It is my pleasure to welcome J.R. Richardson to our blog. If you enjoy paranormal mystery romances, take a look at her debut novel, Cursed be the Wicked!
~ SPOTLIGHT ~
Welcome to Sweet Spot Book Blog! Please tell our readers a little about yourself.
Thanks for having me Grace! : ) I’m a 40 something mom, raising two awesome girls with my best friend and husband in sunny Florida. I have a full time job, keep very busy with both our daughters involved in sports and other school type extracurricular activities but manage to write on the side. Our family stays pretty busy and although life can seem completely chaotic at time, it’s all worth every crazy moment we have together.
What do you think readers will like about the main couple, Coop and Finn?
I think they’re going to like the chemistry but more than that, the friendship and bond that these two have. They’re going to feel for Coop and cheer for Finn. These characters have formed a connection with each other in a very special way and I’m hoping the readers will feel like a part of that connection as well.
If possible, please describe a favorite scene or quote from the book?
There’s this part where Coop is reading his mother’s old journal entries, and he has this revelation about her – and it just makes my heart so full for him. I think people will know what I’m talking about when they read the passage I’m talking about. *wink wink* I hope they feel the same when they experience the scene. Favorite quote (among others): “How do you not believe in magic, Coop? It’s everywhere.”
Can you share with us a little of what you're currently working on?
Right now I’m writing a romantic comedy that I plan to tell from two POVs – this guy though, he’s been a lot of fun – I think readers are going to have blast getting to know the two of them.
Snippet (from Carter Blackwood’s POV):
“Listen, I appreciate your hands but I really don’t need any-”
I laugh at that one. “What did you just say?”
She looks up at me, confused. And angry.
“What?”
And I’m still laughing. “You appreciate my hands?”
Iris shakes her head, like she’s trying to get the words straight inside that busy mind of her’s before she says them. Her frustration shows, regardless.
“I said I appreciate you giving me a hand.”
“No,” I tell her, teasingly. “You definitely said you appreciate my hands.”
“Well.” She takes a deep breath and now she’s flustered even more so. “You know I mean, I was just-”
“Appreciating my hands.”
~ Quickie Questions ~
Current favorite song or band? High Hopes by Kodaline
Sweet or Savory? Sweet!
Read anything good lately? The Weather Girl, by Amy Vastine!
Thanks so much for stopping by, Jo! What a tease you gave us on your WIP. I'm looking forward to reading it!
Title: Cursed be the Wicked
Author: J.R. Richardson
Genre: Paranormal Mystery Romance
Release Date: March 5, 2014
Synopsis:
Cooper Shaw lives his life under a pen name and enjoys the anonymity it provides during his journeys across the globe as a seasoned writer for a travel magazine. When his job lands him in his hometown of Salem, Massachusetts to cover the famous Festival of the Dead, he soon realizes that he can’t stay invisible forever as he faces ghosts from a past he’s been trying to forget ever since he left.
The city holds nothing but bad memories for Coop until he meets a quirky young woman with an old soul and curious insights by the name of Finnley Pierce. While she acts as his tour guide through a town he thought he knew, Finn helps him unearth the truth of his childhood and might even begin to open up his heart.
By unraveling the mystery of his father’s murder, Coop may finally accept who he is, where he came from, and perhaps even realize what he wants for his future.
~ Excerpt ~
“I came by Geneva’s to see you this morning,” I tell her. She slides her hands inside my jacket, around my waist. She holds us together tighter.
“You did?” There’s a smile in her voice. I grin but she can’t see it.
“I’ve gotten used to starting my days out with you in them.”
“You have?” She leans back to look at me. She’s stunned although I have no idea why. I’ve been so transparent even a bat could see through me the past few days.
“Yeah,” I tell her, “I have.” I brush the hair out of her face. Even through the rainfall I can see the blush in her cheeks. This is the most vulnerable I’ve seen Finn since Geneva’s, when she thanked me for handling Dan.
“Most people don’t like the way I’m so pushy sometimes,” she says. “They find it offensive. Some might even say I’ve got a smart mouth. Too smart for my own good, blah blah blah.”
She trails off at the end there and I laugh at the way she thinks I’m buying that none of it bothers her.
“Come to think of it, you did say something I found offensive yesterday,” I tell her half serious. She looks hurt but I can’t stop the smirk from spreading across my face as I back her up against the nearest tree.
She’s caught off guard by the move, I can hear it in the way her breath hitches. “What was that?”
She tries to recover but she fails.
“I believe the term you used was friends,” I tell her, narrowing my eyes. Her lips part, just barely. She swallows something down then clears her throat.
“Isn’t that what we are?”
I move my head from side to side. “I don’t think so, Finn.”
4.5 - 5.0 Stars
You
know that feeling you get when you're so into a story that you
don't
want it all to end?
That happened to me while reading Cursed be the Wicked. I got to the
last chapter, which is essentially an epilogue, and I hesitated for a
moment before
delving into the final pages.
Coop
is
reluctant to be back in Salem. The place dredges up so many bad
memories that he's spent so much time trying to forget. He has one
goal...do his research for the article he's been assigned to write
and then hightail it out of town.
Once he's there he meets Finn, who takes it upon herself to be
his personal guide. Along
the way it becomes inevitable that past and present must
collide. This leads to Coop seeking the answers he
never knew he wanted, but
is he really ready to learn the whole truth and finally believe?
Oh
my! Ms. Richardson has written quite a debut novel! It's got a little
paranormal, a splash of romance, and a whole lot of mystery. The
story is entirely in Coop's POV. My only teeny, tiny gripe is that I
would have loved a bit of Finn's POV as well, since I found her to be
so fascinating. I appreciated her warm personality and sharp
intuition, but I also understood
that this is mainly Coop's story to tell. Coop and Finn fall into
a comfortable and friendly relationship as they searched for answers.
I
loved that the setting is in Salem, MA, which makes the story feel a
little real. With
a plot that leads to wicked twists, cryptic messages, and endearing
life lessons, Cursed be the Wicked will stay in my heart and mind for
a long while.
Favorite
Finn
quote:
“Apologies
are a dime a dozen. I don't need an apology. What I need is
sincerity.”
Favorite
Coop
quote:
“This
isn't exactly how I planned our second kiss, but I'm willing to go
with it if you are.”
Book Trailer:
A writer of stories and lover of life.
Jo grew up in Maryland with four siblings, three parents and an endless number of cousins within the vicinity. Today she lives in Florida with her two girls and a husband that shares her same sense of humor and basic take on life as we know it.
Life is too short to put dreams on the back burner.
She’s always loved writing, and always enjoys a good mystery, so in 2012, Jo wrote a novel that was picked up by the good people at Soul Mate Publishing.
Where you can find Jo:
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