Of Ink and Quille

Moonlight streaked across the rolling waves. Warm water lapped at her ankles as she stared out over the water. Hot, sultry, the winds tangled in her hair, kissing her neck. Kneeling, she dropped the single red rose in the surf, the flower blurred by the tears in her eyes. A hand pressed against her abdomen, the band of gold cool against her flesh. Beneath her touch, her baby kicked. Laughing through her tears, she turned to stroll back along the wet sand to the lawn chair open beneath the palm trees. “Tears? Are you sad, this night my love?” She smiled at the warmth and devotion in the rich baritone. Lifting her hand she clasped his hand, pulling him closer. “How can I be sad this night, my darling? We’re together and we will always be now. Nothing can separate us.” “To eternity then,” he handed her a frosty glass and tapped its rim with his own. “To eternity, love, and our son.” “To love and our son.” She sipped at the spicy fruit drink, her eyes on the waves. Yes, ...

To celebrate the season authors Patricia Bates and Ciara Lake are running a contest to give a away two free ebooks. This is how it works -- If you have purchased one of our titles on Amazon other than the books we are giving away (see below)-- we will put you in a contest to win a free ebook from us. Yes this means you could win two books. You have until December 24, 2011 to review one of our books on Amazon. You'll be entered into a draw to win a copy of Firecracker by Patricia Bates and/or The Ketchikan Man by Ciara Lake in Kindle or PDF. There will be two winners, one for whichever book (author) you reviewed. You could win twice if you are in both pots of contestants. You'll need to email Ciaralakeromanceauthor@gmail.com or patriciambates@gmail.com to let us know you have reviewed one of our books and you will be added to the pot of contestants. If you have any questions feel free to contact us to!The winners will receive a book by January 1, 2012. Come out a...

Thanks so much for coming by Lorelie, glad to have you. LC: Thanks for having me.  Prepared to go through the wringer lol... LC Sure fire way. PB: Why did you pick or rather why did the genre pick you that you write in?   LC: I write romantic suspense and that’s what I enjoy reading most of the time, but also enjoy authors such as Harlan Coban and Andrew Gross. 2. How long does it usually take you to write your books?   LC: About 6-8 months roughly, with lots of time for research, revisions, edits and plotting. PB: Where do you get your inspiration?  LC: A lot of times from day dreaming. PB: Name at least two things about writing that you love/hate (can be one of each)  LC: I love getting edits back from the publisher. It’s another ‘take’ on my story. And I hate when my characters take over and keep changing the plot. PB:  You're faced with someone whose looking to break into the industry - what would you tell them?  Be...

If you could be any character, who would you be and why? HH-A A: Well, for the sake of argument, we’re going to make it a character from the Alvarez Family Murder Mystery Series. In that case, I would say Lee Alvarez. I knew I wanted to write a mystery series with a human and likable protagonist, who had a few things going for her. Not perfect, but striving. I didn't want yet another protagonist who learned nothing, who was ostracized from those she loved, who owned one crummy black skirt and life was one, long penance. Lee Alvarez loves life. She’s funny and though she makes mistakes, she learns from them. Like most of us, she grows as she goes along. After all, life is what happens while you’re making other plans. Lee’s lucky to have strong familial support to see her through it all, even though they are often a pain in her jazzercised derriere. If you mean any character from any book, that’s a lot tougher. Maybe Mame in Auntie Mame , by Patrick Dennis. She was...