Welcome romantic suspense author, Emelle Gamble...

Hi Emelle! Welcome to my blog - I'm happy to have you here and to be a part of your ongoing tour :) Wishing you much success and sales! Let's kick off with my questions...

1.)          What is your favourite thing about yourself?

This one made me laugh out loud, Rachel. This past week I’ve been recovering from a couple of tough disappointments in my publishing efforts, and I’ve been doing what many authors do when others don’t feel the same excitement about your new work as you do… fret and say, ‘That’s it! I quit! I am not good enough…’

And then, for a few days,  you lick your wounds and accept the support and reassurance of family and friends and readers, and start believing in yourself again. So that’s what I like best about my writer self… I don’t give up on my work. Writers are tough, they have to be, particularly in the current publishing climate. 

2.)          What do you wish you’d known before you started writing?

I wish I had been smarter about the business side of the writing life, and realized that many editors are most interested in simple stories that follow the market and emulate the success of other books. I don’t fault them for this, after all, publishing is a business. I was a bit too rose-colored glasses about the whole thing, however, and thought they all really meant it when they say, ‘send us something daring and new, the story of your heart…’ They don’t really want that, for the most part.

3.)          Share a romantic moment in your life.

Most romantic moment of my life was once, decades ago, I was shaken and worried about verbal threats made by a bad guy in my past. When I told my darling hero for life, Phil-the-fist, about my fears, he replied, “You don’t have to worry,  I’m here.”  His confidence and matter-of –fact confidence,  and his commitment to me,  dissolved all my angst. I knew from that moment that I had been blessed to find someone who would always be there for me, no matter what lay ahead.

4.)          Is there one subject you’d never write about as an author? What is it?

I could not write a book where a child was hurt or worse. I did one where a child was kidnapped by a parent, Dead Magnolias, and even that kind of turmoil truly upset me. Authors empathize with all their characters, and as a mom, I think it was just too terrifying to imagine.

5.)          Do you have any suggestions to help someone become a better writer? If so, what are they?

Many of  the clichés are true, particularly “write everyday” and “know what your story is about”.  Know why you want to write that story, why you are the only one who could tell that story with those characters, and your work will be richer and more compelling.

6.)          If you could be the original author for any book, what would it be? Why?

Tana French’s impossibly wonderful mystery set in Ireland,  In the Woods. It was one of those books that when I was through with it, I thought, well, she just did everything I ever wanted to do, so I should give up. HA! It is inventive, mysterious, beautifully unique, and troubling.  I don’t think anyone who reads it will ever forget it. What more could an author want?

7.)          What did you do growing up that got you into trouble?

Same thing as now, not following the rules. No, I will not give details. But it seems to be the real me, so at least I live an authentic life.

8.)          If I came to your house for dinner what would you prepare for me? Why?

First I would ask what you like. If you said “anything”, which is what most of my guests do, I would make you baked Orecchiette pasta, with fresh mozzarella and basil, plum tomatoes and a tiny bit of hot red pepper flakes, and homemade meatballs. We would have wine and bread and a long conversation. Everyone I have ever served this meal to loves it, (despite orecchiette meaning ‘little ears’ in Italian - due to the shape), and I hope you would too, Rachel.

Thank you so much for hosting me. Your blog is lovely, and your questions among the most interesting I’ve ever been asked. I would love to hear from your readers  and ask that same question…if Rachel and I came to your house, what would you make us for dinner?

Umm...is take out okay?? Not much of a cook, I'm afraid. LOL! :D

Stranger Than Fiction

by Emelle Gamble

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GENRE:  Romantic Suspense

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BLURB:

Set in New York City and Narragansett, Rhode Island in 1990, meet Claire Kennedy, successful mystery book editor at Cauldron Press. Her most famous client, the reclusive Sarah Winesong, has written her first new novel in five years, and Claire is ready to break out the champagne!

And then, in walks Tony Nichols. He’s gorgeous, angry and full of accusations that start with “Cauldron Press stole my book” and end with “Sarah Winesong is a fraud”.

This contemporary cozy mystery has a stellar cast of would-be villains and one real one who will stop at nothing to eliminate his nefarious scheme from coming to light, including stalk and try to kill Claire and Tony!

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EXCERPTS (Please choose only ONE to use with your post):

Excerpt One:

Tony Nichols used both hands to push through the revolving door into the Waldorf Astoria. A second later he stood inside the hotel, his dark eyes methodically searching the throng of well-dressed guests.

The woman he sought was nowhere in sight.

Keeping his head down and his shoulders square, Tony walked through the richly paneled lobby. His demeanor was defensive, as if he expected to be asked to leave.

The people around him flashed discreet smiles, and their intimate conversations annoyed him.

Once he’d have felt right at home threading through this throng of professionals, greeting and being greeted affectionately. But today only disinterested glances were cast his way, the sour tang of insults too long held back burned in his mouth.

The person at the front desk directed him up to the third floor, where the socializing was now in full swing. Usually courteous, Tony snapped a curt no when a tray of canapés was offered to him by a gaping waitress. With a deep breath he reminded himself to stay calm until he had completed his task.

Everything was at stake.

Lengthening his stride, Tony reached the doorway of the main banquet room. A skinny redhead in a black sequined gown standing in the shadows took him by surprise.

“Why don’t I fill out a name tag for you? We really aren’t all that mysterious here.”

Turning to her, the lean muscles working slowly in his jaw, Tony measured out his words. “Why don’t you. The name’s Poe. E. A. Poe.”

The redhead smiled. “Poe. How appropriate. Any relation to the Poe?” Her black felt marker squeaked against the paper.

“Just in spirit.” Slapping the white adhesive tag against his shirt, Tony walked over to the table bearing a Register Here sign. The chairs behind it were empty, but a banner tacked on to the wall behind it heralded the 45th Annual Mystery Writers Convention. He was in the right place.

So where the hell is she?

Turning back to search the now even more crowded room, his anxiety began to turn to anger. He fixed his stare on the groups of threes and fours moving into the room and studied each woman. Several, including a couple of blonds, returned his look.

But he did nothing to encourage any of them to speak to him. Only one woman interested him today.

 Look for a tall blond woman about thirty with freckles. She is wearing a scarlet jacket and miniskirt. With a croc belt.

 Isn’t that what the receptionist at Cauldron Press had said? Damn, every other woman here had on that color, he thought.

He discarded his original plan. He had planned to confront the editor in her office when Cauldron’s secretary told him the woman would not be back until Monday. But Tony now realized it might be impossible to find her in this crowd or, once finding her, to get her alone. But he had to keep trying. His business could not wait five days.

Tony was jostled out of his thoughts when a large group of Mystery Society members moved in his direction. Backtracking to the banquet room doorway, he noticed that the redhead was gone. Most of the people were sitting at the tables inside, as a battalion of waiters bustled around the room. He glanced at his watch.

It had been twenty-four hours since the phone call that had confirmed his suspicions. Time was running out. He had to find Claire Kennedy now.

Find her. And convince her she would be better off dead than publishing that book.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Emelle Gamble became a writer at an early age. At six years old, she was bursting with the requisite childhood stories of introspection, and this itch to tell tales evolved into bad teen poetry and tortured short works that, thankfully, never saw the light of day, or an editor’s red pen.

She took her first stab at writing a novel in an adult education class in Mobile, Alabama when her kids were in bed for the night. As ‘M.L. Gamble,’ she published several romantic suspense novels with Harlequin Intrigue. She now publishes novels of Ordinary Women in Extraordinary Situations with SoulMate Publishing and Posh Publishing …works ranging from women’s fiction to thrillers and romantic suspense.

Always intrigued by the words ‘what if’, Gamble’s books feature an ordinary woman confronted with an extraordinary situation. Emelle celebrates the adventurous spirit of readers, and hopes each will enjoy the exciting and surprising journeys her characters take.

Emelle lives in suburban Washington D.C. with her hero of thirty years, Philip, and two orange cats, Lucy and Bella. Like all good villains, the cats claim to have their reasons for misbehaving. Her children are happily launched on their own and are both contributing great things to society, their mother’s fondest wish.

Emelle welcomes any reader interested in emailing her at emellegamble@aol.com and hopes they will visit her website, www.EmelleGamble.com or her Author Emelle Gamble FaceBook page.

Buy Links:

The book will be FREE during the Tour

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/STRANGER-THAN-FICTION-Emelle-Gamble-ebook/dp/B013N0SK6E/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1445998308&sr=8-9&keywords=emelle+gamble

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/stranger-than-fiction-gamble/1013459209?ean=2940152089585

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

Emelle will be awarding $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour, and a $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn host.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f1376/

Comments?? Questions??