Aunt Beatrice Lulu is back

Here she is, the lovable, zany, nosy busybody. And she's involving Ed in her crazy adventures.  Not that he's an unwilling participant. At least not after he agrees. Investigating the local dog rescue shelter to see what's making the dogs sick involves volunteering. Ed loves dogs, so not a problem for him. Besides, he has an ulterior motive.

Trying to figure out who's stealing food, is a little more involved. Add in a new neighbor and as usual, Beatrice Lulu is off and running.

Welcome Suzanne de Montigny

1: Thank you so much for being here, Suzanne de Montigny.

You’re most welcome. I’m honoured.

First up is the obligatory question. When did you first begin writing?

 

About nine years ago. Well, that’s not actually true. I loved writing as a kid and wrote my first novella in grade 6. But then life got in the way, and I forgot about writing until I was 47.

2: Seems to happen to all of us. So, tell us, what inspired you to write?

My dear old dad died of a very dreadful type of cancer, the kind you get from breathing in asbestos. It was a slow, horrible death, and when I came through the other end, I had this tremendous need to write. I remember at his funeral saying, “I feel like writing a book,” over and over again. I like to think he put the idea in my head from the other side.

3: I’m so sorry about your dad, but I believe he did put the idea in your head. Tell us, what do you like the most and least about writing?

I love pushing words around on the page. I hate marketing. It steals time away from my writing and my family.

4: I seem to get similar answers from all authors, me included.  What do you for fun and relaxation when not writing?

Glad you asked. You see, I have this child that lives within that doesn’t want to stop playing. I learned to snowboard at 47 and am crazy about the sport. I also play fiddle.

5: Fascinating! Playing the fiddle I might be able to learn, but I’m afraid I’m beyond snowboarding.  Which authors do you like to read?

I just finished reading the Harry Potter series, so JK Rowling is definitely on my favourite list. Then there’s Stuart R. West. If you haven’t read any of his stuff, you simply must. He’s hilarious! I mean ROFL hilarious. His latest novel, Bad Day in Banana Hammock had me bursting out into giggles so loud my family asked me to keep quiet. Apart from him, I like Kurt Vonnegut too as well as James Thurber and Lucy Maude Montgomery.

6: I’m afraid I’ve not read any of those authors.  I’ll have to put them on my list. Tell us the one thing you’d most like people to know about you?

I have dreadful vision and have had several surgeries to my eyes. That’s why I donate half of my proceeds from my Shadow of the Unicorn series to the Third World Eye Care Society, a group of eye specialists who travel to third world countries delivering thousands of pairs of used eyeglasses and performing surgery for free. It was thought, a few years back, that I was developing macular degeneration. But because I live in Canada, I had such excellent care that today I can see fairly well. So why not return the favour, right? Pay it forward. Actually, when I do author visits, I collect used eyeglasses from the kids.

7: That’s fantastic. I’m glad your vision is better and what a worthy cause. Tell us about your current novel, where I can find it and your website/blog.

Books We Love has just relaunched Shadow of the Unicorn: The Legacy which became a bestseller on the first day! Book 2, The Deception will be released on Feb. 14^th. And I’m presently negotiating my novel, A Town Bewitched.

Here are the blurbs:

Shadow of the Unicorn: The Legacy:

Azaria, a unicorn colt, is intrigued when the young, clairvoyant dinosaur, Darius, foresees a terrifying change to their world. When a giant fireball smashes into the

earth, the unicorns struggle to survive the hurricanes and starvation that follow. But nothing compares to the danger when the creatures-that-walk-on-two-legs settle in the valley, and their leader discovers the healing power in the unicorns’ horns. Greedy and ruthless, Ishmael will stop at nothing in his pursuit of wealth – even the complete extinction of the herd. Azaria must find a way to outsmart Ishmael before it’s too late.

Shadow of the Unicorn: The Deception:

Sixty years after the unicorns’ narrow escape from extinction, Azaria's Legacy has gone wrong. The new generation barely exists, hidden in the depths of the forest. Their cruel and ruthless leader, Icarus, threatens them daily with Jaresh, an invisible being capable of taking away their powers. Angry, the young colt Ulysees and his friend Téo rebel, following an old, abandoned trail where they’re discovered by humans. Now the entire herd must flee. But Ulysees learns there’s a far greater danger than humans when he meets a giant creature who warns him of impending doom…

8: Great! Do you have any tips for aspiring authors?

Write what impassions you and be a perfectionist.

9: Great advice. Do you base your characters on real-life people?

Oftentimes, but not necessarily. Many of my characters have a bit of this person, a bit of that person, etc. And of course, a lot of me.

10: Seems to be the consensus with most authors. Where do you get your ideas and what inspired you to write this book?

My ideas are always swimming around in my head. This series was based on the novella I wrote back in grade 6. I actually intended it as an exercise when I began writing. I didn’t expect it to go anywhere at all.

11: We never know when an idea will turn into something more. I love when that happens.  What are you currently working on?

Why, book 3, of course. Shadow of the Unicorn: The Revenge. Here’s the blurb.

Born deep in the forest, far from the others, Damien is kept a dark secret by his parents until his father, Samuel, decides the colt must join the herd to be initiated. But the unicorns are horrified by Damien’s birth defect. They see him as a freak despite his astonishing abilities. Then when Samuel is pushed to his death by a rival, Damien’s talents turn deadly. Can anyone stop him before he destroys their world?

12. I should have known. LOL Is there anything else you’d like us to know about you?

Sure. Here are my links:

www.suzannedemontigny.com 

https://www.facebook.com/unicorngirl52?ref=hl

https://twitter.com/sfierymountain

http://suzannesthoughtsfortheday/blogspot.ca

And if you’re interested in downloading an ebook copy of The Legacy, voila! It’ll keep your tween, boy or girl, reading for hours

Bit.ly/azariabook1

Available Now - Book 2 in the Family Affair Series

I’m Beatrice Lulu Eberhardt. Some of you know me from my niece Callie Johnson. Callie’s the new Chief of Police of our little town and I first appeared in her book, All in the Family.

Callie doesn’t know it, but she’s my favorite. I annoyed her  sometimes because I tried to fix her up with a nice young man, well several nice young men. I didn’t want her ending up an old maid like I almost was. If Ed hadn’t come along – well I shudder to think what my life would have been like. Callie didn’t much care for any of the men I introduced her to. Praise God, she finally met a nice young man on her own.

But that’s neither here nor there. This story isn’t about Callie. It’s about me. That’s

right, me and pretty much no one else. I’m a bit of a sleuth. Some call me nosy or a busy body, but honestly, I’m only trying to help. I don’t mean to interfere.

It all started when Ed and I bought a cabin. It’s a beautiful place with its own lake. Ed loves to fish. We thought it would be fun to have a place just for us, away from everyone. You may not remember I’m from a large, crazy family. Crazy in a fun-loving way, of course. So Ed and I wanted a place to relax, not that it’s turned out that way. We’re seldom alone. Guess it’s because we genuinely like people. So now days when we go up there, someone always comes along. Usually Ethel and her husband, Greg. Ethel’s my sister, by the way. I have two other sisters, also – Charlotte, we call her Lottie,  and Lillian. Lillian is Callie’s mother, and we have a brother, Clyde, but we don’t see him as often.

Anyway, we bought the cabin and Ed and I went up there to clean it up. No one had been in it for years. Cobwebs filled more than the corners I’ll tell you that. It was going to take days, if not weeks, to clean it. But Ed promised we could fix it up and Ed never breaks a promise. That’s one of the things I love about him.

So there we were looking around, deciding what to do, and Ed decided to build a fire to take the chill and damp out of the air. The place smelled musty, the way empty houses smell after being locked up for a long time.

Well there I was, thinking about where to start when I heard a strange clattering noise. I thought Ed fell or something. I turned around and lying on the fireplace hearth was an arm – well what was left of the arm, bones and tattered flannel from a shirt, I assume. Although I’ve been told never to assume anything.

If you want to know what happens next you’ll have to read about it in All’s Well That Ends Well soon to be released from Books We Love.

If you haven’t read All in the Family – Book 1 of the Family Affair series, you can find it and all my books at Books We Love. Just click on the book and it’ll take you to the buy page. They're also available from Amazon and other markets. 

Now available

Two for Love is now available from Amazon as a paper book. 

Peviously published as A Second Chance and May I Have this Dance 

CHRISTINE Two years after a bitter divorce Christine Rollin resists the efforts of her daughter's matchmaking until she meets her son-in-law’s uncle, Steven Payton. Confirmed bachelor, Steven Payton agrees to help bring Christine out of her shell, but never expects to fall for her. Things are going great between them until Christine's ex- husband shows up, asking for a second chance. Will Christine choose her ex or her new life with Steven? 

ELIZABETH Forty-two years ago, Elizabeth Ashley fell in love with a boy her stern father disapproved of, and their life takes different paths. Now, returning to the place they met, she sits in the gazebo watching her granddaughter and a young man, who resembles her first love. Her memory takes her back. Back to a time when life was fun and carefree.

 Review of May I Have this Dance by Ladybug Lin Reviews: 5 out of 5 stars:

 Well done Ms. Dowell, and thank you for letting those of us with snow coating our roofs know the racing tattoo we still feel from time-to-time in our blood will always keep us young at heart. 

Review of A Second Chance by Ladybug Lin: 5 of 5 stars: 

Roseanne Dowell is a very prolific author of romance for those of us who've lived life, been through the ups and downs of its many pitfalls, and still have hopes for tomorrow's brightest horizons. Ms. Dowell gives us that and so much more in A SECOND CHANCE. She gives us a healthy dose of down-to-earth-reality too. BUT just when you think we're going to get a smooth sailing Happily Ever-after, she brings back the hubby who walked out before the story starts, finally realizing just how good he really had it...and now he wants it all back. What will our heroine do? Take a chance on the promise of the unknown, or take back the familiar even though the familiar let her down? I LOVED this story, and read it all in one sitting. (I put my cellphone on SHUT UP! Cellphones can be SOOOO annoying!) I am so pleased to see authors writing for the generation that is beyond the pale of first blush. Ms. Dowell is one of its best. 

4.0 out of 5 stars Happy And Short March 19, 2013 By Madeleine McLaughlin Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase 

Roseanne Dowell must have a happy outlook on life, and it's good she wants to share it with readers. Her characters resonate with the troubles of any one of us and her outcomes are what we all need in our life. If you like feel-good romance, this short book is for you.