Interview With Tina Donahue
I sat down (virtually) with Tina Donahue, one of my good buddies, for a short interview. Today is the release day for Passionate Pursuit, Tina’s sexy new historical!
Cynthia Sax: What makes Tomás so freakin’ sexy?
Tina Donahue: Although Tomás is a warrior knight, having fought in countless conflicts for the Spanish crown, he’s also a fair and compassionate man. With Beatriz, the woman he adores, he’s protective and gentle. Add to that his generally easy-going nature and wit, and he’s everything any woman would want. Courageous and daring on his alpha side, but also cherishing on a deeper level. Like most women, I love a strong hero. However, that doesn’t mean a man who snarls, dictates, or is generally abusive toward the heroine. That isn’t strength. A real man is comfortable in his own skin and can afford to be kind, generous, and cooperative. That’s also an adult. Nothing is sexier than a man who isn’t afraid to be emotionally intimate.
Cynthia Sax: You had me at warrior. How does Passionate Pursuit start?
Tina Donahue: Tomás has just finished his service to the Crown and has survived a near-fatal illness. You’d think the poor guy has earned some down time. Not a chance. Time now for him to wed. At least that’s what the Spanish mamás and their eager-to-marry daughters think. They descend upon his castle en masse. Fighting Moors has never been this challenging. Tomás longs to flee. More importantly, he yearns for Beatriz, the one woman he does want. However, as the story opens, Beatriz is a mere servant at his castle. Tomás has no idea the secret she’s hiding or that her past is an enormous obstacle to their future happiness.
Cynthia Sax: Ohhh… secrets. I love secrets. Where is Passionate Pursuit set?
Tina Donahue: Passionate Pursuit is set in medieval Spain. 1489 to be exact. The war with the Moors is ongoing with the Crown eager to reconquer lands. The Inquisition rages. Within this turmoil, is the countryside. A veritable paradise of lush forest, endless wheat fields, and Moorish castles that warrior knights have reclaimed for Spain. The monarchs have gifted Tomás with an opulent estate for his military service. Within this Eden, Tomás devises numerous delights for Beatriz to woo her and make her his.
Cynthia Sax: What advice would you give new writers?
Tina Donahue:Write daily, read as much as you can, and know there isn’t anything close to overnight success. Yes, I know there are stories about authors who one day decided to write a book, did so, and now they’re zillionaires. If you dig deeper into their backgrounds, you’ll see they wrote and read as much as they could prior to writing that bestseller and they also were savvy marketers. Some also have contacts in the publishing industry. No successful writer happens by accident. That’s a myth. It takes endless hard work and constantly perfecting your craft to succeed. If you want to be a writer because it sounds cool or you’re eager to make a lot of money, this isn’t the career for you. Authors who last in this profession are those who write because they have to, not because they want to. Writing to them is as necessary as breathing, eating, living. It’s part of their soul. They’d be lost without it. If you don’t have that fire and drive, then you need to find another occupation.
Cynthia Sax: So true. I write for myself. I have stories published for readers. Thank you for the great advice, Tina, and also for joining us today!
Tina Donahue’s Website: http://tinadonahuebooks.blogspot.com/
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Is their passion strong enough to break her chains?
Andalucía Spain, 1489: Innocent Beatriz is desperate to escape the threat of a miserable marriage to a cruel Marquis. Forced into the betrothal by her ruthless merchant papá, her only hope is to conceal her identity and become a servant in a nearby castle—a life drastically different from her comfortable upbringing.
Tomás doesn’t know what to make of his well-spoken new servant girl. Her beauty and charm captivates the military hero; her mysterious nature intrigues him. And the desire she ignites burns brighter with each glance, as does his longing to claim her for his own.
Beatriz can’t resist Tomás’ passion nor deny the heat of her own. But neither the lush countryside nor the walls of the opulent Moorish castle can entirely protect her—and if he were to discover her secret, she could be torn away from him forever. Yet how can she sustain his love if she’s living a lie?
Buy Now:
On Amazon.com: https://goo.gl/GOhbrm
On Amazon CA: http://goo.gl/OQoyKI
On Kobo: https://goo.gl/ZjVJJ2
On Books a Million: http://goo.gl/FqvCzl
On Penguin-Random House Canada: http://goo.gl/WsuyMm
On Fantastic Fiction: http://goo.gl/uAlGdE
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Interview With Tina Donahue
I sat down (virtually) with Tina Donahue, one of my good buddies, for a short interview. Today is the release day for Wicked Whispers, Tina’s sexy historical!
Cynthia Sax: You’ve written so many delicious stories. What makes Wicked Whispers special?
Tina Donahue: My heroine, Sancha, and my hero, Enrique. The story takes place in 1488. Women weren’t allowed much, if any, freedom in those days. They were expected to wed and produce heirs. Sancha is different. She longs to heal. Highly educated, she can read and write Latin, Spanish, and Arabic, and has used Islamic medicine to help the peasants. As the storyline takes place during the Inquisition, Sancha’s healing could lead to her arrest and burning as a witch. She has more guts than I do. She’ll stop at nothing to save people, change the world, make it a fair place for men and women. She’ll also stop at nothing to love Enrique.
Although Enrique is a man of his time, he learns that to claim and keep Sancha’s love he must respect her as an individual. He moves heaven and earth to keep her safe so she can continue healing.
Cynthia Sax: What is your favorite line from Wicked Whispers?
Tina Donahue: The night was perfect for love, their attraction too intense, his kiss soft and searching at first then filled with raw male need.
Given the Inquisition and a woman’s accepted role, Sancha and Enrique face no end of obstacles. Constraints Sancha fights against. She and Enrique shouldn’t be together, but can’t help themselves. Their love is so powerful, nothing can keep them apart.
Cynthia Sax: Where did you get the idea for Wicked Whispers?
Tina Donahue: Years ago I wrote a paranormal romance that began during the Spanish Inquisition then fast forwarded to modern times. The research on this historical period fascinated me. I wanted to write a romance that took place when women could easily be called witches and lose their freedom or lives when all they wanted to do was heal and learn.
Cynthia Sax: Where is Wicked Whispers set?
Tina Donahue: Wicked Whispers takes place in medieval Spain, 1488 to be exact. Spain is a beautiful country, the men decidedly sexy. The romance takes place against the backdrop of the Inquisition. During that period, danger lurked everywhere.
Cynthia Sax: I love Spain so much and I also love medieval romances. This sounds like exactly my kind of book, Tina. Thank you for joining us today!
Tina Donahue’s Website: http://tinadonahuebooks.blogspot.com/
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Follow the heart through darkness…
As the Inquisition gains force, even the faintest rumor can brand one a heretic. In this world it is Sancha’s gift–or curse–to be blessed with the gift of healing. But the villagers are in need of her arts more than ever, and she feels it is her duty to help them at the risk of losing her life. And at the sacrifice of her heart…
Enrique has never wanted a woman as he does Sancha. Determined to have her love, he woos her with exquisite passion, giving her refuge to pursue her healing in secret. But their very desire and escape from the ruthless forces of the world may be their undoing. And together, they must pit themselves against a jealous rival and archaic tradition to secure their place in a hopeful new dawn…
Buy Now:
On Amazon.com: http://goo.gl/JKkMaZ
On Amazon UK: http://goo.gl/EFPTuo
On iBooks: https://goo.gl/Q3vQ18
On Kobo: https://goo.gl/kUPgPE
On Google Play: https://goo.gl/87G3cm
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