Meet Author Marianne Stephens...and April Ash!

Welcome to my writing world! I write both romance and nonfiction books. Fiction is easy to write since I can make the characters act the way I want...but, nonfiction is also easy since I have to stick to facts and not worry about creating a story from scratch! Both are easy; both are hard. I enjoy writing both!

Marianne Stephens writes sweet/sensual romance and nonfiction. April Ash has written two erotic romance books.

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BIO:
I started out as a reader of regencies/historical romance, moved on to contemporary, paranormal, and erotic. I wrote a book in 1994 when I knew nothing about the industry...except that I loved reading romance books. Rejections flowed and I realized I needed help. I joined RWA and Mid-America Romance Authors in 1994. It took years of writing to realize...thanks to multi-published, romance author, Carla Cassidy...that I was writing episodes, not stories that "flowed" from chapter to chapter. She told me this in 2006...and that's when I edited a book and sold it later that year.

Q: How did you celebrate publishing your first book?
A: My then-editor, Helen, lives in Australia. She emailed me offering a contract for Second Sight Dating...but it was around midnight my time. My husband was already asleep, but I woke him up to tell him the good news. I waited to call my kids/friends/relatives.

Q: What is the most important thing you do for your career now, as compared to when you first started writing?
A: Promo: all kinds. I wasn't good at getting my name "out there" and being in groups. Now I even give talks about being an author.

Q: Of all your characters, who’s your favorite, and why?
A: Katie in Gone to the Dogs by Marianne Stephens. I wrote this book in first person and loved being in her head the entire book.

Q: If you could change something about your first book, what would it be?
A: I'd add more pages to the ending. Second Sight Dating is about a psychic who runs a dating agency, and I'd love to add more detail to the last chapter.

Q: How do you choose names for your characters?
A: I like to use "everyday" names that people can relate to: Katie, Mike, Eileen, Jeff, etc. I think it makes readers feel more of a sense of intimacy with characters.

Q: Covers. Ever get one you wish you could change? 
A: YES! Sexy Games by April Ash has a cover I'm not fond of. There's nothing in it I requested and the naked rear end on the cover is something I specifically asked not to have. Sometimes an author has no say in what the cover looks like.

Q: If you could give a younger version of yourself advice, what would it be?
A: Start writing sooner!

Q: Have you ever used an incident from your real life into one of your books?
A: Yes. In Street of Dreams, I have the hero and heroine experience the first East Coast Blackout in 1965. Been there; done that! Lived through it so I could have them face the same problems everyone did at that time.This is the "book of my heart".

Q: Any part of a book that drives you crazy as you write: beginning, middle, or end?
A: The middle drives me nuts, even though I know what has to happen.

Q: Out of your entire backlist, which book has the best opening line? What's the line?
A: Book: Gone to the Dogs. Best opening line: "Your dog ate your underwear". This actually happened (not my underwear but my daughter's), and that's what the vet said when I rushed the dog to the animal clinic. The dog was fine although I was very worried at the time. Later, I thought it would be a funny way to start a book and used that line as an opening hook.

Fun Stuff:
Q: What is your favorite holiday and why?
A: Christmas. I love to decorate and enjoy the warm feeling/greetings I get from others.

Q: What are two things people might be surprised to know about you?
A: I once slept on a college lab floor in a room with caged rats. My college roommate wanted to visit her boyfriend and I went with her. It was too late to find somewhere to sleep, so we went to the lab. They needed privacy, so I ended up alone in the room with the lab rats!

When I lived in Norfolk, VA, I dated a few sailors from the same aircraft carrier. Since they worked shift jobs, I sometimes had two dates in one day! Ah, my younger, wild days!

Q: As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A: A teacher...and I did that. Taught Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades. Also taught remedial reading and math.

Q: Favorite food.
A: Pizza with extra cheese.

Q: Favorite happy memory.
A: My wedding day two days after Christmas! And the arrival of all my kids and grandkids.

Q: Favorite drink.
A: Iced tea.

Q: Hot summer days or chilly winter nights?
A: Winter nights. Nothing better than snuggling up and getting cozy on a cold night.

Q: What is the top thing on your bucket list?
A: See a baseball game in every stadium. I've only been to 7 so far.

Q: If you could have a super power, what would it be?
A: I'd like to be immortal. I'd keep people "in line" and make them get along and behave!

Tell us where to find you: website(s), publisher’s page(s), blog(s), Facebook page(s), etc. List them all!
Marianne Stephens:
http://www.mariannestephens.net
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Ellora's Cave: Blush Author Page
Secret Cravings Publishing: http://tinyurl.com/4ydyl69
Amazon Author Page: http://tinyurl.com/4npql4d
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/marianne-stephens

http://www.authorgraph.com/authors/AuthorMarianneS

Nonfiction Books:
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/marianneoks
https://www.createspace.com/4179777
http://www.omnilit.com/product-guiltysurvivor-512115-262.html

April Ash:

http://www.aprilash.net
Facebook
Ellora's Cave Author Page

BLURB: Street of Dreams - Romance - Marianne Stephens

Mission Impossible describes what Detectives NICK OLSON and EILEEN MURPHY face while chasing escaped fugitives. The easy part? Battling for control of their mission while time traveling from 2039 Kansas City, Kansas, to 1965 Long Island, New York, before history’s timeline can be changed. The hardest part? Resisting hidden desire for each other while posing as newlyweds and sharing a heart-shaped bed.

BLURB: Luke: The Miracle Dog - Nonfiction - Marianne Stephens
Luke's is a true story of a dog (Shetland Sheepdog - Sheltie) who gets lost, hit by a car and left for dead, found, and the struggle to get him healthy again. Many people helped search for Luke, assisted in his rescue, and aided in his recovery.

Luke's struggles were many; it's a miracle he survived. Although not as healthy as he was before, Luke manages to move while using a walker/cart, eats, and plays with his other sheltie "siblings". He's an inspiration for all; his fight to survive and live his life as best he can shows others the importance of never giving up hope.

This is written at a 6th grade reading level, but adults will enjoy it and can read it to younger children. Photos of Luke's recovery progress are included.

A percentage of book sales will be donated to animal organizations.

BLURB: Strip Poker for Two - Erotic Romance - April Ash
CONTEST: In one week: Seduce a man, steal a pair of his underwear, and get him to write a detailed note about your sexual adventures together. Best entry wins. PRIZE: A one-week, all expenses paid vacation at a condo in Hawaii.

MELISSA FOSTER, now recovered from a bad relationship, is ready for fun, no ties. As an ex-military brat, she wants no part of military life. The other two contestants, coworkers, select a man for her.

Career Army Captain JASON MOLINA, a childhood friend and now living in the area, is Melissa's target. He too is looking for fun and no ties after having dealt with a betraying ex-fiancée.

To capture his undivided attention, Melissa devises different versions of strip poker...but they find it very hard to finish each new game before lust prevails. Looking, touching, tasting, all take a part in their games...and so does cannoli cream!

They fall in love, but the strength and depth of that newly-found bond is soon tested. Contest? Underwear? Note? Military Life? Trust? Can they resolve their differences and the ensuing confusion over the contest revelation in time to save their relationship?

The "Pretty Face" on a Book Cover

I freely admit that I check a book cover first before buying a book. I look at the blurb and consider if the book sounds interesting. Excerpts and reviews fall far behind the first two things I do before purchasing a book.

Ugly/weird faces/people on covers would probably not entice me to check further and not even read the blurb.

 
A "pretty face" can apply to both heroes and heroines. Images have to be enticing, likeable. And sometimes, there are no faces. Perhaps it's a cover of a place or thing. Or, it's a faceless torso with rippling muscles. Or bodies intertwined in sensual positions.


Not all those mentioned above will catch my attention. I want a "hero/heroine" visual; something to take residence in my head as I read the blurb. I'm more likely to buy books with "bodies/body parts" on the covers as opposed to places or things.

I made a mistake with one of my book covers in NOT asking for people on the cover...and it's my favorite book! Street of Dreams should have shown the hero and heroine. Instead, I asked for a "street" scene...and I think killed my sales. It received a "4" from Romantic Times, but has had the fewest sales of all my books.

And, it's the only one without people/body parts on the cover.

To the other extreme: one book cover goes beyond what I'd wanted and shows too much "body". This can be a "turn-off" for some readers...it is for me. Although not happy with the cover, Sexy Games sold better that the one shown above with no people on it.





I'm happy with my other covers...all have people on them and perhaps you can't see faces, but you see "body parts".

What do you look for in a cover as a reader? What do you ask for as an author?

Marianne Stephens/April Ash
http://www.mariannestephens.net
http://www.aprilash.net

Photos: Flickr: !borghetti, Skate-in, Corruptkitten, and Lord Khan's photostreams.

Getting Revenge...How Sweet It Is!

RAISE your hand if you've never considered a way to exact revenge and "get even" with someone. If your hand is up, you're either very forgetful, have a selective memory, or going through a "senior moment". It's part of human nature to feel mad and want to even the score.

And more importantly, you can analyze and justify it in your head, and that's how you cope.

Getting rid of a loser, even one you thought you loved, is better than being with one. Here's my story of revenge against an ex-boyfriend.

I dated Ron in college for months. I knew he was on academic probation but he didn't seem to be able to pull up his grades. Ron finally got word that he'd flunk out if he didn't leave, so he quit school. We were to spend his last weekend at the college together before he headed home and either went into the military or found a job.

We had plans; lots of couples stuff to do starting on a Friday night. He called me an hour before coming over to my dorm to let me know that an "old ex-girlfriend" surprised him by coming from a nearby college to say goodbye so if I didn't mind, he'd see her that night and see me the next day.

What could I say? Annoyed but trying to be reasonable, I agreed. We'd have all day Saturday to spend together. And, we'd spend Sunday morning before his bus left since he had to vacate the dorm that day.

Saturday morning came. He called again. His "ex" was still there, and wouldn't leave until late that night. Would I mind waiting to see him until Sunday?

Hell, yes, I minded. I remained calm as wheels in my head started turning. Ron apparently was dumping me for his "ex" and I didn't matter to him. Crushed at first, anger swiftly took its place and the word revenge planted itself in my brain. I had to do something to "get even".

Once again...but this time through gritted teeth...I agreed to his suggestion. But I was already formulating a plan in my head, one that would get the message through to his "male-ego" brain. Maybe he'd take note and not pull this type of "dumping" act again.

His plan was to leave at 11:00am on Sunday. The bus only came twice on Sundays...11:00am and 11:00pm. We were to meet after church at at a spot on campus we liked to go to for coffee. We'd then go back to his dorm and I'd help him carry his stuff up the hill and into town to the bus stop.

I never went to meet him. He called at 10:15 and I said I was on my way. He called again at 10:30 and I told him the same thing. His final call came at 10:45. It was too late for him to catch the morning bus, but now he'd spend the rest of Sunday with me and take the 11:00pm bus. Since he had to vacate the dorm at noon, he figured I'd let him leave his stuff in my dorm room and help him carry it to the bus stop that night.

Now was my turn. I knew I'd delayed him from taking the earlier bus. I knew he'd have to wait 12 hours for the next bus. I knew he'd have nowhere to store his things. With a nonchalant tone in my voice, I told him I would be busy the rest of the day but wished him a happy life and promptly hung up. I had visions of him lugging his stuff to the bus stop and sitting there all day...and that was my act of revenge. I had to quell the curious streak urging me to go "peek" and see if he waited there hopefully full of regret.

In my romantic suspense time travel romance book, Street of Dreams, Eileen wants to get even with Nick after his macho attitude and assumption that he was in charge of their mission to capture a killer. He hadn't taken much interest in her expertise in the era they'd traveled to, 1965. She tried to warn him of something big too come, but he ignored her...in his "I know what I'm doing" attitude.

So, Eileen doesn't tell him about the East Coast Blackout of 1965...and the fact that he'll get stuck in an elevator when she refused to get inside the elevator with him.

She got her revenge...and eventually helped him get out of the stuck elevator. Hey...it's a romance so that tiny taste of revenge satisfied her until worry took its place. Thoughts of "saving" Nick took over!

Authors: Do the characters in your books seek revenge?
Readers: What's your tale of revenge or "getting even"?

http://www.mariannestephens.net
Photo: Flickr: abakedcreation

Should Heroes/Heroines Have Bucket Lists?

Before I post my blog, don't forget about our VALENTINE'S DAY CONTEST on our "Romance Books R Us" website: http://www.romancebooksrus.com 
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 Our romance heroes and heroines all have goals, but those are different than what you might put on a bucket list. Goals: be successful, solve a problem/crisis, find love, etc. Bucket List: travel to Hawaii, skydive, go to a Superbowl game, etc. Definitely different.

In "Street of Dreams", Eileen has a goal to prove her worth in her department. But, a bucket list item would be to actually use "Street of Dreams" time travel capability and visit a time period (the 1960s) that she's an expert in and has longed to see for herself.

In her case, she gets to combine both...her goal and scratch off one item on her bucket list. Traveling through time to 1965 satisfies both, and gives her that chance to help solve a case.

Should our heroes/heroines talk about bucket lists? Mine usually don't since they concentrate on the here and now...and ways to reach their goals. Maybe as they would "age", they'd take more time to consider creating a bucket list!

Me? It's time to think about my Bucket List and forget about New Year's Resolutions (since they're the same things year after year):
Lose weight and get in good shape
Make more money - be more successful
Healthy life for family and friends
World Peace

I've done the weight loss and gotten into shape, only to have those extra pounds find me again. My name is Marianne and I'm a chocoholic. And, I love to cook which translates into a love for eating. I haven't seen size 10 since high school and don't think it's in my future again.

How do you rate success? Make more money? Sell more books? Find the magical formula for stock market trading? Win the lottery? Tried all, none work. I do what I can to sell books, but I'll never replace Nora as "Queen of Romance Authors". I had luck with one stock...until the company was sold. Spent more money on lottery tickets than any "wins" I've had.


I can't control the health of others. I can help, make suggestions, but there's nothing else I can do. People get sick, have surgeries (don't I know), ignore doctor's orders. While I can have some control over children's healthy choices, I can't control nature...just pray.

World Peace - yeah, right. Like I have ANY control over that. I can continue to love my neighbors, but can't control the fanatics of the world. Again, I can pray.

So...I decided to list three things here from my Bucket List instead of New Year's Resolutions:

1. Visit all the baseball stadiums. Yes, I'm a baseball fan. Have been since I can remember. Grew up in a baseball-loving home and that enthusiasm still exists. I've been to six stadiums. Not enough, considering how many teams there are here in the United States. So, I've got lots of traveling to do during baseball season. I won't get to all of them in one year, but my plan is to GET to them all eventually.

2. Visit Mount Rushmore. Yes. I know that's not the most exotic place people think of visiting. But I've been to/traveled through most states already, and never got to South Dakota. The image of those faces carved in stone and the story behind how it was done fascinates me. It's here in the US. And, I want to see it...but not during the winter.


 

3. Get all my grandkids together at one time for one GOOD photo. I don't know about you, but getting everyone together is a problem. Some families don't talk to each other. I'm lucky to get 3/4 of them here at any given time, therefore miss having them all together. Of course, even taking photos of the ones I have visiting always contain eyes closed, fingers up noses, heads turned, crying, etc. Sigh. Even taking a few photos doesn't guarantee a GOOD photo outcome. This, I realize, will be harder to accomplish than my first two Bucket List items. (No...this is not a photo of my grandkids...but you get the idea)

When my kids were little, I used to take 12 photos of them together for Christmas cards...and that didn't always guarantee one GOOD photo. I guess my grandkids have learned photo phobia from their parents!

So, what are three things on your bucket list?
 http://www.mariannestephens.net
Marianne Stephens book buy links
Photos: Flickr: VerismoVita, Nia (so let's go!), wallyg, and cakeyhamburger's photostreams.