Roxy Boroughs Interview: Here Today! Contest Questions: With Winners







We are so happy and excited to have with us today





Ms. Roxy Boroughs.


Can I say I’m jealous of her first name?

I mean it sounds like a Rock~Star for Goodness Sakes!

Okay, I’m over it.  So glad she’s here, Nooo, Really,

I am… :D

Thank you so much for having me here today.

I’m conversing with you from my home in Calgary, Alberta in Canada. And we’ve had the most beautiful fall imaginable. Lucky for me because autumn is my favorite time of year. I love the fall colors.


Rad-Reader:  What made you decide to become a writer?  How and when did you realize you wanted to do it?


Actually, I was a performer first, and always writing skits. It was a natural progression for me to move to novels. Now, I don’t have to settle for playing just one character. I can be all of them.


Rad-Reader:  What books influenced your writing style do you think?  Why?


I’ve read, and appeared in, a number of plays. So I think I have a good handle on dialogue. Other than that, I’ve read my share of classics—To Kill a Mockingbird, Jane Eyre, most of Wilkie Collins. It made me appreciate the mystery genre and just plain good writing. I challenge myself to learn and grow with every book.


Rad-Reader:  Where did you grow up and did it influence you’re writing at all?


I come from a small town in Ontario, Canada. It’s not so small anymore, but it was then. I think more than location, my circumstances influenced my writing. I was quite ill as a child, so I spent a lot of time making up stories.


Rad-Reader:  What genres do you like to write and which do you write the most of?


So far, I’ve written romantic suspense, romantic comedy, sweet romance and romantic fantasy. Romance is the obvious common theme, so far. I also have a short story that leans toward literary fiction.


Rad-Reader:  There are a lot of books turned into movies any you can think of you like the movie better than the book?


Under the Tuscan Sun. Loved Diane Lane’s performance.


Rad-Reader:  What are you currently reading and in what format (e-book, paperback, or hardcover?)

Tempt Me, Cowboy by Megan Crane. It’s part of the ‘Coppertop Mountain Rodeo’ series. My writing buddy, C. J. Carmichael, gifted the e-book to me, as she also has a story in that series, called Promise Me, Cowboy.  Rad-Reader:  When I get some time I will have to look into that, I love me some Cowboys. LOL :D


Rad-Reader:  What would your newest lead character like about themselves?

Jimmy Frost, my hero in Home for Christmas, is hard working and very capable. He can fix just about anything. A guy with a tool belt, who can pick up a guitar and play you a love song—what’s not to like?  Rad-Reader:  Fanning myself~ : D~

Also, Jimmy always tries to do the right thing. But circumstances conspire against him. I’m sure everyone has felt that way, at times. I know I have.  Rad-Reader: Here-Here!

Rad-Reader:  Are any of your characters based on any real people from your life.  If so in what ways?

No matter where the characters start, in the end, they are all facets of myself.  Or possess qualities I’d like to have.
 

Rad-Reader:  Any authors that you have seen lately that their writing style has just grabbed your attention?
 

Gillian Flynn. I’ve read Dark Places and Girl Gone. Both are wonderful psychological thrillers. Looking forward to reading her first novel, Sharp Objects.
 

Rad-Reader:  Do you write under a pen name?  Why?
 

I do. Roxy Boroughs was inspired by the street I lived on as a child—Roxborough Road. My real name is pretty tame and didn’t really work with my hotter, romantic suspense titles.
 

Rad-Reader:  Any Pets or pet peeves? LOL
 

No pets. In the past, I’ve had dogs, fish and birds—budgies and lovebirds.
 

Pet peeves? I can’t abide it if someone is inconsiderate. Try it with me once and you’re out the door.
 

Rad-Reader:  If you could be one of your characters for one day, which one would you be & why?
 

+In this book? The heroine, of course. So I can end up with the yummy hero. (Sigh.)
 

Rad-Reader:  Do you read reviews and do they affect your day either way good or bad?
 

I definitely read reviews. It’s always nice to get a good one, but the not-so-good ones are fine, too. I’m just so happy that people are reading my work. Not everyone’s going to like it, but I have certainly re-edited a book based on the feedback I received in a review. That’s the beauty of e-publishing. I can tinker with the story until I’m satisfied.
 

Rad-Reader:  How many books do you have out?  What is your newest book that is out?
 

Five and a short story. I have two romantic suspense titles, one romantic comedy, a sweet romance anthology, and my latest, Home for Christmas, is a sweet romance (with a side dollop of mystery) and is Book Two of the series ‘A Frost Family Christmas’.
 

The first novella is What Child is This, by C. J. Carmichael, and the concluding story is by Brenda M. Collins and is called The Holly & the Ivy. All the books take place in the fictional town of Carol Falls in Vermont.
 

Rad-Reader:   How do you chose your titles for your books?
 

I used to be terrible at them when I was writing plays. I had to ask my actors to come up with the titles for me. I’m much better at it with the novels. The titles pop into my head like magic.
 

Rad-Reader:  Do you have any say in your covers for your books?
 

I sure do. And it’s wonderful. I love choosing cover art.
 

Rad-Reader:  Give me a name of a song that plays in your head when you think of your new book…

Actually, other than Christmas carols, the song I played the most while I was writing was STOMPA by Serena Ryder. It’s my hero’s theme music. It’s not mentioned in the story. That’s just a little secret between you and me.  Rad-Reader:  I can kind of see how it inspired this book with all the turmoil in Jame’s/Jimmie’s life.  He is so unsettled.
 

Rad-Reader:  What advice would you give your young self now?
 

Believe in yourself.
 

Rad-Reader:  What advice do you have for up and coming young writers?
 

Read. A lot. Both in and out of the genre(s) you want to write. Then go write a lot.
 

Rad-Reader:  How can we get in touch with you or follow you? Twitter, Facebook, Blogs, etc...


Here are my links…

HOME FOR CHRISTMAS: http://amzn.com/B00FIO7D3A

Roxy’s Website:  http://www.roxyboroughs.com/





And if you’d like to see Serena Ryder sing her hit STOMPA, turn up the volume and click here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vz7jCY1cpHk




Other books that Roxy has penned:
Crazy For Cowboy 
Crazy for Cowboy by Roxy BoroughsShe’s through with cowboys. But this one’s the ‘reel’ deal.

Equine veterinarian, Emily Grant, has had her share of cowboys, and they always break her heart. After vowing to give them up forever, Brandon Hollister strides into her life.

He’s a different kind of cowboy, one that works on the silver screen. But is he just playing the part when it comes to love? Or can this handsome hunk get past a case of mistaken identity to become the man to win Emily’s heart.


I loved this book I gave it 5 stars


A Stranger's Touch 
A Stranger's Touch by Roxy BoroughsSingle mom, MAGGIE HOLMES, is a by-the-book Calgary cop, until her seven-year-old asthmatic son, Davie, is kidnapped. Frantically grasping at any hope, she turns to STAFFORD WEBB, a psychic who retrieves information through his sense of touch.

Stafford is reluctant. Unbeknownst to Maggie, he helped with the Tommy Hutchinson kidnapping case six months earlier, but didn’t get to the child in time. Haunted by images of the boy, Stafford retreats inward and focuses on his other private obsession: finding the killer, James Ryan Morley – the man who also murdered Stafford’s older sister when she was sixteen.

But the desperation in Maggie’s eyes is too great for Stafford to ignore. Following his visions, they set off on a journey through the rugged terrain of the Northwest Territories – and along the jagged line between faith and reason.

61,000-word Romantic Suspense. Adult language, some violence, sexual situations.
Letting Go by Roxy Boroughs
Letting Go

A chance encounter gives a grieving woman new perspective in this 2,350-word short story by the author of 'A Stranger's Kiss' and 'A Stranger's Touch.'






  A Stranger's Kiss
A Stranger's Kiss by Roxy BoroughsA chance encounter gives a grieving woman new perspective in this 2,350-word short story by the author of 'A Stranger's Kiss' and 'A Stranger's Touch.'


The highly anticipated stand-alone sequel to Boroughs,' "A Stranger's Touch", winner of the Writer's Voice Award.

Description:

Sam Hutchinson, a successful lawyer, is devastated by the murder of his son. Hoping to gain closure by learning more about the suspected killer, Sam traces the murderer's roots to Bandit Creek, Montana.

There, against a serene mountain backdrop, he finds Amy Tesher. Lies are Amy's camouflage, all fabricated to escape the secrets of her dark past. And to protect her eleven-year-old daughter, Renee, who is able to communicate with Sam's ghostly son.

Unaware of Sam's real mission, Amy takes him into the boarding house she's inherited from her grandmother. Just as the serial killer, James Ryan Morley, returns to claim Amy … and her daughter.

39,000-word Romantic Suspense novella. Adult language and themes, some violence, sexual situations.

Everything happens in Bandit Creek.
http://banditcreekbooks.com

This is where I hope you were reading the two days the promo ran and today’s interview.  Roxy is nice enough to have decided to give away a prize for the persons (only one winner per correct answer.) that answers first.  Send me an email Or comment be the first one.


What is April’s Sons Name?


When April’s son flaps his arms she calls it by its shorten name what does she call it?


One winner will win e-Book #1: What Child is This
the second winner will win a $5.00 Starbucks card.
Thanks you Roxy on Behalf or our winners.

CROSSROADS: HOW THE BLUES SHAPED ROCK N' ROLL

CROSSROADS: HOW THE BLUES SHAPED ROCK N' ROLL   JOHN MILWARD
Posted:  Nov. 1, 2013

Crossroads by John Milward The blues revival of the early 1960s brought new life to a seminal genre of American music and informed a vast new world of singers, songwriters, and rock bands. The Rolling Stones took their name from a Muddy Waters song; Led Zeppelin forged bluesy riffs into hard rock and heavy metal; and ZZ Top did superstar business with boogie rhythms copped from John Lee Hooker. Crossroads tells the myriad stories of the impact and enduring influence of the early-60s blues revival: stories of the record collectors, folkies, beatniks, and pop-culture academics; and of the lucky musicians who learned life-changing lessons from the rediscovered Depression-era bluesmen that found hipster renown playing at coffeehouses, on college campuses, and at the Newport Folk Festival. The blues revival brought notice to these forgotten musicians, and none more so than Robert Johnson, who had his songs covered by Cream and the Rolling Stones, and who sold a million CDs sixty years after dying outside a Mississippi Delta roadhouse. Crossroads is the intersection of blues and rock 'n' roll, a vivid portrait of the fluidity of American folk culture that captures the voices of musicians, promoters, fans, and critics to tell this very American story of how the blues came to rest at the heart of popular music.

HUBBY'S REVIEW:

In this book it is about the blues music and the men who played or made the music and how it affected rock and roll. Of course like most blues books you must start with Robert Johnson and how his music effected everyone. But between him and Muddy Waters there was a blues. Folk, gospel or anything they needed to be that time of the day. The recordings from that period are mostly gone. The 78;s did not make it and each musician really kind of shared songs making them their own. Folkways made a blues record and so did the Smithsonian. Then the 50’s was the big blues decade. Towards the end of the 50’s blues was over and rock & roll was taking its place. Records though had been showing up in the U.K. and then after Muddy Waters performed at the Newport Jazz festival, he became popular again. After him and Howlin wolf toured in England. We had a bunch of rock band bands from the Stones, Clapton, and Zeppelin just to name a few. From the 60’, 70’ and beyond even I did not know how much the blues effected rock music. This book even take you up to ZZ TOP and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Today there are many new blues musicians and they are all good. But listen to some of the old ones T-Bone Walker, Honey Boy Edwards, Pinetop Perkins, and Jimmy Rogers just a few names. Their music still is just as good as or even better than some of the music that is out there now. I really liked this book.

NIGHTMARE IN AURORA

NIGHTMARE IN AURORA                            WILLIAM PFIRRMAN
Posted:  Nov. 1, 2013

Nightmare in Aurora by William Pfirrman Nightmare in Aurora is a fictionalized tale, based on an actual horrific and nearly deadly event and the people, who were involved, whether willingly or by sheer chance, do actually exist. From the main character, Charley and his roommate, Tom, to the lead detectives charged with seeking the truth in this tale of lies and deceit, to the crime scene investigators and the witnesses, they are all actual persons and all played a role in the search for the truth and justice. In every case, I have changed the names of those depicted here. However, the book contains many of the actual police reports written by the different police officers involved in all aspects of the investigation. Reports filed by the lead detectives in the case, by crime scene investigators, uniformed officers that had responded to calls for help from one of their own, as well as from Charley and his roommate Tom, who at first believed to be suspects, were actually victims. Also included are the reports filed by the trigger-happy, newly promoted, deceitful detective responsible for this event in its entirety. Even the statements collected from witnesses to the carnage described are included and told in their own words. However, in an attempt to allow the reader to see and understand the entire story as it unfolded, some of the content had to be dramatized. I have written the book in the first person so the reader will feel as though they are sitting across from Charley, the main character, as he takes you along as he describes his life from his earliest memories. As your reading his story, he tells of the traumas he experienced, the battles he was forced to fight growing up, and how he learned to overcome powers much stronger than his own, right up to the moment he relates the horrors he experienced in May of 1973 and the several months following. This, I believe, will allow the reader to experience with Charley everything he had to endure, during this five month long nightmare, as though they were.

HUBBY'S REVIEW:

I received this book in an e-book, from the author William Pfirrmam. The events he writes about actually happen as he has taken from police reports. He of course has changed the names of the characters and has written the story in first person so we the readers get the full effect of the story. That really works for me and the story. After he brings you up to how they end up in Aurora. He starts the chain of events that lead to a night of near death and three days in jail. Each day being question and not in the most pleasant way, but always sticking to the same story. Finally the lead detective had to look in a different direction. This lead to his release but also to a whole another set of problems. To where he finally had to leave the Air Force and had to leave Colorado. The whole night in question that started everything could have been avoided if police reports would have been filed on time. This is just one thing. I don’t want to give a way to much. Mr. Pfirrman, though makes this a great read, very exciting. I did not stop once the action part started going until I finished. I enjoy books like that.

HOME FOR CHRISTMAS

HOME FOR CHRISTMAS                           ROXY BOROUGHS
Posted:  Nov. 1, 2013


Home for Christmas by Roxy Boroughs This holiday season, April Rochester must decide if her first love is merely “Home for Christmas”– or home for good.

James Frost, the black sheep of the family, is back in Carol Falls, Vermont, to build a big box store and prove he’s a success. His plans derail when he learns his high school sweetheart has moved back to town also, along with her autistic son, Marcus.

Ten years ago Jimmy and April eloped, only to be torn apart when April’s parents insisted on an annulment. Their love for each other never died, however, and this could be their second chance. But James has been hiding behind a mountain of secrets, one of them involving baby Holly, the abandoned child recently found at the family farm.

And all of James’ well-kept secrets are about to come tumbling down.

“Home for Christmas”, a 40,000 word sweet romance novella, is Book Two of “A Frost Family Christmas” trilogy. Each novella is a complete romance with a linking mystery connecting the three books.

Book 1 = "What Child is This" by C.J. Carmichael
Book 2 = "Home for Christmas" by Roxy Boroughs
Book 3 = "The Holly and the Ivy" by Brenda M. Collins


MY REVIEW:


     Home for Christmas what a fantastically sweet story.  It is not your normal romance though.  There was of course you normal hero Jimmy.  The heroine April and her son Marcus who is not your average child.  That alone gives it a twist since most authors are not usually wanting to talk about children that are different in their main stream storylines. So glad she did and let me tell you she did is so much justice and dignity.  The emotions and the tired overwhelming joy you feel with a breakthrough is spot on too. Nicely done.  

     Yet, right in the middle of the continuation of this Frost family saga you have this mystery of the baby to be solved.  Just when you think you have the piece of the puzzle and Roxy brought you right to the most important piece boom she steers you in another direction.  Not to mention our hero has a secret of his own that he has been hiding all his life even from his high school girlfriend April.  That he feels he needs to finally share. It does bring tears to your eyes let me tell you. Boy, does that and all the other little things that add up to the ending make you go, "HMM?"  "That is not what I saw coming at all but I did if that makes any sense.  Once you read it you will go, “Oh I get it now.”

     This is fun reading once I found enough time in my day to get it done.  It is a fast fun holiday read and so worth it.  I can’t wait to see how it ends.  Brenda, here I come… 

                                                                      Back to You #1 Hard Crush HARD CRUSH                                  ...