So, grab something hot to drink, cuddle up in a chair with a blanket around you, and enjoy my conversation with the lovely Irish Lassie.
What
book most of all sticks out in your mind?
It has to be Pride and Prejudice. Many moons ago, on my last day of
primary school, there was a prize giving for all the school leavers.
Everyone in my class was presented with a copy of 'What Katie Did' –
except me. With no explanation, I was handed a beautiful copy of
Pride and Prejudice, which I still have. As well as a great love
story, it reminds me that my teachers saw how important books were to
me at such an early age.
Indeed, what would life be without ever reading about Darling Darcy!
Who
would you most like to bring you a mug of tea/coffee first thing in
the morning apart from hubby?
Ideal
hero
Who
makes you stop and go Phwoarrrrrrrrrr
Without
a doubt, it has to be Joe Manganiello. (Alcide from True Blood) he is
just physical perfection *sigh*
I gather Joe would be perfect to bring you tea/coffee first thing in the morning. He is definately a sight to wake up to!
What
is your pet peeve when writing?
Apart from housework and the school run interrupting me, I also get incessant phone calls from those who think I'm not busy because I'm at home. I am trying to write, people!
What do you do when you have writers block?
Be
honest, APART from chocolate what do you snack on when writing?
Umm…biscuits…covered
in chocolate
What influences your writing, is it films or literary works?
It can
be both. Sometimes a character or a place in a film will inspire me
to write but the WAY an author writes can influence me to dig deeper
into my characters. A lot of m&b authors write such great
conflict in their books, it makes me want to work that much harder.
Do you find it easier to write romance or erotica?
I write
romance because I love giving depth to my characters. I wouldn't say
it was easy but I do enjoy writing those love scenes!
Any advice for aspiring authors?
Finish
whatever you are working on. I've lost track of the manuscripts I
started over the years, then abandoned but I think you need that
feeling of achievement when you complete your first manuscript. Even
if it's not the greatest story on Earth, your writing will improve
and drive you on to do better in future projects.
What
is the weirdest book you have ever read?
You are
really testing my goldfish-like memory with these questions Manda lol
One that sticks in my mind, and I do think it was a Harlequin book,
was one where the hero was a selkie. It was a long time ago, well
before the current trend of shifter stories and I just found it odd
that this hot leading man turned into a seal. It was different from
the traditional romance I was expecting and I loved it. If anyone has
a clue what this book was, please let me know.
Do
you have a recipe that you could share with us?
Cooking
is not my strong point but even I can manage a recipe for Irish
Potato Bread. You can eat this warm, spread with a little butter but
usually we just eat it as part of our famous Ulster Fry!
225g/
8oz boiled potato1/2
tsp salt
25g/ 1oz butter, melted
50g/ 2oz plain flour
Makes 8
25g/ 1oz butter, melted
50g/ 2oz plain flour
Makes 8
Mash
potatoes well. Add salt and butter, then work in enough flour to make
a pliable dough. Divide the dough in two and roll out on a floured
surface to form two circles 22cm / 9 inch in diameter and 1/2cm/
1/4
inch in thickness. Cut each circle into quarters and bake on a hot
griddle or pan for about 5 minutes or until browned on both sides.
Some people like to grease the baking surface, but I prefer a light
dusting of flour to give it a drier effect.
And
finally........could you leave us with a teaser
Sure!
Thanks for having me Manda x
Daring
to Love
Andrea
Macleave is determined to lose her 'Miss Stuffy Knickers' nickname
with a rappel down Ireland's famous Europa Hotel, for the hospital
where she works. Risk taking goes against everything she believes in
and it takes a kiss from her hunky instructor to send her on her way.
With her wild side let loose, a one night stand with the action man
seems the perfect antidote to her staid life.
Part-time
charity volunteer, Matt King, hopes to put the disastrous hook-up
behind him. That's easier said than done when he meets the woman in
question at his workplace. There's clearly a powerful attraction
between them but he's fighting his past demons by living life on the
edge.
With each of them determined to let their past ruin their chance for happiness, how can an adrenaline junkie and a control freak ever make it work?
Excerpt
"I should have
known you couldn't handle your drink." With the devil in him,
Matt pushed the buttons guaranteed to re-activate his
Andie.
A frown, a purse of
full pink lips and she took the bait. "I'll have a whiskey if
you're buying." The determination to prove him wrong blinded her
to the goggled looks she garnered and the sudden quiet at the table.
He couldn't help his
smile getting wider, the more irritated she became. "One
whiskey, coming up. Jimmy give me a hand getting these in, will you?"
"I've a good
mind to get you fired!" Matt hadn't noticed Andrea following him
over to the bar. At the sound of her sexy, pissed-off voice, he
slowly turned his head.
She stood, ram-rod
straight, giving him clear appreciation of long, lean legs. They
seemed to go on forever in those spiky black heels she had swapped
for her trainers, even if she still had to look up at his six foot
four frame. The figure-hugging jeans would bring a grown man to his
knees but he would prefer to see her in something to better show off
those pins.
The rose tint in her
cheeks gave away her embarrassment at being so openly admired and
coming across as a letch was not how he wished to be perceived.
Nevertheless, he did enjoy throwing her off guard.
"You should be
thanking me really." He wound her up and let her go.
"Thanking you?"
She crossed her arms across her chest, drawing the V of her top down
to give a tantalizing peek at her cleavage. "I should have you
arrested for the way you behaved, never mind getting you fired."
"It got you
over the edge, didn't it? You were so caught up, being ticked off at
me that you didn't have time to think about what you were doing."
"In that case,
turn around."
"Why?"
"So I can slap
the gold star on your backside for a job well done! Do you seriously
think that's a good enough reason for your behavior? Is that the way
you carry on with all your clients?"
"Only the
pretty, obstinate ones. As for having me fired, well," he backed
his elbows onto the bar, "I do the charity rappels voluntarily.
It's difficult to replace a trained instructor willing to work for
free but if I caused you so much offense, do what you must."
Her delicious mouth
opened and closed and he was assaulted with memories of tasting her.
And how good it would be to do it again.
"Since it's for
charity and all, I suppose I'll let the matter drop. Forget it
happened." The defensive arms slackened and fell to her sides.
With the thaw setting in, Matt impulsively stepped forward, to invade
her personal space.
"Are you sure
that's what you want, Andie?" If he could forget his rules for
one night, she could stop pretending she didn't want him.
Instead of seeing
the look of longing staring back at him, her pupils narrowed. "Where
do you get off calling me 'Andie', anyway? My name is Andrea."
She lifted the tumbler of the finest whiskey from the bar, knocked it
back and stalked back to her friends.
Matt
King never was one to back away from a challenge.
Daring
to Love is available to buy on Amazon
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Daring-to-Love-ebook/dp/B006UITZ5W/ref=pd_rhf_se_p_t_1
You
can contact @karinabuchanan1 on Twitter or Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100002715462350
Or
visit her blog http://karina-buchanan.blogspot.com/
A BIG thanks to Karina today for "daring" to call into Kook's Nook for a chat. If any of you reading this would like to be interviewed for the Nook, leave a comment or email me direct at mrsajward@hotmail.com.
Until next Tuesday......Keep it KOOKY!!!
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Great interview and I must try that bread :-)
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