Day 9: Celebrate Amore

Paula Martin

Cate: Yay, Paula is here to help us Celebrate Amore. Paula, please tell us a little bit about yourself.

Paula: Hi, Cate, thanks so much for having me on your Valentine’s blog celebration. I’m a contemporary romance author from the UK. I live in North West England, and have two daughters and two grown-up grandsons. I had some early publishing success in my 20’s with three romances published by Mills and Boon/Harlequin and one by Robert Hale, but then my family and my career as a teacher left me with hardly any time for writing for many years, apart from a few short stories and articles. I came back to writing novels about five years ago, and have had four contemporary romances published in the last two years, with another one due out this month.

Cate: Congrats! What do you love most about Valentine’s Day?

Paula: It’s a long time since I celebrated Valentine’s Day as I have had no significant ‘other’ for many years, but I love all the cuddly Valentine toys which are so cute.

Cate: Aren't they? :) Do you have a favorite Valentine’s Day memory?

Paula: When I was sixteen, I received a Valentine card signed simply with a big question mark. I never discovered who sent it, but always hoped it was from a boy called David. I was crazy about him at the time but was too scared to ask him, in case he said no! Teenage love can cause such angst, can’t it?

Cate: Love that story. :) Do you have any romantic Valentine’s Day traditions?

Paula: Valentine’s Day is not as ‘big’ here in the UK as it seems to be in America, but people still buy cards (either jokey or romantic), and maybe flowers, chocolates, or other gifts, for their partners.

Cate: Tell us about your latest release, and where readers can find it online.

Paula: My new novel, due for release this month, is ‘’Dream of Paris’ – and Paris, of course, is known as the City of Love, and is probably the most romantic place for lovers. My hero and heroine visit Paris twice in the story, and each time is a life-changing experience for them both.

It will be available on Amazon, B&N, and other outlets, in both e-book and print format. Here’s the link to my Amazon author page, which will contain the details of my new book as soon as it’s released. http://www.amazon.com/Paula-Martin/e/B005BRF9AI/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1

Cate: Very cool - great theme! Care to share a blurb or excerpt?

Paula:

Blurb: Anna Richards has a dream of going to live and study in Paris, but when Matthew Carlton comes into her life, her dream changes direction. Attraction sparks between them, but Matt’s behaviour is strangely inconsistent. Anna is shocked when she discovers the reason and is sure there is no future for them. Can Paris work its magic and make her dream come true?

Excerpt:

Matt has kissed Anna for the first time and now they’re in a small bistro on the Left Bank.

Arnaud brought them a bottle of wine without Matt having to order it.

She looked across the table at him, afraid he was about to tell her the kiss meant nothing.

“Paris has gone to our heads, hasn’t it?” he said with a small smile.

She lowered her eyes and stroked her fingers up and down the stem of her glass. “Is that all it was?” Slowly she was returning to reality, even though she tried to cling to the dream.

Her heart jerked when he put his hand very gently around hers. “Do you want it to be any more?”

She raised her head again until her eyes met his. “Do you?”

He studied her for a long moment, and then sighed. “We’re playing with words, aren’t we? All I hope is you won’t hate me when you look back at this.”

She frowned, not understanding. “What do you mean? Why should I hate you?”

“I’m worried you might think I’ve been taking advantage of you.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I know how much you love Paris, Anna, and Paris is a very romantic city.”

“And you think that’s why this has happened? That we’ve been swept away by the atmosphere here?”

“I don’t know.” He drained his glass and reached for the bottle again. “I suppose we won’t know, either of us, until we get home, will we?”

“I know already.” She held out her glass for him to pour more wine, and went on, “But what about you? Has it just been the magic of Paris for you?”

“No.”

“So what has it been?”

The silence seemed to go on forever. The candle on the table sent flickering shadows across Matt’s face and she knew he was deep in thought. She looked down and, as she took another sip of wine, she saw her hand was trembling.

“If you want the honest truth, I’ve wanted to kiss you for weeks.”

Her head shot up. “What?

“You mean you didn’t realise?”

“No, I—For weeks, you said?”

“Yes.” He smiled. “The first time was when we played that crazy tennis game—and the prom night, of course, and after the staff meeting—and ever since we arrived in Paris.”

She stared at him, hardly able to believe what he’d said. All the time she’d been thinking it was an impossible dream, he’d been wanting to kiss her. “Why didn’t you?”

His gaze met hers for a few tension-filled moments, and then, without breaking eye-contact, he reached to push a stray strand of hair back from her cheek. His soft fingers traced the outline of her ear as he tucked it behind, and stayed near her earlobe, gently caressing the side of her neck with his fingertips

His eyes softened. “Because I’ve been trying not to fall in love with you.”

Cate: What inspired you to write about the theme?

Paula: I’ve always loved Paris, ever since my first visit there when I was in my teens, and even though I’ve been there many times since then, it has never lost its magic. I actually wrote this story about thirty years ago, and decided to rewrite it. Of course, the world has changed a lot since then, so I had to do a lot of updating. The biggest problem is nowadays everyone has a cell phone, which makes it much easier for people to keep in contact – and causes a problem when you want the hero and heroine not to be able to contact each other! Other changes worked more in my favour, especially the Channel Tunnel which has made it so much easier, and quicker, to get from England to France.

Cate: Anything else you’d like to share?

Paula: Readers can find me on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/#!/paulamartinromances

and at my blog http://paulamartinpotpourri.blogspot.co.uk/

My website is http://paulamartinromances.webs.com/

Cate: Oo, you lucky readers! Paula has a surprise for you. :)

Paula: I’m happy to give a PDF copy of ‘Dream of Paris’ to one lucky commenter (as soon as it is released this month)

Thank you again for having me as your guest – and Happy Valentine’s Day! 

Cate: Thanks for being part of the fun! Happy Valentine's Day to you!

 

Paula Martin in the Author Spotlight

Cate: Please welcome Paula Martin. Paula, will you please share a short bio with us?
Paula: Thanks for having me as guest, Cate.

I’ve lived in the North West of England all my life, taught history at High Schools for half my life, took early retirement and now wonder how I ever had time to go out to work.  I’m happily divorced, with two daughters and two grandsons, aged 22 and 16. 

I had some publishing success in my 20’s and 30’s with four romance novels published by Mills & Boon/Harlequin.  The demands of young family and teaching career then took up most of my time although I did some short stories which were published in various magazines.  For five years, in the 90’s, I had a slot each month in the Girl Guiding magazine where I wrote articles with ideas for activities with Rainbows, Brownies and Guides.  I returned to fiction-writing once I retired, beginning with fan-fiction about my favourite TV show, The West Wing.  A serendipity meeting with a best-selling writer on a Civil War battlefields trip in the USA in 2008 prompted me to start writing romance novels again.  

Cate: Very cool. Someday I hope to visit England! Tell us about His Leading Lady and where it's available.
Paula: ‘His Leading Lady’ is published in June.  It’s available from Whiskey Creek Press http://www.whiskeycreekpress.com

Cate: Congrats! Please tantalize us with a story blurb or excerpt.
Paula: Jess Harper’s predictable life is turned upside down when she discovers that Lora, her twin sister, has disappeared.  It’s just a week before rehearsals are due to start for a new West End musical in which Lora has the lead role.  Jess decides to pose as her sister in order to save Lora's career.  This brings her into close contact with arrogant theatre director Kyle Drummond.  Attraction sparks between them but there’s also evidence that he had been dating Lora.  So is Jess simply a substitute – in real life as well as in the show?  And what will happen when Lora eventually returns?   

Excerpt:

(Jess is posing as her sister and she and Kyle have returned to Lora’s apartment after having dinner, the night before they are due to do a TV interview together)

          He followed her across the landing and her nerves fluttered like a bird caught in a net.  Her hand shook as she started to put the key in the lock, then Kyle’s hand on her arm stopped her.  “I’ll pick you up at nine thirty tomorrow.”

          She looked at him, genuinely taken aback.  “But – but aren’t you coming in?”

          The instant she said it, she could have kicked herself.  An amused look flashed across his face.  “What man could resist such an invitation?” he said with a quick grin.  “But no, tonight I really must resist.  You need a good night’s sleep and I –” He stopped and gave a half-laugh.  “Well, let’s just say that I have a few things to sort out before tomorrow.  I’ll see you at nine thirty.”

          Jess knew the feeling sweeping through her should be one of relief, knew she should say a casual goodnight to him and open the apartment door.  But the look in his eyes sent waves of heat rising inside her.  She couldn’t move, even when he put his hands on her arms and started to lower his head.  A warning bell shrilled in her head but by then Kyle’s mouth was against hers and it was too late.

          His mouth was soft at first but the feel of it, so warm and tantalising, sent her head into a spin.  A small gasp escaped from her lips and parted them slightly.  Kyle’s arms went round her, and he pulled her firmly against him.  His lips hardened and his tongue slid into her mouth. 

          She’d been kissed passionately before but nothing had prepared her for Kyle’s kiss.  His mouth took possession of her in a seductive demand for surrender.  As his tongue gently fondled hers, sensations that she had never known before scorched through her, ignited every nerve and melted every bone.  She gripped his shoulders, her head went back and involuntarily she arched towards him, thrilling exquisitely to the feel of his hard body against hers.  The surrender he demanded was complete as she responded with the same fervour, wanting more, still more.

          When he released her, her breathing was ragged and she looked up at him, dazed and disorientated.

          For a couple of seconds, Kyle looked just as stunned.  Then he took a deep breath and gave her a wry grin.  “You certainly know how to make a man regret his decision!”  He cupped her chin with his hand and even that burned through her and then gave her a tender smile.  “I’d better go, otherwise I never will.  Goodnight, beautiful lady.  Sleep well.  And don’t worry about tomorrow.  You’ll do just fine.”

          His lips brushed her mouth again in a brief parting kiss and then he turned to the lift.  The doors were still open and Jess watched as he went in and pressed the ground floor button.  Still totally numb, she raised her hand slightly.  Kyle smiled and tilted his head in farewell.

          Only when she was staring at the lift doors did she finally move.  The key was still in the lock and she let herself into the apartment.  She closed the door behind her, then caught sight of herself in the hallway mirror.  Her face was flushed and her blue eyes stared back at her wildly.

          “Oh God,” she whispered as she brought both her hands up to her cheeks.  For a few moments she couldn’t think straight.  All she could feel was Kyle’s mouth, his tongue, his whole body.  A quiver ran down to somewhere deep inside her.

          In the next moment her eyes widened with horror.  How could she have let him kiss her like that? 

          She looked at herself again in the mirror and tried to calm her thudding heart.  Lora’s clothes, Lora’s make-up, Lora’s hairstyle.  Of course, he’d thought that he was kissing Lora, not her.  And she’d responded as Lora.  Hadn’t she?

          So that was some damn good play-acting, Jess.  Except that it didn’t explain her own response.  Not just the way she’d responded to his kiss, but all those other feelings that she didn’t even want to think about.

          Relief, she told herself firmly.  All evening she’d been worrying about how the evening was going to end, and when he’d said that he wasn’t coming in, it was simply relief that swept through her   Wasn’t it?

          Underneath, she knew there had been far more than that, but already her mind frantically tried to deny what had happened to her emotions and to her body too.  Instead, she diverted her thoughts to the TV interview.  Once she got through that, this whole charade would be over.  She could go back to Ashfield and forget that Kyle Drummond even existed.

Cate: Fantastic. Can you tell us why we're going to love your hero?
Paula: Jess dismissed Kyle as “arrogant, sarcastic, insensitive, an out-and-out male chauvinist” after their first meeting but the chemistry between them is already at work.  As she gets to know him, she discovers there’s a compassionate and caring man behind the ambitious and determined theatre entrepreneur.  This caring side has led him to put his whole reputation and career at risk to stage a new musical by an unknown writer, who happens to be – no, that would be a spoiler!  But anyway, he’s tall, dark and handsome, of course (take 15 years off Colin Firth and that’s Kyle!).  His charismatic self-assurance is combined with a certain vulnerability which makes him a real alpha/beta man, with the best qualities of both.  I love him!

        

Cate: I can see why! :) Tease us with one little thing about your fictional world that makes it different from others.
Paula:  The story is based mainly in London, which I know well.  I’ve always loved the theatre, especially musicals.  Although I’ve no experience of the professional theatre, I’ve worked in the amateur theatre world for many years, backstage with costumes, props or as a stage crew member.  I also directed two shows each year with the Junior Group for about ten years.  I’m fairly sure that rehearsals and the backstage atmosphere are similar in both the amateur and professional worlds, so I hope my own experience helps to lend some authenticity to my story.   

Cate: Very cool. What's next for you?
Paula: My second novel, “Fragrance of Violets” will be released by Whiskey Creek Press early next year.  The title comes from a quotation by Mark Twain:  “Forgiveness is the fragrance the violet bestows on the heel that has crushed it.”  Forgiveness is the theme of the story which is set mainly in England’s beautiful Lake District.

Blurb: Abbey Seton distrusts men, especially Jack Tremayne who destroyed their friendship when they were teenagers.  Ten years later, they meet again.  Can they put the past behind them?  Abbey has to forgive not only Jack, but also her father who deserted his family when she was young.  Jack holds himself responsible for his fiancée’s death.  He’s also hiding another secret which threatens the fragile resumption of their relationship.  Will Abbey ever forgive him when she finds out the truth? 

I’m working on a third book, “A Nile Romance”, which was inspired by a cruise on the Nile which I took last October.  It’s the story of a cruise ship tour guide and an archaeologist working in the famous Valley of the Kings, whose blossoming romance is threatened by old feuds about which neither of them was aware.    

Cate: What inspired you to draft your first story?
Paula: I actually started ‘His Leading Lady’ way back in the 70’s, wrote about 3 chapters, but then abandoned it.  When I brought it into the light again, I found I could still remember the bare bones of the plot I’d worked out thirty years earlier so I started it again.  It developed in a somewhat different way than I’d originally planned, but then that happens with every novel I write! 

Cate: Do you have a writing routine?
Paula: I’m a night-owl!  Most of my writing is done in the evening.  I sometimes wonder if that’s a hang-over from when I was working full-time and, of necessity, did all my writing in the evenings.  I keep telling myself that I could write far more if I put my mind to it during the day-time, now that I’m retired.  But old habits die hard, it seems.  I do admire those writers who can start writing at seven in the morning.  But my brain doesn’t operate like that.  When I was working full-time, my colleagues used to say ‘Don’t ask Paula anything until after ten o’clock if you want a sensible answer from her!” 

Cate: Too funny. Where can readers find you on the web?
Paula: My website is http://paulamartinromances.webs.com

I have a personal blog at http://paulamartinpotpourri.blogspot.com and I’m a member of a group blog http://heroineswithhearts.blogspot.com in which five of us, having chosen our writing topic for the week, all add our own thoughts about it.

Cate: Is there anything you’d like to ask our readers?
Paula: I’d love to know readers’ favourite kind of heroes and heroines.  Alpha or beta?  Dark or fair hair?  Brown or blue eyes?

Cate: Readers, Paula is giving away a book to one lucky commenter. She'll pick a winner and announce the winner here.

Thanks so much for being my guest Paula! Best of luck to you.