Beverley Bateman Is My Guest

Please welcome fellow Canadian, Beverley Bateman. What would you like readers to know about you, Beverley?
I’m a really boring person and I’m techno challenged, so I have a lot to learn these days. I live in the beautiful Okanagan valley in southern British Columbia with my husband and two Shiba Inu dogs. It’s apple, pear, peach and apricot orchard country. We have beaches and skiing in the mountains. (Okay, not in the same season) And it’s wine country with award winning wines and ice wines. Yes, it’s my duty to taste them and it does help with the writing.

I agree! I love the Okanagan. Are you a full time writer or do you have a “day job”?
I've done both. I wrote when I had a day job and a tight schedule. I wrote a lot. Then I quit and found I didn't write as much. I think I wasn't on a tight schedule so I kind of goofed off. Now I’m back to writing and put in a good 3-4 hours writing and another 1-2 hours on marketing.

Do you have other talents? 
I’m not sure it’s a talent –yet, but I do paint. I do watercolors. I’m a beginner and love what you can do with colors. It’s also fun.

I've tried watercolors, but I don't have an artistic bone in my body! What do you do to promote your work?
I probably should do more but I’m learning. I've started to blog. You can check it out at http://beverleybateman.blogspot.ca/  I do blogs on other people’s sites. I twitter (tweet) and I’m on Facebook and have an author’s page. I’m on Triberr and Pinterest, although I don’t do much with Pinterest. I’m on Goodreads, but learning how it works. I post to several online loops.

Tell us about your current WIP.
My latest WIP is Missing – Luke’s story. It’s part of the Hawkins Ranch series. Missing is the 2nd book in the series set in Duster, Montana. The series is the stories of four Hawkins brothers. Luke is the doctor for Duster. He’s looking for someone to assist in his practice. The person who responds is a single doctor from New York. Luke is single but has adopted a daughter. Someone is threatening a kidnapping and Luke’s daughter is the victim.

Sounds exciting! What inspired this story?
Honestly? I’m not sure I want to admit this, but I was going through all those books that have been rejected, either fulls or partials, and realized I’d written three that were all set in small town, Montana. I thought why not make them part of a series? So I went through and made a list of all the townspeople and stores and rewrote the Hawkins Ranch series.

Wonderful! Give us an elevator pitch for your book. 

 Small town doctor gets a city doctor to help in his clinic. When his daughter is kidnapped, he has to save her, and convince the woman he loves that she really is a small town doctor at heart.

Are you traditionally published, self-published or both? 

I guess I can say both. I was published by two different small publishers and then I got my rights back and now I’m self-published.  However I have to find a cover artist and pay them. I need a proof reader and I have to pay them. If I do it myself, I have to learn how to format for epub or mobi and upload them to each site. Your publisher does that for you. Marketing stays the same with either.

Good points. What is your writing routine like?
That’s another good question. I always read other authors' blog and posts and ask what they do. I keep looking for something that works for me. I often do head work before I get up – thinking about where I’m at and where I’m going. Then once I’m up I do research in the morning (right after I do my email). I don’t actually write until after dinner. Then I hit the keyboard for 4 -5 hours.

What are you reading now?
I just downloaded The First Phone Call from Heaven by Mitch Albom.

What’s your opinion on authors giving away free books?
I don’t do it. I think our work is worth more than free. I know authors do it because they think that if someone downloads it and read it they might buy the next book. I download free books because authors ask me to and it does something for their position. (I’m not sure what). I've never read one yet. So I guess I’m not a fan.

We’d love a blurb and an excerpt from your latest book.
Running from a disastrous engagement, and an over-powering father, Dr. Allie Parsons agrees to help out an old friend and travels to Duster, Montana. She’s agreed to help the local doctor for a brief period of time until he can find a permanent new doctor. Raised her whole life in New York city, Allie is greeted with culture shock when she finds out how small Duster is, but she also finds a warm, friendly community. And the doctor turns out to be young, tall, dark and handsome. He sends her emotions shooting sky high. She’s welcomed into the Hawkins family and develops a relationship with his daughter. A mysterious stranger leaves notes at the clinic and Allie fears they are a warning he’s going to kidnap the doctor’s daughter.

Luke Hawkins, one of the Hawkins’ brothers is looking for a doctor to take over half the practice from the retiring doctor. He’s not expecting his temporary replacement to be a young, sexy, single woman from New York. He knows she’s the woman he’s been searching for all his life, but he also knows she won’t stay in Duster. He doesn't believe the notes are meant for him until his daughter is kidnapped. Now he has to save his daughter and convince the woman he loves that she really is a small town doctor at heart.

Excerpt
"Allie pushed open the door to the clinic and stepped into the small, crowded waiting room. The slight scent of antiseptic tickled her nose. She stopped.

Silence crept across the room. One by one, heads turned toward the door.

It might be the novelty of a stranger, but more likely it was the novelty of a stranger in fancy city clothes with a run in her stocking. She threaded her way through the patients to the reception counter. Patients watched her. A few of them put down the magazines they were thumbing through.

She’d bet a month’s salary those magazines were three or four years old. The furniture in the waiting room had seen better days, but it was serviceable.

The men and women stared at her, probably wondering who the heck she was. Several patients smiled at her. She managed to return the smiles. At least no one laughed.

A man stood behind the counter, tall, broad-shouldered, and maybe thirtyish He had curly dark hair, a strong, square chin and he caught her attention right away. His cobalt blue eyes, under long dark lashes, latched on to her as she walked toward him. Even partially covered by his lab coat, his muscled chest strained against the white t-shirt.

If he was the doctor he was definitely not the old geezer she’d expected.

A few feet from the counter, she stopped. His electric blue eyes locked on her. She couldn’t look away. Sensuality oozed across the space between them. Her breath hitched into an irregular rhythm, kicking her pulse up a notch.

“Good, you finally got here. I thought Jean would send someone a little faster.” His rich, smooth voice rolled over her. “Look, we’re backed up. Patients’ files are over there and the appointment book is on the desk. Check them in, pull their file, and put the file in the slot by the examining room door.”

“Excuse me?” She stared up at the man snapping orders at her. She’d run away from one tyrant and had no intention of putting up with another overbearing one, even if he was knock-down gorgeous. His firm abs, linebacker-type shoulders and muscular body did not compensate for his attitude.

Who did this jerk think he was?

Her back stiffened. She assumed he was the doctor, but his manners confused her. If staff and working partners were expected to put up with this, no wonder they hadn't been able to find another doctor.

“You’re not going to make me repeat all that are you? I have a room full of patients. When I asked Jean to send a temp over from the hospital, I thought she’d send someone with training and at least a vague idea of what they were doing.” A sigh slipped through his lips and he rolled his eyes. The look he gave her placed her one step above an idiot.

He pointed to a huge pile of folders. “The patients’ files are…”

Allie pulled her shoulders back, raised her chin and tightened her lips together. “Excuse me. I believe you’ve made a mistake. First of all, I’m not stupid. Second, I’m not your damn temp. I’m a doctor, Alexandra Parsons, M.D. I understood you were expecting me.”

“You’re the new doc? Shoot. I didn't expect you today.” The heart-stopping man stared down at her. His full lips drooped in apparent disappointment.

The disappointment could be her or the fact he still didn't have a temp. She couldn't tell.

“I arrived early, so I could acquaint myself with the town and find a place to live. I dropped by to introduce myself.”

He focused on her, drawing his eyebrows into a frown. “You’re the new physician? I should have known by that fancy outfit, it screams big city.”

“Sorry. I've just arrived and haven’t had time to get my jeans and plaid shirt yet. I’ll move that to the top of my list, so I’ll fit in.”

A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, but he controlled it, as he ran his fingers through the tangle of dark curls."

Thank you for being my guest today, Beverley. I don't think you're boring in the least! Love your cover by the way.  Here is contact information.
Website http://www.beverleybateman.com/
Blog http://beverleybateman.blogspot.com/
Amazon
Sony
Nook

Jennifer Zane Shares The Wealth

Please welcome Jennifer Zane to my blog today. Tell us, Jennifer, are you a full time writer or do you have a 'day job'? 
Oh boy! I have a 'day job' and a 'day job'. The first one is just what you think: good old-fashioned work. My other 'day job' is Director of HEA for RomCon. I'm the webmistress, one of several blog divas, cover designer and everything in-between. RomCon keeps me busy all year! Between those two 'day jobs' I squeeze in my writing...somewhere!

What genre do you write in?
I write contemporary romance because I base my Gnome Novel Series on the time I lived in Montana. I wanted to write from life experience because there's enough antics, crazy characters and strange happenings in present day for me to skip going back in time, leaping into the future or even making my characters part vampire.

So true! Tell us about your current series/WIP.
I write the Gnome Novel Series. So far there are three books (2.5 really because the third book is a short little teaser for the holidays). There are similar characters seen in the books, but the main hero and heroine change in each one. Goldie West, although not the heroine, plays a pivotal role in all of the books as a meddling matchmaker. She's not your typical meddler; she runs the town's adult store and gives boxes full of adult toys to the heroes and heroines to help their 'relationships' along. If you've ever been victim to matchmaking, you'll relate to this!

What went into the process of producing your books?  Can you share your ups and downs and how you went about it?
My least favorite part of the writing process is editing. Ugh. I truly think little gnomes get into your computer while you're sleeping and put typos in to mess with you. I'm a graphic designer so I design my own covers. For me, that's the easy part and I love to make a book have a special 'feel' just by the cover art. Self-publishing is great because you really have the control over your work and can promote yourself just as you want. The books are yours, so make them just the way you want them (hopefully without typos!)

It's amazing isn't it, how many times you can edit  a manuscript and miss errors. Do you have critique partners? 
I do have critique partners. Four of them and we've been together for over ten years. These ladies know things about me that others don't. I think there's a special bond that's formed in this type of creative outlet. You're really putting your heart out there and it's great to know they are there for you—crazy gnomes and all!

Sounds like a great team. How likely are people you meet to end up in your next book?
My books? Highly likely. In Gnome On The Range, Bobby and Zach are based on my own two boys and their antics living in Montana. I swear they watered every tree in the yard (and I don't mean with a hose!) My older son really did get his arm stuck in a patio umbrella stand (don't know what I'm talking about? Read Gnome On The Range). Goldie is based on two neighbors combined (a great woman who likes everyone's business and a man who really does run the adult store in town). It may not be the actual people themselves in the stories but things people say, their strange life experiences, etc. In book 4 (coming out in June-yay!), the uncle is a Civil War re-enactor. I love going to Civil War reenactments back East in the summer and think this would be great to do, so I decided to live vicariously through this character.

Do you write under a pen name? 
Yes, I write under a pen name. Since I stated further up, I have a 'day job' that wouldn't mix well with my other 'day job' or my writing. So I'm like Wonder Woman and no one can tell who I am! On top of it all, it's kind of fun, having an alter ego. How did I choose it? I wanted something close to my real name (ok, my real name is Jennifer) and if you know me, you'd have to admit, I'm a little zany. My books definitely are!

Give us an elevator pitch for your book.
Book 1, Gnome On The Range- Jane and Ty- Jane and her boys buy garden gnomes at a garage sale that are worth more than they expected. In a very strange way. Someone wants them back and wants Jane dead. It's a very light mystery (it's not Agatha Christie!) and lots of romance. Throw in a meddling mother-in-law and lots of insanity.

Book 2, Gnomeless- Veronica and Jack- A plumber, a stalker and a very cold winter.

Book 3 (or 2.5), Gnome For The Holidays- Emma and Sam- A holiday short where Goldie meddles with the mistletoe. 

Book 4, Gnome, Alaska- COMING IN JUNE- Violet and Mike- Alaska, pretend girlfriend, Civil War re-enactor, martial arts mother, polyamorous French twins, a desperate thief.

The burning question—Where's the gnome throughout? For your readers of this blog, I'll share a secret- He's what brings all of the couples together. They kiss for the first time in the presence of the gnome. I know, weird, but READ THEM ALL!