Monday, November 21, 2011

I HAVE THE WONDERFUL E. JAMIE IN THE HOUSE TODAY!!!

Hi Everyone, today I've the lovely E. Jamie in the house to discuss her new release, We'll Meet Again, from Noble Romance. I would like to thank her for stopping by today to answer a few questions and share a little tidbit of the book and the very pretty cover.  Read to the end because I think there is a contest offered.  *Hint-Hint*

CYN:  Let's start out about finding out a little about you and your writing.  What makes a book great in your eyes?

E. JAMIE:  I love books that are passionate, angst filled with unforgettable characters. Stories where the sparks and emotions between the lovers just leap off the page and suck you in, where you feel like you're living their story.

CYN:  I love the juxtaposition of passion and angst with characters too.  What influences your writing? And why?

E. JAMIE:  Writers I love. Not in the sense that I copy their style though I'm sure that leaks through subconsciously, but in the sense that reading writers I love fills me with the desire to strive to be that good! 

CYN:  So true. I read before I wrote.  Some I fell instantly in love with their style, others not so much.  I started to write in hopes of being as good as the ones I liked.   Do you play music when you write? If so, what kind? Or, do you have to have silence or background noise to set your writing muse free?

E. JAMIE:  I HAVE to have some kind of noise in the background when I write. I cannot write in silence. If it's quiet, my mind wanders and I can't focus. Music really runs the gamut while I'm writing though there is this one particular instrumental piece by William Joseph and David Foster called Once Upon Love that instantly puts me in the We'll Meet Again frame of mind. I call it the story's theme song and can picture the story playing out against the backdrop of that gorgeous piece. If it were to ever become a movie…(smiles)

CYN:  I'm with you, have to have music to write my best.  How do you usually come up with a story idea?  Dreams? Writer’s journal? Eavesdropping on conversations? Newpaper?

E. JAMIE:  I literally get story ideas from every where. Movies, music, books, people watching, newspaper, watching a squirrel climb up a tree…My muse has no off switch!

CYN:  That's so funny. No sleep for the creative mind!  So, how well do you really know your characters? Underwear preference? Favorite flavor of ice cream? Coffee or Tea, Cola or Wine?

E. JAMIE:  I have general ideas about them at first but I find I get to know them more as I write their story of course. For example in We'll Meet Again James likes to hum 'White Cliffs Of Dover' while on planes because he hates to fly while Cassandra loves it!

CYN:  And who did you dedicate your book to and why?

E. JAMIE:  I dedicated We'll Meet Again to a group of great women on a Days Of Our Lives fan site 'Forbidden Love'  because they have always been so supportive of my writing. I consider them my beta readers!

CYN:  That's so very nice to have a group you can count on for support. Can you tell us what  you are working on now?

E. JAMIE:  Right now I'm working on a new sexy historical featuring a very hot cowboy. It's called Wanted and is set just after the civil war. It's got a bit of a BDSM vibe to it which is new for me but my sexy hero Colin Beaudine insisted that's where he wanted the story to go, and like the heroine, Mara, I was powerless to resist.

CYN:  Oh, that sounds yummy. Can't wait to see that one on my 'to read' list.  Now, for a little more personal questions.  Do you have any guilty pleasures?

E. JAMIE:  I can waste an entire afternoon in a bookstore…and not feel guilty about it, though I know I should! That and my addiction to ketchup potato chips but those I consider a necessity to my writing craft as I eat while I work. Food for the muse, you see? Literally.

CYN:  Ketchup potato chips? That's a new one on me. LOL. Can you name one thing readers don’t know about you?

E. JAMIE:  Until a few years ago I wasn't sure if I was going to focus fully on my writing or become an actress. I always knew I would want to do one or the other. I knew one would have to be a sideline thing and may never happen because both take up SO much time. I decided writing was more suited to my personality and haven't looked back. It's where my heart is happiest!

CYN:  Yes, you can never go wrong following your heart and I'm sure your fans would agree! Okay, here's an interesting question, if you won the big lottery, what would you do with the money?

E. JAMIE:  Oh gosh, I would quit the evil day job and write from home full time! I would also buy a house on the island of Madeira, Portugal where the mom is from to get away and write for a few months a year…probably from Jan to March!

CYN:  Sounds like a winning choice to me.  Another off-the-wall question, if you could choose an animal for a mascot, what animal would it be? What do you admire about this animal? Do you feel you have qualities similar to this animal? If so, what are they?

E. JAMIE:  I'm a cat person. I don't have pets but if I did it would be a cat so I think I'd choose one to represent me! They can seem quiet and aloof but are really loving and playful to those they're comfortable with. Definitely like me.

CYN:  I only have a couple more to ask, hang in there.  If you had the power to change two things in the world, what would those two things be?

E. JAMIE:  There would not be such a wide divide between the impoverished and obscenely wealthy. Being successful at something is one thing, but when you have enough money to sustain a third world country and do nothing, that is wrong. I would also get rid of reality shows. All of them. Snookie is now 'writing' books. The industry that allowed her to pollute MY industry needs to be destroyed! 

CYN:  "Personalities" don't act, contribute, and probably don't write, they have "people" for that. Oh well, that's a discussion for another time and place. Let's leave this on a good note. What holiday do you look forward to most?

E. JAMIE:  I would say Christmas if I didn't have to suffer through a mind-numbingly cold Canadian winter to have it!

CYN:  Don't do cold either, that's why I moved south, real far south. LOL.  Well that's it from me, and I'm sure everyone would like to see that excerpt.  So take it away, the floor is yours.
  
E. JAMIE:  I'd like to thank Cynthia for letting me play in her sandbox today! Comment below and one lucky winner will get a free copy of my upcoming erotic historical romance We'll Meet Again. Here's a sneak peek!


Blurb:

It's 1943; Cassie Atherton's fiancĂ© Phillip Davis is fighting in the war, and she is doing her part as an American nurse in England. When nursing a seriously injured English captain named Edward James Harrison, Cassie suddenly finds herself truly in love for the very first time. Instantly drawn to each other, Cassie tries to resist James's shameless flirting but the two of them grow close during his convalescence. They know their futures lie elsewhere but neither expect their parting to come when the unexpected death of her father calls Cassie back home. Once he’s fully recovered, James returns to active duty and ends up on a mission with Phillip in Japan where both men are captured. Their joint suffering in the POW camp under Lieutenant Dai bonds them as the best of friends.

They manage to escape and Phillip brings James with him when he returns back home to Boston to meet Cassie, not being aware that the two already know each other. Torn between friendship and love, honor and passion, set against a backdrop of violence and historical upheaval, Cassie and James try to fight a love that refuses to be denied.

Excerpt:

She didn’t know how she managed it but she walked down the stairs, out of the house, into the church all on Phillip’s arm. She even smiled at him when he kissed her cheek and sat her next to her mother before he went to take his place by James’s side.
James didn’t look at her even once. His eyes stayed fixated on Nicole as she walked down the aisle towards him looking exquisite in her white lace and satin gown.
Cassie had to fist her hands in her lap to stop them from shaking. She noticed Billie was scowling, and gave her a poke in the back. The young girl stopped scowling and gave a tight smile that mimicked someone who was constipated. Cassie couldn’t even manage the energy to smile.
When Sarah reached over, and patted her hand lightly, Cassie nearly lost her composure. Fearing she would break, she pulled her hand away. Sarah looked at her with such understanding that Cassie wanted to scream.
She tried her best to tune out the vows. James would never make these vows to her. Phillip gave her a small smile, and she was puzzled by the sadness she saw there.
She took a deep breath. Well, James had made his decision. Now she must make hers, and that would be to spend her life with a man she loved, who loved her back and would never hurt her. That man was Phillip. Had always been Phillip.
Cassie made a promise right there in that church that she would never betray Phillip again. She would spend the rest of her life being the kind of wife he deserved. Feeling strengthened, she focused back on the scene ahead of her as it came time for James to recite his vows to Nicole.
The priest spoke and then James repeated the words with one startling exception. "I Edward James Harrison, take you Cassandra--"
She would have thought it was her imagination, wishful thinking, if it hadn’t been for the look of surprise on the priest’s face and her mother’s gasp beside her.
Billie shot to her feet. "Yes!"
Susan grabbed the girl’s hand, and pulled her back down.
James’s eyes went wide and the color drained from his face.
"WHAT?" Nicole demanded, furious, her face going red.

WOW! That is great.  Don't forget to leave a comment.  One lucky person will be selected by E. Jamie, so don't forget to leave your email address as well. 
Thanks again for honoring me with stopping by today!

7 comments:

  1. Thanks so much Cynthia for having me over today! Yep, one lucky commenter will win a copy of We'll Meet Again so definitely let me know if you enjoyed the excerpt and the interview!

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  2. I am such a huge fan of E. Jamie. I have several of her previous works on my Kindle and have read them in their entirety, as well as favorite excerpts, more times than I can count. I can't wait to add "We'll Meet Again" to my collection!

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  3. GREAT Interview! And I love the Cover and Excerpt! Thanks for sharing, E. and Cynthia!

    Holiday Hugs, Kari Thomas, www.authorkari.com

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  4. Thanks SocRMum1 for dropping by! (huggies) Dang, I wish I had a Kindle! (laughs)

    Thanks Kari. That is an awesome cover, isn't it?

    You're both now entered to win. I'll be picking the winner Friday night.

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  5. I'll keep this up through the week for anyone who wants to comment.

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  6. Thanks so much Cynthia for hosting me this week and for all who dropped! Now for the winner: Kari Thomas!!! Congrats on winning a copy of We'll Meet Again. I just need your e-mail addy and I'll send it to you asap!

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  7. A BIG THANKS!!!!

    My email: authorkari@yahoo.com

    hugs, Kari Thomas

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