​Welcome to our second visit around the Campfire. One of my favorite things to do is sit around the fire. Whether it’s away in a campground, or at home in front the chiminea, some of the best conversations I’ve ever had, have been with a cozy flame and sparks drifting up into the night sky joining the stars. I hope your enjoyed meeting Daryl last week. I know I did. So, wherever you’re joining us from, click on the campfire video and relax. I hope you enjoy our conversation. Please feel free to leave comments or questions below. Also, if you would like to keep up with Around the Campfire and information, don’t forget to sign up for my Newsletter. 

Okay, without further delay…Today I’m welcoming author Leslie Bowes, around the Campfire.  What’s your preference, coffee, tea, cocoa, or wine, Leslie?
​Cocoa
 
Cocoa it is. Let’s jump right in. Have you ever camped, or as I call what I do, Glamp. If so, tent, trailer, RV? Where? Did you like it? If not, and no judgment here, would you like to someday? Where?
I have gone camping. It was in NC, and we only had a tent, and I hated it because it was raining the whole time, which made everything wet. So, no, I will never go camping again.
 
Oh, no. I’m sorry that happened. That’s why it’s only an RV for me. I tent camped with a friend one time, and we ended up sleeping in the car and left at the crack of dawn, so I get it. On a more pleasant note, tell us about your latest project. What’s the title and genre?
My Book is called Heart Healer, and it’s a Time Travel, Romance, Historical, Contemporary
 
Wow, that’s exciting. A little bit of everything to interest readers of many genres. Do you have a tagline?
In the darkest hour, can time and love truly to heal all wounds?
 
Nice! A question many of us wonder. If you don’t mind me asking, can you tell us how long it took from conception to fruition?
I started writing Heart Healer in 2012, but it wasn’t called Heart Healer; it was called Rose Hill. But Rose Hill never got published. So I start on A Second Chance at love, but when I was in the middle of that I thought something was missing so I went back to Rose Hill and put those two together and it became Heat Healer, and on June 13, 2018, The Wild Rose Press published Heart Healer
 
That’s quite a crooked road you had to take, but we’re so glad it worked out for you. Did you ever hit the place where you threw your arm up in the air and said nope this is not going to work? If so, how did you get past it?
No, I am too stubborn to give up lol.                       
 
Stubbornness and perseverance are two of the must haves for an author, I think. I have a myriad of projects at various stages of development, how about you? Anything you’re itching to get to?
I have started working book 2 of the Heart Healer series called The Choices for Love.
 
We hope to see it soon. Tell us, looking over your shoulder, is there something you would tell your beginning self?
Yes, writing is more than fun for you.
 
Do you have a tattoo? If yes, what is it? If you feel brave, where? Does it have a story you feel you could tell us? If not and you were to get a tattoo, what would it be?
I do not have a tattoo and do not really want to get one. They are really not my thing.
 
I’m don’t either. I do think they are interesting though. What was the best vacation you ever took? Why?
I don’t really have best vacation because they were all the best vacation, I ever took in their own way
 
Years ago, there was a commercial which talked about a “Kodak Moment.” It’s a time you catch in a picture. One you never want to forget. What is yours?
The one my friends and I took after our high school graduation.  We know that we all were going our separate ways and when I look at that photo, I always remember the great friendship I had with them
 
Friendships can transcend the years. I hope one day you get to see them again. Are there any mentors, authors, or books, other than yours, you would like to give a shout-out to?
Nicholas Sparks he’s the one that got me into the romance genre.
 
He’s definitely a wonderful author. Final question. What does literary success look like to you?
Fans reading my book, and hopeful someday, my book becoming a movie
 
Leslie, thank you so much for joining me around the campfire today. I would appreciate you leaving us a blub and exert from your work. Don’t forget to add where we can purchase your book and how we can find out more about you below.

​

Catherine Andrews is an English woman living in the 1800's. Her father sells her to Blake Von-Clyer to be his wife to pay off debts owed to Mr. Von-Clyer. Catherine soon finds out Blake is a cruel and horrible man. On their wedding night, to escape his cruelty, she throws herself into the river. Death is better than marriage to a beast.
Christopher King is living in 2014 doing his best to raise his young son Ryan after his wife left him. One night, Christopher finds a woman in the river unconscious and barely breathing. She is also wearing old fashioned clothes. Christopher does everything in his power to help the young women. When Catherine regains consciousness, she finds herself in a strange and unbelievable situation. Terrified, she does her best to keep her guard up against Christopher. But as she gets to know him,  she can't help but fall for the man who saved her life. When Catherine's dangerous past                     
comes back to haunt her, it has Catherine and Christopher fighting for each other and their love.

Excerpt
“That’s true, but I don’t need a servant. I need a wife.” Catherine dropped the spoon as her whole body shook. What was her father planning to do? Hard work? A wife? What was going on? She was not her father’s slave to trade as he wished. She was his daughter. Too nervous to turn around, Catherine prayed that she heard wrong. “What did you say?” her father asked, shocked. “You heard me.” Mr. Von-Clyer laughed. “You had no problem selling her to me as a servant Mr. Andrews, but now that I want her for my wife your conscience haunts you. What’s the difference? Either way your debt to me is paid.” “Catherine, get over here now!” her father yelled drunkenly. The longer she stared at the vein in her father’s neck; she realized that she was making him angrier than Catherine had ever seen before. She slowly walked over to the table and stood in front of her father. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she watched him drink his last bit of wine. “You will be Mr. Von-Clyer’s wife to pay off my debt.”  

​

Movie Recommendations
Steel Magnolias because of all the Heart Healing that's needed.
​The Notebook to shout out Nicholas Sparks
 Bonus Rain Man because of Leslie's ill fated camping trip.

Well, I'v been on many rainy day camping trips. Last summer it seemed we never had a nice weekend. So, what does a camper do? Hobo foil packs.  Easy peasy. You take squares of foil. I spray them with non-stick spray. What ever meat you like goes in. What ever veggies, the same. Add a pat of butter or a touch of oil. Twist the foil closed to make them look like a Hershey Kiss. Place them on a grate over the fire (or grill). Cooks for about 45 minutes.  Each person gets a bag. No mess. No dishes. What could be better?

Welcome to the Campfire.
One of my favorite things is sitting around the fire. Whether it’s away in a campground, or at home in front the chiminea, some of the best conversations I’ve ever had, have been with a cozy flame and sparks drifting up into the night sky joining the stars. I think what I enjoy about camping, besides the owlishly good time, is the sense of community. It reminds me of past days sitting on the porch, talking to the passing neighbors. A time when kids weren't afraid to say hello to strangers. So, wherever you’re joining us from, click on the campfire video (from the Pocono's this week) and relax. I hope you enjoy our conversation. Please feel free to leave comments or questions below. Also, if you would like to keep up with Around the Campfire and information, don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter. Okay, without further delay…
 
Today I’m welcoming Daryl Devoré, author to the Around the Campfire.  What’s your preference, coffee, tea, cocoa, or wine?
Cocoa, please. And can I add that I am female. Most people think of Daryl as a male. But it is also a female name – old Celtic. When it rhymes with Karl, then it is female. When it rhymes with Carol, then it is male.

One cocoa coming up. I thought you were male at first. It's so interesting about your name. I Iove the history and etymology of words and names. Tell me, have you ever camped, or as I call what I do, Glamp. If so, tent, trailer, RV? Where? Did you like it? If not, and no judgment here, would you like to someday? Where?
In my third year of my phys.ed degree, we did an outdoor education course. We went camping – in February – in northern Ontario. It was -40. We camped outdoors for 8 days. Luckily, my cousin is in the Canadian Armed Forces, and he had a military grade Arctic sleeping bag. The class had been divided into groups of 9 or 10. One night, it was so cold that all 9 of us slept in a 3-man tent. It was an experience.
Now when I go camping, it is with my parents and family, and we camp in their RV, which is nicknamed Harvey. After my winter camping experience, I prefer a built-in bathroom, shower, kitchen, and comfy beds.
 
I understand. This girl doesn't sleep on the ground anymore. I do like my comforts. So, Daryl, tell us about your latest project. What’s the title and genre?
Love My Fate is a reboot of a book that I received my rights back for. I created a new cover and added back in a couple of scenes that the publisher wanted deleted.
It is a hot romance about a business woman who meets the man of her dreams, except he isn’t real.
 
Sounds very interesting. I'm glad you got your rights back.  That's big for an author. I'm curious, do you have a tagline?
What's a woman to do when a voice follows her home and makes mad, passionate love to her?
 
That will definitely pull readers in. If you don’t mind me asking, can you tell us how long it took from conception to fruition? It’s the most asked question for me.
Only a couple of months. This was a fun, easy write.
 
Isn't it great when you get to do what you love and things flow, but did you ever hit the place where you threw your arms up in the air and said nope this is not going to work? If so, how did you get past it?
When I realized that I had to write a sex scene between a physical human being and voice, I knew I’d written myself into a tight corner. I do love a challenge.
 
When we challenge ourselves that's when things get interesting. Tell us. I have a myriad of projects at various stages of development, how about you? Anything you’re itching to get to?
I have one more book from the five that I got my rights back for. I have gone through it and adjusted and rewrote some little bits. Now I am making the cover.
I have several that are sitting on my hard drive waiting for their moment.
Also, I wrote a fantasy complete with dragons then sent it off to my beta. She’s fabulous. She came up with an idea of stretching the one book into an epic three. I am itching to get to that, but summer came along, and it is short and cherished, so I’ve been picking strawberries, weeding my garden and sitting on the dock eating ice cream instead.
 
Good for you. You have to take time to enjoy and participate in life.   Looking over your shoulder, is there something you would tell your beginning self?
Write your stories for you. There are a lot of people who will tell you how you are supposed to write. They will pontificate that this is the only way or never do that or that won’t sell, so don’t waste your time.
Ignore them. Write what you want to write. Every story is real.

​There's a lesson for everyone in that statement. Now, on a more personal note. Do you have a tattoo? If yes, what is it? If you feel brave, where? Does it have a story you feel you could tell us? If not and you were to get a tattoo, what would it be?
LOL – no tattoos. My friend and neighbour is a fantastic tattoo artist, and she is always saying – ooh – that spot (on my arm, my thigh, my back) I have the perfect tattoo for you. It’d be stunning.
So I don’t have one and have gotten really good at changing the subject. But I do have a henna tattoo at the moment. It is on the inside of my left wrist, and it is the word Shanti, which means peace. I love yoga. I attend several classes a week, and the Shanti is honouring a moment in my yoga practice.
At the end of each class, there is savasana – a moment of total relaxation. The music for this particular day created the vision in my head of a woman standing on the shore, and the wind is blowing her hair. She was looking for something. I became that person. At the end of the song, still in my head, I looked at my wrist and the word Shanti was there. I told my yoga instructor, and she got excited saying – you’re getting a tattoo. I laughed and said – nope! (Kinda scared of needles.)
But every so often, I have gotten a henna one, and it has been the simple word Shanti.

Very cool. I wouldn't do needles either, but Henna would be a fun way to temporarily express yourself.  Next question. What was the best vacation you ever took? Why?
Oh, wow. Too many to choose from. My family has always vacationed together.  But if I have to choose one, it would be the Cayman Islands a long time ago. I was snuggled down in a hammock strung between two palm trees, on the shore. I had a Diet Coke and journal and was happily writing. That’s when I decided that was my perfect place and I needed to be next to the sea.
 
I visited Grand Cayman on my honeymoon. I know exactly what you experienced. Along those lines, years ago, there was a commercial which talked about a “Kodak Moment.” It’s a time you catch in a picture. One you never want to forget. What is yours?
Again, it would be a family moment after a vacation. We were all lined up outside the condo in the Caymans, and we are tanned and happy except my 6 yr old daughter. She is pouting. The vacation is over, and we have to go back to a cold Canadian winter.
 
A beautiful memory.  I lived in Minnesota on a dairy farm for a couple of years. Not a lot of people understand that kind of cold. Are there any mentors, authors, or books, other than yours, you would like to give a shout-out to?
I’d tell you who my fabulous beta is – she is also an amazing author – but then you would all want her to beta for you. So, I am greedily going to keep her name secret and keep her all to myself. But she knows who she is.
 
Girl's got to have her secrets. Okay, final question. What does literary success look like to you?
Actually having a fan chat with me. I have corresponded with and am FB friends with several who are fans of my work. To have someone like your work so much that they want to chat with you – wow – that makes you feel pretty special.
 
How great is that! I'm sure you have many more of those experiences in your future. Daryl, thank you so much for joining me around the campfire today. I would appreciate you leaving us a blurb and excerpt from your work. Don’t forget to add where we can purchase your book and how we can find out more about you below.

​Daryl's book is erotic romance and meant for 18+.

​Corporate businesswoman, Capricious Gray, is dragged to a sex toy convention by her best friend. After a mysterious disembodied voice helps her with her purchases, it follows her home. Passion ensues, leaving Capri torn between lust for her fantasy lover and the desperate need for reality in her life.
 
Thall, son of one of the Fates, harbours the irrepressible need to be with the woman he's desired from afar for years. In order to make her his, once and for all, he must help Capri get past her fears, including the fear of what he represents - a fantasy.
 
Can fantasy become a reality for these two lovers?
 
Note: This book was previously published by New Dawning Bookfair under the title Capri’s Fate. The edition has a new title, new cover and has restored previously deleted scenes.
 
Excerpt
My erotic adventure began the moment he whispered, "Do you happen to own a pair of red, fuzzy handcuffs?"
~ * * ~
Well okay, it didn't exactly start there. If I'm going to be perfectly honest, I think it started with Kat's text: "Meet me at - insert name of five-star restaurant here."
Kat’s always getting me to take her out for expensive dinners. I don't mind, I'm a highly-paid executive, in a large global corporation, while she's a receptionist in a small dental office. Besides, I like good food and her company.
Kat and I have been BFFs since third grade. We were in each other's wedding parties and cried on each other's shoulders at our subsequent divorces. Now, we're each other's go-to person whenever the mood strikes. Obviously, the mood struck and it involved my credit card. I texted back a reply –"Xavier's. 6 pm."
~ * * ~
Kat waited outside the restaurant when my cab pulled up to the curb. "Timing or what? I just got here."
After the requisite cheek kiss, we stepped up to the Maitre D'. He smiled his I-must-be-friendly-because-they're-guests smile and escorted us to our table. We ordered drinks and chatted. We talked about the weather, her new dress, my job—you know, just old—no, scratch old, put long-time—girlfriend stuff.
After a diet conscious meal, followed by a calorie-loaded dessert, we waited outside for a taxi.
"Do you trust me?" With a goofy grin on her face, Kat's dark chocolate mellowed-from-too-much-wine, eyes gazed at me.
Having seen that innocent demeanour before; it meant nothing but trouble, I was a bit wary. Okay, a lot wary! The last time she'd gawked at me like that and asked the same brainless question, we ended up at a frat house beer slosh during Homecoming and I wasn't in college anymore.
A cab pulled up and stopped. She grabbed my arm and dragged me into it. "Convention Centre."
I slid next to her and shut the car door. "What's at the convention centre?"
"That's the trust me bit." She raised her hands and flicked two fingers up and down at the words trust me.
You have to love air quotes.
I checked my cell for messages then glanced at her. "Is this going to get me arrested? Again?"
She shook her head.
"Is it going to get me hit on—again—by horny, beer-soaked, college drunks?"
Kat giggled.
"Is that a yes or a no?"
"Nope. Not going to tell you. You need to trust me."
Air quotes.
Again.
 

In the spirit of invisible voices this weeks recommended movies are

Ghost with Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir Jean Tierney and Rex Harrison

And in honor of our Canadian guest today's Recipe 

 

​Hi Everyone,
Thanks for stopping by. Starting on July 20th I'll be introducing a new format for my blog. Some weeks you will still get Saturday's Adventures, with yours truly, but I have an exciting line up of guests over the next couple of months. 

Since I'm pretty new at this, it's been trial and error finding away to have fun. Honestly, I can blah, blah,blah myself to death. Not that I don't have things to say, but really every Saturday? Some of you may wonder how all this happens and I'm happy to share my journey with you. Hopefully you get some good take-away, Otherwise known as don't try this.

So, what can you look forward too? 

Mostly authors, who I invite to sit around the campfire and be real. Yes, we all have books we'd like you to buy and review, but come on, how about some questions that are fun and give you insight into the person across the fire. These folks will have unique beliefs and personalities. Genres will be varied. I hope you will find our talks enlightening, enjoyable and informative. 

I encourage you to ask questions and leave comments. I expect good manners like your mama taught you. Everything will be PG rated. We all come from different places but I believe that we can all come around the campfire, sip a beverage, and reinstate the long lost art of conversation.

I'm also going to add a Campfire Recipe like this one, but next time I promise I'll write it down. I usually just start tossing things in the pot.  I love open fire cooking. The tripod with a chain makes it easy for a must have Dutch Oven.  I haven't baked in it yet but I've cooked a lot of things in it. The tripod also has a grate. Unfortunately, I tend to drop quite a few things from it, so an over the fire-pit grate works best for me.

There is still some open spots to be a guest blogger. The rules are PG, nothing to violent, and extra points for making us laugh. I write multiple genres and welcome them as well. So, if your interested, push the black button below.  If you've never blogged, fear not, I've made it simple. 

Turn up your volume and enjoy one of my own campfires. The grand-kids call it magic fire. I think it's pretty magical too. One little pack burns and changes the colors for hours. I'll try to get better videos on our future trips and label them as well. 

We have a couple of Glamping trips planned. In the next couple of weeks we'll be hitting the Delaware Water Gap/Pocono KOA where I hope the grands will join us for day-camp. After that hubby and I will be traveling to Maryland and staying at Hagerstown / Antietam Battlefield KOA.  We love history and believe only by studying it, will the past mistakes be avoided. I remember visiting Gettysburg, Pa years ago. Standing in the field where so many died brought me to tears. All I could do was stare at the ground where so much blood had been spilled. 

On a more fun note we will pull out after four days and head to Lancaster, Pa. It's one of our favorite places. Antiquing and flea markets will fill our days.

On the author front, I recently got back what's called a first pass on Rock House. My editor at Wild Rose Press also worked with me on my back-cover. Once that's done, the book will go for cover development. I'm very excited about seeing what they come up with. 

Check out my new Facebook page Romance and Recipes where we talk about our favorite foods and recipes. Romantic dinners and treats, and the books where love and food come together in the perfect dish.