Contemporary

Contemporary: I Do…or Die @BookEmDonna #RLFblog

Donna Cummings, welcome to Romance Lives Forever. Let’s talk
about your book, I Do…or Die.

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Crimson Romance
Length: 272 pages
Heat rating: Sensual
Tagline: Getting shot at during a wedding was the best thing
to happen to her love life.
Blurb:
“Always a bridesmaid, never a bride” is Shelby Atwood’s personal
credo. She’s managed to avoid commitment all her life – no pets, no plants, not
even a long-term lease. Heck, she’s had colds last longer than her romantic relationships.
How could she be any other way when she has a gigolo for a father?

But then gunfire erupts at the latest wedding she’s agreed to
be in, and it ends up being the best thing to happen to Shelby’s love life. Detective Ryan Nichols is
assigned to the case, and when the shootings don’t stop, he becomes her 24-hour
bodyguard. Shelby
wouldn’t mind except Ryan is too appealing, too sexy, and too happy to remind her
of the raucous bachelorette party when she mistook him for a stripper.

Shelby’s
plan is simple: find the shooter, have a fling with Ryan, and return to her non-committal
life. Unfortunately, the shooter is very elusive. Shelby’s feelings for Ryan are way more than adrenaline-fueled
lust. And returning to her normal life is now impossible since, despite her lifelong
resistance, she’s managed to put her heart smack dab in the line of fire.
Buy links:
Crimson
Romance http://crimsonromance.com/crimson-romance-ebooks/crimson-romance-book-genres/contemporary-romance-novels/i-do-or-die/
Amazon
http://amazon.com/dp/B00AB3TBOC
 Barnes and Noble http://barnesandnoble.com/w/i-do-or-die-donna-cummings/1114001417?ean=9781440560514
Kobo http://kobobooks.com/ebook/I-Do-Or-Die/book-H9enFejPcUi4zqyj0hCYEw/page1.html
What are your main characters’ names, ages, and occupations?
Shelby Atwood, early
30’s, TV food personality
Ryan Nichols, mid-30’s,
detective

Interview

What inspired you to write this book?
This book started out
with a little riff from a bridesmaid chatting about all the outrageous bridesmaid
dresses she’d had to wear. And then all of a sudden this chatty character became
the heroine, Shelby, who had been a bridesmaid for her best friend four different
times, only Shelby
hates weddings. And then there was gunfire at the latest ceremony. . .Things just
kind of went crazy from there!
Which character in your current book do you think readers
will like the most? Why?
Shelby seems to endear herself to readers, probably
because of her kooky adventures, and her commitment-phobe qualities, as well as
her hilarious commentary on all of it. There’s definitely a fan base for the hero,
Ryan, though.
When you’re not writing, what would we find you doing?
Probably “getting
ready to write” or feeling guilty for not writing! I hang out a lot on Twitter,
and I love to get inspired by looking at things on Pinterest, and I count them as
invaluable research tools. *cough* Because they are!
Are you a plotter, or do you prefer to make it up on the spur
of the moment?
I am a confirmed pantser.
I’m not even sure I make stuff up–it just shows
up in my brain, and I write it down. It feels like I’m the official stenographer
for these characters. They say and do what they want to, and I type away. Sometimes
I’ll pretend like I’m the movie director and suggest they move over here, or say
such-and-such. When I’m done, they go back to what they were doing in the first
place, and I just start typing again.
What’s your writing schedule like?
It’s pretty much a variation
of this: “Okay, I’ve got my coffee, so I’ll open up the WIP and get my word
count done for the day. Oh, wait. I better check Twitter one more time. And Facebook–I
think somebody left a comment, and I don’t want them feeling ignored. Wow, it’s
lunchtime already. Well, I’ll just go ahead and check the sales stats on Amazon
and then really hit it at 1:30. No, 1:45. Heck, I might as well just round it up
to–how did it get to be 6 p.m. already?!”
Any advice for new authors?
Write the story that
won’t leave you alone. It may be slightly outside your current skill set, but work
at it anyway. You’ll discover what you like, what your strengths are, and most importantly,
you’ll find your voice. THAT is your most valuable tool as a writer. It’s what will
keep readers wanting to read everything you write.
If you could time travel what era would be your first stop?
I didn’t even have to
think about this one! I would go to Regency London, and have a grand time with all
those rogues and rakes.
Do you believe in luck?
I’m not sure if I’d call
it luck, but I definitely believe there’s something
that happens outside of the normal everyday plane. It feels like coincidence sometimes,
the way things happen, being in the right place at just the right moment. Or having
someone show up just as you need them to.
What’s your favorite movie?
I love romance and humor,
so I have a few movies I can watch a zillion times and never get tired of them.
Strictly Ballroom is one, and Notting Hill is another.
Donna Cummings

Please complete the sentence

I love pizza with forty-eleven kinds of cheese on it.
I’m always ready for coffee, and more coffee.
When I’m alone, I crack myself up all the time.
You’d never be able to tell, but I’m thinking up a new tweet
right now
.
If I had a halo, it would be
marking my place in whatever book I’m reading.
If I could learn how to drive a race car, I’d use that
research for an upcoming book
.
I can never eat Brussels sprouts because they are incredibly
gross
!

Previous Books

Lord Midnight, Regency historical
Summer Lovin’, contemporary romance novella

Find Me Here

Website/Blog: http://AllAboutTheWriting.com

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