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***I Support the Writer's Guild of America On Strike***
I've been bugging my friend Blayne Cooper for a guest blog, and she finally came through. She has a new book out, and after reading her description, you can click HERE to order it. Once you read it, we'll get her to talk about it in the Members Forum.
First, I'd like to thank KG for inviting me to blog on her site. While I have my own site (www.blaynecooper.com) I don't like the maintenance associated with a blog. So she's clearly a better woman than I!
 I'm very pleased to be discussing the debut of my newest book entitled Hard Times. Those of you who are familiar with my work know that I like to tackle something a little different with each of my stories. Hard Times is, in essence, a romance where the setting is almost a third character in the story. It's that important. Prison. Can't you just smell the wine and roses?
The story opens in the 1980s where we meet a teenaged Lorna. She comes from a rough, lower class neighborhood, and is about to commit a crime that will keep her behind bars for almost the next twenty years. (click below to read more)
Next, and many years later, the reader meets Kellie. She couldn't be more different than Lorna. She's in her thirties, and an upper-middle class professional whose work life has taken a dive in the toilet. An act of desperation leads her to a crime that lands her in the same prison where Lorna has spent most of her life.
It's this harsh, oppressive environment where the women meet, and ultimately fall in love.
Let me take the opportunity to answer a few of the most common questions about my new book.
No, I have never been in prison. Really. If I had, I would lie about it, of course. But I'm telling the truth. Why don't people believe me? <G>
So why a prison story? Well, the setting itself is fraught with tension and drama that I couldn't resist. Just surviving is a story in and of itself. Doing more is a true accomplishment. It's also an environment that I don't think many people have truly considered. Just the thought of being confined is horrific. Now add the element of being confined with dangerous, and sometimes demented people and the horror increases tenfold. Now mix in sensory deprivation, guards who can be overzealous, and, well... The picture gets darker and darker. There is a challenge associated with setting the stage in a way that makes the reader really consider where the characters are, but still allows for a romance to blossom in the classic sense (where you hopefully do smell the wine and roses - if only a little bit).
No, this is not a pulp/genre piece of work. While it does contain a few of the basic prison clichés that I thought the reader would miss if I omitted them, I don't believe the story is similar to other ‘classic' tales. This isn't the story of the bad girl prison toughie trying to redeem herself. And no one here was framed or really has a heart of gold. While I hope you find some of the characters likeable, I'm trying to portray real women with real problems and flaws.
Yes, the story contains steamy love scenes. While the sexual content of my storylines varies from book to book, I tend to leave at least some elements of what happens between the sheets to the readers' imagination. The raw tone of the tale caused me to throw aside my usual compulsions. There are no fade-to-black sex scenes.
Yes, the story has a bit of humor in it. I find it hard to write much of anything without tossing in a giggle or two. However, as you can imagine, it's not the romp that some of my stories are. It's firmly seated in the drama category.
No, this is not the beginning of a series. Though I've had a couple of emails asking for a sequel, I really do think the story here is complete. But I'll let you be the judge of that!
Despite the grim setting, this isn't a sad story. Spinsters Ink, my publisher, is owned and operated by the same good folks as Bella Books. Recently, Spinsters added Katherine Forrest to their staff and she was my editor. Spinsters, is not, however, where you'll find classic romances. That's Bella's domain. Spinsters focuses on the varied journeys that women's lives take. I enjoy seeing my characters triumph through adversity and I think my readers do too and so that's what you can expect. If I didn't really believe that in the end, love was enough to help us conquer all, well, I couldn't write the stories that I do.
I hope you enjoy my work and I look forward to your comments! I'm even open for questions. So ask away!
Blayne Cooper
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