Mountain Blaze by Debby Grahl

Please welcome Debby Grahl author of Mountain Blaze

Debby Grahl will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

Mountain Blaze

by Debby Grahl

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GENRE: Contemporary Romance

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INTERVIEW:

1. What or who inspired you to start writing?

I have a disease of the retinacalled Retinitis Pigmentosa which causes gradual vision loss. I lost the ability to read in my early twenties, but even when I had sight, seeing the printed word was always difficult for me. Reading a book would take me twice as long as a person with normal sight. I became frustrated with this and began to make up my own stories. I used to entertain my girlfriends with these as we walked to school. They were kind enough to listen, and today they’re some of my biggest fans. It wasn’t until the invention of screen-reading software that I was able to put my stories into print.

2. How did you come up with ideas for your books?

First I decide on location, then the plot. My characters’ personalities, their backgrounds, and what their conflicts will be.

3. What would you want your readers to know about you that might not be in your bio?

I love to dance, lay in the sun, shop— especially for shoes, drink red wine, play bunco, go out to lunch, be with family and friends, and ride in Mustangs with the top down listening to Bob Seger.

4. As far as your writing goes, what are your future plans?

Mountain Blaze is the first in my Carolina series. Island Heat is next and is set on beautiful Hilton Head Island. The third is going to take place in Charleston, SC, but I don’t have a title yet.

5. If you could be one of the characters from any of your books, who would it be and why?

That would have to be Kendra O’Connell from His Magic Touch. Kendra is a witch and I’d love to have her powers.

6. When did you first decide to submit your work? Please tell us what or who encouraged you to take this big step?

I went to a conference in New Orleans put on by the author Heather Graham. This is a small conference, everyone was extremely encouraging, and the workshops were informative. I pitched to my first editor and received a contract offer. However, when this small publishing company went out of business, I had my first exposure to the writing world.

7. What is the best and worst advice you ever received regarding writing or publishing)? This would be that if you want to be an author, take writing classes.I thought you just wrote the book, submitted it, and waited to hear back. I found out quickly how wrong I was. There’s a number of what I refer to as no-no’s in the writing world. I had one editor tell me that I had a good book, if I could only write it. In red, she pointed out all my beginner writers mistakes. And trust me, there was a lot of red on the page. That’s when I started taking online classes and my writing improved after the first class. There’s a number of groups that offer theseclasses and they’re reasonably priced.

8. Do you outline your books or just start writing?

I write by the seat of my pants. I’ll make a short outline, but after that my characters take over. Sometimes a character who is supposed to have a minor role will end up being the star.

9. Do you have an all-time favorite book?

I have a few I like to read during certain times of the year. At Mardi Gras, it’s Heather Graham’s Ghost Walk. For the summer solstice, Nora Roberts’ Face The Fire. In October, Carter Dixon’s Papa La Ba, and for Christmas, Ngaio Marsh’s Tied Up In Tinsel and Martha Grimes’ The Man With a Load of Mischief.

10. Have you started your next project? If so, can you share a little bit about your book? Island Heat is the next in the Carolina series. In Mountain Blaze, you meet Suzanna Shay. She’s the manager of Preston Books in Charlotte NC. After winning a trip on a mystery cruise, she meets Austen Kincade. Austen, an up and coming author, is instantly attracted to Suzanna, and they have a shipboard romance which leads them to be involved in solving a real murder.
11. Can you tell us a little bit about what it was like to write a series?

The hardest was coming up with the titles. I had the title for my second book first, then I had to come up with two more that went along with the theme.

12. Anything else you might want to add?

I’d like to thank Christine for having me today and look forward to hearing from those who drop in for my interview.

BLURB:

Disillusioned by his wife’s betrayal, rodeo star Dillon McCoy comes home to the mountains of North Carolina to lick his wounds. When he agrees to take over the family ranch, the Lazy M, he’s unaware danger waits.

Diana Thompson is having doubts about her engagement to Trent Sawyer. She agrees to leave Chapel Hill and spend Thanksgiving with her friend Jenn at the Lazy M. When Diana and Dillon meet, neither can deny their attraction, but both must resolve past relationships while fighting their growing desire.

After Dillon turns down an anonymous offer to purchase the ranch, attempts are made on his life. When a body is found, Dillon sets out to discover who wants the McCoy land enough to commit murder.

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EXCERPT:

As they made their way back through the woods, Diana’s guilt threatened to consume her. Not only did she enjoy every second of his kiss, she didn’t want him to stop. One terrible truth she had no doubt about — if they hadn’t been sitting on a horse, she’d be in his bed. What a complicated mess her life had become. If she had her own car, she’d make some excuse and leave, but she couldn’t do that to Jenn. Until she could make sense of her emotions, she’d try her best not to be alone with Dillon.

Dillon suddenly pulled Flame to a halt, jarring Diana from her thoughts. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m not sure. There are horse tracks going off the trail into the woods.” Dillon frowned. “I don’t recall seeing them when we passed here earlier.”

Diana glanced around. “We’re near one of the cabins. Perhaps you were distracted describing the ranch to me.”

“I suppose. But that doesn’t explain what they’re doing here.”

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Award winning author, Debby Grahl, lives on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, with her husband, David. Besides writing, she enjoys biking, walking on the beach and a glass of wine at sunset. Her favorite places to visit are New Orleans, New York City, Captiva Island in Florida, the Cotswolds of England, and her home state of Michigan. She is a history buff who also enjoys reading murder mysteries, time travel, and, of course, romance. Visually impaired since childhood by Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), she uses screen-reading software to research and write her books. His Magic Touch, a paranormal romance, was released by Wild Rose Press December 5, 2018. Her latest book, Mountain Blaze, will be released November 2, 2020.

You can find Debby at the following:

Website — www.debbygrahl.com

Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/debbygrahlauthor?ref=br_rs

Bookbub — https://www.bookbub.com/search/authors?search=debby%20grahl

Twitter — https://twitter.com/DebbyGrahl

Buy links

Amazon Author Page — https://www.amazon.com/Debby-Grahl/e/B00B34HM26

B&N –https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/Debby+Grahl

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

Debby Grahl will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

RAFFLECOPTER:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f3532