Welcome Alison Chambers

My guest today is Alison Chambers

Welcome to my blog Alison, tell us a bit about yourself:

I’ve been writing since I was eighteen. After reading a lot of Nancy Drew books. I decided to try to write one myself. Since then, I’ve always liked mysteries, especially when the woman is the brave heroine. I’ve spent most of my career in communications and public relations, mainly working with national and local medical associations, so I was able to do a lot of writing in those professions. I also managed to write seven novels and am working on the eighth. “The Secret Sentinel” is available from www.thewildrosepress.com and “The Montezuma Secret” is available from Amazon.com and Smashwords.

What do you like the most and least about writing?

I like creating suspenseful scenes in mysterious places and love heightening the tension as much as possible. While I don’t mind editing, I hate fact-checking, making sure all the descriptions are consistent and that the plot has no holes in it. It’s tedious, but it has to get done!

Give us a peek into your latest published work? Here's a blurb from "The Montezuma Secret"

Hunky Trey Zacco, gritty survivalist and host of the Miami-based Holiday Channel’s hit "Wildman" series and glitz and glamour girl, Erica Kingsley, host of the channel’s "Lap of Luxury" show, are thrown together in the steamy jungles of Belize as a publicity stunt. Erica’s father, Arthur Kingsley, the owner of the Holiday Channel, has proposed the angle, not only to boost ratings, but also as a way to toughen up his spoiled daughter. And Kingsley wants them to search for Montezuma’s lost gold, presumably moved to Belize from the Guatemalan jungle. Zacco cannot hide his resentment at having to share the spotlight with the flighty fashionista Erica, and he locks horns with her every step of the way even as both try to ignore the strong physical attraction growing between them. But when Arthur Kingsley’s plane crashes in the jungle on his way to film the opening of the show, Trey and Erica launch a desperate search to find him. And when, one by one, members of the camera crew are killed and the equipment sabotaged, Trey and Erica find themselves stranded in the middle of the jungle with sultry producer Morgana Montez, Trey's ex-lover, where no rescue crew can reach them.

What's next on the writing horizon for you?

The one I’m working on now is called “Prisoner in his Arms.” It’s a follow-up to “The Secret Sentinel” with a lot of “National Treasure” clues and rhymes. It takes place in a number of mysterious settings around Boston and Washington, D.C. I love developing the relationship between the characters—he the sexy bodyguard and she the damsel in distress searching for the mysterious Virgo Stone which she must find in ten days or her father will die and terrorist attacks will be unleashed on the capitol right before the Presidential inauguration.

Is there anything else you want to tell readers?

The e-publishing world is an exciting and growing one for readers and authors alike. Because of it, we have witnessed the demise of traditional bookstores, including one major one, Borders. It will be interesting to see what will happen next. For authors: keep writing what you love and never give up. Try to block out the critics and naysayers, keep learning and persevere! For readers: there are a lot of options out there. Read what you enjoy, experiment with e-readers and e-books and keep expanding your horizons. I love Half Price Books, because I can read more books that way (because they’re less expensive) and try different books in different genres and on different subjects. It’s a lot of fun!

Here's an excerpt from "The Montezuma Secret"

"Up?" she pointed, unable to believe her ears.
Trey gave her a hard shove.
"Get going!"
"But how?"
"Grab the vines and pull yourself up!" he shouted over the thundering rain.
"You must be joking! It’s got to be one hundred feet high!"
"Good calculation. Now move!"
She stood her ground. "But why?"
"A. There’s no other way. B. I’m ordering you to. And you’ll listen if you ever want to get out of here."
Trey stifled an urge to smack her luscious wet bottom and watched in amusement as she struggled to grab hold of the slick vines, then smirked as she scrambled up a few feet and then landed in the muck with a splat. Her thick mane of black hair, once so splendidly coifed, was heavily matted and caked in mud.
"Again!" he yelled.
Raindrops, big as bullets, pelted her mercilessly. "I can’t do it. It’s impossible."
"Watch the master," he said, stowing the camera in his backpack.
He brushed her aside and grabbed one of the sturdier vines, then pulled himself up arm over arm with the agility of a spider monkey until he reached the top of the cliff where he had a perfect view of the lush jungle canopy and could see for miles.
"Now you know how it’s done. Get your ass up here or I’ll leave you behind."
"You can’t do that. You wouldn’t."
"Pull yourself up, Kingsley. If you have to, use the side of the cliff to push off and boost yourself higher. But watch out for the holes. There may be spiders and bats hiding in those nooks and crannies."
Erica re-tied her sagging ponytail and pinned it to her scalp. Her breath was ragged, her heartbeat erratic.
From above, she heard the sudden monotonous drone of a plane’s engine cutting through the rain splatter, then listened to the sputter as the motor spit and coughed, struggling to stay aloft. Wings slashed through the jungle over her head five hundred feet from her, both turbo props flaming. The plane wobbled and rolled before hitting the ground with an ear-splitting shriek of steel against steel followed by a blinding explosion of light that knocked her off her feet.
A sickening sensation shot through her and she suppressed the urge to vomit. The stench of black smoke as dark as blood filled her nostrils. She knew what had happened. She hoped to God she was wrong, but more than ever she wished with all her heart and soul that she was still safely home in Miami Beach and that she had never come.

From a safe distance, comfortably positioned to witness the entire spectacle, a smiling figure breathed a sigh of relief. It had all gone according to plan. On schedule and on time. They were right where they needed to be. Soon they’d both be dead and no one would be the wiser. Untimely accidents. Marauding terrorists. Ancient Mayan curses. Any excuse would do. Completely believable, considering the dangers of the jungle. They’d just disappear. Perfect. Simply perfect.

Click here to purchase

SUMMER SALE: Only $.99 in e-book format for your Kindle, PC, MAC, iPhone, Blackberry, iPad, or Android
FIVE STARS: "Excellent writing! Enjoyable hero and heroine! Great romance! Fast pace! I read it straight through! Author thorough in research! I lived the experience!"--A reader on Amazon.com

Visit me at www.alisonchambersromance.com or http://alisonchambers.blogspot.com

Thank you for having me!

It was wonderful to have you here today, Alison.