Elodie Parkes -- Author of "The Horoscope Writer"
Hey Y’all! We have an awesome author for y’all to meet: Elodie Parkes. I’m not going to set her up too much — let’s dig right in!
A Little Background Information: Author Elodie Parkes lives in Canterbury, United Kingdom. It’s famous for the Cathedral, Chaucer, and there is a UNESCO world heritage site, which includes the ancient ruins of St Augustine’s Abbey and St Martin’s Church. There is also a ruined castle. It’s a pretty place too and the coast nearby is great.
Works in an antiques shop and writes. Has two dogs that keep her fit with their need for walks. Writes romance, contemporary and erotic with a twist of mystery now and then. Likes to make the story unusual in some way, by a quirk in the tale.
I asked a few background questions, just for fun, so my readers could learn a little bit about Elodie. Here’s a bit of information:
If you could have only one book for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?
Ye gods, what a question. What about the complete works of Charles Dickens available on kindle. He captured so much of life and undercurrents of life.
If you were a cartoon character who would you be and why?
I really don’t know any cartoon characters seriously. Can I pick a game character, Lara Croft. She’s ultra cool.
If you had to live without your car or your computer, which would you choose?
I’d shoot myself. Okay car, life cnnot be lived without my computer.
If you had to live without your cell phone or books, which would you choose?
Easier question, cell phone!
How did you choose your characters names and location for your story?
I used the place I saw the signs as a location. The character names just came to me.
Do you have a favorite scene? Why?
The beginning is a favorite. I really like some of the love scenes too.
What’s your favorite thing to do to relax?
Watch movies since I’m single if I wasn’t it might be a different answer. (smiles)
If you had to be one of your characters, which would you be and why?
Right now I’d be Cassie from ‘The Horoscope Writer’ if I was goin to be female, because Dominic loves her and she’s an artist. She also rides a Goldwing and has a truck. Mmmm.
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Author Elodie Parkes never consciously thought about being a writer. ”I just knew I had things to write and have always written things, even if it has just been left on my computer for years”. Her stories are real to her, forming in her head and stay with her until the book is finished. She loves the characters as if they are real.
The hardest part, she finds, is the marketing and getting the book noticed. Author Elodie Parkes finds that she can write anytime. She “runs at the laptop and writes”.
According to Author Elodie Parkes, “My latest release ‘The Horoscope Writer’ was inspired by signs along a country road when I was out driving one day in another county. The main characters just started to flow into my head and by the time I had driven home, which was a three hour journey through the countryside, I had the book and characters completely ready. Dominic Reed the horoscope writer is desperate for love. He doesn’t know he has never had the kind of love he suddenly finds with Cassie the female lead character. It ignites a sexual passion in him he didn’t know he could feel. My books do contain graphic sex in the love scenes but they are love scenes, romantic and the characters are driven by love.”
Author Elodie Parkes tells me, “‘The Horoscope Writer’ is about a man, Dominic, who is a writer and has lots of different writing jobs for magazines amongst which is that of horoscope writing. He is a lonely soul, living in the country on a funny country lane where a few artisan’s workshops are. Fortunately he has a friend there too, Jeremy, who has a workshop, design studio there on the lane.
Dominic is lonely. His last relationship broke up a couple of years prior to the opening of the story and he really wants love. There is a workshop to let on the lane and Cassie comes along to rent it. Dominic is instantly attracted to her when he sees her in Jeremy’s office and she finds Dominic irresistible.
There is a mild paranormal streak running through what is an erotic romance because Dominic has been influenced by his great uncle who was also a horoscope writer. This is a love story, erotic and enticing.
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EXCERPT
He quickly returned to Cassie and smiled at her.
“Do you like to be called Cassandra or Cassie?” he asked her, and his lovely eyes had Cassie staring at him almost unable to speak. She truly had not seen a man quite as attractive as Dominic in a long time, not in real life, not in the flesh. His looks belonged in the pages of movie magazines or on romance novel covers.
Why was he single she asked herself?
She finally answered him when she saw that he was waiting patiently for her.
“I don’t mind either. If you want to call me Cassie you can”.
Dominic smiled again; he was thinking ‘I’d like to call you darling as I kiss you all over’.
He said, “Okay I’ll call you Cassie for the time being”.
Cassie wondered what that meant but decided against asking. Dominic was pouring coffee and offered her milk and sugar. Cassie took her coffee black and Dominic saluted her for it. “I can’t take it black I have to dilute it with milk”, he told her.
They were standing quite close to each other as he handed her the cup and Dominic took the opportunity to gaze into her eyes. Cassie was immediately intimidated and he felt it.
“Cassie you have beautiful eyes, such an unusual color”, Dominic said, and then quickly followed with, “I hope you don’t mind me saying so?”
Cassie saw the sincerity in his expression and responded.
“No it’s nice”, she said softly.
Dominic’s gaze softened as he looked at her. He wanted to trace his finger down her cheek and over her bottom lip. He wanted to hold her face in his hands and lick her lips until she opened them to his tongue. His eyes darkened at Cassie and she could feel the air of desire that Dominic exuded. She didn’t move back from him, but she drank some coffee, and the mug seemed to shield her from him.
Dominic really wanted her. He had not felt desire like this in a long time, and then he realized he had never felt desire like this. Not even for Jenny. He registered surprise in his eyes when that thought came to mind and Cassie saw it.
She had no idea what to say next and so she simply stood there, and sipped at her coffee.
Dominic drank some of his coffee and then tried to talk about ordinary things to Cassie.
“What will you be doing in the workshop or studio as Jeremy calls it?”
Cassie felt on familiar ground and answered happily. “Pottery, ceramics, sculpture and stuff. I’m an artist; well I like to think so”.
Dominic moved very slightly closer to her and then leaned over a little to put his cup on the table. As he stood up it brought their faces close together.
Cassie at first froze. She was caught in the delicious gaze of Dominic’s sexy blue eyes, and he was wondering how he could possibly kiss her without scaring her, when Cassie astounding herself, moved to him closing her eyes and offering her mouth to be kissed.
Dominic held her head gently and kissed her slowly. He made the kiss last as long as he could. It was hard to stop kissing her because she moved towards his lips wanting more when he did ease back. Dominic was enchanted.
From The Horoscope Writer
Copyright Elodie Parkes 2012
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Readers, y’all can get in touch with Author Elodie Parkes at these fine establishments:
http://www.facebook.com/ElodieParkes
https://twitter.com/ElodieParkes
http://elodieparkes.blogspot.co.uk
https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/114681167004175190514/114681167004175190514/posts
http://www.manicreaders.com/ElodieParkes/
http://www.theromancereviews.com/EllieP
http://www.kindlegraph.com/authors/ElodieParkes
A parting note from Author Elodie Parkes ~ “Thank you to the readers, I hope that you enjoy my books. They are from my heart and so you will have a little part of my soul there in the book you read.”
