Joining me today in The Loft is author Brenda Whiteside. Brenda writes suspenseful, action-packed tales with a touch of romance. She has also authored stories of historical romance, literary women's fiction, light-hearted romance, and romantic suspense with a touch of the mystical. A gypsy at heart, Brenda and her husband have lived in six states and two countries, and have not discounted another move in the future. Currently, they reside in Central Arizona with Amigo, their rescue dog. When not writing, Brenda plays in her fern fairy garden (see below) or tends to pots of herbs and greens.
S: Welcome, Brenda!
Do you remember your first kiss? What was memorable about it?
B: I remember being kissed the first time. I
was in fifth grade and Donnie was the cutest little blond boy I’d ever
seen. The kiss was more of a hit and run. I think my first real kiss came when
I was in seventh grade. I kissed back. We were in the back of a pickup
truck on the way home from somewhere. There were lots of other kids around. Oh
my gosh, my heart pounded and my hands sweated. Lips on lips was wonderful.
S: I always giggle when I write kissing scenes. First kisses are so innocent. Kisses as an adult, not so much.
What was your worst date ever?
B: My worst date ever goes right back to
kissing. My first experiences with kissing were so memorable, sweet and yummy. In
high school, I went out with a guy who wanted to eat my face. We were at the
drive-in theater, so I had no way of getting away from him. He was slobbery and
covered my whole face with his gigantic mouth. I spent the night trying to keep
him talking and away from my mouth.
S: What is it with men who slobber all over a woman? You have to wonder where they learned to kiss.
What attracted you to your current partner?
B: It took a few years of knowing FDW before
falling in love. I thought he was cute the minute he asked me to dance, but
what he said, “Hello, I love you. Would you like to dance?” he just about had me
running in the opposite direction. Three years later, we were married. That was
decades ago. I think he might’ve believed in love at first sight.
S: Good thing you stuck around!
If you had to do it all over again, would you still write books?
B: I would choose writing all over again…but I’d choose it sooner. I started to seriously write rather late in life. I’m not sure I’ll live long enough to get all of the stories in my head out.
S: I am also a "late bloomer." I had written non-fiction, but it took me a long time to work up the courage to write romance.
What inspired "Secrets of the Ravine?"
B: I was born and raised in Arizona. There is a town called Jerome that hangs on the side of a mountain in Central Arizona. I have been fascinated with it for years. Once known as the Wickedest Town in the West, it was a booming mining town in the late 1800s until the 1920s. The mines trickled out a small amount of copper for a couple of more decades, but by the 1950s, the town was dead. In the 1960s, hippies moved in, squatting in vacant homes and bringing some life back to the town. Some bought up the abandoned buildings and Jerome was reborn. The road is a mass of switchbacks to reach the now artsy tourist destination. I’ve been visiting it for decades and never tire of spending time there. My latest series, The MacKenzie Chronicles, is set in a town called Joshua. Hmm, looks a lot like Jerome. The MacKenzie family has lived in Joshua since the 1960s.
S: Is there is anything else you would like readers to know about "Secrets of the Ravine?"
B: "Secrets of The Ravine" is Book One in The MacKenzie Chronicles, and Magpie MacKenzie, the eldest MacKenzie sibling, is the star.
Here's the blurb--
When a ringer for her long-dead love walks into her life the same day skeletal remains are found at the edge of town, Magpie MacKenzie can't ignore what the universe is telling her...solve the mystery, or become the next victim.
Lawyer Zack Peartree's life is orderly and entanglement-free until he visits purportedly haunted Joshua, Arizona, and meets free-wheeling shopkeeper Magpie. Despite experiencing troubling visions and odd moments of deja vu, Zack's instantly drawn to Magpie and to the unsolved murder which troubles her so.
Using clues from her father's past and Zack's deja vu moments, Magpie and Zack race to solve the mystery avoid a murderous fate, and discover their future...together.
S: Wow, sounds like a suspenseful story.
Where can readers buy your book?
B: It's available at--
https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Ravine-MacKenzie-Chronicles-Book-ebook/dp/B08GPRFJBT/
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Secrets-Ravine-MacKenzie-Chronicles-Whiteside-ebook/dp/B08GPRFJBT/
https://www.amazon.ca/Secrets-Ravine-MacKenzie-Chronicles-Book-ebook/dp/B08GPRFJBT/
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/secrets-of-the-ravine-brenda-whiteside/1137584456?ean=9798679280281
Walmart: https://www.walmart.com/ip/MacKenzie-Chronicles-Secrets-of-the-Ravine-Paperback/556425549
S: Brenda, thanks so much for joining me today, and sharing your fairy garden! If you would like to learn more about Brenda and her books, please visit--
Website: https://www.brendawhiteside.com
Blog: https://brendawhiteside.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrendaWhitesideAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/brendawhitesid2
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brendawhitesideauthor/
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B003V15WF8
Email newsletter signup: https://us3.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=4804e039587723cfe02e83f2c&id=5e4b22a4ac
Thank you for having me today, Seelie. You have a lovely blog.
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