Welcome Soul Mate Publishing author, Emelle Gamble...


1)  What kind of music do you like? Sixties.Sorry, but it’s the best ever. Beatles. Stones. Animals. Janis Joplin. BobDylanBobDylanBobDylan. Yes, I know, I’m one of those goofy sixties lovers. But Bob Dylan is the greatest poet of the twentieth century. End of discussion. 


2)  Describe your dream home…
Great question! White clapboard. Green trim. Nice porch, big kitchen, writing room and bedroom upstairs, two guest rooms and huge great room downstairs. Overlooking the water. Quiet, 100 year old small neighborhood a half mile from town. Which is also small. But 30 minutes away from a major university so I can hang out with smart young people and go to lectures and good restaurants when I want some distraction. Sigh. I can see it!

3)  Favorite literary hero & heroine?
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. Rhett Butler. (Wow, would that make for an interesting mash-up!HA!)


4)  What are you reading now? Liliana Hart, who may be my new heroine in the book world. Kathy Maxwell, who is my heroine in any world. Just finished The Awful Mess by Sandra Hutchison…fabulous and interesting contemporary and the most unconventional but realistic love story I’ve read in a long time.

5)  What did you do on your last birthday?

Dinner out with my favorite “Mr. Perfect” (take that, Cary Grant!), hubby Phil-the-fist, my New York marine with the tough demeanor and heart of gold. We do my favorite Mexican restaurant with kids and friends and I drink two much (which is 2 drinks) and cry and count my blessings. So much fun…

6)  What comes first, plot or characters?
I character. One big problem and it’s solution. Then a title. Then I mull and write.

7)  Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? No. I suffer from fear of sucking at writing, and poor time management, and laziness, but I can always write if I sit down and make myself.

8)  Do you ever want to be someone else? Who?

No. I want to be a better me, but I wouldn’t trade places with anyone.

9)  Tell us about your latest book?

DATING CARY GRANT is a story that I wanted to share ever since I imagined it. I love him, I love old movies, and I know how we non-movie star people idealize and wish our lives could be like what we see on the screen. And that we know it’s not realistic, but of course, we still want it. I loved the apartment Molly lives in located in Kate Hepburn’s old neighborhood in Manhattan’s Turtle Bay. I loved the constant surprise at the door. The reality TV group stalking her. And getting to write a secondary character who I could hear speaking in my head was a blast!

I had several editors tell me they liked the story, but couldn’t publish it because “No one will know who Cary Grant is.” I couldn’t believe it, and I was blessed to find publisher Debby Gilbert of Soul Mate Publishing who said, “I love Cary Grant. Let’s do it!”

I hope readers will enjoy this interplay of real and fantasy and if they didn’t know Cary Grant before, will love him when they meet him in the book.

10) What’s next for you?

I’m working on a women’s fiction novel with quite a lot of suspense called KISS ME TWICE. It’s about a woman trying to decided if she should go to her fifteenth college reunion. Her ex-husband (boo, hiss, huge mistake) will be there. As will the foreign exchange student she fell in love with and never forgot, even though he broke her heart. She goes. What happens next is pretty damn surprising, if I do say so myself.

Great questions, Rachel! Thanks so much for letting me visit your blog and meet your readers.


Readers, do you ever by a book based on an author interview? Why or why not?


Dating Cary Grant
by Emelle Gamble

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

A modern Manhattan fairy tale starring…

Tracy Connor, a New York City career woman who loves her job and classic movies.

Mike Connor, her estranged husband, a small town Mayor who loves his wife but doesn’t seem to have enough time to see her.

The handsome stranger, Philip Adams, who lives downstairs from the small sublet Tracy has temporarily moved into. He’s charming, funny and looks a lot like her very favorite screen icon, Cary Grant.

Dating Cary Grant is a romance all about New York City career woman Tracy Connor struggling with real issues with her real guy, her husband of six years, Mayor Mike Connor of Cukor, Connecticut. Tracy is a smart woman, but some of her problems with relationships are partially caused by her unrealistic expectations that real guys should – and can - behave like matinee idols. Mike’s problems are also caused by the fact that he’s such a great guy and overextends his heart, and his appointment calendar, to every constituent, friend or stray animal who crosses his path.

Tracy is also being stressed by a TV reality show intent on showcasing Tracy and Mike’s personal life, as well as the imminent takeover of her employer, a small, private television station, by a billionaire with unlimited funds and no taste.

Dating Cary Grant considers just how selfless a man needs to be to meet his wife’s expectations, and just how honest a woman must be with herself about what she’s willing to give, and give-up. And Cary Grant is along to help prove that any woman’s search for ‘Mr. Perfect ‘ might take her to a surprising place to find him.


Excerpt:

Tracy put her hand on the knob to open the door a crack so she could hear better, when suddenly someone knocked, then knocked a second time!

The vibration went right through the door into her forehead. She yelped and stepped back, just like the other night, but this time, thankfully, the lock was engaged.

“Hello?” a man asked pleasantly. “Sorry if I startled you.”

Tracy stared at the door, immobile with surprise. She cleared her throat and put her right hand over her heart, as if that would slow the galloping beat down.

The man knocked twice again. “I don’t want to be a bother, but I’ve come to borrow ice cubes, if you have them. It’s quite a catastrophe, really, having no ice, so you can save the day if you have a tray or two to spare.”

His voice was smart and cultured. He had the accent of an Englishman by birth and world traveler by choice. 

“Why don’t you come downstairs and have a drink, for that matter? If you’re decent, of course. Or even if you’re not.” He chuckled and tapped the door gently. “Come on.  Shy, are you? Don’t be afraid, I promise I’m a perfect gentleman this time of night.”

“Yes, hello,” Tracy surprised herself by replying. “But I’m sorry; I don’t have any ice cubes. Sorry.” What a pinhead, she chided herself. Apologizing when I had no reason to, just like the woman on the bike told her.  

“No ice cubes? You poor darling! Well, you must open up and go downstairs with me. I’ll steal some for you from the party. Right out of someone’s glass. It might be rude, but, well, I’m willing to be rude in times of crisis. No girl with a voice as lovely as yours should be without ice cubes on a Saturday night. What if she fancied a cocktail?”

Tracy smiled. “Actually it’s Sunday morning. About three thirty, as a matter of fact. And I certainly can’t come out, as I’m dressed for bed, and it’s a bit early for me to be drinking a cocktail.”

“Early? Well, that’s all the way you look at it, my dear.” The door creaked as the visitor leaned his weight against it. “To my way of thinking, 3:30 a.m. is the very heart of the evening. Why don’t you throw on something more acceptable to the general public and join me? What do you say?”

Tracy put her hand on the door and peered through the stained glass but could make out only a vague figure of a man in a dark suit. His voice was amazing.  If he looked half as hot as he sounded, then the neighborhood was even better than she had expected.

Should she open the door to get a look at this guy? She glanced down and frowned at the white tee shirt and pink socks she‘d been sleeping in. The shirt was Mike’s. Suddenly the image of her husband filled her head, squelching her curious impulse.

Tracy crossed her arms over her chest. “Thanks, but no. Sorry.” She grimaced. God lord, I am pathetic. “Goodnight!” Her voice was firm. “I’m going back to sleep now. Have a nice party.”

“Well, all right. But next time I’ll stay here until you come out and meet me properly,” the man replied. “I’ll go back to my friends. Although you don’t sound like you need it, you’ve still got a few hours to get your beauty sleep. Good night, Miss…?”

It’s Mrs., she thought. “Connor. Tracy Connor.” 

“Sleep tight, Tracy Connor,” the man said.




AUTHOR Bio and Links:


Emelle Gamble was a writer at an early age, bursting with the requisite childhood stories of introspection. These evolved into bad teen poetry and worse short stories. She took her first stab at full length fiction in an adult education writing class when her kids were in bed twenty years ago.  As M.L. Gamble, she published several romantic suspense novels with Harlequin.  Soul Mate Publishing  brought out  Secret Sister,  a paranormal women’s romantic fiction novel in the summer of 2013. This was followed by the novella, Duets, in November, 2013, and the follow on novel starring the characters from Duets, Molly Harper, in January, 2014.

Always intrigued by the words ‘what if’, Emelle’s books feature an ordinary woman confronted with an extraordinary situation.  She most enjoys reading stories that surprise and amaze her, and hopes her readers will enjoy the challenging and exciting journeys her characters take. 

Emelle lives in suburban Washington D.C.  with her husband, Phil, her hero of thirty years,  and two orange cats, Lucy and Bella. These girls, like all good villains, have their reasons for misbehaving. Her daughter, Olivia, and son, Allen, are happily launched on their own and contributing great things to society, their mother’s fondest wish.

Emelle Gamble contact links:

Email: emellegamble@aol.com

Website:  www.EmelleGamble.com 

FaceBook:  Author Emelle Gamble

Twitter: @EmelleGamble

Secret Sister  is now available on Amazon!  http://amzn.to/17J2Bn6

Once and Forever is now available on Amazon!    http://amzn.to/1h9fZWv

Duets, a novella, the prequel to Molly Harper,    http://amzn.to/1cagyNa

Molly Harper now available on Amazon  http://amzn.to/1a7k8Gx  




Emelle will be awarding a $50 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn commenter during this tour and the Reviews Tour. A digital copy of Dating Cary Grant will be awarded to 5 randomly drawn commenters also during this tour and the Reviews Tour. A $25 Amazon gift card will be awarded to a randomly drawn host also between the two tours.
Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here: 
Comments?? 

29 comments

  1. Thanks Rachel! Very generous of you to host me on your lovely blog and meet your readers! Tell me readers, have you ever made your significant other jealous? How'd that turn our? Good luck in the drawing!

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  2. Nice to know that we also have Bob Dylan in common! I can't believe people would say that no one would know Cary Grant. BLASPHEMOUS! lol

    Anyway, in answer to your question of the day, yes, I have done that many times. Sometimes it worked. Sometimes it backfired.

    And a wave to Rachel Brimble, whose books I also enjoy. Have a good one, ladies!

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    1. Andrea, thanks so much for stopping by. And yes, I think your experience is what usually happens when we try and play with those explosive emotions! I try never to do it, but did once in my life. No, I won't give the details. HA! I'll save for a book.

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  3. I liked learning more about Emelle's likes and life

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    1. Thanks for stopping by, Debbie Carney! That's one thing that happens on my blog tours...lots of personal details. Uh, oh! HA! Good luck in the drawing.

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  4. The title got me. I <3 Cary Grant so hard.

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    1. This books for you, Maggie Steele. A double scoop of Cary! HA! Good luck in the drawing.

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  5. Interesting interview today. I liked the fact that you think of the title before writing. I've often heard it said that the first sentence of a book is the one that needs to grab the reader's attention right away. So do you write the one you write first the one that stay in place or do you change it later?

    kareninnc at gmail dot com

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    1. Gosh, you got me thinking Karen, and I don't think I have ever written a first line that stayed put. This current book originally started with "Nothing good every happens to my family on Good Friday." Which I then, after a few weeks of writing changed to "I saw a ghost today." Which is now also gone, as is the first person voice. Sigh. I HATE WRITING. HA! Not really, but I'm sure you get the point. If life is a river, writing is the silt at the bottom. Good to hear from you! Good luck!

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  6. cute interview. 60s music eh?

    madtvk34 _(AT)_ yahoo _(DOT)_ com

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    1. Thanks Teresa! Yes, hardcore. Carole King. Righteous Brothers. Mary Wells. The Temptations. DylanDylanDylan. HA! Tired yet? Good luck in the drawing.

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  7. I loved this book. I really thought it was exceptionally good. The next one you are writing sounds good too.

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    1. Thanks MomJane! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Good luck in the drawing. And yeah, the next one sounds good to me too, now if I could just write the darned thing! HA!

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  8. Hi Emelle! Thanks for sharing a great excerpt and interview. I try not to make my significant other jealous...I want to harbor positive, happy feelings in our relationship. =)

    brookeb811 at gmail dot com

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    1. Good on you, Brooke! Yes, making someone jealous intentionally is the road to disaster. My heroine in DATING CARY GRANT knows this...but things happen. HA! Thank you for your post, and keep up that smart behavior.

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  9. Great interview! I love getting to know you a little more in each interview you do. =) And 60's music is awesome,.. I happen to like all music era's but I sometimes find myself listening to 80's music the most lol.

    On question 9, did u make a mistake & say Molly instead of Tracy? lol ;)

    The book sounds really good!! I love your writing & this book is added to my TBR list! =)

    Take care!!

    Brandi
    BLeigh1130 at yahoo dot com

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    1. Brandi, LOL, yes sharp eyed goddess, I said Molly and meant Tracy. Jeez, too many book tours too close together! I need you to proofread before I post! Thanks for the kind words...80's music, huh. Like...??? wham, David Bowie, Donna Summer? I like a lot of that too but DYLAN RULES. xxx Good luck in the contest.

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  10. A fun interview. Love your mash up of hero & heroine.

    marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com

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  11. I really enjoyed the interview.

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  12. I like 60's music also but can't stand 70's. Classic black and white movies rock!

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  13. I like both the post and the excerpt.

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  14. I enjoyed the author comments and the book blurb

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  15. i liked the variety of the questions, it let me get to know you better than some of the other blog tours i have followed before. :)

    tammy ramey
    trvlagnt1t@yahoo.com

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  16. I cannot believe anyone doesn't know who Cary Grant is! What an obnoxious statement that editor made! Sometimes I've been known to purchase books because I was intrigued by the interview and wanted more. Marcia Berbeza Mberbeza@aol.com

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  17. Loved the interview and the sneak peek!!!!!

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  18. A fun interview--really enjoyed reading it! Good luck with sales, and with the rest of your tour!

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  19. Who wouldn't know Cary Grant? Good grief! Have you ever seen that movie TOUCH OF PINK? It's kind of an m/m take on Doris Day movies, where a young Pakistani set designer has Cary Grant as sort of his guardian angel through all his romantic troubles...it's flawed, but cute (and Kyle MacLachlan is actually okay as Grant).

    Trix, vitajex(at)Aol(Dot)com

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  20. I loved the excerpt. The story sounds so good.

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  21. Loved the excerpt! Certainly has me wanting to know what happens next. :)

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