Caridad Pineiro® Romance Author
NY Times & USA Today Bestselling Romance Author
NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Caridad Pineiro shares her thoughts on the writing life as well as tips for writers.
This is a busy week! A new book and some upcoming events, namely a chat at Writerspace, a free workshop on Point of View at The International Women’s Writing Guild, and a guest blog with Anastasia Pollack. Here are links for the various events:
Writerspace Chat: https://www.writerspace.com/events/caridad-pineiro-facebook-live-chat/
IWWG Free Write on POV: https://iwwg.wildapricot.org/event-3997380
Anastasia Pollack: https://anastasiapollack.blogspot.com/
Hope you can visit!
I’m having a party to celebrate the release of Cold Case Reopened on March 1 and am lucky to have some friends visiting with me to help me celebrate. I’ve got debut author K.D. Richards, the wonderful Lucy Monroe, and Delores Fossen who encouraged me profusely to try my hand at writing for Harlequin Intrigue! I did a shoutout the other day to K.D. and her latest release, Pursuit of the Truth. Today’s shoutout is to Lucy Monroe and her latest release, After the Billionaire’s Wedding Vows, for Harlequin Presents. Come visit with all of us at the Cold Case Reopened Release Party at https://www.facebook.com/events/490584789001488/ for teasers, giveaways, and more!
I wrote my first book in the fifth grade when my English teacher assigned our class a project: to write a book that would be placed in a class lending library at the end of the year. The book had to be twenty typed pages and could be about absolutely anything. No grade would be assigned, but you had to do to pass the class. I went home and started writing and haven’t really stopped since. Sure there were interruptions here and there, but there was never any doubt that I would write because writing gives me immense joy. The process of it and of course, sharing it with you! I found this quote from Gloria Steinem which I think truly sums up my feeling about writing.
If you’re like me and love unsolved mysteries and cold case files, I think you’ll love COLD CASE REOPENED, my March 2021 release for Harlequin Intrigue. It was so much fun to write the story about Rhea Reilly who believes that her twin sister is still alive and sexy Detective Jackson Whitaker who is risking his career to re-open the closed case. For now, here’s a teaser and free read for you!
They are on a cold trail
And running out of time.
Rhea Reilly is certain her twin sister’s sudden disappearance six months ago wasn’t a suicide, no matter what Colorado authorities think. She can’t afford to trust police detective Jackson Whitaker—even if he’s risking his career to uncover the truth. But a lethal trail of lies is drawing them together…and into an inescapable trap.
Rhea had barely finished unpacking her things when the knock came at the door.
She hurried there and threw it open, expecting to find room service with the extra blanket she’d requested. That earlier chill hadn’t left her, not that a blanket would end it, but it had been worth a try.
It wasn’t room service. It was six-plus feet of lethal male, dressed in police blues, with a white Stetson held in hands that he shifted uneasily on the brim. He had shortly cropped sandy-brown hair that screamed former military and eyes the gray of lake waters on a dreary day. He clenched and unclenched his chiseled jaw as he stood there, obviously hesitant, before he finally said, “You should be more careful and check to see who it is before you open the door.”
Anger ignited instantly at his chastisement. “I was expecting room service. Not the police.”
He tipped his head, seemingly sorry, but he didn’t strike her as the type to apologize. Not willingly anyway. And it occurred to her then that he was the officer she’d run into outside the police station. The one who’d helped her pick up her papers and whom she hadn’t thanked.
“Rhea Reilly,” she said and held out her hand. “I’m sorry I was so rude before. I was upset.”
“I understand. Detective Jackson Whitaker. Jax to my friends.” A ghost of a smile danced across full lips, and he enveloped her hand with his big calloused one.
His touch roused a mix of emotions. Surprising comfort. Unwelcome electricity and heat.
“We’re not friends…yet,” she said as he continued holding her hand, longer than expected. Longer than necessary.
She withdrew her hand from his and wrapped her arms around herself. “And I doubt that you can possibly understand.”
That slight dip of his head came again, as if accepting her statement, and he motioned inside her room with his Stetson. “Do you mind if I come in?”
She both did and didn’t mind. Something about his presence was unnerving, but if he was here, maybe it meant that the chief had reconsidered her request.
“Please,” she said and waved him in.
He entered and, as he did so, his gaze swept the room, assessing. Observant. A cop’s eyes taking in the scene and immediately focusing on the thick folder sitting on a small bistro table beside French doors to a balcony facing the lake. The lake was a constant reminder of why she was here.
“May I?” he said and pointed toward the folder.
“Is that why you’re here? Did Chief Robinson change his mind?”
Amazon Kindle: https://amzn.to/3iGCbKr
Paperback: https://amzn.to/3kAloKb
Amazon Kindle Box Set: https://amzn.to/2PSVRyn
Apple Books: https://bit.ly/coldcasereopened
Apple Box Set: https://bit.ly/applecoldcaseboxset
B&N: https://bit.ly/BNColdCase
B&N Box Set: https://bit.ly/BNColdCaseBoxset
Harlequin: https://bit.ly/HarlequinColdCase
Harlequin Box Set: https://bit.ly/HarlequinColdCaseBoxset
Kobo: https://bit.ly/KoboColdCase
Kobo Box Set: https://bit.ly/KoboColdCaseBoxSet
I’m so excited to be taking part in a 12 Days of Christmas giveaway over at Wild for Westerns! Now, I don’t normally do westerns, but my March release from Harlequin Intrigue is set in Colorado. It was so much fun to write a book in such a different setting and who doesn’t like a cold case story? To enter the giveaway, please visit https://www.facebook.com/groups/290667098916318/permalink/399782728004754/.
I am so so happy to have my good friend Stacey Wilk with me today. Stacey is sharing her thoughts on writing and an excerpt from her fabulous new book TIME WON’T ERASE! Please welcome Stacey!
I was on the phone recently with a good friend of mine talking about this very blog post. “I want to make a good impression,” I said. To which she replied, “Just be you.” She’s a life coach. And full of good advice.
I write women’s fiction and romantic suspense. I’m one of those outgoing introverts. You know, I’m great in a crowd or at parties, but after a while I need my space. A lot of space. Can I get a raise of hands from my fellow Extroverted/Introverts? I wrote my first novel at the age of twelve. I still have it. Both of my kids are in college now, but the Empty Nest phenomenon is a hoax.
If we were sitting together, I’d make you a cup of tea or pour you a whiskey and we’d chat. I love to chat with my readers. So, grab a drink, and let’s get to know each other.
I’m often asked, “where do your ideas come from?” The answer is everywhere, every place, every moment in time. I don’t have a formula. Maybe some authors do, but I could overhear a story, (yes, I eavesdrop. Drives my husband crazy.) or see an article, or simply sit and ponder. Which is how I came up with the idea for Time Won’t Erase. My latest women’s fiction novel releasing Sept. 28th.
I wanted to write a book about a woman whose sister was murdered by her boyfriend’s brother. How would someone handle that, I wondered as that idea floated across my brain. So, I began building a story that would lead to that question.
I believe all stories are character driven. Without rich and complex characters forced to make decisions under pressure, there is no story. I thought about the young man who pulled the trigger. What led him to this decision? And my hero, Gage, what was his role in his brother’s bad choice? How did it effect Gage’s life after that tragic moment? And my heroine, Calista, what was her sister’s death and loving Gage going to do to her?
I don’t make it easy for my characters. What fun is that? Okay, it’s no fun for them, but it makes the story way more interesting for me to write and for my readers to read. The tougher the questions, the better the book. It’s that decision under pressure thing.
My job as an author is to spin my characters around until they’re dizzy and don’t know where they’re going. Then right at the very last second a light shines and leads them home. I love my job. The best part of what I do happens the moment someone reads my work because now you and I have a special connection, and every connection with a reader is unique. I’ve brought my experiences (and eavesdropping) to my book and so have you, and together we make magic. Thank you for that.
I also have to thank Caridad for allowing me to visit with you. She’s amazing, isn’t she? Needless to say, one of my favorite authors.
How about you? What makes you turn a page in a book? What hooks you and takes you for a ride across two hundred pages?
I hope we can visit again soon. I’ll leave a few places at the end where you can find me so we can gossip about the good conversations you eavesdropped on too. In the meantime, enjoy a sneak peek of Time Won’t Erase and think about what you would do if your boyfriend’s brother murdered your sister.
He wouldn’t allow her to stay out at the motel all by herself. She’d be safe on his ranch and down the hall from his brother with plenty of firearms and ammo.
“I can’t go there.” She pushed away from him.
Her heat drifted away from him, and he missed it instantly. “Mom will be glad to have you there.”
“Your mother doesn’t want me there. And Jett. He hates me.”
“That isn’t true.”
“I hurt you. It’s only natural for them to side with you.”
“Calista, can you put the past aside for one damn night? You were hurt in a robbery and should be at the hospital. If you won’t go home, then come home with me so someone can keep an eye on you.” He wanted to blur the line that separated his life into two parts. The first part was the one with Ajay, Ava, and Calista in it, and it was filled with sound and textures. The second part was the one without, and it was silent and hollow. Even though he had Izzi during that second part, and she filled in so many spaces for him, he wanted something he could never have.
“I couldn’t bear having your mother fuss all over me.”
“You’re being ridiculous. She loves to fuss.” He hoped humor would light the way to reason.
“It hurts too much when she’s nice to me. Her kindness only spotlights what’s missing in my life.”
“Your mother.” Her mother had walked out on her family not long after Ava died. That was probably his fault too.
“No. Not my mother. You.”
If you’re interested in reading more of Time Won’t Erase you can find it at major online retailers like:
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3cPaYna or B&N: https://bit.ly/2QBcmzc.
Additional Retailers: https://books2read.com/u/49M1Aw
My Facebook Reader Group: http://bit.ly/NovelFamily
My newsletter (I promise not to spam you.): http://bit.ly/FamilyUChoose
My Bookbub page: www.bookbub.com/authors/stacey-wilk
Today’s Write Wednesday is a teaser and another excerpt from NEVER A BRIDE which is specially priced for 99 cents. The first book in the At the Shore series, ONE SUMMER NIGHT, is also specially priced for 99 cents! You can purchase these e-books at https://amzn.to/3aZLouG.
But for now, your teaser and excerpt!
Emma never dreamed that the happily-ever-after would change her life. . . But as her two best friends find love, Emma worries about what her future will bring. She has seen all too often what happens once husbands and children arrive. She puts on a brave face because she wants her buddies to be happy, but as a wedding planner, she has seen one too many marriages go south. Not to mention her parents’ bitter divorce which has soured her on the idea of marriage for herself. She can’t imagine ever finding a man who can bring her a forever kind of romance.
He’s been in love with her forever and can’t understand why she can’t see it. . . Carlo da Costa knows why Emma avoids relationships and yet he can’t help but wonder how someone who puts such love and care into others’ dreams can’t allow herself to believe in the fairy tale. He sees the yearning on her face when she spends time with him and his big boisterous family and knows that deep inside, she wants the same thing. Carlo hopes that one day he can provide her with that because he’s sure Emma holds the key to his heart in her hands.
“I can see you’re all having fun, but did you decide on any of the tuxes I picked out?” she said as she peered at Jonathan, Owen, and Andy, and wondered where Carlo was hiding.
Jonathan sauntered over, grabbed the last piece of sandwich, placed it on a plate, and handed it to her. “Eat. It’s way past lunch hour and you’re cranky.”
“I’m not cranky,” she said, but her stomach complained noisily, forcing her to add, “Just hungry.”
“More like hangry,” he teased. Grinning, Jonathan laid an arm over her shoulders and walked her to the leather wing chair beside a massive leather couch where Andy and Owen sat sipping beers. She joined them there and took a bite of the sandwich, nearly moaning as the flavors of the tender roast pork, bitter broccoli rabe, and sweet mozzarella cheese exploded in her mouth. Not to mention Carlo’s secret garlicky tomato sauce, the game-changer that had made him a champion on a network cooking show.
After swallowing, she glanced around the room at the men. “So what’s up? Where are the tuxes I left out for you?”
“We decided we’re not tux kind of guys. Well, Owen is, but the rest of us are just plain ol’ suit types,” Jonathan said as he sat on the arm of her chair.
She arched a brow. “And Carlo?”
Owen gestured with his beer bottle to the dressing room. “He’s in there.”
Wondering if Carlo needed help, she walked over and knocked.
“Come in,” he said.
She did only to find Carlo standing there in nothing but his tidy whities and a white shirt that was too small for his broad shoulders. The shirt hung open in front giving her a glimpse of what lay beneath the fabric.
Her heart did a little stutter at the sight of him, all lean sculpted muscle and smooth skin with the remnants of a summer tan. Heat suffused her and her face warmed in a blush.
If Carlo noticed, he did his best to hide it as he fought to pull the shirt closed and said, “I never knew that the buttons on your suit sleeve said so much about a man. If they’re real. Stitched. Horn. Who knew?”
She took a few hesitant steps until she was close to him and brushed his hands away as he struggled to button the shirt. “This shirt is absolutely the wrong size, but the style will suit you,” she said and smoothed the fabric across his broad shoulders and chest.
At his ragged sigh, she looked up and met his gaze. The desire there was impossible to miss and she should have stopped touching him. She should have moved away, but she couldn’t.
“You’re not playing fair, Emma,” he said, a rough grumble in his voice as he laid his hands at her waist.
“I’m sorry. It’s just so scary to think about changing what we are,” she said and finally stepped away from him and wrapped her arms around herself.
He raked his hands through his thick cocoa brown hair, tousling the ever-present waves. “I’m not your father, Emma. I would never hurt you. I respect you.”
“I know,” she said, but inside there was still too much fear and doubt. “I just need a little more time, Carlo. And you said you’re a patient man, remember,” she teased, trying to ease the tension in the room.
“I am, but I’m not a saint either. When you touch me . . . I want to touch too, Emma, but I can wait. Just promise me one thing.”
She was afraid to ask what she had to promise but fought back her fear. “I guess it depends on what the promise is.”
With another ragged sigh, he shrugged his shoulders, straining the fabric of the shirt. “I feel like a tool. Promise you’ll make sure I look okay because I’m not a suit kind of guy.”
She grinned and was about to reach out to smooth the linen over his shoulders again but jerked her hand away and locked it with her other hand behind her back to keep from touching him again. Meeting his gaze, she said, “I promise.”
You can purchase NEVER A BRIDE at the following retailers:
Amazon Kindle: https://amzn.to/2MLZRyK
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id1482927575
B&N: bit.ly/BN_Bride
Kobo: bit.ly/kobo_Bride
