Spotlight on Author Deirdre O'Dare By Connie Vines #Author Spotlight, #Author Interview, #Iditarod Race

Welcome to 

'Dishin' It Out' Author Spotlight!

This month's guest is Deirdre O'Dare.

*Deirdre and I have been friends for decades. 

We met while serving on the International Outreach Chapter of Romance Writers of America board.

Flashback Moment: When I stood up and introduced myself at the writer's conference in Anaheim, California. Deirdre kept staring at me, then blurted, "I thought you were a blonde." 🤣🤣

Gwen Morgan, AKA Deirdre O'Dare

Now, on with the interview 😀

1. Please tell us about your current release 

Relative Dangers is a romance novel with plenty of action and adventure. My characters are people I know and I understand. Just regular folks with unusual jobs and who live in rural or remote places may seem exotic to some readers. 

I have also written a few historicals, some sci-fi and fantasy, and police procedurals. The only area that I really avoid is horror. The heat levels of my books are all over the spectrum, from Sweet Tales to NC-17. Relative Dangers was initially published under my Gwen Morgan synonym.

Relative Dangers is mildly spicy, with a couple of realistic love scenes. 

 

2.  What was the inspiration for the story?

In my younger days, I was a semi-professional horse trainer. When I started creating the story, it seemed to be my heroine's natural lifestyle or career. In some ways, she is the avatar of the girl I was. A girl experiencing her first love. Only time, life would deal them a happy ending.

The plot in the main events is strictly petitioners, but the horse work is real, totally based on what I know. Another pattern of my writing is to have current or relevant issues in today's life and world and find other ways into the plot's challenges, conflict, and progression. In this case, the development of a remote area and environmental issues become very significant. Several f Gwen's romance novels do this for various issues, such as Reservation casinos, women in the military, and law enforcement. 

 3.  What would you like to see more/less of in your genre?

Erotic and explicit romance has moved into the mainstream, with the heat levels once limited to Indy and e-press firms like Ellora’s Cave now found in many lines and publishers. While I do not take issue with this, I find that too many books I pick up are basically “sex stories” with a bit of emotion and action. I have always said I write love stories. While a lot of hot sex is perfect and realistic for some couples, for others, not so much. I want to feel the emotions and have the people cope with real life in the real world in which they, like I live. 

Recently I have read more Inspirational Romances, not so much because I prefer the sweet or clean portrayal of relationships but because I feel those authors pay much more attention to making their characters real and appealing, to development of a solid plot--say mystery, danger, or struggles,  and overall the product is just better fiction and more absorbing. It is ‘easy’ to go from bedroom to back seat to back in the bushes with a couple while we do not know them very well, and hardly anything else happens! Authors must put more effort into their story while keeping it as sexy as they wish or their couple fits. Now I will say this is JMHO--and probably does not work for all readers-- but that is where I am in my reader hat.

4.  What, in your opinion, makes a good writer? 

First and foremost, the fiction writer must be a good storyteller. Yes, the experts say show, don’t tell, and it is generally correct, but if there is no story, no key characters you can identify with who face a variety of challenges, complex, and obstacles, they must somehow brave and strive their way through to win their goal or reward, why bother to read it? Beyond that, a deep understanding of human nature, a curiosity about people and what makes them tick, a special sense to visualize and create a world where those characters abide with century details, then let the reader feel she he is there, and perhaps most of all, in the imagination that find stories in most everything And then the compulsion to tell details characters bring to you. My characters just appear out of the universe and begin to nag at me until I let them share their tail, which I transcribe from their images and put into words for others to experience

  5. Do you have a favorite paragraph/line in this novel? 

This is hard. Several scenes resonate when I re-read the book some years after the original writing. Mari’s struggle with Mitch (the dangerous relative)  and then her anguish over her little dog being hurt. Perhaps when she asks the hero, Dusty, why he is trying to help her and being very kind. She shocks him with part of her speech which I excerpt here.  

“Maybe I’m paranoid or too suspicious or something…but, well. Everybody is out for what they can get, you know? So I don’t understand why you are doing things for me. I mean, well, I know all about sex and stuff. So if that’s what you want, you don’t have to buy me things and take me places. If you just asked, I’d probably let you.”  He realizes then that she has been oddly sheltered and is far from naïve or innocent and is hard-pressed to answer her!

 6. If you were forced to live the rest of your life as one of your characters, who would it be?

I have loved almost all of my heroines, but Mari in this book and Melissa in The Man in Black probably feel the most like a person I could be. I have had a few secondary characters that I identified with too, but hey, we all want to be the heroine of our story, don’t we? So I can see myself as Mari, although she is much younger. Melissa, by birth, is almost edging into the “upper crust’ class in her background, but she becomes an ordinary woman living an ordinary life which fulfills her deepest wish. 

 7.  What are your hobbies? Do any of your characters share your hobbies/interests? Do any of your hobbies play a part in your novels?

Oh. I am a super dabbler! I enjoy almost anything creative, so over the years, I have done a lot of sewing, made jewelry, sketching and watercolor painting, photography, and written poetry, to name a few. Although my work with horses--and mules--was hardly a hobby, I have always deeply loved animals, and there are not too many pieces of my fiction that do not feature horses, dogs, or even a whole menagerie. I have always loved the outdoors and hiking, camping, exploring, and such, which find a way into most of my tales. I’ve had characters write poems, be ‘rock hounds,’ be an artist or a crafter, and most women are at least tomboys at heart.

Thank you, Connie, for having me as a guest at "Dishin' It Out!". 

It has been so much fun, and I hope the readers enjoy it too. I hope other readers, like me, are more intrigued by the guy next door or down the street than a Middle Eastern Sheik, a Greek tycoon, or a sexy version of Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos!! If there are, you are who I write for. 

So I hope you will check out the potpourri of fiction by Deirdre O’Dare at Amazon or, preferably, directly at JMS Publications.

 https://www.jms-books.com/deirdre-odare-c-224_244/

 

An avid fan of the sport of Sled Dog Racing, she was also fortunate enough to visit Alaska during the Iditarod.

Thank you for sharing your interesting writing life and leaving us with a poem inspired by lady mushers.

Iditarod

Iditarod: far, distant place.

A dream. A myth. A trail. A race.

Beneath aurora blazing bright,

Through cold and wind and long, dark night.

Cheering crowds at start and end

But in between, rare is the friend

Who braves the wild to aid or say,

They’re with you in spirit along the way.

Out on that trail, just you and your team

The elements battle to chase this dream.

Those dogs on which your life depends,

Now closer and dearer than kin or friends.

Together, such trust and faith you share

For only true teamwork will get you there.

There are no losers; only winners complete.

Your goal you’ve reached and it feels so sweet.

Despite the pain and the tears you spend,

Somehow you hate to see it end.

Iditarod: far, distant place.

A goal, a dream, a test, a race.

© GMW 25 Aug 14

Thank you, everyone, for visiting "Dishin' It Out'" today.

Happy Reading 📕📖📗📚📱

Connie 

XOXO

Friday Featured Author Interview: Spotlight on Eden Monroe By Connie Vines #Cowboy Romance, #BWLPublishing Inc, #Eden Monroe, #Writing, #Rodeo, #Romance

Today's Spotlight Interview is with the author Eden Monroe.

Welcome to Dishin' It Out!  

Connie:  Eden, please tell  us about your upcoming release from BWL Publishing Inc. (Books We Love) 

   

Eden::  Sidelined is a romantic suspense about a champion bull rider, Tate McQuaid, who was forced out of the sport following a spectacular wreck. Tough, sexy, and daring, Tate is a fan favorite. 👢 

 Connie:. What was the inspiration for this story?  

Eden: While traveling around the Mediterranean, I fell in love with the old Venetian harbor of Chania, a city on the north coast of Crete, reputed to be the oldest site of western civilization in Europe. What a setting for fiction! What plots might have unfolded here, given the island's fascinating history? Why not a contemporary one?

Inspired by ubiquitous mythical signage, but especially by Lawrence Durrell's The Alexandria Quartet and John Fowles' The Magus, novels I was reading at the time, I began sketching out believable characters of varying backgrounds, foremost among whom, Steven Spire, a young ex-pat as narrator and central character of artistic temperament in need of purpose. Bar and café conversations led to hints of foreign intrigue. Ancient ruins gave way to Nazi runes. Crooked laneways led to mountain retreats and buried secrets. Hydra-headed truth demanded a place on the table along with the ouzo and artichoke hearts. And love, naturally, raised all expectations with the birth, mirroring Aphrodite's rise from the sea, of Magalee De Bellefeuille.

 Connie: What is your best virtue as an author? 

Eden:  Discipline maybe, paired with a vivid imagination. I love to daydream.

 Connie: What is your most quirky habit?

Eden::   Lately, it's nonstop Gunsmoke, all 20 seasons. Loving the "Matt and Kitty drama."  🐴⭐🤠

Connie: What is your favorite quality in a protagonist? Why?

Eden:  An upfront, ballsy, take charge kind of guy because that's what I would be attracted to.

Connie: What is your favorite quality in an antagonist? Why? 

Eden: I don't place any limits on my antagonists. I let them be as outrageous as they want to be and enjoy the ride.

 Connie: Do you have this novel's favorite paragraph/line of dialogue?

Eden: Yes, this between Tate and his ex-father-in-law, Briden Hatcher:

"And don't you try me," he said, taking a step toward Briden, who stepped back reflexively. "I'm not a scrawny seventeen-year-old anymore, in case you haven't noticed. So I'll get off your precious property, but you keep your nose out of my life, and you so much as point a gun in my direction, you'd better be ready to pull the trigger because if I get past it, you won't be very happy."

Connie: Who would it be if you were forced to live the rest of your life as one of your characters? 

 

Eden: I'd have to say Chloe from Dare to Inherit. She was funny and gutsy and enjoyed being who she was.

Connie: How many books have you written, and which is your favorite?

Eden: Twenty-one (four in line for future publication dates). My favorite is Book Two of the Emerald Valley Ranch series, Storms in the Valley. Still waters run deep, and I loved taking Martin Parker to his absolute limit.

Connie: Is there anything else you'd like to share with our readers? 

Eden: I love everything about storytelling, and the fact that I get to share it with you, my readers, is definitely the icing on the cake. Thank you so much for your support.

 BLURB:

In eight seconds, Tate McQuaid's rodeo career was over. A superstar in one of the most dangerous extreme sports on the planet, his journey back begins after waking up from a coma.

There's a lot to be made right from his reckless lifestyle, both inside and outside of the arena, and that includes reconciling with his ex-wife, Erica, although she's now married to another man and wants nothing more to do with him.

Never afraid of a challenge, he intends to win her back despite the odds stacked against him. But Tate doesn't know any other way than to saddle up and tackle whatever needs tackling, head on, and hope he's still standing when the dust settles.

Current Release:

 Website/social media sites to discover more about Eden Monroe:

https://www.edenmonroeauthor.com/

ebook.com/AuthorEdenMonroe/

Buying points:

https://books2read.com/Sidelined-Monroe

Eden,  thank you for sharing your writing 💻life with us 😀 today.

I can't wait to read your newest release! (I love those rough-and-tumble cowboys).

Happy Reading, and thank you for stopping by!

Connie

XOXO

Friday Featured Author: Reed Stirling, Spotlight Interview By Connie Vines #Spotlight Interview, #Featured Author, BWL Publishing Inc., #Shades of Persephone, #Literary Mystery

Today's Spotlight Interview is with the author Reed Stirling     

Welcome to Dishin' It Out!   

  Connie: Reed please tell  us about your upcoming release from BWL Publishing Inc. (Books We Love) 

   

Reed:  Shades of Persephone is a literary mystery: the fusion of history, philosophy, espionage, and romance, the central mystery being the contemporary identity of mythic Persephone.

 Connie:. What was the inspiration for this story?

Reed: While traveling around the Mediterranean, I fell in love with the old Venetian harbor of Chania, a city on the north coast of Crete, reputed to be the oldest site of western civilization in Europe. What a setting for fiction! What plots might have unfolded here, given the fascinating history of the island! Why not a contemporary one?

Inspired by ubiquitous mythical signage, but especially by Lawrence Durrell’s The Alexandria Quartet and John Fowles’ The Magus, novels I was reading at the time, I began sketching out plausible characters of varying backgrounds, foremost among whom, Steven Spire, a young ex-pat as narrator and central character of artistic temperament in need of purpose. Bar and café conversations led to hints of foreign intrigue. Ancient ruins gave way to Nazi runes. Crooked laneways led to mountain retreats and buried secrets. Hydra-headed truth demanded a place on the table along with the ouzo and artichoke hearts. And love, naturally, raised all expectations with the birth, mirroring Aphrodite’s rise from the sea, of Magalee De Bellefeuille.

 Connie: Why do you write Literary Mysteries? 

Reed: As a student of literature, I am inspired by literary achievements that span the ages, from classical myths and tragedies to the modern novels of Joyce, Woolf, Proust, Durrell, and Banville. I attempt to create well-developed, articulate characters who find themselves involved in mysterious or troubling circumstances in my writing. As for the literary side of the equation and the intricacies of language, authors like the above mentioned I call on as guides. 

 Connie: Do you believe your writing has the power to change people? 

Reed: I believe good fiction should challenge the intellect as it brings aesthetic delight. I make every effort to write literary fiction that entertains while being socially relevant. If my novels present for readers a new way of viewing old truths or effect a change in attitude regarding a controversial issue, I count that as a bonus.

5.  Connie: Do you have a favorite paragraph/line of dialogue in this novel?

Reed: “Drawing lines in the earth with a pen and analyzing the finds with words, I have embarked at Magalee’s insistence upon a species of archaeological delving. Scratching the dusty surface of a scene is one thing; digging in the clay of character is another. Sifted-out shards get scattered all about me, and I wonder what to do with the pieces and the skulls and what to do with the dirt. Motives are maddening, like something rock hard. Connections prove difficult to uncover. All too frequently, the metaphor gets buried in its own inadequacy. Most frustrating of all, the present obscures the past."

Connie: What do you find the most challenging part of writing a mystery novel? 

Reed: Plausibility of plot and the avoidance of obvious red herrings. Consistency is not making the antagonists too villainous nor the protagonist too sympathetic. Most of all, not letting the writing distract from the story.

 Connie: How do you connect your emotions to your story?

Reed: Through the characters. It’s like “role-playing for the soul” in the words of Ricky Gervais. And through the projection of a persona. However, I try to maintain objectivity when it comes to dramatizing beliefs contrary to mine. My protagonists need not always be the only source for understanding what it is to be human. They can remain as mystified as the author by what passes for normal or abnormal behavior depending on what plot and theme determined, the latter often contributing a great deal of emotional charge. 

.

Connie: What is your work schedule like when you are writing?

Reed: I sit down to write every day and try to leave the desk having achieved at least a workable page. Frequently what comes of my effort amounts to no more than a serviceable paragraph, a single sentence, or a metaphor that might work in a context yet to be imagined.

REVIEW:

Shades of Persephone is a literary mystery that will entertain those who delight in exotic settings, foreign intrigue, and the unmasking of mysterious characters. It presents a story of love and sensuality, deception and war, spiritual quest, and creative endeavor. The resolution takes an unanticipated turn but comes as no surprise to the discerning reader. Like Hamlet who must deal with his own character in following the injunctions of his ghostly father, Steven Spire discovers much about the city to which he has returned, but much more about himself and his capacity for love. 

August Release:

 

 BLURB:

Crete in 1980-81, more specifically the old Venetian harbor of Chania, provides the background against which ex-pat Steven Spire labors in pursuit of David Montgomery, his enigmatic and elusive mentor, who stands accused in absentia of treachery and betrayal. The plot has many seams through which characters slide, another of them being the poet Emma Leigh, widow of Montgomery’s imposing Cold War adversary, Heinrich Trüger. In that the setting is Crete, the source of light is manifold, but the significant inspiration for Steven Spire comes from Magalee De Bellefeuille, his vision of Aphrodite, and his muse. “Find Persephone,” she directs him, “and you’ll find David Montgomery.”  Her prompts motivate much of the narrative, including that of the Cretan underground during the Nazi occupation, 1941- 45. 

Where may our readers purchase your novels and locate you via website/social media sites?

https://books2read.com/Shades-of-Persephone

reedstirling@gmail.com

https://bwlpublishing.ca

https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/bookswelove 

https://authorcentral.amazon.comgp/home

Reviews for current releases:

Séjour Saint-Louis

“Stirling does it again, entertaining the reader with a parade of engrossing characters. Through a complexity of allusion, simple truths are revealed. Contemporary, relevant, challenging, Séjour Saint-Louis is fused with ambiguity and subtle humor.”

Lighting The Lamp 

Lighting The Lamp dramatizes the efforts of Terry Burke, a sympathetic, at times caustic, and critical, but ordinary old guy, to come to grips with who he is and what his life has been.

Happy Reading, Everyone!

Connie

XOXO

Spotlight: Paula Martin, Author Interview By Connie Vines #Paula Martin, #Author Interview, #BWLPublishing, #Family Secrets

 I'd like to welcome author, Paula Martin, to "Dishin' It Out today.

Paula, tell us about your current release.

My current release is ‘A Family’s Secrets’, a historical family saga covering a period of about twenty years, and set in the mid-19th century in the port of Liverpool and the Isle of Man.

 

What was the inspiration for this story?

The story was inspired by my great-great-grandparents, John and Elizabeth (Betsy) who were both born and brought up in Liverpool and married in 1844. John became a captain with the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, and they lived on the small island (in the middle of the Irish Sea) for many years.

What would you like to see more/less of in the historical genre?

More about ‘ordinary’ working-class people in the 19th century, who may have struggled to make ends meet but who were not living in abject poverty or at the mercy of some (clichéd) evil landlord or cruel factory owner.

Less about upper-class heiresses and/or titled nobility!

What, in your opinion, makes an excellent historical writer?

Someone who can bring the characters to life as true products of the era in which they live i.e. not ‘modern’ characters deposited into a historical setting.

Also, someone who is prepared to thoroughly research into the period about which they are writing. I have seen a lot of anachronisms in historical novels, including words that wouldn’t have been used at the time e.g. Victorians would not say ‘okay’! Also, I feel there is no excuse for incorrect facts when it is so easy to find information on the internet. One example I have seen was someone in 1840 hearing the chimes of Big Ben – but the clock tower was only completed in 1859!

Do you have a favorite paragraph/line of dialogue in this novel?

It’s difficult to pick out just one, but here’s a short extract which happens after John has rescued Betsy from an assault by a drunk on the street and takes her into his mother’s corner shop:

“After the man closed the shop door, she had her first proper look at him in the flickering light from the wall-mounted oil lamps. Tall and nearer to thirty than twenty, she guessed. He was clean-shaven apart from dark side-whiskers which reached to about an inch below his earlobes, and he wore a navy-blue jacket with two rows of brass buttons and a loosely knotted white cravat. When he removed his woolen peaked cap and dropped it on the counter, his thick, wavy hair fell forward, half covering his broad forehead.

Her stomach performed a weird kind of contraction as she studied his handsome features, and an even weirder jerk when he gave her a reassuring smile.

‘I hope you’re recovering from your fright, Miss—uh?’

‘Roberts. Elizabeth Roberts – but everyone calls me Betsy.’

If you were forced to live the rest of your life as one of your characters, who would it be?

It would have to be Betsy. She has a strength of character that enables her to cope, usually calmly, with all the problems life throws at her and gives her the courage to defy her father in order to follow her heart. Her love for John is steadfast, and she is a caring, loving wife to him throughout the tragedies and difficulties they have to face. The only thing I wouldn’t like about her life is the lack of modern conveniences in her home – not to mention the lack of phones and internet access!

What are your hobbies? Do any of your characters share your hobbies/interests? Do any of your hobbies play a part in your novels?

One of my hobbies is researching my family history, which I’ve been doing for over twenty years, and which provided the basis of ‘A Family’s Secrets’. I knew a little about John from what my great-uncle (John’s grandson) told me many years ago, but found out much more from census and birth, marriage, and death records. Also, during a visit to the Isle of Man, I was able to study the minutes of the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company directors’ meetings, some of which mention John. More recently, I’ve found Isle of Man newspapers online, which contain several articles praising John’s skillful and confident response to whatever mechanical or weather problems he had to contend with, as well as his unfailing courtesy to his passengers.

Perhaps I should also add that, as a high school history teacher for twenty-five years, history is one of my interests! Although ‘A Family’s Secrets’ is my first historical novel, various aspects of history have tended to creep into my contemporary novels too.

What is your work schedule like when you are writing?

I usually write in the evenings. I’ve always been a night owl – and so is my ‘muse’! I find I can edit during the daytime, but the first draft is definitely evening work.

Please tell us more about your novel.

‘A Family’s Secrets’ is my 16th published novel. Most are available on Amazon, including my ‘Mist Na Mara’ series of six contemporary romance/intrigue novels set in Connemara in the west of Ireland.

I’m currently writing the second in the ‘Follow Your Heart’ series, which takes place twenty years after the first book. The main character is Lizzie, who is Betsy and John’s daughter. It is set in the 1870s and features Lizzie’s fight on behalf of people whose homes are threatened with demolition, as well as her dilemma about which of the two men in her life she can trust.

Book Blurb 

Seamstress Betsy Roberts falls in love with Liverpool mariner John Hughes but is shocked to discover that her father’s contempt for sailors stems from a long-hidden event for which he holds John’s uncle responsible. When he insists on her marriage to a childhood friend, does he simply want her to stop her from marrying John, or is he hiding another secret? And if Betsy defies him, how will the past affect her and John in the future? Can their love survive despite the secrets and tragedies which threaten to tear them apart?

Please share links for your website/buy links, etc.  👀 

Amazon author page: author.to/PaulaMartin

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paulamartinromances

Paula, thank you for visiting "Dish'n It Out !

Connie

XOXO