Review for Sleight of Hand by Reese Galloway & INTERVIEW

Private Performance by Reese Galloway Sleight of Hand #1
Publication Date: October 13, 2014
Genres: Contemporary, Erotica, Romance
 

Synopsis:

Ellaine Greene has simple desires. She just wants to do her best as the event coordinator for the local aquarium, to support environmental conservation efforts, and to keep immature man-children out of her life.

So when a major donor to the aquarium demands Ellaine find a magician for her granddaughter's birthday party, all she can imagine is a long line of card chuckers and coin flippers wearing cheesy sequined vests. Instead, she gets Xander Hollatz, a sophisticated, powerful man in a crisp suit, with nimble fingers and a warm smile. He's the man for the job, no doubt. And, to her surprise, she realizes he might be the man for her, too. Will she let her doubts get in the way of their feelings for each other? And when everything goes wrong at the birthday party, will he be able to perform a miracle to save the day? Sleight of Hand #1: Private Performance is a 17,000-word novella, introducing readers to Ellaine and Xander's passionate and tender romance, to the fascinating wildlife inhabiting the aquarium, and to the mysterious world of professional magicians.

Repeat Performance by Reese Galloway Sleight of Hand #2
Publication Date: October 27, 2014
Genres: Contemporary, Romance

Synopsis:

Ellaine Greene has a new man in her life, the famous magician Xander Hollatz. He's ripped, kind, and mysterious -- nothing like her ex-husband. He has even volunteered to perform at her aquarium's annual fundraising gala. But she's still having trouble leaving the past behind, especially when her ex shows up to beg for money. Before the new couple knows it, someone's trying to break into Xander's mansion to steal the secrets of his many famous illusions. Ellaine's ex becomes their prime suspect. But maybe it's actually the up-and-coming street magician they've befriended. Or maybe it's even someone from Xander's mysterious past. Whoever the thief is, if he uncovers and reveals the secret of Xander's newest illusion for the fundraiser, the event will be a disaster. Ellaine may lose her job. And there's a still greater question: Is this feeling they share together just lust -- or is it something more? Find out in this 74,000-word book, the second volume in the Sleight of Hand series.

About the Author

 

 Reese Galloway loves great magic tricks, animals and bars of fancy soaps. Actually, his soap obsession is getting a little out of control.

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Author Interview:

• What motivated you to start writing?

I've written stories as long as I can remember. That impulse is part of who I am, and I've never known why. But I do know why I started writng this story: I fell in love with someone, a woman I wasn't supposed to be in love with. Working on this book helped me work through my feelings for her.

• Who or what is your biggest inspiration for writing?

I love purusing all the possibilities of a story. I leave a lot of scenes unfinished because I can't tell an idea's going to work until I'm halfway through it. The story itself is my biggest inspiration -- the story and the characters. I love anticipating what they're going to do next.

• What is your writing environment? (Where do you write, what do you do to prepare right before you start writing)

Either at my computer, or while I'm dining out. I bring a notepad with me whenever I go to a restaurant. I don't have a ritual to prepare me for the act of writing, but I do my best writing when I'm hanging out with my writing buddy, Ava. When we write together, we'll chat first, and I'll make myself a cup of coffee. Then we put our headphones on and get to work.

• What is the hardest part of a book for you? Any particular scene(s)?

The last 10% of the book has always been the hardest. Prior to that, it's a vista of possibilities. But when I get to the last 10%, I have to start checking all my notes, making sure I haven't forgotten something, checking the rhythm, the build, the flow. I'm always paranoid I've missed some huge, glaring inconsistency.

• If you only could write in one genre, what would it be? And if you couldn’t write in that genre what genre would you pick next?

Contemporary romance. Barring that, historical romance. But I'd never be able to write anything if I wasn't allowed to include some humor.

• If you could spend a day with one author, who would it be and why?

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. I loved her book Americanah. Very funny book, with so many clear-headed insights into friendships and romantic relationships. I bet she'd be a great conversationalist.

• What do you like to see in book reviews? What makes a review better than other ones to you?

I think a good critic is an advocate of the arts. A good film critic loves films and wants lots of good films to be made. A good theater critic loves going to the theater and celebrates actors, directors, playwrights, etc. They don't have to be a cheerleader all the time. Sometimes advocating for your art means pointing at a trend or even a particular work and saying, "That's dishonest and manipulative."

So my very favorite reviews are ones that give you some info you wouldn't have had without them, and also that do a little digging into what worked and what didn't. Well-written reviews and good critics are very valuable to the arts.

• If you could give one tip to new writers, what would it be?

You can write a good book without natural talent, but you can't write any sort of book without hard work.

• How do you make hard decisions with your books? Like the title of the book or some of the characters actions?

I make notes. I take a break. I come back to the notes after I've forgotten what I've written down. I make more notes. I bounce ideas off friends. I take a deep breath, make a decision, then move on.

• If you could only use 4 words to describe yourself, what would they be?

Food and book lover.

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