Miss Scandalous, Book 2 in the Shaw Family Saga

1. What types of books do you write?
I have dubbed myself the “gumbo genre” novelist, because books shouldn’t be lightly seasoned. Okay, I haven’t written a cook book, even though it’s the holiday season and that just might come in handy. I write stories about reality. Delving into a make believe world that does more than follow a cookie-cutter attempt at romance or another genre has always kept my interest. For my debut novel, Miss Nobody (Shaw Family Saga, Book 1), the story is stocked with drama, and seasoned with issues of family and abandonment. Lightly spiced with suspense and mystery and stirred with a love story.

2. What is the latest book you have written?
The latest book I’ve written is Miss Scandalous, Book 2 in the Shaw Family Saga. The two main characters are mother and daughter, Charlene and Raven. Charlene wants to right her wrongs for abandoning Raven as a child, to pursue a acting career. Her life is perfect now, as she is getting married at the beginning of the story and assumes everything will fall in place, regarding working things out with Raven. Her daughter is on a mission for revenge and Charlene is number one on the list. Miss Scandalous is an emotional rollercoaster and will have you hating, loving the characters. Ultimately, will a mother’s love be strong enough to quill a daughters rage?

3. Is it part of a series, if so which one?
Miss Scandalous is the second installment with the first being Miss Nobody. Miss Nobody is out in ebook and paperback form. “Miss Nobody” begins with Charlene abandoning her daughter to become an actress. Raven grows in her mother’s tiny hometown in NC. She’s been dubbed “Miss Goody Two Shoes,” heads the children’s choir at church, but nothing can pacify her anger when she hears gossip about her mother. They both have their highs and lows. Charlene is self destructive. It’s a hard climb to fame. She drinks, pops valium like breath mints and tosses it all back with vodka. As a teen, Raven’s “living her happily ever after”. She falls in love. Nonetheless, there’s always a ebb before the hurricane. Tragedy strikes for Raven. She seeks the only person who can help, her mother. Only finding Charlene can ruin the perfect life that she’s built. Heck, finding Charlene can ruin her life, too.

4. When and why did you start writing?
I can remember being in my mom’s busted-up car when I was about five years old. We didn’t have a radio. I started out singing--unfortunately, I was no Alicia Keys. So I dabbled in story telling while my mom drove from Long Beach to do the “kiddy exchange” with my father who lived in San Bernardino. Over the years I’ve always had a few stories going on in my head at one time or another. After I got a Masters in Educational Counseling and couldn’t find a job--eeek! I decided to try my hand at self publishing.

6. Who are your influences?
I’ve been told that my characters are lifelike through Amazon reviews and talking with book groups and others that send me a note after reading the book. The people that I cross paths with during every day life influence my stories. You know the whackos that you meet, the friends that are there for a season and the scandalous ones, too. They are all interwoven into different characters. “Miss Nobody” is a poignant portrait of a mother and daughter relationship. It has dark and colorful contrasting strokes that come from counseling students. There are bits and pieces of Raven in the depressed, neglected students that I’ve met. There are aspects of her mother, Charlene, in other parents and students that I’ve counseled. Now for the color. The bits of sunrays and happiness blended into the story. It’s like that moment when a child’s brain registers the fact that their foster parent/guardian loves them despite what they’ve been prewired to believe. Their newfound happiness inspires me.

7. What can we expect from you in the near future? Book signing events, other details I conduct exchange reviews
Thanks for asking, Sarwah. I will be completing the book cover for Miss Scandalous shortly and would love to drop by at your blog for your reader’s opinion on my top choices, in addition to an unveiling. I’m open to work with any book clubs; in fact, I just finished a discussion about Miss Nobody with a Facebook club. I’d love to offer discounts to clubs who want to buy that paperback version and would be glad to join in on discussions are if you’re in the Inland Empire Area, I’d be willing to drop by for book signings.
Website: NicoleDunlap.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorNicoleDunlap
Twitter: https://twitter.com/nicoleydunlap
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Nicole-Dunlap/e/B009BTPPWY/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16035414-miss-nobody
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9637GqJqx7Y