Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Author Spotlight: Vonnie Davis



Vonnie, please tell us about yourself and your writing.

I’m a retired technical writer who’s traded her tailored clothes for the feathered boa of a romance author. I’m a fairy-Godmother, of sorts, who creates happy endings for her characters.  My husband, who’s also a published author, and I live in southern Virginia with one spoiled tabby.

What does your writing space look like?

A burgundy leather recliner. My laptop sits on my lap while my cat snuggles against my legs, his one paw hooked over my calf as if he’s afraid he’ll topple off in his sleep. A coffee cup sits on the stand to my left and a basket of dictionaries, thesauruses and books on craft are on the floor to my right.

Do you have a process for coming up with character names and book titles?


For first names, I figure out the year of my character’s birth and search through the social security list of names given to babies that year. Usually the top 200 are given in order of most frequently used. If nothing fits my character, I go to baby naming sites. As for last names, I chose from the backs of football and basketball jerseys. In book titles, something usually pops out at me as I write.

Tell us about your current book. What is it about? What inspired it?

Rain is a Love Song is book two of my romantic suspense series. Each book has its own romantic couple, yet contains the same band of terrorists who wreak havoc in every story. The opening scene contains a man riding a Harley while wearing angel wings that fluttered down his back and dragged on the pavement. I saw that man in 2006 while Calvin and I sat at a sidewalk café across from the Pompedieu Museum. I was eating a French hamburger—a meat patty topped by a fried sunny-side-up egg (shudders)—when this guy slowly rode by. My sandwich stilled halfway to my mouth and my chin dropped. Not to accommodate the burger, but in shock. Yet none of the Parisians seemed to notice. To them, the avant-garde was the norm. I mentally filed that scene away to use some day.


BLURB:

What should be a wonderful trip to Paris turns menacing when Gwen Morningstar's daughter is kidnapped by The Red Hand terrorist group. Fortunately, Jean-Luc LeFevre of France's Counterterrorism Unit is there to rescue her little girl. Gwen is grateful, but her need to apprehend the abductors must override any desire she feels for the handsome agent with his own brand of justice...and danger.

Jean-Luc is not pleased when Gwen, a crime scene photographer with just enough training to get them killed, is assigned to work with him. Not only does she take too many risks, she drives him to distraction.

As Gwen and Jean-Luc track the terrorists, their feelings for each other grow as fast as the danger. Jean-Luc is determined to protect Gwen and her daughter, but the sinister grasp of The Red Hand is strong and far-reaching. It will take more than love to keep them all safe.

BUY LINK:

Quick quiz:
Favorite food? Lasagna, lobster, French onion soup
Favorite color? Any color, but tan or brown
Favorite animal? Cat, giraffes and koala bear
Biggest pet peeve? People who bully others
Name one person, living or dead, you'd most like to meet. Shakespeare

Where can we find you on the web?   
Email:  vonnie.davis@ymail.com   
Website  
Blog
Facebook  
Twitter

12 comments:

  1. Thst's an amazing thing to happen to you Vonnie--not the hamburger, the biker angel! Good luck with the book.

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    1. I'd give a lot to see it. I wish she'd been able to get a photo. :)

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  2. Thanks Andrea! Paris is full of delightful surprises. We're going back in September for a few weeks and then on to Berlin to see Calvin's son. I can't wait.

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  3. Vonnie, I love the biker angel story! I've only been to Paris once but it was amazing.

    Thanks for being on my blog today. :)

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    1. Calvin lived in Paris for a year when he took a sabbatical from teaching--long before we met. Imagine sitting at sidewalk cafes every day, writing and absorbing French culture.

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  4. I love the covers for this series too! Best of luck with them, Vonnie!

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    1. Thanks, Lisa. Rae Monet designs them and does a marvelous job. I have one more book to write for the series, but other projects keep getting in the way. I'm trying my hand at a paranormal right now and gnashing my teeth with every line. I'm so afraid I'm not strong enough in my paranormal elements.

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  5. Rae Monet DOES do a fabulous job with these covers. I love both of them!! I did not ever think of using last names from football jerseys! LOL What a great idea. I usually jot down one or two while watching movie credits. I'm reading Rain is a Love Song now and I absolutely LOVE IT! Great characters in Gwen and Jean-Luc! Another five star review heading your way soon! Love ya, V. And Melissa, I love your blog!

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    1. I'm thrilled you're enjoying Rain, AJ. You have no idea how I struggled keeping identities straight while Gwen and Jean-Luc were undercover. I tried it so many ways, nearly confusing myself when Gwen and Jean-Luc became Tessa and Marcus. Thanks for stopping by.

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  6. 'Just enough training to get them killed' is a very poignant phrase, Vonnie. Love it. (Mind you, I like 'a little knowledge is a dangerous thing' too). Jean-Luc is one of my all-time favorite names, but unfortunately I don't know any real-life Jean-Lucs.

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    1. Thanks for droppng in, Vonnie. Gwen turns out to be smarter and more help than he ever imagined. I do love a smart, spunky heroine.

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  7. Wow, Vonnie, what a fabulous experience to have had in Paris! Of course, you'd have to find a place for it and I'm delighted that you finally did. Best of luck with Rain!

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