Dear Readers,
           In case you were anticipating my next book release, I'm sorry to disappoint you. I was going to release the first part of MASTER Book 2: Luna this July, but due to a sudden change of circumstances, all of my writing projects have been placed on an indefinite hiatus. As time goes on I may be able to reveal more details about why I had to halt my writing career, but for now, all I can do is apologize & ask for your forgiveness.

Thank you, and take care.
-Jane Bled

Destiny Booze, one of my author pals on goodreads, joins us today for a little chat about her upcoming romantic thriller release, her humble beginnings, and her love of cleaning bathrooms!

Destiny Booze: Fate in the Works

Jane:

Welcome, welcome. Happy to have you as my guest today. I’ve seen your blog postings on goodreads and the very first thing I noticed about you was your name--it exudes definite personality. Please tell me about its origins.

Destiny:

My name gets so much attention, but I can't take any of the credit. My mom chose Destiny out of a romance novel (perhaps fate in the works there?). Booze was given to me by my husband. The combination is what it is: me!

Jane:

Sounds like fate definitely had a hand in it!

The following sentence from your bio, "Her writing career began as a community journalist, yet creative writing was always her passion," leads me to wonder which aspects of your former career leave traces in your novels...or is creative writing a different entity entirely, with no connection to community journalism?

Destiny:

I actually think of my creative writing as the influencer rather than the influencee. I began writing stories as soon as I was old enough to do so. I finished my first novel in high school. I believe my creative writing influenced my journalism. I made each article an actual story rather than just a collection of facts, or that was my aim.

Jane:

What did your attempts to publish your first novel entail? Was it easier or harder than you had expected?

Destiny:

My attempts at having my first novel published were something like playing a whacking machine game. Every time you hit the stupid thing with the hammer, two more things pop up. I got nowhere for a really long time, or that's what it felt like.

The truth was that I was learning the business. That's how it has to start. My first completed novel remains unpublished to this day.

Getting published was 500 times harder than I thought it would be. I had no idea how tough this business was for authors. It's still tough. Getting published is only the beginning. Once you have a book out there, you have to have readers.

Jane:

Preaching to the choir! We authors are incomplete without our readers.

Are you currently still trying to get your first completed novel published? If so, how many times have you revised it, if at all?

Destiny:

I am not still trying to get my first completed novel published. Honestly, it wasn't good enough to get published. I still like the story idea. Maybe one day I'll rewrite it. Maybe...

Jane:

How brutally honest, LOL.

Please tell me a little tidbit about yourself that may surprise the people who don't know you.

Destiny:

It would surprise readers to know that my very first job was cleaning bathrooms, and I loved it. My coworkers were great friends that I still have to this day. We love telling our stories about how we used to scrub toilets, and some of the gross things we saw together. Don’t worry. I won’t tell those stories now. :)

Jane:

I’m sure you could write an eye-opening book based on your first job experiences!

Curiosity killed the cat…but I have to wonder what you loved about cleaning bathrooms besides the great friends you made?

Destiny:

I just love cleaning. I really do. Even bathrooms. Why? Who knows? Maybe there's something wrong with me. LOL.

Jane:

There’s something wrong with most of us. You’re not alone. ;)

How much of yourself do you see in your characters? Do you use real-life experiences as springboards of inspiration, or pure imagination?

Destiny:

That's a great question and very complicated. I don't write myself into characters. Most of my characters are a figment of pure imagination, though the only experience any of us really have to write from is our own. I'm fascinated by human behavior, psychology and emotion in general. I get wrapped up in trying to decide how certain parts of a person's life would influence the person they become and how they would act or react to different scenarios. I absolutely live for building a person in my mind, then backtracking to how that person would become the person I want them to be. It's absolutely fascinating!

Jane:

Indeed.

So these days you’re a romantic suspense novelist. How do you balance romance and suspense in your stories? Are both elements equally important, or is one more so than the other?

Destiny:

My stories tend to be heavy on the suspense, medium on the romance. Both are important to my stories. I use the suspense to keep readers turning pages. I use the romance to set up my happily-ever-after.

Jane:

A tried-and-true formula, that.

Are your two novels, Altered Beginnings and Predetermined Endings, connected to each other at all, or are they standalones?

Destiny:

Altered Beginnings and Predetermined Endings are books one and two of my Outer Banks Suspense Series. They can be read as a series or alone. Each book has a unique story, but many characters are the same.

 
Jane:

What do your readers have to say about your books?

Destiny:

A few comments from readers:

"New author, Destiny Booze, shows real writing potential in her debut novel, Altered Beginnings. The story was interesting from beginning to end, and I was genuinely surprised by some of the twists in the plot. The heroine was interesting and anything but clichéd..."

~Goodreads Review by Deviousfairie

"The book keep me wanting to come back for more. It was very hard to put down. Very exciting and excellent to read. The author is great. I hope to see more of her books."

~Barnes & Noble Review by Teresa21

"What a book. This is a 220 some page book that was packed with information, drama, romance, etc. It only took me a couple of days of reading and that is with interruptions. The writer doesn't give you a lot of unnecessary information. She makes all the necessary information available in short and sweet words. The characters and traits were right on the mark. For a short book, it was a jam-packed with excitement."

~Barnes & Noble Review by smd_569

Jane:

Their enthusiasm is palpable! How lucky you are to have readers who actually tell you what they like about your books (as opposed to the majority of readers who shyly and silently enjoy them).

Do you plan on staying within the genre of romantic suspense, in which you’ve clearly had some success, or does your future include broader horizons?

Destiny:

I LOVE romantic suspense. Love it, love it, love it! With that said, I love thrillers even more. Eventually, I see myself gliding into that genre. As a matter of fact, my next release, The Curse of a Mind, will be a romantic thriller. I am so excited about it! I really love it!

Jane:

Perhaps this question is a bit ignorant, but can you please define the difference between a romantic suspense novel and romantic thriller?

Destiny:

I don't think that's an ignorant question at all. There's not a clear definition, not one that I've seen before anyway. As my personal definition, I believe thrillers include elements of suspense (cop stories, mysteries, etc.), but also include a broader spectrum of story elements such as plots driven by more action, more focus on the villain, faster paces, etc. Perhaps the definitions lie in the differences between the words suspense and thrill? Not a big difference, is it? I can definitely say that when I see the word thriller, I expect A LOT of action in the novel, not necessarily so with a suspense.

Jane:

Gotcha.

Will you share a little about the plot of The Curse of a Mind? Does the story have a big cast of characters?

Destiny:

The Curse of a Mind is about a private investigator named Chris Chambers. She comes up against an antagonist that is using a marvel in medical science known as techlepathy, a mixture of technology and telepathy, to read minds (the full blurb is at http://www.destinybooze.com).

Jane:

Cool!

What kind of action can your readers expect to find in The Curse of a Mind?

Destiny:

In The Curse of a Mind, readers can expect to find a car crash, chasing scene, fight scenes and more. There's a lot going on!

Jane:

I’d love to read an excerpt from The Curse of a Mind.

Destiny:

I don't yet have an approved excerpt to use for The Curse of a Mind.

Jane:

Darn it all! You’re quite a tease. ;) Ah, well. I suppose we must abide by the rules. 

While I’m eagerly awaiting an excerpt from your upcoming release, perhaps you'd like to share a tidbit from one of your previous novels?

Destiny:

I would love to. Here's the blurb and partial excerpt for Predetermined Endings:

Blurb:

Angelica Chappell’s story made huge headlines. Only a few months ago, she
released a new pharmaceutical drug called Krytonix that effectively slows the spread
of cancer cells. She had no idea her story would attract the attention of a serial
killer. Suddenly, she is a target whether she realizes it or not. This killer is interested
in more than her life. He wants her reputation, too. His first mission is to sabotage
Krytonix.

William Pierce worked undercover for the FBI for five years to bring down a ruthless
mobster that he ultimately is forced to kill. Two months have passed by since that
assignment. Still, William saw things he can’t talk about. He did things he can’t talk
about. He believes his soul is damned. Returning to “normal” everyday life isn’t an
option. He isn’t the same man he used to be. He refuses to return to FBI
headquarters, and instead, becomes a rogue agent with an agenda.

When Pierce's agenda leads him to Chappell, it will take both of them to keep
Angelica alive and figure out who is after her. William soon finds himself developing
feelings for Angelica. Too bad for her killer, William worked as a trained hit-man for
the mob. Will he find her killer and hand him over to the legal system to see that
justice is served, or will he search and destroy?


Excerpt (Rated PG-13):

The hair on Angelica’s neck stood up when she heard the panic in Patrick’s
statement. Her stomach nosedived to her feet and returned in utter turmoil. Her eyes
darted to the road to find the source of the problem. They were close to home, a
quiet part of town where tourists didn’t venture and traffic was far less dense. The
road was curvy, leading to a steep grade to the top of a deserted hillside that held
the Chappell Mansion.

“Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit,” Patrick said again.

They were traveling much too fast for the winding road, even heading uphill. Patrick
was wildly stomping on the brake, but nothing was happening. The car continued to
accelerate as if he held the gas to the floor. He fought for control of the steering
wheel, but it looked as if it simply rotated round and round with the ease of an
arcade game. Patrick’s face was flushed bright crimson and sweating, his eyes wide
and glazed.

“Do something!” Angelica cried in desperation, torn between shock and fear.

It was obvious Patrick was doing his best. The sharp curve before them would be
upon them in seconds, and unless some kind of miracle intervened, they were going
straight ahead—over a sand dune and into the ocean.

Angelica grabbed onto the seat and held as tightly as she could. The car continued
to accelerate. Everything seemed loud. Patrick was groaning. The radio was
blasting. The roar of the tires was like drums beating a tune of anticipation.

In the last second, when all possible hope of rescue was gone, Patrick screamed.
Angelica dipped her head in her lap and closed her eyes. The Lord’s Prayer was on
her lips when she felt the car lurch into the air and plummet into empty space…

See the full excerpt at http://www.destinybooze.com

Jane:

Great excerpt! Very intense.

Inquiring minds want to know—in which formats are your books available?

Destiny:

My books are available in print and eBook formats.

Jane:

The best of both worlds! I’m sure your readers appreciate the flexibility. 

Unfortunately, that’s all the time we have for today. Thank you so much for joining me for today’s Author Spotlight. I’m glad you granted me the opportunity to get acquainted with you and your writing. Best of luck, and please keep me updated on the release status of The Curse of a Mind.

Destiny:

Will do. I appreciate this interview so much! It's been fun! Thanks a bunch!

BIO:

Destiny Booze grew up at a campground in Virginia where her childhood was full of hard work. There was also an element of excitement as she met a large variety of diverse people with widespread tales about fun and adventure. She grew into a young lady with a very active imagination.

Her writing career began as a community journalist, yet creative writing was always her passion. Altered Beginnings was her debut novel as a romantic suspense novelist. She is also the author of Predetermined Endings.

She resides in Virginia with her husband, son and house full of pets. To learn more about the author or to find correspondence details, visit her website at www.destinybooze.com.

Book List (Available Now from Whimsical Publications):

Altered Beginnings

Predetermined Endings

2010 Release from Whimsical Publications:

The Curse of a Mind