Interview & #Giveaway ONCE UPON A MASQUERADE

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Once Upon A Masquerade
EBook: 293 pages
Release Date: February 10, 2014
ISBN: 978-1622664511
 
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New York City, 1883
A Prince Charming meets his match…

Self-made shipping magnate Christopher Black first spies Rebecca Bailey at a masquerade ball and is captivated by her refreshing naiveté and sparkling beauty. She’s a stark contrast to the hollow behavior of the ton and the guile of his former fiancée, but the closer he gets to her secrets, the further she pushes him away.

A Cinderella with a secret…

Rebecca is drawn to the charismatic Christopher from the first, but she cannot risk him discovering that she is really a housemaid impersonating an heiress. Her father's life depends on it.

A Happily Ever After that could never be…

When Christopher’s investigation of the murder of his best friend leads him straight to Rebecca, he fears his ingénue may be a femme fatale in disguise.  Now he must decide if he can trust the woman he's come to love, or if her secrets will be his downfall.

 

Interview

 

1) Hi Tamara! Thanks so much for taking the time to do this interview :)
Thank you so much for having me! This is awesome!
How did the idea for Once Upon A Masquerade come about?
 

I’ve always loved Cinderella stories. There’s something uplifting about seeing someone rise out of a bad situation to get their happily ever after. But I wanted a twist on the story. No evil stepmother or mean stepsisters. Instead, I decided on a murder mystery – the murder of the prince’s best friend (Okay, he’s not really a prince). And to make it more interesting, what could be more fun than having Cinderella as the prime suspect?

 
2) Are your characters based on anyone you know?
 

I’m always nervous making my characters too similar to people I know because well-rounded characters aren’t all pretty and nice; they have flaws. Ironically, the flaw of my Cinderella is that she’s too nice. She’s willing to give up everything for those she loves, even her life. That said, anyone who suspected I used them for a character…well, you never know what their reaction would be. And I’m all for love, not war. Of course, I do use small tics and habits that I see from anyone around me, for fun and to make the characters more realistic.

 
3) What is your writing process? (Do you write outlines? Do you know how a story is going to end when you start it? Is it harder to write with someone or alone?)
 

For Once Upon a Masquerade, I was a total pantser (I wrote by the seat of my pants). But this book has gone through so many rewrites and revisions I don’t think I really consider it a pantser effort anymore. Now I’ve been trying to plot my books. So I usually start out with a kernel of an idea, maybe a scene or two, probably the beginning and the end. I play with the idea to see where it takes me as a concept, then I cast my characters.

I literally look for pictures for each of my significant characters so I have something to look at when I describe them in the story. From there I do what I call character sketches. I answer a series of questions about each character, from their likes/dislikes, their habits, to their history.

Then I plot the book, scene by scene if I can, attempting to pull all the threads of the story (internal character growth, external plots, relationship of the two main characters from attraction to love) from beginning to end. That’s when I finally sit down to write the first draft.

As for writing as a team or alone, I’ve never written with anyone, but I do have a critique partner who goes over ever chapter I write to help me figure out if there are places I need to change or expand on.

 
4) What is your favorite genre to read?
 

I read mostly romance: historical, paranormal, YA paranormal, and some contemporary.

 
5) What are you reading right now?
 

Because of my book release, sadly I haven’t been reading much, but I do have a few books on my TBR pile just waiting for when I have a spare hour or two: Crystal Cove by Lisa Kleypas, Rescued by a Stranger by Lizbeth Selvig, and Tempt Me by Tamara Hogan.

 
6) What can we be excited about that is coming from you in the future?
 
I’ve written three more books since Once Upon a Masquerade. They are all the beginning of series. One is historical, a pirate book, tentatively titled Pirate’s Paradise. The other two are paranormal romance: Bewitching The Beast and Finding Ambrosia. None of these books are under contract yet, but I’m really hoping they’ll be the next ones out. We’ll see.
 
Those all sound exciting!
Thanks so much, Tamara. And Happy Valentine’s Day.
 
You too!
 

About Tamara

 
 

A small town girl with a big imagination, Tamara Hughes had no idea what to do with her life. After graduating from college, she moved to a big city, started a family and a job, and still struggled to find that creative outlet she craved. An avid reader of romance, she gave writing a try and became hooked on the power of exploring characters, envisioning adventures, and creating worlds. She enjoys stories with interesting twists and heroines who have the grit to surmount any obstacle, all without losing the ability to laugh. To learn more, stop by her website: www.tamarahughes.com. You can also find her on:

 
Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads / Amazon Author Page

 

Giveaway Details:

 

1 $25 Amazon Gift Card US Only

3 eBooks of ONCE UPON A MASQUERADE International

 
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Good luck and happy reading!