Book Blitz and Interview with Melody Stone, Author of The English Officer's Wife!!!

 

Title – The English Officer’s Wife  
Author – Melody Stone  
Genre – Erotic Romance  
Publication Date – 15th January  
Length (Pages/# Words) – 12000 words  
Publisher – Fever Press  
Cover Artist – Fever Press

 

 Book Blurb/Synopsis – The life of an army wife can be lonely with the wives counting down the days until the husband’s return home to their quarters. Annie has always been the perfect English Officer’s Wife, but loneliness and boredom begins to affect her both physically and emotionally. Someone comes into her life for a brief moment and in an unexpected way reignite a passion that surprises and shocks her.

Content warning: Contains adults scenes, FF and MF.

Amazon Kindle Link

EXCERPT “I just feel I need something, Rachel. Something away from this life and the army and I don’t know what.” Annie’s voice shook as she sat back down and looked searchingly into Rachel’s eyes.  Rachel, in a rush as always, scooped her nail polish and mobile phone into her leather bag, stood up and kissed her friend on her head.
“Annie, is everything all right with you and Mike?” she asked, clearly concerned.
Annie was aware she had always appeared so happy and settled as an army wife. She had a reputation for being the one wife you could count on for support and guidance and the one who always had a cheery smile and a kind word. She didn’t doubt Rachel could sense that she was not herself but wasn’t sure how she could help.
“I just feel like I’m really being taken for granted, Rache,” Annie said, pulling her long blonde hair back into a scrunchie.  “I don’t know what’s wrong with me... or us. I’m just getting more and more fed up with Mike spending so many hours at the Mess now he’s back on camp. It’s like he feels more comfortable there and not at home.” Annie held back her tears and swallowed as she looked at her reflection in the window. It’s like he’s forgotten the us we used to be and the awful thing is I think I have too, she thought sadly.

THE INTERVIEW

How long have you been writing?

I have been writing since I was a very little girl. I used to keep a diary in a shoe box under my bed. It was an old fashioned diary with a lock and key and I would lie on my bed and write down all my thoughts, hopes and dreams. I have written poetry since my early teens, and I have boxes of unfinished stories that I have started and yet to finish. Even as a young girl a wild thought would jump into my head and inspired me to write. Writing has always been a big part of me.

What or who inspires you to write?

Inspiration can hit me in the most unusual way. I can be out riding my horse and a thought will come to me that I have to jot down as soon as I have paper and a pen at hand.   I can be driving my car and hear a song on the radio that touches me, or I can be sitting with my friends and a story will pop into my head because of something we have all shared. Conversations can touch briefly on a subject and I will think, “Yes, that would make a great story”. I have a vivid imagination and that helps too.

What genre do you like to read?

To be honest I don’t particularly prefer one genre over another.  I enjoy reading anything and everything. I think my choice would be dependent on my mood for that particular day. My summer read relaxing by the pool or sunbathing on the beach would always be lighthearted, girly and fun. Something sexy and steamy on a hot summer’s night is a must too! A cold winter’s night snuggled under the duvet would make me want to read an old traditional classic something that is full of different characters with a story pulls me in. I do enjoy a good romance; I am quite a romantic at heart and get very emotional.  I also enjoy biographies; I am a bit nosey and love to discover the true person.  So in answer to your question, ALL genres.

What is your favorite genre to write?

Erotic romance for sure! I try hard to write in a way that is not too complicated or heavy for the reader.  I want to be a writer where the reader can kick off their shoes, sit back, relax and feel pulled into my storyline. It is important that my readers can relate to a character and understand the feeling and emotions I am trying to portray. If I am writing a love or sex scene it has to be plausible and it has to move and excite. If it doesn’t make sense to me, it will never make sense to my readers.

Who is your favorite author and why?

I have so many, but maybe you will allow me to mention a few. I absolutely love Little Women by American author Louisa May Alcott. There is something about that story that is so warm and touching.

Charles Dickens is the absolute master of capturing a character and he has to be at the top of my list. His outstanding descriptive writing pulls you in from the first line, even the clever names of his characters are sheer brilliance.

J.K Rowling has to be on my list too with her brilliant and magical escapism for children and adults. I read her books and say, “How on earth did she come up with that idea?”

As a young girl I would sneak into my parents room and sit on the floor and read my father’s saucy Harold Robbins books lol…..for a young girl they were a real eye opener and he really knew how to write a great sex scene!

What do you love about writing and why?

I find writing very relaxing and I have a huge imagination. To think up a story and watch it come to life is very fulfilling. I do believe anyone can write, it is being dedicated enough to see the story through to the end that counts. I jump around in excitement when my thoughts come together and I get a real sense of achievement when I finish the very last line. I have to hold my breath then to see if other people feel the same way as me.

What is the book about?

The English Officer’s Wife is about an army wife who lives in an army quarter with her Officer husband who is away for very long periods of time. Life can be lonely and many military wives rely on the support of other wives to see them through the many months alone. My main character Annie discovers support from someone new and with that, a sexual encounter. Something is reignited inside of Annie in a way she least expected it.

What or who was the inspiration for the book?

I guess I was my inspiration. Being an ex-army wife I experienced months of loneliness, fear and the sexual frustration that I write about. I can relate to Annie my main character in so many ways.

Who are the characters in the book?

Annie is my main female character. She has two female friends Briony and Rachel. Annie’s officer husband Mike is my main male character.

If you could have five authors, over for dinner, alive or dead, who would they be and why?

What a super idea. Well, definitely Charles Dickens although I am sure he would faint at some of the saucy conversation. I would love to know who inspired his stories and where his ideas came from.

Jilly Cooper as she seems to have a great sense of fun and cheekiness.  She is animal mad like me and I would need a likeminded lady there for support.  I really like her relaxed style and I have been told my own style of writing is similar, which is a great compliment. Her books are uncomplicated, easy reading with ‘real’ characters.

David Niven because I loved his biography The Moon’s a Balloon and it is still one of my favorite reads.  I loved him as an actor, but in his book his humour and wit captivated me. He had such an interesting life and was such a great raconteur. I think I would just sit and listen to him holding court.  

C. S Lewis for sure. He wrote The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, one of my favorite children’s story books. It is still a magical read and I would love to write a classic children’s story like this one day. He died the same day John F Kennedy was assassinated and because of that I think media coverage of his death was minimal. I would love to sit and tell him how beautifully written his stories are, and how they have captivated children over the years.

I think my last guest would be Ian Flemming.  I have grown up with James Bond and for someone to write over twelve novels takes amazing dedication. His wartime career and his life as a journalist filled him with stories and I am sure he was fascinating to listen to. I also think he had a very saucy side and I would have liked that about him. It is staggering to think that an individual has sold 100 million copies of his books worldwide. It would be great to ask him how that feels and to listen to more about his personal experiences.

AUTHOR BIO:
Melody Stone was born in London but for most of her life has lived in the Country. A keen horsewoman, she raced thoroughbreds in her twenties, winning her first flat race in public. Melody enjoys writing not only erotic romance stories, but also poetry, blogs and magazine articles.

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