Guest Post and Giveaway - Moon Dance by Jillian Chantal (@JillianChantal, a @GoddessFish Promo)

Today on Beyond My Writing Space, I'm welcoming lawyer and romance author, Jillian Chantal. Today, we're talking about 'What a creative writer does when they're not creatively writing?'  and Jullian has her hand in all kinds of creative little pies. :) 

But first, here's a little sneak preview of the fascinating story of Olga and Gabe from Jullian's latest title Moon Dance,

Jillian will be awarding a free backlist e-book to a randomly drawn commenter at each stop of the Moon Dance blog tour, and a Grand Prize of a moon charm/crystal necklace to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.  So come and say hi to Jillian! 

The deets ... 

Olga Quinn hopes her relocation to London to work on their space shuttle program is the life changing move she needs after the loss of her co-worker in a workplace explosion.  She meets Gabriel Swicord, a fireman turned celebrity radio personality and deejay. He lost his sight while rescuing a family in the line of duty and has immersed himself in music and work since then. For a few days, Olga and Gabe burn hot for each other and then things turn cold.

Someone is murdering women who patronize the club where Gabe spins records. It appears that he's the connection to the dead women and his name and face are plastered all over the news. Things are not looking good for Olga's peaceful new life and when the killers turn kidnappers, things really begin to heat up.  

Sneak peek inside the cover of Moon Dance

Another voice chimed in, "Am I interrupting?"

Gabe glanced toward the speaker as Mary said, "This guy is a big old meanie-head. Be warned. He'll play the song you want but he won't share a cocktail with you."

"That's perfectly fine with me." The second woman addressed Gabe. "Can I make a request?"

Mary huffed and Gabe could discern her spin on her heel and stalk away. "So, did you come over her to tell me what kind of person I am, finally?"

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

He pointed at her. "You. Last night. Spilled drink. Remember? You said I was acting a like a typical person like me. You never told me exactly what that was."

"How the hell did you know that I was the same person from last night?"

"Hey, I'm blind, not stupid." Gabe barked a laugh.

"Still, you have to admit, it's a little weird. You don't know what I look like, you've only heard my voice once and you pegged me for the woman you talked to for a few minutes one time. It's very impressive and I want to know how you do it."

"In one sentence you call me weird and in the next, you call me impressive. Which is it?"

"Weirdly impressive. So, how'd you do it? Really?"

Gabe could hear the smile in her voice. She actually seemed nicer tonight than she had the evening before. "It's a combination of voice and scent. I've learned to master putting the two together. I usually associate people with the way they smell and speak. With you, it's easier."

"Why's that?"

"Let's start with that Texas drawl."

"And go where from there? Since American and twang is a dead giveaway."

Gabe leaned out the window and rested his elbows on the ledge. "From there, we go to the combination of jasmine, sandalwood and grapefruit, which I believe is a mixture of your shampoo and the top-note of your perfume."

"Well, I've made a decision."

"And what's that?" Gabe grinned because he could tell from the tone of her voice that she was delighted with his answer.

"Between weird and impressive, my decision is impressive. Hands down."

"Thank you, ma'am." Gabe bowed his head. "But you came over her to make a request, didn't you?"

What I do when I’m not doing the writing thing! 

by Jillian Chantal

I work as a lawyer in my day job and that’s a lot of fun for me but probably not to most people. I happen to be one of those folks who like to discuss and argue points and I also like to cross-examine which makes me a little bit strange I guess. I like to get to the truth and have always had a very strong, innate sense of justice.

In my free time when I’m not writing or at the day job, I love to take photos. I adore nature shots as well as buildings and historic places. When I have my camera in hand, I seek out unusual angles and odd details. I also have a passion for red doors. I have a lot of pictures of red doors that I’ve seen in my travels. Back in the dark ages, red doors meant sanctuary from the law and for some reason, I’m drawn to them. I can’t even begin to psychoanalyze why a lawyer would be attracted to the symbols for sanctuary. LOL

As an offshoot of the photography bug, I also like to scrapbook. It’s another creative escape for me. The funny thing is, I come from a family of artists. My grandmother was an oil painter, my dad is an oil painter, my sister is an art teacher and my son is an architect. I, on the other hand, can’t draw a straight line with a ruler. No, really, I can’t. I can put a ruler on a piece of paper, place a pencil on the edge and draw down. When I pick up the ruler, the line is not straight.

For years, I didn’t do anything artistic as I was intimidated by all the talent in my family. My dad kept telling me I didn’t have to draw straight to be an artist. I always said I only had a way with words but that I wasn’t creative. I finally started to scrapbook with my sister and when they didn’t have a certain embellishment for my page in the store, I started making my own.  Yet, I would still say I wasn’t creative.

The day I realized I did have some artistic creativity in my head was the day someone first complimented my choice of colors on a scrapbook page and my eye for drama in the photos I had taken. I was thrilled because even though I knew I was creative with words, I felt a little like I didn’t fit in with my amazingly talented family. Who knows what we might have hidden in us merely waiting for a chance to blossom? I’m glad I finally gave my little spark of creativity a chance to fly free.

Who is Jillian Chantal....?

Jillian Chantal lives on the gulf coast of Florida. She’s an avid traveler and enjoys using her experiences in other places as the background and inspiration for her stories. Writing Romantic Adventures with an International Flair is her favorite type of story to focus on. She loves to hear from readers and can be contacted at:

Website | Twitter | Facebook

or you can email: JillianChantal at gmail.com 

Author pages:

http://www.desertbreezepublishing.com/brands/Jillian-Chantal.html

http://store.sweetcravingspublishing.com/index.php?main_page=products_all&filter_author=124

http://www.bookstrand.com/jillian-chantal

The Giveaway

Isn't it pretty? 

To be entered into the giveaway all you need to do is comment on Beyond My Writing Space. I'd love to hear how you challenge your creative energy? Do you write too? Do you have creative flair in the kitchen? Do you decorate? (I do. I love to paint a hand drawn boarder). 

Remember to follow Jillian's tour this week for more chances to enter. :) 

http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2013/07/virtual-book-tour-moon-dance-by-jillian.html

Erin

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