Please share a little about yourself, your genres,
any other pen names you use.
I’ve
been writing since I was a child, but only started writing professionally in
1990 when I started stringing (freelancing) for my local newspaper. I earned my
BA in English in 1995 and my MA in English in 2008. Over time, I’ve written or
edited everything from short stories to columns/essays, self-help books, books
on how to start school clubs, books on horse sports, and technical
documentation for NASA and other entities. But I love writing fiction, both
paranormal romances like Traces and Remnants in my Ghosts of Roseville
series, and historical romances, like Emily’s
Vow and Amy’s Choice in my A More
Perfect Union series, which is set in Charleston, SC in 1782 during the
American Revolution. Both series incorporate touches of history as background
to the stories. I love doing research! The challenge is to include the right
balance so the research is part of the context or background of the romance and
not a history lesson.
Tell us a little about your latest or upcoming
release.
Remnants is my second paranormal romance,
set in a haunted plantation house in a fictional town in Tennessee. I had fun
writing this story, including the snippets of songs that play in heroine
Paulette O’Connell’s mind as she goes about her life. Weaving in a bit about
alchemy also made the story richer, in my opinion. Of course, Zak Markel has
his own version of chemistry to share with Paulette!
Are you a mom (or parent)?
Yes,
I’m mother to two adult kids. As of last month, I’m officially part of the
empty nesters.
If yes do you find it hard to juggle writing and
parenting?
When
my kids lived at home, they were my priority. Choosing between writing and
spending time with my kids was easy: my kids won every time. That’s not to say
I didn’t write, though! But they usually had their own interests to occupy them
while I wrote. When it came to supporting their endeavors, I could usually find
a way to be there. It was more difficult when working a full-time job, but I
was able to support them at most of their events.
When you’re not writing what do you do? Do you have
any hobbies or guilty pleasures?
My
free time is consumed with reading. I’m striving to make more time to put my
hobbies back into my life, though. I love to crochet, do counted cross-stitch
pictures, play my guitar, hike, put together jigsaw puzzles, and try new
recipes. Be creative in many ways, in other words.
Is there a genre(s) that you’d like to write that
you haven’t tackled yet?
I
sometimes toy with the idea of writing sci-fi romance but haven’t had a strong
enough story come to my mind yet. The world building associated with both
historical and sci-fi/fantasy is similar, so I think it would be fun and
challenging to try. I think having the freedom to make up most of the “facts”
(other than physics, of course) rather than relying upon the historic record
could be freeing, as well.
What is next for you? Do you have any scheduled
upcoming releases or works in progress?
I
have one book scheduled for release in the spring of 2015: Samantha’s Secret,
the third book in the American Revolution series. Other than that, I have
several book ideas in the works. I’ve begun the research…
What book are you reading now?
Silent
Murders, by Mary Miley
Remnants
Ghosts of Roseville
Book 2
Betty Bolté
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Liquid Silver Books
Date of Publication: October 27, 2014
Ebook: 978-1-62210-159-7
Paperback: 978-1-50248-107-8
ASIN:
Number of pages: 331
Word Count: 70,800
Cover Artist: Lyn Taylor
Book Description:
Paulette O’Connell is focused on building her costume and home decorating business in order to ensure a stable home for her unborn child. When she accidentally summons her grandfather’s ghost, he demands she needed him and must learn the reason before he’ll reveal how to banish him. Meanwhile, a sexy chemist desires her attention despite her refusal to act upon her heart’s desires. After all, following her heart only lands her in trouble.
Zak Markel journeys to Roseville in the desperate hunt for the missing ingredient for the Elixir of Life he hopes will save his brother’s eyesight and career. But he discovers more than he bargained for when his search turns up the gorgeous woman of his dreams, distracting him from his focus at the worst possible time, even though she staunchly refuses to allow him past her defenses.
Can he convince Paulette to open her mind to possibilities and follow her heart to true happiness before it’s too late?
Excerpt:
Paulette’s attention
fixed upon a black, flat-topped trunk with silver hinges and hasp. It hunkered
in front of the mannequin as though daring her to approach. She straightened
her back, one hand automatically shielding her unborn baby, and made her way
across the room until she stopped before the ebony container. She shook off her
reluctance to touch it, since she needed to move it to reach the dummy.
Grasping the handles, she pulled, but it didn’t budge. She tugged again but
barely succeeded in shifting it an inch. What weighed so much in such a small
trunk? Leaning down, she slowly raised the hasp and then the lid until the
meager illumination in the room enabled her to peek inside.
She lifted a
packet of newspapers tied together with a satin ribbon. Peering closer, she
determined they dated from the 1940s. Not ancient, after all. Not like the
letters and journals from the mid-1800s found in other trunks. Still, old
enough. Beneath the papers, a large maroon leather book nestled among men’s
suits and trousers. She spotted an aged white cravat and matching formal shirt,
fingering the silky material with delight. Silks and satins speared delight
through her soul. Their textures and sounds blended into a symphony of
pleasure. She grabbed the heavy book and hauled it from its nesting place,
intent on reaching the luxurious fabrics.
The leather
warmed in her hands as she focused on the decadent silk cravat. Searching for a
safe place to deposit the book among the dusty boxes and trunks, her fingers
tingled then began to burn as though touching a flame. Ouch. She jerked her
hands apart then tried to catch the book before it dropped from her hands. When
it collided with the hardwood floor, it fell open, its pages fluttering before
settling on an illuminated text. The ornate drawing of a great horned owl
poised to strike, beak open, talons ready to snare its prey, curled around
fancy script words. She peered at the sheet, reluctant to touch the page after
the previous singeing of her fingers, but curious as to the mysterious message.
She read the poem silently, and then sounded it out loud, pondering the
meaning.
“Before the
father came the father.
“Return the one
gone before.
“Restore the
bygone to the present.
“This I ask and
nothing more.”
“How strange.”
She gingerly reached to retrieve the book and restore it to its proper place.
With a roar of
wind, the door banged shut behind her, startling a gasp from her compressed
lips. The pages fluttered and whipped. The packet of newspapers soared into the
air, its ribbon untying in the chaos, allowing the sheets to fly around like
crazed paper airplanes. Her jaw dropped open, a gasp followed by a woman
keening in fear. Her voice. Stop it. Get a grip. She swallowed the growing
terror. She whirled around, practically spinning like a ceiling fan on high as
she tried to determine what caused the wind careening about the room. An eerie
whine preceded what sounded like a wolf howling to the moon. She gulped, alarm
sizzling down her spine. Grizabella arched her back, and hissed at the
commotion, ears flat, tail pointed to the ceiling. Paulette exhaled, her breath
visible in the chilled room. She crossed her arms both to warm them and to
protect her child.
Quiet fell along
with the papers settling like oversized snowflakes. She blinked three times,
trying to erase the sight before her. But blinking didn’t work. She gaped at
the tall, gray-bearded man in his impeccable suit and angled fedora. Gray
highlighted his close-cropped black hair and matched his friendly eyes. He
seemed vaguely familiar, yet she had never met him. Of that, she was certain.
She’d remember him.
“What a
surprise.” He reached toward her, palms up. “How can I help you, my dear?”
“Stay there.”
She held out a hand, palm facing him, and backed up until her legs bumped
against the open trunk.
Trapped, she had
no escape but to move past the man. Or apparition. Or whatever. She swallowed
the fear threatening to make itself known. Perhaps she should yell for
Meredith. She would know what to do with this specter. So much for the ghosts
of Twin Oaks resting peacefully. If only she’d never realized she could
interact with spirits.
“Paulette, my
precious, you needn’t fear your own grandfather.” He moved toward her, reaching
for her.
“No.” Shaking
her head, she held up both hands indicating for him to stay back. Then motioned
for him to leave, shooing him as if he could fly away. Or dissolve into thin
air. Which, of course, he probably could. “Whoever you are, you don’t belong
here. Go away.”
Grizabella
growled and hissed from her spot near the wall. Hairs along her spine stood
straight, revealing the depth of her dislike of the man’s presence.
“I was content
where I was.”
“Then why did
you come here? Wh-what do you want?” Paulette shivered and wrapped her arms
about her waist to still their trembling. The move left her feeling more
vulnerable by removing the sense of a barrier between her and the apparition.
He tilted his
head and smiled, dropping one hand to his side. “More to the point, what do you
want? You summoned me.”
“If I did, it
was an accident.” He must understand she had not meant to bring him from
wherever he’d come from. Why did crap like this happen to her? Nothing in her
life ever transpired as she intended. “Please, you must leave. You don’t belong
here.”
“Now, that’s not
true. I belong here more than you do, even. So let’s get acquainted, shall we?
Then you can tell me why you called for me.”
When he started
toward her, she screamed, her hands shielding her baby.
About the Author:
Betty Bolté writes both historical and contemporary stories featuring strong, loving women and brave, compassionate men. No matter whether the stories are set in the past or the present, she loves to include a touch of the paranormal. In addition to her romantic fiction, she’s the author of several nonfiction books and earned a Master’s in English in 2008. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, the Historical Novel Society, the Women’s Fiction Writers Association, and the Authors Guild.
Get to know her at www.bettybolte.com
Newsletter: www.bettybolte.com/newsletter.htm
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorBettyBolte
Twitter: @BettyBolte
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/bettybolte
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/bettybolte9
Amazon: www.amazon.com/author/bettybolte
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