**There will be a drawing to win one of Debra's wonderful tales. Details below.
Tell us a little about the author. (Bio, tidbits, likes, dislikes. If you use a pen name, why did you choose to do so?)
I’ve been reading and writing romance since high school. The reading part came easy, but although I always dreamed about publishing a romance novel, my first attempts were pretty lame. But many years later, after learning a lot, my dream came true with my first book “This Time for Always”. “Wild Wedding Weekend” is my second book from The Wild Rose Press. "This Can't Be Love" will be coming soon. I do use a pen name as I wanted to keep my “real life” separate from my “author life”.
I live in a suburb of Chicago with my wonderful hubby, who is my real life hero. In my free time, what little there is of it, I love curling up on the couch with him and watching movies. I’m still an avid reader. I always try to read for at least an hour before I go to bed each night. Some nights it happens, some it doesn’t!
Tell us about Wild Wedding Weekend due to be released April 2010. Without giving too much away, how does two world travelers end up married to each other?
Through a set of, shall we say, “interesting” circumstances, our hero and heroine, Abby and Noah, wind up on a game show together. Of course they end up winning the grand prize: a televised wedding! To Noah, a seasoned traveler, the resulting honeymoon is just another adventure. But for Abby, who’d much rather stay at home, it’s an experience way out of her comfort zone. Along the way they discover things not only about each other, but themselves as well.
What inspired you to write the story?
To be honest, I don’t remember the specific inspiration. One day I thought, “Hmn…wouldn’t it be fun to write a story about two people who had to get married because of a game show?” Ta da, a romance was born. I did use a bit of real life inspiration; the places Abby and Noah visit on their honeymoon are the same places my hubby and I visited on ours.
Are your characters purely from your imagination or do you they resemble people you know?
The main characters are straight out of my imagination, although I did base Noah’s looks on Brad Pitt! There are some minor characters in the book I’ve based on people I know. My way of giving them a little shout out.
The Wild Rose Press offers e-books and print books. Do you have a preference?
I have to admit I am partial to print books, especially my own. There’s something incredibly special about holding a book I wrote in my hands and having it on my library shelf.
What are your current projects and works in progress?
In addition to “Wild Wedding Weekend” coming out April 9, I have another book under contract with The Wild Rose Press. “This Can’t Be Love”, which will be my third novel with them, is a spin off of my debut novel, “This Time for Always”.
Currently I’m about a third of the way through my latest WIP. I actually get to meet my editor (All of our contact so far has been through e-mail.) at a conference next month, so I’m hoping to have it done so I can pitch it to her then.
Tell the readers where they can find you:
Readers can visit me at my website www.debrastjohnromance.com or at The Acme Authors Link, http://acmeauthorslink.blogspot.com, where I’m the Sunday blogger.
Is there anything else you’d like to tell the readers?
I’d just like to say thank you to everyone for their support and encouragement. Being an author has been a dream of mine for a long time, and I’m having the time of my life since that dream came true. Thanks so much for visiting here today, and a great big thank you to Karen for having me!
WILD WEDDING WEEKEND
All Abby Walker ever wanted was to live a normal life in her small suburban-Chicago house. After traveling around the world in her youth, staying put in one spot is a dream come true. But when she winds up on a game show as a favor to a friend, her life takes an adventurous turn she isn’t at all prepared for.
Noah Grant has put his small-town Indiana roots behind him. He travels all over the world, enjoying the freedom and adventure. He has no intention of settling down anytime soon, if ever. But then he finds himself married to Abby in a bizarre quirk of fate, and he realizes his life will never be the same.
Their passion flares as hot as the sultry Caribbean air. But is passion enough to turn their Wild Wedding Weekend into a lifetime of love?
Excerpt
“I really am sorry.” Abby's mind whirled. The thoughts tangled. The Noah she’d spent the last couple of days with wasn’t anything like the man she’d imagined him to be. The man even he claimed to be. Who was the real Noah?
She didn’t have time to ponder the question, because he took both her hands in his, drawing her attention back to him. “Know this. While we’re married. For this week, this trip, this asinine show, I am committed to you.” He paused and raised one hand to tuck a wisp of hair behind her ear. “Totally. Completely. Committed. To you.” With each word his voice and head lowered, until the last was a whisper against her lips.
His hand slid around to the back of her neck, then up into her hair, unfastening the clip and tossing it aside. He tangled his fingers in the strands that fell free, using enough force to keep her from pulling away as he deepened the kiss.
Abby had no thoughts of moving even the slightest bit away. She wrapped her arms around him as the tip of his tongue teased the fullness of her bottom lip. When she opened to him and he dipped inside, she almost melted from the instant flood of liquid heat that suffused her body. The warmth spread to her limbs and made her pliant as, his mouth never leaving hers, Noah lowered them both to the bed.
Buy WILD WEDDING WEEKEND at:
www.thewildrosepress.com/wild-wedding-weekend-p-3962.html
Buy THIS TIME FOR ALWAYS at:
www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=903
Blurb: As manager of a local bar, The Corral, Sharlie Montgomery has put the past behind her. That is until Logan Reed walks back into her life, turning her world upside down. His presence brings back painful reminders of the past: the love they once shared, the money he took from her father, and the baby she gave up for adoption.
Logan wants to buy The Corral, and he’s come back to town to prove he’s made it on his own without the Montgomery money. Sparks fly whenever Sharlie and Logan are together. Anger, fear, and jealousy aren’t enough to erase the love they once felt for each other. But is love enough? Logan wants a family—the one thing Sharlie can’t give him.
*Debra will be giving away one pdf copy of her book to one lucky winner. All you have to do is leave a comment, ask a question or just say hi and you're entered in the drawing. Don't forget to leave your contact info.