Heart-Shaped Stone by Arby Corry - Guest Blog and Giveaway

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Five Things You Probably Don't Know About Arby Corry

Well, my full time occupation is as a radio announcer, disc jockey, if you will. People mistakenly believe that someone like me is the life of the party, vivacious, fun loving, loud and always funny. I’m pretty good at that that always funny part but once I abandon the “air chair” I’m back to my meek little self. I think that’s one of the reasons I was drawn to the radio business. For five hours a day you can be everything you’re not in real life. And, for some reason, I do it well. I’ve worked as an announcer for over twenty years on various formats and the thing I hear most is that I sound happy on air. Not that I’m not happy off air, but cut me off in a parking lot or mess with my kids, and my voice is not a ratings winner, let’s just say.

I’m a “young” grandma. I have a three year old grandson and he’s my little precious. I say motherhood, especially single motherhood as I did for a while, is not for the faint of heart, but grandparenting is all heart. I most highly recommend it.

Although I live in the Pacific Northwest, and have for many years, I’m originally from Southern California. I grew up in a little beach town where if you weren’t on the beach looking at the boys, you were in the water surfing with them. I chose to surf. Looking back on my teenage years I can hardly believe I used to surf giant winter waves in nothing more than my swim team Speedo. If I even stick one big toe in the surf in January now I run for the nearest bonfire. Crazy youth!

I’ve wanted a Border Collie my whole life. A year ago we got our Border Collie puppy and now have no (noticeable) lawn, bits of my house’s exterior disappearing a chunk at a time, much less sleep and a dog with boundless energy. But I got a Border Collie.

My best writing ideas come to me when I’m in my car. In the radio business I’ve had the opportunity to write, and create, hundreds of radio commercials. I’ll be listening to my radio and hear an ad and just tear it apart in my mind. It’s made me a bit of a writing snob and I’ve come to not tolerate bad writing. But my inspiration for writing stories comes when I turn off the noise, sit in traffic, usually, and act out the parts of my characters. What would they say if they were sitting in this traffic? How would that dialogue go? One of the things I pride myself in, and I’ve been told this, is that my characters speak as real people do. Although I’ve written a love story here, I don’t go for the drippy, sweet talk or perfunctory exchanges, I think characters should talk and behave like real people – even if you don’t always like what they’re saying.

Caila, like most dreamers, just wants to be wanted. Unlike most dreamers, she's wanted by the CIA.

When the last decade of thirty-two year old Caila Domenici’s life disappears, destroyed in a car accident, she is forced to begin again. Defying doctor’s orders to slow-go-it, she sets out to navigate the world on her own. It's not going well. Coddled from birth, everything from a bus schedule to how to boil water confounds her. Worse yet, she's about to accept her meddling mother's offer to pay for food and rent. With just a hunch her talents extend beyond that of daughter of privilege, Caila searches for her past. Before she can find it, it finds her. And the handsome azure-eyed stranger who’s saying he knows her is somehow part of it.

Caila always believed there had to be more, but now, on the verge of discovering the truth, she must decide which is worse – never knowing who she really is, or knowing too much.

Enjoy an excerpt:

Reese was being too nice. Something was up - their deep conversation the night before, the bubble bath, the tea, turning down her bed and now breakfast? Caila wasn’t suspicious by nature, and in most cases trusted more than she should, but where Reese was concerned she dropped all pretenses and questioned his every move. He was much too calculating to not see opportunity in everything he did. Caila recognized that in him right away. Her mind was now churning with theories. Why, if he was up to something, would he be so blatant with this sudden kindness? Did he think she would not notice?

Then she imagined the most unexpected thing.

Maybe he wasn’t up to anything at all. Maybe this was another side to the man she detested right from the start. The invader, the man who came to make her life a living hell and push aside her father may not, after all, be the man she believed him to be. But even that theory was short lived. No, she thought, he has a motive.

About the Author:Arby Corry has spent the last twenty-five years in the radio business. Performing every job from radio announcer, to program director, to commercial producer to copy writer, Arby gives voice to characters found just on the other end of the request line. Her debut novel, Heart-Shaped Stone, has received critical acclaim as well as delighting readers with its fresh approach. Arby believes in real characters, with real voices. And while a happy ending is always satisfying, she believes life has other plans. When not on the air or writing her follow-up to Heart-Shaped Stone, Arby enjoys spending time with her husband, children and the great outdoors of the Pacific Northwest.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArbyCorry
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Arby-Corry/e/B00MS6BC4W
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8458501.Arby_Corry

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