About Charlotte Copper

Romance Writer - specializing in - but not limited to - the Paranormal

The Shucker’s Booktique

Posted on October 16, 2014 by Charlotte Copper

Hi Y’all, please give a warm round of applause to returning author J.C. McKenzie (cue applause!!) J.C. is one of the many wonderful authors contributing to The Wild Rose Press series of books, Lobster Cove. J.C. is here to talk about her new release, THE SHUCKER’S BOOKTIQUE.
(Be sure to read to the end of this post, where there is a link to J.C.’s Rafflecopter draw.)

After her fiancé dumps her and her beloved Aunt Jenny goes missing, Willa Eklund travels to Lobster Cove with a broken heart to search for Jenny while running her bookstore. When a mysterious man visits the Shucker’s Booktique on a stormy night drenched in rain and covered in mud, Willa’s heart melts under his stormy gaze. She wants Lon and the answers he may have, but he also has a secret. Can Willa trust him?

Lon Devlin is a Tempest, a water sprite who can only take a human form during stormy nights. He rides the waves, lives by the tides, and nothing can hold him down, not even a beautiful woman. When he visits his mortal friend, he discovers she’s missing and her intriguing niece has taken her place. He wants Willa, but he also wants answers. What happened to Jenny?

J.C. has her own blog, The Carus Chronicles, where she asks her guest to answer various questions about themselves. I turned the table on J.C. this week, and asked her to answer a few of her own questions. Here are her answers….

Tell us a bit about yourself. Where are you from, what are your interests, how did you start writing?
I grew up on the Haida Gwaii, a remote set of islands below Alaska, off the west coast of Canada. I love to play volleyball, drink coffee and make things up. I’ve been writing since I was seven, but only started writing seriously for publication about 3 or 4 years ago after I won a flash fiction writing contest. (Yes, we’ve shared a few volleyball stories.)

Tell us about your latest release.
THE SHUCKER’S BOOKTIQUE is a paranormal short story romance. I really enjoyed writing this story. It’s straight up romance, and because it’s a short story, I didn’t have to put my characters in a lot of unending conflict.

I love your book cover – almost missed the abs the first time. Who created it and how did you or they come up with the concept?
Debbie Taylor, from DCA Graphics has done all my covers and I absolutely love her. She takes my warped, convoluted ideas and somehow creates something that manages to tick all the boxes of what I wanted, yet come out even better than anything I envisioned. (I would totally buy this book because of that cover.)

If you were a box of cereal, what kind would you be and why?
I would be Reeses Puffs because I’m sweet (sometimes) and a little nutty.

Do you believe in Big Foot?
Heck yeah, I do. Sometimes there’s things even my wonderful, super awesome world of science can’t explain. So there’s no scientific evidence, and a mammal of that size should leave something behind, but whatever. I don’t care. I choose to believe there’s some sort of explanation for it all. Same goes for the Ogopogo in the Okanogan Lake. (I’ll believe as long as I don’t have to cross paths with him. Or maybe it’s a she?)

You’re a new addition to a crayon box. What colour would you be and why?
I would be hot pink. Just because.

If I came to your house for dinner, what would you prepare for me?
I make really good beef enchiladas. If you’re vegetarian, we might have a problem. (Meat and potatoes in this house, no problem!)

Where do you recommend people go on their next vacation?
New Zealand. My husband is a kiwi and I lived there for two years. I love it there. Great weather, people, flora and fauna.

What’s your spirit animal?
It’s the wolf! I won’t get into the long sordid story, but I’ve been told from multiple people of different cultures that the wolf is my spirit guide. I was a lot younger when I first heard the “news” and I was disappointed. I had my heart set on the mountain lion because I thought they were fierce. I still do, but wolves have their own power, and represent wisdom. (Hmmm, those just so happen to be two of the main character’s animals in J.C.’s first book SHIFT HAPPENS)

If you could only wave a magic wand once and fix one problem in the world, what would it be and why?
Child abuse. The idea that someone could hurt those most vulnerable, loving and innocent makes my blood boil. (Sad but true.)

What is one misconception people have about you?
That I know what I’m doing. I don’t. I have no clue.

Well, I think you do! I think THE SHUCKER’S BOOKTIQUE is a wonderful story, and here’s proof to the reader’s that you know what you’re doing:

Thump! Thump! Thump!

No! She gasped. It couldn’t be. The banging on the front door of the booktique had to be a figment of her imagination. She couldn’t will Lon into existence. Why would he come back? Especially if he was involved. Unless…cold ice prickled up her spine…unless he needed to eliminate her to take care of loose ends.

No. Crazy thoughts, Willa. He could’ve taken care of her the night before. No, her heart hammered against her chest for a different reason. But it didn’t matter. The knocking on the door wouldn’t, couldn’t be him.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Could it? She clutched her hot mug in both hands and turned toward the doorway leading to the bookstore. From the kitchen in the back room, she had a clear view through the store to the front door, but not who stood on the other side.

“Willa!” Lon growled. “Wake up and let me in!”

Willa gasped and almost dropped her cup. The tea sloshed around and some spilled over her hands. It burned, but she didn’t move. She couldn’t breathe. Somehow the air got trapped inside her throat. Why was he here? What did he want?

Oh God, let it be me!

Love it!

And for those of you that also love it, THE SHUCKER’S BOOKTIQUE can be found at:
AMAZON
WILD ROSE PRESS

JC McKenzie

while J.C. can be found at the following places:
Website: http://www.jcmckenzie.ca
Blog: http://www.jcmckenzie.blogspot.ca
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/j.c.mckenzie.author
Twitter Page: http://www.twitter.com/JC_McKenzie
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/jcmckenzie
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/JCMcKenzie

Rafflecopter Giveaway for an amazon gift card or a copy of J.C.’s books : Rafflecopter giveaway

Love and Murder…and Brenda Whiteside

Posted on October 3, 2014 by Charlotte Copper

It is my pleasure to have Brenda Whiteside visiting my blog. I’m a regular reader of Brenda’s blog and a follower of her adventures as a pickle farmer (yes, pickles!)…but today she is here to talk about her book THE ART OF LOVE AND MURDER. And be sure to read to the end, where we have a link to Brenda’s rafflecopter draw.

The Art of Love And Murder

Lacy Dahl never questioned her past until the deaths of her adoptive parents and her husband. A husband who wasn’t what he seemed. Her research uncovers secrets about the mother she never knew; secrets that dispute the identity of her father and threaten her life.

Sheriff Chance Meadowlark is still haunted by the murder of his wife and the revenge he unleashed in the name of justice. When he meets Lacy he is determined not to become involved, but their pasts may make that impossible. As they move closer to the truth, saving Lacy may be his only salvation.

Lacy begins to think the present is more important than her past…until Chance’s connection to her mother and a murder spin her deeper into danger and further from love. Will the truth destroy Lacy and Chance or will it be the answer that frees them?

Hello Brenda, and welcome. Please start by telling us a little about yourself.

I was born and raised in Arizona. Outside of Arizona, my travels had only gone as far as California, Nevada, and New Mexico until I married a man doing a stint in the Army. And I discovered I liked moving around. Our gypsy lifestyle has finally come full circle and we’ve ended up back in Arizona only on a northern prairie instead of the big city. We share our rambling farmhouse with our son the farmer, his wife, my granddaughter and three dogs. Together, we’ve embraced an age-old lifestyle that has been mostly lost in the United States – multiple generations living under one roof, who share the workload, follow their individual dreams and reap the benefits of combined talents. (Check out Brenda’s web link at the bottom to read more about her family farm. I’m amazed at all the work and love that goes into it)

Art was my first love although I’d always enjoyed writing. It took me well into adulthood to find I derived more satisfaction filling a blank page with words than an empty canvas with color. I left my paints behind.

Although I didn’t start out to write romance, I’ve found all good stories have to involve complicated human relationships. I’ve also learned, no matter a person’s age, a new discovery is right around every corner. Whether humorous or serious, straight contemporary or mystery, all my books revolve around those two facts.

Do you have a process for coming up with character names and book titles?
I can’t call it an actual process because it varies from book to book. In fact, honestly, I don’t know how character names come to me. They seem to appear out of thin air. I’ll try it out in my head, let it roll off my tongue, imagine the character and decide if it fits. Book titles have come to me in all sorts of ways. My latest release, THE ART OF LOVE AND MURDER, didn’t come to me until I was nearly finished with the book. Since I intended on a series, Love and
Murder came to me first. Pretty simple – every book would deal with a murder and a love story. Each book plays off that. (And I’ll give a little plug here to say Brenda’s next book is going to be called SOUTHWEST OF LOVE AND MURDER)

Tell us about your new book, THE ART OF LOVE AND MURDER.
I’m excited about this book because it’s the first book in the series. THE ART OF LOVE AND MURDER is set in Flagstaff, Arizona. Lacy Dahl goes looking for her roots in the small town and finds love and murder. Love comes in the form of the county sheriff with murder of his own in his past. There’s plenty of suspense and love.

How about a little more to entice our readers?…
Momentarily struck dumb by his eye color, she stared back. Why hadn’t she noticed until now? Although not as light as hers or her father’s, the professor’s eyes were a startling green shade.

His hand nudged her arm. “Lacy?”

She jumped. “Oh, yes.” She slipped the tissue from the half-carved wolf. Another glance at his eyes and goose bumps riddled her arms.

He lifted the wood close to his face, using both hands as if handling a delicate hummingbird. His thumb traced the neck of the creature to the juncture of where it emerged from the wood. When he brought the piece to his nose, closing his eyes and breathing deeply, Lacy wanted to turn away from the oddly erotic gesture.

He swallowed, opened his eyes and set the wolf back on the tissue. His attention shifted to the photograph of the chest. He touched the photo, a smile on his lips. “Where is the chest?”

The chest. Like he knew it, had seen it before. “I’m having it sent. You’ve seen it before?”

He didn’t move, stared out the window as if deep in thought. “I’d like to show you something, Lacy.”

“All right.” She waited, watching his profile.

He turned and stared into her face a moment. “You’re so very lovely. A creation full of life and passion, surpassing any art form.”

His hypnotic voice floated on the classical strains drifting from the living room. She couldn’t speak. Didn’t know what to say. She’d been lifted upon a pedestal of admiration. With any other man, she might consider his words a means to a sexual end. The professor’s intentions, however, were crystal. He admired her like a work of art.

If you are interested in reading more, buy links for THE ART OF LOVE AND MURDER are as follows:

WILD ROSE PRESS
AMAZON
ARe
KOBO

As mentioned, Brenda also has a rafflecopter draw for a number of interesting prizes at: Rafflecopter giveaway

Brenda Whiteside

For more about Brenda….
Visit Brenda at http://www.brendawhiteside.com
Or on FaceBook: http://www.facebook.com/BrendaWhitesideAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/brendawhitesid2

She blogs on the 9th and 24th of every month at http://rosesofprose.blogspot.com
She blogs about prairie life and writing at http://brendawhiteside.blogspot.com/

Beautiful Nova Scotia

Posted on October 1, 2014 by Charlotte Copper

If you’ve been following me for awhile, you know that The Daughter is very involved in volleyball. One school that we have been looking at for university for September 2015 is Acadia in Wolfville, Nova Scotia….one of our eastern / Atlantic provinces here in Canada. This past weekend, we flew to Nova Scotia (about a 2 hour flight) to watch the Acadia Axemen in action and to check out Acadia. The campus…and the province itself…were very beautiful. (And I think it is safe to say, we’ll be returning next September.)