The blog resumes this week with authors doing what they do best: coming up with NEW STUFF. This week, we will look at anthologies, novelettes, full novel releases and emerging artists on the cusp of signing.

Today, we visit with multi-published paranormal romance author Rachael Tamayo. Always romantic, always ‘this side’ of the whimsical, she highlights her series FRIEND ZONE and provides a ‘look see’ at what’s coming next.

 

1.

Welcome to the blog Rachael! Without reading your biography, I can tell that you have strong links to the Lone Star state. Are you a resident?

 

Yes! I’ve lived in Texas my whole life.  I was born in Tyler, which is in east Texas. I’ve lived in south east Texas (Gulf Coast) as long as I can remember.  I live 20 minutes from Houston and about 45 minutes from Galveston.

 

2.

Your short stories and novels are relationship focused with generous doses of whimsy (GRETYL THE WITCH) and regret (FRIEND-ZONE 1 & 2). Why do we mere mortals allow third parties to constantly come between us and our happiness?

 

I think it’s because we tend to base our happiness on outside circumstances and events going on around us.  Not to mention the people we care about influence us.

 

3.

Is that why magic and paranormal elements figure so prominently in your work?

 

I tried The Stones as an experiment to see if I could branch outside of my comfort zone and write Paranormal. It went so well, I decided to do Gretyl and The Witch, a twist on Hansel and Gretyl that was inspired by a scene in the movie, The Visit. (My imagination went crazy! Lol)

 

4.

The attraction between friends and what to do with it is a tantalizing and recurrent theme. How does it compare to ‘love’ with a complete stranger?

 

I’ve always loved the friends to lovers thing. I am working on a couple of stories, one couple starts out as strangers and the other are acquaintance.  I think either way we have to develop a level of friendship with the other person. The ones that are already friends just have a head start. ; )

 

5.

Define ‘love’.

 

What a question! Love is so many things, and I think it’s different to different people.  Its that unseen force that turns your world upside down and inside out. It can tie you in knots and change who you think you are. It can make you do things that you never dreamed possible. It can make you believe in yourself when you never did before. It can tear you up or build you into something greater. It’s a force, an entity, a being that takes root inside you and never quite goes away. You have no control over it, it controls you.

 

6.

Does that make you a romantic?

 

Believe it or not, I’m not overly romantic in my personal relationship with my husband. I never have been. He’s not either. I can write romance, but I tend not to be romantic too often.

 

7.

Your next release, a follow up to Friend-Zone 1, features a motorcycle riding bad boy. Do you ride?

 

No, but my husband used to ride. He also has Tattoos, just not quite as many as Shane does, the male lead in the story.   Although he’d love to ride again, we have a family now and safety outranks him, ha! Working in law enforcement, I’ve seen my share of motorcycle accidents and I’m paranoid about it!

 

8.

What’s next for you?

 

Friend Zone book 3, about Chloe and Micah. After that, a stand alone suspense called Crazy Love. I’m particularly proud of Crazy Love! There is definitely a romantic relationship in it, but its also about the female Emily being stalked by a wealthy man who thinks they are in love and will do anything to make her his.

 

 

Chase Me (Friend-Zone Book 1)

 

Adrienne Lawrence loves her friends. It seems, however, that she doesn’t get along with her family as well. One hot Texas summer, Adrienne manages to fall headfirst over her own big mouth when she lies to her Mom about a long term boyfriend in efforts to squelch her Mom’s nasty comments about having a date for a family wedding.

Clint Montgomery, one of her best friends, kindly steps in agreeing to play the part of the devoted boyfriend during a week-long venue wedding across the country.

After a week of pretend kisses and smoldering looks, the lines between what is fake and what is real seem to become fuzzy. The only problem is, Adrienne doesn’t want to become one of the women that Clint leaves in his wake, but fighting what she’s feeling is becoming almost impossible.

 

Excerpt and book trailer:  http://www.rachaeltamayowrites.com/published-works/

 

Gretyl and The Witch

 

It’s always been a bit of a joke, since Gretyl started dating him. When your names are Ansel and Gretyl, you have to have a bit of a sense of humor about it. What isn’t funny, is the fact that her father doesn’t approve of twenty year old Ansel for his seventeen year old daughter.  After much thought and discussion, the young love struck duo decide to strike out on their own, and Gretyl runs away from home with Ansel to his granny’s house deep in the woods.  It doesn’t take long for Gretyl to see that something is wrong. When Ansel tells her the whole truth about his granny and himself, it turns out to be a tough cookie to swallow.

Gretyl and the Witch is a modern day retelling of the classic fairytale, Hansel and Gretyl.  Darker paranormal elements and a more adult theme make this a great read for any age.

 

Other current works, The Stones (Paranormal Short) and all titles available at https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B01HC2VZ0C

 

And the WIP?

My work in progress (One of many, actually) is Friend-Zone Book 2, Reach for Me. I hope to have this one submitted to my publisher, Solstice Publishing, by the end of August.

Blurb: When Ashley’s high society life crumbles around her in the space of one afternoon, she’s forced to swallow her pride and move back home to Dallas.  Having lost both her husband and her career, she takes up a job at her father’s restaurant under her little sister Adrienne’s management.  After months living with her parents, she decides to move in with her coworker and friend, Shane.  Ashley vows to never let a man cause her life to come crashing down around her ever again.  Never will feelings cause her to make “stupid decisions.”

Of course, that’s before she knew Shane.   Can she resist his charms? Not to mention, blue eyes, tattoos, and a ride on his motorcycle.

 

In her own words

I’m a police dispatcher/ 911 operator, and a romance writer. I like to say that writing is my full time hobby, but it’s in my blood just as answering 911 is.
I’m a wife and mother. I live in the Houston, Texas area with my husband of twelve years and our three year old son. We all live happily with our yellow Lab, Daisy and our African Grey parrot, Sassy,

When I’m not writing or working, you can usually find me at home enjoying quality time with my husband and son, or maybe a large family get together with my fantastic extended family.

 

Links

Website/blog    www.rachaeltamayowrites.com

Facebook   https://www.facebook.com/RachaelTamayo/

Twitter https://twitter.com/rtamayo2004

Amazon author page is listed above

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15251093.Rachael Tamayo

 

TOMORROW: Maverick Don Lorah hits the road on fiction and on life.