The Book…

Deceiving the Witch Next Door 

Genre: Category – Paranormal
Length: 291 pages
ISBN: 978-1-62266-952-3
Release Date: July 2012
Imprint: Covet

Reid Malone can’t wait to leave Bloomington, Texas. He can manage his mineral holdings from anywhere, but he’s stuck where he is unless he helps his father hide a very illegal secret. The only key to Reid’s freedom lies with the eccentric Storie Bell, the woman who’s been stuck in his head for a decade, and who doesn’t trust him.  But he’ll do whatever it takes to get the information he needs from her.

Storie has a little secret of her own—she’s a witch, and not a very good one at that.  Her mother gave her up, she can’t be with a mortal man, and now all she has is the Storiebook Café.  If only her neighbor, Reid Malone, wasn’t trying to pull a fast one on her. But if he’s not careful, he’ll find out exactly what happens when you try to deceive a witch… 

Get your copy of Deceiving the Witch Next Door at Amazon

The Interview…

1-        Where did the idea for your book come from?

About a year ago, I went to a writing retreat in Glen Rose, a small Texas town.  An old filling station had been converted to a little book store/café and was called The Storiebook Café.  I loved the ambiance, loved Storie, the owner, and asked her if I could set a book there one day and use her name.  She said, “Sure!”  From there, the concept grew.  I love contemporary reads with very light paranormal elements, and that fit in perfectly with what COVET, Entangled’s new line, is all about.  There is very light world building, and the paranormal elements are subtle and complimentary to the story.

Enter Storie Bell, a witch who’s not all that great at being a witch, and Reid Malone, her neighbor who needs something from Storie.

2-       Are any of the characters inspired by someone in real life?

Ha!  Yes, see above.  The real Storie lives in Glen Rose, but only her name and business inspired those same elements in Deceiving the Witch Next Door.  The rest is pure imagination.

3-       Describe your book in a tweet (140 characters or less).

That’s a fun challenge!

Secrets, their past, and lies. Will Storie fall for Reid, or will Reid find out what happens when you deceive the witch next door?

4-      Do you remember the first book that kept you up all night reading?  What was it?

Gone With the Wind.  It’s still one of those ‘comfort’ books.  The story is unforgettable and epic.

5-        Does writing come naturally to you, or did you have to work harder in order to get that story in your head down on paper?

Oh, I have to work hard!  I love writing, but I love revision more.  Once the story’s down, I can revise and revise and revise all day long, but getting that first draft down, with all the elements, is often really tough.

6-       If you could no longer write, what career would you choose instead?

I used to teach middle and high school (and still do teach adults), and I love it, so there’s always that option.  I am also marketing director for Entangled Publishing, and I love helping other authors find success with their books, so I’d definitely stick with that.

7-       Who is your all time favorite fictional book character?

Hmm, I’m not entirely sure I have an all time favorite, but I love Scarlett O’Hara—she is truly an intrepid, determined, unforgettable character.  The women from The Help are also at the top for me.

Fun Stuff:

• Coffee or tea?  Mocha!  Or unsweet iced tea if it’s really hot
• Paper book or ebook?  I was a late adopter to the ebook, but I love it now!  I still love print, but read the e-version much more often.
• Summer or winter? Winter!
• Werewolves or vampires? Mmm, witches.
• Morning person or night owl? A little of both.  I go to bed late and get up fairly early.
• Pantser or plotter? A little of both (again!).  I have a general outline, then fill in as I go.
• Pepsi or Coke?  Diet either, but rarely.  I’m more water and iced tea.
• Dogs or cats? Have 2 of each I think I’m pretty balanced. LOL

Favorites:

• Drink  Nonfat mocha
• Food  Eggplant parmesan
• Movie  I love all the Harry Potter movies, Gone With the Wind, The Joy Luck Club
• TV show  Right now, The Newsroom.  Have loved Supernatural, Once Upon a Time, Smash
• Book  All time favorites are Gone With the Wind and The Help
• Late night snack  Homemade chocolate chip cookies right from the oven when they’re ooey gooey
• Writing tools  Just my computer!
• Sport  Soccer
• Vacation destination  The beach, or a lake.  One day, Europe, specifically Italy.
• Music  Classic rock, current rock/pop
• Place to read  Bed, right before it’s light’s out.
• Place to write  At my desk in my little office
• Way to relax  Yoga (when I have time!), walking, watching a movie with the kids

Sacrifice of Passion 

Genre: Category – Romantic Suspense
Length: 355 pages
Release Date: June 2012
Imprint: Dead Sexy
ISBN: 978-1-62266-940-0

Texas rancher, Vic Vargas, finds himself facing more than his stubbornly silent son when the chupacabra, a supposedly mythical blood‐sucking beast, starts killing his livestock—and stalking Delaney West, the town’s newly returned veterinary assistant, the sensual woman who ran from the altar and broke his heart twelve years earlier.

Reluctantly, he seeks her help to get to the bottom of the disturbing animal mutilations, only to have her break through to his sullen son…and rekindle the love he’d thought was lost forever. But her refusal to share a terrible secret sends her running straight into the lair of the chupacabra, plunging her back into her worst nightmare, and forcing them both to confront the wrongs of the past—in order to stay alive for the future they desperately want. 

Get your copy of Sacrifice of Passion at Barnes & Noble / Amazon 

Bare Naked Lola

Genre: Romantic Mystery
Length: 352 pages
Release Date: May 2012
ePub ISBN: 978-1-62061-005-3
Print ISBN: 978-1-62061-004-6

Going undercover is second nature for Private Investigator Lola Cruz, but she’s out of her league when the case of a murdered Royals Courtside Dancer leads her to a local nudist resort. Parading around the sidelines of Sacramento’s professional basketball scene in a barely-there cheerleading outfit is one thing—but parading around in nothing but smile? If she has any chance of hiding this from her traditional family and on-again/off-again boyfriend Jack, she’s going to have a lot more than her duct tape bra and killer dance moves to keep under wraps….

Get your copy of Bare Naked Lola at: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / BAM! / Book Depo / Powell’s

The Author…

About Melissa Bourbon Ramirez 

Melissa Bourbon, who sometimes answers to her Latina-by-marriage name Misa Ramirez, gave up teaching middle and high school kids in Northern California to write full-time amidst horses and Longhorns in North Texas.  She fantasizes about spending summers writing in quaint, cozy locales, has a love/hate relationship with yoga and chocolate, is devoted to her family, and can’t believe she’s lucky enough to be living the life of her dreams.

She is the marketing director at Entangled Publishing, is the author of the Lola Cruz Mystery series with St. Martin’s Minotaur and Entangled Publishing, A Magical Dressmaking Mystery series with NAL, and is the co-author of The Tricked-out Toolbox and two romantic suspense titles.

Visit Melissa at her website | Twitter Page | Facebook Home | Goodreads | and Books on the House, a website bringing books and readers together!

 GIVEAWAY!

The fabulous peeps at Entangled Publishing are offering up ONE ebook copy of DECEIVING THE WITCH NEXT DOOR!

• must be 18+ years of age to enter
• prize will be delivered through email from publisher
• winner will be drawn on Saturday, August 11, 2012

Leave a comment for Melissa to enter! Be sure to include an email address so we can contact you if you win!