Today’s guest at
Books, Chocolate and Wine is Emma Kaye. Emma and I met at our first New
Jersey Romance Writer’s conference. As nervous newbies we stuck together and
found we had a lot in common. Even our genre. So much for thinking we were
unique, right! While I’m more the medieval time travel buff, her expertise is
with Regency and contemporary times. We’ve stayed close serving on the NJRW
board together and even writing short stories together. She sat down and discussed all sorts of things. I hope you get to know her. I know you’ll enjoy her
new story for The Wild Rose Press.
You.
I wrote FOR YOU
in response to a submission call from my publisher. Each story in the series
includes those tiny candy hearts with the cute sayings on them that are so
popular around Valentine’s Day. The story starts on Valentine’s Day with the
hero, Drew, going through a package of hearts and thinking about how the
sayings all mock his single state. One of his best friends is a deliriously
happy newlywed, and Drew is wishing he could find someone to love like that. He
gets his wish when an accident sends him back in time to meet Julia. Only
problem is he looks exactly like her recently murdered husband—A man she didn’t
trust or love. Can Drew convince Julia he’s nothing like her former husband?
build your characters? Do you write character bios? Cast the characters?
I start with a
rough idea of the plot and that leads me to the characters. Once I have a basic
idea of what’s going to happen, I start to get a feeling for how the characters
will feel/react to their situation. Then I do the fun part—I search online for
photo inspiration. This takes much longer than it should. For some reason, I
get distracted. (Mostly by pictures of Jensen Ackles) Once I have a picture
that fits my fancy, I get out a notebook and scribble down notes on the characters.
I ask a lot of questions—Why was Julia afraid of her husband? How does Drew
know there’s something wrong with Julia’s finances? A lot of these notes never
end up in the story, but they help me know my characters.
plotter or a panster?
I’m a plotter.
One of my favorite parts of writing is coming up with an outline of the story.
I don’t necessarily follow that outline to the letter (sometimes my characters
surprise me!) but I like to have it to start. If a character takes me in a
different direction, I go with it and adjust the outline to fit.
you to writing time travel romance?
I love having a
character thrown into a different time. Maybe it’s the fish out of water idea?
I love the blend of an historical setting as seen by a character with a modern
viewpoint. It makes for interesting interactions and is great fun.
favorite scenes to write?
I love writing
the ending. It’s so satisfying. After everything the couple goes through during
the story, I love seeing them on the way to their happily ever after.
your readers to take away with them after reading the story?
I want them to
have that happy, satisfied feeling that makes them sigh.
words of advice or encouragement for aspiring authors?
Keep going. If
you enjoy writing, keep at it.
working on next?
I’m writing a
novella about a woman searching for a magickal book she’d hidden in the small
town of Havenport, Rhode Island. While there, she runs into the man she loves.
A man who didn’t return her love—until now. She has to protect the book of
magick, while trying to figure out if the man’s love is real or the result of a
spell.
ebook reader? If so, which one?
I have a Kindle
Voyager and love it, though I still enjoy picking up a paperback.
reading now?
I’ve been
reading the other books in the Candy Hearts Series and enjoying them all. There
are stories in all genres, so there’s a little something for everyone. Plus
they’re on the shorter side, so it’s fun to pick one up knowing it will be a
quick read. Other than that, I’m also reading The Hunger Games again. I’d read
the first two books, but never read the third so I figured I better start over
again to remind myself what happens.
Day, and candy heart sayings mock Drew Engledown’s lonely state. He wants more
in his life than work, but hasn’t met anyone he can imagine spending his life
with. When he puts his own life at risk to save a friend, he’s sent back in
time to Regency London and mistaken for a murdered earl. Has he been given a
chance at love with the earl’s beautiful widow, or will he suffer the same fate
as the previous lord?
husband’s heir lays claim to all she once owned, Lady Engledown is left nearly
destitute. So she doesn’t know whether to be relieved or angry when the earl
returns but claims he’s not her husband. Could he be telling the truth, or is
he toying with her? She doesn’t know what to think of this man who is so
different from the husband she never loved. Can they find happiness together,
or will this man she comes to love leave her worse off than before?
Amazon: http://amzn.com/B018L2A8LY
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/for-you-emma-kaye/1123057356?ean=2940157730871
iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/for-you/id1067612965?mt=11
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/for-you-12
TWRP: http://www.wildrosepublishing.com/maincatalog_v151/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=195&products_id=6577
The Wild Rose Press’ Candy Hearts Series.
they paused near the doors to the terrace. They were
closed against the cool night, but a draft kept the over-warm air of the
crowded ballroom at bay.
at his cravat, something he’d done repeatedly throughout the night, and let out
his breath in a gush. “That’s better. It’s hot as an oven in here.”
placed a hand over his to get him to release his collar. “We’ll stay but a few more
hours. You may untie your cravat the moment we are out of sight within our
carriage. Until then, please refrain from disrobing in public.”
grinned and pulled her closer to his side than was seemly. “You’re just dying
to get me naked, I see.”
Heat flooded her face. “I meant no such thing. I—”
laughed. “Sorry, sorry. I couldn’t resist. Modern humor.”
flipped open her fan, waving it before her face in an attempt to hide a bit of
the blush that had surely turned her face a brilliant shade of red. For a
moment, she’d thought him capable of reading her mind, for thoughts of him
naked had indeed entered her head.
Kaye is married to her high school sweetheart and has two beautiful kids that
she spends an insane amount of time driving around New Jersey. Before ballet
and Scouts entered her life, she decided to try writing one of those romances
she loved to read and discovered a new passion. She’s been writing ever since.
Add in a hyper dog and an extremely patient cat and she’s living her own
happily ever after while making her characters work hard to reach theirs.
Press: http://bit.ly/1l11ZCx
up on Emma’s website: http://emma-kaye.com
What a terrific excerpt. I'm enjoying the Candy Hearts series from my fellow TWRP authors, and I'm going over right now to pick up yours. Best of luck, with it Emma.
Very nice to meet you, Emma Kaye. Nice excerpt!