Saturday, October 5, 2013

Dawn Chartier

  

Welcome to Wing Beat!

Thanks for having me, JoJo! And congrats on your latest release, Scorned!!! I can’t wait to read it.

Please introduce yourself and give us a short bio:

Dawn Chartier never knew she wanted to be a writer while growing up. Sure her parents owned a book shop, and she was surrounded by bookworms, but she wasn't one of "those" writers who started early. No, Dawn was inspired by strange events in her life, one was a bitch named, Katrina. Yes, that hur-ricane. But a few months before the storm, Dawn read an article on Marie Laveau in the New Orleans local newspaper and it sparked an idea.

 
She began researching the voodoo priestess, and then Katrina hit. Out of destruction, ideas formed, characters spoke and plots twisted. One thing lead to another and an author was born. (Must have been something in the air, because a few authors were born out of Katrina's wrath.)

Dawn sold her first paranormal (vampire) romance book, (Not An Angel) and her second book, a contemporary erotic romance (Diamonds) to small e-pubs. Her latest novella, (Masquerading with the CEO), will be released through Entangled Publishing (title name may change) in late 2013 or early 2014. Currently she's New Adult novella set in Crown Point, Louisiana and a paranormal (witch series) romance set in New Orleans.

She's a member of RWA, Sola-Writers, FF&P and Savvy Authors. You can find her on Twitter and Facebook when she's not buried inside of a book or writing her next one. She writes from the heart, and accepts her books aren't for everyone. :-)

Dawn lives near New Orleans with her husband, two daughters, two golden retrievers, and plenty of wildlife.

If you had superhero powers, what would it be, and how would you use it to save souls?

If I had superhero powers I’d make myself invisible so I could sneak into Channing Tatum’s and Anson Mount’s House! Yum :) and well, you know…

http://www.amctv.com/shows/hell-on-wheels/cast/cullen-bohannon

Isn’t he hot!!! Anson plays on Hell on Wheels if you haven’t discovered him yet. He’s so damaged in this show. I love him!

Okay, joking aside, I would love to have a power to help heal wronged souls. Not sure what kind of power could do that, but it’s what I would do.  J

As a kid, what was your favorite cartoon or TV show?

Loved Scooby!

As an adult, what is/are your favorite shows?

Hell on Wheels, of course… I also enjoy Cedar Cove, True Blood, and Blue Bloods. I try not to watch too much TV if I can help it.

What is your favorite hobby and why and how often do you indulge?

I wouldn’t call it a hobby, but I love writing. I write almost every day, and if I’m not writing I get very cranky. Reading is also up there on the favorite hobby list. I read all kinds of novels, especially those with romance.

Blurb of your latest release:

DIAMONDS, (A Stiletto Millionaire Club Book 1):

Self-made millionaire Holly Charleston has come a long way since her homeless days. Sometimes, she believes life would have been simpler before fortune and fame. With every man she meets imagining dollar signs, she yearns for the one man who sees the real Holly. A mysterious wealthy stranger may be the one, but she must control her sexsomnia and trust issues if she hopes for a real chance at love.

Professional thief Drake Davenport is ready to begin an honest life. However, his last assignment leads him to steal the heart diamond necklace from a woman known as Ms. Frost. But Holly guards her heart close and her assets closer. Once Holly thaws to Drake's seduction attempts, he finds himself in a position of protecting her from a hired mercenary or living the life he believes he earned. Drake realizes the challenge of stealing the diamond is nothing compared to the challenge of stealing Holly's heart.

Short excerpt of your latest release

Chapter 1

Holly froze.

The piercing stare from the mysterious man sitting at the next table burned through her. She couldn’t drag her gaze back to the menu, and when he spoke, his deep, smooth voice swept across her skin, captivating her.

Embarrassed that he’d caught her checking him out, she bit her lip hard and focused back on the Florida Ritz Club menu. Unable to stop herself, she sneaked another peek. Fiery, blue eyes met hers, and her breath stalled in her lungs.

She gripped the menu tightly and exhaled, forcing her gaze away from those eyes. Jet-black hair hung right above his wide shoulders, and a sharp navy suit clung elegantly across his broad chest. He looked expensive. A shiver raised goose bumps along her flesh.

“Hello. Earth to Holly,” Karen said.

Pulling her attention away from the gorgeous man, she brought her mind back to the lunch she was having with her three best friends.  All three sets of eyes were on her. She placed the menu on the table and smiled wide. “Sorry, guys.”

Karen angled her head. “You’re awfully quiet today. What’s going on?”

Holly raised her wineglass to her lips, needing to quench her thirst. “Nothing much.” She placed the long-stemmed glass on the bright-white tablecloth. “Just the usual.”

Staci, Karen, and Moe glanced at each other.

She shrugged. “You know how I get when I’m about to make a deal.” It wasn’t really her business deal bothering her, but she couldn’t tell them.

Moe nodded. “We know, but it’s not like your first, second, or twentieth property investment. What’s this one make anyway?”

Holly closed one eye and stared at the chandelier with the other.

“Thirty-one.” She didn’t like discussing her career, but these were her best friends and they enjoyed her success more than she did. They understood the past she’d left behind and knew how she had struggled to get to where she was today.
 
“Exactly,” Staci added. “So why do you still worry?” 

Holly gnawed on her bottom lip then released it. “Everything I’ve worked for could disappear in a split second.” It wouldn’t destroy her if she lost her fortune. But knowing what it was like to be homeless and hungry gave her motivation that no one would ever understand, except Karen. “I can’t go back to that life.”

Holly loved the power and respect money had brought her, but it also had a few downsides. Money drew the attention of all the wrong people. She couldn’t trust anyone, which kept her lonely and cold in her bed. Her close friends were great, but there was still the empty hollow only a man could fill. An ache that she hid deep within. If not for her three best friends, she’d have no one, unless she counted her drug-head mother and deadbeat father. Nope. Her best friends were it.

Dating had been a nightmare. Fortune hunters crawled out of the woodwork. Money could be a curse when it came to men and dating. 

“Are you kidding? Why do you do this every time you invest in a property?” Karen asked. “Woman, you could give half of your money away and still be one of the richest women in the world.”

Holly glanced around and noticed a few couples sharing an intimate moment. Loneliness wrapped around her, but she shrugged it off. She’d only have to think about her parents’ abusive relationship,
and the isolated feeling dissolved.  

She turned her attention back to Karen. She was nowhere near the richest woman in the world, and although her friends enjoyed teasing her, they had no clue how alone she’d been lately. “Shh. Don’t blare it to the world.”

Karen rolled her green eyes. “It’s not a secret, suga’. Having your face plastered across Forbes more times than Oprah surely has clued people in.” She laughed.

“Stop joking around. It was only on there once, Karen.” Her best friend since fifth grade, Karen was like the sister she never had, and Karen’s family had been the family she’d always wished to have.
She’d spent more time with Karen’s parents than her own. Even though Holly had grown up dirt poor, Karen’s family never treated her so. She loved them and could never thank them enough for being there for her when her own parents were not.

She sighed. “Can we discuss something else, please?” She scanned the menu even though she knew it by heart. Her friends could read her, but they didn’t truly understand how she felt.

The rich, velvety voice from the next table pulled her from her pity party, and she peered around the menu once more. The handsome man spoke on his cell phone and laughed. The sound hypnotized her. Their gazes locked, and the air in her lungs vaporized. He glanced back at his iPad and continued his conversation as though nothing had happened. A little stunned by him blowing her off, she sort of liked the change.

Holly forced her gaze to Karen and whispered, “Don’t look now, but do y’all know who that man is? The one in the dark-navy suit, talking on the phone.”

At the same exact moment, all three women turned completely around in their chairs.

Holly wanted to duck under the table. “Real subtle, ladies,” she whispered, wishing she could vanish from the restaurant like a ghost. Dammit. The hottie nodded once in their direction. His gaze turned on her for a brief second and then moved his attention back to his iPad. Her cheeks burned.

“Hot dog. He’s gorgeous,” Moe said. “Now I understand why you’re distracted. It wasn’t work you had on your mind, now was it?” She bounced her eyebrows.

Heat crawled up Holly’s neck and landed on her face. “Of course it was.”

“Sure,” Staci said. She and Moe grinned like fools.

Karen smiled. “You’re blushing. Wow. It’s been a long time since a man caught your attention.”

“He hasn’t, and I’m not. It’s hot in here. He looks familiar is all.” Moe licked her lips. “Why don’t you go over there and introduce yourself before he gets wind of the Ms. Frost rumor. You know how fast this town spreads lies.”

“I don’t care what people think of me, Moe. If I’m labeled Ms. Frost because of a few men in Destiny, then so be it.” Holly took a deep breath. She hated the cold nickname a few bachelors in the area had coined her because she wouldn’t keep dating them. She knew what they wanted, and it wasn’t fair that she ended up the bad guy and not them.

“You know I was kidding, right?” Moe asked.

Holly nodded. Yep. She knew. Maybe she needed to be a little friendlier in public. She would give a try. 

The waiter, Robert, approached their table, carrying a tray of bottled water. “Ms. Charleston, your usual today?” The tall, thin waiter tilted his head.

“Yes, but I’ll have the shrimp instead of grilled chicken.” She raised her chin a notch. “I feel like a change today.”

*** 

Link to your webpage

 


 

 

Link to where book is for sale


Thanks for having me, Jojo!

My pleasure, Dawn!  Enjoy the journey!

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