Wild Roses Blog Tour Week Three

It's week three of the Wild Roses Blog Tour and there are still plenty of chances to win. Post a comment to any of my Wednesday blogs from August 4th to August 25th and you're automatically entered in a chance to win a $20 gift certificate to The Wild Rose Press. And if you post a comment to any other author's Wild Roses Blog post during the month of August, you're automatically entered in a drawing for a virtual basket filled with PDF books.

So, just who's participating in The Wild Roses Blog Tour? And whose blogs do you need to visit to increase your odds of winning the virtual basket?

My blog- Lilly Gayle www.lillygayleromance.blogspot.com

Aileen Harkwood  http://aileenharkwood.blogspot.com
Amber Leigh Williams  http://amberleighwilliams.blogspot.com
Lauri Robinson www.laurirobinson.blogspot.com
Sandra Sookoo http://sandrasookoo.wordpress.com
Catherine Bybee http://catherinebybee.blogspot.com
Christine Deptrillo www.christinedepetrillo.blogspot.com 
Maya Blake http://mayabauthor.blogspot.com

And my guest today, Caroline Clemmons http://carolineclemmons.blogspot.com

Author Caroline Clemmons writes romance and adventure stories. Her time-travel romance, Out of the Blue was a June release and her western historical romance The Texan's Irish Bride  will be released in September.


Lilly- So, Caroline, tell us something about yourself.

Caroline-I have made up adventures as long as I can remember, but didn't begin writing romance novels until our daughters were almost grown. I grew up in West Texas but lived in Southern California for a few years. My husband and I live on a small acreage in North Central Texas with our dog and two cats. In addition to a stay-at-home-mom, my jobs included secretary/bookkeeper, office manager, newspaper reporter and columnist, assistant to the managing editor of a psychology journal, and bookkeeper for our local tax collector. I am thrilled to write full time now- unless life interferes. 

Lilly- Wow, Caroline. That's a lot of jobs. You've kept busy. And I'm sure being able to write full time is a dream come true for you. Color me green! I keep busy with a full time job and have trouble trying to find time to write, especially during the summer when there are so many distractions. I love the sun and being outdoors during the hot, lazy days of summer. What's your favorite season?

Caroline- I love spring when flowers and trees are green and budding. Spring holds promise in addition to being a beautiful time of year. The weather is neither too hot nor too cold, and there are rains to refresh the air and land. I always feel optimistic in spring.

Lilly- What genres do you write?

Caroline-I'm an eclectic writer. In romance, I write time travel, western historical, and contemporary.

Lilly- All genres I enjoy reading! So, what's an ideal writing day like for you?

Caroline- Ideal? That would be to get up, have a quick breakfast with hero (my husband) and then begin writing. Actual is a little different . Hero and I love to linger over breakfast talking over this and that while we watch the birds in our back yard. We have a birdbath, bluebird house, and three bird feeders visible from the breakfast table, so we attract and enjoy watching a nice variety of bird visitors. Then I can never resist checking my email before I write. Sigh.

Lilly- I know what you mean about email. Before I can start writing, I check email, log onto Facebook. Read a few blogs or get lost in research. And then, I might get some writing done. lol! Are you a member of any writing chapters?

Caroline- I belong to Dallas Area Romance Authors (DARA), Yellow Rose RWA, Hearts Through History online, Fantasy, Futuristic, and Parnormal online.

Lilly- I might have to check out some of those online chapters. I belong to Romance Writers of America (RWA) and Heart of Carolina Romance Writers. (HCRW). So, what's the most important thing you've learned about writing?

Caroline_ To persevere. There have been brief periods in which I became discouraged and almost gave up, but my friends shored up my reserves. That's another thing I've learned--we need other writer friends who encourage and nurture us. Family and non-writing friends cannot fully understand our pressures--although I'm lucky enough to have a lot of support from family and friends. Jeanmarie Hamilton, Sandy Crowley, Ashley Kath-Bilsky and others have been very good for my down time. 

Lilly- What published author/authors have given you the best advice and what is it?

Caroline-This advice wasn't given to me personally, but Nora Roberts said, "I can edit crap, I can't edit a blank page." I try to remember this when I'm dithering about whether to go this way or that with a scene.

Lilly- Nora has some great advice! So, tell me something about your latest release.

Caroline- Out of the Blue is available now at http://www.thewildrosepress.com/out-of-the-blue-p-4049.html. It was released in June and is the story of a clairvoyant healer, Deidre in 1845 Ireland and a modern day police detective, Brendan Hunter.

She traveled a 165 years so her clairvoyant gift could help him solve a crime--if killers don't strike first.

A desperate flight from a dangerous man plunges Deirdre Dougherty off a cliff—and into the future…Swept through a time portal 165 years beyond the life she knew in rural Ireland, Deirdre plunges into a lake in central Texas. The brooding man from her precognizant visions rescues her but demands answers she cannot give. Deirdre knows only that he is in danger, and the source has a familiar vibe.

Police Detective Brendan Hunter wants answers. Who shot him and killed his partner? Why? And why does Deirdre know details only he and his late partner knew? The beautiful psycho’s story has to be a colossal fabrication. He wants her gone before he becomes even more fascinated with her.

Together they must solve the riddle of Deirdre’s displacement, battle a drug scandal and stay one step ahead of the enemy—without knowing friend from foe.

. Her neighbors in the isolated rural village don't realize the potato blight is nationwide and believe she cursed their crops. To retaliate, the local bully incites them burn Deidre's home and burn her as a witch. She escapes by leaping off a cliff into the Atlantic. She lands 165 years later in a Texas lake beside the boat of Brendan Hunter, a police detective recovering from wounds received in a drive-by shooting that killed his partner. Brendan thinks she's nuts but his mom, Blossom, takes her into her home.Together, Deidre and Brendan discover who's trying to kill him--an now he too--and why as they come together they realize they are soul mates. 

Lilly- I love time-travel stories, Caroline, and this one sounds fabulous. Can you give us an excerpt?

“Fasten your seat belt.” Brendan strapped himself in place.

Deirdre pulled at the shoulder strap as he had done, but it didn’t budge. She paused in her efforts as panic struck her. “Please, I don’t want to be tied to the seat.”

He ignored her. “Here, I’ll do it.” He reached across her and pulled the binding forward.

His face was only inches from hers. Their lips almost touched. He smelled like fresh air after the rain and morning sunshine and pinecones from the forest. She stopped caring about being strapped in. Instead, she breathed in deeply while scandalous thoughts raced through her.

His breath fell soft on her mouth and he stared into her eyes. He didn’t move. In twenty-five years of life she’d never been kissed on the mouth. Only family had kissed her cheek. Wasn’t it time she experienced a man’s lips on hers?

Lilly- This sounds like a book I need to read! And I hear you have a book coming out in September too. Congratulations! Tell me something about the new book.

Caroline- The Texan's Irish Bride is the story set in 1885 of Dallas McClintock, a young rancher establishing establishing his reputation for horse breeding and training. Cenora Rose McNeil is a lively Irish lass devoted to her family.

He wanted quiet and respect; she gave him the respect.

Cenora Rose O’Neill knows her father somehow arranged the trap for Dallas, but she agrees to wed the handsome stranger. She’d do anything to protect her family, and she wants to save herself from the bully Tom Williams. A fine settled man like Dallas will rid himself of her soon enough, but at least she and her family will be safely away from Tom Williams.

Texas rancher Dallas McClintock has no plans to wed for several years. Right now, he’s trying to establish himself as a successful horse breeder. Severely wounded rescuing Cenora from kidnappers, Dallas is taken to her family’s wagon to be tended. He is trapped into marrying Cenora, but he is not a man who goes back on his word. Ah, but what is he to do with a wife and her wild Irish family?

The Texan's Irish Bride will be available 9/3/10 at http://www.thewildrosepress.com/the-texans-irish-bride-p-4199.html

Lilly- It sounds like your writing career is really taking off. Thanks for blogging with us today. But before you go, is there any other good news you'd like to share.

Caroline-Home Sweet Texas Home will be released in 2011. It's a sweet contemporary set near where I grew up in West Texas. The heroine is a woman struggling to rebellious teenage brother after the lingering death of their mom. When all seems lost, she inherits a fortune. What she learns is that money isn't the fix to all problems. Of course, there's a handsome cowboy rancher to help her on her way.

Lilly- Sounds like another winner. Congratulations!

Caroline-Thanks, Lilly. And thanks so much for having me on your blog today.

You can find Caroline Clemmons at http://carolineclemmons.blogspot.com
and www.carolineclemmons.com