California Heart Series, Book 3
Contemporary Romance
Date Published: 04-17-2024
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Heartbroken and mortified by mean-spirited taunts and social media pictures of her looking like a hot mess at her ex-boyfriend’s wedding, Leah James decides to accept her friend, Miguel Montoya’s, offer to take a road trip to their hometown of Santa Lorena.
Miguel, ex-Marine turned fitness trainer, is done pretending that he doesn’t have strong feelings for Leah. From the moment he laid eyes on her, he knew she was the one, and now this trip provides the perfect opportunity to take their relationship to the next level.
Will shocking lies, deceits, and half-truths dampen the fiery sparks of passion that ignite when Leah and Miguel are forced to share a cozy honeymoon cottage, or will they overcome their fears and build a brighter future based on honesty and love?
INTERVIEW
Is There a
Message in Your Novel That You Want Readers to Grasp?
In Soft
Lies & Hard Truths there are several messages within the scope of the story.
Both of the main characters, Leah James and Miguel Montoya have experiences
insecurities regarding their appearances. Both have experienced a complicated
relationship with a parent. But what we see is resiliency and that’s an important
aspect of the theme. These two characters have also loved someone who didn’t
love them back. Another message is never giving up on your dreams. And of
course, all of my novels have messages about what it means to be family, have
friends and find love.
Is there
anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
For me, the
biggest challenge is establishing a consistent writing schedule and sticking to
it. The story will naturally unfold, once I begin the writing process. The
characters take over and I follow their lead.
How many
books have you written and which is your favorite?
This can be
a trickly question. I’ve written more books than I have published. Soft Truths
& Hard Lies is my fourth book. It is
the third novel in my California Heart Series. However, A Whirl With My Mocha-Chocolate Swirl is a novella that first introduced Miguel and Leah. Readers found these two characters to
be likeable and they wanted to see more of them, so in Soft Lies & Hard
Truths, I gave them their own book. Each of my books is different and of
course, special to me. I will say that Anything But Love, Book 2 in the
California Heart Series, is filled with accounts that remind me of a very special vacation I took to another country,
which is what the main character does in that novel. Orange Blossoms-Love Blooms,
Book 1 in the series, was my first novel to be contracted to be traditionally published, so it will
always have a special place in my heart.
If You had the chance to cast your main character from Hollywood today, who would you pick and why?
This one is easy. When I was writing Soft Lies & Hard Truths, I visualized
Mariah Carey portraying Leah and Maria Lopez as Miguel.
When did you begin writing?
I began writing when I was about 8 years old. My third-grade
teacher, Mrs. Jones, had the class submit short stories and poems to our city’s
local newspaper. I had several poems and short stories published very early. I
continued to write for my high school paper and on one of the UCLA’s student
newspapers when I attended college.
How long did it take to complete your first book?
Initially, I wrote it as a historical
romance. That probably took close to a year and then I decided that I would
alter the story to become a contemporary romance and that probably took close to another year.
Did you
have an author who inspired you to become a writer?
Growing up,
my family always had a lot of books in the house. I read widely, including male
and female authors from Shakespeare to Danielle Steele. I really was not
inspired by anyone author. I just loved the written word and it has always been
a part of my life.
What is
your favorite part of the writing process?
When I feel
that I have done all the editing and created the best story that I can, I know
that I am finished with the novel and that gives me a great sense of
satisfaction. The contentment comes when I know
that all of the pieces of the
story have come together and the characters’ challenges have been resolved.
Describe
your latest book in 4 words.
Surprising,
sexy, suspenseful, satisfying.
Can you
share a little bit about your current work or what is in the future for your
writing?
I’m
currently writing a holiday story about a football player whose
suffered one too many concussions and as a result his career has
abruptly come to an end. At the same time, his sister’s best friend, whose
returned to their hometown to be in her friends Christmas wedding, has to
decide if she will continue to pursue her dream of become a film actress, even
though she has been unable to get any acting jobs. She still views her friend’s
brother as he was when they were back in high school, but he sees that she has
changed. She seems to have lost her joy, which is something he can relate to.
This is a pivotal time for both of them, and they’ll have to decide what they
are going to do with the rest of their lives now that their dreams have fallen
apart.
About the Author
Dalia Dupris has been a book lover as long as she can remember. Dalia’s BA in English Literature from UCLA and Master’s degree in Social Work, from the University of Southern California, in addition to years of experience as a licensed psychotherapist, contribute to her creation of relatable and complex characters.
In her spare time, she enjoys bike riding along the California coast with her husband, and hiking with her daughter. She loves hearing from her readers. Their words of encouragement inspire her to continue creating memorable characters, who will make you laugh and cry and keep rooting for them until the very last page. Subscribe to her website for a chance to learn more about Dalia and her books.
Contact Links
Twitter @dalia_dupris
TikTok: @daliadupris8
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1 Comments
This looks like a great read. Thanks for hosting.
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