Author Interview:

First off, sorry I'm late posting this interview. Unfortunately, I was hospitalized with an illness and just was discharged yesterday. I've slowly getting better but today's the first day I've been on my feet.

ON to the interview:

I had the pleasure of interviewing fellow writer, Donna Marie Rogers, Author of 'Meant to Be'.

Debbie: Hi. Thanks for stopping by to answer a few questions. Can you tell us a little about your latest release?

Donna: Hi Deborah, thanks for having me! I would love to. Meant To Be is the sequel to There’s Only Been You and features Sara’s brother, Garrett Jamison. Garrett is a big moody cop (maybe crabby is a better word...LOL) with a heart of gold. He’s been careful not to become involved with anyone because of his familial duties. But his sexy new neighbor inspires feelings of hearth and home, taking Garrett completely by surprise considering their instant dislike of each other. Here is the blurb:

She's running from her past, he's unsure about his future. Maybe together they can figure out what was Meant To Be.Officer Garrett Jamison is at the lowest point in his life. He's lost faith in his ability as a police officer after unwittingly setting his sister up with a dirty cop. Garrett ended up getting shot, and his sister's son kidnapped right out of his own bed. He takes a leave from the force, in need of some time to make a decision about his future. Too bad he can't get a decent night's sleep thanks to his sexy new neighbor and her howling cat. Jessica McGovern moves halfway across the country to start a new life in Green Bay, Wisconsin after her ex-husband is convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the death of their young son. Her new neighbor is as infuriating as he is handsome, but when her ex is released from prison early and shows up in town, Jessica discovers she's never needed anyone more.

Debbie: Sounds interesting. What or who inspired you to write it?

Donna: I knew before I’d finished the first draft of There’s Only Been You that I’d have to write Garrett his own happily-ever-after. He certainly deserved one after putting his own life on hold to take care of his family. I hope everyone enjoys his story. J

Debbie: How long have you been writing, and did you know at a young age you wanted to be an author?

Donna: I can’t say I wanted to be a writer when I was younger, although I was crazy for comic books and Mad magazines when I was a kid, and I distinctly remember trying to write my own Richie Rich comic...LOL. I have a box in my closet of the few copies I managed to save. J

I actually caught the writing bug about 15 years ago. I was a huge romance junkie, and decided one day to give writing my own novel a try. A stack of partially written stories later, I realized writing an entire novel was a whole lot harder than I’d thought, became discouraged and gave up. I started writing with serious intent to publish in early 2004, and eight months later I had a first draft of There’s Only Been You finished.

Debbie: Do you have a special place in your home where you like to write? If so, what does it look like?

Donna: I have my desk set up in my bedroom with the TV mounted on the wall at the perfect angle. I can turn in my chair & prop my feet on the bed to watch TV, then spin around when inspiration strikes. LOL

Debbie: Okay, it’s time for a list of your favorites.
A. Color Blue
B. Number 5
C. Food I love BBQ chciken & ribs, grilled steak, Mexican, Chinese...
D. Drink Iced Tea. I drink it by the gallon, I swear...LOL
E. Music Rock! Classic, Hard, Metal. J
F. Author Lori Foster, J.R. Ward, Lara Adrian, Jane Ann Krentz...I can’t decide!
G. Actor/Actress Lately, it’s Ryan Reynolds & Harry Connick Jr.; used to love Kurt Russell, Mel Gibson, Patrick Swayze, John Travolta. Actresses...hmm...well, I’ve always loved Goldie Hawn, and her daughter, Kate Hudson. Anne Hathaway has been growing on me. I’ve always loved Meryl Streep, Cher, Michelle Pfeiffer.
H. Movie As far as all-time faves, Arthur (Dudley Moore), Easy Money, Back To School (love Rodney...LOL), Goodfellas, 48 Hours, Scarface. I just saw Gran Torino the other day, and it was excellent. Plus, I’m a huge horror movie fan, and The Changeling (George C. Scott) is my all-time fave scary movie. I loved The Ring, too. Oh, crap, was I supposed to only pick one of each? LOL

Debbie: If you were stranded on a deserted island and you could have only one person there with you, who would it be, and why?

Donna: Okay, just going completely with the fantasy and not thinking about my husband and kids (LOL), I’d have actor Mark Lawson and pro dancer Maksim Chmerkovskiy. *sigh*

Debbie: What advice would you give someone just starting out in this business?

Donna: Take the time to learn your craft, enter a few contests for feedback, but always trust your gut. And never give up. If you’re serious about publishing, then never give up your dream. J

Debbie: And last but not least, is there anything else you would like to tell your readers? Perhaps something that no one would guess about you?

Donna: I cry at the drop of a hat. Commericals, sad news stories, happy news stories...*grin* A good singing performance, an amazing dance routine (yeah, I watch a lot of reality TV...LOL). Ever since I got pregnant with my oldest daughter, I’ve turned into a blubbering fool. And sometimes, it’s quite embarrassing! LOL

Again, thank you for stopping by. It has been a pleasure talking with you and I really enjoyed it. Take care.

Thank you so much for having me, Deborah! And thank you to everyone for stopping by! Please leave a comment about anything you’d like to, and I’ll draw a winner for a download of my new release, Meant To Be. J

EXCERPT:

Excerpt: (I’m posting two excerpts, please use the one you prefer J)

1#
"Come here, Miss Crabbypants."

Jessica resisted, but it was no use. The big oaf outweighed her by a ton. "Look, I just want to finish my tea and relax. Today's my last day off for almost two weeks."

He leaned back and frowned down at her. "Why are you working so many hours?"

She rolled her eyes. "Um, I have bills to pay...?"

His gaze became pensive as he massaged the back of her neck. Slowly, she relaxed until she was leaning into his broad chest, eyes closed, inhaling his spicy masculine scent. He always smelled so good...Damn, the man was a magician; she'd already forgotten why she was mad at him...Wait, oh yeah. "So what's with all that hammering?"

"We're building a doghouse."

His busy fingers moved to her shoulders wringing a groan of ecstasy from her. Oh, God, was she drooling on his shirt? Then his words registered. Jessica leaned back and swiped her mouth with the back of her wrist. "A doghouse? But you don't have a dog...do you?"

"No, but Ethan's been begging for a puppy for a couple years now. I guess he finally wore Sara down. And Mike's still in the ‘buy-Ethan-anything-he-wants' phase." Garrett glanced down at his T-shirt and chuckled. He reached out and recaptured the back of her neck. "Liked that, did you? You do seem a little tense—"

"Oh, no you don't." She ducked out of his reach and took a few steps back. He started to follow but she held up both hands. "You stay right where you are."

He propped his hands on his hips. "So do I have a date tonight or what?"

"Or what."

He grinned. "Wear something sexy," he said with a wink before strolling out the back door. The jackass even had the nerve to whistle.

Jessica walked over and slammed the door with a muttered, "Nutjob." Then she headed into the bedroom to search through her closet.

2#

Standing there in nothing but a pair of black gym shorts, he was too hot for words. Damn him.

"So what can I do for you?" He leaned negligently against the doorframe, an almost pleasant smile curving his lips.

"I'm here to see Nick. Is he home?"

The smile disappeared. He straightened and crossed his arms over his chest, which made those huge biceps bulge even more. Jessica realized for the first time he had a tattoo. Huh. She wouldn't have thought him the type. Frankly, she thought tattoos were sexy, if they weren't garish, which his wasn't. It looked to be some sort of Chinese symbols.

Probably means `He-with-head-too-big-for-hat.'

"You're barking up the wrong tree there, honey. Nicky's married to his computer."

"Not that it's any of your business, but that's exactly why I'm here. I'm having trouble with my online service and was hoping he could help." Now why did she feel the urge to explain herself? Double damn him.

He looked her up and down in an insultingly blatant manner. "I know a thing or two about computers."

"No kidding? Great, next time I need help surfing the porno sites, you'll be the first one I call."

His eyes went cold. "You think I'm just some big, dumb Neanderthal, don't you?"

Jessica gave him the same insulting once over he'd given her. "If the leopard toga fits..."

"I happen to have a BS in Computer Science."

Hands on hips, jaw working furiously, he looked so offended Jessica was hard-pressed not to laugh. "I don't understand. You could be making a lot more money in computers than you are as a cop. And you wouldn't be putting your life in danger on a daily basis." She glanced meaningfully at the scarred flesh visible just above the waistband of his shorts.

"This didn't happen in the line of duty. Besides, I love being a cop."

He said it as if she should've instinctually known it. Jessica sighed. Garrett Jamison was turning out to be much deeper than she'd imagined. "It's a noble profession. It's also a very dangerous one."

"True enough. But it's not as if I have a family who's dependent on me."

She reached up to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "What about your uncle, or your sister and brothers? Or your nephew? I'm sure they'd all be devastated if something happened to you."

"What about you?"

His voice had taken on a deep, sexy timbre that turned Jessica's knees to mush. Garrett Jamison was entirely too gorgeous for his own good--or for hers. "What about me?"

Before she knew what he was about, he reached out and cupped the side of her face, tracing his thumb over her cheekbone. "Would you miss me if something happened?"

"What a thing to ask," she breathed, her gaze centered on his full lips. "I barely know you." Was he going to kiss her? Right there where any of the neighbors could see? Not that she'd mind...

"Uncle Garrett, the game's set up. Can we order pizza now?"

Garrett snatched back his hand, and Jessica's gaze dropped to the little boy leaning possessively against his leg.

Was it her imagination, or was the little stinker glaring daggers at her?

"Hi, Ethan, my name is Jessica."

"I know."

Nope, not her imagination. In fact, the scowl on his face was downright hostile. Now what in the world had she done to warrant such disfavor?

"Ethan, you watch your manners," Garrett growled.

"Yes, sir."

He cast her one last mutinous scowl, then turned and ran back into the house. Jessica had to resist the urge to laugh. She wouldn't take his behavior personally. The boy obviously adored his uncle and didn't care to share him. Another fascinating layer of Garrett Jamison--loving uncle.

"Sorry about that. Ethan's a good kid. I'm not sure what got into him."

"My guess would be old-fashioned jealousy. You two apparently have plans for the evening, and when he saw us...talking, his young mind assumed I was trying to lure you away."

A frown creased his forehead. "I don't know. Ethan knows I'd never abandon him. For anyone."

Ouch, point taken. She shrugged. "You know him better than I do. I'm just telling you what I saw. Well, this has been fun, but I need to get back. Mr. Louie doesn't like to watch TV alone."

Garrett chuckled. "Give His Highness a scratch behind the ears for me."

"What? Just this afternoon you suggested I have him euthanized."

"Good Lord, woman, can't you take a joke?" Garrett winked at her, then stepped back and closed the door.

Jessica shook her head. The man was crazy, no doubt about it. He was also so handsome it should be a crime. With a sigh of frustration, she headed back home to watch Wheel of Fortune.

* * *