Romance Writer Pens New Novel
In Madeline Sloane's contemporary romance novel, "Distracted," we meet Erin Andersen, who has a tough assignment: Help a laid-back artist meet his deadline. The problem is he enjoys life too much to slow down and to her dismay, Erin discovers distraction is contagious.
Readers follow Sloane's heroine through a kaleidoscope of settings, from the busy streets of Washington, D.C., to the rustic coastline of the Outer Banks, then on to sunny Key West before arriving at the family farm in rural Pennsylvania.
Eaton is an idyllic, fictitious town and it figures prominently in other Sloane novels in the works. According to the author, the common link between her romance series is that the women call Pennsylvania home, no matter where they currently live. Their adventures always bring them back to Eaton where they meet and interact with characters from other novels in the series.
"These people are interesting to me, as well as their jobs, their homes and their families," Sloane said. "It's difficult to leave them behind. So I decided not to."
A lot of thought went into creating Eaton and its residents and visitors. She has a cast of characters with extensive biographies, as well as a street map complete with the locations of businesses and homes. There are natural attractions that continually draw the readers into the landscape of Eaton, including a river, a lake, a mountain and a waterfall.
Many of Sloane's characters travel and she incorporates exotic locales in her books.
"It's one of my interests, so everywhere I go I take photographs and collect brochures. I think about where my characters would travel, and I think about what -- and who -- awaits them at their destination," she said. "Some of the more intriguing places I include are Italy, England, Ireland, Mexico, Canada and the Bahamas. Of course, they're traveling throughout the United States and extensively along the East Coast.
"I enjoy including new places in my books because it gives me a second chance to 'visit' there," she added. "From the comfort of my climate-controlled library and cushy chair, I once again experience the snow storm on Ireland's Cliffs of Moher, shop for the holidays at Harrod's in England and stumble down Italian cobblestone roads while eating gelato."
Sloane lives in Central Pennsylvania. Her hobbies include day trips to New York's Finger Lake wineries, cooking, reading and kayaking. She is married and her husband, Ivan, also is a writer with a novel in the works.
"His book is a fantasy adventure series for young adults," she said. "And, since his favorite pastime is travelling, the characters in his book go everywhere -- and anytime. His stories are an exciting blend of historic people and places, and magic and destiny, with a bit of time travel tossed into the mix."
Next up for Sloane is "East of Eaton," another contemporary novel that focuses on a bookstore owner and her romance with a history professor. The title is a play on the book "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck and is the name of Eaton's east end bookstore.
"This character is a bit darker than the protagonist of 'Distracted.' She's a single mother who worries her 16-year-old daughter's summer romance will end in heartache, or worse," Sloane said. "Pregnant herself at 18, she learned how to be independent and juggle her new baby with college and a career. As a result, she isolated herself, maintaining a informal -- if any -- relationship with men until she meets the hero, of course. It's impossible for the women of Eaton to resist the men I have lined up for them."
Sloane's novel "Distracted" is available in print and as an eBook (eReaders, PC and mobile devices), offered by Amazon, Barnes and Nobles and Borders, as well as from iTunes for the iPad, iPhone and iPod. More information is available on the Internet at http://www.madelinesloane.com.
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