INTERVIEW WITH MELISSA RAMAREZ BOURBON- AUTHOR OF BARE NAKED LOLA (GIVEAWAY- OPEN WW)

I want to welcome Misa Ramirez (AKA Melissa Bourbon) to Books R Us. Misa is the author of Bare Naked Lola (A Lola Cruz Mystery) She is presently touring the blogosphere. Thanks for stopping by.

Interview with Melissa Ramarez Bourbon

Can you tell me who or what was the inspiration for the book?

MBR: I live in North Texas now, but we used to live in Northern California and not too far from our house, there was a nudist resort (although the word resort might be a bit of a euphemism).  A lot of the mystery elements in the books I write stem from some real life nugget.  In the case of Bare-Naked Lola, it started with this nudist resort.  I could imagine Lola, a fledgling PI, having to go undercover there.  But she’s a good Catholic girl with a close-knit family, so the bigger question was WILL SHE or WON’T SHE get naked for a case? 

It was just a fun idea!  From there, there mystery developed.

Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? If so, what do you do about it?

MBR: I do!  I think it’s because I have so many irons in the fire. I write not only the Lola Cruz Mystery series, but also A Magical Dressmaking Mystery series, am working on a super fun category romance (a new adventure for me!), and have two romantic suspense books, as well.  Sometimes the well just runs dry, and while I think I should just push through, I have to force myself to stop and recharge.  I do something else.  Go for a walk, spend time with my kids, work on stuff for my day (and night) job with Entangled Publishing.  Inevitably, the answer to my problem, or a way through the muck, comes to me and I can move forward in my writing.

Can you tell me your experiences in finding a publisher for the book?

MBR: The Lola Cruz Mystery series began with St. Martin’s Minotaur/Thomas Dunne Books.  It was an exciting time and I had such great expectations.  But publishing being what it is, my feet found the ground again really quickly!  The first two books, Living the Vida Lola and Hasta la Vista, Lola!, came out in hard cover, but SMP never put them into mass market paperback.  When it was time to work on book 3, my agent, Holly Root, and I decided to take the series elsewhere.  Enter Entangled Publishing.  Their vision is one I so fully believe in, and to have found a home for Lola and her crew, and to have the amazing support of Libby Murphy, my editor, and Stacy Abrams, the senior editor on the project, has been amazing.

Viva Lola!

How long did it take you to write the book and how long did it take to get the book released?

MBR: As I mentioned, this is the third in the series, but it does stand alone!  You get a fuller sense of Lola by reading the first two, but they don’t need to be read in order.  This book took about 8 months to write, I’d say, and it’s been in production for about 6 or 7 months.

Who is your favorite character in the book and why?

MBR: Lola!  Her full name is Dolores Falcon Cruz, and she’s feisty, smart, and determined.  I like to say that she’s my alter ego (if I were a clever, sexy, Latina PI!).

What are your current / future projects?
 

MBR: I just finished a paranormal category romance which will come out in August.  I’m tossing around the titles The Witch Next Door or Every Little Thing She Does is Magic.  Feel free to weigh in!  It’s been tons of fun to write.  And now I’m moving on to the 4^th Lola Cruz mystery.  After that is the 4^th Dressmaking mystery, then back to romance. 

Do you have any tips for a young writer just starting out?

MBR: Never give up. Ever.

Ever.

If your book was to be made into a movie, Who would you like the main character to be played by and why?

MBR: Fun question!  The series has actually been considered for film and TV and I’m still keeping my fingers crossed that that happens one day!

I don’t have an actress in mind for Lola.  I think an unknown would be perfect—someone with just the right blend of tough girl attitude and sexy femininity.

I do think that Timothy Olyphant would make a darn good Jack Callaghan!  Tim, are you available?

What do you like to do for fun when you’re not writing?  Where do you like to vacation?  Can you tell us briefly about this?

MBR:  We have 5 kids, the oldest in college, so we don’t do a lot of vacations!  Travel is expensive.  We do go back to California to visit friends and family, and this summer, we’re taking a trip to celebrate my parents’ 50^th wedding anniversary which will be so fun! 

Other than that, I read, take walks, hang out with my kids, husband, and friends, and that’s about it!

Can you tell me where we can purchase your book?

With pleasure!

Read more about the book and series on Goodreads and pick up a print or digital copy today online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or anywhere books are sold!

About Melissa Bourbon

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!

Join Melissa’s mailing list at her website:  http://misaramirez.com

CONTEST:

Win a copy of the book (open Internationally):
Contest ends on 5/12/12.

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WIN A KINDLE IN THE ABOUT UNCONQUERED BLOG TOUR

 About Unconquered

The Saga of Cousins Jerry Lee Lewis, Jimmy Swaggart, and Mickey Gilley.

In 1935 and early 1936, three cousins were born into tight-knit families in Ferriday, Louisiana. Rare piano talent, strong parental relationships, the Pentecostal church, family struggle, and a variety of musical influences worked together to produce men who changed twentieth-century music and culture. The individual stories of these three cousins illustrate their varied paths from small-town America to a world stage. Woven together, the collective story becomes even more compelling and amazing.

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You can visit his website at http://www.unconqueredbook.com.
Visit his Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/UnconqueredTheBook
Visit his Twitter page at https://twitter.com/Unconqueredbook
If you would like to view his book trailer, you can view it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CrVQv2lJJ8

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REVIEW OF S.A.S.S. YOURSELF SLIM BY C. SASS

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My Thoughts:

I have read the first  edition of the book and it has helped me with my weight loss journey.  S.A.S.S. includes additional testimonies from real people who found success with the program. Weight loss is not just dieting but a way of life and the book gives you everything you need to succeed. The book was easy to read and includes a fast forward plan to get you started. The nutritional information incorporates the latest trends in nutrition and allows you to eat dark chocolate on a daily basis. So if you want to make a change in your life then give the book a chance and you may learn something new about nutrition and weight loss.

Disclaimer: I was given a free copy of the book for my honest review and I was not compensated for my review.