Author Interview: Petie McCarty
1. How did you choose your genre? What made you write this book?
Romance pretty much chose me. I had to start writing when I started seeing movies running in my head that begged to be put on paper, once they had a beginning, a middle, and an end. Every movie had a love story and a happily ever after. They’re all a bit of a surprise to me, but I was never disappointed. Though some are classified as Contemporary or Billionaire/Millionaire or Small Town romances, they all have suspenseful elements, some more than others. [Yes, I really do see movies running in my head, and I have to write as fast as I can just to keep up.]
2. Writers write what they know, and must observe the world. Are you a firstborn, middle, or last child and how does this shape your view of the world?
I was a middle child until the second set came along, so I spent quite a bit of time alone and even then told myself stories while I played with my dolls or cowboy/cowgirl plastic characters. Spending time alone teaches you to depend on yourself for entertainment and become creative in your endeavors to amuse yourself.
3. Where is your favorite place to write?
My office is my best place, although I have written on airplanes, ferryboats, buses, and park benches. When the movies in my head run, I tend to sit down and write, wherever.
4. How do you feel about killing your darlings, and what do you do with the remains?
I’ve been lucky and never had to kill one of my darlings, although I’ve always thought that to be a no-no in a romance novel. In my nine novels, I have only killed off three secondary characters, and all were really bad guys. As far as the remains, the police took one, another just “disappeared,” and one “the gators got.”
5. You are introduced to your favorite author. Who is it, and what is that one burning question you must ask them?
I have actually met one of my favorite authors. I was lucky enough to be seated next to Monica McCarty (Highland Guard series) at an author signing expo at a writer’s convention we both attended. Couldn’t believe it. To get to sit there at adjacent tables for a few hours and visit between readers stopping by and just pass the time of day. We talked about her various series that I had read and I got to ask the how and why of her plotting my favorites of her stories. It was like visiting with your next-door neighbor. She was awesome just like her books.
6. Inquiring minds want to know…tell readers something about you that no one knows.
I can play the harmonica. Two songs. Turkey in the Straw and Happy Birthday that my nieces and nephews and friends love to hear when I call them on their birthday.
7. You are stranded on a deserted island with only a backpack for company. What three items are in your survival pack?
A desalination kit of some kind. A flashlight (I’m scared of the dark and have 20 night lights in my house.) My Kindle Fire with my solar charger already connected. (Since they’re already connected, can that please count as one item?)
8. If you could have one superpower in your existence, what would it be?
A magic wand that lets me magically appear with my Thor strength and skills to stop the bad guys in their tracks. Wait, would that be two superpowers?
9. Favorite snack?
Ice Cream Drumsticks
10. Indy 500 – Do you know how to get where you’re going or do you drive the speed limit?
Oh, I’m a rule follower. I always try to drive no more than 5 miles over the speed limit. I’m told that’s the ticket-free zone. Although I have to say that driving through western Oklahoma and New Mexico with their 80-mile-per-hour speed limit was pretty fun.
THE CINDERELLA ROMANCES SERIES
Petie McCarty
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GENRE: Contemporary Romance
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BLURB:
The Cinderella Romances…Fall in love with the fairy tale all over again.
Modern-day Cinderella stories that provide unlimited opportunities to retell the classic fairy tale, happily with returning characters to share in these adventures.
Cinderella Busted
Once upon a time, in Jupiter Island, Florida . . .
Billionaire developer, Rhett Buchanan, is forced to inspect a shipment of priceless trees and meets the girl of his dreams instead. A bit jaded where women are concerned—since most are gold diggers—Rhett falls head over heels for the Jupiter Island socialite who only wants him, not his money. Except she isn’t the glamorous socialite she appears to be.
She’s the gardener . . .
Betting on Cinderella
Once upon a time in Biloxi, Mississippi . . .
Garrett Tucker inherits his grandfather’s casino empire and steps into the reclusive billionaire’s shoes as the new “Prince of Vegas.” Discovering embezzlement in his newly purchased casino in Biloxi, Garrett goes in undercover. His prime suspect? The new finance supervisor . . . a feisty brunette who stole his heart at first sight.
Andi Ryan moves to Biloxi to care for her godmother. Taking a job as finance supervisor for the renovated Bayou Princess casino, she discovers someone is skimming from the till. Andi starts her own investigation, worried she will be blamed for the theft when the handsome new owner discovers her godmother likes to gamble.
Industrial espionage is afoot at the Bayou Princess, and Garrett and Andi are soon forced to work as a team to prove her innocence and save the casino before it’s too late.
This swoonworthy modern-day fairy tale joins the other stories in the Cinderella Romances series. Each provides a new opportunity to retell the classic fairy tale, happily with returning characters to share in these adventures.
Par for Cinderella
Once upon a time in Cedar Key, Florida . . .
Golf resort developer Aidan Cross is at loose ends. Something feels missing from his life, but that something isn’t women. He has too many women chasing him now. To confuse things even more, his yacht breaks down off-shore of his next project site in Florida, and Aidan falls for his only competition in the small town—a woman who wants nothing to do with him or his rakish charm.
Casey Stuart is stuck living in Cypress Key, unwilling to abandon her uncle or the golf course they manage together. She doesn’t quite trust the stranger Aidan who shows up in town looking for work, and she vows to steer clear of him and the danger their intense chemistry provokes. Aidan’s stay is temporary, and falling for him promises only heartbreak.
But Casey needs Aidan’s help when she discovers Cypress Key’s mayor is making underhanded business deals, and she ends up on the wrong side of the powerful crook. Aidan steps in to rescue her, but secrets from his past threaten to bogey their new-found affair.
This swoonworthy modern-day fairy tale joins the other Cinderella stories in the series. Each provides a new opportunity to retell the classic fairy tale, happily with returning characters to share in these adventures.
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Excerpt:
from Book One: Cinderella Busted
“Do you buy a lot of plants here?” Buchanan suddenly asked.
Her head snapped up from examining a bent gray frond. She swallowed. “Buy?”
“You must be one of the nursery’s best customers as well as you know the stock and know your way around here.” He gave her that slow, sexy smile again. “Are you buying landscaping for business or pleasure?”
Oh good grief! He thinks I’m a customer.
But why wouldn’t he? Today, she was dressed like one. Surely, he could tell from their conversation she worked here at the nursery.
Or not.
He waited for a response. So that was why he had asked her to help him! She grinned. She couldn’t help it. She felt like Cinderella masquerading as a princess at the ball. Maybe she could just avoid answering his question altogether.
She guided him to the end of the aisle, made the turn to the fifth row of trees, and aimed their steps toward a cluster of Monterrey pines.
Buchanan put a hand out to stop her. “I hope you’ll let me take you to dinner to thank you for helping me, Lily.”
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Petie spent a large part of her career working at Walt Disney World—”The Most Magical Place on Earth”—where she enjoyed working in the land of fairy tales by day and creating her own romantic fairy tales by night, including her new series, The Cinderella Romances. She eventually said good-bye to her “day” job to write her stories full-time. These days Petie spends her time writing sequels to her regency time-travel series, Lords in Time, and her cozy-mystery-with-romantic-suspense series, the Mystery Angel Romances.
Petie shares her home on the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee with her horticulturist husband and an opinionated Nanday conure named Sassy who made a cameo appearance in No Angels for Christmas.
Visit Petie’s web site online at http://www.petiemccarty.com or her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/petie.mccarty.
BIO Social Media:
https://www.facebook.com/petie.mccarty
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6094579.Petie_McCarty
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/petie-mccarty
http://www.amazon.com/author/petiemccarty
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I love the Cinderella aspect to the stories.
Thanks for hosting!
This looks like a very enjoyable read. Thanks for sharing.
It’s a pleasure to have you here Petie! Congratulations on this exciting release!
Thanks for sharing. Sounds like a good story.
Looks a good read.
Sounds like a good book.