Friday, June 29, 2012

Today's Special - - Carey Baldwin

I am so thrilled to welcome debut romantic suspense author Carey Baldwin to The Romance Dish.  Talk about your multi-talented, multi-tasking authors!  Carey is a full-time practicing physician, mom, critique partner (to Tessa Dare, Courtney Milan and Leigh LaValle), former clinical psychologist and a brand new newlywed!


Carey, along with Tessa, Courtney and Leigh released an anthology in May that is part of a breast cancer fundraiser.  Be sure to check out Three Weddings and a Murder.  Her single-title debut, First Do No Evil was released June 26. Find more information about Carey at her website (be sure to check out the "fun facts about moi") and connect with her at Facebook and Twitter.


Welcome, Carey!



Love and Coffee Shops


Thank you so much to everyone at the Romance Dish for having me today! This is one of my favorite blogs, and I am delighted to be here.  I have a giveaway coming up, but first I want to talk about love, lightning and those wonderful places called coffee shops.


Let's start with lightning. You never know when it will strike. In one of my favorite movies of all time, MEET JOE BLACK, a father (played by Anthony Hopkins) has a heart to heart with his daughter (played by Claire Forlani) about her unexciting relationship with her boyfriend. He doesn't want her to settle, and he's very persuasive.


Hopkins "To make the journey and not fall deeply in love, well, you haven't lived a life at all. But you have to try, because if you haven't tried you haven't lived... I want you to get swept away out there. I want you to levitate. I want you to sing with rapture and dance like dervish." 

Forlani "Oh, is that all?" 

Hopkins "Stay open…you never know. Lightning could strike."


And hooray! Lightning does strike just days later when Forlani meets Brad Pitt at a local coffee shop 

Now I've seen that movie about a million times, but I can tell you I never believed lightning could strike me. Those wonderful, bigger than life encounters don't happen to ordinary people. Or do they?  


After my babies (Who are we kidding? These children are big dogs now!) left the nest, I finally started dating again. I'd been divorced a long time, and I was going through the motions of meeting new men with all the same enthusiasm I had formerly reserved for studying for my pathology exams in med school. Until one evening I arrived early for a first meet at…a coffee shop. Starbucks in Barnes & Noble to be specific.


He wasn't there.


I retreated to the ladies' room and after, as I was sneaking past the coffee area, feeling perfectly justified not waiting on a tardy man, I saw him. Tall, blond, built, and waiting for me. I veered into the coffee shop. Cautiously, I allowed him to buy me a bottled water and escort me to a tiny table with wobbly legs. Three and half hours later I walked out of ….the coffee shop, my own legs wobbly. Lightning had struck.


In FIRST DO NO EVIL the heroine, Skylar Novak, is going through the motions of living life until the day she meets a handsome detective outside…a coffee shop, and lightning strikes. Danny and Sky have a bigger than life moment, and that moment changes everything.


If you like, you can read their encounter by going here: http://www.careybaldwin.com/books/first-do-no-evil/ and clicking on Excerpt. 


I'll paste the blurbs from FIRST DO NO EVIL and THREE WEDDINGS AND A MURDER below for those who are interested.



FIRST DO NO EVIL

Blood Secrets, Book 1 

One killer is in her blood. The other is in her house. 

There’s a killer lurking in Dr. Skylar Novak’s family tree: the gene for breast cancer. That’s why her brilliant brother invented the Bella vaccine. But even if the miracle drug protects her from the cancer that took her mother’s life, it can’t save Sky from the flesh and bone evil stalking her in secret. 

When the killer strikes, detective Daniel Benson finds himself in the wrong place at the right time. The bold detective manages to save Sky’s life…just in time for her to return the favor. Survival leads to seduction, and Danny risks everything—his career, even his life, to keep Sky safe. But will the buried sins they uncover cost him her heart? 

Danny’s strong arms may hold her close, but only Sky can stop the terror that’s coming next…



THREE WEDDINGS AND A MURDER

May 2012 

Including Carey’s story SOLOMON’S WISDOM


Four friends who care have each contributed their own story to bring you this very special anthology. You’ll enjoy three historical romances and one contemporary romantic thriller—four distinct voices united for one cause. All profits from the purchase of the anthology will be donated to the Avon Breast Cancer Walk. Funds will be used to support research to find a cure or prevention for breast cancer and for outreach programs with an emphasis on assisting low-income, elderly and minority individuals. 



Now for the give away. I'm offering a $25 gift card and a digital copy of both FIRST DO NO EVIL and THREE WEDDINGS AND A MURDER to one commenter drawn at random. My question is this: Have you ever had lightning strike? Or do you have a favorite encounter from a book or movie where lightning strikes?


Thanks so much to the Romance Dish for having me, and to everyone who stopped by!

42 comments:

  1. Congrats on the new release, Carey. Lightning hasn't struck yet, but I am staying open.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hope it strikes soon, Jane! Thanks for commenting!
      Carey

      Delete
  2. Congrats on books whoo, no stirkes for me, like thenmoviem. Powder who the. Character strikes at then end of the movie, ty for giveaway
    Kimh

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi Carey, You know I already love this book and I've got THREE WEDDINGS AND A MURDER waiting for me in the wings - so don't include me.
    I had a very similar lightning strike. I had met this guy while chatting with one of my best friends in a chat room. Her boyfriend was chatting with this guy so being curious I looked up his profile. It turned out that he was divorced and lived only about 12 miles away. It was also just a few days past his birthday, so - to be polite, I IM'd him and wished him a belated happy birthday. He came back with 'awwww shucks'. We started chatting, he sent me a pic of him with his then young son. I immediately saw that, although quite good-looking, he was also very, very tall. I asked how tall and he replied, "6'4"!" Well, I had done my share of dating tall guys (I'm a mere 5'1") so I told him I could never go out with him because he's too tall. Well, that must have been a challenge to him because for the next ten days, he caught me online every night and chatted at me always asking me to have a drink, meet for lunch, go shopping. You name it, he thought of it. I finally said, "oh hell, okay, one time. That's it." We met for dinner on a Friday nite, in a very busy and crowded restaurant. We finally emerged after tying up a table for over 3 hours and when my mom asked me the next day how it went, I told her that he was a 'keeper' and that it was the best first date I'd ever had. LIGHTNING STRIKE! I'll be married to this too tall guy that I swore I'd only go out with once for 12 yrs come September. Never say Never!
    Congrats on the books and on your wonderful new life with your lightning strike. : )

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aww! Amy, that is such a sweet story! Thank you so much for sharing it with us. That too tall guy of yours is one lucky man!
      Thanks for stopping by!
      Carey

      Delete
  4. Lightning didn't strike for me (yet) but it's something I'm looking forward to. In the movie Sweet Home Alabama real life lightning strikes the h/h when they are very young and I always loved that bit of the film.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. OM gosh! I lurve that movie! Sigh...Thanks for commenting. May it strike soon!
      Carey

      Delete
  5. Yeah, I had the whole look across the room and time stood still. Thankfully he felt the same thing. Your .book sounds like my kind of read. I will Definately check it out. And thanks for the giveaway!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Trish! Why am I suddenly humming "Some Enchanted Evening?" :-)
      Carey

      Delete
  6. Hi Carey! Lovely to see you here at the Dish!

    What a wonderful story of how you and your husband met. :) Thanks so much for sharing that with us.

    I have to say, for me, lightning hasn't struck yet, but I remain optimistic it'll happen someday. But that moment can be so magical, can't it? When you just know something monumental has happened, and you'll never be the same again.

    One of my favorite lightning moments would have to be in Lisa Kleypas's Dreaming of You when Sara rescues Derek outside his club. His life, and her life would never be the same again :) She embarks on a life of passion and adventure, and he opens his heart and starts down the path of redemption and letting go of his past.

    Also, Julie James has great lighting moments in her books. In About That Night, Rylann and Kyle meet the summer after her first year of law school, and that moment stays with both of them nine years later when they finally meet again. And Kyle's twin Jordan's lightning moment happens when she meets FBI Agent Nick McCall who comes to her wine shop to get her assistance on an FBI case in exchange for early release for brother Kyle, aka the Twitter Terrorist. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Forgot to add, no need to enter me in the giveaway!

      Delete
    2. Lisa, I waited a looong time for my lightning. Trust me, it will strike. That's a great moment in About That Night! But wait a second, is there a Lisa Kleypas book out there I haven't read. I'm on it! Thanks for coming by!
      Carey

      Delete
  7. yes. lightning struck me this Spring when I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer which I am presently battling.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I am hoping you will have the love and support of family as you fight the battle. I can only tell you that having been with my mother, and my aunt as they fought their battles with breast cancer, that my heart is with you. I don't know you, but I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers.
    Carey

    ReplyDelete
  9. Morning all!

    Welcome, Carey! It's great to have you with us today. I've been telling everyone I know about your terrific book. I loved it!

    I'm out of town and checking in by phone so limiting responses. Be back later!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! I appreciate all your kind words about the book! I'll be checking back throughout the day as well- hope you are having a good trip. Thank you so much for having me today, PJ and Andrea!

      Delete
  10. I'm not sure it was exactly a one strike lightening bolt of love at first sight but little strikes that eventually struck hard with my first real kiss - I ended up marrying my high school sweetheart and we just celebrated 43 yrs.
    You are a new to me author but I after hearing about your books, they sound like stories I would enjoy.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wow. Congratulations on your 43 year love affair. That sounds like one awesome kiss...followed by many many more. Thank you so much for stopping by and commenting!
      Carey

      Delete
  11. When I meant my husband, I felt that connection and tried to ignore it. The second time we ran into each other, a year later I realized lightning could strike twice!!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Oh, ha! That reminds me of Tessa Dare's story in Three Weddings. The heroine and the Scandalous Dissolute No Good Mr. Wright keep bumping into each other across the years. With you and your husband, Kat, it must've been fate!
    Congratulations!
    Carey

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hi, Carey! Welcome to the Romance Dish! We're happy to have you with us today. Congrats on your debut! I wish you all the best with its release. :)

    Lightning struck the moment I first laid eyes on my husband!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Andrea! I'm so happy to be here. And I love hearing all these real life love stories!There really is some sort of special reaction that kicks in when you meet your match. Call it love or call it chemistry at first sight. Whatever it is, I'm for it!

      Delete
  14. Thanks for a fun post and congrats on the new release!

    Awww... I love reading real life romance stories :) I met my BF online and we spend a week talking. I was very interested and we had some awesome e-mail and instant chat conversations. I was hesitant to meet cuz you never know what could happen but the instant we locked eyes... boom! :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. Great post! Congrats on your new release! I can't say that lightning has ever struck here but maybe one day it will.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Thank you so much for the congrats! I hope it will strike soon. Here's what the very wise Tessa Dare once said to me, "If you want to get struck by lightning, maybe you should try standing on a golf course." I always take Tessa's advice :-)

    ReplyDelete
  17. Congratulations on the book! I like that scene when Claire Forlani and Brad Pitt meet in Meet Joe Black.

    bn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  18. My DH and I met in high school and really only shared one class. 7 years after we graduated from HS, we met again at an AFB in CA. He was in training and I was visiting my cousin and her husband there on my way home for a visit while servins in the Peace Corps. We say each other a couple times before I headed on to NY. I did think her was much nicer than I remembered and hoped he got stationed close enough to us so I could see him when I finished. My cousin said he was the perfect one for me. He must have flt the same, he showed up at my PC assignment about 5 months later and proposed. We have just celebrated our 40th anniversary. I guess lightening struck us both.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wow. I guess it did. That's an awesome story, and I have to say thanks to you for serving in the Peace Corps and to your husband for serving in the airforce. Your 40 year marriage is an inspiration. Congrats!
      Carey

      Delete
  19. I love your lightning strike personal story! And I really like the quote from Hopkins from the movie - we should love, head over heels just to experience it! Like you, I'm divorced now, but my kiddies are far from leaving the nest. I was determined not to meet anyone, then by chance I did. Even though lightning struck, we both tried really hard not to be affected. I have no idea where it will go, but we both agreed to take it day by day and enjoy it. It's all I want and I'm not ready for anything else. Congrats on the books! Wishing you many sales :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much, Kellie! I know that feeling of just wanting to focus on the children, but I am happy you've met someone. Enjoy your day to day...and hey, stay open because you never know. Luck!
      Carey

      Delete
  20. No lightning strike of the love variety. I would like to! I guess when I know, I'll just know. There has been small sizzles so I'm grateful for those. Nature-wise I have seen and heard lightning strike but often from a good distance. I have heard of peopl struck by lightening and leaving a tattoo-like make. It's quite striking :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Na! Those sizzles are fun! Thanks for commenting!
      Carey

      Delete
  21. Hi Carey, first of all congratulations on the release of First Do No Evil!

    Secondly I very much enjoyed your post, thank you especially for sharing your own story with us!!

    So far lightning hasn't struck for me yet, but I agree, I just love seeing that in movies and reading about it in books. And coffee shops are also my favourite place for first dates ;-p One of my favourite love at first sight-lightning moments is when Bill Pullman glimpses Sandra Bullock for the first time in While You Were Sleeping. Just love that movie!

    ps. last summer we had some scary lightning storms and lightning literally struck a woman in the park!!

    ReplyDelete
  22. It struck once, then fizzled & died. That sounds so pitiful, but life is good.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Yes, I did experience lightning strikes on my houses (2 different homes, years apart) many, many moons ago. The first time it fried my microwave oven and VCR. The second time, it damaged my son's computer. Fortunately, it was still under warranty and Gateway replaced it. Both times, I thought the sound and vibration of the thunder was enough to do serious damage to me and or my house. Scary!

    ReplyDelete
  24. I had a lightening strike the huge tree in my backyard two years ago. It split the tree down the middle. The high winds didn't help either. The half that fell came within two feet of the house. Yikes.

    geishasmom73 AT yahoo DOT com

    ReplyDelete
  25. We had a pear tree damaged by a lightning strike. My favorite story with lightning stiking is the historical one, with Benjamin Franklin. Thanks for a good column.

    ReplyDelete
  26. The blurbs is wonderful. I haven't read much medical suspense, and would love to read more of it.

    Ah, lightning? I never seen a lightning strike anything, thank god. I'm sure it'll totally scared me.

    ReplyDelete
  27. The book that i remembered where the lightning strike is Kresley Cole's Immortal After dark series. Whenever the Valkyrie got emotional tense, she will release lightning. Well, the valkyrie consumes the energy from the earth and releases the lightning to attack the enemy too.

    ReplyDelete