Elisabeth Barrett – Character Interview and Giveaway

Interview with Lexie Meyers and Sebastian Grayson, Main Characters of DEEP AUTUMN HEAT

 

Elisabeth: I’d like to thank Romance Readers @ Heart for hosting me today and for giving me the chance to talk about my debut novel, DEEP AUTUMN HEAT. It’s a contemporary, small-town romance set on Cape Cod, Massachusetts featuring two stubborn chefs who butt heads, both in the kitchen and out , before falling madly, deeply in love. Instead of blathering on, I’ve invited both Sebastian Grayson and Lexie Meyers, the two main characters of the novel, to speak. Lexie has informed me that she will ask Seb about his decision to challenge her to a televised cook-off. Take it away, Lexie!

Lexie: Thanks, Elisabeth. I’ll try to keep him in line. Chef Grayson, thank you so much for joining me today.

Seb: <Settles into the chair opposite Lexie with a wide grin> My pleasure.

Lexie: Don’t you even start that.

Seb: <Looks innocent> Start what?

Lexie: You know what. You’re going to answer my questions, please, and no funny business.

Seb: <Suppresses a smile> Sure.  

Lexie: Ahem. Just so it’s clear for those who haven’t yet read the book, there’s one very heated scene in my restaurant where you end up challenging me to a cooking throwdown.

Seb: <Looks pleased> You thought that scene was heated?

Lexie: <Mutters> Everything with you is heated. <Clears throat> But let’s get back to the interview. You challenged me. Why?

Seb: Because you intrigued me. And I couldn’t think of a better way to get close to you.

Lexie: It was a good way in—I love food.

Seb: As do I. And because of that, I knew you wouldn’t be able to resist matching your strength in the kitchen against mine.

Lexie: But you’re a world-famous chef while I run a small no-name restaurant.  Did you think I’d be able to keep up with you?

Seb: I’d eaten your coconut cake. It was sublime. And after that, I didn’t just think you could keep up with me—I knew you could. In fact, I underestimated your thirst for competition.

Lexie: <Smiles> Mmm, I did end up turning the tables on you, didn’t I?

Seb: Choosing the dish and one of the judges was genius.

Lexie: And under pressure, no less.

Seb: <Leans forward> Pressure? What pressure?

Lexie: You’re joking, right? There was tons of pressure.

Seb: I’m not sure what you’re getting at. Why don’t you explain what you mean?

Lexie: <Gestures at Seb> Just look at yourself. You’re huge, you’re hot, and you’re wearing a black leather motorcycle jacket, for God’s sake. I think you were wearing the exact same outfit when you came waltzing into my dining room that day. You called me out in front of the whole town and pretty much demanded that I accept the challenge.

Seb: It wasn’t about the food, was it? I knew that’s why you really accepted the chance to compete. <Gestures toward his chest> Because you wanted this. Wanted me.

Lexie: It was about the food.

Seb: No. It wasn’t.

[Silence]

Lexie: <Lips curve up> You got me.

Seb: <Sounds hoarse> Interview over.

Elisabeth: Ahem. So there you have it folks. Sebastian Grayson and Lexie Meyers, main characters of DEEP AUTUMN HEAT, available on July 9 from your favorite e-book retailer. Look for them…

[Seb and Lexie are now kissing passionately.]

Elisabeth: Um, guys? I’m still here.

Seb: <Mutters> We hadn’t noticed.

Elisabeth: Serves me right for thinking this could work. I’d, um, better leave. <Edges towards door> You can read more about the book and about me below.

 

About Deep Autumn Heat:

In this sexy new Star Harbor romance series, featuring the too-tempting Grayson brothers, a celebrity chef turns up the heat for a local café owner—and things start to sizzle.

Lexie Meyers decides there’s nothing sweeter than watching Sebastian Grayson’s perfect, wicked mouth devour her coconut cake. He’s hot, he’s hungry, and he’s sizing her up like she’s the best thing on the menu. But she’s been burned in the past and flings just aren’t her thing. Too bad Sebastian can’t resist a challenge.

Worldly, famous, and notorious with the ladies, Seb had planned a weekend of fishing and relaxation with his brothers. Until Lexie, with her kissable lips and frosty “get lost” attitude, makes him want to forget his culinary empire and create some magic with her. After he fires up his charm—including challenging her to a televised cook-off to break through her resistance—it’s now hotter in the bedroom than it is in the kitchen and Lexie isn’t sure whether she’s lost her mind . . . or just her heart.

Pre-order Deep Autumn Heat: Kindle | Nook | ITunes | Other Formats

 

About Elisabeth:

Raised in a sleepy little Connecticut town, Elisabeth draws on her upbringing to write small-town romances. Her summers spent living and working on Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard were the inspiration for the Star Harbor series, which kicks off with Deep Autumn Heat (coming July 2012) and continues with Blaze of Winter (coming September 2012). Currently, Elisabeth lives in Northern California with her husband and three children. Find her online: Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

How about a Giveaway?

One commenter on my blog will be randomly selected to win a NetGalley preview of Deep Autumn Heat. Contest ends July 8th at midnight (EDT).You’ll need a NetGalley account, and to answer the question below:

Tell me about a time when you’ve been presented with a challenge. Did you overcome it? How?

Read Full Post »

DFRAT – Veronica Scott Guest Blog and Giveaway

Drawn to his abandoned temple on the banks of the Nile by an enchanting song, Sobek the Crocodile god is even more captivated by the sight of the singer herself. Appearing to her as a man, he learns she is Merys, a descendant of his last priestess. Though filled with lust, Sobek believes Merys deserves to be more than just his mistress. But the rules that govern the Egyptian pantheon forbid anything beyond a physical joining of a Great One and a human.

Merys is attracted to the handsome stranger, who arouses passions in her that no man ever has. But with no dowry and no hope of ever leaving her village, she dares not dream of the future—or love.

Sobek takes every opportunity to visit Merys, taxing his resolve to leave her pure. And when he saves her life, their mutual desire must be sated. But can a love between a human and an immortal survive the ultimate test of the gods?

 

~~~*~~~*~~~

In 2012 I’ve had the excitement of having two books e published – PRIESTESS OF THE NILE, my debut novella, from Carina Press in January, and WRECK OF THE NEBULA DREAM, self published by me, in late March.

 

I thought I’d contrast the two experiences a bit for this post. First of all, the entire Carina Press experience was wonderful. They guided me through edits, line edits, developing concepts for the cover,  which they then worked with the amazing Frauke of Croco Designs to make a breathtakingly beautiful reality, did all the behind the scenes work of getting the manuscript coded for the various avenues of e publishing, did promo and generally provided tons of help and encouragement. The Carina team made sure PRIESTESS was a quality product in all respects the moment it became available to buy. Well, of course the quality of the story itself was on MY head LOL!

 

Being a Carina author also brought other, intangible but important benefits, I found, such as becoming an immediate member of a diverse, very warm and welcoming group of authors who are now my friends. I learned SO much from them.

 

Given all that, why on earth would I self publish a book, you ask? Well, WRECK OF THE NEBULA DREAM was a science fiction adventure with romantic elements I’d written before Carina bought PRIESTESS. I was so busy working on getting PRIESTESS ready for publication, I overlooked the fact that the 100^th anniversary of the Titanic’s sinking was in April of this year. In January I suddenly awoke to the fact that since WRECK was loosely based on the events of Titanic, I was running out of time to get it out there.  Wonderful as Carina is, I hadn’t even subbed WRECK to them as yet (or anyone), and even the e publishing process takes time – I’d miss the mid April Titanic tie-in.

 

Ulp!  Since I believed strongly in my book, it was time to learn the self publishing ropes on the fast track! There was no team, only me, except I did work with a freelance editor because editing is one place you can’t “do it yourself”.  I also took the recommendation of a good friend and contracted with the immensely talented Fiona Jayde to create the exciting cover for WRECK. My life was a mad scramble and craziness, getting the edits done AND worrying about all the behind the scenes stuff involved with getting a book e published, plus promo. Oh and I have a fulltime day job and a two hour commute, did I mention that?

 

I hired someone to do the coding and that was stressful – I really worried about format errors, missing text or punctuation gone bad until I’d sold a few copies. (Apparently there are still some backward quotation marks – sorry!) It was also more of a challenge to arrange promo. PRIESTESS became an audio book with no effort on my part. I’m still trying to arrange on my own for WRECK to become one.

 

I can only speak to my own experiences and I’m still building my backlist so I’m sure other authors would have different perspectives. There were positives to being published by Carina and also to doing the publishing myself. I learned a lot with each book.  As an independent author, I also made many good friends and discovered terrific support networks. I very much appreciate the way the world of digital publishing allows someone like myself to break through and get my work out there, especially since I started with a novella. I pretty much only read books on the kindle myself anymore and although it would be exciting to see my books in bookstores, I’m very pleased with the universe of opportunity in e publishing.

 

I will say though, the day my trade paperback copy of WRECK OF THE NEBULA DREAM arrived from Amazon and I actually held my book in my hands was a thrill like no other.  But the day Angela James called me to say Carina was interested in acquiring PRIESTESS OF THE NILE – my first EVER work to be published, my lifelong dream! –  that was right up there with the birth of my children. Thank you Carina!

 

~~~*~~~*~~~

For a chance to win Priestess of the Nile or Wreck of the Nebula Dream, just leave a comment below. Two winners will be drawn on July 1st. To find out more about both books (including excerpts!) click here.

Read Full Post »