Today, we have an interview with author, Cassandra Dean who is promoting her two books, Rough Diamond and Fool's Gold. She is also holding a giveaway. Check out the rafflecopter after our interview.
Rough Diamond (Decadent Publishing, September 2012)
Owner of the Diamond Saloon and Theater, Alice Reynolds is astounded when a fancy Englishman offers to buy her saloon. She won’t be selling her saloon to anyone, let alone a man with a pretty, empty-headed grin…but then, she reckons that grin just might be a lie, and a man of intelligence and cunning resides beneath.
Rupert Llewellyn has another purpose for offering to buy the pretty widow’s saloon—the coal buried deep in land she owns. However, he never banked on her knowing eyes making him weak at the knees, or how his deception would burn upon his soul.
Owner of the Diamond Saloon and Theater, Alice Reynolds is astounded when a fancy Englishman offers to buy her saloon. She won’t be selling her saloon to anyone, let alone a man with a pretty, empty-headed grin…but then, she reckons that grin just might be a lie, and a man of intelligence and cunning resides beneath.
Rupert Llewellyn has another purpose for offering to buy the pretty widow’s saloon—the coal buried deep in land she owns. However, he never banked on her knowing eyes making him weak at the knees, or how his deception would burn upon his soul.
Rough Diamond is a steamy, yet sweet romance. I loved Rupert and Alice together. The sexual tension between the two was very intense. I felt badly for Rupert because he couldn't be upfront with Alice about his reasons for being in Freewill. Alice is a strong woman who has made herself a successful business woman. I was really rooting for them, I really liked the epilogue in the end. It gave a nice peek into the future.
Fool's Gold (Decadent Publishing, January 2013)
Christmas Eve, the Diamond Saloon is empty of its people, and Pearl la Monte has a hankering to retire early. A pounding at the Diamond’s door rids her of such a fool notion. Her irritation rises when she sees the prissy, polite-like Garrett standing outside.
Ethan Garrett has a powerful need to gain succor. When the saloon’s voluptuous redheaded singer scowls at him from the threshold of the Diamond, he doesn’t stop to think on how his ire at her has disappeared. Or how he just wants to spend some time in her company.
Fool's Gold is a novella that deals with Pearl and Ethan who show up on Rough Diamond. Because it is a novella, it's a really quick read. I liked the two of them together but I wish they had gotten a longer story. In the previous book, they are never together. The reader just gets the sense that there is something there between them. I would have liked to see more of them together. Despite that, it is a steamy short story with two likeable characters. It's definitely a great follow-up to Rough Diamond.
Kari& Autumn: What inspired you to become a writer?
Fool's Gold (Decadent Publishing, January 2013)Christmas Eve, the Diamond Saloon is empty of its people, and Pearl la Monte has a hankering to retire early. A pounding at the Diamond’s door rids her of such a fool notion. Her irritation rises when she sees the prissy, polite-like Garrett standing outside.
Ethan Garrett has a powerful need to gain succor. When the saloon’s voluptuous redheaded singer scowls at him from the threshold of the Diamond, he doesn’t stop to think on how his ire at her has disappeared. Or how he just wants to spend some time in her company.
Fool's Gold is a novella that deals with Pearl and Ethan who show up on Rough Diamond. Because it is a novella, it's a really quick read. I liked the two of them together but I wish they had gotten a longer story. In the previous book, they are never together. The reader just gets the sense that there is something there between them. I would have liked to see more of them together. Despite that, it is a steamy short story with two likeable characters. It's definitely a great follow-up to Rough Diamond.
Cassandra: Thanks for having me on your blog, Kari :)
Hi everyone! Wow, what a good question. I’ve always wanted to be a writer, but I never thought I was cool enough. I mean, only the cool kids become the authors, right? So, I resigned myself to an office job. Then one day I stumbled upon a romance writing group and my F4E, Lucy Clark, Medical Romance Author Extraordinaire. Lucy has encouraged me and supported me and led by example. Without her friendship, it probably would have taken me a lot longer to become published. Thanks, Lucy!
Kari& Autumn: Where do you come up with the idea for your books?
Cassandra: In the case of the Diamond Series, it
was actually my editor on a previous book. She suggested that I might like to
write for Decadent Publishing’s Western Escape line, stories set in the
fictional town of Freewill, Wyoming and featuring Western-like tales. I had a
bit of a think, and come up with Alice and Rupert’s tale, ROUGH DIAMOND.
Once their story was done, I couldn’t shake the feeling that
there was more to Alice’s friend, Pearl, and that annoying man Garrett than
meets the eye, so I set about to discover what it was. The result, FOOL’S GOLD.
To round out the series, I’m thinking up ideas for EMERALD SEA, the third
and more than likely final story in the series. I’m pretty sure there will be a
gunslinger and he’ll probably look a lot like Nathan Fillion, a la Firefly...
;)
Kari& Autumn: What exciting projects are waiting in the wings?
Cassandra: Next up is a complete change of tack. SILK & SCANDAL
will be released on May 8 as part of the brand new imprint from Decadent
Publishing, Decadent TEASE. It’s the tale of circumspect lawyers and scandalous
ladies :)
I also have a contribution to THE MAMMOTH BOOK OF ER
ROMANCE, releasing in September of this year. ‘WOUNDED HEART’
is a Medical Romantic Suspense Action type thing short story (hows that for
genre mashing??!).
Finally, I have plans to write the third in the Diamond Series, as
mentioned, and continue with the
Silk Series, as well as many other bits and pieces.
Kari& Autumn: Who is your favorite literary character and why?
Cassandra: Hmm, this is a toughie! I think I might go with Jane Eyre. I
LOVED that book when I was a teen. LOVED IT. I would borrow this big,
cumbersome copy from the library every chance I got and read and re-read that
thing. Jane is probably one of my first exposures to a quiet kind of feminism,
a lady who is sure in who she is and won’t allow her beliefs to be compromised,
not even by the love of her life. How could I not admire her?
Kari& Autumn: Just for fun, if you could be any animal, what
would it be and why?
Cassandra: I’m going to say a fish, simply because I think it would be
fascinating to see a world we can’t enter by virtue of the fact we humans can’t
breathe underwater. Plus, I hate going any deeper than my height into
the ocean, so it would be superdooper to see everything my irrational fears
deny me!
About the author:
Cassandra grew up daydreaming, inventing fantastical worlds and marvelous adventures. Once she learned to read (First phrase – To the Beach. True story), she was never without a book, reading of other people’s fantastical worlds and marvelous adventures.
Fairy tales, Famous Fives, fantasies and fancies; horror stories, gumshoe detectives, science fiction; Cassandra read it all. Then she discovered Romance and a true passion was born.
So, once upon a time, after making a slight detour into the world of finance, Cassandra tried her hand at writing. After a brief foray into horror, she couldn’t discount her true passion. She started to write Romance and fell deep.
The love affair exists to this very day.
Cassandra lives in Adelaide, South Australia.
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Thanks so much for having me on From the TBR Pile!
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