Questions and Answers
6 days ago
by Melissa Cutler
in Blog
Last week, I threw myself a virtual birthday party on Facebook. It was so much fun! One thing I did was invite questions about TEMPTED INTO DANGER or anything else from everyone in attendance. People really brought their A game, questions-wise, and I thought it’d be fun to post some of them, along with my answers.
Kelly asked: Besides the bra underwire as a screwdriver, have you tried to use anything else or done anything your husband thought was weird for research for your books?
- Answer: Totally! In SECRET AGENT SECRETARY, Avery has to strangle a bad guy with a paperclip chain, so I got my daughter’s largest teddy bear and practiced on him so I could see if the paperclips would hold their form.
Christi asked: Do you know any real-life ICE agents?
- Answer: No. I wish! Here’s the photograph from ICE’s official website that originally inspired me to write a series on ICE agents
Louise asked: I’d love to know a bit more about Ryan… I’ve gotta feeling I’m going to love him.
- Answer: Oh, Louise, I love that man. His story is in book 2, title SECRET AGENT SECRETARY. He’s Argentinian-American and from Texas. His book is all about James Bond-style secret agenting and it comes out in January. Here’s how I picture Ryan and what his life philosophy is:
Kim asked: How long does it take you to write a book? Do you look at writing like an 8 to 5 job?
- Answer: About 4 months for a contemporary romance and 3 months for romantic suspense. I probably spend 60-80 hours a week working, between writing and chatting with fans. I usually work 8-3 (when my kids get out of school), then write at night and on the weekends. It’s no hardship because I love writing more than just about anything (besides my family).
Claire asked: So when you write do you have an outline for what’s going to happen or does it unfold at will?
- Answer: I have an outline, but if something brilliant and new comes to me while I write, which usually happens a lot, I’m not afraid to stray from my plan. That happened in TEMPTED with the first kissing scene and the snake.
Wayne asked: What do you like most about writing romantic suspense? Any other favorite genres of romance?
- Answer: My favorite part about writing romantic suspense is choreographing the actions and researching weapons. I eat that stuff up! I also love writing and reading contemporary romance, as well as historicals.
Melinda asked: Do you have any hobbies?
- Not too many. I gave up a lot of things I used to do in order to devote more time to writing. I play the piano and love sudoku and jigsaw puzzles.
Kathy asked: Have you had many rejection letters?
- Answer: So many! More than 150 over the course of 4 years. In fact, the month before I got my first contracts, I received several rejections that were so harsh I considered taking a break from trying to get published. It really stunk at the time, but have you heard that song with the line “God bless the broken road that led me straight to you”? It really stunk at the time, but have you heard that song “God bless the windy road that led me straight to you”? I feel that way about how it all turned out. I love the publishing houses I work for now and my agent.
Twitter: Book Giveaway
1 month ago
by Melissa Cutler
in Blog
This week, my Twitter following topped 1000. Woohoo!!! *Snoopy Dancing* To thank my followers for all the fun, friendship, and support, I’m giving away FOUR excellent prizes with a Rafflecopter giveaway.
The giveaway closes on Sunday night. If you’re not yet one of my Twitter followers, you still have time to follow and enter the contest. There’s a button to follow me in the contest box or you can click HERE.
Goodreads Giveaway Ending Soon
1 month ago
by Melissa Cutler
in Blog
On May 1st, I’m going to be handing out 5 copies of my June release, TEMPTED INTO DANGER
Have you entered to win?
Goodreads Book Giveaway
Tempted into Danger
by Melissa Cutler
Giveaway ends May 01, 2013.
See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.
While you’re on Goodreads, be sure to add TEMPTED INTO DANGER to your shelf:
Sunday Excerpt: Tempted Into Danger
1 month ago
by Melissa Cutler
in Blog
Today’s Sunday Excerpt is from my upcoming June release, Tempted into Danger.
Happy Reading!
***
“Just so you know, for future reference, the best thing to do when a woman cries is to keep your mouth shut and hand her a tissue. Cringing and running away is definitely not recommended. You’ve got to learn how to play it closer to the vest.”
The edge of Diego’s jaw grew tight, not with a scowl of irritation, but as though he was fighting a grin. “I must’ve skipped that day in guy school.”
Though Vanessa wanted to squeeze his shoulder, to test the breadth of it against her palm, she forced herself to let go and sit back in her seat. “Then I should also mention that the only exception to the tissue rule is if the woman crying is someone you care a lot about, then you have to hold her until she’s done. Think you can handle that, soldier?”
“Roger that. Mouth shut. Weepy chicks get tissues except girlfriends, then you have to offer yourself as a tissue.”
It was useless to resist his dry wit. Her chest shook with a silent chuckle. “You have a way with words.”
“Yeah, right. You should know you’re the first person in the history of the world to pay me that particular compliment.” He glanced to the passenger seat, then opened and closed the glove compartment. “There are no tissues in this car. Unbelievable.”
“Not even on your Batman utility belt?”
“You think maybe I tucked one of those travel packs of tissues next to my grappling hooks and spare magazines? No dice. Sorry.”
***
Tempted into Danger is now available for pre-order:
Amazon: Kindle & Paper Barnes & Noble Books-a-Million
Kobo Harlequin Book Depository
And guess what? If you pre-order it digitally at Harlequin, you can download it on May 1st. Score!!!
Join me on June 4th on Facebook for Tempted into Danger’s virtual release party. RSVP HERE
The Excerpt You Voted For…
2 months ago
Friday and Saturday on my Facebook Page, I asked readers which of my upcoming releases you’d like me to post an excerpt from. The winner is…
How to Rope a Real Man (Catcher Creek #3)
This is Jenna’s story and it’s a May 2014 release. It’s so new that it doesn’t even have a pre-order button yet!
Here’s the set up for this scene: Jenna and Matt are among a crowd of their friends and family at a saloon with a dance floor. Jenna loves to dance and a waltz just came on over the speakers…
***
Jenna swished her skirt with her hands as she debated the merits of a trip to the ladies’ room to save her from standing there awkwardly for much longer. This was one of her least favorite parts of being single—never knowing if she’d have a partner for the next dance. Nothing brought her aloneness into starker focus than when she was prevented from doing the thing she loved most because she didn’t have a man in her life.
Salvation came fast on the heels of those dark thoughts in the form of a cute, young cowboy flaunting a starched red western shirt and shiny belt buckle. He was too good-ole-boy for her taste, complete with a wad of chew puffing his cheek, but she smiled invitingly anyway. Dancing a waltz didn’t bind her to the guy for life.
“Care to dance, miss?”
Her answer was on the tip of her tongue when Matt appeared at her side, a proprietary hand sliding around her waist. Well, well, well…. Perhaps all he’d needed was a rival to remind him she wasn’t going to wait forever while he made up his mind.
“Sorry, man. She’s spoken for on this dance.”
Jenna bit back a swoon. Lord have mercy. She never thought she had much use for testosterone-fueled machismo, but the aggressive edge in his tone called to the feminine part of her psyche in a way she hadn’t expected.
Doing her best to turn her smile apologetic, she mouthed a sorry to the young cowboy, but he was already wandering off, scanning the crowd for another potential partner, leaving her free to concentrate on the big, solid man at her side. She ran her gaze along her shoulder, then up Matt’s body until it landed on his face. “I don’t remember you asking me to dance.”
He turned her in his arms and took her right hand in his, his eyes flashing down the length of her. “Some things don’t need to be said.”
It was the first time their hands had touched outside of a handshake. His hand was strong, with calluses she hadn’t expected to feel on a lawyer. With a motion so slow it seemed to stretch time, he dragged his thumb over the back of her fingers as though cradling her hand in his wasn’t nearly enough friction to satisfy him.
She responded with a slow crawl of her other hand up the muscles of his arm to settle into closed hold position. His body was unyielding beneath her touch—deliciously hard and male. A fantasy flashed in her mind of the two of them in her bedroom, standing together like this but without a stitch of clothing. Without any of the barriers that presently stood between them.
A corner of his mouth kicked up into a wolfish grin. “I guess we’d better get to waltzing before the song ends.”
***
Look for How to Rope a Real Man in May 2014
Meanwhile…be sure to pick up a copy of the first book in the series, The Trouble with Cowboys, which is available now. The second book, Cowboy Justice, is an October 2013 release and presently available for pre-order.
Bonus: I’m giving away 3 advanced copies of Cowboy Justice on Goodreads, which means 3 people will be reading this October release in July! Enter Here.
