Maureen Betita Visits and Talks about her Latest Release {GIVE AWAY}

Welcome Maureen. Thank you for stopping by.  One lucky commenter will receive a copy of The Pirate Circus. So tell us about yourself: What television sitcom is most like your family? Why?

I’m not sure they’ve ever had one that fits me…or mine… 

What’s your favorite thing to do to
relax? Television. Sigh.

Would you really like to live in a time of pirates? Real pirates? Probably not. I do love to sail on tall ships whenever I
get a chance.  

What would be most challenging about that time period? Not enough fresh water. I mean, I like to bathe! And of course there’s stds… Now, my Caribbean doesn’t have any of those nasty things… I’d love to visit there!

Do you prefer…
Public speaking or public singing? Singing! Honestly. I’ve sung at coffee shops and with the right prep, you bet. I’d rather do that.

Writing in a notebook or typing on the computer? Typing on a computer! All. The. Way!

Coke or Pepsi? Diet Pepsi, the blend at Taco Bell. Or water. Or the peach tea they have at Panda Express.

Living without your cell phone or living without your computer? I’d rather live without my cell phone. After all, with a computer, there is always e-mail.

Now about you as an author…
Did you always want to be an author? Not particularly…I always wanted to read, so it eventually morphed into wanting to be read.

What authors had an impact on you growing up and as an adult? Edgar Rice Burroughs, J.R.R. Tolkien, Fritz Leiber…lots of sword and sorcery writers.

Did anyone in your life influence you or encouraged you to be a writer? (teacher, family member, friend) Well, most teachers I knew were big on encouraging my writing. No one was talking novels, but I got good grades!

What is your favorite aspect or writing? Your least favorite? Favorite? BWHA HA HA! Playing God. Least favorite, the amount of energy that I have to spend on promoting myself.

What aspect of writing would you most like to improve on? I’d like to recover the speed at which I began writing, back in 2003. It moves so slowly at present!

Do you have any “must haves” with you while you’re writing? Must have fluid. At Starbucks, an iced decaf Americano, no room. At home? Water, big bottle of water.

Do you have a common theme or item that appears in each of your books? I think the idea of second chances, third chances…however many it takes. I’m also big on an established couples remaining exciting. Sexually, tension…you name it. Things don’t stop once people commit! The happily ever after is a day by day struggle, and sometimes joy.

What have you learned the most from being in the writing business? Getting published is only the beginning. (Wow, sounds like I’m quoting fromThe Mummy!) 

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Tell us about your latest release: (blurb, excerpt, cover) The Pirate Circus is the third in my Kraken’s Caribbean series. It features the
adventures of Janey, the Bosun of the Cursed Quill and her uncertain beau, Benjamin Silvestri. They dart about each other, not entirely ready to reconcile to what keeps them apart. Mainly, her being a pirate. Then Ben’s son and niece go missing and things get very interesting as Ben discovers that having a pirate on your side is the only way to recover the youngsters.

Blurb  Bosun Janey knows who and what she is. A pirate. And a damned good one at that. Living a life of excitement, adventure, and sailing the seas of the Kraken’s Caribbean is enough for her. But when the Quill is stuck in dry dock, Janey is left to search for distraction along Tortuga’s waterfront. How does a pirate occupy herself? Certainly not by making friends with a six-year-old boy or mooning after the boy’s father. That’s not how a pirate behaves!

Widower Benjamin Silvestri arrived in Tortuga seeking a fresh start. At first, the pirate haven doesn’t seem like a safe sanctuary for second chances, but life is full of surprises. The sun breathes life into his little boy, and new freedoms help his errant niece embrace her true nature. And then there's Janey. A pirate and most unconventional woman, she stirs feelings in Benjamin that are far from proper.

But who’s to say what is proper in Tortuga? Before he and Janey can explore the possibilities, Benjamin's son and niece disappear onto the high seas. Together, the
couple set out to rescue them—because only a loving father and a cut-throat
pirate stand a chance against the dangers of The Pirate Circus. 

Excerpt
“I’m sorry. I just….” He shook his head. “You’re a very attractive woman, Miss Janey. Here I am, alone with you in the dark of night. Do you have any idea how improper this would be in England?”

She snorted, amused yet pleased to hear him call her attractive. “Well, you’re not in England, and no one cares here.”

“Why do I care? Yet…I don’t want to care.”

God, maybe Tortuga was rubbing off on him at last. What a relief! “Then don’t. You left England behind, for good reason from what I understand. Don’t haul it back into your life.”

“I wish it were that simple.”

She slid from the chair and sat next to him, patted his arm. He was such a beautiful man, more than she could ever aspire to. But if she could help him, maybe they could be a bit more than friends. She hoped.

“Benjamin, it is that simple. They can’t touch you here. Whatever drove you here, it’s gone.” She wouldn’t mention the spirit Mama Lu had seen. Glancing over her shoulder, she hoped it wasn’t anywhere near. If it was Charlie’s mama, she should be hovering over her son

He set his hand over hers. “You’re a good woman.”

“I’m a pirate. I sail with the Quill, and it’s a good life. Just because I’m land bound at the moment, doesn’t make me a good woman. I’m a good pirate.” The heat from his hand raced up her arm and lodged at her heart. Under the quilt, her legs drifted apart. 

“No, you’re both.” He turned his face toward hers. The firelight danced on the gold in his eyes. 

She stared, mesmerized. When he kissed her, it seemed an explosion struck them both, setting off a natural chain of events she had no objections to in the least.

Damn, his lips carried the flavor of the whisky, smooth and heady. When he slid his tongue into her mouth, their tongues met with heat and desire, striving to taste and savor the situation. He cupped her head with his strong fingers, but they didn’t last long there. She groaned and shifted closer, the blanket ending up in a bundle at her knees, and one of his hands dropped to slide up her thigh.
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How did you decide on your story plot? With the Kraken’s Caribbean, it was time to tell Janey’s story. I introduced my topsy turvey Caribbean in The Kraken’s Mirror, and told the story of a modern woman’s arrival and learning to live and love amidst pirates. In The Chameleon Goggles, it was Jezebel’s turn, the captain of the Cursed Quill and how she ended up thriving on the turquoise seas… It was Janey’s turn!

How did you choose your characters names and location for your story? I love the entire idea of the Caribbean and pirates, the romanticized version certainly! I find ships and the sea’s mysteries compelling. Names? Well, unlike a great many authors I know, I don’t devote a great deal of internal debate to names. Emily? I wanted something a bit old fashioned. (My mother was quite touched, telling me that was my great grandmother’s name. I did not realize that, but oddly enough, it really fit!) Jezebel? She needed to be a bit of a jezebel…hee, hee. Janey? To be truthful, that name rose from a mix of two dear friends. The heroes? Captain Silvestri is actually named after one of my favorite sound track composers. Captain Mick? Hmmmm…I liked the alliteration of Mick March. And Benjamin? He has slight old fashioned ideas, so I needed a nice old fashioned name.

Naming ships is fun, too. Silvestri sails the Immortal. Jezebel sails the Cursed Quill, which actually is cursed…they bought a spell that anyone who crosses them will find themselves facing the fury of a writer’s pen… 

Do you have a favorite scene? Why? It’s a bit of a side scene, but when … geez, I can’t really tell it without giving away a big pivot point of The Pirate Circus. So…my second favorite scene…when Benjamin smacks the bully guarding his gate, using some ungentlemanly fighting and Janey calls him on how he can act the pirate when necessary…

Do you have a character that you identify with? Who and why? Emily, from book one. I’d like to think that if faced with the same situation I would act the same. She carries my fears, my uncertainties and willingness to consider herself insane if that is the only way to survive.

Let our readers know how they can get a hold of you… I’m easy! I have a website… www.maureenobetita.com and there is a contact link there. I have a newsletter, which I am woefully behind on. I’m on Facebook, as Maureen O. Betita and Maureen O. Betita Author. I’m on twitter, but don’t tweet terribly often. I’m easiest to reach on FB. I blog irregularly on my own website and regularly at www.romancewritersrevenge.com. Reach out and touch me! I won’t bite!

Is there anything else that you want to share… feel free!! I’ll be attending a lot of conventions this spring and summer. Romantic Times Booklovers Convention, Clockwork Alchemy, BayCon, RomCon, Romance Writers of America Nationals, the Northern California Pirate Festival and later in the fall, SteamCon IV. If you see me…chat me up! 
 
Contest!! Tell me a bit about yourself…what would be your pirate name? I’ll give away a copy of The Pirate
  Circus to one lucky comment!

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