Carly Fall: Love Sucks...Until It Doesn't!

Tell us a bit about yourself.  What makes Carly Fall tick?

I am a wife, a mother, and a slave to the dog Nicky. I think chocolate and wine should be considered their own food group, and I wish Christmas happened twice a year.

Can you tell us something quirky about yourself that readers might not know already? (quirks, hobbies)

Sigh. I have so many quirks. I won’t allow anyone else to load the dishwasher, because they don’t put things where I think they should go. I also won’t allow anyone else to make my bed. I’m sure there’s some medical label we can slap on that.

How do you develop your plots and your characters? Do you use any set outline?

When I begin writing a book, my characters have been sketched out in my notebook, and they reveal more of themselves as the book progresses. I do plot out where the book is going to go, but sometimes the characters don’t necessarily agree and we get a little side-tracked.  However, we eventually  end up where we need to be!

What books/authors have most influenced your life? 

Lately, I have been influenced by some great Indie Authors. There are really some amazing writers out there with wonderful stories to tell. Elise Marion, A.L. Jackson, and Taylor Dean to name a few

What did you want to be when you grew up? 

Honest to God, I wanted to be a Cowboy’s Football Cheerleader.

What do you like to do for fun and relax?

I love hanging out with my family, watching TV, hiking, swimming in our pool during summer, etc. I also love catching a happy hour with a crazy girlfriend, but honestly, I find writing very relaxing and tons of fun!

If we were to come over to your house for dinner, what specialty would you make us? 

I would probably suggest we go out. However, if you insisted, and depending on what you like, I would call one of the following: pizza, Mexican or Chinese food. I’m “culinarily challenged,” ( I know that isn't a word - I had to make it up), and trust me, you don’t want to eat what I cook.

Now, about your story, Time or Money. What can you tell us about it?

Time or Money is a short story that takes place on Valentine’s Day about a man who is very driven to succeed after growing up in poverty. However, his ambition has caused a lot of friction at home with his wife, who is feeling neglected because they never spend any time together. It’s a story about the importance of communication and finding compromise in difficult situations. With some sex thrown in, of course.

 What influenced the idea for this story?

 The influence was actually my own life. When my husband and I were first married, I had a very difficult time adjusting to his drive and ambition. There were many fights, but we were able to talk it through and work toward a common goal, as well as find compromises that made both of us happy.

Which character was the most difficult to work with - the hero or heroine?

 Definitely the heroine, Bridget. I had to walk a fine line with her. In some drafts she sounded like a whiner, which I didn’t want. However, I had to find that place where she sounds like a strong woman who loves her husband deeply and just wants a little time and attention from him.

What makes this couple perfect for one another?

 They are perfect for each other because they balance each other out.  Mason has so much drive and determination, and Bridget is no slacker either, but she also realizes what's important in life and tries to make Mason understand as well.

Did the story turn out the way you planned from the beginning? If not, what change happened that you didn't expect?

It pretty much turned out as I planned.  There were some minor changes by the publishers to the characters, but overall, the theme of the story is the same.

What do you hope readers take with them after they've read this story?

First, I hope they walk away with a smile glad that they invested their time in the book. Second, I hope they are reminded of how important communication is in all of our relationships and the when things get rough, the worst thing that can be done is having one or both people shut down and not talk. 

Fast & Fun:

Boxers or briefs?

Boxers

Bradley Cooper or Jason Statham?

Jason, hands up, down and all around.

Wine or beer?

Wine

Chocolate or Vanilla?

Chocolate

Baseball or hockey?

Hockey

Heels or running shoes?

I’m all about the sneakers!

When traveling do you prefer hotels or Bed & Breakfasts?

Hotels, and the nicer the better J

What did you notice first when you met your spouse?

His height. He stands at 6’5. I’m 5’10. It’s rare to see a man a lot taller than me.

Where can readers contact you?

www.carlyfall.com

Twitter @CarlyFall1

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/CarlyFall

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carly-Fall/135934843166283?ref=hl

Thank you very much for being here. We all wish you the best of luck!!

Thank you for having me, Kacey!

                         

Collection Summary:

Sometimes Valentine’s Day is not all hearts and roses …

Love Sucks … until it doesn’t!

A collection of individual short stories where the most romantic day of the year redeems itself … eventually.

There are two male/female contemporary romance stories and two male/male contemporary romance stories. To be released on the four days leading up to Valentine’s Day.
 

Time or Money Summary:

Carly Fall introduces us to Bridget and Mason in Time or Money, where missed calls, a broken cell phone, and a surprise that never came off on the most romantic day of the year, might just signal the end of their dreams.

Excerpt:

Mason Jackson finished with the last loop of his striped blue and black tie and shimmied the knot up to his throat. He ran his hands over his gray button-down shirt and tucked it into his black pants.

Mason studied his reflection in the mirror. His eyes were blue; the same ocean blue as in his tie, and his thick, black hair needed a trim. There were a few gray hairs at his temples. He reached for the tweezers to pluck them out. He wasn’t quite ready for the older, distinguished gentleman look yet.

His nose bent slightly off-center, the result of a break when he played high school football, and his just-shaved skin was tanned from weekends on the golf course. He stood at six foot two, and his wife had described him as “ruggedly good looking.” What that meant, he wasn’t sure, but as long as she was happy with it, so was he.

Not quite as muscular as he had been in his twenties, at thirty-five he was trim and looked pretty good; there wasn’t a sign of that gut that seemed to plague many of his male friends and colleagues who were the same age. Even with his grueling work schedule as a chartered accountant, he managed to find time to exercise a few times a week.

Checking his watch, he figured he would make it to the office by seven. He was trying to make partner at his financial firm, and had been told that the more hours he put in and the more money he made for the firm, the better his chances. So for the past six months, he had been getting to the office early each morning and staying late.

He turned and looked at his bed where his wife, Bridget, or Ms. B, as he sometimes called her, slept soundly, oblivious to his gaze. Wrapped up beneath the dark-brown comforter in the fetal position, and looking as if she were trying to avoid the approaching morning, she reminded him of Pigs in a Blanket, his favorite breakfast from his childhood.

She definitely wasn’t a morning person. The sunlight that was starting to peek through the blinds glistened off her short, blonde hair. It looked a little lighter than usual, but he hadn’t noticed until now. He wondered when she had gotten it colored and chastised himself for not seeing the change sooner.

As Mason stared at the shining tips, he smiled as he remembered the first time he had laid eyes on her, which was at an AC/DC concert of all places. She was seated two rows ahead of him and had caught his eye right away. During the concert he had paid little attention to the band, his focus being on her and her then long, blonde hair that swayed across the middle of her back as she danced. At some point during the concert she turned around and smiled at him. When their eyes met, he knew he was a goner. After the concert, he asked her out, and they had been inseparable from then on. A year later they were married, and she had given him the surprise of his life on their wedding day when she had all of her hair cut off into the sexy blonde spikes she wore now. He loved the short hair more than the long, blonde waves.

His smile faded as he thought, yet again, about how long it had been since they’d spent any quality time together. They hadn’t made love in over two months. Their respective jobs kept them both so busy; it seemed like there wasn’t time to do anything but work, eat, sleep, and do it all over again the next day.

He’d been at the office until nine the previous night and had come home exhausted. He and Bridget had a stilted conversation in the kitchen about their days for ten minutes over a glass of wine, and then they had gone to bed. Mason was asleep within seconds. It seemed as though if they weren’t arguing, they had trouble talking about anything. There was so much tension and strain in the relationship, he felt like he had to be careful with every word that came out of his mouth. Frankly, sometimes it was just easier to not say anything at all.

Right now they were more roommates than a married couple, and roommates that weren’t getting along very well. There wasn’t the connection that they used to share.

Marveling at how far they had grown apart, he recalled the first months of their marriage when they lived in a small studio apartment. They were happy with macaroni and cheese for dinner, boxes of wine, and each other. He looked around the huge bedroom with its expensive Southwest decor; done in warm browns, rust colors, and deep yellows. The travertine floors gleamed white. It was about the size of the small apartment he grew up in. He was proud of his success and having risen above the poverty that plagued his childhood, but as he stared back at his wife, he felt utter loneliness shudder through him.

Mason loved Bridget now more than the day he married her five years ago, and he couldn’t imagine his life without her in it. His heart literally hurt to think about that scenario. However, he did know that something had to give in the relationship. They had to find some way to reconnect, to become a couple again. Four years ago they had talked about starting a family, and he still wanted that. But for a family to happen there had to be a set of loving parents.

If they kept this up, Mason knew they were destined for a divorce that he didn’t want.

He sighed, running his hand through his hair. Yes, they needed some time to talk, some time to get reacquainted and, dammit, he needed to get his hands on her sweet little body and make love to her.

Buying Details:

The list price for each book in the collection is $1.99, however all books in the collection will be discounted by 25% for the duration of the blog tour, and until the end of February, when purchased on the BDP website, using this discount code: bdpvdttomkhk01

http://www.bottomdrawerpublications.net

Author Profile:

Carly Fall is a wife, a mother and a slave to Nicky the dog.

She loves to laugh, and thinks chocolate and wine should be considered their own food group. She also wishes Christmas happened twice a year.

Three years ago, she decided to take a break from writing business material and dip her toe in the fiction pond, and has loved watching her imagination come to life on the page. She is the author of contemporary and fantasy romance.

Website Link: www.CarlyFall.com

                                

A little about the other books in the Valentine’s Day Collection:

February 12 - A New Dream by C. J. Baty

C.J. Baty with her first published work, A New Dream, gives us a glimpse into the world of competitive skiing and what happens when one man's Olympic dreams are shattered. Can Walt find something new to dream about in Curt, the latest act playing at the ski resort? (m/m romance)

February 13 - The Gift by Elise Marion

Elise Marion brings us back into the glittering world of Avery & Dom from The Secret Life of Avery O'Dea in The Gift. Avery has always thought that Dom knew her better than anyone else. Does the gift he buys her this Valentine's Day show that he really has no idea at all?

February 14 - An Unexpected Party by Henrietta Clarke

Henrietta Clarke introduces us to a tale of misconceptions, a mother in denial, and some serious baggage in An Unexpected Party. Meet Peregrine and Merry, two unlikely souls who meet at a speed-dating event. Problem: Peregrine is very much in demand with the ladies, although he seems to be having trouble tearing his attention away from a certain gorgeous waiter for the night. (m/m romance)

Something about the publisher:

Bottom Drawer Publications is a new publishing house that specialises in romantic and erotic romance fiction across a range of genres, with both het and gay characters. Our genres include: Contemporary, Historical, Literary/Drama, Alternative Lifestyles, Paranormal/Sci-fi/Fantasy, Mystery/Thriller and Steampunk.

Our books are available for sale on our website as well as over 8 booksellers, including: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple iBookstore, All Romance, Rainbow eBooks, and a range of others. All reading devices are catered for with a comprehensive range of formats.

We are always on the lookout for fresh and interesting manuscripts within these genres, and from time to time will put out calls for anthology submissions.

Visit our website: http://www.bottomdrawerpublications.net for our new release information and our writing submission guidelines.

a Rafflecopter giveaway