Hidden Diamond: Mary Ann Marlowe's A Crazy Kind of Love

There are so many books out there that it can be hard for readers to find the books they would love to read.  Hidden Diamonds is where I share some of the books that I love with my readers.

I picked up Mary Ann Marlowe's A Crazy Kind of Love on the recommendation of a friend and now I'm thrilled to pass that recommendation on to all of you.  It was a surprisingly touching contemporary romantic comedy between a photographer and a rock star.

I loved the heroine, Jo Wilder.  She's a professional photographer who pays the bills with celebrity photos.  Her dad is a famous artistic photographer, and Jo desperately wants his approval, which is held out of reach.  He doesn't respect her work and belittles it.  That resonated with me.  Even when we know our parents are holding us to impossible standards, there's a part of us that still yearns to be acknowledged.  To hear "I'm proud of you" from the people who know all of our deepest flaws.

Marlowe does a fantastic job of conveying how Jo feels trapped between two worlds, both professionally and personally.  She's not ruthless enough for her paparazzi boss, she's too commercial for her father.  She enjoys taking candid photos that reveal previously unseen aspects of the subject but doesn't approve of the paparazzi's invasion of privacy.  Her father's family rejects her for being too white and her mother's family rejects her for being too Indian.  It's a subtle thread that runs through the book, a sense of not belonging no matter how hard one tries, which is something we can all identify with at some point in our lives.  

The meet-cute with Jo and Micah is adorable.  He blocks her shot of Maggie Gyllenhaal and then boosts her up on his impressively broad shoulders so that she can get it.  She doesn't recognize him (he's a famous musician) and the two of them have some fun, banter-as-flirting exchanges.  Her boss demands that she exploit the connection to get information about Micah and his sister (also famous).

Marlowe threads a careful path with Jo.  She takes celebrity photos to pay her bills and make a living, but doesn't enjoy the exploitative aspect of her work.  She can take a photo which becomes a window into her subject's emotional and personal life, but is very aware of the damaging effects of not having privacy and constantly being on display.  She respects both of her parents, but acknowledges her own abandonment issues.

As the story progresses, Jo begins to realize how much of herself has been defined by others (and unfairly found lacking).  She begins to recognize how often she's compromised her own standards to try and please someone else.  It's a beautifully evocative story of self-discovery, with an engaging romance.

I'm not surprised this book has won a number of awards.  If you're looking for a fun story with light-hearted dialogue that touches on some deep subjects, this is a great choice.

Previous Hidden Diamond: Alyssa Cole's Reluctant Royals

Previous post: Celebrating Different Voices and Finding the Time to Create

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Hidden Diamond: Royal Gems from Alyssa Cole

There are so many books out there that it can be hard for readers to find the books they would love to read.  For the last year and a half, I've been featuring many of my fellow romance authors from ORWA, Romancing the Capital, and Soul Mate Publishing.  With what's been happening with RWA this year, I've decided to do something different for 2020.

I want to share some of the amazing books that I've read by diverse authors, that feature diverse characters.  I'm beginning with one of my favourite reads from 2019: Alyssa Cole's Reluctant Royals series.  She's an award-winning author who is certainly not hidden by any measure.  However, I love her writing and thought her books would be perfect to get 2020 started.

One of my favourite ways to discover new authors is to pick up books at random from my local library.  That's how I found Alyssa Cole's A Princess In Theory.  The concept fascinated me.  We've all seen the spam emails claiming to come from exiled princes who just need a little help from us, but what if one of those emails was the truth?  I discovered a delightful romantic comedy with a determined, intelligent heroine (Naledi) and a genuine prince for a hero (Thabiso).  If you like mistaken identity, arranged marriage, and friends to lovers books, then this is a great one.

Naledi is a grad student in New York.  She's always had to work twice as hard to be considered half as good.  When she gets an email claiming that she is the missing betrothed of Prince Thabiso of Thesolo, she dismisses it.  But it turns out to be quite real, and Thabiso gets the fairy tale started by coming to New York to find out why the woman he's been pledged to marry since they were both infants.  Instead, he finds himself assuming the role of her neighbour, living the ordinary life that has been out of his reach.  The two of them begin to fall in love, but it's all jeopardized when she realizes that he's been lying to her.

It turns out that Thabiso can help Naledi find many of the answers which were lost when her parents were killed and she was put into the foster system.  She connects with her family's history and culture, creating the sense of belonging she's been searching for.

Once I read it, I knew I would never be satisfied with a single reading, so I bought it and the rest of the series.  Alyssa Cole has a real talent for creating characters that not only feel real, but that make the reader wish they could go hang out with them.  (Or maybe that's just me.)  She also created a beautiful and rich culture for her fictional African country of Thesolo.

A Duke By Default gives us Portia, the heroine I most identified with.  She's smart, but that somehow never quite seems to translate into getting things right.  But she's determined to find her niche and prove herself.  She moves to Scotland to become an apprentice swordmaker, under the tutelage of Tavish McKenzie.  It's a scattered to success, enemies (to friends) to lovers story with a hot Scotsman who discovers he may be a Duke (and wants nothing to do with it). tes

Once Ghosted, Twice Shy is a lovely opposites attract, second-chance romance between Likotsi and Fabiola.  Likotsi is practical, organized and elegant while Fabiola is more free-spirited and impulsive.

A Prince On Paper is my favourite in the series because it deals with a topic that is near and dear to my heart, how we only know a small part of people's stories.  Sometimes what we see is a facade designed to protect and we never know what's in someone's history.  Playboy Johan and shy wallflower Nya have a wonderful fake romance that blossoms into something quite real.

If you're looking for modern fairytales that are sweet, sexy and full of clever dialogue and fascinating characters, then this is a wonderful series that I can't recommend enough.

Previous Hidden Diamond: Getting Steamy with Barbara Russell's Steampunk Romance

Previous Blog Post: Cavemen vs Astronauts: My previous Hidden Diamonds share their opinion on this tongue-in-cheek debate.

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Cavemen vs Astronauts: Join the Debate

One of my favourite parts of the Hidden Diamond interviews is seeing people answer one simple question: Who would win?  Cavemen or astronauts.  (from the long running debate from season 5 of Angel).  It's interesting how many different interpretations come from those 6 words.  Some people assume hand to hand combat, others a conflict of civilizations, some just picked which they considered sexier.  Lots of fun answers from some very talented authors.

I thought it would be fun to do a little recap:

Lucy Farago (Romantic Suspense - August 2018)

I always found this debate interesting. What environment are we sticking them in? I get the whole instinct vs evolved debate, but playing field I think is more important. Put them in the wilds with no unfair advantage, cavemen. I’m with Spike, man has evolved to the point that most people wouldn’t survive a day without assistance.


Carey Decevito (Paranormal Romance - September 2018)

And I just took a trip down the Angel memory lane on this one. (Yes, I’m dating myself, aren’t I?) LOL So who would win? Both have merits really. I mean cavemen are who we were before we evolved both mentally and technologically. Let’s face it…cavemen became astronauts, so wouldn’t both win? Isn’t it in fact a tie in the grand scheme of things

Regardless, if you were to pit both of them against one another, I’d say the guy with the superior intellect (astronaut) would win. They do have the problem resolution skills and aptitude to research a hell of a lot more than cavemen would. Let’s just hope the problem at hand isn’t one too simple however. It seems the more knowledge we have, the more someone of superior intellect will suss out a complicated way to solve a problem when the resolution is so simple.


Rosanna Leo (Contemporary Romance - October 2018)

Uh oh. I don't think I followed this debate but I'll say astronauts. 


Jenn Burke (Paranormal Romance - November 2018)

Astronauts!


A.M. Griffin (Paranormal Romance - December 2018)

Cavemen. Cavemen adapt. It’s scientifically proven (hello present day humans). Astronauts, while having smarts, really would be hindered if technology was taken away. Honestly, I don’t think anyone walking Earth today could outsmart a caveman when it came to survival.


Freya Barker (Romantic Suspense - January 2019)

I have to confess, I had to look up Joss Whedon. I am a certified non-geek. LOL. So I’m not sure what the debate is all about, it appears the man had quite a few on a variety of subjects, but when it comes to cavemen or astronauts, my pick would be cavemen, hands down.


Sally Brandle (Romantic Suspense - February 2019)

My off-the-cuff answer would be cavemen. Survival skills never lose their impact, whether you instinctively sense someone’s following you or recognize which berry you can eat.


Tamara Hughes (Paranormal Romance - March 2019)

I would have to think astronauts would win if for no other reason than their greater intelligence. They can plan attacks and maneuvers that would outsmart the cavemen. Plus, they can do all that weightless!


Eve Langlais (Paranormal Romance - April 2019)

Cavemen! Because they're stronger and meaner with great big clubs (and maybe a pet sabertooth or two, LOLOL. )

Barbara Nolan (Contemporary Romance - May 2019 Double Feature)

I am going to go with cavemen because they know how to live off the land. They know how to hunt and have basic skills of survival. They are nomadic which means they are also adaptable to their surroundings.

Rayanne Haines (Paranormal Romance - May 2019 Double Feature)

I love a good caveman but I have to say, Astronaut, hands down. Those guys and gals are in the prime physical condition of their life, would have access to medication and health care cavemen wouldn’t even know to dream about, and the military brains to back up any tactical operations to win in combat. Sorry Cavemen – you’re out. 

Olivia Dade (Contemporary Romance - June 2019)

Oddly, even though I could have written like twenty more pages about Jaime and Brienne, I have no answer for this. I want to say cavewomen? Somehow?


Jaycee Jarvis (Fantasy Romance - July 2019)

Astronauts for sure, and I don’t think they’d even need the technological advantage. Their germs alone would wipe out the cavemen.


Rhonda Frankhouser (Paranormal Romance - August 2019)

This is a timely debate for me to enter into, especially after my recent research binge of the Ancient Aliens series. I’m easily an astronaut girl. They would be smarter and more cunning. That alone would outdo the primitive sensibility of the caveman. 


Claire Gem (Paranormal Romance - September 2019)

Cavemen. They learned how to survive long before all the fancy technology was invented to help them. I can’t see an astronaut battling with a mastodon and winning.


Jeanine Englert (Historical Romantic Suspense - October 2019)

I vote cavemen, every time. If you can fend off a dinosaur, find your own dinner, and survive the elements, I think you could outdo an astronaut.


Julie K Cohen (Paranormal Romance - November 2019)

Cavemen. In every book you read and movie you watch, inevitably the modern day protagonists (astronauts in this case) drop their fancy guns or suffer from technological ‘glitches’. When that happens, the protagonists are left with just their wit, which is great if they have the time, materials, and know-how to construct what they need (think MacGyver here).  The cavemen, meanwhile, won’t stop to think the situation through. Their animal instincts to survive will probably kick in faster that the astronauts’ ability to think their way out of a fight.  And guess what?  If they do end up in a hand-to-hand combat situation, those cavemen are probably in better shape than the astronauts. Survival of the fittest.


Barbara Russell (Steampunk Romance - December 2019)

Well, I know that Buffy and her friends will have something to say about this, but the answer is obvious. The astronaut. Have you seen the Martian? A guys who can survive on Mars for more than a year can take a caveman. Unless the caveman is like Angel . . .


As for my opinion, I'm holding that in reserve for now.  But I'd love to hear yours in the comments!

Previous post: Growing Up Is Overrated.  People always told me that I'd have to give up the things I was passionate about when I "grew up".  They were wrong.

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Hidden Diamonds: Getting Steamy with Barbara Russell's Steampunk Romance

There are so many books out there that it can be hard for readers to find the books they would love to read.  Every month, I feature a fellow romance author who writes paranormal romance, romantic suspense, or amazing heroines.

2019 is almost over, which means there are a number of us looking up from the shredded wrapping paper and wishing for new books to enjoy (or to use to retreat from family drama).  This month's Hidden Diamond is Barbara Russell, who has a steampunk romance with a defiant, brilliant heroine with empathic powers.  This book is a combination of superheroes, spies, and supercool technology with a terrifying serial killer villain, which means it ticks almost every single one of my favourite story boxes.

The Heart Collector is set in 1884 Auckland, where the Heart Collector is slaughtering Supernaturals.  In steps Isabel.  While other aristocratic, nineteen-year-old girls spend time dancing, she is training hard to become an MI7 agent—Military Intelligence Seventh Division, a crime squad run by Supernaturals. The Heart Collector murdered her best friend, and enrolling at MI7 is the best way to help catch the killer.

Isabel senses other people’s feelings as if they were her owns. But MI7’s leader is too worried about Isabel’s safety to let her join the team.  Eager to prove that her power is valuable, Isabel volunteers to meet Murk, a dangerous Supernatural man who can turn himself invisible. MI7 desperately tried to recruit him and failed.

She believes that her power is enough to convince Murk to become an MI7’s agent and help apprehend the Heart Collector. If he wants to attack her, his feelings will broadcast his intention, and she’ll be ready.  What Isabel isn’t ready for is to fall in love with the man who will collect her heart.

Barbara has kindly shared notes from Lady Ermintrude and an excerpt from The Heart Collector.  She also tells her her wildest research rabbit hole and her opinion on cavemen vs astronauts.

Auckland, New Zealand, 1884

Lady Ermintrude

You don’t mind if I whisper, do you? Hastings Manor is full of ears, and people’s best pastime is gossip. Thank goodness I’m not that type of lady. But I have to speak my mind.

My niece Isabel, the current Duchess of Sussex, has gone mad. She’s accommodating, here in Hastings Manor, street urchins. Street urchins! From Auckland’s rookery!

Good gracious, I need a sherry. These street urchins don’t even have decent names and the youngest one, called Trigger—ptf!—spat on his teaspoon to clean it. The older, the one called Murk, I think he’s a thief or a murderer. Apparently, he can turn himself invisible. Invisible! So inappropriate.

Those dark eyes mean trouble, mark my word, but Isabel thinks he’s charming. Poppycock, I say. I’m sure she’d like to dirty-puzzle with him. Oh, the horror. But does she listen to me? No one is listening to me anymore. A bunch of rebels they are.  Now, where’s my sherry?

Excerpt

Chapter 1: Auckland, 1884

ONE OF THE PERKS of being a duchess and the lady of Hastings Manor was that I could make my own decisions.

Most of the time.

I bunched a corner of my long brocade skirt and climbed the sweeping stairs toward Victor’s office. The bustle, heavy with satin ribbons, bounced lightly, tapping on the small of my back.

On the landing, one of the little cleaning machines that roamed the house trotted around, buzzing as its brushes dusted the white marble floor. A puff of steam trailed behind it while its wheels and pistons whirred. I strode on, the star-bright tiles sparkling under my velvet slippers.

The butler bowed stiffly, carrying a tray with tea and cakes that smelled of cinnamon. “Your Grace.” He stepped aside to let me pass.

“Hollom.” My heels’ click-clacking noise died down on the blue rug covering the entrance in front of Victor’s office.

I raised my fist to knock but stopped inches away from the gleaming, polished oak wood, needing a moment to collect myself. Victor had to see reason. Convincing him that my role in the investigation was vital wouldn’t be easy, but I was nineteen and properly trained in combat. More or less. The point was, I could face danger.

My resolve wavered, and I bit the inside of my cheek. On light feet, I turned and slid inside my late father’s personal library. Victor’s supernatural hearing wouldn’t catch me in the room protected by thick walls, and the old leather-bound volumes calmed my nerves.

I cleared my throat before rehashing my speech. “Victor, you’re the leader of Military Intelligence Seven, but as Duchess of Sussex, I have the right to  . . .” I shook my head. This sounded patronizing. I took a deep breath to slow my pounding heart, glad that I wasn’t wearing a corset. Another perk of being a duchess.

I squared my shoulders. A wrong word and Victor would dismiss me. “Victor, I kindly request… would you… I would appreciate if you assign me to the ongoing investigation on the Heart Collector, since I believe my skills can be an asset.” There. Simple, polite, and to the point. 

Hidden Diamonds Author Interview

What is the wildest thing you've done to research a book?

Wearing a corset. I thought, was it that terrible? Would people faint for real? I had to know. So I got a corset from a shop that rented costumes and theatrical equipment and put the corset on (a friend helped me tie it up behind my back), and Oh My Gosh! I lasted a grand total of 1 minute and ten seconds before ripping it off me. Awful. I was about to throw up. Those women back in the nineteenth century were brave souls.     

What is your writing process?  

I’m a plotter. I need a map before starting writing, and while I can write anywhere if I need to, I prefer solitary places with no distraction . . .  except for my two dogs. Sometimes I have to throw balls and cuddle tummies while writing.

What is your favourite thing to do to relax?

I love reading of course. I read absolutely everything except for horror, and I love trekking. I found that walking in a forest really helps the writing process.

Who is your favourite fictional crush?

I have a perma-crush for Will Carver. He’s the protagonist of a book by Bec McMasters (one of my favourite authors.) I love all her male characters, but Will, a werewulfen a person infected by the lupe virus, left a mark. It helps that I picture him like Tom Hardy, lol.

Who would win, astronauts or a cavemen?

Well, I know that Buffy and her friends will have something to say about this, but the answer is obvious. The astronaut. Have you seen the Martian? A guys who can survive on Mars for more than a year can take a caveman. Unless the caveman is like Angel . . .

Thank you, Barbara, for being one of my Hidden Diamonds!  If you'd like to check out more about Barbara, or her books, there are links down below.  Join me next month for the next Hidden Diamond!

Goodreads

Barbara's books on Amazon

Previous blog post: A Heroine Overdose, a look at all the amazing heroines that I featured in 2019.

Previous Hidden Diamond: Julie K. Cohen's Shifters

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Hidden Diamond: Julie K. Cohen's Shifters

There are so many books out there that it can be hard for readers to find the books they would love to read.  Every month, I feature a fellow romance author who writes paranormal romance, romantic suspense, or amazing heroines.

This month's Hidden Diamond has got an exciting series to share about three wolf-shifter packs near Devil's Peak, Colorado.  They share a fragile alliance in their efforts to survive the anti-shifter groups bent on destroying them. Very few rules are universal between the packs, except the laws of nature. . . and these shifters love to defy nature.  Please give a warm welcome to fellow Star Trek nerd Julie K. Cohen as she shares her awesome wolf shifters, how she delves into a character's mindset, and her answers to the Hidden Diamond author questionnaire.

Damien’s Dilemma: Damien needs to blood-bond a shifter to keep from going feral. He would blood-bond Tess in a second, except his enemies have destroyed her ability to shift. And they’re not done with her...

Blade’s Battle: Blade falls for the woman responsible for the deadly Shifter Virus.  Hundreds have died because of her.  Except she may not be guilty.  Will he surrender or mate her?

Callen’s Captive: Callen’s an enforcer who does whatever it takes to protect his pack. Whatever. It. Takes.  Kate is a human who can’t shake him; he’s determined to protect her from the anti-shifters trying to kill her. He can’t protect his pack and Kate both. Will he choose his pack or the woman he’s falling for?

Hayden’s Haven: Traitor. Outcast. Predator.  That’s what they call him from the shadows. And they’re right. He’s all of those… and much more.  Hayden will do anything to protect Mila, even challenge his former alpha, the brother who cast him out years ago.

Frank’s Felon: Delilah’s tainted, targeted, far from tamed. And Frank wants her, badly. She’s his future, though she won’t admit it. He won’t let her enemies take her, even if it means starting a war with the humans.

Delving Into A Character's Mindset

From the moment I wake up each morning, I can’t wait to sit at my computer and write—I need to find out what will happen in the latest novel I’m writing. You might think as the author I know what’s going to happen.  To some extent, I do; I know a few facts about my characters and the overall plot of a story, but the road to their HEA (happily-ever-after) has yet to unfold.

The moment I start writing, I’m no longer Julie. I’m a character in my book, sometimes female, sometimes male, sometimes alien or wolf. To understand a character, I need to be that character, think like her, have her mindset—whether she’s irrational, cold, logical, scared, hopeful, weary, or feels beat up by life. Once I slip into the character’s mindset, I react to what is happening to her—from her perspective. This is why I don’t truly know my characters and what they will do in a given situation until I start writing.

How does one think like another person? For me, stepping into a character’s mindset stems from my childhood. I was an avid tv viewer, watching everything from sci-fi and westerns to sitcoms and crime drama. I absorbed it all, the dialogue, the body language, the play between characters—all while re-writing scenes, dialogue, and characters in my head for the shows I watched.

Unlike many authors, I hated, and I mean hated reading.  Unless I had to read a book for school (yes, I was a nerdy straight-A student in school), I didn’t read. . . not until I discovered Star Trek books in the tenth grade.  Immediately, I was hooked. I suddenly had access to an endless stream of stories from one of my favorite shows.

Even with the discovery of Star Trek books, I needed to write my own book, to see the plot and characters swimming around in my imagination come to life. Yes, I confess, my first novel was a Star Trek novel... Didn’t I say I was a nerd earlier? My best friend and I co-wrote a Star Trek novel, completely unaware that the Star Trek franchise had their stable of writers, and they weren’t going to accept a manuscript from two teens.  I never gave up, though. I continued writing (Science Fiction at first, and later Sci-Fi Romance), honing my craft over the years.

Today, my favorite genres to read and write are Sci-Fi / Fantasy Romance and Paranormal Romance.  I love the ability to create worlds, social and political systems, and plots that are not confined by reality but abide by a set of rules I create.

Reading and writing fiction, especially romance, is about enjoying oneself, escaping into a world where love is attainable, even though the road to achieving and holding onto love is often fraught with danger, deception, and death (sorry, I felt the need for an alliteration there).

As a reader, I enjoy watching characters come together, bond, and fight for one another—and win, against the odds.  As a writer. . . I have the fun of making that happen.

- Julie K. Cohen

Hidden Diamond Author Questionnaire

What's the wildest thing you've done to research a book?

Maybe this isn’t ‘wild’ but trying to envision a hand-to-hand fight scene can be difficult so I often ‘practice’ on my daughter, in slow motion, to see how a character can escape a certain hold/situation.  This might not sound dangerous, but my daughter is a black belt in karate and I’m, well. . . not.

What's your writing process?

I love writing characters with deep/complex emotions and I especially love a plot that has many threads, twists, and turns.  I will envision a basic premise (i.e. What happens when a wolf shifter can no longer shift and she’s no longer accepted in her ‘world’ but doesn’t quite fit in the world of humans?).  This became the premise of Damien’s Dilemma, my first wolf shifter romance novel. Tess, my heroine, is a Broken Shifter (hence the name of the series).  Except she doesn’t allow her lack of shifter abilities to keep her from going after what she wants.

Once I know my basic premise, I have to create and understand my character.  Who is she, how does she deal with this tremendous blow? Next, I create a fairly detailed outline.  That’s the plotter in me.  I then turn into a pantster (writing by the seat of my pants), creating as I go.  I still use my outline, but as a guide to ensure I hit certain plot points I need to reach the ending I have in mind.  As I write, anything can change along the way, including the ending.  Ultimately, my characters drive my story.  Just like many readers can’t wait to pick up a book to see what happens next, I can’t wait to sit down to write, to see how the story unfolds.

What is your favourite thing to do to relax?

I love to read, watch tv, but the most relaxing has to be baking. Unfortunately, what one bakes, one tends to eat, so... I try not to bake too often. If you check out my Instagram account, you’ll see 90% of my photos are of my cooking/baking... food porn, as my husband calls it. I’m good with that, at least no one’s calling my writing porn (despite all the steamy sex)!

Who is your favourite fictional crush?

This a tough question!!!  It’s a tie between  a not-as-widely-known character, Val Con yos’Phelium in Sharon Lee’s & Steve Miller’s Liaden Universe novels and Miles Vorkosigan in Lois McMaster Bujold’s Vorkosigan saga. Val Con is tall, wicked clever, hopelessly in love with his wife, and has just the right amount of arrogance (and skills) to make him a joy to read. Miles meanwhile is probably the smartest character you’ll ever encounter, but he’s not arrogant in the least; he’s funny and smart in a way that leaves his enemies stumbling all over themselves, wondering what the hell happened when he outmaneuvers them.

And in the spirit of the ongoing Joss Whedon debate, who would win: astronauts or cavemen?

Cavemen. In every book you read and movie you watch, inevitably the modern day protagonists (astronauts in this case) drop their fancy guns or suffer from technological ‘glitches’. When that happens, the protagonists are left with just their wit, which is great if they have the time, materials, and know-how to construct what they need (think MacGyver here).  The cavemen, meanwhile, won’t stop to think the situation through. Their animal instincts to survive will probably kick in faster that the astronauts’ ability to think their way out of a fight.  And guess what?  If they do end up in a hand-to-hand combat situation, those cavemen are probably in better shape than the astronauts. Survival of the fittest.

Thank you, Julie, for being one of my Hidden Diamonds!  For those looking to find out more about Julie or to pick up her books for yourself, you can find those here!

Julie K. Cohen's website

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Join me next month for a new Hidden Diamond!  Or check out last month's gem: Jeanine Englert's Gothic Victorian Paranormal Romance.  

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Hidden Diamond: Claire Gem's Shocking Romances

There are so many books out there that it can be hard for readers to find the books they would love to read.  Every month I feature a fellow romance author who writes paranormal romance, romantic suspense, or amazing female characters.

This month's Hidden Diamond is a fellow Soul Mate Publishing author and, based on her books and her degree in Parapsychology and MFA, a fellow ghost story enthusiast.  I love a good story about a haunting that sends a chill up my spine and raises goosebumps on my arm and Claire Gem's latest Haunted Voices book, Electricity, sounds like a great ghost story with a sweet romance.

Mercedes Donohue is an electrician starting a new life in a new town with her son.  She pulled up roots in Atlanta when her marriage imploded. She’s come back to New England, to the place where she was born. Mercy’s focus is to stabilize her teenage son’s life—he took the breakup pretty hard—and to establish her place, gain the respect of Progressive Electrical’s team.

She never expected so many sparks to fly so soon, both on the job and after hours.

Daniel Gallagher has been alone since his fiancé's death.  He'll never feel that way about any woman again, and certainly won't try with another independent, strong-willed one.  Then Mercy short-circuits his plans.

Although the asylum closed it's doors over thirty-five years ago, Mercy and Daniel quickly realize the abandoned building is very haunted.

A spooky start and perfect with Hallowe'en coming just around the corner.  Claire shares her technique for building her characters, as well as answering the Hidden Diamond author questions, including her writing process and her vote on cavemen vs. astronauts.

Building My Characters - From the Ground Up

One of the most interesting parts of the writing process for me is doing the research it takes to develop my heroes and heroines into believable people. I’ve always heard to “write what you know,” but after a while, that becomes boring, for both me and my readers. I mean, I’ve never done half the things my characters have. So how do I make them realistic? Research.

In my first Haunted Voices novel, Hearts Unloched, the hero’s hobby is scuba diving. I’ve never scuba-dived in my life, but I needed to get the details right, because the black moment in the book takes place 75 feet under water. Fortunately, I have a friend whose husband is a certified diver. It took dozens of phone conversations, emails and Facebook messages, over the course of several months, in order for me to get a handle on how to write that scene. Then, just to be sure, I sent him the chapter and asked him to proofread it for me. I was duly embarrassed when he pointed out that divers don’t call their footwear “flippers,” but “fins”…

Spirits of the Heart stars a hero who is a security officer—a weapon carrying one. I know nothing about guns, so I approached the chief security guard on the campus where I work and asked about a thousand questions. He was more than happy to comply, flattered that I came to him and impressed that I wanted some firsthand information from a real person, not just information I could find online.

For Electricity, both my hero and heroine are electricians—here I had an inside track. My husband was a licensed electrician some years ago, and was happy to provide me with all the right terminology to use. He also was quick to point out that an electrician uses fiberglass ladders, not metal, for obvious reasons.

So I may never have strapped on scuba tanks or holstered a weapon or ran conduit, but when my characters do, they know what they’re doing. I can tell you, getting the details right is very important to me when I’m the reader. I once threw down a book by a bestselling author because she made a statement about DNA on a hairbrush that was completely ridiculous. I work in a scientific research lab, so although the general public didn’t catch it, I did. There may not be many readers who would identify the little errors in terminology or equipment. But I cringe to think I might someday read a review of one of my own books that says, “I can’t believe she calls them flippers.”

Researching my characters’ worlds is truly an education, and makes my own life just a little bit more interesting.

- Claire Gem

Hidden Diamond Author Questionnaire

What is the wildest thing you've done to research a book?

I talked the facilities manager at my job into taking me into the abandoned (and condemned!) building on campus for a tour and to take pictures. It used to house the most disturbed mental patients confined to a state hospital before it closed in the 1970s. Dangerous? Yes. The ceilings are falling in and the place is infested with raccoons. The hair stood up on the back of my neck during the entire visit, but it wasn’t from the raccoon poop or the dead pigeon skeletons. It was from the deep, disturbing sadness that still lingers there…it became the setting for my latest Haunted Voices novel, Electricity.

What is your writing process?

I’m mostly a pantser, but that has gotten me into trouble all too many times. I have a number of books that I got 1/3 of the way into and then lost the thread…so I’ve started writing a sort of “synopsis,” including the ending, to refer back to when I get lost. It’s much easier to get to The End when you know how the story ends.

As far as solitary vs public, I am definitely a solitary writer. I much prefer doing the work alone in my office or in a quiet corner of a library.

What is your favourite thing to do to relax?

Martinis, lol. I do enjoy a leisurely happy hour with my daughter at a local restaurant where they have a numbers game called Keno. We talk, we laugh, we drink, we gamble away twenty bucks, and then we go home in a much better mood.

Who is your favourite fictional crush?

Well, he’s not fictional—I have a crazy mad crush on Aquaman, aka Jason Mamoa. I keep saying “where was this man when I was 20 and single?” and then I remember…oh yeah, he was only two years old…

And in the spirit of the long-running Joss Whedon debate, who would win: astronauts or cavemen?

Cavemen. They learned how to survive long before all the fancy technology was invented to help them. I can’t see an astronaut battling with a mastodon and winning.

Thank you so much for being one of my Hidden Diamonds, Claire!  And if you'd like one of Claire's books for your very own or you'd like to follow her on social media, you can find her here:

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Join us next month for a new Hidden Diamond or check out last month's feature: Rhonda Frankhouser's matriarchs and paranormal romance.

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