I’m thrilled to introduce you to, Blaire Edens! No only is she one of my favorite romance authors, but she is a friend and fellow Music City Romance Author. I’ve read her debut novel, Wild About Rachel, and absolutely loved it! Here’s a taste of what’s in store!
Wrestling with alligators might be easier than falling in love . . .
Former debutante Rachel Hansworth longs for the days when “alligator” was followed by “pumps” or “handbag.” Broke, Rachel takes the only job she can find: removing nuisance animals from Florida homes. Unfortunately, fighting the attraction to her boss proves more difficult than wrestling a gator. Army veteran Mark Winters needs help with his business, but he wants Rachel more. He must honor a promise to his dying mother and find a fiancée. A real girlfriend isn’t part of the plan—he’s been there, done that. There’s only one problem: He can’t stop kissing Rachel.
She refuses to be duped by love again, and he won’t let a few hot make-out sessions tear down the walls he’s erected. But she’s all about the big bonus she’ll receive if she helps Mark. They’ll lower their defenses enough to trust each other when a wild animal is involved, but can they pull off the fake fiancée ruse and not be bitten by love?
Hopeless, Natural and Determined: Which type are you?
I am a knitter. A dyed in the wool (pun intended) knitter. I love everything about it: the colors, the texture, the gratification of creating something unique.
I teach knitting, everything from the basics to very complex techniques like Traditional Fair Isle.
There are three kinds of knitters.
- (Knitting sounded like a good idea until someone actually put needles and yarn into their hands and expected them to do something with it. Turn a Hopeless loose and you’ll have a million knots and more yarn on the floor than in the ball. )
- (Naturals just seem to know knitting. From the time they pick up the needles, they are fearless and intuitive. Knitting is so easy, it quickly becomes boring to Naturals and they’re off to learn quilting or crochet.)
- (I love Determined knitters. These are the ones who call me five or six times a week, email me, ask questions. Determineds want to learn, grow, advance. They’re always looking for a new trick or a new technique. They love the art AND the math that is knitting. They learn from every mistake.)
Give me a room full of Determineds any day.
The same is true of writers. We all know these three types of writers. The Hopeless who shows up at an expensive conference having never written anything. The Naturals who are so talented they assume they could write and sell anything they want with no problem at all. But the Determineds, again, are our favorites. These are the writers who are always working, who have written book after book often with no financial gain. We admire their work ethic. We are inspired by their passion for writing.
I want to be a Determined. Determineds sell books and make money doing what they love.
Before I sold Wild About Rachel, I’d written dozens of books. I’d attended many conferences. I networked with other authors, agents and editors. I took reams of notes. On everything. Anything. I use these notebooks daily.
For most of us, the publishing business is a marathon instead of a sprint. It takes years to build a career. You have to be a Determined to make it work. The road to a successful career in writing is paved with rejection, disappointment, heartbreak, joy. If you’re a Determined, you can weather the storm and keep inching toward your goal. Determineds never give up.
What no one tells you is that once you sell a book, the learning curve between contract and publication is steeper than the one between writing and selling. If you’re a Determined, you’re okay with this, you can use all those notes and experiences and contacts to help you navigate the new and strange world of publishing. If you’re a Natural, you’re irritated by these silly details. If you’re a Hopeless, you’re hiding under the stairs.
Determineds run the world.
Buy links for Wild About Rachel. Follow Blaire’s website.
