Welcome, Darlene! Tell us about what you write.
I write contemporary sweet romances. A few of my books are novels, but most are novellas.
What was your inspiration for (name of work/book)?
Cherry Red was inspired by a Rolling Stones song, You Can’t Always Get What You Want. Cherry Red is Mick Jagger’s favourite soda flavour.
Do you find inspiration in your own life for your writing?
Definitely not. My life isn’t boring, but definitely not as interesting as my characters, lol.
Tell us about Cherry Red.
Find it online: HERE.
This summer, ice cream entrepreneur Carly Redd's only focus is expanding her business—until she's coerced into attending her ex's engagement party. Showing up without a date is unthinkable. She reluctantly agrees to be escorted by her brother’s co-worker, although doing so breaks her rule of not dating firefighters.
The daughter of the town’s fire chief should wear a Do Not Touch sign, but firefighter Noah Harding's interest blazed the moment he saw Carly. Agreeing to be her fake boyfriend is a no-brainer, but convincing Carly to trust him with her heart is harder than extinguishing a fire.
Overstepping the platonic-only rule is as dangerous as fire and ice swirling into a tempting combustion.
What’s on the horizon for you?
I am currently writing a new series of books within my Redford Falls series, focusing on the five Marley brothers.
What was the hardest/most unusual/interesting part of the story to write/research?
Researching ice cream and recipes was especially fun!
FIND DARLENE ONLINE: Author Web Site ~ Blog ~ Amazon Author Page
Let’s wrap up with an excerpt from Cherry Red:
“This might seem like a strange question, especially since we’ve just met, but would you be interested in going out for a coffee? Or an ice cream?” Noah rested an arm on the bar.
Carly glanced down at her jeans and black T-shirt embroidered with the company name and logo…a cluster of red cherries. In a room full of women all dolled up in fancy—and some a bit scanty—dresses, why would this incredibly handsome man ask her on a date? “I appreciate the offer, but I’m not interested…”
Noah raised a brow. “I know you like ice cream, so is it the coffee, or me?”
“What? No. I mean, yes.” She took a second to collect her scrambled thoughts. “I like coffee. I just don’t hang out with firefighters.” Not that he was a real firefighter. Did impersonators count in her rules of men to avoid? She never dated a stripper, but she wasn’t sure she could have a relationship with a guy who was paid to take off his clothes and have other women fawn over him. Not that the guy asked her on a date…just a simple coffee. His frown made her feel badly. “I’m sorry. It’s nothing personal.”
“Burnt in the past? No pun intended.” He smiled.
She couldn’t help but smile back. “Something like that.”