Meet Christy Gissendaner/Robin Danner!

Hello everyone!

Today I have the pleasure of welcoming another one of my wonderful Liquid Silver Books fellow authors!  Christy Gissendaner, who sometimes writes as Robin Danner, is taking the stage to tell us a little bit about herself and her new ventures.  I interviewed her and learned a lot of interesting details....Christian Grey, anyone?? 

Please welcome Christy!

1) Welcome Christy/Robin!  Tell me, did you always want to be an author?  If not, what else would you have done?

I’ve always loved to write and I would enter essay contests and such when I was younger, but what I really wanted to be was a doctor. I even had the intention of writing for medical journals. I earned a biology degree, but when I completed my undergraduate work I got burned out. I actually wrote my first novel during my senior year of college, but it was several years until I submitted it for publication. Writing was just something I did for fun. I never thought I would actually publish the romance novels I wrote for my own enjoyment. I would love to be successful enough to do it full-time one day though!

2) What is the strangest job you ever had and why?

Hmmm…I really haven’t had a “strange” job. I guess you could say I was asked to do strange things during my brief stint as a patient care technician at a hospital. There’s no sense of privacy when you’re helping bedridden patients, that’s for sure!

3) What is your favourite book of all time and why?

Oh, wow. You probably wouldn’t expect it, but it’s The Talisman by Stephen King and Peter Straub. I read it when I was a young teenager and it’s stuck with me for years. It’s so NOT the type of novel I write, but the imagery just captured me. Plus it was the first of Stephen King’s works that I’d read that didn’t scare me to death!

4) I did not expect that, Christy!  Stephen King and Peter Straub, huh?  Well, now onto your tastes in other men....Describe your ideal hero (details please! *wink wink*)

Well let’s see…his name is William. Ha, just kidding! No matter how good my intentions are, I just can’t help but be attracted to dark haired men. The eye color may be variable, but for me personally it’s green. Of course everyone enjoys a nice, tall, athletic, personable hero which I’m all for. But one thing you will catch me mentioning is that my hero is left-handed. I’m left-handed myself, so I love to throw that in there sometimes.

5) If you could share a romantic evening with any character from romance literature (any genre), who would it be and what would you do to him (ahem! With him)?

Oh, this is soooo easy! I’m currently reading the Fifty Shades of Grey series, so it would totally be Christian Grey. And although I’m sure the…ahem…romantic interlude would be interesting, I would love to shake the guy and be like, “Come on, dude! Get over it already. Just because you’re abused doesn’t make you a bad guy.” I know that probably sounds mean, but I’m not a fan of the self-loathing. He did nothing wrong, so I don’t understand why he thinks he is unloveable.

6) What comes first for you: plot or character?

Neither actually! It’s usually the title. But most of the time, I just sit at my computer and start typing. I’m not a plotter at all. I let the story take me where it wants to. I come up with the characters and the plot as I go along.

7) Who is, hands down, the sexiest male actor of all time?

Jonathan Rhys Meyers…I love him! He doesn’t look like my usual type, but there is just such an aura about him. He is beyond sexy. Now if you want to know who my weirdest sexy guy is, it’s John Malkovich. I saw him in The Glass Menagerie and just thought he was so attractive. While my friends mooned over Nic Cage in Con Air, I was like, “Ooh, look! John Malkovich!” I’m weird. I know. ; )

8) I choose to overlook your predilection for Mr. Malkovich!  How about describing your writing style for us, please.

I guess I’m drawing a blank here. I’m not really sure. I do love to inject humor into almost all of my works, so I try to write the way I “talk”. So you may see phrases instead of complete sentences at times. Probably drives my editors boinkers!

9) Who is your favourite author and why?

Julia Quinn. I’ve been hooked on her since the first book in the Bridgerton series. Her sense of humor is similar to mine, so I love that aspect. Plus she doesn’t bog down her readers with information overload. Sometimes with historicals, I find myself skimming through all the details of this or that and I end up skipping through most of the book. I don’t have to do that with Julia. One of my sons is actually named Quinn, I enjoy her books that much!

10) What is on the horizon for you? Any interesting news or books we should know about?

At the moment, as Christy, I have submitted two new contemporaries. One is romantic comedy (which will be a re-release) and the other contemporary is slightly paranormal. As Robin, I’ve just completed book 1 of a historical series and just started writing book 2. I’ll be submitting book 1 very soon, so keep an eye out. Hopefully I will have good news soon!

In the mean time, you can find Christy and Robin's books at www.liquidsilverbooks.com
Overnight Sensation can be found at http://www.liquidsilverbooks.com/books/overnightsensation.htm
Damien can be found at
http://www.liquidsilverbooks.com/books/damien.htm

We hope you'll have lots of good news soon, too!  Good luck with the books, Christy, and thanks for being here with us!

Forging Female Characters with Chris Almeida and Cecilia Aubrey!

Hi all!
It's a real pleasure for me to welcome Chris Almeida and Cecilia Aubrey today! They have a couple of amazing books out now that have been getting some stellar reviews.  They are here to talk about developing female characters and I can't wait to see what they have to say! Take it away, Chris and Cecilia!

Forging Female Characters

When Cecilia and I sit down to plot, develop characters, develop plot and GMCs, our focus is not only on the story but on creating strong, well rounded characters that readers can relate to and also put themselves in their shoes.

With that in mind, we have almost subconsciously created female characters who reflect the women of today. They are not meak, they are not weak. They are strong, opinionated women who can hold their come hell or high water..

I believe that comes from having strong women who have been crucial and models in our upbringing. Both our mothers had to raise children on their own—my mother, a Brazilian, became a widow at 35 and Cecilia’s father was in the Air Force which left her mom, a Spaniard, on her own to raise three children during his tours of Vietnam and service abroad.. They both have strong sense of ethics, honesty, and determination. They both gave us the love and attention we needed through our lives and forged who we are today.

They both went through rough patches and they overcame them through sheer strength of character and will power. They were our role models for life and are reflected in our female characters. Like all of us, they are fallible. They make mistakes. But they also know when to make the right decisions and when to fight for what they want.

We write women who, although roughed up by life one way or another, they find the courage to move on with their lives, to make changes that set them on the right path. Our message to our readers is simple, they are in control of their lives even when they think they aren’t.

We hope that readers will take the same lesson from Cassandra, Jessica, and the many others we pepper throughout our work—take something away from the story that will push them forward in their lives, give them inspiration to grab life by the horns. And we hope they enjoy the twists and turns we throw in their path, knowing they will find ways to turn things around in their favor. We certainly enjoy making them who they are.

Sláinte!

Chris

BIO

Chris Almeida and Cecilia Aubrey write romantic suspense under the independent label Éire Publishing. They have published several short stories and their first novel, COUNTERMEASURE, a sexy romantic suspense thriller with enough twists and turns to leave you gasping for breath, was published in January, 2012. The second novel in the series, TO RUSSIA WITH LOVE, has a scheduled release on July 30. They have also released a spin-off series of short stories, COUNTERMEASURE: BYTES OF LIFE. The shorts are high-heat mini stories revolving around the lives of the main characters, Trevor and Cassandra.

COUNTERMEASURE (http://www.amazon.com/Countermeasure-Series-ebook/dp/B006WFMMI0/)

Suspicious and determined never to fall into the love trap, security specialist Cassandra James takes on a chase to recover files stolen right out from under her nose. In an effort to prove to her father—also her boss—that she is a capable woman, she follows the digital trail—a trail that leads her directly into the arms of Trevor Bauer, an NSA analyst who appears to have more secrets than she has scars...

Haunted by the mystery surrounding his parents' disappearance, Trevor Bauer's dreams for his own life have been put on hold. But being confronted by Cassandra James derails every one of his best laid plans to avoid a relationship until he can find the closure he desperately seeks. When he accepts her request for help in recovering the files she's hunting, they embark on an adventure that takes them across the ocean and into a world of intrigue and violence. As things between them begin to heat up, Trevor realizes that, if he is ever to win Cassandra's heart and the future he craves, he has no choice but to reveal all his secrets.

TO RUSSIA WITH LOVE (http://countermeasureseries.com/about/books/to-russia-with-love)

It’s been almost a year since Trevor and Cassandra’s brush with a psychotic killer in COUNTERMEASURE, and they are knee-deep in new cases. When George stumbles across a new piece of information on Trevor’s parents’ case, they end up following a digital trail to Saint Petersburg.

While infiltrating a Russia Mafia’s stronghold to destroy a piece of software that could change the face of the World Financial Market, they find themselves in hotter water than they bargained for—a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse steeped in a world of betrayal, hidden identities, and secret agendas….

Back in Ireland, Cassandra’s best friend Jessica is determined to find the key to unlock the heart of Stephan, the man she loves—but little does she know that her greatest obstacle will be Stephan himself….

Gypsy Love with Juliet Chastain!

Hello lovers of romance!

My friend Juliet Chastain, fresh off the release of For the Love of a Gypsy Lass, has come back to tell us about her new release The Gypsy and the Widow!  And there's nothing wrong with more sexy Gypsies!  Read on for more details on this steamy new book!

The Gypsy and the Widow by Juliet Chastain

A 99¢ Quicky

Preorder from: Breathless Press! It will be available from Breathless Press! Amazon, etc. on June 22

Will widowed Joanna Daniels choose a life of privilege with a wealthy lord or will she follow her heart and run away with the Gypsy laborer she loves?

Joanna Daniels is a widow who wants a father for her son. Tem Lovell is a widower hoping to find a mother for his children. They are perfect for each other except for one thing: she's a destitute English gentlewoman who is being courted by a wealthy lord, while Tem is a Gypsy laborer who lives hand-to-mouth.

As the ardor she shares with Tem grows stronger, Joanna is forced to decide between the security the cold and controlling lord can provide and the uncertainty of the open road coupled with the passionate love Tem feels for her—that is, if Tem is willing to take an English gentlewoman as his bride.

Here's an excerpt:

He lifted her as though she weighed no more than a small child and she twined her arms about his neck. He looked down at her and he moved as though to kiss her—oh God, how she wanted him to do so. But he pulled back, shaking his head slightly and the moment passed. He carried her to the door of her house, which he opened with one hand and brought her inside.

The door closed behind them, and Joanna reached up and brought his head down so his lips met her own.

Tem felt his blood heat as their lips touched. He had dreamed of this, but always believed it could be nothing but a dream. Could it be that she wanted him as he wanted her—or was she a wanton as his fellows had suggested?

He pulled his head back and studied her face. His very heart and soul cried out for her as much as his body, but he would not be a plaything, a casual amusement for a Gadji. He placed her gently on a sofa and knelt beside her as she reclined against the pillows. Her amber eyes and black lashes stood out against her milky pallor and some of her deep golden hair had escaped its tie and curled against her neck.

 She reached out and took his hand. A flush crept into her cheeks. "Do you not want to kiss me?" He thought her voice shook slightly.

He could not keep himself from bringing her hand to his cheek for an instant, although he knew he should not. "I do not make love with every woman who wishes it, not even when I myself wish it. "

"Do you wish to make love to me?"

"With all my heart I do, but there is no future for us and I care far more for you already than I should."

She ran her fingers softly, tantalizingly, through his hair. "And I feel the same for you. I—I think of you so often. I so often have dreamed that you would touch me or kiss me. I long for it." She lowered her eyes as the flush on her cheeks turned darker and spread across her face, her neck. "We would harm no one."

He frowned and released her hand. "No one except ourselves, if indeed you feel as I do. I am already pained that I shall have to leave in a few days when our work is done here, perhaps sooner if Sir Edward does not pay as agreed. If you and I do what we wish to do, the pain of parting will be worse."

"I don't care," she cried. "I would willingly suffer later if that is the price I must pay."

Her lower lip trembled, and she bit it as though to still it. He could resist no longer, and he brought his lips hard against hers, his arms tight around her. He felt as though the floodgates controlling his pent-up desire for Joanna opened, and he drowned in his passion for her. He wanted nothing but to kiss her, to caress her, to love her in every way a man can love a woman.

The Gypsy and the Widow can be pre ordered from Breathless Press! It will be available June 22. For more about me: JulietChastain.com. You can also find me on Twitter@julietchastain, and on Facebook: www.facebook.com/JulietChastain

Can't wait for the release of The Gypsy and the Widow? You can read other short 99¢ books in the Gypsy Lovers series: A Proper Lady's Gypsy Lover and For Love of a Gypsy Lass are available now at BreathlessPress, Amazon, etc.