Giveaway & Interview with Cara Marsi - Logan's Redemption

Cara Marsi

Cara Marsi, a former corporate drone and cubicle dweller, is published in romantic suspense with The Wild Rose Press and in paranormal romance with Noble Romance Publishing, and writes short romance stories for women’s magazines. Cara and her husband share their house with a fat black cat named Killer.

Welcome to the Round Table.  May I offer you a beverage before we begin?

Thanks, BK. I’ll take a Mystic Brew. It sounds intriguing.

Thank you so much for taking time to chat with me today.  It's so nice to have you at the Round Table.

And thank you for inviting me.

BK:  Please tell us a bit about yourself....

I’m a former corporate drone and cubicle dweller. Writing and reading romance kept me sane in my fabric-covered world. Now that I’m not longer working, I can indulge my love of fantasy and romance. Since I first learned to read, I’ve been in love with the written word. I’d always wanted to be a writer, but life interfered. Finally, one day I decided I wanted to pursue my dream. So I took pen to paper (literally – when I started writing, I wrote all my first drafts in longhand), and I penned my first novel – with an American Indian hero and polo pony trainer and a heroine who was an East Coast sophisticate and interior decorator. Both want the same ranch in Wyoming. That novel went nowhere considering I’m an East Coast girl and have never been on a ranch in my life. And I am not an interior decorator by a long shot. But I’d been bitten by the writing bug. I sold the second book I ever wrote. That book, “A Catered Affair,” from Avalon Books was written under my real name and was set in boring Wilmington, Delaware, my hometown. At least this time I wrote about a place I know. My second published novel, “Logan’s Redemption,” which I’m discussing today, is set in Philadelphia, a city not far from where I live.

BK:  What inspired you to pen this novel?

I love stories of people who aren’t what they seem. An old movie with Claudette Colbert and Fred MacMurray actually inspired “Logan’s Redemption.” In the movie, Colbert’s character is a businesswoman (unusual for that time – late Forties). MacMurray is an engineer helping build a subway under New York City. In one of those romantic comedy kinds of twists, Colbert gets MacMurray fired. Only she thinks he’s a tunnel rat, one of the workers. Out of guilt, she hires him to be her secretary. I took that premise - a man, who is not what he seems on the surface hired to be a woman’s secretary. My hero, Logan, and his new boss, Doriana, were teenage lovers. And she had a son by him, but he doesn’t know it. She thinks Logan is a guy who goes from job to job, but he is so much more. Thinking Logan will leave again, and to protect her son, Doriana keeps the knowledge of his son from Logan. There’s more to the story than reunited lovers and a hidden son. Someone is sabotaging Doriana’s father’s company, and someone is stalking her with murder in mind. Like a deck of cards, lies piled on each other will come crashing down. “Logan’s Redemption” is a story of old lies and secrets, new dangers, and ultimately redemption.


BK:  What draws you to write in this genre?

I like a bit of mystery with my romance. I like putting my characters in danger and seeing how they wiggle out.


BK:  How do you keep your writing different from all the other novels in this genre?

That’s a hard one. Like all writers, I have my own voice. I consider my voice contemporary. I like to write lean and clear. I hope I’ve succeeded.

BK:  Who is your favorite character and why?

Logan. I love him. But then I fall in love with all my heroes. One reviewer called Logan a warrior. And he is. He has dark secrets in his past, secrets that haunt him. He’s had to battle to overcome his harsh childhood and become a success. Despite feeling Doriana betrayed him, he fights to save her life and forge a bond with his son.


BK:  Which character would you most invite to dinner?

Doriana. I’d like to discuss her past with her and hear how she found the strength to forge ahead as a young, pregnant girl whose boyfriend abandons her, or so she thinks.


BK:  What is your favorite part about writing?

Seeing my characters come alive.


BK:  Did you find any particular challenges during the writing of this novel?

I couldn’t stop writing “Logan’s Redemption.” I got so immersed in the story that I ended up with 120,000 words. I had a whole secondary story which really lent nothing to the main story. I had to force myself to end the book, then cut it down to just below 80,000 words.


BK:  Did you learn anything about yourself as a result of writing this novel?

I learned I love writing villains. They’re so much fun.


BK:  Are you currently working on any projects?

I’m finishing up a romance novella about a bridal shop owner and a former bad boy who comes back to town. I also write short stories for the Trues (True Romance, True Love, True Story). So I usually have a new short story coming out. I’m planning on publishing my own anthology of two short romance stories, my wedding novella (which is sensual, but no explicit sex), and another novella that is very sexy, bordering on the erotica. I’ve had such good success with “Logan’s Redemption” since I published it myself on Kindle after getting the rights back from The Wild Rose Press. Now I want to publish something entirely new.

BK:  Any advice for new aspiring authors?

Never give up. Writers who give up never publish. Read what you want to write. Study the market for the kinds of stories you want to write. Go to workshops and conferences and learn all you can about the creative and business sides of writing. And write, write, write.


BK:  Where can readers find you?  (Facebook, twitter, website, blog, etc.)

Website: www.caramarsi.com

Buy links, Amazon and BN Nook: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0040JI3PG
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Logans-Redemption/Cara-Marsi/e/2940011847288

Facebook: www.facebook.com/carolynmatkowsky
Twitter:  http://twitter.com/caramarsi

Doriana Callahan's life is unraveling. Someone is stalking her and sabotaging her father's company; her teenage son is rebelling; and Logan Tanner is back in town. For sixteen years she's kept an explosive secret from Logan, a secret he soon discovers.

Logan never belonged in Doriana's world, but a long time ago he allowed himself to dream of a future with her, until the awful night he was forced to run. Now he's back and he needs her forgiveness, but first he must forgive himself.

Despite the fact that Doriana kept the existence of his son from him, Logan vows to protect her. He races against time to stop the culprit threatening Doriana and works to forge a bond with his son.

Can the love and passion that still burn between Doriana and Logan overcome old lies and new dangers? The clock is ticking on a second chance at love.




Fun Facts:

BK:  Fantasy or Horror?

Fantasy. I don’t like to be scared.

BK:  Day or Night?

Day. I can see clearly then.

BK:  Favorite Drink?

Wine. Of course.

BK:  Favorite Movie?

I’ve got a bunch of favorites. I’d say my most recent favorite is The Hangover. I’ve seen it four times and laughed just as hard each time.

BK:  What is a must have to write?

An imagination. You can’t do anything until you’ve got the story in your head. I was going to say a computer, but that’s so obvious, and you really don’t need a computer to write. You just need paper and pen.


BK:  If you could possess a supernatural power,  what would it be and why?

I’d be like Samantha on “Bewitched.” I’d twitch my nose and my house would be cleaned.


BK:  Favorite Book?

Like the movies, I’ve got many favorites, but I’d have to say “Green Darkness” by Anya Seton. I’ve read this book several times. It has everything: romance, reincarnation, murder, sins, retribution.

BK:  Favorite Author?

Anya Seton, Heather Graham, and Jude Deveraux.

BK:  Favorite Song?

“Light My Fire” by the Doers.

BK:  Favorite Saying?

Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

BK:  What is one thing your readers would be most surprised to know about you?

I’m a TV junkie. I love to read, but I love my TV shows.

BK:  What is the craziest thing you've ever done?

Drove from Delaware to Toronto, Canada, by myself in 1969 to live with my boyfriend. All dressed up too, in a wool dress, heels, and stockings, and in my 1965 Mustang convertible.

BK:  What do you hope readers will most take away from your writing?

An escape from their cares for a while, a good time and characters they love.

BK:  If someone could describe you in one word,  what would it be?

Short.


Giveaway:

Cara was super kind enough to offer 3 lucky readers a chance to win this fantastic read.  This will be for a PDF of Logan's Redemption,  and I for one cannot wait to read it!

Mandatory:

Simply leave a comment with  your email address.

Extra Entries :  Please leave in separate comment so it gets its own number :)

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Winners will be drawn using Random.org and announced on May 17.

Thank you so much for being at the Round Table today.  It's been such a pleasure chatting with you and I wish you much success in the future.

Thank you, BK. It’s been fun.


Until next time,

Guest Author Cara Marsi - Murder Mi Amore'

Cara Marsi is a former corporate drone and cubicle dweller who left the corporate world to write the stories that feed her romantic soul. She craves books with happy endings and loves to write about strong heroes and the feisty and equally strong heroines they love.

She credits her love of romance to the old Thirties and Forties romantic comedies she watched on late night TV growing up. In her teens, she discovered romance novels and decided she wanted to tell her own love stories. Cara is published in romantic suspense with The Wild Rose Press and has also published numerous short romance stories. Cara and her husband enjoy traveling and she loves to write about the places they've visited. They share their house with a fat black cat named Killer.

MURDER, MI AMORE'

ITALY

DANGER

SEX

AND A SWEET GIRL CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE

What if someone you loved and planned to marry betrayed you? To heal, and get a little revenge, you sell the jewelry he gave you and treat yourself to a month in Italy. You’ll eat, sightsee, and maybe even have a fling with a sexy Italian guy. But what if jewel thieves, terrorists, and murder intrude on your Roman holiday? And what if you have your fling with a very sexy guy, but that guy isn’t quite what he seems?

This is the premise of my romantic suspense novella set in Italy, Murder, Mi Amore, from The Wild Rose Press. I love Italy. I’ve been there twice, once many years ago with my parents, and the second time in 2006 with my husband. I wanted to write a story set in that beautiful, amazing country. When The Wild Rose Press announced a new series of romantic suspense stories that could be set anywhere in the world, but had to involve a blue diamond, I had my Italy story.

I love tales about innocent, ordinary people caught in extraordinary, even dangerous, circumstances. And my heroine, Lexie Cortese, finds herself in a world of danger.

Here’s the blurb for Murder, Mi Amore':

            Lexie Cortese is in Rome to forget. The last thing she expects is to meet a sexy Interpol agent who suspects her of being part of a terrorist plot involving a stolen diamond. Suddenly thrust into a world of murders, muggings, and kidnappings, Lexie doesn’t know what to think—or who to believe.

            Dominic Brioni’s assignment is simple. Befriend the American and bring her to justice. Only Lexie seems the most unlikely terrorist Dominic has ever met. Sweet, determined, and direct, she faces life with courage and fire, a fire that sparks his protective instincts and a longing for something more—something he allowed himself to hope for only once before.

            But that woman betrayed him, and his boss isn’t about to let him forget it. With his career on the line and Lexie in danger, will Dominic learn to trust his heart before they both get killed?

We all know Italy is filled with art, history, great food, and stylish men and women. But every city and country has an underbelly. I used my imagination to interject this dark side onto the touristy Italy I visited. All four of my grandparents came from Italy, from the province of Abruzzo. So I have more than a passing interest in the country.

Writing Murder Mi Amore allowed me to relive our trip. I pictured the places we’d seen, then imagined putting Lexie into danger in those very places.

As I wrote about Lexie and Dominic meeting for the first time at Trevi Fountain, I could hear the chattering of the crowds and the snap of cameras and feel the sun’s heat. I could almost taste the wine Lexie orders. But underneath this holiday atmosphere is the constant threat of crime. Rome teems with pickpockets. During our trip, when my husband set his digital camera on our table near Trevi, our waiter told him to put the camera away as thieves like to run by and snatch valuables off the tables. I used this idea when Lexie’s new designer handbag is stolen - the handbag that starts her spiral of murder and mayhem.

Every location in Murder, Mi Amore is authentic. When Lexie is dragged through dark and narrow streets by her would-be kidnapper, I pictured the little alleyways dotting Rome. Like mosquitoes, motor scooters swarm through the city, sometimes even on sidewalks. Dominic is almost run over by a scooter when he and Lexie are attacked by a mugger (or so they think he’s a mugger). No one is my story is exactly what he seems.

I even have a chapter set in my grandparents’ hometown of Ripa Teatina. On our trip we traveled the same mountainous road between Rome and Abruzzo that Lexie and Dominic traverse. Only we weren’t chased by someone trying to kill us.

Lexie’s decisions - to travel to Italy alone, to buy a way-too-expensive handbag - have consequences. Determined to change her ways from a woman who does what others expect to a woman who does what she wants, Lexie is thrust into a dark world she could only imagine. Instead of letting fear rule her, she faces the danger with courage. When the police don’t believe her, she refuses to back down. I loved seeing Lexie grow as the story progressed.

Having raised his younger sister, Dominic is protective of women. Although his job for Interpol is to bring Lexie to justice for her alleged involvement with terrorists, she appeals to his protective instincts. Lexie isn’t afraid to fight her own battles, but Dominic is by her side, fighting with her. She knows he’s hiding something, but finally decides to trust him. On the morning they trust each other enough to make love, Dominic learns some disturbing news about Lexie that makes him question everything he feels for her.

I loved writing Murder, Mi Amore. I liked writing the villains too, and they are some very bad guys. Think of all the Mafia movies you’ve seen. I loved putting Lexie and Dominic in danger, in Italy and again in Las Vegas.

Dominic is a warrior, but so is Lexie. Together they’re formidable. I hope my readers think so too.

BK, thank you for having me as your guest today. If any of your readers have questions, I’ll be glad to answer them.

You can visit me at www.caramarsi.com

Buy links: http://www.amazon.com/Murder-Amore-Jewels-Night-ebook/dp/B004GEAZWY

http://www.thewildrosepress.com/murder-mi-amore-p-4345.html

Facebook: www.facebook.com/carolynmatkowsky

Twitter: http://twitter.com/caramarsi

Watch the video for “Murder, Mi Amore:”

Thank you so much for stopping in today Cara.  It's been a pleasure having you.  I wish you much success in the future.

Until next time,