Toni,
please tell us about yourself and your writing.
My
husband and I have been together since 1990. We have a 15-year-old son and a
house cat we adopted from the shelter in 2006. As a stay at home mother, I
began writing romance novels after my first word search puzzle book was
published in 2001.
What
inspired your current book?
My
current WIP is book two of The Patriot Girl. So I guess my secondary character
from TPG has been my inspiration.
How
do you come up with your book titles?
During
the writing process if something a character says grabs me then I’ll run with
it. The Patriot Girl had five different titles before this one stuck.
Name
one person, living or dead, you'd most like to meet.
Country
singer Kenny Rogers. I’d like to ask him what the heck he was thinking when he
decided to get plastic surgery!!
What
does your writing space look like?
We
remodeled my upstairs and I now have a wonderful work room. The walls are tan
with a hardwood floor. I have a rollaway bed that sports chocolate satin sheets
and a blue and white lighthouse throw. A small lighthouse-shaped table and
matching chair resides for sitting (not a set, it just happened to match
perfectly). My desk is small with three drawers down the side and one in front.
I have a window overlooking my street with a large maple tree from my neighbors
yard. My cat sits with me for hours watching the squirrels, birds, and cats.
Not to mention, she loves to lay in the morning sunbeam for her daily dose of
vitamin D. Since she has been with me during my writing of Count Down To Love
(book 2) I had to add a cat in the story.
Do
you write with music going in the background?
No,
because I tend to sing and forget all about what I’m writing. Then it gets me
in a cleaning mood.
What
are some of your favorite types/bands?
I’ve
always enjoyed country and western music. However, the latest bands are more
country/rock. There are a few new artists I really enjoy, like Carrie
Underwood, Zack Brown Band, and Brad Paisley. I miss the steel guitar in
country music.
Tell
us something strange or interesting about yourself.
Oh so
many, which one do I tell?? How about two? First, I am so uncomfortable doing
these types of interviews because one strange thing about me is I find it
boring to talk about myself. Second, I always make three air-crosses with my
finger while gripping my steering wheel before driving. I began doing this in
my early twenties after I’d had a car accident. Happy to report, I’ve never had
an accident since…thank the Lord!
Is
there anything else you'd really like our readers to know?
I have
two educational word search puzzle books published. The titles are Word Search USA and World Word Search. I also write short
erotic stories under a pseudonym.
Blurb:
MaKayla
Adams has always been curious about the wild side of life. Making love with her
late husband wasn’t exciting, and she never could understand the big deal…until
hunky nightclub owner Dustin James hires her as a public relations consultant.
His touch arouses feelings she’s never known, and his kiss tempts her to cross
the line between business and pleasure.
Dustin
doesn’t remember the car accident that put him in a coma three years ago, but
since his recovery, he’s pushed his own needs aside to be a single father to
his young daughter. When MaKayla offers to help publicize his country
nightclub, however, she ignites deeper feelings he can’t ignore.
But
there is more than mutual attraction between MaKayla and Dustin—there is a
shared past connected to her husband’s death. Will the truth bring them
together or tear them apart?
Excerpt:
She
tilted her head toward his touch. “We do have an unusual chemistry, but
anything more between us would complicate things.”
“In
what ways?”
“Alex
wouldn’t understand. Not to mention Paul’s parents.”
“What
about what MaKayla wants?”
A
loaded question she didn’t know how to answer. She wanted what she couldn’t
have—not to be alone, the noises in her backyard to go away, a husband to
spoil, and another child to mother.
“It
doesn’t matter what I want. What matters is doing the right thing.”
“For
who?”
“For
everyone.”
“Even
if it means being unhappy? When was the last time you did something for MaKayla
without worrying about consequences?” He rolled his tongue and smiled.
“There
was liquor involved. Otherwise, I never would have growled at you.”
“Why
not?”
She
shrugged. “Because it’s inappropriate.”
“A tease?”
“Yes.”
He
cupped her cheeks between his palms. “I find you sexy as hell and I’m going to
kiss you. The time to stop me would be right now.”
Purchase
The Patriot Girl:
Quick
quiz:
Favorite
food? Italian
Favorite
color? Brown
Favorite
animal? Dogs
Biggest
pet peeve? Two things I hate most: A liar and a sneak.
Dream
car? LOL..I couldn’t even give you a make or model. As
long as it gets me from point A to point B, I’m good!
|
Author Bio:
The
youngest of five children, I was born and raised in Rhode Island. After
graduating East Providence High School as a member of the Rhode Island Honor
Society, I held several jobs from accounts receivable to medical billing
before attending Rhode Island Associates of Realtors.
I have
a wonderful husband and I’m a a stay-at-home mom to our teenage
son. My week is filled with writing romance novels and listening to
country music while cleaning house, rearranging furniture, and playing with
the cat we adopted from the shelter.
To
learn more about Toni Lynn Cloutier:
Twitter:
@ToniLCloutier
Be
sure to check back on Thursday for Mrs. Snark's review of The Patriot Girl.
Thanks so much for having me this week, Mrs. Snark. LOL..the scooter would work for me just fine but it wouldn't hold my son's 3 guitars, amp, or him! :)
ReplyDeleteHmm..having a hard time posting. So I am posting as anonymous!!
Toni Lynn Cloutier
Toni,
DeleteCan't you get a little wagon for towing guitars in back? ;-)
I really enjoyed reading The Patriot Girl. Tell us more about the sequel you're working on. :)
LOL..my days of little wagons are gone. As for book 2, the working title is Count Down To Love. Jesse meets up with his first love and learns he has a daughter who'd been given up for adoption 19 years ago.
ReplyDelete