Brita Addams – Demands Of The Heart
Fellow Noble Author, Brita Addams, joins me today to give us a little peek into her world, talk about her newest release, Demands of the Heart and give away some fabulous prizes.
Welcome Brita!
Who is your hero? And why? My husband is hands down my hero. Why? Aside from being handsome, loving and my best friend, he’s truly my other half. He helped me raised my two older children and he loves me no matter who I am on any particular day. That, my friends, is the very definition of hero in my book.
What one event in your childhood had the greatest effect on your writing career? When I was in seventh grade, my teacher, Mr. Green, sent one of my short stories to an author, Hal Borland. I didn’t know anything about it until Mr. G. called me to his desk one afternoon and showed me my story, with lots of notes written in the margins. Mr. Borland had read the story and critiqued it. He said some very nice things about my promise as a writer.
When I took the story home, I was greeted with a lecture on pipedreams and the “reality” of how successful writers really are, and that alone stopped me from writing for a very long time. It also was one of the reasons I started writing seriously.
My dad was a frustrated writer himself and an all-round bitter man. It’s sad that never changed.
Who is your best friend, and what do you like best about him or her? List your best friend’s favorite books. How do they compare to yours? As I said before, my husband is my best friend. He’s kind, loving and the best cook on the planet. Being retired, he really fills in the gaps, doing things around the house that I did for years. I still do laundry, but he really does so much, and that gives me the time I need to write and research.
He’s also the best dad a kid could ever hope to have and he has the best smile I’ve ever seen.
His books – well, he reads what strikes him, but romance is definitely not on his to-be-read list.
What “lesson from mom” do you still live by today? My mother was very old-fashioned, which was one of her most endearing qualities. She taught me how to dress for the occasion, be polite and she was a stickler for manners. I’d say those lessons have served me well.
She also served vegetables every night, which laugh if you will, but parents should do more of that.
Mom was a very simple woman, practical, and family oriented. Her presence was graceful and unassuming – sadly quite different from mine. LOL
What’s the one thing you want to accomplish, or write about, before you die? I really want to write a m/m Civil War story, and will, maybe in the next year or so. I have many notes for the story and have done tons of research, but I haven’t settled into the story yet.
I know it will take place in the north, as I had many ancestors that fought in the Civil War. In my genealogical research, I uncovered some very interesting stories, like a man who joined the Army at the age of 43, leaving at home a wife and two small children. Seven months later, he fought in Cold Harbor, one of the bloodiest battles of the whole war. He was shot in the left elbow, taken to Soldier’s Hospital in Washington, DC, and died a short time later due to his injury. I can only imagine that he’d been left on the battlefield for several days, as many were, while the fighting raged around the dead and wounded. Undoubtedly, infection set in long before he ended up in the notoriously wanting care of Civil War doctors.
If you could spend a week anywhere in the world, where would it be? Would you write or read there, or do something else? I want to go to England. We’ve traveled a lot, but we’ve not made it to Europe yet. It would be strictly for pleasure and research. I’d sightsee until I couldn’t stand up. I can read and write at home.
I have a real need to see all the locations I write about in my books and get a feel for England. The pictures I’d take would be phenomenal.
I want to eat in the wonderful restaurants and tour the museums and landmarks and have a real English teatime. Oh, and of course I’d have to visit my friend Aleks Voinov.
Do you have a pet that keeps you company when you write? If so, write about him or her. Has your pet taught you anything about writing? If so, what? We have two pets actually. Our cat Stormee, is thirteen years old. We got him when he was just a little guy and now he’s a cranky old fart, but we love him dearly.
Our other pet is our two-year old Maltipoo, Fiona Dahlia. She is with me all the time, no matter what I’m doing. She usually sleeps right beside me while I’m writing.
Stormee actually makes an appearance in Demands of the Heart, in the epilogue, but Fiona hasn’t and probably won’t. No, they haven’t taught me anything, save for to take a break and throw her puppy toy more often.
What’s the most unusual place you have visited? I lived in Iceland for two years, which was an experience I’ll never forget. It made me appreciate my home country, but I wouldn’t give up those two years for anything. I traveled to Scotland during that time on holiday, and it was an amazing experience.
Iceland is not overly frigid and it rarely snowed while I was there. We actually sunbathed in summer and while chilly, it wasn’t uncomfortable.
The most interesting thing for me was the Midnight Sun phenomenon. While in summer and in fair weather, the sun was out all day, in winter, the Polar Night takes over, during which the sun stays hidden throughout the day, with maybe 3 to 4 hours of sunshine in 24. We read of such things in school, but to experience it for myself was amazing.
Getting to know some of the locals, particularly an 18 year old girl who was our babysitter, was a joy. You should have seen what I had to do to explain to our landlord that I needed a babysitter. Yep, I put my baby on the bed and pretend to sit on him. The only English word the man knew was “Money,” said, of course, with his hand out. LOL
If you could have a quiet dinner with just one author, who would you choose? Undoubtedly, I’d love to have dinner with Aleks Voinov. He’s a clever guy, who thinks in a way that’s extraordinary to me. I’d love to have a couple of hours to pick his brain.
Aleks was the first person to welcome me into the writing world and I’ll never forget his kindness them and all those that have come since. He’s mentored me and aided me in my writing. His friendship is one of those that I truly treasure.
Tell us about your latest release. Demands of the Heart is a story that has been long getting to publication. It’s the first story I ever wrote with the intent of submitting and somehow it required more and more, until several other pieces came before it.
I’m very pleased with it and proud to have it in the hands of the readers.
Here’s the blurb:
In 1807, idealistic Richard Fanshaw and Victoria Bramhill are consumed with each other, their young love blooming amidst a series of carefree soirees and stolen moments.
But jealousy and greed turn what they have into something ugly and twisted. They’re wrenched apart amid vile lies and deceit when Victoria’s freedom is bought to pay her father’s debts.
Six years later, Victoria is widowed and a cynical Richard has just returned to England after years in India. Having been given the impression that Victoria’s marriage was a happy one, a chance meeting renews Richard’s anger over Victoria’s betrayal and sets in motion a plan for revenge.
One must answer the demands of the heart.
To read an excerpt and purchase, click here: Demands of the Heart
I’d love to hear from you. You can find me at any of these places:
Email address: britaaddams@gmail.com
Twitter: @britaaddams
20% off To celebrate the release of Demand’s of the Heart, Noble Romance Publishing is offering my entire backlist at 20% off. This is for sales on the Noble Romance Publishing site only and only my titles.
There’s no limit. Buy one book, or all seven, you’ll get 20% off your purchase. The eligible titles are: Serenity’s Dream; Lord Decadent’s Obsession; Chocolate, Tea, and the Duchess; The Rogue’s Salvation; A Minute After Midnight; An Evening at the Starlight, and the book I wrote under the name Tina Ordone, Her Timeless Obsession.
The price you’ll see is the reduced price.
The sale will run from midnight, Pacific time, February 20 to 11:59 pm Pacific time, March 2.
This is a backlist sale, so it doesn’t include Demands of the Heart.
I have several contests running during the book tour, ending at midnight, March 2.
Contest #1:
I’ll choose a daily winner from the commenters. I’ll will be giving away an ebook from my backlist at each stop. The only exclusion is Demands of the Heart. One book per commenter, please.
Contest #2:
Demands of the Heart T-Shirt Contest:
If you answer the three questions correctly, you could be one of four winners. The prize will be a T-Shirt with the cover of the book on it. The shirt also says that the cover is model, Jimmy Thomas’s 1500th cover. There will be four winners, each winning a T-Shirt and other swag.
All answers are found on Brita’s website.
Please do NOT put the answers in the comments section of this blog or on Brita’s site. Email them to Brita, with T-Shirt Answers in the subject line.
- What book did I write under another name?
- Who is the character, Lucien Damrill, patterned after?
- Describe the signature brandy snifter at the Sapphire Club.
Contest #3: GRAND PRIZE
This contest is about Demands of the Heart. Of course, you’re under no obligation to buy or read the book, but if you choose to, this contest is for you.
I’ve put three questions up on my website, all relating to my book, Demands of the Heart. Answer the questions and EMAIL me, with the answers, at britaaddams@gmail.com Be sure to put GRAND PRIZE in the subject line.
You must have all three questions answered correctly to be entered into the drawing.
The Grand Prize is the entire Sapphire Club series in print, signed by the author. I’ll also include some other signed swag.
Good luck and I hope to hear from you soon.
Thanks so much for coming by Brita! Congratulations on your newest release, best of luck on the sales and wishing you lots of fun with all of you contests and hoping with your tour!
Censorship And PayPal: UnConstitutional and WRONG
Edit: Here is the link to the official petition concerning this matter: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/7/stop-internet-censorship/ If you enjoy having the right to write and read what you choose as a law-abiding, consenting adult without interference from financiers, please consider taking time to sign this petition. It’s YOUR right. As Yogi Berra would say: It’s deja vu all over again. A while back, I spoke on this blog about my frustration and anger with PayPal. The issue at the time was that they …
Don’t hesitate to make your voice heard. If you think the censorship will stop with uncomfortable topics/genres, you’re wrong.
Release Day: Dead Means Dead By J.S. Wayne
Good friend, fellow author and spaztic spork flinging Swedish Chef aficionado, J.S. Wayne has a new release. It thrills, it chills and it eats the brains. Check it out!!
Sarah Ballance
Hey now, look who’s in the house! Sarah Ballance has agreed to play in my sand box today! Yay!! Whoopie…so excited! Ok, if you don’t know, and you should know, Sarah Ballance throws these awesome parties at her pad and every time I visit we have a hoot of a time. So I’m just a little thrilled (just a little) that she’s here today.
Enough Rambling! Here she is, Sarah, please tell everyone a little about yourself:
I am a full time author, other than when I’m staying at home with my six kids ages 13 and under. Which is all the time. (Actually, I don’t know how I ever have time to write.) I’m happily married (for a really, really long time, says him) and my husband and I love sneaking away from the kids for some alone time, which frankly does nothing for the kid population. And as for the question everyone wants to know but no one wants to ask, yes, we had all those kids on purpose…almost. We had the first five on purpose. Then I had my tubes tied. THEN two years later we found out about baby #6. She’s precious, isn’t she? Into stuff she wasn’t supposed to be into from the very beginning. (My tubes have since been removed entirely. Hmph.)
Six kids…holy hell…guess that means there was a lot of research going on….right, right?! wink wink….ok, I’ll quit…maybe.
When and why did you start writing?
I took a stab at nonfiction—and I don’t know what made me do that—not long after my fifth baby was born. A few months in, a friend suggested I try writing a novel. I said nuh-uh, no way. No sooner had I said I couldn’t, it hit me: I said I couldn’t! And I don’t like being told I can’t do things, not even by me. So I started writing Down in Flames. It took me six months to finish it, and it was picked up by the first publisher I queried. It became my first release in June 2010, just two weeks after that uber-persistant baby #6 was born.
Does listening to music have an influence on your writing?
Not in the conventional way. I am now writing my seventh book and I’m on my second CD since 2008. I listen to the same thing over and over when I write—first Miranda Lambert’s Kerosene and now Jason Aldean’s Wide Open—and I don’t know how to explain it, but it’s like the moment those first notes play, I’m in writing mode. It’s like Pavlov’s dogs and the slobber. I heard the music—well, not any music, but that music—and I write. It has no bearing on the mood of the story, but rather my ability to write it. (It=anything. At all.)
Wow, good for you girl… shoot, if I hear a song one too many times I stop hearing it if you know what I mean. It’s like my brain goes…yeah, yeah, next… It sure would save me some money if I didn’t have to keep a constant rotation in the playlist.
Any favorite authors? Who inspired you when you were young? And now?
When I was a kid I devoured the Nancy Drew Case Files. Devoured them. Once I got out of high school I didn’t read much more than parenting magazines, but after I wrote my first book, I downloaded a free read from Harlequin Intrigue. I was HOOKED. That story was Crime Scene at Cardwell Ranch from B.J. Daniels, and my love for romantic suspense began right there. Most of my work since has been romantic suspense.
Do you ever get stalled in the middle of a story? If so how do you get past it?
Meh. (In other words, yes. LOL.) Usually when I stall it’s because either something doesn’t feel right or I have something on my mind—another scene or a plot thread nagging at me. So I just skip a couple lines in my WIP and start writing whatever DOES come to me. Once I spit that out I can go back and write in sequence, no problem. And what’s really nice is when I catch up to the part I wrote ahead, it’s a fast edit. (Good for morale, LOL.)
I bet! Yeah, sometimes the best solution is to walk away or skip it for a minute…or a week in my case *slinks away*…finding a method that works to get you beyond that block is great!!!
Who has been your favorite character to write to date and why?
Oh, this is hard. I usually like the hero in my current WIP the most, but I’m only at the beginning and don’t know him too well yet. *grin* That said, I’d have to say Gage from Unforgiven. He reminds me SO much of my husband. The banter between Gage and Riley is straight out of my marriage (which explains why my husband says we’ve been married for a “long, long time”).
Quick fire questions:
Favorite color: Blue
Satin or Lace: Satin
Most attractive part of the body: Hands. (Which is ironic, because my husband’s hands are rough and they never come clean, but that is SO sexy. And yes, I just failed at quick fire. What did you expect? I write novels!)
Pantser or Plotter: Panster
Favorite place to write: In the boat at the marina (I’m there right now!) or in the front seat of our gi-normous truck. Hmmm . . . I guess that means I like both the front and the back seat, but I can’t say which I like more—or for what—because that wasn’t a question. And yes, the boat does rock. Where are you going with this, anyway? *grin*
Hehehe…you said “gi-normous” and “back seat” OH, you caught me! But what else could we expect from such a fabu romance writer?!
Thanks so much for playing along with me today Sarah! Before I let you go could you tell everyone what projects you’re working on and maybe give us a taste of your latest release.
I’m working on LAST CALL, a romantic suspense coming this spring to For the Muse Publishing. Here’s the blurb:
An accidental witness to a murder-for-hire, ex-cop Rhys Clark becomes the target of ruthless killer—one determined to silence her at any cost. Playing dead seems to be the most likely way to stay alive, but when her protection comes in the form of mega-sexy former adversary Nick Massey, Rhys can think of a few fates worse than death.
Nick Massey may have walked away from his troubles, but he never got past wanting Rhys. Once paired undercover, they’d been nothing but fireworks until a botched assignment ended her career, sending his into a tailspin. Now a mysterious client is willing to pay Nick anything to keep Rhys safe, but it isn’t until fate takes a critical turn that he realizes the devastating truth: he’s been her greatest threat all along.
And TIDE OF LIES, which follows my recent release FAMILIAR LIGHT, should see the light of day eventually. It’s under consideration (or under a rug, or perhaps under a high rise with that Hoffa fellow everyone is always looking for). Anyway, hopefully it will get out there somewhere shy of posthumously, and because I want you all to read FAMILIAR LIGHT so you’ll want to read TIDE OF LIES, here’s an excerpt of LIGHT. And keep in mind it’s only $3, and for that you get sex, lies, and murder. And some chafing, but sand does that, you know. ;c)
FAMILIAR LIGHT – excerpt
“Can I help you?” The gruff question trickled through the cavernous space like water leaking through pipes. He seemed to materialize from the shadows as he strode toward her, the rise of heat from the concrete floor keeping him just out of focus.
But her heart knew.
She swallowed a hard knob of regret. “Bridger?”
He couldn’t have heard her—not with the way she clung to his name, as if saying it out loud would be to lose another piece of him. But his step faltered, and the recognition in that interrupted cadence brought the burn of tears to her eyes.
No regrets.
She stood, trembling, as the fifty feet between them dwindled to ten. When he was close enough for her to make out the stubble lining his jaw, his legs stopped moving, but his gaze tore over her. The impassioned glare was without direction, a harsh reflection of the hard lines edging his face. The warm brown eyes she remembered were now a bitter shade of espresso.
“What are you doing here?” he asked.
The words, tense with fury, sent her backpedaling against the concrete wall. Too late, she realized she no longer knew this man. They were kids when they’d parted ways, too naïve to realize they’d never keep those breathless promises. At least she’d been that way. His tone suggested otherwise.
They were alone in the deeply shadowed belly of Barrier Shoals Light. And for the first time within those walls, Laney tasted fear.
“Was I supposed to wait for you?” he asked.
Seven years had passed since her weak-kneed promise to return to him. She didn’t have an answer for that.
He took another step, boxing her against the curvature of the rock. He stood close—so close, she had to tip her head to meet his eyes.
And she summoned courage to do it.
“Was I?” he asked, his voice softer now. He leaned closer. The stifling heat morphed into sexual innuendo, his skin slick with sweat, daring her to touch.
She was one careless thought away from taking him up on that unspoken suggestion. Her fingers itched to claw through his hair, to draw him closer until the distance between them evaporated. Memories of frantically grasping for purchase against the stone wall besieged her, curling fear into boundless adrenaline. “Did you?”
Her words coaxed a slow grin from his sensual mouth. “Was I supposed to?”
FAMILIAR LIGHT blurb and links
BLURB
Seven years of longing comes down to just one night.
Laney Kent returns to Barrier Shoals hoping to reunite with her first love, Bridger. She anticipates his reception might be chilly, but what she doesn’t expect is to become the victim of a deadly obsession … or that this night with Bridger could be her last.
Bridger Jansen tangled a lot of sheets trying to forget about Laney, but his heart knew what the rest of him refused to admit: he could love no one else. He’s determined not to forgive her for leaving him without explanation, but when he fails to protect her from a viscous attack, the person he can’t forgive just might be himself.
BUY LINKS
NOBLE ROMANCE https://www.nobleromance.com/Books/344/Familiar-Light
AMAZON http://www.amazon.com/Familiar-Light-ebook/dp/B0063JH94W/
BARNES & NOBLE http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Familiar-Light/Sarah-Ballance/e/2940013643741
Stalk Sarah yonder here:
WEBSITE http://www.sarahballance.com/
BLOG http://sarahballance.wordpress.com/
AMAZON http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B003WKYEJI
TWITTER http://twitter.com/#!/SarahBallance
FACEBOOK http://www.facebook.com/sarah.ballance.author.news
NOBLE ROMANCE https://www.nobleromance.com/Authors/97/Sarah-Ballance
Valentines Day Blog Hop
Hello Lovers! For Valentines Day I’m participating in the With Love Valentines Day Blog Hop with over two hundred and fifty other lovely authors. Wow, that’s a lot of great company! There are a ton of prizes to be had for people who comment so follow the link below or click on the blog hop image to see everyone who’s participating and what they have to offer.
http://thebloghopspot.com/event-page/
Today, if you leave a comment and tell me how you met your significant other, the love of your life, the light in your eyes, you have a chance to win a copy of my book, Sly’s Surrender. Tell me about your love, it’s just as easy as that. Comments will be accepted through V-Day! 
And to be fair, I’ll share a little tidbit from my own true life love story. I met my husband at a playground. We were both single parents and had brought our kids to a park so they could get their yayas out. As our kids took turns doing their fly by “Hi Mommy”s and “Hi Daddy”s, we got to talking and found we had a lot in common. As the sun set we had made plans to meet up again and with each play date we set up for our kids we got closer together. After about a month friendship sparked a romance and the rest is history. You never know when and where you’ll meet your special someone and though I never imagined I’d meet mind at a playground, I couldn’t think of anything more perfect.
Blurb:
By day, Sly is a take-charge, no-nonsense restaurateur, and at night, she plays her hand as a demanding mistress. Sly has everything her heart desires: a successful business with loyal patrons, a gorgeous boyfriend, and a flare for dominating in the bedroom.
Everything she’s ever tried has gone her way, every decision followed to success, every goal achieved, and yet she yearns for more.
One night, she decides to try something new, giving up her customary control to the tall, dark, and sexy Jake. Jake is put in a position to prove to his lover just what he’s capable of, and Sly experiences the new pleasures to be found in letting someone else handle her reins.
Excerpt:
Jake had been waiting on his barstool for an hour already and had started to lose patience with his date. Oh, he knew she’d come eventually; she always did. But even knowing Sly’s usual M.O.—that of consistently arriving late—Jake never failed to show up on time, because the one time he decided to be late would be the one time she’d be on time. He sighed and checked his watch again. How much longer would he have to wait?
He called Tony over with a hasty jerk of his hand. The bartender rolled his eyes and shook his head. In his mid fifties, Tony had gray hair—what was left of it—and he wore a white dress shirt under a black vest. The only thing missing from his outfit was the black armband reminiscent of the style at the turn of the twentieth century. Sly told him once that Tony had been tending bar there for thirty years, which could explain his gruff attitude. Jake never had any problems with the old man but thought he had a funny way of treating paying customers. After a minute or two, Tony begrudgingly set a fresh glass of soda on a clean little napkin and sternly eyed Jake.
“Hope she’s worth it, boy,” he said with a grunt and a little too much emphasis on boy, as far as Jake was concerned.
Jake watched the back of the bartender’s shiny head as he turned to tend to a couple patrons who ordered more than a Coke, giving obvious preference to his more lucrative patrons.
Jake sighed again and glanced at the door. Still no Sly. Yeah, she was worth it, but that didn’t mean he had to enjoy complying with all her demands—such as abstaining from drinking alcohol. He had to admit she had sound reasoning behind her command; how could she be in control if he was drunk? But her insistence he wait for her late ass all the time drove him crazy.
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