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Tuesday, December 25, 2012

A Simple Pleasure: Interviewing Alexa Bourne


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:




8 comments:

  1. Hi Alexa and Carmen, hope you're having a merry Christmas. This book seems wonderful and I shall certainly be looking out for it.

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    1. Maria, you should.
      I'll be reading SIMPLE TREASURES soon. I read Fractured Paradise and fell in love with the author's writing style.

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  2. Hi, Maria! Thanks so much! I'm so excited about SIMPLE TREASURES and I hope you enjoy it!

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  3. Oooh, 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.

    Good luck with all your future projects, Alexa, even if I do feel exhausted as I read about all the things you do.

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    Replies
    1. And "even if" is clearly the phrase of the moment. Sigh.

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    2. LOL, 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!

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  4. Hi Carmen, Hi Alexa,

    I thought it would be strange if 'nightmare' wasn't in common usage in USA

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