My Books!

Monday, July 15, 2013

Welcome Violetta Rand



Readers, please help me welcome Violetta Rand to the blog. Violetta, my sister also lives in Alaska, in Anchorage.  I've visited several times so I know that you live in a beautiful state.

1.DOES YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS KNOW YOU ARE A WRITER............IF
SO WHAT WAS THEIR REACTION?

 

I presented my mother with a fully illustrated manuscript when I was five. I told her I wanted to be a writer when I grew up. I continued to author short stories and poetry throughout my childhood. Blessed with friends who read my material, I continued to learn and develop my skills as an adult. It was generally assumed that one day I’d get there.

 
Now that I’m published, the reaction has been nothing but praise and joy. How often do people really get to live out childhood fantasies? I think my favorite moment was revealing my first book cover to them.

 

 
2.DOES A HERO ALWAYS HAVE TO BE GOOD LOOKING AND WHY / WHY NOT?

 
It’s easy to fall in love with beautiful heroes, especially in historical romances. The introverted beta male is easily overlooked. However, I think some of the most memorable and passionate heroes in history and literary fiction have been average looking guys.

 
A couple great examples…

 
Napoleon Bonaparte’s fervid relationship with his first wife Josephine produced some of the most potent love letters I’ve ever read.

 
The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (Quasimodo) sacrificed everything for his one true love, Esmeralda. 

 
My new contemporary romance features a 30-something biology professor from California who’s large and awkward. There’s nothing remarkable about his looks, only his heart.

 

 3. WHICH HERO or heroine IS YOUR FAVE TO DATE AND WHY?

 
My favorite fictional hero and heroine are Claire and Jamie Fraser from the Outlander series. There’s something magical about this pairing, their chemistry in and out of the bedroom intrigues me. The more scarred and disfigured Jamie becomes, the more Claire loves him. Add transcontinental adventure and ship wrecks and I’m hopelessly hooked.

 
 
4.HOW MANY WIP ( WORKS IN PROGRESS) HAVE YOU GOT GOING?

 
Two. The third installment in the Blind Series, Blind Vengeance, is half finished and I’m just starting a contemporary romance set in the 1980s.

 

5.ON AVERAGE HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE YOU TO WRITE A BOOK?

 
5 to 6 months (70,000 words)


Violetta, thanks so much for coming today. I really enjoyed your interview.  And now for a blurb, excerpt, and author information.



BLIND ALLEGIANCE

By

Violetta Rand

 

BLURB:  

It’s a risk of a lifetime loving a man you’re supposed to hate…

Betrayed by a brother she hardly trusted before the bloodthirsty Viking, Jarl Randvior Sigurdsson, attacks her home, Noelle Sinclair is conveniently bartered as a means to save her cowardly sibling’s skin. Forced to leave her homeland and accompany the petulant Viking to the untamed wilderness of central Norway, Noelle is ever-aware of the burgeoning dangers around her—including her weakening resolve to resist Randvior.

Should Noelle surrender to his resplendent charms and seduction, or fight with every ounce of strength she possesses to get home?

 

EXCERPT:  

     Dark clouds always gathered in Noelle Sinclair’s dreams. Hundreds of nightmares had played out in her mind since childhood. Why should tonight be any different?

The smell of burning wood invaded her sleep. Smoke snatched her breath and she tried to purge her lungs by taking deep breaths. She ran for the great hall and all she could see were scorched rafters and floorboards. Guards scrambled to the battlements, while women and children fled the castle. She searched for her sisters among the people migrating outside ...

“Fire!”

Noelle’s eyes snapped open at the sound of dire warning. By God, this was no dream! She flung blankets aside and rolled over, shook her older sister awake, and jumped out of bed.

“What’s wrong?” Margaret asked sleepily.

“The castle’s on fire. Get up, now!”

 Margaret scurried from bed and ran with Noelle to the windows overlooking the eastern edge of the castle. Through the swirling fog, Noelle could make out a tangle of men with torches and weapons in the courtyard below. She further scanned the shoreline where the North Sea pounded against the rocks and dunes. The castle was under siege and poorly defended. Most of the soldiers and her father were in Ireland, leaving only her brother and a skeleton army behind.

Her gaze still locked on the beach, Noelle caught sight of three, silvery-white longships anchored beyond the walls. Their blood-red sails snapped in the wind. She stared in horror as the pattern on the sails came into focus—the shape of a dragon.
 
 
 
 
AUTHOR INFORMATION:
 
Violetta Rand holds a bachelor's degree in Environmental Policy and a master's degree in Environmental Management. Serving as an environmental scientist in the state of Alaska for over seven years, she enjoys the privilege of traveling to remote places few people have the opportunity to see.
 
Violetta has been "in love" with writing since childhood. Struck with an entrepreneurial spirit at a young age, at five, she wrote short stories illustrated by her best friend and sold them in her neighborhood. The only thing she loves more than writing is her wonderful relationship with her husband, Jeff. She enjoys outdoor activities, reading whatever she can get her hands on, music, and losing herself in the ancient worlds she enjoys bringing to life in the pages of her stories.
 
Readers, please follow Violetta's tour and comment often to be entered in a drawing for a $25 Amazon gift certificate.  you can find the tour dates here.    http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2013/04/virtual-book-tour-blind-allegiance-by.html
 


 

21 comments:

  1. I think that memorable, sweet or great deeds can make any hero attractive.


    marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com

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  2. I enjoyed the interview and excerpt, thank you.

    Kit3247(at)aol(dot)com

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  3. Hello Mary, nice to see you again. Actions do speak louder than words--so great deeds are so very important to set a hero apart.

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  4. Thanks for stopping in Ingeborg.

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  5. Enjoyed reading your interview today. I agree with you about the 'not so goodlooking' hero. Same goes for the heroine who is not the raving beauty. Makes for interesting reading, IMHO.


    Are all 3 books in this series set in the same time period? What was your inspiration to write a book set in the 11th century?


    kareninnc at gmail dot com

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  6. Wow! You write fast! I love Alaska. I used to live in the Yukon and visited Alaska on several occasions.

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  7. Hello Karen.

    Yes, the Blind Series will follow the events of the 11th century. Book 2, Blind Mercy, opens up in 1066 at the Battle of Stamford Bridge, seven miles from York. Here, my hero, Tyr Sigurdsson, the middle son of Randvior and Noelle, finds himself one of the few survivors of the war that really ends the Viking Age.

    The 11th century is full of important events and religious conflict. One of my favorite things for historical fiction.

    Book 3, Blind Vengeance, is a redemption story. It takes the antagonist from Blind Mercy and offers him as the hero.

    Thanks for stopping by today.

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  8. Thanks for the awesome interview! You've got some great answers!

    andralynn7 AT gmail DOT com

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  9. Greetings Tracy. The Yukon is so beautiful. Did you live in White Horse? I could stay in that town forever. What's your favorite spot in Alaska? I adore Juneau. Thanks for visiting.

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  10. Welcome back Andra. Glad you enjoyed the interview. Thanks.

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  11. Thank you for sharing the giveaway!

    hense1kk (at) cmich (dot) edu

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  12. Hello Kate, good luck with the win.

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  13. Thanks for sharing the excerpt from Blind Allegiance! Great interview. I am also a fan of the Outlander series.

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  14. Forgot to add my email.
    bhometchko(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  15. Nice to see you again Book Lady. What's your favorite book in the Outlander series? I prefer the first. Thanks.

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  16. I can identify with Noelle in so many ways, from the man she isn't supposed to love, to the horrible brother. Thank you for the wonderful excerpt.
    kbinmich@yahoo.com

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  17. I like the idea of the less than perfect hero. I like that your next novel features a man with a great heart rather than a great body

    fencingromein at hotmail dot com

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  18. Hi Violetta,

    I enjoyed the first book in the Outlander series; however my favorites are Breath of Snow and Ashes and An Echo in the Bone because they are set in the American Revolution.
    bhometchko(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  19. Wow! This book sounds great and I can't wait to read it.
    Thanks :-)
    Lori

    lorih824 at yahoo dot com

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