Welcome Guest Author Barbara Edwards #guestauthor

   

        STEPH: Barbara Edwards is a published author with the Wild Rose Press and she's here to talk about her latest release.  Tell us a little bit about your holiday romance.

BARBARA: Journey of the Magi tells the story of a widow, with two small children who desperately wants to give them a safe home. She promises they will reach Connecticut for the holidays but no money, a broken down car and the man of her dreams threaten her plans

STEPH: How long did Journey of the Magi take you to write?

   

BARBARA:         Not as long as my paranormal romances although it did get rejected twice before finally being accepted. Probably four months in total.

STEPH: How much research did you have to do?

BARBARA:            Most of the story came from my life. I visited Minnesota in November for a very cold snowy wedding, I bake a terrific pie crust, I long to be home for the holidays, I try very hard to keep my promises to my family. Wow, now you know a lot about me.

STEPH: How does the cover reflect the story?

BARBARA:      I think so. I guess you’d need to read Journey to see the tiny details the cover artist put it.

STEPH: Noel Martin is the heroine. What are her strengths? Weakness?

BARBARA:     Noel’s determined. When she makes a decision she follows through. Her weakness is she can’t believe in the love she’s found with the hero.

STEPH: What does the hero find appealing about the heroine?

BARBARA:     She is a gentle, loving woman who wants her children’s life to be as wonderful as she remembers her childhood.

STEPH: What was the inspiration behind the novel?

BARBARA:     My manger has two sets of Magi or Wisemen. One set belonged to my Mother and although the paint is peeling and chipped they remind me of Christmas at my parent’s home.

STEPH: What's the theme of the novel?

BARBARA:     Every life is a journey in search of what is your heart’s desire.

STEPH:  What are you reading now?

BARBARA:     I’m picking at several different stories. I have a ton of Wild Rose Press novels on my Kindle and I keep switching.

STEPH: Fun Question: What's your favorite thing to do in the summer time?

BARBARA: I love the beach, any beach - lake, ocean, riverside – as long as the water is murmuring, whispering, burbling.

Journey of the Magi blurb:

Widow Noel Martin never breaks promises, and she promised her kids they’d have Christmas at her childhood home in Connecticut. But driving across country takes money. Noel is broke when a snowstorm blows them into a tiny Minnesota café owned by a man who can change her mind. She accepts his offer of a job. Despite her attraction to him, she makes it clear she is only temporary help.

Dan Longstreet isn’t adopting any more strays, but he needs a waitress. Dan works so hard to make his café a success, he doesn't have time for love. Though Noel’s slender blonde beauty stuns him and her two adorable children tug at his heart, he denies how they threaten to change his life.

When tragedy strikes, their new-found love is the first victim. Noel can't stay and Dan can't leave. Will their journey be the gift that reunites them? 

BUY LINK: 

http://amzn.com/B00ES5DZEQ

Excerpt from Journey of the Magi:

“Oh, Holly, how many times have I told you not to open the door to strangers?”

Holly stared at her mother.

“That’s what Dan said, too.” Her forehead wrinkled as she pursed her mouth. “Do all grown-ups say the same things?”

“Not all. And I think you should call him Mr. Longstreet.”

“I did. But he said I could call him Dan since you were already friends.”

Noel ducked her head to avoid Holly’s gaze as her stomach warmed. Friends? Her pulse raced and her skin tingled when he was close, not feelings she had for a friend. Dan sparked a strong attraction in her, but she had no intention of acting on it. She had to keep firmly to her goal: they were going home.

Home. She’d dreamed of returning for so long. If she was honest, going home had been her hope for years. The big old farmhouse had given a sad, lonely child more than shelter. It held the memories of loving arms cradling her, fresh-baked cookies and safety. All the things she wanted for her babies.

Nicholas gave a contented hiccup and she eased him over to burp. As soon as she dressed, she’d remind Dan she had to leave before Christmas.

Journey of the Magi is available: http://amzn.com/B00ES5DZEQ

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National Poetry Month - meet poet Barbara Edwards

Barbara Edwards

I’m Barbara Edwards and I’m so happy to celebrate National Poetry Month with you.  In fifth grade, Mrs. Robinson assigned a poem a week to memorize and I began my love-affair with the beauty of the written word. If you gave me time, I could still recite many of those poems and tell you what they mean to me. It was a wonderful gift from a wonderful teacher. 

STEPH: How long have you been writing poetry?

BARBARA: Since I was a young girl, so it’s been a life-long love.

My poems are about me, my feelings, my emotions, so I never tried to have any of them published.

STEPH:What type of poetry do you like to write? free form? villianelles? Quatrains, Sonnets, hiakus, etc...

BARBARA: Oh my, what a selection of types. Since I wrote for my pleasure, I never settled on a specific format. I did what sounded best to me. Probably free form fist my best.

STEPH: Who is your favorite poet?

BARBARA: I love Robert Frost, another New England native.

STEPH: What is your favorite poem and why?

BARBARA: Frost’s “The Road Less Traveled” is one of my favorites.

 

STEPH: Can you share a poem of yours or two with us? 

**copyright notice** 

The poems on the blog are copyrighted to the author. Do not use without permission from the author

****

BARBARA So many poems, so little space. How about these? 

    

        Winnie

The damned cat died.

Old age, I suppose,

That mangy hair-ball.

Remember her silly kitten act?

Chasing dust balls from under the bed

To scatter tatters across the rug

And sneeze pieces clinging to her whiskers.

How many times did she drop an offering

At my feet or on the back step?

Mighty hunter of baby birds and mice

And once a two foot long snake.

Grooming in a ray of sunlight,

She’d stare contemptuously at my entrance

When I opened the door

Her tongue a tiny pink raspberry.

A purring lump against the small of my back

On cold,  lonely nights.

Her raspy tongue would lick my chin

And tickle before I pushed her away.

So the damned cat died.

And I’m putting her ragged toys,

Bowl and collar into a brown bag.

To dispose of. Maybe.

I’ll miss the damned cat.

Much more than I ever miss you.

So tomorrow I’ll get another kitten,

Although I can’t think why.

Tonight there is an empty doorstep,

And a cold hollow at the small of my back.

And I’ll cry again, for both of you.

But mostly because the damned cat died. 

Or for a change

   TRAVELER

Come

Join me on my journey

Share a way with me

A mile, a league, a pace or two

Time matters not, I am with you.

At a twist in the path

Where a fork split the way

Hushed by the silence

My soul heard yours say

Don’t hurt me, Don’t love me,

Don’t leave me alone...

The words didn’t match

Your expression of stone.

With laughter, caresses, I gave gentle care

Fearful myself, I gave what I dare.

Confused by my feelings,

Lacking a map, sign or guide,

I need to move onward,

Come, walk at my side.

Thanks for hosting me Stephanie. I enjoyed it. Barbara

Please visit me at www.barbaraedwards.net for excerpts from my books,

Buy links and free reads.

If you like my poems, I’ll post a few more on my site.

Welcome Guest Author, Barbara Edwards

Steph: I'd like to welcome author Barabara Edwards. Her latest release is "Ancient Blood," and it's a paranormal, right up my alley! Barbara is a wonderful lady and fellow Book Spa Friend. Thanks for being here today!

Barbara:Hello, Stephanie, Thanks for having me as your guest today and the chance to talk about my new release, Ancient Blood.

Steph: I don't know much about Ancient Blood. What's it about?

Barbara: Ancient Blood is set in the small New England town of Rhodes End where the paranormal is the norm. The hero, Cole, is a hereditary werewolf. Lily, a woman running from a dangerous stalker, is the heroine. Neither is ready for love, but it finds them anyway.

Steph: Where did the inspiration for it come from?

Barbara: The same place as all my stories-I dreamed about Cole and Lily. The big difference was that theirs was a love scene and when I woke up I knew how much I wanted to write their story.

Steph: How long did it take you to write?

Barbara: Over a year, with rewrites. I really envy authors Like Nora Roberts who write a book in a couple months.

Steph: Did you have to do a lot of research on it?

Barbaraa: Oh yes. I researched mitrochondrial DNA along with the pattern of hereditary characteristics, the results on ingesting Wolfsbane, the colors of auras and their interpretation, the mating habits of wolves along with the herbs that are commonly grown in New England.

Steph: Are you a plotter or a panster?

Barbara: I keep switching back and forth. There are times when I know exactly what and where the scene will contain, how it fits in the story and expands the plot. At other times, the characters take over and the whole thing goes in a direction I never imagined.

Steph: Cast the movie - Ancient Blood. Who plays the main characters?


Barbara: I’m not a movie go-er so I don’t know who the big name stars are. I would need a lean, dark, brooding hero for Cole and a spunky, intelligent blonde who loves animals to play Lily. Any suggestions?

Steph: I'm a sucker for Robert Pattinson. What do you think of Mena Suvri for Lily? What's the theme of Ancient Blood?

Barbara: Lily and Cole’s story was inspired by an idea I pursued in Ancient Awakening. It’s a question of how you face problems that life presents you. Lily has to accept that the result of her head injury, her ability to see auras, is a part of her. Cole cannot accept his werewolf status. He is obsessed with finding a cure.


Steph: What can readers take with them after reading the book?

Barbara: I hope they want to visit New England. It’s a beautiful, fascinating place full of history. The oldest known case of Vampires is in New England. Do you know where?

Steph: Oh my gosh, I grew up in New Hampshire and have to a lot of places, I know about the Salem Witch trials, but not about the vampires. I would have to guess they're somewhere in Massachuetts though.

Do you have an e-book reader? If so, which one?

Barbara: I have a Sony e-book reader. It is an older one almost five years old. I have been looking at all the choices, Kindle, B&N’s Nook, Sony’s new e-book reader and can’t decide which I want more. Each has good points.


Steph: For fun: What's your favorite pie?

Barbara: Strawberry-Rhubarb pie is my absolute favorite and I make it every spring when the rhubarb is ripe.
I make great crust, by the way.

Here’s a blurb and excerpt from Ancient Blood:

Lily Alban escapes a murderous stalker, but his vicious attack leaves her with the ability to see auras. She finds safety in the tiny hamlet of Rhodes End where a stranger stands out like a red light. Try as she might to deny her growing desire for Cole, she seeks his help but soon discovers the man she loves is not a man at all.

Werewolf Cole Benedict resists his attraction to Lily. A botanist researching the healing herbs to find a cure for Lycanthropy, he’s determined to protect Lily from her stalker as well as himself even in human form, but instinct takes over when he changes to his inner beast.

Together they must use their extraordinary gifts to catch Lily’s stalker before he attacks again, but revealing their secrets to one another could destroy their growing love or save them both.


“Lily?” His strong hands gently cupped her shoulders.
“Don’t, please don’t.”

She pulled away, fully intending to flee. Her resistance shattered, and she turned into his embrace. It was too late to escape.
Pressing against his strength, she wound her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. His erection prodded her stomach, and she moaned. A heavy groan filled his throat as he lifted her from her feet. He kicked the bag aside as he sat her on the counter.

“I can’t wait,” he growled. His flaring aura spiraled with colors she couldn’t name. She caught her breath. One hand burrowed through her hair, keeping her still as he stepped between her thighs. “You’re all I could think about all day.”

Clasping her bottom, he slid her to the edge of the counter. With his lips claiming her mouth, he unbuttoned her slacks, than lifted her slightly to push them down and off.

The cold surface only made her more aware of his scorching heat. His rough denim pants scraped her inner thighs in contrast with the silky hair under her palms. Her pulse leaped, and she gasped. His male scent mixed with hints of the wild forest filled her nostrils. When his fingertip explored the heated moisture gathering at her juncture, she tightened her thighs around his hips.

Ancient Blood is Available from The Wild Rose Press http://www.thewildrosepress.com
Print ISBN: 1-60154-916-4
Print ISBN 13: 9781601549167

Again, thank you for having me as your guest.
Barbara Edwards

Visit my website: http://www.barbaraedwards.net for more excerpts from all my books

Steph: Barbara, that's a hot excerpt! I cannot wait to read! You've got me hooked. hehe