Q ~ Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
worked as a lifeguard, professional firefighter/paramedic, medical assistant, clinical researcher and research director. Enjoyed all of those jobs. Since becoming a stay at home mom I’ve volunteered for law enforcement and in education. I’ve been polygraphed twice.
Q ~ What’s something that you never leave home without?
Q ~ What’s something that you never leave home without?
Situational awareness. I try to always know what’s going on around me. Weather, circling helicopters, people having medical crisis, cars driving erratically. Lessons learned in emergency management never die. I always recommend this book to people. You can find it here.
Q ~ How do you think people perceive authors?
Q ~ How do you think people perceive authors?
As introverts. This may be true for some, perhaps even a majority of authors, but there are many of us writing who are extroverts.
Q ~ How do you feel about self-publishing?
Q ~ How do you feel about self-publishing?
I’m for whatever works for the individual and their career. I have five traditionally published books with Crimson Romance and just published my first novella through self-publishing.
Q ~ Ebooks, paperbacks, or hardcovers?
Q ~ Ebooks, paperbacks, or hardcovers?
All three. Although as someone who has moved a lot I can attest to the burden of boxes and boxes of treasured books. Much easier to just load them on the iPad.
Q ~ What is your favourite genre to read?
Q ~ What is your favourite genre to read?
I read everything. I’m in a book club so I read what other people pick and they read what I do. I love science fiction, non-fiction, romance, and commercial fiction. If you follow me on Goodreads, you can see what I’m reading and enjoying and share your recommendations with me. I don’t read much poetry or fantasy but nearly everything else. To write? I have a thing for romance obviously. I attempted a screenplay once, may get back to it, but struggle with subtext.
Q ~ Do you have a favourite author?
Q ~ Do you have a favourite author?
Too many to list! On Goodreads I have a DIK (Desert Island Keeper Shelf) I’m more a person who had favorite books than favorite authors, if that makes sense? Voice is important but story more so. Do they influence your writing? I don’t think so. I think it’s a mishmash in my brain of all the romance I’ve been reading since 1982 and the movies I’ve seen and my life and….heaven knows what else.
Q ~ Are there any new Authors that have grasped your interest recently and why?
Q ~ Are there any new Authors that have grasped your interest recently and why?
I just discovered romance author Jenny Holiday, and I loved her two contemporaries. Julie James is a favorite. I autobuy historical romance authors Julie Anne Walker, Eloisa James and Julie LeMense. I enjoy thriller writer Lee Child, and in commercial fiction Gillian Flynn and Paula Hawkins. I love the unreliable narrator! The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was a favorite series.
Q ~ How did you begin writing?
Q ~ How did you begin writing?
My husband encouraged me to trade my reading addiction for writing around the start of NaNoWriMo in 2012.
Q ~ Can you tell me about your ideal reader?
Q ~ Can you tell me about your ideal reader?
Anyone who enjoys the book, finds pleasure, escape, meaning, whatever.
Q ~ When you write, do you try to reach a specific word count or simply write until you are done?
Q ~ When you write, do you try to reach a specific word count or simply write until you are done?
I write when my kids are in school, one scene at a time, as it comes.
Q ~ Can you tell us a little bit about your latest release Ever After and what inspired you to write it?
Q ~ Can you tell us a little bit about your latest release Ever After and what inspired you to write it?
Normally things percolate for some time, but with that one, there was quite a bit of hullaballoo about the second royal baby…and it got in my head. And I had just seen Cinderella with my kids and hate that the stepmother is the villain. I wanted to write a contemporary twist on a fairy tale and Ever After was born.
Q ~ Can you tell us a bit about the process that went behind the cover artwork for this novel?
I wanted something that had both a romantic and sexy adult fairy tale feel and Melody’s cover fit perfectly. I found Melody Pond online and she was a joy to work with.
Q ~ What is your process for choosing character names?
Q ~ What is your process for choosing character names?
Torturous. It’s harder than naming children.
Q ~ If you were stranded on a desert island with one of your characters (from any novel you’ve written) who would you choose and why?
Q ~ If you were stranded on a desert island with one of your characters (from any novel you’ve written) who would you choose and why?
I’ll use this question to segue into the next question. I’m working on something about a woman who flees her small fundamentalist family living off-grid in the South. She’s incredibly self-sufficient and great in a ‘eeking out an existence on an island’ way, but emotionally stunted.
Q ~ Do you have anything in the works at the moment? Care to give us a hint about it?
Q ~ Do you have anything in the works at the moment? Care to give us a hint about it?
^See above^
Q ~ If you could give aspiring authors one piece of advice, what would it be?
Q ~ If you could give aspiring authors one piece of advice, what would it be?
Put your butt in the chair and just write and write and write, however you can for as long as you can. DON’T self-edit along the way. First drafts are ugly and that’s okay.
About the author:
About the author:
Fueled by black jelly-beans and Pinot Noir, Rachel Cross writes fast-paced contemporary romance with a twist. She lives in coastal California with her surfer/pilot husband and two daughters. Her past includes stints as a firefighter, paramedic, clinical manager and Weekly World News tabloid ‘model’. You can find her on www.facebook.ReadRachelCross.com
Once upon a time, a teen beauty queen from Texas gave up her golden crown and her controlling family and married her one true love. Her family disowned her, her husband died and she was left to raise their twin girls alone.
Years later Rebecca married for security and companionship but chose poorly and ended up with a fraud, a cheat and a liar. He died leaving her with nothing but a beautiful stepdaughter, boatloads of debt, a tarnished reputation and a vow never to remarry.
The Prince…
Once upon a time, across the Atlantic, there lived a young prince. His life was anything but charmed. His mother died tragically and his older brothers could do no wrong – in school, in life or in love.
David was not just a member of worlds most well known royal family – he became its most infamous and popular son. But serving his country in wartime changed the prince. Soon he longed for more than endless parties with models on yachts in the Mediterranean. In his last days as a soldier and pilot he was sent on a junket to California.
It was there he met the woman who could change everything …
Ever After will be available for $0.99 from June 27th-July4th
Enter now to win in this fantastic new giveaway with author Rachel Cross!
The grand prize winner will receive an Amazon Gifted copy of Rachel Cross' Rock Rhapsody bundle, her High Octane Bundle, & Ever After
One winner will receive an Amazon gifted ecopy of Rachel Cross' Rock Rhapsody bundle.
One winner will receive an Amazon gifted ecopy of Rachel Cross' High Octane Bundle.
One winner will receive an Amazon gifted ecopy of Ever After.
Contest is open internationally, where applicable by law.
Prizes will be gifted from the author via Amazon.
Entries close at 11:59pm July 10/15.
Winners will be drawn July 11/15.
Winners will be notified via email to the email
provided to the giveaway and will have 72h to claim their prize or another
winner will be drawn.
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