It was just May of last year when first time local novelist C. Elizabeth brought readers into Absolute Obsession, the romantic world of her characters, middle-aged housewife Rose Gerbaldi and British movie star Michael Terrance, 12 years her junior.

The affair first started from afar but their love swept both off their feet, and eventually, in true fairy tale style, they got married, had a child and lived happily ever after.

That ‘happily ever after’ part just came out in paperback at the start of this month, but things don’t always go as planned. True to form, Elizabeth has her two lovers experience some setbacks that no one could have seen coming. That obstacle is the basis for Absolute Obstruction, the second part in the trilogy.

“It delves into a fairly deeper part of Michael and Rose’s relationship. You get a really good feel for what it’s like to be them,” Elizabeth said. “A couple of things happen that threaten the marriage.”

“It’s a suspenseful book,” she said, holding her cards close so as not to divulge any spoilers. “How can you say that it’s a suspense and not give something away?”

For the author, these kinds of fantasy tales of love are fine and dandy, but there should still be a strong base in the real world that readers can feel and give them something to connect with.

“There’s a lot of realism in this. You really feel that you really are the characters when you’re reading it. It’s about the readers. I love the fact that the characters are coming alive in other people’s minds and that’s so important to me. It thrills me to death.”

Public response to the first book was warm and welcoming enough to ensure her social calendar kept full. She already has a few promotional engagements lined up to support this book.

“It’s been a little crazy the last few months,” she sighed, reflecting on the transition between being a struggling writer to published author. “I don’t know if it affected me at all. It’s just P.R. Lots of promos and book signings and just working really hard to get my name out there and the book out there.”

This has left her with precious little time to actually sit down and keep writing. In fact, this one was already at the publishers at the moment that Absolute Obsession was coming out.

Still, she has been plugging away at her craft and it will be right before Christmas when Soul Control, a new paranormal romance for the Young Adult section hits the shelves. She started that one a year ago and it was sitting on her editor’s desk just a few months later.

The hectic schedule might get to lesser mortals but Elizabeth is reveling in every moment of it.

“It’s not stressful at all. It’s my release,” she laughed. “It’s amazing. I’m just soaking it all up like a sponge. I don’t think I’ll ever stop writing. I love it too much!”

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