...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??
* * * * *
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
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.
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!!
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!
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
Thanks, Krista, for having me on your blog tour!
ReplyDeleteWendy