Good morning. It’s Meet and Greet Monday!
With us today is Romance Author, Elise Marion.
Welcome, Elise!
Tell us a bit about yourself. Where do you live, do you have a significant other, any young ones running around interrupting your writing?
I am a busy stay at home mom of three (one girl, two boys, ages 5, 2, and 2 months). My husband and I have been married for almost 6 years and we are currently stationed in Georgia (hubby is in the military).
Tell us about your “big break” in the publishing world. Was there any one person believe in your work first (besides yourself of course)? What did you do to celebrate your first contract?
I began as a self-published author and am still mainly self-published. After years of trying to find a publisher of agent that wanted my work, I decided to strike out on my own. I was always told that my work was great, but it wouldn’t sell. I refused to believe that. As an avid romance reader, I was in want myself of fresh, innovative stories with new themes and ideas. I believed that my book was all of those things and so did my friends who had read it.
So, I took a chance an worked to self-publish my first novel on Amazon, shortly followed by Barnes & Noble and iTunes. When I saw my book in the Amazon store for the first time, I cried. I cried even harder when I got my first 5-star review. Since then I’ve published over a dozen books, a few of which are contracted with small press publishers (who I love working with) and I couldn’t imagine doing anything else with my life. I am so glad I took that chance!
What are you a collector of? (ie: types of knick-knacks, purses, shoes, etc)
Shoes, purses, and jewelry. Really, it’s a bad, expensive habit, one I have no desire to kick. I LOVE fashion and all things sparkly, glamorous, and quirky.
Preference – Sam or Dean Winchester? If you haven’t seen Supernatural (and why not! It’s MY Fave show LOL), then would you prefer Iron Man or Wolverine?
Sorry, not a Supernatural watcher (wince). I don’t watch as much TV as I used to; writing keeps me pretty busy. BUT I can answer the Iron Man/Wolverine question. I’d choose Wolverine. There is something so animalistic and primal about him and I love that. Plus, I want to run my fingers through those sideburns! 😉
What five items do you take everywhere with you – besides cell phone, keys and purse/wallet?
My kids, my ipod, my stun gun (her name is Jane), my military I.D., and a fabulous pair of shoes!
If we were to come over to your house for dinner, what dish would you make us?
I specialize in pasta dishes (I love to cook), so most likely that’s what you’d get. One of my favorites to make is pork ragu with gnocchi. I also make a mean lasagna!
Did you always want to be an author?
Writing has always been part of my life. I wrote my first book when I was 12 and several others while in high school. Being a published author has always been my dream.
What song are you most sick of hearing already this summer?
I should say Blurred Lines by Robin Thicke. I mean, it’s being played over and over, on every station. But it’s just so darn catchy and I love it! I have a love/hate relationship with that song!
Who are some of your fave authors?
I used to only read Historical Romance (I know, snobby, right?), so most of my favorites fall under that genre. Julia Quinn, Johanna Lindsey, Loretta Chase, Sabrina Jeffries, Mary Balogh. Outside of romance, I love Alice Walker (author of the Color Purple).
Who/What are you currently reading?
I just started the Game of Thrones series by George R.R. Martin. I’m on book one, A Song of Ice and Fire and I’m so hooked! Now I want to check out the T.V. show!
Two Sides to Every Story
One of my favorite aspects of writing is creating a complex and downright despicable villain. I love to layer them in shades of black, white and gray. I enjoy making them antagonize my hero and heroine and make things difficult for them.
I never thought one of my villains would one day move on to seek redemption as the heroine of their own story. Yet, this is exactly what has happened. When writing my debut novel, The Third Son, I had fun creating the character Davina. Though to many she may have come across as your typical scheming and vindictive mistress, I always saw her as a complex character. The novel is over 100,000 words and that was after extensive editing, so you can imagine that there was not room to expand on Davina’s personality and offer any reason for the reason she was the way she was.
That is why I’m so glad I decided to write The Mistress, a novella dedicated solely to Davina, her background, her journey and fight to survive after her own actions bring her world crashing down around her.
Many of my faithful readers confessed hatred for the courtesan, and for good reason. Her scheming throws a humongous monkey wrench into the romance between the characters in The Third Son.
However, it is my opinion that there is two sides to every story. And every villain in a story, is the hero of his own tale. Can there be redemption for the villain of the story? Find out in The Mistress!
Blurb: Once the courtesan of a prince, and then the wife of a king, Davina Keane now finds herself divorced, banished for treason, and sentenced to a life of loveless marriage to the man who aided her in her crimes. Now a penniless widow, she has sunk as low as could be and faces a life of poverty; prostitution being her only other option besides living on the street. Desperate to save herself, Davina makes one final attempt at forging a new life … by marriage to Rafe Rothwell.
A widower and father of three, Rafe has been looking for a wife ever since his first one perished. It’s too bad no one will have him, as he and his children (known notoriously as the Raucous Rothwells) have a reputation for being difficult to manage. He’s long given up his search when Davina Keane appears at his door, seemingly prepared to take on the role. Though his needs are practical at first, Rafe finds himself faced with the truth: he wants more from her than just a manager of his home and hearth.
As an arrangement of convenience becomes something more, Davina is faced with the possibility of losing her husband over the truth of a past she kept secret when entering the marriage. Will love be enough to erase the mistakes of her past, or will they threaten to upend her newfound happiness?
Stalker links:
Website || Facebook || Twitter || Goodreads || Pinterest
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kacey's Kreations 