Blurb for Alexandrea Weis’ Diary of a One
Night Stand
Resilient
and practical, Kara Barton has continually strived to live a respectable life.
She went to college, embarked on a promising career as an attorney, married a
great guy, and always appeared to be the perfect wife and mother. But all is
not what it seems, and the troubling past Kara has been running from her entire
life is about to catch up with her. Urged on by her insecurities about growing
older, and desperately wanting to feel one more night of passion, Kara agrees
to share a tryst in a hotel room with a sexy business associate, Scott
Ellsworth. But Scott wants more than one night together, and Kara quickly
discovers it is impossible to resist him. Soon Kara finds herself transformed
into the kind of woman she vowed never to become, and the secure world she has
struggled all her life to build begins to fall apart. Kara Barton is about to
find out how a one-night stand can change everything.
When did
you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
I never
made a conscious decision to be a writer. It was something I just did. I don’t
think I had a choice really. I started writing at the age of eight. Putting
words on paper that imparted the emotion I was feeling at the time seemed like
something natural to me. I began with poetry, moved on to short stories, but
because of my career demands in nursing, did not write my first novel until I
was in my thirties.
What
would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I don’t
know if I have any writing quirks, other than having stories pop into my head
at all hours of the day and night. When a book consumes me, I don’t sleep or
eat much. Great for staying trim, but it tends to put a lot of your life on
hold until you type that last sentence. I think I am like most writers, always
jotting down notes on any scrap of paper I can find when I am working on a
book. It is probably the overwhelming compulsion to get the idea or words out
that is probably the biggest quirk I have.
What was
one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?
How much
it fulfilled me. Finishing a book and seeing it become published, and enjoyed
by others is probably the most satisfying experience I have ever known. As an
author there is a lot of your soul written into a novel; your past, your hopes,
your fears and your philosophy about life seeps into the pages as your write.
When others read what you have written and are moved by your words, it touches
you. However, writing is not for everyone. I think it takes a lot for a person
to expose himself or herself on paper. Probably why most writers are crazy, me
included.
What do
you think makes a good story?
Characters!
A story is only as good as the characters that are written into it. I feel if
the reader believes, really believes in the characters - whether they despise
them or love them- it makes a story memorable. After all, when we look back on
our greatest adventures in life, it is the people that make it all worthwhile.
What was
the hardest part of writing your book?
Putting
your life on hold as your mind becomes consumed with a story. My husband, pets,
and house suffer. All my time and energy becomes focused on getting the story
in my head down on the computer.
What
books have most influenced your life most?
The James
Bond series by Ian Fleming probably influenced my life and my writing the most.
All right, you can stop laughing now. I know it’s crazy, but I love the
character of James Bond from the novels. Fleming was one of the first to do the
whole series thing with one main character and their adventures. The character of Bond from the books is much
more than the caricature of Bond from the movies. Reading Ian Fleming taught me
the importance of having well-honed and believable characters. It also taught
me how to study people more, understand their motivation for doing what they
do, and to be less judgmental of their actions. Why a person behaves a certain
way or acts in a certain manner is based on where they come from, and the
experiences that have shaped them. Sometimes you need to step back and take in
the whole picture of an individual instead of picking apart certain
characteristics. The same is true for writing a character. You must blend a
character’s past into a story to help defend their actions and engage the
reader.
What do
you like to do when you're not writing?
I am a
permitted wildlife rehabber with the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries, so when
I am not writing, I am tending to orphaned and injured wildlife. I love animals;
they are my world. I don’t have any children, and I devote my time not
allocated to writing to caring for animals. I have the best of both worlds. I
get to pursue my passion for writing and care for all of God’s wonderful furry
creatures. I am a very lucky person.
Where are
you from?
I was
born and raised in New Orleans. I live about fifty miles north of the city
these days after having lost my home in Lakeview to Hurricane Katrina. As I
write this Hurricane Isaac is lashing away outside of my window. This storm
will probably become part of a story down the road, just like Katrina has been
a part of many of my books. All of my stories highlight some part of the New
Orleans I grew up in. The eclectic atmosphere of the Big Easy is a big
influence on me. You can’t help but be a writer when you are raised amid the
bohemian world of the French Quarter. N’awlins is a part of me, and will always
be a part of my novels.
Thank you
so much Alexandrea for joining us today on our blog! It has been a truly delightful visit and we
can’t wait for your next book to come out next year!
Alexandrea
Weis is an advanced practice registered nurse who was born and raised in New
Orleans. Her popular second novel, Recovery, won the Gold Medal for best
romantic suspense from The Reader’s Favorite Book Awards 2011, was named best
Romantic Suspense novel by the Spring 2011 NABE Pinnacle Book Awards, and was a
Finalist in the ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Wards in 2012. Her fourth
novel, Broken Wings, won best Contemporary Romance by the NABE Pinnacle
Book Awards in 2011, and is a finalist in the Reader’s Favorite Book Awards for
Contemporary Romance in 2012. Her fifth novel, The Secret Brokers, was
released in May 2012. A permitted wildlife rehabber with the Louisiana Wildlife
and Fisheries, Weis rescues orphaned and injured wildlife. She lives with her
husband and pets in New Orleans.
***You can find all of Alexandrea's Stalker Links and Buy Links on our Review of Diary of a One Night Stand.***
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I would absolutely fight for my son, daughter and husband.
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