#AuthorInterview with Darlene Fredette

Let’s welcome Darlene to the blog! Thank you for sitting down with me. I love chatting with authors!

What kind of research did you do for Cherry Red? Did you travel, use the Internet, speak with experts on a topic, etc?

I used the internet for my research, which included firefighting terms as well as ice cream recipes. I must admit, the ice cream research was fun and made me hungry.

What process did you go through when you picked your characters’ names for Cherry Red?

I already had the heroine’s name ‘Carly’ picked as I plotted the storyline, but I was stumped for a strong hero name. I went on Facebook and asked my family and friends for name suggestions. I received many great ideas, and not only did I get the hero’s name ‘Noah’, but I also chose names from their suggestions for a few secondary characters.

Do any of your characters take over and write the book themselves sometimes? Who?

Both Carly and Noah are strong characters, and they took on a life of their own. Their story was fun to write, probably because they led the way. A couple of other characters also wanted their voice to be heard, such as Carly’s best friend and brother.

What do you prefer: ebook or print? Why?

I enjoy both. I mainly use my tablet to read, but on a warm summer’s day, I like to read outside but the sun casts a glared on the tablet screen, so a paperback is best for those days.

How long have you been writing? When did you decide to become an author?

I’ve been writing a long time, so long I can’t remember the exact date. I started writing during my late teens (well over thirty years ago). I wrote a young adult romance in a notebook. I never finished that story and I’m not sure what happened to that notebook. I’ve been writing ever since (though not full time), but thankfully I saved the rest of my stories.

Blurb:

This summer, ice cream entrepreneur Carly Redd’s only focus is expanding her business—until she’s coerced into attending her ex’s engagement party. Showing up without a date is unthinkable. She reluctantly agrees to be escorted by her brother’s co-worker, although doing so breaks her rule of not dating firefighters.

The daughter of the town’s fire chief should wear a Do Not Touch sign, but firefighter Noah Harding’s interest blazed the moment he saw Carly. Agreeing to be her fake boyfriend is a no-brainer, but convincing Carly to trust him with her heart is harder than extinguishing a fire.

Overstepping the platonic-only rule is as dangerous as fire and ice swirling into a tempting combustion.

Excerpt:

“This might seem like a strange question, especially since we’ve just met, but would you be interested in going out for a coffee? Or an ice cream?” Noah rested an arm on the bar.

Carly glanced down at her jeans and black T-shirt embroidered with the company name and logo…a cluster of red cherries. In a room full of women all dolled up in fancy—and some a bit scanty—dresses, why would this incredibly handsome man ask her on a date? “I appreciate the offer, but I’m not interested…”

Noah raised a brow. “I know you like ice cream, so is it the coffee, or me?”

“What? No. I mean, yes.” She took a second to collect her scrambled thoughts. “I like coffee. I just don’t hang out with firefighters.” Not that he was a real firefighter. Did impersonators count in her rules of men to avoid? She never dated a stripper, but she wasn’t sure she could have a relationship with a guy who was paid to take off his clothes and have other women fawn over him. Not that the guy asked her on a date…just a simple coffee. His frown made her feel badly. “I’m sorry. It’s nothing personal.”

“Burnt in the past? No pun intended.” He smiled.

She couldn’t help but smile back. “Something like that.”

Buy Links:

This link will bring you to my website which has links to all distributing sites for my books.

Universal Purchase Link: http://darlenefredette.blogspot.com/2021/04/my-books-purchase-links.html

Author Bio:

Darlene resides on the Atlantic Coast of Canada where the summers are too short, and the winters are too long. She writes contemporary romances with a focus on plot-driven page-turners. When not working on her next book, she can be found with her husband, her daughter, and her yellow Labrador.

Social Media Links:

Author Web Site: http://darlenefredette.blogspot.com/

Blog: http://findingthewritewords.blogspot.com

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Darlene-Fredette/e/B005NAF660/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DarleneLF