Today, I’m interviewing author and editor Alexa
Bourne. She’s a fellow member of ARWA (the Austin chapter of Romance Writers of
America) and also a part of the Digital Darlings group, an Austin-based support
group for digital-first authors. So yes, I know firsthand of her awesomeness.
Recently, I read Fractured
Paradise, a cozy romantic suspense, and
thoroughly enjoyed it. She also has a new book out, Simple Treasures.
Alexa, thanks for
stopping by! Let’s get to it…
v Do
you, both as a freelance editor and as an author, see a trend within the
romantic suspense genre? Well, I think there’s a trend to making the stories
sexier. That’s from what I hear, not so much from my editing or writing.
v How
long did it take you to write Fractured
Paradise? That’s a tricky question. I wrote the first draft back in 2003 to
help me get over my British grandmother’s death. I liked the story, it helped
me heal and then I put it away. I revised it in the beginning of this year- cut
it down from a 200-page story, added more suspense- so I could submit it as an
Honor Guard story to Decadent Publishing.
v What
actor and actress would play Aidan and Rachel in a movie? I actually don’t
share this information with anyone. I always have actors in mind when I write,
but I don’t share because what I think is sexy may not be what the reader would
think is sexy. I’d rather the readers choose their own favorite actors for my
book.
v What
advice would you give to someone experiencing writer’s block? Read. That’s how
I ALWAYS get over my writer’s block. I force myself to put my work away, to
take out someone else’s book and to FINISH at least one book before I allow
myself to get back to work on my own. I can jot down notes, but I do not allow
myself to write scenes until I’ve finished reading that book.
v Your
book was set outside the US. What inspired you to write Fractured Paradise? My mother grew up in the UK and we’ve visited
quite a bit. I love everything about the UK and so I set my stories there to
share with readers what I love. I hope I make my British relatives proud!
v What’s
next for you? Actually, my 3rd UK Honor Guard story released earlier
this week! Yay! Merry Christmas to me! Simple Treasures is set in Edinburgh,
Scotland during New Year’s. It’s a romantic suspense too. Other than that I’m
working on a short story for a different project with Decadent Publishing. In
2013, I intend to write 3 more Honor Guard stories AND get back to my full
length romantic suspense books too.
Wow, you'll be busy! Good luck and enjoy the holidays :)
Thanks
for having me, Carmen! Happy holidays to you and your readers!
Author
Bio:
Alexa Bourne is a teacher by day and a
romantic suspense writer by nights, weekends, and all school holidays. She also
teaches online classes for writers throughout the year. She is thrilled to be
writing for Decadent Publishing and to have the chance to share her love of
Great Britain with readers everywhere.
When she's not concocting sinister plots and steamy love scenes or traveling and exploring new cultures, Alexa spends her time reading, watching brainless TV and thinking about exercising. She loves to interact with readers, so visit her web page, hang out at her blog, follow her on Twitter or drop her a note at Alexa@alexabourne.com!
Book
Blurb:
Take-charge bodyguard Colin Munro believes working
for the International Protective Network will be the perfect occupation for
him. Unfortunately, his trial assignment is protecting a woman who has no
intention of blindly following orders. Aye, he’ll bring the bonnie lass in line
because there’s no way he’ll allow her to ruin his chance of securing his dream
job.
Physically and emotionally scarred during her stint
as a U.S. soldier, Joanna Grainger wants nothing more than to enjoy life. New
Year's Eve in Edinburgh marks the beginning of her transformation. But when she
witnesses a crime no one believes occurred, her plans come to a screeching
halt. To make matters worse, her sexy but headstrong bodyguard has no
compassion for her or the victim.
As danger hunts them during one of the busiest times
of the year, Joanna must convince Colin she's a worthy partner. But first, can
she convince herself?
Excerpt:
Joanna
bolted upright. Darkness wrapped her in its hideous embrace. And silence
reigned. Her heart raced. She flattened her hands on the mattress beneath her.
Mattress.
Bed. Colin’s hotel room.
Rustling
sounds came from the floor. The bedside lamp flickered on. Colin propped
himself up, one knee bent and an arm dangling over it. He squinted against the
brightness. “Are you all right?”
“I’m
sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.” She brushed her fingers under her eyes.
“Don’t be
daft, lass.”
“I had a
bad dream.” She smoothed her hair back off her face. Moisture beaded at her
temples.
“Here we
call it a nightmare.” He smiled, and at once she relaxed her shoulders.
“Americans
do, too.” After another deep breath, she said, “I’ll be all right.” Once her
heart rate slowed to normal. With her forearm, she wiped perspiration from her
forehead.
He stood,
padded into the bathroom, and ran the faucet. When he returned, he sat beside
her, tucked his finger under her chin, and pressed the cloth to her cheek. The
cool moisture soothed her burning skin.
She
reached up and covered his hand with hers. “I can do that.”
“I know.”
He brushed her fingers away. “But you’ll not.”
After a
few seconds, he moved the wet towel across her forehead and to her other cheek.
When he
reached her neck, she sighed and closed her eyes for a few valuable seconds.
“Thank
you.”
His gentle
caress reminded her how much she’d missed simple comfort…from anyone.
“You’re
welcome.” The cloth soon disappeared. “Now, will you tell me what you dreamed
about?”
“Mark
Rawlings. I dreamed I was back in the train car and he was bleeding out on the
floor. The guy with him faded into the background, but I could see the man’s
hands and lips moving. I couldn’t hear anything, though. Then somebody jabbed
me with something, and my blood drained out of my body, but there was nothing I
could do. The guy standing stayed in front of me. There was another voice, but the
words were garbled.”
“Did you
see anyone else?”
“No, but
at the end I wasn’t paying attention. I was losing consciousness.” She tilted
her head to one side and into her palm. “Colin, what am I going to do if we
don’t find the professor’s attacker soon?”
“We’ll take
it one day at a time.” Strong, confident, able to leap tall buildings and
all…even in the middle of the night.
Twitter:
@AlexaBourne
Buy Links:
Decadent Publishing: http://www.decadentpublishing.com/product_info.php?products_id=695&osCsid=c4f503tisneu0ck64d4qbfspb7
Hi Alexa and Carmen, hope you're having a merry Christmas. This book seems wonderful and I shall certainly be looking out for it.
ReplyDeleteMaria, you should.
DeleteI'll be reading SIMPLE TREASURES soon. I read Fractured Paradise and fell in love with the author's writing style.
Aw, thanks, Carmen!
DeleteHi, Maria! Thanks so much! I'm so excited about SIMPLE TREASURES and I hope you enjoy it!
ReplyDeleteOooh, I must say I'm intrigued to see how an American writer handles writing a story in the UK - even if it does take me a second to remember a faucet is actually a tap.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with all your future projects, Alexa, even if I do feel exhausted as I read about all the things you do.
And "even if" is clearly the phrase of the moment. Sigh.
DeleteLOL, Aurelia! Thanks! My mom grew up in England so I know quite a bit of the "language". As I write, I hear the British accents in my head and write the words the way I hear them. Sadly, I have to write much of them out as I revise so that my American publisher accepts the story. So far all 3 of my books have been set in the UK!
DeleteHi Carmen, Hi Alexa,
ReplyDeleteI thought it would be strange if 'nightmare' wasn't in common usage in USA