Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Lori Wilde and Christie Craig - Three Question Interview


Winners, Will, Traveler, Bbosquez, Loretta, Monica, Mary Lou, Julz, Sabrina Roberts, Na, Kara, C..  Please contact me at Christie(at)christie(-)Craig.com  Please tell me if you want an electronic copy of Lori's book.  The copy of Blame it on Texas will have to be in print.  Thanks everyone for posting!!!

Contest!  Contest!  Today, ten people will win a copy of Lori’s new book, The Cowboy and the Princess, as well as an early copy of Blame it on Texas.  That’s right, ten people will win two books today.  So make sure you leave a comment.  And come back tomorrow morning to see the winning names listed on top of the blog.  And now for the blog…


Today I have a real treat for you guys!!!  I’ve done a three-question interview with Lori Wilde and because I’m a firm believer that I can never ask a question I won’t answer, I’ve answered the same questions.  But first let me tell you about Lori Wilde.  She’s an amazing writer, and someone I’m proud to call a friend.  She’s a Texan, though we don’t live in the same city.  We met at writing conferences years ago.   We both had our first books released by Silhouette the same year in 1994.  And there hasn’t been a time since when we didn’t run into to each other than we didn’t connect like ol’ friends, or distant relatives—the kind that you actually like.  And if you read the answers to these questions, I think you’ll see a lot of similarities in our answers.  We are very like-minded.  Even the tone of our books are similar.  We both write sexy, humorous books with a lot of heart.   Yet, for all the ways we are alike, Lori and I are different.

 
Lori is . . . tall.  Five feet and nine inches to be exact, and I think the girl even wears heels, and I’m jealous of every inch.  You see, I’m . . . short.  (Some people call it petite, but they’re just being nice; let’s face it, I’m short.  I’m 4 feet and a whopping eleven inches. 

Lori is . . . brunette.  Thick, beautiful hair and it has a bit of a wave to it.  I’m blonde.  Wispy blonde, which is another nice way of saying it’s thin and straight.  Any wave I have in my hair is due to a curling iron and mousse. Lots of mousse.

Lori could be described as glamorous.  Tall, thin—yeah, glamorous fits her to a T.  I’m . . . I’m what people call cute.  I’ve always wanted to grow up and be glamorous.  But I never did—never grew up or became glamorous.  LOL.  I’m stuck with cute. 

Okay, so now let’s look at Lori’s answers to the questions, and then compare them to mine.


1. You told us your hero Brady Talmadge's five unbreakable rules in the back cover blurb of The Cowboy and the Princess. What are your five unbreakable rules?

LW: You ask the most intriguing questions. Let's assume you mean other than the 10 commandment rules. Here's my five unbreakable rules.

1) Never, ever miss a deadline
2) Tell my husband I love him every single day
3) Clean the house at least once a year
4) Always have animals in my life
5) Don't spit into the wind (Okay, I couldn't really think of a good fifth one.)

CC: Yeah, let’s skip over the 10 commandments.  I think I broke a few of them.  Good thing I’m cute, huh?

1)    Never, ever let anyone steal your joy or passion for writing. 
2)    Don’t forget to show the people in your life that you love and appreciate them.
3)    Have someone clean the house every now and then.  (I guess glamorous people have more energy than cute people.)
4)    Slow down long enough to enjoy the simple things in life—a good book, a glass of wine, a beautiful sunset, a day with my grandchild, and time with my fur babies.
5)    Never sleep with my dog when she’s eaten broccoli.  (And I think my fifth answer is a good one.  And so would you, if you experienced it.)


2. What's the most embarrassing thing Anabella says or does in your book, The Cowboy and the Princess?

LW:  She tries to seduce Brady when she has no idea what she's doing. (She's a virginal princess after all.) It doesn't go so well.

CC: Oh, I love seduction plans gone wrong scenes.  They are so funny. 

Poor Zoe Adams in Blame it on Texas, gets caught naked jumping up and down on the hero’s bed.  And she doesn’t just get caught by Tyler, the hero, who hasn’t seen her with her clothes off yet, but by Tyler and his two best friends.  Ahh, but Zoe had a good reason for it to have happened.

You see, Zoe loves her cat Lucky, a three-legged rescue kitty.  She and Lucky are staying at the apartment that is connected to the office of the Only in Texas Detective Agency.  Zoe was in the shower when she hears some serious barking and feline hissing.  Knowing that one of the detectives brings a dog with him to work, she bolts out of the shower, wet and naked, to rescue Lucky from the dog who are both jumping around on top of the bed.  She ends up jumping with them, and feels quite unlucky when the three men come in to help her with the rescue.



3. As a writer what's the one thing you want your readers to walk away with after reading one of your books?

LW: A smile on their faces.

CC:  A silly grin on their lips and the knowledge that as long as there’s love in the world, everything can’t be all that bad.


Brady Talmadge was a cowboy with five unbreakable rules:
1) Never pick up a pretty hitchhiker
2) Avoid damsels in distress
3) Never order chili at a truck stop
4) Always trust your gut
5) Never tell a lie . . .

This is what happened when he broke all his rules . . . and got into a whole lot of trouble!
On the run from an arranged marriage, Princess Annabella of Monesta dons the guise of a hitchhiking cowgirl. But when she finds herself drenched, alone, and hungry, she has no choice but to trust the tall Texas horse whisperer who offers her a ride. He's like no one she's ever known—a strong sexy man who says just what he thinks. And when one wild kiss leaves her breathless, she quickly realizes she'll give up everything to spend a lifetime of night times in his arms. But how can there be happily-ever-after with palace guards hot on her trail?

*  *  *

Zoe Adams has always been content with her quiet nights at home, watching TV alone-until her life turns into a real-life episode of Unsolved Mystery Hunters. The story of a kidnapped girl triggers unexplained memories, and Zoe is dead-set on figuring out why. Her search leads her to one of the Lone Star State's richest families-and to sexy PI Tyler Lopez.

Tyler has sworn off women, especially redheads with killer curves who poke their noses into his clients' private lives. Still, he can't deny the attraction any more than he can deny that some of Zoe's crazy story makes sense. But when she becomes a hit man's target, this cold case starts heating up. Suddenly, Tyler will do anything to protect Zoe-even risk his heart.

*  *  *

Just for fun, I want to know one of your unbreakable rules.  So leave me a comment about one of your unbreakable rules and you'll be entered to be one of the ten people to win a copy of both Lori’s and my book.

46 comments:

Unknown said...

I've done okay in life with the following:

1) Anything that begins with the words "Thou Shalt Not...." will probably get you into big trouble if you do it anyway.

2) Never eat at a restaurant called "Mom's". A banner that says "Just like your Mama's cooking!" is a good sign and probably amazing food, but the name of the place itself? Keep driving.

3) Never play cards against a man named after a city; when you sit down at the table, if you're introduced to "Cincinnati Jim" or "New York Phil", think of a good excuse real fast and excuse yourself. Immediately.

4) A friend will come bail you out of jail at 2am. A real friend will be sitting next to you, muttering "I think we REALLY screwed up this time!"

5) Listen to people older than yourself. Chances are high they have some really cool stories to tell.

Kathy Bacus said...

1. Don't sweat the small stuff.
2. Give and receive love and joy.
3. Write something every day.
4. Never respond to a rabid reviewer.
5. NEVER, EVER purchase new shoes to wear at a week-long conference.

traveler said...

1.Give love, kindness and gifts freely to those who are appreciative.
2. Don't stew over regrets.
3. Get up and get going each day.
4. Be productive.
5. Travel.

petite said...

1. Enjoy each day since life is short and precious.
2. Hug and kiss your kids and grandkids each day.
3. Eat healthy and enjoy.
4. read and savor each book.
5. Take 20 minutes of sun daily.

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

Mine are:

1 never go to bed angry
2 never go to bed hungry....eat when your hungry
3 who ever emptys the gas tank....fills it up
4 find one good thing about your day, don't dwell on the bad parts
5 smile, and try to be happy

Nikki

Susan M said...

1.When your kids are young, kiss them every day and tell them that you love them. Even if they’re teenagers and they don’t want it and you’re not sure you mean it.

2.Never, ever buy anything from someone who comes to your door.

3.You may have to grow older, but you don’t have to get old.

4.Always be open for new experiences.

5.Anything you have to rationalize doing or buying is probably a bad idea.

Sarah S. said...

My main unbreakable rule is never let anyone bully you into doing something you don't want to do. I can't stand bullying.

Anonymous said...

This too shall pass!! My mom tells me this all the time and I try to remember it when things aren't going great.

Also, do what makes you happy, and do not judge others.

Brandie said...

1. Don't let everyone pray for you ...my grandfather told me everyone's intentions are not always good :-)

2. Don't sweat the small stuff. Life's too short & precious.

3. Always check the bathroom and floor before you eat at a
restarant

4. Karma...it's true!

5. Oh, and never mix light and dark alcohol...you might not want to wake up the next morning :-)

Brandie

Brandie said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Brandie said...

restaurant...sorry, I was typing with one hand :-)

Loretta Wheeler said...

I'm only putting one on here, because I don't always believe in saying never. Sometimes you will. When you least expect it. I'm not sayin' it makes you right, but I am saying, stuff happens (started to use the "other" word, but I thought about it, and reconsidered:) So, I don't live in "Neverland" much anymore.
The one I DO try to adhere to is never speak before thinking. But again, if you goose me hard enough,I may WHOOP out most anything!:)
Loved this:)...And, both of you gal's stories sound great!

Lo

CrystalGB said...

Don't do anything that you know you will be ashamed of later.
Don't sweat the small stuff. Worrying about everything doesn't make it better.

Anonymous said...

I would love to read Blame it on Texas, I am very curious about your other books besides Shadow Falls and am wondering if I will love them too!

Mo said...

Find a reason to smile and make someone else smile each and every day.

Refhater said...

One of my unbreakable rules is "If you can't read it don't eat it." (ingredients for food products.)

Sounds silly, but when you have horrific allergic reactions that send you to the ER, you have to be especially careful.

Refhater said...

One of my unbreakable rules is "If you can't read it don't eat it." (ingredients for food products.)

Sounds silly, but when you have horrific allergic reactions that send you to the ER, you have to be especially careful.

Anonymous said...

I tell my kids and husband every single day. My house rule to my kids n there friends is if you say something mean or name call you have to apologize and say 3 nice things about that person.

Unknown said...

I have a few unbreakable rules!

- Say hello to all you meet & smile like you mean it! :)

- Never EVER use your cell phone in the restroom unless there's a serial killer/stalker after you or you are injured! LOL Just eewwww!

- Never eat potato salad at picnics (someone always uses eggs & allergic reactions are so not fun!).

- Never leave home without your lipgloss!

regencygirl01 said...

Always find time to read a great book
Go to church on Sunday
never use someone else toothbrush

Deanne Williams said...

Dream Big !!! Make it worth the effort. Thanks Smiley for teaching me this one.

Quilt Lady said...

Live life to the fullest and take one day at a time. Don't rush it.

If you have something you need to do get-er-done.

Don't sweat the small stuff just let it roll off your shoulder.

Read every day!

Stick by your true friends.

meghan said...

Always give yourself a pat on the back for the GOOD things you do. Too many of us beat ourselves up over the negative, but ignore the positive.

Gail D said...

Never give up..always reach for your dreams no matter how hard life gets!

Philippa Lodge said...

Never trust a Sicilian... oh wait...

Apologize when I'm at fault (I hate hate hate it, but if I want my kids to do it, I have to start).

Christie Craig said...

Guys!

I'm loving these. They are so great. Some are making me laugh too hard, and some are just great words of wisdom. Thanks to everyone for taking the time to post.


CC

catslady said...

Never say never - that one I learned the hard way!!

Anything is possible.

If they love animals, they are good people.

You can never have too many books!

Housework - what's that?

Kara C said...

With a teen and a preteen in the house, I must live by this rule : it's not necessary for the kids to know ALL the stories of my youth. Or even any of them beyond 'Momma always studied hard in school and obeyed her parents.' They'll believe those, right?

Unknown said...

A couple of my unbreakable rules would be: Always remember to spend time with loved ones and to lend a helping hand whenever you can :)

Would love to be entered for the giveaway if open to Canadian residents as well!

Na said...

Congratulations to Lori on her book release! Christie, I can't wait to read yours :)

I really liked both of your commandants, especially Lori's #2 and Christie's 4. It's important for me to always let someone know I care and to slow down and enjoy life.

Some of my rules:

1. Always tell my loved ones I love them at least once a day.

2. Don't go to bed angry.

3. Make someone smile.

4. Write down goals where I can see them.

5. Try, and if you don't succeed try again.

kiky22 said...

1)Always count your blessings.
2)Take responsability for your own actions.
3)Enjoy the view from every angle.
4)Listen.
5)Tell yourself every day you are worth it!

Sue said...

1- Take a deep breath and count to 10 before opening mouth.
2- Always eat your vegetables.
3- Make sure to pet your animals at least once a day.
4- Kiss the hubby just before bed every night.
5- Let a few weeds survive in the garden.
suefarrell.farrell@gmail.com

Anonymous said...

Both of these books sound amazing. One unbreakable rule -- tell my kids I love them everyday (even when they make me crazy)

Unknown said...

I always smile while I'm reading Christie's and Lori's books. Great rules, everyone!

Unknown said...

One of my unbreakable rules is I never date a man that smokes.

Barbara E. said...

One of my unbreakable rules is never loan money, unless you can afford to make a gift of it. That way I don't stress out about getting it back.

lucy0326 said...

1. Always tell myloved ones I love them
2. Always answer moms call or call her right back ( she'll start WW3 if you don't)
3. Never leave you living room messy you never know when you might have company
4. Do NOT leave your books on the dining room table... They might disappear :(
5. Always keep your book light fully charged you never know when you might need it :)

lucy0326 said...

Hey Monica
I would recommend Shut up and Kiss Me! Its a great book and had me laughing out loud. Don't mess with Texas is also a great book!

Jane Goldsmith said...

My unbreakable rule... enjoy myself. There is beauty and humor in most everything.

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

One of mine is your #4, some of the best things in life are free, sunrises, sunsets, walking along a hiking trail or beach and of course a nice long luxorious bath.

The best of the best is getting away from it all with a nice glass of wine and funny romances. We all have that inner person in us that wants to attract a handsome hero and enjoy the funny and fun times

MaryLou said...

Great interview Christie! My one unbreakable rule is: Don't judge a Mom having trouble with a child in public. They are not necessarily bad parents, their child may have Autism and may be having a meltdown!

I know from experience the Mom just might need some help, ask if you can assist in any way.

Kristi said...

My one unbreakable rule is even if you're furious and aren't feeling it always say I love you to your kids and husband before you go to sleep. You never know when it could be the last time.

Kristi Marie

Jane Toombs said...

1. Do no harm. In other words don't hurt anyone with angry words or actions.
2. Remember who you really love and tell them so at least once a month. Young or old, relatives do count.
3. Exercise--your choice of how.
4. Do what has to be done, no matter how difficult.
5. You are a writer--so write!
Jane

Jan Crow said...

Christie, I have a few rules.

1. Never date an unemployed man.
2. There is something good in everyone. Take time to find their inner gem.
3. Don't waste time on a bad book. There are too any good ones to waste time on the bad ones.
4. Enjoy dinner with friends at least one a week.
5. Don't enter the smelly office! No need to ruin your workday.