GET TO KNOW ME

I love learning personal facts about authors, their favorite vices, obsessions, maybe even some secrets. I'm nosey, er, curious about people. So I thought I'd do a Get to Know Me post since I never actually formally introduced myself here.

http://www.themoviedistrict.com/moonstruck/2/

FACT: I've lived in California over 20 years, but I'm a New Yorker at heart. Yup, raised in Brooklyn in an Italian neighborhood where the men would "leave the gun and take the cannoli" if ya know what I mean. Pizza, a semolina loaf, salami, and black and white cookies were my 4 major food groups growing up. I lived a block away from the bakery in this photo, which is where the bakery scenes in the movie, Moonstruck were filmed.

http://whisper.sh/whisper/0518ae519891fb882747fe107dffbf6af97747/I-think-my-cup-of-coffee-just-said-youre-my-bitch


VICE: Coffee. How cliche, I know, but put it this way--If I could walk around with an IV drip of coffee all day, I would. I started drinking coffee back when no one knew what a cappuccino was, Starbucks hadn't been born yet, and it sure in the hell didn't cost over $2 a cup.

OBSESSION: Halloween. Let's just say this: It's only July and I'm already buying stuff for Halloween. Actually, I started in May. Truthfully, I started getting ideas about it on November 1, 2017. It's a year-round obsession. Oh, and I dress my diva dog to match me on Halloween. She knows if she wants to roll with this family, she's got to be a good sport. The boy? He's just in it for the candy. He may or may not have been switched at birth. I'm still waiting to see whether he rises to the occasion in the future.

https://memes.lol/crazy-cat-lady/

ANIMALS: I've had 7 cats at one time, however, at the present moment, we have 4 cats, a diva Chihuahua, a destructive bunny, and our parakeet just died. Yes, I'm open to more cats.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/159103799310108429/

LOVE LIFE: I'm 50 and have never been married. I've been a single mom for the last 15 years, and only since this February on my 50th birthday did I become engaged for the first time. To a man I was in love with 35 years ago. (Awwww) Guess when we're getting married? Halloween 2020! Mwahaha!

CAREER: I'm all over the place with my writing. I've published 2 romantic comedies, The Accidental Cougar and The Meatball Mistress, an erotic romance, The Submissive Muse, and am now shopping around a young adult novel. I've also started a romantic thriller...so yeah, no set niche for me.


That's it for now. Hope everyone is staying cool this summer.


Tiffany N. York is a published romance author who may or may not need help over her Halloween obsession. She procrastinates by perusing buy/sell sites, looking for cheap Halloween scores. You can visit her website at tiffanynyorkauthor.com   

Romance…Variety is the Spice of Life

The romance genre is unique in that it has a huge variety of subgenres. A romance can be contemporary, paranormal, erotic, suspense, western, fantasy, science fiction… The list is endless. Even or a police procedural. You get the drift. A paranormal romance might be a lighthearted comedy or it could be extremely dark and dangerous. Same with the science fiction and fantasy. There is no end to the variety or combinations a writer can use to tell a story.

It’s one of the reasons I love reading and writing romance. There truly are no limits but one—a happily ever after, or HEA. The HEA or HFN (happy for now) is the cornerstone of a romance. If it doesn’t have it, then it’s fiction.

The relationship is also the driving force in the novel. All the other characters, drama, and setting are there to drive the relationship forward.

I’m always amazed by the imaginations and talent of my fellow romance writers. They tackle issues huge and small within the pages of their books. You can cozy up with a western (historical or contemporary), go on an exotic journey with a billionaire to the other side of the world, learn what it’s like to be a part of a wolf pack, be drawn into the struggles of a working mom or a wounded veteran. There is something for everyone in the romance genre. All you have to do is look.

One popular contemporary trope is the second chance at love. This isn’t quite that, but Enticing Emma is getting a second chance. This book was originally published in 2005 as Heat Wave, but has been given a second chance as Enticing Emma, the second book in the Summersville Secrets trilogy.

Enticing Emma
Summersville Secrets, Book 2

Damaged by betrayal . . .

Emma Howard learned the hard way that charming, good-looking men can’t be trusted, and she’s perfected the art of keeping her distance—until Tucker Martin moves into her apartment building. Their immediate physical attraction to one another is explosive, and she welcomes the opportunity to explore her newly awakened sexuality. But after a heated night of passion, Emma pulls away, unwilling to believe that a man who has everything she wants will want to stick around.

Driven by desire . . .

Tucker has wanted Emma since the first moment he laid eyes on her, and his need only grows more intense after they spend one amazing night together—until Emma goes from insatiable to unreachable. Bewildered but not broken, he’s determined to prove to her that he’s as sincere as he is sexy. And as Tucker patiently sets out to win the woman of his dreams, he knows Emma will have to face her past before they can indulge in the pleasures of a deeply loving future.

This is a fully revised edition of a book originally published in 2005 as Heat Wave.

BUY LINKS:
Amazon: http://amzn.com/B01E62K6XI
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/629366
Barnes & Noble: http://goo.gl/k8TUiv


N.J. Walters is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who has always been a voracious reader, and now she spends her days writing novels of her own. Vampires, werewolves, dragons, time-travelers, seductive handymen, and next-door neighbors with smoldering good looks—all vie for her attention. It’s a tough life, but someone’s got to live it.

Visit me at:
Website: http://www.njwalters.com
Blog: http://www.njwalters.blogspot.com
Newsletter Group: https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/awakeningdesires/info
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/N.J.WaltersAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/njwaltersauthor
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/NJWalters
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/njwalters
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/n-j-walters

When a Writer Stops Writing

I've been writing for a very long time. I believe it started in middle school with short stories and poems. Then I got married, popped out a couple babies, moved out, got divorced, graduated college, then decided to write again.

I've spent the last six years writing off and on. I've even published a few books, then unpublished a few books, then finally left my two favorite novels published on Amazon. It's true what they say, "No one is more critical of you than you."

People ask me why I unpublished some stories and frankly it's because I didn't feel as they were up to par. My heart wasn't in those stories, not really. To really pour my heart and soul into a story it needs my undivided attention. Sure I've written before while having a day job but my day job then was a lot less demanding than it is now. I used to eat, sleep, and breathe my stories but now it's become harder and harder to dive back into that world.

So what's a writer to do when there's nothing to write? Study? Figure out the answers to life's biggest questions? Learn how to paint? Become a conspiracy theorist? Cook? Who knows?

What I do though is blog. Blogging has saved me a few times. Every time I feel that spark begin to light back up again but I don't have the time to dedicate to writing a full blown story I'll blog or write a little and move on. Life has wrapped it's hands around my throat and has taken control between the day job, the family, the house, and studying for my real estate license I'm spread completely thin. So blogging gives me that outlet I so desperately need.

Do I always know what to blog about? Hell no! As I'm typing right now every single word is finding it's way to the screen without much thought put behind it. What you see is what you get. But that's what I like about blogging. It doesn't have to be perfect, it doesn't have to be edited, it just has to be real. (Some editing may not be a bad idea but nevertheless you get the point.)

I also read. Again, when I can. I try to focus more on the shorter stories or novellas because as bad as it sounds I just don't have the time to dedicate to a full blown novel. Maybe one day I will or maybe during the holidays I'll cram in some reading time but right now I just don't have it unfortunately. I've been desperately wanting to read Colleen Hoover's new book 'Without Merit' but I haven't had a chance to crack open the first page. I've downloaded it though. ;-)

I've fallen in love with the Misadventure series. If you haven't heard of it please go here and look it up --->   Misadventures FB Page

The latest book in this series is Misadventures of a Valedictorian. I haven't read this one yet but the others are fantastic! They have a new book released every week and these stories are full of hotness!!

Misadventures of a Valedictorian

This is what I believe most writers do who find themselves unable to write. We blog, we read, we spend time on Facebook jealous of those who can still write, we find ourselves at book signings and events soaking in the sweet air of creativity, and we promote the authors that we love. Because that's what this community does for each other. 

Thanks for reading! If you are looking for me I'll be over here eating cake, drinking wine, and attempting to study for this damn real estate exam.

Hugs,

Amber

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