Frankie
Belleville
Good evening, my darlings!
Mme. Enchanté was delighted to invite Frankie
Belleville to join her for a little
tête-à-tête in the Gold Room, renowned for not only having a
fireplace, comfy couch and wi/fi access points, but also
exquisite plasterwork entirely covered with gold leaf.
What's that? You say people are rather more interested in
Jarod, the barman? Well one couldn't possibly comment,
could one, sweetie? ;-)
"Ms. Belleville, thank you so much
for joining us. If you would like anything to eat or drink,
just let Jarod, the bartender know. Shall we sit by the
fireplace? Jerod tells me he just finished lighting the fire there
five minutes ago."
"Oh. Wonderful!! I would love a
Margarita. Tequila always gets the tongue to moving. I've found
that wine -- while sophisticated -- brings out the mean in me. ACK!!"
"Ahhh a common problem, I
believe!" Mme. Enchanté blushes faintly as she responds, and
turns slightly to address the barman. "Jarod? one
Margarita and one daiquiri please. Thanks!" She fans
her face lightly before turning back to Frankie with a
smile.
She needn't have worried; Frankie has
been distracted all along. "Wow!!
Can you see the guy that just walked in? He's wearing a green top
hat!"
"Ah yes. I'm afraid we get all kinds
here at the Rambler..." Mme. E. looks none too impressed,
however, and makes shooing motions to the man, who is loitering in
the doorway. "Tell me, is Frankie Belleville a
non-de-plume? Do you write under any other names?"
"Yes,"
Frankie replies, although her attention is still caught by the
character in the doorway. "Frankie
Belleville is my pen name. Articles are usually written
under Stef Belveal, SM Blooding or Katie Whistle. Katie is a fun
person to write under. She's a ditz. She's my undercover writer.
" Frankie gives an easy
laugh.
"Ahh... maybe I need an undercover
name.... Oh wait... I do..." Again, the blush.
This is most unusual for Mme E.
Frankie kindly decides not to comment. "SM
Blooding is a bit stuck up and he tends to write very . . . well,
factual journalism" Frankie
shrugs and grins at her hostess, who snorts in response.
"Would you mind telling us what your
real name is?"
"Not at all: Stef Belveal"
"So do you have a specific genre
that you tend to write in?"
"Everything I write tends toward the
paranormal/fantasy. Lately, I've been inspired by sci/fi. But I
have quite a few contemporaries without magic spewing forth as
well..."
They are interrupted by Jarod, who winks
at each woman in turn as he hands over their drinks.
"Thanks, Jarod!"
"Yes, thank you Jarod!"
Mme. E. blushes again, but waits for him to walk a short
distance before leaning forward to whisper, "Isn't he just
adorable? All dark and handsome?"
"Oh yes, he's yummy!" Frankie
winks, and appears to be on the brink of commenting upon Mme. E's
blush.
"This is my favorite room, Jarod
takes good care of his guests," Mme. Enchanté blurts.
"I love him: Can I take him home
with me? I have two kids that he could help with..." Frankie
winks again.
Mme. Enchanté giggles. "Well,
you'll have to ask Jarod, but he like his job here, we pay quite
well you see..." She fans her face again, watching as
Jarod polishes another pint glass to perfection.
"Incidentally, I notice here that Enchanted Ramblings has
reviewed two of your books and given then quite nice reviews. Have
you seen them yet?"
"I saw The Sandman. What other one
did they review?"
"Well they just finished Cowboy
Christmas and .... Oh yes the webmaster is a little behind in
putting up the reviews..." Mme. E. gives a little
frown, prompting Frankie to laugh out loud. "We'll
forgive her this once I think. Would you care to see the review? A
little sneak peek as we say?"
"YES!!!!!" Frankie
giggles, taking another sip from her drink.
"Okay, here it is... Cowboy
Christmas
http://www.enchantedramblings.net/reviews/review047.html
by Frankie Belleville
5 wands
Publisher: Silk's Vault
Reviewer: NightOwl
Abigail Williams is being forced to take a winter vacation, on a
ranch in the mountains of Colorado. Cade McPherson works at the
ranch to earn money to spend on his spread. She is a workaholic
loner, with no hobbies and hardly any interests outside of work.
He is the survivor of a painful relationship, with no intention
of ever getting involved with another woman. She is city polish
and career oriented. He is country laid back and works just as
hard, but in a different way. She loves the house he is building
and he wonders if she cares more for the house than him. This
story has a few explicit love scenes. When I recognized the
author's name from a previous book, I just knew I was going to
enjoy reading this story, and I was right. While reading some of
the scenes, I could just see the characters so clearly in my
mind's eye. I thought the ending was a little rushed, but I'm
sure part of that hated to see the story close. I do recommend
buying and reading this story."
"Wow!! That's wonderful!"
"As you can see our reviewers are of
the highest quality readers."
"The
ending was rushed. Deadline was hitting me fast and hard and I
tend to write LOOOOONG pieces like The Sandman. However, this one
was supposed to be a short, short" Frankie laughs.
"Well I've been told I have to read
it and that doesn't happen often so congrats I'd say it was a
success..."
Frankie laughs again. "Thank
you so much!!! Originally, I had it outlined for a stunner --
under 10K words, but the characters took off and away they
went!!"
" Yes Characters have a habit of
doing that. They really must learn to behave. So do you have
anything special you're working on now?"
"I do . . . well, I have quite a few
actually..." She chuckles.
"Anything you'd like to tell us
about? Or something that may be coming out soon..?"
"I'm
working on a novel that I'll be querying Harlequin with that's a
super sweet little romance and I'm working on Demonic Seductions
for Silk which is a Dark Silk. And there's the sequel to Night
Fall which is absolutely SCREAMING at me to write!"
Frankie's fingers are twitching as she speaks.
"Goodness, you are busy!"
"Yeah. I always dream big. Alice
Unchained will be coming out very soon with Venus Press. I think
it's coming out March-ish. Big on the ish part. LOL!! They're
pretty big and have a HUGE line-up! After Alice Unchained, it'll
almost appear as though I've dropped off the face of the earth.
LOL! I plan on trying to get two books for Silk and Ocean's Mist
while getting one complete for Harlequin and one for Baen."
"Congratulations! Venus Press
is a big e-publisher. Do you have a excerpt that you'd like to
share or that I can bribe from you?"
"Give me one second while I dig
around in my bag."
"Certainly, would you like a refill
while you dig?"
"Oh, yes please!" She
pull out three note books and a pile of paper. "Shoot! Where
did I put that thing? Oh, right. I know!"
"Oh,
you see this journal? It's cram PACKED with story ideas! There's
just not enough time in a day! Eureeka!! Here it is...
Alice is a woman who is tired of being
repressed. Her upbringing conditioned her to be a good girl and
to think good thoughts. However, her two best friends, Mandy and
Michelle are wanton women who get what they want and they're
attitude has been seriously rubbing off on her. When she gets
the invitation to join them for a "dice party", she's
uncertain whether or not she should go. Can she loosen up enough
to enjoy this sex game amongst strangers and friends? Or will
she remain the prude that she has become?"
Jarod approaches with 2 more drinks, he
sets them down on the table with a wink at our intrepid reporter
and turns to leave. Mme Enchante leans slightly forward in
her seat, her voice almost breathless and certainly
unintentionally loud when she says, "I love watching that man
walk.... oh uhm sorry!"
Frankie giggles. "Oh,
I soooo understand!" She
smiles brightly, then looks briefly distracted while she pulls a
pen out of her hair before jotting down something in her
notepad.
"I like that blurb!" Mme
Enchante watches, intrigue, while Frankie lodges the pen back into
her hair as though nothing has happened.
"Thank you! This was actually
my first erotica piece before I realized -- I hadn't even read an
erotica when this was written -- so it's a really . . . well, it's
HOT."
"It sounds like quite an intriguing
story... Hot is always a good thing..."
"I was blushing while writing that
story. I don't know where the ideas came from. They just came.
"Marissa
de A'mor had a campfire on Writing.com where we would "roll
the dice" and then write a short little ditty on what we did
and this is a spin-off of that.
"That sounds like an intriguing way
of coming up with ideas. Do you have any rituals you go through
while writing or anything that tends to spark ideas more than
others?"
"Oh,
shoot!! I get ideas like you wouldn't believe! I went to Marissa's
house for a week's vacation and saw a sign that read "Hell is
Hot". Well, we were in the Bible belt, so what the heck. And
off of that one sign, I have TWO book ideas, one of which is
Demonic Seduction. Rituals? My life doesn't allow the luxury for
rituals. I carry a pen in my hair, and I write on ANY scrap of
paper available. I write every spare second I can!" She
laughs.
"Yes, I can see a writer doing that
when they're short on time. I also understand from my sources that
you occasionally edit for other authors also. Which do you prefer
doing? Writing or Editing?"
"Well, it depends. If work and life
have absolutely drained my poor, aching brain, editing is a
wonderful reprieve. However, if I'm absolutely bugging, jittery
from the voices in my head and they're screaming, I'd better hope
I don't have a ms to edit! "
Mme. Enchanté laughs out loud.
"I'm
also a reviewer at Coffee Times Romance Reviews. I'm Babs. That's
wonderful. With writing, editing, work and family, there's just
not a lot of time to read for enjoyment..."
"Yes trust me I understand
completely! You wouldn't believe .... well anyway. Ahem So
anything our readers should know about you?"
"That's
a tough question!"
"Well I have to have one or
two..." Mme. E grins evilly.
"Well,
I have a sense of humor, due in part to the rather bumpy road that
I've decided to travel. I never take the easy road. That would
just be too easy. The best way to deal with it is to just get back
up and laugh my blooming behind off as I limp on down the
road." She laughs. "You ARE evil. I have two
wonderful girls. They're eight and five. They keep me inspired
with ideas for books. And before anyone takes that the wrong way,
my erotica books tend to be stories where sex just happens to
coincidentally pop up."
" Do you have any advice for up and
coming writers?"
"Advice? Yes!!"
"Care to share?"
"Keep your goals constantly in
sight. Write a list of ideas and then chug away at them, taking
them one at a time. Research all the time. Research what you're
writing so you sound smart and supreme and research your market.
Always stay on top of your business. And don't be shy when it
comes to promotions. With today's business, you've got to be your
salesman. If you have the drive and the heart to be a writer, you
can learn the grammar -- be sure that you DO! Editors don't like
having to rewrite your book for you! -- and you can learn the
promotion and marketing stuff. However, unless you have the drive,
you'll never go anywhere. It's a long, bumpy road, but it is soooo
well worth traveling."
Mme. Enchanté smiles sheepishly at the
grammar comment.
"Oh, yes!! There are books out there
on that. And there are some really good ones out there too. I
always say that you can learn the grammar, but you can't learn
what it takes to be a writer. You either have the will or you
don't. OH!! And grow a really, really thick skin. You'll need it.
Well, unless you're as good as I am and then people will be
praising you left and right and you won't need
it." She ducks, avoiding an imaginary flying
shoe. "Dang!! Who threw that?!"
"Actually that is good advice."
"I have The Novel Workshop on
Writing.com and that's what I do. I try to build each person up
and help them research what they need to learn along the
way."
" Is that workshop open to
anyone?"
"All you have to do is sign up with www.writing.com.
It's an awesome place. The free membership doesn't allow for much
to be kept in your portfolio, but the basic membership is fairly
inexpensive. We were just nominted the best writer's workshop and
I think the last time I looked, we were #3. That was with
Preditors and Editors."
"ER dropped in the poll that last
few days"
"I was nominated as well. That was
soooo crazy. I've only been published since October 31! I'm doing
fairly well, though."
"Who has influenced you in your
writing?"
"Actually, it was my English teacher
my sophomore year. Mrs. Lillard!! She's the best. I was spending
so much time with math and science. Writing, my mother told me,
would never provide a very good living. However, Mrs. Lillard took
one of my essays and thunked it against my head and asked me quite
bluntly what the heck I was doing wasting my time on math and
science!"
"Nice!"
"Life stepped in the way after that,
but then my oldest daughter one night after I told her a
"Sandman Bedtime Story" sighed dreamily at me and said,
"Momma, Luk needs to find someone like you to love and you
need a sandman too." That's when it really picked up and I
decided to attempt to make this a living."
"Kids have a way of saying things
that just make sense don't they? Do you have a website or a blog
that our readers can check out"
"http://www.FrankieBelleville.com
I keep it updated quite often - sometimes daily -- and my blog is
on there. I'll be getting a Writer's Resource page up soon and be
putting some of my poorly written poetry on there too. LOL. I try
to reply to all of my fanmail right away. FrankieBelle@msn.com
or Frankie_Belleville@yahoo.com
Oh shoot!! That reminds me. I have to update my contact page! I
keep forgetting!" She pulls the pen out of her hair
again, and writes on back of her hand"
There is a polite cough by their
side. Mme Enchante turns to see Jarod, balancing a tray of finger
foods on each arm.
"Ah bless you Jarod you
take such good care of us!" She turns to Frankie. "Would you care for a snack?"
"Oh wonderful. I actually need to step out for just a bit for a
smoke. I know its a nasty habit, but I'll be quitting this year. I
promised my oldest daughter."
"Smoking is a horrible habit, I
don't blame her for making you promise."
Frankie laughs. "I know. But I'd
rather smoke than bite off someone's head when they . . . well, I
AM a red-head. I have the temper that goes with that too.
The ladies room is right over there, right? Well, there's the
sign. Hey! I'm a writer! I can read!"
"Second door on the left."
"Thanks, hon!"
"No problem." Mme
Enchante smiles politely, and waits a few moments while Frankie
exits the room. Then she twists around towards the bar, and
taps her fingers impatiently on the side of her chair, while Jarod
finishes serving another customer. "Jarod
darling?" She pouts prettily. "Why don't you
have a seat and keep me company while she's gone? I'm sure the
other patrons can do without you for a few
minutes..."
Jarod opens his mouth to respond, just as
Mme Enchanté spots Frankie returning. She clears her throat
noisily. "Yes. So. Jarod, are you doing anything
after you're shift tonight?"
"Oh, I see how it is!! I step away
and you steel the bartender! Oh!! I was going to give him MY line!
Oh well. That is probably the prettiest restroom I've seen yet,
but the toilet whistles. You might want to have someone look at
that. LOL
Mme. E. giggles, blushing again. "Sorry,
I couldn't resist."
Frankie grins. "Yeah,
yeah, yeah..."
Mme. Enchanté blushes deeper.
"But he is hard to resist!"
Frankie blinks, grins, and changes the
subject. "Can I go back to one
question?
"Of course!" Mme.
Enchanté has the good grace to look embarrassed.
"The
question about how I was inspired to write? My mother knows me
pretty well, and she KNOWS that I'm quite the rebel. She kept
telling me that writing wouldn't go far, but I think she was
secretly hoping that I would push for it. My father, the sweetest
man on earth, informed me that I could do anything I set my mind
to and he would "secretly" push me. Now, I've found that
it wasn't as secret as I had thought. I think they orchestrated
the entire thing. LOL!! But now my mother is quite the aspiring
writer too. She has a book that she's working on right now that
would be a really good women's fiction. It's hilarious and sad and
really well-rounded. I'm trying to talk her into publishing it.
There's Marissa who pushed me into erotica. And my honey, Raul,
who is just super supportive. Every day he asks what I've written
and what voices are talking the loudest. LOL! He hates reading,
but he's read everything I've published except The Sandman. He
just can't get into that one, though he's putting a really big
effot into it."
"Goodness, it sounds like you have
quite a support system..."
"Oh, I do! Almost daily, Raul is
helping me with promotion or updating my site so that my readers
and fans can get the latest scoop. And Marissa is a good ear to
talk off. " She laughs. "Sometimes she'll stop me and
ask me where heaven's name I got THAT idea?!"
"Yes I believe that Merris said Raul
sent her one your books to review?"
"He's
such a sweetie!! My boss is even in on it. He'll ask me when the
last time I seriously wrote was and then if it's been too long,
he'll tell me to leave early. He keeps asking when I'll write
something that he can read without looking at me funny." She
giggles. "He started reading Night Fall -- it IS a bit
steamy... There's a coffee shop scene that lasts for four
chapters. It's HOT -- and he had to stop because he was blushing
so hard. However, I hear tell that I've helped the sex lives of
many of my coworkers." She laughs again. "What a
pat on the back!"
Mme. Enchanté giggles, and nods in the
direction of the bar, where Jarod has frozen, mid-glass-polish.
"...that seems to have caught the interest of out dear Jarod..."
"Muahahahaha!! See? The tequila has
hit! I can't stop talking!"
They collapse into laughter. A
short while later, Mme. Enchanté manages to draw a reasonably
steady breath, to ask: "One last question. If you had time
off to do whatever you like, what would you do?"
"Oh,
dear! Well, I would . . . I would take my girls traveling so that
they could see more of the world around them. My oldest daughter
wants to collect sea shells at the ocean -- though she doesn't
want to go into the water. My littlest one wants to see a tiger. I
don't know about that one, but I'll see what wonderful place we
could go and be SAFE while watching nature. Speaking of which,
M'dear. I have to call a cab. My girls want a Sandman Story
tonight. So I have to get going."
"Frankie thank you so very much for
joining me!" Mme Enchanté stands and offers Frankie
her hand. "It was very nice meeting you!"
"It was
such a pleasure to speak with you. Have a wonderful evening, hon.
"Thanks! Feel free to drop by any
time!"
"Thank you, I will!"
Frankie makes smooching gestures towards Mme Enchante, Jarod, and
the gentleman in the top hat, who has somehow made his way into
the room, before leaving with a friendly wave.
Mme. Enchanté smiles happily, folds up
her notebook and turns to face the bar.
"So, Jarod, about tonight…"
Many
thanks to Frankie for joining us
in the Gold Room!
You can find
out more about Frankie
on her website, here:
http://www.FrankieBelleville.com
:-)
