Friday, June 20, 2014

Interview with Jody Vitek, author of Rescue Me

Hiya peeps! Melange Books took a chance on me about five years ago and opened the door to make my publishing dreams come true. They've given many authors that chance since then, so I wanted to give props to Melange this month by interviewing several of their authors. You'll find some great insights, tips, and new books to read along the way. Enjoy!

Where are you from and what do you do when you’re not writing?

I live in a suburb south of the Twin Cities in Minnesota. If I’m not writing, you could find me on the sidelines of my son’s soccer game snapping photos of him playing. I like to scrapbook when time allows, which isn’t often, as I am behind on my scrapbook pages. During the summer months I help an older friend with her gardening. The gardening allows me some personal time to relax. Otherwise, as the COO of the household, I’m busy with the duties one must face owning a home.

How did you come up with the idea for this book/series?

I’d love to talk about my upcoming release late this fall, Texas Two Step. It’s a follow up with the secondary characters from my debut release, Florida Heat. The story mainly takes place in Dallas, TX with a few scenes taking place in Florida. The story came about when readers asked me, “What happened to Chloe and Chad?” So, the readers are getting their wish answered. The title might lend you to think there’s some dancing in the book, but it has nothing to do with the Texas Two-Step.

Tell us about the writing process—what were your favorite and least favorite moments?

Interesting question. My favorite part was brainstorming the story with fellow writers on a retreat. My least favorite moment was when my characters decided to stop talking to me and I couldn’t write. I guess you could say I suffered from a minor case of writer’s block. A fellow writer went through the same thing with me and we joked that our characters were hanging out at the bar together while laughing at us. I’m glad to say, all characters return to their respective stories.

What’s your favorite cure for writer’s block?

I step away from the story and use my creativity another way by scrapbooking. Yard work can help too. The story is never far from my thoughts. I must admit though, writer’s block doesn’t scare me, it’s the “doubter” within telling me I don’t know what I’m doing and to quit writing. The “doubter” is pure evil.

Can you please share an excerpt?

I would love to share an excerpt of my current release, Rescue Me. This story takes place on a farm in Minnesota.

Can Catherine accept the consequences of a great-aunt's dying wish without losing her heart or independence?
Taking in stray, injured or needy animals, veterinarian doctor Catherine Mornelli opens the Four Hooves and Paws Rescue program. But the land where the animals are kept is being sold. She approaches her Great-Aunt Elaine about possibly using her barn. However, visiting her aunt and checking out the barn also means seeing her ex-boyfriend.
Josef Garrison farms land that once belonged to his family for generations but went to his neighbor Elaine after his great-grandfather lost it in a poker game to Catherine’s great-grandfather. When Catherine returns, he sees a way to win back her heart and the land at the same time.
Excerpt:
Josef followed and set his plate on the counter behind her. His other arm came around to her other side. Trapped against the counter, she turned to face him. 
“What are you doing?” she asked briskly as her face grew warm. 
“I thought maybe we could pick up where we left off earlier in the bedroom. I felt the spark.” He leaned in and warm lips met hers. 
She pulled back. “We have more to talk about.” 
“Let’s talk later. After …” he kissed her lips, “we …” nibbled her ear, “reignite …” 
lingered over a kiss on her neck, “our relationship,” then returned to kiss her mouth as she melted into a puddle. 
Her heart raced rapidly. Her stomach quivered. Her legs turned to jelly in the most delicious way. 
As Josef pulled away, her eyes opened. He lifted her in his arms and exited the kitchen, passed the stairs and entered the master suite. He bent, laying her on the bed. His bed. He loomed over her with his hands at her sides. Nerves heightened and prickled like when your foot is asleep and you’re trying to wake it up. Not knowing whether this was the thing to be doing or not, her body knew what it wanted. Its name was Josef. 
The tee shirt clinging to his torso needed to come off. She grabbed the hem and pulled the shirt over his head. Oh … my … God! She tossed the shirt to the floor. Her hands wandered over his hairy chest.

What’s your next/current writing project?

Well since I already shared my current work/upcoming release, I haven’t started another project. Not saying that it hasn’t been on my mind. I did leave a possibility with two characters in Texas Two Step to have their own story, but at this time I’m not sure I want to write it. I have an idea based on a picture that I’m thinking about. I’ll be going away on my annual retreat this fall and will brainstorm the next book.

Here’s a totally random question for you:

Come up with your own silly haiku, but you must include the word “clown”.
Warm summer breezes
Bikes zoom up and down the street
Bike horn honks—clown!
Thanks so much for stopping by!

Thank you for inviting and having me here today.

****

Born and raised in Minnesota, Jody has remained close to home living with her husband of twenty plus years, three children and a cat named Holly. Growing up, she enjoyed reading V.C. Andrews' the Dollanganger series, starting with Flowers in the Attic, S.E. Hinton, and Stephen King to name a few. Today her tastes run across the board in fiction and non-fiction, in all genres.

She has traveled throughout the United States, to the Bahamas and Cancun, Mexico. Between watching her son’s soccer games, maintaining one of the many scrapbook albums, gardening and being the COO of the Vitek household, she writes contemporary romances.

Contacts and Links
Twitter: @JodyVitek

All of my books are available through Melange Books, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other on-line retailers.


1 comment:

  1. Thank you for having me here, Mysti! I wish I had cover art to share for the upcoming release, but unfortunately there are other authors ahead of me waiting to see their cover.

    ReplyDelete

***NOTICE*** Thanks to a spam bot infestation, every comment must now be subjected to a full-body search. If you pass, you can skip the anal probing...maybe.