7 years,7 novels...and 1 blog with Ilona Fridl!

Hello all!

As you know, from time to time, I invite my fellow authors to come in here and do my work for me.  My friend and fellow romance writer, Ilona Fridl  has been a guest a couple times, but never quite like this.  Over the last seven years, this remarkable author has written and released SEVEN novels, all of them really, really, really good.  So today I'm having Ms. Fridl take over and give us an idea of what that much awesomeness looks like!  

Take it away Ilona!

Celebrating Seven Years-Seven Novels

Thank you, Sarah, for allowing me to crow a bit on your blog. I really don't want to turn this into a advertisement, so I'll just tell you about each one of my books that I love so much.

To my mind, The Wild Rose Press is one of the most supportive publishers in the industry and they should get more credit for the fantastic novels they put out. They are celebrating their tenth anniversary, so they must be doing something right. I've been with them for seven years and have had a novel out every year. The staff of editors, artists, and all the behind the scenes people are hard working and there when you need them. I'm so happy they discovered me! Lol

Anyway, here's a list of my children and some background on the books:

Silver Screen Heroes was actually my second story. I decided to write a series, Dangerous

Times, because that seemed to be what was selling. I always had been interested in the silent movie industry and I grew up around Hollywood, so I had been to places where all this happened. Just added a dose of gangsters and a cup of prohibition, and a suspense story baked to perfection! This was the start of the Shafer family saga with Zeke and Addy.

Golden North picks up with Zeke and Addy escaping the gangster family and going to Juneau, Alaska Territory to join Zeke's brother, Josh. Josh had purchased an old theater building and needed help fixing it up. Addy's cousin, Muriel, was a young widow of the crime family and ran up to join them when the family wanted her baby. Let's just say, that the crime family eventually finds them. This one is mainly Josh and Muriel's story, but two minor characters steal the show, Sheriff Amos Darcy and Detective Sarah Lakat.

Bronze Skies is the third book in the series, and it takes place

twenty years later with the next generation of the Shafer family. Tom Shafer is the son of Zeke and Addy. He is in the Army Air Corp when WWII breaks out. Pam Wright is his childhood sweetheart and, through her eyes, we see what it was like on the homefront during the war.

Prime Catch was a spin-off of the Dangerous Times series and features Sheriff Amos Darcy and Deputy Sarah Lakat. I loved those two characters from Golden North and wanted to give them their own story. In this one, they had to solve a series of murders at Alaskan canneries. They finally admit their attraction to each other.

Iris Rainbow was the first story I completed. It didn't fit the romance genre, so I put it out as women's fiction. Tim Olson and Teri Darden meet when they are young and foolish then circumstances split them up. They meet thirty years later after other marriages. This is set in California during the sixties, so I didn't have to research very much, because I grew up in the Los Angeles area in that time frame.

That Monroe Girl is the western I always wanted to do. It's set in Tombstone, Arizona Territory in the 1880s. Jake Spencer is a newspaperman and Cat Monroe is a girl from Virginia in search of her family. I have visited Tombstone before, so I had the advantage of visualizing the town in the story.

A Sacrificial Matter is my first novella. It was a visit back to Amos and Sarah after they opened their detective agency in Juneau, Alaska. Spiritualism was a fad during the 1920s and this one has a sinister twist to it. I want to write more mysteries with the Darcys, so stay tuned.

A little teaser about my work in progress, it's set in 1880s Waukesha, Wisconsin during the resort era. No title for it yet, but my heroine is disabled. Fighting a disability myself, gives me empathy for what she's going through.

If you want to see blurbs, excerpts, and reviews for these books, go to my website by clicking here!

I know I said, I didn't want to sound like an advertisement, but if you go to The Wild Rose Press site (CLICK HERE) and click Specials, my books are being featured two weeks at a time for a $.99 download.

Get to my Facebook page by clicking here!

If you go to Amazon by clicking right here you will have a list of my books and my author's page.

Ilona Fridl is a transplanted Californian to Wisconsin and lives with her husband, Mark, and her computer. She belongs to Romance Writers of America, and a student of Kathie Giorgio at AllWriters. She has written articles and short stories for magazines plus her seven novels.

Thank you so much for guest blogging today, Ilona!  I know some of your readers and mine are going to have questions for you!  READERS!  Ilona will be checking in through out the course of the day, so feel free to comment and ask questions below!

10 Questions with Romance Author Ilona Fridl!

Good morning!

Yesterday I wrote a review of Ilona Fridl's new flashback romance, "Iris Rainbow."  Today, Ilona sits down with me (in a virtual world, I didn't really make the woman get up before 7 AM to answer my questions!) and answers my ten questions!

Ready?  Here we go!


1)  Tell us about the book! What would you like readers 

to take away from Iris Rainbow?

Thank you for inviting me to your blog, Sarah.  I wrote this to give people an idea of what it was like in the 60's. Teri is the same age I was at the time it took place. I always dreamed, as a teen, of falling in love with a rock star and this is my "what if" moment. I also was inspired by stories of young lovers who broke up and went to live separate lives, meeting again decades later and find they were still in love.

2) What, if any, book, movie, song or character inspired you to write?

The song, Your Wildest Dreams, by the Moody Blues really touched me. I thought, "Wow, that would make a hell of a story" and it did.

3)  Best/worst movie based on a book :

Best: Little Women. The 90's version.

Worst: Gone with the Wind. I liked the book better. (Sarah's comment:  Ooooh that's harsh!  I mean, I liked the book better, too, of course.  But WORST movie?  LOL)

4) Do you write with a soundtrack for whatever you're working on, or do you write in complete silence?

Music does help to create the mood, but I've worked both ways. For my WWII book, Bronze Skies, I listened to a lot of big band music.

5) When do you find time to write? What's your schedule like?

I try to write a couple of hours in the morning and afternoon. The rest of the time, I'm working scenes out in my head.

6) What are you reading right now? 

Well, I'm back writing in the 20's again. I'm reading "Life in the Twenties" by Nathan Miller. Look for another Amos and Sarah Darcy mystery!

7) Starbucks or Caribou coffee?  

Starbucks hands down! I LOVE their white chocolate mocha! Although, I like Caribou coffee ice cream.

8) Who would play you in a movie about your life?

That's funny, because I took one of those tests on Facebook and it came up Emma Watson to play me in a movie. She would have to lose the British accent, though.

 9) What's next for you?

I have a western story in with my editor right now. My work in progress is another Alaskan mystery, re question #6.

10.) Anything more?

Many little demonic plots and characters dancing around in my head. Once you open the door to these people, they don't stop bugging you.

Thank you so much, Ilona, for sitting down with us all today!  And the rest of you...go and get Iris Rainbow and read it!

Sneak Peak Saturday: What's coming up?

Good morning!

I might be unemployed, but boy oh boy I have been busy!

The second draft of Missing in Manitowoc is done and off to the critique partners and the editor.  I will put final touches on that, and you will have it in your hot little hands very soon!  Meanwhile, I finally finished the cover art, take a look!

Then, I opened up my flash drive and two short romances popped out!  I'm finally finishing the the "Rock Harbor Short Romance" series with "Love is Enticing" and "Love is Eternal" to go along with the one I completed last year. "Love is Elementary."  Check out the covers!


To remind you, the series takes on how three couples from my novel "Lies in Chance" actually get together.  It starts with "Love is Elementary" Drew and Joanna Shepaski.  

Love is Enticing is the "meet story" between Bryan Jacobs and the deliciously evil Jennifer Tiel.  "Love is Eternal" is the romance between Molly Krueger and Robert Hunter.  All three of these relationships have a huge bearing on what happens in "Lies in Chance" and these stories have been rattling around in my brain for decades.  I'm so excited to be able to bring them to you.

"Enticing" should be out by the end of this month.  Depending on how long I'm out of work, I'll probably get "Eternal" out in April, which will probably coincide with the release of "Missing in Manitowoc."  

So friends, yes, I have been busy.  And I will continue to be busy, so you will continue to have something to read!  Meanwhile, if you aren't caught up on my "Rock Harbor Chronicles" series, and I know most of you who read "Fresh Ice" have yet to pick up the final chapter, "A Hero's Spark" then CLICK HERE TO GET THOSE BOOKS!

Sneak peak Saturday! A Hero's Spark

Good morning!  

I know I've been away a while...I'm working feverishly during this NANOWRIMO season to finish my newest novel, "Missing in Manitowoc."  HOWEVER, I thought I'd check in and just remind you all that I also have several other books you can read while you're waiting for that.  The newest one is "A Hero's Spark" which I published this spring.  Here's a tidbit of that!  Enjoy!

For more information about my books and my writing, check out my website: CLICK HERE!

COLLIER

What woke him, Collier didn’t know, but even in the haze of deep sleep, he knew he wasn’t alone in the loft. Someone latched the door quietly and stepped closer to the bed before turning on the overhead light.

            “Who’s there?” he called out as the light flashed on, momentarily blinding him. A woman’s scream pierced through the shock of light and he squinted in her general direction. He recognized the black hair immediately. Surprise mingled with confusion.“What are you doing here?”

            “I could ask you the same thing.” She held her bulky shoulder bag in front of her like a shield. “Who are you?”

            Collier shifted to sit up. She froze. “Don’t move. I’ve got mace in here.”

            “Calm down. I’m not going to move, since I’m pretty much naked here.” Collier grinned. “But you and I both know you don’t have mace.”

            The angry light in her eyes quavered, giving way to uncertainty. “How would you know what I have in my bag?”

            “Well,” he kept his voice calm, sensing she was more afraid than dangerous, “because if you had mace in there, you would have started spraying it the minute you realized there was a man in the room. That’s what I hear from most women, anyway.”

            She blinked away the uncertainty, her face settled into a mask of defensiveness. “Oh, and you know most women, do you?”

            “No, Miss, I don’t. But I’m pretty sure most women wouldn’t ask any questions before mentioning they have mace. So relax, put the bag down and tell me what you’re doing here.”

            “I’ve stayed here before.  I’ve worked with Shara.”

            “You’re trying to be mysterious. Why do I feel like you’re lying to me?”

            “Okay, well, I’ve lived here almost my whole life, and you’re a stranger. That’s enough mystery for me to call the cops. Give me one reason why I shouldn’t.”

            “My uncle said I could stay here and Molly Hunter brought me here.”

            She seemed less likely to want to kill him, but her countenance remained stony. “Who’s your uncle?”

            “Archibald James.”

            “The lawyer?”

            “You know him?”

            “Everyone knows about Archibald James.” She relaxed. “Okay, maybe you’re not a mass rapist.” She sat in the rocker. “But still, you can’t stay here.”

            “Why not?”

            “Because, I’m staying here.”

Collier chuckled. “I was here first. And, I’m not wearing pants.”

            “I’ll close my eyes. Get dressed, and get out.” Her tone was clipped, cold. Collier again sensed she was covering fear.

            “Why should I get out? I got here first. I was sound asleep, and you woke me up.” He gave her a small smile, hoping to soften the deep furrows in her brow.

            She shrugged. “Not my problem. You can’t stay here.”

            “It is your problem. I’m not leaving.” He grinned. “We could both stay here. It’s a big enough bed.” He patted the spot next to him.

            She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Of course that’s what you want.” Her eyes flashed hot and angry.

            “It’s not what I want, Ma’am. I want to go to sleep. But if you have other ideas, well, I am from the South. We believe in accommodating women whenever we can.”

            She stared at him, and Collier doubted his humor was warming her attitude. Clearly, some sort of battle waged behind her emerald eyes.

Her face slacked into exhaustion. “I need to stay here.”

            Collier’s curiosity made him push the point further. “Well, I’m from out of town and have no place else to go. From what I hear, Miranda Pierce, you live in Rock Harbor which means you do have someplace else to go.”

            “Don’t call me that.”

            “Isn’t it your name?”

“Call me Mira.” A shadow crossed her face. “I’m not going to that house tonight. You can’t make me.” her voice held the echoes of a willful child. “And how do you know my name…oh, wait…”

            “Molly Hunter.”

            Mira nodded. “She knows everyone and everything in this town. Steer clear of her if you want to keep anything private.”

            “She didn’t strike me as a person who spread gossip.”

            “She doesn’t. She just knows everything. The potential is always there.”

            An interesting read on the lovely Miss Molly. “So the two of you aren’t grand friends then?”

            She leaned back in the rocker. “I try not to make attachments. It’s easier to leave if there aren’t any attachments.”

            “Sounds like someone who wants to run away.”

            “I’ve always wanted to run away. I feel like I’m running away from something every day of my life.”

            Collier wanted to be annoyed by her cryptic statement, but watching her face, he sensed it was probably the one completely truthful thing she’d said. Collier tried to assess her age. “You’re what, thirty? You’re old enough to go out on your own. What’s stopping you?”

            “I’m twenty-eight, thank you.”

            “Oh, that’s a huge difference.” Collier nearly laughed aloud at the wounded expression on Mira’s face.

            “I can’t leave because it’s complicated. But I can’t go home tonight.”

            The glimmer of true fear returned in her eyes. Collier relented. “Fine. Just go…go in the bathroom for a minute, let me get my crap together and I’ll go sleep on the hay downstairs.”

            “You want a blanket or something?”

            Her friendly tone annoyed him. “What, now that you’ve won the bed, you’re worried about me?”

            The softness melted from her face and her jaw line hardened. “Not really. I couldn’t care less about you having a blanket, so long as you’re not in here.”

            “Suits me fine. I’d rather sleep with horses than up here with you. Less shit to deal with.”

            “Oh, very nice. They teach you that language in the South where men are supposed to be so mannerly?” She glared at him as she stomped into the small bathroom and slammed the door.

            “No!” Collier yelled as he pulled on his jeans. “I learned manners just fine, because where I come from the women aren’t complete bitches!” He stuffed a few things into his duffle bag and slammed the door behind him, startling the horses in the stalls below.

            There was a blanket hung from a hook near a stack of hay bales. Collier spread the blanket over the bales and stretched out on the hay, thankful his years on the road in the Renaissance Faire circuit had toughened him. Staring at the ceiling, he watched the light that glowed from between small cracks in the loft floor. When the light switched off, he closed his eyes. Still, she is pretty.

            Pretty bitchy.

MIRA

           

            Mira waited for Collier to settle downstairs. Within a few minutes, everything was still and quiet. She sat on the edge of the bed and pulled off her boots, letting them drop to the wooden floor with a loud thud. Collier’s muttered curse made her smile. She wasn’t sure why annoying him gave her pleasure.

            She stretched out on the bed, still warm with his body heat. She pushed her face into the pillow and inhaled his scent. It wasn’t unpleasant.

            Closing her eyes, Mira saw him again, sitting in the bed, shirtless, the sheet and blanket pooled at his waist.

            Also not unpleasant.

            She shook her head. Now is not the time to be thinking about a guy. No matter how good he might smell.

            She picked up her boot and tossed it in the air, giving it more velocity so that when it hit the wooden floor it sounded like a thunder clap. The sound of the horses below whinnying and rustling in their stalls didn’t cover Collier’s curses, this time spoken at volume she knew was meant to reach her ears.

            Mira smiled, closed her eyes, and went to sleep.

Remember kids, you can purchase A Hero's Spark and any of my other books in print or Kindle form by clicking HERE!  If you're a Nook user you can get my books by clicking HERE!  And if you get your reading kicks on any other type of device, you can get my books by clicking HERE!