Stories of Chance Romance by Roxy Boroughs and Brenda M. Collins - Virtual Tour and Giveaway

Today we're welcoming authors Roxy Boroughs and Brenda M. Collins to the blog on their tour with Black Lion Tours for their romance anthology, "Stories of Chance Romance". Note: All authors’ profits from the sale of this anthology are being donated to advance the research, education, diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. What a great cause! As the daughter of a breast cancer survivor, this is something near and dear to my heart.

The authors will give away Kindle copies of “Crazy for Cowboy” by Roxy Boroughs (a sweet romantic comedy) and “Witch in the Wind” (a sweet paranormal/fantasy romance) by Brenda M. Collins. One each at every stop! Readers just have to comment for a chance to win(if you click on the banner over there on the left, it'll take you to a list of her tour stops)! The more you read and comment, the better your odds of winning. You could be introduced to great new authors AND win prize!

Roxy Boroughs was awesome enough to answer my questions. Take a look, then make sure you leave a comment (there's a question for you at the bottom... don't leave the authors hanging)! 

Why do you write in your genre? What draws you to it?

Thanks so much for having us on your lovely site. I took a look around and I’m adding quite a few of your recommends to my reading list.

I write in several different genres. I have a romantic comedy, a couple of romantic suspense titles, a play, and STORIES OF CHANCE ROMANCE which is a collection of short tales. I collaborated on this last title with my buddy Brenda M. Collins.

All my writing has a love theme. That certainly fits in with my life because I’ve been with the same man since I was 19. I’m much older now, but we’ve never lost the romance in our relationship.

I like a guy who can make me laugh, and my hubby certainly does that—every day. I want the heroes in my books to do the same. Even in my romantic suspense titles, there’s humor. The same with Brenda’s WITCH IN THE WIND novella. And, like Brenda, I have a paranormal element in my romantic suspense titles. We both grew up watching shows like Star Trek, The Twilight Zone and Bewitched so our appreciation of the extraordinary probably stems from there.

As to the suspense, we’ve always been fascinated with mystery, crime and justice. Interestingly, we’re both born under the sign of Libra—The Scales. Maybe that explains it all.

But in STORIES OF CHANCE ROMANCE the tales are short and sweet, capturing that first meeting, that first hint of romance.

What research is required?

Brenda did quite a lot of research into witchcraft and superstitions for her Bandit Creek novella WITCH IN THE WIND. And her hometown of St. John’s Newfoundland is rich with folklore.

The hero of my romantic comedy CRAZY FOR COWBOY is an actor who’s playing the role of a cowboy in a movie. I studied theater in university and have performed on camera, so with that part I was well acquainted. The cowboy stuff? Not so much. Fortunately, I have a friend whose family owns a ranch. He showed me around it and let me take a spin on a horse bareback. Very exciting.

The tales in STORIES OF CHANCE ROMANCE are contemporary, so the worlds created are more commonplace—a school gym during a high school reunion, a gas station, the San Diego Zoo. All spots one or both of us have visited.

Name one thing you learned from your hero/heroine.

From our heroes and heroines in STORIES OF CHANCE ROMANCE we learn that love is out there waiting for you. Even when you least expect it.

Also, generosity of spirit. Which is why we decided to give all our author royalties to the fight against breast cancer, a cause we both feel strongly about, since I’m a breast cancer survivor and Brenda lost a dear friend to the disease.

Any odd or interesting writing quirks, habits or superstitions?

There are a lot of theater superstitions. One that I’ve seen in action involves the dangers of quoting from Macbeth while backstage. Whether it was the power of suggestion or a real curse, the night someone spoke one of Shakespeare’s lines from that play in the dressing room, everything on stage went wrong—actors missed their cues, props misbehaved, costumes malfunctioned. That’s why performers always refer to Macbeth as “the Scottish play.” They don’t even want to say the title out loud!

Newfoundlanders, like Brenda, have a whole host of superstitions. And, if you’ve ever been to The Rock, you’d know why. It’s ruggedly beautiful, and often there’s a mist that rolls over the land and makes you think of the moors in Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights. Very gothic.

As for writing superstitions, we like to surround ourselves with things that make us happy—framed copies of our book covers and paintings we enjoy. In my office, I have a rendering of my husband in a theatrical pose. Actually, it looks like he’s pointing at me and telling me to get to work. I also have a little sign taped to my desk that says, “Quit Piddling and Write Your Book.” Both of these visuals help keep me on track.

Plotter or pantser?

We’re both plotters. I’ve tried pantsing it and met with disaster—on par with that Macbeth fiasco I told you about earlier.

Look to your right – what’s sitting there?

A pile of papers I should file. In Brenda’s office she’d see her computer tower. Much neater.

Anything new coming up from you? What?

Brenda is working on a sequel to her WITCH IN THE WIND novella, as well as a diamond laundering mystery.

I’m doing the final edits on a full length action adventure and a shorter light romance that combines a secret baby plot and a matchmaking ghost.

Do you have a question for our readers?

What do you look for in a hero? Who are your favorites, either in films or books?

And thanks so much for visiting with us today!

Here’s to finding love in any place, at any time!

This collection of eleven short stories of chance romance reflects the hope that comes with the first bloom of romance, whether you find it in your youth, midlife, or the twilight years.

We dedicate Stories of Chance Romance to all the women who face breast cancer and to the teams of family, friends and medical professionals who support them on their journey.

Like so many woman, we have been closely and personally touched by this disease. Roxy was diagnosed and successfully treated in 2010—the same year Brenda lost her very dear friend, Mary Beggan, to breast cancer.

All authors’ profits from the sale of this anthology are being donated to advance the research, education, diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer.

Roxy Boroughs got the acting bug in elementary school, creating skits at recess and performing them for the class, thanks to her very indulgent teacher. She went on to study theater in university, met the love of her life there, and spent many years performing in movies, commercials and on stages across Canada and the US. Soon, portraying one character wasn’t enough. She wanted to be them all. So she poured her years of drama experience into writing plays and novels.

Look for her award-winning romantic suspense A STRANGER’S TOUCH, as well as its sequel, A STRANGER’S KISS, along with a sweet, romantic comedy called CRAZY FOR COWBOY. Find her on Facebook, Twitter and her website http://www.roxyboroughs.com/.

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Brenda M. Collins has wanted to write romance since she was twelve years old. At the age of twenty, she spoke to an editor in Toronto, Canada, who expressed an interest in her story; however, she soon realized it takes more than an idea to be an author. She joined a number of writing groups to learn about ‘the craft’ and completed two mystery manuscripts. To help her fellow writers develop strong business skills, Brenda has published articles, and delivered workshops to hundreds of writers, on career planning, professional networking and presentation skills. Her most recent article, entitled How to Improve your Presentations, is in the 2013 Writer’s Market (Brewer, R.L., ed. F&W Media Inc. p. 153).

Brenda’s debut novel, WITCH IN THE WIND, starts with a murder, but comes to life with witches, warlocks, a canine familiar and a magical dimension called The Otherland. For upcoming titles in The Otherland Chronicles, and other stories, keep an eye on Brenda’s website www.brendamcollins.com  and follow her on Twitter .