Have you started your summer reading list? I’ll be focusing on new book releases for the summer.
Let me introduce the ever creative Cecilia Dominic. Creative? you ask. Aren’t all fiction writers creative? Yes, that’s true, however, Cecilia’s writing captivates me in a way that other books of her genre don’t. Be sure and read all the way through, you won’t want to miss the GIVEAWAY.
Taking a peek into the life of her character is taking a peek into Cecilia’s rich imaginative world.
Please meet Cecilia Dominic, and her character, Karen Hardeman:
Thank you so much for having me, Linda! This was fun to write. I think I’d like having Karen as a client. I based this on the published character interviews I do on my blog at www.ceciliadominic.com.
Disclaimer: I’m a psychologist and used my experiences to develop the following scenario. Please keep in mind that every first session is different.
Karen, a somewhat gawky girl, walks into my office. Keeping her head up and shoulders back looks like an effort, and she scoots toward my couch like it’s a sanctuary. She folds her hands in her lap, but she keeps switching which thumb is on top. We make some small talk, and then I ask:
“So, Karen, what brings you in today?”
She takes a deep breath. “Well, I’ve finally left my old life behind, but the past came back to bite me. Right here.” She points to her rear end and slumps backward, pulling a pillow to her lap. “I finally got the guts to move out of the apartment I shared with my jerk of an ex, and I found out he knows and has talked to the head of my program.”
She blinks and grabs for a tissue but holds it instead of dabbing her eyes.
I ask, “What program is that?”
Now she smiles briefly before disappointment veils her face. “The Masters of Fine Arts program in genre fiction at Foothills University. I’ve always wanted to be a writer, but I took the responsible path, got a real job, etcetera. Plus I was supporting him, my ex, as he got his writing career going. He started doing well, so I thought it was my turn.”
“To become a writer?”
“Yeah, but there was always an excuse and reasons why I’m not cut out to write, like my voice isn’t strong enough. Stuff I could learn, y’know, if given the chance.” Her mouth twists – her past frustrations still taste bitter. “But I never was. So I left. And here I am. And my professor is friends with him and will hate me and…” She sniffles and blows her nose, but she still doesn’t let the tears come.
“So it sounds like you don’t trust the professor to act in a professional manner.”
“I don’t know if it’s her. She seems okay. I’m just afraid he’s right about me, that I don’t have what it takes. And there’s this guy in my class.”
“Oh?”
She lets a smile slip through and puts the pillow aside.
“He annoys me. Sort of. He’s not bad-looking. But he’s not the one I’m interested in. I met this other guy on a speed date…”
I listen but steer her back to talking about the guy in her program, wondering if he might be a potential source of social support.
“His name is Seth. He hasn’t read anything in class. I don’t even know if he’s writing. He’s nice, though.” She shrugs. “But even if I was interested, which I’m not, there’s no way it would work. We’re going to be in classes together for two years. What if it didn’t work out? Awkward. Plus I’m not ready for a relationship.”
I make a note to keep track of what happens with the guy in the class because she seems animated while talking about him, more so than about the speed date guy. We schedule another appointment for the following week.
How far will she go to find her perfect man? How far will he go to be one?
When Karen Hardeman sets foot on the Foothills University campus, it’s her first step toward proving her abusive ex wrong. Just her luck, her first writing assignment in Intro to Romance sends her in search of the perfect hero—a quest she’s never managed to conquer.
Worse, her professor forces her to collaborate with the most overconfident, annoying guy in the class.
Seth Sayers is also at Foothills to find new direction—preferably one that takes him far away from the family drama that’s followed him since his father’s death. He didn’t mean to humiliate Karen by rewriting her manuscript from the hero’s point of view. He blames the painkillers the ER doctor gave him after stitching up a wine-induced cut on his hand.
As their collaboration progresses, Karen begins to trust Seth with her manuscript, then maybe a little piece of her heart. But Seth’s half-brother resurrects Seth’s suspicions about his father’s death. Until he finds the truth, he can’t be the hero in anyone’s life. Even his own.
Warning: Some alcohol consumption. Okay, writer amounts of alcohol consumption. There are also some adult situations, but nothing too explicit. It is a romance-writing class, after all.
A Perfect Man will be released May 12 from Samhain Publishing.
Preorder links: Amazon Barnes & Noble Samhain
Since Linda writes about quirky Southerners, for today’s giveaway, please comment on what you feel is the perfect Southern novel. I’ll use a random number generator to pick one person to win a $5 Amazon gift certificate. It will be emailed to you, so please include your email with your comment.
Want to follow me and my characters on the #12DaystoPerfect blog hop for the chance to win more cool prizes? Join the event on Facebook for daily updates and please consider liking my page while you’re there. https://www.facebook.com/events/472007642953392/
There’s also Rafflecopter giveaway for some grand prizes:
There’s also Rafflecopter giveaway for some grand prizes:http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/252d075d1/
Want to know more about Cecilia Dominic? She became a clinical psychologist because she’s fascinated by people and their stories, but she couldn’t stop writing fiction. By day, she helps people cure their insomnia without using medication. By night, she blogs about wine and writes fiction that keeps her readers turning pages past bedtime. Yes, she recognizes the conflict of interest between her two careers, so she writes and blogs under a pen name. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia with one husband and two cats, which, she’s been told, is a good number of each. She has been published in short story and novel-length fiction and currently writes urban fantasy, new adult contemporary, and steampunk for Samhain Publishing.
You can find her at:
Web page: www.ceciliadominic.com
Wine blog: www.randomoenophile.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CeciliaDominicAuthor
Twitter: @RandomOenophile
HAPPY READING!
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