The Black Door
by Charlotte
Howard
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
Imogen
Pearce is a single mum of four children and fast approaching 40, she works at
Ryedale Incorporated where she has to battle a younger and smarter generation
to get to where she wants to go. If that means taking on the account of Cherry
and Sean Rubin’s adult shop, then she will. But what happens when Imogen
discovers the private club that they run at the back? And what happens when she
realizes she knows quite a few members?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT:
He sat at the head end of the table dressed in his expensive
Italian suit, fiddling with the golden cufflinks emblazoned with his initials.
I knew this because I’d seen them flying towards my face on more than one
occasion as he dismissed my work and threw it across the room. Perhaps those
previous meetings were the reason I was hesitant to show him my latest
proposal. Or it could have been that this was the first time that I was solely
responsible for the work. There was no Alex to fall back on and let take the
blame, although he was sitting right next to me. I didn’t for one second think
he was there for moral support. Nobody at Ryedale Incorporated was out for
anything other than what they could get.
I looked towards Cal
Ryedale as he annihilated the next piece of advertising failure that was placed
in front of him, the stern frown etched into his face never changing. It wasn’t
unusual for newbies to burst into tears and run out of meetings like this.
Beneath the table, my knees were actually knocking together. This may sound
like an over-used cliché, but it’s the God’s honest truth. Physical contact was
made between my quivering legs as I waited for my turn. And then it came. His
furious stare shifted towards me. Dark brown eyes burned and I could feel my
soul being singed a little bit more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What is your writing environment?
I’ve recently lost my office after my sister decided to move in
with us on a semi-permanent basis, so my writing environment is now my sofa
with a laptop and a large mug of tea. The only problem is that I have two young
children, so I can only write when they are at school or in bed!
Who is your perfect hero and why?
Can I be cheesy and say my husband? He’s not exactly Channing
Tatum, but he puts up with me. He’s also very supportive of everything I do. If
that’s not acceptable though, I’ll say Gideon Cross from Sylvia Day’s Crossfire
novels – if you don’t know why, then you need to read the books!
What authors have caught your interest lately and why?
Sylvia Day because of Gideon Cross, I think that says it all. I am
one of the many readers who hit the pre-order button as soon as it was
announced that the next book was being released. I cannot put her Crossfire
series down!
What type of book have you always wanted to write?
I would love to write an epic novel – I have a fantasy / sci-fi /
paranormal series stuck in my head, but whenever I try to write it, I get
stuck. It would be a minimum of 6 books and set over several generations,
involving shapeshifters, dragons, and witches. I think I would have to write it
under a pen name though.
Top 3 things on your bucket list?
Run a marathon (which I’m currently in training for and plan to do
before I’m 35.)
Go skydiving (preferably raising money for charity at the same
time.)
Buy a small farm – I would love to be self-sufficient.
How did you get the idea for this particular novel?
The Black Door came about after a reader asked why romance novels
are generally set around a young and pretty girl. It got me thinking and I
decided to write about a single mum who was in her thirties – Imogen Pearce was
born.
What is your favorite scene in your new release?
The very first one. It came about after my husband and I were
having one of our “what would you do if…” conversations. “What would you do if
you caught me cheating?” I told him his Xbox and car would suffer more than the
girl.
What are you working on now and when can we expect it to be available?
I’m currently having a break. I’ve just submitted my next novel, a
story set around horses and involving a sort-of love triangle. I don’t know
when it will be available, but my first short story, One Night in Edinburgh, is
coming out in November!
What do you like to do when you are not writing?
At the moment I’m spending my time either in the gym or catching
up with NCIS: Los Angeles (currently on series 3). I have 2 young children and
volunteer for the local Girl Guiding Association and at the local primary
school, so I don’t have much time to just sit down and watch TV, hence I’m only
on series 3…
What would you consider a perfect date?
Miss Congeniality came to mind with this question – April 25th,
because it’s not too hot or too cold, so all you need is a light jacket!
Hahaha…
I suppose my perfect date would be a movie – an action or thriller
– followed by a curry. I’ve never been a girly-girl, so wouldn’t expect
flowers, but I wouldn’t say no to chocolate and a bottle of Tequila!
What is one interesting fact about you that readers don’t know?
I’m not a very mysterious person and am happy to talk about most
things so I’m not sure there’s anything about me that’s particularly secretive.
I guess one fact that always surprises people is that I’m not afraid of things
like spiders or snakes – after living for years in the Middle East where you
have to be aware of venomous creatures, the British wildlife doesn’t scare me.
BUT, I am scared of chickens. It comes from an incident when I was 3 and was
pecked by a red hen. Ever since, I will go out of my way to avoid red hens and
cockerels. I don’t mind small chickens, but not the big ones. I prefer them in
a Tikka Masala sauce.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
British
author Charlotte Howard, was born in Oman and spent much of the first part of
her life flitting between Oman, Scotland, and England. Now settled in Somerset,
Charlotte lives with her husband, two children, and growing menagerie of pets.
Her career as
a writer began at an early age, with a poem being featured in an anthology for
the East Midlands. Since then Charlotte has written many short stories and
poems, and finally wrote her first full-length piece of fiction in 2010.
During what
little spare time she has, Charlotte enjoys reading and writing (of course),
spending time with her family, and watching action movies whilst eating curry
and drinking tea.
Charlotte is
an active member of Yeovil Creative Writers.
Social Media / Website links:
Buy Links:
Charlotte will be awarding an eBook of The Black Door, a signed print copy of Seven Dirty Words with a bookmark, and a $10 Amazon gift card (£10 Amazon gift card if UK winner) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Follow the tour HERE.
Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteYou are so welcome! Hoping your book tour is a HUGE success!
DeleteI enjoyed the excerpt . . and the opportunity to read about an older woman as the heroine.
ReplyDeleteGreat interview.
ReplyDeleteI love the cover art, what a intriguing image
ReplyDeleteI like the excerpt
ReplyDeleteFun interview
ReplyDeleteAn interesting bucket list. Farming is hard work.
ReplyDeleteI loved the interview. A very interesting bucket list not too sure about sky diving since I'm afraid of heights. I hope you get them all crossed off someday.
ReplyDeleteReally great interview I enjoyed it :).. thanks for sharing! I always love getting to know authors.
ReplyDeletei enjoyed the excerpt and blurb
ReplyDelete