Welcome to the Campfire with today's special guest Sadira Stone

I'm excited about today's guest. However, before we settle around the campfire, I have some news for you. Rainbow Sprinkles release is right around the corner. Since I didn't have a release party for Rock House I'm planning on celebrating the two. So, on July 8th at 7 pm I am having a real at my house, as well as a virtual party on Facebook. I would love for you to join us. There will be giveaways, games, and a special guest interview with my friend Andy who was the inspirations for John, a character in Rock House Grill, as well as my sister to who Rainbow Sprinkles is dedicated. I hope you can join me and my friends. Here's the linkhttps://www.facebook.com/375747643036438 I hope to see you there.
Now, let go of what's distracting you. Deep breath in. Smell the fire? Let go of your worries and troubles for a bit. Let your imagination go. Remember summers as a kid? Outside cooking? The sounds of children playing? Splash! Someone just canon-balled into the lake. Hear the birds? Come on. Have a seat around the fire and relax. That's what the campfire is for.

​Today I’m welcoming Sadira Stone to the Campfire. Sadira and I are both in the Rose Garden of Wild Rose Press. We jokingly call each other cousin. (Stone and Stone, you get it) What can I get you? The campfire pantry and fridge is like Hemione Grangers bag, it has everything.
I’d love a coffee laced with Kahlua and a S’more!

I love Kahlua! So, tada! Here you go. Tell us have you ever camped. Where and what was your experience? Tent, camper, RV? Or if not, what’s your greatest outdoor adventures? This could be a good or bad experience.
I did lots of camping in France during the twenty-seven years I lived in Germany. French camping is a very civilized affair: grass plots separated by hedges, with a camp shop and café where you can get an adult beverage and crispy pommes frîtes (fries) while watching the kids play mini-golf or splash in the pool. My favorite camping trips were in the Loire Valley, where everyone who was anyone built a château during the Renaissance. Lots of wineries there, and the best farmers’ markets!

Ahh, that sounds wonderful. We are not rustic campers any longer. Wineries are usually in our itinerary wherever we travel. Let's talk about something a bit serious for a moment. How have you been handling events of the recent pandemic? Has you writing been affected? To what extent?
I’m finding it hard to concentrate. Whereas B.C. (before Covid-19) I could write 2,000 to 3,000 words on a good day, now it’s a good day if I pass 1,000 words.

Many of us are struggling with the same issue. Often I feel like Doug from the movie Up. Squirrel! It's good to have others to talk and commiserate with. Please tell us a little about your project.
My publisher, The Wild Rose Press, put out a call for beachy summer reads involving ice cream. I immediately remembered a scene from Würzburg, Germany. There’s a lovely formal garden behind the Baroque palace, and in summer an older Italian gentleman sold gelato there. He’d always greet my daughter and me with a hearty “Ciao, bella!” 
That was the genesis for Gelato Surprise, a steamy contemporary romance novella about a divorced mom who must spend her annual beach vacation alone for the first time—after her dastardly ex whisks the kids away on a Disneyland trip, leaving her stuck with the full cost of their rental in a (fictional) kitschy Washington State beach town. In her favorite gelato shop, she meets the owner’s Bellissimo nephew, and…Mamma mia! The trouble is, she’s 42 and must return to her suburban drudgery. He’s 31 and has only two weeks to convince her that their age difference doesn’t matter, and the spark they share is so much more than a summer fling.

The One Scoop or Two is a wonderful series. I'm a firm believer in age doesn't matter as long a both are adults and there is a connection. My hubby is a  younger than me. Do you have a tagline or life motto?
Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we’re here, we might as well dance.

One of my favorite songs is by  John Michael Montgomery called Life's a Dance. You've several titles under your belt. What kind of tips, tricks, or anything you specialize in that you would share with others?
When it’s time for your final edit/proofread, print out your manuscript, grab some pencils, and go read it aloud in a totally different setting from where you usually work. I like to proofread outdoors, and the neighbors or park-goers get to listen to me reading dramatically, with different voices for each character. Doing this, I find problems I never would have noticed on my computer screen. It’s fun too!

That's great advice. Every time I get my manuscript back from my editor Elf, she tells me READ IT OUT LOUD.
Now the fun questions. 

• If they made a movie about your life, what would the title be and who would play you?  Oh Yes I Can! Starring Susan Sarandon
• Do you have a special object like a piece of jewelry or keepsake of some sort? Can you tell us what makes it special to you?  I wear a little quartz Buddha around my neck. He reminds me to chill out and breathe through life’s troubles, big and small.
• What is your favorite mug or teacup if neither T-shirt with graphic or Meme

          Hubs gave me a big ol’ mug with a dragonfly, my spirit animal.

• What weird talent do you have? I have an amazing memory for song lyrics—which is odd, because I can’t retain details from books, TV shows, or movies.
• Most campers play board games. What games do you like? Our friends Michael & Diana Barks taught us a wonderful card game called Blitz. It’s very simple and fast-moving. You can get pretty sloshed and still play well.

​LOL! Be careful with Kahlua. My hubby says it'll make you fat before it makes you tipsy. Do you have a favorite recipe or food that would translate well to outdoor cooking? Even if it’s something on the grill.
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Chicken Shwarma on the grill: 
Marinate boneless, skinless chicken thighs for at least a few hours in lemon juice, olive oil, minced garlic, salt, pepper, ground cumin, paprika, a little turmeric, a pinch of cinnamon, and red pepper flakes to taste. Throw in some thickly-sliced red onion too. Grill, then slice and serve with the usual kebab fixings: pita bread, tahini sauce or yogurt-garlic sauce, chopped cucumber & tomato, olives, chopped parsley, feta cheese, hummus, harissa, etc. Also good on rice. 

My goodness, that sounds wonderful. You know I've never cooked with tumeric and hear wonderful things about it. I'll have to add it to my spice rack. Sadira, thanks for being part of the Campfire. Please leave us some information about you and you book.

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Forty-two-year-old divorcée Danielle Peters ends up alone on her family's annual beach vacation. Maybe time to herself is exactly what she needs. That and gelato from her favorite ice cream shop. But when the owner's intoxicating, young nephew offers more than sweet treats, she's tempted to indulge in a hot, summer fling before returning home.

Thirty-one-year-old Matteo Verducci craved a fresh start to mend his broken heart, and he's found almost perfection in Ocean View, where he scoops gelato by day and crafts furniture by night. But when a sexy older woman stops to sample his wares—Mamma mia! He only has two weeks to convince her their passion is more than a delicious surprise.


​Buy Links: Amazon       Barnes & Noble    Apple Books    Kobo    Google Play Books

​About Sadira
Ever since her first kiss, Sadira's been spinning steamy tales in her head. But it wasn't until 2017 that she tried her hand at writing one. Now she's a happy citizen of Romancelandia, penning contemporary romance and cozy mysteries from her home in Washington State. When not writing, which is seldom, she explores the Pacific Northwest with her charming husband, enjoys the local music scene, belly dances, plays guitar badly, and gobbles all the books.
Twitter: @SadiraStone
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sadira-Stone-Romance-Author-235562980536651/

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