Hannah Howell

Introducing Jacqui Morrison

2012-01-02T06:17:00.000-08:00

The writing life is both solidary and social. I spend countless hours on my computer and I also enjoy public speaking. Both experiences are enriching and productive. My name is Jacqui Morrison and I am the author of Kaitlyn Wolfe,Crown Attorney by Lachesis Publishing.

In the formative years, I plugged away on my home computer alone. I did not know if my writing was any good but I kept persevering. Tenacity was the key to success.

Back then, I had not found my style. I just knew I was driven to write. Initially my style in writing mysteries was film noir. It was like a black and white photo begging for some colour. Soliciting feedback from friends and family has its drawbacks. It was feast or famine either accolades or blank stares of boredom.

I began to find my style when I decided to accept support and feedback from other accomplished writers. I became part of an editing circle. Four writers met monthly to critique each other’s work. This was probably the single most important thing I did to improve my writing and my confidence. We vowed to be completely honest so the members provided blunt but constructive feedback. Initially a deeper form of feedback was difficult to take but I put my ego aside and started to benefit from the direct honesty.

My style was beginning to emerge. I realized that my writing style was character driven. I spent a great deal of time creating biographies of my main characters. I frequently refer back to them while I’m in the midst of writing a manuscript.

I also joined a writing organization and attended seminars on the craft of writing. In time, my confidence and my circle of contacts increased ten-fold. In the early days I could not even read my work out-loud without sputtering and stammering. I now realize it was because I was reading my own work – I was baring my soul publicly.

Through the writing organization, I took a workshop on utilizing acting techniques in presentation. The techniques and the growing confidence in my written work catapulted me into enjoying reading and performing. This one-day seminar was an integral part of my confidence building.

Today, I would consider myself both an extravert and an introvert. Introverted in the creation of the work and extraverted in promoting it. My confidence has grown exponentially now I look for events where I can perform. I no longer look at these events with dread, I look forward to being on the stage, performing and hopefully selling some books. At the very least, public performance increases my network.

I still thoroughly enjoy creating a fresh first draft and then agonizing over the editing. Each time I begin a new novel I become excited and have trouble stopping. The words fly onto the page and I rarely have writer’s block. The only time I have a form of writer’s block is when the busyness of my day-to-day life sneaks into my writing life. I have to work on a balance of writing, promoting and performing. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Today I am a Writer in Residence at the Parry Sound Public Library where I conduct writing seminars for budding writers. I look for opportunities to perform in public and thoroughly enjoy watching the faces in the audience as they hear my spoken word. My first novel won the 2009 Gold IPPY award for best fiction in Central and Eastern Canada, which garnered credibility from fellow authors and readers.

My second novel Oddly Accused, a suspenseful mystery/courtroom drama will be released by Lachesis Publishing in 2012. Jacquimorrison.ca

Christmas: Plotter or Pantser

2011-12-20T12:50:00.000-08:00

Christmas:

Plotter or Pantser

Liberty Blake

Thank you, Hannah, for allowing me to visit you and your friends. Everyone who leaves a comment will be entered to win a PDF copy Christmas Treats #1 (Santa’s Naughty List). Please leave your email addy in the comment. Winner will be chosen on Saturday at noon.

Are you done with all your Christmas shopping, or are you still searching for presents for Tom, Dick, and Mary? (The people you forgot until now.) Or are you still looking for the perfect gift for the ones you love the most? Or did you start your Christmas shopping with the post Christmas sales, last December and January?

The real question is, when do you begin thinking about Christmas?

Noelle Barnes, the heroine of Christmas Spirit, owns a different Christmas outfit for every day of December. She decorates and dresses for the holiday beginning on Black Friday. She is a Christmas “plotter”. She doesn’t have to camp out all night at the shopping mall; she’s had her friend’s presents not just bought, but wrapped and hidden away for months.

In writing we use many terms to describe a person’s work style.

A “plotter” is someone who plots out the story before ever typing in Chapter One. These are the people who have their list of gift recipients in hand on December 26^th and begin buying as soon as possible. Many are done with their entire list by Valentine’s Day and only have to worry about new additions. They even have the stocking stuffers locked away in a closet.

A “puzzler” is a writer who writes scenes as they occur to her. A Christmas “puzzler” is the canny shopper who purchases the gifts as she finds them throughout the year.

A “pantser” is a writer who sits his seat in the chair, opens up the computer and starts writing. A Christmas “pantser” is in the store on Christmas Eve begging a clerk to please find some uncrushed bows.

Then there is the “plotster”. The writer who begins writing and then after she know where she is going with the characters and story works out the plot. The Christmas “plotster” camps out at the shopping mall and still ends up searching for tape and uncrushed bows on Christmas Eve.

I began my Christmas shopping career as a plotster. Then one year, early in my career, I had locked the majority of my shopping into my mother’s car and returned to the store to help my grandmother. My mother had also loaded the car and returned to continue shopping. (with 12 children there were a lot to buy for). When we were finally finished with our shopping we returned to the car to find it had been broken into and emptied. They even took the four gallons of milk and the groceries from the back seat!

I had bought my gifts for everyone that night. All my sisters and brothers, my other relatives, and all my friends. I had saved the money for months and everything was gone in one night.

I couldn’t buy anything else. The ride home was silent, except for the sniffling. I went home, pulled out my knitting needles, and managed to create an assortment of hats, mittens, scarves, etc. I worked at a frantic pace. I even took my knitting to school. I was ragged on a lot, but everyone on my list received a handmade gift from me that year.

The next year I followed my Aunt Phyllis’s example and started purchasing gifts in January. That lasted one year.

Every year I make the resolution to be either a Christmas plotter, or at least a puzzler, but it never works out that way. Sometimes I can’t find the gifts I have hidden, more often the cost of day-to-day living prevents me from keeping my good intentions.

There are years when I have made everyone an afghan or a quilt. There was one year when I decided to make everyone afghans in December. I used supersized hooks and made the afghans. I finished the last one on Christmas Eve.

This year, I once again have decided to make everyone gifts. I decided to do that two weeks ago when my laptop decided to take a two week vacation. Wish me luck with getting everything done. Although Noelle is well organized, I am definitely an unrepentant pantser.

No matter what holiday you celebrate, may the spirit of joy and giving fill your heart and soul.

Noelle loves to spread Christmas Spirit, not just to friends, but to everyone she encounters. You can read more about Noelle in Christmas Treats #1, Santa’s Naughty List.:

Tagline

Cross a Christmas phobic male with a caterer with Christmas bells on...can she ignite the Christmas spirit in him?

Excerpt:

What the hell had just happened? One minute he was in heaven tasting the sweet nectar of the gods. The next the little vixen was running down the subway stairs. Harry pulled his wits together and gave chase. The turnstile wouldn’t budge. He was about to jump it when a voice said, “I wouldn’t if I was you. It’s a serious crime to steal from the Commonwealth. Buy a pass if you want to ride the train.”

Harry turned to find a T officer standing directly behind him. The man pointed a nightstick toward a row of machines. “You can get one over there in the Charlie machines.”

Card in hand, he was back at the turnstile in time to see the train Elle had jumped on pulling away from the station.

Damn. He didn’t know her last name.

You can get your copy of Christmas Treats #1 from Still Moments Publishing Erotic Escape ebooks.

www.stillmomentspublishing.com/p/ebook-store.html

www.eroticescapesebooks.com/index.php?cat=11

You can always find Liberty at:

Blog
Website
Facebook
Twitter

(Please leave your email address in your comment. Winner will receive a copy of Christmas Treats #1 (Santa’s Naughty List).

Introducing Greg Ballan author of HYBRID series

2011-10-31T06:07:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween to everyone in cyberspace!!!! A special thank you to Hannah Howell for the great privilege of guest blogging on such a fun night.

Before I begin; a few quick notes about me. Confession number one, I am not a romance writer. I’m a Science Fiction / Horror writer which is appropriate for the given date. When I’m not trying to launch a full time career as a writer I support myself and my family as a contractor for the United States Air Force. I am privileged to work with the most wonderful men and women serving this country! I am an avid outdoorsman and am at my happiest wandering around the woods with a recurve bow shooting at pine cones, old stumps or clumps of dirt.

I am married (My poor wife) and have three children who all manage to tolerate me to some degree. I live in the small town of Hopedale, which happens to be the same town where my novels are situated.

As I stated above, I am not a romance novelist but I do incorporate romance into my novels and believe that the genres of horror and romance aren’t like oil and water but more like gin and tonic… they make a great mix if done properly. The key is in developing believable characters a reader can identify with and feel sympathy for during the trials and tribulations of a story’s plot. In my first novel, ‘Hybrid’, readers are introduced to Erik Knight, a divorced PI struggling to make ends meet after a bitter divorce and smear campaign that left him destitute. Throughout the novel Erik struggles with real “day to day” issues such as paying rent, child support etc. as well as terrifying ordeals that would make any sane person turn to mush. ‘Hybrid’ tells the tale of a regular man dealing with incredible circumstances. In the story, Erik finds the strength to deal with both the changes in himself and the hostilities around him by leaning on a woman he secretly loves but has never had the nerve to express his feelings to her. As Erik learns more about his true nature, he learns to open himself up to other people and allow himself to experience love once again.

HYBRID back cover blurb

Erik Knight, a small time private investigator, always knew he was different from everybody else. Keener senses, heightened awareness and an enhanced physical strength that could be called upon by his sheer will.

Erik becomes involved with a team of high profile investigators and local police trying to locate a girl who was kidnapped in the middle of a playground amongst dozens of adults and children. None of the adults saw anything and what the children claim to have seen is too far fetched to be believed. The search evolves into a full-scale manhunt into the dark and desolate woodlands of the Hopedale Mountain.

After a lethal encounter and a fatality, Erik, the investigators and police realize that what they’re dealing with isn’t a man and possibly isn’t of this world. What they’re dealing with is a sentient evil that has an appetite for young children.

This isn’t a typical romance novel, but love is the underlying key and it’s the characters that draw in a reader as much as the plot lines. If a character is interesting and credible his/her perils are gripping, drawing readers in and holding them captive through each turn of the page. The reader feels each emotion and winces through each trial and shares in the joys of triumph. If the character isn’t believable he/she can experience all kinds of trials and tribulations but they just won’t grab a reader. In the world of ‘Hybrid’ things end happily and the good guy gets the girl… until the sequel.

Human/Esper detective Erik Knight has kept his bargain with the United States Government by functioning as an undercover operative and CIA Cooler for over two years. Erik has been using his inhuman abilities to clean up terrorist hotspots and break narcotics trafficking rings throughout the United States and countries with US political interests. While away on assignment, Erik’s life is shattered when he learns his wife died in a car accident. Though he attended her funeral and burial, Erik can still feel a subtle trace of his beloved in his mind.

Threats against the life of the French President's daughter by terrorists result in the grieving Knight being assigned to protect her. After he foils two attempts on her life, he discovers that the radical group accused of the act is not involved. He joins forces with the group's leader and discovers the termination order originated inside the beltway in Washington DC. As the CIA Cooler digs deeper he learns that there may be a connection between the assassination attempts, his deceased wife, and a threat against the entire planet from outside the solar system.

HYBRID FORCED VENGEANCE mixes romance, horror and suspense to serve a complicated cocktail that readers will find intriguing and plot twisting with each turn of the page. This novel was the most fun I’ve had writing and, as a sequel, let me take characters developed in the first novel and expand upon them, developing their personas and their motives in a deeper character study which in turn created more powerful motives for the “bad guys” and allowed me to push the boundaries of ‘acceptable’ behavior with the “good guys”. For all the plot intertwining, corporate scheming and combat sequences, Forced Vengeance is a hybrid romance novel paying homage to the power and belief that ‘Love conquers all’, after a great deal of trial, tribulation and intrigue.

‘Hybrid’ and ‘Forced Vengeance’ also pay homage to the horror movies of the 1950’s like ‘War of the Worlds’, ‘Forbidden Planet’, ‘Them’ and ‘The Thing’. Each movie was a successful mix of horror ranging from an alien creature terrorizing a desolate Arctic outpost to Earth being invaded by seemingly invincible alien invaders in tripod saucers incinerating everything with a lethal heat ray. In each of the above movies, the strength of our interest in the characters, made their peril more believable and more palpable. These movies didn’t need excessive gore to make an impact, they relied on a good story and likeable characters, the same criterion apply to a good novel. And… in the end, the guy gets the girl!

Happy reading and Happy Halloween, thanks again to Hannah Howell for allowing me to occupy her blog for an evening.

Hybrid and Hybrid Forced Vengeance are available at Lachesis Publishing, Fictionwise and Amazon

Introducing Chastity Bush

2011-08-29T06:51:00.000-07:00

First of all, I’d like to say thank you for allowing me to be on your fantastic blog today!

A little about me-

I’m a fulltime wife, and mother of two wonderful little girls. My family and I live in the super small town of Whitefield Oklahoma, and enjoy spending as much time together as possible, especially outdoors.

In my spare time I write steamy romance novels known for their spicy romance, suspense, and humorous edge.

I love anything and everything to do with the paranormal/supernatural, which is why I love to write in that genre as much as I do.

I do have a historical/western available now, and a contemporary coming in March, but paranormal is my passion.

August 1st brought the release of my latest paranormal romance, Killer Kisses, from Liquid Silver Books. I’m not sure if this will turn into a series, but you never know when a character is going to start screaming at you until you write their story, so who knows? 

Now, enough rambling about me. I’ve added one super short snippet from reviews for each of my available books below, I hope to have one for Killer Kisses soon, and if you’ve read the book, or any of my books, please feel free to send me your thoughts. I’d love to hear them, good or bad.

I hope you have the time to take a peek at my work. As always, I would love to hear from you, and I can be contacted via email at: chastitybush@yahoo.com.

A Taste of Terror-

This is a wonderfully written, and exciting series, which I can't recommend highly enough. If you read one paranormal romance this year, make it this one (or its prequel). I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

*Merrylee, Two Lips Reviews

Passions Bite-

Passions Bite is a really quick read that flows well with enjoyable characters and a hot romance. Overall, Passions Bite was a great kick ass short story that really drew me in. *Ally T. Swept Away Again Reviews

Tumbleweeds-

Overall, I quite liked Tumbleweeds especially as it was something different and as a historical romance it made me giggle quite a bit.

*Ally T. Swept Away Again Reviews

Thanks again for having me here today. Have a fabulous week! 

Killer Kisses

Blurb-

The man straddling the Harley was, in one word…juicy.

Adult novelty store owner Tina James loves a good adventure, and the man peering at her through onyx black eyes is the closest thing to adventure she’s ever come across. Unless of course, you count the mugging at gunpoint she experienced only hours earlier.

Leather clad Alex Monroe and his big bike just moved to number one on Tina’s sexiest man alive list, and with every searing kiss, every white hot caress, Tina finds herself living out her wildest fantasies with the man of her dreams.

But is it all too good to be true?

There’s something about Alex, from his unusual habit of only leaving the house at night, to his amazing speed and strength that has Tina wondering what exactly the man she’s falling head over heels for is hiding?

Meeting Tina James is the best thing that’s happened to Alex in the last five hundred years. She’s spunky, sassy, and beyond sexy.

But there’s a problem…or three.

Alex is a vampire, Tina’s a mortal, and he’s searching for a rogue vampire who just so happens to have his sights set on her as his next victim. Now, not only does Alex have to find a way to tell the woman he loves what he is, he has to catch the killer before he loses her forever.

Killer Kisses

Excerpt-

The cold, night air swirled around Alex as he rode down the desolate streets. The motorcycle beneath him rumbled, sending a wave of comfort throughout his tired body. He was a long way from home, and for Alex Monroe the old saying was true; there’s no place like home.

He’d spent the entire night in his hotel room searching through cold case files, going back years and years, looking deeper at unsolved murders, trying his hardest to find something, anything that would lead him in the right direction. He needed to find this murderer and fast. It was only a matter of time before he slipped up and exposed their kind to the entire world, spelling disaster for them all.

Only sparkly, vegetarian vampires appealed to most people nowadays, and he was neither sparkly, nor vegetarian.

Rounding the corner, Alex wondered if his contact inside the precinct would have any new leads to share with him. He doubted it; the local authorities didn’t have a single shred of evidence to help lead them toward who the killer might be. He’d hoped to find some connection between the recent murders and some of the unsolved ones from the past, but so far, he’d hit a dead-end.

The sooner he got this mystery solved, the sooner the women of this city would be safe…from this killer anyway. There would always be others wreaking havoc somewhere, and he would be there to hunt them down.

It was his job. As an Immortal Detective, he would do whatever it took to end the terror rogues caused with their senseless killing.

Pulling next to the curb in front of the police station, a flash of gold caught his attention. Taking a closer look through the dim streetlight, he frowned. A lone woman walked along the desolate sidewalk. Her long, sandy-blonde hair whipped in the breeze as she pulled her lightweight jacket tighter around her small frame.

“What the hell is she doing?”

Didn’t she know there was a killer on the loose? Why would she be walking the streets alone at three o’clock in the morning? Sometimes Alex couldn’t help but wonder how humans had lived so long without being overrun by his—or any other—species.

Before he knew what he was doing, Alex pulled away from the curb and rolled his bike along the street beside the woman. Alex wasn’t your typical knight in shining armor. He wasn’t even what someone would consider valiant. It just wasn’t in his nature, but something inside him wouldn’t let him turn his back on this woman.

“Are you all right?” he called loudly over the rumble of the motorcycle.

Stopping, she turned to face him, and all thought fled his mind at the beauty revealed before him. Large, sea green eyes bore into him as her gaze widened cautiously. Despite her petite stature, her legs, encased in tight, distressed jeans, were long and shapely.

Letting his eyes sweep over her boldly, he took in every inch of her lithe body as though admiring every brushstroke of a masterpiece. Her skin was a flawless, creamy ivory with a pinch of rose color staining her cheeks and nose from the bite of the crisp night air.

“Listen,” she said wearily, “if you’re looking to rob me, you're too late. Someone beat you to it about three hours ago.”

Smiling, Alex shut off his bike.

“Actually, I was just wondering why a beautiful woman such as yourself would be walking alone in the dark when there’s a killer on the loose.”

She is beautiful, he mused.

Stunning even. He’d lived a long time and faced countless women, but could remember none who matched her in beauty. The impulse to reach out and grab her, to pull her against his chest and explore every delectable inch of her, rocketed through him like a bolt of lightning.

Taking a deep breath, Alex struggled to rein in his fast-rising desire.

What had gotten into him? There was one rule he refused to break; never get involved with a mortal. Once they found out his secret, it was all over, but something about this sarcastic little bundle pushed him, urging him to learn more about her.

Just the sight of her held him on a razor’s edge. The silky glide of her voice only added to his desire.

Cocking a brow, she tilted her head. “I didn’t have much say in the matter. Some skuzz-bucket robbed me after I left work. He took my purse, which had everything in it, and the creepy cop who took my statement didn’t offer to give me a ride home or let me call anyone to come pick me up. So, here I am.” She finished, waving her hand in the air with exasperation.

She was feisty, and much to his surprise, he found he liked it. Alex never cared much for loud sarcastic women, but something was different about this one, and he couldn’t fight the feeling that he was supposed to know her. If he’d learned one thing in all of his years, it was to follow his instincts, and at the moment, his instincts were screaming for him to grab hold of this woman and not let go.

He couldn’t let her continue on her way. Not only was it dangerous for her to be out alone this time of night, the knee-high black leather boots over her jeans looked like they would cripple her before she reached the end of the block.

How the hell do women wear those things?

“What was the cop’s name?”

“Briggs.” She grimaced. “He even tried to give me his number.” She shuddered as though the thought disgusted her, and he chuckled.

He would have a little talk with his contact about Officer Briggs’s unacceptable behavior, but for now, he needed to get her on the back of his bike and her thighs pressed firmly against his hips.

“Let me give you a ride.”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t think so.” She laughed cynically.

“Why not?”

Suppressing a groan, Alex watched as she propped her hands on her wonderfully curved hips.

“Because, I’ve already been mugged tonight and I don’t wish to add raped and murdered to the list.”

Alex couldn’t contain the laughter that burst from his lips.

She’s witty, too.

“What’s so funny?” she snapped irritably.

Calming his laughter, Alex dismounted his bike. “I’m sorry. I have no intention of harming you. My name is Alex Monroe, and I’m here helping the local authorities catch the Monthly Murderer.” He extended his hand to her.

He was also a five-hundred-year-old vampire, but didn’t think she would appreciate that little tidbit of information. She was already baring her claws like a cat backed into a corner, and he’d learned a long time ago it was never good to put stress on an unstable structure.

Based on the night she just described having, one false move and he would catch a swift kick to the balls before she ran away, leaving him to wonder who she was, and aching to see her, and he would ache, he realized.

Just the thought of never seeing her again sent a piercing pain through him. It was absurd, these feelings he was experiencing. He didn’t even know her name and yet, he felt…connected to her somehow.

He watched silently as she gazed at him and some of the wariness left her expression. The wind gusted around them, and her sweet scent flowed over him. She smelled exotic, sweet, and wild. He felt his fangs try to shift, yearning for just a sample of her sweetness. Taking a calming breath, he willed them back into place.

“Can I see some I.D.?”

“Why?” he asked curiously.

“Well, you expect me to believe you're a cop. It would help if you could show some I.D.”

Nodding, he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a wallet, flipping it open to reveal a silver badge given to him by his contact inside the precinct.

Taking a small step forward, she examined the badge, and then nodded once.

Reaching out cautiously, she shook the proffered hand and cast him a small smile. A frisson of excitement tingled through him at the feel of her small hand cradled within his. Gently, he rubbed his thumb over the inside of her wrist discreetly, savoring the feel of her soft, warm skin.

“I’m Tina James,” she said confidently, before asking, “You’re really a cop?”

A smile tugged at his lips.

“Something like that.”

Links:

http://chastitybush.blogspot.com/
http://chastitybush.webs.com/
http://www.facebook.com/chastitybush
http://www.twitter.com/chastitybush

The Extremist . . . of Novel Writing by Deborah Jackson

2011-08-15T08:02:00.000-07:00

Your book ideas come about . . . how, why?

The twelve-year-old at your next workshop asks: how do you get your ideas? Are they floating around in the air and you just pluck them out of the sky? The journalist eyes you during that long, unnerving interview and says, "Interesting topics," or more like, "Rather bizarre adventures you cook up there, Ms. So and So? Where in the world do you get your ideas?"

Well, I'm an extremist. No, no, not the way you think. I seek out the most extreme environment on earth, or elsewhere—Antarctica, World War II in the midst of Nazi oppression, the barren desert dunes along the Nile, a cave, but not just any cave—the most treacherous cave that ever existed (or in my case, a combination of the most treacherous caves that ever existed rolled into one)—or the moon, and I leap into true tales about real life adventure. The idea begins with what I'm interested in, but the idea expands when I begin to read.

Caves turn to cultures. History is whittled down to the bare bones of history—the people who lived it. I explore environments, then I explore people.

J. K. Rowling mentioned in her speech to Harvard graduates that empathy is essential for every human being, particularly those from a more privileged background. In order to write about people from history (and the current age) I need to understand them and empathize with their struggles. That is why I begin to understand the issues of poverty the Maya face in Mexico, the plight of the Jewish people hiding in cellars, attics and under chicken coops during World War II, the alternate reality of pharaohs and slaves, even the difficulties of a young girl forced to endure the divorce of her parents and having to move to a new city with no friends. I empathize, I create characters close to the real thing. My ideas spring from a jumble of setting, potential plot, and an explosion of adventure, but they really boil down to people, and that's when I start to write.

So is the extremism really about ideas and unique environments, or is it that authors dig too deep, sometimes, to generate a believable character?

I'm sure many do. We can become so immersed in the people we're researching and our characters that we often forget the real world. It happens to me all the time, until I hear that plaintive voice from my son: "Aren't you going to watch Wipeout with us?" "Aren't you coming swimming?" "Mom, I can't find . . . everything. Can you help me?"

You can draw two conclusions from this. 1. I have a hard time balancing my life. 2. My characters stem from a great deal of research and personal involvement. I become so involved, in fact, that I want to rescue historical people from their own history, or my main characters do. Hence we have Time Meddlers.

Time Meddlers is a middle grade fiction series that takes two children, Matt Barnes and Sarah Sachs (who eventually become romantically involved as they grow older) through adventures and terrifying situations. In the first book, they travel to 17th century North America during the time of native wars and the first explorers, where they begin to understand the plight of the First Nations. In Time Meddlers Undercover, they travel to Nazi-occupied Holland, in the midst of the oppression of the Jewish people, like Anne Frank, and get seriously involved in the spy network—the Special Operations Executive. The third book, to be released in 2012, is called Time Meddlers on the Nile. This book explores the Nubian culture, but it also examines the question of a time paradox, a situation where the children must go back and change previous alterations before the past disappears and they themselves are erased, but if they change it to such a degree that they no longer exist, then they wouldn't be able to go back in time at all. It's a wee bit mind-twisting.

You can purchase from Amazon and Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Time-Meddlers-ebook/dp/B003Y8XUNE/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=AZC9TZ4UC9CFC or Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/time-meddlers-deborah-jackson/1100069704 or from the publisher's website: http://www.lbfbooks.com/proddetail.asp?prod=timemeddlers
I've also written a romantic thriller called Ice Tomb, a story of ambitious scientists, a mysterious hotspot in Antarctica where scientists are disappearing, and a link to the moon. Read more on RT Bookclub magazine site, where it received a Top Pick: http://www.rtbookreviews.com/book-review/ice-tomb Ice Tomb will be going out-of-print soon and re-released as a classic.

I would like to thank Hannah for inviting me to blog today. If you would like more information about my middle grade series or adult thrillers, please see my website: www.deborahjackson.net.

If you would like to read the short series based on Time Meddlers, see Matt and Sarah's Misadventures on my blog. http://deborahjackson.blogspot.com/search/label/Matt%20and%20Sarah%27s%20Misadventures

Guest Author Brynna Curry

2011-08-08T05:50:00.000-07:00

Hi, everyone. It’s wonderful to be here. Thanks for allowing me to visit with you again, Hannah. A little bit about me. I was born and raised in north Alabama, in the Haleyville/ Bear Creek area. My husband Jackie and I have three children L.J., Anna and Kayla. We live out in the woods with a bunch of redbone hounds and beagles. It’s quiet, except when Diablo barks at rabbits in the middle of the night, which of course makes all of the dogs start barking. Believe me he earned his name. It’s beautiful here with the lake close by and all the old shade trees offering a reprieve from summer heat. And mercy it’s been hot with the temps going into triple digits and that’s without the heat index. I’m so ready for fall and the endless football and volleyball games that come with the changing seasons.

I write stories filled with magic, suspense, romance, and happy ever after. My new book Sea’s Sorceress is the fourth installment in the Elemental Magic series, releases Monday, August 15, 2011. Skye’s story proved to be an emotional roller coaster ride. Picking up right where Wait for the Wind (Ryan’s story-Book 3) left off, Sea’s Sorceress continues the arcing storyline that began in Earth Enchanted (Liv’s story-Book 1).

Rhiannon O’Malley is another lady who likes her quiet life. Well as quiet as it can be when you’re running the family pub, and your father is dying of cancer. She’s come to rely on her best friend Skye Corrigan, but the lines of friendship are blurring. Heartache isn’t a possibility, it’s a promise. Skye has loved Rhia his whole life as his closest friend, but that love has changed into something deeper. Here is the blurb and a short excerpt.

Sea’s Sorceress (Elemental Magic Book 4)

Author: Brynna Curry

Publisher: Lyrical Press, Inc.

Tag: Love can come along at the most inconvenient times...

Blurb: Skye Corrigan treasures family above all else. Standing by his best friend Rhia while she suffers the heartache of losing her father to cancer has strengthened their childhood bond. Lately, Rhia affects him in ways she never has before.

Rhiannon O'Malley shares Skye's past and hopes for a future with him, but love must come with a willing heart. Her father's terminal illness has left her in charge of the family pub. Skye has always been there for her, but when their relationship changes, will she find the courage to claim the future? Or will a thousand-year-old curse keep its grip on two hostage hearts?

Excerpt: The swinging door closed behind Rhiannon as a cold, clammy hand covered her mouth, stifling the scream, jerking her into the cool, dark kitchen. Vanilla and jasmine scented the space around her and she knew who held her prisoner. Maegan.

“I hear congratulations are in order.” Maegan hissed in her ear and pressed something cold and hard to her temple. A gun? “Don’t bet your soul on the ring.”

Something hard struck the side of her face across her cheekbone. She whimpered as pain bloomed behind her eyes. Crying out, she struggled to wriggle free of the other woman’s grasp. Blood trickled sticky and warm down her neck into the collar of her shirt.

“Bet you enjoyed that? Hmm?”

Rhia’s head jerked backwards as Maegan yanked her hair. She tried to focus. Stay alive. Stay alert until Skye comes looking. She tried to scream and kicked back with her booted feet, but hit only air.

“Clever girl, but you’ll be dead before he can save you.”

Rhia whimpered and shouted out with her mind. Help me! Skye! Have to stay alive.

“How does it feel to know I had him first? He still wants me.”

No. Terrified, Rhiannon closed her eyes and held on to the vision Devin had given her of her child and grandchild, Meara with the ruby hair and lightning eyes. She would survive this.

“Say goodbye.”

As I near the end of the Elemental Magic series, I am finding it more difficult to say goodbye to these characters. After spending almost five years with the Corrigans occupying my thoughts and computer it will be like saying goodbye to old friends. I’m working on the last book Fire’s Ice now. Set for release May 7th, Fire has been anticipated for some time by fans who demanded I give Devin his happy ever after too. Truly, I just wouldn’t have it any other way.

So, in celebration of Sea’s upcoming release let’s have a little contest. The prize? A ebook copy of Earth Enchanted, To Take Up the Sword, Wait for the Wind and Sea’s Sorceress, that’s all four books in the series, including the new one. To enter, all you have to do is leave an email address with your comment on this post. Or you may send your entry to brynna@brynnacurry.com. On Monday, August 15th , I will announce the winner in the comment section of this post, on Facebook, Twitter and my website. Good luck!

Bio: Multi-published paranormal romance and romantic suspense author Brynna Curry is a lifelong believer in the importance of reading. She enjoys the writing process, helping others hone their craft by lending her time to review books, critique manuscripts and serving as a writing contest judge. She loves hearing from readers.

When she isn’t writing, she’s often found haunting the library for new books to read, at the park with her son L.J. and daughters Anna and Kayla, or just spending an quiet evening at home with her husband Jackie watching old westerns on TV. She makes her home in North Alabama where the history is rich with music and culture, forests and lakes are abundant and beautiful, and every day is another adventure. Visit her at www.brynnacurry.com or send your thoughts to brynna@brynnacurry.com.

Alternate excerpt:

Skye eased the lorry onto the patch of gravel serving as the driveway outside his cliffside home. His watch said almost midnight, but he still wasn’t tired. Residual magic rippled on the edge of his skin. Longing rolled through him as he thought of Rhiannon. With it came the vision. He got out, slammed the door and unlocked the house, flipping on lights as he made his way to his studio.

He needed to work, to paint.

And the idea swirled through his head. Rain and wet stones, velvet. He knew he could capture that moment on canvas. So focused on the task, he left the keys hanging in the door. With mad purpose, he mixed paints into shades he only imagined.

He’d sketch it out first. The line of her neck, the arch of his shoulder. Soft here. Dark there. Stroke. Smudge, Sweep. Until the witch and healer took shape on the bitter field of white. Brush in hand, he began to fill in the shades of night, the grays of weathered stone.

JACOB'S RETURN--A HISTORY--by Annette Blair

2011-07-04T08:23:00.000-07:00

Long ago in a distant galaxy . . . or it seems . . . driving my parents station wagon to pick up my wedding gown, I heard Pat Boone sing Thee, I Love, the theme song from Friendly Persuasion—Dimitri Tiomkin composer, Paul Francis lyrics. “Put on your bonnet, your cape and your glove, and come with me, for thee, I love.” Are those not the most romantic words? I got a picture in my mind at the time of a woman in a black cape, putting on her bonnet and following the man she loved, and I thought “that would make a great story.”

Fast forward twenty-plus years, and I’m a wannabe writer working on my third novel. The first two are Regency Historicals. Now I want to write an Amish Historical. Yes, I’d seen the movie WITNESS. I had also read SUNSHINE AND SHADOW by Tom and Sharon Curtis and A CRIME OF THE HEART by Cheryl Reavis. I was in love with a way of life.

As soon as I chose the prodigal son theme, I started writing and researching with a vengeance. We visited Lancaster Pennsylvania a dozen times, at least, then added Ohio Amish Country, like Winesburg and Sugarcreek, to our travels. Looking for research material on the Amish, I scoured used bookstores in those areas.

I now own 187 books on the history of the Amish. Yes, I recently counted them, and found more later. Of course, I’ve read them. Why so many? The internet had not yet come to life. (It became the world wide web consortium in 1994. Microsoft came onboard in 1998.) I found that on the Web.

In my travels, I spoke to a number of Amish men and women who were happy to answer my questions. I also spoke to several people who grew up Amish and had left the Amish way of life. (This was more than 20 years ago, don’t forget. I believe that the Amish were more forthcoming back then.)

One morning, we got tickets for a buggy ride. I sat beside the Amish driver in the box buggy to get the perspective of a driver and started asking questions. He cocked his head quizzically, because I think he could tell I'd done my homework. “Well,” he said, “you know so much, you drive,” and he handed me the braided leather reigns. I drove all around that farm—no one else waited in line for a ride, so he gave us all the time we wanted—and I fell in love with that one-horse buggy, too, not to mention the dear old Amish grandfather beside me.

My intrepid husband sat in the backseat, speechless, and maybe a little scared but with a camera in his hands. Now that’s a hero. I tipped us nearly into a stream trying to turn onto a flat bridge, no sides. But with my mentor’s gentle guidance, I worked that horse, backed us up, unwedged the wheel between land and bridge, as it hung over nothing but water. And after I untipped us, I turned onto the bridge successfully and drove over it.

All the time I spent with those reigns in my hands, during easy and scary buggy-driving, that unruffled old Amishman gave the occasional soft-spoken direction and told me all about himself and his family. My clearest memory is that he had 72 grandchildren.

But I’d never gotten a better character lesson. I think he’s part of every Amishman I ever wrote or will write. Strong, gentle, stoic, caring, kind, soft-spoken, bit of a twinkle in his eye, like God was telling a joke that only he could hear, and he listened and got the joke, no matter what else he was doing.

In June of 1998, the late, great Kate Duffy bought JACOB’S RETURN for Kensington Books as part of my first sale. They renamed it THEE, I LOVE and gave it a cover on which the “Amish schoolteacher” is so historically inaccurate as to . . . well . . . have cleavage. (See attached cover.) It sold out within the month, and never went back to print. Back then, publishers said, “Nobody wants to read about the Amish.” Despite that, as THEE, I LOVE, it made its mark:

2000 Blue Boa Award of Excellence
1999 Francis Awards Triple Nominee:
     Best American Historical
     Best New Author
     Story Need Most Tissues to Get Through
1999 Reviewers Choice Award Double Nominee
1999 Winter Wish List of Favorites
1999 Rdrs All Time Fave Most Hanky Read AAR
1998 RWA Golden Heart Finalist

In 2011, thirty-two Annette Blair books later, LeeAnn Lessard at Lachesis Publishing knew that people wanted to read about the Amish, and she wanted JACOB’S RETURN. I revised it and made it better, Lachesis copyedited it, I revised it again, and they gave it the cover it deserves.

I hope you cry and laugh and cry again, and enjoy reading JACOB’S RETURN as much as I enjoyed researching, writing, and re-writing it.

As a result of its re-release:
2011 #1 Kindle Bestseller, Amish Historical Romance, all formats.
2011 #1 Lachesis Bestseller, Fictionwise
2011 A Kindle Top 100 Bestseller US
2011 A Kindle Top 100 Bestseller UK
2011 An Amazon US Bestseller
2011 An Amazon UK Bestseller

To buy JACOB'S RETURN: Lachesis   Fictionwise Kindle   Nook   Also available as a paperback.

Also: Check out http://www.annetteblair.com/ for an excerpt of JACOB’S RETURN, and check out the first chapter of THE BUTTERFLY GARDEN http://www.annetteblair.com/excerpt_butterfly.htm Another Amish Historical, this one set in Ohio Amish Country, coming soon from Lachesis Publishing.

COMING TOMORROW, in store July 5, 2011:

SKIRTING THE GRAVE, the 4^th book in my Vintage Magic Mystery Series from Berkley Prime Crime, is being released on July 5^th, and is available now in paperback from Barnes & Noble.

To buy SKIRTING THE GRAVE: Kindle    Nook

If you leave a comment, you have an opportunity to win a copy of JACOB’S RETURN or SKIRTING THE GRAVE. A winner for one of each will be chosen at random from your replies. Please leave your email addy.

Check out my trailer for SKIRTING THE GRAVE:

I’d like to thank Hannah Howell for inviting me, today. Happy Reading, Annette

MEMORIES IN AN ATTIC by Lara Nance

2011-06-27T09:46:00.000-07:00

As a nurse practitioner, I always wanted to see a novel where the heroine was one as well. For me, I see NP’s as heroes in everyday life, healing, teaching, comforting, so why not in a story?

The plot of Memories of Murder was sparked by observation of my Alzheimer’s patients and how they seem to be in another world part of the time. I fantasized that maybe they now operated on a different plane, and in that world they could see and communicate with ghosts.

From there I created the old insane asylum from which these ghosts would come. That led to my interest in old insane asylums. I studied pictures of the old Kirkbride buildings, the castle-like asylum structures of the 19th century. Then I ran across an article that I couldn’t stop thinking about.

This article told the story of the closing of the Willard Psychiatric Center of New York in 1995. As the staff worked to salvage remnants of the past, they came across an attic filled with hundreds of old suitcases. The suitcases held the last effects of some asylum inmates and the contents told the stories of their lives.

It’s a chilling reminder of how those considered to be insane were treated in the past. Many of these people were locked up for life for little more than a public outburst of anger. And yet they spent their entire lives in the confines of the asylum. Later a non-fiction book was written chronicling the people and their lives. In addition, an exhibition of the suitcases was set up.

Now that you know the real story, you’ll recognize how it influenced my scene in Memories of Murder where Maeve and Paul find the old maintenance shed from the asylum filled with suitcases.

If you’re interested in learning more about the true story of the suitcases in the attic of Willard, follow the links below for a news article and the actual exhibition site.

Article in Newsweek Magazine about the discovery of the suitcases: http://www.newsweek.com/2007/12/08/dreams-and-suitcases.html

Website of the exhibition: http://www.suitcaseexhibit.org/indexhasflash.html

Memories of Murder is a paranormal romance published by Crescent Moon Press. A portion of the proceeds from sales of this novel will be donated to the Alzheimer’s Association in honor of my dementia patients, past and present.

Visit me at: www.LaraNance.com Check out Memories of Murder at: www.CrescentMoonPress.com

Winner!!

2011-06-15T12:09:00.000-07:00

After trying six times to post a comment on my own blog and failing(inducing much swearing)- decided to announce the winner of the signed copy of IF HE'S DANGEROUS this way. And sorry I disappeared for a bit but things got a little crazy here what with dental appointments, deadline, a run to the vet's because Jackson's tail was looking funky, deadline, plants that needed to go into the garden before they died, deadline, and a bunch of stuff that was schedualed for promo reasons.

Anyway - put the names on slips of paper, tossed them on the floor and my cat Perkins attacked as is her wont. She picked June M. Aside from a slight problem with a touch of cat spit on the paper, it worked well. So June M. contact me here or send me a message on FB making note that you're June M. winner on the blog.

Now back to trying to get the rest of those dying plants in the ground and then getting back to Brian and Kenna who were left hanging and aren't too happy about it.

Hypnosis (Will I Turn Into a Zombie?)

2011-06-14T07:02:00.000-07:00

Hypnosis

(Will I turn into a Zombie?)

Guest blogger Carolyn Sullivan

A pair of mesmerizing eyes. A deep sonorous voice. These are the qualities the old black and white movies used to show a hypnotist at work. Throw in a black opera cape, an evil laugh, dark hair, a mustache, and maybe even a pointy goatee and you have the perfect villain.

Move forward half a century and you have beautiful blond haired, blue eyed, clean shaven, Patrick Jane on The Mentalist. Although he does not have the bass or baritone voice used in the old black and whites, he does have the power to hypnotize just by touching a person, using a carefully modulated voice, and looking them in the eye. Another difference, Jane is the hero, not the villain.

Other movie props include a swinging pendulum, a swirling shape, a swinging watch or locket. Totally unnecessary.

In the movies and on television the Hypnotist is shown as a stage performer who makes people do ridiculous things in front of live audiences. Though there are some who do work on the stage, the overwhelming majority of American Hypnotists live in your community. They work in a clinic or out of a private office, trying to help people overcome addictions or deal with other problems.

Hypnosis can help you overcome overeating, eating disorders, depression, smoking, phobias, nail biting, etc. It can help you improve your sex life, attract a soul mate, increase your self-confidence, control pain, strengthen your immune system, contact departed love ones, visit past lives, astral project, and many other things.

I practiced a form of self-hypnosis to control the pain of four natural childbirths. I have also used it to temporarily relieve the pain of abscessed teeth.

Hypnosis can help you. The two most important things to know about hypnosis is you have to trust the person hypnotizing you and it will take more then one session. Unlike Season Three, Episode 14 of The Mentalist, (Blood for Blood) you cannot overcome the bad habits you have used as a crutch for years in a matter of a minute and a half of a gorgeous man holding your wrist, looking you in the eye, and telling you to quit. No matter how entertaining the words. (Although, Simon Baker can hold onto me anytime!)

You can have hypnosis tapes, CDs, or MP3 programs designed just for you. You can sit in the safety of your own bedroom, study, or living room, and be hypnotized. A good hypnotist will explain that you will need repeated sessions and will make the program for you with several sessions on it. Then you can repeat it over and over again, as many times as you need. (It is also far cheaper to do it this way than it is to have office consultations.)

The prerecorded CDs sold in New Age stores are okay for a trial, but they cannot get you over the hump when trying to change your life style. To overcome an addiction, bad habit, or to improve your energy or general health does require life style changes. To have a Program of your own committed to CD you should first have a consultation with the hypnotist, this can be a phone interview.

You do not need to fear “being out of it” while under hypnosis. Your hypnotist will take you into a trance-like state, but you will still be aware enough that other sounds, such as alarms, sirens, or crying children will bring you back to full consciousness. You will always be able to come out of the hypnotic state whenever you feel uncomfortable.

Neither do you have to fear getting stuck in a past life regression. A good hypnotist will guide you through the regression and leave you with the knowledge that you are no longer to blame for anything that was done in a past life. You don’t have to carry the guilt or the pain.

There is also no need to fear the hypnotist will convince you to do something bad. There has been many a plot where the evil hypnotist has used his powers to get the sweet young woman to have sex with his enemy, kill his enemy, steal from the Queen, etc. You cannot be hypnotized into doing anything that goes against your moral code.

In Hannah Howell’s If He’s Dangerous, Sir Argus Wherlocke, has the power to mesmerize with his eyes and his voice. A “normal” person has the power to hypnotize with the power of his voice when he has a willing participant. A man with the “special” powers of a Wherlocke can achieve so much more with his voice than a “normal” man. Lorelei is a very lucky girl.

What special powers does a real hypnotist need? None. All he or she needs is a gentle, soothing voice and a willing subject.

Will you turn into a Zombie? No.

Carolyn Sullivan, proprietor of The Bewitching Hour, is an extraordinary hypnotist. (She used to practice on her children and was rewarded by her girls writing letters to distant family members, cleaning, and doing homework. Unfortunately the girls soon caught on to what was happening and refused to be “put under” any more. They became teenagers.)

Carolyn has been a working psychic and hypnotist for more years than she admits to being alive. Everyday she posts Animal Totems, the color of the day, along with assorted words of wisdom on her website thebewitchinghour.com and also on her facebook page, The Bewitching Hour. If you would like to know more about Astral Projection, Telekinesis, Hypnosis, Psychic readings, etc. write to her at thebewitchinghour@yahoo.com.

Two special offers to Hannah Howell fans:

At www.thebewitchinghour.com.

A half hour psychic reading for half price. (See Hannah special on the Psychic Readings page.)

Get your own Hypnosis CD, tape, flash drive, or MP3 program for $100 off the regular price. (See Argus Wherlocke special on the Hypnosis Page.)

These are limited time offers.

Introducing Gretchen Craig

2011-06-13T03:51:00.000-07:00

Last month I met Hannah Howell at a conference in Salem (at the New England Chapter of Romance Writers of America), and she invited me to introduce myself to her readers. What a gracious and generous offer, Hannah!

While I love to read Highlander romances and Regencies and Victorians set in Britain, I write American historicals. I’m most interested in times of great cultural upheaval, so I put my characters in these periods of division and watch them struggle through it.

My first two novels are set in antebellum Louisiana among the Cajuns, the Creoles, and the African salves. In ALWAYS AND FOREVER Josie and Cleo are mistress and slave. They are also half sisters who share the same father, a Creole cane planter. Growing up together they forge a lasting bond, but oh how it is tested. How can love and friendship survive the injustices their roles force on them? Jealousy and rivalry for their father’s love taints their sisterhood from the start. Jealousy and rivalry for the love of the fascinating Bertrand Chamard nearly destroys their bond. Cruelty, betrayal, and heartache dog their lives until, through an act of great heart and generosity, they find redemption together. If that all sounds a little vague, it’s because the novel is large in scope and characters; sagas are hard to summarize. But as in any historical, romances or ones like mine that have strong romance elements, the book is about relationships, about loving and being loved.

The second Louisiana novel, EVER MY LOVE, takes the families into the next generation. Josie’s and Cleo’s and Bertrand’s offspring are torn between conscience and convention. They are the children of the planter system, dependent on slave labor, yet they are stirred by the abolitionist rhetoric of the North. The choice is to remain complicit in the injustices of slavery by doing nothing, or to act on their abolitionist principles, a dilemma faced all over the South. On the personal level, Marianne chooses to help her father’s own slaves escape through the Underground Railroad. Yves, a dangerous man of uncertain character, risks his life to shepherd slaves to freedom with a bounty on his head. And yes, this is a romance! Marianne is smitten by the mysterious, conflicted Yves, but can she trust him – with her secrets or with her honor? So we have a strong heroine, like Hannah Howell’s Highlander women, and a dangerous alpha hero whose allure is as frightening as it is stimulating.

I have two novels out as e-books. CRIMSON SKY is set in 1598. That’s the year the Spanish marched into the Santa Fe area. Ziwa faces loss and betrayal, love and danger in this time of cultural upheaval. Newly widowed, Ziwa tries to heal her broken heart with the handsome Spanish conquistador captain. Though Diego is outwardly self-sufficient, Ziwa understands that underneath his bluff exterior, he needs her. Alas, the path to happiness is never smooth. Diego’s demand that she abandon her gods and her culture force her to choose between his love and protection and her very identity as a woman of the pueblos. It’s a love story, and a lovely story, about people making difficult choices.

THEENA’S LANDING (also an e-book) takes my readers to the lush, sweltering strip of land between the Atlantic Ocean and the Everglades when Miami was a sleepy fishing village. Think swamps, mosquitoes, gators, unrelenting sun, and for fun, hurricanes. The crux of this story is difficult for some readers, but most find Theena’s dilemma one they can understand and forgive: Theena is in love with her sister’s husband. No, she’s no Jezebel. She is determined to hurt no one, least of all her sister. The story is how she balances her heart’s longing with honor and integrity to at last, after sin and redemption, earn her happy ever after. I love Theena and the sisters and the loves who revolve around her. She’s flawed, she’s sometimes weak, but oh so human.

Next up for me is the third in the Louisiana sagas. Nicolette is Cleo’s daughter (Cleo of the first book), a white-skinned free “woman of color.” When the Yankee army marches into New Orleans in 1862, she mistakenly believes they bring an end to slavery and injustice. Her story is one of grit- she risks herself to collaborate with the Union forces, hoping to hasten the abolition of slavery. And it’s a story of love overcoming prejudice – can her beloved Yankee captain see past her white skin to understand – and accept – that she is the daughter of slaves? She despairs of their ever overcoming the gaping distance between their worlds. But remember, we are romance lovers. Not everyone in EVERMORE earns a happy ever after, but Nicolette and her Captain do. I hope to see this published in 2012.

If you love Hannah’s Highlander heroes, strong, decisive, and yet of tender heart, you’ll love the men in my novels, too. And like Hannah’s women, my heroines know their own minds, have the resourcefulness to find what they want, and yet know their greatest happiness will be found in healing, taming, and claiming their heroes.

To read the first chapters, go to www.gretchencraig.com. From there you can also access my blog about writing and loving and living. Thanks, Hannah, for letting me show your readers some new stories they might like!

Release Day for IF HE'S DANGEROUS

2011-06-07T13:11:00.000-07:00

Afternoon all! Meant to get this up this morning but the weather is about to go to summer stinking hot and had to run out and do a lot of stuff so that I could hold up in my air-conditioned writer's cave for the next two 90+ degree days.

So IF HE'S DANGEROUS makes its debut today. I know it's been seen and bought elsewhere for a few days but this is official Release Day. It's Sir Argus Wherlocke's story. That dark, handsome, arrogant guy who kept wandering into past Wherlocke tales(and regularly annoying people) finally gets his own story. And his own heroine.

I have to admit it was a little tricky trying to come up with a heroine for him. I mean, really, the man mesmerizes people. His gift is one that allows him to get people to tell him everything and sometimes even get them to do what he wants them to, whether they want to or not. What woman wants to deal with that? I certainly wouldn't. Why, you could cleverly tuck away all those books you just bought and he'd look at you and say - What did you buy? And you'd tell him. No fun at all.

Then I came up with Lady Lorelei Sundun, the seventh child of the reclusive Duke of Sundunmoor. Oh, yeh. She's going to be a problem. Feisty, free-spirited, intelligent. Enough trouble for any upstanding eighteenth century man. Even better she has something that will set Argus back on his heels - resistance. Hey, he was asking for this with his constant appearances and nagging for his own tale.

So I threw Argus into a big pot of trouble and then gave him a heroine he couldn't twist around his long, elegant fingers. Just for fun I gave Lorelei a big, eccentric family that can hold its own against Argus's own large, strange family and a butler - well, you'll meet him.(I hope) He's a gem. Throw in a few determined enemies, a threat to his whole clan, some close calls, time in a dank dungeon, and we're off.

I will admit that I'm having fun with the Wherlocke/Vaughn crew. I've stuck in the occasional little psychic talent in a lot of my stories but being able to bring it to the fore, make it part of all that happens, is great. Not that I don't still write myself into a corner now and then, but now I have that whole new aspect of psychic talents to help dig me out of the hole I just wrote myself into. I hope you'll give IF HE'S DANGEROUS a try. If you haven't read the other Wherlocke tales - not to worry. Each is a story on it's own, the only real connection being a familial one. I will try to put up an excerpt this week but the first chapter is up on my website - http://www.hannahhowell.com/ and there's an excerpt in the notes section on my FB page.

This week my friend Carolyn Sullivan from The Bewitching Hour will blog again on another psychic talent. Hope you'll check her out. Her site is in my links section: http://www.thebewitchinghour.com/ And now to go and set up a fan near my desk in preparation for the little heat wave about to smack into us.

Do You Believe? by Catherine Anne Collins

2011-06-06T06:21:00.000-07:00

Hello. It’s great to be here today and many thanks to Hannah for allowing me a place to introduce myself and ponder the mysteries of the Universe. Wait, don’t leave. We can keep it light and just ponder the mysteries of our own world. How’s that? J

I recently attended a writer’s conference in Salem, Massachusetts. What better place for a writer with a vivid imagination and two books set in Salem? While researching the first book, A Witch’s Lament, my husband and I managed time away from our business to visit Salem during our Christmas holidays. I’m not complaining, BUT, going to a tourist town when many of the attractions and exhibits aren’t open, is not necessarily a good thing. So, when the opportunity arose to visit in the nicer weather, I wasn’t going to say no.

I promptly booked a room at one of the older, supposedly haunted hotels, reserved my spot on the Saturday night ghost walk, grabbed my camera, opened my mind, and took to the road with a friend of mine. After 10 hours of driving and the constant chatter that occurs when two writers find themselves locked in a car together, we arrived in Salem. A city of contradictions. Narrow streets lined with historic homes of unique and beautiful architecture. Modern shops, museums, and attractions attempting to satisfy visitors fascinated with a bloody past. Lively with the bustle and cheer of a tourist town, yet laden with a sombre thread of the terror that stained the streets with evil and death centuries earlier.

Anticipating a busy and productive couple of days, I focused my mind on the work aspect of the weekend, not thinking overly much about ghosts and goblins. In spite of my lack of attention, or maybe because of it, the ghost wasn’t long in making her presence known to me. Yes, she. It seems the resident hotel ghost is a woman and her name…drum roll, please…Catherine. She had the nerve to throw my chocolate in the garbage. Not just any chocolate, but good truffles that I’d bought at Ye Olde Pepper Candy Companie

At first I thought I’d misplaced the delectable treats, so I scoured the room looking for them. Perplexed, I sat on the bed and mentally ran over everything I’d done since eating one of them. I had sat on the bed, logged onto the laptop, eaten a candy, eaten a chocolate, and put both packages on the bed beside me while I checked e-mail. When I reached for another of the addictive truffles, I couldn’t find them. I searched the room, under the bed, in the closet, in my suitcase…everywhere. Shelley came in at that point, helped me look, and kept insisting that I must put them somewhere and forgotten. I swore, and still do, that I never left the bed. That’s when an inexplicable urge hit me to search the garbage. There sat my chocolates, innocently perched under a piece of discarded paper. Shelley hadn’t thrown them out and I certainly hadn’t, so how would you explain it?

Wait, there’s more. The ghost was busy that weekend. J Falling asleep after such a spine-tingling experience wasn’t easy, but I managed, only to wake during the night to a strange

noise. Since it sounded to be right beside me, I wondered what my roommate, Shelley, had taken to bed with her that would make so much noise. Kind of a rolling, metal rattle. The sound continued all night long, sometimes loud, other times quiet, but always sounding right beside me. Morning arrived and I climbed from bed bleary eyed and edgy. Feeling bad for silently cursing Shelley most of the night through, I politely asked her what she’d had in bed that made so much noise every time she moved. Her blank stare stilled any hope that a ghostly being hadn’t been responsible for bothering me all night.

Once I explained what I’d heard, we shook the bed, jumped on it…did everything we could to determine the cause of the noise. Nothing. As with the chocolate, no earthly explanation presented itself. Strangely, the next night at the ghost walk, nothing happened to compare to the experiences in my own hotel room.

Am I a believer? I’d say I’m a hard sell, but definitely a believer. Too many strange occurrences in my lifetime have ensured that. But that’s a story for another day.

So, are you a believer?

If Salem, witchcraft and magic interest you, check out my books based in Salem, Ma. Just so you know, I’ll be giving a book of your choice away to someone who posts a comment. Take care and have a great day. http://www.crescentmoonpress.com/Authors/CACollins.html

Adventures in Astral Projection

2011-05-31T08:03:00.000-07:00

Adventures in Astral Projection

With guest blogger Carolyn Sullivan

What is Astral Projection, you ask? Quite simply, it is the act of your consciousness leaving your body and going somewhere else. It is also called an out of body experience, alternate state of being, remote viewing, lucid dreaming. There are other names for it, but I think you get the picture.

Sir Argus Wherlocke has the gift of astral projection. He escapes the dank cell his body is caged in and finds himself naked in a rose garden. (I hope he is careful around the thorns!) According to all the laws of AP no one should be able to see him, unless he or she is a sensitive, but Lorelei Sundun does see him. I am not going to give away anymore of the story then that, but I will say that Hannah has come up with a great way to get around the “laws”, and once you see what it is, you will realize it is possible. (If He’s Dangerous, June 7, 2011)

Ah, now you are wondering who I am, and why Hannah would ask me to write a blog about Astral Projection. Without giving out my real age, I will admit that I began studying “New Age” subjects long before someone plastered the tag “New Age” on them. Back then we were learning “ancient mysteries”. Discovering ways to expand the mind. Barnes and Noble did not have a section dedicated to “Alternative Religions”, “New Age”, or Tarot Cards. Charmin was a toilet tissue, nobody had ever heard of a Shaman. They would rather believe you were talking about toilet paper that Mr. Whipple begged you not to squeeze, than something that defied the rules of their religion.

Concerned friends gave me copies of H. P. Lovecraft novels, hoping to scare me out of the “stage” I was going through. Nothing stopped my search for greater understanding. I kept studying and moving along in my own research.

When Hannah asked me to write a blog on this subject, I was honored. It had been decades since I last researched the subject. I had spirit travel down solid. I thought great strides must surely have been made since I first traveled on the Astral Plane. The book shelves and internet must be loaded with reams of comprehensive material. Others must have developed a system that could take you from the comfort of your body and onto another plain in zero to sixty. (We will return to this thread shortly.)

Television has handled AP in nifty ways. The most notorious show that used Astral Projection as a plot devise was Charmed. Actually, they got more right than they did wrong. The eldest sister, Pru (played by Shannon Doherty), had the gift of telekinesis (able to move objects with mind power). The first time Pru “left her body” was an accident, but she found it was a powerful tool in the sisters’ fight to protect San Francisco from evil. After that she studied and practiced.

Did you see the key word in there? Practice. That is the nitty-gritty of everything you want to do in life. To develop a new skill takes time, a smattering of knowledge, and lots of practice.

The most important ingredient in your quest to jump out of your body and check on your husband, kids, boss, etc, is a strong belief that you can do this. You cannot go into it thinking “I hope I can, I hope I can, I probably won’t.” You MUST believe “I can do it. I can do it!”

The next step is a nice soothing bath, or if you prefer, shower. Use the time you spend cleansing yourself to think about what you are going to do.

Go someplace quiet. This is something you have to do alone. No giggling friends, snorting spouses, demanding kids, or barking dogs. Bring a pleasantly scented candle and incense with you. You need a candle, preferably white. Incense is not really required, but since the dawn of religion it has been believed that incense can protect you and take messages to the gods for you. However, if the scent is too strong it will have you thinking about your aching head, polluted sinuses, or rioting belly. Remember, you need a quiet, pleasant place in order to feel safe. If incense draws you out of the moment, sacrifice the incense and get it out of your area.

Light the candle and shut off the lights. (Special note: Never meditate in the dark, it invites evil to enter.)

Make yourself comfortable. You could be there for a long time and you don’t want to tip over when your spirit goes on walkabout. While she is taking a look-see wherever you have sent her, your body could decide to tip over and the jarring will jerk you back to your body.

Clear your mind and focus on the candle flame. (I am not a chanter, so when I meditate I look into the flame and let my spirit take over. If you are a meditation chanter, go ahead and get those sounds out.)

When you are deep into the meditative state encourage your spirit to leave your body for a few minutes. Do not overdo. Very few people can achieve an out of body experience the first time. You must do this over and over. Remember, if you want to get to Carnegie Hall you must practice, practice, practice.

For your first flight you should limit yourself to hovering around where you are and watch your body. This may not work the first time you try it, nor the twelfth, maybe not even the hundredth. But if you don’t keep trying you will never find the joy and the freedom you feel when you can go to other places.

This has worked for me, but I will caution you, once you become proficient in Astral Projection be careful where you go. Do you really want to see what your husband does on his “boys’ night out”? Will it make you a better parent if you hover over your teenage daughter while she is dating that tattooed freak you’ve warned her about? It is far better to go to another plain and seek self awareness rather than playing a game of gotcha with friends and family. It is fun to play spy until you see something that makes you want to gouge your own eyes out.

Now back to the subject of my current research. I did find large tomes and gigabites of information. The technique I have shared is my own, however, some of what I have just shared with you has been printed into book form for large sums of money and gives you approximately three-hundred pages of dry reading. I found one online site that wanted me to read twelve articles on how to get started, and even more articles on preparation. It broke the ritual into twenty-five steps. Twenty-five steps!

My method has worked for me for more than a quarter of a century. It has also worked for everyone I have taught it to. Save your money, save your time, and follow my free course in Astal Projection, courtesy of our mutual friend Hannah Howell.

If you want your spirit to fly like a hawk over the plains, it is better to KISS. Keep. It. Simple. S. . .

Believe in yourself.

And practice. Practice. PRACTICE!

Carolyn Sullivan has been working in the psychic business for more years than she admits to being alive. Everyday she posts Animal Totems, the color of the day, and assorted words of wisdom on her website thebewitchinghour.com and also on her facebook page, The Bewitching Hour. http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Bewitching-Hour/111323905616176 If you would like to know more about Astral Projection, Telekinesis, Psychic readings, etc. write to her at:

thebewitchinghour@yahoo.com.

For a limited time only, get a half hour reading from The Bewitching Hour for half price. Go to:

thebewitchinghour.com and click on “If He’s Dangerous”.

Leave a comment on this blog entry and The Bewitching Hour will send you a fun gift!

"I think she's dead." 'No I'm not."(Monty Python)

2011-05-13T14:23:00.000-07:00

(had this all set to go up yesterday but Blogger crashed. And it wasn't even Friday the 13th yet. Thus is my life. So - here is yesterday's blog.)

Bet you were wondering though. I just seem to be sinking in a morass of work and petty emergencies.
And - no - the picture has nothing to do with this blog. I just wanted something pretty to look at while I wrote this blog.

Next book out is IF HE'S DANGEROUS, available June 7th. It's Sir Argus Wherlocke's tale and he finds himself entangled with a bad guy who thinks Argus's gift can be taken away and used by someone else as well as a pretty little duke's daughter. Other members of the Wherlocke clan make appearances as I can never seem to write a tale without one or more of them wandering through it. Going to get the cover up here ASAP.

Right now am working on a new Murray tale - HIGHLAND NOBLE - which has a MacFingal and a Murray lass tangling it up. Brian MacFingal - one of the many illegitimate sons of the weird pater of the clan - and Kenna Murray Lucette, a pretty little widow in a lot of trouble. But those Murray lasses have a skill at finding trouble and then finding hot men to help them. It's due at the end of June so - yes - I'm deep into deadline mode. Again.

Finished a novella tale for the next vampire anthology at the start of the year. The page proofs for that are sitting on the dining room table and must be done and back to the editor by the 17th. Just signed for another. It doesn't have to be about the MacNachtons but I think it will be. Not really done with them yet.

Right now, sun's shining, it's cool but nice, and I'm fighting the urge to go out and work in the garden. Just keep telling myself - too much work to plow through yet, garden's not going anywhere, etc. Sort of working. Brian and Kenna are whining that I'm leaving them in the lurch and probably wouldn't appreciate being left stranded just so I could go pull some weeds. Although, there are a lot of weeds growing up out there.

Just did a blog post for Borders, an interview for a friend's site, and a newsletter article for one of my writers' groups. So figured it was way past time to get back to this. As you can tell from this ramble my life seems to consist of meeting deadlines with pauses for trips to the vet, trips to the dentist, runs to the car place because my keys don't work any more, exchanges with the web hosts because the password doesn't work any more and need to get an update on there, etc. See? Continuous little emergencies that always take a lot longer to deal with than they should.

My problem right now - aside from having to run out to open the gates in the back garden to let out a stupid wild turkey who flew into the garden but can't seem to fly out - is that I now have another story nudging at my brain. Lady Olympia Wherlocke is bugging me and she is not a patient woman. When I go on those little wanderings in my mind that happen when I'm doing some chore it's no longer just ideas on the Highland Noble story there but pushy Olympia. She will pay for this later. Might even get Kenna and Brian to beat her into silence. So - back to work now. I've circled the days on the calendar when I think I can come and post. Let's see how well that works.

Why Jerri Hines writes historical suspense/romance books

2011-05-09T04:43:00.000-07:00

Before I start, I would like to thank Hannah Howell for having me today. It’s a pleasure to be here.

Oh, what to write! A dramatic murder suspense? A scary page-turning paranormal? A love story for the ages? Oh, so many possibilities run rapid through my mind staring at a blank page! Why then am I drawn to historical suspense/romance? Why does the past conjure up so many tales to be told?

Perhaps because I romanticize the past. Or perhaps it’s a connection to the past I seek. I know only that I love the challenge of recreating a bit of history to be told again. I’ll let you in on a little secret. I love history. And as you might suspect with my writings on the American Revolution, I find this period of time utterly fascinating. So many ideas swirl around my little head when I do research and none more so than when I was doing research for Patriot Secrets.

During this research for Patriot Secrets, I discovered the Culper Spy Ring. The more I read, the more fascinated I became. Inspired, you could say. Within Patriot Secrets, more so in the sequel Winds of Betrayal, I have a spy ring loosely based on the Culper Spy Ring. The whole of the story holds everything one could wish to write a thriller…action, intrigue, danger, love...

As one might think, the danger of living the life of a spy was enormous. They lived with the constant fear of discovery. And if discovered they faced the hangman's noose as was seen with the death of Nathan Hale. During occupation of New York, Nathan Hale was caught by the British authorities and was hanged without trial in New York City. In mid-1778, General George Washington appointed Tallmadge the head of the Continental Army's secret service. With that, Tallmadge established the Culper Spy Ring. Secrecy was of the utmost importance. Washington never even knew the names of those in the ring. He knew them only by numbers or an alias.

My research led me to speculate about women’s roles during this time. With nothing being more dangerous at that time than spying and the price of being caught for a man was hanging, what about for a woman? Let’s just say that I don’t think men, both American and British, thought women capable of such a deception. I believe they were and would have been efficient in their efforts.

The women seemed to have been just as passionate for their cause as the men of that time. Case and point, Margaret Kemble Gage, American born wife of General Thomas Gage, Commander of the British Army at the beginning of the American Revolution in Boston. Did you know that it was highly suspected that Margaret Gage supplied information to Patriot leaders? It was suspected she may have even given the information that led to the famous ride of Paul Revere. Her punishment…General Gage sent her to England.

Although for another woman, I doubt the punishment would have been so lenient especially after the war began to turn in favor of the Patriot cause. But without question, I’m inspired by stories of strong, opinionated women. It is the reason, I write about strong women…women who have to overcome adversity to achieve their happiness.

As a reader I want a book that allows me to escape from the world around me at least for the few hours. As an author I strive to create that escape. It is my hope I have succeeded in Patriot Secrets.

Writing A Different History by Kiki Howell

2011-02-22T08:03:00.000-08:00

First, I would like to give a big “Thank You” to Hannah Howell for having me today, and once again for reading my novel, Torn Asunder, and giving me a cover quote for it.

“Good art is art that allows you to enter it from a variety of angles and to emerge with a variety of views.” ~Mary Schmich

I think I take this approach with all of my writing. I’m all about different angles and various views. So, even when writing within my favorite time period in history, Regency England, I feel the need to shake things up, alter history. How do I do this? Well, I combine genres, write not only a romance that is a historical story, but one that is also a paranormal romance and an erotic romance with a touch of romantic suspense.

To me Regency England is quite magical in and of itself, that is if you were part of the Upper Ten Thousand, the ton. A life of gowns and parties, elegant food and regal men – well, I am more partial to the rake myself. *giggles* Anyway, it seemed only natural to me to add in some magic. I wanted my heroine in a lavish white empire line dress of embroidered lawn fabric with power coursing through her veins so strong it would let her manipulate the elements at a whim. Of course, such beauty and power can get a girl into trouble in any time period.

It is the troubles that build suspense, so as a writer I have to look at the setting and figure out what troubles a witch could find herself in, in say the early 1800’s in England. I write in what-ifs. What if she was forced away from the man she loved? What if she traveled to a magical island, say Ireland, where her powers were increased? This question, of course, lead to a lot of research on how one would get from England to Ireland in those days. To continue on in my questioning mode, what would a witch do for love? Would she stand battle against not only a mother hell-bent on an advantageous marriage for her son? What if there was a threat of black magic as well? What exactly would she do, how far would she go, to be with the man she loves? I don’t make it any easier on my heroine to find love than I do for her to get into her corset.

Of course, then I take myself out of my comfort zones. I push the limits of my imagination as I answer each of those questions. I see the houses and clothing, play with each of their limitations. I imagine the situations, all the possibilities my mind can conjure up. I add in a spell or two to make things tougher or easier. And, I create a man, a hero, whose tailcoat and neckcloth fall to the wayside as he is transformed into a beast of my heroine’s own creation.

With all my paranormal elements in place, my touches of suspense set just right, and my love scenes fraught with magic as well, I enjoy my bouts with the structure of the upper class. I challenge their rules of propriety and their ideas of entitlement and class, with the heavy hitters - complications such as passion and spells. Basically, I take this time period I love, and while obeying its confinements, staying true to them, I explore new areas, widen my view, add just to see how the characters will deal. Yeah, I have fun as I live in my mind in another place and time as I create it.

So, I hope you will enjoy my newest novel as much as I did writing it. Fraught with scenes of explicit intimacy, romantic spells and mystical shapeshifting, Torn Asunder is a unique blending of the age of manners with sexual magic.

Blurb:

Blurb: Aubrey Griffen is a witch whose true reasons for coming to London soon fall to the wayside when she catches the eye of Edmund Bryant, the Marquess of Dalysbury. He seduces her into a whirlwind romance until the lies and threats of his mother force her to flee to Triaill Brimuir, a secret island of her ancestors off the coast of Ireland. Edmund goes after her only to be hit by Aubrey’s confusion and anger when she magically transforms him into an elemental beast of her own creation.

However, it is when Edmund’s lust mysteriously turns him back into a man that the couple are forced to deal with a family secret and untold of powers. Now, Edmund must learn to shift himself into the beast in order to save her in a battle of black verses white magic.

Genres: Historical (Regency), Paranormal (Witches & Shifters), Erotic Romance

Purchase Novel in eBook and Trade Paperback online at retailers like Amazon, All Romance Ebooks, Smashwords, and Excessica Publishing . Currently on Sale for $3.49 ebook and $9.99 paperback at most retailers!

More Praise for Torn Asunder:

What a truly memorable and original novel! Torn Asunder by Kiki Howell is remarkable in its' depiction of a different time and age- and the adventures of Aubrey Griffen- a mystical and magical heroine. Torn Asunder brings to life the very essence of 19th Century England andIreland, and in doing so, provides the reader with the feeling they are actually there! Only a rare talent can accomplish this, full of magic, drama and romance, Kiki Howell joins the ranks of the very top supernatural writers! ~A JAMES MASON COMMUNITY BOOK CLUB MUST READ, RICK FRIEDMAN, FOUNDER

“Torn Asunder is what a Regency novel should be. Prior to this book, I have never had a historical romance keep my interest for more than a chapter or two. Kiki Howell has written a historical novel that sings. Her love for the time period is reflected in every part of the story, from the vivid characters to the clear imagery of her settings. I give Torn Asunder five of five hearts.” ~D. Alexx Miller, Book Reviewer for Romance in the Backseat

Kiki Howell I feel has a major hit on her hands with Torn Asunder. I was so glued to this book that I was up til 4AM reading it, and mind you, I had to be up at 7AM to see my kiddies off to school....lol. I was just so captivated...In between all the chaos our couple must endure is the most breath taking love story. Their hearts and minds are linked for all time by an unforeseen connection that real couples only dream of. On a scale of 1-10 I give this book a 10 and encourage everyone 18 and over to get a copy of this book and fall under Aubrey and Edmund's spell. It is so worth the ride. ~5 out of 5 Stars, Review by Raquel Vega-Grieder for Sinfully Tasty Reads

More snow tomorrow

2011-02-07T20:44:00.000-08:00

I think if I hear those words 1 more time I will run out of the house screaming - maybe naked(after all, if I'm going to do something insane, might as well make sure I leave the neighbors with a real need for some eye wash). Of course, once I veer off the dug path I will disappear into the nearly 5 feet of snow on the ground. Actually my head might still stick out just a little as the snow has compacted a bit even if it hasn't melted much. Around 75" of snow may have fallen on this area but it's not exactly that deep everywhere.
How about a few pix from out of the sunroom windows to illustrate how life has been here for the past weeks?

This was just after the sunroom was put up and, yes, I am waiting anxiously for the weather to warm up so I can sit in there and savor the view. It's already winter here and it's not particularly warm but it's still just looking like late fall out there. When the sun was out, you could actually sit there at this time and be warm and content. It was almost ready to put the Christmas tree up in it.(which looked really nice in the room when I finally got it up)

First snow. Kind of a nice touch. A little wintery but not at all threatening. River's looking a bit icy so you get that chilly feeling looking at it. Reasonable way to feel at this time of year. But still kind of nice actually, as I've always rather liked winter, just not the inconvenience of it. The cold or occasional storm that keeps you shut up in the house. Definitely the down side of winter.

Now I can accept this ,too. One has to expect at least one or two good big, dump-a-massive-pile-of-snow-on-the-yankees storms in New England in the winter. Kind of pretty with the river all iced over.

Okay - now this is starting to get ridiculous. 62" of snow in 31 days.

It's also grey and cold most days so this stuff just isn't melting. Strangely we didn't break a snow amount record yet, but this is January. Guess what month we usually get the most snow? You got it. February. Only hoping the current weather stays as promised which is slightly warmer and not much percipitation. Also that that rodent in PA might actually be right for a change and we can celebrate an early Spring. See how almost buried my patio table & chairs are?

And then the last storm - two days of it - one wave followed by another and dumping over a foot on us. Oh, the joy. Back out, more digging. Now also digging a path for the oil men so they can actually get to the oil connection. It's still pretty cold and the last thing one wants is to run out of heating oil because the guys can't get in to fill the tank. Please note the hint of the patio table still showing. Still haven't reached a record of snow amount for the season yet, though. Look at that. Think you'd be willing to add to it to break a record? Right. Neither would I. Oh, and one last pic to show how this measures up to the new sunroom.

Nice, huh. All the sliding glass doors aimed towards the river looked like that or worse. All the windows overlooking the front porch roof looked pretty much the same, too. Reports of roofs collapsing all over the area - but ours held up.(knock on wood) Poor hubby had to tromp out through the several feet of snow and shovel that snow away from the sliding doors though. It suddenly occurred to us that once the melt starts - and please may it be soon - that's got a good chance of coming into the house.

So, that's what I've been up to for the last few months. True, in the beginning, it was nice to sit inside the warm house, watch the snow and get some writing done. Always nice to have some on the holidays, too, to help get into the spirit of it all even if - as I was - you're desperately trying to finish up something for a deadline while getting Christmas stuff done. Then it became a seemingly endless round of run out to get cat food, etc. before the next storm. Then storm, shovel, plow, next day of shopping, storm, shovel, plow, next day to renew supplies, storm - get the picture? Not much sun for the last couple months, either. They actually did a report on the local news about the signs of winter depression and how to treat it, as well as a week of reports on where you can go to catch some rays and not get ripped off. Even I'm starting to be very slow to get out of bed in the morning. Well, much slower than usual. Not exactly a morning person here.

But life will get back to normal soon. Can't stop the turn of the seasons. Only 42 days left until the first day of Spring. And - only 9 days left until my deadline for my next vamp tale so I will stop trying to elicit pity for the weather problems here and get back to work. Also have the page proofs for one reissue and my next new book to go through and get back to the editor. But wanted to give you a view of why this blog wasn't - shall we say - the first thing on my mind for a while. And just to show how optomistic I am that things will improve soon -Today, while out to get more bird seed for the voracious birds I'm feeding, I bought some flower seed. Hope springs eternal.

Editing - %#*!!#$

2010-12-11T20:29:00.000-08:00

Yup.   Working on the love scenes, making sure there's enough heat in them and sexual tension and sensuality and - arrrgh! Also doing far too much banging of my head on the desk. This kind of work isn't usually such a pain in the rump.

I've already been through the manuscript a few times making sure names are right and you know where they are and who they are. Will still have to do that again after this round of edits are done. Not that I plan to move my characters around the countryside, but I miss things. Since I wrote this stuff, the brain often sees what I meant to put there but which isn't really there. Phantom words, if you will.

Now, as I've said before, I write most all the book out by hand and then type it into the computer, editing some as I do. Then, since I have this little backwards problem(as they called it when I went to school) I have to go through it again and again to make sure I haven't put things the wrong way round or reversed letters, etc.   Then, to take a break from that, I do a little more 'tweaking'. Right at the moment I'm 'tweaking' the love scenes and  the oooh-I-gotta-have-him/her scenes, etc. And, unfortunately, right at the moment, if I get a couple of hours at a stretch without interruption, I'm lucky. That sort of thing makes editing very hard. (And I don't care any more how nice that Verizon sales guy is, if he comes to the door one more time, I'm going to offer some suggestions of physically impossible things he can do with himself.)

What I think makes editing hard - and I'm not talking about the editing asked for by one's editor, but the stuff you do before you dare to even show it to him - is not some great, narcissistic love for one's own words that makes it impossible for you to change them, but the difficulty in messing around with what's already there. I find that it's not easy to come up with what to say, if you've already said it one way. I'm not talking about those obvious things like a scene that lies there, dead, lifeless, and about as exciting as a National Geographic special on the love life of slugs. No, I'm talking about the scenes that work, that aren't bad, but somehow they just don't make you happy with them.

Of course, many writers are never fully satisfied with what's there. You have to be careful not to slip into the trap of over-editing your stuff, playing with it so much that you actually wreck what was perfectly all right.(Looming deadlines can be a quick cure for that kind of thing) I think we occasionally read what we wrote and think it could be better, that we want it to be more, and so we tinker, and tinker, and tinker some more. One just has to know when to stop. It's kind of like adding spice to a stew. At first it's better, than a little better, and then suddenly, that one last pinch of salt(or whatever) wrecks dinner and you have to order pizza.

Then there's the problem of having read some story and that love scene was so hot it scorched the pages, and wasn't the sexual tension enough to make you sweat? Or you could almost hear the clash of the swords in that battle.   Then there's your love scene or battle scene or whatever. Suddenly what you thought was really good looks like crap. Been there. Got the t-shirt. Took me a while to realize that I can't sound like that but it doesn't mean anything is lacking in my scene. It's just the voice. I hear my voice all the time in my writing so it's not going to stir me up after the eighth(or more) read-through like that other story did. And if I tried to sound like that it'd be almost akin to plagerism for I'd be stealing that writer's voice. Not that I think you can do that without sounding phony, but you get the idea(I hope). I love the page after page after page of dark, desperate, angst-ridden writing like some of my favorite authors, but I accept that it's not something I can do, it's not my voice. That's her voice.   I've learned to look at what I've written and recognize my own voice, which actually can be quite helpful in editing your own work.

So, I will go over my story and I will tweak and then I will think about it a bit, maybe tweak a little more, and then read the whole thing through once or twice more. And - by the time I get that story off my desk - I will be doing the happy dance to see it leave. And you know what? After all that work, all that sweating over it, all that tweaking, I'm still not going to be sure it's 'perfect' and maybe that's a good thing. After all, if I thought I had reached perfection, not only would I be a bit of a diva(and would probably have the strong urge to slap myself), but I'd stop trying, stop working so hard to get the story right, and that would be very bad indeed, I think.

As a final note: If anyone happens to be in the New England area - Sunday, 12/12, from noon to 3pm - there's a multi-author booksigning in Plaistow, NH at the Well Read Books store, Elm Plaza, Rte 125, Plaistow, NH; phone #: 603-819-5116. I'll be there with Annette Blair, Coralie Jenson, Ella Drake, Ashlyn Chase, Barbara Wallace. Pop in if you can. We'll have cookies.

Shopping, deadlines, cleaning, decorating, and contests.

2010-12-05T19:20:00.000-08:00

Oh, yeh, that pic says it right - increasingly during this time of the year. So much to do as one holiday leaps straight into another. Throw in that deadline and things get really hairy. It's always when you really need to get something done at a certain time that Murphy's Law kicks into high gear. Interruptions that halt the flow of the story from brain to paper(like needing to get a molar yanked out on Tuesday), the characters decide to get persnickety on you and refuse to do what you need them to do in any way, shape, or form, even if you spend hours trying to figure out why they won't(tweaking plot ideas, playing with character charts, and so on), or your Muse decides she needs to go sunning in the Bahamas for a few weeks. Bi**h. Oh, and let's toss in a DH who has days of vacation left to use up and will only be working 1 day a week until the New Year, in the dead of winter, when he can't go busy himself outside. I think I feel a breakdown coming on.

Now, I love the DH. Will have been married to him for 40 years come March 23rd of next year. But he doesn't get it. I think that's a big problem with hubbies or wives or assorted live-ins if they aren't writers themselves. They don't understand that when said writer is trying to sink herself deep into Medieval Scotland with guys who say lass and dinnae and aye(and have rock hard abs, muscular legs, and big - swords), a guy in a grubby tee-shirt stepping into the office to ask if she is going to be doing any laundry today is not helpful. Yanks one right out of the story. As do questions about which cat is outside or is she going grocery shopping any time soon because he's getting low on milk or - picture's clear, I think. Said writer begins to entertain violent thoughts such as learning how to turn on the chainsaw so she can cut him off at the knees. Then let's see him walk in and interrupt the flow. Ah, and then there's the quiet pace through the office to look out the windows as if they don't look out on pretty much the same thing all the other windows do but why should that trouble me as he's being very quiet. I bet there are a few writers out there who'd be willing right about then to hold him down as I rev up the chainsaw.

So - yes - the writing is creeping along. When that molar with the cracked root gets yanked out of my mouth on Tuesday there's a chance it'll slow down to a snail's pace for a couple of days. True, my contracted deadline is December 30th but who the heck wants a deadline hanging over their head right over Christmas? Looking like it might be hanging over mine, though. I know - cry me a river, world's tiniest violin playing, poor poor pitiful me, etc. I know I have it good right now but I reserve the right to whine now and then. Sort of like the multi-billionaire who gets weary and bored watching his money pile up while all he has to do is contemplate his navel lint. Or, maybe not.

Rant over. I'll wrestle the story and recalcitrant characters into submission in time to meet deadline even if it means sitting up at the computer on Christmas. (Boxing Day is when the family gathers so can't do it then) And Thank God for internet shopping. Now if I could just find a horde of minions to clean the house, put up my far too many decorations, and tidy up the basement, I'd have a big smile on my face. Then again - maybe not. Something tells me they'd probably interrupt me more than the DH.

CONTEST!!!! It's a big one - on my website: http://www.hannahhowell.com/ . It's a puzzle and a count-up-the hidden-pictures game. It's hard but the prizes are worth it. 1st place: A Kindle, 2nd Place: $50 gift certificate from Amazon, 3rd place: a signed copy of HIGHLAND PROTECTOR and one other book of my own choosing. Hope you'll pop in and give it a try.

Release Day

2010-11-30T08:35:00.000-08:00

This is the step-back part of the cover. Wish my back looked that good. He looks pretty spiffy, too, but being a married lady(and considering the possibility that my DH might some day see this blog) I won't express any wishes concerning him. I'll leave those to your imagination. Looks a bit like I thought Simon Innes would too. Sir Simon Innes, the hero, showed up in 2 other Murray tales, Highland Wolf & Highland Sinner, and so I knew he needed his own story. I always consider it a hint when that certain secondary character keeps popping up in other people's stories. It's as if he's jumping up and down crying me, me, me. He, or she, has obviously rooted in my mind so I begin the process of trying to come up with a tale that'll suit them. It isn't always easy. Sometimes I've made the character so nice and sympathetic, so good and happy, that nothing comes to mind and I am forced to ruin their lives just to get a good story out of them(cue evil laughter here). Simon wasn't all that good.(Lucky for him) It was clear from the start that he had 'issues'. Good juicy ones, too. So, as I worked on the Wherlocke trilogy, he stayed in the back of my mind, poking at me, until I began to see what I could do with him when it came time to return to the Murrays.

The heroine that would be perfect for him was a little harder. First I had to do research into all the other Murray tales to find who could be the right age.(am working on a spreadsheet so that might be a little easier next time) Then a name and then a problem for her that only Sir Simon could solve. And I did rather pile it on her slim shoulders. Treason. Betrayal. Murder. Fun times. Ilsabeth Murray Armstrong arrives at Simon's door with a really big puzzle for him to solve.

Now, naturally, they are attracted to each other. This is a romance after all. So throw in a few more complications - so many to choose from. Sigh. Anyhoo, you get the picture. Oh, and add a couple orphans, cranky, nosy servants, interfering Murrays, and Simon's dark past and off we go.

It was fun to revisit the Murrays. Had to fully shake the Wherlockes and eighteenth century England from my mind first. Took a while. I don't know how some of these writers are able to so quickly leap from one time to another and even one genre to another. Makes my brain hurt just to think of it. But, the Murrays and Scotland soon began to feel like home again. I hope any of you who read the book will feel the same. I'm finishing up another Wherlocke tale now but have already come up with a new scenario for some Murrays for the book after that. With a quick break to do another novella concerning those dark, dangerous MacNachtons, of course. Have a busy year ahead of me. Just thinking of it makes me feel like I need a nap.

Back to HIGHLAND PROTECTOR. Simon and Ilsabeth enter the world today so give them a peek if you're so inclined. I think you'll love them as I did.

Virgin Heroes and Experienced Heroines by Monica Burns

2010-11-29T03:52:00.000-08:00

Before I get into my post, I’d like to thank Hannah for hosting me on her blog. It’s always a pleasure to be here. Speaking of pleasure, I’d like to invite everyone to a huge blog event starting January 17th through the 1st of March. More than 35 historical romance authors will be blogging at my blog during the Pleasure Me With Romance event. Hannah will be one of my guests, along with Sabrina Jeffries, an interview with Jayne Ann Krentz (Amanda Quick), Sarah MacLean, Jennifer Haymore, Julieanne MacLean, Lisa Valdez and many more of your favorite authors. There will be book giveaways, as well as a grand prize and other goodies up for grabs. You can visit http://monicaburns.blogspot.com/p/pleasure-me-with-romance-blog-event_28.html for more details.

Now on with the post! When it comes to romance heroes, many of us love an alpha male. We love how the heroine is strong enough to push back and eventually tame her man. Well, tame is a little bit of an overstatement. What alpha hero is ever really tame? That’s what we love about alpha heroes. It’s that raw, masculine predator wrapped up in tall, dark, and handsome that we love. A hero who’s willing to go to hell and back for his woman.

A little more than a year ago, I was getting ready to write my March 2011 release Pleasure Me. My editor and I had talked at a conference, and she’d asked me to make the hero a virgin. My initial on the outside was, umm…sure, I suppose I could. Inside I was thinking WTF? I write alpha heroes. How in the hell am I going to write an alpha male who’s never been with a woman. Who wasn’t to read a wimpy-butt hero who’s inexperienced? So I mulled it over for a few weeks. Eventually I came to the conclusion that I had to at least try and please my editor. After all, the editor is who will decide if I get another contract or not.

My initial thoughts about the hero were pretty cut and dried. I had only one requirement for a virginal hero. The reason for the hero’s virginal status had to be a logical one. I also had to have a reason that enabled me to make the hero an alpha while still keeping him untouched. So I did some research and came up with a medical reason that made my task a little easier. In the late Victorian era (just like now) it was important to the male ego that a man appeared strong, virile, manly, and above all sexual prowess in the bedroom. Any man who wasn’t these things was viewed as a possible homosexual or a weakling.

So, you can imagine what it must have been like for a man who is minus some of his private equipment. The idea of his manhood being questioned would be devastating to any man’s sense of self-worth. Baron Garrick Stratfield, my hero, is no exception to the need to appear strong and virile. But thanks to a vicious uncle Garrick is convinced that not even a whore will touch him, because he has only one testicle.

For the second piece of the puzzle, I needed an experienced woman who could teach the hero how to become a wonderful lover. My immediate choice was an older courtesan. Actually, I’d decided on an older courtesan BEFORE my editor “suggested” the virgin hero. I know there are some readers who might well balk at the idea of an older woman, younger male virgin hero. I totally understand that position. But the relationship between Ruth and Garrick might just surprise you. I know it did me.

What I loved so much about Ruth was her vulnerability and strength. Let’s face it, we all know that our looks and figures aren’t going to last forever (unless of course you’re a movie/TV star who can afford the pricey diets, plastic surgery, botox, personal trainers and exercise time). It’s tough enough being you and me, but for a woman whose livelihood is based on her looks, it’s even tougher. For me, Ruth epitomizes a woman who’s facing middle age knowing her days as a widely sought after courtesan are numbered. Suddenly, she’s forced to deal with impending retirement, and she has to do it alone.

Like most of us, Ruth doesn’t understand how time could pass so quickly. And when Garrick enters her life, things spin out of control. But spinning out of control can be a good thing if it involves a HEA. Pleasure Me is a story about two people who are convinced they’re one thing, but falling in love gives them new insight into the people they really are.

I’ve always enjoyed the dynamics of an older woman, younger man scenario, but adding in the virgin hero piece of the story made it a challenge to write. I’m really proud of the book. In fact, I just reread it for the second time in less than a month (edits), and I still love the story. Ruth and Garrick hold a special place in my heart.

So tell me, do you like older women, younger men story lines? What sort of age difference can you handle between the hero and the heroine? Do you like virgin heroes? What age do you think constitutes being over the hill?

Heating Up the Holiday Season

2010-11-27T10:26:00.000-08:00

Hi. My name is Opal Carew and I write erotic romance. I’d like to thank Hannah for inviting me here today.

In October, Hannah, Terri Brisbin and I were up for the Golden Leaf award in the novella category, which was awarded at the New Jersey Put Your Heart in a Book conference. Hannah won and she’s now in the hall of fame, which is so cool. I wound up winning in the single title category (thank heavens Hannah wasn’t entered in that category, too ;-P ) for FORBIDDEN HEAT. Now I have a lovely trophy sitting in my living room. Two would have been garish, right?

Other than bragging, which LeeAnn (a mutual friend) insisted I do because… well, she’s a sweetheart and likes everyone to know the good things that happen to people… anyway, other than bragging, I wondered what I should talk about today. I’m an author, so talking about my newest book makes sense. I thought I’d talk about two of my stories: PLEASURE BOUND , which comes out on December 7th, and, since it’s so near the holiday season, CHRISTMAS ANGEL, which came out on Christmas Eve last year.

PLEASURE BOUND is a story about Ty, a bad-boy turned Mr.-Nice-Guy who falls for Marie, the girl next door. Unfortunately, she falls for an ex-friend from Ty’s past. It’s a story about lasting friendship and being true to who you really are.

Here’s the blurb:

When Marie meets Zeke—a tattooed, motorcycle-riding bad boy with a body built for sin—she’s swept up in a torrid affair that rocks her world. He’s so different from the dependable Mr.-Nice-guy-types she’s always dated in the past—and after a few nights in his arms, she vows never to go back.

Little does she know that her best friend Ty, the quintessential Mr. Nice guy, is gearing up to make his move and finally admit his true feelings for her. When Ty learns that Marie thinks he’s “too nice” for her, he sets out to prove that he can be the overpowering Dominant she wants and overwhelm her senses in ways Zeke never could.

What Marie never expected to discover is that Zeke and Ty share a secret history together—one that changes everything she thought she knew about both men. A past that went far beyond the bounds of friendship…and now they’re about to take Marie beyond the bounds of pleasure…and into a world of soul-shattering ecstasy.

Sexy, eh? (Yeah, I’m Canadian.) So while PLEASURE BOUND will heat you up on a cold night (and since it hits -35 here in Ottawa, I know about cold nights), maybe you’re in the mood for a Christmas story. If so, CHRISTMAS ANGEL is short and sweet, in a hot, erotic kind of way, so it will also help keep you and your sweetie warm.

I thought I’d tell you how I came up with the idea for CHRISTMAS ANGEL. I love to collect Christmas angels which I set around the house during the holiday season. (I included some pictures in a blog last Christmas. Click here to check them out. )

A few years ago, when I was packing away my angels after the holidays, I thought about how sad it was that they are packed up in a dark box all year long, then just come out for a few precious weeks over the holidays. (Yes, I tend to anthropomorphize a little too much. I even have trouble gift wrapping a stuffed animal!) This triggered the idea for CHRISTMAS ANGEL. What if a woman had been cursed to be a Christmas treetop angel… only to see the light of day for a week or so each year. To feel emotions, but not to feel the touch of another human. To never be touched by love. The story opens when that sad, lonely woman is given a chance to recover her life, but at a terrible price.

Now, just in case you’re not convinced to run right out and read it, here’s what the reviewers had to say:

"The Christmas Angel is an enchanting story that springs with incredible emotions. [Opal Carew] weaves a delicious tale with believability, tender love and affection that laces with electric sparks. She pens a most remarkable read that will make you cry, laugh and applaud with elation while making your heart leap. I love every story that she fashions."

The Romance Studio

"This book is full of emotions… it enthralled me with the passion. All in all, THE CHRISTMAS ANGEL was a most wonderful story. It makes you believe in miracles, laugh, cry and then shout for joy. Since this is the first book I have read from [Opal Carew], I look forward to reading more of her books."

Romance Junkies

"…interesting plot twist on a Christmas story… heart wrenching… a powerful addition to the romance holiday genre and one sure to please the most avid of readers and romance enthusiasts."

Fallen Angel Reviews

If you’d like to learn more about me or my books, please visit me at http://www.opalcarew.com/, or read an excerpt of PLEASURE BOUND or CHRISTMAS ANGEL.

Thanks again to Hannah for allowing me to share with you, and I hope you have a great holiday season.

Introducing Vanessa deHart author of NO MORE LIES

2010-11-22T06:49:00.000-08:00

What can I say about myself that’s not been said before?

Let’s see… I was born a little girl (inside I’m still a little girl), I daydreamed my way through my teen years (and I still daydream), and I’m pretty well passionate about everything I do (I haven’t heard my husband complain too much about that!).

Enough said on that subject. Life is to be embraced, along with kids, puppies and grandparents.

On writing:

I write because I have to. Characters invade my daydreams and refuse to leave until I’ve told their story. End of story.

I invite you now to come along and share with me one of my many daydreams. I hope you enjoy reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it.

PS:

If I were to share one little nugget of wisdom that I picked up during the writing process of this particular story, it would be this – never give up. NO MORE LIES is the first novel I ever wrote, and yet it is the fourth book of mine to get published. In its original incarnation, it was poorly written and full of ‘purple prose’, but all that aside, I believed in the story and the characters who were telling it. I just had to return to it again and again, putting it through a major rewrite every time I learned something new. And learn I did. Not just about the writing process, but about life and the human condition. The people I met while researching Elora’s tragedies and triumphs taught me so much about perseverance, about never giving up. Elora is alive because of them.

NO MORE LIES is a heart-warming romance set in the small town of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. It’s about a recently handicapped woman who must learn that her self worth doesn’t exist in her looks or in her performance, but rather, in the strength of her character, and that no amount of lying can hide that ultimate truth.

Elora St. James, a professional figure skater, was the world’s darling until disaster struck. Now she’s hiding from the world in a small fishing village in Nova Scotia, pretending to be someone she’s not. Maybe, if she hid behind enough lies…

Dan Barrington-Smith, the youngest son of a wealthy family, no longer wants to be associated with his influential family. He wants to be accepted for himself. Dan decides to break away and go incognito on a golfing spree. Maybe, if he hid behind enough lies…

And so the lies begin.

Elora and Dan meet in Lunenburg. She manages the hotel his family owns while he’s in town to golf. Their first two encounters seem small and inconsequential, but both times there is an instant awareness between them. Something out of the ordinary begins to happen. In every encounter the passion escalates even as the lies expand, until they’ve run out of lies to tell.

And once the lies run out, all that remains is the truth.

NO MORE LIES by Vanessa deHart

From his comment, Elora deduced that Danny was a guest at the hotel. That rendered him safe; he wouldn’t be staying for long. Just long enough for a bit of flirting, long enough to soothe her bruised spirit.

“Shall I bring a menu?” Perry asked.

Elora looked at Danny. “Have you eaten yet?” she asked.

“No.”

“Hungry?”

“Ravenous.” His wolfish grin made her stomach do a flip. Maybe dining with him wasn’t quite as safe as she’d supposed.

“Have Boris prepare two complete specials,” Elora instructed Perry. She hoped her long-time friend couldn’t see how Danny’s seemingly innocuous comment affected her. “And bring us whatever wines are recommended to accompany the various courses.” Perry gave a curt nod with his head and withdrew.

Danny asked, “Are you trying to impress me?”

Elora arched an eyebrow. “Is it working?”

“What if I said yes?”

Elora felt the warmth stain her cheeks. “Good.” She saluted him with her drink. “I’d hoped we could put that first meeting behind us and start over again in a more civilized fashion.” She intentionally omitted any mention of their second meeting.

“Oh, but I liked our first meeting.” A devilish light glinted in Danny’s eyes. “I got to hold you in my arms right away.”

Elora felt a slow burn heat up her insides, and she doubted that the sip of alcohol had anything to do with it. She knew she was playing a dangerous game tonight, and she loved every minute of it. It had been so long since she’d felt desirable.

“Work all done for the day?” Danny asked.

“Yes,” she replied without offering any further explanation. “How was your game?” she asked in a blatant attempt to change the subject.

Danny laughed and took a swallow from his own drink. Playing with the glass on the table he answered, “Invigorating. It was a much more challenging course than I’d expected. Though it would have been a lot more fun with company.” The soft glow of candlelight highlighted his chiselled features and turned his eyes to molten silver.

“You’d want to share your frustration with an audience?” Elora toyed with the skewered lime in her drink.

“What frustration?”

“Are you going to tell me that the Lady of the Lake didn’t lure away any of your golf balls?”

“How did you know?” Danny leaned back looking somewhat discomfited by her comment.

Elora laughed. “That hole is infamous for stealing favourite balls. Hundreds get dredged up from there every season. Never mind the bent clubs Jackie has to try and straighten out.”

“Tell you what,” Danny said. “I’ll practice. And once I’ve perfected that hole, I’ll invite you out.”

Elora doubted very much that that would ever happen, but she raised her glass in acceptance of his chivalric invitation anyway. It wouldn’t hurt to pretend, would it?

To Purchase a copy of NO MORE LIES

Characters - and I mean the ones on the page.

2010-10-28T11:55:00.000-07:00

And - no - the picture has nothing to do with what I'm about to say. It just makes me smile. I could say that's me - plotting. Wouldn't be that far from the truth.

Went to the New Jersey Romance Writers conference last weekend where I got the Golden Leaf Award for my novella The Beast Within from the anthology Highland Beast. That was my third one so I'm now in the Hall of Fame. Very nice. Thank you, New Jersey. Also did a talk on characters. Unfortunately, I was slated for right after Saturday's breakfast and my 45 minutes shrunk to a half hour or less. Didn't get to talk on one part of my ideas on what to do to make your character memorable so thought I'd do it here. Contain your excitement. LOL.

What I didn't get to was something I read in an old article by Jack M. Bickman called the Core of Characterization(Writer's Digest, 11/89) In it he talked about a character's self-concept. That is - what we do in order to be consistant with who and what we think we are. It's our total self-view. It drives people to choose where they live, who they know, and even to pick their goals. Even if people do something that appears contradictory to others, it will make sense to them in terms of their self-concept. That man who rushes into a burning building to save a child might never call himself a hero or even think of himself as such but he has always thought of himself as a man who loves children or even one who will do what has to be done. That man who sees himself as brave could suddenly be confronted by a threat so humongeous that another part of his self-concept kicks in to say - I'm brave all right, but I'm not suicidal.

The thing is that people will know their self-concept, clearly or dimly, and it's actually easily revealed. Most of us will simply blurt it out. A character can actually characterize himself if given a chance. Put a little pressure on him to explain his motives and he'll blurt out his self-concept every time. I'm a man of action. I'm a lady of quality. I'm a CEO. I'm an earl. I'm a mother. I'm an athlete. I'm a writer. I'm too sexy for my shirt.(sorry. Couldn't help myself) So - by defining your character's self-concept you now begin to define his personal setting. A woman who sees herself as powerful and assertive will dress a certain way, drive a certain type of car, even have a certain type of job. A woman who describes herself as a wife and mother will surround herself with things that bolster that image. As you develop the setting to fit your character's self concept the reader will begin to see clues to her basic personality.

So - once you've done that and everything is set up to fit the character's idea of who or what she is - introduce(cue tense movie music here) CHANGE. Put that lovely life and her views of the world under as much pressure as you can. You want something to make her have to struggle to readjust or fight to make her environment fit her self-image again. She'll now pick a goal meant to fix things. People aren't comfortable when their self-concept is messed with and we wouldn't want our characters to be comfortable, would we.

Paranormals are an excellent example of how that can work. You have your nice 21st century cynic who lost all belief in those darling or dangerous fairy-tale characters by the time she was in grade school and then - slap - a vampire, shapeshifter, or some fey character strides into her life and begins to shatter all her preconceived ideas of her little world and endanger her self-concept. You know - the one that says she is a modern rational woman who believes in science and fact. Lots of readjusting needed there. The single soccer mom who suddenly discovers her safe, cozy little suburb is actually crawling with denizons of the dark. Oh, yuh, let's just mess with her head some more.

The upshot is that, if you know what your character's self-concept is, you'll know what her fight should be about, why she's in pain, or even why she's ready to fight. A person out of her element feels pain. Once your story gets that lovely threatening, uncomfortable change all set up, you have to keep your characters motivated by piling on more changes that threaten their self-concepts and keep them miserable.(part of the evil fun of being a writer) Everyone will try to find some way to solve the problem that concurs with her self-concept. That rational woman confronted with a shape-shifter will try to find some rational, scientific explanation to the problems he brings into her life. The most interesting plot developments arise when you confront your character with problems in which her usual methods of operation simply won't work. Even as she tries new things that old self-concept will be very slow to change. Ex.: That big, strong knight who sees himself as a skilled warrior and a man of honor finds himself in a bind where his sword won't help him and he just might have to bruise his extreme rules of honor to get out alive or save the woman he loves.

A character's self-concept provides you with two paths to finding and building that all important inner conflict - 1. when you make the character's environment change, he'll be unhappy and stressed and struggle to right things
-2. A person's self-concept isn't always a reflection of present reality. We love our self-concept so much and cling to it so tightly, we may change without even realizing it. When you confront your character with continuous proof that he's no longer who he kept insisting he was - you have tremendous internal conflict. (yummy)

Such moments of self-seeing are the times of profound character change.(getting tingly just thinking of it.) It may even be that your character hasn't been aware of parts of his self-concept. Until story developments push him into a corner, he never has to call upon those deeper aspects of his self-concept. Here you give your character some important revelations. You can then end by showing the ultimate face-off in which the character either reestablishes the equilibrium between his self-concept and his environmemnt or he fails to do so. Or, play out a final scene in which your (exhausted, emotionally battered) character finally realizes that his self-concept is no longer congruent with reality and he begins to make some livesaving changes in that self-concept. In the first case your character changes the story situation and the environment and harmony is restored. (said single soccer mom and her allies slaughter all the dark denizons in the burbs and plant roses) In the second case - your character is forced to change and begin reestablishing the same kind of harmony with his new self-concept.(said single soccer mom marries the were-tiger and takes self-defense courses)

Once you clearly define your character's self-concept, you're well on your way to knowing exactly how to make that character act consistantly yet with a capacity to surprise. And that's what'll keep the reader glued to the pages.

A bit longer than I thought. Hope you stayed awake until you reached this point.

Have you embraced your inner pink?

2010-10-18T07:14:00.000-07:00

Well fall has arrived here in Ottawa Canada. The trees are changing colors and the weather is getting colder. That can only mean one thing, October is here. I have to say I love October. Why? Well its perfect weather for runs, but also because its Breast Cancer month. Yep I’m wearing my pink quite proudly this month.

Some of you might not know this but my debut release DEADLY SECRETS is an official sponsor of the American Breast Cancer Foundation (ABCF). This is a fantastic organization. They do so much for women who are fighting breast cancer and their families. Also they provide free mammograms for women who couldn’t otherwise get them, and as we all know early detection is the best way to kick this disease to the curb. Check them out at http://abcf.org/

Now the reason why I chose to become a sponsor for the ABCF even though I’m not American is because of a good friend of mine and fellow LBF Books author, AB Wallace. She fought the disease twice. She one the first battle, but miserably lost the second one this past spring. We used to have long email discussions about her battle and treatments. I was her cheerleader and an ear when she needed to vent. She often mentioned that the medication and treatments she needed to take were really expensive. She didn’t know what she would have done had she not been able to get the mammogram that found the cancer in the first place.

Last year when I ran the Run For The Cure in my home town, AB had just been diagnosed with a relapse. So I found that run to be hard and tears made their way down my face as I ran among other runners. This year I ran in AB’s memory. I feared I would cry the whole time, but I didn’t. I felt as though we were doing the run together. What an amazing feeling.

When my book was released nearly two years ago I decided I wanted to do something. Getting published has been a dream of mine for many years. So I decided I wanted to do something to help others with it. That’s the reason I decided to donate all my royalties to breast cancer and to get my book a sponsor for the ABCF. Do I think my royalties will make a difference? Help find a cure? Probably not, but if it helps one woman find her cancer in its early stages then it was well worth it.

Want to know about DEADLY SECRETS? Well it’s a romantic suspense that takes place in Canada. Here is the blurb,

PHILIPPE LAFRANCE is a well known reclusive writer whose life is suddenly thrown upside down. The grandfather he never knew existed dies. Throughout his own investigation, Philippe learns that his family has kept secrets from him, deep, ugly secrets. A killer is murdering the men in his family. First his father then his grandfather have succumbed at the hands of another. This murderer is trying his utmost to keep secrets buried. Bereft, Roxanne St-Clair is left to manage a restaurant when the only person who ever mattered to her, her foster parent and mentor, is murdered. She puts her life on hold to find his killer and bring him to justice. Thrown together by circumstance and a mutual goal, Philippe and Roxanne fight their attraction and team up to find the killer, bring him to justice and unearth the truth. To stay alive, they must keep one step ahead of the assassin in order to prevent him from killing his next target, Philippe. Will they succeed in bringing to justice this killer before Philippe becomes his next victim? Will they be able to deal with the truth behind all the secrets?

If you’d like to read an excerpt or view my trailer check my home on the net, http://www.leeannburke.com/books.html

If you want to help me, the ABCF and help fight breast cancer pick up a print copy or ebook. If you want to make a direct donation to the cause please think of donating to the ABCF directly http://abcf.org/ .

If you can't afford to donate this year, that's fine, just think about wearing something pink in honor of all these warrior ladies.

She's Back

2010-09-23T09:31:00.000-07:00

That's pretty much how I've been for the last month - although maybe without the glowing eyes. At least the hubby hasn't mentioned them. Allergies or a cold that won't die. Can't figure out which. Both equal massive foggy brain troubles. Good thing I'm not a surgeon. Who knows what I'd accidently cut off. I doubt a patient would accept - oh, well, you didn't need two of those anyway. Especially if it was a guy.

(And hope I'm allowed to use that pic on my blog. They were all there for downloading and I see them on FB all the time. But - if you read about a little aging writer being dragged off to jail for misusing pix on the net, pray for me.)

That's only one reason I haven't blogged recently. Lost my little book with all my passwords. Yes, I know I could've changed my password and got on here but I didn't think of that. Nor did it occur to me to call Leeann who handles the guest bloggers and has the password. No. I got fixated on finding the *!#* book. Took a couple of weeks. It was in a box. See, when I'm writing, or running off to conferences or talks or meetings as I've been for the last few months, I tend to let things slide around the house. Then, of course, company decides to come. Cleaning up for company usually means stuffing a lot of things in a bag or a box and putting it in the basement so that things look tidy upstairs and I can actually see a few surfaces to dust. Little password book got stuffed in a box. Still, upside is I found a lot of things in my search for it. The old - Oh, so that's where that went - happened a lot.

But I have accomplished a few things in the last few months. Got my next Murray (HIGHLAND PROTECTOR) tale into my editor, the copy-edits done, and the page proofs back to them. Came up with ideas for the next vamp tale and the Wherlocke one. Now supposed to be working on that next Wherlocke tale. Found the conferences fun but exhausting, as always. Also found that the more expensive a hotel the more expensive the internet hookup and the worse it works. Put a lot of miles on the little HHR. Drove a lot of places. Saw a lot of the country and not always the prettiest parts. Survived the heat wave that locked itself over the NE for so long this summer. Barely. Have almost finished organizing my library. Half the stuff in the basement has been sorted out - thanks to losing the password book.

And now I should be hard at work on that Wherlocke tale. But - there's that foggy brain issue still. So I'm doing up spreadsheets of all the charcaters in the stories, plus the ones in the Murray books, plus the ones in the vampire novella ones. It's got to the point I can't just go back and look through the books in the series - most certainly not the Murray one - easily. And the little character card I write up for each book doesn't have the info I'm always looking for. So going to get it all on the computer. Listing the important stuff like appearance, psychic gifts, relation to main character, age, etc. Should make life easier. Make for fewer oopsies, too, that one then has to spend time fixing.

Yet, Sir Argus Wherlocke is calling to me. I've got him stuck in a prison with the heroine 'thinking' about looking for him to save him. Think he's getting really tired of being tied naked to a cold bed in a basement. Keep hearing him saying - "Excuse me! Naked, cold, tied up. Want to do something about this, woman?" Now that fall is here(with it's beautifully cooler weather) and a little of the foggy is easing in the brain, I will have to answer that call. That and the fact that my deadline is in December. If he calls me 'woman' again, however, think I might allow the bad guys to pound on him a little before he gets rescued.

Five Things I Learned about Love and Life from Bethany M’Doro by Teri Barnett

2010-08-23T05:10:00.000-07:00

Every writer has heard about characters that come to life. You know, the ones who take over your novel and dictate what should be going on with them? I honestly never believed that stuff. Of course, when I was first told this, I was also a sporadic storyteller, flitting from one project to the next.

And then I found my focus and started writing. I mean, seriously writing. No longer toying with words here and there, but really digging in. And that’s when it happened. They actually did start informing me about who they were and what they wanted. This is where Bethany M’Doro comes in. She’s the heroine of my latest publication by LBF Books, Shadow Dreams.

Bethany is a strong woman, fiercely protective of her daughter and the people she loves. She’s also a healer and takes special care of those who hurt. Here’s what she taught me about love and life during the course of writing her story in Shadow Dreams:

1. Be Strong

I suspect this will sound like a cliché, but there truly is beauty in strength. A woman who carries herself with confidence and the knowledge that she really is ‘all that’ is infinitely sexy. Ask any guy. They’ll tell you the same.

2. Go after what you want

Having dreams is great. As a matter of fact, I find it’s essential to my very existence. And one of my dreams is living a life in love. Bethany has taught me that if this is what I want, then I need to go after it. After all, no one owns my life but me.

3. Take a Risk

Love isn’t for sissies. If you really care for someone, suck it up and let them know. Yes, there’s always the chance they may not return the feeling, but how are you going to know if you don’t put yourself out there?

4. Follow your Instincts

There’s an old saying, the heart knows what it wants. For Bethany, it’s her gut that tells her when something is right or wrong. She feels it deep in the very essence of her being. She makes her decisions and goes forward without looking back. She does not second guess herself. If ever there was a lesson I needed to learn, it’s this one.

5. Open your Heart

Keeping an open heart is perhaps the hardest – and greatest - lesson for me. When the heart is closed, there’s no way for love to find its way in. Believe me, I know this from experience. So what did Bethany teach me? To stand tall with my shoulders back and face the world head on. When you lead with your heart, everything else falls into place.

Teri Barnett is a writer, artist, and designer currently living in Indiana. Her publications include Through the Mists of Time (a historical time travel romance) and Shadow Dreams (a paranormal historical romance), both published by LBF Books/Lachesis Publishing. For more information, including where to find her novels, please visit her on the web at http://www.teribarnett.com/.

Hero – You’ve met your match!

2010-08-16T04:00:00.000-07:00

I’ve written a historical romance anthology for Berkley. It’s rather scandalous. My summer debut, AWAKENED BY A KISS, is a Fiery Tales collection – steamy retellings of three classic fairy tales in the one book. I love it when historical heroes are sinfully seductive bad boys.

In AWAKENED BY A KISS, I’ve created three of them.

There is something about seeing an unrepentant rake fall hopelessly in love with the heroine that I find downright delicious. And in AWAKENED BY A KISS they do fall for them – hard.

Yet, what kind of woman can totally turn a seasoned roué and steal his heart? I paired off very different women with each of the men in these three Fiery Tales. Three women with different backgrounds and personalities, yet their impact on these rakes is the same. Poor heroes, they didn’t stand a chance. These lovely ladies are unlike anyone these gorgeous men have ever met – and much to their surprise, they’ve found their perfect match.

In the first Fiery Tale in AWAKENED BY A KISS, Sleeping Beau, the hero is rather an infamous rake – the handsome bastard son of the King. Legitimized by His Majesty, Adrien is treated like royalty. A night of raw passion with a mysterious woman has haunted him for five years. When at last he spots his mysterious seductress, he wants to know everything about her. Heck, he just plain wants her. It was supposed to be simply a torrid affair. But it wasn’t. It couldn’t be. Everything about Catherine de Villecourt inspires tender feelings as well as hot desire. This beautiful woman is a widow. Born into the wealthy middle class, she was married off to a Count and trapped in an unhappy marriage until the scandalous death of her husband.

It’s not just Catherine’s beauty that affects our hero Adrien, but her quiet strength, too. And the problems she’s had with her father are something that Adrien understands all too well. He’s had nothing but difficulties with his own powerful sire. She is a painter, a sexual soulmate and his one and only heart’s desire.

The second Fiery Tale, Little Red Writing, has a very passionate heroine. Anne de Vignon is a writer. A woman who feels strongly about the telltale stories she writes about powerful courtiers under the nom de plume Gilbert Leduc. Born into

minor nobility, she doesn’t have much by way of social influence or financial means. What she lacks in social standing and wealth, she makes up for in her drive to seek justice for women against the powerful men who inflict suffering on them. Without recourse, these women were forced to endure whatever hardship, humiliation or heartbreak came their way at the hands of these men. The ambitious Count of Lambelle, Nicolas de Savignac, is a member of the King’s private guard and eager for promotion. His investigation into the identity of the mystery writer is supposed to be the means to his promotion in the Guard. He never expected passionate Anne would move him or touch his heart and leave him torn between love and duty.

Imagine being the favorite daughter of the King. It’s an enviable position to be in, right? Wrong. In the Fiery tale, Bewitching in Boots, Elisabeth must be vigilant at court. She sees the constant intrigue, the dishonesty and corruption as men and women vie for the King’s favor, willing to use her, or worse, harm her younger sister, if she isn’t careful. The only man who is honest and true is the former commander of the King’s private Guard. When Tristan is forced to spend time with the smart, strong Elisabeth, he sees her not as a spoiled royal brat, or a coquette, but as a sensuous woman whose loyalty is as great as her love.

AWAKENED BY A KISS – A Fiery Tales Collection

Berkley Sensation

BY Lila DiPasqua

ISBN: 978 - 0425235560

AUGUST 3RD, 2010

Three classic fairytales—“Sleeping Beauty,” “Puss in Boots,” and “Little Red Riding Hood”—cleverly retold with enough sensual twists to prove wickedly ever after does exist…

Author’s website: www.LilaDiPasqua.com

Excerpt of AWAKENED BY A KISS – http://www.liladipasqua.com/awakenExcerpt.htm

QUESTION: What’s your favorite fairy tale heroine? One random commenter will win a signed copy of AWAKENED BY A KISS. The contest will end Aug 20th and the winner must live within US or Canada.

Editor/Author Relationship, a first-timer’s perspective by Lexie Craig

2010-08-09T14:31:00.000-07:00

First thing I think any author needs to do is to actually have a conversation with your editor. Face-to-face or over the phone, I think it is important that you, as a writer have a voice conversation with the person in charge of helping you to shape your masterpiece. You just need to find a connection with them because the next few weeks, you’re going to be spending a lot of time together, and like most partnerships, it works a lot better if you don’t want to kill each other.

Next thing I suggest is to be prompt, but thorough, in your responses to them, though I don’t think this will be a hardship. You want this to go as smoothly as possible for both of you, so they do the work and then you do, making sure to look it over with an eye towards perfection.

I cannot overstate this part: THE EDITOR IS NOT OUT TO GET YOU. THE THINGS THEY SUGGEST, THEY HAVE REASONS, AND INDEED ARE PAID, TO DO SO. YOU ARE MARRIED TO THE CONTENT AND THE SPIRIT, BUT NOT EACH INDIVIDUAL WORD. Pick your battles and fight it out accordingly. The editor is not out to hurt your feelings or make you feel inferior. The editor is just as invested in putting out a good product as you are, because, and this is a big one, if the piece produced looks shoddy or haphazard, they look bad. THE OVERALL CONTENT OF THE BOOK IS THE PRODUCT OF BOTH OF YOUR WORK AND REFLECTS ON BOTH OF YOU, EITHER WELL OR POORLY ACCORDINGLY.

A brief note, you will get tired of looking at your work. By the time it goes to the editor, you’ll have looked it over several times and be pretty confident of your work. You will be surprised by what the editor finds in terms of missed typos, unclear thoughts (or things that are clear in your mind but not on the page), and incomplete plot-points. This is an exercise in ‘stand and deliver’, and you can do this, so long as you realize that the end result will be awesome.

I was very lucky in that I had a very experience editor in Karen Adams. What I write is not a genre she reads, and so her entirely fresh perspective made me work harder to make it make sense. She was super thorough, and as such, I felt pretty confident when I sent my MS back to the publisher after 1 major and 2 (or was it 3?) line edits.

Now that Imminent Danger is finally out, I’m happy and excited about it, but most of all, I’m confident about the presentation of it, because I know that a lot of time and effort was expended in making it the best possible story in the best possible condition it could be.

Armed with this knowledge, I’m pressing on with my second novel and, like always, hoping for the best and working hard to make it so.

For more information about Lexie and her books click here

Top Ten Author Promotion Missteps by Marcia James

2010-08-01T19:26:00.000-07:00

To paraphrase an advertising adage, "Only 50 percent of promotion works, but no one knows which 50 percent." So it pays to understand your PR options, as well as how to avoid undermining your promotional efforts. The following is my personal list of author promotion missteps.

10. Sending too many book excerpts -- or the same excerpt too many times -- to reader loops. Also "drive-by promoting" on reader loops.

Even in promotion, there can be "too much of a good thing", so be aware of how many excerpts and blurbs you send to reader loops. You want readers to say, "Oh, look, another fun book excerpt from Anne Author!" vs. "Oh, no, not another book excerpt from Anne Author!" Also, readers enjoy interacting with authors vs. being treated as a target market. So if you don't have time to participate on these loops beyond posting book excerpts and blurbs, consider picking just one loop and developing reader friendships on it while promoting your books.

9. Bad-mouthing people (especially those in the publishing industry) and other authors' books.

Snark might seem popular on certain blogs, but what you say online can haunt you forever. It's best to follow the old saying, "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all."

8. Making things difficult for readers: a hard-to-navigate website, hard-to-read text, no printable book list, no purchase link by your website's book blurb/excerpt, etc.

Readers appreciate being able to easily find information about your books and how to buy them. Is your website simple to navigate and read? If you have a reader e-newsletter, can they see how to sign up to receive it? If you have a book series, does your website list the books and their order, so readers can read them in sequence? Is there a clear "purchase link" next to your website's book blurbs and excerpts?

7.Not using an email signature -- and not putting title CAPS in URLs.

Making things easy for readers pertains to more than just websites. Do you use an email signature? Most email programs make it simple to set up a signature. It should include your website URL as an active link, so readers don't need to copy-and-paste your URL into their web browser. The email signature can also include things like your tagline, the title of your current or next release, contest wins, etc. But check the loops you're on to see if they restrict email signatures to three lines. And remember that other writers are readers too, so use email signatures on your writer and reader loops.

URLs aren't case sensitive, so reinforce your pen name within your URL by using title CAPS. For example, it's easier to see my pen name in my URL if I type it www.MarciaJames.net vs. www.marciajames.net. And sometimes title CAPS can avoid unintentional connotations. An example of this is a consignment store named Children's Exchange, whose URL was www.childrensexchange.com. Title CAPS would have prevented any misunderstandings in that example.

6. Treating readers, bookstore personnel, librarians, etc poorly.

I'm always amazed when I hear of authors pulling diva acts at booksignings or snubbing other writers at conferences. Successful marketing includes positive word-of-mouth, so why give the people you meet a reason to tell their friends and family how unkind you were? Booksellers don't hand-sell the books of authors who were a pain at a booksigning. And librarians don't recommend books by someone who was difficult when doing a library presentation. Years ago, I attended the booksigning of a New York Times bestselling mystery author. He was so abrupt (read "rude") to readers, I never bought another one of his books.

5. Discounting the importance of networking.

Power-schmoozing can pay off with contacts who can introduce you to their agent or editor, give you a cover quote, join you in co-promotion efforts (like a group blog), include you in multi-author booksignings, etc. The phrase, "It's who you know" is as pertinent in publishing as it is in every industry. Obviously, extroverts enjoy networking more than introverts, but shy authors can network online through reader and writer email loops.

4. Not Googling pen names and taglines before using them; and spending more on logoed PR items because you're buying them to promote one book vs. your brand.

These two seemingly different missteps are connected under one concept: originality. Obviously, if you Google the pen name and tagline you'd like to use, you'll be able to determine whether or not another author has the same or similar name and tagline. Years ago, when I decided on the pen name "Marcia James", I did a search to see if there were other romance authors with similar names. I found Eloisa James and Stephanie James, who wrote very different stories than I did. So I locked in my domain name. Now, almost ten years later, there are so many authors with James in their names, I made lemonade out of the lemons by interviewing a different one each month for my James Gang feature (http://www.MarciaJames.net/James_Gang.html). ;-) So while you can't predict who might have a similar pen name or tagline in the future, you can try to make yours as unique as possible today.

Uniqueness is also a good thing when it comes to your logoed promotional items. For example, I give away thumbcuff keychains (over 7,000 and counting) as part of my "Hot, Humorous Romances" author brand. The keychains represent both my law enforcement protagonists and the racy sex in my stories. Because I'm promoting my brand and not a single title with these thumbcuffs, I can order over 1,000 thumbcuffs at a time and save a lot on the bulk order. Last summer at the national Romance Writers of America conference, three people came up to me to tell me they were sorry they hadn't gotten any of the thumbcuffs I'd put in the Goody Room. Why is that important? Because I hadn't put any thumbcuffs in the Goody Room. Another author had bought them to promote a single book that had handcuffs on the cover, but a number of the people who noticed the thumbcuffs thought they were from me. So it would have been more cost-effective and memorable for that author to purchase in bulk a PR giveaway that would become associated with her brand.

3. Choosing to do PR options you hate or are ill-suited for.

No one author can possibly take advantage of every promotional opportunity available -- even with the help of a publicist or a PR site, such as AuthorIsland. So why choose to do those things that are outside your comfort zone or areas of expertise? Instead, use criteria such as your personality, skills, and book specifics to determine your best PR options. This is a core element in my online promotional workshops (including the one I'm presenting August 15-28: http://www.MarciaJames.net/Schedule.html). For example, I'm an extrovert and love power schmoozing, so networking is one of my chosen promotional options. I'm also a technophobe who would hate learning how to design a website, so I hired a Webmistress (Karen McCullough, http://www.KarensWebWorks.com/) to create mine. I'm not saying, for example, that a shy author shouldn't try to develop networking skills; I'm simply saying that authors have limited time and resources, and it pays to use them wisely.

2. Not having a professional, often-updated website.

A website is often considered an author's #1 one promotional tool. Make yours as professional as possible, with interesting, new content to entice readers to visit often. Like many authors, I have a website contest that draws readers to my site. You can also offer free reads, interviews, a blog, book plates and other giveaways, recipes, games, photos, etc.

1. Spending all your free time on promotion vs. writing your next book.

Each book you write brings you new readers, so prioritize your time to allow for more writing than promotion. Social media sites, like Facebook, can be fun but incredible time drains. Protect your writing time so you'll have products (your books) to market during those times you allot for promotion.

That's my list. ;-) As I mentioned earlier, it pays to understand your PR options so you can make educated choices. I have a 300-page Microsoft WORD file on Promotional Options that I give away free to any writer who would like it. To request this file, go to my website's "Contact Me" page and email me. I'll attach the file to my reply email.

Thanks for having me as a guest-blogger today! Happy promoting!

-- Marcia James

Wait – I Dropped my Weapon by R Scott Mitchell

2010-07-26T03:29:00.000-07:00

Some find it curious that I should pen a book or two about swordplay and heroes conquering those little nasties that lurk in the corners when I keep a collection of swords myself. It’s not at all that I fancy myself a hero or anything; I simply have an appreciation for the complex dance involved in really good swordplay. A hero can wield his sword with great flair and talent, filling the air with the hum and hiss of razor-steel. A non-hero? Well, they might just drop the damn thing. Or cut themselves. Or worse.

I had intended Black Pawn to be a simple fantasy piece set in a fictional pseudo-medieval era, ripe with castles and war, triumph and tragedy. I could have spun a spell or two here and there but I steered clear of that (well, not entirely). I am always very leery about touching on the ‘pixie shit’ fantasy that so saturates our culture today. (Michael Moorcock used the term ‘pixie shit’ to describe those fantasy elements almost considered cliché now: belching dwarves, elves in the trees and a dragon curled around a pile of gold). Don’t get me wrong – I love that kind of stuff. I enjoy it and I appreciate the contributions that genre made to modern literature. But it is not what I tend to write.

In so much of my writing, I find myself exploring the complex relationships between brothers: the growth and rivalry, the competition, the bonds and the betrayals. I know that this has particular relevance to me as my own brother was born with profound physical and developmental disabilities. The connection that he and I share is an enigmatic one and one that I explore through writing.

This exploration continues in Black Pawn and its forthcoming sequel: one brother is raised in a glorious, wealthy upbringing; the other grows to immeasurable power alone and squandering in the darkness. What draws them together is a combination of the changes in the physical and political landscapes of the continent they inhabit. Both are caught on the tides of war inexorably destined to collide, for the better of one over the other.

I make no claims that what I write is innovative or new in the genre of heroic fantasy. Mine is a new recipe using common ingredients: a new texture and experience on very familiar elements. In Black Pawn, the heroes are those who depend solely on wit and skill to circumvent tragedy and emerge alive and victorious. The villains are those who have access to a dirtier bowl of tricks. They can harness a twisted spiritual power, a quicker fix to get the job done. For I believe this to be true: it is easier to be irresponsible, lazy and downright mean than it is to remain governed by good moral values. Far easier to hit a puppy than to teach it. Basically, it is less of a challenge to be a villain than a hero; hence, my villains have access to a power the others don’t have. Yes, that is magic of a sort. I broke my rule, didn’t I. Oh well.

I continue to write heroic fantasy and historical fiction (I think Joan of Arc is due for an epic retelling worthy of the woman). Writing is my own catharsis and affirmation to examine what could have been, where things are now and where they might go. I write because I have a story to tell, more than one in fact. I draw upon any number of resources: reading, music, discussions and arguments. I am encouraged by those people I know and those I wish I could have known. Even the odd video game has inspired a chapter or two from me.

The landscape of fantasy and speculative fiction is expanding daily. Perhaps as more and more people feel constricted in their own lives, they crave a healthier type of escape. JRR Tolkien, arguably the father of fantasy fiction, might be quite surprised to see how far we’ve come. He might even be a little embarrassed considering he had originally intended his own work to entertain children. Better to remain young and impulsive than to grow up too fast and too bitter, I suppose.

As for my heroes? In Black Pawn, the characters of Windiin, Shander, Kia and Lycien are all heroes of their own. What better defines heroism than the characteristics of fighting for what you believe and compromising for no one? This also means there really is nothing special about a hero since each and every one of us radiates these characteristics from time to time.

Now, just let me pick up my weapon here … there we go.

For a teaser of the novel and other little tidbits I have written, check my website at http://www.rscottmitchell.com/ . Thank you for the opportunity, Ms. Howell – I appreciate it.

R. Scott Mitchell

Going Back to Horror's Roots

2010-07-19T08:10:00.000-07:00

A good case can be made that science fiction and horror were born together during a retreat in May 1816 and two of Britain's great poets were there for the occasion. The poets were Lord Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley. Lord Byron's doctor, John William Polidori, and Mary Godwin, who later married Percy Shelley, accompanied them. During the course of the retreat, a challenge was issued to create the scariest story possible. Mary Godwin's story was Frankenstein, which has elements of both horror and science fiction. In fact, many see Frankenstein as the very first science fiction novel. Another story that came out of that retreat was The Vampyre by John Polidori. Though it's not as famous as Frankenstein, The Vampyre strongly influenced Bram Stoker's novel, Dracula.

My own writing owes a lot to that retreat in 1816. I've been a fan of vampires since I first read Dracula when I was ten years old. My interest grew in the 90s, when I first worked at Kitt Peak National Observatory. Several of us who operated telescopes called ourselves the "vampires of the mountain" because we were only seen at night. I discovered such writers as Anne Rice and Suzy McKee Charnas around that time. A few years later, a friend of mine, Janni Lee Simner, was visiting me at my home in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Las Cruces literally means the city of the crosses and Janni pondered what a vampire would do in a town where there were crosses absolutely everywhere. She wasn't interested in writing a vampire story at the time, but said if I came up with a story to go with the idea, I was welcome to it. A few weeks later, I wrote the story "Vampire in the City of Crosses", which sold soon after to Margaret Carter's magazine, The Vampire's Crypt.

In Mary Shelley's novel, the central problem is that Dr. Frankenstein has created new life without fully understanding the consequences. As my vampire stories evolved, I began exploring that same idea and ultimately, the novel Vampires of the Scarlet Order was born. In the novel, a group of vampire mercenaries go up against scientists who are trying to create a new breed of vampires that can be used as super soldiers. I'm currently working on a new novel that tells how the vampires of the Scarlet Order came together called Dragon's Fall. It will be coming soon from Sinful Moments Press. Keep an eye on my blog at for news about this project.

Just as Mary Shelley benefited from the company of Lord Byron and her husband Percy Shelley I have benefited from working with other writers. One in particular, is Lee Clark Zumpe, who shares my passion for vampires. Over the years, Lee and I admired each other's works in magazines such as The Vampire's Crypt, Night to Dawn, and Blood Samples. About a year ago, Lee and I pulled several of our vampire flash fiction pieces together into a collection called Blood Sampler: Subtle Sips and Spicy Shots and the book is now available from Sam's Dot Publishing. It can be purchased at http://www.genremall.com/anthologiesr.htm#bloodsampler

Since science fiction and horror were born together, it seems fitting to publish them side-by-side. When artist Nick Rose suggested that LBF Books publish a horror magazine and recommended me as editor, I couldn't help but suggest that the magazine also include science fiction and fantasy. That magazine is Tales of the Talisman and even though it's no longer owned by LBF Books, it's still thriving six years later. You can learn more about the magazine at http://www.talesofthetalisman.com/

I hope you've enjoyed this sampling of things I'm doing and how they are tied to one of the great moments in science fiction and horror history. I hope you'll take time to visit me at http://dlsummers.wordpress.com/

Thanks for having me, Hannah. I enjoyed stopping by to visit you and your readers.

This Summer Sucks

2010-07-18T14:38:00.000-07:00

That picture is the personification of my Muse this summer.(and that looks a bit like my cat Matilda only without the stumpy legs and a lot thinner) Not saying that dear old New England doesn't get hot, sticky days in the summer, but over two weeks of hot and humid? Nah. Except this summer. This summer from Hell. This loathsome, abominable, vile, odious (Sorry, I'll put the Thesaurus down) summer. The best we can hope for at the moment is a bit of a drop in the humidity somewhere around the middle of next week. Big Whoop.

Now before anyone starts feeling all bad for me - and there better be at least one of you who feels a pinch of sympathy right now- I have central air. Strangely enough, that isn't helping the Muse at all. The Muse says - Hey, it's green and warm and sunny - WTH are we doing sitting in here with all the doors and windows closed? That's what we have to do all winter. Hard to explain to a Muse that if I go outside it'll take approximately ten minutes before I'm sweating my glasses right off my face. Maybe not even that long.

The Muse is now on strike. I managed to squeeze out a paragraph yesterday. At that rate the next book will be done some time around next summer. That of course means there'd be two missed deadlines. Muses don't quite grasp the concept of deadlines.

So - solution? At the moment it's cleaning the house. This should let everyone know just how desperate I am. I loathe cleaning the house and will do all in my power to find an excuse not to do it. So far I've moved all the furniture off the carpet in the office, washed said carpet, cleaned all the furniture off and moved it back onto the carpet, vacuumed off the throw pillows(and somehow managed to get my hair sucked into the vacuum which caused a great deal of yelling and hopping around) and have already organized a lovely folder with a lot of receipts in it for taxes - next year. I'm now resting from changing the curtains before I go and clean the windows. You can just smell the desperation here, can't you. The hubby is starting to get worried.

The point of all this whining is basically to say that Muses are touchy things. This, of course, comes as no surprise to writers although some newbies do need to be told just how touchy the bitches can be, if only so they don't think they've lost the knack just because they haven't written a chapter today. Headache, family stress, tired after a trip, excited before a trip, allergies, weather... You name it and it can make the Muse get uppity and contrary. I think it's because so much of the writing is tied up with a writer's self, a writer's emotion. It's not just a cerebral thing. Whatever the part of the brain is that produces the compulsion to write is obviously the side that is touchy about when, where, and under what conditions it'll cooperate.

So my Muse(born in that touchy side of the brain) is miffed because it's too hot to go outside yet being stuck in the house at this time of year irritates it.(remember this writer lives in a part of the country where people are shut in for pretty much the entire winter) As payback it's making this writer feel compelled to clean.(and for that you may now feel very sorry for me) At least then I can say I've accomplished something I suppose.

I ask now for good vibes, appeals to Mother Nature, etc. to end this heat wave and allow me to open the windows. It's either that or I'll be reduced to cleaning out cupboards and scrubbing the kitchen floor. Even my worst enemies could not wish such a dire fate upon me.

Soon to have a normal life again..

2010-07-14T19:13:00.000-07:00

My attempt at a pretty summer silk flower arrangement. Thought it a hint of the type of life I lead. Laser-eyed cats in the silk flowers - plus cook-out stuff lined up on the front hall sideboard waiting for DH to remember to put it away. And - yes - I will leave it there until the snow is up to my neck in January rather than put it away myself because it's annoying me to see it there. He said he would put them away and there they'll sit until he does, neither of us speaking about them. That's one of those little silent wars that often take place in marraiges.

Conferences. Fun. Nice to see the readers, talk to other writers, and promote one's books. Always take up way more time than anticipated. For some reason I always blank on the need to get ready to go to a conference, as if I think some wonderful little magical fairy will put all my promo stuff together and decide what clothes I should take while I putter around doing other stuff.

I also signed up for too many conferences, workshops, retreats this year. Going back to the three major ones & a few little ones rule. As I said - I like them, but too many really eat into the writing time and no matter how much I think I'll get some work in at a conference, it never happens. Too many mean I'm also leaving things for the hubby to do like mail out prize packages - which he forgets to do as the man hasn't had to mail anything since we got married. So back from a conference, getting letters saying where's my prize? DH? What packages is his reply? He thinks he moved something down cellar when he was looking for the hose attachment. Yup. There they are and now they have to be repackaged and sent out. He is a bit of a failure as a minion. Either that or he had one of those GUY moments where you told him something and he nodded and replied but his brain really wasn't in gear.

So I now have a big calendar pinned to the wall and am writing everything on it, from time to give old cat her flea meds to when the next book is due. I hate it as it feels, well, confining, too much like I have a 9 - 5 job, but it's either that or continued utter chaos and things needing to be done that keep getting piled up and late or forgotten. I've discovered that, while I'm not a very organized person and am happy with that, utter chaos is a little disturbing.

Thus begins two weeks of cleaning house since I just sent in the manuscript for the next Murray tale. Amazing how much mess one can make and not see while writing. But have 2 weeks to make a dent and then it's off to the big Romance Writers of America's National conference in Orlando, FL. It was going to be in Nashville and I was doing the happy dance about that, but the floods ended that plan. Two weeks will not get rid of all the chaos as somewhere in there I have to pack, put the promo stuff together, and arrange for food, cat food, litter, etc. to leave with the DH for the week I'm gone, - get the picture? Big, big time suck.

So, for now there'll continue to be laser-eyed kitties in the silk flower arrangements, late packages, piles of books on the library floor(I'm reorganizing the shelves - uh huh, that's my story and I'm sticking to it), folders of stuff I need to make a copy of because it was a really interesting article or recipe or exercise tip(which will turn yellow in the folder before I finally accept I'll never do it and throw it away), and so on and so on. Because I need to get started on the next Wherlocke tale and pack for Florida. Maybe that normal life I want won't be coming along too soon after all. And, yet, maybe when I get back from Florida all that cookout stuff will be put back where it belongs. Anyone dare to make a bet on it?

Love Triangles in YA by Kim Baccellia

2010-07-12T03:55:00.000-07:00

I love reading a book where the main character is involved in a love triangle. In these stories there always seems to have the boy who’s too good to be true. He’s faithful, loving, and looks out for the heroine. Of course she’s either oblivious to him or doesn’t know he exists.

Then there’s the bad boy. You know him as the mysterious guy who waltzes into the heroine’s life and steals her heart. If he’s written well, he’s not just dark and bad. No, he’s also vulnerable enough that we love him too.

Some examples:

Elena, Stefan, and Damon from VAMPIRE DIARIES:

Stefan is sensitive, loving, and only drinks animal’s blood. Sure later he reveals that he has his own dark secret but for a vampire he’s basically pretty good. Elena is in love with him but then his brother Damon shows up. Dark, mysterious, and yes, he has a history of being blood thirsty. He’s totally a bad boy but there’s times when his mask slips and we’re drawn to him. There’s one dance scene where Damon steps in for Stefan. Neither Elena or Damon touch but the chemistry between the two sizzles.

Buffy, Angel, and Spike from BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER:

At the beginning, it was all about Angel. He’s brooding but caring and loving with Buffy. Well, until he sleeps with her which unleashing a curse that turns him back into a murderous vampire. Spike at the beginning of the show was totally bad. Then later, he changed. Maybe it was that forced chip in his head but somehow he looked at Buffy differently. And he fell hard for this vampire slayer. I think Buffy also loved him. It’s like Buffy told Giles, “Spike can be good, now that he has a soul.”

Bella, Jacob, Edward in THE TWILIGHT SERIES:

Whether you’re team Edward, team Jacob, or team Switzerland, you have to admit the love triangle makes this story. I’m totally team Jacob. I loved his character in all the books which carries over into the films. Edward is the caring, loving vampire that Bella decides to be with. Personally, I think she should have chosen Jacob. But that’s just me!

Veronica Mars, Duncan Kane, and Logan Echolls

Poor Veronica. The love of her life Duncan Kane ends up dumping her. She can’t seem to get over him. Then her BF Lily, sister of Duncan is murdered. She tries to solve the mystery. Bad boy Logan Echolls, Lily’s boyfriend, blames Veronica for the death and harasses her. But there’s chemistry between both Veronica and Logan which in the later season boils over. I still kind of wished Veronica and Logan could have worked out their issues. But the show got canceled.

Stephanie, Dylan, and Mark in CROSSED OUT:

ephanie is best friends with Dylan. She senses he wants more than just friendship though. She starts feeling emotions toward him that she brushes off.

Then Mark shows up. He’s mysterious, dark, and is the gossip of Sutter High. Even Cura, Stephanie’s best friend, thinks he’s hot. Stephanie is fascinated by him. She can’t get him out of her head.

To find out whom Stephanie chooses and what the consequences are of her choice check out my YA paranormal CROSSED OUT
Also available at Amazon:

Who is V.K. Sykes?

2010-07-05T04:28:00.000-07:00

V.K. Sykes is actually two people—Vanessa Kelly and Randy Sykes. We’re one of a handful of couples, married or otherwise, who write romance fiction together. Some people might call what we do writing by committee; we prefer to think of it as doubling the horsepower.

Usually the first question people ask when they find out we’re a writing team is, “How do you work together?” This is often followed up immediately by “Vanessa writes the female POV and Randall the male POV, right?” That’s a totally understandable guess, and that method seems to work for some writing partnerships. But we’ve taken a different approach.

We start by spending a lot of time just throwing out ideas—brainstorming concepts, characters and plot basics—until something feels right to both of us. Then Randy takes over and fleshes out a story outline. This leads to more discussion, brainstorming and fine-tuning, after which Randy writes a full first draft. He then exhales a sigh of relief, as it’s time for Vanessa to roll up her sleeves and get out her big red pen. She massages the draft, fleshing out characters and scenes, and does most of the emotional heavy-lifting that separates romance from...well, non-romance.

As V.K. Sykes, we write both contemporary romance and romantic suspense. Our Carina Press release, CaddyGirls, is a sexy contemporary set in Las Vegas. Our works in progress include another Vegas-set contemporary, as well as two romantic suspense novels. The latter are set in Florida, where we spend part of the winter.

We’re convinced that writing as a partnership, especially when one of the partners is a guy, creates some advantages for us. We’re able to draw on the strengths of both authors, getting deep inside the heads of the female and male characters with equal facility. That makes for more fully developed and believable characters. In CaddyGirls, for example, four male friends have a number of interesting scenes as a group, doing and saying the kinds of things a bunch of guys do when they’re out for a good time in Vegas. It helps if the author’s “been there.” And we don’t mean Vegas!

Here’s the blurb for CaddyGirls:

Torrey Green once had a promising golf career, now she's stuck caddying for butt-pinching businessmen. She doesn't mind playing dumb while hauling clubs if it means she can get her golf career back on track, and she's going to need an influx of cash to focus on the pro circuit. A booking from video game mogul Julian Grant could be Torrey's cash-flow solution.

In town for a business deal, Julian's partners plan for a little action on the greens. They're looking for some fun with their rent-a-caddy girls and have a lot riding on who can score, on the course and off. This type of gamble isn't Julian's style, but he'll do whatever it takes to keep his partners happy—even if that includes breaking a few hearts along the way.

Julian soon discovers that Torrey is more than just a caddy girl, and they spark an intriguing attraction—but if Torrey discovers the truth behind his foolish wager, all bets are off...

For more information about V.K. and to read an excerpt, you can visit them on the web at http://www.vksykes.com/ . Vanessa also writes Regency-set historical romance for Kensington Zebra. You can visit her at http://www.vanessakellyauthor.com/

Distractions and Writer's Block

2010-06-14T11:48:00.000-07:00

You'd think looking at that snarling face would get me going but even putting that as wallpaper on the computer isn't helping. Sucking down a big cup of coffee isn't helping either. I even tried watching some of my favorite romantic movies. Fell asleep. Not promising. My Muse is sitting in the garden ignoring my pleas for help.

So - what do do, what to do. My deadline is the end of the month and the story's stuck, stalled, bogged down, mired in mundaness(is that even a word?) and so on. I'd pull out my hair in frustration except that it'd hurt and I don't do pain well. Banging my head on my desk isn't an option, either, as there's so much junk piled on my desk I'd probably end up with a serious injury and wouldn't want to try to explain to a doctor why I needed those stitches in my head. If nothing else he might suggest I clean off my desk. (Oh, the horror!)

Tried all my usual tricks. Watched movies, as I said, even ones that have nothing to do with romance. Tried playing around with some other story that's been tickling the brain only now it's decided to go away, too. Even tried shopping and now have more plants than will probably fit in my garden plus more books I don't have the time to read right now. That deadline, you know. Tick, tock, tick, tock.

It's all the distractions. Doctor appointment. Car needs the oil changed.(or so says the little message flashing on the dashboard) Arrangements for two conferences in July, including trying to put together what goodies I want to hand out. Page proofs for the reissue of Compromised Hearts coming out in November. Synopsis and info on characters and dress needed for the next Wherlocke story. A cat with an allergy to fleas that needed several trips to the vet before that was figured out. And so on, and so on. Oh, and let's not forget all the taping I have to do for the World Cup so hubby can watch the games played during the day when he comes home from work at night. Throw in all the usual stuff you have to do - like get groceries - and this starts to add up. It's one long series of interruptions.

I need minions. Unfortunately, there aren't any to be had. So I guess I will have to make the world talk to the palm. When the hubby comes home tonight, he will be informed that he's on his own for the next 2 weeks and if he interrupts me for anything less than arterial bleeding or heart pain, he's dead meat. He's also going to be made to scan my calls. For my part - the internet gets only 1/2 hour while I have my morning coffee. And - let's be honest - the internet is a deadly time-suck. It lures you in and next thing you know - hours have slipped away. I have a suspicion that Ilsabeth and Simon curse every time they hear 'You've got mail'. Fortunately it's the season of repeats for my favorite TV shows so there's no real problem there.
Now - all I have to do is train the cats to open the door themselves and I'm home free.

And, no, these measures will not completely fix the blockage but it'll force me to sit down and tackle it. Right now I'm into avoidance with a vengeance. That doesn't work when the deadline clock is ticking. So wish me luck or send me minions. I'm off to grab my Muse by the throat and remind her who pays the bills around here.(well, hers anyways).

I Need A Hero

2010-06-04T12:37:00.000-07:00

Okay, so he's cute more than studly. But, hey, is Doctor Who a hero or what? Quirky, special powers, not human, sympathetic, a fighter, etc. etc. And such a cute accent David Tennant had. Got teary eyed at his farewell on the show when he had to morph into a new Dr. Who. And, yes, did have a bit of a crush on him.

Of course, it's hard to get that cute accent in a book. But the way a hero talks is important. He can't be too sarcastic, too mean, or, in my opinion, too mushy. Oh, yes, we(and the heroines) all want to hear the hero say something wonderful to the heroine but - IMHO - too much complimenting, too much flattery, too many odes to her beautiful eyes, just doesn't sound real, maybe even a little too much like a guy who just wants to get in her pants(or under her skirts since I write historicals) I'm not saying there aren't guys out there who can really spread the butter and do so honestly, but there're a lot more who don't. Doesn't mean they don't care deeply, they - well - they're just guys. So, our heroes need to be better at it than real guys, but maybe not so good they sound too good to be real.

A hero should also be strong and brave when it matters. Hence the proliferation of SEALS, Black-Ops, Paranormal He-men, etc. Those guys who can face off the baddies to save the heroine and the world. And - as a bonus - they should also be handsome, studly, and comfortable enough financially to keep the heroine in a decent house and well clothed. A little sense of possession is also nice, a hint of jealousy(if only to wake him up to what he really feels) and a sharing, excellent lover. With great abs and a nice butt.

And speaking of being a great lover. It may be just me but I don't exactly find it attractive to read all sorts of info on just how many women he has had or how often or how much they all still want him. Isn't that sort of a given? He's of the age where we know he's no virgin, he's handsome, got a full wallet, built like a brickhouse, and so on. Of course he's had women. And since he's a hero, of course he's had enough experience and has enough sensitivity to know how to please a woman. If you read all about the heroine's vast experiences, all the men she's thrilled, etc, wouldn't the word 'slut' whisper through your mind? Why doesn't it count the same way when you read such things about the hero? And if it's a contemporary, a man who's been boffing anything decent in skirts all the time - well, I'd want to see some paperwork showing he's had recent tests to prove he's clean. Even in an historical you're talking about a guy who could easily be carrying some serious diseases. And I'm excluding the erotica/romantica here as that's a whole different ball of wax. But, to me, if I keep reading about how many women he's had, how he's a reknowned lover, etc. too much it starts to detract from his hero status for me. I know - the classic rake tamed by the heroine story line can still be good, but maybe tone down the details of just how many women he screwed - literally and figuratively.

I think constructing a good hero is harder than constructing a good heroine and not just because so many romance writers are women. We the readers want the macho, the kickass, the attitude, the better-than-the average-man stuff, but we also want the softer side to show. It's something that can be really tricky. If he's too soft and vulnerable, it's hard to believe it when he starts to kick ass and if he's too hard, it's hard to believe when he goes all soft and dewy-eyed over the heroine. I think you really have to know the man you set up as a hero to get it right.

And, one last note. For the vulnerability - I really think it has to be more than - he was hurt by a woman in the past. A man who hardens his heart because one woman broke it just doesn't cut it for me. As the pages go by and he keeps falling back on that old heartbreak I find myself thinking - enough. Get over it. Deal with it. We all have. It has to be more than a simple heartbreak, maybe a deep betrayal, maybe something that caused lives to be lost, or it was more than one, or he saw it(bad marraiges, bad relationships, infidelity, betrayal) over and over as a child. We all know childhood lessons, good and bad, stick longer than others. Give him a good, deep emotional scar that makes anything unheroic that he does make sense and draw sympathy.

But that's just my opinion - I could be wrong.

Irrevocability by Kris Kennedy

2010-05-31T09:38:00.000-07:00

Ah, the thing that can’t be undone. Ringing the bell that can’t be unrung. Saying the thing that makes people stare. Doing the thing that makes you scared. (Hmm, I didn’t mean for that to rhyme. I’ve been reading too many kids’ books.)

There is nothing like doing something people will remember. Because that means you can't take back. It means you’re committed. In for the long haul. The act, however unconsidered, is now binding.

For good or ill, that’s one of the most exciting parts of reading—and writing--fiction.

It’s part of the reason why, as Hannah was saying in her May 25 blog, heroines don’t scrub toilets. (Additionally, we all know cleaning is something that, whether you do it or no, is utterly irrelevant, because you’re going to need to do it again. In about 15 minutes if you have young kids or dogs. Cleaning is almost the antithesis of irrevocable.) Scrubbing toilets, and all the other mundane tasks of daily life, are revocable. Nothing ‘turns’ on them. You could take them back, and no one would know or care. Nothing is fundamentally different as a result. They’re forgettable.

They never made a difference.

You can walk away from a clean OR a dirty toilet. That is . . . unless you found a diamond ring resting there, after you’d pushed back the hair from your sweaty forehead with a forearm and knelt to scrub your 20th toilet of the week. And then you saw it. Sparkling. A diamond ring. Which means someone lost it. Or tossed it. And your rent is due.

NOW you have a story. Now you have a protagonist. Someone with a choice to make.

Make the right ones and you have a hero. And a heroine.

In all our ‘keeper’ books, I think one of the things we’ll find is characters actively getting themselves deeper and deeper into worse and worse trouble, particularly with the hero/heroine, and there’s simply no backing out. Nothing they do can be reversed.

Sometimes this is hard for us as authors. We actually like our heroes and heroines. We discover their histories, and fall deeply in love with them. They’re part of our family. We want them to have a happy life.

But we also like you, the reader. We know you want a good story. Happy, easy things happening to nice, good people is not terribly dramatic.

And, in the end, we’re storytellers at heart. We know true heroes and heroines have to walk through the fire first. Sure, they can have their Happily-Ever-After, but the old-fashioned way: they have to earn it. :-) The happy endings in our stories are earned, they are not handed out.

Check out the books on your ‘keeper’ shelves. I’ll bet you can find at least three or four places the storyteller had the characters make irrevocable, un-take-back-able choices. Decisions that—even if done in the spur of the moment, especially if done in the spur of the moment--pushed them closer to the dark edge of What They Known, then straight off the cliff, into peril and danger and their worst fears, right in the hero’s arms.

Big thanks to Hannah for having me here today!

My sophomore release, The Irish Warrior, comes out tomorrow, June 1. It was the winner of RWA’s 2008 Golden Heart® Award for Best Historical Romance, and is a super sexy, adventurous medieval romance. You can check out an excerpt here (http://kriskennedy.net/143) !

My debut, The Conqueror, came out last May—and Hannah’s quote is on its cover! I am currently at work on two more books for Pocket, both medievals. Please stop by the website (http://www.kriskennedy.net/), check out excerpts (http://kriskennedy.net/143) , sign up for the newsletter ( http://kriskennedy.net/subscribe-to-newsletter), and I’d love to hear from you ( http://kriskennedy.net/contact-me)

Why Don't Heroines Scrub Toilets?

2010-05-25T12:46:00.000-07:00

First off - apologies for being so absent. Booked myself a bunch of conferences and didn't calculate well how much time that would suck up or how little else I would get done.
Second - the picture. That's the spirit one wants in a heroine. Perhaps a little less suicidal, but you get my point.

The question that headlines this? Well, when was the last time you read of a heroine scrubbing a toilet? Or a floor? Or hanging laundry? Or cleaning up cat barf? Not very romantic or exciting, is it.    Too close to the real life we all lead day to day as well. It's not that you never read of them doing such things, just that it's not too common in a romance.

We want our heroines to be different from us and yet be able to see ourselves in their place. We want that vicarious thrill, that sense of mortal danger, those efficient maids unseen and offstage that keep the house so tidy, and toilets that are always clean as if done by some magical Brownie in the middle of the night. That's if toilets are mentioned at all.   Heroines should be able to meet any threat or danger and triumph even when they're scared out of their minds. They should always smell nice.  A heroine should always be able to send the stunningly macho, strong, handsome, tall, rich, etc. hero into a state of blinding need for her.  She never gets gas, or bloat, or pimples, or even hangnails. And embarrassment? Rarely, or easily overcome. When was the last time you read of a heroine still angsting over that time she did something stupid in front of someone last month or earlier? Briefly, maybe, but not like we'd do.

But that is what makes them heroines. That hint of strength of mind and spirit that many of us wish we had. They overcome those moments that haunt we normal people - like the time you tried to give a speech and suddenly developed psychological laryngitis. Or didn't notice your skirt was caught up and showing your underwear as you walked out of the bathroom into a crowded room. Your plain, boring Hanes-for-her white briefs.

Despite all that perfection, however, a writer has to make the heroine someone a reader can identify with. Even if she's a high-born lady in an historcal or a CEO in a contemporary or a deadly vampire-hunter in a paranormal. There has to be something in the heroine that appeals to the reader, that makes the reader slip into her shoes as she reads her tale, sympathize with her travails, and revel in her accomplishments.

It's not easy. We all want our heroines to be Wonder Woman but readers really don't, not completely. They want that quirk, the touch of angst, that flash of insecurity. It makes the character more human.  And, trust me, it's really not easy to develop a strong heroine yet make her vulnerable enough to appeal to a reader, to make her less a superhuman and more just human.   If you make your heroine a bad-ass, kickass woman who can take down any enemy, you have to give her some softness. If you make her a normal woman thrust into abnormal, dangerous circumstances, you have to give her the strength to conquer and come out of it without serious psychological scars and make that believable.

So, make your heroine the kind of woman that can tree the bear but her heart ought to be pounding with fear as she does it. Make her a woman who can appeal to that hero we all would like to walk into our life and can make love so expertly that our eyes cross, but enough of an ordinary woman to wonder if she can hold him.(after all he's a hero and mega-scrumptious) Make her a woman who can take care of herself but still holds the wish for a partner, a happily-ever-after, a love that will last.

And that's just my opinion. Maybe next time I'll pontificate on heroes.

Spend a day with Catherine Anne Collins

2010-05-24T15:14:00.000-07:00

First of all, I’d like to thank Hannah for being kind enough to host me on her blog today. I was fortunate enough to meet her at the RT Booklovers Convention in Columbus, Ohio just a short time ago. It was a fun week and I certainly enjoyed the experience…the convention, as well as meeting Hannah.

To be honest, I had trouble deciding what to write about for the blog. My creative juices just weren’t flowing the way they should be and I was stumped. So, that’s what I decided to write about. Stroking the creative muse. Stoking the writing fires. Striking the old gray matter into full drive…you get the idea.

Part of what pushes me to write is my own warped sense of reality. Yup. I have a warped mind, but don’t tell my husband because he tells me I do and I keep denying it. Anyway, I love to write about places that exist only in a briefest flicker of memory tucked in a hidden part of our minds. You know, Avalon, Atlantis, Lemuria, Camelot. Creating these places as they might have been and populating them with characters who each have a story to tell is what I love. Ideas run through my mind daily and trying to shape them into some semblance of a story that my readers might enjoy is one of the motivating factors of my writing.

The other thing that motivates me…ahhh, I wish you could see and feel what I do at this moment. I’m sitting in our front yard inhaling the scent of lilacs, watching birds of all kinds dive to the feeder and fight for the peanuts on the ground. A gentle breeze blows the cedar trees that surround our house and yard, while cows low a mellow sound in the distance. Once in awhile one of our resident red squirrels scatters the birds from the ground as he runs in for a peanut and darts back to his hideaway under our flowering bush. (Don’t ask me what kind of bush. The flowers are pink, that’s all I know.) Soon, I’ll go down to the barn, where the sun will be setting beyond the forest of trees and my goats will run to greet me—crying all the way. As they all get their hugs and I put fresh straw on their bed, peace will swell within me. The peace of nature at its best and the love of animals that I’ve raised from kids. That is the other half of what motivates me.

Now you know my secret. I’m fed by the love of a mystical story and the surroundings of 50 acres of nature that I’m fortunate enough to enjoy every day. I’ve told you what motivates me to write 1000’s of words a day, (okay, 100’s of words a day) now, I’d love to hear what gets you motivated. If you’re not a writer, that’s okay as well. Share with us what motivates you to make it through your day, whether you’re a stay-at-home mom, career woman, student…whatever.

Oh, gosh, I had better not forget to promote my books. My two most recent are The Crystal of Light and A Witch’s Lament and you can find information about them here: www.catherineannecollins.com/books.htm

Thanks again for having me, Hannah. I hope everyone has a great day.

Finding Time for Mef by JM Griffin

2010-05-17T18:15:00.000-07:00

Writing is a wonderful outlet, though when it comes time to stop, I often find it difficult. The words keep flowing, but the body says “Enough”. How do I overcome this problem? It isn’t as if I don’t try, but when my eyes cross instead of my t’s, then I know I need fresh air, some exercise and a good cup of tea. Prying myself away from the computer screen is the easy part. Staying away from it for at least a brief period of time is what’s hard. When I do return to work, though, I find that I have a fresh view of what I’m doing and where my characters are heading. Since I’m a pantser, this is fairly easy. But, I digress….

Finding me-time can take planning, strategy and doesn’t always work out the way I want it to. Since I have no children at home you would think this is easy, right? Wrong! It takes more planning. At least when I had young ones running around, I could acquire a half hour of quiet time (you know, nap time for the little darlings). At this juncture, I find the only time I take for myself is when I am driving to and from the market or to Walmart. Since I drive across a causeway sandwiched between two bodies of the Scituate Reservoir, I find serenity in the scene and often take a few moments to stop and admire the view. I guess that counts as “Me-Time” in a way.

I can’t stress how important it is to take time for yourself. Even if it is fleeting, it allows your brain to recuperate and energize. Something we all need. So take a break, plop your feet on your desk, look out your window and dream of the place you would like to be most. Let the image sink in, surround you and block out all the stresses in your life. Now, don’t you feel better? I sure do!

For more information about JM Griffin and her titles please visit her site http://jmgriffin.net/

New Book Trailer

2010-04-18T18:06:00.000-07:00

Pretty isn't it. Hoping it's still right there when I post this. The book will be out May 25th.

Boy - it's not easy to find pix that go with Historicals. I'm slowly trying to put together a collection of pix but mostly they're just undatable(is that even a word?) pix. Vague things that no one can say - that's the wrong time period - when they see them. Realized it'll be a long time before I get up enough pix to try to do one on my own. The mind boggles over what there might be for any of my Murray tales. Oh, there are pix of men in kilts but they are so obviously modern they can't pass the vague test. And the hours it takes to scroll through the sites that offer Public Domain pictures are ones taken away from what I should be doing - not to mention the strain on the eyes.

Anyhoo - hope you like this one.

If He's Wild by Hannah Howell

2010-04-18T17:57:00.000-07:00

Organization.

2010-04-12T20:39:00.000-07:00

No there's no reason my cat Jackson is there except that he looks like I feel a lot of days. Lazy and easily annoyed by anyone bugging me - like an idiot owner with a camera who ought to be writing so that she can buy me all the best food and toys.

I have decided that I need to get organized. At least a little. So far this past month I've misplaced my character cards - the large cards on which I write down all descriptive phrases and facts concerning the hero or heroine. I could only find the one for the secondary characters. So - hours of searching ensued and I found them holding my place in a huge book with pictures of houses in it. Why were they there? Because I was reading the book at my desk and grabbed the first thing at hand to hold my place while I went and did something else. Upon returning I obviously moved the book because it was in my way. I've also lost or misplaced my rather large holder of cds for playing music in the car, my inhaler, a lot of e-mails my friends in the Rhode Island Romance Writers group sent me to answer a question about superstitions so I could write a clever blog about it, plus some pix I took( I know they're on the computer somewhere but which folder?) and --

Well, you begin to get the picture. I seem to live on the edge of utter chaos. Strangely enough the papers I need for the far too many conferences I signed up to go to this year are all neatly in a folder - marked clearly, and in the file drawer of my desk. My actual manuscript in the process of being written is in just the right place and I can put my hands on research for 1479 Scotland - the setting of my current WIP - in a heartbeat. My CDs and DVDs are all organized as are my bookshelves, research papers, and writing tips.
Anything beyond that and it becomes a crap shoot. Paperwork done or needing to be done while I am working on the next book? Easily lost. Notes on a phone call I just got, especially if it interrupted me while I was working on a scene? Who knows. Things I printed out because they could be useful in some future story? The gremlins ate them or they joined all those missing socks that never escape the dryer. The diningroom table? Buried beneath weeks of mail and magazines and catalogs. Hence saying I am on the edge of chaos.

Solution - get organized. Question - when? Also - can I do it? When I'm writing I get very, very focused on that and that alone. I may have a nice conversation with you on the phone but if you've interrupted me while I was writing I might not recall much of it after I hang up and have been back at work for a bit. Did I say I'd do something? Better remind me. I can organize but am obviously very choosy about what I organize, thus the ever encroaching chaos around me.

So I have decided to give organization a try. Hopefully it will work out for me better than all my attempts at clear, complete, and well-charted plotting did. I will organize one thing every morning. Morning being the time when I am not really fit for writing. My Muse likes to sleep late.(Wish I could do the same) It can't be any harder than writing, can it? Actually, for a pantser like myself it could be a lot harder but I need those hours I waste looking for something. Not to mention the fact that not being able to find something you want becomes a little nagging worry in your head and that certainly doesn't help you concentrate on the old WIP. So wish me luck. I am about to confront the devil Chaos and wrestle it into submission. I'm giving myself a month, making lists, and checking items off as I progress so that I can be inspired to continue. I figure by the end of a month I will either have made a very good dent in the chaos or will be in the process of spending hours trying to find where I put those lists.

Nerds that rock by Jessica Andersen

2010-04-05T07:05:00.000-07:00

Nerds that rock (and fight, fly, investigate, and do other very cool things)

Mayan lore and modern science warn that 12/21/2012 could bring a global cataclysm … a threat that is far more real than we imagine. Dark forces stand poised to overrun the earth and crush humanity beneath a vicious rule of terror and blood sacrifice. Our only hope rests with a group of saviors living in secret among us: modern magic-wielding warriors called the Nightkeepers.

Now, in the last few years before the 2012 doomsday, these magi must find and win their destined mates in order to protect the barrier of psi energy that forms humanity’s last line of defense against an ancient and powerful enemy.

Hi all!

(Waves.) Thanks to Hannah for letting me hang out at her e-home, and to you out there for joining me today as I celebrate the release of Demonkeepers!

It’s funny—although I love reading historical romance (Hannah, Elizabeth Hoyt, and Connie Brockway are among my faves), I always swore I wouldn’t ever write a historical because of the research involved … and then I ended up writing a series that is set in modern day, but draws heavily on the ancient Maya. Go figure!

The new book, Demonkeepers, is particularly close to my heart because at its core, it’s the story of a pair of nerds coming into themselves and realizing that they’re really only limited by their own self images. Since I’m a nerd with occasional delusions of coolness, Jade and Lucius’s story really speaks to me.

Lucius has been one of my two favorite characters to write throughout the series—he’s an expert in Mayan hieroglyphics, regularly gets himself into academic trouble for believing in the Nightkeepers and the 2012 doomsday, and wants to be somebody’s hero.

It was a real pleasure to finally get to his book—Especially since I was pretty hard on the guy in the first three books, what with the whole possessed-by-a-Mayan-demon thing and his habit of doing Very Bad Things whilst under the demon’s influence.

Jade, too, has been locked into librarian mode. Even though she’s a Nightkeeper by birth, and has some magical skills, she’s a member of a non-warrior bloodline and to her disgust is most useful playing support staff to the other magi.

And then, the one time she and Lucius broke the rules and had crazy monkey sex in the archive … well, more Bad Things happened, making them seriously leery about going back there. But when they’re reunited in a wild race to unlock the ancient library of the Nightkeepers’ ancestors and rescue the sun god from the underworld, they learn that they’ve been warriors all along … and that crazy monkey sex can sometimes lead to Very Good Things.

I’m guessing you can tell that I love these two together. In fact, I’m a big fan of The Nerd That Roars in books, TV and movies. I’m an X-Files geek from way back, think everyone deserves a Clark Kent-to-Superman moment, and am totally jonesing for next week, when we (finally!) get a new episode of Bones. And in the ‘new reads’ department, Linnea Sinclair’s brand new Rebels and Lovers has a most excellent glasses-wearing, data-crunching hero.

So, to celebrate rocking nerds, warmer weather, greener grass, and the release of Demonkeepers, I’m giving away a signed copy of Demonkeepers today. All comments are entered to win—name your favorite brainiac hero or heroine, comment on the books, or just say ‘hi.’ I’ll be here all day, and would love to hear from you!

For more information on Demonkeepers and the other Nightkeeper novels, please check out www.JessicaAndersen.com.

Hooray! March is over.

2010-03-31T14:01:00.000-07:00

This has been a hellish month weather-wise. Most of the time has been spent hoping all that water falling from the sky won't get in the house and then mopping up what does. Three nor'eastahs(as we call them here) in a row giving us the wettest March on record. I like breaking records but could have lived my life out quite happily without breaking that one.

Oh - and that's a Scottish castle. Trying to remind myself that I need to get cracking on my next Murray tale. Simon and Ilsabeth are not happy with me right now. Trying to explain that I need to keep an eye on my home as the winds hit near hurricane force and rip the shingles off the roof is not cutting it with them. They say - posh(always wanted to use that word), we need to get it on now, woman. My telling them to stuff it and not to get their knickers in a twist, that I need to mop up water in the basement again, gains me little sympathy. I think they're responsible for the very loud deadline clock now ticking away in my head. I will be sure to make them pay for that.

Oh, I have managed to get some things done on it but nowhere near what I had hoped to accomplish by now. My cunning plan was to get it done by May 1 so I would have tons of time to work in the garden before the weeds grew bigger than I am. Not looking good for that. There'll be a lot, too, with all this rain. That's the annoying thing about weeds. While all the plants you want to grow are struggling not to drown or get some disgusting mold, fungus thingy, weeds are popping up all over the place. Even under the water covering the back garden I can see those evil, smirking, green dandelion leaves.

The few times I have gotten to sit down and write I've found the story is behaving in a very peculiar manner. I never planned to have children in this book. Yet, there's my heroine, preparing to go to Simon and what - or who - should creep up to her campfire but two orphans. Even as I'm scribbling away, I'm thinking, where the heck did they come from and what am I going to do with them? My brain struggles to figure out how they'll fit into the story as my evil-minded Muse snickers in my ear.

Now - when that happens, I have 2 choices.(aside from smacking my Muse upside the head) Scratch them right out of there or let the Muse rule and do a little replanning.(Notice that I didn't use the word plotting - something I'm not all that comfortable with) I know they're going to cause a problem or two if only in my ability to give Simon and Ilsabeth a lot of alone-and-get-hot-and-sweaty time. The smart thing would be to scratch them or even just bring them into the story later. But, when the story takes a turn I hadn't seen it taking, I'm reluctant to stop it. There's a part of me that thinks this is the way it's meant to go. Even if it does cause a problem or two, there must be a reason why I wrote that twist in there. I hope. I pray. The Muse is not always my friend so we will see.

Well, now that the weather promises to be civil for a week, thus drying up some of the foot or so of water we've gotten in the last couple of weeks, I will return to my writing. But - as I say - I will find a way to make Ilsabeth and Simon pay for being so pesky while I was busy trying to clean up after storms. (And spending this whole afternoon waiting for the roofer to come and he's proving to be a no-show) And I will figure out why those two children appeared. It will work itself out. I just don't know how yet. That is something I know would freak out a number of my writing friends but, although it's got me puzzled, I feel I must go with the flow. Maybe they will help the cold, just-the-facts-ma'am Simon show his softer side - if he doesn't get too annoyed about the fact that he won't be able to seduce Ilsabeth whenever the mood strikes.(Payback's a bitch, Simon, m'boy. insert evil laughter here.

For all my complaining about the evil weather - I wasn't affected as badly as some. My cellar didn't flood. The water was moppable. I have a couple wet spots on my ceilings below where the water came into the attic and the insurance has already sent a check to help repair the roof. I may be near a river but the bank is 50' high and it'll take Armageddon or 2012 to make me worry about the waters rising high enough to get me. Others here in New England have suffered far, far more than I have and I send them many prayers that recovery will go smoothly and that they haven't lost too many of the things they cherish to the water.

As for March - farewell and I won't miss you. Here's hoping April will be better and summer heat and humidity won't come too soon.

A side note - please tune in on Monday as my guest author will be - Jessica Andersen - author of the 2012 series, a contemporary paranormal about the Mayan's predicted end of days.

(Sorry This is late to get up, guys, but had trouble posting it - Hannah)

2010-03-10T07:37:00.000-08:00

I would like to thank Hannah for inviting me to write for her fans. I love her books because like me, she loves exotic locations and exceptional characters. One of the male writers at a recent book sale said the heroes in romance novels written by women do not act like real men. My response is that perhaps males might try to be more like the heroes female authors depict.

I wrote in elementary school. My parents were both teachers with long vacations, so every summer we took off, pulling a seventeen-foot trailer all over North America. I was encouraged to write about our trips and wrote mostly poetry, but in sixth grade I wrote a play that was performed in front of the whole school. Pretty fantastic, being able to roam the country in our little trailer, but it didn't all go smoothly. We weren't rich, and once we got stuck in the Rockies when our car gave out. We stayed in a Sheridan, Wyoming trailer park for a couple of weeks while my parents called on relatives to send money. Another time, we experienced a flash flood in Mexico and had to pull the trailer across a river on a rotting railroad bridge. And on the Alcan Highway in the Northwest Territories, I watched people in a restaurant bang a man's head on the floor to knock him out. The man had a burst appendix, and the nearest hospital was three hours away by helicoptor. This was all fodder for my imagination. I was destined to be a writer!

Travel to distant places is usually what inspires me to write novels, but my next book due out from Five Star in July 2010 actually is located close by. The historical romantic suspense, Winter Harvest, takes place in the Hancock Shaker Village in 1838 when the Hammonds, their farm failing, decide to leave their seven-year-old daughter, Lucy, with the Shakers while they move west, braving Indians and uncultivated land to find a new farm.

Keepers of the garden, the United Society of Believers, better known as the Shakers, await the second coming of the Lord with strict rules. Men and women live together in a commune but are physically separated to discourage coupling. The men and boys tend to the farm and livestock while the women cook, clean, and make crafts to sell in the neighboring villages. For a century, the celibate community flourished by taking in young children and training them to eventually become hardworking members.

Lucy becomes accustomed to the rigorous work and unusual form of worship, but is lonely. So when an orphan, Sarah, is indentured to the group when she is twelve, Lucy immediately befriends her. But having lived with her father on the outside, Sarah is wordly and often breaks the rules, expecting Lucy to follow.

When Sarah suddenly runs away with one of the boys in the commune, no one belikeves Lucy when she announces that Sarah is in trouble - no one except a bank detective who is visiting the commune in search of a bank robber. Harvest time usually precedes winter. But not all harvests are done in the fall. In the winter, we used to have to harvest the ice that we kept in barn-like icehouses preserving it well into summer. But this winter in the mid 1800s when the young men work to gather the ice from the Shaker farm, they get more than they bargain for.

Lucy earnestly continues to prepare to take her vows and give her life to the Shakers, but her esteem for the detective grows too. Will their relationship interfere with her plans?

Winter Harvest is my fourth published book. I have three others. Two of them, women's fiction, Passup Point and Lety's Gift, take place in the rugged desolation of Newfoundland/Labrador. My third, a mystery called L'Oro Verde, featuring a nun detective in Tuscany, was published under the name L E Chamberlain.

While my books are not romance novels per se, they all have romantic elements. In Passup, after dealing with their pasts, both the hero and the heroine find love. In Lety's Gift, the heroine falls in love with a fellow priest. And in L'Oro Verde, there is unlikely passion and a relationship between two of the characters.

Lety's Gift also has some paranormal elements. Sophie is born with the gift - a gift that leads to her breakdown in an orphanage. After she is ordained, she becomes the chaplain in a hospital on the remote tip of western Newfoundland, and spirits in the closed-up mental ward on the fourth floor warn her of dangers.

You can visit my website at http://www.coraliehjensen.com/ or go to my Facebook account under Coralie Hughes Jensen or my twitter account under Corkyhj.
You can also veiw Letty's Gift at http://www.amazon.com/Lety'sGift and L'oro Verde at http://www.amazon.com/L'oro

Where's my Muse?!

2010-03-03T14:01:00.000-08:00

See that? Those are the feet of my cat Jackson. I just spent a lot of time getting him to stand on the copier so I could scan them in. It's called procrastination taken to the heights of a true art form. Oh, sure, I could claim I was practicing how to use the scanner so I could scan in old pics and important papers but the mind scoffs at such an excuse. Big loud scoffing. I was - plain and simple - wasting time. Dithering about. Doing anything but what I should be doing - working on the next book.

Sent the next vamp novella in Monday. Began to think it was cursed as I changed the start and it required a lot more rewriting than I had anticipated and then - just as I'm about to get it sent in - the lights go out for a day. So, yes,one could say I deserve a little break - but scanning a pic of my cat's feet into the computer? That's stretching it.

The thing is, I have another Murray tale to write and I just don't know how to start it. Have about three beginnings in mind and don't know which one I like best. My heroine Ilsabeth is not helping and all the hero wants is for me to get her delicious self to him ASAP so he can seduce her. Men. No help at all.

My Muse? Obviously on vacation or just plain undecided. The solution is - write all three openings and see which one starts the old creative juices flowing. The urge to do that is lacking. I seem to think I can just mull it over and inspiration will strike. Ain't happening. Instead I'm scanning weird things into the computer.

Oh, I know what is to happen at the start, what will send Ilsabeth running into Simon's arms, but just how that takes place is the puzzle. Beginnings can be a real pain in the buttsky. You want them to grab the reader, entice the reader, make the reader want to turn the page and keep on going. That can actually be very intimidating to a writer. Yes, sometimes it's just there, ready to practically write itself . Other times it's almost there but maybe this would work better or this - you get the drift. It's not writer's block but it can be just as bad. Roadblock - you're sitting there wondering which way to turn and the Tom-Tom in your brain is giving you too many ways to go. So - you idle there. Not good.

In the end, what I will do is write the first couple sentences of each beginning - maybe even the first paragraph - and see which has more snap. Or which makes me want to keep on going and thumb my nose at all the other possibilities. So Ilsabeth best step up to the starting line because I intend to get this book done by May. I want to be able to do some gardening and not spend that all important month(to gardening) sitting at the computer. But right now I see Perkins - Jackson's sister who has a lot of extra toes - and am wondering if I can get her to stand on the copier.

COWBOYS OR MEN IN KILTS: MUST WE CHOOSE

2010-03-01T04:04:00.000-08:00

As countless thousands of her loyal readers know, Hannah Howell has written many wonderful books set in sixteenth century Scotland. The level of heat between hero and heroine is suggestive but not explicit.

You can read Hannah’s books in the cafeteria at work, on public transport, or anywhere. My favourite place is the bathtub with water hot, white wine chilled and dark chocolate within reach.

There’s just something about a tall, strong man in a kilt that sets my heart beating. That broad chest, those muscular thighs, that kilt blowing in the wind….

Then there’s cowboys, riding high in the saddle, setting blood pumping through my veins. The broad chests, muscular thighs, snug jeans cupping butts that just makes you want to smile.

I should mention I write hot and erotic romance.

COWBOY SANDWICH, electronically published by Siren-BookStrand, Inc. in June, 2009, features two hot cowboys. Adam and Bryan are eager to prove to our heroine that live is worth living fully.

The sequel, COWBOY DOUBLE-DECKER, due out electronically by June 2010, has even more fun. While happy with his life, Bryan heads out from their Montana organic cattle ranch to find himself a wife of his own.

But no matter the level of heat, the men in Hannah’s kilts and my saddles are heroes. The sort of man you rarely see anymore in cities. No office ‘cube dudes’* the heroes in these books are the type of men who go out in all weather, facing dire consequences, to do what must be done.

So, what is it about these heroic men that makes us want to jump into stories featuring them? Yeah, great bods are a given. And isn’t it wonderful to take those arrogant so-and-so’s down a few pegs?

Real men wear kilts with pride. These men know what they’ve got and how to use it with dignity, perseverance and a twinkle in their eye. Muscles? Go to any Highland Games and you’ll see men tossing the caber (56 pound telephone pole, end to end) or throwing a (16 pound) hammer. Watch them dance the fling or the sword dance (two crossed swords, dancing between and around the sharp bits). See the kilts, well, fling as they dance.

Is it hot in here or is it just me reacting to all that testosterone?

And while we’re on the subject of heat, what about hot cowboy romance? Erotic romance featuring cowboys fly from electronic publisher’s shelves, downloaded by eager readers all over the world. The men in my COWBOY SANDWICH are so hot they’d leave a brand in the saddle if they lived in real life.

Ah, yes. Real life.

Would we want to marry any of these men?

I know what you’re thinking: have one man to fix all those things falling apart, another to cook and clean, and the third to amuse you. In fantasy-land the master bedroom is larger than the back half of your home or whole apartment, the bathroom is the size of your kitchen and you never have to bend over to scrub the darn tub!

But real life? We get up before the crack of dawn to start on our day. Working outside the home, or even harder inside it, with hungry children with homework to supervise, food to cook, laundry to wash and that man holding the remote with an iron grip until everything’s done and he wants to get frisky.

THAT’S why we need to read a romance book. To sigh over wonderful heroes in kilts or saddles who take us far from reality.

To Scotland, where the midges never bite naughty bits while we’re rolling in the heather with our heroic man, sans kilt.

To the mountains and plains where our cowboys ride hard and fast in tight jeans to meet us by the secret pond. Where we then enjoy kisses and more without black flies, mosquitoes, chiggers, snakes, or [insert your choice here] to bother us.

In both cases we return home to castle, keep or ranch where some helpful servants take care of all those boring chores. Then it’s happily ever after time.

We close the cover of our book (or e-reader), sigh and realize the bath water is cold, the wine warm and the chocolate melted.

Whether it’s with a cowboy or hunk in a kilt, we’ve spent some wonderful time far away from reality.

We might even learn something to teach our partner(s). With erotic romance, you might point out to your partner a few choice sections to provide ideas of what you’d like. Maybe not the whipped cream and chocolate because we know who’ll end up doing the laundry, but maybe that thing about the silk ties and blindfold….

* Reece Butler claims the phrase ‘cube dude’, referring to men who sit behind computer screens all day, surrounded by five foot high cubicle walls, yet think they’re wild and free. Some are, but others only live it through the television, trading one screen for another. They race from one to the other in revved-up vehicles with more acceleration than common sense. Perhaps it’s a compensation thing, to make up for their oh-so-normal jobs? Unless the large, heavy trucks and SUVs are to compensate for something else, something no romantic hero would ever sport. Yeah, this does have something to do with that three-syllable ‘O’ word. But I digress.

Reece Butler writes hot and erotic romance. Her first two publications feature Montana cowboys (plural) having a lot of fun after working all day on the Double R ranch. You can find her work at to http://www.bookstrand.com/cowboy-sandwich.

Introducing Madelle Morgan and her release Diamond Lust

2010-02-22T03:40:00.000-08:00

I am so happy to share my excitement at being a newly published author with Hannah and all readers of her blog. My debut romantic suspense, Diamond Lust, was released February 18 by Cerridwen Press.

This book had its genesis back in the 80s when I was a 20-something engineer based in Yellowknife, the capital of Canada’s Northwest Territories. During five years of flying over vast empty landscapes and short stays in various tiny communities, I developed a deep love and respect for the Arctic and its people. That respect includes an awareness of the strength and resilience northerners require to survive in what can be a dangerous and unforgiving environment where in winter temperatures drop to -40, daylight is nil for weeks, and help can be hours away. The men are real men. The women are so strong!

Gems and crystals fascinate me; I almost chose to study geological engineering instead of civil engineering. When diamond deposits were discovered in Canada’s far north in the 90s, I’d found the hook for the story I wanted to set in the north. The premise for Diamond Lust was born. After all, what woman does not lust after a diamond or two?

Petra Paris is a professional diamond-hunter, a beautiful field geologist on a mission to collect drill core samples indicating high grade rough diamonds. If she does not return from a remote diamond mine site in the Arctic within five days, her dad’s career will be ruined. The CEO of Excelsior Mining and Exploration had her father charged for fraudulently salting the mine’s preliminary drilling results. She suspects the CEO is trying to divert attention from his own criminal activities, but has no proof. What’s crystal clear is that someone is trying to stop her.

Seth Cooper is a police detective assigned to the Diamond Protection Unit. When a mine employee with a gut full of priceless pebbles dies trying to smuggle them out of the open pit mine site accessible only by air, Seth goes undercover as a charter company pilot to investigate.

Needing an excuse to infiltrate the mining camp and search for the smugglers at the source, he convinces Petra to allow him to pose as her boyfriend so he can overnight in the mine dormitory. No fool, she agrees; she needs all the protection she can get.

But Seth didn’t anticipate that Petra’s arrival at the mine would spook the smugglers, triggering events that lead to murder. When Petra refuses to leave the mine site without the drill cores necessary to absolve her father, Seth must identify the killers before she becomes the next victim.

To read more, see Chapter 1 on the Cerridwen Press web site.

If diamonds and/or Canada’s north fascinate you too, visit my blog at www.madellemorgan.com .

Guest Madelle Morgan is a member of the Ottawa Romance Writers chapter of RWA, and works for the federal government in Canada’s capital. Diamond Lust is her fourth completed manuscript.

Valentine's offer you simply can't refuse

2010-02-12T16:08:00.000-08:00

Well Happy Olympics and Happy Valentine’s day weekend. It’s a weekend for chocolate for couples and those who are single as well. This single gall will stick with cookies. In honour of Valentine’s my publisher is offering the ebook to my award nominated romantic suspense DEADLY SECRETS for FREE. Yep it’s completely free. All you have to do is go to LBF Books and get a copy.

What I hope to donate this weekend is over $100, that means 400 free downloads. So please help me by getting a download or if you want me to make a bigger donation pick up a print copy at the site or anywhere it’s available online.

Guest Author - Brynna Curry

2010-02-10T04:10:00.000-08:00

The wizard's taking over...

Good morning! A big thank you to Ms. Howell for allowing me to visit with you today! I write light paranormal romance and suspense while feeding my love of books as a book reviewer for You Gotta Read Reviews. I'm the forth member of the Frightening Journeys blog paranormal writers and serve as a judge for several RWA contests a year. On a personal note, I'm married to my high school sweetheart with a son and
two daughters. *One commentor will win a copy of Earth Enchanted. Please check back tommorow for announcement*

I thought I'd talk a little bit about Earth Enchanted and the Elemental Magic Series. *jumps as a hand touches her shoulder*

Yeah, you could, but I'd bet your blog readers would rather hang out with me. You and your 'cat' feet. You scared me half to death, Devin, just whose the author here? *takes the keyboard away from Devin*

~Always spoiling my fun. *smiles*

You're smiling. No. Wait. That's not why I gave you magic. What about your creed to harm none? You wouldn't dare.

You know I would...and enjoy it, besides when have I ever played by the book. *conjures blue fireball with a wave of his hands* This won't hurt a bit. It's cold fire. *claps fireball over Brynna's head. showering sparks of blue enveloping her in a force field* She's fine really. I'll let her out when it's time for me to go.

So, you want to know about Earth Enchanted? It all started a thousand years ago with a spell. My cousin and teacher Daemon fell for a healer named Briella after she rescued him from the sea. He would never have been there in the first place, but he went against Laird McLoch's wishes and continued to help me hone my magic. My father wanted me to forget my powers and learn to rule our clan. Thanks to Briella's sister
Arianne's scheming, Daemon, Briella and Arianne were turned into the elements they called to for power.

While Daemon cast his dark magic, I was deep in battle with the laird of a rival clan. My father had fallen along with many of our clansmen. Covered in the blood of my kin, I knew I would die under the blade of that dirty cur's sword. All at once I could see with my mind's eye the power Daemon had unleashed and I knew how to save my clan. I called forth a great ring of fire and surrounded the village walls with it, protecting the women and children inside, but I couldn't have known the consequences of mixing magics would bar me from my home or that my fire would destroy every last McGavin on McLoch land. As dead to my clan as my father, I left Scotland and went to Ireland to break the spell, but only Daemon and Briella's descendants could do that.

For a thousand years I've been waiting for someone to break the spell. Funny thing is only love is powerful enough to fight back Daemon's magic and free us all.

*releases force field* See now that wasn't so bad.

So you say. You know I'm claustophobic. I'd like to put you in a bubble.

I'm her favorite. Later.

As I was saying, Earth Enchanted is the first in a series of five books featuring the Corrigans from Ireland, a family with a ancestry of mages. Liv Corrigan, telepath and writer, visits her brother in the states only to find he's neck deep in a diamond smuggling ring. While there she meets ex-cop Jackson Roarke, a man with secrets still reeling from his wife's death. Here is a short blurb.

EARTH ENCHANTED- Elemental Magic Series Book One

BLURB: Writer Liv Corrigan has the worst luck with men -- her telepathy tends to make them run for the hills. When she meets widower and ex-cop Jack Roarke, she decides to keep her talent hidden. Things are looking up until their third date crashes and burns as the man who murdered Jack’s wife turns out to be after him too. Injured, Jack retreats with Liv to his house under armed guard. But with Liv’s mysteries rapidly coming unraveled, a diamond-thief killer to stop and passion in the air, the safe house is anything but safe for their hearts!

After EE, To Take Up The Sword flash forwards to the end of the trial for Ashton Smythe, Gueraldi's (the villian from EE) right hand man. When Smythe is set free, Agent Spiller (EE), convinced Serena Roarke hid more diamonds there, goes back to Alabama in search of missing evidence that would have convicted her killer. Leannan O'Neal, Serena's sister, goes into the wind after the destruction of her home and threats on her life. She meets up with Spiller and together they try to get the diamonds to safety before both are killed. You can find out more about each book in the series by visiting my website and clicking the Elemental Magic tab. It's been a pleasure visiting with you today. I'll be here to answer any comments or questions you might have.

Be blessed,

Brynna
http://brynnacurrybriannaroarkebooks.webs.com/
http://brynnacurrybriannaroarkebooks.blogspot.com

On Twitter as BrynnaCurry on Facebook as Brynna Curry

Earth Enchanted- Available now from Lyrical Press, Inc. To Take Up the Sword- September 2010 from Lyrical Press, Inc. Wait for the Wind- January 2011 from Lyrical Press, Inc. Sea's Sorceress- April 2011 from Lyrical Press, Inc..

Fire's Ice- August 2011 from Lyrical Press, Inc.

Busy, busy, busy

2010-02-07T13:22:00.000-08:00

Handsome dude, isn't he. It's the cover for my March book which is a reissue of a 1999 Murray book. It's about Nigel, the second of the original 3 brothers. Always wanted my name printed on a studly chest. Snicker.

Things have been a little crazy here. Yes, I finished IF HE"S WILD - which comes out in June - several weeks ago and have already been through the copy-edits, but now have the page proofs ready to be looked through. Get them in the mail on Monday(along with a bunch of prizes won that need to get out, too) and then get back to finishing the next vamp tale.

The vamp tale was being touchy. Adeline and Lachann were dragging their feet and I wasn't happy with the start. So - in puzzling over it and typing up the first three pages to take to a writer's retreat yesterday - I suddenly had an idea how to perk up the beginning. Took the prologue I had just created to the retreat, read it to my fellow RIRW(Rhode Island Romance Writers) members and got a great response so will now do some reworking of the start.

And that brings me to the value of such retreats. They are small, they are usually attended by just your own writers' group, a few writer friends, or a limited number of attendees to one put on by a chapter. Small numbers, writers intent on working on their craft and talking, talking, talking about writing. I always find them enervating. At a regular meeting of your writers group, there is business, then a talk by someone, and a few short breaks and then everyone has to go home. Even a critique group can have a more or less set agenda. A retreat is by the group, for the group, and for the art of writing. Yes, there are some exercises and some talks but the biggest - and best - part is getting together with other writers and talking - even if sometimes it's just about all the other things in your life.

To my way of thinking - small is good. There were 18 of us at this retreat. A good turnout yet still intimate. I've also been to one with just two women (although we hope to add to that number next year) You want one where there can be a lot of talking, a lot of discussion, and the exercises can be done by all and enjoyed by all. Sharing a small piece of your current work in progress for input by the others also gets the ball rolling and the input can be invaluable.

So now feel raring to go. Have had some fun and a lot of inspiration as well as the very important boost to the spirit one gets from peer approval. I'll get this vamp tale out and then start right to work on the next Murray story. Simon Innes and his lady are itching for me to get off the stick and get working. Now I am ready to do so.

Oh - and if any of you are in the area of Cumberland RI - I plus 14 other New England writers will be there to talk about their writing, sell, and sign their books. Monday, 2/8 from 6:30 - 8:30pm at the Cumberland Library. I'm going to try and find the link to put up but might not be able to get it up in time. These things can often defeat me. Check out my website for the full info and the link - http://www.hannahhowell.com/
Hope all of you in the path of those nasty snow storms are doing all right! Take care and stay warm!

Please Meet Penelope Marzec

2010-01-25T04:26:00.000-08:00

For Hannah Howell’s Blog:

I am so pleased to be here at Hannah Howell’s blog! It might be freezing outside, but I’m feeling the welcoming warmth from Hannah and her readers. Most people complain about winter and I have to admit it isn’t my favorite season. However, I have found that sometimes on the frostiest days there are special moments that could only happen when a bitter wind is blowing outside. There’s a special ambiance created by the soft quiet of snow falling and a flickering blaze in the fireplace.

The setting for my latest release, The Company You Keep, occurs in January on a farm in New Jersey. I wrote the book during my dark winter of the soul at a time when my usual optimism had vanished and I vacillated between anger and hopelessness. It had all started with a family crisis. I’ve endured other family crises since then, but that one in particular hit me hard.

For some it might seem pure folly to attempt to write a book in that state of mind and in truth I had written nothing for months. But as winter blew in with its long, dreary nights I found myself once more at the keyboard thinking that I might be able to write at least one page of the story which had presented itself to me many months before when I had visited a haunted historic home.

I stared at the monitor and repeated an old mantra to myself. I am a writer. Writers write. They write because they have to write. They write because they have stories to tell.

I had a story. With some hesitation I tapped out the details on the keys.

The heroine, Jennifer, is not like me—she is better than me, as I tend to think all heroines should be. She is fiery, talented and gorgeous, with long, thick hair. The hero, Nathan, is a billionaire, incredibly handsome, and thoroughly smitten with the heroine—though he refuses to admit it. He is rough around the edges, but he simply needs to be tamed and the heroine is well suited for the task!

The plot bears no resemblance to my life. I wanted fantasy when I wrote the story—not real life. I wanted to leave my troubles behind for a little while and see how my characters handled their problems, which were far, far worse than mine.

On the Brant family farm, a cursed spirit guards a deadly portal--a lethal gateway that would wreak havoc if disturbed, but Jennifer is about to lose the farm to Nathan, the billionaire developer haunted by the sins of his past. Then someone who intends to control the portal kidnaps Jennifer's brother. Jennifer must marry the wickedly handsome, but tortured, billionaire to obtain the ransom money.

There is a ghost, too, who guards the deadly portal with her small lantern. Jennifer can hear and see the ghost who dishes out advice in a Scottish brogue.

By the time I finished writing the story, spring had arrived and my positive attitude had returned.

The book has garnered much praise. Romance Junkies gave it Five Blue Ribbons. Cherokee, a reviewer for Coffee Time Romance, gave it Four Coffee Cups and said, “The suspense spills along the way, and keeps the reader engaged and on the edge-of-the-seat.”

Anastasia Cassella-Young from Mind Fog Reviews gave it 4 Bookmarks and said, “The action starts immediately and the storyline will keep you enticed. Ms. Marzec continues to keep you attached to the story by her drama packed demonic and spirit filled tale along with the underlying love story. I found that Ms. Marzec’s paranormal romance kept my attention throughout this novel from the very first chapter. I highly recommend this paranormal romance to those interested in demons, spirits, adventure and love. Penelope Marzec hits the mark dead on!”

Donna at Fallen Angel Reviews gave it Four Angels and said, “If you love paranormal and mystery, this is the book to get. Ms. Marzec has told an intriguing story that keeps you guessing until the end.”

My advice to readers, pick up The Company You Keep on a cold, winter’s night and forget about the bitter chill outside.

But first watch the video at: http://www.youtube.com/pennyspix#p/a/u/0/Zfrf1-9ux4E

Penelope Marzec

Author Brenda Gayle: Help for Haiti

2010-01-18T04:38:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone and Happy New Year. I am so pleased to be invited to participate in Hannah Howell’s blog. I had the pleasure of staying with Hannah for a few days last spring and she is as wonderful and down-to-earth in real life as she comes across here.

Last week, I, along with the rest of the world, watched in shocked horror as images of the deadly earthquake in Haiti were relayed around the world. It is impossible not to be affected by the losses of life and livelihood wreaked on the Haitian people. But the disaster struck me in a way I hadn’t expected—it felt personal and in many ways it was.

I have never been to Haiti but spent many months immersed in its history, geography and culture as I researched and wrote my contemporary romance, SOLDIER FOR LOVE. In this book, Major Julie Collins has just been given her first overseas command. She’s leading a U.S. military force charged with helping to rebuild and stabilize the Caribbean Island of Beljou following an attempted coup by that country’s military.

Beljou is a fictional place but based very much on Haiti.

Like Haiti’s Port-au-Prince, my capital city in Beljou, Port-au-Paix, is a sprawling metropolis near the ocean with a population of more than two million people and growing as more and more people from the rural areas try to find employment in the capital. Most, however, are relegated to eking out an existence in the slums littering the hillside surrounding the city.

There is a huge discrepancy in the distribution of wealth in the city—indeed in the whole country—something Julie doesn’t fail to notice as she travels through the poverty-stricken streets to the Presidential Palace where her troops are initially housed. Accompanied by her mulatto assistant, Julie explores Port-au-Paix and learns about the country’s rich cultural heritage. But despite the outward appearance of calm, Port-au-Paix and its inhabitants sizzle with an undercurrent of tension that is ready to erupt at any moment.

This tension is exacerbated outside the capital where Lieutenant Matthew Wolf, one of Julie’s troops and a reconnaissance expert, discovers an agitator, a voodoo priest known as The Hougan, bent on stirring up the people of Beljou.

Julie is kidnapped and taken to Cap-Verte, The Hougan’s centre of power. As Matt explains during a briefing, Cap-Verte is cut off from the rest of the country, not only physically by the mountains, but economically, socially and culturally. Similar conditions in Cap-Haïtien, the part of Haiti on which Cap-Verte is based, have often made that part of the country an incubator for revolutionary or anti-government figures. Risking his career, Matt sets off alone to rescue Julie without igniting a political powder keg, and he does so with the help of islanders he has befriended.

I had thought originally to set SOLDIER FOR LOVE in Haiti but worried that the preconceptions many readers had about the country would overshadow the plot. Basing my fictional Beljou on Haiti allowed me to creatively tap into a wealth of information and bring the story to life in a realistic way. I was rewarded when one reviewer suggested Beljou was really Haiti in disguise and, again, when several others admitted to looking for the Beljou on a map of the Caribbean Sea.

While geography is important in helping to define a population, it is the rich history and multi-ethnic culture of Haiti that I came to appreciate most. Haiti was the first independent nation in Latin America, the first post-colonial independent black-led nation in the world, and the only nation whose independence was gained as part of a successful slave rebellion. For the last few decades, this poorest country in the western hemisphere has been struggling to undo the damage caused by unscrupulous dictators and corrupt politicians. And yet, the Haitian people have continued to show resilience and nobility in the face of adversity.

But how much can people endure?

The scope of the destruction of the January 12th earthquake is unimaginable. Striking just 16 miles from Port-au-Prince, it has destroyed or significantly damaged most of the city’s major landmarks, including the Presidential Palace (the President survived), and seriously impacted government operations and civil aid agencies. What little infrastructure there had been is gone and the repercussions are being felt far beyond the capital.
And the human cost! The International Red Cross has said that as many as three million people have been affected by the earthquake, with as many as 50,000 deaths likely. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the people of Haiti and the families and friends around the world. The road to recovery will be long.

I know many of you have already stepped up to help and I hope many more of you will do so in the coming weeks and months. I will be donating 25% of my book and eBook royalties from SOLDIER FOR LOVE to the Haitian relief and reconstruction effort; it is my way to give something back to the men and women who allowed me to share their world.

Brenda’s first book, SOLDIER FOR LOVE, is a Joyfully Reviewed Recommended Read. She is currently working on a contemporary romance series entitled HEART’S DESIRE, which chronicles the difficult road to finding love and family acceptance for three Graham cousins. For more about Brenda, visit her website at www.BrendaGayle.com or follow her on Facebook (Brenda Gayle) and Twitter (Brenda_Gayle).