MFRW Authors

An Interview with Shashauna P. Thomas

2012-03-01T00:01:00.026-05:00

Deck the Halls.

Join us today in welcoming the talented Shashauna P. Thomas as we interview her about her writing!

Tell us about your latest book, including its genre. Does it cross over to other genres? If so, what are they? (Please include the cover so we can post it as well.)

I’ve had a number of short stories published, but it wasn’t until recently that I had my first two manuscripts published. It is with great pride that I introduce my latest books Deck the Halls and Christmas Do-Over.

In Deck the Halls:

Jake and Jason are identical twins who’ve known for a long time that there would only be one woman for the both of them. One who loved each of them equally and could handle both the pros and cons of being shared by two men on a daily basis. As soon as they laid eyes on the beautiful new file clerk Gloria they knew deep in their heart that she was the one meant to be theirs. They thought their only obstacle was to convince her that their feelings were genuine. Quickly they learn they’re mistaken when they find out the lovely Gloria’s been keeping a major secret. One that not only jeopardizes the future they planned to share with her, but also places her very life in danger.

Gloria found it hard not to have a positive outlook when she got to see the delicious Jason and delectable Jake every day. On top of that the merriment of the season all around her was infectious. It was the first Christmas in a long time that Gloria was actually looking forward to. That is until she learns the mistakes of her past, ones she tried very hard to put behind her and bury, were now back. Back with a vengeance and determined to destroy her. Now all she hoped for Christmas was that the people she’d grown to love wouldn’t get caught in the crossfire.

In Christmas Do-over:

Alone from an earlier age, Julian McGee hates the holidays. This one is shaping up to be the worst yet. Stuck between a rock and hard place, Julian drowns his sorrow in his favorite pub. In order to keep a roof over his head, he may have to take on a job he doesn't want—something worse than anything he's done.

All hope seems lost when a beautiful redhead arrives and expresses an interest in Julian. Their instant attraction spurs him into taking the lovely nymph home for a night of passion.

His Christmas angel reveals they didn't meet by accident. The hot, mysterious, woman came specifically to meet Julian and dangles a tantalizing proposition in front of him.

Something that will change his life forever and make the Christmas season one he'll never forget.

Christmas Do Over

Though both are erotic Christmas themed novellas; Deck the Halls is a contemporary ménage romance while Christmas Do-Over is a contemporary sci-fi romance.

What can we expect from you in the future?

With a number of memorable characters and romantic tales floating around in my head you can expect to see many more erotic tales. The overall themes may vary: BDSM, Sci-fi, futuristic, contemporary, historical, m/f, f/f, m/f/m, m/f/f, but all will be memorable. What I do look forward to is finally finishing some of the longer books I’ve been working on and seeing them published. There are also some story lines that would make up a book series. To have a book series of mine published for the entire world to enjoy is an accomplishment I’ve dreamt about since I first began writing full time.

How do we find out about you and your books?

For more information on me and all of my published works, books and short stories, you can check out my website http://www.sptpassions.weebly.com. You can also check out my professional facebook page http://www.facebook.com/sptpassions. And on a Romance authors and books forum she maintains a topic stream that she updates with info on her published works http://kirkhamsebooks.com/forum/romance-authors-and-books/books-by-shashauna-p-thomas/.

Why did you decide to write romance novels?

Everyone loves a good love story. I’ve loved romance novels since I was a little girl. Of course the heat levels of my preferred romances rose as I grew older. Two, or more, coming together and making lasting connections and living happily ever after. When I first sat down to try and write a story of my own what began to flow out of me was a romance which really wasn’t a surprise to me nor anyone who knew me.

How much of your personality and life experiences are in your writing?

I think a lot of my personality traits can often be found in the characters from my stories, but they’re mostly found in the supportive characters. A few of my traits are found sprinkled in here and there with the main characters, but mostly they’re found in the character that always seems to have the hero or heroine’s back. Their best friend, co-worker, or confidant. As for my life experiences, they’re a lot more limited than one would think. A lot of the places, settings, and situations that are found in my stories are pure imagination. An author’s wishful thinking of how it would be to visit new places, find themselves in new situations, and meeting new exciting people.

When did you first think about writing and what prompted you to submit your first ms?

I started writing poems when I was younger. It wasn’t until after I graduated from college did I write my first story. A sorority sister of mine who knew I enjoyed creative writing forwarded me an e-mail from Erotic Author Zane’s mailing list promoting the open call submissions Strehbor books was holding. A couple of the open calls inspired my creativity so I ended up creating four short story erotic romances and submitted them. While working on my stories something inside me just clicked and I knew for certain that this was what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. This was not only the perfect career for me it was the only career for me. Out of the four I submitted one was chosen and that was when I knew for sure this was what I was meant to do.

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Generally, how long does it take you to write a book?

Writing a short novella it takes around a month. Of course that is if other things don’t get in the way. Like other writing commitments, promotion, and of course dealing with day to day tasks that love to distract an author from working on their projects.

Do you have a set schedule for writing or do you just go with the flow?

Though I wished I had a set schedule, no matter how hard I try to set one in the end I usually just go with the flow. I try to focus on one project at a time and once I finish it I move on to another task and don’t come back to the previous one unless I have to review and rework it with an editor. There never seems to be enough time in the day to complete everything you want or need to.

What do you do to relax and recharge your batteries?

When I need a break from writing I watch movies, or listen to music. But when I really need a break I sit down and read like there is no tomorrow. I run though books like they’re water and I just came from a dessert. Getting lost in the worlds created by other authors is a great way to get out of my own head for a while.

What truly motivates you in general? In your writing?

There are so many things that motivate me and the things that I do, but one of the most motivating forces in my life is my mother. She raised me and my brothers to believe in ourselves and to always do our bests. She always told me that I could do anything that I set my mind to. All the love and support she gave me when she was alive still resonates strongly with me today. So much so that I swear I hear her voice in my head encouraging me to keep fighting, keep working hard, and to keep my head up in face of adversity. Everything that I am today is because of her and I live every day to the fullest in her honor.

What motivates my writing is my belief in myself, my belief in the stories and characters I create, and seeing the finished product. Sitting back and looking at the collection of my published works all together makes me very proud at what I accomplished and warms my heart when I think about these works out there in the world for everyone to read and enjoy. Not to mention the thought that my works will still be out there for people to enjoy long after I’ve gone motivates me as I feel like I’ve made my mark upon the world.

How do you come up with ideas?

Sometimes I get inspiration from the most random place like a TV show, or a commercial, or a conversation I had with friends, but most of the time my ideas come to me randomly while I am writing another story. I’ll be focused on that manuscript and it’ll be on my mind when I go to sleep, but when I awake the next morning I’ll momentarily see a new character or scene. Something that has nothing to do with what I’m currently working on but they catch my attention and cause my imagination to begin working overtime. Those flashes will inspire another manuscript that I can’t wait to write.

Do you feel humor is important in fiction and why?

Absolutely. Humor not only makes the characters more realistic, but I feel it helps readers identify and connect with them. Not to mention everyone needs a good laugh from time to time. Taking life too seriously helps no one.

What are your thoughts on love scenes in romance novels, do you find them difficult to write?

Considering I’m an erotic romance writer I think love scenes are essential to my stories. Writing them isn’t hard at all. The only hard part is wondering if I’ve been descriptive enough or too descriptive. Knowing what the perfect balance is always different in each story.

Fill in the blank favorites - Dessert. City. Season. Type of hero. Type of heroine.

Favorite Dessert – Strawberry Ice-cream

Favorite Season – Summer

Bondage by the Bay

Favorite Type of Hero – A combination of the strong silent type, dark and mysterious, sensual, and passionate. A little cocky and a little dangerous but one hundred and ten percent devoted to the one they love. Not to mention high sex drive both in and out of the bedroom. Adventurous, but has no problem settling down and committing to the one or ones they love.

Favorite Type of Heroine – Smart, sassy, sexy, adventurous, courageous, and strong. Also completely devoted to the one or ones they love. Sacrificing when they think it’s what’s best. Also high sex drive both in and out of the bedroom.

What are some of your favorite things to do?

I love to curl up in bed with a good book and read to my heart’s content. I also love to listen to music, watch TV, go to the movies, cook, and hang out with friends.

Do you have a favorite author? Favorite book?

One of my favorite authors is Lora Leigh. And her Breed series are my favorite.

Who are some of your other favorite authors to read?

Lisa Gardner, Steven King, JR Ward, Kate Douglas, Katie MacAlister, Maya Banks, Zane, Cassie Edwards, Lisa Jackson, and Sharon Page.

If I was a first time reader of your books, which one would you recommend I start with and why?

I would recommend you read Deck the Halls. I think that is a great representation of the types of stories I love to write and why not start reading my books with the first one I had published. Start from the beginning.

Which comes first, the story, the characters or the setting?

The characters always come first, then the story, and then the overall setting.

Are you in control of your characters or do they control you?

I’d say the characters have more control over me and what I write than I have over them. I see them clearly in my head and then I try my best to write what I see the best that I can.

Are there any words of encouragement for unpublished writers?

Never give up. If writing is what you truly want to do than you just have to keep at it.

What do you hope readers take with them after reading your work?

A story that you love and remember. Something you’ll want to read over and over again from time to time. I’d also love to inspire them to maybe step out of their box and be open to new things and new experiences that may come their way.

A biography has been written about you. What do you think the title would be in six words or less?

Life is what you make it.

If money were not an object, where would you most like to live?

If I could live anywhere I’d live in Miami. Have a house with the beach in my backyard.

What song would best describe your life?

“Billionaire” by Travis McCoy and Bruno Mars.

If you came with a warning label, what would it say?

Warning: Must handle with care.

Leather or lace? Lace

Black or red? Red

Satin sheets or Egyptian cotton? Satin Sheets

Ocean or mountains? Ocean

City life or country life? City Life

Hunky heroes or average Joe? Hunky heroes

Party life or quiet dinner for two? Quiet dinner for two.

Dogs or cats? Cats

I love pizza with (fill in the blank). I love pizza with cheese sticks.

I'm always ready for (fill in the blank). I’m always ready for an adventure.

When I'm alone, I (fill in the blank). When I’m alone, I enjoy my time alone with a good book.

You'd never be able to tell, but (fill in the blank). You’d never be able to tell, but I love to work with my hands putting things together around the house.

If I could (fill in the blank) I'd (fill in the blank). If I could afford it I’d travel all around the world.

I can never (fill in the blank) because (fill in the blank). I can never give up because it’s not in my nature.

Where can your readers find you?
My website: http://www.sptpassions.weebly.com

My blog: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4391572.Shashauna_P_Thomas

On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sptpassions

Romance Authors and Books Forum: http://kirkhamsebooks.com/forum/romance-authors-and-books/books-by-shashauna-p-thomas/

E-mail: shashaunapthomas@yahoo.com

Buy Links to book covers:

Deck The Halls: http://pinkpetalbooks.com/Deck-The-Halls-by-Shashauna-P.-Thomas.html

Christmas Do-Over: https://spsilverpublishing.com/product_book_info/coming-soon-c-2/christmas-do-over-ebook-p-695

Bondage by the Bay – Kink in San Francisco: http://shop.renebooks.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=CHRISTIAN-08

Where’s your favorite place to hang out online?
My favorite places to hangout are my website, my blog, and my Facebook page.

Shashauna P. Thomas graduated from Cornell University and SUNY Stony Brook with two BAs' before returning to the Bronx where she was born and raised. It wasn’t until after college that she first began writing erotic romances for open call submissions. That is when she discovered that writing was her true passion and she’s been crafting the vivid tales she sees in her head ever since. With the love and support of family, friends, and her sorority sisters the D.I.V.A.S. of Lambda Fe Usöñ Sorority Inc. she has had a number of her erotic stories published. One of her greatest hopes is that her stories inspire her readers to be open-minded and to not be afraid to try new things. And most importantly to follow their hearts no matter where it leads them.

Leap Year Blog Hop

2012-02-29T00:04:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the Leap Year Blog Hop.

This hop consists of 9 authors with 9 prizes. Please comment on every blog where you want to be entered for a prize.

Below is the order of the hop. Enjoy!

Amber Kallyn	Paranormal & Erotic romance	http://amberkallyn.wordpress.com	1 e-copy (PDF) of Dragos Burned by Amber Kallyn
Barbara Edwards	Barbara Edwards Comments	http://barbaraedwardscomments.wordpress.com/	ebook copy of Ancient Blood awarded to one lucky commenter let me know any other details.
M. S. Spencer	M. S. Spencer ~ Tale Spinner	http://msspencertalespinner.blogspot.com	1 of my four romantic suspense M/F releases, Lost in His Arms, Lost & Found, Losers Keepers or Triptych
Juliette Springs	Juliette Speaks	www.darkersideofromance.com	Paranormal Romance Paperback Pack (three books)
Wendy Soliman	Confessions of a Writer	http://wendysoliman.blogspot.com/	Copy of my contemporary romance ebook - A Class Apart
Rachel Haimowitz	Fantasy Unbound	http://rachel-haimowitz.blogspot.com	An e-copy of each of my first-in-series titles: Counterpoint (Song of the Fallen #1), Anchored (Belonging #1), and Master Class (Master Class #1)
Janice Seagraves	Janice Seagraves	http://ladyjanice.blogspot.com/	Pukka shell necklace
Lynn Crain	Lynn Crain's XtraOrdinary Romance	www.lynncrain.blogspot.com	Copy of my indie short, A Lover for Rachel, and a $20 gift certificate from Amazon or ARe, winner's choice
R. Ann Siracusa	It's The Journey That Counts	http://www.rannsiracusa.com/blog	First two ebooks of the Tour Director Extraordinaire series and a free critique of the first 50 pages of an unpublished novel.

Dream a Little Dream of Me

2012-02-21T06:08:00.001-05:00

Everyone dreams. You might not remember them, or may be superstitious and hesitate to tell your dreams before breakfast for fear the revelation will bring you bad luck, but everyone dreams.

I do my best dreaming in the hour before I wake. The minute I open my eyes, the dreams evaporate. All memory of the dream fades, too. I tried keeping a notepad and pen beside my bed, but I couldn't write fast enough and the dreams still fled.

What about the other dreams? The kind you dream when you're awake? I've lived long enough I can safely say all my dreams have now come true. How about yours?

Restored Dreams

In Restored Dreams, my latest eBook release from Desert Breeze Publishing, Treasure Montgomery dreams of fixing her leaky roof, of remodeling her hundred-year-old kitchen, of someday opening a home for abused and unwanted boys on her property. She owns four-hundred acres, room for each boy to raise a colt of his own, but doesn't have money to pay for the needed repairs to her house.

Like so many other homeowners, Treasure is house poor. Her teacher's salary barely covers her property taxes and monthly expenses. Try as she may, she can't save enough money to put a new roof on the century-old Victorian house she inherited from the great aunt who raised her.

Treasure may have an empty bank account, but she has a heart big as all outdoors. She gives free equine therapy classes to abused children, and holds a story hour for children hospitalized with leukemia. On the drive home she dreams of restoring the original beauty of her house. Winning the lottery would be a big help.

Then Bradley Harrington Coleman the Third arrives in town. He prefers the name Buck. This retired rodeo champion has dreams, too. He dreams of making a difference in the lives of the residents of Lakeview, hopes to right some of the wrongs suffered because of his grandfather nefarious deeds. Buck inherited a fortune from his ruthless father, money he refuses to spend on himself, and soon becomes the Bill Gates of the rural community, spreading his millions around where the money will do the most good.

After putting a new roof on a Lakeview church and the community center, Buck sets his sights on Treasure's repairs. The penniless middle-school teacher needs a contractor to replace the water-damaged floor in her upstairs bathroom and Buck, a licensed craftsman, offers to do the job.

Poor Treasure hasn't saved enough to do the repairs right. Yes, she's fully aware her roof still leaks and the next rain might damage the new bathroom floor, and no, much as she'd like to, she won't take Buck up on his offer to replace her roof at no cost. Too proud for her own good, she insists on paying her own way, refuses to accept charity, and rejects outright Buck's offer of an interest-free loan.

Just when it looks like Treasure won't be getting her roof repaired before the next rain she gets an unexpected windfall and tells Buck to go-ahead with the roof. He mistakenly thinks Treasure gave the okay to put on a new roof, promptly buys the shingles and sets to work.

Weeks later, after the new roof is in place and Treasure has fallen in love with Buck, she learns the truth. Her dream turns into a nightmare. Because he overspent, she doesn't have enough money set aside to pay Buck back and she fears he will take her house.

How could he do this to her?

Buck dreams of making Treasure his wife, then helping her establish the home for abused and unwanted boys she dreams of on her property until Treasure angrily confronts him about the cost of her new roof. He never dreamed she'd be so furious with him she'd sell her favorite antique to settle his bill, then order him out of her life.

Can he make amends?

Dreams come to us when we least expect them, teasing and tempting us with tantalizing certainty. My fervent dream is I've tempted you to download and read Restored Dreams. Enjoy.

Restored Dreams Blurb:

Her roof leaks, the plumbing, too, but on a teacher's salary Treasure Montgomery can barely pay the taxes on her property, so the list of needed repairs to the grand Victorian house she inherited from the aunt who raised her continues to grow.

Treasure surrounds herself with other people's children, seeking some fulfillment in an otherwise empty life until she meets Buck. A retired rodeo rider turned philanthropist, Buck willingly donates his labor to anyone who needs a helping hand, spending his father's ill-gotten fortune to make amends for his father's bad deeds, but Treasure wants no part of his charity.

Buck persists. Treasure resists, and he turns to subterfuge to get around the obstacles she throws in his path. She learns the truth and fears she might lose her house to Buck. How wrong can a woman be about the man with whom she's fallen in love?

Desert Breeze Publishing Buy Link

Amazon Buy Link

Author Website

Author’s Blog

You can find Toni on Twitter ~ @ToniNoelWriter

Toni’s Bio

From Toni’s Website

Toni Noel

             While growing up in the South and completing seventh grade Toni Noel, writing under another name, laboriously typed each copy of the newspaper she published and circulated at church.
            When she was fourteen Toni began an autobiography, but after only three chapters realized she had not lived long enough to give her life story an arc. She concluded her effort in the fourth chapter by giving her heroine an incurable disease.
            She later edited her high school paper and one of her editorials earned her membership in Quill and Scroll. She also wrote a weekly fishing column, perhaps her first published work of fiction, for at that time she had never held a fishing pole.
            For two of those high school years a weekly column about the happenings of her high school friends earned Toni a byline in a Scripps-Howard daily newspaper and a neighborhood weekly, the first income earned from her writing, money her father faithfully set aside for her to attend college.
            Toni thrived on spending time in the library, loved to do research and write term papers. She would finish her theme well ahead of the due date so she could type the papers of classmates, a lucrative way to add to her college fund.
            She met her husband of fifty-nine years her first week on campus and at the end of her freshman year gave up her dream of teaching to marry the first-year teacher who had captured her heart. He retired in 2010 , ending a sixty year teaching career.
            The couple later moved to San Diego, where Toni became a Girl Scouts leader and troop organizer while actively working to secure a library for her neighborhood and earning an Honorary Membership in the PTA.
            When her last child left for college, Toni resumed her college education, earning a business degree with special emphasis in System Analysis from SDSU. Hired by a government contractor specializing in research and development of underwater vehicles, she supervised the accounting department software and payroll until the company closed and she retired to write romance.
            Toni continues to hone her writing skills by attending Romance Writers of America national conferences and local RWA-SD meetings. She loves to take on-line classes and reads every book she can get her hands on, regardless of genre, now reading them on her NOOK. Currently Toni devotes her time to writing stories like the novels she loves best, books about finding safe havens for the heart.
            With the release of Lawbreakers and Love Makers by Toni Noel from Desert Breeze Publishing, Temp To Permanent and her latest release, Decisive Moments, a dark romance, you have three opportunities to download her novels and lose yourself in a safe haven for the heart novel, too.

From Desert Breeze Publishing’s Website

Since the day my mother started reading The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew to the four of us books have been an important part of my life. As a small child I couldn't wait to learn to read, and in school I devoured every printed page I could get my hands on. Summers in Birmingham I rode my bicycle three miles to the local drug store to check out Zane Grey novels which I shared with my father, a tireless breadwinner and avid reader. As a young wife and mother I started church libraries in two small Tennessee towns. Later, when the Bookmobile no longer satisfied the needs of my growing daughters, with the encouragement of my husband, I appeared before the San Diego City Council and City Planning Commission, urging them to purchase property for a library in our fast-growing subdivision before the preferred sites were snapped up by service stations. I bugged city officials so much I was later invited to assist the Mayor at the ground-breaking ceremony for the promised library. Although that library now needs expansion, it is my fondest dream that they'll save room on those crowded shelves for the romance novels I write.

MFRW is on Facebook

2012-02-13T15:25:00.000-05:00

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MFRW on Facebook is a sister group to Marketing for Romance Writers on Yahoo. It enables us to post promotional info, get and give help on questions, and support one another. This group is open to authors (published and non), agents, editors, author promo services, publishers, cover designers, artists, and virtual assistants.

Join us on Facebook, and you can use the Facebook page as a target for Networked Blogs, post promotional info, and share updates about your writing. We look forward to seeing you!

Link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/mfrwauthors/

Also join our other blog: MFRW - Marketing for Romance Writers
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My Indie Book

2012-01-28T03:36:00.003-05:00

I had never intended to become an indie author but when the opportunity presented itself, I thought why not? I had the rights revert back to me from a publisher for an anthology and that story needed a new home. It really wasn’t something too exciting or new, so I decided to revamp it by totally rewriting it, get it a cover, hire an editor and a copy editor then put it up on all the major ebook sites like Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

I really wasn’t new to publishing in this way. In the past, when I had owned a print shop, I had my own speculative fiction magazine. I knew about editing and how to format things. I knew how to put an ebook into PDF format but not the new formats like epub. Furthermore, I didn’t have the required software. While I knew I could do this if I spent some big bucks, I decided to hire someone to actually do the formatting. All I had to do was provide a clean Word copy and another more intricately formatted version for the PDF.

Once the edit was complete for the book and it was returned to me all shiny and new, I sat on it. I drug my feet and rethought my decision. I’d heard many varying stories on how authors were either wildly successful or disappointingly failed. I’d heard that some of the traditional publisher would never even look at a book of mine again if they knew I’d self-published. For me the point was that I’d never get all my stories published if I didn’t do a variety of things, both traditional and non-traditional.

When all the arguments were worked out in my head, I plunged forward as the holiday season was fast approaching and it needed to be there for that. On December 22nd, 2011, I published my story A Lover for Rachel with Smashwords who made it available in every format as well as on Kobo and Diesel. I had decided to use a book aggregator for the other places (Amazon, B&N, Sony and Apple) and uploaded to them as well. It was soon available at Amazon and the rest have come filtering in since it was submitted.

I had done it. I had published my own story and while it was a lot of work, it wasn’t as traumatic as I had expected. From the moment it was up, I started to promote as much as I could. I had certain ideas in mind. One of the things I knew is the fact that most indie books take up to six months to really start selling. Yes, that’s right, I said six months. While that is a long time to see any return on my investment, it gives me time to really promote the book as well as decide what stories will be next in this part of my publishing adventure.

If any of you are interested in self-publishing, just let me know and I’ll answer any question you may have. It isn’t for everyone and it certainly isn’t the only thing I’m going to do with my publishing career. For me it’s just another avenue to get my work in front of more people. It will also, hopefully, give me more income so that I can continue to live my dream of being a full time writer.

Lynn

The Magic of Love comes to everyone.

Rachel Hamilton comes to Stonehenge to celebrate her birthday on Summer Solstice, only to find herself trapped beneath the massive rhyolite bluestones with sexy wizard, Dewin Kingston, who convinces her that she is the key to their escape.

Excerpt:

A Lover For Rachel

“Come on, we’re going to be late! You’re the one who wanted to go to this thing. Besides, it’s the dead of night, so who’s going to see us?”

Rachel frowned at her best friend, Samantha Andrews, again. Yes, she was the one who wanted to go to the summer solstice celebration at Stonehenge. Who wouldn’t if their birthday fell on June twenty-first and they happened to be in the area? Last time they’d come to England in June, they avoided the place because of the massive crowds attending the event. This time there was no way she would miss the opportunity.

“I’m almost done.” She sighed. This was the best it would get. She glanced at herself in the mirror of the bathroom in the luxurious bed-and-breakfast that had been their home for the past week. Everyone told her she’d gone from frumpy to svelte in the last year, but she couldn’t see what they meant.

“You’d think you’re meeting a lover or something.” Samantha stood in the doorway and tapped her foot impatiently. “Come on, Rach, you look beautiful. I envy your curves.”

Rachel smiled at her in the mirror. “You’re only saying that because you love me.” She wiggled her eyebrows and the women burst into laughter.

“No really, you are. You’ve changed so much this past year. Still, we need to leave if we’re ever going to get there and through the gates before the sun rises. Do you have the tickets?”

They had applied to get special passes to participate with the group performing ancient celebrations at the site. The members of the large group were as close to Druids as anyone could be, considering that not much was left in the way of their history. And from everything she’d read about the ceremony, it was a very special and personal event.

She nodded, straightened her shoulders, and brushed her hair away from her face, determined not to worry about her appearance. “I do, and I know what you’re talking about. I have changed. I just feel weird about it, that’s all. Especially when someone calls me beautiful. I’ve just never seen myself that way.”

Samantha clutched her arm, smiling at her reflection. “Come on, how many people can say their birthday is on summer solstice? So what? You have baggage. I do too, now let’s get going before we miss the whole celebration.”

“I know you’re right. I’m just not going to participate in the getting naked part. Okay?” She was relieved when her friend nodded her agreement. One more glance in the mirror and she pulled the steely reserve around herself that she normally used in the courtroom. Today was the day to have fun and no worries. Today was her day; she wasn’t going to let the past cloud it in any way. Smiling, she grabbed her backpack from the bed and headed for the door. “Let’s go.”

Their drive through the English countryside was always an adventure from start to finish. First, they had to drive on the wrong side of the road. The narrow roads barely managed two compact cars, let alone anything bigger. Rachel and Samantha dodged the predawn traffic racing along the Salisbury Plains to get to their destination. Thank God, they only had a short distance to go through the darkness of the night. The only thing piercing the shadows were the stars that shone bright in the night sky.

Lynn Crain realized at an early age she wanted to write. She took the long way to being published by doing a variety of things like nursing assistant, geologist, technical writer and computer manager all of which have added to her detail-oriented stories. Now she’s a full-time storyteller and weaves fantasy, futuristic, and paranormal tales, as well as erotic stories for various publishers. She normally lives in the very hot southwest with her husband, son, two dogs, three cats, and she’s gotten rid of her snakes. Don’t ask. Other members of her clan live nearby and include another son, daughter-in-law, and two grandsons, plus various long-time friends. She is a past national board member of the RWA; founding president of Las Vegas Romance Writers Chapter of RWA; has held the positions of president, vice-president, secretary and contest chair of EPIC. Her latest adventure has taken her to Vienna, Austria with her husband as he works for a UN-affiliated organization. You can find her hanging out at A Writer In Vienna Blog (www.awriterinvienna.blogspot.com) and various other places on the net (www.theloglineblog.blogspot.com; www.twitter.com/oddlynn3; www.lynncrain.blogspot.com ). Still, the thing she loves most of all is hearing from her readers at lynncrain@cox.net.

Transcend

2012-01-26T00:01:00.003-05:00

Today we have the wonderful West Thornhill with us. She brings us an excerpt of her book, Transcend. You can find her at her blog http://wthornhillauthor.blogspot.com. Transcend is published by Silver Publishing and you can purchase it here https://spsilverpublishing.com/product_book_info/new-release-c-1/transcend-ebook-p-719

Excerpt:

Gael looked at himself one last time before dropping the towel held tightly in his hands and leaving the bathroom. They were coming to pick him up and take him to his new home in Richmond. At least it was only an hour away from Rick's home in Williamsburg. If things didn't work out, he could always call Rick to come and get him. He stopped when he heard voices coming from the kitchen.

"So, where is he? I'm surprised you're ready to give him up." There was a teasing note in the melodious voice.

"You're so funny, Tink. He'll be down in a few minutes." Gael could hear the warmth and concern in Rick's voice. "This is a big deal for him."

"Fine. I'll behave for now."

Gael could hear the teasing in her laugh. A laugh that reminded him of the wind chimes in Hawaii.

Gael sighed and slowly edged away from the wall he'd been leaning against. Determined not to trip over his own feet, he strode into the kitchen feigning confidence. Nervous as hell, he wasn't prepared for his first view of Jason and it stopped him dead in his tracks. Jason had the longest legs he'd ever seen. They were encased in well-worn black denim that hugged them perfectly. Gael's eyes traveled up over the fitted black T-shirt to the strong, square jaw. He gasped. It felt like the air he sucked in couldn't reach his lungs, making him lightheaded and dizzy. He'd known from listening to Rick that Jason was good looking but he wasn't prepared for breathtaking. On any other man Jason's slightly tilted, hooded eyes, full lips, high cheek bones, and square jaw would just be wrong. But on him it was perfect; like the Titan god Prometheus had sculpted him out of the earth to be a living testament of male beauty. His cock hardened just looking at the man.

Gael took a deep breath before continuing, trying to control his awakened libido. He knew Rick had picked up on his presence even though no one would have seen him standing in the hall. Rick, being an awesome empath, was always aware when someone was nearby, and he didn't want to see the teasing gleam in Rick's eye because of his reaction to Jason.

"Tink, your wait is over." Rick nodded to the doorway just as Gael stepped through.

Gael forced himself to smile as he walked toward them. He spoke softly. "Hey."

About West

In 2003 I decided I was going back to college and finish my degree. Three years later I graduated from a small woman's college (R-MWC) that has since become coed with a degree in Classics and a minor in British and American Lit. It wasn't until five years after graduating that I finished and submitted my first novel, Transcend. The characters in this story have been on a wild rollercoaster ride for those five years. Yes, it took me five years to get Gael's story where is needed to be. I'm hoping for things to move a little faster for the sequel.

I have always been a avid reader and thanks to my Classics background I discovered an admiration for Ovid and Hesiod. I also think Latin and Greek are awesomely fun. Yes, I am a geek and an otaku girl. I love Yaoi manga and anime as well as Bleach and Death Note. My all-time favorite Yaoi series is Junjo Romantica.

I am also a single mom. My demon child is light of my life and he was diagnosed with Autism at the age of six. Luckily, he's on the higher end of the spectrum and currently a pre-teen handful. He has taught me a lot about how to see people and the world in general. Life is never boring and I am asked some crazy questions. I should probably brush up on my American History. LOL!

Using Your Life to Jump Start Your Research

2012-01-12T16:11:00.000-05:00

Today we have the wonderful Julie Eberhart Painter giving us research tips. Help me in welcoming her to the MFRW Authors' Blog.

Anna Quindlen, former journalist turned novelist, said: “Each of us has one hundred stories, then we must write on the news.” This applies to romance writers also. One advantage that we have over journalists is that few of us will write 100 novels. But even for the less prolific, research is a major factor. It's also our responsibility.

To write accurate scenes and dialogue that resonate with readers, we must know our stuff. The more involved/empathetic our readers are with our stories, the more likely they are to buy and read our books―again and again.

Writers are readers. We select favorite authors not just for their stories, but because we trust the information contained within their stories. We don't have to wonder if the town we knew as rural and quiet really did have a subway that we were unaware of. When we see that red flag of error, we know we're in the hands of an unreliable storyteller.

Two excellent examples of trustworthy authors are Wilbur Smith, with more than 33 books in print after a long career, and Nora Roberts. Smith is not as prolific as Ms. Roberts, with more than 100 published works, but like her, the details in his novels are accurate because they have been well researched and are sprinkled with the atmosphere and flavor of their venues. In other words, they take you there.

Mr. Smith lived for many years on a private island in the Seychelles at 1500 miles east of Madagascar off the coast of the eastern Africa. Isolated as he was he found time to research through travel, visiting libraries, studying history, and when available via the Internet. Ms. Roberts used her Irish background and frequent visits to her environmental roots to gather her research.

What makes Smith and Roberts alike is not the subject matter or depth of their research; we don't read their works as we would textbooks. The similarities lay in their use of their own life experiences among assimilated facts. The collected emotions: tactile, visual and auditory generate emotional accuracy. Use your life experiences to make readers feel what your characters are feeling.

I write romantic suspense. My background is that of an adopted woman, raised in eastern Pennsylvania, relocated to parts of the Midwest and eventually transplanted to the South. I've been exposed to a diverse group of people in these locales. My work history, from interior design, duplicate bridge directing for the national organization (ACBL), nursing home and community ombudsman volunteering, and eventually acting as a co-counselor in bereavement groups for a local hospice provided me with the voices, emotions, situations and living examples of the people I write about.

I would be remiss if I didn't double check my facts, the correct spellings of towns', street maps, historical works, plus the literature, art and music contemporary to the time-frame of my stories. Even the choices of names is important to specific locales and the generations.

The devil may be in the details, but the proof is in the authors' works.

Julie Eberhart Painter's latest books: Mortal Coil, Tangled Web and Kill Fee are now available in Amazon’s Kindle Store and in print from lulu.com or the publisher, www.champagnebooks.com.

The Scarred Heir

2012-01-11T00:01:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year! Welcome to day 2 of 2012. What, you say? Day 2? *nodding* Yep, day 2 of MY New Year. Having a birthday in January for me has always meant that the New Year doesn't start for me until that day. And, since my birthday was Monday. . .well, you get my drift. So, Happy New Year!

And a good year it promises to be. Last year at this time, I was having unexplained dizzy spells. They weren't bad, but I didn't like the fact that the room would shift without warning when I was walking. Unfortunately, it was the busiest time of the year for me, so I made a doctor's appointment for the middle of March. By the end of January, the spells had stopped, but I went to the appointment in March anyway. After some tests and a variety of appointments, I had surgery in July. I suppose if there was such a thing as 'routine' brain surgery, I had it. I went into the hospital on Friday and was released on Monday. Of course, I spent the next month at home recuperating.

In the meantime, my daughter got engaged in June. At first she and her fiancé considered a September date. Thankfully, they didn't think I'd be up to it (and they were right), so the date was moved out to December. Needless to say, that ended the year on a high note. Not even Christmas compared to the wedding. It was beautiful, and my daughter was as happy as I'd ever seen her.

Unfortunately, no writing has been done since I came home from the hospital. It was fortunate, then, that I had one book already contracted, and had finished the book I was working on -- sending it off just the day before my surgery.

So, now it's a new year and I'm looking forward to learning and writing more and, of course, reading lots of great books. Are you looking forward to a year of good books to read? I hope you will consider trying one of mine.

Denise

Website: http://www.denisepatrickauthor.com/

Blog: http://denisesden.blogspot.com/

The Scarred Heir

Buy from Samhain Publishing: http://store.samhainpublishing.com/scarred-heir-p-6611.html

Buy from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/The-Scarred-Heir-ebook/dp/B006IX7F0G/ref=sr_1_8?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1326171308&sr=1-8

Buy from Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-scarred-heir-denise-patrick/1107899144

He stood abruptly. “We will finish this discussion upstairs.” If Dodson hadn’t gotten rid of her uncle, he might yet have no other choice, but he would not have this discussion here, in public, where someone might overhear.

Minutes later he ushered her into a blessedly empty sitting room. Dropping her pelisse and reticule into a chair, she crossed to her room and checked inside. He did the same for his room, noting that his trunk sat open beside the bed. Neither servant was present.

Sarah stood in the center of the room, her features pale. Uncertainty hung over her like a cloud. He tried, unsuccessfully, to steel himself. She had to see that marrying him was wrong for now. He had no idea what the future might bring, but at this time it was the wrong choice.

Large blue eyes watched him as he crossed the carpet toward her. He meant to stop before her, far enough away so he couldn’t touch her, but he couldn’t resist the lost look in her eyes. Before he knew it, he was holding her, enjoying the soft curves pressed close, the sweet smell of flowers in her hair.

She trembled and pressed her face into his shirtfront, sliding her hands beneath his coat and around his waist.

“Why?” The question was whisper soft.

“Because I can’t. I cannot allow you to make such a choice out of fear.”

She raised her head. “It wouldn’t be fear. I understand what I’m asking.”

“Do you?” His lips quirked. “Have you thought about all the possibilities? What if we find your father alive? You will have taken the step unnecessarily.”

She sighed. “Perhaps, but if my uncle were to have forced me to it, I would still be married, and whether my father was alive or not wouldn’t matter.”

He sighed. “You are right, but your uncle will not force you—and neither will I.”

She huffed and stepped back. “You wouldn’t be forcing me—”

The door opened and Dodson entered, followed by Annie. Sarah gasped in horror at the sight of the maid’s face. There was a large bruise marring her features and her lip was swollen.

“Annie. Oh Annie, what happened?”

“I tol’ him I didn’t know where you was, an’ he hit me. Said he didn’t believe me.”

Sarah hurried over to the maid and took her in her arms.

Dodson looked at Max. “I started packing. The uncle said he’d be back with a magistrate. I figured you didn’t still want ta be here.”

“Heavens no,” Sarah interrupted. She looked at Annie. “Come, I’ll help you finish my packing.”

Thirty minutes later they were pulling away from the Pulteney and Sarah began to relax. She was thankful her order from Mme. Marchand had arrived and they were able to pack it as well. Yet she wouldn’t have quibbled at leaving it behind had it been necessary.

While she and Annie packed, she’d replayed the conversation over luncheon in her head. She remembered the moment she realized she wanted to marry him. It was the same moment he’d admitted he would be nothing more than a fortune hunter. It was also the moment she realized she’d fallen in love.

She turned her face to the window, sightlessly watching the streets of London roll by. For now, she’d have to let him have his way. His promise to take her to France was driving him at the moment. Maybe when they reached Calderbrooke, before the information from the solicitor arrived, she’d talk to him again.

Regardless, she’d bring him around. He cared for her. His refusal to consider marrying her for financial reasons told her that. But her dowry was substantial. Would that make her off-limits to him forever?

Love Me For Me

2011-12-21T11:14:00.000-05:00

A dear friend of mine told me about an encounter she had with a reader. The woman said she loved a good love story but asked if my friend, a writer of love stories, could write a story about a “fat woman” – tearfully she questioned, “Why can’t we be loved for who we are?”

As a woman that my mother always tactfully described as “zoftig”, I understood this poignant plea. I have often felt blessed that my husband has always made me feel like the most beautiful woman in the world even though fashion designers and modeling agents would surely scoff.

Our heads are filled with stereotypes, women and men who are “fit and trim” with appealing curves and strong biceps. Years ago when I first contemplated writing in the romance genre I received a list of guidelines from one of the “more respected” romance publishers of the time. Some of the suggestions included: he should be self sufficient and usually financially set; she should be attractive and usually innocent; he should have more experience than her; he should be strong; she can be a leader in business with an innate desire to be domestic…

I rebelled. When I wrote the original manuscript for my romantic suspense Courage of the Heart in the late 90’s, I created a hero that was damaged and insecure. Adam Sherman was wrongfully sent to prison as a teen and suffered abuses that left him filled with doubt and shame. Along came Davie (Davida) Prescott, an innocent girl who Adam was finally able to open up to and who accepted him for “who he was”. Because of their love, he was able to face and stare down many of his demons.

I sent the manuscript to one of the two leading romance houses – and it was turned down. The editor gave me the courtesy of an actual response. She complimented me on my writing and said that the story was definitely intriguing and well-plotted. However Adam was not the “typical hero” because of his past - so my story, even though well-written, was not considered saleable.

The world is not made up of “beautiful, perfect people” as oft described in society pages. There have been a few stories I’ve read where heroines and heroes have “imperfections”, but especially a decade ago, those were truly rare. As my friend questioned, “What about the greater population who make up our world; people in wheelchairs, ones who need walkers or braces on legs or arms?”

The world is not made up of stereotypes.

Excerpt from Courage of the Heart:

Adam had never felt so frustrated about a relationship before, at least not since he got out of that little Pennsylvania town he grew up in. His teen-age years were filled with memories he wished he didn't have; so long as he could remember that time, though, he'd never be any good for someone as pure as Davie. He had been with a lot of women and he never made any secret of his appetite or his lack of emotional commitment. Adam had told himself that his unusual interest in Davie as a person and not just a sex partner was only a sign of his "growing up", at twenty-five it was bound to happen…eventually. He shook his head, because it was Davie and not his age that was playing havoc with his libido.

Adam stared at the clock on the wall and decided that he had to get close to Davie somehow. He had no idea how to get beyond his dilemma, but he knew he had to try to mend fences with her. Red roses were Davie's favorite, he had learned that during one of their relaxing conversations. He had enjoyed listening to her talk about just about any subject, he was always interested in everything that made her smile, or pause. A quick phone call to the florist gave him a touch of hope.

Forty-five minutes later he felt a little cocky as he walked down the hall to Customer Service.

The door was ajar and Adam peeked in. Only one of the desks was occupied.

"Oh, hi Mr. Sherman. Are you looking for Davie?" Agnes, one of the other girls in Customer Service, was holding down the fort by herself. Since he had not made any secret of his interest in Davie, it was a natural assumption why he was there. "She's already gone for the day."

Checking his watch, he frowned. "Isn't it a little bit early?"

"To be honest, I don’t think she was feeling too well." Agnes shrugged. "And then she got some flowers delivered and it must've really started her allergies or something…'cause her eyes got all red and she had to get out of here."

"Flowers were delivered?" Good, then she got his note.

"Yeah. They were really pretty. She took them with her."

"She did?" Maybe there was a reason to feel optimistic after all.

Adam thanked Agnes and left the office. It was only when he passed the garbage chute that he lost his newfound hope. On the floor was a rose; a piece of green fern was sticking out from the side of the bin where it had gotten stuck when the bouquet was thrown out.

###

Chelle has come a long way since first joining the Vanilla Heart Publishing queue of authors nearly two years ago with her first novel, Bartlett’s Rule. Now with nine novels on the market, she has solidified her standing as a Romantic Suspense author (7 romantic suspense & 2 mysteries.) She also has short stories in the VHP anthology With Arms Wide Open, Mandimam’s Press anthology Forever Friends, the VHP anthology Nature’s Gifts, VHP anthology Passionate Hearts and Mandimam Press anthology Forever Travels.

Bartlett’s Rule was named one of Carolyn Howard-Johnson’s Top Ten Reads for 2009; Final Sin was a 2009 Pushcart Nominee; and Hostage Heart, Final Sin and A Chaunce of Riches were nominated in the 2009 Preditors’ and Readers’ poll and had top-ten finishes. Chelle Cordero was recently featured as one of the authors in “50 Great Writers You Should Be Reading” published by The Author’s Show in 2010.

Chelle also authors a weekly Amazon Kindle Blog featuring weekly writing lessons. Vanilla Heart publishing recently published two books based on that blog, Living, Breathing, Writing: A Lesson A Day, Volumes 1 and 2. And all of Chelle’s novels are available in both print and ebook editions for every reading device, through online retailers and in select bookstores around the world.

###

Please use only what you wish...

My website:

Welcome to Chelle's World

http://chellecordero.com/

My blog:

Chelle Cordero, Author

http://chellecordero.blogspot.com/

My Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorChelleCordero

My Twitter page:

http://twitter.com/ChelleCordero

My Amazon author page:

http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B002BMBFAE

My Smashwords Profile page (for multiple ebook formats)

http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/chellecordero

and to download a FREE 2011 Sampler of my work:

http://bit.ly/s9WgU7

Cover Me

2011-12-06T03:05:00.006-05:00

Any writer will tell you—covers are always an occasion for stress. In my case, I never know exactly what to expect, but I usually have an idea of what I don’t want. Fortunately, the cover artists for my Konigsburg books, Natalie Winters and Valerie Tibbs, always come up with something that works.

Julie Ortolon did a nice rundown on the history of romance covers from clenches to objects to cartoons. She includes the “headless horsemen,” guys whose heads are missing but whose abs are prominent featured, but she didn’t include one more category that I know of—torso girls. These are the covers featuring nude or partially nude women clutching their breasts or crossing their arms across their bosoms to hide the nipples. I had a torso girl on the very first version of Venus In Blue Jeans and wasn’t happy with it. Neither was my editor. You can see the version we finally ended up with here. I love it, but it took a while to get there.

After we had this lovely picture of a smiling heroine, that seemed to set the pattern for the next three books about the Toleffson brothers. Two of them (Wedding Bell Blues and Long Time Gone) featured the heroines. One (Be My Baby) featured the hero. Of the three books with heroines, two have “headless horsemen” in the background, while one (Wedding Bell Blues) has a guy in a nice blue blazer since he’s heading for a wedding and can hardly show up semi-clothed (although that particular wedding might have been okay with it).

When the Toleffson stories were finished, we wanted the next covers to have a different feel to go along with the new storylines. So Brand New Me featured a couple looking at each other rather than a single character looking directly at the reader. There’s also a different color scheme and (love this part) a field of sunflowers to give the cover a sort of golden tone.

Which brings us to Don’t Forget Me, the latest Konigsburg book.

This is actually the first time I’ve gotten a cover where I looked at the people and said, “Yes! That’s Kit and Nando.” I frequently don’t have a firm picture of my hero or heroine in my mind as I write. I do the usual thing where you think of a movie star who’s sort of the same type and then associate your character with him/her (Kris Kristofferson for Cal, Steve McQueen for Tom Ames). But that was just a kind of mental crutch rather than a real picture of what my characters looked like. With the earlier covers, I came to believe that the people on the cover really looked like the people I wrote about (Docia in particular seemed true to life), but I didn’t start out feeling that way. This time, on the other hand the people on the cover were the people I’d envisioned—which is really sort of scary when you think about it.

So thanks, Valerie. It’s a beautiful cover. And it so looks like them!

Here’s the blurb:

Once they said goodbye forever. Now they want to walk it back.

Konigsburg, Texas, Book 6

Eighteen months ago, Kit Maldonado was so over Nando Avrogado, she left Konigsburg without a backward glance. With the family restaurant in San Antonio sold out from under her, though, she’s back to manage The Rose, an exclusive resort eatery outside town.Dealing with a stingy boss, an amorous head chef, an understaffed dining room and planning her aunt’s wedding should have kept her hands full. But she realizes she might not be as over Nando as she thought.As the town’s new assistant chief of police, Nando’s got enough trouble without sexy Kit fanning embers he thought had long ago turned to ashes. Every time he turns around, she’s there—and it doesn’t help that everyone in town wants to see them back together.One incendiary kiss, and there’s no denying the force of their attraction. But there’s a mysterious and oddly familiar burglar who’s been lurking around Konigsburg, someone who isn’t above a little mayhem—maybe even violence—to cover his tracks.

And a buy link: http://store.samhainpublishing.com/dont-forget-p-6561.html

Meg Benjamin is the author of the Konigsburg series for Samhain Publishing. Book #3, Be My Baby, won a 2011 EPIC Award for Contemporary Romance. Book #4, Long Time Gone, received the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award for Indie Press Romance. Book #5, Brand New Me, was a Long and Short Reviews Best Book. Meg lives in Colorado with her DH and two rather large Maine coon kitties (well, partly Maine Coon anyway). Her Web site is http://www.MegBenjamin.com. You can follow her on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/meg.benjamin1), and Twitter (http://twitter.com/megbenj1). Meg loves to hear from readers—contact her at meg@megbenjamin.com.

13 Tips for Characterization and Conflict

2011-12-01T00:01:00.044-05:00

In writing, as in life, it's often the similarities of things that bring about the most conflict. Familiarity breeds contempt. Here are some ideas to use those similarities as well as differences to enhance characterization and conflict.

1. Is there a particular type of feud that underlies part of your character's background? For example, is her brother in the Army, and her hero's brother is in the Navy, and she meets her hero at halftime during the Army-Navy game? Imagine they are both wearing sweatshirts with Army or Navy on them, and end up stepping forward at the same time in the concession stand. Turns out they have the same order (beer and hot dogs), and even both want only mustard on their dogs. How might the similarities as well as the differences fuel the conflicts, yet bring them closer together?

2. Write a backstory for each major character, so he has a reason for being the way he/she is. Did your hero become an outlaw because he broke the law while saving someone's life, but he hides this? Why? Does he have a dark secret about his past? Who else knows about it? Could this come out at a worse time than now? What will he do to prevent it?

3. Create a barrier between your main characters that keeps them from communicating at a critical moment. Suppose one is telepathic, and the other can't shield thoughts. If something suddenly hampered that flow of thought, what would happen to their usual smooth dynamic? Would the one with telepathy think the other was hiding something? Would this cause a misunderstanding that might fuel conflict?

4. Give your hero/ine an idiosyncrasy. For example, does your heroine tap her chin when she's deep in thought? Perhaps this is how the hero realizes she's hiding something later in the story, and clues him in to make a critical decision. Make the odd habit enough of a part of the character for readers to recognize it too.

5. Create a list of things that your main character wants. Write down three conflicts for each one, and then figure out an unexpected solution. For example: WANT #1: to be a mom more than anything in the world. CONFLICT #1: She can't conceive because _____. CONFLICT #2: Because _____ happened in her past she doesn't trust men. CONFLICT #3: Because she works as a ________ she travels all over the world, so how can she even think about adopting? She's pretty much given up her dream, but it's still there, taunting her. UNEXPECTED SOLUTION: Her work puts her in a war torn area where an orphaned street kid's savvy enables him to save her life. How might saving this child lead to the loss of other things in her life? Career opportunities? Travel? Freedom of movement? How can she reconcile her desires against the child's very real needs, and the fact that she owes him her life? Now, throw in a hero who risks his life to help them both. How might this change her conflicts?

6. What event from your hero and/or heroine's lives changed them the most? How did it come about? What would they do if they could change it? How can you adapt that concept to the current story?

7. Don't be too kind. Let your favorite character suffer. Conflict is the lifeblood of a story. Readers want to see a happy ending that is well earned, so don't go easy on your character. Help them overcome it.

8. Don't be afraid to make your villain truly evil. No one fears a wimp. It's okay to be bad (at least in this case).

9. Consider what your main characters don't want. Is there something they would never do even under penalty of death? What is it, and why?

10. A character was forced into a compromising situation in which a lie seemed the best way out. Over the years, that lie became second nature, and almost seems like the truth. Now, the lie has been exposed. What will happen if the truth comes out? How does your character react? Will he/she try to cover it up? To what extent is he/she willing to go? What emotions go through the character's heart?

11. Create doubt for your character. Yes, we know that the good guy will win, and the bad guy will be defeated, at least for now. But at what point does your hero/ine look at a situation and think "How can I keep doing this? How can I go on?" No action movie is complete without a final showdown in which the hero/ine is so beat up and so close to defeat that you start to hold your breath and wonder "will he make it?"

Surrender Love
2010 EPIC Award Winner
Erotic SciFi Romance

12. Foreshadow conflict for your characters. In the book Surrender Love, the two heroes are generations apart. When a cousin points out the large age difference, the younger hero says, "The age of someone isn't something I think about." Later, it's discovered the younger hero isn't as old as he lets others think he is, and the older one isn't just older -- he's immortal. Each has a reason to hide his age, and part of that reason is a character flaw as well as a strength.

13. Make a list of ways your characters handle conflict, and stick to them -- until there's a reason to change. Does your heroine head for the bar, or chocolate? Does your hero stalk off in a huff, or go practice yoga? Does they both go to the shooting range and blow stuff up? At what point does your character talk to a friend and hash out the details? Is he too much of a loner to talk about emotional things? How might he handle conflict if there is no one to talk to but he is a talker? Does he pace? Does she keep a journal? What if that journal is found by the villain, who uses it against the hero? At what point does your character's usual handling of conflict backfire or fail to work? That can be the crux of a conflict all on its own.

Conflict and characterization go hand-in-hand. How your characters react to conflict is what makes them who they are. Write them with depth by knowing how they deal with life. Ask them questions, be willing to listen, and then use those reactions to beef up the story.

Black Friday Blog Hop Winners

2011-11-29T07:08:00.001-05:00

As you know we ran a Black Friday Blog Hop.
All the winners have been notified, but I thought I'd list them here also.
Ellis Vidler won an iPod Shuffle

Renee S. won

$15 GC and a mugful of goodies.

$20 Amazon gift card, and an electronic copy of my novel Demon Soul.

Kathryn Merkel

pdf of Within the Law Teresa K
and she won a framed copy of a poem "Safe Harbor

Kathryn M. won a t-shirt

Veronica Scott won a free download of Shelly Munro's backlist and a pdf copy of The Cabin

Michelle Bledsoe won a journal, pen and a bookmark

Black Friday Blog Hop

2011-11-25T00:01:00.000-05:00

Today is the Black Friday Blog Hop for Marketing for Romance Writers.
Ten authors, then prizes. You should be hopping instead of shopping.

Here are the participants:
Chris Redding
http://chrisredddingauthor.blogspot.com

W. Lynn Chantale
http://wlynnchantale-decadentdecisions.blogspot.com/

Christine Ashworth
http://christine-ashworth.com

Chelle Cordero
http://chellecordero.blogspot.com/

Tammy Dennings Maggy
http://tammydenningsmaggy.blogspot.com/

Shelly Munro
http://www.shelleymunro.com/blog

Debra Holland
http://drdebraholland.com

Jane Wakely
www.janewakely.blogspot.com

Smoky Zeidel
www.SmokyZeidel.wordpress.com

Ann Siracusa
http://backmybook.com/authors/r-ann-siracusa/blog

Each author is offering a prize and winners will be drawn on Saturday November 26.

Happy hopping!
cmr

Cover Love

2011-11-23T00:01:00.001-05:00

Never judge a book by its cover – that’s the old saying but I must admit, I for one will definitely take notice of a gorgeous cover, whereas one that doesn’t appeal to me, I might well not even pick up. Covers are so important, and authors on the whole don’t usually have a lot of input, although I have to say Penguin/Berkley were absolutely fabulous in taking my suggestions into consideration.

FORBIDDEN, book 1 in my ancient historical series, is set during the first century AD during the invasion of the Roman Legions into Cymru ~

Between a warrior and a princess comes an erotic passion as all-consuming as the hatred between their warring worlds…

The image I had in my mind for FORBIDDEN was deeply romantic, with the hero holding onto his heroine and with them both looking away from the “camera”. I had visions of them in a forest glade with a waterfall in the background. One thing I really wanted was for the hero to be dressed in his Roman regalia so it gave an instant visual of when the book was set and what it was about.

My editor loved my ideas but suggested it might have to be a bit sexier. So I thought I would end up with a half naked guy on the cover. Now don’t get me wrong – I love half naked heroes on covers! But I had this burning desire for the cover to show exactly what the book was about – and it’s about a Roman centurion, a Druid princess and a lot of the story takes place in the forests of ancient Wales. And yes, the waterfall has great significance!

When I saw the cover the art department came up with I just about fell off my chair. It was perfect. Just as I had imagined, but even better! I’m still in lust with Maximus’s biceps and Carys even has bi-colored eyes.

Trained in sensuality, a Druid priestess finds herself falling for the wrong man—the warrior who’s taken her prisoner…

When we were discussing the cover for CAPTIVE, book 2 in the Forbidden series, I assumed it would be similar in design as the first book in the series. But Marketing wanted to go for a darker look and when I saw the cover for the first time I was completely blown away. Without even reading the book they had managed to convey Bren’s deeply ingrained sense of protectiveness and the overall feel was one of danger looming.

I showed a few writer friends and was amazed at the reaction. Several who write dark paranormal/fantasy said they would definitely pick CAPTIVE off the shelf – based entirely on the cover – whereas the FORBIDDEN cover didn’t appeal to them in the same way.

This really intrigued me because when I look at the FORBIDDEN cover I see the mist swirling around the forest and to me that gives a mysterious, mystical atmosphere. But the CAPTIVE cover does give a much stronger indication of the light fantasy element threaded throughout the book.

What is it about a cover that really grabs your attention? Do you prefer to see a gorgeous half naked hero on the cover of erotic romance? And what elements about either FORBIDDEN or CAPTIVE appeals (or doesn’t appeal) to you?

FORBIDDEN http://www.christinaphillips.com/forbidden_blurb.html

CAPTIVE http://www.christinaphillips.com/captive_blurb.html

My Website: http://www.christinaphillips.com

My Blog: http://christinaphillips.blogspot.com

Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/4j7lrsa

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/ChristinaPh

Check out the video!

Aithne Jarretta’s New Release ~ Kissing Santa

2011-11-16T00:01:00.003-05:00

Hi. I'm Aithne Jarretta, your tweetin-fiend here at the MFRW Author blog (taking a brief break from Twitter) to share some tidbits about my newest story, KISSING SANTA. This tale blossoms in the heart of holiday spirit and love reunited. It's short, bittersweet and scrumptious.

Readers will find just a hint of paranormal (Santa Claus). Paranormal-lite is unusual for my stories due to my overindulgence in world building, but the reason is simple.

KISSING SANTA is inspired by several true events in my Christmases past.

You see, I grew up in one of those neighborhoods where Secret Santas roamed the streets on Christmas Eve and handed presents to children from bright red sleighs pulled by modern-day vans filled with Santa helpers and plenty of gifts. (whew! Breathe ... Aithne!)

Reminiscences run deep and tug at the heartstrings. Mix those two magical elements with my three favorite story essentials; bittersweet separation, love's reunion and happy endings.... What you have is a story born of romance.

The last Christmas I was gifted with the magical Secret Santa visitation N.E. Ohio experienced a major snowstorm. Wind-chill factor and huge (yet beautiful) snowflakes nearly stopped Santa.... But now I'm giving too much away.

I'd prefer to share this magical moment that Lily, the heroine of Kissing Santa, has with her young nephew, Sammy.

Excerpt:

Lily wondered at Sammy's odd behavior.

With an impish shrug Sammy faced the frosty window. Then he raised his right hand, placed it firmly on the glass and held it there for a long moment.

Watching him, Lily trembled from the cold. She crossed hands over her chest and rubbed sweater covered arms in an attempt to chase away the chill. Little Sammy had been just over two years old when she left. No wonder she didn’t understand him—she didn’t know him.

Small shoulders beneath a holiday inspired red flannel shirt shook with mirth. He winked and pulled his hand from the glass.

A perfect handprint presented itself—a clear window to the exterior world. He leaned forward and demonstrated that she should give it a try. “See? It's just right.”

Surprised at his simple action, gratitude pooled around her heart. The little gift mellowed her like the warm scent of spiced cider.

She laughed softly and leaned down. There it was—the record breaking snow squall. Large snowflakes whizzed by on the bone-chilling wind. Their size and multitude completely obscured the street out front.

“He’ll still get through,” Sammy said with all the confidence of youthful innocence. “He’s Santa Claus.”

* * * * * * * * * *

If you enjoy trailers, play Kissing Santa's video. Comments are always welcome.

Today, I live far away from snowstorms. But as mentioned above, Readers can find me primarily on Twitter. The pulse of the flowing contact stream is what makes Twitter my favorite online place. I respond to all @AithneJarretta mentions and would enjoy having you join our conversation.

https://twitter.com/#!/AithneJarretta

Tweet this & Receive a Secret Santa Stocking-Stuffer:

RT Yowza! @AithneJarretta is Kissing Santa on the MFRWA Blog ;D http://bit.ly/ks-mfrw #readthis #WW #99cents #MFRW

The stories I write are showcased on my newly revamped blog: http://aithnejarretta.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/aithne.jarretta

Thank you for stopping by. Before you leave, why not check out some of the other postings here. MFRW has many fascinating contributors and I'm sure you'll find something that matches you perfectly.

Peace & Love be with you always.

~ Aithne Jarretta

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An Interview with Coleen Kwan

2011-11-15T00:01:00.008-05:00

Today we have the wonderful Coleen Kwan with us to tell us about her new release When Harriet Came Home from Carina Press. Join us in welcoming her to the MFRW Authors’ Blog. Welcome, Coleen!

Tell us about your latest book, including its genre. Does it cross over to other genres? If so, what are they? (Please include the cover so we can post it as well.)

My debut novel, WHEN HARRIET CAME HOME, is a contemporary romance set in Australia. It’s a fun, sweet story about an ‘ugly duckling’ heroine who reluctantly returns to her hometown only to meet her old teenage crush. Here’s the blurb:

After ten years of exile, Harriet Brown is back in town. Things have definitely changed, but so has she. Now the confident owner of a catering business, she's no longer the shy, overweight girl everyone—including her hot teenage crush—used to ignore. In fact, she's determined to make peace with Adam Blackstone for her part in exposing his father's secret affairs and corrupt behavior as mayor.

But Adam has changed as well. No longer a pampered, rich pinup boy, he just wants to reestablish his family's good name. He reluctantly agrees to a truce with Harriet, and is surprised by how changed she is. He doesn't want to be drawn to her, but he can't seem to resist her allure.

As Harriet struggles to come to terms with her past, her adolescent infatuation with Adam morphs into something more serious… Will she ever be accepted again? Or will ancient history ruin the chance of a future full of possibilities?

The book is available from Carina Press, Amazon, and other ebookstores.

What can we expect from you in the future?

I’ve recently sold my first steampunk romance to Carina Press! It comes out next year, but I don’t have a publication date yet.

Do you have a favorite comment or question from a reader?

I was lucky enough to receive a great first review from Naughty Cougar Tales. “I could not put this book down, I read until the early hours of the morning, until my eyes refused to stay open. As soon as I woke up the next morning, I did housework then got right back into the book until I finished it. The emotions, secondary cast and most of all Harriett and Adam kept me enthralled until the end.”

Do you feel humor is important in fiction and why?

I love a bit of humor in my characters, but humor is very tricky to write as it’s so subjective. I’m not very good at writing humor. A judge once wrote on my score sheet, “Your heroine, Tamsyn, reminds me a lot of Stephanie Plum… without the humor.” Ouch!

Please tell us about yourself (family, hobbies, education, etc.)

I live in Sydney, Australia with my partner and two children. I graduated from university with a science degree and for many years I worked in IT. About three years ago I quit my job and started writing. I’ve had a lot of setbacks and rejections, but writing is such fun I couldn’t stop. I made my first sale to Carina Press in February of this year, and it’s been a steep learning curve from then on, not just in terms of editing, but all the associated marketing and promoting. My favorite hobby is reading! Now that I write, I find I have much less time for reading, which is a great pity.
Are you a member of any author groups - RWA, critique groups, etc.?

I belong to Romance Writers of Australia. They’re a great organization. As an unpublished writer, I entered many of their competitions and learned so much from the judges’ score sheets. Through them I’ve also joined online critique groups, face-to-face groups, and attended online conferences.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

I hope I’ll still be writing! I’d love to be multi-published, perhaps in several genres, but most importantly I hope I will still enjoy creating stories and characters.
How long have you been writing - have you always wanted to be a writer?

I dabbled a bit in my early twenties, but starting getting serious about three years ago. Although I’ve always been an avid reader, I haven’t always wanted to be a writer. It’s just evolved over the years.

What do you hope readers take with them after reading your work?

I hope readers will be transported away from their everyday lives, at least for a small time. I hope they will become emotionally invested in my characters, even if they hate them or want to strangle them, that’s good! The last thing I want is for my readers to be bored.

Where can your readers find you?

Website: http://www.coleenkwan.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/ColeenKwan

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Coleen-Kwan-Author/131730270256044

Facebook profile: https://www.facebook.com/coleenkwanauthor

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5210210.Coleen_Kwan

Where’s your favorite place to hang out online?

My website http://www.coleenkwan.com

An Interview with M.S. Spencer

2011-11-11T00:01:00.000-05:00

Please Help me today in welcoming M.S. Spencer to the MFRW Authors’ Blog.

Tell us about your latest book, including its genre. Does it cross over to other genres? If so, what are they? (Please include the cover so we can post it as well.)

Three sisters, three lovers, and three spirits guarding a dangerous river. Add long-lost master artworks, stolen prototypes and a resident genius and you have a recipe for jealousy, sex, love and a little larceny. Triptych, due out November 9 from Secret Cravings Publishing, is a full-length novel of romantic suspense.

Miranda Cabot lost all interest in love after her husband Edward crashed into the Potomac River rocks called the Three Sisters. Her sister Honor likewise prefers her tower and her writing. Not so the third sister Sybil, who longs for romance with a dashing Frenchman. She advertises for said hero on Craig’s List and is rewarded with the Chevalier du Bon Arnaque, who comes to Washington from Strasbourg on unidentified business.

Miranda and Honor believe the Chevalier is a crook and ask their neighbors Dieter Heiliger and his grandson Corey, to act as chaperones. With three beautiful, strong-willed women in a house filled with three handsome, virile men, the inevitable result is an intricate web of jealousy, sex, and intrigue. Who will end up with whom, and will the Three Sisters take another life as the legend calls for?

Purchase Information:

Triptych, by M. S. Spencer

Published November 9 by Secret Cravings (www.secretcravingspublishing.com)

eBook, 65,000 words, M/F, 3 flames

ISBN: 978-1-61885-064-5

What can we expect from you in the future?

I have a murder/suspense/romance in final draft, tentatively entitled The Torpedo Factory Murders. It’s the story of an artist who falls in love with the man who wants to destroy her beloved art center. Along the way they get mixed up in a complicated stew of murder and politics. At present I’m in Florida to research my next story, set at the famous Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, Florida. It will involve intrigue, murder and suspense. And love. And sex. And international trafficking of exotic birds. And dolphins and sea turtles. That’s as far as I’ve gotten.

What is your writing routine once you start a book?

By the time I sit down to write I’ve already spent hours thinking about the story, plotline and characters. Once I have a general picture in my head I’ll bang out an outline—listing the salient traits of the hero and heroine, what they do, etc. and a few sentences describing the plot. Then I make a loooong list of potential names for the principals. I know now not to settle on a name till I’ve reached the third chapter of the draft. The characters haven’t defined themselves well enough before that. I used to write bits and pieces of scenes & then try to fit them together but that was too complicated for my tiny brain, so now I simply keep writing from start to finish. Each day of writing begins with rereading the earlier couple of pages and fiddling with them. Then I find something else to do—check email, look for the cat, any activity I can think of that could be described as useful, if not productive. About 10 am I begin the serious writing. Quit at eleven for my constitutional, back to work at 2 but a nap beckons. About four I wake up wand write madly for two hours, grumbling about all the time I wasted. I wonder how many other writers find they are most creative when the dinner bell is about to ring?

What kind of research do you do?

All kinds. It’s so important to be accurate in the details when you write. I’m reading a thriller by Steven Berry now, and it threw me when he described a garden as brimming with mums, asters, and pansies. I mean, really. I use the internet to recheck facts and maps, as well as for basic research. For example, for Triptych I had to look up train schedules for the Paris to Strasbourg route to fit my time-line. I also spend a lot of time on the ground wherever the book is set. My third book, Losers Keepers, is set on the eastern shore island of Chincoteague and, even though I’d visited it at least twice a year for some fifteen years, I went back and followed the itinerary of my heroine to make sure she didn’t make a wrong turn into a dead end when she was supposed to be following the bad guy.

Who, if anyone, has influenced your writing?

My father loved to write, although most of his published works were academic. I inherited my love of writing from him, but my mother gave me my love of reading. When I was young I read everything I could lay my hands on, which has stood me in good stead now that I’m writing. I absorbed a great deal of literary structure, sense of place, and the richness of human nature from my reading. The strongest influence came from the English romantic writers—Austen, the Brontes, and Thomas Hardy, but also from Iris Murdoch, Dostoyevsky, and the early works of Anne Rice.

How many books have you written, how many have been published?

I have written six full-length novels so far. The first one, a murder mystery set in Yorktown, Virginia, sat idly awaiting an act of God for years, until it was inadvertently thrown out by my husband, may he rest in peace. It was good practice (I mean the writing) and I would have probably reworked it at a later date, but unfortunately I wrote it before the existence of flash drives and off-site storage and all I had was one hard copy. My second novel, Lost in His Arms was published in 2009, my third, Lost and Found, in 2010, both by Red Rose Publishing. The great folks at Secret Cravings took on my third, Losers Keepers, which came out in July, and will release Triptych November 9. My sixth, tentatively titled The Torpedo Factory Murders, is still a WIP. The seventh remains a twinkle in my mind’s eye.

Are there any words of encouragement for unpublished writers?

Practice. Like any skill, the more you practice the better you get. I’ve been writing all my life (granted, in fits & starts), but I’ve noticed a distinct improvement in my writing from my first published work to my latest. Write every day, even if it’s a grocery list or a haiku. A very good tool is a journal. Try to write in it every night before bed to calm you and sort your thoughts out.

What is the most rewarding thing about being a writer?

No question: it’s rereading a passage and thinking, “Wow, that’s good! I wonder who wrote that?

If money were not an object, where would you most like to live?

Vienna. Absolutely. I have visited and lived in many places—in the Middle East, Europe

North America, and South America, but the week I spent in Vienna was the most magical. The food is wonderful, the architecture varied and eclectic, and the history romantic. But what I loved most of all was the music. It was everywhere—in the parks, spilling out of cafes, in churches and museums. I remember passing an orchestra playing Mozart in the street in honor of a store opening. How cool is that?

I love pizza with...

I love pizza with Phil. Oh, and with anchovies, jalapenos, and capicolla. The tomato sauce should not be sweet but abundant, the crust medium thick and the capicolla crisp. Of course it’s very hard to find a restaurant that offers these ingredients. I found one and when I called to place the order, the order taker fell silent. Finally “Joe” said wonderingly, “I think you’re the first person to ever order this combination. And I’ve been in business for thirty years.” I was so proud.

M.S. Spencer

Where can your readers find you?

Website: www.meredithellsworth.com

Facebook Author Page: www.facebook.com/M.S.SpencerAuthor

Blog: http://msspencertalespinner.blogspot.com

Twitter: www.twitter.com/msspencerauthor

Where’s your favorite place to hang out online?

My website is a freebie from Google and extremely difficult to edit, I try to keep it updated with links etc. and have even posted a lot of my poems there, but the blogspot is SO easy to deal with that I’m gravitating more to it. At first I only posted news of blogs, interviews etc. but I noticed that the only posts that garnered comments were off-the-cuff remarks about events in my life or musings.

An Interview With Rebecca J. Clark

2011-11-10T00:01:00.003-05:00

Today we have the wonderful Rebecca J. Clark here to tell us about her latest book. Please help me in welcoming her to the MFRW Author’s Blog.

Tell us about your latest book, including its genre. Does it cross over to other genres? If so, what are they? (Please include the cover so we can post it as well.)

My latest book is Her One-Night Prince. It’s a sweet romance I wrote for Bookstrand, about a shy, sheltered woman who wants to go to her 10-year class reunion as a changed woman. Don’t let the “sweet” tag put you off though—there’s still plenty of sexual tension and steam.

What can we expect from you in the future?

I have a book coming out in the spring or summer of 2012 from The Wild Rose Press. It’s a far cry from my current books, which are light-hearted and funny. Deliver the Moon is longer and much more emotional and angsty.

Do you have a favorite comment or question from a reader?

My favorite letter from a reader was for my first book, Borrowed Stilettos which is VERY steamy. She told me she and her husband hadn’t had sex in more than 6 months. Then she read my book and couldn’t wait to jump her husband when he got home. She told me my book changed their marriage.

Why did you decide to write romance novels?When I was a kid, I wanted to be Nancy Drew. Then, when I was 11, I read my first Harlequin Romance, and I was hooked. I loved how that little book made me feel at the end and how I felt like I was that beautiful, smart heroine. I became a die-hard romance reader right then, and I knew that was my life’s calling—to someday make readers feel the same way I did after reading that first romance.

Generally, how long does it take you to write a book?

I am not the right person to ask about this. One of the pros of writing for a small press is that I have no deadlines. I can write when I have time or feel like writing. But that’s also one of the cons of writing for a small press. If I had a deadline, I would meet it. But with no deadline, I tend to flit from project to project, working on whichever one I feel like working on at the time. If I focused on just one project at a time, however, it would probably still take me a good 6-8 months to write a full-length novel.

Do you have a set schedule for writing or do you just go with the flow?

I have really wacky hours in my day job (I’m a personal fitness trainer and instructor), so my writing routine depends on the day. Some days, I work a triple shift, which means I’m fitting in my writing that day in 20 minute increments. Other days, I work just a few hours in the morning, which means I can write in a 1-2 hr block in the afternoon or evening.

What is your writing process?

I can define my process in just one word: a mess. Okay, that’s two words. I start out as a pantser, then finish as a plotter. I always start out with a premise and a title—I have to have a good title before I can start writing. And so far, my publishers have let me keep my titles. Next, I figure out who the characters are, their basic GMCs, then I start writing until I get stuck, usually on page 70 or so. By this time I know a little more about my characters and their problems. At this point, I plot out the rest of the book through the end. Then I write again until I get stuck, and repeat the whole process. Like I said, it’s a mess. I’m trying to become more of a plotter, but…

What about your family, do they know not to bother you when you are writing - or are there constant interruptions?My kids are both teenagers now, and they know if I’m sitting at the computer that means I’m writing, even if my fingers aren’t moving. My husband, however, hasn’t figured that out yet, no matter how many times I remind him. Luckily, he’s super supportive of my writing, and has gotten used to doing his own laundry and eating dinner at 9 p.m. most nights.

What do you do to relax and recharge your batteries?Because I’m in the fitness industry, you can probably figure this out LOL. I work out to recharge. This might mean a long walk outside or on the treadmill, or strength training or Zumba class (which I teach twice a week). I also like to play the piano and paint. And read as much as possible, of course.

If I was a first time reader of your books, which one would you recommend I start with and why?

That depends on your taste. If you like super steamy (as in, “I would never let my mom read this?” even though my mom did read it—YIKES!) then I’d suggest my first book, Borrowed Stilettos. If a bit sweeter is your cup of tea, then I’d suggest my newest release, Her One-Night Prince.

Are there any words of encouragement for unpublished writers?

Don’t ever, ever give up. If you quit today, how will you know that you might have sold tomorrow?

If you came with a warning label, what would it say?

Mood can go from 0-60 in about 2 seconds without warning or reason.

Where can your readers find you?
http://rebeccajclark.com

http://rebeccajclark.blogspot.com

http://shywriters.blogspot.com/
http://blameitonthemuse.com/

Twitter: @rebeccajclark

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/rebeccajclark.author

Where’s your favorite place to hang out online?

Either Twitter or Facebook.

A Discussion with Author Julie Eberhart Painter on Branding

2011-11-09T00:01:00.004-05:00

Today we have with us the wonderful Julie Eberhart Painter to discuss branding and how an author can establish their brand. Please join us in welcoming Julie!

Branding? What it really it

Julie Eberhart Painter

Branding? What is it? I wanted to know more about the term and its use since it apparently applies to us and our writing, not just large corporations or thos guys and gals in the pastures.

Definition: Voice? Plot? Values? Reliability, a promise that I will wind up the details of my twists and turns in the plot.

Ah-ha. Branding is me. My integrity combined with my interests and values create my brand, because who I am contributes to and is incorporated into what I write, whether it’s a travel essay, a blog or flash fiction.

But how does my brand apply to my three latest Champagne novels?

In the contemporary Mortal Coil, a widow with a ten-year old daughter tries to save her nursing home residents from the Ponytail Perp. The cop assigned to the murder case and she become allies, friends, lovers, and more. The brand here is sweet romance, family values, and sense of responsibility and altruism. I must b trusted to wrap up the details.

In Tangled Web, an innocent woman is seduced by what we would now call a player, but in 1935, was a user, a selfish rogue or a philanderer who takes no responsibility for their child. She rebuilds her life and moves from his influence to become a nationally known… The brand here is grit, suspense and eventually sweet romance and the promise that the author will not only wrap up the details but will not commit any anachronisms.

Kill Fee, my October 3 release, is so named because it involves an environmentally sensitive article that strays into a murder plot and cover-up. Editors want it pulled, thus requiring that they pay the author a kill fee—in more ways than one. No one suspect is completely innocent. The all too possible story reflects back on the article writer and her entire life. By her side are her talkative mynah bird and her attorney, with no agenda but to be her helpmate. The brand here is sweet romance; loyalty, family values, humor and whimsy wrapped up neatly and logically.

All my writing has commonalties. People have told me, “I found myself agreeing with your article before I saw your name at the end.” Or, “I thought that might be yours.”

Ellen Smith, our Champagne Books publisher pointed out to me that although the term Branding has been around for several years, newer writers are becoming more aware of it. This is why your Web site must reflect your brand, not just your latest or your favorite book. As Ellen said, “That way, when someone says (your name) they know exactly who they are talking about.

“Branding is especially important when building an author’s platform. It’s what brings your readers to you,” she stated.

This makes perfect sense when you consider how we wait to experience the next book by Nora Roberts, John Grisham, Clive Cussler, Dean Koonz or Stephen King, to mention only a few. They are reliable brands in their own genres.

Build your reliable brand and display it on your Web site. You don’t own it; you are it.

Julie Eberhart Painter is the Champagne Books author of Mortal Coil, in which she practices both medicine and law without licenses, Tangled Web, a story close to her heart, and Kill Fee. See Julie’s Web site at

http://www.books-jepainter.com

http://www.champagnebooks.com

http://twitter.com/JulieEPainter vs @JulieEPainter

http://facebook.com, look for Julie Eberhart Painter.

Opening scene from Kill Fee by Julie Eberhart Painter

One

Fall in central Florida, 2010

Penny closed the apartment door just as her pet mynah bird let out a disapproving squawk.

Pretty Penny, Pretty Penny. You’re not leaving me… again!”

“Keep that up and I won’t be back,” she said, locking the door on further discussions.

Penny drove over the causeway to the building where she spent her free day running an American Contract Bridge League duplicate game in Right House Towers. Her uncle had purchased the building that housed retired and relocated seniors as an investment. He didn’t live in it or run the game now. He’d recently turned over those duties to his niece.

Mondays were her days off from her job as an environmental biologist as an in-the-field inspector. She barely had time to indulge other interests.

Humming a little tune, she hurried into the small commercial kitchen and put the tin of cookies on the counter. She glanced at her watch. The bridge players would be arriving any minute; they'd expect the coffee to be ready. Deftly she swung the stepladder open and climbed aboard. Stretching upward, she reached for the can of coffee from the top shelf. Her perch started to totter on the uneven floor and she made an awkward descent just as Lyle Crowe entered the room and sprang to her rescue.

“Steady there, Miss Penny, we don't need any disabled bridge directors, especially in this building.” His reference was to the assisted living upstairs. Their game room was large enough for bridge or dancing or an occasional meeting.

Penny grabbed for the arm of her friend and rescuer. Lyle had been recently widowed, but he was one of the younger players, mid-sixties. He'd just retired to central Florida from the Detroit police force. He still retained his official bearing despite the delicious temptations of the widows who wanted to fatten him up for the kill. He, however, kept a strict discipline. He’d made his adjustments to the single life, but he missed being in the thick of an investigation and consequently saw perpetrators in every juncture of his life.

“You're looking mighty dapper this morning, Mr. Crowe. Thanks for the ‘save.’ ”

Lyle's silver crew cut caught the light from the kitchen window. He looked saintly, standing there, smiling. No wonder the ladies thought he was a catch. “Any time, Miss Penny. We really should move the coffee tin to a more accessible shelf.”

“Every time I put it back, by the following Monday’s game, it's up out of reach.”

“Ah, a mystery! The culprit would have to be a tall, swarthy man, perhaps with long arms.”

“Don't let your training run away with you, Lyle. Most likely our prep is the president of the Tall Club, Chipper Duckworth.”

“A likely candidate for our suspicions. I'll get on the case and report back.” He winked, then picked up the stool to put in the broom closet.

The large, adjoining room awaited. Though it held sixteen tables comfortably, it was seldom set for more than eight. It took too long to put everything away again before the early dances.

Penny smoothed her blond hair, pinned up today. Her Uncle Connie liked it long. She’d do anything to please him while he still played in his old game.

Connie, a spare looking Viking, had insisted she begin directing his bridge game after her fourth brush with true love.

“It will give you something to do,” he'd stated. “Anyway, I need the help; it’s too much for me anymore. Your job isn’t that demanding, is it?”

She didn’t consider her job with EPA easy. Even if they had stationed her here in the boonies, pollution could happen anywhere. With industry moving in and building increasing, she had plenty to oversee. The bridge game, however, had proven to be a lifesaver for Penny. But then, Uncle Connie was the type of man who provided lifesavers, a quality that made him extremely popular. Unfortunately, his popularity did not automatically extend to Penny whose youth grated on some of the players, especially the women. She’d overheard one of them say “She's just too pretty.”

Her uncle maintained his independence by living in his big house on the beach. He still drove his white Cadillac. He was her favorite relative. Actually, he was the last of her family.

A disturbance near the door into the main room, caused heads to turn. Amalia Ahmen had arrived. She was a German lady, close to ninety and extremely competitive.

“Is zee coffee ready?” demanded Mrs. Ahmen, sniffing the air for her favorite American beverage. You know it’s not a morning of bridge without coffee to remind one of the old country, Chermany.

“Soon, Mrs. Ahmen, soon.” Penny gave Lyle a pat on the arm and mouthed the words, “Thank you.”

She hurried toward the table near the outside door to collect the fees. That job she didn't delegate because the older folks, who could count trumps without missing a beat, couldn't add three dollars and three dollars to save their souls, and she had to keep an accurate accounting.

Although the game wasn’t scheduled to begin until 9:30, by 9:15, the room had filled with chattering seniors. Most of the players lived above the recreation area in the building's apartments.

Penny enjoyed all the players, although she knew the women resented her relationship with “the boys.” Her love life was a bit of a muddle because she refused to marry someone weak and couldn’t seem to tolerate someone strong. So far, she’d ended up with a lot of consolation prizes, like her pet mynah bird, Bilgewater, who tended to repeat her love life history to her male visitors.

At 9:25, she stood and announced, “Ladies and gentlemen, find your places please. We have seven full tables. I'll run a seven-table Mitchell movement as your non-playing director today. We will play four boards per round.”

“No skips, no bumps, no errors,” offered Sam Bates, who sat muttering, as usual, during the announcement.

Penny shushed him with a finger to her lips. He reddened, ducking his head. Sam had retired from a career in real estate. He and attorney had been instrumental in developing Peachtree City, Georgia, south of Atlanta. Sam had always been a gambler and high liver. Nowadays, he channeled his gambling prowess into an outrageous bidding style that left his opponents not only gasping, but usually much poorer. And, he had an eye for the ladies.

“Remember not to move your boards until I call the next round. Good luck everybody.”

Penny walked to the director's table to count the money, write her monthly pound-of-flesh check to the American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) and make out her deposit slip to take to the bank.

Two boards into the first round she heard the familiar call, “Director!”

“Coming.” She put down her pen, snatched up her trusty rulebook and walked to table six. “What's the problem?”

“He,” Mrs. Ahmen, who was not accustomed to playing East-West, pointed to Justin Richards, sitting South. “He has the wrong cards.”

Penny looked at Justin's cards, “What has the bidding been?”

“That doesn't matter. He can't play four spades with those cards!”

Penny moved around the table and stood behind Justin, who by this time was shaking like a Model T Ford. The hand he held didn't look unreasonable for a four-spade contract.

“Oh… I see.”

“The dummkopf doesn't even know what hand he's playing, for Godt's sake!” Mrs. Ahmen's normally straight back was positively ramrod.

“What have I done?” Justin looked up, his face turning from red to white.

Justin's ever patient wife, Jenny chimed in, “I think what they mean, dear, is that we are all playing with the yellow cards and you have bid four spades with the blue ones.”

“Ohmygod,” Justin turned pink and stuffed his cards back into the plastic tray, “What do I do now?”

“Just take out the yellow cards, Justin. You're in four spades,” Penny said.

“Vee will see about dat.” Mrs. Ahmen always thought there should be some redress when an error was made against her. Penny was not willing to do more than read the rule and if the woman still objected, she could take it up with the committee after the game.

The Richards, Jenny and Justin, were all that was gentle in the world. Justin, a retired chemist from Cleveland and Jenny, his mate of fifty-nine years, claimed that aside from bridge they devoted their time to keeping each other alive. Everyone should be so lucky in love, Penny thought.

Poor Justin was still shaken and distracted. The Richards had been playing bridge together since the late 30s and supported each other beautifully. Penny often thought if any one of the men she’d dated had been as sweet and thoughtful as Justin Richards she might have married one of them.

She walked back to the table and sat down. The game went on with no further interruptions until the next to the last round approached, Mrs. Ahmen called out once again at full decibels, “You can't do that, vee will see—”

Penny was on the spot to take the heat away from Uncle Connie. “What's the problem, Mrs. Ahmen?”

“Your uncle seems to think he can lead from any hand he vunts to… tell him!”

Penny looked at the board and around the table. There were only three cards left to play from each hand.

“Whose lead is it?”

“Nordt's,” supplied Mrs. Ahmen, not giving up control of the situation.

“Uncle Connie, lead from the board for the nice lady.” She smiled at her uncle who nodded back.

“There. My trick!” With a decisive snap, she pounced on the trick like a cat on a skink.

Conrad Olsen shrugged his shoulders. “I never doubted it for a moment, dear lady.”

Before the last round was announced, Penny asked if anyone wanted more coffee before she threw it away. It was her habit to offer it, although her uncle was usually the only taker. She liked to get a head start on cleaning up the kitchen before the scores came to her for entry into the computer. Everyone had to be out of the clubroom by 1:00 so that the next meeting, scheduled for 1:30 could assemble.

Uncle Connie, being of Norwegian descent never turned down a cup of coffee. There were only ten ounces left, enough to make a cup without disturbing the sludge in the bottom.

“Here, I'll pour it for you. Your hand is shaking today. Are you all right?” Penny felt a stab of concern for her eighty-year-old uncle who was so thin you could almost see through him.

“Thank you, sweetheart,” he smiled up at Penny, the skin around his rheumy eyes crinkling into familiar lines.

After pouring her uncle’s coffee, Penny walked into the kitchen and dumped the grounds into the garbage disposal. She hosed down the inside of the percolator and put it on the counter, then placed the Folgers can on the first shelf, within easy reach. “Now stay there, you.” She closed and locked the cabinet and returned to her director's table.

“Move when ready for the last round,” Penny announced. She remained standing so that she could collect the pickup slips.

The players moved their boards and placed themselves at their last table positions.

Ten minutes into the play, Penny, looked up when she heard a strange noise. A crowd had gathered around her uncle's table. Fear clutched her heart as she rushed toward them.

Uncle Connie lay sprawled back against his chair. Players were holding him so he didn’t drop to the floor. “Connie, you’re scaring us.”

“Come on fellow. Move. Are you all right?”

Penny could hardly breathe as she reached the group of concerned seniors. “Out of my way!”

The old folks parted.

“Uncle Connie, Uncle Connie! What's wrong?” Oh, God, she thought, I can't lose him. Not yet. But she could see that her uncle was very gray, his lips were already turning blue. Penny looked around, helplessly, “Do something!”

But every one of his old friends was in shock and not moving.

~ * ~

Penny didn't remember calling the ambulance. By the time it arrived, some of the bridge players had left. Each had their own way of dealing with death. Penny felt frozen inside. Intellectually she knew her uncle could not have lived forever, but she never expected to see him die suddenly at her game, a place of pleasure and friendly competition.

Mrs. Ahmen, never at a loss for words and certainly not about to give up her good scores, fussed. “Vill the last round count? I vus winning, you know; took two tops from Marvin Fudge.”

“Madam, please! Show a little respect!” Lyle Crowe said, coming to Penny's rescue again. “I can't believe you can be so insensitive.” He grabbed her arm to lead her away.

“But I don't often beat Marvin,” she sputtered.

Marvin had a reputation for always winning—not necessarily without bending the rules.

Sisters, Marge and Maybelle McNish had stayed behind to comfort their director, although Penny suspected that they were really there because now that the pair had retired, they had nothing interesting or exciting in their lives.

“Shame on you, Amelia, talking about bridge at a time like this. Go upstairs to your apartment. We’ll stay and see who murdered the dear man.”

“Murder? What murder?” Lyle asked.

The McNish sisters giggled to each other. Maybelle's snowy white hair quivered around her head as she chattered on, her audience following her every word, “Well, the police were called, weren't they?”

“So exciting!”

“The police are always called.” Lyle took Maybelle's arm and whispered in her ear, “You have to watch what you say around the police. If they think that there is any possible reason in the world to do an autopsy, they'll order one. We don't want Penny to go through that, now do we?”

Marge and Maybelle were known as the McNish sisters, because no one could remember all the husbands they had each married and buried. People just remembered their original old family home and called them the McNishes. Their family had kept property in central Florida since the glory days of St. Augustine when “to winter” was turned into a verb.

“An autopsy?” Maybelle’s sister, Marge asked. “That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. The man was old, for heaven's sake.”

“We're old, Marge.” Maybelle knew that calling her sister old always made her mad, but it usually shut her up.

Marge shook her head; not a hair moved. Lacquer kept her hair helmeted in its original blond hairdo just as it had been on her first honeymoon. Unfortunately, it only made Marge's face appear more wrinkled, but when she surveyed herself in the mirror her cataracts placed a film between her mind and reality. So long as no one reminded her of her age, she thought of herself as young.

“You're old; I'm just a chick!”

“A chick? Indeed,” sneered Bella Rosencrantz, the expert on age.

“I guess you would know, having just turned ninety-four.” Maybelle laughed, thinking that she didn't look a day over ninety-three. Bella's appearance could only be described as “the wreck of the Hesperus.”

Unfortunately, the police officer in charge of accompanying the transporting the body had heard murder mentioned and approached Penny. “Ms. Olsen, I understand that this was your uncle who died here? Are you in charge of this card game?”

Penny thought he looked as if he were about to accuse her of running a gambling casino too close to shore. “Yes, sir, I run the bridge game here once a week. It's a franchise from the American Contract Bridge League.”

“Thank you. And people pay to play; the prize is a non-monetary award? I like to get my facts straight, in case there is an investigation?”

“Why would there be an investigation? My uncle was an old man, seventy-nine, almost eighty.”

“Well… I heard someone mention murder. Did he seem to be acting strangely before he died?”

“Officer, uh, Dexter?” Penny read his badge. “I wasn't with him when he died; I was across the room.”

“I distinctly heard someone say murder. Can you think of any—”

“Oh, they're just talking, Officer Dexter. They don't always make good sense.” Penny twirled her finger around her ear. “If you get my drift?”

“Un-huh, I get it, but I'll still have to ask the group here to give me their names before they leave; and please supply me with the names and contact information of the others who have already gone home.” He turned his back on Penny and pulled out his measuring tape.

“Is that necessary? These old folks are in shock; they don’t know what they’re saying.”

“Sorry, just routine procedure. The coroner will take your uncle's… remains. Detective Harper would slap me upside my head if I didn't follow through according to procedure. Did he—your uncle—leave any instructions?”

“A few minutes ago his ‘remains’ as you so sweetly put it, were my favorite and last living relative. I have no idea what his wishes were, or if he knew he was—” Penny sighed. “He came here like he always did on Mondays to play bridge.”

“Sorry, ma'am, but we have to ask these questions. I’m sure when the coroner is finished with his examination, he’ll return your uncle’s... your uncle to you.”

“Take him to Ashes and Waters.”

“So, he specified cremation?”

“I guess. They were long-time friends. I never saw his will. He was a very private person.”

Officer Dexter questioned the milling players, who began to take their leave. Sirens filled the air with a cold, shrill scream as the police car led the ambulance from the parking lot. An eerie quiet descended in the room, which only hours before held laughter.

Penny took her printed bridge scores and put them in her purse. Then she slowly finished putting the equipment away. She turned off the air-conditioning, put out the lights and left the building.

The police had swathed the front of the building in crime scene tape.

Killian McRae's New Release - A Love by Any Measure

2011-11-08T00:01:00.004-05:00

Today we are welcoming the lovely Killian McRae. She considers herself a fan of history, and tries to reflect this love in her fiction writing. In her debut novel, 12.21.12, she combined Ancient Mesoamerican and Egyptian history with hints of romance, suspense, and science fiction. Her upcoming release, "A Love by Any Measure," is a historical romance set in the 1860's against the backdrop of English-Irish tensions and the uprising of the Fenian Brotherhood.

Killian holds a BA in Near Eastern History from the University of Michigan. She makes her home in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and two children.

“A Love by Any Measure”

By Killian McRae

RELEASES OFFICIALLY TODAY!

Historical Romance
Tulipe Noire Press
Paperback ISBN: 9780983979708
344 pages, $12.99
Ebook ISBN: 9780983979715
$4.99

Currently available worldwide in paperback, available electronically via the Kindle Store. Nook and other electronic formats coming soon.

An Irish lass. An English lord. A love that overcomes all boundaries.

August Grayson has secretly dreamt of the girl living on his family’s Irish estate since childhoods spent together in Killarney. Now a proper Lord of the British Empire, he knows that Maeve could never be more than just a distant fantasy. Still, if only...

Maeve O’Connor owns nothing in this world but her good name, which proves just enough to win a proposal for a marriage of convenience to a good, Irish lad. Until the wedding, however, she’s in dire straits. Rent on the cottage she and her father share is due, but there simply isn’t the money to pay. Driven to desperation, Maeve hopes Lord Grayson, her childhood-chum-turned-dashing-English-rogue, will prove lenient when she comes seeking clemency.

The temptation presented proves too much, and August offers Maeve a compromise: should she permit him twice as long on each succeeding visit to do whatever he wishes in pursuit of his pleasure, he will consider her rent paid. Starting with a mere five seconds, pulses soon out race the ticking clock, as August’s desires become Maeve’s own. Passion blinds them to the challenges closing in on both the Irish and English fronts, threatening to destroy the love they’ve discovered.

Working to bridge that which divides them, tempting fate with each stolen kiss, and torn between desire and obligation, Maeve and August must strive to overcome all and find a love by any measure.

Book Trailer

Author Website

Purchase 'A Love by Any Measure' Here

Author Jami Gray's Quirky Interview

2011-11-04T00:01:00.002-04:00

Ladies and Germs…Jami Gray!

Today we’re talking with Jami Gray, author of Shadow’s Edge, an Urban Fantasy. (Flashes a comforting smile) Welcome!

(A quick quirk of lips in return) Thanks for having me.

So, (settling into the chair), tell me why you chose Urban Fantasy, Jami.

(Arches an eyebrow-a true talent) Not so sure I picked it, more like it picked me.

How so?

I've always loved the idea of being unique, whether you're the only human in a room full of monsters, or the only monster in a room full of humans, either way creating worlds where magic is integral to who you are, what you do and where you live has always intrigued me.

Did you ever consider writing in a different genre?

(Thinks for a moment) When I first set pen to paper, I tried Romance, but even then happy ever after left me asking, "But, why? What happen to the wicked witch/evil stepmother/monster under the bed?"

(Chuckles) So, no romance in your books?

(Shakes her head) I never said that. (Gives a small smile) There’s romance in every story, because if you throw a man and woman together regardless of bloodlines, romance will make an appearance. Mine just happens in-between knife fights, hunting down evil scientists and dealing with arrogant demons.

Do your characters control you or do you control them?

(Paling a little) Seriously? I don’t think I’d want to try to control them. It could be detrimental to my health. Since they tend to walk a thin line between what's considered right, and what's considered wrong, they’re generally armed and dangerous. (Shivers) I feel it’s best to let them tell their own stories.

I’m sure I can figure out the answer to this question, but let me ask anyway. Leather or lace?

Leather. It’s easier to clean the blood off.

Black or red?

Red.

Satin sheets or Egyptian cotton?

(Rubs chin) Egyptian cotton, everyone needs a soft place to hide.

Ocean or mountains?

Mountains. They’ve always felt like home to me. However, since I just got back from a trip to Hawaii, oceans offer their own temptations…hmm…I’d have to think about that one.

Hunky heroes or average Joe?

More like dark, deadly and dangerous, thank you very much.

Okay, last question, Jami. If you came with a warning label, what would it say?

(A moment of silence passes) If you asked my husband, he’d say “WARNING: Contents highly unstable, may explode upon contact.”

(Laughing) And if you wrote it?

(Grins) “DANGER: Driver is guessing, follow at your own risk.”

Shadow’s Edge: Book 1 of the Kyn Kronicles is out November 1^st, 2011

You can find Jami and her books here:

Buy Link: www.BlackOpalBooks.com

Website: www.JamiGray.com

Blogs: www.7EvilDwarves.wordpress.com or www.JamiGray.wordpress.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jamigray.author

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/JamiGrayAuthor

Shadow’s Edge

It takes a monster to hunt one, and for Raine McCord, forged in the maelstrom of magic and science, she’s the one for the job. In a world where the supernatural live in a shadowy existence with the mundane, a series of disappearances and deaths threatens the secrecy of her kind and indicates someone knows the monsters are alive and kicking. Partnering up with the sexy and tantalizing Gavin Durand proves to be a challenge as dangerous as the prey she hunts.

When the trail points back to the foundation which warped Raine’s magic as a child, her torturous past raises its ugly head. Gavin and Raine sift through a maze of lies, murder and betrayal to discover not only each other, but the emerging threat to them and the entire magical community.

Why I Write Historical Romance

2011-11-03T00:01:00.007-04:00

Today we have the wonderful and talented Allison Knight, historic author extraordinaire, who gives us her secret on how she started writing historical romance. Please join us in giving her a big welcome!

“One night, while the Earl of Sandwich was playing cards, he got hungry...” So began another dinnertime tale about people to whom my father swore we were related.

Allison's 17th Historic Novel

With every story Dad told, he instilled a love of history in all of us. For example my sister has become a genealogist. I wonder if it isn't inherited for I have a granddaughter following in my sister's footsteps.

But Dad wasn’t the only one. My grandfather, a great story teller, would delight in gathering his grandchildren around him and telling us about his life. He described how the snow came through the cracks of their one room log cabin on the night he was born, why he never got further in school than third grade, although by all standards he was a very successful man. Of course there was the tale about our great grandmother who had been capture by the Sioux and released in a trade in Detroit.

And believe it or not, that story was true. Although I'm not so sure about the Earl of Sandwich being related to us.

Mother also had stories to tell. Her tales also centered around an antique left to her by a distant relative who journeyed to the US from Germany, Holland, even a bride from Spain who was supposed to have been a purchased bride. I even have a rose bush that has traveled around the US with us, which supposedly came with one of the relatives from Holland nearly two hundred years ago. Notice -- I said supposedly. Unfortunately, it must not like the southern climes for it has only given me one rose in three years.

Is it any wonder I turned out to be a historical romance writer. Not only do I like to visit the past but I also have to have a happy ending to my stories. Yeh, I really like those fairy tales which have 'and they lived happily ever after' endings. And I find the past intriguing.

I also love delving into facts, researching a book. I can get lost in research. Finding an old book, a reference to an unknown fact on the 'net', get fascinating information from ,y sister or granddaughter can mean hours delving into the past, sometimes long past. I spent hours and hours researching the care of King Edward I of England's forests. I also found some of the most interest facts about those forests and the kind of trees that grew there.

However, some facts have a nasty habit of alluding an author, no matter how many attempts are made to discover the truth. So, as an author, I get to imagine how it would have been. After all, it’s called fiction for a reason.

Allison

Award winning author, Allison Knight claims she's married to the world's greatest husband because he's her biggest supporter and works with her on all her projects. The mother of four children, Allison retired from teaching to enjoy her six grandkids but now that they've grown, her three cats. She has published seventeen romances, her latest, available November, 2011, is the third in a series of medieval romances about the members of a thirteenth century Welsh family drawn into the turmoil of the times.

Because she can never quite step out of teaching mode, she blogs often sharing the knowledge she gained writing and publishing in the romance genre. She also loves to talk about the growing digital market.

You can find Allison at www.allisonknight.com and at her publisher, www.champagnebooks.com.

New Author Gail Roughton Branan's Unruly Interview

2011-11-02T03:17:00.008-04:00

Today we welcome new author, Gail Roughton Branan, who is ready to introduce us to her characters from her upcoming book, Miami Days & Truscan (K)nights. Welcome, Gail! I see you’re brought some people with you...care to explain who they are?

Hello, folks! I’m Gail Roughton Branan and I’m thrilled to be here with you today to introduce you to my heroine Tess Ames and my hero Dalph appearing directly from the pages of Miami Days & Truscan (K)nights, coming April, 2012 from MuseItUp Publishing. First up, …

Flowers On The Wall

Tess: Okay, enough. First you have me on a plane flying through a door in the Bermuda Triangle and crash landing in this weird parallel world where I have to be rescued from cannibal pigs by some dude built like Arnold Schwarzenegger playing Conan the Barbarian – and dressed like him too –

Dalph: Green Eyes! Manners! We are guests here. Wherever here is. And who exactly is this Arnold Schwarzenegger? You never mentioned him before. I thought Carlos Ramos back in Miami was the only man in your past I had to worry about.

Tess: Exactly! Where’s here? I think this lady’s got some problems. Where does she come up with all this? And why does she think she’s got the right to just move us around and plop us down like this? Don’t talk to me about manners!

Gail: Hold on! I didn’t mean to plop you here, there, or anywhere! Well, okay, I did plop you down in Trusca. And that’s where you’re supposed to be, so why are you here?

Dalph: Tess? This Arnold?

Tess: Oh, give it up already! I was only trying to let everybody know you’re a hunk, for cryin’ out loud!

Gail: I’ll say.

Tess: Excuse me. I’m not sure I appreciate the tone those words were uttered in. You don’t have a life? You’ve got your eyes on my hero?

Gail: Well, duh! I had my eyes on him, my hands on him – okay, let’s back up and not go there. Let me rephrase that. I created that man. You said he was a hunk. I agreed. Of course he is. Why would I make up a hero who wasn’t?

Dalph: If I might intervene – you also created my Tess. Might I inquire if it ever occurred to you that she could be a bit less headstrong and impulsive?

Gail: Look here, your majesty, I don’t know about other writers, but my heroines are always some aspect of me so let’s not get insulting here. I wrote you into existence, I can write you out of it.

Dalph: Though I hasten to add she has the really annoying habit of usually being right. As well as always beautiful.

Gail: Much better, discretion being the better part of valor and all that. Now, where did Tess go? Oh, Lord! She’s gone! Tess! Come back here! Honestly, characters are worse than kids, you just can’t take ‘em anywhere! Hey, Dalph! Your Majesty! Randalph of Trusca! Yeah, I’m talking to you! Come back here! Where are you goin’ now?

And with that, gentle readers – Gail Roughton Branan has left the building in pursuit of fleeing characters. So if anyone should see them – could you call BR 549?

Gail and Grandson

Gail Roughton Branan is a native of small town Georgia who grew up on the banks of Stone Creek Swamp, immersing herself in imaginary worlds fueled by whichever book was in her hand at the moment including, but definitely not limited to, Edgar Allen Poe, H. P. Lovecraft, Bram Stoker and Ray Bradbury. She has spent over thirty years in a law office as a paralegal, having decided during the course of her first work experience that while she was as fascinated by the legal world as the imaginary worlds of her childhood, she never wanted to be a lawyer. Sharpening her technical legal writing abilities all day, every day while working full-time and raising her three children, her “spare” time has been devoted to writing because “I couldn’t have this much fun for free doing anything else.”

Please check out Gail's Blog, Flowers On The Fence, for a special tribute to a friend and much more at http://flowersonthefence.blogspot.com/.

Jerry Race's New Release ~ More Than A Stud

2011-10-29T12:22:00.006-04:00

Today we have Jerry Race with us, author of More Than A Stud, an M/M Vampire, Erotic Paranormal Romance. Although Jerry was born in Los Angeles, California he was raised and education in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He became interested in writing fiction during his high school years but didn’t pursue writing seriously until 2003. He loves to read and write various genres. Horror, suspense, romance and comedy are his favorites. He currently lives in Portland, Oregon where he’s writing another story.

More Than A Stud

Genre: Paranormal Erotica M/M Romance

Editor: Lea Schizas

Line editor: Anita Baron Ford

Cover artist: Suzannah Safi

Words: 31269Pages: 110

ISBN: 978-1-927085-56-1

Price: $4.50

Warning: Adult Content

Buy Link: http://tinyurl.com/3fjrq36

Jerry Race

Blurb: Will stakes and fangs keep Shane and Jamie from being a couple before their relationship begins? Shane Richards, 24, male model, has a few problems. His rival threatens to discredit him if he participates in the upcoming America’s Top Male Model contest. Near his twenty-fifth birthday, the dormant vampire abilities within him begin to surface and he starts having nightmares about meeting the father he’s never met. As if that isn’t enough, one of his male friends who has the hots for him is determined to make him his lover. On his birthday, his nightmares come true and he winds up risking his life in a battle with his father over a pendant with supernatural powers.

This book is a new release from Muse It Up Publishing.

An Interview with Catherine Gardiene

2011-10-25T00:01:00.001-04:00

Cat's first published novel, Mission Statement, was recently released by Loose Id. This is her first author interview, for her first novel…as a virgin, we assured her it would only hurt the first time.

Do you plot or do you write by the seat of your pants?

I try to plot. I honestly do. But I've said it before and I'll say it again: most of the time, I don't actually write. I take dictation. Something creates a spark for me, which evolves into spending an inordinate amount of time developing characters in my head, a plot outline, and an arc. Then I sit down to write and my characters take over. If I try to make them follow a plotline that doesn't work for them, they stop talking to me. I once cut over 100 pages because I tried to make my characters go where they didn't want to go. The story got flat, the dialogue got monotonous, and the whole experience was unpleasant for everyone involved. Now I listen better.

What drew you to the story line of Mission Statement?

I love writing about people making positive change in their lives, especially when they take unconventional routes to get there. Vicki finds herself completely off-track and uses some rather unconventional means to get back to where she belongs. One of the many things I love about her is that she overcomes decades of preconceived notions to get "unstuck" in her life.

What’s your favorite quote?

When I was sixteen, I was a stage manager for a local production of Nuts, the play by Tom Topor. The lead character is an unconventional woman (at best) who finds her power and control in a highly unconventional way: she becomes an extremely high-priced call girl. When she's asked how she can defend her choices, she says "You don't understand the things I do, but I do have my reasons. They're not your reasons, so they're not real to you, but they're real to me, and that's enough." I've navigated by that ever since.

What three things would you want with you on a desert island?

My Kindle. A way to charge my Kindle. And lots and lots of paper and pens. Oh, crap. That's four things, isn't it? Well, can I pretend that my desert island has a tree that grows pencils? Of course, if all those things were there, it wouldn't have to be a desert island. It could be half a mile from civilization and I'd never go looking.

Who is your favorite character in your book?

I hadn't really thought about that, but I think I'd have to say Michael. That's actually a surprise to me because I usually fall in love with a secondary character, but Mission Statement is really a study of Vicki and Michael. His illusion that he's got it all together is fascinating to me; watching it unravel makes him real. Of course, a very minor character has since inhabited my brain, so Jonas is quickly becoming a favorite of mine, but that is -- quite literally -- a story for another day.

Where do you write?

I write at my dining room table. There are sticky notes and scraps everywhere. It's free of household clutter and relatively quiet, so it works for me. I only trip over the power cord every three or four days now, which has impressed pretty much everyone in my family.

What was the hardest scene to write?

The opening scene was the hardest. That's always the hardest one for me. I just want everyone to know everything I know from the first word. The first draft becomes something of a brain dump, and it isn't pretty. If not for the supreme patience and candid feedback of my pre-readers, I'd never make it through the submission process. If not for the talent and patience of my fabulous editor, Maryam Salim, the first three chapters would be…well, probably chapters four, five, and six.

What was your favorite scene to write?

I travel a lot for my day job. I saw a woman, seated alone at a bar reading emails on her phone. There was a man in the corner watching her. That picture evolved in my brain. At the same time, I noticed my thirty-something and forty-something friends and I were spending a lot of time wondering "how did we get here?" - the female version of a mid-life crisis, I guess. That poor woman in the bar suddenly had a mid-life crisis of her own and Mission Statement was born. Since that's how the story came to me, that's how I wanted it to give it to the readers. See the answer to "hardest scene" above to see how that ended.

Who is your greatest cheerleader?

It's hard to narrow it down to one person. I have three friends who really helped me summon the courage to try publishing. My dear friend Meri was my first "beta" reader and editor in all things, and she pushed me to improve in a million ways. The story itself started as a snippet in an email with the subject line "does this suck?"; MJ, if you had said yes, I wouldn't be here. Terri is my prototypical reader and compatriot in day job world, constantly telling me that she'd hang it up and hand me Sharpies at my first book signing if only I'd just go for it. These women changed my life.

What other time period besides your own would you like to experience?

I have an obscene fascination with nineteenth century England. To be truthful, I have an obsession with England in general, but the Regency era is a time period I'd travel to in a heartbeat. Of course, in my fantasy, I'd be arriving as Lady Pennyforth-Smythe, Marchioness of Danbury, Society maven and premier member of the haute ton. With my luck, I'd come back as a serving wench at a dockside pub. Not that that's a bad thing; I do have a strong affinity for ale. I just think the experience would be very different. Perhaps I'll write about it instead, so I can have some control over who I am when I get there. Unless the plot/dictation thing messes me up again, that is.

About Cat:

Cat Gardiene spends her days behind a desk and her nights in front of a laptop, but struggles to understand why she doesn’t have a better tan or a firmer ass. A lover of theatre, books, music, and alpha males, not necessarily in that order, she is a proud resident of New York City, where all four are available within a ten-block radius of any corner she finds herself…well, perhaps not the alpha males. But she can always score an excellent cappuccino.

Her writing career began in elementary school, when she and her friends would write fan-fiction for a series she refuses to disclose, but says rhymes with Blarsky and Dutch. Since then, her male characters have become more handsome and her dialogue more suggestive, but her obsession with cops and Hollywood continues. As she did then, she credits her friends with giving her the courage and the stamina to write, and her readers with providing the greatest gift of all – feedback. Visit her at www.catherinegardiene.com. Write to her at cat@catherinegardiene.com and share your thoughts. She’s practically OCD about responding.

About Mission Statement:

Victoria Simpson’s life is crumbling around her, so why not escape to Aruba for a little soul searching? Armed with a mission statement she hopes will turn her life in a new direction, she never expects to fall for a man like Michael, a man who pushes her buttons as much as he pushes her limits.

Michael Collins had everything under control, especially the women he chose to dominate at Club Marquis. But relationships started and ended at the club door, which was precisely how he wanted it. Drawn by Vicki’s vulnerability, he can’t stay away. Her body responds passionately, but she keeps her heart and mind closed to him. Can she embrace the submissive he senses inside her, or will his need to control her drive them apart?

Mission Statement is available from Loose Id at http://is.gd/MissionStatement

MFRW Authors

An Interview with Shashauna P. Thomas

Leap Year Blog Hop

Dream a Little Dream of Me

MFRW is on Facebook

My Indie Book

A Lover For Rachel

Transcend

Using Your Life to Jump Start Your Research

The Scarred Heir

Love Me For Me

Cover Me

13 Tips for Characterization and Conflict

Black Friday Blog Hop Winners

Black Friday Blog Hop

Cover Love

Aithne Jarretta’s New Release ~ Kissing Santa

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If you enjoy trailers, play Kissing Santa's video. Comments are always welcome.

Today, I live far away from snowstorms. But as mentioned above, Readers can find me primarily on Twitter. The pulse of the flowing contact stream is what makes Twitter my favorite online place. I respond to all @AithneJarretta mentions and would enjoy having you join our conversation.

https://twitter.com/#!/AithneJarretta

Tweet this & Receive a Secret Santa Stocking-Stuffer:

RT Yowza! @AithneJarretta is Kissing Santa on the MFRWA Blog ;D http://bit.ly/ks-mfrw #readthis #WW #99cents #MFRW The stories I write are showcased on my newly revamped blog: http://aithnejarretta.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/aithne.jarretta

An Interview with Coleen Kwan

An Interview with M.S. Spencer

An Interview With Rebecca J. Clark

A Discussion with Author Julie Eberhart Painter on Branding

Killian McRae's New Release - A Love by Any Measure

Author Jami Gray's Quirky Interview

Why I Write Historical Romance

New Author Gail Roughton Branan's Unruly Interview

Jerry Race's New Release ~ More Than A Stud

An Interview with Catherine Gardiene

RT Yowza! @AithneJarretta is Kissing Santa on the MFRWA Blog ;D http://bit.ly/ks-mfrw #readthis #WW #99cents #MFRW

The stories I write are showcased on my newly revamped blog: http://aithnejarretta.com/