Character Interview: Sandy

Here is a VERY late good morning to you all!

Today's character interview is Sandy, from Unbreakable Hostage.






Good morning, Sandy!




Good morning. Thanks for having me here.





Sandy, why don't you tell us the nature of your relationship with Lareina.






Lareina and I have known each other for years. We teach at the same high school. Or, actually, we did. She doesn't teach there any more. Anyway, I came on a year after her. She heard me say something in Spanish in the teacher's lounge, and she laughed at me and corrected my accent. We've been fast friends ever since. We've been roommates for a few years, too. The cost of living in L. A. is ridiculous, so we'll gladly save money any which way we can. It's been a good set up for us.







You were the one who called the police when Lareina went missing. What was that like?





Extremely nerve-wracking. I knew I called early by police standards, but I just knew something had to be wrong. Especially when her parents hadn't heard from her either. So I called Marcus. I never imagined I'd have to do something like that. It's really quite scary having to call the police.







Tell us about your experiences with Marc.







He's an incredible man. He's strong, he's handsome. He genuinely cares. You don't meet a man like that very often.






Does that mean that you're ok with how everything turned out?




Well, it is what it is. Life is full of changes, and that includes people changing. I'm thrilled that Lareina is home. That's all that matters.





Alright, let's end this on a more positive note. What do you think is one thing that no one knows about you, but they'd be interested or surprised to find out?




That I was basically raised by my Hispanic neighbors, that's why I decided to teach Spanish. As much as the Oliveira's teach me, Spanish has been an integral part of my life and I do speak it well. Even if I am a white girl, as Lareina likes to tease.





That is really interesting, Sandy. Thank you so much for joining us today.

Happy weekend reading! :)

Character Interview: Lareina

Good Friday morning, everyone!






Today, we have Lareina from Unbreakable Hostage as our guest! :)







Welcome, Lareina.



Thank you very much for having me.






Lareina, let's just jump right into it. You went through an incredible ordeal. Did you ever imagine that your story would become a book?




No, not at all. It is not one of those you think about. You just think about survival. How can I get out of here? Books are the last thing on your mind.







You are clearly a woman who likes to take care of herself, look good, etc. Is that a fair statement? If so, why is that so important to you?



It is a fair statement, yes. My parents sacrificed so much for my brother and I to have a good life here in America. I don't look at it as vanity. I do so to take good care of myself and to show my parents how much I appreciate all that we now have.








That's an honest answer. You've also said the same about your work and schooling. How has all of this affected your career goals?





It just slowed me down. It did not stop me. A person like Tony does not deserve to have the power to stop me from achieving what I want.










One thing that is incredibly amazing is your quick thinking. You're an extremely intelligent woman. You never panicked or lost your wits. Instead, you figured out ways to give Sandy and your family the right information. You used every resource you had available to you. Many people don't do that. They panic or they forget. How were you able to stay so sharp?





Again, it was just survival. I did what I needed to do. I did panic. There were plenty of times I was frightened or couldn't think straight. I just fought the only way I knew how.










Speaking of fighting, despite your small stature, you gave Tony a run for his money! You fought back with great physicality. Had you ever taken self-defense classes or anything?





No. I just did whatever came to mind. I wanted to get away from him, so I fought with all my heart.










What was the hardest or scariest moment for you?





Besides the music? The river...When we were on foot and close to being found and Tony...That was the worst.










How do you feel being back in LA?





Good. It's home. I'm safe. I feel good to be surrounded by all that is familiar.











Well, I know this is a very difficult and emotional interview. This is the least question. Is there something that you would like people to know about you?





I am just a regular person. I am no different from you.







Thus spoke the strong, resilient, bi-lingual woman with a Ph.D. in algebra. Thank you so very much, Lareina!





Happy weekend reading everyone! :)

Getting to Know You

Last night, the Mrs. and I had "Getting to Know You" from The King and I stuck in our heads! LOL. I had this idea anyway, but I thought the title was appropriate for today's blog.




This is going to be a brief who's who of my books! :) The celebrity pictures are who I have in mind to play these characters. Don't forget that you can cast my books as well at www.storycasting.com! That site is a blast! Go check it out! ;)






Loving Her























Linda - Linda is a mechanic who owns her own shop in University City District (UCD) in Philadelphia. She's tough, but very gentle and vulnerable. She is extremely dedicated and loyal.











Katie - Katie is a veterinary student at U Penn and works at a local pizza parlor for money. She's young and vibrant, fun and full of energy. She is mature and logical. She loves being in love and fully believes in happily ever after.











Donna - Donna is Philly cop. She is tough as nails and yet as gentle as a kitten. She is extremely insecure. With no family left, her friends are her family and she will go to any length to protect and take care of them.












Liz - Liz is a southern belle who is a ballerina and a motorhead all at the same time. Tall, elegant and regal, she's also very down to earth and loves a loud engine! She dances with the Pennsylvania Ballet and listens to Metallica on her own time. She has only been with one person: Jen - and she plans on spending her forever with her.










Jen - Jen has MS. She used to be the director of a cat shelter, but when she met Liz, she followed her all around the country. She is quiet and introverted, but don't get her gabbing about her woman because she won't stop! :)











Stephania - Stephania is an exotic, multi-racial beauty. A professional model, she is seen globally, but is still very grounded. She is a spitfire and doesn't back down from any fights!











Maria - Maria is slightly older than the rest of the crowd. She is a grounded, stable woman who works for an Hispanic newspaper in Philadelphia. She adores her family, but only from a distance. Though Stephania is a lot to handle, Maria keeps her sound and grounded.













Brynn - Brynn is a little brunette bombshell. A police officer in Doylestown, PA., she is friends with Donna's partner, John, and his wife. Brynn and Donna meet thanks to John and they begin their lives together as two young female officers in love.



















Unbreakable Hostage





























Lareina - Lareina is a Puerto Rican with exotic and enchanting looks. A Ph. D. student in algebra, she's smart and beautiful. She is very close with her family and holds her Catholic traditions very close to her heart. Strong, resilient, intelligent, and determined, she is one Latina who can never be kept down!













Tony - Tony is an overweight brut. He fell over the fine line between genius and crazy a long time ago. He is obsessed with Lareina and lives in his own dark, twisted world.















Marc - Marc is English, but he's been living in the States for some time now. He is lonely and leads a quiet life save for his work as a missing persons detective. He is captivated not only by Lareina's beauty but by her quick wits as well. He is a caring and gentle man who needs to be saved as much as he saves others.


















Imperfect (not yet released)






Carol - Carol is an IT guru. She's intelligent and caring. She takes the world's burdens on as her own. She is loyal, compassionate and extremely insecure.




























Alex - Alex is a woman with a troubled past. Though she is now back on solid ground, she can never full erase her history. She is a true romantic. She is funny and dedicated, but also very demanding at times.




















Ok, there ya go! Hope you liked getting to know some of my characters. If you'd like to know more, go check out my books! :)

Lareina Makes a Comeback?!

Good morning, fellow internet junkies!



Today, I am popping open a cork that I really shouldn't, but I don't care! LOL. :)
I still have yet to get the green light from my publisher, but I am pursuing this project nonetheless.



While washing dishes (of all things) yesterday, I was struck. Not by real lightning or anything - metaphorical lightning, if you will. I was thinking about how series of books are quite the rage right now with the Harry Potter series, the Twilight series, etc. That got me thinking that I just don't have the ability to write say 5 books about the same characters. Maybe I'm underestimating myself, I'm not sure. Nonetheless, it's not even something I'm interested in pursuing at this time. I am working on Impeccable, the sequel to Imperfect, and I am quite happy with that. That was when the lightning struck.



Lareina's story isn't done. Seriously? Are you kidding me?! Poor woman needs to go through more stuff?! Apparently so. The idea of a sequel to Unbreakable Hostage hit. Now, this book is only just coming out in print in the next few weeks. It's still fairly new as an e-book as well, and yet I'm writing its sequel?! What is wrong with me?! LOL.



Thus began my newest project. Yes, I am currently drafting a sequel to Unbreakable Hostage. Whether or not this book sees the light of day has yet to be determined, but I'm giving it a shot. I'm already seriously haunted by all the characters again, so I know I have to write if I want to sleep and keep what little sanity I have left! LOL.



So, that's my news, world. May not be much to you, or maybe it's everything to you. I don't know. What I do know is that I need to get back to working on that stat before my characters beat me up! LOL.



Happy reading! :)

Ode to my Heroines

After I wrote my blog about Jason Statham, I thought it was only fair that I pay a tribute to all of my women. ;)




Not like that. I mean the heroines in my books.




Ok, now the only character in Loving Her that I have dead set in my mind is to have Katherine Moennig play Linda. Sorry, no ifs ands or buts on that one. I'm sure that like my gay half, most of you are TOTALLY ok with that! ;)



I had Salma Hayek in mind for Lareina in Unbreakable Hostage. She is too gorgeous for words. I also think that the beauty and intelligence that Ms. Hayek brings to the screen would play perfectly to Lareina's beauty and intelligence. The fact that she has killer curves would help at the box office! ;)






Then there are my girls for Imperfect. I have a serious crush on both of these gals, but for different reasons.



I LOVE Jorja Fox. Yes, I'm a big CSI nerd. But she's also a phenomenal actress! She is the perfect embodiment of Carol. I relate to her well, and I think a lot of other people do as well, which is what I was striving for when I wrote Carol's story in Imperfect.






Then there's Alex. Sweet, beautiful Alex. This may seem like an odd choice to you, but I would LOVE to see Debra Wilson play her. She is gorgeous, she's sharp, she's funny. She is the perfect Alex.





Come on! Two hot women?! Does it get any better than that?!




Now again, just like good old Jason, you can cast the characters (both male and female) in Loving Her and Unbreakable Hostage. Since Imperfect has not yet been released, it's not up yet on Story Casting. However, you can bet that the minute Imperfect is released, it will be up on storycasting.com !

So, enjoy my female eye candy as well. Again, I have to clean up my drool. So go play on storycasting & tell me which women YOU want to see in my movies! ;)