Hello my lovelies, guess who I found wandering around Smokey’s place? New York Times Bestselling author Christy Reece, or as some of know her, Ella Grace. A rose by any other name and all that aside, we’re in for a treat. She’s giving away a signed, yep SIGNED, copy of her latest release MIDNIGHT LIES, the second book in her Wildefire Series.
A word weaver of romantic suspense, Christy’s titles will keep you turning pages long after you should’ve gone to bed. When she appeared out of the wilds of the Swamp, I knew immediately we had to have her over. Since cooking isn’t high on my list, it’s a good thing Smokey’s place tends to lure the unwary with savory aromas, otherwise I may have lost her.
Along with a plate of potato salad and ribs, we handed her our menu of questions. We had to promise her real pecan pie. Shhh…don’t tell her, but I sent Mischievous to “pick” one up from Dreamer’s place. With two little angelets flying around, maybe she won’t miss it…
As children we tend to have an idea of what we want to be by the time we’re ten. Before you decided to pursue the artistic dream of being a writer, what did you want to be and why?
Oh so many things! First I wanted to be a psychiatrist because I loved listening to other people’s problems. I was also very opinionated and always knew exactly what they should do. Then, I wanted to be a nurse because… Okay, shameful confession, I watched a lot of General Hospital when I was a kid and was convinced I could meet a handsome doctor like Rick Springfield. Then I wanted to be a princess because, well…they had everything–they were beautiful and all they had to do each day was look pretty and the handsome and oh so charming prince would come and sweep them off their feet.
Nothing shameful about GH, come on! Luke and Laura….best story line!
Whether we’re plotters or pantsers (outlines not needed), creating our stories takes us on very memorable journeys. Sometimes we may be part way through before we realize some major aspect of our story is just not working (plot, character, setting). Have you ever hit this sharp, pointy snag and if so, how did you escape? Were you battered and bruised or a bloody mess?
This happens to me with almost every book. I head in a direction that I think the story should go and end up wasting valuable time because I’m forcing the story instead of allowing my characters to lead me. I usually find where I’ve gone off track before I go too far. However, I think my very worst and perhaps best experience was when I wrote an entire book and sent it to my editor, all the while telling myself it was a good book even though I knew it had some major flaws. She confirmed my fears. So I scrapped the book, came up with a new idea and wrote a brand new book. Same characters but completely different plot. My editor loved it and I was so grateful that she believed in me and allowed me to get it right. To this day, that book is one of my favorites.
Thank you for sharing this, Christy, it makes me hopeful because *lowering voice* I was 2 chapters from the end of my WIP and realized where I wanted it to go and where it should go were two very different things. So I had to go back and rewrite and finally it’s coming together right….You’d think I’d learn to listen to my characters but sometimes they go places I’m just not ready for…
What’s some of the funniest/sweetest/strangest things you’ve heard from your readers?
One reader wrote to me that her Thanksgiving dinner was ruined and her entire family was angry with her because she got immersed in one of my books and allowed dinner to burn.
Another time, LAST CHANCE, one of my Last Chance Rescue books, was a Cosmopolitan Red Hot Read. I didn’t know it at the time, but those excerpts are heavily edited. A reader who discovered my books through the magazine feature emailed me and questioned the sexual position of my hero. It was not anatomically possible for him to be doing what he was doing. The email was hilarious as she asked me to explain how such a thing was possible. Needless to say I couldn’t.
You know, I’ve tried that excuse with my family, but they just don’t get it…food vs. book, the book’s going to win every time.
What’s the one genre you won’t ever try and why?
Post apocalyptic stories. I like dark and gritty storylines but the sheer lack of amenities would be a serious hindrance to my characters’ happiness. And mine too.
Understandable, the whole lack of a hot shower would be a real bummer, plus no iPod or Kindle? Truly the end of the world
Now for our favorite set of questions, the bullet list. How’s Christy’s aim?
Blades, guns, fists or feet?
All of the above!
Favorite Fairy Tale of all time?
Beauty and the Beast
Mine too!
Three titles and their authors sitting on your nightstand/bookcase/table/floor waiting to be read?
LOL I have about 50 on the floor but I’ll grab three: Debra Webb’s Obsession, Bella Andre’s From This Moment On, and Sharon Sala’s Don’t Cry For Me
Ooohh, Sharon Sala, love her!
Greatest one liner of all time?
“You rush a miracle, you get rotten miracles.” Miracle Max from The Princess Bride
A true sage that Max…
Sarcastic witticism, Southern sweetness or Geeky disdain?
Sigh…Gotta go with Southern sweetness. Must come from all that sweet tea and pecan pie I consumed as a kid.
Speaking of which, I think that pie’s ready….
Strangest item currently taking up space in your writing cave?
A rubber chicken in a bikini
Umm, you’re going to have to send me a picture of that one because…yeah…WOW!
Favorite supernatural creature?
Hmm. Torn between ghost and vampire.
Much love and thanks to Christy for stopping by! Now it’s your turn to share, leave us your greatest one liner of all time and you could be the winner of a signed copy of MIDNIGHT LIES. (US residents only, Sorry my global peeps, you can get a copy but it won’t be signed.) Don’t forget to leave your email so we can contact you if you win!
Want to see what you’re getting? Here it is…
MIDNIGHT LIES, the second book in the Wildefire series, released September 24.
IT’S ALWAYS HOTTER AT MIDNIGHT.
The winds of fate have blown cruelly on a family that once had it all: money, power, prestige. The lives of three beautiful daughters were forever changed when, on a sultry night in Midnight, Alabama, a murder-suicide shattered the Wilde family. The girls grew up to live separate lives but now have returned home, each to face a danger no one can see coming.
Former homecoming queen Samantha surprised everyone by going into law enforcement, but beneath her tough façade lies a wary heart. The tragedy that struck her family is an ever-present reminder that nothing is ever as it seems. When the man she loves, Quinn Braddock, a doctor and Iraq war veteran, is accused of murder, Samantha assumes the worst. Brokenhearted, her confidence shattered, she returns to Midnight. Though exonerated, Quinn still feels the sting of Samantha’s doubt, but he can’t forget his feelings for her and follows her. Soon after his arrival, a shocking murder terrifies the town, and once again, Quinn is under suspicion. This time, Samantha will not turn her back on the man she loves—even if it means walking into a killer’s trap.
Want to connect with Christy? You can here…
Ella Grace is a writer of steamy southern suspense, wife, mother to multiple fur-kids and one reclusive turtle. She loves to write, read, cook the occasional meal, go to the movies and travel when she can. She’s thrilled to be writing a series based in her home state of Alabama.
Ella Grace is the pen name for NYT Bestselling Author Christy Reece.
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