Today's Special - - Allie Burton

We're delighted to welcome Young Adult author, Allie Burton to the Romance Dish. Allie didn’t realize having so many jobs would become great research material for the stories she writes. She has been everything from a fitting room attendant to a bike police officer to a professional mascot escort. She has lived on three continents and in four states and has studied art, fashion design, marine biology, and advertising.

When her kids asked, “when are you going to write a story we can read?” she switched from adult novels to Young Adult and Middle Grade and hasn’t looked back.

Allie is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators, Romance Writers of America including the Young Adult, Dallas Area Romance Writers and Heart of the Rockies chapters. She is also a member of Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers. Currently, she lives in Colorado with her husband and two children.

www.allieburton.com

www.twitter.com/Allie_Burton

www.Facebook.com/AllieBurtonAuthor

Welcome, Allie!

Thank you, PJ for inviting me to be interviewed on the Romance Dish.

1   My pleasure, Allie.  Congratulations on the release of ATLANTIS RIPTIDE. Please tell our readers what they can expect from this book.

ATLANTIS RIPTIDE is the first in a Young Adult series called the LOST DAUGHTERS OF ATLANTIS. In each of the books, the heroines discover the secrets behind their underwater abilities and must decide whether to accept the additional responsibilities that come with the powers. All three books have strong heroines, adventure, and romance.      

A fascinating premise!  Growing up on a lake, I had many youthful fantasies about being able to breathe underwater like Pearl.  What do you want readers to understand about this character?  

Pearl is the main character in ATLANTIS RIPTIDE. She’s hard on the outside but soft on the inside. She’s been taken advantage of since she was little so she has a hard time trusting people. Her goal is to find a place where she belongs and she believes she’s found that in the mythical town of Mermaid Beach until her old life and her new life collide.

This is a Young Adult novel. For what ages is it appropriate?

ATLANTIS RIPTIDE is definitely on the younger side of the Young Adult scale. I’d say ages 12-18. The tone is light, but adventurous. The romance is intense like first love should be, but only goes as far as a few kisses.

Sounds perfect for the young teens in my life.  

We love call stories here at the Romance Dish.  Will you share yours?

My agent call story wasn’t a call at all. ATLANTIS RIPTIDE was a finalist in a local contest and the agent who judged was present. Right before I went up to accept the award, the agent whispered to me that I should announce I was just offered representation. I’m not great at public speaking, add in the shock value of her words and I was speechless!

Oh, my!  I can imagine!  I'm not sure I'd have been able to utter a word.  lol

Who (or what) do you enjoy reading when you’re not busy creating your own stories?

I love to read anything young adult and middle grade. I also enjoy romances and paranormal stories. Some of my favorite authors include Rachel Hawthorn, Sarah Mlynowski, JA London, Tera Lynn Childs, Addison Fox, Suzanne Ferrell, Jo Davis…I could go on and on.

A few of my favorites are in that list too.

      What can we look forward to from you next?

The second book in the series was just released called ATLANTIS RED TIDE. Coral, the heroine in this story, has been brought up to believe she’s an Atlantean Princess but she has her doubts because she’s never shown a special power. She decides to search for her two missing sisters, but before she can act she is kidnapped by a spy.

The third book in the series is ATLANTIS RISING TIDE featuring Maris, a girl who has been kept away from water and only just discovers she’s different from her friends and family. This book releases at the end of June.

That's great that we don't have to wait long for all three stories!  

     Thanks so much for visiting with us today, Allie.  Do you have a question for our readers?

Pearl’s special power is breathing into humans so they can breathe underwater. Coral can create or protect from earthquakes. Maris can heal. If you had a super power what would it be?

Allie has generously offered an e-copy of ATLANTIS RIPTIDE to one person who leaves a comment on today's blog.

ATLANTIS RIPTIDE

Sixteen-year-old Pearl Poseidon ran away from the circus tired of her adoptive parents’ abuse of her special skills. As a runaway, she craves anonymity but when she saves a small boy from drowning she draws attention to herself and her special abilities. Boardwalk employee and aspiring investigative reporter, Chase Thomas, helps her with the rescue and witnesses her amazing dive.

                Now, he has questions. And so do the police.

Unbeknownst to Pearl, a battle rages under the Pacific between Loyal and Non-Loyal Atlantean forces and each side wants to use her powers for their cause. Will the commotion in the ocean expose her secrets to the world? Will Chase’s reporter-determination ruin their chance for a real relationship? Will staying near the ocean she loves catapult into a battle royale?

ATLANTIS RED TIDE

Sixteen-year-old Atlantean, Princess Coral, secretly plans to find her lost sisters of legend. Before she can escape the palace to begin her quest, she is kidnapped by Finn Plankson, a Non-Loyal Atlantean.

A spy for the separatist movement, Finn knew Coral as a child. When he sees her being mistreated by Royal Guards he takes action.

As their adventure changes from antagonistic to a temporary truce, Coral must convince Finn to help her find her sisters before the battle between the Loyal and Non-Loyal forces erupts into a full scale war.

Coral fondly remembers Finn, her first crush, but can she trust him now that he’s aligned with her enemy? In the end, will Finn betray her and her sisters? And what are these strange sparks that go off whenever they’re together?

ATLANTIS RISING TIDE 

Junior lifeguard Maris Sanders thinks she’s a normal high school girl. In reality, she’s one of the lost princesses of Atlantis. At sixteen, she’s finally discovering her special powers.

Exiled from his community of Atlanteans, Cuda Fisher has taken a special interest in Maris. As he secretly tests her abilities, the two teens grow closer until Cuda realizes being with Maris is risking more than his heart.

An evil scientist is analyzing Maris’s skills and putting her in danger. Cuda realizes his father, a leader of the Separatist movement, is behind the scheme and Cuda will do anything to stop him even if it means breaking Maris’s heart.

Will Maris accept her real identity, or still hurt by Cuda’s betrayal, will she fall prey to the scheme? Will Maris be able to choose between the life she’s always known or a new dangerous adventure? And will the choice be hers?

Today's Special - - Caren Crane

I am so happy to welcome debut author Caren Crane to The Romance Dish today!  Caren is no stranger to the Dishes.  I have had the pleasure of reading Caren's regular posts at the Romance Bandits blog for the past several years as well as experiencing her sassy wit and humor in person at various romance conferences.  I've been waiting a long time to read a romance written by Caren and am so excited that her book, KICK START,  is finally out there for everyone to enjoy.  I read it last weekend and had such a good time in Caren's fictional town of Cross Springs that I'm ready to return for another visit. Fortunately, Caren plans to take us back there in her second book, CROSS TALK.  

You can learn more about Caren by visiting her website and can connect with her at Facebook and Twitter.  

Welcome, Caren!

My Love Affair with Do-Overs

I don't know when I first heard the term "do-over," but I know that I grasped the concept with both hands. The chance to try again, to fix mistakes, to possibly change your luck, your path, your very future? I was all in!

The trouble is, Life doesn't often give you chances for do-overs. Words cannot be unspoken, actions cannot be undone (or done if they were neglected), no matter how much we might want them to be. We're all sort of stuck with the messes we make. I have children who are 18, 20 and 27. As you can imagine, I have had countless opportunities for "teaching moments" about handling the consequences of one's words and actions. In the interest of full disclosure, I had lots of practice with this myself long before I was a mother. J So I know how rare the do-over really is.

About 12 years ago, I began writing fiction. It was the most exciting thing I had ever done. I quickly realized I knew nothing at all, but then set out to fix that minor problem. After I got the basics under my belt, I figured out the secret of fiction—there are NO RULES. There are tropes and reader expectations but there are no hard and fast rules about what the writer can or cannot make happen. You can't imagine how very exciting this was to me! I—the mostly rule-following good girl—found this freedom a little scary. Okay, kind of terrifying, really. But my characters didn't have to be as scared of this as I was. They could do anything!

When I hit on the concept for my debut novel, Kick Start, I was worried. Not for me, but for Linda, my

heroine. I gave this woman a lot of problems: a bitter divorce, three kids at challenging stages of life, a huge mortgage, no higher education and very little job experience. I also stuck her with a small town full of nosy neighbors, an inferiority complex and a serious need to fit in at all costs. To counter all that, I gave her a great sense of humor, a kick-ass best friend and a bit of a rebellious past. Then I gave her a Secret Weapon.

Linda got a do-over.

Honestly, I was worried for her. Her do-over sort of scared us both. It took her kick-ass best friend to force both of us into action. Her best friend issues a challenge that Linda's long-buried rebellious streak can't resist. She decides to go back to college (something that makes my brain hurt to consider) and, in short order, begins to consider dating a younger man. Her inner approval-seeker is strong, plus she has impressionable children at home. She feels certain no one will approve...but... But. There's that do-over I forced on her. Her younger man, Jack, is exactly her type of man. The kind she dated early and often before she met the man she married. Her ex was not really her type, but an unexpected pregnancy forced Linda to accept him as "the one" for the baby's sake.

Nineteen years later, she has a chance to start again. To consider a new life with a new man. If she can give herself permission. The objections of her community are not all in her head, after all. She gets plenty of unsolicited advice and knows, without a doubt, that giving Jack a chance means life has no chance of ever going back to any semblance of what it was. Life will never be the same. I was terrified for her!

It was hard for me, as a mother and a wife, to think about all the implications such a move would have. If I had to start over, I think I might experience a little of what Linda goes through. I'm not a huge approval seeker, but I want people to think well of me. I think most of us do. To defy the expectations of people you know and love is scary, so seizing the chance for a do-over at love was a Huge Dilemma for my heroine! I really do have a love affair with do-overs, though, and cannot resist giving them to all my (poor, beleaguered) heroines. Watching how each one responds to the challenges the do-over presents is the most exciting part of writing for me.

What about you? Would you seize the chance for a do-over? If so, what would you do again or do differently? I would probably go to medical school, but I have a feeling I would still want to write.  Let me know about your do-over dreams!

PJ here.  I'm giving away two digital copies (Kindle or Nook) of Caren's debut book, KICK START today so let's hear about those do-over dreams!