Tote Bags 'n' Blogs

2013-05-19T23:59:00.000-07:00

While my son was training for a marathon over the past few months, I started to notice a strange phenomenon when he returned from his long runs. He'd come into the house and ask me, "Did you just clean or something?" As if! Now, anyone who knows me realizes that is a completely ridiculous question to ask. I only clean for company. So obviously that hadn't happened, as we didn't have anyone coming to visit! After this had happened a few times, I knew there must be some linkage to his distance running. So I went to my old reliable go-to source for knowledge, Google. Sure enough, I typed into my computer, "why do I smell ammonia after a long run?" and Google, via Runners World, told me the answer: because if your body lacks adequate carbohydrates to burn during exercise, it begins to burn proteins, and ammonia is a byproduct of protein metabolism. Your body is actually producing ammonia, which is picked up by your blood and carried to your respiratory system, where you then smell it. Who knew? My kids and I have long joked about the bizarre things you can learn on the Internet. Once, late at night on a long drive, we were coming up with stupid questions just to keep me awake, and we decided we simply had to know if spiders experienced flatulence. The answer: not exactly, but sort of. An unsatisfying response at that. Perhaps more entertaining, though, was asking Siri (the iPhone virtual assistant, to this unfamiliar with her) to find that out for us. Siri, the font of all knowledge. Last week I was making a large batch of granola, only to realize that the Aunt Jemima Lite "syrup" (if you can call it that) in my closet wasn't a satisfactory ingredient: all the recipes called for real maple syrup. Now I'd recently heard in the news a story about a major heist — of maple syrup — due to it's exorbitant price, and realized that the cost of said syrup would preclude my purchasing it to save money while making my own granola instead of buying the expensive stuff already made. But then I remembered, ages ago my mother had sent us one of those odd gifts we never got around to using: a "breakfast" kit, with some sort of flavored waffle mixes and a bottle of — ta-da! — maple syrup, long since relegated to the back of the food pantry. I checked out the bottle, with a veritable antique expiration date stamped on it, and gave up hope on being able to use it. But then, I figured I'd Google it, just in case…And sure enough, I learned from Chowhound that I'm pretty sure I could use maple syrup tapped back in the 1800's, if given the chance. I cracked open the bottle; it was fine, tasted fine, needed not one bit of intervention, and the granola was perfect (although it was likely more perfect because I also used honey from my friend's bees). We have high-maintenance pets that require all sorts of particular types of foods, but that can also not eat all sorts of particular types of foods or they could die. I am constantly Googling what you can and cannot feed parrots and rabbits, for instance. Thank goodness our dogs and cat can get by with the standard chow. The other day I was happy to see fava beans in Whole Foods finally (a harbinger of spring), and purchased a bunch. I then thought that would be a treat for my parrot. Alas, I learned from those-in-the-know in the bird world that that could've killed her. If you know our surly parrot Graycie, you'd probably have urged me to feed her a bunch, but I simply couldn't do that to the old girl. Last night I noticed a large brown stain on the stove. Now I've mentioned my cleaning skills aren't exactly the hallmark of my existence, and I am particularly bad at getting cooked-on food off of the cooktop. Invariably I scratch the enamel, which is a bad plan. So as I was failing at Windexing away this large brown burn, I stopped. Let's see what my Google Guru has to say, I thought. Sure enough: a simple paste of baking soda and water worked like a charm. I might even start not loathing cleaning the cooktop. Nah. A while back we had a large group at our house for dinner in New Year's eve and someone dripped butter on her new silk dress. Now I'd have written that dress off for a goner, stain-wise. But Google knew otherwise. Cornstarch! We rubbed a bit of cornstarch into the stain and it pulled the grease right on out. She was able to head on to another party that night without looking like she'd needed a bib for dinner. I think the thing that intrigues me the most when I type a question into Google is that someone else has already entered that question. I'm now motivated to come up with bizarre questions that surely no one has contemplated (or at least contemplated into that vast database in the clouds). It's become my obsession to come up with the unasked one. I'd hate to believe there is no more unexplored territory in the world of curiosity, and I'm determined to blaze a trail, Lewis and Clark-style, until that one unknown question materializes. Wish me luck. Jenny Gardiner is currently an armchair scholar at the University of Google. You can find her at www.jennygardiner.net
Sleeping with Ward Cleaver

Slim to None

Winging It: A Memoir of Caring for a Vengeful Parrot Who's Determined to Kill Me

Accidentally on Purpose (written as Erin Delany)

Compromising Positions (written as Erin Delany)

I'm Not the Biggest Bitch in this Relationship (I'm a contributor)

And these shorts:
Idol Worship: A Lost Week with the Weirdos and Wannabes at American Idol Auditions

The Gall of It All: And None of the Three F's Rhymes with Duck

Naked Man On Main Street

find me on Facebook: fan page
find me on twitter here
find me on my website

Procrastination or Research? - Kylie Griffin

2013-05-19T00:30:00.000-07:00

Writing in the fantasy genre most of my stories play like movies in my head as I write. Even in my down time I'll often drift off in a daydream, playing with scenes until it's their turn to be added to the story.

As a visual person I like to have those images recorded in my notes and series bible, so one of the tasks I work on as I type out my story is finding photos of settings, clothing, weapons, buildings, models or actors who resemble the world and the heroes and heroines I envisage. I can spend hours searching for just the right picture, particularly with my heroes/heroines - until I find the picture that resonates the most.

A village in Italy aka The Gannec Fortress from ALLEGIANCE SWORN

After I've finished writing the book, usually the next task is putting together a portfolio of ideas for the art director at Berkley. My editor takes the photos and written descriptions to a meeting with Berkley's art director and they brainstorm a "look" for the cover of the book. This is made into a brief that is then sent to the cover artist (Gene Mollica is the man responsible for the covers in my Light Blade series) and he does his magic.

Example of armour I included in my portfolio

The process from start to finish is particularly exciting. I love putting together the portfolio, of showing my editor and the art director the world I see in my head, and then waiting in anticipation as the brief is put together then eventually Gene sending back the finished product. When the cover comes through to my inbox it's an exciting time and I spend several minutes to'ing and fro'ing, hesitating to open the email, knowing months of work of a team of people lie within.

Chris H. inspired Arek, my hero from ALLEGIANCE SWORN

So far I've been blown away with what Gene and the art director have envisaged for each of the Light Blade covers. The heroes and heroines have matched what I spent ages seeing in my head. Their clothes and the landscapes are spot on. And it makes the time I spend surfing the internet for images worth it.

Arek & Imhara

But some might call this procrastination, yet I think it deserves the more honorable title of RESEARCH - what do you think? :-)

Do you form impressions of heroes from the books you read? Is there one actor/model you’d love to see play one of your favourite fictional character if the book was made into a movie? Share you thoughts and go into the giveaway for an ALLEGIANCE SWORN tote bag. Don’t forget to leave an email address so we can contact you!

ALLEGIANCE SWORN

Book #3 of the Light Blade series

SHE’S THE ENEMY HE CAN’T RESIST.

There is no mercy in the demon realm. No escape. In this place of desperation and conflict, anyone who is not purebred is virtually powerless. Until a demon leader seeks to unify the races…

With the alliance of the humans and the half-blood Na’Chi forged, the demon Na’Reish prepare for war by seizing human blood-slaves. Captured during a rescue mission-gone-wrong, Light Blade warrior Arek Barial finds himself claimed by a Na’Reishi female who offers him an unexpected choice.

Raised in the elite ranks of a society she abhors, Imhara Kaal lives a dangerous double life as a Na’Reish Clan-leader and an advocate for a caste-free life that honors the Old Ways. Openly rebelling against the Na’Reish would mean her death, unless she can find an emissary willing to present her petition to the human Blade council.

But Arek isn’t about to blindly follow a demon—despite the intense attraction growing between them. And while hatred for the Na’Reish is all he has ever known, Arek must learn to trust Imhara, or risk the destruction of all three races…

Website: http://www.kyliegriffin.com

Blog: www.kyliegriffinromance.blogspot.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kylie-Griffin-paranormal-romance/152760788151938

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/KylieGriffin1

GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4882841.Kylie_Griffin

Christina Hollis: Research and Romance...

2013-05-18T00:30:00.000-07:00

Istanbul by Bertil Videt

I wrote my first romance almost by accident, but found I loved the process.

My writing career began in journalism. A piece I did on Robert Curthose, the eldest son of William the Conqueror, attracted a lot of interest. Writers love to see how many ways they can use the research they've done, so I decided to try expanding my work into a new biography of Robert. It felt like a good idea, but at the time publishers weren't interested in anyone who hadn’t been immortalized by Holbein - like the much more famous Henry VIII.

Young Robert led a wild and exciting life, but he ended up as a pretty obscure footnote to English history. Without much in the way of written records or illustrations, I was told his natural habitat was between the pages of an academic thesis. That didn't appeal to me, so I put the idea aside.

Then one day, BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour did a feature on historical romance. When I was at school, I'd loved the books of Georgette Heyer so I decided to try turning some of the general research I’d already done into a novel. The result was Knight's Pawn, which was published by Harlequin Mills and Boon under their Masquerade imprint. This was followed by five more historical novels for Harlequin, written under my pen name of Polly Forrester. At the time they were only available in the UK. I'm now in the process of bringing them out as ebooks, to introduce them to a wider audience.

Lady Rascal is already on sale and my next title, Jewel Under Siege, is due for release later this summer. Jewel under Siege is set in Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul), at the time of the Crusades. Elena is a young widow who finds herself in an impossible situation when tough warrior Emil literally falls into her life. He is the enemy, but the lure of the forbidden means Elena and Emil are attracted to each other despite the dangers. Robert Curthose manages to become a footnote to their story, too!

One thing I've noticed when revisiting my earlier work is that my fiction tended to be sweet, rather than steamy. As my career in fiction-writing has expanded, I've lost some of my inhibitions so I’m busy warming up the scenes between Elena and Emil at the moment .

How do you like your historical romances - tender, or torrid?

If you'd like to keep up with the latest news about Jewel Under Siege, you can subscribe to Christina’s newsletter by sending her an email at christinahollis@hotmail.co.uk with the word “subscribe” in the subject line. You can also read her blog at http://www.christinahollis.blogspot.com, and see a complete list of her published books at http://www.christinahollis.com.

Alyse Carlson - When Murder is a Laughing Matter

2013-05-17T00:30:00.000-07:00

Mystery readers come in all shapes and sizes, so it really shouldn't be surprising they come in all variety of preferences, eh? But Cozy Mystery readers are a breed off from most... I believe they are perhaps gentler spirits, if no less inquisitive. They want the thrill of the mystery and the solving of it, but they don't care for the blood and guts of death; they aren't driven by the police procedural matters. They seem to care more about character development, and... strangely, they like their murder with some laughs...

That isn't to say the murder itself is comical—it needs to still be believable—but probably it is best if the reader never came to LIKE the guy... in fact a despicable victim is preferable... one that LOTS of people might like to see dead. But still... the death itself isn't the funny part. So what is?

Characters, mostly.

Characters can be funny because they have a fine sense of humor (or are snarky). I try to always have at least a couple characters that readers would really want to hang out with—the kind of people you SHARE laughter with. Annie, in particular, channels my silliest moments and I have a ball with any interaction between she and my MC, Cam.

Others are a little ridiculous, or annoying in a way that is funny, provided you don't actually have to spend time with these people. Life is full of these folks—nit-picky people, people with ridiculously high expectations, people with personality quirks. I love using folks like this for my background cast—most of the garden society is made up of nice people, but most of them also have a quirk or two that is amusing.

And then there are the obnoxious people: people so brazen that jaws drop. At least one of these folks will end up dead... and one or two more will end up on the suspect list, though some portion of suspects are also decent folks. But it is human nature to include a few obnoxious people when writing out that suspect list.

And then there are the situational opportunities.

I find having somebody ask my MC to do something she'd really rather no is often a fabulous place to infuse a little humor.

Or when characters who are snooping have to cover... either hiding, running, making up a story...

And there is ALWAYS gallows humor.

So how do you like your humor in mysteries, or other typically dark genres?

Begonia Bribe Blurb

Roanoke, Virginia, is home to some of the country’s most exquisite gardens, and it’s Camellia Harris’s job to promote them. But when a pint-sized beauty contest comes to town, someone decides to deliver a final judgment …

A beauty pageant for little girls—the Little Miss Begonia Pageant—has decided to hold their event in a Roanoke park. Camellia is called in to help deal with the botanical details, the cute contestants, and their catty mothers. She soon realizes that the drama onstage is nothing compared to the judges row. There’s jealousy, betrayal, and a love triangle involving local newsman—and known lothario—Telly Stevens. And a mysterious saboteur is trying to stop the pageant from happening at all.

But the drama turns deadly when Stevens is found dead, poisoned by some sort of plant. With a full flowerbed of potential suspects, Cam needs to dig through the evidence to uproot a killer with a deadly green thumb.

Hart Johnson (aka: Alyse Carlson) writes books from her bathtub and can be found at:

Confessions of a Watery Tart: http://waterytart23.blogspot.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hartjohnson23?ref=tn_tnmn and https://www.facebook.com/pages/Alyse-Carlson/109276705850205?fref=ts

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HartJohnson

Nancy J. Parra - Gluten For Punishment

2013-05-16T00:05:00.000-07:00

Introducing Toni Holmes of “Gluten For Punishment” a Baker’s Treat Mystery--

Can a gluten-free baker find her place in a small wheat town?

Toni Ryder returns to her home town of OilTop, Kansas, to fulfill her mother’s wish that Toni keep her sprawling Victorian homestead in the family. The wheat ranchers around her are not happy when Toni tries to make the best of things and opens a gluten-free bakery storefront. Matters grow worse as Toni becomes suspect number one when a wheat farmer is found dead, face down in the horse trough outside Toni’s bakery door. Getting nowhere with the local police, Toni takes the investigation into her own hands as threats grow closer to home, but her number one suspects ends up dead in front of the local bank. Both deaths seem to point to Toni as threats escalate, her home is broken into and her mother’s things smashed and slashed. Can Toni catch a killer and make a place for herself or will the town prefer to be Toni-free over gluten-free?

Here's an excerpt from Gluten For Punishment -

“Toni, did you kill George Meister?”
My mouth went dry. My jaw went slack. The camera’s flash kept popping, blinding me. “What?” I glanced toward Grandma Ruth for some help.
“It’s a fact George vandalized your store before he was killed,” Candy Cole, Oiltop Times reporter pushed on. “You were inside the store at the time he was murdered.”
“I was?” I shivered at the idea. It was bad enough to have a dead body nearby but to have a murder happen within a few feet of you? Nauseating.
“Honey,” Candy said. “You had motive and opportunity. Did you do it?”
“Seriously?” Here I’d been ready to give her a free cup of coffee. Not anymore. I stepped back. “Of course not, I wouldn’t kill anyone.”
“Are you telling me, it’s a coincidence that you’re new in town and a man is murdered outside your bakery?” Candy’s eyes glittered like a snake’s.
“I’m not new in town,” I crossed my arms in front of me. “I grew up here. Are you saying any murders that happened while I lived here as a kid were my fault?”
“No,” Candy said thoughtfully. “But it’s a good angle. I can check and see how the murder rate was when you lived here and what happened after you left.”
“Stop it,” Grandma Ruth slapped the counter. “Toni wouldn’t kill anyone.”
“Oh, really? Then why is the Chief at the courthouse right now getting a warrant signed to search your home and your bakery for evidence?”
I sat down hard at the word warrant.
“Put your head between your knees.” Grandma was beside me. Her sharp tone of voice combined with her palm on the back of my head had me doing exactly what she said. I have to admit staring at the black and white tile floor was a bit more calming than looking at Candy. Her delight at my distress was unnerving.
“I thought we were friends, Candy,” I muttered.
“We are friends, honey,” Candy came around the counter and squatted down to peer at me. “That’s why I’m here.”
I turned my head. “You came to warn me?”
“Good friends hide the body, honey, remember?” Her gaze took on a warm and concerned look. I wasn’t sure if I should believe it.
*Glutenfree recipes included
--
Nancy J. Parra
www.nancyjparra.com

Why I love a warrior hero By Michelle Styles

2013-05-15T01:38:00.002-07:00

From paranormal to historical and contemporary, there is just something about a warrior. And for me as well enjoying reading about them, there is just something extra special about writing a warrior hero. I love exploring his possibilities and depths.

So what is it a warrior that appeals?

A warrior is the ultimate alpha hero. He is not a savage or a brute but someone who knows both sides of human behaviour.

He is someone who can be very dangerous and more than a bit untamed. He has been in life- threatening situations and is not afraid to kill. Far from being an indiscriminate psychopath who takes pleasure in killing or hurting people, he has a code and only fights when necessary. He also knows the cost of killing. He is someone who will have lost people close to him because it is the nature of his job.

He has a strong streak of loyalty. He may fight for his country or cause but ultimately he fights for his friends. And those bonds are strong. His fellow warriors become his brothers. And those he loves and cares about, he is willing to fight for. He will put himself in danger for those he loves. He knows how to lead but he is also not afraid to follow.

He has a strong protective streak as he seen the cost of failure. He seeks to shield people from danger rather than putting them into danger. This will often cause conflict with the heroine as she will be strong willed and utterly determined. A strong hero requires an even stronger heroine so the sparks can really fly!

It also helps that because he is a warrior, he will be in great physical shape as he has to make sure that he protect and defend. But he can carry both physical and mental scars from the battles he has fought. Often times he has to learn to trust women again or to be able to re-enter civilised society rather than existing on a war footing all the time.

My next Viking will be out in November 2013 — Paying the Viking’s Price and is about an Anglo Saxon lady who has to become a Viking warrior’s concubine in order to protect her people. I have two other Vikings in the works, including the one which I am currently revising. Warriors are just really fun to write about and to read about. I hope other people agree.

Michelle Styles writes warm, witty and intimate historical romance in a wide range of time periods. You can learn more about her books on www.michellestyles.co.uk

Jo Davis: Sworn to Protect

2013-05-14T09:00:00.000-07:00

Detective Shane Ford, Sugarland’s favorite cop, has been blindsided by the sudden death of his best friend, NFL star Brad Cooper, and becoming the legal guardian of Brad’s son, Drew—a bitter, angry sixteen-year-old with a dangerous secret. Shane is determined to pry the truth from Drew, but only manages to alienate him—and winds up going head to head with Juvenile Detective Daisy Callahan, whose job is to protect the teen’s best interests.

Shane has always been drawn to Daisy’s beauty and strength, but he’s determined not to allow their intense attraction to interfere with his duty ever again. It’s a vow that will prove difficult to keep, as the realities of Shane and Daisy’s blossoming love and their growing bond with the grieving teen propel Shane headlong into danger for the new family he’s sworn to protect.

Top Ten Things Readers Should Know About Detective Shane Ford

1) Shane is the most eligible bachelor in town and he plans to keep it that way—until he gets close to Daisy Callahan on a dangerous case and she ignites his passion.

2) Shane is a top detective at the Sugarland Police Department.

3) He’s good friends with many of the guys at Fire Station Five.

4) Shane is six-plus feet of lean, long-legged sexy cowboy cop with gray eyes and sable brown hair that’s a bit longer than regulation.

5) He’s got a soft spot for kids, especially his 16 year-old godson, Drew.

6) Shane has a twin sister, Shea, who’s the heroine in LINE OF FIRE.

7) Shane’s brother-in-law is Tommy Skyler, former Station Five firefighter, who now works for the Fire Marshal’s office.

8) Shane’s best friend is murdered, and he suddenly becomes legal guardian of his godson, Drew.

9) Shane will have to work fast to discover Drew’s dangerous secret if he hopes to save his new family.

10) Shane is 100% pure hero, and it’s too bad there aren’t more men like him in the world.

May-December Friendships

2013-05-13T04:04:00.004-07:00

Yesterday was Mother's Day. I saw, or heard from, all of my kids. And as always, I marveled that I am so lucky to have these four amazing people in my life! Oh, it's not that they don't drive me a bit crazy on occasion, but they are some of my very favorite people on earth (along with my husband). Being a mother has been one of my most treasured jobs.

Yesterday I wrote a blog for Mother's Day about my grandmother and a very special teapot. She was a strong woman, a 'feisty' woman who loved so fiercely. Add to that my own mother and my mother-in-law, two women who taught me so much...well, I think that's why the idea of family is the the focus of so many of my stories. It's because I've been blessed to be surrounded by a family I not only adore, but truly like!

You Are Invited...

This month, the second book in my A Valley Ridge Wedding trilogy, April Showers, was released. The first book, You Are Invited..., dealt with a woman who inherits three children. This second book in addition to the romance between Lily and Sebastian focuses on a May-December friendship between Lily, and the hero's grandfather, Hank.

April Showers

There's something special about May-December friendships. The generations who came before us offer so much wisdom, so many insights. I've been lucky to have people like Hank in my life!

Yesterday was a day for family. It was great to have my children celebrate Mother's Day with me yesterday. It was nice to be able to honor a women who helped shape me in my blog, and to go visit my mom. I also took time to remember all the people who helped shape the woman I've become. My grandmother's best friend, Jean, who's read all my books and supported me in so many ways. Marge, an older friend who helped me shape Lily and Hank's May/December friendship. And Papa John, a man who wasn't related to me, but was my grandfather in every way that counts.

A Walk Down the Aisle

Do you have older people in your life, related or not, who helped shape the person you've become?

Holly

Personal Best by Carolyn Hart

2013-05-12T00:30:00.000-07:00

When our children were young they were on a swim team. Both were good swimmers though never destined to be champions. But always in each race they strove to achieve their personal best. If that won a race or brought a pink or yellow ribbon that was added delight. But the important objective was to do your best.

I have always tried with each book to write the very best book I could write. But as books went out of print, their worth seemed to diminish.

We all have a tendency to be immersed in now or as Zen enthusiasts understand, we are in the moment. My energy was focused on the new Annie and Max - DEAD, WHITE AND BLUE in May, the new Bailey Ruth - GHOST GONE WILD in October, and the new standalone - WHAT THE CAT SAW, last fall.

And I am excited about those titles. Since DEAD, WHITE, AND BLUE is the 23^rd in the Death on Demand series, I made a special effort to offer something fresh. This time the book doesn’t open with murder. Instead a reckless, careless young woman walks into the pines and is never seen again. In GHOST GONE WILD, I maroon Bailey Ruth on earth and who knows if she will ever make it back to Heaven. In WHAT THE CAT SAW, Nela Farley and Steve Flynn struggle with their own heartaches as they seek the truth about a forceful woman’s death.

But the past is suddenly very much in my present. Unexpectedly and happily, two small presses are publishing many early titles. Perhaps because they were out of print for so many years, I was dismissive of those early books and uncertain of their worth. For the republication, it was my task to read galleys of books that I had not read for more than 30 years. I was apprehensive and ended up feeling great relief. I hope readers will not begrudge me a moment of happiness when I realized that I had done my best with the early books just as I have for the later books.
There are more titles than readers will have time for but perhaps one or two might appeal. These books are harder edged and faster paced than the series books.

Out last year: RENDEVOUS IN VERACRUZ, college students plunge into danger in Mexico City in the early 80s; FLEE FROM THE PAST, Janey Hamilton builds a new life but the past catches up with her; SKULDUGGERY, the missing Peking Man bones surface in San Francisco’s Chinatown.

Out this year: THE DEVEREAUX LEGACY, February, a ghost haunts a South Carolina plantation; A SETTLING OF ACCOUNTS, March, Kay Emory returns to post war London but the danger of the war isn’t over for her; ESCAPE FROM PARIS, June, two American sisters in Occupied Paris help British airmen escape but the Gestapo is only a step behind; NO EASY ANSWERS, July, an Army brat opposes the Vietnam War; BRAVE HEARTS, August, star-crossed lovers flee from the Japanese in the Philippines; DANGER: HIGH EXPLOSIVES!, September, students oppose the Vietnam War; DEATH BY SURPRISE, November; K.C. Carlisle is a street savvy street lawyer who comes to her family’s aid when a blackmailer threatens.

The year ends with publication in December of CRY IN THE NIGHT, a suspense novel set in Mexico City in the early 80s. Never before published, Berkley released it as an e-book last year. In December, it will be in print for the first time.

For the first time in many years, almost all of my books are available. I hope some may appeal. My only promise is this: I did my best each time.

Brilliant Brenda Novak Auction!

2013-05-11T00:00:00.000-07:00

by Anna Campbell

May has become a really significant month in Romancelandia. And not just because it's spring in the Northern Hemisphere, the season when minds traditionally turn to love.

May is also the month when NYT bestseller Brenda Novak holds her wonderful auction to raise money to help find a cure for juvenile diabetes. Here's a link to the auction's home page: http://brendanovak.auctionanything.com/

Brenda is an amazing example of the power of one. I'm in awe of what she's achieved just through hard work and vision. So far, she's raised over $1.6 million for her cause and this year, she hopes to break the $2 million mark. More power to her right arm, I say!

Every year, the whole romance community rallies behind this marvelous cause. There are gift baskets and trips and treats galore, and appropriate for a writer's auction, there are critiques and marketing packages and educational opportunities. Not to mention more signed books than you can poke a stick at! How can you resist?

I thought today I'd point you in the direction of my offerings - along with encouraging you to explore the site and discover what other delicious items are up for grabs.

First up, for writers, I'm offering a detailed critique of three chapters and a synopsis of an unpublished romance novel. I've done this every year and I've met some amazingly talented writers as a result, many of whom have gone on to stellar careers (names would be revealing too much but can I say NYT bestsellers?). Here's the link for my critique if you'd like to bid: http://brendanovak.auctionanything.com/Bidding.taf?_function=detail&Auction_uid1=2841432

For readers, I've got three packs of signed books for your delectation:

THE RAKES AND ROGUES DUO - signed mass market paperbacks of SEVEN NIGHTS IN A ROGUE'S BED and MIDNIGHT'S WILD PASSION http://brendanovak.auctionanything.com/Bidding.taf?_function=detail&Auction_uid1=2841434

THE COURTESAN COLLECTION - signed mass market paperbacks of CLAIMING THE COURTESAN, TEMPT THE DEVIL and MY RECKLESS SURRENDER http://brendanovak.auctionanything.com/Bidding.taf?_function=detail&Auction_uid1=2841435

THE HUNKS AND HEROES TRIO - signed mass market paperbacks of UNTOUCHED, CAPTIVE OF SIN and MIDNIGHT'S WILD PASSION http://brendanovak.auctionanything.com/Bidding.taf?_function=detail&Auction_uid1=2841433

I'm also part of the wonderful Romance Bandits basket which includes goodies from all my blog sisters: http://brendanovak.auctionanything.com/Bidding.taf?_function=detail&Auction_uid1=2961814

And if you're an aspiring writer, don't miss out on the critique of a partial from my wonderful crit partner, USA Today bestseller Annie West: http://brendanovak.auctionanything.com/Bidding.taf?_function=detail&Auction_uid1=2864988 Annie is a Tote Bags 'n' Blogs regular and her latest release is the fabulous CAPTIVE IN THE SPOTLIGHT.

I find Brenda so inspiring. So now I'd like to know who you find inspiring and why.

And don't forget to check out the auction!

Lost in the Past : : Anne McAllister

2013-05-10T02:00:00.000-07:00

One of the things we do as writers is continually learn more about the world we live in. We can’t write out of our imaginations without drawing from reality as well.

Even if we write fantasy, we need an inner logic on which to base our characters’ actions. And if we write romance or mystery or westerns or, well, just about anything, we have to understand the world we are writing about.

For me that often means finding the nitty-gritty details about what my heroes or heroines do for a living, where they live, what sorts of places they live, why they live there. It has to do with setting a scene, it has to do with motivation. It has to do with who they are and what made them that way.

Some of the things that I draw on are things I grew up with – beaches, cowboys, volleyball players, artists. Some are things I’ve learned about as I’ve found characters who intrigued me. They did things I’d never have done: rode bulls, designed buildings, worked as models and photographers, built ships, sailed around the world.

So I’ve learned about all those things. I’ve talked to people engaged in those occupations. If I haven’t been there and done that, I’ve talked to people who have.

But this past year I’ve been digging less in the present than in the past. I’m just finishing a course in British military records and I’ve been spending my days – and far too late many nights – reading photocopies of service records from men who were in the trenches in World War I, who fought at Trafalgar, who were Loyalists in South Carolina and barely survived the Battle of King’s Mountain.

It’s been an interesting month. Before that there were months I dug into old mining records, learned about the industrial towns of the British Northeast, delved into records from textile mills and pored over apprenticeship records.

It’s been a break from the usual sort of digging and scratching I do when I come to write a book. But it has primed the pump in a way that contemporary research hasn’t been doing recently. It’s not necessarily a new itch, but it’s definitely a different one to scratch. It started out as an interest in my own family history. It’s gone on to make me interested in lots of peoples’ histories. They all bring the past into the present.

And I find that the past and the present are in many ways not so different. Or, rather, people aren’t. People still hope and dream. They work and they play (though more of the former than the latter). They rejoice and they mourn. And always, it seems to me, I find an undercurrent of a need for connection – a desire for love.

Maybe it’s coming full circle. But at the same time that I’m writing my latest book, I find that my characters’ story is both unique to them, and filled with echoes of other stories, other lives, both real and fictional.

So the truth is, maybe I’m not lost in the past at all. Maybe I’ve looked there and found that what I write about in the present is there as well.

Have you looked into your own family history? Do you get excited about those people whose decisions have had an impact on your life. Or are you like my mom whose eyes always glazed over at the very thought?!

Great War: Richard Caton Woodville [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons; St Lawrence Mine, Butte, MT [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

No rest for the writer - Kandy Shepherd

2013-05-09T00:00:00.000-07:00

A writer never really has a holiday. No matter where we go, what we do, our stories and characters are always with us. Even on an indolent tropical vacation, those characters in our heads are always poking their noses in and suggesting ways the location might affect them and the way they behave on the pages of our books. If we’re away with another writer that’s even worse, as we talk incessantly about our stories and the way they’re shaping up!

Recently, I’ve been fortunate enough to take two mini-breaks in Australian locations utterly different from each other.One to a resort in tropical far north Queensland where it’s always summer, the other to the Southern Highlands south-west of Sydney where it’s autumn right now.

The bliss of a lagoon pool in a funky, tropical resort

The relaxing beauty of change of season

One resort was funky, upbeat, with a lagoon pool, palm trees and a party atmosphere.

The sign says it all!

The other was traditional, elegant, reminiscent of a Scottish manor house complete with baronial hall. I loved each of them for very different reasons. (Oh, and they both had amazing food!)

Even the adjoining golf club house was traditional

While I swam in Port Douglas, Queensland, walked country roads in Sutton Forrest, New South Wales, my mind was ticking over with ideas for various new stories and the characters who will drive them.

Could my character work in a place like this? Or own it?

Which romance hero or heroine could live behind these gates?

I came up with the perfect “back story” for one heroine, in this case where she met the man who done her wrong and affected her future relationships. And all sorts of scenarios are ticking over for other stories.

The traditional hotel was once a private home and comes complete with ghosts

Fun and funky in the tropics -- appealing in a different way

When I’m away from the everyday, relaxed and enjoying good company, the creative side of my brain kicks into overdrive. (It certainly helps not having to cook, clean, or do laundry, too!)

When people ask me did I have a nice, relaxing break, I of course say “yes”, but a writer never really takes a break and with my creative batteries recharged, I’m keen to get back to my stories.

I’ve used Port Douglas briefly in my latest release Reinventing Rose, not as an actual location but as somewhere the characters talk about visiting. (To say any more would become a spoiler!)

BTW, the hotels I visited were the QT at Port Douglas and Peppers Manor House.

What about you? Do you have a favorite vacation destination? What do you like most about taking that so-needed break from routine? Do you enjoy exotic destinations in the novels you read? I’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment for a chance to win a free download of Reinventing Rose.

Don’t forget to include your email address if you want to be in the draw.

Kandy Shepherd writes fun, feel-good fiction.

Her new contemporary womens fiction e-book, Reinventing Rose, is available now at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple, Kobo, Smashwords, and other e-book retailers.

Kandy’s romances include the Amazon bestseller The Castaway Bride, Something About Joe, and the award-winners Love is a Four-Legged Word and Home Is Where the Bark Is.

Visit Kandy at her website

www.kandyshepherd.com

Karen White: I love the internet. Really. I do.

2013-05-07T00:30:00.000-07:00

When I was a little girl, my father’s job had us moving all over the world about every two years. I loved the experience of meeting new people and making a new house a home. I actually thrived on it. But what I didn’t like was leaving behind the friends I’d made. Luckily, back then things called “hand-written letters”, “postage stamps,” and “mailboxes” existed, which allowed me to keep in constant contact with a growing number of friends. Sort of an old-fashioned Facebook, but more personal.

I remember fighting with my brothers over who got to run out to the mailbox after the mail truck left (twice a day—remember that?) and then getting the warm and fuzzies as I recognized the soft pink stationary of my friend Suzy Dorf who lived in New Jersey, or the one with kitten stickers all over the envelope from my friend Monica who lived in Venezuela.

Fast-forward mumble-mumble years and here we are in the age of the Internet. Where anonymity and in-your-face coexist hand-in-hand. For a writer, it’s wonderful that I have all this instant access (and visa versa) with my readers. On the other hand, all that access can sometimes seem, well, daunting.

A while back, I received an email from a reader that started out like most of the ones I receive and that gives me a warm squeeze around the heart. “Dear Karen, I just started reading your book and I it was so wonderful that I couldn’t put it down. Until the fairies came and started plucking at my sleeves.” The letter ended with my book in a plastic bag surrounded by rocks and candles. No, I am not making that up.

Last month I received an email from an irate reader berating me for making my readers wait so long for the fourth book in my Tradd Street series (as if I had any say in the matter, and as if it took as long to write one of my books as it did for her to read one—which, for the record, isn’t true). She was so upset about being made to wait for the next book that, she informed me, she wasn’t going to buy that fourth book when it came out.

Huh? But wouldn’t that mean…? Oh, never mind. My attention was quickly diverted to the reviewer on Amazon who gave me one star for one of my books—despite a really glowing review—because several of the pages in her book were crumpled.

I spend a lot of time on my Facebook fan page because it’s a great way to connect to my readers and they’re all very nice there. I love to post pictures of my dog, and my dreadful manicure when I’m on deadline, and pictures of the layers of pollen on my screened porch. We talk about books, too, but it’s all these other things that help my readers and me see that we have a lot in common besides books.

When I was bemoaning the fact that my poor dog had horrible seasonal allergies, I had about thirty comments from readers about their own tried-and-true remedies. It was like having a direct link to WebMD and Dear Abbey!

My next book (June 2013), The Time Between is set in Edisto Island, Charleston, and Hungary. Even though I had the opportunity to travel to all three places while writing the novel, the Internet was like my personal travel agent, showing me pictures and travel routes, and neighborhoods where my characters should live. I even found a website where I could listen to recordings of Hungarians speaking their native tongue so I could get an ear for the accent to give to Helena, one of my protagonists.

For my characters’ names, I searched the web for burial records in each setting, looking for recurring names that would be indicative of the families that had once lived in those areas. I ended up with the surnames of Beaufain, Murray, and Szarka—but the first names are all my own: Finn, Eleanor, and Helena.

I try to schedule my Internet time to two hours in the morning and two in the afternoon—but sometimes the draw of checking email or my Facebook page pulls too strongly during the middle of the day, especially when I see I have a new email from a reader (I really need to turn off my email notifications on my iPhone!).

Last week, I received an email from a woman thanking me for my books. Her husband had recently passed and she said it was by reading my books during her husband’s long illness that she was able to get through a very difficult period in her life. What a blessing to me, as a writer, to know that my words had offered comfort to a complete stranger. And what a wonderful thing the Internet is that allowed her to communicate with me.

On the flip side, I have a folder in a filing cabinet in my home office. It’s filled with printed out emails from people who, let’s just say, aren’t necessarily readers or fans, but maybe lonely people with lots of cats at home who don’t get out much but love to express their opinions—however misguided they might be. I keep them so that if I ever disappear, my husband knows where to direct the police as they being their search. We’ve all seen Stephen King’s Misery after all!

And then there’s this blog. I’m sitting here in Florida listening to the rain while typing this, knowing that people around the country will happen upon it and read it, and perhaps smile, or skim over it before hitting the next button, or they might be compelled to visit my website (www.karen-white.com). They might even check out my Facebook (facebook.com/karenwhiteauthor) page where they’ll find photo albums of bottle trees sent by readers after reading my book On Folly Beach, and of course lots of photos of my dog.

The world is a very big place—sometimes bigger than I’d like it to be—but in the World Wide Web, it’s a wonderful place where readers and writers connect.

LuAnn McLane - Small towns

2013-05-06T00:30:00.000-07:00

I think that it’s safe to say that there is a special place in all of our hearts for small towns. After all, who wouldn’t want to live in Mayberry where residents smile and wave while the days slip by at a leisurely pace? There’s just something warm and comforting about old brick buildings with a rich past. Quaint shops sell one-of-a-kind treasures and diners serve up meatloaf and mashed potatoes and homemade apple pie for dessert.

I suppose my love of small towns goes back to my early childhood in Bellevue, Kentucky where we could walk to the butcher shop, bakery and grocery store. There were no malls so shopping meant a bus ride across the river to Cincinnati where we shopped in beautiful department stores and had lunch served on real china followed by a delicious dip of Graeter’s Ice cream. Later, we moved to suburbia but my love of small towns remained so it’s no wonder that I place most of my stories in a small town setting. I find it sad to travel through small towns who are struggling with Main Street all but shut down. Like in Cricket Creek, it’s always my hope that the residents will find a way bring life back to local shops and stores.

A recent article in USA Today http://www.businessinsider.com/the-ten-best-small-towns-in-america-2012-11?op=1 talks of friendly small towns and I wasn’t surprised that Kentucky has three in the top ten. I’d like to think that if Cricket Creek were real, it would have made the list! Do you have a favorite small town, local diner or shop that you love? Let me know! I will randomly choose a post and give away a copy of on one of the novels in my Cricket Creek series. You can catch an excerpt of Whisper’s Edge, (the May release in the series) at www.luannmclanecom.

May delights with Kate Walker

2013-05-05T09:14:00.000-07:00

I don’t know about you, but for me May has always been one of my favourite months. It’s the time

when at long last winter really does seem to have been left behind. The cold, dark days – and here in the UK, the rain and the snow that could still linger even in April, have gone, the sun has started to shine and the leaves are turning green on the trees. In our garden the magnolia has beautiful blossoms on the branches, the primroses and pansies are making a glorious display of colour in the flower beds, and the birds are singing in the trees. They still come down to the bird table to grab some of the suet balls and seeds that I leave out which shows that they have families to feed as the eggs hatch in their nests.

For me, one of the real signs of spring arriving is the appearance of the family of hedgehogs – nicknamed ‘The Hecks’ by Anne McAllister – who live at the bottom of my garden. The cute little creatures hibernate in compost heaps, under fallen leaves or – in our garden – in the specially provided little wooden houses we have put in the shady, hidden part of the garden. In spring they come out when the weather is warming up and got snuffling about the place looking for food. They’ll eat up the old cat meat that Flora and Charlie don’t eat – or, if we’re lucky, clear the flower beds of snails and slugs. The cats sometimes play with them, risking getting their noses pricked on the spikes that cover the hedgehogs’ backs. The Hecks don’t appear until it’s warm enough - so to

see them appear in the evenings (they’re nocturnal creatures) is to know that summer’s on its way.

There’s a long weekend this week – the May Day Bank Holiday gives everyone and extra day off to enjoy the sunshine, and just relax. And if you don’t mind fighting your way through the heavy traffic then there is the opportunity to go away for a few days – perhaps head for the coast or the countryside. Personally I prefer just to stay at home and I’ve had a wonderful couple of days spending time with my family, sharing special meals and reading a lot – while my husband and son watch a football match and cheer on their team.

May is also an important month for birthdays. My special friend and wonderful romance writer Michelle Reid has just had her birthday , my own birthday is coming up next week, and my eldest sister has her special day towards the end of the month. So there’s plenty to celebrate and to help make May even nicer then.

So for me it’s a special delight to know that I also have one more thing to celebrate this particular May. My newest title – A Throne For The Taking - will be published this month . It’s officially a July title – but the actual publishing date is May 21^st so it fits perfectly into my favourite month. After a complicated and difficult year, I’m thrilled to have a new book out on the shelves and selling on line. And I’m even more delighted to have seen that A Throne For The Taking is already up there in the bestseller list for both ebooks and print copies over on eHarlequin where it’s already available to order. This is my first ever Royal Romance so I hope you enjoy it when you read it.

So what about you? Is May a month you love or do you have other months of the year that you think are really special? And do you have anything really nice to celebrate this month? I think everyone will be really glad to hear about good news – so do share your celebrations if you have them.

Kate’s royal hero is Alexei Sarova, the black sheep prince who has to face up to a new and unexpected destiny with his heroine Honoria Escalona (Ria), the woman he wants as his queen.

A kingdom's safety...
Betrayed by those she loves, Honoria Escalona must now face the only man capable of bringing stability to the Mediterranean kingdom of Mecjoria. A cold, hard man who once called her his friend... Alexei Sarova-the true

King of Mecjoria.

In exchange for her happiness

But Alexei's tortuous past has changed him into someone she hardly knows. He blames Ria's family for his bitterness, and his help-when he offers it-comes with a price: he'll take his rightful place as King with Ria as his wife, until she produces a true-blood heir...
A Throne For the Taking will be published in the Royal and Ruthless miniseries in both Harlequin Presents and Mills & Boon Modern in June.

Other up to date news and details of all Kate’s books can be found on her web site and in her blog.

More to Fantasy than Swords and Dragons… by Freda Warrington

2013-05-04T00:10:00.000-07:00

Hello, I’m Freda Warrington and I’ve been writing since I was around five years old. As an only child I always loved reading and daydreaming, and somehow my habit of writing those daydreams down never went away. Now as my twentieth novel GRAIL OF THE SUMMER STARS is published (by Tor), it’s a nice time to reflect on the sort of things that inspire me to write.

After all, writing fiction is a weird occupation if you think about it. As if there isn’t enough going on in the real world, we have to make stuff up as well! However, since thousands if not millions of other people love writing too, I’m comforted to know that I’m not as odd as I’ve sometimes feared. The human imagination is like a Tardis, far bigger on the inside than the size of the skull that contains it. Quite an amazing thought.

I’ve written all sorts of fantasy, from sword n’ sorcery (A Blackbird in Silver Darkness) to epic (The Amber Citadel) to vampire gothic romance (A Taste of Blood Wine) to alternative history (The Court of the Midnight King (about Richard III)). Although I find similar themes cropping up throughout my work, I don’t like to rehash the same story so I’m always looking for fresh challenges.

Character, psychology and relationships are my central concerns, although it’s difficult to pin down where my protagonists come from. Sometimes a face will flash into my mind and the person is there, fully formed. At others, the character will build up slowly, and I often don’t discover who they really are until I’m well into writing about them! And of course, every story needs a setting. Landscape, mood and atmosphere are intensely important to me. Weather is wonderful for adding atmosphere, mirroring what’s going on inside your protagonist’s head or providing an uncomfortable counterpoint. I’ve used a few “dark and stormy nights” in my time, but you can do so much with rain, or a flat grey sky, a misty autumn day or the oppressive heat of summer… while a good downfall of snow can change the entire course of the plot!

The three books in my Aetherial Tales series – Elfland, Midsummer Night, and Grail of the Summer Stars – first took root while I was “between publishers” a few years ago, and free to write exactly what I wanted. First, I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of beings who look human but aren’t – elves, demons, angels, vampires, demi-gods and suchlike. Aetherials are simply my version of such an other-race. Next, I wanted to set the stories in the present day, using the real-life evocative landscape of Charnwood Forest (in the UK) where I grew up. I had an idea of two households – one warm and loving, one cold and dysfunctional – and the conflicts and relationships that develop between the two families. And, as a backdrop, I wanted a sweeping story that takes my characters in and out of a fantastical Otherworld.

Each of the novels can be read as a stand-alone story, although it helps if you read all three, because there’s a background arc that finally comes to fruition in Grail. A (real) jewellery museum inspired the place where we first find the female lead, Stevie, puzzling over why an old friend has sent her a surreal painting and then gone missing. Soon she becomes entangled with feuding Aetherial brothers, Mist and Rufus, whom we first met in Midsummer Night. As their journey takes them through the village of Cloudcroft (where Elfland was set), through the terrifying Otherworld to the painted deserts of Nevada, I found a strong theme about family relationships developing. Albeit a rather deranged family, to put it mildly! Perhaps families interest me because my own is so small.

Some literary critics have heaped scorn on fantasy, assuming it’s all dragons and orcs, battles and big swords. But there can be far more to it than that. Fantasy may act as a powerful metaphor for all kinds of real life issues… For example, my first published novel, A Blackbird in Silver, was secretly about my fear of the Cold War and nuclear annihilation! There can be so much more to fantasy that quests and wars and wizards. There are always the universal themes of love, struggle, loss and sacrifice… And both reading fantasy, and writing it, can help us work through every one of our human concerns on a bigger canvass than mainstream fiction can provide.

Besides, losing yourself in your own dream world is just so much fun. Anything can happen!

Amanda Forester: Mischief and Weddings

2013-05-03T09:30:00.000-07:00

What is your most memorable wedding moment? I am thrilled to announce my new release, A Wedding in Springtime, which coincidentally has to do with a wedding that, you guessed it, happens in springtime. I know, crazy right? I am super excited because this is the beginning of my new Marriage Mart series of Regency romances. I don't want to give too much away, but you can probably guess they all have a wedding.

Weddings are notorious for bringing out the best and worst of humanity. I've been to a lot of weddings and I think I've seen it all. Beautiful touching moments that make you want to cry. Cringe-worthy moments that again, make you want to cry. I mean who doesn't have an Uncle Harry who got so plastered he threw up on the wedding cake. I'm not alone in that - right?

My most memorable wedding was my own (of course) but this happened before the wedding even began. The night before the wedding there was a horrible storm, and my roommate's tabby cat, who hates rain with a passion, didn't come home. The next morning, still no cat. So I'm stressed because the cat is missing and since it is my wedding day, times that by a billion.

So my future hubby comes over to help us search (never mind the whole not see the bride before the wedding thing). No cat. He drives around looking to see if she was hit by a car. No cat. I ask the neighbors. No cat. He even goes to the local shelter. Still, no cat.

At this point my bridesmaids start arriving. We were all going to have lunch together and then get ready at my house before going to the church. We sit around the table (it's a split level so we are on the second floor) and my mom says grace. In that moment of quiet we hear a plaintive Meeeoooow.

As soon as mom says "amen" we all jump up, looking for the darn cat. Finally, we see her. She is in a tree about 50 feet up, looking very wet and miserable. What to do? Someone actually calls the fire department and are told that no, they don't do that anymore. Through our upper story window we can see the cat and she can see us. She starts out on a branch toward us, the branch wiggles, she comes further, the branch shakes, we shout at her to go back down the trunk. The branch breaks.

And that is apparently how you get a cat out of a tree on your wedding day. I'm not sure how many of her nine lives she used up that day but she survived the fall and lived another 15 years. With us. Because my roommate gave her to my husband as a wedding gift!

So what is your most memorable wedding moment? Comment for a chance to win A Wedding in Springtime ARC before it comes out next week!!!

A Wedding in Springtime - named one of the Best Books for Summer by Publisher's Weekly!

Five minutes into Miss Eugenia Talbot's presentation at court, notorious rogue Mr. William Grant makes her laugh before the queen, ruining her debut. To hush up the scandal, Genie needs to make a brilliant marriage, and fast. Genie's aunt hires a matchmaker to find a suitor—anyone except the infamous William Grant—but amiable Genie shows a disturbing tendency to follow her heart. When a traitor creeps closer, threatening to ruin more than just her reputation, Genie and Grant are drawn into a dangerous world of deceit and intrigue, where losing their hearts could mean their ultimate undoing.

Joanne Rock: Double Life

2013-05-02T00:30:00.000-07:00

My newest Harlequin Blaze release, MY DOUBLE LIFE, is available now and I’m so glad I got to keep the title. It works on a lot of levels. First and foremost, this book is written partially in first person, so the perspective is very much rooted in the heroine’s eyes. See what I mean:

“Hi,” he said suddenly, turning toward me. “I’m Trey Fraser.”

I’d been spotted.

He stalked toward me, hand extended as if to draw me into the room. I froze, heart pounding and feet sticking to the floor, in disbelief he’d seen through the camouflage my long bangs usually provide. Let alone my poorly fitting suit that I wore with running shoes since I never met with clients.

Who noticed me when my gorgeous colleague was around?

“H-h-hi,” I managed, though my stuttered greeting is so quiet he might not have heard.

We learn about Courtney through her eyes, experiencing her insecurities first hand. She hates her speech impediment, but she’d reached a point in life where she’d found ways to work around it. She likes her behind the scenes work at a wealth management firm, a job where her professional smarts really shine. But she’s also gotten a little lonely being isolated on the sidelines. Seeing the hero tempts her to step out of the shadows.

And then she really steps out of the shadows. With the help of a mask and a wig, she covers for a friend in a dance routine at a steamy club. Courtney gets addicted to the thrill of being someone else, having every man look at her when she’s used to going unnoticed. Her double life is a thrill she can’t resist, but you can imagine her worlds are bound to collide and trouble ensues.

Still, the idea of a double life works really well for a book that’s in the Forbidden Fantasies miniseries. Courtney can hardly believe how daring she grows as her fantasies play out in the story. I liked this premise so much, in fact, I gave a sequel to the hero’s brother. MY SECRET FANTASIES will be out in January 2014.

Lastly, MY DOUBLE LIFE is s fun title because it kind of relates to me as well. I may not be dancing in steamy clubs in my spare time , but I have started a second career of sorts with my new pseudonym J.K. Rock, an identity I share with my sister-in-law and writing partner, Karen Rock. In my own double life, I write Young Adult books when I’m not working on my next adult romance and it’s been so much fun. I’ve always found that writing one kind of story (historicals, suspense, lightly comedic books) helps me with another (most often, Blazes). The creative jolt I get from working in one arena carries over to the other and I find I’m fresher for having worked on something else for a little while.

So I’d love it if you’d keep an eye out for my YA debut as J.K. Rock when CAMP BOYFRIEND arrives in stores on July 2nd. You can pre-order it now at Amazon or BN, or download the prequel novella, CAMP KISS, for free here. And I hope you’ll consider checking out MY DOUBLE LIFE and let me know what you think!

Until then, I have a question for you and it’s an easy one! What are you reading now? Share with me on the boards today and you’ll be eligible to win a copy of MY DOUBLE LIFE!

Jane Graves: My Three Favorite Heroes

2013-05-01T00:30:00.000-07:00

I spend a lot of time creating my heroes. After all, aren't they the reason we read romance? Over the years, I've found that mine usually fall into one of three categories:

1. The Sexy Charmer. This hero generates all kinds of funny, sexy banter, and he thinks the only reason to live is to have a good time. This guy has enough charisma for two men, and just being around him just might make you swoon. He'll manipulate you into conforming to his wishes before you know what hit you, but life with this man is never dull. If you like to laugh, he'll keep you entertained for the rest of your life. (Tony McCaffrey in TALL TALES AND WEDDING VEILS)

2. The Confident Man in Charge. This hero thinks his way is the only way, and he has no qualms about running right over anyone in his path. He's the driven corporate CEO, the star athlete, or the military man on a mission. But this man is also a protector‑‑he allows no harm to come to the people he loves. (John Stark in HOT WHEELS AND HIGH HEELS)

3. The Misunderstood Bad Boy. This hero has a chip on his shoulder the size of a concrete block. Reckless, cocky, and sexy beyond words, he carries a thousand hurtful secrets, secrets he intends to take to his grave. Somewhere in his life he has encountered a profound hurt that has made him distrustful of everyone he encounters, and it's only the woman who sees beneath his anger and bravado who can finally unlock his wounded heart. (Luke Dawson in COWBOY TAKE ME AWAY)

What kind of man is your favorite hero and why?

Lorraine Heath – The Pleasures and Perils of Books in a Series

2013-04-30T00:30:00.000-07:00

It such a pleasure to be here today. I thought we could discuss books in a series.

I was four books into my career when I penned my first trilogy. I didn’t know enough about marketing to give it a name although it’s now often referred to by readers as the Texas trilogy. The books—Texas Destiny, Texas Glory, and Texas Splendor—were about three brothers who were shaped by the Civil War and were trying to make a go of it in West Texas.

I love writing books in a series for the same reasons that I enjoy reading them. I have the opportunity to visit with the characters a little bit longer as they appear in each book. As a writer, I come to know the characters more in depth so writing the subsequent books, while not easier, usually—not always but usually—seems to go a bit more smoothly. As often happens with writers, it isn’t until I’m actually writing the second or third story that I fully understand all that will happen in those stories.

My latest trilogy—the Lost Lords of Pembrook—comes to a close April 30 with the release of Lord of Wicked Intentions. When I first met Rafe in She Tempts the Duke, he was all of ten years old, whining about being cold and hungry while his brothers were trying to figure out how to escape the tower in which their uncle had imprisoned them. When we see him as a man, he’s the owner of a gaming hell. He’s distant and hard, refusing to give any hint as to what transpired the years his brothers were away and he grew into adulthood. Unfortunately, he was also very secretive with me. Not until I started writing his story, did I really get to explore the effect that the years had on him and what truly occurred during those years. No spoiler alerts here.

But as a series progresses I think a writer might encounter what I perceive as a peril. Expectations are higher for the next books in the series, especially for the final book. Readers anxious for the next book might have to wait months to read it. All the while, when I’m working on a series I worry that readers have too long to ponder what the final story might be, and they will be disappointed. I remember the original Star Wars trilogy. The first movie was fun, but the second was my favorite. Although I enjoyed the third, I didn't think it was equal to its predecessor. And so I worry.

Another challenge is that readers’ approaches to series vary. Some readers are adamant that they must read the books in order. If they don’t start the trilogy when it first comes out, they may have difficulty finding the earlier books so they may bypass the series completely or they might not want to play “catch up”.

While I don’t mind reading books out of order, I know some readers enjoy a series more if they are able to read the books in order. I also know readers who buy the books when they come out but don’t read them until they have the last book in the series in hand. I admire that patience.

What is your approach to reading a series? Do you mind reading books out of order? Do you wait to read a series until you have all the books in the series? Is there such a thing as too many books in a series? What is your favorite/least favorite part of reading books in a series?

One lucky poster will receive an autographed set of the 1^st two books in the Lost Lords of Pembrook series. Another lucky poster will receive an autographed set of the 1^st two books in the Darkness Before Dawn trilogy that I wrote with my son under the name J. A. London.

Jocelynn Drake: Digging in the Darkness for the Asylum Tales

2013-04-29T00:30:00.000-07:00

The Asylum Tales takes place in a strange world, where humans are living side-by-side with all manner of creatures. Walking down the street in Low Town in the evening, you could encounter trolls, satyrs, elves, pixies, vampires, sirens, and hobgoblins. I created this open world when I started the series because I didn’t want to worry about hiding the existence of these amazing creatures from humans – I had bigger problems to tackle.

But this choice has had an unexpected benefit. It has allowed me the chance to dig through my stacks of books on mythology, folklore, and fairy tales in search of magical creatures that don’t often get their time in the urban fantasy spotlight. There are plenty of books on the shelves that feature vampires and werewolves, but there aren’t many books that spend time talking about Vestal Virgins or the Lorialets.

With every new story for the series, I try to introduce 3-4 new creatures or mythical figures that I hadn’t been seen previously in the Asylum Tales. In Dead Man’s Deal, one of my new favorites is Lori, the Lorialet. Supposedly the children of Selene (goddess of the moon) and Edymion, Lorialets are dreamers and artists. Pale with fine white hair, they are the star gazers, seers of the past and future, and somewhat melancholy figures as they wish to return to the moon.

Writing the Asylum Tales has given me the chance to explore different legends and myths. Picking out these strange creatures has been an interesting adventure, resulting in the story going in new and unexpected directions.

Stop by the Asylum Tales to see more dreams in ink.

Amy Raby: Writing the Flawed Hero

2013-04-28T00:30:00.000-07:00

I’ve spent much of my life in majority-male environments. Not intentionally; it just worked out that way. My mother died when I was young, leaving me in a household that was all male except for myself. Many of my neighborhood friends happened to be boys. In college, I majored in Computer Science, ensuring that most of my classmates would be men, and then I worked at a technology company where the employees were, again, nearly all men.

Nowadays, most of my friends are women, but I feel comfortable around men, and I enjoy writing them. They are not a mysterious other species to me; they’re just people.

And that’s how I like to write them: as people. Not as billionaire hunks of masculine perfection, who always know the right things to say, but as human beings with flaws, who make mistakes and have moments of weakness and sometimes say the wrong thing. In my books, a hero isn’t somebody born with all the advantages: the right family, the right genes, the right opportunities. He’s a man who’s not perfect but who strives to be better, who makes mistakes and learns from them, who finds love with the woman who understands him and loves his flawed self.

In my fantasy romance novel Assassin’s Gambit, the hero is a powerful young emperor who is disabled. In his youth, he was attacked by a group of assassins, and while he managed to fight them off, he lost his lower left leg. Now he walks with a prosthetic and a crutch. The Kjallan Empire, which he rules, is steeped in warrior culture and holds up physical perfection in men as an ideal to be worshiped.

Lucien doesn’t fit this ideal. He will never take the field of battle again—at least not physically. Instead, he tries to prove his worth by being a great battlefield tactician and by playing the war game Caturanga. He is excellent at both, yet he knows that many people will not accept or value him. He yearns for a woman who can see past his physical limitations and appreciate his many other wonderful qualities.

I like to write about imperfect heroes and heroines because, let’s face it, hardly any of us are perfect. And I think imperfect people should have as much of a chance as anybody to find their happily ever after. Who are your favorite flawed heroes and heroines in literature?

Leave a comment for a chance to win a signed paperback copy of Assassin's Gambit!

***Amy's winner is Stefanie! Please email totebag@authorsoundrelations.com with your mailing information! Thanks.***

Writing a Trilogy by Fiona Lowe

2013-04-27T00:05:00.000-07:00

My desk is a big mess and right now my brain is too! I'm writing the final book in my Wedding Fever trilogy, Runaway Groom and I have spread sheet failure. The first book, Saved By The Bride , which is on sale right now was written back in 2011. Book two, Picture Perfect Wedding , I wrote in 2012 and it's been been fully edited and proofed and has gone to production but did I record every minor character's name, occupation on my spread sheet? I meant to! Sadly, I did not. Thank goodness for the Find facility on Word, but oh, how much easier it would have been if I had been better organized.

I've loved creating Whitetail, Wisconsin and casting it. All the characters we meet on the opening pages of Saved By The Bride, end up having their stories told in the three books and each book has two significant romances in it!

If you enjoyed Stars Hollow on The Gilmore Girls, then you'll love Whitetail. It's nestled on a pristine, north woods lake and everyone has an opinion on how best to save the town from financial ruin and they're not backward in coming forward.

Writing the town meetings was lots of fun. Anyone who has served on a committee knows how hard it can be to keep a group focused on the main goal without allowing them to become bogged down in semantics. Annika, my heroine in Saved By The Bride, finds this particularly challenging. I think I channelled all my frustrations of being on a school carnival committee into some of the dialogue!

Do you have any stories about being a volunteer or being on a committee?

Here's the blurb on Saved By The Bride and just in case you missed the book trailer last month, I've popped it below.

Welcome to Whitetail, Wisconsin, future home of Weddings that WOW!

As acting mayor, Annika will do anything to revive the economy of the town that's been her refuge ever since her art career imploded and her fiancé walked out. Even if it means crashing an engagement party to talk business with the bride's billionaire father. But the evening starts with a kiss from a gorgeous stranger—and ends with a night in jail.

Finn Callahan can't believe his sister is getting married, not after their parents' disastrous track record. And he'd rather be anywhere than working from his family's vacation home. Until he catches a leggy blonde sneaking in the window, and suddenly telecommuting for the season is very appealing.

Unable to resist their mutual attraction, Annika and Finn are soon mixing business and pleasure—just for the summer. Too bad Annika's heart missed the memo about not falling in love…

Book one of Wedding Fever.

99,000 words

Read Reviews here!

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Saved By the Bride is available from Amazon Kindle, Barnes and Noble Nook, Carina Press, Kobo iBooks, and all other eBook retailers.

Fiona Lowe is a RITA^® and R*BY award-winning, multi-published author with Harlequin and Carina Press. Whether her books are set in outback Australia or in the mid-west of the USA, they feature small towns with big hearts, and warm, likeable characters that make you fall in love. When she's not writing stories, she's a weekend wife, mother of two 'ginger' teenage boys, guardian of 80 rose bushes and often found collapsed on the couch with wine. You can find her at her website, facebook, Twitter and Goodreads where she'd love you to say, "HI".

Laura Lee Guhrke: Matchmaking in the modern world

2013-04-26T00:30:00.000-07:00

The heroine of my next book is a matchmaker. My wedding is at the end of June. How are these connected? I’m getting to that.

I was a confirmed bachelorette. Having had my heart broken (or having unintentionally broken somebody else’s) too many times, I’d given up finding love. I went solo to every party or wedding. I stopped agreeing to blind dates (the last straw was the guy who wanted to roll a joint using my shoulder; I declined to oblige). I refused to do internet dating (too risky) or speed dating (too silly). I debated about matchmaking services: NYT bestselling romance novelist paired with hot multi-billionaire by high powered female exec matchmaker, but I decided there’s a reason I write fiction, and gave up that idea. No, I was Single Forever.

Then one night I met a guy through friends, and six years later, we’re getting married. None of us started out the evening thinking he and I would get together, but by the end of the night, everyone but me was in on the plot.

The stuff of my own love life has always been part of my writing. In my next book, WHEN THE MARQUESS MET HIS MATCH (out October 29), the matchmaking female exec of my imagination is now Belinda Featherstone, Victorian matchmaker to rich American girls seeking titled British husbands. Her matches always work out, until she falls in love with her own client. That’s a disaster that in real life probably would have happened to me. Thankfully, I found love by accident (sort of), and that’s the best thing that could ever have happened to me.

How about you? Have you ever been successfully matched up by friends? Have you matched up anyone else? If so, how did it go? Can matchmaking work, or is it just disaster waiting to happen?

Nancy Northcott: From the Familiar to the Strange

2013-04-25T00:30:00.000-07:00

Thanks for having me, Lee. I’m excited about my first appearance on Totebags ‘n’ Blogs.

I’ve always loved reading about people who visit exotic places and can do really cool things. Superheroes, spacefarers, and mages (or wizards) are always on my list of favorite characters. Growing up in a small, sleepy town, I enjoyed losing myself in Gotham City and Metropolis with their hustle and bustle.

Yet my paranormal romantic suspense series, The Protectors, ended up being set in and near a small, sleepy town. I didn’t set out with that plan, but the world sort of evolved that way. The hero of the first book, Renegade, is Griffin Dare, a fugitive who tops the mage world’s Most Wanted list. While I love lone wolf heroes, I didn’t want Griff to be totally isolated. So I gave him a home in a small town, where he lived under an alias and concealed his powers, and some friends and allies.

After all, I know small towns. I grew up in one, went to college there, and worked in a slightly larger one. They may be quiet, even sleepy, but there’s a sense of community I truly love. I drew on that when I created the town of Wayfarer, Georgia.

Wayfarer sits very near the Okefenokee Swamp. Many of my friends wrinkled their noses and said, “A swamp? In a romance? Seriously?”

I couldn’t really blame them. Swamps are associated with images of mud, bugs, and stinky air. The Okefenokee isn’t like that, though. A blackwater peat bog, it has no stink and not much mud. Most of the time, you’re either on land or on the water.

My mages’ powers are nature-based, so a rural setting works better for them than an urban one. I picked the swamp because I wanted to incorporate a setting that hadn’t been used a lot in paranormal romance, and I remembered the name Okefenokee from a trip there with my parents many years ago. We didn’t have time then to go back, but I could do the research I needed online since the swamp plays only a minimal role in Renegade.

After the series sold, my husband and our son and I visited there again. Most of the swamp lies inside the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge (www.fws.gov/okefenokee). As we drove into the refuge, I turned to my guys and said, “I hope this is as cool as I think it is because I’m stuck with it now.”

I am so Not Nature Girl, but I fell totally and absolutely in love with the Okefenokee. My husband and I have been back twice, most recently a couple of weeks ago. I’m even thinking of taking lessons in canoeing so we can visit parts of the swamp a motorboat can’t reach.

I’ve been trying to figure out why I’m drawn to this place. I think it’s maybe because it’s so very different, so other, from what I’m accustomed to. It’s beautiful and wild, with a hint of danger from alligators, bears, and snakes. Being there is kind of like visiting a fantasy world. So even though I usually prefer my surroundings tidy and any wildlife safely distant, the Okefenokee calls to me.

Its fantasy world would evolve into a hardwood forest if not for wildfires that periodically burn chunks of it. The Honey Prairie fire in 2011 burned almost three quarters of the 400,000 or so acres in the swamp. It also provided the inspiration for my latest release and first novella, Protector. Reading about the fire online, I learned a lot about wildland firefighting and have tremendous admiration for those who do it. I’ve never been in a helicopter or on a fire line, but a couple of firefighters and a forester helped me with the novella.

The mage hero of Protector, Josh Campbell, is a combat helicopter pilot for the southeastern mages. He flies them into battle against their enemies, the ghouls, users of dark magic whose talons can suck magic or life energy and who kidnap mages and normal, or Mundane, humans for breeding purposes.

Before Josh flew for the mages, he served in the army. After that, he made water drops via helicopter as part of a wildland firefighting crew. There, he met firefighter Edie Lang, who’s also a mage. They were attracted, but Josh backed away. Now ghouls have caused a fire in the Okefenokee, and fighting it reunites Edie and Josh as ghoul magic threatens their lives.

Both of them can do really cool things I can’t, so I get to live vicariously through them. That’s part of the joy of writing. I can sit in my familiar house and immerse myself in strange, new experiences through research. Writing The Protectors gives me the best of both worlds, the familiarity of a small town and the strangeness of the swamp, with a bonus in the expanding horizons of research. That makes me feel really lucky.

What about you? Do you like small towns and rural settings, or do you prefer cities? If you could have a paranormal or magical ability, what would you pick?

I’ll give one commenter today a choice of a signed Renegade or Protector ARC.

Nancy Northcott’s childhood ambition was to grow up and become Wonder Woman. Around fourth grade, she realized it was too late to acquire Amazon genes, but she still loved comic books, science fiction, fantasy and YA romance. A sucker for fast action and wrenching emotion, Nancy combines the romance and high stakes she loves in The Protectors, her new contemporary mage series from Grand Central Forever Yours.

Her debut novel, Renegade, received a starred review from Library Journal. The reviewer called it “genre writing at its best.” Nancy is a three-time RWA Golden Heart finalist and has won the Maggie, the Molly, the Emerald City Opener, and Put Your Heart in a Book.

Website: www.nancynorthcott.com

Twitter: @NancyNorthcott

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nancynorthcottauthor