’d stopped, and Mark’s life changed forever.

BUY

WARRANT FOR LOVE Blurb:

Leanne Curtis has shared more than her heart and her home with her womanising man. She's shared her pin number. The scales are peeled painfully from her eyes when she spots female footprints on the inside windscreen of his car. Devastated, Leanne storms off into the night. He wasn't going to pay her back when he sold his flat, his bolthole, his shag-pad, probably, the absolute…! Shivering on a street corner, Leanne comes up with a survival plan. She's no choice. If she's to keep her son in PS3s, Leanne needs a lodger.

Brought up in care, Police Constable Paul Davis doesn't communicate well. On duty, he's gloomily contemplating his impending divorce. His wife sleeping with his sergeant is not helping his morose mood. His sergeant has a history, and Paul needs to find somewhere decent to live in order to gain custody of his son, fast. And to keep his job. Wrongfully arresting Leanne Curtis for soliciting, he muses, whilst avoiding five-star-freezer looks from her friends, might not be the best way to do it.

Could fate have brought them together, though? Leanne needs a respectable lodger. Paul needs a home. One thing leads to another, and Paul can't quite believe his luck. When a blackmail plot ~ cooked up by Leanne's friends ~ threatens their budding relationship, however, is Paul compelled to uphold the law? Or will he risk everything to make sure Leanne's abusive ex gets his comeuppance?

Warrant for Love is not your typical rom-com where only one gal gets the guy — Sheryl Browne brings together three couples in a twisting story that resolves perfectly. With a focus on romance with police officers, Warrant for Love appeals to all readers who love our boys in blue. Complex yet everyday relationship problems makes this read appropriate for young adults and older teens.

And another taster:

Dad!’ James exclaimed, hurtling out the front door.

‘Hi, small-fry.’ Paul ruffled his hair. ‘How’s things?’
‘Cool.’ James grinned. ‘I got one,’ he said excitedly. ‘A Play Station Three.’
Paul forced a smile. ‘Yeah, that is pretty cool. Mum get it for your birthday, did she?’
‘No.’ James skirted around Paul to the car. ‘Uncle Dave.’
Figures, thought Paul. Motive: one-upmanship. Cummings wouldn’t give a damn about what James wanted otherwise.
‘Wasn’t that nice of him,’ he said, with bitter-edged sarcasm as Kate appeared with James’ overnight bag. ‘Guess that means I’ll have to think of something else to get him for Christmas.’
‘Paul…’ Kate began. ‘We didn’t know you were going to get him…’
‘Forget it.’ Paul shrugged. Every time he tried to put hostilities on hold… ‘Have to see if we can’t get you some games for it, won’t we?’ he called to James over his shoulder.
‘Cool. Dead or Alive. Ben’s got it. It’s ace.’
‘Great. How much?’ Paul nodded his thanks to Kate as she handed him the rucksack.
‘Forty pounds,’ said James, scrambling into the passenger seat. ‘Is that okay?’
‘Yes. No probs,’ Paul said, wondering how he was ever going to pay solicitors fees and maintenance, as well as providing a decent home for James along with the things he should as a father.
‘We can get it,’ Kate offered. ‘Dave said…’
‘No thanks. Got it covered.’ American Express, Paul thought grimly as he turned to the car. That’ll do nicely.
‘Oh, and we’ll need a second control,’ announced James.
‘Why’s that?’ Paul asked, checking his seat belt.
‘So two people can play, of course,’ James explained, wearing his parents-are-past-it face. ‘It’s no fun playing on your own.’
‘Yeah, I know.’ Paul smiled, checked his mirror, and pulled out.
‘Can we have popcorn this time?’ James asked whilst Paul mentally tried to make his bank balance add up.
‘Not as well as McDonald’s, James. You’ll be sick.’
‘But Mum said.’ James flopped his head back on the seat, popcorn deprivation overriding Play Station euphoria.
‘I don’t care what Mum said, James.’
‘There’s no point going to the pictures if I can’t have popcorn.’
‘You don’t want to see Turtles in 3D, then?’
James shrugged and turned to stare out of the window.
‘Look, James. No popcorn. But, what say we stop off on the way to the pictures? See if we can’t get Dead or Alive tonight?’ Paul tried to redeem himself in his son’s eyes, whilst wondering whether PC World would hire him part-time in exchange for the computer game.
He shouldn’t give in so easily but he had to get something for James’ birthday, closely followed by an alternative to the Play Station for Christmas. The second choice on James’ Dear Santa list was a computer. At this rate, he’d have to resort to touting for business on street corners.
His mind drifted to Leanne, his mouth curving into a smile as he recalled her quip about ten punters all in one night. He laughed out loud. Still couldn’t shake the image of her making eyes at passing traffic, wearing his police sweater and a sarong.
‘What’s funny?’ James asked.
‘Nothing.’ Paul straightened his face as he pulled up at the station. ‘Forgot my wallet,’ he said, trying hard to consign Leanne to history

Read more about Sheryl at these links:

Website: www.sherylbrowne.com     Author Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sheryl-Browne-Author-Page/245372252189480

Amazon click name link

Romantic Novelists’ Association

http://www.romanticnovelistsassociation.org/index.php/about/author/sheryl_browne

A loveahappyending featured Author http://loveahappyending.com/sheryl-browne/  

Follow Sheryl on Twitter: @sherylbrowne Follow the rest of Sheryl's tour here

Now leave a comment for the chance to win a $20 GC         Pleasure to host you Sheryl!