Tammara Webber, Maroon 5 and holiday trips through Europe
Today's featured authors: Jennifer Blackwood, author of Unethical, and Ella Quinn, author of Madeleine's Christmas Wish. They're talking novel inspirations and favorite vacation destinations.
Jennifer Blackwood, author of Unethical
Three things that inspired Unethical:
• Medical background. There were a few things that inspired my book, Unethical. The medical field has always been a large influence in my life. I come from a family of doctors, nurses and pharmacists. Me? I'm the black sheep, the teacher and writer. I had it in my head from the age of 5 that I was going to be a doctor (I'm sure this had nothing to do with my physician father telling me every chance he got that I should be a doctor), but when I got to college, I quickly realized the medical field was not my thing. I stuck with it for three years, though, until I finally changed my major to education. But sticking with the pre-med route gave me a lot of material for my book.
• Tammara Webber. Along with my major in college, reading played a monumental role in the idea for my book. A couple years ago, I discovered this really awesome category — New Adult. Before then, I'd only read YA and some select contemporary romances. After reading Easy by Tammara Webber, I fell in love with college-age romance. In fact, I loved it so much, I wanted to write about it! I had one YA novel under my belt (which will never see the light of day) and wanted to write a book about something that interested me, the medical field. I always loved debating tough medical issues and wanted to bring light to assisted suicide, which is not often talked about.
• Maroon 5. The third and last thing that inspired Unethical is the song Secret by Maroon 5. I heard this song on my Pandora station while brainstorming and thought, What kind of secret would my character have? And, boom, Payton's story came to life!
Here's the blurb about Unethical:
Love burns hotter the second time around…
Two years ago, the medical world was shaken by scandal, and Payton Daniels's family was at the center of it. The second she graduated, Payton left everything behind―her high school sweetheart, her family, and the controversy surrounding her mother's death—and hid within the anonymity of college. But Payton's ex, Blake Hiller, hasn't forgiven her for leaving, and when he enrolls in the same medical ethics class, she panics. She can't run the risk of him telling everyone who she really is.
As if being at the same university isn't enough, both Blake and Payton land the same internship. Forced together, their passion for each other reignites, but when Payton is asked to testify in her father's high-profile trial, she must choose between risking her acceptance into medical school to help her father, and losing every connection to her past—including the only guy she's ever loved.
Find out more at www.jenniferblackwood.com.
Ella Quinn, author of Madeleine's Christmas Wish
Three favorite vacation destinations:
I was recently in a U.S. branch of a European store and it got me thinking about Christmas and my favorite destinations during the Advent season. This may be strange to many of you, but after spending years in Europe, I am used to taking mini-vacations based on Christmas markets and other traditions. Germany has the largest and some of my favorite markets.
Stuttgart, where we lived, has one of the oldest ones. You can get everything from hand-knit clothing to pots and pans, not to mention sausages and hot spiced wine.
My favorite spiced wine, though, comes from France. So every year we made the short journey to Strasbourg to their Christmas market, taking time to tour the town and seeing the traditional French decoration.
When we lived in England, where there really are no Christmas markets, we took the ferry to Bruges, where chocolate is queen. The Belgians really outdo themselves during Advent making large chocolate figurines.
Here's the blurb about Madeleine's Christmas Wish:
The bachelors in Ella Quinn's Marriage Game series make a habit of resisting the irresistible. But during the season for giving, surrendering to temptation may be the greatest gift of all…
A French spy, Georges, Marquis Cruzy-le-Châtel, has lived in England for years, sacrificing his life for his country—but not his heart. For he's never been able to forget his childhood friend, Madeleine. And now, in her hour of need, he is there to rescue her…
The victim of a ruthless statesman, Madeleine, Comtesse du Beaune, has been abducted and sent to England to work in a brothel. Her greatest wish is to return home for Christmas, and her only hope of it is to marry Georges—though she will be his wife in name alone. Yet as they steal across the snowy countryside, Georges decides to woo her—with kisses that melt the winter's frost and leave her longing for a holiday miracle …
Find out more at www.ellaquinnauthor.com.