#WriteWed Bryant Park & Jersey Girl Bridesmaids

I am so chugging along on Book 1 of the Jersey Girl Bridesmaids series! I am having a ton of fun with it and I hope you will also when the first book, tentatively titled Since We Were 18, is released in 2017.

The scene I’m writing right now is set at the Bryant Park Grill. I’ve eaten there several times and it’s a great restaurant with scenic views and good food.

Regular visitors to the blog know that Bryant Park is one of my favorite spots in New York City and I go there often, like every day! There is always something happening and I love seeing all the gardens in the park.

At one time, the park was known as “Needle Park” and it was filled with prostitutes and drug dealers. You risked your life walking through there even in the daytime, but no more. The park has been rejuvenated and now is a fabulous place for New Yorkers and tourists alike to visit and spend time.

Today’s Write Wednesday is some photos from Bryant Park since I’m busy writing this scene.

#WriteWed Inspiration for Nickie from Just One Night

Just One Night New Adult Erotic Romance by Caridad PineiroWhen I decided to write a story about twentysomethings who had to make tough choices, it was difficult to find the kinds of professions where the hero and heroine might have to choose between love and their careers.

When it came to the hero, I had been inspired to make him a Marine from my days at Villanova with their ROTC program.

The inspiration for Nickie, the medical school student, likewise came from my days at college. I was a science major who intended to go to med school. Went the whole route of taking the MCATs and applying. Interviewed and was wait-listed at Columbia.

In the meantime I started working at a law firm to earn some money to pay for food, school, and stuff. That’s where I discovered my love of Intellectual Property law and decided to go to law school. Being a lawyer gave me reasons to truly embrace a path to a writing career and publishing my first book.

So even though God closed the door to med school, he gave me a path to take me to where I am today.

Anyway, back to Nickie. Being in med school was going to be tough for her and also tough for any relationship with someone who wasn’t going to be around. I knew that this would be perfect for the story in Just One Night, especially since it points out some of the things Jase and Nickie have in common. They both are strong and protective and they both want to help others. Perfect.

I hoped you liked this little #WriteWed behind the scenes from Just One Night.

Just one other thing! Today’s my anniversary, so I’m sharing with you this photo from our wedding day which was so so many years ago. Wow. I can’t believe it’s been that long since I met my hubby during our Villanova days.
weddingB&C

#WriteWed Just One Night and the Boys of Summer

ONE NIGHT ONLYA lot of writers will tell you they have a playlist of songs in their head as they are creating their story.

Not me. I’m totally into the stories and characters on their own and it isn’t until after that I can match up songs with them.

For sure that’s the story with JUST ONE NIGHT, my contribution to the ONE NIGHT ONLY #Erotic #Romance anthology.

The initial inspiration for Jase, the hero in the story, came from my days at Villanova and awareness of the ROTC program there. It was always lovely to see the men and women in dress uniforms on campus and at other events.

The Jersey Shore location is thanks to my love of that area, but also because I grew up close to the water and spent a lot of time at the beach. I remember driving to Jones Beach, listening to the Beach Boys and later as a teen, to songs like this one by Don Henley. Actually, this is probably my anthem for my days on the shore and Jase is definitely a “Boy of Summer” for the heroine, Nicole.

I hope you enjoy this rendition by Don Henley from a Farm Aid concert. Thanks to Farm Aid for posting it on Youtube! If you can’t see the Boys of Summer video below, please click here.

#WriteWed Behind the Scenes of THE PERFECT MIX

THE PERFECT MIX Contemporary RomanceThis Wednesday I’m offering you a little behind the scenes look at the location for Bianca and Rey’s story in The Perfect Mix which will be released shortly.

The Perfect Mix will also be available in the Lucky 7 Bad Boys Contemporary Romance Box Set!

My hubby and I always have a Christmas Eve errand to run, namely, to head up to Union City to get Cuban goodies we can’t get locally. That entails taking a shortcut through Weehawkin so we can get a glimpse of New York City. We both love the city!

One of our trips to this area was when we were in the midst of renovations to our current house. We had decided to redo the kitchen since the stove had shorted out, drawer fronts were coming off in our hands, and the 1960s yellow linoleum and missing wall behind the fake brick paneling were finally too much to handle.

As we reached Hamilton Park in Weehawkin, we stopped to snap some photos of the city. It was a day much like this one!

Hamilton Park, Weehawkin

Photo Credit: [email protected]

When we got back into the car, we passed by a building at the end of the park. It seemed empty at the time and had been a restaurant at one point and it made me wonder, what would it be like to take over that space with those fabulous views and renovate it?

Well, as you can imagine, The Perfect Mix was born. In this story, Bianca is a chef who, together with her two partners, is undertaking just that kind of task. The hero, Rey Ramos, is the contractor who has been recommended to them and the sparks between Rey and Bianca are instantaneous!

Rey takes on the task of renovating the restaurant, but along the way, has to deal with falling in love with Bianca and having to share a very painful secret with her.

Anyway, here’s another photo from the same location. It was really overcast and cloudy this year, but I love the way this photo came out!