30 September 2013

{Name Before the Masses} Promo + Giveaway: Secret Sister by Emelle Gamble




Title: Secret Sister
Author: Emelle Gamble
Tour Sponsor: Goddess Fish Promotions
Add to: Goodreads



BLURB

To their friends, Nick and Cathy Chance have the perfect marriage. High school sweethearts who’ve been together for ten years, they’ve weathered challenges and are as committed as they were when they first fell in love. Cathy trusts Nick, Nick’s world revolves around his wife, and the future looks golden.

To everyone who knows them, Cathy Chance and Roxanne Ruiz have a perfect friendship. They connected in grade school and since then have been each other’s confident and trusted advisor. Cathy loves the gorgeous Roxanne like a sister, Roxanne has fun-loving Cathy’s back in every situation, though lately there’s been tension between these two best friends…

And then, on a sunny summer morning, the unthinkable occurs, throwing into doubt the truth of what each of these people really know about themselves and one another.

Will Roxanne’s sacrifice be too little, and too late? Should Nick’s love for his wife be strong enough to risk trusting his heart more than logic? Can Cathy’s devotion to Nick give her enough strength to convince him to see her for who she really is?

Secret Sister proves how strong, how stubborn, and how trustworthy love can be as Nick and Cathy and Roxanne are challenged to overcome the secrets, the lies … and one extraordinary twist of fate that turns their lives upside down.


Excerpt
 
It was sunny and mild the July morning Roxanne and I headed up the state highway into the Verdugo Hills. But the Santa Anas were blowing in from the desert, and those aptly called devil winds rocked our car with gusts of heat and dust that caused tiny sparks of electricity to snap against my fingertips every time I touched my hair.

I looked forward to the Santa Anas each summer because they cleared every trace of smog from the vast L.A. basin and left the air sparkling. But that day they were weeks early and their intensity increased a sense of foreboding I’d awakened with.

I squeezed my hands together and glanced at the woman sitting next to me, for she was the true reason for my uneasiness.

My best friend and I should have been relaxed and chatty, but we hadn’t been either lately. Roxanne had recently broken up with the guy she’d been seeing for years, and her mood alarmed me. She had barely said a word at the front door when she picked me up, and nothing at all since we’d been in the car.

Slowly I turned my head from side to side, trying to ease the knot of anxiety in my neck. I reached up to massage my shoulder but the seatbelt held me snugly, so I undid it.

The lock made a sharp click as it released.

“What’s wrong?” Roxanne asked.

“Nothing.” I spoke quietly. “Just a kink. I must have slept weird.”

She frowned and shifted gears and the road rose higher in front of us…

Guest Post 

Secondary Characters, cha cha cha.


When I wrote series romance books for Harlequin Intrigue, my editors didn’t want me to waste time on secondary characters, “Stay focused on the central love affair – that’s what readers want!” I was told (many more times than once…).

So one of the best things about writing single title books like Secret Sister is these bigger books give an author a chance to introduce secondary characters that get a chance to do more than just facilitate a plot or listen to a heroine’. 

And one of the worst things about writing single title books like Secret Sister is these bigger books give secondary characters an opportunity to ambush, derail and cause an author to be totally besotted with one of them because these characters often times, like a supporting actor in a movie, really want to be the star!

In Secret Sister I’ve got Zoe, the hero’s seventeen-year-old sister, who is edgy, emotionally intense, and might see dead people. I’ve got Ryan Seth, a new-age psychologist who is bald, beautiful and blind. I’ve got Bradley, the heroine’s great friend, who is wry, gay and insightful in a way we all pray we can be with our friends.
And then there’s Michael Cimino. Roxanne Ruiz’s boyfriend. Mad, bad, and dangerous to know…sexy and corrupt and not the right kind of man at all to be hanging out with, but one no woman can soon forget.

Lastly, I can’t  forget Miss Pittypat, the ancient cat who does what all good animal characters do in real life, knows the truth of the matter before most of the humans.
Sigh. I loved them all. But I had to be tough with these guys! I cut their dialogue and time on page. Told them they had to shut up because this book belonged to Nick & Cathy and Roxanne. Ordered them to stand aside. But I also thanked them. They made Secret Sister a richer, fuller world.  I was thrilled to meet them, and I hope you will be too!   


About the Author

Emelle Gamble was a writer at an early age, bursting with the requisite childhood stories of introspection which evolved into bad teen poetry and took her first stab at full length fiction in an adult education writing class when her kids were in bed. As M.L. Gamble, she published several romantic suspense novels with Harlequin. She has contracted with Soul Mate Publishing for Secret Sister, summer of 2013, and Dating Cary Grant, an early 2014 release.

Always intrigued by the words ‘what if’, Emelle’s books feature an ordinary woman confronted with an extraordinary situation.  She most enjoys reading stories that surprise and amaze her, and hopes her readers will enjoy the challenging and exciting journeys her characters take. 

Emelle lives in suburban Washington D.C.  with her husband, Phil, her hero of thirty years,  and two orange cats, Lucy and Bella. These girls, like all good villains, have their reasons for misbehaving. Her daughter, Olivia, and son, Allen, are happily launched on their own and contributing great things to society, their mother’s fondest wish.

Email: emellegamble@aol.com 



Giveaway

Emelle will be awarding a $100 Amazon gift card to a randomly drawn commenter during this tour AND her Reviews Tour.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

34 comments:

  1. Thanks so much Ever After Romance for hosting our blog stop today! I hope readers will enjoy Secret Sister which is chock full of great characters! Come share if you like strong secondary characters in your books, or if you prefer to concentrate on the hero and heroine.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I think that the testing of friendships and relationships can always make for an interesting read and one that most of us can relate too

    ReplyDelete
  3. I agree, Stacey Demsey. That was one of my goals. To examine friendships from the point of view of what you know about another person, vs. what you think you know. Forgiveness is always a huge component of life, I think, and it was interesting for me to take a look at that, too. Thank you for posting, and good luck in the drawing!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I loved reading about the secondary characters. I won't mind if you put them all in the story. It makes it much more real and interesting.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree MomJane! And while I love the 'ideal' concept of HEA romances, I am always most moved by stories that feel real, and still end well. HA! Thanks for posting, and good luck in the drawing!

      Delete
  5. Secondary characters are fine with me the more characters the better i always say make the book more interesting to me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joe Hawk...me too. I love a big cast of characters...must be from having to read all that great British Lit in college...Charles Dickens, etc. always had about 50 people. I know it's hard to keep track of secondary characters, sometimes, so that's a challenge for authors to keep each of them well-drawn and interesting. Thank you for posting and good luck in the drawing!

      Delete
  6. Haven't read any of your books, but am going to the library today and will pick one up while I am there.Your books sound like they are very interesting and I enjoy a good book. I love to read, and right now I am on a do nothing order from my doctor for 3 weeks so I need something good to read. can't wait.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey Deb! You might be able to find an Intrigue as M.L. Gamble at the library, but so far Secret Sister only available as an eBook. paperback due out in December, though! So hopefully your Library will get one. If not, let me know and I'll send you one just to thank you for being so kind and taking a chance on a new writer. Email me your address at emellegamble@aol.com, okay? And great good luck in the drawing!

      Delete
  7. I'd love to see some of those side characters take a leading role in another book or two, just sayin...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hear you Katrina. I really played around with doing a book about Zoe. Wanted to call it Zoe and Raoul...check out how that relationship turned out. But something tells me I might really be done with these guys. For now at least. I loved them all, but I've now got Kent and Alana and Emrick and a really weird guy named Roga I'm living with! HA! More about that group on a later blog. Thanks for posting, and good luck in the drawing!

      Delete
  8. I enjoyed reading about the secondary characters, thank you.

    Kit3247(at)aol(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  9. Rita, as always, you're welcome! Good luck in the drawing!

    ReplyDelete
  10. And one of the reasons I always read Single Title is because of those secondary characters. They really bring the story to a whole new level. Don't be too hard on them, we love them too :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Totally agree, Sarah Hegger. Single titles were always my favorite because they just felt richer. I got to know all those characters, not as well as hero and heroine, but it really helped me feel the story. I just had a visit with my daughter in London, and to make an analogy (somewhat weak -HA) I met for a few minutes 'Rod the antique dealer' who I discussed 9-11 with, 'Sue the docent at Anne Hathaway's cottage', who has a rescue dog named Trixie who will not be gentrified, and the brillant 'John the clerk at the gift store' who turns out to be an accomplished painter and graphic artist. I spent 20 minutes learning about his journey with social media! All 'secondary characters' who made my trip so much fun!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Fun to learn more about the secondary characters!

    vitajex(at)aol(Dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  13. Thanks Vitajex! Good luck in the drawing. And we girls do want to have fun!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Thanks for sharing the great excerpt and the giveaway. Sound like a great book. evamillien at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for stopping in Eva Millien! I hope you get a chance to read Secret Sister. If you do, let me know what you think about the characters. Good luck in the drawing!

      Delete
  15. this is what caught my attention
    And then there’s Michael Cimino. Roxanne Ruiz’s boyfriend. Mad, bad, and dangerous to know…sexy and corrupt and not the right kind of man at all to be hanging out with, but one no woman can soon forget.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Uh oh, Carolyn Johnson! So you like the bad boys! HA! Me too in my younger days, although I still like reading about them...especially the ones with these kinds of moves. Thanks for posting...and good luck in the drawing.

      Delete
  16. I love reading stories where relationships and friendships are being tested just to see if its going to be a happy ending :)
    Tammy Dalley

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for posting, Tammy D. I think its very realistic that friendships get tested, don't you? Mine have been blessed to get stronger for the most part. Good luck in the drawing!

      Delete
  17. I love the secondary characters! They add depth to a novel - like the side dishes at a Thanksgiving dinner. What's turkey without stuffing?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wow Jessica Jefferson! Great analogy. Yes...they do add to the main event, and often are the best parts! HA! I'm a sweet potato girl. Love the turnkey, but I'd be crushed without the side dishes. Thank you for posting and good luck in the drawing!

      Delete
  18. Okay, I meant 'turkey'...although turnkey is a good word too. HA. Thank god for proof readers.

    ReplyDelete
  19. I'm currently reading a book in which the secondary characters are the liveliest ones. In part, I think it's because the main characters are often so beleaguered by the pressure to carry the plot and develop and be relatable and... well, you get it. So often, the minor characters can be more one dimensional and hilarious or outrageous. It's easier to completely love or hate minor, less complicated characters, esp when they're often polarizing and less developed, thereby giving us more canvas on which to project ourselves.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lesleigh, thanks for posting! Yes, secondary characters often are very relate-able. Great point! And due to the lack of time on page, they can be more one-dimensional. I think the best writing remembers the rule, 'the telling detail'. Instead of long, surface details about a characters, the writer is challenged to use a very specific, and vivid 'detail' about those secondary guys. Wow, you got my brain working early! Thanks again and good luck in the contest. If you don't have a blog yet, consider it. You're very insightful!

      Delete
  20. Thanks for the excerpt and the chance to win!
    Sounds like a great read!!
    natasha_donohoo_8 at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  21. Hey Natasha! Thanks for posting and entering. I hope you get the chance to read Secret Sister. If you do, let me hear from you what you think! Good luck in the contest!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Emelle, I love Secret Sister. You have a great talent. Loved the strong characters as well. Even after reading. this book makes you still think about the what ifs. This may be fiction but it is totally believable. Love your work:)

    ReplyDelete
  23. I love stories starring secondary characters from previous stories. Thanks for the excerpt and story background info today.

    kareninnc at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  24. I read the first 58 pages of the book and I was hook. I was trying to that special friendship bond between Cathie and Roxanne. Throw in Nick, I had to finish the book to find out. Great story.

    ReplyDelete