Author Interviews
Guest Blog — Elodie Parkes – “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.”
Guest Post — Author Mandy Trouten, “Maybe Today”
Guest blog — Author Mandy Trouten. I am a full-time anti-abuse advocate. It’s my life. In my “free time”, I like to read, write, network, play computer games and watch TV. I love music. I play it most of the time, usually country. I didn’t always want to be a writer. I grew up dreaming of being an architect. I enjoy writing, editing (the first time around) and marketing. My favorite part these days is writing. My least favorite, I would guess, would be the marketing now, if only because it’s such a tough crowd.
I like getting published. I write everywhere these days. Maybe Today was written on my pc, a pc at the library, in a 3-ring notebook, on receipt paper at work and in the notes section of my cellphone. Sometimes, I do need help getting in the mood to write. Usually, the right music will do it, depending on what scene I’m writing, thought I’ll use just about anything for inspiration.
Maybe Today is a novel about a Christian teen who moves to a new school district and immediately begins to experience peer sexual abuse. She reports it over and over again, but it just continues as the adults in her life pretend not to see/hear anything. The story itself begins two years later, shortly before her decision to start taking things into her own hands. In doing this, Lauren has to decide how to make the abuse stop without doing anything illegal in the process and without losing track of who she wants to be. It seems like an impossible choice, but she knows there has to be a way.
My decision to take this direction for a story plot is because I took what happened to me, I wished had happened and what I was afraid would happen. Then, I factored in some of what happened in a couple lawsuits I researched in college. The rest was just a matter of what I wanted to happen in the book.
Readers can find Author Mandy Trouten at:
www.facebook.com/mandytrouten.com
Guest Post Patti Roberts — Author of “The Paradox” Series
Our guest today is the most awesome author Patti Roberts! Following is an interview we held.
She highlights parts of her life as well as gives us an insight to her latest book.
Guest Post — Patti Roberts. I didn’t always want to be a writer. No, not at all. I fell into after a crappy breakup. I wanted to do something that allowed me to use all my pent up emotion. Hence the reason why Paradox – The Angels Are here is a tad EMO.
My favorite part about writing is getting lost in the story — it is great! Grammar and punctuation… least favorite part. My favorite part about getting published is that I’m a self published indie author. The best feeling is one of that achievements you feel after months and months …. And months of writing.
I don’t really have a writing routine. I have a writing nook in my bedroom. Notes and loud music (Headphones) can get me in the mood to write.
What song or book or movie best fits your life? And Why? Well I’m not sure of any book that best fits my life persay, other than the ones I’m writing. The books and the characters most certainly rule my world. Currently I’m listening to Battle Scars by Guy Sebastian.
If you could have only one book for the rest of your life, what would it be and why? I could never choose – there are too many great books out there – and so many yet to read.
If you were a cartoon character who would you be and why? A princess with super powers!
If you had to live without your car or your computer, which would you choose? Hands down – I would keep the computer!
If you had to live without your cell phone or books, which would you choose? I could live without the phone.
What’s your favorite thing to do to relax? Watch a great movie or read a book – and eat chocolate!
If you had to be one of your characters, which would you be and why? Holly or Estella from books 2 and 3 in the Paradox Series. They are kick arse!
Your books have a wide range of genres, do they have any common themes? Myth/death/love
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Blurb for the Paradox series:
Two Worlds. One Ancient… still reeling from the ravages of a War. A World where powerful Beings from Ancient Civilizations rule. A Realm Where Gods, Angels, Myths and Magic still exists.
Long ago, in an almost forgotten Realm, a race of fallen Angles, the Grigori, clash with a ruling house of Angels, the Bulguardi. Their battle changed events in the Ancient World and the New World forever.
A Realm where a year can last centuries and an Ancient magical people still rule, even the immortals face danger.
Rising up from their imprisonment in the underground, evil has returned and the Grigori are on a destructive path of revenge. When their preferred food source becomes scarce, Earth, a world teaming with humans, becomes their target.
Trapped in the middle between the old world and the new is Grace, a little girl cursed with horrific visions from a past she does not understand.
Over the centuries, from the time before time, the Grigori were called many things. In Greece, they called them, Vrykolakas. In Romania, Strigoi. In earlier times, there were others. Other blood-sucking demons, that preyed on the innocent. In ancient Babylonia, it was Lilitu and her sistren, who instilled fear among the Babylonians. In the new world, they would go by another name. Vampire.
A world that defies logic and reason. A world that may very well be true: The Paradox Series By Patti Roberts.
Book 3 in the Paradox Series – Bound By Blood is due for release 28th October 2012.
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Patti Roberts can be reached at these fine places:
The Paradox Series Book Trailer
Twitter
Goodreads
Facebook
Blog
ebook from Smashwords – all eReader formats all countries.
US – ebook from Amazon
UK – ebook from Amazon
Nook – Barnes & Noble
Paperback – Createspace
