Hello Everyone. Thank you for coming last week. This week I have been engrossed with beta reading a book that will be published later this year by a popular author. Beta Reading is something I enjoy doing and the published books hold a special place in me. Today I am presenting my very first interview with Author Erin Wade, which was published a few years ago.
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Good afternoon friends and welcome. Today I have Author Erin Wade with us to chat. Erin’s new book, Three Times as Deadly is now out and is doing exceptionally well. At the bottom, I have included a nice excerpt for you to read. I know you’re going to enjoy it. Erin is an imaginative story teller whose books lure in the reader. She is also an adventurer and isn’t afraid to take risks. Come meet this amazing woman whom you’re going to love.
“We all have our own realities.”
D.J. Jouett, Must be Murder
I want to thank Lynn Lawler for inviting me to be the interview today. It is an honor to be associated with Lynn and her blog.
Tell us about yourself.
I live with my wonderful wife Alex, my dog Tank and our cat Candy in Austin, Texas. I am thirty. Alex is a year older than I. We met while attending the University of Texas in Austin. November 5 will be our ninth anniversary.
Alex is an educator and I am a land developer. My day job didn’t require much time so I often found myself with time on my hands. Alex suggested that I try my hand at writing fiction. My first books were murder mysteries written for mainstream readers. Last year (2016) I was writing a book called The Destiny Factor. I intended it to be a mainstream murder mystery but somewhere along the way it assumed a life of its own and morphed into a lesbian romance/thriller. I had never thought about writing lesfic, but discovered that I enjoyed writing about what I knew and had experienced. So, a lesfic author was born. In January 25, 2017 I released my first “intentional” lesfic novel, Too Strong to Die. It shot to number ten the same day it was released and reached number one on Feb. 1. I had the bug. On my birthday, May 9, I released Death Was Too Easy which went to #1 in Hot New Releases. Currently, all three of my 2017 books are on Amazon’s Top 100 Best Sellers List for Action/Adventure/Romance and The Destiny Factor has stayed on the Top 100 Best Sellers list for the past fourteen months.
What inspired you to write professionally?
My wife convinced me to write fiction.
What is your new book, ‘Three Times as Deadly’ about?
‘Three Times as Deadly’ is about Sloan Cartwright, who awakens from a coma, in an African hospital. She has no memory of her past or the three women who claim to be married to her. The book is funny, exciting and filled with action and romance. It also deals with the plight of rhinos and elephants who are being hunted into extinction.
What is your advice about staying in the positive?
I am a very positive person, so I don’t know much about negativity. I think that the most important think in any individual’s life is the person they select to spend their life with. A good partner can build one up or tear one down. I can honestly say that my wife makes me be the very best person I can be. Life with her is amazing.
Do you go out into nature to meditate or quiet your mind? Where have you been and how was it for you?
We built a home in 2015 that Alex designed. It is a sanctuary for us both. I have an office that overlooks our pool and waterfall. Tank’s toy chest is built in and doubles as his window seat. It is right beside my desk so he is close to me. Our home is very peaceful and inspiring for me. Alex has decorated it beautifully. There is truly no other place in the world I’d rather be.
Are you a dog whisperer? What was your dog, Tank like as a puppy?
I’m not a dog whisperer. I think Tank may be a human whisperer. Tank is a rescue dog and has always been precious. When he was tiny, he was just a little ball of fur. We used to call him our little dust bunny. I have had dogs all my life and I loved them, but Tank is truly the sweetest, most loving dog I have ever had the privilege to belong to. At first, I thought he might be blind because no matter where I went he was right behind me with his nose touching my ankle, but his eyesight is fine. Now he is tall enough that his nose touches the bottom of the calf of my leg. He always stays that close to me. I think I’m his security blanket.
Where is a good hang out place to kick back and socialize with friends?
We are homebodies. We have two other couples we share fun times with. We have been friends since college. We rotate to each other’s homes on Saturday nights where the hostesses serve dinner and we play high-stakes poker. The maximum bid is twenty-five cents with a two-bump maximum so the most one can lose on one hand is seventy-five cents. Pretty high stakes, huh?
We have two other couples who are very active in our lives. We rotate hosting dinner in our homes every Saturday night. They are professional women in completely different fields from us. One couple consists of a mergers & acquisitions attorney and a doctor. The other couple is a forensic scientist and a psychiatrist. Both couples are fascinating but I have to admit my favorite stories come from the forensic scientist. She owns her own facility and is hired by smaller law enforcement agencies who don’t maintain their own forensic facility. She will show up in one of my books one day. Her stories are sometimes hysterical, sometimes very sad, sometimes unbelievable, but always entertaining. These four people open a new world to us every week. We have been friends since college and they are still so interesting to me. I think my wife wins the prize for funniest stories. She is an educator and some of the things children and their parents come up with are just laughable. I have learned so much from these five people.
We have my family over once a month and on holidays. My wife is a terrific cook and enjoys trying out new recipes on them. They love it.
Alex’s family lives in Alabama, so we don’t see them as often as we see my folks.
Where is the next place you’re going to visit? Share all you want about it.
We are taking my brother’s twins to Branson, MO. It is a fun city with a lot of live theater and entertainment. The best thing is the Duck Boats. Everyone should ride the Duck Boats at least once in their life.
Would you want to write a non-fiction book? If so, what would it be about?
No, I don’t think I would be a good non-fiction writer.
What is the most daring theme you’ve written about?
I am an action/adventure/romance writer. Lesbian romance is probably as daring as I get. I don’t delve into things I know nothing about. I would never write a 50 Shades of Gray type book. I did notice that one reviewer gave me four stars because I don’t go into details in my sex scenes, but I figure we all know where those end up and I like to let my readers us their imaginations. Also, sometimes my mother reads my books.
Erin’s Amazon Author Central page
What types of live music do you like to listen to. Who was the last performance you saw?
We love musicals, reviews, plays, etc. The last live musical we attended was last month in Fort Worth at Bass Hall to see The Carol King Musical, Beautiful. We do fly to New York several times a year to see musicals there.
Have you won any awards for your writing?
Not yet!
What is a fun attraction to visit in Austin, TX? What would be a good restaurant you would recommend?
We love taking the twins to The Schlitterbahn Water Park in New Braunfels. It is about an hour from Austin. Great fun for the entire family.
The best restaurant in Austin is Truluck’s Seafood, Steaks and Crab House. There are two of them, but we always go to the one downtown on Colorado St. They have live music with a female singer and a band. She is dynamite.
Do you have any advice for new writers?
GRAMMARLY & MS WORD ARE NOT ENOUGH!
If you read my reviews, you will find that I was lambasted by a few reviewers about grammatical errors In Too Strong to Die. I started searching for an editor. Even with an editor, I still critical comments about errors in Death Was Too Easy.
I became a woman on a mission. I asked questions. I inquired about who was the best editor I could hire. When I read a very clean book, I checked to see who edited it. After two months of intense searching, I narrowed my search down to Susan Hughes. As busy as she is, I was able to get Susan to accept me as a client.
Susan is—I can’t say enough nice things about Susan—awesome. We worked through Hurricane Harvey to release my latest book Three Times as Deadly on Sept. 17. It jumped to number one on the first day of release and has continued to hold that position. Three Times as Deadly has received several positive reviews and no one has been critical of the writing.
If I could give a single piece of advice to new writers it would be, Get a good editor. If you think you can’t afford one, you’re wrong. You can’t afford to be without one. As authors, we pour our heart and soul into our “masterpieces”. Believe me they become so much more with a great editor.
I know the burning question in the mind of any new author reading this is, “How much will a good editor cost me?”
A good editor will cost between $1,500 to $2,000, but you will make it up in sales. They will pay for themselves.
The other thing I would suggest to new writers is get a seasoned Beta Reader. They are worth their weight in gold. I am pleased that Julie Versoi has agreed to be my beta reader on future novels.
If you are lucky, an experienced writer will take an interest in you and become your mentor. I am fortunate that Kathy Brodland took an interest in my books and has given me guidance. Kathy is the one who told me to hire the best editor I could find.
I feel that I am fortunate to have assembled a small but exceptional team. With Susan, Julie and Kathy, I think 2018 will be the year of Erin Wade.
Me: I agree with Erin. You put so much effort into your work that it deserves the very best. I can also lead you in the direction of some good beta readers too if you are interested.
What is next for you?
I am currently working on a book titled Living Two Lives. It is about a fan, Jules Devine, who has a tremendous crush on a lesfic writer named Darcy Lake, even though the writer is happily married. Jules attends a national convention so she can have Lake autograph books for her. Secretly, she hopes to spend time with the author. A weekend with Darcy Lake is so much more than Jules dreamed and it changes her life forever. Jules is pulled into a world she never knew existed. A world of passion, deception, and death. It is a nail biter.
With all this said, Erin, you’re going to definitely keep us all posted about your new upcoming thriller. As promised, here is a nice excerpt from, ‘Three Times as Deadly’ for everyone. Enjoy!
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“Hello, Sleeping Beauty.” A tall, stout nurse smiled at me. I squinted to shut out the bright light she was trying to shine into my eyes.
I slowly realized I was in a hospital bed, hooked up to all types of machines, and my head was killing me.
“What happened?” I asked
“We have no idea.” The nurse smiled as she wrapped the blood pressure cuff around my upper arm and pumped it tight enough to cut off all circulation to my hand. “Someone dumped you at the emergency entrance of the hospital. You’ve been in a coma for about ten days.
“You looked like a pride of lions played keep-away with you.” She grinned at her own humor. “You have a concussion, couple of broken ribs, and various and sundry other cuts and bruises, but you’ll live.
“I am glad to see you awake.” She ripped the cuff from my bicep. My hand tingled as the feeling returned to my numb fingers. She ran a temperature wand across my forehead. “I need to get some information from you.”
I nodded, and my head kicked me hard. The pain was unbearable. I closed my eyes and opened them to find a name tag with Sadie engraved on it blocking my view. “Can you give me something for my headache?”
“I will as soon as I complete my paperwork.” Sadie wrinkled her nose and logged into the computer on the stand beside my bed.
“Date of birth?” Her attitude was efficient and direct.
“I don’t know.” I said.
“We’ll just skip the hard stuff and start with the easy questions,” she said with a smirk. “What is your name? I need the middle initial too.”
I stared at her in disbelief. This is a joke, right?
“Your name, sweetie,” she insisted.
“I . . . I don’t know,” I whispered.
Loud arguing in the hallway outside my room sent Sadie charging toward the door. Before she could reach it, two different, but equally stunning women burst into my room.
Sadie took a stance between the women and me. I raised my head and tried to look around my nurse.
“You two do realize you are in a hospital, don’t you?” Sadie scolded the women. “Keep your voices low, or I’ll have you escorted from the premises.”
The women looked contrite and edged around Sadie, but my protector wasn’t letting them get close to me.
“Who are you?” Sadie glared at them.
They answered in unison. “I’m Sloan Cartwright’s wife.”
“Well, I’ll be damn.” Sadie laughed as she turned to me. “Is that what happened to you? You got caught between these two.”
“No!” I blurted out. “I mean, I don’t know them.”
Both women glared at me as if I had defamed God.”
“Honey, I’m glad I’m not in your shoes right now,” Sadie said, chuckling. “Sloan Cartwright, is that your name?”
I struggled to sit up so I could get a better look at the two visitors. Obviously, I had good taste in women.
“Why don’t you introduce yourselves.” Sadie grinned, enjoying my predicament too much.
The beautiful blonde stepped forward. She was tall and slender, like a runner. She wore black slacks that hugged her perfect hips. A short-sleeved lavender blouse was tucked into her waistband. Toned arms and a flat stomach testified to her workout regimen. She wore a gold watch and pendant. Her green eyes seemed to change color as the light reflected from them.
“Sloan, honey, it’s me. Leigh.” Distress filled her eyes as she moved toward me. “Leigh Redding-Cartwright, your wife. We make our home in the United States. I’m here to take you home.” She blushed and added, “You call me LeeRee.”
“No! No!” Sadie intercepted her. “We still need to hear from this black beauty.”
She was a beauty indeed. Her features were fine and chiseled. Her ebony hair was stylishly cut. She reminded me of the actress Halle Berry. When she spoke, her French accent mingled with a touch of high English. I loved her accent. How do I know who Halle Berry is?
I looked from one woman to the other. Apparently I am an equal opportunity lover.
The black beauty smiled. “I am Amarosia Cartwright.” She bowed her head slightly. “You call me Amy. We live together here in Africa.”
Both women were earthshaking beauties.
As I gazed at them, mouth agape, the door to my room flew open, banging against the wall a couple of times as if doing a drum roll to announce the arrival of the gorgeous brunette who burst into my room. “Where is Sloan?” If the woman was also my wife, my taste in women had just shot off the Richter scale.
I realized I was holding my breath when the cardiac monitor attached to me went crazy. I didn’t know if the brunette or my predicament caused the increase in my heart rate.
“Tachycardia,” I muttered, one hand to my chest. I didn’t want the other two women to know how the brunette was affecting me. If one of them was my wife, I didn’t want to hurt her.
“Bullshit.” Sadie laughed gleefully. “You have your butt in a crack and can’t get it out. No wonder you have amnesia.”
“What is going on here?” The brunette demanded, glaring at the other women. “Sloan, what have they done to you, baby? I begged you not to come to this heathen hellhole.”
“Who are you?” Sadie demanded.
If looks could kill, Sadie would be pushing up daisies any minute. The brunette narrowed her icy blue eyes and moved to stand toe to toe with the nurse.
“I am Alexander Roland Cartwright.” She tilted her head, tossed back her long, dark hair, and stared down Sadie who stepped back to allow her access to me.
My heart jumped to triple time as Alexander Roland Cartwright moved closer to me. “What do I call you?” I gulped.
“The love of my life,” she said with a mischievous smile. “When you aren’t acting grandiose, you call me Alex.”
“What’s going on, Sloan?” She lightly stroked my cheek. “Ross managed to sneak a call to me before he disappeared. He said you’re in trouble and to trust no one.”
“I . . . I honestly don’t know,” I whimpered. Something about Alex’s soft touch brought out the baby in me.
“I flew all the way from New York to take Sloan home with me,” Leigh declared.
“Our home is here,” Amy said. “We have always lived here. Sloan is going home with me.”
Alex possessively pulled my hand into hers. “I am not letting Sloan out of my sight.”
I leaned forward to stare at the three women, and my front opening hospital gown took the opportunity to expose my ample breasts. I must admit, I am nicely endowed. Determined to resolve the uncomfortable situation, I pointed out the obvious. “You all seem to be missing something, ladies. I am a woman. I doubt that I am married to any of you.”
I didn’t miss the way each of them licked their lips as they ogled me. I pulled the treasonous gown tight around my chest. I felt like the most succulent lobster at the lobster fest.
I tried to bring some sanity to my situation. “Look, I’ve been in an accident and had a loss of memory. I don’t even know my name, much less to whom I’m married.”
The women looked at each other and then began talking all at once,
“You can take turns sitting with her,” Sadie instructed, but all of you can’t stay here all the time. You can sit in eight-hour shifts. You work it out among yourselves.”
Sadie pushed the women out the door and shoved it closed behind them. I was glad I wasn’t involved in the arguing taking place in the hallway outside my door.
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I want to thank Erin for stopping by to talk. It was a pleasure having you. I want to encourage all of you to check out Erin’s links so that you can see all of her work. I’m going to be starting in on one of her books so maybe we could all have a future discussion.
Erin’s Website: http://www.erinwade.us/
Erin’s Blog: https://erinwadeus.wordpress.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erin.wade.129142
Amazon Author’s Page: Author.to/ErinWade
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Thank you all for visiting. Erin’s books are on Amazon and are loved by many, many people. I have watched her grow over the years and am amazed. If you haven’t ready any of her books, I would recommend, ‘Death was Too Easy.’ You can click on the link below for my review for this story.
Until Next Time,
Lynn
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Lynn Lawler's Creative Artists' Blog 