Fiction Friday! Alexandrea Weis
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| Alex and one of her rescued babies |
Today I'd like to welcome Alexandrea Weis!
Alex is a writer and an advanced practice registered nurse. If that isn't enough to impress you, she is also a permitted wild life rehabber in her home state of Louisiana. Still not enough? Check out this:
Recovery won the Gold Medal for best romantic suspense from The Reader’s Favorite Book Awards 2011, and was named best Romantic Suspense novel by the Spring 2011 NABE Pinnacle Book Awards. Broken Wings, won best Contemporary Romance by the NABE Pinnacle Book Awards in 2012, was a Silver Medal winner in the ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Awards for Romance, as well as a finalist in the USA Book Awards for Romance in 2012, and a finalist in the Reader’s Favorite Book Awards for Contemporary Romance for 2012. Diary of a One-Night Stand, was released in August 2012 and was named a Paranormal Romance Guild’s Best Reviewed of 2012. Her last novel, Acadian Waltz was a Readers’ Favorite Book Awards finalist for Best Contemporary Romance and Best Southern Fiction.
Whew! I'm tired from writing all that, so let's turn things over to Alex for a little history you do NOT want to miss :)
My father had an independent production company in the
French Quarter of New Orleans. Being raised in the motion picture business, I
learned how to run sound, do basic cinematography, film editing, and to be an
all-around gopher on the set. Sometimes, I even did some in front of the camera
work as a bit player and background extra.
Because of his work in movies, many
creative people in the French Quarter gravitated toward my father’s Creole
cottage on Dumaine Street. I grew up associating with Jazz musicians, actors,
writers, and talented artists. But probably the person who influenced me most
during that time was my father’s good friend, Tennessee Williams.
He was a kind
and patient man who would sit with me for hours discussing the intricacies of
his writing. From him, I learned about character development and the value of
good dialogue. He taught me how to build personalities into characters that
would resonate with readers. He showed me the importance of searching for the
right words to best reflect the idiosyncrasies of each and every character.
Funny, how you can forget so much from so many, but I remember every bit of
advice Tennessee Williams taught me.
Looking back, I
can see the synchronicity of circumstance having set my course in this creative
direction from a very early age. If I had not been born in the city of New
Orleans to a motion picture making father, or raised amid the bohemian people
of that uniquely eccentric society, I might not have evolved into the writer I
am today.
However, I did not always embrace my creative side, and for years
pursued a career based in medicine and practical knowledge. But like
pressurized lava simmering beneath the surface of some volcano, the innate
creativity I was born with eventually came erupting to the surface. I finally
let go of my apprehensions about turning away from my medical training and
started to embrace my stifled urges. It was then I re-discovered my writing.
I came to realize
that happiness is not found in living some monetary-based lifestyle, but in
following a path that yields to the yearnings of your heart. We are all born to
do something fortuitous on this planet; we just have to stop trying to wonder
what that is, and just do what makes us happy. After all, happiness is always
the outcome when you finally learn to follow your dreams.
Links:
Gruesome murders shock New Orleans. But Jazzmyn Livaudais is too busy running her restaurant to pay attention to the sensational headlines. And when the charismatic Julian Devereau enters Jazzmyn’s life, she becomes even more distracted by the handsome stranger.
Seduced by Julian’s charm, Jazzmyn is swept up in a passionate romance. Then she learns the horrific truth about Julian and the murders. Cursed to an unending life where no woman can satisfy his lust and no wine can quench his thirst, Julian needs Jazzmyn’s love to free him from his torment.
But Jazzmyn is in love with someone else. And Julian isn’t very happy about it. He vows to keep on killing until Jazzmyn submits to his will. For Jazzmyn Livaudais the nightmare is just beginning.
*And take a minute to hop on over to Michael Di Gesu's blog- he has an announcement you will want to check out ;)
click HERE!!!
*And take a minute to hop on over to Michael Di Gesu's blog- he has an announcement you will want to check out ;)
click HERE!!!
Wow! What a fascinating lady and family history! I think New Orleans is just too cool :-)
ReplyDeleteI've never been there, but talk about a place rich in culture and history!
DeleteI can't believe she grew up on film sets in New Orleans. That sounds so cool and perhaps grueling.
ReplyDeleteTotally cool way to grow up. Alex seems so cool and down to earth, I never would have guessed it. :)
DeleteWise advice! And cool you had the opportunity to learn from Williams. That is priceless.
ReplyDeleteTotally priceless! I'd love to hear all the advice he gave her.
DeleteWow, what a great lady. So impressed with the wildlife rehab, I really admire that and the picture is just too cute.
ReplyDeleteSo nice to meet you and learn about your books, Alexandrea. :)
You'd have loved my grandma Mary Julie. She could save and raise any animal. She once had a ground hog name Petie she taught to fetch. A real animal whisperer.
DeleteNice to meet you, Alex! That's some mighty impressive stuff! :)
ReplyDeleteIsn't it? Amazing!!
DeleteGreat to meet Alex. Awesome on her award. All success to her!
ReplyDeleteHappy weekend, Elizabeth.
Hope you had a great weekend too Mary! Hope the stars lined up just for you :)
DeleteGlad Alexandria found her calling. Money doesn't buy happiness.
ReplyDeleteYou're so right Sheena-kay. I never make decisions based on money...it's the one thing we hold so dear, but it's the least eternal of all the things we can chase.
DeleteWow. To learn under that kind of mentor? Amazing.
ReplyDeleteI know. Totally cool.
DeleteGreat to meet you Alex! Apparently there's another great book I need to get my hands on! And I'm so jealous you get to rescue wild animals! I think that would be best thing EVER!
ReplyDeleteOnly bad thing about the wild animals is the sharp teeth. Other than that...cute as buttons. ;)
DeleteWow. That blurb gives me goosebumps. Can't wait to get my hands on it.
ReplyDeleteSo nice to meet you, Alex! You've got quite the interesting background - neat :)
It does sound intriguing!
DeleteRecently I had baby birds falling from the skies and brought them to Messenger Woods, a wildlife rescue in our part of the woods. (It's a good thing). Alex's book sounds clearly intriguing, and I'm looking for a vacation read, thanks Elizabeth, great post.
ReplyDeleteI hate it when baby birds fall. My neighbor and I kept putting this one little guy back up in his nest day after day...hopefully he finally learned to fly!
DeleteVisited Michael and man oh man the cover is sizzling here!!! Meooooow
ReplyDeleteIt is a hot cover there kitty cat ;)
DeleteI'm completely jealous of the fact that she had conversations about writing with Tennessee Williams. Alex sounds like someone I'd want to chat about writing with :D
ReplyDeleteDef envy worthy! Alex is a sweet lady...I'd love to have a sit down chat with her too. :)
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