Aloha…
Debut author and Hawaii resident Rebecca A. Corio presents Storm of Passion, a destination romance steeped in romantic tension that follows resort safety manager Savanah Jordan as her path clashes with that of Race Weston, Hawaii’s new Civil Defense Director. Set against the tropical background of Hawaii in the throes of an oncoming category four hurricane, Savanah and Race must learn to trust each other or face getting caught in the storm.
About the Author
A former farm girl from the Midwest, Rebecca A. Corio is blessed to now split her time between Hawaii and the Pacific Northwest. From beaches to woods, she loves the outdoors and animals of all kinds, with a particular fondness for the Akita and the beautiful Maine Coon. Rebecca finds romance in everyday life and in every setting. She loves writing characters who her readers can identify with and weaves bits of truth into all her stories. A believer in Love at first sight and Happily Ever After, Rebecca shares laughter, tears, and her passion with readers through the stories she creates. She loves being the sunshine and light for those around her. The advice she gives most often… When the Universe stops to sprinkle its pixie dust upon you, make sure your arms are open to receive it.
Join Rebecca every first and third Wednesday on Instagram for Wino Writer Wednesday as she discusses books, writing, and romance!
Check out her latest article on why men should read romance!
- Website: https://www.rebeccaacorio.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rebeccaacorio
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rebeccaacorio/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/rebeccaacorio
- Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/12979477.Rebecca_A_Corio
Excerpt from Storm of Passion
Savanah didn’t mind that the man who stepped out of the Suburban was looking her over. She’d done the same to him. Which was why she was smiling. The tingle of mutual attraction was something she hadn’t felt for a long time. “Can I help you with something?” She asked again when his eyes came back to hers.
“I’m looking for the Safety Office.”
Her gaze swept over the man again at the surprising sound of his accent. The elongated vowels of his accent, almost lazy with self-confidence, identified him as Australian rather than British. Something his open demeanor and easy warmth confirmed. Savanah felt an immediate urge to keep him talking for the simple pleasure of hearing the exotic cadence. A desire cut short as she remembered his request.
Of course, he was looking for her office. She didn’t know whether to swear or congratulate herself at having been right. It would depend on how the conversation went. “It can be a little tricky to find. Come on. I’ll show you where it is.”
A Q&A with Rebecca A. Corio
1. What are the most important elements of good writing, in your opinion?
The ability to tell a story that the reader is sorry when it ends. That leaves a hunger to have coffee with these characters that you could be friends with them. Readers are so forgiving, THANK YOU, and so supportive, THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH.
The story needs to make the reader feel. Feel SOMETHING. Anger. Passion. Joy. Sadness. Love. I think as an author, if our words are somehow conveying the message, the feelings, we are experiencing as we write them… then I think we are getting it right.
2. How do you handle writer’s block?
Wine. Sometimes whiskey. And if it’s really bad, a week in my bathing suit on the beach doing nothing but applying sunscreen and reaching into my cooler.
If the beach think isn’t possible, I will switch to a different project or another part of the process. If that doesn’t help, I will find someone to talk the story through with. There is something about having to explain it out loud, that makes my brain process my thoughts differently. My daughters, a dear friend who should have blocked my number long ago, and my agent… bless them. They listen to me stumble about why I have stalled and then they start asking questions, and before I know it I am scribbling notes and telling them I have to go.
3. Do you have a favorite character that you’ve written or have plans to write? What makes them special?
Like most authors I expect, I love all my characters. I could tell you the exact thing I love about each one. But my hands down favorite is Sheriff Samson Strong. I would put my hand in his any day. He has such depth of feeling in him. There is so much about him that is fascinating. He is fighting every day against his demons. Fighting for a normal life.
4. What part of writing comes most naturally to you? Do you find some types of writing easier/more difficult than others?
The love and the confusion. The beginning and the end, I guess. I never have any trouble seeing that my characters will triumph. Because I BELIEVE in the magic of love. I always have. That part where one takes the face of the other and pleads for them to understand before disappearing into the fire to save everyone, those parts are the easiest.
I don’t write dark, truly dark, very often. I have a hard time with that. It has a tendency to seep into me and I find myself carrying it with me even once I have put down my pen for the day. Write a scene standing against the dark, no problem. But taking a deep dive into darkness and staying there. Not unless I tell someone so I have a prearranged lifeline to pull me out of it.
5. Storm of Passion takes place in Hawaii, so how does the culture of the island impact the story?
This was such a huge thing for me. I have been blessed to be allowed to live in Hawaii for almost three decades. The biggest pressure I felt was to write something that would ring true. That would convey beauty, power, the very real problems living there presents. But most of all, the love. In Hawaii, there is no shame in love. Love for the land. Love for each other. Love of all things. It is encouraged, celebrated, cherished.
Hawaii, the island, the weather, the people, the culture, everything about it became another character influencing the story. It all combines to leave a mark on you that stays with you forever. At least, that is how it has always been for me.
6. What medium do you use to write, computer or pen and paper? Why?
Oh, I am 100% a pen and paper girl. Something about writing long hand, the flow of ink from the pen as the cursive letters appear on the paper, is intimate to me. Though I type far faster than I write, originating a manuscript in longhand means that when I type it in finally, that becomes a first pass at editing.
There is the added bonus I can write anywhere. I always have a tablet in my bag. I have had countless strangers remark about it, mostly men. Can you imagine that? There I sit writing romance and a man makes a comment about how beautiful it is watching my pen flow across the page. And then they always ask what am I writing. In some instances, they reach for my tablet, fanning the paper. Watching the cursive filled pages as if intrigued by them. It’s funny. And honestly, very cool.
7. How have you grown as a writer from when you first started to now?
May I first say, Dear God I hope I have grown. I mean I know I have. But for everything I learn, it only seems to open the door of how much further I have to go. And I’m okay with that. As long as I am learning.
As to how have I grown? I write a more balanced story now than I did in the beginning. There is more structure to it that allows the reader to follow along better. I didn’t think about those things at all in the beginning. It was all about me. And the words that needed to come out.
Just the other day a reader of one of my earliest stories contacted me to say she wished to meet the characters. And she’d recommended the book to a family member telling them they had to get to the end, because it was the story that mattered. That review meant more than she probably realized. She was able to see the important part, despite my poor execution. Something I pray with each manuscript I am getting better at.
8. What are your weaknesses as a writer?
1. I go too fast. I have a tendency to get swept away by the story and want to get to the excitement of the happily ever after end that I know is coming. When I go back and read the story a year or two later, I always find myself wishing I would have taken more time in the 3/5’s section of the manuscript.
2. The entire mechanics of writing properly. Sometimes I feel like I’ve never had an English lesson in my life. I apologize Mr. Dodd and Mrs. Maubach (my high school English teachers). I swear I did not sleep through your classes. My editors deserve eternal gold medals for the work they end up doing with me.
9. In Storm of Passion, what are some of the key messages you want readers to take away?
I think all my stories are about realizing the strength of love. Yes, the power of love. In STORM it is two steps forward, one step back, continuous conflict in the relationship. What our couple needs to learn is sometimes you have to face the problem, go through that rough patch, to get to the other side.
Readers are real people. When they close the book they have real lives, real love, real problems to go back to. In STORM, Race and Savanah learn the process of fighting together, even while fighting to see the other’s point of view, it is the effort of understanding, that helps bring them together. They learn to set aside the fear of perceived confrontation and trust. Trust the process. Trust their feelings. Trust the love.
Trust. And fear isn’t the enemy. Giving up is.
- About the Author
- Posts in the Past
