Friday, August 22, 2014

Author, author... Interview with Wendy Byrne, author of Hard to Kill + recipe & #giveaway

...read all about it !!    Great Book, yummy Recipe and Rafflecopter !!



Please welcome an interview with Wendy Byrne !!


Welcome Wendy, can you tell us a little about yourself? 
I have a masters degree in social work and worked in the field for twelve years before moving on to the field of education. Currently I teach social work classes at a local university. I’ve been seriously writing for fourteen years. My first published novel was in 2011. I’m married and have two grown sons and two grandchildren.


What did you want to be when you were growing up or did you 
always want to be a writer?
I loved pretending and always made up stories in my head since I was a little girl. I didn’t know at the time, I was practicing to be a writer.


When did you first start writing?
Prior to joining my local chapter of RWA, I was a ‘closet’ writer. After joining Windy City RWA in 1999, I became much more serious about pursuing publication and learned all the things I was doing wrong..


What is a typical writing day like for you?
I’m an early riser, about 5am. I usually check email and sip some Chai tea to get ready to tackle writing. I used to always be a pantzer, but after being on deadline, I realized I needed to do some note cards to make sure I was hitting the points in the novel at the right time. And in order to be more efficient I had to do a little more planning than I had in the past.

  
Do you have any specific routine you follow or specific 
items you need with you when you write?
For me, part of the writing process is about making sure you take time to fill the well so to speak. I like to take a walk and think about my characters. Or drive without the radio on so I can think about my characters or what might happen next in my book. Just give my head the quiet time so my characters can speak to me. And no, I’m not crazy. J


What is your favorite part of writing?  
 Is there anything you don’t like about being a writer?
I don’t like writing a synopsis, or back blurbs on book. My favorite part is thinking about the characters and see what they are trying to overcome and discovering what makes them tick. Then, of course, I like to give them a whole lot of trouble before the end.


What is your favorite length of book to write?   
(Short story, novella, full length novel) Why?
My favorite is full length. It’s hard for me to torture my characters enough in a short book.


How does your family feel about your writing and you being an author?
My family is very supportive. To write a book means you have to spend a lot of time writing. It’s a commitment you as the writer make, but also the family makes in some way. As a wannabe writer himself, my youngest son helped me brainstorm ideas for the Hard Targets trilogy. And his suggestions were brilliant!


Is there a to-be-read waiting on your bedside table?
As much as I resisted getting a Kindle, I love it now. I take it with me to the gym and read while I’m working out on the machines. You can’t do that with a paperback (although I have seen someone try without an elaborate set of rubberbands, and it wasn’t pretty.) I have heard a lot about a YA book Significance, so that’s waiting to be read. A new Lee Child, Jack Reacher book, will be out next month and that will probably go to the top of my list.


Just for fun, I have a few personal questions, Favorite 5

1)  Favorite Holiday -  hands down, Christmas. We always have Christmas Eve at our house and l love to have people over and decorate the house.

2)  Favorite Drink - I drink a lot of water (I know sooooo boring), but I do like chai tea. And, okay, a margarita is always welcome. 

3)    Favorite Author  -  depends on my mood. Sometimes if I want to be engrossed it’s Lee Child or Greg Isles If I want to laugh, it might be Gemma Halliday 
or Kristan Higgins.. If I want a story that’s all about a character’s 
journey to self-discovery it would be Barbara Samuel (O’Neil)

4)    Favorite Book -  Sorry, I cannot say just one: Lady Luck’s Map of Los Vegas by Barbara Samuel, 24 hours by Greg Isles and 61 hours by Lee Child

5)    Favorite Animal -  We had the best dog, Riley, who was a lab mix we got from a shelter as a puppy. After fourteen years with us, when we had to put her to sleep in 2009, I cried like a baby for a couple of days. In fact, I’m crying just writing this down.

And for a bonus:  What is a typical mood for you?   
And is your mood different when you’re writing?
I’m usually pretty upbeat. I’ll admit if a story is working, 
I’m much happier than when it’s not.


Where can our readers find you?? 
Email    Twitter 

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Is there an upcoming or current release you would like to share 
with us today and where can we find it?


Hard to Kill, the first of the Hard Targets Trilogy 
was released August 11, 2014

Amazon    B&N    iTunes    Kobo    Smashwords




Back cover info:
Trained as children to become assassins by the infamous Goren Petrovich, Sabrina Shaw and her two brothers have had a less-than-normal upbringing. After escaping his clutches, Sabrina and her brothers have tried to make a normal life for themselves. Now Sabrina works for an organization called The Alliance, specializing in the kind of jobs that no one else can or wants to do. Her current assignment: find the daughter of a prominent politician who has disappeared, categorized as a runaway by the authorities. It seems simple enough, until Sabrina uncovers the girl may have been the victim of a kidnapping that goes far beyond ransom requests. Now Sabrina must put her training to the test as she infiltrates a sex trafficking ring operating in Europe in order to find the girl...all while dodging a mysterious FBI agent and the demons from her own past. 


ABOUT THE HARD TARGETS TRILOGY:
Goren Petrovich was an infamous KOS agent in war-torn Yugoslavia, known for his ability to turn orphaned children into highly trained government assassins. One of his most notable protégées was Anya Danielovich (from the novel Play Nice by Gemma Halliday). But after the KOS disbanded and Petrovich fled to the U.S., he continued his training "academy"—this time for personal profit. Three of his talented U.S. pupils: Sabrina, Jake, and Max Shaw. But when the siblings break from his grasp and attempt to start over, living normal lives that have nothing to do with guns, death, or lies, they learn that you can never really escape your past...

 
Hard to Kill (book #1), Hard to Trust (book #2), Hard to Stop (book #3)
I have quite a few reviews on Amazon (162). Below are the last few that came in:
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars, August 16, 2014
This review is from: Hard to Kill: a Hard Targets novel (Kindle Edition)
Great book! Fast paced and riveting! The heroine is kick-assed! Looking forward to the other books in the series.

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved Shane & Sabrina and their fight against human trafficking, August 16, 2014
This review is from: Hard to Kill: a Hard Targets novel (Kindle Edition)
Action packed! Loved Shane & Sabrina and their fight against human trafficking. Hope there are more books in the works with these characters!!

5.0 out of 5 stars Another great book from Gemma Halliday press., August 16, 2014
This review is from: Hard to Kill: a Hard Targets novel (Kindle Edition)
I really enjoyed Hard to Kill. Sabrina was amazing! It was an action packed book that kept you on your toes. I'm hoping for another book that keeps us up to date with Sabrina and her FBI guy. I would also like other books with her brothers being the main characters. I feel this would be a great series of books to read. Thanks to Gemma for find these wonderful authors.

5.0 out of 5 stars Wendy Byrne is yet another author from Gemma Halliday Publishing ..., August 16, 2014
This review is from: Hard to Kill: a Hard Targets novel (Kindle Edition)
Wendy Byrne is yet another author from Gemma Halliday Publishing who is sure to make a big splash in the Crime Fiction Pool.
Special op mercenary, Sabrina Shaw, and her brothers, Max and Jake, along with FBI Agent Kane Travis tackle an international sex-slavery ring in this thriller that I found myself unable to lay down. And while I am a huge fan of the comedy laced in most of Gemma Halliday Publishing's offerings this one is all business. The action is fast,furious and gripping. I can hardly wait to see a sequel to Hard to Kill!

My book is from Gemma Halliday Publishing.


Do you have a favorite recipe you'd like to share?  
 I like to cook and am always looking for new recipes to try and share.


I do like to cook for the holidays and below is a recipe called Chicago Slush. 

Yummy!

¾ C. Margarine, softened
1 ½ C. Flour
1 C chopped pecans
1 ½ C. softened cream cheese
1 C. confectioner’s sugar
¾ C. whipping cream, whipped
2 pkgs. 3 ¾ ou. Instant Chocolate pudding
3 C Cold milk
Cut margarine into flour until mixture resembles course crumbs. Stir in nuts. Press mixture over bottom of 13 X 9 baking pan. Bake at 350 for 15-20 min. Cool. Beat together cream cheese and sugar. Fold in whipped cream. Spread over crust. Mix pudding with milk until thick and smooth Spread over cream cheese mixture. Refrigerate covered until set 3-4 hours. Garnish with whipped cream.


Giveaway:  $30 Amazon Gift Card
 

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