A "Magic Moment" with Angela Adams

Today I have the pleasure of featuring Angela Adams, who writes and reviews contemporary romances. Her work has appeared in Romance at Heart, Oysters and Chocolate, and The Long and Short Reviews. In December 2011, Whimsical Publications published an anthology, Winter Wonders. Ms. Adams' short story, "Burgers and Hot Chocolate," was among the collection. Now she's here to talk about her book -- Magic Moment. Don't you love the title? Angela has agreed to answer some of my questions.

Thank you, Vonnie, for inviting me today.  I’m a frequent reader and often a commenter on Vintage Vonnie.  It’s a thrill to be featured. 

         1.   Do you ever dream of writing in a different genre?

Sometimes I think I would like to write a children’s book (but I can’t seem to come up with an idea).  My favorite children’s story is The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams.  I love that story.  Almost all children have a stuffed toy that makes them feel secure.  Although the item they’re holding is just a soft and cuddly object, the security and contentment that they feel is real.  Just as the rabbit is real at the end of The Velveteen Rabbit.

 

2.   What part of the writing process brings you the most pleasure? The most angst?

 

The most pleasure is when I read a scene, and I feel it’s working.  The most angst is the first draft.  When I stare at the computer screen and nothing is coming out.  My mind wanders.  It’s very frustrating.

 

But, once I get the first draft down and start the revisions…I enjoy revising…and, feedback.  I love feedback, positive or negative.  Magic Moment was entered in several contests.  One judge made an excellent case that Chase wasn’t likeable until the third chapter.  I felt Chase needed to be liked a lot sooner, so my first three chapters were redone.

 

Obviously, I had made a good decision because after those revisions, I sent the manuscript to Crimson Romance.

 

    3.   What are you currently working on? 

I started a story about two years ago – more of an “inspirational warm and feel good” not a “Romantic Suspense.”  But, it’s so ironic, I write a few chapters then something happens to take me away from the book – like Crimson accepting Magic Moment, then the edits for Magic Moment, now the promotion.  Hopefully, I’ll be able to get back to it soon.

 

   4.   Tell us about your current release

I started to write Magic Moment about four years ago.  I’d already had the idea for a hero who was going through life believing he has to be the type of person others want him to be, rather than the person he wants to be.  Chase is a man who grew up torn between a self-centered, unprincipled father and compassionate, selfless mother.

Then, a colleague of mine, who also has three children, said she wished that her family could live on only her husband’s income and that she didn’t have to work.  Since she had to have a full-time job, she mentioned some important milestones she had missed in her kids’ lives.  For example, her oldest daughter took her first steps in day care.  She said she would be happy being a lunch mom at her daughters’ school and going to PTA meetings.      

Some of our colleagues scoffed.  I couldn’t see anything wrong with her feelings.  Her sadness over those missed moments kind of tugged at my heart.  Those comments influenced Laura, a woman who never aspired for a high-power career, but a simple life as a wife and mother.

Bringing the FBI into their lives, and sending the couple on the run, I threw in for twists and turns.  My television viewing is basically police dramas and soap operas.  The most successful romances are the ones littered with suspense.

Blurb:

When the FBI brings Laura Roberts – a quiet, reserved bookkeeper– in for questioning regarding activities at the warehouse where she works, an uneasy Laura resigns her job – only to be attacked by thugs.

 

Chase Donovan intends to spend a few peaceful days on his boat getting his head together – and finds a woman being assaulted by two men who say his father told them to do it.

Chase doesn’t want to believe his father could hurt anyone. Laura doesn’t understand why she’s a target. Can they learn to work together to discover the truth – before someone dies?

 

 

Excerpt:

As she opened the cabin door, a pleasant, tangy sea breeze tickled her senses.  Stiff limbs hindered her movements, but she climbed the stairs to the deck.  The sun blazed in the clear blue sky.  The boat teetered, alone, in a vast mass of water.  A brisk chill nipped the air, and Laura hugged herself.

 

“Chase,” she called.  No answer.  She called his name again, this time her voice having an edge.

 

He wasn’t in the wheelhouse.  She darted back down the stairs.  If he had been moving around in the bathroom or “head” as he had called it, she would have heard him.

 

“Chase.” Panic gripped her. “Chase.”

 

Her heart pounding, she ran through the narrow corridor and stopped dead in the eating area.  Propped up on the stool, he was asleep at the bar with a half-filled liquor bottle and an empty glass.  His head rested on folded arms, his breathing deep.  A laptop was also on the bar.  The monitor was dark, but the yellow light blinked.  Laura hit the space bar and print appeared on the screen.  Several windows had been minimized.

 

Clicking on one minimized window, she skimmed the on-screen print and gasped, amazed at the words she read.  She clicked another window and saw a search engine page. Chase had been reading articles on women who had been assaulted.  Her eyes scanned the list of titles.  He had wanted to understand, wanted to know how he could help her.  From what she had observed of Chase in the last three years, she never guessed he had this sensitive, compassionate side to his personality.  Her perception of Chase had been that of a friendly, but overindulged, self-absorbed playboy.

 

Who would have guessed?

 

Blog: http://www.authorangela.blogspot.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authorangela

Blog of 2012 Award -- by Vonnie Davis

I’m thrilled to receive this blogging award from talented writer and friend, Calisa Rhose. I can’t think of a better way to ring in the New Year on Vintage Vonnie than to honor Calisa. This is a woman who consistently opens her blog, also known as the ranch, at http://www.calisarhose.wordpress.com as a place for other writers to promote. In addition to interviewing other writers, she also does cover, banner and video reveals to pay forward to other authors.

We met online via the yahoo loops for authors with The Wild Rose Press. She’s fun, interesting and talented…and knows how to sit a horse. Whereas I know how to sit a recliner, but we don’t need to go there. She also possesses a heart as big as I hope mine will be one day. If she knows you, she loves you. How lucky for her family, whom she loves without reserve. She’s fabulous.

This award is unlike other awards that you can only add to your blog once. This award can be updated with additional stars. For every time your blog is nominated, you get to add an additional star. How cool is that?
 

There are a total of “6” stars to collect. Which means that you can checks out your favorite blogs—and even if they have already been given the award by someone else—you can still make your opinion count and pass it on to them again and help them (or me) reach the maximum of “6” stars.

The rules of the award are simple:

1.      Select the blogs you think deserve the 2012 Blog of the Year Award.

2.      Write a blog post and tell us about the blog(s) you have chosen—there’s no minimum or maximum number of blogs required and present them with this award.

3.      Please include a link back to this page: Blog of the Year Award. http://thethoughtpalette.co.uk/our-rewards/blog-of-the-year-award/ and include these rules in your post. (Please don’t alter the rules or the badge!)

4.      Let the blogs(s) you have chosen know that you have given them this award and share the rules with them.

5.      You can now join our Facebook page – click the link here. ‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award (http://www.facebook.com/groups/BlogoftheYear/) and then you can share your blog with an even wider audience.

 

And now it’s my turn and a thrill to pay this honor forward by giving the award to the following bloggers:

 

Angela Adams blogging at http://www.authorangela.blogspot.com/  Here’s a lady—and I mean that in every delightful meaning of the word—who loves promoting other writers. She reviews many books and stories on her blog. I met her through RWA’s online site, From the Heart Romance Writers. She’s truly a delight, full of encouragement and support.

 

Then there’s delightful, spirited Mackenzie Crowne blogging at Mad Mac’s Mania, found at http://mackenziecrowne.com/wp/ . Mac and I met on The Wild Rose Press’s yahoo loop. We refer to it as The Garden—not a thorn in the bunch. Mac is like sunshine in a jar of honey. She’s talented and, in my opinion, an up and coming romance writer. I just love her style. I love the design of her blog and get serious blog envy every time I visit, which is often. Her blog is as open to visitors as her heart is to more friends.

 

I don’t want to forget another up and coming author, Rachel Brimble. Rachel blogs from her home in England at http://rachelbrimble.blogspot.com/ We also met in The Garden and are now represented by the same agent. Rachel has opened her blog to me several times and also to my husband, Calvin. She’s full of energy and encouragement.

 

THANKS TO THE THREE OF YOU FOR SUPPORTING MY JOURNEY AS A WRITER THESE LAST COUPLE YEARS. ENJOY YOUR BLOG OF 2012 AWARD.

ANGELA ADAMS -- Romance Author

I've got a special guest on Vintage Vonnie today. Author Angela Adams. We met online through From the Heart Romance Writers. She's here today to talk about the recent release of a holiday anthology, but first she's agreed to answer a few questions so we can have a chance to get to know her.

1.      What is your life like away from the computer? Tell us something about your household. Jazzie, my cat, wants to know if you have any kitty-pusses.

          Please tell Jazzie that while I think cats are adorable, I’m allergic.  So, no, there aren’t any kitty-cats in my house. 

As far as my life away from the computer, when I’m not writing, I’m reading or checking out new books in the marketplace.  I’ve had a library card since I was six-years-old.  While the card has changed over the years due to wear and tear, I make frequent visits to the library and to my local Barnes & Noble.   I’m also a baseball fan and while I’m listening to a game or the sports analysts on the radio, I rummage around on Amazon.com.  

2.      What authors and genres do you like to read?

           I read mostly romance.  If a particular book of another genre is recommended to me, like a mystery or general fiction, I’ll read it.  But in a bookstore or library, I’m over in the romance section.  I need that escapism and happy ending.  I sit down with a book to relax, and I need to know that when I’m finished, I’m going to feel good.

        As far as authors, I’m a big fan of authors who write series.  Two of my favorites are Robyn Carr and Susan Mallery.  I love Robyn Carr’s Virgin River series, mostly because the place, Virgin River, leaves me nostalgic for the small town in Vermont where I went to college.  Plus, she’s created a cluster of endearing characters that anyone would want for friends, family, and neighbors. 

        Susan Mallery follows a similar formula with her Fool’s Gold series.  I loved her third book in the series, Finding Perfect, since we got to see the teenager from a previous series, Raoul Moreno, as an adult male/hero.

3. Do you enter writing contests? If so, has this been a positive experience for you?

        Yes, I do.  Two or three a year.  I’ve never been a winner, but I’ve gotten such good feedback.  I don’t mean “gushy good” as in “what you’ve written is so wonderful.”  I mean good as in the comments have been honest and helpful.  To me, that’s good.  I never enter a contest with the intention of winning--although it would be fantastic.  I enter with the anticipation of discovering what others think of my work.

4.  Do you ever dream of writing in a different genre?

       Not really.  While my short stories have been basic contemporary feel good romances, the two novels I’ve written are romantic suspense.  That’s pretty much a genre within a genre.  But I haven’t had much success with either of the novels.  I’m still uncertain if the problem is with the novels or with me,  the author.

5. Has your road to publication been a walk in the park or a steep mountain climb? Give us some details?

        Well, I guess I would describe the “road to publication” more like curves winding through some peaks and valleys.  Although I read primarily novels and I like to think of myself as a romance novelist, short stories--of which I’ve read very few--are where I’ve had the most success.  So, although, it’s disheartening to go through rejection after rejection with the novels I’ve written,  there’s the excitement of getting the email that my short story has been accepted. 

6. Tell us about your current release…or soon to be release.

        Whimsical Publications has released an anthology with a winter theme, called Winter Wonders.  A collection of nine short stories, Winter Wonders, debuted on December 12^th with a blend of authors.  Authors like Janet Durbin (If Only), Regina Puckett (Hearts of Fire), Sharon Donovan (Christmas Angel), and Melissa Hosack (Saving Santa) have previous books with Whimsical.  Also included in the anthology are Jenny Twist (Mantequero), Jane Wakely (Christmas Hope), S.M. Senden (Till Death Do Us Part), and Paul McDermott, (Long Winter) and me.  The unique feature of this book is the variety.  There’s a mixture of your basic contemporary romance along with a little melancholy and some mystic flavors. 

Can you describe your story for us?

        If I had to describe my story, Burgers and Hot Chocolate, in one word, that word would be “heartwarming.”  Set in the small coastal village of Magic Lake (I combined my fondness for small town Vermont with my love of the New Jersey shore), Burgers and Hot Chocolate, is about a little girl, her widower father, and a volunteer in her After School Program.  Will Keegan just doesn’t know how to let Theresa Reynolds know he’s interested in her.  At the school’s Holiday concert, little Kelly does her part to get her father’s message across.

  

 BLURB:

 In the quaint, seaside village of Magic Lake Island, the community gathers for the elementary school's holiday concert.  There’s a mutual attraction between school volunteer, Theresa Reynolds, and Will Keegan, a widower with a daughter.  Since Theresa can't seem to break through Will's shyness, five-year-old Kelly Keegan devises a way to get her father and her favorite volunteer together.   

Angela, the anthology sounds wonderful as does the premise for your short story? Do you have an excerpt to share?

 

        “Daddy, this is my Miss Theresa.”  Kelly grinned so hard I thought the freckles that sprinkled her cheeks would burst.  “Miss Theresa, this is my Daddy.”

        When the man stood, my breathing stopped.  This was Kelly’s father? 

        He was tall and muscular, with hair the color of golden wheat.  Dreamy blue eyes accentuated an already handsome face.  He wore a grey sweatshirt and jeans that emphasized his hard, sturdy legs.  He was extremely attractive. 

        I would be lying if I said this was the first time I’d taken notice of him.  I’d often passed this man going through the yard gate when I left the school each day.  Sometimes, I had to stop myself from having heart palpitations.  Assuming he was a father, I’d categorized him as off limits.  Where there was a child, there was a mother and perhaps a wife.  I never saw which child belonged to him, but admired a man who handled “pick up duty”.

        Seeing him now, I realized the thought had never occurred to me he might be there to pick up Kelly.  I’d heard one of the teachers mention in conversation that Kelly’s mother had been killed by a drunk driver three years earlier.  I pegged him to be in his early thirties, not much older than myself.  Already he was a widower, working full-time and raising a little girl.  It couldn’t be easy, yet from my frequent, pleasant interactions with Kelly, he was doing a fabulous job.

        “Will Keegan,” his deep voice said cordially. 

        I looked down at the hand he had extended, feeling my pulse speed up with my sudden rush of anxiety.

        “Theresa Reynolds.”  I shook his hand, hoping he didn’t notice how clammy mine suddenly felt.  

        His grip was firm and sincere.  If he noticed my reaction to him, he hid it well.  

Buy link for WINTER WONDERS is: http://amzn.to/taFg4j

BIO:

Angela Adams, writes and reviews contemporary romances. Her work has appeared in Romance at Heart,Oysters and Chocolate, Whipped Cream Reviews and The Long and Short Reviews. She’s a member of Romance Writers of America and the online chapter, From The Heart Romance Writers.