Today we are interviewing Calisa Rhose, Romance author.Alexis: Hi Calisa, Thank you for visiting Happily Ever After Thoughts :-)
Calisa: What a treat to be here Alexis! Thanks for the opportunity to talk about my debut release, HOME.
Alexis: You have a lot of stories in the works. What subgenre of romance do you feel most at home in?
Calisa: I do. Between contemporary cowboys, firemen and my paranormal series I stay busy. And then, of course, there’s my one-time vintage historical, HOME. But I am probably most comfortable writing contemporary. Paranormal is relatively new for me but I’m having a blast figuring it all out.
Alexis: Hmm, so HOME is your one-time vintage historical. Now, I'm curious. Can you tell our readers a little bit about your new release, HOME?
Calisa: I wrote HOME as part of a series Tales of the Scrimshaw Doll. In sequence my book would come in around the fifth book I think, but it was the first release in the series so they are not coming out chronologically. My story is about a Vietnam veteran and a gypsy who have nothing more in common than growing up in the same town.
When Sam returns from his stint in the war it seems the town who idolized him as their football hero before the war not has turned its back on him. Only Poppy steps up and accepts him home with open arms and love grows between the unlikely couple. Poppy has her own stigmas just being a gypsy in a time when her ‘kind’ are frowned upon and Sam realizes they aren’t as different as he’d always thought.
Alexis: Interesting premise. Where did you get the idea for this story?
Calisa: I honestly don’t know. I don’t write historical. Though I grew up as a little girl in the 60’s, I don’t remember much so when these two came to me asking that their story be told I was kind of surprised. But I had so much fun writing HOME.
Alexis: Ah, then it must have been fate :-) What are your favorite character traits of Poppy and Sam?
Calisa: I love Poppy Tippen’s seeming unflappable nature. She’s been through a lot as an outcast, but she doesn’t give up on her secret love for the town hero.
I learned to respect Sam Callahan for his ability to accept who the war made him and to fight to overcome the dark that threatens to rule his life. In the end they both become a strong force of support for one another and that’s important in any relationship, in any era.
Alexis: So, what made you choose this particular era?
Calisa: Again, I don’t think I chose it so much as it chose me.
Alexis: I love that! It's a story that needs to be told. What can we expect next from you? Do you have any new releases coming or a work in progress?
Calisa: Nothing up for release just yet. Life kind of got in the way since HOME sold and I haven’t been able to write as much. But I do have a couple of things in the works. When TWRP put out a call for cowboys for the Honkytonk series I jumped at the chance to write what I love most. I’m writing a story that I hope will be contracted for this series. It's called CHAMPAGNE TIGER.
Kelly Donovan is running from an abusive husband who wants her dead and hides behind the law enforcement he works for to avoid prosecution. Mace Dalton is a small town sheriff who rescues a stranded stranger and realizes how easy she is to fall in love with. When Kelly discovers Mace is the same type of man (lawman) she’s running from she has to make a choice. Trust the law that has always betrayed her and let Mace save her, or keep running and take her chances that her husband will eventually be stopped. There’s a little twist that I won’t spoil for readers.
Alexis: CHAMPAGNE TIGER sounds promising. I wish you luck with it :-) Thank you so much for sharing your romances with us. It's a pleasure having you visit.
Calisa: Thank you! I’ve had a wonderful time today.
Alexis: For a chance to win a PDF copy of HOME, be sure to leave a comment for Calisa. If I have contact information I will let you know when you win, otherwise, check the side column for your name on Wednesday under WINNERS :-)
For more information on Calisa’s Romances go http://calisarhose.wordpress.com/
Alexis: Check out this excerpt from HOME.
Excerpt:
“I’ll always want you, Poppy.”
Her head shook in automatic denial. “You’ll want a girl who fits your life. Not some gypsy with no family lineage to brag about. Your momma won’t accept that, either. She’ll make you choose someone like Connie, someone who fits into your world. Not the girl everyone avoids and whispers about behind her back. You’re gonna be the town’s doctor. You need an uppity wife who will make you proud.”
When Sam laughed, his chest shuddered against her back. Deep, husky, real. He turned her in his arms and looked down at her, smiling. “Poppy, do you honestly think I give a damn what people think? Look at me! I’m the town outcast, the survivor who should have died saving the others, not be here planning a future that includes a wife, a medical practice. “I shimmy under park benches, run from my mother’s lipstick, for God’s sake. I wake up screaming and crying over nothing in the middle of the night, crawl under my bed and hide, shaking, until morning. Hell, I can’t even be a doctor because I haven’t finished school yet.”
“I didn’t know. It must be awful for you.” No matter how it hurt Poppy to know he used her, it felt much worse to know how he hurt alone. “The only time it isn’t awful is when I’m with you. When I think of you.”
You can get your copy of HOME at The Wild Rose Press and Amazon and B&N.
Small-town country girl Calisa Rhose lives in a semi-remote area of Oklahoma with her husband, four small dogs, one cat and a horse. All three of her daughters and their families live within throwing distance. She’s a member of RWA and the local chapter OKRWA. She intends to nurture and continue to grow as an author with the help of her family and supporters.
Follow Calisa on twitter @Calisa_Rhose and Facebook/Calisa Rhose She loves to hear from readers so drop her a line at calisa.rhose@gmail.com
And don't forget, for a chance to win HOME, leave Calisa a comment :-)
