WATCH OUT: Roseanne Dowell

SC: I want to welcome you all to another edition of Watch Out. This week I’m pleased to bring you author Roseanne Dowell. Welcome to Watch Out, Roseanne; it is so great to have you here.

It’s great to be here and thank you for having me.

SC: For the readers out there who might not know about you or your work, can you please tell them a little about yourself.

First and foremost, I’m a wife, mother of six, grandmother of fourteen and great grandmother of one. I write a variety of sweet romances – paranormal (ghosts – ESP) and mystery.

SC: Can you tell us a little about your current release?

When Rebecca Brennan has visions and dreams of happenings to another person, her friend suggests she see a parapsychologist. When the dreams become dangerous, she’s bound and determined to find out who her mind is connected to. Her determination to discover her mind connection leads her to a small town in Ohio and puts her life in danger too.

 

SC: Which do you prefer eBooks or paperback?

I love books, always have. I have boxes and boxes of them. I love bookstores and libraries. I love the feel of a book in my hand. That being said, I’m not adverse to reading an eBook.

SC: What influences the topics, and genre’s that you pick to write a story in?

Hmm great question.  I enjoy reading romance and mysteries. The combination of the two is my favourite, so that’s what I tend to write. I also love ghost stories so most of my paranormal are about ghosts.

SC: What is the biggest misconception you think people have about erotic authors?

Wow,  since I don’t write erotic romance, I’m not sure how to answer that. I like to leave something to the imagination. Some of my books are a little steamy, but I always close the bedroom door.

SC: Your favourite part about being an author?

That would have to be the writing.  I love writing. Although I also love to talk about writing.

SC: What are you currently reading?

Right at the moment I’m not reading anything. I have a stack of eBooks to read, but I’ve just not had the time.

SC: As an author what is that one big dream you would like to come true?

LOL to be a  Best-selling author.

SC: What do you like to do in your spare time to relax and recharge?

Besides reading, I enjoy embroidery and quilting, especially the combination of the two. I’ve made embroidered quilts for each of my grandchildren (for when they have children).

SC: You’ve published both books and articles. Do you like writing one more than the other and why?

Funny thing about the articles, when I first started writing seriously, I took a correspondence course. They required one non fiction article. I didn’t think I could write non-fiction. After all I didn’t have an expertise on anything. A friend in a writing group convinced me I knew more than I realized and with the internet, what I didn’t know was easy to research. So, I started writing non fiction, and before you knew it I writing articles about writing. As I said previously, I love talking about writing and the articles were easy. But my first love is fiction.

SC: Describe your books in 3 words.

Sweet mysterious romance

SC: If you could step into the shoes of another author who would you pick? Why?

Okay, I’m going to pick three – I know you said one, but I have three.  Nora Roberts – who doesn’t love her? I love her style.  Mary Higgins Clark and Lisa Scottoline – both mystery writers. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Nora Roberts and Lisa Scottoline.

SC: What do you think sets your stories apart from other authors?

I hope my voice sets me apart from other authors.

SC: Is there anything you’re currently working on that you can give us a taste of?

Sure, my work in progress – working title Return to Littleton – is about a woman who returns to her hometown after ten years because her aunt passed away and left her the family home. She gets a job as school secretary and her boss, the principal and divorced, is the guy she had a crush on ten years previous. Of course there’s a murder and the body is left in her living room.   To complicate things further the ex wife of her boss comes back to town. Of course there’s more to it, but since it’s not finished, I can’t reveal much more at this point.

SC: What is the best advice you ever got with regards to writing?

The best advice I got was not to take rejections to heart and keep putting your work out there.

SC: Any advice for new writers out there?

The same advice I got. If you love writing, don’t quit. Keep submitting. If you’re fortunate enough to have an editor point out what they like or don’t like, take their advice.

SC: Where can readers find out more about you and your work?

My website – www.roseannedowell.com

My blog – http://roseannedowellauthor.blogspot.com

My work – http://bit.ly/roseannebooks

Excerpt for the book Connection of Minds

“No!” Rebecca sprang up in bed. Hot searing pain bore into her shoulder. What was happening to her? A warm sticky substance flowed from her shoulder. Oh God, there was going to be blood. From the feel of it, lots of blood. Half afraid to look, her hand trembled as she slowly brought it in front of her face and looked at it. Dry, no blood. What was going on? These kinds of things happened way too often lately. Okay, they were dreams but still. They were so damn real.
Rebecca eased off the bed. Her feet felt like lead weights as she walked to the kitchen and poured a glass of water. After a big gulp, she hurried back to bed. Shivers racked her body even with the blanket pulled up to her chin. A minute ago sweat soaked her skin. Now she couldn’t get warm. Someone’s life had invaded her mind. She didn’t know who or where they lived. And she sure as heck didn’t like it. These were more than dreams. Most of her visions happened while she slept, but they were real. Besides, too many occurred during the day.
The pain eased, but fear and danger lingered. Curling up, she pulled the blanket tighter, closed her eyes, and willed herself to sleep. Strange visions played in her mind. Red, white, and blue flashing lights, fire engines, and ambulances, and police rushed around calling instructions, trying to control panic and hysteria at the scene.
Rebecca rubbed her eyes, trying to erase the visions.
“If only I knew how to find this person. Maybe then I’d find out what these dreams and visions mean.” Her voice startled her in the quiet room. Snuggling deeper in bed, pushing the thoughts away, she tried to sleep.
But sleep wouldn’t come. Her mind wouldn’t be still. The visions persisted. Was she going crazy? Maybe Allison was right to force her to see a parapsychologist.
“I think you’re experiencing a psychic phenomenon.” Allison had suggested. “Like ESP or something.”

The next morning Rebecca, once again, sat in Bernard Clark’s office. Something about the heavy-set, middle-aged man with salt and pepper hair and scruffy beard reminded her of her grandfather. As usual, he listened to her story with a serious expression.
Was this really helping? How many hours had she spent sitting across from the mammoth mahogany desk, staring at the book-lined shelves behind him? And so far, she didn’t know anything more than before. Once more, that’s it. If nothing changed today, she’d quit coming. Maybe he was a quack, like her brother said. Rebecca took a breath and relaxed in the comfortable atmosphere, inhaled the smell of new leather that clung to the chair, and leaned back. Okay, maybe she did have a deep extra sensory perception connection with someone like Bernard said. The question was with whom.
“I think you need to find this person,” Dr. Clark suggested. “It’s possible the physic mind is reaching out to you for help.”
“How?” That’s why she was here. If he didn’t help her figure it out, that was it. No more visits. Besides, it cost money, and who could afford it? If Allison hadn’t agreed to pay half, well that was another story. Dr. Bernard’s voice brought her back.
“Start with the dreams,” he suggested. “Tell me about them again.”
“I see scenes with emergency vehicles. Last night someone got shot,” she told him for what seemed like the hundredth time. “I wonder if he has something to do with law enforcement or other emergency operations. I’d recognize the town if I ever saw it in person. It’s so vivid in my mind.”
“Would you consider hypnotism?” Bernard fingered his beard. Intense blue eyes stared into hers. “Maybe your sub conscious mind will reveal the place, or person, or something to help you find it.”
Leary about being hypnotized, but desperate to find who shared her mind, Rebecca agreed.
Under her hypnotic trance, she revealed the name of a shoe factory. A place called Booth’s Boots, and she repeated the name, Morris, over and over.

“It’s not much to go on,” Rebecca told Allison later,” but it’s more than I knew before. Maybe Morris is my mind connection.”
Encouraged by the information, she spent the better part of the day doing research. Using the Internet, Rebecca keyed in Booth’s Boots. Instantly, several websites popped up.
“Okay, let’s check out Boothsboots.com.”
A website, showing various types of boots from hunting to work boots, popped up.
“This is great. Let’s see what this says.” She clicked on News and Events. “No help there. Okay, let’s try Outlet Stores.” She almost jumped out of her chair. “There it is!” A factory, located in Morrisville, Ohio.
“Morrisville, could that explain the name Morris?” A prickly sensation went up her spine. She was getting close; she could feel it.
“Okay, let’s try this.” Rebecca didn’t care she was talking to herself. Besides, it wasn’t the first time. Keying Morrisville into the search engine, she held her breath, more determined than ever to find the town. If it took all day, then so be it. A site popped up with several suggestions. “Okay, let’s see what this one is about.” Morrisville.net homepage popped up, and further down the page, it showed–Pictures taken around Morrisville.
She held her breath and clicked on one. The first picture that came up was a log cabin. No help there. “Okay, how about this one? The Square. ” It looked familiar. Shivers ran up her spine. “Okay, how about Hotel Darby. Yes! I’ve seen this place.” One more. She drew in her breath and clicked on Victorian.
“Oh my God, that’s it! That’s the house.” She almost jumped out of her seat. The Queen Anne house in her dreams showed on the screen big as life. Where is this place? Clicking back to the homepage, she found it on the map. “Not far from Wattsburg; only a three hour drive from here. I have to go there.”