You may have heard of Kaylea Cross' military romances, but she has a new civil war romance out- The Vacant Chair!
The Vacant Chair
Author: Kaylea Cross
Format: E-book & Paperback (378 pages)
Publisher: Kaylea Cross
Publishing Date: May 2013
The Civil War has torn Brianna Taylor’s family apart and made her a widow. Determined to ease the suffering of the wounded crowding the Union hospitals and honor the memory of the man she loved, she embarks on a career as a nurse. But then he arrives—a patient who makes her feel alive again in spite of her resolve to stay detached.
Captain Justin Thompson understands the cost of war all too well, yet he felt compelled to fight for the Union his father died defending. Wounded at Cold Harbor and left to die at a military hospital, he owes his life to Brianna, who seems determined to guard her professional boundaries despite his best efforts to breach them. Just as he’s winning the battle for her heart, he’s forced to return to the front of a cruel war that could very well separate them forever.
Interview
Share 4 fun facts about yourself!
1. Okay, first off, I’m a huge Civil War buff (like you didn’t realize
that already).
2. I’m addicted to Starbucks hot chocolates. I’m down to a tall from a
venti size now, and I get it with nonfat milk and half the syrup so I feel less
guilty about my daily indulgence. That’s totally healthy, right?
3. I once belly danced on stage in front of four hundred people,
wearing nothing but a sequined bra and skirt. It was terrifying.
4. I have a giant crush on all Air Force Pararescuemen. Yes, all of
them.
Do you have any rituals for when you’re
writing?
I find I write better when I have music on
in the background, but no other distractions. I used to be able to write
through anything when my kids were small, but now that they’re in school, I
can’t write unless it’s quiet. That’s really my only ritual. I have playlists
for every book I work on, but when I’m not in the mood for one of those I put
on old jazz like Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald.
Can you tell us a little more about The
Vacant Chair?
I’d love to! I actually started this book
back when I was fourteen, and poured my heart into the story. I do a lot of
research for whatever story I’m working on, but especially so for The Vacant
Chair because it took me years to get all the details down. I even dragged my
poor hubby back to Virginia to a re-enactment, then to each and every
battlefield mentioned in the book. Poor guy!
I packed quite a lot of info into the
story, so I hope you’ll learn a lot about the cavalry and medical practices
during the Civil War. The men of the 5th Michigan Cavalry went
through so much—I couldn’t have made up anything nearly as dramatic as what
history tells us happened.
What made you want to write Historical
romance, after writing romantic suspenses?
As I said, I started this book back in my
teens, and it’s always been there in the back of my head, calling to me. I
finally decided to go for it and finish the book and I’m so glad I did because
it means so much to me. I hope you’ll enjoy it!
Who would you cast as Brianna and Justin?
Wow, that’s a toughie. Hmm, for Brianna I’d
say maybe Emma Stone. She’s a redhead and has the most amazing eyes!
For Justin, Gerard Butler but with blue
contacts and no sexy accent this time. Ack! I love him, with or without an
accent. *faints*
Would you like to share with us a little of
what you’re working on now?
Absolutely! I’m currently finishing up the
second book of a new romantic suspense series, called Titanium Security. Book
one (Ignited) comes out in July, and I’m hoping to release this second book
(Singed) at the end of the summer. I have plans for at least four books in the
series, maybe more. And the third and final book of my Bagram Special Ops series,
Lethal Pursuit, comes out in September.
Thanks so much for hosting me today!
Kaylea Cross
About the Author
Kaylea Cross writes edge-of-your-seat military romantic suspense. Her work has won many awards and has been nominated for both the Daphne du Maurier and the National Readers’ Choice Awards. A Registered Massage Therapist by trade, Kaylea is also an avid gardener, artist, Civil War buff, Special Ops aficionado, belly dance enthusiast and former nationally-carded softball pitcher. She and lives in Vancouver, BC with her husband and two sons.
Author Links: Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway
I really enjoy historical fiction and this one sounds real interesting. Thanks for the giveaway :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Marissa! It's outside of my usual genre but I love this story so much.
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ReplyDeleteI want to ask to Kaylea Cross from where can you expect correct information on Wars and stuff because truthfully I find the Internet a bit unreliable sometimes.
ReplyDeletesshah605 I read a ton of books about the cavalry and the medical practices during the Civil War, especially primary sources from the 5th Michigan Cavalry itself, and several nurse's diaries from the war. Also, touring the battlefields and museums back east really gave me a great sense of location and setting.
DeleteThis book sounds great! I love that you started writing it as a teenager and that you were able to eventually finish it! Looking forward to reading this one!!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Casey! I've always wanted to have this book "out there" and I'm so glad it finally is.
DeleteThanks for hosting Kaylea today, Cerian! :)
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DeleteHow much research did you need until you felt comfortable enough to sit down and write or did you start writing and do the research along the way?
ReplyDeleteThank you for the giveaway please enter me. Good luck with the book, it sounds magnificent!
annfesATyahooDOTcom
Soft Fuzzy Sweater, great question! I knew a lot about the war before I started to write the story, so that definitely helped my confidence because I knew what I was talking about when I put my fingers to the keyboard. But I definitely looked up a lot more things while I wrote the book (weather on a certain day, positions during a particular battle) to make sure I made it as accurate as possible.
DeleteWow! That's thorough. I never thought about checking the weather.
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What is the biggest draw to the Civil War for you?
ReplyDeleteThat's so hard for me to answer! I think it's hard for me to imagine Americans being divided to the point that they were willing to take up arms against each other and fight such a long, bloody war. In the end, it's the soldiers' strength of conviction in their "cause" that draws me most.
DeleteCivil War romances are some of my favorite historical romances. I fell in love with Heather Graham's And One War series. And you can't forget the grand mama of all, Gone With the Wind. I don't find too many these days, so I think this will be a great read to add to that list.
ReplyDeleteChanpreet, no way, Heather Graham's Civil War romances are some of my all time favorites! Hardly anyone remembers them so I'm glad you do :). Gone With the Wind is of course one of the first books I ever devoured (and I still want to smack Scarlet to this day for treating Rhett the way she did--I don't think she deserved him), and Kathleen Woodiwiss's Civil War book as well.
DeleteOh, I had asked for the Twitter party why a book on Civil War, when all your prior books had been contemp. But now I read you're a Civil War buff. Makes sense now!
ReplyDeleteYep, I am! A big one :). Weird, I know, but there it is. Still hoping one of my boys shows an interest in the Civil War or history in general, but so far no luck. Darn it!
DeleteGOOD LUCK WITH THE BOOK TOUR AND THANKS FOR THE GIVEAWAY! SHELLEY S. calicolady60@hotmail.com
ReplyDeleteThe Civil War era is fascinating. I can understand why you are a buff. Belly Dancing hey?
ReplyDeleteMary, yep. I took up belly dance for research as I was writing Cover of Darkness :).
ReplyDeleteLooks like a really good read. Nice interview
ReplyDeleteI love Kaylea Cross' military romances! Bagram Special Ops series is one of my top 5 series of all times. Why, oh why will Lethal Pursuit be the final book in the series?!? I want more, like 50 books of Bagram Special Ops :D I've re-read it so many times I know it by heart but still gonna read it a couple od times until September.
ReplyDeleteWaiting on Ignite now :D The Vacant Chair is on my TBR list also ;)
That's the best compliment EVER! Thank you so much :). Hope you'll like Maya and Jackson's story just as much--it's very intense and emotional.
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