Introduction
I’m so excited to be here with you, Jo-Ann. I’ve enjoyed your blog posts for over a year now. Watching your progress toward publication is exciting. Okay, you asked two questions. You’re taking a huge chance to leave them so open ended. You know I can be a bit long-winded. LOL Four lines so far, and I’m just saying hello.
Let me take a crack at the first one, “Tell the readers something about me.”
I’m a retired elementary school principal, a former school board member and threatre arts teacher. Each of those lives could fill a book. Let’s just say I’ve worn many hats, and those lead me to believe I know quite a bit about a fair amount of stuff. LOL Not necessarily true, but experience does teach. Can you say opinionated?
I write romantic suspense where experience is required. I only like to read that wonderful combination of a romance with the suspense elements. Just suspense doesn’t quite get it for me, and I find romance with no suspense a bit tepid. Before I wrote, I branched out a bit more, but now reading time is limited, so I pretty much just read what I enjoy. Like so much in writing, this is just my subjective opinion:) It goes without saying, but I’ll say it for clarity, I must have a HEA. No happily ever after, I’m not going to read it. There’s enough bad stuff in the world.
My heroes and heroines, who so far range in age from 40-55, struggle with life and loss and are generally surprised to discover second chances at love. Besides the second chances themes, you’ll also find truth, justice, sacrifice, and family play a big part in my stories.
I live in Texas with my incredibly supportive lawyer husband. We raised two daughters who’ve presented us with great sons-in-law and three delightful grandchildren. Since retiring, I’ve been at the beck and call of two dogs, who run the home. (Those of you who follow my blog will be aware we lost both of these precious pooches in July within two weeks of each other. I can’t bear to take them off the official bio yet. They supported me through the writing of six books!)
Currently the heat of Texas is baking me into a grease puddle. I’m keeping my sanity by looking at pictures of Maine. A New England state I’d like to adopt and move to. My problem is the immediate family insists on staying in Texas. I make do with at least one trip there a year. It’s just not enough. Poor Me! LOL
I’m about to begin my seventh book. The fifth one went off Tuesday with fingers crossed hoping my publisher will want to publish it. No guarantees there. Sixth book is going through edits and rewrites. I can juggle two books at the same time, but working on three (Some people tell you to work on three at once: planning one, writing one, and editing one) makes me a nut case. LOL I can hear a few people asking, “How can you tell?” Now be nice.
Question 2 is “What would I do if I were Queen of the World?”
My stars and garters! This one is a challenge. Not because I don’t know (Remember I said above how all the experience has made me believe I know a lot.), but because how do I choose? What couple of things would make the most impact? World Peace? Cure Cancer? As queen of the world, I’d certainly do both of those. So Snap! It’s done.
I write about families, because I believe they are so important. In one of the schools where I was principal, every morning everyone in the building stopped and said a pledge. I truly do believe if everyone repeated this every day and acted by this pledge, the whole world would be a better place.
At RALC, we will remember that:
I am respectful;
I am responsible;
I am safe;
I am prepared;
And I do my best work, because we are here to learn.
Think about what a difference this would make to our world. Parents would model this for their kids, and we’d have no child abuse. We’d have kids coming to school ready to learn. Kids, who learn, grow up to get jobs and be responsible citizens. Bullying and spousal abuse would cease. No more of the unspeakable cruelty we see to animals.
Would we agree with each other about everything? No. I don’t even want that. I mean then we’d all read the same kind of book! That wouldn’t be good. LOL But seriously, we’d disagree respectfully without all the ugly name calling that commonly passes for thinking.
Maybe I’m being a bit Pollyannaish, but hey, if I get to be queen of the world, then that’s my choice!
What’s your favorite vacation spot? When I’m searching the web, I look for water views, balcony/porch, and wifi. Are there certain things you require for it to be vacation?
Hope you enjoy this Excerpt from VERMONT ESCAPE, which released July 19th by MuseItUp Publishing available in whichever format you choose (25% off during August!), MIU , Amazon, and B & N . I’m still pinching myself that this is real!
Excerpt from Vermont Escape
Jill Barlow reached for her make-up kit and brushed against the one thing she’d been doing her damnedest to avoid. Her heart rate tripped into overtime.
The package she received days after her dad was murdered. One month ago, but she couldn’t face opening a reminder of the nightmare.
Pictures of her vigorous father mixed with recent images of his closed casket. Nausea hit. Again. Damn. Why would someone blow off her father’s head? She didn’t stay to find out. She ran.
She’d pushed herself on a four-day trip from Texas to Vermont. Emotionally and physically exhausted, all she wanted to do was unpack her pajamas and climb into bed. Habit required she clean and moisturize her face. Habit provided comfort when life was chaotic. Habit could get her through the worst. Or not.
In the Woodstock Inn suite, her hand trembled when she removed the package and dropped it onto the bed where it lay on the white coverlet like a scorpion.
Hands propped on her knees, she leaned over, drew in needed oxygen. A minute passed, and then she straightened.
“Okay, open this. Every time you’ve come across the thing, you implode, morphing into a quivering mass of mush.”
Blurb:
Two years after the murder of her husband, someone guns down Jill Barlow’s father, a Texas State Representative. The authorities suspect a connection between the murders, but can’t find proof. Jill longs for the peace she found when she visited Vermont after her husband’s death. With the perpetrators still at large, she flees to the small town of Woodstock.
The gambling syndicate, believing she has damning evidence against them, pursues her, shattering her dreams of peace. In an effort to protect her grown children, she doesn’t tell them violence continues to stalk the family.
Despite having lost so much already, with the lives of her family and friends at stake, will Jill be required to make more sacrifices, even the hope of a second chance at love?
This is a very nice, interesting review and excerpt. Thanks for sharing it with us. The book sounds fascinating.
Hey, Deanie. Thanks for your kind words. I hope if you read the book, you enjoy it. Appreciate you stopping and commenting.
Marsha, Queen of the world. Huh. You’d make a good one. Why because you’re a glass half full kind of person. Positive and upbeat, which makes you a nice person. We have so few of them!
I have your book on my NOOK and loved every word. Can’t wait for the next one.
Hey, Jerrie, what a nice thing to say! But wait! You’re always telling me not to spread the rumor about you being nice, but you really are! LOL So glad you liked the book in its final metamorphosis, Jerrie. You saw it go through some growing pains. Thanks for stopping and commenting.
Marsha
I’m just starting your book and really enjoying it. I can’t wait to see what happens to the heroine. Thanks so much for talking about your book today.
Best
Jo-Ann
Hey, Jo-Ann. Excited to be here and please you’re reading VE. Hope you enjoy it.
Loving it…
I love the Queen of the World question.. I can imagine some of the replies you get to that one! How wonderful it would be if we could snap our fingers and it all be true:) Marsha, it sounds like you are staying busy cranking out those books! Great luck on book sales.
Hey, Jackie. Boy do I agree with the “snap your fingers” thing. I have a ton of things I’d change. Just got started in the blog. LOL
Busy yes. Once you become a pubbed author, life takes on a certain hectedness, it didn’t possess before. Dates, times, places are not entirely under your control anymore. But lest you get the wrong idea, I’m thrilled with the change. LOL Appreciate you taking time to stop and comment.
I really like your school pledge. Wonderful idea. If only more would take it up.
Don’t get too frazzled with all the promo stuff. Your book will be around for a long time.
Goodnluck.
So glad you like the pledge, Kate. A number of schools in the country use something like this. I also used it at another school where I was principal. Always gave you a good starting place for talking with kids who’d made poor decisions.
Appreciate the good wishes. Thanks for stopping, Kate.
Loved the interview Marsha!
Diane Kratz (via Jo-Ann because of tech difficulties on the blog)
Thanks for stopping, Diane. Don’t know why the gremlins have to get their kicks with our blogs, but occasionally they do.
Thanks, Diane.
Marsha (via Jo-Ann)
🙂
So happy to see writers so much younger than me emerging.You gals are the future! Jane
Hey, Jane. LOL Not sure “much” younger is appropriate. Well maybe Jo-Ann is. The reality is that you are the inspiration, Jane! Thanks so much for stopping by. Appreciate the support.
Jane
Yes, thank you visiting my humble on-line home. I am honored. Young? Definitely at heart, and I think that’s all that matters.
Best Wishes
Jo-Ann
Every time I hear you speak or write of Maine, I long, Long, long to go there. Beautiful pups. I’m sorry they aren’t with you anymore. Knowing you I feel certain no dogs were better loved.
Regina, how nice of you to stop by. That’s exactly how I feel, Regina. In fact as I scrolled through this post to get to this spot, the Bar Harbor picture just called to me. I”m planning on doing several posts on my blog about the various places we’ve stayed there. And I think I’m going to be able to set my 7th book there. So excited about that possibility! Hope you get to visit Maine someday. There must be ugly parts of the state, but so far I haven’t found any. 🙂
Thanks for your understanding about the pups, Regina. I so understand why when someone loses a spouse they want so badly to move out of their home where every little thing speaks of their lost loved one.
Appreciate your support so much, Regina.
Hi! I got your book blogs message so I thought I’d stop by and give you a follow! If you are interested, I post book reviews, cover reveals and any other bookish topics that are on my mind at Lost in a Book Nook. I would love it if you followed me back 🙂
-Nichole
Hey, Nichole. Appreciate you checking Jo-Ann’s blog out while I’m visiting. Love the title of your–I guess its a blog–Lost in a Book Nook. I’m curious where you heard of us.
Interesting questions and wonderful answers!
My goodness, Mary, nice of you to stop in. Jo-Ann has a wonderful blog. Always interesting topics. I’m thrilled I could be here and that so many lovely people have dropped by.