Romance Alley Blog

Lins Own Speculations: WHEN THE COVERS BUILD AND THE BEST NEED TO BE NAME...

2011-10-19T07:20:00.000-07:00

Blown away by what Lin said about my book cover designs. My curtsy and gratitude to the talented fellow author, Lin Holmes for her magical choice of words describing all of us graphic designers at MuseItUp Publishing, thank you Lin for the beautiful appraisal.

Lins Own Speculations: WHEN THE COVERS BUILD AND THE BEST NEED TO BE NAME...: Our cover showcase of Muse Publishing"s finest yet again must reappear. Kat and I periodically take a long walk on the wild side looki...

My news at Lindsay Romantics blog...check it out

2011-09-26T05:01:00.000-07:00

Come and read my news at Lindsay Romantics blog!!!! link below

http://lindsaysromantics.blogspot.com/

Cocktails Fiction and Gossip Magaine - September Issue

2011-09-17T13:16:00.000-07:00

Cocktails Fiction and Gossip Magazine September issue available for readers, enjoy!

New announcement and change of content, read it under 'about' . Here is the link:

http://www.wix.com/cocktailsmagazine/fictionandgossip#!

Book Review: 'Fatal February' by Barbara Levinson

2011-08-21T11:19:00.000-07:00

Stacey Cotrufo Romance Alley Reviewer: I am an avid reader and writer of contemporary romances. I started reading Harlequin romances in the 7th grade and haven't stopped. I enjoy a fast-paced story or one's that focus on family/friendships as the subplot. Some of my favorite authors include Susan Mallery, Nora Roberts, Robyn Carr, Kristan Higgins, Maureen Child, Debbie Macomber...you get the idea.

'Fatal February' by Barbara Levinson

The Review by: Stacey Cotrufo

I was a little hesitant to sit down and read Barbara Levinson’s “Fatal February”. I am an avid reader of romance novels but what I’ve come to discover is that it is really the contemporary novels that I lean towards.

“Fatal February” was a good read; fast paced with characters that really seemed to leap off of the page. The problem was more with me. This type of story reminds me of when Sandra Brown sort of did a crossover from her usual contemporary romances to a more romantic/suspense and then a full throttle suspense with some romantic elements thrown in. So really, it’s not that the story itself wasn’t enjoyable, it was just that I now know for certain that I am not a murder mystery/legal thriller type of reader.

If you are, then this would be right up your alley. With Miami lawyer Mary Magruder Katz having what seems to be a horrendous run of bad luck but there is so much going on in this story, that you keep turning the pages to see what happens no matter how uncomfortable the situation may be.

Something else about this story that stood out was that it was written mostly in the first person; Mary is telling the story. I don’t know why that stood out so much or why it became a hindrance but it was just another issue for me to get over while reading “Fatal February”.

From the opening page describing the crime to the final one hinting at Mary’s next big case, Author Barbara Levinson keeps you going. Her scenes aren’t overly drawn out – although sometimes I wish they were because I wanted more action! – and she doesn’t leave her readers lingering in a situation for too long.

If you are looking for a witty, fast-paced murder mystery with just a little bit of sexual steaminess, grab yourself a copy of “Fatal February” and prepare yourself for a ride.

Publisher's website: www.oceanviewpub.com

My experience at the ‘Women’s Expo Event’

2011-08-12T20:40:00.000-07:00

Nervous, I approached the expo with a mixture of excitement and trepidation. It was a chance to promote not only my work but three other authors beyond cyberspace.

I took my welcome letter with the directions and headed to the ‘Walk -the outlets in Atlantic City’. I easily found the entrance where Cat Country radio station trucks were loading their stuff and their staff helping arrange everyone to their booths. I was impressed with not only the organization, but the helpful attitude of the staff. It certainly allowed everyone to have a day free of the stress and worry of disorganization. One staff member, Kaitlynn Breder the Marketing Consultant at Millennium Radio NJ did a great job helping us. A professional I had the pleasure of meeting her and experiencing the care and consideration she took of all of us.

The three talented authors I had the pleasure meeting for the first time. M. Kate Quinn author of ‘Moonlight & Violet’, and ‘Summer Iris’ published with The Wild Rose Press, M. Flagg author of ‘Retribution’, ‘Consequences’, and ‘His Soul to Keep’ published with The Wild Rose Press, and Ami Feller author of ‘Boardwalk in Disrepair-The Splintering of Miss Patriotic’ published with ComteQ Publishing, arrived later for the event.

The day was beautiful, people mingled and bustled about, waiting to shop or dance the Zomba!

A dance inspired from the Latin dance. The spicy, sultry beat had me dancing about, handing out postcards and gifts.

We met many interesting people that showed interest in our books and handed out a lot of gifts. The day passed with the handing out of promotional goodies, and answering questions. We had readers stopping to inquire about our books and we were more than happy to chat. Few actually asked if our books are on Kindle which tells you more and more readers are into reading on today’s gadgets.

I passed my postcards, lollypops, cards, bookmarks. Also I handed out the gift bags provided by the talented Helen Henderson author of ‘Windmaster’, and ‘Romance of my Dreams II’. "Thanks Helen, I passed some of what you sent me". The bags were filled with goodies from different authors.

I discovered many vendors gave out their products for free. Some were there simply to promote their products by showing and giving free gifts. To these select vendors the selling aspect was not a priority, their intent was to spread the word about their name, their brand so to speak. Some offered a free promotional gift if you friended them on Facebook.

To have a successful event there are a few key things you’ll need:

1. Signage. A BIG banner or board to show who you are. Unfortunately, I was so nervous I forgot mine. Still, I’m happy I didn’t spend the money on a banner with my book cover and a few words about my book.
I know now what I need to place on any banner, or two banners I use. Intrigue is key: draw people’s eye and the body will follow. What you write and show on the board or banner is the most critical aspect, and is intended to catch the interest of a fast passer. Remember they walk fast and some of them will not stop unless something catches their eyes.

2. You need to engage the people who come near your booth. I saw some providing that engaged them on more than just a visual level. I never thought of that, I was concentrating on selling my displayed books, and offering some free stuff. Really, the people who engaged the crowd did a great job even if they didn’t sell anything. They made sure the traffic come to them to win something and got to know their website, or friend them on facebook. That made me think that I should change my strategy next time I go for an event. Time to think out of the box!!!!

3. Be creative with your gifts. Anything big, colorful and useful will attract attention. Nothing pricy, just something that will bring their attention. I attached my lollypops to my bookmarks and postcards. Their eyes hit that lollypop before my postcard, but hey, whatever makes them happy.

4. Don’t sit and wait for readers to come to you. Get on your feet and start talking to them. Ask if they like to read books, or if they would like a gift. Initiate the conversation and titillate their interests. I know some of us are shy, and afraid of being rejected face to face. Well, here’s some news for you - there is no place for that introverted personality here. To sell, or even to get your name out there you have to GET on your feet and work it.

5. Beside the postcards, do brochures. Give them something to read when they get home. Attach some chocolate to it and make it memorable. The brochure should include something other than your book excerpt and your info- write something funny that they will remember you-the author-by it, or something to brighten their day. Write something that will make them say, wow I think I like this author and would like to check her/his books.

6. Finally, enjoy your day and smile at everyone who passes by and wish them a wonderful day.

You never know who you will meet at an event. You may not think about it, but it only takes one person to spread the word to two, and three and soon you don’t know who will hear about you. Most importantly I discovered that I need to be out there spreading awareness about my name, books and business. And yes being an author is a business, and one has to approach it as such.

Don’t be nervous instead start thinking ‘how can I be more creative this time’, how can I get my name and my books in front of the people who will buy them?

I hope my experience gave you some ideas of how to plan your next promo event.

Thank you for visiting my blog and reading my article

Suzannah Safi
http://www.suzannahsafi.com/

New release of my Paranormal Romance ' Purity Dwells Within' will be available July 1st, 2011

2011-06-26T18:31:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited to announce to my readers the new release of my Paranormal Romance ' Purity Dwells Within' will be available July 1st, 2011.

Watch the trailer here

Blurb:

Quiet, timid, Hannah Williams has spent most of her life shying away from anything too personal. When her supervisor, Jenny Anderson betrays her to the satanic cult she’s part of, Hannah’s peaceful life is shattered. Trapped by black magic in the body of Jenny, Hannah must race to reverse the spell and reclaim her body.

Kevin Anderson is a man living a nightmare. When his wife returns from assignment at Hartford Mansion, he has no idea just how things are about to change. With the real Jennifer Anderson trapped within a mirror, her hold is broken. Free of her control, Kevin’s first impulse is to run far and fast…but something just doesn’t add up.

Sweet, caring, the woman he calls his wife acts like another – a woman he could love. When Kevin learns the truth of his wife’s deceit, he’s thrown into a world of darkness and murder, of power and control – all the while trying to save Hannah and himself from Jenny’s evilness.

Together, they must vanquish the evil surrounding them and save not only themselves, but the trapped souls locked within the walls of a mansion of death.

Women's Expo - August 6th in Atlantic City

2011-05-22T13:04:00.000-07:00

When I learned about the Women's Expo event that will take place at the Atlantic City Outlets in the heart of Atlantic City on Saturday, August 6, as a promoter, I immediately saw an opportunity to promote my books and author name.

The event is for one day and they are having many activities, goodies, food, books, cloths, entertainments, and information that appeal to all types of women. The Entertainment Stage will feature Fashions Shows, The Colgate Country Showdown, magic shows and other live entertainment.

I invited two authors to share a booth with me, and we all are going to showcase/sell our books there. I live in Atlantic City and I know how the Outlets area in the summer will be packed with all kind of tourists. A DJ from Cat Country Radio station also will announce our table and talk briefly about our books and ask tourists to visit our table, which is really exciting.

If any author is interested to book a booth, contact me and I will send you the name and contact info of the organizer.

Hope to see you there. Lots of goodies are prepared for this event. I'm also preparing a special Issue from Cocktails Fiction Magazine to advertise the participants books. The magazine will be one mini disk given out as a gift to whoever visit our table, or buy a book from us.

Issue 6 Cocktails Fiction and Gossip Magazine

2011-04-30T17:17:00.000-07:00

Cocktails Fiction and Gossip Magazine issue 6-adult/erotic theme 18+ only- is ready for you to read, download, and enjoy! visit http://www.wix.com/cocktailsmagazine/fictionandgossip

TERMINAL NEGLECT by Michael Rushnak

2011-03-27T07:52:00.000-07:00

Cocktails Fiction & Gossip Magazine issue 4 - adult/erotic theme - 18+

2011-03-02T15:48:00.000-08:00

Cocktails Fiction and Gossip Magazine issue 4-adult/erotic theme 18+ only- is ready for you to read, download, and enjoy!

Let me know your thoughts, what would you like to read, and your comments. Authors love to hear from you. Hope you all have a wonderful read. Here is the link:

http://www.wix.com/cocktailsmagazine/fictionandgossip

GetToKnowTheBook: Author Lynne Roberts 'Creative License'

2011-02-16T16:48:00.000-08:00

I’m always interested in what inspires the idea behind a book, even when I’m the one writing it.

For me, usually there is more than one source of inspiration, but I distinctly remember when CREATIVE LICENSE was born. I was driving in the car, listening to the radio on the way to the grocery store when Katy Perry’s Waking up in Vegas came on the radio. I wasn’t really listening to it, but apparently my brain was in creative mode. I asked myself what it be like to wake up married in Vegas. I started wondering about the kinds of situations that might lead to that event and then promptly shoved the idea away because it was too cliché.

However, like many ideas, this one wouldn’t leave me alone and eventually I asked an editor friend of mine about it. She assured me it was all in the writing and convinced me I could pull it off. So I gave in and started writing what would become CREATIVE LICENSE, but then I was calling THE VEGAS STORY. Kind of ironic now as none of the story takes place in Vegas.

I am by no means a plotter, but I like to know my story has enough meat before I start writing. I always ask myself what’s keeping the two characters apart. It’s a writer’s prerogative, and duty, to torture them before the happily-ever-after. For me to do that, I needed to really nail down the characters.

Caleb’s character was the easiest. He almost arrived full-born on the page. I think I fell in love with him before Lily did.

Lily was a bit more challenging to pin down. I wanted her likeable and quite frankly, at first she wasn’t. It took a few good edits and some brainstorming before I came up with a good balance of privileged female and approachable heroine.

And then there was the setting. I decided to place the story in San Francisco, so I drove up there with my sisters, a notebook and camera.

A writer’s stories are kind of like children. You love them all. But CREATIVE LICENSE holds a special place in my heart. I hope you enjoy it too.

Blurb:

Loose ends have a way of tripping you up…

Years ago, a law school graduation weekend in Vegas had been part of Lily MacPherson’s plan. Waking up next to a naked Adonis with a ring on her finger was not. After a quick annulment, she relegated Caleb Anderson to her late-night fantasies—and very short list of mistakes—until his voice on the other end of the phone asks a favor that could shake the foundations of her neat and tidy future.

Caleb is still haunted by Lily’s horrified expression that morning in Vegas. At least it had made it easy to set her free…except they aren’t. The papers were never filed. And when the nosy patroness who could launch his painting career insists on meeting his “wife”, does he confess, or call Lily? He calls Lily.

When she steps off the plane, Caleb’s determination to play tour guide disappears in the San Francisco fog. Lily thought she could keep up the pretense for one weekend, cut the last tie to her past, and move on. But their chemistry still pops and sizzles, finally exploding into passion at Caleb’s studio.

It’s everything they remember…but so is the yawning chasm of differences that, in the end, could once again drive them apart.

Product Warnings

Contains balmy ocean breezes, coffee as seduction, the creative use of melted chocolate, and naughty shower lovin’ that gives new meanings to the term “shower head”.

Excerpt: Rated PG

The computer screen blurred. Lily blinked to refocus her tired eyes on the deposition and sighed in relief when the phone rang. She loved her job, loved working for a law firm, but staring at a computer screen for hours took its toll.

Blowing a strand of dark hair out of her eyes, she reached over a stack of law books. “McPherson.” Lily glanced at the clock as her stomach rumbled. She’d worked through lunch again. Damn.

The other end of the line was silent for so long, she thought the caller had changed his or her mind. “Hello?”

“Yes, hi.”

The rich, masculine voice sent chills down her spine and knotted her stomach. Eyes closed, she gripped the phone so hard it hurt. Even after all these years, she knew that voice. “Caleb?”

A low, sexy chuckle rumbled through the line. “You remember me.”

Oh shit, why was he calling her now? Memories of the most erotic night of her life flashed through her mind. Lily opened her eyes, reminding herself the most embarrassing morning of her life had followed. “How did you get this number? Never mind.”

Despite the deep breath, the receiver trembled in her hand. “Can I do something for you?”

An intake of breath and then a pause. “We have a slight problem.”

Lily’s stomach churned acid. None of their problems had been small, not for the twelve hours and twenty-two minutes they’d been married. “Yes?”

Caleb cleared his throat. “It seems the annulment didn’t go through.”

“Oh, shit.” I’m in a bad movie. This has got to be a joke. She leaned against the back of her chair. “What do you mean it didn’t go through?”

“We’re still married, sweetie. The annulment was never processed.”

Married? “Why?” Lily rubbed the ache growing between her eyes. “No. I don’t care. Just get it processed.”

“It’s too late now. We’ve been married too long.”

“We are not married.” Lily tried to swallow past the tide of rising panic.

“The state of Nevada would disagree, sweetheart.”

She could almost see that sexy grin, those sparkling green eyes. She definitely remembered what they did to her. She’d been chocolate under the heat of his sun. “I am not your sweetheart.” She reached for a notepad. Who to call? Certainly no one in the firm. Though they were all professional and talented, people talked. She couldn’t let it get back to her family or… Oh, God. Stewart. “I’ll file for divorce in the morning.”

“Um, about that.”

She didn’t have the patience to wait out the pause. “What?”

“I was wondering if we could delay that a bit.”

A pain in her hand alerted her to the death grip she’d taken on the phone. She was suddenly glad she’d skipped lunch. “Delay? Why?”

“I need a favor.”

“Well you’re out of luck. I’m fresh out of favors.”

“Lily, please listen.”

His voice had lowered to almost pleading. Something in her heart softened. What’s wrong with me? I don’t owe this man anything! He’s a stranger. “You call me out of the blue to tell me we’re still married and now you need a favor?” It came out a little more acerbic than she’d meant.

His chuckle sounded nervous. “I guess that pretty much sums it up. You’re not married or anything, are you?”

Lily closed her eyes. “No. I’m not.”

“Well.” He cleared his throat. “Except to me.”

“Not for long. Thank you for letting me know about the clerical error. I’ll handle it from my end. Good-bye.” Lily set the phone in its cradle. Quite a feat when she wanted to slam it down. She stood and walked toward the window, leaned against the sill and stared out at the tops of the trees and below them to the expanse of grass. Interns didn’t usually merit an office with a window, let alone a window facing the courtyard. It was one of the benefits of almost being engaged to her boss’s son.

Ah, Stewart. He wouldn’t mind that she slept with someone in Vegas, though he’d be a bit irritated she hadn’t been smarter about keeping it quiet. But in his eyes, marrying a divorceé was socially unacceptable. No one could ever find out about what happened in Vegas. It had been a mistake, a horrible mistake.

She closed her eyes and the image of waking next to a naked Adonis filled her mind. His long blond hair had spread over perfectly sculpted shoulders, his head cradled by well-muscled arms. A silk sheet covered his lower back to mid-thigh but had only served to tantalize the imagination of her sleep-fogged brain. For a moment, she’d been tempted to explore the promising hills and valleys of his body and then she’d moved to touch him and seen the gaudy fake diamond ring on her left hand.

She still could only remember flashes of their night together; falling into his arms, the silky warmth of his skin next to hers, his lips. She opened her eyes in an attempt to wash out the images that had tinted her fantasies in the three years since. An ache built in her lower abdomen as she remembered the sound of his voice. She couldn’t recall standing in front of a minister and saying I do, but the documents didn’t lie. “Shit.” Caleb Anderson might be a talented artist and sexy as hell, but he wasn’t in her ten-year plan.

Behind her, the phone rang again and she sighed, turned and picked it up. “Macpherson.”

“Lily, please, listen,” Caleb asked.

“You have three minutes.”

“It’s… Damn it, Lily. It’s a long story.”

“Three minutes,” she repeated. The sound of Caleb’s sigh into her ear sent shivers down her body.

“I need you to…come out here for a few days.”

Her jaw dropped open.

After a long pause, Caleb cleared his throat. “Are you still there?”

“Is this a joke?”

“No. It’s not. If you’ll let—”

“No. Absolutely not. You’re crazy.”

“Please. I know it’s inconvenient—”

“Inconvenient? That’s an understatement. Why would I fly across the country?”

“Because it could make a permanent difference in my career, in my life. Listen, it’s complicated but…” he paused and his voice thickened. “My patroness did a background check, she found out I was married. I panicked. She wants to meet you.” The words came out in a rush.

“I appreciate your position, but…” Lily hesitated. She could vividly remember the passion with which he described his art. It had been one of the many things that had kept her by the bar ordering drink after drink until her memory faded to black.

“I’ll pay for your air fare and—”

“It’s not that.”

“Then what? Lily, I need your help. Please. It’s my one big chance. It would only be for a couple of days.”

A couple of days. That’s what got her into this mess in the first place, but something inside of her softened further. She did have some vacation time coming and she’d heard San Francisco was beautiful in the summer. Holy heaven, I’m considering it.

She had to admit, part of her hesitation was the memory of his skin on hers and the fear she’d tumble back into bed with him in a heartbeat. She’d done it in her fantasies enough times. Would that be so bad?

No, it would be so good. That was the problem. She took a deep breath. “I’ll think about it, Caleb.”

“Thank you.”

She hung up the phone, buried her face in her hands, and then grimaced. “I’ve just had my first argument with my husband.”

Available at Samhain http://store.samhainpublishing.com/creative-license-p-6257.html

Cocktails Fiction & Gossip Magazine issue 3

2011-01-29T11:07:00.000-08:00

Cocktails Fiction and Gossip Magazine issue 3 is ready for you to read, download, and enjoy!

Let me know your thoughts, what would you like to read, and your comments. Authors love to hear from you. Hope you all have a wonderful read. Here is the link:
http://www.wix.com/cocktailsmagazine/fictionandgossip

‘Review and Interview’ with Author Deanna Jewel

2010-11-28T09:08:00.000-08:00

Today on ‘Review and Interview’ I would like to welcome author Deanna Jewel and to talk about her book “No Turning Back”

Blurb:

While avenging the death of his fiancé years earlier, Nathan learns that he can love again but is he willing to chance another broken heart? Will the woman he wants also learn to love again?

Vanessa is heartbroken over recent events in her life; she’s also head strong, flaunts London aristocracy and takes on breeding horses, something unheard of in the society circles of London. She finds herself trying to put the pieces of her life back together, but can she do it alone? With a child on the way, she is forced to do just that - their future depends on her strength. Then a friend offers to help. Dare she trust a man sworn to carry out a vow taken on a death bed? She refuses to accept that his love is true when his honor of sticking to his word is also at stake.

Reviewed by Suzannah Safi (Romance Alley): Author Deanna Jewel takes you through a journey with the hero and the heroine: their heart aches, a second chance found love, and amazing history of London’s aristocratic society to whet your appetite. Smooth narration and exciting twists throughout the book. I loved Nathan and Vanessa, the two were well described that you forget that you are reading, instead, you feel you are living with them experiencing the journey. “No Turning Back” is a great Historical Romance novel you will love to take with you on your vacation, on the beach, or cuddle with in bed.

Note: For anyone who is having a problem leaving a comment for the author can email the author with their comments. Thanks!

Suzannah: Now let’s meet the author and get to know her book.

Deanna, welcome to Romance Alley and thank you for being here with us today.

When I read “No Turning Back” I couldn’t help but feel emotional toward Nathan, you have drawn such character, strong and emotional. I know as an author there are techniques on how to draw a character that we can feel, and not a cut-board character, mind to tell us?

Deanna: Thank you for having me here today, Suzannah. Creating Nathan was a pure pleasure. I gave him attributes that I like in men and he respects women like he would respect his mother. I wanted a man who had felt love before; one who would know what and who he was looking for when he found her. Nathan already knew the qualities he wanted in his woman that would make his heart skip each time he glanced at her or held her in his arms. He wanted a woman to spend the rest of his life with, to watch his children grow up with, and to fall deeper in love with as each day passed. Ok, that’s plenty……he just gets me carried away!

Suzannah: Vanessa the heroine, did she speak to you, or was she difficult to reach. Did you ever reach to that stage where a character refuses to talk to you?

Deanna: Vanessa was not as easy to write as Nathan was. I did have a hard time figuring out just who Vanessa was. I knew who I wanted her to be, but it’s a bit more involved than that. *smile* As a fellow writer, I’m guessing you could tell.

I wanted to create a woman who knew what she wanted in life and wasn’t afraid to go after it, to take chances, not caring what others might have to say about her. Vanessa is a risk taker and determination is what drives her. She wasn’t prepared for falling in love with Nathan at all. She already had feelings for her childhood sweetheart.

Suzannah: When I love a character and feel him/her, I really feel that the author loved that character and poured all her efforts to make the character that he/she is. Is that true and was Nathan it, I have a feeling Nathan is coming back but don’t know how lol.

Deanna: I wrote No Turning Back many years ago but didn’t really have a picture in my mind of how he looked until I found the photo of a young man who just jumped off my computer screen at me. I knew immediately he was Nathan and his photo is on the cover. I was a bit surprised to find out he actually lives in London so to find a character that fit the bill AND lives where my story takes place just blew me away. Once I’d found the picture of Nathan, adding to his character was so easy to do. I won’t say anymore, it’ll spoil it for the readers. I’m still waiting for him to answer my email though…I know he’s read the email I sent him, he just hasn’t decided to reply yet…but one day he will.

Suzannah: It was wonderful to read about the London’s aristocratic society, and I enjoyed how detailed you were in describing the life. What research did you do and what was the best information that you found and said “This piece of info is perfect for my story?

Deanna: I did so much research for this book because I wanted the city just right. I’m sure there are still items that might not be exactly correct but I tried my darnedest to get it right. I’m not a horse person but was lucky enough to meet a woman online who IS a horsewoman and she helped me immensely in getting that part of the book correct. I gave her credit for that in my dedication. Again, Lynn, thank you so much for all your help.

Suzannah: Tell us about the inside information of your next novel, we like to hear juicy stuff lol.

Deanna: Well, I can’t write a romance without those warm sensuous sex scenes now can I! I’m bringing back Nathan and Vanessa in my next novel, but 100 or so years into the future from where they were and an ocean away! In No Turning Back, I never stated that he shipped items to the colonies because I just assumed the reader would know that it could happen. In my upcoming novel, Whispers at Ghost Point, Nathan is the ghost in the light house and Vanessa is actually Dana, the woman he longs to be with again but isn’t sure how that can happen. She will have to make up her mind which man she wants to be with and I’m giving her several choices!

I won’t spoil things any further than that, just know it will be worth reading to find out how things work out. Will Nathan continue to live as a ghost and only be allowed to ‘watch over’ Dana?

I also have to start work on the sequel to Never Surrender. Readers write me to find out when that might happen and I don’t have an answer yet. I haven’t even begun to figure out a plot for that one! Just know that one day it will happen.

Suzannah: Thank you Deanna for being here with us, wishing you the best of success. Hope to see more of your news, till then, take care all and I hope you enjoyed this ‘Review and Interview’ with author Deanna Jewel.

Deanna: Suzannah, thanks so much for allowing me this time with your readers. I do appreciate it. I hope they hop over to my website and surf around. There is a lot to do and several other links to visit.

I’d like to offer a contest to your readers: please leave me a comment here with your email address so that I may pick two winners to receive a copy of No Turning Back! I will pick the winners on Wednesday Dec 1

And you can find me here:

My Blog Site: http://deannajewel.blogspot.com/

My Website: http://deannajewel.com/

Read two chapters of each book here: http://www.freado.com/users/1124/Deanna-Jewel

My FB Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/group.php?gid=371589027638

Fresh Fiction: http://freshfiction.com/author.php?id=25733

Cocktails Fiction & Gossip Magazine is now live!!!!

2010-11-20T16:25:00.000-08:00

What will the magazine contain?

Fiction in all its genres, gossip, free stories, recopies, interviews, and all you can think of.

This magazine is meant to be fun for readers to enjoy. Know new authors and interact with them here on my blog. It’'s FREE, every month I will publish a new issue for you to read and have fun with new articles. You can download the free PDF or read it online.

Here is the link http://www.wix.com/cocktailsmagazine/fictionandgossip

Cheers!

Suzannah Safi

‘Review and Interview’: Explicitly English by Rachel Leigh

2010-11-07T06:56:00.001-08:00

Today on ‘Review and Interview’ on Romance Alley, I would like to welcome author Rachel Leigh and to talk about her erotic short story ‘Explicitly English’

Blurb:

Laura Markham needs to forget - just for awhile. Be someone else for change - live as her parents will never have the chance to. And for Laura, that means leaving the City for the English countryside and doing just what the hell she feels like…wherever she feels like doing it…British stockbroker, Stephen Cambridge knows by going home to his country retreat two days early, he's likely to surprise his contracted interior designer. And when he finds out she's the woman who performed the solo masterbation show for him on the inward bound journey, Stephen will do anything to further convince her to miss outward bound train and stay with him forever…

Reviewed by Suzannah Safi at Romance Alley: ‘Explicitly English’ is an erotic short story for the readers who enjoy a quick taste of erotic fantasy, they will enjoy the read in a train trip, on the beach, or just in their privet room. There was a slight of a twist that I hoped the author had expanded on, but the length of the story maybe didn’t allow it. Still, it’s like tasting a piece of chocolate that melts in your mouth and you enjoy the taste.

Now let’s meet the author and get to know her book.

Rachel, welcome to Romance Alley and thank you for being here with us today.

Suzannah: Thanks for giving me the chance to read Explicitly English, and congrats on your first published short story. Now my question to you which many ask: your short story is pure erotic; explain why do you write erotic and what you want?

Rachel: I want my readers to have an experience, a fantasy that takes them out of their own world for a little while. Although my story is straight erotic (no paranormal/sci-fi elements), it is ultimately a romance, which is what I love to write. I want readers to enjoy the satisfaction of knowing great sex can last!

Suzannah: Rachel, I know every reader loves to know the author behind the story. You are a reader before you are an author. What Rachel Leigh likes in a fantasy romantic book?

Rachel: Great, intriguing & sexy characters are a must – I want to know what has happened to this people to shape who they are today and want they plan to do to make themselves happy. I like characters to be achievers, go-getters – not people who sit around and wait for the universe to give them what they think they deserve.

And of course – sensuality is a must. I want to feel the tension and humor between a couple so I totally understand why they should be together.

Suzannah: Why you think, some readers like erotic stories, personally I believe it’s healthy for adults to fantasies and live a fantasy in a book. Do you think it’s healthy to read erotic lol, and what is your next project?

Rachel: Totally! What could be more healthier?? Readers of erotic stories are looking for escape and possible scenarios for their own lives. Harmless, satisfying fun – nothing wrong with that at all.

My next erotic short story is under submission right now, tentatively entitled ‘Coming Back’

Blurb:

Kelly Hampton loved and lost him – for the last two years she’s looked for him in other men but now she refuses to emotionally cripple herself any longer. No more sex until she knows for sure she is in love.

And then the love of her life walks back into her bar claiming to still love her. Her heart hitches and her body heats – no-one has ever come close to understanding her, or worse…satisfying her like him.

When Sean McKenzie left Jessop Hill with his mother to protect her from his father’s fists, he should’ve known he would never love again after his explosively erotic relationship with Kelly. But now his father is dead and Sean is back for the only woman he will ever want. Their reunion is full of fire, pain and passion – and once they touch, the sexual connection is too much for either of them to resist…

Suzannah: Do you have anything else to tell your readers… and tell us where to find you.

Rachel: Just to ask that you pop by my blog whenever possible as I host two guests authors every week as well as regularly posting myself…and there are very often those all-important giveaways on offer.

http://www.rachelleighromance.blogspot.com/
http://www.rachelleigh.co.uk/

Suzannah: Thank you Rachel for giving me the chance to enjoy your short story ‘Explicitly English’ and have this interview. I enjoyed your story and getting to know you better. I wish you all the best and much success for the upcoming projects. I hope to have another ‘Review and Interview’ with you.

GetToKnowTheBook: 'Giving up the Ghost' by Stacy-Deanne

2010-11-07T06:56:00.000-08:00

Get to Know the Book: Giving up the Ghost by Stacy-Deanne

(Why I’m Jealous of My Heroine Detective Brianna Morris)

That’s ridiculous isn’t it? How can you be jealous of a fictional character you created? But come on, what writer hasn’t created someone that embodied all the traits physically or emotionally they wished to have? Funny, I haven’t met a writer yet that didn’t feel some envy toward one of their characters.

I love Bree. She came from the depths of my soul but I do envy her. I wish I was just like her. Bree has the best of both worlds. She’s beautiful and intelligent, yet sassy and tough. She calls the shots but she also has the option of being vulnerable. See Bree is a very tough cookie but it takes certain situations that I draw out to remind her she’s still just a woman. That’s what Bree fears, to be thought of as just a woman. She fights hard to prove she doesn’t need your help while not understanding that leaning on someone isn’t a sign of weakness. She goes all around the world to not admit she’s still hot for her partner Steven Kemp. Well, Bree never could turn down a blond with blue eyes. Neither could I.

So why the heck am I jealous? Bree is allowed to be perfect and imperfect at the same time. S he has the luxury of saving the day and being saved. I don’t have that. Real women don’t have that. With us it’s either one or the other. In real life you’re either weak or strong. You pick your battles and hope to survive them. There’s no one plucking keys on the other end, making everything okay. There’s no one there to yank us out of trouble by the next paragraph or to kill the bad guy on the next page. Bree, being fictional has all she needs. Thanks to me. I can do so many things for her yet struggle when it comes to me.

That’s one reason I’m jealous. But I love her. I really do. She is a part of me as much as a character can be. We have a bond that lasts no matter how many times I type, “The End”.

What I love about Bree is that she’s not just a character but a person. She has just as many faults as I do but manages to keep them under control. She’s lovely but not so lovely where I can’t relate. Her attitude stinks at times, just like mine on certain days. She’s the sweetest and most dependable person but she can be a bit bitchy too. And that’s me all over. When Bree’s not arresting sex offenders or wrestling with her lust for Steven Kemp, she’s just like me. Just like you. And it’s then, when I start to type and remember the traits that make Bree so special to me, than I remember not to be jealous.

Sneak Peek:

Albany Detective Brianna “Bree” Morris is having the year from hell. A sadistic admirer has been stalking her for months and now her friend Cheyenne Wilson has been beaten and left for dead.

With her ex-lover and faithful partner, Steven Kemp, Bree thrusts herself into the case. It’s not long before they believe two unrelated British men are connected to the attack. Michael is a womanizing artist with a ferocious appetite for rough sex. Simon is a wealthy free spirit looking for love in all the wrong places, but has one too many skeletons in his closet.

Bree struggles to determine fact from fiction when it comes to Michael and Simon but her attempts are blurred by Michael's manipulation and her sexual attraction to Simon, who Steven’s convinced cannot be trusted.

Meanwhile the stalker does everything in his power to get close to Bree and his obsession evokes a spiral of violence.

Bree must trust her heart to find answers but her heart leads her to the most dangerous man of all.

"Giving Up The Ghost" is BOOK ONE of Stacy's crime/mystery and interracial romance series featuring the strong willed and fiery detective Brianna "Bree" Morris and her lovesick, hot-tempered partner and ex-lover Steven Kemp who debuted in Stacy's award-winning 2008 novel Melody.

Fans of "Melody" and Bree and Steven will ravish this long awaited and exciting new series featuring passion, mystery, murder, seduction, interracial romance and intrigue!

Coming April 1, 2011 (Peace in the Storm Publishing)

To preorder a print copy: http://peaceinthestormpublishing.com/home/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=3&products_id=29&zenid=6ad5e71d72aeda1cbecd2a003da0c294

http://www.stacy-deanne.net/

http://www.twitter.com/stacydeanne

Search for me on Facebook!

Review & Interview with: Author Faith L. Bicknell - The Darkness of Sable

2010-10-25T16:15:00.000-07:00

Check what gift the author has for you!!!

Today on ‘Review and Interview’ on Romance Alley, I would like to welcome author F.L. Bicknell and to talk about her novel “The Darkness of Sable”

Blurb: Struggling to deal with the disappearance of her daughter and in a creative slump, sculptress Sable Hendricks-Tade travels to Florida for rest and relaxation only to find herself thrust between divided paranormal worlds. One side wants her dead and the other will do anything to keep her in its "wicked" embrace. Determined to get answers, she searches for her missing daughter and spirals into the realm of immortals and goddesses where she quickly realizes her agent is her only anchor to reality. But can she trust him to keep her safe?

Thomas Valimar, a highly trained marshal working within a network of humans to maintain the line between the paranormal and human worlds, is assigned to protect Sable from the magic she doesn't realize she possesses. Operating undercover as her agent, his duty soon turns to passion as he falls for the beautiful artist.

Drawing Sable into their world of sex, magic, and intrigue, the dark forces will do anything to keep Sable in their clutches so they may feed from her emotions and mysterious ability. Only through sheer determination and Thomas' love can Sable walk through other realms and not only battle the paranormal creatures that wish to destroy her life but save her daughter as well.

Reviewed by Suzannah Safi at Romance Alley: To get answers, that’s what Sable fought hard like any mother will do to find her child, author F.L. Bicknell drew deep emotions in every step throughout the novel making me feel compassion toward the heroine. To be strong and fight for what is yours and overcome even the paranormal was Sable’s action, never give up.

I was hooked with every page I turned, the story has many twists and turns that will engage you to continue reading. The writing is smooth and consumes you, you will live in a world of paranormal with its many creatures described beautifully in the story, scary yet some are sensual. Although Sable’s aim is to find her daughter, she couldn’t but find the love she sought to find in the oddest situations. Her experience with love and marriage destroyed her spirit after her divorce, but she fought against an annoying ex-husband and struggled with the search for her daughter. Finding happiness seemed far for her and so close at times, but it’s a battle she was strong enough to fight, with the help of the handsome highly trained marshal, Thomas Valimar. I truly believe ‘The Darkness of Sable’ should have a second book for after what happened at the end, I’m not telling you what lol, but truly the story is entertaining and I recommend it for all readers who like paranormal romance novels, and I applause Author F.L. Bicknell for her captivating imagination.

Now let’s meet the author and get to know her book.

Faith, welcome to Romance Alley and thank you for being here with us today.

Suzannah: When I started reading your story ‘The darkness of Sable’ I couldn’t but feel Sable’s deep dilemma and totally sympathized with her, although I’m not a mother but I felt her pains and wanted her to find her daughter and happiness. Although I’m an author myself, still it fascinates me how authors get their story formed. So, how did you get the idea for your novel ‘The darkness of Sable’?

Faith: It came to me while watching a short biography onVH1 about Lenny Kravitz. He’d had dreadlocks for years and his then wife, Lisa Bonet, convinced him to cut them and start a new life. The plot for “SABLE” just hit me like that proverbial bolt of lightning. Something was after Sable and part of the reason for it was tied to her ankle-length hair, her trademark for her famous-artist image. The story grew from 8K into a full 105K novel.

Suzannah: Is'nt it amazing how we get stories! I know that with every story authors write, behind it is lots of research. What did you research and did you find something within your research that added a new idea or a twist to the story. Don’t give us spoilers, just a hint maybe?

Faith: I’m an avid fan of anything paranormal, supernatural or numerous lore such as faerie lore. However, I did have to research something unique that would fit the part of what would want Sable dead and why. It led me to researching mythology, and as a result, I tied gods and goddesses to Sable’s paranormal world.

Suzannah: One fact authors face for sure: the characters either don’t talk to the authors for sometime or they nag like hell LOL. Tell us which character gave you the runaround, nagged, talked to you or didn’t?

Faith: That would have to be Hal, Sable’s ex-husband. My editor suggested I remove him from the story, but I assured her that Hal had a meaningful part in the novel. Once she finished reading the last few chapters she quickly emailed to state she loved the twist for Hal and totally got what I had been doing with his character. Hal just wouldn’t go away and demanded to be heard, but his nagging in my mind will get him in trouble too, lol.

Suzannah: Do you have part 2 lol? I want one.

Faith: I have ideas for a book two, yes. In the second book, Cheyenne’s dilemma will be resolved, albeit not in a way that may be expected. Although Sable will be a part of the novel, book two will center around a new heroine and her unexpected love interest.

Suzannah: I should have asked this at the beginning, but it’s never late lol. Tell us about faith the person and the author.

Faith: I’m a country bumpkin. I’m raising a large family, including helping my oldest daughter to raise her first child until she can get on her feet. I have four children, two stepsons, a big home to manage, and I raise a garden every year making everything from jelly to freezing vegetables and putting up venison during hunting season. I write during every spare moment I have, but I also love reading and I’m an artist of traditional mediums.

Suzannah: You are really busy, Faith lol. What is your next project? Give us the behind the story information. We want juicy stuff.

Faith: right now I have two contracted works-in-progress under pen names that I keep under wraps as well as two contracted series under the same pen names. As for material in progress under my real name of F.L. Bicknell, I have another full length paranormal romance that I recently sent off to my agent. It involves reincarnation, demonic motorcycles and the Nephilim, so it has a lot of historical research behind it.

However, right now I have a new novel literally screaming in my brain to be written. It will be erotic fantasy/sci-fi romance, but I’m not sure if I’ll write it as F.L. Bicknell or put my alter ego of Molly Diamond on the ms.

Suzannah: Do you have anything else to tell your readers… and tell us where to find you.

Faith: I have two new releases as F.L. Bicknell. One is Feathers of Silver and it can be found at Silver Publishing as well as many e-book distributors, and the other one is The Most Intimate Wish published by Turquoise Morning Press and it can be found at ARe.com, Smashwords, Digibooks Café, and many more distributors. Both books are erotic romances, full of paranormal coolness with many twists and shocks.

As for where to find me, I have a new website that’s under construction. http://www.faithbicknell.com/ but my alter ego site is finished http://www.mollydiamond.com/ so anyone who’s interested can check out my erotica titles there. I’m also at Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace.

The Barnes and Noble.com link for The Darkness of Sable, but it's available at Amazon.com, Fictionwise, Are, ebookwise.com and many others too.

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Darkness-of-Sable/FL-Bicknell/e/9781608201952/?itm=1&USRI=the+darkness+of+sable

www.facebook.com/faithbicknellbrown

www.twitter.com/faith_zinnia
www.myspace.com/faith_zinnia

I'll give one commentor a copy of their choice from my Molly Diamond erotica books published with Breathless Press. They're viewable at http://www.mollydiamond.com/

Suzannah: Thank you Faith for giving me the chance to enjoy your novel ‘The Darkness of Sable’ and have this interview. I enjoyed your novel and getting to know you better. I wish you all the best and much success for the upcoming projects. I hope to have another ‘Review and Interview’ with you and a new novel.

Authors if you would like to have your Review & Interview on Romance Alley, contact me on RA. As for readers I hope you enjoyed reading, and I wish you a good luck in winning. The winner will be announced at the end of this week and the name and email will be sent to the author to contact you with your gift. Cheers!!

Announcement in regards to 1RomanceEbooks

2010-10-16T09:11:00.000-07:00

Announcement in regards to 1RomanceEbooks : In the next couple weeks, 1RomanceEbooks will become http://1placeforromance.com/ . The same great romance stories, the same great romance authors and publishers, the same great customer service... They're just changing their name.

1PlaceForRomance is their new website name: http://1placeforromance.com/

1PFR has a Facebook: http://facebook.com/OnePlaceForRomance

1PFR is on Twitter: http://twitter.com/1PFR

GetToKnowTheBook: Author Sherry Gloag 'The Brat'

2010-10-10T17:46:00.000-07:00

Getting to know your book is a bit like finding the jigsaw pieces and putting them together. But, unlike a jigsaw, the pieces don’t come ready-made or ready packed. To add to the confusion, you don’t even know what those ‘pieces’ look like.

My jigsaw puzzle today is a romance named The Brat.

Authors are often described as ‘plotters’ or ‘pantsers’. They first plot their stories in detail before they start writing, while others work from an ‘idea’. I fall into the latter category.

So how can a pantser possibly ‘get to know their book’?

Even they have to have a few basics on the table before they start. What kind of book do they want to write? If it’s a romance they then have to decide which sub-genre they are aiming for. And by association what kind of reader they want to attract.

But that’s not enough.

When a reader picks up a book they expect to be drawn into the story. They want to experience that personal connection with the main characters.

To ensure the reader will keep turning the pages the author must create well rounded, believable characters that are fully developed. People the reader can relate to, whether they like your characters, or hate them, if they can say ‘she/he reminds me of…’ then you have reader connection with your characters.

To do this the author must ask themselves three basic questions.

1) What does my character want?

2) What is obstructing their goal?

3) How will the characters solve their problems?

That on its own will not hold your reader, so you have to add action and suspense.

You have to find a plot that has more twists and turns than the most dangerous mountain switchbacks. But, and there is a but… the conflicts you put in your characters’ way must be believable.

This does not necessarily mean gunfights, murder and mayhem or shouting matches between your hero and heroine. Especially not the shouting matches. Nothing will turn a reader off more than a book-full of constant bickering.

Your action and conflict can be internally related. By that I mean something in their past influences the moment you open the first page of the book. The action and conflict must draw the reader in so they forget the real world around them. All conflict requires balance to hold the reader.

Even a pantser has to keep these criteria in mind when they write. They have to know their book.

The characters in The Brat seemed to know this instinctively. For the most part they ‘told’ their own story and used me as their ‘go-between’. On the occasions when they, and I, forgot the rules we found ourselves backtracking that involved some major re-writing.

An author can’t help but get too close to the action when writing a book.

To them there characters are real people, with real problems. They are the jigsaw pieces that complete the puzzle. The only difference is the author must know their puzzle/book inside out before putting each piece of the puzzle together in the correct order.

Then, and only then, when they have that knowledge, can they start writing!

~ ~ ~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~ ~ ~

Blurb~

Gina Williams is a 35-year-old famous children’s author, who also writes detective mysteries under the name of George Williamson.

She was robbed of her childhood when aged ten by the late mother of the hero, Ben Kouvaris.

When he was ten-years-old his mother sent him to her ex Theo Kouvaris, multi-millionaire, who lives in Greece. When he returns to her funeral he is haunted by the beautiful woman who organised the funeral.

When his father orders him to marry he thinks of Gina Williams.

They have to overcome the horrors of the past and forgive their parents for their betrayals. Will their past destroy their future?

The Brat – Excerpt Three - Pg 99

“I guess life diverted your dreams.”

The earlier light-hearted banter between them vanished. “Yes.” Ben signalled the waiter, passed over his credit card, and rose.

She leaned forward to pick up her bag just as her phone rang. Without checking the caller ID she took the call.

“You think I don’t know what you’re up to?”

The last time she heard that voice the Inspector had walked into her house seconds later. The phone almost slipped through her fingers, and she swung away from Ben’s perceptive stare.

“Who are you? What do you want?”

“You won’t deny your family’s existence for much longer, I promise you.”

The dial tone buzzed in her ear. Dear God in heaven, what did that mean? She’d never denied her family! They’d deserted her.

Buy The Brat here = http://bit.ly/d5nVDC

And at Amazon = http://amzn.to/bclDhY

My Website = http://www.%20sherrygloag.com/

My blog = http://bit.ly/bnuELA

Book Trailer = http://bit.ly/9O6j6C

Facebook = http://bit.ly/daeGN7

Goodreads = http://bit.ly/bTOzHC

Twitter = http://twitter.com/SherryGloag

GetToKnowThe Book: Have You Seen Her? by Chicki Brown

2010-09-12T11:46:00.000-07:00

ABOUT THE HERO FROM THE HEROINE'S POV

For the life of me, I can’t figure out Taylor Villanova, the bouncer at Frenzy, the nightclub where I recently started working. When I first met him, he came across as a monosyllabic “muscle head.” You know, the kind that never cracks a book unless it’s the latest issue of Muscle and Fitness.

Actually, I was a little afraid of him at first. The man is twice my size, a six foot two, two-hundred-twenty-five-pound tower of sculpted muscle. A study in contrasts, he is so physically beautiful he could be a runway model or movie star yet he resents his extraordinary good looks.

Taylor makes his living using his brawn, but he works a part-time job that displays a sensitive, artistic side I never imagined. He has no problem with using his fists on rowdy, disruptive club patrons but is repulsed by violence against women.

Just the other day I found out that he’s taken it upon himself to look after his widowed mother.

Everything I originally thought about him was dead wrong. He’s the most fascinating man I’ve ever met.

EXCERPT

Her thoughts seemed to drift away for a moment. The distant look in her eyes had a sobering effect on him. He broke in on her mental digression. “There’s a reason why I don’t drink.” Her gaze settled on his face. “My father was a drunk. When he got wasted, he beat my mother. I can’t count how many times I had to jump between them to keep him from hurting her.”

Her lips parted in shock, she sat up straight but didn’t speak.

“I started lifting weights in high school. All I wanted was get bigger and stronger than him so I could protect her. It kind of became an obsession. He was a big guy, but he wasn’t strong. That bastard never lifted anything heavier than a bottle of Chivas Regal.” He stopped and drew a long breath. “I rushed her to the emergency room more times than I care to remember. Seeing you with those bruises brought it all back. My mother wasn’t as strong as you are. She never got the courage to leave him. The sick part is I think she still loves him even now. I don’t do alcohol because of him. I know from experience what it can do to people -- to families. Plus, I don’t know if alcoholism is in my genes.”

Dani took the salad bowl he slid across the table towards her. “Did they get divorced?”

“No. He died.”

Her gaze dropped to her plate. “Oh. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I hated him. He got killed in a car accident. DWI - exactly what he deserved.”

The coldness in Taylor’s voice sent a shudder through her body.

“I remember the night like it happened yesterday. The doorbell rang at four o’clock in the morning. It was the cops. They’d come to tell my mother he’d lost control of his car on the AC Expressway coming back from a playing a gig in Neptune. It went over the guardrail and into the Intracoastal Waterway. His blood alcohol level was one point four. He was too drunk to unfasten his seatbelt and drowned inside the car.”

“Oh, God. That’s horrible,” Dani said in a whisper.

“I still don’t understand how or why my mother grieved for him. He’d put her through so much pain during their marriage. I admire you, because as small and fragile as you appear to be, you found the courage to choose to live rather than spend the rest of your life being the object of a sick man’s rage.” He took a deep breath then exhaled. “There are other similarities between my father and me. He was a musician. In fact, he started teaching me the piano when I was about four. Over the years, he played keyboard with different bands. He met my mother playing at a club up in Newark and claimed he fell in love with her that night. They got married in two months and I was born nine months later. He traveled all the time,” Taylor remembered looking off into the distance. “Every time he’d come home, he’d be loaded down with gifts for us like it was Christmas. He bought gifts because he felt guilty about being away all the time.”

Dani didn’t know what to think of his sudden talkative disposition. She took in his every word as he revealed his painful past.

“His homecomings were like little celebrations. I remember listening to him and my mother in the bedroom when they thought we were asleep. I didn’t understand at first because I was little, but somehow I knew it was a good thing. They made love like he’d been away for years then the next morning they’d be all hugged up on each other.” The memory brought a wry smile to his face.

“But by the time I got into middle school he’d started buying liquor from the corner store. The longer he stayed on the road, the worse it got. By the time I was in high school, he’d become a world-class lush. Out of nowhere he started getting violent.”

“Did he hurt you or your brother and sister?”

“Tony never went after us kids. He didn’t hesitate to knock us out of the way though. Their fights were either about his drinking or money. He acted like he forgot she had three mouths to feed and clothe and bills to pay.

He hesitated and spoke haltingly. “The first time he hit me I was fifteen. They were fighting, and I tried to get him off of her. That was all it took to make me know he’d never to do it to me again. The next morning I signed up at the Y, started lifting and learning how to box. I know it probably sounds bad, but I couldn’t wait until the day when I knew I could beat his ass.”

“Did you?”

“I broke his jaw the first time I hit him.” His face remained expressionless, yet she heard a disturbing pride in his voice.

Where you can find the author and the book:
Link to the author's website: http://chicki663.webs.com/haveyouseenher.htm

Link to her Facebook fan page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Have-You-Seen-Her/138634486150116?ref=ts

Link to the YouTube trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXBmteVDtRY

Buy links: Amazon.com for Kindle, PC and phone - http://su.pr/26hZz2

Smashwords for all e-formats - http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/18241

Treasure Maze: Treasure Maze Contest week 1 author Suzannah Safi

2010-08-30T16:16:00.000-07:00

Treasure Maze: Treasure Maze Contest week 1 author Suzannah Safi: "Fantasies are made to be enjoyed. Wouldn’t you want to live a forbidden lifestyle, if not in reality, in a fantasy? Well get your sleeves r..."

Treasure Maze: Paranormal Submission for Oct contest now open

2010-07-24T23:16:00.000-07:00

Treasure Maze: Paranormal Submission for Oct contest now open: "Wow, I'm pleased to say that the response has been great for our promotional party starting this September. October marks the new monthly c..."

GetToKnowTheBook: Author Kaily Hart 'Picture This'

2010-07-15T19:05:00.000-07:00

Writers. Where do we get our ideas? There’s no easy answer to this and you’ll probably get a bunch of different answers if you ask a group of writers. For me, it’s ‘everywhere’. Everything I see, read, feel and hear is potential input. It could be a funny expression, a piece of clothing, a snippet of a song, a hair style, a name on a sign, my reaction to something…literally anything can spark an idea and it can happen at any time. I may not remember names, I might forget my kid’s dentist appointments, I might not be able to repeat what my husband said to me mere minutes before, but I never, ever forget a detail I liked. And it gets filed away for later use. Someone recently asked me about the premise for Picture This, and how I came up with it. Honestly? I have absolutely no idea. Just for fun, I thought I’d take some of the elements of the book I can trace back and tell you about those:
The hero, Sam Steele’s name is similar to a guy my husband used to play golf with over fifteen years ago! Always loved the name ‘Steele’, but he looked absolutely nothing like Sam! See? Never forget a detail!
I have the denim dress Jillian wears to Sam’s house. Trust me, I’ve never gotten as lucky as Jillian does wearing it and ah…it probably doesn’t look as good on me :)
Jillian’s shaving mishap? Yeah, well, that can happen to anyone, right? Right? LOL
I might not have described the building where Jillian lives it in the book in much detail, but the visual I had is of an apartment building I used to actually live in, in downtown San Diego.
Ideas are funny things. Sometimes it’s easy to see what sparked one. Other times, I have no clue. One thing I do know is I have no shortage of them!

Blurb:

Desperate and young, Jillian Moore did something she knew would one day come back to bite her in the ass. She’d posed nude. For money. Years later, and on the fast track to a successful career, she’s still haunted by her mistake. She can’t help but wonder when her past will catch up with her.

Samuel Steele is not short on female attention, but the women who warm his bed pale in comparison to the fantasy he’s created of the seductive temptress in the painting hanging prominently in his bedroom. A fantasy that has ruined his once satisfying sex life. When he discovers that her exact likeness works in his building—for him—things get…interesting.

Excerpt R-rated

Oh my God, Samuel Steele was a walking, talking wet dream.
She’d drooled from afar plenty, but up close he was downright gorgeous. Every woman in the place, and even some of the guys, had checked out his tight butt, flat abs and broad shoulders, and although he’d never worn anything but a suit to the office, that didn’t stop imaginations from running riot. His hair was dark and thick, his skin tanned, and regardless of the time of day, his jaw always seemed darkened with at least a day’s beard growth. And his eyes. She’d never been close enough to make out their color before, but they were a dark, piercing gray. They should have looked cold, but the way he was looking at her made her wonder if someone had turned off the air-conditioning.

Author's links:

Book buy link - http://www.jasminejade.com/p-8437-picture-this.aspx

Web – www.kailyhart.com
Blog - http://kailyhart.blogspot.com/
Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/kaily.hart
Twitter - http://twitter.com/kailyhart

Review: Flaherty's Crossing' by Kaylin McFarren

2010-07-14T16:44:00.000-07:00

From Pacific Northwest's award-winning author Kaylin McFarren comes a powerful novel about love, loss, and the power of forgiveness...

Successful yet emotionally stifled artist Kate Flaherty stands at the deathbed of her estranged father, conflicted by his morphine-induced confession exposing his part in her mother's death. While racing home, Kate's car mishap leads her to a soul-searching discussion with a lone diner employee, prompting Kate to confront the true reasons her marriage hangs in the balance. When her night takes an unexpected turn, however, she flees for her life, a life desperate for faith that can only be found through her ability to forgive.

Reviewed by Author Betty Ann Harris
It was apparent to me as I read Flaherty's Crossing by Kaylin McFarren, that she poured her heart and soul into this story of love, healing, and faith. Ms. McFarren evokes strong emotional responses from her readers, and I can truthfully admit that I cried at the end of the story. Not tears of sadness, but rather, tears of pure emotion and a feeling that the author truly connected with me. And that I felt the same emotions while reading the book as she felt and wanted to convey while writing it. And isn't that what writers truly want to achieve? Well, Ms. McFarren accomplished that with her wonderful book, Flaherty's Crossing.

The main character, Kate, who grew up feeling unloved, almost loses everything because she is not able to forgive or trust those closest to her. It takes her father's death, a car accident, a good knock on the head, and her husband almost leaving her before she realizes what is most important in life. She learns to forgive and to trust her heart. And once she is able to do that, a whole new world awaits her.

I truly loved this story and the way it was written, with such depth and emotion. I give this a well-deserved five stars. It was a fantastic book!

http://www.flahertyscrossing.com
http://www.kaylinmcfarren.com

Champagne Books
ISBN: 978-1-926681-19-1
Publication Date: February 2010

Review: 'Kincaid’s Call' by Leigh D'Ansey

2010-06-19T15:26:00.000-07:00

Nathan Kincaid reckons any man’s testosterone would go into overdrive at the sight of a dynamite-looking woman with wild hair and topaz eyes, a gorgeous pair of legs and a peek of satin panties right there on his desktop. This is not the matronly PA he was expecting. Even worse is the nagging sense of familiarity. Carrying the burden of his brother’s death and the breakdown of his family, the last thing Nathan needs is a pocket dynamo from the past complicating the life he’s just begun to salvage.
Kate Summers has created the life she wants and knows exactly the kind of man she needs: someone compliant, steady and calm. She’s constructed a model of her perfect mate and is bent on finding him when Nathan Kincaid, with his disturbing reminders of her fractured past, strides back into her life and makes a mockery of her database.

(Pages 176) Spicy

Reviewed by Desiree Rogers: I found Kincaid’s Call to be a great read. I usually find it hard to read books on the computer, needing to take breaks to break up the monotony. This time I found myself sailing through the pages, stunned when I found myself at the end. I got caught up immediately in the character, rooting for Nathan to win the girl. My only complaint would be the lack of New Zealand in the story. I realize that it was not a long story and only had a short amount of time, so it’s not a huge disappointment.
Kate Summers was a spunky, soft-hearted character, who never lost that fire as often happens to other heroines in the stories. You understood her angst and fears, but she didn’t let them completely run her. She knew better and you could see that in her actions.
Nathan Kincaid made for a very sexy hero, with his own gut-wrenching issues. He threw me off a bit in the beginning and near the end, but that turned out to be a good thing. You want a hero that keeps you on your toes and Leigh D’Ansey did an excellent job of that.
I enjoy Ms. D’Ansey’s writing style, the flow of it similar to everyday speaking. She did a wonderful job of dropping just enough info to keep her you interested, but not so much you feel as if you’re drowning. I enjoyed the way she allowed the characters to grow, without it seeming forced or contrived.
Excellent job Ms. D’Ansey’s, four hearts for you.

BUY THE BOOK

Leigh D'Ansey

Romance Author

www.leighdansey.com

GetToKnowTheBook: 'All the Good Men' by Cindy Jacks

2010-06-12T15:36:00.000-07:00

My novel, All the Good Men, centers around two characters who find love while dealing with the challenges of life at middle-age. Dahlia Foster is a florist who owns her own shop and Jackson Carmichael is firefighter. The two meet when Jackson moves in next door to Dahlia.

Though there are lots of scenes I love about this book—if I do say so myself, lol—my favorite scene has to be the 'training burn' because it's based on a real life experience. I'm in a committed relationship with a firefighter and was fortunate enough to attend a training situation in which a fire was set under a controlled situation to train the new recruits. The sheer amount of practice and study that goes into becoming a firefighter is amazing, but when face with the reality of the job they do, I was floored.

Since it was Community Day, we had a company veteran give us a walk-through of the practice building that would be set ablaze. Aside from being dark and foul-smelling—due to having been charrred repeatedly—it also set off my mild claustrophobia. I couldn't imagine entering the building as it burned while wearing sixty pounds of personal protective gear. The experience gave me a whole new respect for that the men and women of fire and rescue squads all over the country do.

When I returned home from the training burn, I added the following scene to All the Good Men as my humble tribute to brave firefighters everywhere.

Blurb:

Dahlia is sure the hackneyed platitude is true: After a certain age, all the good men are married or gay. She feels her thirty-eight years put her well past that 'certain age.' Her best friend and her sisters dare her to put her fate where her mouth is. The terms of the challenge? During the month of October, she has to end her five-year-long man fast and go on dates with men of their choosing. Oh, and she also has to go out with anyone else who asks.

Excerpt:

Jackson pulled his turnout bag from the back of the truck, unzipped it, and stepped into his gear. First the boots and pants with suspenders, then a hood and thick leather gloves. He slipped on a massive coat marked with reflective tape. Once the jacket was zipped, snapped and velcroed shut, a helmet followed. He'd become indistinguishable from the other firemen on the scene. Dahlia could only recognize him by the muffled timbre of his voice.
The seasoned pros explained the exercise and strategy the trainees should employ, if the burn went as planned.
With a laugh, Jackson reiterated, “If all goes as planned, right Smithy?”
The older fireman gave a knowing grin and nodded.
“Let's do this thing,” another instructor said.
They disappeared inside and came out once the smoke poured from all the windows.
“This is what you would see as you pull up to the scene,” Jackson yelled over the noise of the fire. “You see that top window with all the black smoke?”
The trainees nodded.
“The darker the smoke, the hotter the fire. Keep watching. The window frame is going to start glowing orange and then burst into flames.”
As if Jackson had psychic powers, the attic window did just that. Though Dahlia knew there was no supernatural phenomenon involved in his prediction, it still seemed like magic to her and to the other civilians who'd come to watch their local fire department at work. A seasoned vet stood nearby to narrate for the viewers and answer any questions.
The firefighters donned their SCBA units—self contained breathing apparatus. The trainees broke into teams, performing esoteric tasks that Dahlia couldn't quite follow. There were different types of hoses, different nozzles, different techniques to apply water to contain and extinguish the flames. And once the fire had been put out, the salvage and overhaul began. The probies performed exercises with ladders and other tools to ensure the fire had been fully extinguished and to remove any items from the building that might be saved, such as furniture and fixtures.
One new firefighter's PASS—personal alert safety system—alarm sounded, but only because he'd stood still for too long.
“You see that little side-to-side jig the guys do from time to time?” The instructor said. The onlookers made an affirmative murmur. “That's because if they're motionless for longer than thirty seconds, the PASS alarm will go off. It's a system we use nowadays so that if a fireman loses consciousness or is too injured to make his way out, we can find him in building. Keep in mind, our visibility during the thick of a fire is only about a foot in front of us—if we're lucky.”
“Wow,” Dahlia said.
“It's a lot different now than in my day,” the old-timer went on. “In my day, you showed up at the fire, ran inside to check for victims, put out the fire and went home. No one cared if you were okay, physically or mentally. You had to man-up and just do the job.”
Jackson worked with the search and rescue team. They emerged triumphant with two adult-sized dummies and a doll-sized one. He patted his crew on the back. They'd saved the baby. Though they joked around with the doll, Dahlia could tell they were proud of themselves. And rightfully so, she thought.
All in all, the burn took two hours from start to finish. Though wilted and covered in soot, the firefighters-in-training seemed to ride high on a powerful adrenaline rush.
Jackson came over to check with her. Grimy and sweaty, his gear half removed, he'd never looked sexier or more masculine. “Hey, you. So, what did you think?”
“That was freaking awesome. I'm impressed.”
“Good.” He rubbed his gloved hands together. “My plan worked.”
“You know you don't have to set a building on fire to impress me. Candlelight and dinner works, too.”
“But I figure why go for mediocre when I can pull out all the stops? What other guy's gonna set a house on fire and put it out for you?”
“Good point.”
“I need a shower and then we're all going out for a beer. Care to join us?” he asked.
Fighting a knee-jerk denial, Dahlia said, “Yeah, I'd love to.” God only knew what horrors awaited her at home.
“Well, if you don't mind sharing the truck with a dirty, stinky man, let's go.”
He stowed his gear and stripped off his soggy shirt. She'd seen him make this move before, in her own living room as a matter of fact, but at the time hadn't noticed the scars that marked his back and abdomen. Some looked neat and surgical, others more jagged and erratic. Having faded to almost the color of the rest of his skin, they weren't ugly. Quite the opposite, she had to catch herself before she reached out and ran her fingers over them.

Author bio:

Prior to becoming a writer of romantic and erotic fiction, Cindy was a 'jacks' of all trades. Besides obtaining a BFA in sculpture, interning as a pastry-chef, and learning the art of furniture restoration, she worked for ten years in the corporate arena, but now happily spends her days as a full time author. Her first published work--"The Point of Distraction Series"--was inspired by a collection of short stories she wrote to entertain her best friend. Since then she's explored her inner bad girl and penchant for love stories by producing books full of humor and packed with real emotion. When not chained to her laptop, she enjoys belly dancing, international cooking, and making jewelry. She and her family call the Washington, DC area home.

Book Title: All the Good Men
Tagline: Good things come in forty-something firefighter packages...

Cindy Jacks
website: http://cindyjacks.com

Author's Tip: Passive Words by author Anita Philmar

2010-06-12T15:30:00.000-07:00

Passive Words

One of the biggest mistake new writers make is by using passive words.

The best way to avoid the problem is to do a search. Word processors let you find words easily. After doing a search, highlight the word, and then read your manuscript. Remove or rephrase the sentences to make your writing more active.

Here are some of the words to search for:

Was
That
Heard
Watch
Saw
Feel
Began
Started
Tried
Knew
Think

Remove the word.
Example: He knew she loved him but he couldn’t bring himself to say the words.
(If we’re in his POV then try)

Better: She loved him but he couldn’t bring himself to say the words.

Or complete rewrite

She loved him but he couldn’t say I love you.

Here is the excerpt for my book "Banished Witch"

He shook his head. Didn’t Danella’s sister, Noelani, warn him Danella wasn’t the same

innocent girl? But could this witch really be the girl he’d dreamed about in his youth?

“And how much will such enjoyment cost me?”

An angry glint lit the depths of her eyes, and she released his hand. “What’s a girl to do? There are certain debts that have to be paid.”

He nodded and didn’t detain her when she rose to stand beside his chair. “A problem we all share.” A wicked grin graced her lips, and she caught hold of his hands again. “So do you want to head upstairs or would you rather go outside for a stroll?”

Author's website www.anitaphilmar.com

GetToKnowTheBook: Author Anne K. Edwards 'Shadows Over Paradise'

2010-06-12T14:51:00.000-07:00

Enjoy storms at sea? Do you like mysterious islands with a romantic past? Intrigue and family secrets? Do you enjoy tales of young women who try to stand on their own when facing danger? If so, you'll enjoy Shadows Over Paradise. It was called a 'white knuckle ride' by one reader.

Julia Graye steps off the plane and into danger. The man sent to meet her warns her to go home. She ignores the warning. Her destination is an isolated old house set on the side of an extinct volcano. There is no phone, no nearby neighbors. She feels eyes on her back, but with all the trees around the house, there's no way to see them.By the time Julia wishes she'd gone home, it is too late.
The story of Shadows Over Paradise has a long history. It was originally started several years before it was turned into a completed story. In the first incomplete attempt, I found I had given no interesting characteristics to either the characters or the background so decided it needed more exciting characters, plot, and background. I let the story idea of a woman in danger and able to fend for herself most of the time set for several years before I felt I had a good grasp on what to do with it.
I found some of the answers when I went to work for a government oceanography program, where I learned about the unpredictability of the ocean and its effects on the small land masses it surrounded. That led me to speculating that a setting of islands (fictitious) in the South Pacific that were a US Territory would have the mystery and intrigue I needed for this story's background.
Then selecting the characters to carry out a plot that followed their development was easy. The heroine has a mind of her own and one thing she doesn't like are dark brooding men. Guess what, there's one in the story. He's handsome and darkly mysterious. But there are also a couple of other possibilities in the romance department. There is more than one villain also, they are linked together by a mutual plot.
Romance lurks in the background while danger fills the foreground. The plot came together of its own volition as the individual characters added their own ideas to the story. For instance, there's a young man in the story who thinks he's in love with Julia. His actions impact on all the other characters, even when he's not in the scene.
I enjoy letting secondary characters push the tale along. They often act in opposition to what I thought they'd do, as in this case. Each makes his or her own decisions regardless of how they affect the others, acting as real people will.
The characters actions result in various subplots that must be woven together to make the whole story. The end product is much like real life, complicated and interesting to write. I hope the readers have as much fun in reading it.

Anne K. Edwards www.Mysteryfiction.net

Review: 'The 12 Day of Christmas' by Linda Swift

2010-05-22T13:55:00.000-07:00

Title: THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS
Author: Linda Swift
Genre: Romance
Heat Level: Sweet
Number of Pages: 86
Number of Words: 50,265
Author's Website: www.lindaswift.net

Reviewed by Desiree Rogers: This is a sweet story that is sure to satisfy you holiday sweet tooth. The beginning of the story is a bit slow, with a lot of back-story I feelt is better dispersed through the book.
The characters are easy to relate to, the problems they face something that everyone has gone through at one time or another. Leigh as a heroine though does take a bit of warming up, her coldness a bit off putting, but you can understand her situation and feel her pain as you get to know her. Russell is swoon worthy as a hero, even when the past mistakes are revealed. The children are characterized well, holding their own and not cut-outs as in so many other stories. They add an element to the story, a depth that would be missing otherwise. The true delight is Me-Me and her feisty personality. Reminding me a lot of my own grandmother and how she was, I fell in love with her character. My one disappointment is the arson angle. I expected more from the way it had been set-up, but it doesn’t keep me from enjoying the story.

GetToKnowTheBook: 'Red Moon Clan' by Chérie De Sues

2010-05-21T17:07:00.001-07:00

As a child, my parents traversed the United States along route 66 to New England from California every summer. My father loved to stop at the Indian reservations and tour the ruins, buy blankets and converse with the Native Americans. I grew to have a fondness and respect for the heritage and culture of these unique people.

When I decided to write a novel that included the Native American culture, I did a great deal of research on the legends and lore of the Navajo people. Using fiction and fact, I melded my story and created a shapeshifting, Navajo medicine man. His name is Neol and he is a bounty hunter in the state of Oregon.

The first book of the trilogy is how Neol finds his one true mate. Sara is a district attorney and has been marked for death. Neol and Sara run together through the Oregon forest, knitting together clues to why she's a target.
I really enjoy the Oregon coastline and have spent time rummaging around the rivers and ocean. The sequoias are magnificent and I use my knowledge of the rough terrain all through the storyline.

Each of the three novels will follow the three Navajo cousins as they find their one true mate. The next of the stand alone series will be about Tze (pronounced TZ) and how he finds his mate. Most of the book will take place on the massive tri-state Navajo reservation.

I've spent many days in the desert and on Native American soil. I can't wait to share this with romance readers, the adventure will be fantastic. I will bring more of the spiritual beliefs into book II after hearing readers' requests to do so. I'm thrilled that Tales of the Red Moon Clan has received such excellent reviews. I will not let readers down; Tales II will have the same roller coaster ride and deep passion as the first novel.

Author's Blog:
http://www.cheriedesues2.com/naughty-novelists.html

GetToKnowTheBook: 'Windswept Shores' by Janice Seagraves

2010-05-21T17:07:00.000-07:00

Hi, my name is Janice Seagraves, and yes that is the name I was born under. My pen name is my maiden name. It also makes it easier if I get yelled at during a convention or book signing, so I’m not looking behind me.
My first book, Windswept Shores, comes out June 3rd from Pink Petal Books, and I’m very excited to see my work published.

• How did you come up with the plot?
All I can really say is that I was addicted to Gilligan’s Island as a child. Then as an adult I got hooked on Survivors and the first year of Lost.
I just loved the idea of a group of people being disconnected from society and having to use their wits to survive.
It got me thinking, what If?
What if two people washed up on the same deserted island and used whatever they could to survive?
Of course being a romance writer my thoughts would be: this is an excellent backdrop for a romance story.

• Who are your characters?
Megan Lorry is my heroine. She’s hardworking, a little more mature than the hero, but very level headed. Basket weaving is her hobby, but she’s really good at it too and had a dream of opening her own basketry shop. Meg’s plane crashed into the ocean, but unfortunately she’s the only one to makes it to the raft. She washed up on a small uninhabited island in the Bahamas.

Seth Dawson is my hero. He’s a tall, good looking beach bum from Australia, or a surfie as they call it. His accent and Aussie lingo (also called strine) is rather thick, at times Meg finds it a little hard to understand him. The fishing boat Seth worked on was reefed, causing him to fall overboard. Meg finds him washed up on shore, unconscious.

Seth wants Megan from the moment he opens his eyes and looks up at her, but Megan (or Megz as he calls her) is a little hesitant. Eventually, they . . . uh. Well . . . you’ll have to read my book to find out.

Names:

Megan’s name just came to me. I like the simple girl next door names. I also like to think of my heroines as every woman, and I want my reader to identify with her. Megan was the far easier character to write. I made her a native Californian just like I am, so it just flowed from there. She does a lot of cooking so I did have to research how to cook clam chowder, and if it was possible to cook mussels on a barbeque in their shell and it is.

My teenage daughter named Seth. I shouted to her while I was working on Windswept, “I need a sexy name for my hero.”

My daughter without hesitation, yells back, “Seth.” I don’t think she even looked up from her homework.

When I decided he was Australian, Seth’s personality suddenly popped into existence.

“G’day mate.”

Seth is very outgoing, sexy and fun.

“Aw, go on with ya.”

And modest, too.

“Who, the bloody hell, would think I was modest? I know what I am and I know what I ain’t, but modest just isn’t in the package, luv. What I’d like to do is get, Megz, to loosen up so we can have a bit of fun. Blimey, she’s a tough nut to crack, but it just makes me want her all the more.” He grins showing his dimples.
•Researched for my story:
I did a lot of research to find out where my island was located. I finally decided it was close to the United States but in another country, then I settle on the Bahamas. Did you know that there are around 300 islands in the Bahamas and only 80 of them are inhabited?

It’s an easy place to get lost in.

The Bahamas are 60 miles off the coast of Florida, in easily reached by boat or plane. The islands themselves are builds up from sand from the shallow teal colored sea that surrounds the island group. The Bahamas also has a long history of pirates.

The Bahamas get a lot of precipitation, while doing research I also found out they get a lot of wind too. It went through my mind that they must have a lot of ‘windswept shores.’
Windswept shores?

I quickly googled it and found no books with that title and only one painting. So my book was named after my quirky musings, while I did research.

I fell in love with the Bahamas, with their sparkling white beaches, their clear teal colored water and their fresh sea air. While the seas there have some of the best sport fishing around, their reef hosts an exotic assortment of tropical fish, wonderful for scuba diving. Several of the islands also have a swim with the (spotted) dolphin tour.

• On Aussie strine:
• While studying the Aussie strine or colloquialisms, I bought three books and found numerous websites. Luckily, I also had a writer friend who lives in Australia, Connie Wood, who read through my manuscript to make sure I got the lingo right. She did catch a couple of mistakes, which I am eternally grateful for.

Just in time for summer reading.
Available June 3rd from Pink Petal Books: Windswept Shores by Janice Seagraves.
Price: $3.50

Windswept Shores Blurb:

The sole survivor of a plane crash, Megan is alone on a deserted island in the Bahamas until she finds a nearly-drowned man washed up on shore. Another survivor, this time from a boat wreck. With only meager survival skills between them, will they survive and can they find love?

Windswept Shores: available June 3, 2010 from Pink Petal Books
www.pinkpetalbooks.com *** http://janiceseagraves.org/

Janice~

"Life is not about the moments we breathe,but the moments that take our breath away."
Storiesthat leave you breathless . . . Janice Seagraves
http://janiceseagraves.org/
Coming in June to Pink Petal Books.

Review: The Chosen by Jenika Snow

2010-05-09T08:27:00.000-07:00

Aleksei is feared by all who cross paths with him. He is the great ruler of a race of immortal vampires known as the Blood Breed. Setting eyes on Lana for the first time sets off unquenchable desires that Aleksei has never experienced in his existence.

One night out leads to a destiny that will forever change Lana's life. It was an immediate attraction to Aleksei, feelings so strong they left her body on fire, so intense she didn’t know if it was real.

When an age old prophecy brings Lana and Aleksei together, nothing can stop the unbreakable bond that weaves itself into their lives, and when an unseen predator threatens to take away Lana, Aleksei will stop at nothing to destroy all who stand in his way from making Lana his.

Reviewed by Suzannah Safi: An excellent read! Author Jenika Snow weaved a tale of sexy and intriguing tale of a paranormal romance. A vampire to die for and with, you wouldn't mind.
Aleksei and Lana beautifully tailored for each other, the characters well developed and loved. As well, I must say that, the secondary characters in the story were not forgotten and the author developed them well and with the same intrigue. A story of a sexy as hell vampire and a heroine deserves finding love with a blood sucking vampire. The sex and passion will set your body on fire and make you wish your name was Lana, I know I did :). The writing is smooth, and the well written plot will make you read till the end. I gave this story an Excellent Book Golden Heart. Well deserved Jenika!

Author's website: http://www.jenikasnow.com/

GetToKnowTheBook: 'His To Possess' by author Su Halfwerk

2010-05-02T07:45:00.000-07:00

After watching the trailer for His to Possess, several people asked me where I got the book’s idea from.
The simple and honest to God answer is: I have no clue.
I have to say, though, writing H2P felt right and left me exuberated in a good way.
Stories are sometimes written to express a thought, or a believe, to entertain and, let’s face it, to sell. But with H2P, it was a matter of rightness for me. I only figured it will be short, but beside that, knew nothing else about it. The idea just washed all over me and left me with the desire to do nothing but to breathe life into the characters, their emotions, and surrounding.
As a rule, I don't say NO to a story. When I get an idea I write it in my folder for “Ideas” and file it aside. His to Possess refused to remain in that folder, it actually never reached it. I started by sitting to write the idea and in no time the story was finished.
His to Possess is a sweet paranormal romance story with a ghostly touch. Initially, Stacy’s love interest wasn’t Jeremy. I won’t take you through who or how it all started, but I must tell you this: Jeremy wouldn’t let me rest before he had his say.
I ignored him, left him out in the cold without acknowledging his existence—easy to do since he’s a ghost. I tried to shut my ears to him, after all I am the author. But eventually he won, he made me see how right it was for Stacy to be with him, to feel him. Upon revisiting Stacy’s character, I couldn’t ignore the eagerness with which she welcomed the suggestion of Jeremy’s character. The rest is history.
The story has a sense of strength to it, a feel of overcoming obstacles no matter what. An underlayer of commitment that surpasses the norm.
Their story gives hope.

Devine Destines adopted my baby by choosing to contract it (a very wise decision, if I say so myself.) For that I’m forever grateful.

Martine Jardin developed a marvelous cover that fit the story’s mood to the T. Let me tell you, that cover made the development of the trailer easier.

Here's a short introduction to the story.

Stacy doesn’t know that a dashing ghost is in love with her, but when she conjures him one stormy night, he charms her to her core.
After weeks of watching Stacy turn the act of book appraising into a tantalizing experience, Jeremy—once untouchable and invisible—discovers that Stacy is more than just an infatuation. She’s all he wants, and she’s staring right at him, not through him.
A passionate kiss seals the deal and kindles their hearts with burning passion for each other. But if given the choice, will Jeremy selfishly have her join him in the realm of the dead, or allow fate to keep Stacy alive—and thus apart from him?
When Stacy searches deeper into their connection to discover the ultimate truth about their relationship, does she find out that this is another fateful blow to her heart or a new chance at love? As former lovers and thieves in the night attempt to tear them apart, their love is put to the ultimate test.

To give you a taste of the story, here's an excerpt:

The coolness of his skin surprised her. It felt good, after the heat that kept climbing her face and neck. His touch was like a salve to ease that burn. “You’re cold,” she said. As soon as she spoke the words, she bit her lip. How rude of me!
“I’m dead. Remember?” His expression hadn’t changed, but he opened his eyes in slow motion, like waking up from a nice dream. “To me, you feel warm and soft to the touch. You’ve surpassed how I imagined you’d feel.” The awe in his voice touched her heart and made her feel exceptional, appreciated.
And awkward. She glanced around her. “Now what?”
“Why did you trust me so?” he asked. Having physical contact with her had pumped up his self-confidence. He now regarded her with seductively hooded eyes.
Standing next to Jeremy made Stacy want to fluff her hair like a teenager. Hell, she wanted to run her hands through his hair. “I…” She licked her lips. “I really don’t know. There is something about you…it’s as if I’ve known you all my life.”
He cocked his head to one side. “Strange, but that’s exactly how I feel as well. Like I’ve been waiting for you since my death.”

Will Stacy and Jeremy be able to accomplish the impossible and stay together? You might think you know the answer, but I’m sure I will be able to surprise you somewhere down the line in the story.

His to Possess was released on April 15th, 2010, and is available here:
http://www.devinedestinies.com/shopdevine/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=ebook_flypage&product_id=909&category_id=25&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=69
You can watch the book trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiiL_ettk6A

Cheers,

Su Halfwerk
www.su-halfwerk.com
http://www.suhalfwerk.blogspot.com

GetToKnowTheBook: 'Worlds Apart' by author Anne Ashby

2010-05-01T14:57:00.000-07:00

Worlds Apart is my first novel. It was a joy to write because as New Zealanders temporarily living in Maryland we were actually experiencing the quirky plot lines I wove into the story. All the strange things American TV and movies don’t prepare a visitor for. All those back to front, upside down, peculiar things we had no idea existed until we lived amongst them. Eg. We finally understood the problem/jokes about the toilet seat. I could never figure out why it mattered if it was left up –obviously, NZ design of toilets is different. There’s another example – we received quite scathing looks in fast food outlets/restaurants when we were overheard telling our sons to go to the toilet. It took an ex-pat kiwi to teach us that “toilet” is not an acceptable word in polite society America. And there’s yet another example, for us a “kiwi” is our national bird, a person from New Zealand or our national rugby league team. It’s not a little brown furry fruit. We discovered such a wealth of differences in our language and it was interesting to use this to add confusion to my protagonists. By making my heroine a New Zealander and the hero from Maryland I was able to extenuate their emotional upheavals with smatterings of cultural/language differences. I did this in a light-hearted manner which I hope will bring a smile to my readers.

We were well into our time in MD before I hit upon the idea of using in this story our own experiences. I hope the affection I feel for Ellicott City and the wonderful people we were privileged to meet there comes through in my story. I had so much fun tracking down and highlighting all our differences. Every time my best friend looked perplexed, out my notebook came – I’d found another word she didn’t understand, another idea I could use. Kathleen became quite apt at interpreting for me when we were with other friends.

My heroine Raven is a New Zealand widow who thinks the American her mother’s about to marry is wonderful. She accepts his offer to travel from NZ to MD and recoup from serious illness a few weeks prior to the forthcoming wedding. Her arrival does not go smoothly. Greg and his sister Abby believe the woman arriving to stay is their father’s fiancé. Initially not realising this, Raven is angered and concerned by Greg’s cold, abrasive reception. Determined to ensure her mother will be welcomed with more respect she sets out on a path she soon discovers is very foolhardy.

My editor with The Wild Rose Press came up with the intriguing idea of accentuating the difference between Raven and Greg further for the readers by applying American or New Zealand spelling to the story depending on POV. Raven’s words contain New Zealand spelling while Greg’s words and thoughts are American. It took a bit of organising and I hope will make reading more interesting by continually reminding the reader that these two are from different countries with different cultures and languages. Their lives were originally Worlds Apart.

Excerpt

Now that her temper had cooled, she began to doubt the wisdom of her actions. Perhaps she’d been too hasty.

She could appreciate what a surprise her appearance must have been to Greg when he’d been expecting his father’s fiancée. Maybe she should own up before things got out of hand…The kitchen batwings suddenly flew open, announcing the arrival of the subject of her thoughts. “Do you have anything a little more…?” A pointed pause, as cold eyes travelled from the top of her head to the red tips of her enamelled toes before disdainfully settling on her face. “…suitable to wear? We’ve been invited to my sister’s for dinner. She’s looking forward to meeting you.” I’ll bet, thought Raven, sliding off the barstool.

Suddenly, any thoughts of stopping this farce disappeared with the condescending tone of Greg’s voice.

“Of course, Greggie, I have this simply divine black gown that Brad absolutely adores. I’ll wear that, shall I?” She tilted her head so she was gazing

up into his face. Presumptuous oaf, she smiled,gritting her teeth at the same time.

“There’s no need to dress for dinner.”

Greg spoke as if to a child, or more likely an imbecile, Raven thought.

“Perhaps something a little tidier than…than what you have on now.” He seemed to stumble trying to find the proper words. “And shoes. It would be appropriate to wear shoes.”

Raven couldn’t help it. She laughed. This was fun. And it really served him right, after all.

Slipping quickly into her part again, she replied, “of course, I’ll wear shoes, Greggie, if you think that’s really necessary.”

http://www.thewildrosepress.com/worlds-apart-paperback-p-4026.html

GetToKnowTheBook: 'Texas Blue' by Celia Yeary

2010-02-26T16:30:00.000-08:00

The Story behind Texas Blue

Celia Yeary

Texas Blue is the first novel I wrote. In fact, I'd never written fiction of any kind before this novel. All my experiences came from writing dry, boring science research papers in college on a manual typewriter.

Most writers say they began to write at an early age. I did not. Like all children, though, I had a vivid imagination, and that entire creativeness went into playing dolls, both paper and real, cowboys and Indians, and cars.

In essence, I became The Accidental Author. In 2004, I sat down with a Toshiba laptop my husband bought for one dollar at a garage sale. At that time, I could not even write and send an e-mail. If one of my friends or sisters sent a message, they sent it to my husband's mailbox and he called me into his office to read it. He always encouraged me to learn the computer, but I feared it so much. Finally, one day he brought it out and pushed me to "play" with it. Since it only cost one dollar, my fear went away—even if I broke it by hitting a wrong key, well, it was only a dollar.

I turned to Word 2002 on the computer—about the only thing that worked—and began to create a document. To learn all the facets of the program by trial and error, I began to write. A couple of months later after constant writing, I titled the finished story Texas Blue. To this day, I don't know where the story came from nor why.

The first scene takes place in the Piney Woods of East Texas—a vast tall pine forest slightly larger than the state of Rhode Island. I placed a young woman there, barefoot, walking through the soft red soil with her little daughter. At that point, I stopped. Even though I'm a native Texan, East Texas is the least familiar part of the state to me. Thus, my innate urge to research kicked in, and I studied books in the library until I knew the kinds of trees and flowers, the birds, the animals, the location, the towns, and the history in 1880. Then, I began to write again.

Western historical romance is my first love. After Texas Blue, I wrote the little daughter's story when she was grown, titled Texas Promise. Next, I wrote Texas True, the younger daughter's story; then All My Hopes and Dreams, a spin-off story from Texas Blue. I'm so pleased that all four have been or will be published.

Texas Blue is a simple story with a complicated plot. Yes, I know it sounds incongruous, but at the heart of the story is a young woman who, by no fault of her own, is trapped deep in the forest with her four-year-old daughter. They live with very little, but Marilee dreams of walking out of the woods one day with little Josie, finding a town, and learning how to take care of herself and her child. She has a courageous spirit, the heart of a lion, but fear is also her constant companion.

Blurb:

She wasn’t a fit mother…So said the county judge who hired Buck Cameron to retrieve his little daughter. But when Buck finally locates the pretty mother and child, he finds the claim very hard to believe. Now, he faces a dilemma. Should he obey the order? Or should he defy the judge and rescue Marilee and her child from isolation?
She’d been banished…

Rejected and abandoned by her father, Marilee Weston used the pain of betrayal to survive. Now, she needs a way out of the forest, where she and her daughter had lived for five years. But the towering pines and fear of the unknown imprisoned her. How could she begin a new life for herself and five-year-old daughter? Will the alluring stranger free her, or prove to be even more dangerous?

http://www.celiayeary.com
http://celiayeary.blogspot.com

Texas Blue and All My Hopes and Dreams-Western Historical novels-available in both print and eBook.

Texas Blue-available on Kindle at Amazon.
Showdown in Southfork-short series Contemporary novel.
Find all novels at: http://www.thewildrosepress.com
(Find Celia Yeary under Authors)

Thank you,
Celia Yeary

GetToKnowTheBook: 'Clandestine Eyes' by Mary Corrales

2010-02-19T14:07:00.000-08:00

Ever have an erotic dream that became reality? I have sensual dreams from time to time…lucky me. One particular dream became my inspiration for my contemporary erotica, Clandestine Eyes..

The heated caresses and passion was so stunning in its intensity that I knew I had to write everything I could down before I lost the details. Besides, let’s face it that when you wake up hot and bothered you have to do something about it. In the morning, the characters themselves spoke so clear to me when I asked the basic questions of who are you and why are you together that I completed their story within two days.

Now not every dream is worth getting up for and scribbling down on a piece of paper in the middle of the night with barely one eye opened. But then, a covert agent like Rob Larsen doesn’t always enter your dreams for an intense interlude in his truck. Do I have you curious? Well then allow me to share a scene with you that gives you a taste of the connection between Rob and his protégé, Coreen Evans.

She sagged in his arms as the last of the tremors worked their way through her. He rolled the window down a few inches as droplets of condensation dripped from the windows. She doubted that anyone who drove by might think the phenomena to be natural.

They stayed cuddled together for several minutes, at ease, waiting for their heartbeats to settle. A niggling of embarrassment tinged her enjoyment, as she relived her aggressive behavior. She still couldn’t explain the hunger that had consumed her.

“Are you okay?” Rob asked.

Coreen gazed up at him, realizing that he hadn’t expected their interlude to have been so intense. She smiled, glad that her actions hadn’t shocked him. She wasn’t accustomed to such behavior from herself with a man she hardly knew. They might have worked closely together on several assignments for the last ten months as she trained, but that didn’t mean they knew each other personally.

“I’m fine.” Thank goodness they’d agreed on rules to this part of their relationship before they’d done anything. Yeah, rules kept operatives safe, especially when neither of them could afford to lose their hearts much less their status.

The prequel to Clandestine Eyes is also now available through Breathless Press and is titled Dangerous Moves. Both stories can be found at the Breathless Press or on my website.

Thank you for letting me share a bit of my night experiences with you. I love reader questions and comments.

Contact me anytime through my website: http://www.authormaryc.com

Mary Corrales

GetToKnowTheBook: 'Hitting The High Notes' by Nan D. Arnold

2010-02-12T17:36:00.000-08:00

Mini-Interview with character: Maggie, the protagonist.

Maggie, tell us a little about you and what you did to surprise Nan.

Answer: Me? I’m hanging on to the tail end of my fourth decade, resisting the big five-oh, dealing with weight gain everywhere but where it’s wanted, and hot flashes, as happens during “the change of life”, while looking for love in the wrong places. I’m the gal who made wrong choices along the way.

As to the surprise angle, Nan wanted to write something quirky. Given her sense of humor, that was easy, but I decided to add dark undercurrents, like my having a history of homicide. Justifiable homicide. The guilt bugs me; so, I hook up with wrong guys to punish myself, like Lorenzo--aka Stavros. He’s the opera star nursing a bruised ego who gets us both in dutch with a wacky environmental group and a special color-blind cop. There’s allusion to other secrets as well, fully fleshed out in PESTO PACKIN’ MAMA.

Maggie, how much of Nan is incorporated into your personality?

Answer: Um, I’d say we’re split fifty/fifty. The fast on the feet quips are all mine, of course. Ditto the flirty part. And the part that gets me out of trouble and between peach and white 450 thread count sheets with…. Read the book. Other things like cooking is all Nan. She loves to cook so she hangs that trait on me. That right there tells you Nan’s leaving quirkyville, heading straight to crazyville. Who cooks when there’s take out, right? But characters can only push an author so much. Pity.

EXCERPT

Maggie Duncan’s fourth decade on earth sped along at warp speed as she clung to its coattails, widowed, childless, and unattached.

Currently seated in the eat-in kitchen of an attractive townhouse, she considered the wine glass her host, a man called Stavros, set before her. The balloon-shaped bowl on a long fragile stem looked half as wide and nearly as deep as that big zero in Florida’s abdomen known as Lake Okeechobee.

“So, your name is Stavros.” Maggie’s blunt tipped finger rimmed the glass.

She’d met him by chance at a convenience store only an hour before. “Just Stavros?”

He nodded.

“Mysterious.” She took a tentative sip. The wine coated her tongue and slid down her throat. The merlot’s warmth wrapped second thoughts about her reckless acceptance of his invitation into a snug blanket and Maggie surrendered to the moment’s spell.

For more excerpts check out http://www.champagnebooks.com/books/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=19_12&products_id=360

HITTING THE HIGH NOTES Reviewd by Romance Alley.
Reviewer Betty Ann Harris: Hitting The High Notes is a witty and clever book that was a total delight to read. The author, Nan Arnold, has a wonderful sense of humor that breezes through each page and carries through the entire story...read the full review at www.romancealley.suzannahsafi.com/reviews2.html

GetToKnowTheBook: 'Single Status' by Author Linda Swift

2010-02-05T15:07:00.000-08:00

Single Status is a book that had a difficult "birth." It remained in my head for almost ten years. I had discussed the idea with my agent and he discouraged it as not believable. But with an inside knowledge of how big companies worked, I felt the story could have happened so I never gave it up. I worked on other manuscripts in the years that followed but wasn't able to place them. So while living in Northern England one winter, I began to write this book. My study overlooked the muddy, turbulent River Humber, the days were short and the weather was bleak. What better time to write of a tropical island with balmy days, a calm blue-green sea, and warm sunshine?

The story flowed quickly except for the technical details of power plant operation but my husband was home every evening to talk me through that. He also gave me pointers on a golf match since I'm not a golfer myself. When we came back to the States, I submitted the book a few places but it was rejected and I began to think my agent who had vetoed it was probably right. Then I began to research ebook markets and this book was one of the first that I submitted. Almost immediately, I received a letter of acceptance from an editor who said she was snowbound in her office. I think the setting of this book surely held great appeal for her.

This publisher requested that we select our own cover artists. When I contacted one whose work I liked, she was able to create a perfect cover almost overnight. And in the process, we discovered that we had met in the Dallas airport years earlier when we both were en route from an RWA conference and were stranded by engine trouble. Before the book could be released, another publisher bought the one I'd contracted with and this required a new book cover. Then through a mix-up, the original cover was used with the first books released. So to explain the confusion for readers who try to order the book, I have used both covers on my web site Books Page.

Single Status was my first ebook to be accepted but two others with another publisher were released before it became available in December. And I'm expecting release of the print book at any time. Meanwhile, I have a video of the book which you can see at the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pu1T2jQt31U

I hope you'll enjoy reading B.J's and Dana's story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Here is a brief glimpse of what their story is about.

B.J. is a woman with a mission--to show that she can handle a start-up engineer's job as well as any man. Then maybe she can prove to her ex that she is not the helpless wife he left for another woman. Dana is a man grieving the deaths of his wife and young son in a terrorist plane crash. Through a mix-up at stateside headquarters, they are forced to share a villa in the single status job in St. Croix. B.J. is the scapegoat when things go wrong at work and Dana becomes her reluctant defender when he is not defending himself against her unjust conclusions about him. Despite their attempts to prove otherwise, the powerful attraction between them grows. B.J. is blamed for a bad accident at

the plant and her job is on the line. When Dana is almost killed trying to find the real culprit, will B.J. finally admit that the love they have found together is the most important thing of all?

www.lindaswift.net
Author, Women's Fiction & Romance

Author's Tip: Creating Lovable Characters by Mona Risk

2010-01-30T15:16:00.000-08:00

As the critique coordinator and member of the FTH Critiquers for three years, I have critiqued a fairly large number of manuscripts. Add to these an impressive amount of contests judging over the years and the weekly exchange of chapters with my wonderful critique partners. Amazingly I’ve gathered almost as much useful information from critiquing as I have learned from books, workshops and seminars. In a way the latest taught me the theory but critiquing and judging showed me the mistakes I should avoid. The most important thing I learned was that the characters can make a good book or a mediocre one.

When I finish reading a book I really enjoyed, I remain in my chair, meditating for a few quiet minutes on the story I just finished. I often experience a strange mix of happiness and sadness, happiness for the heroine and hero who have succeeded in overcoming their problems or defeating their enemy, but sadness because I have to leave them, to say goodbye. Isn’t that why we love series? Because we can meet again the characters we liked so much and live again with them a part of their lives.

Don’t you agree that creating lovable characters is the most important part in making a book successful? To create believable characters, you have to know them well. Some writers interview their characters. I prefer to live with them. I keep them in my mind and talk to them while walking, driving, eating on my own. My heroine becomes a dear friend, another me. As for my hero, I always fall in love with him while writing his story.

Just describing a beautiful heroine or a macho hunk will not make them memorable. You need to dig deep into their soul and show the reader their real personalities, the side of them they don’t want anyone to see. Imagine a heroine who tries to hide her soft nature under a cold façade, to appear strong and professional in her job while dealing with a family, or a handicapped child, at home. Now we are talking. Add to that, a deception in her past, an attraction to her boss or a colleague that can jeopardize her career or affect her family. That’s raising the stakes.

Readers like to find similarities between themselves and the characters; an attraction that makes them share the characters’ suffering and struggles until the hero and heroine reach the HEA.

Let’s face it. Readers are a bit sadistic. They love to bite their nails and breathe fast as they watch the hero and heroine jumping from the pan into the fire and trying to get out of difficult situations. So don’t hesitate to torture your characters. Don’t make it easy for them. Conflict is the name of the game. Only conflicted people have a story. Happy people are boring. When you hero and heroine are finally happy, it’s time to type, THE END.

Also be careful about the pace of the story. Accelerate the pace with dialogue. During action, use short sentences, scarce descriptions. After a fast scene with high suspense, allow the reader to relax with an introspection that will slow the pace while the characters expose their emotions. Slow-paced scenes should be short to prevent the reader from getting too relaxed and bored. To keep a good pace, alternate short sentence and long ones. Short paragraphs and long ones. Short scenes and long scenes. Often a love scene may break a highly suspenseful situation and keep the momentum going.

No matter what genre you write, enjoy your story while writing it.

Mona Risk writes romantic suspense for Cerridwen Press,
To Love A Hero [The Romance Studio~ Sweetheart of the Week: Ms. Risk is one of those authors who puts together a tale that’s captivates from first page to last]
French Peril [Night Owl Romance~ Recommended Read~ Mona Risk’s characters will enthrall you as they all dance to their own personal tunes]
and medical romances for The Wild Rose Press,
Babies in the Bargain, [Readers Favorite 2009 Best Romance; The Long & the Short, Reviews Best Book of The Week~ This one will keep you on your toes and make you beg for more.]
Rx for Trust [Night Owl Romance~ TopPick Reading] and Rx in Russian.
All her books are available at Amazon.com
www.monarisk.com
www.monarisk.blogspot.com

GetToKnowTheBook: "DHAMPIR PASSIONS" by Mary Corrales

2010-01-30T10:35:00.000-08:00

DHAMPIR PASSIONS

Long ago while doing researching, I ran across an obscure reference to the brother of Vlad Dracula. It was nothing more than a single sentence and yet I wondered about this mysterious brother, Radu. I never found much more than obscure references to his existence, so I decided to reawaken him into life in a futuristic setting. The idea was for him to reemerge because a thief has robbed the gravesite of his family and stolen the Draculesti Bloodstone.

Radu exists in a futuristic time where the world has been devastated by a world nuclear war, which has caused sterility and mutations. Radu meet Linea and as with most relationships, he never suspects Linea Kamiya will become his lover and he’ll lose his heart to her.

I wondered throughout the story what Radu would do about Linea since she’d been bitten by the evil vamp master, Desmondi. Radu is after all a vampyr hunter? I saw the connection between Radu and Linea beyond the physical lust, but I still feared for her. I didn’t know how she’d have a future with him.

Well like most enigmatic men, when you capture their hearts, they often love far more intensely and deeper than others. Radu was no exception and proved to be a hero any woman would love to call her own, even in a hellish future.

Excerpt:

He released the moonstone and touched her shoulder. Soft feminine

skin, and the scent of sweet grasses, annihilated his willpower. He swept

her up into his arms and carried her to the bed.

He laid her down gently, following her down and lying by her side.

He listened for a moment to the loud thump of her mortal heart,

powered by desire and fear. In the hours she’d been unconscious he’d

watched her, memorizing every breath and expression that crossed her

sleeping face.

It’s a quirk of mine that I love combining genres and finding unique characters that are unknown to most readers. Dhampir Passions is for anyone who loves anything paranormal, futuristic, erotic, or romantic. It is available at Eternal Press in ebook form or through Amazon in print.

Readers can contact me via my website: www.authormaryc.com

GetToKnowTheBook: ‘The Sharp Points of a Triangle’ by Rachel Brimble

2010-01-22T15:41:00.000-08:00

Mmm, the inspiration behind The Sharp Points of a Triangle. Hannah and Jamie’s story arose from a newspaper story I read about a man who tracked down a woman he’d never stopped loving and they married six months later after being reunited. Romantic? Yes. A little boring for a 70,000 word novel, yes! So what did I do? I dug deep and imagined what it would feel like to have an ex you still love turn up in your life but as the ultimate business rival – and he still has the infuriating ability to evoke the most tangible sexual need in you known to man…sparks people, sparks! The ‘triangle’ part comes in through the network of relationships running through the novel – there are ex’s, there are work associates, there are even sixty-year-old neighbours with a leather swing in their garden. The story is full of fun, laughter, tears and ultimately love on the truest level possible. Enjoy!

Here’s an excerpt…

I eagerly follow my boss, Mr. Baxter. Surely God would not be cruel enough to sit me within fifty feet of Jamie, so ahead of me is a night of getting to know new people and hopefully, ferret out some information concerning the

reason I am here ―Malcolm Jenkins. We walk among the tables, looking at place cards and company logos. Nothing.

“I can’t see our names anywhere,” I say.

“Oh, we’re sure to be here somewhere, dear,” Mr. Baxter murmurs.

And then my stomach tightens and my heart thumps hard inside my chest when I see Jamie standing not five feet away from me. Yep, God must love getting a kick out of watching me squirm. Hey, maybe I rose up against the Church in the fourteenth century or something and now he’s paying me back big time. He is standing by one of the tables, his hand on the back of a chair talking to a sickeningly gorgeous blonde. Her size six figure is sheathed

in a pale pink dress that glides over her body like a second skin, and falls to her ankles in soft delicate folds.

“Condom in heels,” I mutter.

“Did you say something, dear?” asks Mr. Baxter.

“No, no. I’ll bet twenty pounds this will be us,” I say, approaching

the table.

I walk closer to Jamie and his companion and peer at the name cards, purposely turning my back to them in an ardent display of disinterest. But then Mr. Baxter has no such qualms and comes bouncing up beside

me like a God damn jack in the box.

“Jamie! What a coincidence you should be seated between Hannah and me,” he gushes. “And who is this stunning, young lady? Your wife?”

Nausea rises bitter and unwelcome in my throat as my breath catches. Time stands still. I wait for his answer. Bastard. Why didn’t I consider the fact he could be married? Bastard. Who the hell does he think he is,

running his eyes over me like a bloody Casanova ready to pounce when he’s got a wife who looks like that? He gives a deep throaty laugh which immediately warms my body in places that have no right to be warm.

“No, no, I’m not married, Reginald,” he says, with a laugh. “Let me introduce Andrea Kingsley. She’s one of Lloyds’ top performing advisers.”

I sniff. Yeah, I bet. Performing is right―most likely on her back. But my relief rushes out on a breath. I move to sit down but realise the chair on which Jamie is resting his hand is mine. Damn it. When I look up, he’s watching me. In fact, all three of them are.

“Oh, I’m sorry.” I extend my hand to Condom. “Hannah Boyd. Pleased to meet you.”

She gives me a pinched smile and takes my hand. Her eyes linger on mine for a moment too long. “Pleased to meet you too, Hannah.”

I smile back and hope it doesn’t look as overdone as it feels. There’s a long silence and I wonder which one of us is going to fill it. But we are all saved by the bell, literally. The Master of Ceremonies asks that we all

be seated, and when I move to pull out my chair, Jamie gets there first. My eyes meet his and he winks. My heart gives a hard kick, but I merely nod my thanks and gracefully sit down. Opening my menu, I promptly hide behind it. How did this happen? How could I work so damn hard to pass exams and prove myself competent as an adviser, only to find myself sitting next to the one person I was always so bloody hot for. I’d even had to demand

he shove his respectful restraint up his arse, in order to lose my virginity with him, for crying out loud!

This is bad, really bad―I can feel an eruption of volcanic proportions brewing.

www.rachelbrimble.com

Blurb for ‘The Sharp Points of a Triangle’ - Hannah Boyd has been crowned the youngest Independent Financial Adviser in the UK. She has kicked out her boyfriend whose idea of romance is leaving a present of skid-marked boxers on the bedroom floor, or sharing a chilli-kebab in front of the football on a Saturday night. She is successful, single and about to secure the one of the wealthiest men in England as one of her clients. But then the one person she never wanted to see again reappears as her biggest competitor…and temptation.

Jamie Young never stopped loving her but is now competing against her in the cut-throat business world. He has to find a way to secure both the lucrative client and Hannah. Will she agree to work to him so he can keep her close and let him mend the heart he broke so badly? Or has he lost her forever?

Author’s Tip: Creating a Successful Book Trailer by Suzannah Safi

2010-01-17T11:56:00.000-08:00

Creating a book trailer is one way to promote a book to readers. This type of promotion can make a sale, or hurt it.

When making the trailer, it’s very important to keep in mind a book trailer is like any marketing strategy, it should be carefully planned. The artistic skills and marketing talent are the foundation of creating a successful video that will present your book in a fascinating style.

Few points you should consider as you create your trailer:

While I create book trailers, it is important to make the trailer short, not more than two minutes, so the trailer won’t bore the viewers.

Words used are so crucial to the success of your video; it shouldn’t be more than one short sentence per frame, to be able to read it comfortably. I work with authors to come up with tweaked sentences or words to convey the right amount of information, enough to capture the reader’s interest.

How you construct your video is essential when you are marketing your book. If your video isn’t fascinating enough, it can hurt you more than help you sell your story.

The use of suitable video effects/pictures is essential part in making your trailer more professional, it’s not how many effects/pictures you use, but what and how you use these effects/pictures.

The trailer should give a different peek into the story, and compliment the blurb, not repeat it. One of the mistakes I see, in my opinion of course, is that some authors use the trailer as a blurb, and the mistake in using a blurb in the trailer is that you are giving the readers one chance in liking what they are watching, and if they didn’t find it intriguing, you lost them. From your trailer readers need to get to the blurb to learn more, then to your story to know the answers.

Using the trailer as stage one, and the blurb as stage two that’s two chances the reader may comeback and buy your book, which is the final stage you want the readers to reach. Just like a book cover, some readers if they were not attracted to it, they leave the book, some go to the blurb, and from there they will buy the book or not.

Same works for the book trailer, you must attract readers enough to get them to your story, and if the book trailer failed to attract readers, and wasn’t up to their standards, then you lost the sell. Cluttering the book trailer with many words will put readers off.

Book trailers and book covers fascinate me, and graphic design always drew my attention. And as an artist, I started one day and never stopped. To me, creating Book Covers and Trailers is an art, a passion. I created Book Trailer Design Company in 2009. Please visit wwww.design.suzannahsafi.com and check the videos created, I hope you’ll enjoy your visit.

I always welcome any comments, suggestions, or questions; please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Suzannah Safi
www.suzannahsafi.com
www.design.suzannahsafi.com

GetToKnowTheBook: ‘Veil of Deception’ by Candace Morehouse, Michael Davis.

2010-01-17T11:49:00.000-08:00

Often when I write, my sleep is disrupted by visions of new stories. On one such morning, I arose early and watched from my deck as a palette of crimson and blue embraced the sky and reflected a spectrum of colors against the mirror of the lake. The predawn mist that frequents the liquid surface on chilly mornings quickly blanketed the cove and partially obscured the shoreline. The vapor cloud offered an eerie ballet as it swirled and danced to a solitary spectator. Eventually, as I sipped my third cup of brew, the ghostly figures disappeared into the canopy of the forest surrounding the cove and I caught the outline of several new visitors at the apex of a wake headed my way. The string of serene images flooded my thoughts as I studied a brood of freshly hatched ducklings trailing behind two mallards.

The serenade of a mourning dove enticing his mate in the cedar tree to my right was interrupted by a radio from across the cove. The blaring news report reminded me of a horrifying mystery still haunting the community near where I live. My peaceful thoughts became corrupted by visions of evil things that wait just outside our civilized world for the opportunity to reach out and destroy the innocent. At that instant, there was a splash in my cove. I turned and where there had been five sets of small paddling feet, now there were only four. Nature, with all her exacting reality, had taken a life from an unsuspecting family to feed the blind hunger of one of her beasts.

The parallel between what I’d heard on the radio and what was unfolding in the cove electrified my muse. The juices began to flow for a new story, one based on the hidden dangers all around us, but it had to be anchored in truth and blended with a romantic core.

Then it hit me. Sometimes deception is the match that burns love to a cinder. Whether it’s an attempt to deceive our mate, or a lie to fool ourselves, deception only fosters pain. In the same way, evil deeds are generally carried out through a VEIL OF DECEPTION, and the plot for a gut-wrenching romantic suspense was born.

I discussed the opportunity to collaborate with an author friend, Candace Morehouse. Our intent was to achieve realism by blending both gender views. Was the collaboration effective? Why not come on over to Davisstories.com and read a few excerpts and reviews. Here’s a little blurb to wet your appetite.

BLURB: Something suspicious is happening at Spenser Lake. People are disappearing and their bodies never found. The fear and uncertainty affect the tranquil community, but especially Kurt Hawkins. The guilt that he was responsible for his wife’s loss precludes any normalcy in his life until he meets Danielle Gillette, a reclusive author with skeletons of her own. When the mystery to the disappearances is revealed, they discover sometimes truth cuts deeper than a lie.

Authors' website: http://davisstories.com/

GetToKnowTheBook: 'No Matter Why' by Joanna Aislinn

2010-01-09T16:48:00.000-08:00

WELCOME! THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO GET TO KNOW MY WORK!

NO MATTER WHY, my debut novel, will be available in digital and print from The Wild Rose Press, January 15, 2010!

A little background:

Trust and stability became empty words the day motherless, sixteen-year-old Carrie Norwell came home to find her brothers murdered. Within moments, her father arrived and his heart gave out at the scene. Five years later, is it any wonder the walls with which she's barricaded her heart are virtually impenetrable to anyone looking to get close and offer what she wants more than anything? The security only a loving family can give? Or someone with whom to build her own?

Excerpt:

Carrie couldn’t drive home fast enough. She shifted into park and was barely through the door when the phone rang. She hadn’t noticed her aunt’s car in the driveway. Carrie quickly spread her saturated coat across the hooks and ran for the nearest handset. “Hello?”
"You’re out of breath. I should have waited another five minutes.”
“Who…?” Carrie recognized Billy Jay’s voice. The guy was resourceful. “Why are you calling me?”
“Just wanted to say hi. Talk a little. You know, get to know each other.”
“Didn’t you say I had time to think?”
“Thirty minutes wasn’t enough?” He gave her no time to answer. “Don’t shake your head like that. It might fall off.”
She stopped short. Billy Jay had already shown up at work. Why wouldn’t he stop by her home?
He kept talking. “Could you imagine all that wavy hair and those big green eyes of yours sticking out of the ground without the rest of you attached?”
She found her bearings. “You’re crazy.”
“Only about you, Angel-girl.”
The sweet words warmed Carrie. “Will you not call me that, please?” She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. “Better yet, don’t call me.”
“Obviously, I’m past that point.”
Obviously, Carrie was getting nowhere. She remembered Jessica’s comment about Monica. “Since you insist on talking, explain how you excuse this behavior to your girlfriend.” Carrie’s hands shook, but she kept her voice steady.
“What girlfriend?”
Behind gritted teeth Carrie stifled a not so nice response. Had Billy Jay been there in person, she might have mustered just enough nerve to reach up, grab his oversized shoulders and give him a good hard shake. “Would Monica approve of you following another girl around and calling her at home?”
“Monica?” Billy Jay’s surprise sounded genuine. “What makes you think I’d even look at someone other than the girl I’m dating?”
Carrie struck a nerve. His persistence had already dug through her last one. “What else am I supposed to think? You were with her at the diner.”
A short silence prefaced Billy Jay’s whistle. “Amazing. Jess kept something to herself.”
His unexpected change in attitude threw Carrie off guard. “What are you talking about?”
“I broke things off with Monica the next day. I’m free to pursue any girl I choose.”
Carrie chewed her inner lip. “Lucky you. Choose somebody else.”

About the Author:

Joanna Aislinn is an avid reader whose writing roots stretch back to her early teenage days. Life got in the way until ten years ago, when the story playing out in her head insisted she put it down on virtual paper. She's been writing and honing her craft ever since. No Matter Why (The Wild Rose Press), Joanna's debut novel is now available in print and electronic versions! At present, she’s busy revising its sequel, learning all she can about promo, building her web presence and finding time to work a day job and manage a home along with everything else!

Order your print copy of NO MATTER WHY at any of the following:
www.thewildrosepress.com (digital copies available here, too, beginning 1/15)
www.amazon.com
www.barnesandnoble.com
Author's Website http://www.joannaaislinn.com

Author's Tip: To-get-you started and keep-you-writing ideas by Joanna Aislinn

2010-01-09T16:41:00.000-08:00

We’re talking craft and taking the time to go over a few tips! (Not looking to re-invent the wheel, just some basic, sure-to-get-you started and keep-you-writing ideas.)

Write what you know (rarely fallible, especially if you’re willing to tweak as needed :)

Get anything down on (virtual) paper: that’s exactly what first draft is for! Whatever doesn’t sound good can be fixed during revision/rewriting or (eek!) deleted if absolutely necessary. (Even what you delete can go into a ‘cuts’ file so you can revisit, maybe even use it later!)

Create a ‘scratch pad’ file. Use it to jot down ideas, dialogue, snippets of scenes that are just starting to formulate in your head. Review them periodically. Even chapters later, you’ll be able to go back for a detail; you can even check them off as you use them. (An alternate idea is to insert comments in the text as you go—under Insert, on your word-processing application’s toolbar—which you’ll see as you revise/rewrite your wip.) Or go formal: outline key points of your story.

Connect and network with other writers—they are out there. Find them in person (via a local writers’ group; some chain bookstores house a monthly group) or online (i.e., online critique groups, special interest writers’ loops, etc). You can use my links page as a springboard: www.joannaaislinn.com/event_info.html and you don’t have to live in a given vicinity to join!

Visit your favorite authors’ websites and blogs. Writers love to share about craft! You’ll find tips, tutorials and/or workshops at many of them, or links to some of their preferred sites.

Set time aside to write. I love getting up early (and/or staying up late), grabbing a cup of coffee and spending anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours—depending on the day—working on my wip. That’s usually when the rest of my family is asleep and I can work with few/if any distractions.

Believe in your story and that you can do this. Write, revise, rewrite and persevere! Visualize what your cover may look like, what the blurb on the back will say. Picture yourself standing at your monthly writers’ meeting and announcing your wonderful news that you’ve been offered (or, even better, awarded) that first contract! Then go back and write some more!

GetToKnowThe Book: Wrapped in a Rainbow by Delyse Rodrigues-Trink

2009-12-31T02:06:00.000-08:00

Do you remember the first time when life threw you a major curve ball? I certainly do!

I was devastated not to get accepted into the program I wanted at the University I desired. I had to scramble to make an alternate choice which led me to go down a different career path. I eventually realized that life can not be completely planned out and that change is not a dreadful thing.
For Kristy, the main character of my book, she’s got the college degree she wants, she’s even got her first job after graduating, but it’s not what she expected and complications arise. Should she stick to her well-mapped out schedule for life or go against her cautious nature and chuck it all in for a temporary job in the Bahamas?
For some of us adventure and spur of the moment decisions are an integral part of our life. For others, we crave stability and order. There is no way that is necessarily better. The premise of my novel is what if you take that leap into the unknown, it might prove to be the best thing you’ve ever done or be something you’ll forever regret. Read Kristy’s story as she embarks on a journey that ultimately transforms her life.

Excerpt:

Kristy fled hurriedly back to her desk, feeling sickened, humiliated and angry all at the same time. She grabbed her coat and purse and announced to the other girls that she was taking an early lunch.
Kristy left her office building in a daze; her mind was preoccupied trying to make sense of what just happened. She spent her lunchtime walking around aimlessly. She knew that there was no way she had been dressed provocatively for work the other day and that is what made her furious. She felt sick at the thought of going in to work each day to face the man who had just propositioned her, and also threatened her chance for advancement in the company. Kristy felt her well-planned life crumbling around her. This wasn’t the way she pictured her life going! Hard work was supposed to help you get promoted; she would never dream of climbing the ladder any other way. She felt stymied, if she quit now it would look bad on her résumé to a future employer.

Although feeling reluctant to return to work, Kristy somehow finished off the rest of the day, glad for once of the monotony of it that didn’t require her to think. Leaving that day she decided to not share what had happened to her. This was her problem to work out and she would think it through herself before letting anyone else know.

After work she and Chris had planned to go to dinner and then see a movie. They had arranged to meet at a quaint restaurant in Old Montreal which specialized in serving stuffed crepes as appetizers, entrees, and delectable desserts. As Kristy strolled through the cobblestone streets in this section which were meant only for pedestrians, she once again marvelled at what a remarkable city it was. Weekdays or weekends, days, evenings, and nights the city was always alive with people rushing to work or classes or just walking around enjoying the atmosphere. Kristy remembered how many times she and Barbara or some of her other friends had whiled away hours walking down St. Catherine’s Street peering into the shop windows or just people-watching. She would definitely miss this diverse city even if she was away from it only temporarily.

Over dinner, however, Chris began talking about their future together and this, together with what had happened earlier at work, made Kristy’s decision clear.

Publisher's website: www.clublighthousepublishing.com

Author's Tip: The BUZZ for your book by Suzannah Safi/Romance Alley

2009-12-23T18:17:00.000-08:00

How can you get readers know about your books and you as an author? To advertise and have a publicist is a great idea but expensive. I believe the best marketing tool money can't buy is word of mouth and the internet. If you spread the word about your book and represented yourself in an intriguing way, readers will be eager to buy your book. When they do, they tell others about it. If you get enough readers to like what you write, then your efforts will pay off.

- Talk to people about your book

The purpose is to build friendly relationships. Talk to anyone about your books and you as an author. Visit bookstores, small, large, whatever, if the store holds book signings, go and attend if you can, ask how you can conduct one and introduce yourself to the manager, the sales people and anyone in the bookstore. If you're like me, you read many books each year make sure to buy them from the bookstore you visit, and be a known face at that bookstore to the workers. Make sure also to bring a professional Marketing Plan as well as reviews, press releases, and a copy of the book.

-Reviews and Interviews

Spread your name and books over the internet. Book review sites are many to choose from. Here are some of the sites that are most visited by readers and authors: Long and Short Reviews , Night Owl Romance, Once upon a romance, Coffee Time Romance, Romance Junkies, Romance Reviews Today, Manic Reviews, Bitten By Books, You Gotta Read Reviews, Novel Spot, and not to forget of course Romance Alley  and many more…
Reviews and interviews help keep your book and you as an author known and noticed. Make a file for all the sites you sent a request to, and make a spreadsheet of all the places that mentions you and your book. Some do author interviews or profiles; add your book and information about you as an author. Have a presence on the internet.

-Groups/Loops

Register in few forum writing groups and discuss books and tips. Try to be active but careful, being active on too many groups is exhausting and may take you away from your writing. So, register in few that you can handle and wouldn’t overwhelm you. Contact writers groups or libraries in your area and offer to attend the discussion meeting to talk about writing, or answer questions.

-Promo Materials

Bookmarks, postcards, flyers can help keep your book title in front of readers. There are many websites that offer affordable rates and you can make the design yourself, however, be original in some way and creative to stand out. Ask bookstores if you can put some of your bookmarks near the cash register where customers can pick them up. Anywhere you go, keep some promo materials in your purse, you never know who you will meet.

-Your Own Website

If you don't already have an author website, what are you waiting for! A website is a crucial part of your marketing. There are websites that offer easy step-by-step to start a website and you can design it the way you like. Be careful, your design must be intriguing enough to attract readers. Don’t clutter it with info and pictures and make it like a circus, be creative, visit author’s websites and see what you like about some of them and ask yourself what did I like about this website? Be creative to stand out.

Your readers would want to know more about you. Post reviews, offer visitors an enticing "free reads" scene or first chapter of your novel or anything that’s connected to the setting, theme or characters. Add some fun subjects, like recipes, or information about relationships—make sure it’s related to your writing.

-Book Trailer

Creating a creative book trailer is one way to promote a book to readers. This type of promotion can make a sale, or hurt it.
When making the trailer, it’s very important to keep in mind a book trailer is like any marketing strategy, it should be carefully planned. The artistic skill and marketing talent are the foundation of creating a successful video that will present your book in a fascinating style.

Few points you should consider as you create your trailer:• While I create book trailers, it is important to make the trailer short, not more than two minutes, so the trailer won’t bore the viewers.

• Words used are so crucial to the success of your video; it shouldn’t be more than one short sentence per frame, to be able to read it comfortably. I work with authors to come up with tweaked sentences or words to convey the right amount of information, enough to capture the reader’s interest.
• How you construct your video is essential when you are marketing your book. If your video isn’t fascinating enough, it can hurt you more than help you sell your story.
• The use of suitable video effects/pictures is essential part in making your trailer more professional, it’s not how many effects/pictures you use, but what and how you use these effects/pictures.
• The trailer should give a different peek into the story, and compliment the blurb, not repeat it. One of the mistakes I see, in my opinion of course, is that some authors use the trailer as a blurb, and the mistake in using a blurb in the trailer is that you are giving the readers one chance in liking what they are watching, and if they didn’t find it intriguing, you lost them. From your trailer readers need to get to the blurb to learn more, then to your story to know the answers.

Using the trailer as stage one, and the blurb as stage two that’s two chances the reader may comeback and buy your book, which is the final stage you want the readers to reach. Just like a book cover, some readers if they are not attracted to it, they leave the book, some go to the blurb, and from there they will buy the book, or not.
Same works for the book trailer, you must attract readers enough to get them to your story, and if the book trailer failed to attract readers, and wasn’t up to their standards, then you lost the sell. Cluttering the book trailer with many words will put readers off.

Book trailers and book covers fascinate me, and graphic design always drew my attention. Many readers are visual they like seeing a moving picture and if that interest them enough, they will read the book blurb.

There are many marketing ideas you can find on the internet and forums, or by asking your fellow authors. Use anything and everything to promote your books and spread your name, but make it professional. It’s hard work but to see your books out there recognized, read, and enjoyed is worth it.

Technically, writing is demanding and hard work, but the joy we get from writing is like breathing fresh air every time we start a new story, like a new hope, or new life just started. No matter what I say, it’s not enough, but let me tell you this: Writing completes me and I write to bring joy to my reader’s lives and mine as well.

Whether you are new or a multi-published author, I wish you the best and all success. If you have a new idea on how to market a book, please by all means share it here with all of us.

Keep writing!

Suzannah Safi
Romance Author, Promoter, Graphic Designer

Author of: Worth Every Breath...Available from www.thewildrosepress.com

This Time You Are Mine...Available from www.champagnebooks.com

Behind a Closed Heart...Free Read.

Owner of Romance Alley www.romancealley.suzannahsafi.com

Owner of Book Trailer Design www.design.suzannahsafi.com

Join Romance Alley Group on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=149457335046
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GetToKnowTheBook: Author Victoria Roder 'The Dream House Visions And Nightmares'

2009-12-23T17:58:00.000-08:00

Victoria Roder lives in central Wisconsin with her husband Ron and a house full of pets. She enjoys camping, shooting bow at targets, snowshoeing, and motorcycle riding. Let’s get to know Victoria Roder’s book, The Dream House Visions And Nightmares.

My Mom is famous for biblical and inspirational quotes such as, ‘Do unto others’, and ‘What doesn’t kill you will make you stronger’. She is also the person that told me repeatedly that I have a good imagination and should write books. I had a rocky start to family life until my parent’s adopted me at the age of seven. It didn’t kill me, so in fact, mom was right it made me stronger and in my shyness I turned to creativity.

I began having recurring dreams about a house that my birth family lived in for a brief period of time when I was a child. Even with the passage of time, in the dreams I remained a young girl. I could see myself standing on a desolate street void of sound, lights, or cars. Next, instead of watching myself I starred through my own eyes at the ominous house. The dream never progressed, and I never entered the house. Each time I woke up I knew that I had experienced the dream before. The dream began to trouble me, so I discussed it with my sister Tammy. She suggested I write it down, in the hope that it wouldn’t bother me anymore. I began recording the details of the dream and then instead of it not bothering me, it consumed me.
Those dreams became the premise for my paranormal romance novel The Dream House Visions And Nightmares. It is a murder mystery wrapped in a paranormal ghost story. Apparitions and vivid dreams reveal clues of mystery, murder, and age-old revenge.

Recurring dreams of a house Hope Graham's family rented when she was a child, taunt her nights with images of a woman in a bloody nightgown pleading for help. Dream sequences of children metamorphosing into rats, blood spewing out of windows, and walking across decaying bones, foretell of sins of the past and forewarn of danger in the present. In an attempt to end the agony of her sleep deprivation, Hope travels to her hometown...only to discover that the truth can be more frightening than a nightmare.

A romance develops when Hope meets Brock, the business owner next door to her former home. He offers Hope all the things her ex-husband couldn’t: romance, friendship, support, encouragement, tenderness, understanding, and love. He’s her sounding board, her confidant, and her romance when she needs a break from the intense mystery surrounding the former home that is haunting her. Can the budding romance survive Hope’s scarred past?

Excerpt: The Dream House Visions And Nightmares, Asylett Press 2009.

I looked up and down the dimly lit street. There was no evidence of life. Nor were there any sounds. No dogs barking. No horns honking. No children playing. Nothing. I focused on the house-on its paneless windows, weathered boards and dilapidated porch sinking into a sea of overgrown grass and weeds-and nausea overcame me as an overwhelming moldy odor permeated the air. The look of the house didn’t make my skin crawl; it was the essence of it.

I watched the dilapidated house-it moved closer. Perhaps it lured me to it. I began to shiver. I looked down at the white cotton nightgown that I wore. Silk embossed flowers decorated the bodice. I was still straining to hear a sound when I realized, blood had saturated my gown until it had become a second skin.
I felt a tug on my gown. I looked down-Rae’s hair cascaded over her face as she clasped my hem through the fence. She pleaded, “Please, help me, please. Can’t you hear my children screaming?”
I struggled to get away…

The Dream House Visions And Nightmares is available on the publisher’s website asylettpress.com, amazon.com, and barnesandnoble.com. To find out more about me and read an excerpt, please view my website www.victoriaroder.com

GetToKnowTheBook: Author Angelica Hart and Zi 'KILLER DOLLS'

2009-12-18T10:18:00.000-08:00

KILLER DOLLS By Angelica Hart and Zi
Release September 2009
angelicahartandzi.com
Champagne Books
http://www.champagnebooks.com/

Like a soft hand-crocheted coverlet, the Christmas season wraps about most of us with all those tangibles scents, sights, and emotions. It is a day when family and friends merge, and celebrations bubble into cherished memories. It is also a day of gift giving, but the most intangible yet most precious gift is that of love. As romance authors, we attempt to give that gift away every day within the pages of our books. Come and listen as we preview a tale of love between Letti and Taut.

After bio-terrorists use ricin to kill a man, they plan to attack innocent children by using ricin filled handcrafted dolls created by Letti Noel.

Letti, a doll maker by profession and a full-blown, staunch romantic by choice, she had not found that skipped heart beat, catch breath, face flushing moment with a man in far too long. Then, he entered her world, and teasingly called himself the Elephant King. Her normally timid demeanor dissolved as she found a brazen, more sensual being residing under her business savvy self. Dare she pursue this man who alternately pushed her away and drew her close? Dare she risk her heart even after discovering deceit skulk beneath his intimate seduction? The answers were as elusive even as his magnetic allure is unavoidable.

Unbeknownst to Letti the Elephant King is an FBI agent working undercover to find the terrorist. Haunted by a past that cannot be changed, Taut maintains an impregnable focus when it comes to his job while avoiding any personal relationships. When he goes undercover and plays the pursuer, he finds himself falling into the role a little too easily. When peril stalks Letti, he realizes his feelings for her are real, the guilt at lying to her disturbing, and the need to keep her safe all-encompassing.

Meanwhile, children are in increasing danger.

Meanwhile, there is another death.

Meanwhile, Taut’s deceit threatens their growing love even as the stalking terrorists threaten their lives.

EXCERPT

Letti gasped at the unexpected behavior but she wasn't adverse to it. After all, he did something similar when he had kissed her so suddenly in her apartment. It felt like one of those fantasy moments, something right out of an old-fashioned bodice ripper. Yet, the moment wasn't quite right. There were those guys. Shouldn't they be a bit prudent, or did the possibility of danger turn Taut…well…taut.

She struggled but he refused to release her. He couldn't let her do anything that might spread the ricin. Gallagher had provided photos of ricin victims. He would not allow this to harm Letti. No one was to be hurt. Not again. Not on his watch. That imperative directed his next decisions.
His hold was an aphrodisiac, animalistic, driven, homogeneous with her want, placated only by submission to it, and her body began to respond. Shallow short breaths followed the intense heat smoldering in her groin, incinerating any resistance, and guaranteeing conflagration of raging flames of lust. The tight, pucker of her nipples signaled her growing arousal, and heaviness attached itself to her breasts, having that need to be touched. She surrendered to his authority, submitted, and urged him with her acquiesces to take more.

Once she stopped thrashing about, in the dark veil of silence still at her back, he grabbed her blouse, hand over one breast; she reacted to his touch as he balled the cloth in a huge hand, recalled the words, cut over-the-head garments away, and with one violent motion foreshadowing tremendous strength, tore it from her. In silence, he held it at arm’s length and disposed of it in an adjacent plastic-lined trash basket.

ABOUT AUTHORS

Their combined accomplishments include book publications in print and/or electronic versions of twenty-four titles, fifteen romance specific, ten manuscripts pending, EPPIE finalist for three books, Cecil Whig award, Hob-Nob Reader's Choice Award, written over 500 shorts with numerous published in both nationwide and small press magazines, articles published in various local, city and statewide newspapers, including four as a Guest Columnist in addition to trade articles. Both are members of various writing groups.

KILLER DOLLS IS AVAILABLE: Unaware that bio-terrorists are using her handcrafted dolls to attack the innocent, Letti Noel finds herself falling for Taut Johnson, an undercover FBI agent. Even as deceit is a growing barrier to their love, it's the stalking terrorists that are a threat to their lives.

We'd love to hear from anyone interested in what we do. Anyone who writes us at angelicahartandzi@yahoo.com and leaves an s-mail address, we will send you a gift and add you to any future mailings.

Angelica Hart and Zi
KILLER DOLLS ~ September 2009
SNAKE DANCE ~ February 2010
CHASING GRAVITAS ~ July 2010angelicahartandzi.com

GetToKnowTheBook: Author Aasiyah Qamar/ Nolwynn Ardennes:Light My World-Storms in a Shot Glass

2009-12-06T09:05:00.000-08:00

At the time of writing Light My World, the story that showcased the life, trials and tribulations of Diya Hemant, I didn’t know I would soon be writing the story of Jane Smithers in Storms in a Shot Glass. Different women, different outlooks on life, different goals, different aspirations where love was concerned…
Did these two have anything in common, other than they both sprang from my imagination and wrote their stories through my pen?

It’s a question I often wondered about, and one I always wanted to have answered. Through a strange twist of Fate, both books were to come out at a few months’ interval, thus pitching me with both characters at around the same time. Lo and behold, there was some common ground between Diya and Jane! Read on through the encounter that took place at a secluded café in London when I had my two heroines meet.

“Damn it, I’m so sorry I’m late,” Diya chimed as she breezed through the light-filled, airy interior of the café in a posh end of Knightsbridge.
All eyes turn to her, and Jane watched as the men cannot take their eyes off the tiny woman who resembles a life-size doll. She sure was pretty, yet what caught everyone’s attention when Diya was around was the aura of bubbly confidence that shone through and which was obvious in her sprightly step.

“How long have I kept you waiting? Not too long, I hope,” Diya continued as she reached the table where Jane sat and plunged into a seated position in the vacant chair. Her gaze quickly scanned her companion – Jane Smithers wasn’t what at all like she’d expected her to be. From the posh, cultured accent, she’d have ventured Jane had to be a boring old spinster in starched knickers. Yet, the woman across the table appeared to be in her late twenties and there was a startling, arresting quality about her, mostly apparent in her poised, regal bearing and in the artfully structured planes of her face.

A waiter appeared as if by magic, and Diya placed her order. Latte with full cream milk and extra whipped cream.
She watched as Jane eyed her with a raised eyebrow. Her gaze fell to the dainty teacup on the table. Clear, gold-coloured tea with wafts of steam slowly rising in swirling whirls – she’d bet there was no ounce of sugar in the cup.
Oh, well, to each her own, she mused as she allowed her gaze to roam over the surroundings and glance through the clear windows, catching on a glimpse of Harrod’s which was just around the corner. Diya sighed. “You’re one lucky gal, you know, to be living here everyday.”

Jane gave a soft chuckle. “I thought you lived in a tropical paradise. At least, that’s what I gathered Mauritius was supposed to be.”
Diya leaned forward and as usual not giving a tiff about etiquette and all the oh-so-proper manners, placed her right elbow on the table and her chin in the cupped palm of her hand.
“It actually is all that,” she paused, “as well as a hotbed of gossip with a gaggle of aunts who want nothing more than to turn your life into their next rabidly-avidly-cliché-ed Indian soap opera.”
At this Jane had to laugh. “Take out the Indian bit and you get what the people here want to make of your life too.”
“So life is all about battling this barrage of conventions and never-ending talk, innit? Wherever you are, it’s the same.”
“You could say that,” Jane concurred.

The waiter came by at that moment with Diya’s latte, and she raised her eyes to acknowledge his presence as she offered her thanks. Watching as he smiled and then turned and left, she looked at Jane. “He’s pretty, isn’t he?”
Jane was tempted to grimace, and she caught herself just in time. By God, that girl was definitely young if she called a lad pretty. And though she didn’t want to burst the bubble, there was just this much an older gal could take when she saw someone younger than her run head first into a terrible situation. “Diya, if I’m not mistaken, that’s eye makeup he’s wearing.”

“Good grief! You think? Urghh.” Diya had no qualms about grimacing outwardly though, and she scrunched her face into a really strange-looking rictus. “Which just goes to prove – men are a worthless loss of our precious time.”
Jane nearly choked on the sip of ginger tea she’d taken. Oh no, she hadn’t missed the spite in the younger girl’s words, and this made her curious. Usually, it took a very specific something – or someone – to bring such antagonism towards the other gender. “Say that again?”

“No, not all men. British men are!”
To say that Jane was intrigued would be an understatement, and though she didn’t know Diya that much, she sensed there was a certain affinity between them, kind of like kindred spirits meeting. So she jumped in with her very specific question. “What has that British man done to you?”
“Other than make my life hell, nothing!”

There was something brewing here. Though Jane tried her best to smooth all rough edges, she loved a good girl-chat like any other chick. “And who would that devil be?”
“Trent Garrison. My very obnoxious, very rude, and very caveman-and-oaf-like neighbour.”

Trouble in paradise. When a woman was that vehement about a man, it usually meant she was either totally right, or so totally gobsmacked by the man-in-question’s good points she just had to remind herself how much of a bad match he potentially was. You love him, she was about to say, but bit her tongue before the words escaped her. Unless Diya saw this truth for herself, nothing and no one would convince her there could be much, much more where she and this oaf was concerned.
“Come on,” Diya said, startling Jane out of her thought. “Surely you agree with me British men are total morons.”

You don’t know the half of it. This time, she could do nothing to stop the grimace from perturbing her features.
“Aha! I knew it. You have an oaf in your life too,” Diya exclaimed. At least something juicy to crack the shell of perfection around the classy and totally professional-looking Jane. “Come on, out with it. Who’s he?”
Jane sighed. What was the point in trying to deflect the question? “Michael Rinaldi.”
“He’s Italian? No wonder then. I bet he’s a real bossy Alpha.”
“He’s a real bossy Alpha all right but he’s British. It’s his grandfather who was the original Italian.”

“So you’re close. That a love-hate relationship you have or what?”
Talk of a prying little git. But however much she resented the invasion of privacy, there was something about Diya Hemant that simply made you not able to dislike or hate her. “No, we’re not close. In fact, I don’t know him really.”
“Then how come you can trace his family tree back to Italy?” Diya asked before she took a sip of her quickly-going-cold latte.

“It’s,” Jane paused and sighed, “complicated. I work for his father.”
“You got that bit right,” the girl answered her in her forthright manner. “Talk of a situation. What is it about him that’s gotten your knickers in a twist though?”
Jane sighed again, and this time she swore the air came up right from her toes and all through her body. “I’m pregnant.”
At this Diya placed her cup so forcefully down that thick white foam sloshed over the rim and danced down the heavy porcelain. “Goodness, girl. Talk of a predicament. He knows? I mean, you told him?”

“Yes.” How much did she tell this girl who fast seemed to be becoming the kind of bosom girlfriend to whom you spoke of just about anything? “He’s not the father.”
Diya frowned, and relegating the cup of coffee to the sidelines, leaned with both her forearms on the table towards Jane. “He isn’t?”

Jane shook her head. “And it’s not what you think. I’m not playing him. He knows who got me up the duff and how it happened, and he doesn’t care. He just asked, what if it were mine?” She paused and took a deep breath. “I’m two months along, Diya, and you know when I met Michael for the first time ever in my existence?”
Diya shook her head, hanging on to her new friend’s every word. “When?”
“Two days ago.”

The thoughts and explanations ran through Diya’s head, and try as she might, she couldn’t imagine herself in Jane’s shoes. “You, girl, are in a mighty pickle.”
Jane gave a small snort. “You think I’m the only one? What about you and your oaf?”
Both women remained silent for long seconds, with one question they were sure, flashing like bright neon lights at the forefront of their minds.
How would they ever get out of their respective pickle?

To find out, come grab a copy of Light My World, which released on October 2, 2009, and see the bumpy and eventful ride Fate has planned for Diya, and how Trent Garrison the ‘oaf’ will be thrown in at every turn and corner. And to know how Jane will work herself out of her predicament with her bossy Alpha Italo-Briton aka Michael Rinaldi,, mark your calendars for January 8, 2010, when Storms in a Shot Glass will be released!

Light My World by Aasiyah Qamar:
Life's good until it throws you the one curve you never wanted or expected.
At twenty-four, Diya Hemant faces the prospect dreaded by every modern Indo-Mauritian girl – an arranged marriage to not end up an old maid. But for vivacious and live-life-in-the-fast-track Diya, giving in to her mother’s antiquated morals was never an option. Hearth, home and children weren’t part of her plan for the short-term, even if she’d love to find her Mr. Right.
Widower Trent Garrison has already been there and done that, and has no plan to go down that road again. He has to ride the straight and steady for the sake of his sons, and nothing will divert him. Marriage, attachment, and love are not in the cards for him, not ever.
Neither can afford a U-turn. But they can't dodge it either.

Genre - Multicultural Romance/AngloIndian
Length - Novel
Heat Level - Sweet
Buy Link: http://www.eirelander-publishing.com/lightmyworld.htm
http://www.amazon.com/Light-My-World-ebook/dp/B002PHMNRY (Kindle edition)

Storms in a Shot Glass by Nolwynn Ardennes:
A little bump is about to cause a lot of ripples.
Personal Assistant Jane Smithers needs a baby as much as she needs the immature boss, bitchy mother and lunatic Russian models cohabiting peacelessly around her. What she also doesn’t need is a man who pops out of nowhere, intent on taking over her accidental pregnancy.
Cold logic and hard facts rule the world of millionaire corporate lawyer Michael Rinaldi. Until he meets Jane, and the insignificant-looking woman plunges him head first into the churning waters of tempestuous emotion and hot-blooded impulse.
Unlikely feelings crop up at the same time relentless gossip escalates. Both realize their respective world has irredeemably changed. The question is - will they be able to live with this reality?

Genre - Contemporary Romance
Length - Novel
Heat Level - Sweet
Buy Link: http://eirelander.webs.com/stormsinashotglass.htm

GetToKnowTheBook: Author Stacey Joy Netzel 'Mistletoe Rules'

2009-12-01T11:23:00.000-08:00

Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year. All the beautiful decorations, inside and out, the snow, and the season of giving. My favorite part is getting together with family and spending time laughing and eating, and feeling the love in the room. This year we're not even going to exchange presents--we're just all donating to a charity of our choice and it's going to be great!

Mistletoe Rules is all about family and love, and once I decided to write about all three Riley siblings, it was a no brainer for me to give the book a Christmas theme. My dad used to play Santa for the neighbors when us kids were a little older, so it was also fun to cast him and my mom as Santa Butch and Judy.

Hope you all have a healthy and happy holiday season!

Stacey Joy Netzel

Other excerpts for all three stories available at www.StaceyJoyNetzel.com

MISTLETOE RULES

Christmas recipe for love—combine a matchmaking Santa, lots of mistletoe, one iron-clad rule, fated hearts; mix and stir. The Riley siblings don’t stand a chance.

Christmas in July at the zoo is the last place single parents Eric Riley and Marissa Wilder expect to find love. Thanks to a little Mistletoe Mischief in the form of their two young daughters and Santa, they discover that Mistletoe Rules are not made to be broken.

Major Mark Riley plays Court Jester to Janelle Walsh's Snow Queen at the Christmas Parade and is instantly captivated by the cute redhead whose grandpa just happens to be Santa. When Mark discovers she's the tenant he evicted from his newly purchased property, it's going to take a little bit of Santa's Mistletoe Magic to save their romance.

When Lisa Riley comes home for Mark's Christmas Eve wedding, her high school rivalry with Janelle’s cousin, Derek Walsh, picks up right where it left off, only this time Derek's got the upper hand. Santa bides his time as these two battle it out because he's waited all year for this Mistletoe Match-up.

EXCERPT from Mistletoe Match-up:

“That’s everything.” He swung her suitcase through the door to rest inside the foyer.

“Thanks for all your help,” Lisa said. “You went way above and beyond.”

“No problem.” He turned to leave, giving an involuntary shiver when a gust of frigid air slipped

under his tux jacket. He hunched his shoulders to keep the chill from going down his neck. “I’ll see you around.”

“Derek, um, I could make a pot of coffee, or hot chocolate, if you’d like to come in and warm up.”

A glance over his shoulder produced a simultaneous realization. She looked unsure of herself for the first time all night, and in the doorway above her head hung a sprig of what could only be mistletoe.

He’d had hot chocolate to warm up last Christmas Eve—but sharing a cup with Lisa sounded so much better than sitting in the woods with his grandpa. He made his way back onto the porch of the ranch-style house. When she stepped aside so he could enter, he caught sight of the grandfather clock behind her, only minutes from striking two a.m.

What was he thinking? That they’d sit down and talk over the good times like old friends? Good times didn’t exist between them because they’d never been friends. A smart man would leave now, before something she said or did reawakened his inferiority complex.

Surprising regret blew in with the snow when he halted. “On second thought, I should probably get going.”

Lisa followed his gaze and noted the time. “Wow, I’m sorry.” She moved back into the doorway. “I didn’t realize it was so late.”

Something about her tone of voice kept his feet rooted to the porch. Regret? Disappointment? Recalling her uncertainty when she’d invited him inside, he capitulated to his self-destructive curiosity and took another step so only two feet separated them. “I do have one question.”

Wariness flitted across her face. She grasped the edges of her unzipped coat and pulled them together before crossing her arms in a gesture of defense. But she met his gaze and held her ground. “Just one—and nothing personal.”

Spoken like someone with secrets. Derek filed that information for later, then pointed skyward

without breaking eye contact. He tried, but couldn’t hold back a smile. “What’s the deal with the

mistletoe rules?”

Her head tilted up, then her eyes closed. “Stupid mistletoe.”

After a deep, resigned breath, she met his gaze again, her cheeks stained bright red. “The official

rule in the Riley house is that you’re not allowed to refuse a kiss if you’re caught under the mistletoe.”

He grasped the doorframe with one hand, and lifted the other to brush her hair back from her cheek. She came across like she didn’t want this, but her breath hitched when he leaned close. Good so far. Better yet, she didn’t retreat.

He threaded his fingers through her soft hair and skimmed along the smooth nape of her neck. Her gaze dropped to his mouth, then her lashes drifted closed, fanned against her flushed cheeks. The vision drew him like a magnet. He played with fire but couldn’t locate any common sense to fight the flames.

“What happens if you break the rule?” He whispered the question only inches from her mouth.

“Bad luck. Like you said at the wedding.”

The husky rasp of her voice and her warm breath burned Derek faster than a scalding gulp of hot chocolate. “Considering your Christmas Eve, I don’t imagine you want to jinx Christmas Day…do you?”

One heartbeat of hesitation. “Not really.” He closed the distance until their mouths became one. Eyes closed, he savored the silky sensation of her lips against his. But with someone like Lisa, it wasn’t enough. He wanted—needed—to taste her.

At the first swipe of his tongue, she angled her head and opened to him with a soft sound of surrender. Her moist, sweet essence tantalized his taste buds, drawing him deeper. Typical Lisa fashion, she didn’t allow him full control. Hands swept under his open jacket, nails raked the muscles of his back through his dress shirt. She eliminated all space between them, her breasts pressed against his chest as her tongue sought equal access to the recesses of his eager mouth.

The material of their clothes did nothing to contain the heat of their bodies. A low groan rumbled from his throat, and he brought his other hand up to cup her face. Derek walked her backward, intent on continuing the kiss inside, out of the harsh winter wind chilling his backside.

The chime of the grandfather clock shattered their moment of passion. Lisa jerked back, putting

distance between them without completely pulling free of his touch. While they both caught their

breath, Derek gazed down into her wide gray eyes, as confused as she looked.

What the hell did this mean? Them not fighting—her kissing him back like she couldn’t get enough. Hell, he wanted more. Right now.

MISTLETOE RULES, a Christmas anthology

Available in ebook and print at The Wild Rose Press:
http://www.thewildrosepress.com/mistletoe-rules-p-3776.html

Reviewer top Pick from Night Owl Reviews:
http://www.nightowlromance.com/nightowlromance/reviews/Review.aspx?daoid=5201
ISBN: 1-60154-655-6
Rating: Spicy
Length: 300 pages
Also available at many other online booksellers.

GetToKnowTheBook: Author Kari Thomas 'Her Heart His Soul'

2009-11-29T14:52:00.000-08:00

I love writing in the Paranormal Romance genre. There are so many possibilities and plot ideas you can come up with, and you have the chance to turn a story into something so out-of-this-world readers won't soon forget it. Most of my books have Shapeshifter Heroes, yet when Drake Domitaine popped into my head I somehow knew he just wouldn't work as a Shifter. He was different. He had the Alpha bad boy side, but there was something that called out to me that said there's more than devil in this hero. That's when it hit me. He's an Angel. But he wasn't full angel; not anymore. Something horrific had happened to cause his DNA to be part Angel...and part Demon. Now, while facing the daunting task of saving humankind from Demon annihilation, he has to constantly fight an inner battle between his good side and his bad side. If his Angel side wins, he loses the human woman he's fallen in love with. If his Demon side wins...he will kill her.
Readers have told me that Drake is one hero so unique, so heroic, so sexy, they won't ever forget him. Hearing that, I know Drake was written just the way he needed to be. What woman could resist a man half-Angel and half-Demon?

Excerpt:

Prologue

He called to her in her dreams. She didn’t doubt she was dreaming because never in all her waking hours had she ever felt this way. It couldn’t be real. No matter how desperately she wanted it to be. The hard angles of his outline were visible even though he stood back in the concealing shadows of her night-filled bedroom. Slowly he lifted his hand, beckoning her.

“Come closer.” His quiet tone was darkly sensual, hinting at a promise that sent shivers through her entire body.

“Who are you?” She cringed at the sound of her breathless voice. He was the one causing her to feel that way—breathless, shivery—and she hadn’t even seen his face.

“Maybe I’m the one you’re searching for.” His hypnotic voice beckoned her closer and she couldn’t resist. She moved toward him before she even realized it. She forced herself to stop a foot away from his shadowy form. Too close, yet not close enough. Her mind warred with her body, leaving her confused at the sensual power he so easily wielded, and fighting a desire threatening to envelop her completely. Forcing air into her lungs, she breathed out, “Why are you the one I’m searching for?”

Only a few words, but they had the compelling power to send her senses into overdrive.

“Because you need me.”

Author's website http://www.authorkari.com/

HER HEART HIS SOUL
www.bookstrandpublishing.com
ISBN: 1-60601-327-0
March 2009
Print and Ebook
Paranormal Romance with Angels and Demons,
Approx. 83,000 words.

Author's Tips: Using Research in Building a Paranormal Romance World

2009-11-28T03:14:00.000-08:00

Hi, I'm Susan Hanniford Crowley, a new paranormal romance author but a long-time science fiction and fantasy author and editor. I am also the founder of the Nights of Passion Blog. Drop by and visit anytime.

In writing my new vampire romance THE STORMY LOVE LIFE OF LAURA CORDELAIS, researching mythology and places was a fun and at times an intense experience. Starting with places, I spent every summer in New York with my aunt and grandmother, some summers in Florida with my other grandparents, and I spent a gloriously intense week in New Orleans especially in the French Quarter where I focused most of the plot. While I was visiting, my husband and I rode in a carriage pulled by a mule named Napolean, which the driver yelled at and called 'stupeed.' In doing my research, I found that one scholar identified over 40 separate dialects. I chose to use two sparingly to add the flavor of the city. I also used some French and had a friend who speaks French fluently check it over. Two of my vampires spoke French and there is an inscription in French on the Cordelais crypt in St. Louis #1 Cemetery. Studying the cities of the dead in New Orleans is a real scream, not to mention voodoo and rituals. Some of my research was online, some in person.

Tip #1: Use the places you've been to and when you can't go someplace, research the place to death.

I used ancient Greek mythology, the more obscure legends, to bring the Keres, the ancestors of the vampires, and also the Telkhines, Laura's ancestors, to life. It took a lot of work going further and further back until I came across creatures not commonly taught in schools. It meant a ton of reading. Regarding vampires, I had twenty-five years of research behind me as a panelist at science fiction and fantasy conventions. I also came into it knowing a lot about Greek mythology, being part Greek. Still, I wanted the supernaturals in my book to be a significant challenge to David, my principle vampire. He's a sophisticated New Yorker, so I took him out of his element by having part of the story in New Orleans and Florida.

Tip #2 Use your own heritage and dig deeper into its mythology. Research legends that are obscure and use your imagination to fill in the holes.

Here's an excerpt from THE STORMY LOVE LIFE OF LAURA CORDELAIS:
Laura struggled through the dark and burst through a great light. She gasped for breath and it filled her. Warmth spread through her every part, then a surge of energy she didn’t understand. Her heart beat. Differently. Odd. Different from any feeling she’d ever had. Her eyelashes fluttered and then in the dim light of a strange windowless room, she saw a man’s face.

His dark, curly hair framed his chiseled features. What struck her most were his dark, fathomless eyes. I can get lost in those eyes and never want to leave.

He smiled.

She flushed. I hope he can’t hear what I’m thinking.

I can.

She sat up, smiling with embarrassment. “You pulled me out of the river?”

“Yes.”

“Thank you.” Laura trembled. “I don’t understand. I was dying.”

“You were very badly injured in the fall. I was going to take you to the hospital, but you said, ‘No hospital.’ That you’d keep trying to kill yourself.” His jaw tightened. “I couldn’t bear the idea of your death. Please, forgive me, but I couldn’t let you die.” He gazed deeply into her eyes.

Laura moved her tongue inside her mouth and came across the fangs.
“Oh, my God!” She tried to sit up, but he pushed her gently down.

“Don’t get up just yet. You’re still healing.”

“You made me a vampire?” Every tale she’d heard as a child in New Orleans rushed back to her. Vampires were monsters. “Now I’m a monster!” Anger flushed through her. How dare he make her this! He had no right. She seethed.

“No. You are not a monster. Neither am I. I gave you a life. It’s your choice how you live it.”

Then another emotion unexpectedly filled her, when she gazed up into his eyes. I couldn’t bear the idea of your death. His tender words echoed in her entire being and soothed her broken heart, as if he’d kissed her lips without touching her. She looked at him with wonder, reached up and caressed the young beard on his chin. He smiled and she could see his fangs now. Strangely, she wasn’t frightened.
#
THE STORMY LOVE LIFE OF LAURA CORDELAIS is available at http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-thestormylovelifeoflauracordelais-374695-139.html

My website is http://www.susanhannifordcrowley.com

My blog is http://nightsofpassion.wordpress.com Nights of Passion blog

GetToKnowTheBook: Author Tamelia Tumlin 'Seducing the Night'

2009-11-25T01:40:00.000-08:00

They are dark, dangerous and devastatingly sexy, yet women are powerless to stop their attraction to these valiant creatures of the night. And I'm no exception. Vampires have always had a special place in my heart for as long as I can remember and I can actually pinpoint the exact moment I fell in love with the dark side. I couldn't have been more than twelve when Count Dracula stole my heart as I watched Love at First Bite starring George Hamelton. From that moment on I was hooked. I watched every vampire movie possible and began reading many vampire books by Amanda Ashley. That's when I knew. I had to write about vampires.

My novella, Seducing the Night, delivers a spicy read which proves love doesn't end with death. Writing Alexandru and Rana's story was so much fun I'm planning a new vampire story soon. Like George Hamelton's charater in Love at First Bite, my hero, Alexandru, has just the right blend of strength, honor and power to make him interesting.. I hope you enjoy the story.

Seducing the Night blurb:

Rana Cartwright wanders into The Voodoo Den for one reason and one reason only. To seduce and kill the man she once loved. The only way she can save her son's life is to destroy the vampire who sired him. There's only one problem. She soon realizes that she never stopped loving the man she must destroy.
Alexandru Milkos has lived six long years of torment since turned by an elder vampire. He lost the only thing that ever mattered to him. His fiancée, Rana.

Now she's back. Though his love for her has never wavered, he senses she has a motive much deadlier than a simple reunion. However, what concerns him the most is the shameful secret he's harbored for the past six years. A secret that could turn Rana away from him forever, that is if he lives long enough for her to realize the truth.

Author's website: www.freewebs.com/tameliatumlin

Free Read

2009-11-23T00:32:00.000-08:00

Author Eva Gordon offers the first twenty one pages free from her novel Werewolf Sanctuary.

Since ancient times, the Lupercal Council has kept their people’s werewolf identity a well-guarded secret from man. They refer to their kind as lycans. The lycan shifts into a bear-sized wolf, bearing unique markings reminiscent of Maori or Celtic tattoos. The pack shifts during the full moon and are under the control of their alpha male leader. The alpha male and alpha female are not bound by the full moon and can shift at will. Lycans can only breed with their kind. Read more on www.romancealley.suzannahsafi.com

GetToKnowTheBook: KISMET Forever Yours Series by K. Starling

2009-11-17T17:30:00.000-08:00

K. Starling writes vintage romance. She believes in the proverbial knights on white horses. Most of her time is spent with family playing cheesy board games such as Monopoly and Clue. Card games are a family favorite as are nights out at the Starlight Drive-In in Atlanta, Georgia. Spending time outdoors is another favorite activity. K. lives in Georgia with her family and numerous pets- dogs, cats, hermit crabs, and rabbits. K= klean and there is a niche for klean romance.

K. is of course Kissa who writes stories on the steamier side of romance. She just shortened her name to K. so that readers could identify her sweeter romances. Today is a special day for Kissa and her hunk of a husband... today is their wedding anniversary! Kismet is a story about long lost lovers that are reunited and spend eternity together. The relationship between Kissa and her husband is one that will last through eternity as well. Her own true-life romance inspires a lot of the sentimentality in her writing. According to Kissa "Everyone should find their soul-mate" and she has.

Here is a short blurb about Kismet, K. Starling's first sweet romance novella:

Love blossomed in 1940 but life intervened. Can Harold and Bea regain that lost passion after seventy years? Harold and Bea met and fell in love in 1940. Both enlisted to fight in WWII and then came home to marry other people. Now, seventy years later, they agree to attend a high school reunion. Neither of them know if the other will show or what happened so many years ago. These two find that a broken proposal is hard to forgive but when you're almost ninety you don't have time for regrets.

Available now at Red Rose Publishing:

http://redrosepublishing.com/bookstore/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=247&products_id=523

Author'sTips: Reading has helped me improve my writing--Mona Risk.

2009-11-17T17:27:00.000-08:00

Reading has helped me improve my writing as much as the many workshops and seminars I attended. Armed with a pencil, I used to check the paragraphs or scenes I particularly liked, or mark with an X those that annoyed me. An X meant, "Bad. Bad. To avoid." In a way, a lousy book helped me polish my craft as thoroughly as a good one. I saw firsthand examples of the pitfalls that could turn off a reader or an editor from a story. Of course, I am talking about published books, so even if I didn't like a scene, there was obviously an editor who didn't mind it. The more I wrote manuscripts, the more I read and analyzed books. I became a compulsive critique and reviewer. .

Honing the craft to write my own books have transformed me into a difficult-to- please reader. Now, more than ever, I like a well-written book with a strong voice, fast pace, grabbing emotion, and unforgettable characters I can identify with or root for. But then, isn't that what editors look for in a wannabe author? So my tastes are not unusually difficult to satisfy, right?

Yet I see many successful writers do things that can pull a reader out of a story: Wrong use of a foreign language; sagging middles where the scenes stagnate; slow pace; introduction of new characters in the last chapters to help the resolution. I will comment on two of them.

1- Use of foreign words adds pizzazz when used correctly. I enjoy reading a foreign word here and there because it enhances a character's voice or conveys the right mood. I often use foreign words in my own books as my heroes are always foreigners while my heroines are American.

I peppered FRENCH PERIL with French words, but then I am fluent in French, and know what I am doing. For TO LOVE A HERO, a story set in Belarus, I asked my son's Russian in- laws to write for me the Russian translation of the few words I wanted to use. In BABIES IN THE BARGAIN, my hero is Puerto Rican, I can mumble a few words of Spanish but I am certainly not able to write correctly. When I asked for help from a neighbor, she said that her Argentinean Spanish wouldn't be correct for a Puerto Rican. In Florida, I have enough Latino friends who were able to give me the correct word and spelling.
While I was reading an emotional scene from a bestselling author, I came across a sentence that sounded like Haitian Creole rather than Parisian French, and burst out laughing. Of course my hilarity took me out of the wonderful moment. Why didn't that author check her words? The same thing happened as I was reading a romantic suspense and later a historical. The French words destroyed the mood. If you are going to use foreign words, please check with someone who can give you the correct meaning and right spelling.

2- Slow pace: I recently attended a whole day workshop with Mary Buckham, a wonderful instructor, if not the best. She explained why a slow pace can kill a book. Fifty years ago, with no television or computer to distract them, women had plenty of time to read narrative with beautiful descriptions and enjoyed emotional introspections. They read Hemingway and delighted in his wonderful but lengthy descriptions.

By contrast, today's women are continuously on the go, juggling the duties of their jobs with the responsibilities of motherhood. They read whenever they can afford a minute to sit and relax, in the doctor's waiting room, on the plane and at the airport, on the treadmill,…Career women and busy mothers can't afford to waste time. They want to get to the plot and emotional development as soon as possible before rushing back to their business or children. They want to be entertained quickly in the few minutes they can spare to read your book. Don't waste their time with useless descriptions. Give them a few details that ground them in the setting and move on.

Mona Risk writes romantic suspense for Cerridwen Press, TO LOVE A HERO and FRENCH PERIL, and medical romance for The Wild Rose Press, BABIES IN THE BARGAIN and Rx FOR TRUST.

Rx FOR TRUST will be released on December 4, 2009. All her books are available at Amazon.com
www.monarisk.com
www.monarisk.blogspot.com

Author'sTips: Emotions enhance the quality of your writing.

2009-11-17T17:25:00.000-08:00

Emotions:

Strong emotions often make for compelling writing. However, some of us writers have trouble making strong emotions ring true. We want people to be very angry, very passionate, very regretful and so on, but we don't always describe the feelings. We need to build it up to make the reader believe it.
When I write about characters emotions, I try to ask myself:

-What emotions can I imagine this character feeling? List them.
-List the things that provoke each of these emotions in this character.
-List the ways in which the character displays these emotions. Remember every one reacts defiantly -to situations. What is my character reaction to a cretin situation?
-Have the character try to explain how he feels to someone in a monologue or dialogue.
-If there are any events that trigger particularly strong emotional reactions in him, think about why. If any of them are linked to past events, then write up those events--as journal entries, scenes, -dialogues, or anything else that seems appropriate.
-Pick an emotion I can't easily imagine this character feeling. What circumstances could provoke that feeling in him/her?

For more tips on writing visit my website at www.suzannahsafi.com and you can read the excerpt of Worth Every Breath, and find what emotions I triggered, and how I showed it.

Author-Suzannah Safi

Author'sTips: Keep 'em Turning the Page with Three-dimensional Characters.

2009-11-17T17:21:00.000-08:00

Keep 'em Turning the Page with Three-dimensional Characters

Lawmen and Outlaws Anthology and is available at on-line bookstores or at www.thewildrosepress.com

Loretta loves to hear from her readers. Contact her at loretta(at)lorettacrogersbooks(dot)com or visit her at www.lorettacrogersbooks.com

One of the best rejection letters I ever received said, "We love the story premise, however, your characters are all one-dimensional."

In those early days of writing, I didn't have a clue that characters had dimensions. When we write romances, we're always advised to focus on the hero and heroine and their relationship. That intense connection has to be there, or the story isn't going to work as a romance. However, if there's nothing on the page except the aspects of the hero's and heroine's characters that relate to love, sex and romance, then the characters become cardboard, or one-dimensional.

The three-dimensional character is, first of all, believable. They appear as credible people. Think about the people you know-friends or relatives who stand out in their looks, style of speech, mannerisms, dress or quirky personalities. Like all humans, they have flaws and failings. In their own individual way, they seek to relate to others. Now translate this to the characters in your stories.

The trick to creating a 3D character is to add details that aren't strictly necessary to the plot, yet helps readers visualize the characters in our stories, to hear their voices, to see their flaws and vulnerabilities. The critical trick in this is to do it without losing the reader, who will quickly become disinterested if you go overboard with character development.

In my novella, McKenna's Woman, featured in the recently released anthology, Lawmen and Outlaws by The Wild Rose Press, the hero, McKenna Smith is a tough outlaw who kidnaps the young, innocent heroine, Audra Tadlock. At this point, you can see that McKenna and Audra are one-dimensional characters. I wanted McKenna to be more than an unfeeling, dangerous, kick-ass bad guy, and likewise, Audra would have fallen flat if she'd remained naïve and unchanged throughout the story. The following are excerpts from various scenes in McKenna's Woman to show how dimensions were added to turn McKenna and Audra into real people.

Excerpt #1: In the waning light, she spotted the saddlebags. With deft fingers, she unbuckled the straps and searched inside until her fingers touched the cold hard barrel. It knew it. I knew he'd have a gun hidden away. Wrapping her hand around the weapon, she withdrew a derringer. A quick check showed the small pistol held two shots. . .

What do we know? In this short excerpt we know that Audra isn't content being a captive. She's taken advantage of McKenna's absence from camp to find some sort of protection that will aid in her escape. This girl has spunk.

Excerpt #2: She sat nursing a cup of coffee when McKenna returned holding a prairie hen like it was a prized trophy. Rehearsing every detail of her escape inside her head, she silently plucked the bird.
"You're mighty quiet tonight, Audra. Got something on your mind?"

Damn. For days I've rattled on non-stop about this and that and everything. Naturally he'd think I'm up to something. She hoped he couldn't read her mind.

Excerpt #3: Think, you ninny. Think of something to say. He'll get suspicious. . .ooh!

"How did you learn to take pictures, McKenna?"

He was silent for a moment. "My father taught me. He had his own shop."

She didn't know why she was surprised at this declaration. Somehow she'd never thought of McKenna as having a family.

"You're not from Texas are you?"

"Now, why would you think that, little girl?"

"Because sometimes there is a refinement to the way you speak-as if you are more educated than the average. . .what are you, a photographer, a cowboy, or an outlaw?"

McKenna slanted a side-ways glance. "Well, I'm not a cowboy, that's for damn sure."

What do we know? McKenna has a sense of humor-dry that it may be.

Continue excerpt: She picked up a pebble and tossed it at him. "Stop making fun of me. I don't like being treated as if I'm stupid."

"All right. My mother was a teacher. We lived in York, Pennsylvania. The Rebs came, burned most of the town, along with our home. My mother had a bad heart. Thankfully she died before seeing my father gunned down because he refused to take photographs for the Confederacy. And before you ask, I was sixteen. And did I join the Union-yeah."

"It must have hurt you deeply to witness your parent's tragedy." Memories of her own parents' cruel deaths assailed her.

Audra's heart lurched when he strode to the cart, then settled again when he flung back the canvas and opened the burlap sack that held several bottles of whiskey. Instinctively her hand felt for the derringer hidden deep inside her pant's pocket.

They supped in silence. McKenna drank more than he ate. Bleary-eyed, he waved the bottle toward her. "You got any soul-bearing secrets, little girl?" Before she answered, he said, "Nah, you've led a sheltered life."

She gave a mock sigh. "I don't have any skeletons in my closets, McKenna. Not like you."

He tipped the bottle to his lips and swigged deep, drew the sleeve of his shirt across his mouth. His words were slurred, his eyes bleary. "Wadda you mean-skeletons?"

"You're no ordinary photographer, McKenna. I may be young and naïve, but I don't think wearing a tied-down six-gun is a prerequisite for taking pictures."

What do we know? Without describing McKenna's age, physical features, scars, height, weight, etc. I've added dimensions to his character through dialogue. What do we now know about him? Yes, he is an outlaw, but more than that, he's educated, he comes from Pennsylvania, he joined the military at a young age to seek revenge against those who killed his family, and while he still suffers from the tragic death of his parents, it's this tragedy that has shaped his character. We've also gained a small peek into Audra's character. Let's venture further into the story and look a little deeper to see what we know beyond the fact that she is only nineteen years old.

Excerpt #4: McKenna's hips straddled her and Audra felt the hardness of him against her abdomen. When he released his kiss, his mouth descended to capture the rosy peak of one breast. Audra drew in a quick breath of air. What was McKenna doing to her? What was he doing to make her want more than she could imagine in her wildest dreams? Unconsciously, her body surged upward. Panic and wondrous anticipation seized her from within and shook her to reality. She placed her hands against his chest. "No. . .stop. I beg you to stop."

Excerpt #5: Audra's body stiffened. "This is wrong. . .don't you understand. I can't. . .please, McKenna, it's indecent.

Excerpt #6: Audra shuddered, every nerve raw and tense. Her thoughts drifted back to the nightmare, and in the darkness she once more saw her mother's face, how she'd begged the soldiers to stop. Would she ever be able to forget or would she forever be haunted because she'd been too young to protect her mother?

What do we know? Although, he is her captor, one part of Audra wants to give herself to McKenna, but because of something she'd witnessed as a child, Audra associates sex with being wrong, perhaps even dirty. I've managed to build a commonality into McKenna's and Audra's characters by giving them tragedies that adds dimensions that shapes and molds them.

Excerpt #7: When the sobs stilled, she sat on the edge of the bed. McKenna wrapped a strong arm around her shoulder. She sat beside him, her hands tenderly enfolded within his own, her eyes downcast. She listened first to the deep sigh he expelled, then to his softly spoken words.

"Making love is a natural act between a man and a woman, Audra. It isn't wrong or indecent unless you make it that way."

What do we know? Yeah, he's robbed banks, held up stagecoaches, served time in prison for murder, but if we look back to where he relates about his parents, we see that McKenna still has a spark of decency and compassion. He could have, after all, satisfied his sexual appetite without second thought-but, he didn't.

Excerpt #8: She wanted to enjoy his nearness, to hear the soft laughter in his voice. She wished the tender moments could go on forever. On the other hand, she wondered how long it would be before he said something to completely destroy the mood.

"How can I be happy with you, McKenna, when you've vowed to kill the man you claim is my twin brother?"

What do we know? Audra is at a crossroads in her life. Although, she is still McKenna's captive, her feelings for him have changed. Her emotions are raw as she agonizes over the choice she must face. Who will she choose-McKenna or the brother she thought had died years earlier?

To keep readers turning the pages, you, the writer, must add dimensions to your characters, whether it is the hero, heroine, antagonist or secondary characters. Your goal is to make the reader laugh, cry, fall in love with hero and heroine, and yes, hate the villain.

McKenna's Woman is featured on page 175.

GetToKnowTheBook: Author Tony-Paul de Vissage 'Dark God Descending'

2009-11-17T17:17:00.000-08:00

Author's website http://www.tony-paul.com/
Trailer URL : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPJXNepfY0w

I've blogged about my novel before, so I thought I'd let the three men of Dark God Descending speak about their parts in the story. May I introduce Tucker Upchurch III, Semris II, and Dr. David Leary. Bienvenue, bonhommes. Who would like to go first?

(They are very physically different from each other; Tuck is tall, blond and curly-haired, Semris had waist-length black hair and a pair of retractable wings protruding from his shoulder blades, and David is red-headed and freckle-faced. Tuck wears a University of Georgia sweatshirt and jeans, Semris is in the embroidered and bejeweled loincloth of a Mayan emperor with onyx, jade, and turquoise eardisks, armlets, and necklet to match. David wears a suit and lab coat. They all look at each other, nodding and frowning and hesitating, each waiting for the other to go first. Finally David speaks.)

David: Since I'm more or less a minor character until the latter part of the story, and because these two are being uncharacteristically shy, I guess I'm elected. My name's David Leary. I'm a doctor at a hospital in Athens, Georgia. Until I met up with Semris here, I thought I didn't have a humorous bone in my body--or any imagination, either!

Tuck (shakes his head): Don't let him fool you, Tony-Paul. David's always had an imagination. He's just kept it tightly reined in. I suppose he had to, suddenly having to raise a little sister after his parents died. I'm Tucker Upchurch III by the way--ex-graduate student, archaeologist, almost David's brother-in-law, and Semris' reluctant blood-brother.

Semris (brushes a long strand of black hair out of his face and executes a graceful but regal bow): And I am the one of whom these two speak. Semris II, son of Yum Cimil, the god of Death, sixth Cama-Zotz, Emperor of All Creation, Dark Lord of Nikte Uaxac...

Tuck: Enough already! We've only got so much space here.

Semris: Mi apologias, senor Tony-Paul. I never know how much to say when introducing myself. (looks at Tuck) I remember the first time you saw me, you thought I was some kind of evolution-mutant. A giant bat. But you-(to David) You thought I was a gypsy. That's a little more flattering!

David (laughs): You were the palest gypsy I'd ever seen! Except for all that black hair, I'd have said you were an albino! I also figured you were up to no good. Boy, was I ever wrong--or was I right? (grins at Tuck) and then you showed up with that fantastic story about Semris being a demon--and a god. All I could think was: What's he been smoking?

Tuck: Thanks, pal! Convincing you I was telling the truth was the most difficult thing I've ever done. You thought I was crazy and Semris was feeding my delusion.

David: I thought he was the best con man I'd ever come across, that's for sure! Truthfully, I kept walking around thinking I was in the middle of a Twilight Zone episode. I was just waiting for the commercial. And then, I walked in on Semris in the shower-

Semris: I think you'd better elaborate on that, David, before everyone gets the wrong idea.

TPV: Oui, David. Remember, this is a family-oriented blog.

David: It was pretty embarrassing. Semris was taking a shower, and the hot water made his wings unfurl, and he got stuck in the shower stall. I had just got home and I heard this God-awful commotion coming from the bathroom. Shannon was screaming, Chanua was in the stall with Semris-fully-clothed, I might add--reaching around behind him, and Semris was standing there-water splashing everywhere-with these wide, black…sails…hanging over the shower rod and dripping water onto the floor.

Semris (sardonically): I'm most grateful you accepted the truth so quickly.

David: Couldn't do much of anything else, after I saw those wings of yours. I mean--a man with a twelve-foot wingspan is definitely not an everyday occurrence, especially in Athens, Ga,, unless he's going to a DragonCon or something. From that moment on, my imagination was freed to run wild.

Tuck: I think all our imaginations got a little hysterical, after a while. I know from the minute I saw Semris in that Yucatan jungle, I felt as if I'd stepped into some kind of sci-fi movie.

TPV: That's right. You were given the chore of guarding Semris when he was...should I use the word "stolen" or "kidnapped?"

Tuck: Either one's correct. Semris was forcibly removed from his home and I'm sorry to say I was one of those responsible.

Semris: That changed once he realized I wasn't a giant bat as he'd been told but an intelligent being.

Tuck (grins): A being anyway--sometimes I wonder about the intelligent part.

TPV: So far, no one's mentioned the lady in the story. Cherchez la femme. What is her name?

David: Shannon Leary. My little sister. She was Tuck's fiancée, although I wasn't too wild about the idea. Tuck was my buddy when we were in high school and I thought he was too old for her.

Tuck: I'm six years older than Shannon. So how did you reconcile a 5000-year-old demon falling for her?

David: With great difficulty!

Semris: I fell in love with Shannon the moment I saw her, though I didn't recognize the emotion. (He looks apologetically at Tuck) Sorry, amigo, but it's true. Demons aren't supposed to experience human emotions so it took a while for me to understand what I was feeling, and by the time I did-it was too late. I knew she was the only woman I could ever love and that I'd fight any one to keep her. Shannon is mi Corazon, mi amorita, la mujer de mi suenos, la…

Tuck: Please! I refused to fight you when I discovered you and Shannon in flagrante delicto-

Semris: Translation, please. What is this flagrante?

Tuck:--but if you don't lay off all that flowery Spanish I'm going to give your royal demonic face a black eye. (looks at TPV) Can you believe this guy? He's supposed to be a bloodsucking demon but every time he talks about Shannon, he gets so mushy, it's sickening.

David: It's worse when they're together.

TPV: So your sister was engaged to Tuck and jilted him for a demon? (David nods. TPV Looks at Tuck) And you're still friends--in spite of all that's happened?

Tuck: I guess you could say we're still friends because of what happened. All three of us went through some pretty hairy adventures...and a lot of people got hurt, thanks to Professor Lane Westcott… (looks away a moment) Sorry, but what happened when we got back to Nikte-Uaxac still gets to me sometimes. (sniffs loudly and blinks)

Semris: As it does to all of us, mi amigo. But I think it made our friendship that much stronger. I don't blame you for any of it, Tuck. (forcefully) As for Westcott? He got exactamente what was coming to him! That perro! I should have-(breaks into a sputter of untranslatable Spanish curses)

Tuck: Calm down, Your Excellency.

David: Well, I for one, am grateful for all that happened, both the good and the bad. I came out of it a different man from the uptight, workaholic doctor I would've been if I'd stayed in Athens, and you, Tuck--

Tuck: Yeah, I got more than I bargained for, that's for sure. Heck, I got immortality out of the deal! Can't beat that. We all were changed by what happened--in both good and bad ways.

TPV: Would you care to elaborate on that, Semris?

Semris: No, I don't think I would. After all, we're here to tease your readers and if we tell too much, we'll defeat our purpose, won't we? Why do we not let this little extracto speak for us?

TPV: A wise answer. Then let me say merci, mon bonhommes, and thank you for coming to speak to us today about Dark God Descending and your part in it. Now, here's the excerpt:

Dark God Descending Excerpt:

Semris awoke to the muffled sound of pounding hooves.
Opening his eyes, he twisted on the branch and parted the pine boughs, looking out across the meadow in time to see Nohoch galloping toward the far-off trees, tail streaming like a brilliant banner behind him.
Abruptly, he saw something else that startled him. A girl clinging to the big animal's back, her own hair mingling with the wind-blown red mane.
He's beautiful, Semris thought. The brown eyes were wide, nostrils flaring, and then the girl leaned forward, her mouth opening in a shout of happiness as she swept her own hair out of her face.
They were both beautiful.
As Nohoch neared the fence, he slowed to a trot, then a walk, dancing sideways, as if impatient to run again. He tossed his head and snorted, and the crows chose that moment to break from the shelter of the trees.
They burst out with a wild and noisy flapping of wings, swooped over the fence, then rose into the air with harsh, loud cries. One came too close. It collided with Nohoch, striking the animal on the chest and the big creature reared on its hind legs, forelegs curled protectively.
Stepping backward, it staggered slightly as if thrown off-balance by the extra weight it carried. The girl loosened her hold on the red mane and slid from the creature's back, falling into the grass.
Nohoch regained his balance and galloped away as the girl sat up. She started to get up but Semris was already out of the tree and climbing through the fence.
She stared at him, as if shocked by the sight of a half-naked man running toward her, then, abruptly, rolled over and began to crawl away through the flowers.
Semris skidded to a stop in front of her. Shannon curled into a little ball.
"You have nothing to fear from me, Nina," he assured her, quickly. "You are certain you are all right?"
He held out his hand again and this time, after the slightest hesitation, she placed her own in it. Semris pulled her to her feet.
"Yes," she answered. "I'm just a little shaken, that's all"
There was a sound behind them. Seeing his new friend and his rider together, the animal had returned to nuzzle at Semris' shoulder.
He turned and placed one hand on the horse's crest. "Nohoch."
"What did you call him?" the girl asked, smiling.
"In my language, it means Big One," he explained.
"His name's Wildfire," she said.
"I like Nohoch better," he told her. "What kind of animal is he?"
"What kind?" That earned him an astonished stare. "Why, he's a horse. Haven't you ever seen a horse before?"
"No."
"Where are you from? The moon?" The blue eyes were laughing.
He chose to answer her question literally, informing her solemnly, "I am from Nikte-Uaxac."
"Where's that?"
"Very far from here."
"I don't remember seeing you before." The frown deepened. "Do you work on one of the farms? I heard Emmett Westphall had hired some new hands."
He shook his head and she went on, "Say, where's your shirt?" and looked at his bare feet, "And your shoes?"
There was a sudden mischievous sparkling in the blue eyes.
"You weren't about to go skinnydipping in the lake, were you?"
"There is a lake?"
"Uh-huh, on the other side of those trees." She gestured toward the far end of the meadow. "But if you didn't know, I guess you weren't going swimming were you?" Her voice dropped slightly, became soft, almost gentle. "So you don't work for Emmett. A-are you a transient?"
"I do not know that word."
"A-uh--a traveller, a wanderer."
"I am trying to get back to my home."
"Do you have any money?" Briefly, she avoided his gaze, concentrating on stroking Nohoch's shining shoulder, gentle fingers worrying the little scabs.
"No."
"Then that may be a little difficult to do."
"My brother will come for me," he told her.
"Well, you've got to eat and have a place to sleep until he gets here," she said, practically.
"There are plenty of trees." He gestured toward the pine grove.
"You can't mean you've been sleeping there?" She sounded as if she couldn't believe such a thing. "That won't do! Say, have you ever done any handiwork?"
"I am sorry, Nina. I do not know what that is."
In Nikte-Uaxac, he was noted for the knowledge he had amassed, that Ah Balam and his brother demons and his tutors had taught him and Ne'all. One of his many titles was the Enlightened One, and now, he was standing here admitting with almost each breath that he knew nothing.
"Oh, you know--odd jobs, cutting grass, moving rocks."
He glanced down at his hands, hands that had never held anything heavier than the Royal sceptre. Move rocks? The Emperor doing manual labor?
"I was thinking--" She turned from Nohoch to look up at him.
The sun reflected in her eyes, making them look as blue as the sky, and she raised one hand to tuck a stray lock of the brilliant hair behind one ear. Briefly, he was dazzled by the brightness of that wonderful mass of curls. He wondered if it would feel warm to the touch.
"My brother's been looking for someone to help me get the backyard into shape. We've neglected it terribly, and if you're willing, maybe you could earn enough to buy yourself a bus ticket to Tampa or Miami or somewhere."
Semris smiled. "Thank you, Nina. It is kind of you to wish to help me."
"Why do you call me that?" she asked. "My name's Shannon."
"No, you are Nina del Sol, beautiful daughter of the Sun, and its rays are captured in your hair."
She smiled, and he was startled to see a faint pink touch her cheeks. "And you look like a child of the Moon, pale and mysterious. What's your name by the way?"
His chin went up slightly. "I am Emperador."
"That's an odd name. Her voice died away and she blushed again, and, as if to cover her embarrassment, said, almost sharply, "Well?"
"Well, what?"
"Are you interested? In the job, I mean?"
If it would keep him in her company a little longer, he would pretend interest, though he had no desire to do any type of work.
He found himself nodding.

GetToKnowTheBook: Starquest by Hywela Lyn.

2009-11-17T17:11:00.000-08:00

Starquest by Hywela Lyn www.hywelalyn.co.uk
Email author at hywelalyn@hywelalyn.co.uk

I didn’t mean to fall in love with my characters. ‘Starquest’ started out as a short futuristic story, complete with cast. First came Kerry Marchant. Dark, brooding, interested only in the beautiful starship, Destiny, of which he was Second In Command. The one person Kerry seemed to relate to was Jon, the Commander of the ship and Kerry’s closest (and probably only) friend. Cold and withdrawn, for me, Kerry had a charisma which I found completely irresistible. A man like him needed a woman: Someone who was his equal in courage and ability, someone who would teach him to love.

Of course there was a snag. Kerry did not trust women, especially beautiful women. Jess would have her work cut out. Yes, Jess, or Jestine Darnell, to give her full name. Jess who was sweet and vulnerable, with a strong Faith and a mission to fulfill. She arrived, complete with her name and favourite colour - green - tossed back her long wavy red hair and proceeded to tell me her story. I learnt how their mutual distrust gradually turned to love and how she persuaded him to bend a little and believe that love was real and that not everything could be explained by science. The end came as something of a shock. Surely short romantic stories should have a happy ending? Jess then proceeded to tell me that this wasn't a short story - it was a novel! So, I went back to the computer and wrote 'Starquest, Part II'

This is where the method of story telling changed. My narration took the form of a journal, and a new character came on the scene. Dahll Tarron, as different from Kerry as chalk is from cheese, but just as compelling in his own way. He would become my heroine's guide and friend, and provide her with the means of searching the universe for the man she loved. They would face many dangers together and in the process learn much about each other. At the end of Part II there is a parting of the ways and Part three is again told in the third person.

I knew now exactly how the story would finish. I wrote 'The End' with a flourish. Jess, however, had other ideas. "You know," she told me gently, "that's really not the way it happened!" What? How could she say that. Of course that's how it happened. I'd plotted and outlined and this was exactly the way it was meant to be. If I hadn't grown to like her so much I would have been very annoyed, but by this time I was very fond of all my characters - I even had a grudging admiration for the villain, I shrugged and put the manuscript away in a drawer, to 'settle' for a while until I could begin the task of revision. Over the next few weeks my characters nagged me. “Just try it our way, see if it works.” Eventually I had to give in and rewrote some chapters, just to prove them wrong – but of course they were actually right. I showed the manuscript to a friend who’d read the original version and she agreed – this was what really happened!

Unfortunately the way things worked out in the new version, while the 'happy ever after' ending was now in place, I still had two characters without a love interest. So I wrote a sequel. 'Children Of The Mist', set on the planet, Niflheim, where some of the action in 'Starquest' takes place. That sorted things out for one of the characters – the second is still awaiting a Happy Ever After, and nagging at me, so I am in the throes of writing the third and final episode!

And that’s what happens when you become too fond of your characters – but boy it’s so satisfying when they come to life

EXCERPT FROM STARQUEST

“It seems,” she said, her voice unsteady, “we’ve both been guilty of trying to hide our true feelings—”

“Then...perhaps we’d better make a fresh start.” He wrapped his arms around her and she clung to him, finally surrendering to the strange, sweet emotion she had tried to deny. He kissed her, a lingering kiss that sent shock waves through her body, awakening the feelings she had tried to conceal for so long. Her lips responded to his with a fierceness that surprised them both.

Several minutes later, with obvious reluctance, he released her, his eyes still not leaving hers.

“I only came to make sure you were all right. I should leave now. I have heard of the strictness of the Sisterhood, I would not wish to risk compromising any sacred vows or beliefs—”

She smiled, touched by his consideration in giving her the chance to back away, while she still could. “I’m a missionary, Kerry, not a nun! The Sisterhood only condemns casual liaisons, not genuine relationships.” She lowered her eyes. “I...I’ve never been in love before, not...not like this, but I know nothing that feels this way could be wrong.”

She slipped into his arms once more. He pressed her body close to his, and kissed her again, with a tenderness she would not have imagined him capable of a short while before, and she wondered how she could ever have thought him cold.

GetToKnowTheBook: Eureka Point, written by romance author Betty Ann Harris.

2009-11-17T17:02:00.000-08:00

Eureka Point, written by romance author Betty Ann Harris, the first book in The Special Agent Series, available in paperback, ebook and Kindle, is available at Red Rose Publishing and Amazon.com, where it was given a five star review. The main character in the book is here to give you a tour of scenic Eureka Point, a place she has come to call her home:

Hello, I'm Katie O'Hara, but you will come to know me as Lizzie, a name I've had to become familiar with myself. You see, it's an alias. Due to circumstances beyond my control, I had to change my name and identity and relocate clear across the country from Long Island, New York to the old victorian seaport town of Eureka, California.

I'm in the witness protection program, something I was totally set against doing, until I realized that becoming someone else was better than being dead. Tom, the FBI Special Agent assigned to protect me, basically saved me in so many ways. I owe him so much and I also think I've fallen in love with him. He is my hero.

I'd like to give you a tour of spellbinding Eureka Point:

If you drive about one hundred miles up the Pacific Coast Highway from San Francisco, you'll come to the dramatically beautiful historic seaside town of Eureka, California. If you take Cliffside Drive Northwest from the town of Eureka, you'll see the Pacific Ocean on one side, and steep hills and cliffs on the other, which makes for a dramatic and breathtaking scene. Eventually you'll come to Eureka Point and the lighthouse. It is rumored that the ghosts of old sea captains whose ships were wrecked on the rocky shores, still roam the cliff sides. If you walk around the lighthouse grounds, the sound of the surf crashing onto the rocky shore can be almost deafening. Sometimes the sea spray will splash you, leaving the sticky residue of salt water on your skin. Venture out to the Point in the early evening so you can watch the sun plummet into the sea, and you'll swear that you hear a sizzle as the orange sun sinks into the water. Lovers often come to Eureka Point and share a passionate kiss in the moonlight as it shimmers on the water below. The scenery and surroundings are breathtaking. This is where the story in my book, Eureka Point, takes place. Go ahead, get swept away and visit Eureka Point today!

If you'd like to see more of Eureka Point, please don't miss the video trailer available at this link: http://www.photoshow.com/watch/Zi2Hf6bd

GetToKnowTheBook: Heartsong by Allison Knight

2009-11-17T07:02:00.000-08:00

HOW IT ALL BEGAN
By Allison Knight

Heartsong, probably one of my favorite novels, had the strangest beginnings of all my books. Usually when an idea pops into my head, it's the beginning, the hook, so I have a place to start. Then I try and figure out what's going to happen to my poor characters and what has gone before to make them the way they are. I often see the scenes in my head as I try to go to sleep or early in the morning. In fact a couple of those scenes have been so vivid I had to get out of bed and rush to the computer. I seldom have the end of the book in mind when I begin. But, I begin with the hook, and the story develops from there.

Not so with Heartsong!

I was on my way to teach an evening class on writing at a community college. It was fall, the weather was crisp, the leaves starting to turn and I had a forty-five minutes drive ahead of me. I tuned the car radio to my favorite classical station and let my thoughts drift to the plans for the evening's class. Something, I'll probably never know what, made me register the chorus coming through my speakers. It was the end of the opera Faust, and the melody was a haunting thing.

Suddenly, I got a mental image of a woman in medieval grab standing before a knight. She was crying and wanted her baby back. I was so stunned, I pulled into a service plaza and sat there for several minutes waiting for the picture to fade.

I don't remember what my plans were for that night, but I knew I had to pursue that scene and figure out what was wrong with that woman. I stood in front of the chalk board and talked about plot. I spent the entire class explaining plot, giving examples of methods of plotting and how I usually plotted a book. As I lectured, ideas came almost as if I was outlining the book and to illustrate my points, I put some of those ideas on the board. During our coffee break I transcribed my notes and knew I had a novel.

For the first time in writing a book, I had to start at the end because what I saw while listening to the radio was the black moment of the story, the point toward which the whole book was leading. As I put plot points on the board, the story fell into place. By the time I got home, I had my book. Of course there were still many details that needed to be flushed out but when I crawled into bed that night, I even had the name of the book. 'Heartsong' had been born. The name has never changed.

Of course, I had an awful lot of research to do because although I'd read medieval stories before, most of my books were set in the United States, in the 17th and 18th centuries. The name of the baron's estate came in the same way the last scene arrived, early the next morning.

I had a good friend who had been born in Wales and she helped me with the names of my Welsh heroine and her brothers. The more I worked on the story, the better I liked it. When I finally wrote the scene I'd seen so vividly on the way to class, I knew why she was crying and why the hero just stood there. When I gave the book to my husband who is my first editor, he read the book. He looked at me and exclaimed, "The story is fantastic," and pronounced it his favorite of all the books I'd written. It's still his favorite even though there have been quite a few since I finished it. In fact I liked the characters of Heartsong so well, I've written a sequel and have another story planned with the same characters from the original story.

My husband must have been on to something for that book won Best Novel of the Year from my publisher. If you saw the books in competition with mine, you would understand why I'm so pleased with the award. Needless to say, so is my husband.

What's amazing is other authors since then have told me similar stories. A book's idea may not start at the beginning of the story, but someplace in the middle or even at the end. A nationally recognized author of best selling mysteries told me he always starts at the end. If he doesn't know who did it, he can't put the right clues into the beginning of the book. So when an idea occurs, be it the end of a book, or someplace in the middle, you may have the next best seller. Don't discount a possible story because you envision the final chapter instead of the start. I learned that lesson with my award winner!

Copyrighted 2009 - Allison Knight

Print copies of Heartsong by Allison Knight can be purchased directly from Champagne Books, Inc. www.champagnebooks.com, or they can be ordered from your local book stores.

GetToKnowTheBook: More Than Prophecy by Shannon Leigh

2009-11-17T06:56:00.000-08:00

I had a story dancing around in my head for some time. Well, to say story would be an overstatement; it was more like a scene, upon which the rest of the book would grow. I didn't know where to begin, or where it would lead, only that these two characters, Cheyenne and Darian wouldn't leave me be. They invaded my sleep and constantly crept into my mind. Avoiding their story wasn't working, for they pursued me with merciless relent. With an audible sigh, I throw up my hands and concede. "All right! I give. You win."

My greatest ideas come when I daydream, when I shut out all outside destractions and allow the characters to take the lead. On this particular day, outside seems the place to be. I place the blown up float into the small pool—an old metal feeding trough now used as a swimming pool for my kids. The raft stretches near wall to wall, but no matter, the water is cool and refreshing. I climb onto the raft, careful not to tip over, and stretch out. The sun beats down upon my body, caressing my bare skin with its warmth, like the touch of a lover’s palm. I close my eyes and my mind begins to wander, replaying the scene I've come to know so well...

A young native American girl, perhaps in her early twenties, with long, sleek, black hair; delicate features; and a brown complexion is immersed in a small metal bathtub, while an older woman with jovial eyes and a plump figure meticulously scrubs her skin. The water laps at girls breasts, kissing her dusty rose nipples with greedy smacks. There’s no mistaking the fear and unease in the younger woman’s violet-blue eyes.

Loud music and joyous laughter floats through the air, the sounds muffled by the four walls. I study the interior, the aged, wooden, planked floor; the gaudy décor. It reminds me of a brothel. My concern for the girl begins to grow. Where is she? And what has her so scared?

“Calm yerself, “Cheyenne. Ye’ve nothin’ to fear. Lord Darian is an honorable man. He’ll nae lay a finger on ya,” the older woman says, her tone soft and reassuring.

The sound of a slamming door gives them both a start. My own heart begins to race, my unease matching Cheyenne’s. Who just left the room?

“I best see what that girl’s up to,” the woman says, rising to leave.

Girl? I wonder. I don't recall anyone else. I’m tempted to yell, “No! Don’t leave Cheyenne alone!” But my words have no sound in their world. As you recall, this is just a dream.

Alone, Cheyenne sinks down into the steaming water, submerging herself from head to foot. I can almost feel the relaxing heat as it encompasses her now gleaming skin. “Ahhh…” we chime in unison.

But our relief is short lived, for in the next instant, the bedroom door flies open, slamming into the wall beside it. An intimidating sight hulks in the threshold, a murderous scowl hardening his features. He storms toward the tub. There's no mistaking the purpose in his stride or the determined glint in his jade-green eyes. "Show me the markin'," he demands with a husky growl as he yanks her from the tub. "I must see it fer m'self."

As Darian says those words, my eyes fly open, greeted by the blazing sun above. Suddenly, I know. I know where to begin and where it will lead. Their story has just been born.

Here’s a short excerpt from this scene:

Cheyenne swiped the water from her eyes with her palms and turned to see who’d come in. She let out a shocked yelp when she saw Darian’s massive form hulking in the doorway. With long, purposeful strides, he advanced toward her, Brigette hot on his heels.

“Darian, please. Yer scarin’ ’er!” Brigette pleaded with him to stop, but he wasn’t listening.

Darian’s searching gaze was intent on her, his mind obviously set on one course of action. He stormed to the tub, grabbed her by one arm, and yanked her to her feet. Then he spun her away from him.

Cheyenne was so shocked she didn’t protest. She just stood there, shaking like a leaf in a raging windstorm.

Visit author's website at http://www.shannonleigh.org

GetToKnowTheBook: Worth Every Breath by Suzannah Safi

2009-11-17T06:46:00.000-08:00

As an author, my characters visit me every day I write.
A cup of coffee is one of the must-have items before I start writing every morning. As I sat ready to write, I heard a soft voice I recognized as Annabelle, the heroine in my novel. "Don't you think he's better off with a nurse, or someone who knows about these kinds of cases? I'm not a medical professional."

I turned my head and saw Jack entering the room, shaking his head. "Listen, maybe you're right. Maybe it's not such a good idea. I'll find something else for you."

Chris appeared on a wheelchair, a scowl decorated his unshaved face. "Why is she here? I want her out of my house!"

At that moment a headache started to pound, and I reached to squeeze the pain out. That's when I heard Jack say, "I told you he is going to reject you."

I got up from my chair, and went to get something for that headache, caused by my characters fighting, which I should have brought earlier with my coffee to think of it. Yes, characters talk to us authors, sometimes they don't and we end up with a writers block, and you know what, sometimes it's a blessing LOL.

I came back after I took the pill for my headache, and sat ready to write what my characters are eating my brain for, maybe then; I could get rid of their voices.

"She's still here," complained Chris.

Refusing to talk to any of my characters, I just closed my eyes for a second. Fingers on my keyboard, I started to get the voices out and on the white screen of my computer.

"I can make his wish come true, I'll get rid of her." Damien stood near the door and smoothed his black coat, lips twisted into a cynical smile.

Every one in the room swung their heads toward him, including me. I took a deep breath, and tried so hard to restrain from strangling Damien.

"I'm afraid my leaving isn't up to any of you." Annabelle tucked a stray curl of her strawberry-red hair behind her ear, determination etched into her delicate face.

Take a deep breath, I told myself and started writing…

To watch the trailer this is the link click here

This is a scene between Chris and Annabelle:

"Let go of me," she said, fearing what might happen next.
Chris tightened his grip on her back and drew her closer to him. Her wet blouse stuck to her body, and his broad, naked chest touched hers. Annabelle could feel his heart racing against her chest and his breathing grew faster. "And what if I didn't?" His eyes didn't leave hers." I didn't put you in this position. Your clumsiness did. I saved your life." Obviously, he aimed to anger her so she'd leave. His serious tone held something else she didn't understand. She didn't know her body's reaction -whether she enjoyed the closeness of his body or churned by anger at his teasing. No, she was definitely enjoying this.

Worth Every Breath available in e-book and paperback.
Publisher : The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Novella Length: 200 pages
Heat Level: Hot

Worth Every Breath is available now from www.thewildrosepress.com www.amazon.com www.fictionwise.com or you can order it from your local book store. Author's website www.suzannahsafi.com

GetToKnowTheBook: Dancing in Time by Violet Rightmire.

2009-11-17T06:41:00.000-08:00

Interview with Ballerina Hadleigh Brent

Welcome! Today we are interviewing Hadleigh Brent, the ballerina protagonist from the book Dancing in Time, by Violet Rightmire. We’re going to do a little question-and-answer session with Hadleigh and find out what it’s like being a real-life ballerina.
Q: Hello Hadleigh. Thank you for doing this interview.
A: You’re welcome. It’s a pleasure to be here.
Q. First of all, I must get clarification on this: You said you are a very shy person. How is that possible for someone in your profession?
A: Well, I don’t think being shy is unusual in my field at all. I know many shy dancers. Oh, there are those that are the exact opposite, of course, but I think lots of performing artists are introverts. After all, onstage everything is spelled out with choreography or a scripted dialogue, and all of that is rehearsed over and over. Little is left to chance. You can’t say that about real life!
Q: I see. In other words, you’re saying performing artists don’t like unexpected things.
A: (Hadleigh furrows her brow) Hmmm. I don’t know about that. Maybe.
Q: Okay. Let’s switch gears here with a question I’ve heard lots of people ask: How many hours a day do you spend dancing?
A: Well, it varies depending on whether we are on tour, at home, or performing. But generally we start with a ballet class at 9:30 in the morning, followed by rehearsals until about 7:00. Unless it’s a performance day. Then we come in a bit later, say, 10:30. We’ll have a warm-up class followed by a light rehearsal on stage. Then we’ll do a matinee performance, an evening performance, or both.
Q: Wow. That’s quite a schedule. Do you ever have a chance to do anything besides dance?
A: Oh yes. I manage to fit in a few other things. (Hadleigh smiles slightly).
Q: What I’m getting to is this: I’ve heard there is someone special in your life. Would you like to share a bit about him?
A: (Hadleigh blushes). Well yes, there is certain someone. His name is Doctor Collins.
Q: How interesting! What sort of Doctor is he?
A: (Hadleigh fidgets). Hmmm. He’s an … an … unusual one.
Q: Unusual? In what way?
A: In lots of ways. (Hadleigh continues to fidget).
Q: What kind of ways, exactly?
A: Lots of different ways. (Hadleigh’s fidgeting increases).
Q: Come on now! You’re not going to share anything more about him?
A: (Hadleigh shifts uncomfortably) Well, I can tell you that he is wonderful and handsome, with riveting blue eyes and dark hair. My friend Jann thinks he looks a little like Elvis, but with a more chiseled face. He’s more rugged-looking than Elvis, I guess. (Hadleigh continues to fidget and looks at her watch).
Q: You seem uncomfortable. I’m not keeping you too long, am I?
A: Well, I really have to go now. My rehearsal starts in a half hour and I need to prepare. But I thank you for the interview. (Hadleigh practically jumps to her feet and vanishes out the door).
Interviewer: My goodness! It appears that I hit a nerve! I think our ballerina is hiding something….

Excerpt from Dancing in Time by Violet Rightmire:

Chapter One
She noticed him as soon as they sat down. He sat alone at the counter, absorbed in his lunch, which included a ham sandwich and a large glass of milk. He looked out of place somehow, like he should be sporting a black tie, caressing a stemmed glass, and leaning suggestively against a mantel—not eating a meal in an old dime store.
Hadleigh nudged Jann under the table and jabbed her fork in his direction.
“What’s wrong with that picture?” she demanded. “I can’t put my finger on it.”
Jann studied him as she opened her napkin.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. He’s cute.” She giggled. “He looks a little like Elvis Presley.”
Hadleigh looked at him out of the corner of her eye. He did look a little like Elvis, but not quite so baby-faced. His chin was chiseled, but not too extreme, and his cheekbones were high, but not overly pronounced. His body was well developed with a deep tan, his hands large and strong. He looks like the kind of man you could put your confidence in.
“He just seems so out of place somehow,” she said finally.
“Well, I would consider Elvis being here definitely out of place.” Jann’s eyes twinkled. “I know what it is! It’s the milk. REAL men don’t drink milk,” She winked.
Hadleigh laughed. “Not in public, you mean.”
Jann returned her gaze to the counter, and then looked back at Hadleigh with what had come to be known as That Look.
Hadleigh faked a groan. “Oh no. I don’t even want to hear this.”
“I think you should send him a refill on his milk.”
Hadleigh stifled a laugh, leaned across the table and stared under her eyebrows at Jann. “I don’t recall asking you to be the Entertainment Director on the cruise ship of my life.”
“You didn’t. I volunteered. See a need and fill it...”
“Hmmmph!” Hadleigh straightened up and smiled. “In other words, I’m stuck with you and your creative meddling.”
Jann nodded. “Absolutely.”
“Why don’t you send him a refill, since you’re feeling all this motivation?”
“No, he’s more your type. The milk and all.”
Hadleigh kicked her under the table. “It would be fun, but I don’t...”
“I dare you. Look, here comes the waitress. Come on, do something risky for a change. You might even like it.”

Dancing in Time is available from The Wild Rose Press in e-format and print.
Violet Rightmire is a former ballerina herself who now writes dance-themed romances.
www.thewildrosepress.com
www.violetrightmire.com

GetToKnowTheBook: Silver Screen Heroes by Ilona Fridl

2009-11-17T06:35:00.000-08:00

When I first got the idea for a plotline in Silver Screen Heroes, I had to create some characters to go with it. I studied up on what was happening in Los Angeles in 1920. I know I had to have problems come up for the heroine, so I began to read. I found that tensions were high between the white Americans and the old family Mexicans then. They considered the Americans invaders and the Americans thought of the Mexicans as inferiors.

Addy's parents were caught up in a Romeo and Juliet situation. He was Mexican and she was white American. That was the reason they eloped to San Francisco and were estranged by both families. After Addy was orphaned by the earthquake, her mother's family took her in as their own. However, because she had features that looked Mexican, she had trouble with the American population as she was growing up.

The hero, Zeke Shafer, grew up in Indiana and as he said, there weren't many Mexicans there, but his father was a minister who railed against the “godless racial inferiors.” Zeke ran off from home because of the treatment he received from his father, who didn't “spare the rod.” At first, Zeke didn't know if he liked Addy for herself or to get back at his father and beliefs.

Here's an excerpt from the first chapter:

Zeke pondered their conversation as he headed for the laundry. He hoped he hadn’t reacted badly when she told him she was Mexican. He could picture his father preaching about “those soulless racial inferiors.” Is that why he was drawn to her the first day he saw her? This would be another way to defy his father, at least in his own mind. He held no desire to see his father again.

As for Addy herself, he was afraid for her, if her cousin was getting involved with the Giovannis. He knew he hadn’t heard wrong about them. There was no question that they were sent from out east to start a front in Los Angeles for their bootleg business. His roommate, Nathan Hayes, had overheard a conversation at the studio where he worked. A discussion about the financial problems at Majestic and how it was what the Giovannis were looking for. Now they were here.

He had wanted to ask Addy if he could visit her, but he wanted to sort out his feelings first. It would be better to sleep on it. He delivered the towels to the laundry, then headed to his auto.

****

In the women’s area of the crew building, Addy changed into her street clothes. She looked at herself in the mirror as she pinned up her thick curly hair, evaluating. She had some Mexican features, with the darker skin and almost black eyes. Zeke didn’t seem to mind that I'm part Mexican. He's better than some men I've known, who turn away when they find out my parentage. Her mind drifted back to her cousin Muriel, who seemed to have found someone who truly admired her in Tony. I wonder about his family. Maybe I should say something to Muriel.

With a last pat to her already perfect hairdo, Addy picked up her satchel and walked the three blocks to the structure that housed the shipping department. Boxes and barrels littered the building on the outside, and she wound her way between them to the big double doors. Her nose wrinkled at the strong smell of packing straw, excelsior and wood as she carefully walked to the office area. She waved at Muriel, then sat down to wait on a wooden chair off to the side of the busy warehouse. Muriel’s head bowed again over her shipping labels, her fingers carefully typing them on her Underwood.

Muriel, with lighter brown hair than Addy and a couple of inches more height, was considered the prettier of the two by most people. Addy remembered comments like, “She’s a dusky little thing,” by well-meaning people such as the family of the boy she’d loved in school. They'd put a stop to that romance. She couldn’t shake the stigma of looking Mexican. But Muriel had another beau besides Tony vying for her attention. So, at eighteen Muriel would probably be married first. Addy, according to her uncle, was too plain to attract a man.

Silver Screen Heroes is available through The Wild Rose Press. Author's website is www.ilonafridl.com

Author's Tip: Writing the Much Under-Estimated Story Blurb by Glenys O'Connell

2009-11-17T06:24:00.000-08:00

One of the most useful tools a writer can have when starting a new wip is a blurb, or logline, derived from the idea for the book. Most of us happily launch into producing novels of 65,000, 80,000 or even 120,000 words, yet the very idea of paring down that novel idea to three or four sentences before we start writing terrifies us!
Try it now: boil your entire story idea into three or four crisp, bright sentences. This usually sets my writing students off into groans and moans, but later they're delighted when they see what a valuable exercise this is, so bear with me.

Why do you want to express your idea in so few words? Here are some of the reasons:
1) You want to know how strong your idea is. Will it last to The End? If you are able to write it down in two or three sentences, and it still makes sense and sparkles brightly, then you can be fairly sure you've a workable idea. If not, it might be that you need to set it aside until other parts of the puzzle pop up. I always keep an ideas file on my computer. I used to just scribble down notes on bits of paper, the backs of menus and receipts, paper napkins - you get the picture - and when I came to look at them the writing was unintelligible and the once great (or so I thought) ideas were meaningless scribbles. I still do scribble down the ideas when they come to me - but as soon as I can, I type them up into my computer file. Funnily enough, by the time I do this I have a lot more detail for the idea - and often the blurb is clear.
Antidote for a Weak Idea: Set it aside in your Ideas File, and read it every now and again - strengthening additions will occur to you. Look at other ideas in your file to see if you can see any can be merged to form a stronger whole. Sometimes ideas do not arrive in our heads fully formed - they come in bits and pieces and the smart writer is alert enough to capture them as they arrive.
2) This short paragraph becomes a kind of mini outline. It keeps you focused on your story - write it out on sticky notes and apply to your computer monitor, your diary - even the bathroom mirror if you dare!
3) This short form is your pitch to an editor or agent. In screenwriting it's called a 'logline' and is used to capture the attention of producers and directors. In our case, we're going to nurture this simple paragraph, use it at the beginning of query letters and as the basis for the synopsis which is our selling tool when the book is finished and ready to do the rounds of publishers and agents. I have used the short blurb as the opening paragraph of query letters for books and articles that have sold!

See how useful it is? So, how do you do it?

Take the most important part of your idea, add the names of the two main characters and a little bit about them, ie, if they are a doctor, detective, mother of three, etc., if it's relevant to the predicament they find themselves in, and describe the problem they must overcome. I usually end with a question sentence that describes the main conflict in the story. You can bolster your blurb skills by reading the storylines on the backs of novels, and by writing them for books you have read.
Here are some examples from my own books:

Resort to Murder, coming soon in print and ebook from The Wild Rose Press:

Falsely disgraced police detective Ellie Fitzpatrick is prepared to face a vicious killer to redeem herself but is she also brave enough to make peace with the man she loves? When her meteoric career crashed and burned after she was accused of accepting bribes from thugs running a protection racket, Ellie is suspended from the job she loves and believes herself abandoned not only by police colleagues but by her lover, Detective Liam Reilly. She is called back to work when a biography of a serial killer she arrested suggests the man may be innocent. Reilly vows to protect Ellie from the gang who tried to frame her and the vicious killer who's stalking her. Can she trust him with her life?

And from Winters & Somers, published as an ebook and soon-to-be print by Red Rose Publishing:

Irish PI Cíara Somers makes a good living testing the 'temptability quotient' of men for their insecure lovers…but when NY homicide cop and author of red hot romances, Jonathon Winters, makes her take him on as a partner in her Dublin agency, he gets the wrong message from her raunchy style..…especially when he wants her for himself.
Somers isn't the type to let a man push her around - the incorrigible Grannie Somers raised her to be her own woman. But when she discovers that even Grannie drools over Winters, she can't help but wonder what it would be like to indulge in one of the fantasies that have millions of women reading his romantic books.
And when Somers finally gets her first real case - to capture the notorious jewel thief dubbed The Diamond Darling - she has to survive the help of her weird relatives, the landlady from hell, two stoned friends, a stray dog - and Winters himself…. Ends….

Author's website http://www.glenysoconnell.com/

Author's Tip: Subject-Verb Agreement Made Easy-->Romance Alley

2009-11-17T06:21:00.000-08:00

The following informations I gathered from Writer's Relief,Inc and I thought it's helpful for any writer who would like to know more about Subject-Verb Agreement. Writer's Relief, Inc. is a highly-recommended author's submission service. Established in 1994, Writer's Relief will help you target the best markets for your creative writing. Visit their Web site at http://www.writersrelief.com to receive their FREE Writers' Newsflash which contains valuable leads, guidelines, and deadlines for writing in all genres.

Subject-Verb Agreement Made Easy

When the subject of a verb is singular, the verb should be expressed in its singular form.

2. When the subject of a verb is plural, the verb should be expressed in its plural form.

3. Use the singular verb form when the subject ends in -body, -one, -thing, or is preceded by each, every, many a, or one of.

Example: Has anyone heard from Bill? Each one of you is in trouble.

4. Use the plural verb form when the subject is preceded by both, many, few, several, or others.

Example: Several of the pizza ingredients are too spicy for me.

5. A plural verb is always required after you.

6. If the subject consists of two or more words that are connected by and or both...and, the subject is plural and requires a plural verb.

Example: George and Jack are going to the movies. Both the boys' and girls' rooms are being redecorated.

6a. Exception: When a singular subject is connected by the word "and," use the singular verb.

Example: Macaroni and cheese is my dinner on Wednesday nights.

7. Use the singular verb form when the subject consists of two or more singular words that are connected by or, either...or, neither...nor, or not only...but also. If the subject consists of two or more plural words connected by the above words, a plural verb is required.

8. Intervening phrases and clauses should be ignored when determining agreement between a subject and verb.

Example: The bag of chips was ripped open.

9. A sentence with both a positive and negative subject should use a verb that agrees with the positive subject. The negative subject can be set apart with commas unless it's preceded by and or but.

Example: Ballet, not tap, is her favorite dance.

10. These pronouns (all, most, more, none, some, or any) may have a singular or plural verb, depending on the of phrase.

Example: Most of my story is completed. Most of my submissions were to poetry journals.

Author's Tip: Edit your Manuscript by Mona Risk

2009-11-17T06:02:00.000-08:00

Someone said that creating a good book is ten percent writing and ninety-percent editing.

These statistics may or may not be true. While I try to write my first draft as fast as I can to let the story flow, I certainly spend a lot of time polishing my manuscripts before sending them to an editor.

Let me pass on to you the ten commandments I learned from editors, successful authors, mentors or workshop instructors:

"Hook your reader with your best first sentence, first paragraph, first page. (Mary Buckham)

"Leave your reader in suspense with a grabbing hook at the end of each scene and each chapter. ( Mary Buckham again)

"Avoid introspection in the first three chapters or first fifty pages. (Donald Maass)

"Stay in the present. I still hear the late and wonderful Kate Duffy repeating: "Stay in the present. Don't tell me the back story of your characters. Let us discover it through their actions as the story develops."

"Show, don't tell. A reviewer made my day when he posted a review of my sweet and spicy, medical romance, BABIES IN THE BARGAIN, on Harlequin website.

He wrote: "Babies in the Bargain" could serve as an object lesson on how to 'show' and not 'tell' a story. You always know exactly what the characters are feeling, indeed, for the most part you 'feel' along with them. It's a great read.

"Change setting when you change scenes to avoid boring the reader. Change POV to better show the emotion.

"Pepper your dialogue with emotion.

"Add sensorial details that make us feel, see, hear, smell with the hero and heroine.

"Show the emotional development. (From an editor at Mills& Boon) You should see a definite increase of attraction from scene to scene until the love scene fall in place.

"Raise the stakes. (Donald Mass)

Here is an extra and most important commandment:
Create lovable characters. If your characters are weak or do not appeal to the reader, the reader will not connect with them and the best plot will fall apart.
I received a very nice praise from NY bestselling author Roxanne St. Claire that I used on my bookmarks: "Mona Risk writes heroes with heart, heroines with spunk, in stories and settings that are simply unforgettable." I am sure this praise can apply to many of you authors with wonderful books.

And here are famous quotes by famous writers:

All the words I use in my stories can be found in the dictionary - it's just a matter of arranging them into the right sentences~~Somerset Maugham.

The secret of becoming a writer is to write, write and keep on writing~~ Ken MacLeod
We do not write because we want to; we write because we have to~~ Somerset Maugham

The greatest rules of dramatic writing are conflict, conflict and conflict~~ James Frey

Mona Risk writes romantic suspense for Cerridwen Press, To Love A Hero and French Peril and medical romances for The Wild Rose Press, Babies in the Bargain and Rx for Trust. All her books are available at Amazon.com
www.monarisk.com
www.monarisk.blogspot.com

Good luck with your next story.

Author's Tip: SEVEN RULES FOR SUBMISSION By Jane Toombs

2009-11-17T05:47:00.000-08:00

New York publishers expect you to abide by their submission rules and so do electronic publishers. One pub might not agree with what another wants-does that matter? Yes. As authors, we need to pay attention to these differences because we are the ones asking them to take a look at our mss. for possible publication. No matter how arbitrary a rule may seem to us, following it may make the difference in your manuscript getting looked at because you did. So:

Rule 1. First, know if the publisher you're submitting to is open for submissions without an agent. Many NY pubs are not. If they are open, you should find out if they prefer to be queried first, and if they want, instead of a full ms., just a partial. Those hurdles passed, the author should know if the publisher is open to submissions or closed, because many of the electronic pubs close periodically to catch up on acquired mss. The author should also know if the epub is taking in-house submissions only or is open to any author. All of this can be found on their individual
websites.

Rule 2. Be sure your work is in a genre that the publisher you've chosen is interested in publishing. This also is on the websites.

Rule 3. Make certain what you send has been edited very carefully. Spell check, yes, but more than that--gone over to check for typos such as own, when you meant won. Be sure you know the meaning of every word you've placed in the ms. If you wrote "He peaked at me." Did you mean that? He can peak "with" you, if you meant that, but otherwise he peeked "at" you.

Rule 4. If rejected, never send a nasty letter or email telling them they've lost the chance at a masterpiece because they're too stupid to know one when they see it. They do know--and yours isn't one, at least not yet. Get over it. You can be sure your nasty letter or email will be shared with other editors from other publishers. If you persist in this behavior, eventually no pub will look at anything you send. Remember even published authors get rejected. Getting angry or upset is fine. Just don't blame the publisher. Always be polite. If they suggested you should do specific things to improve your writing-do them.

Rule 5. If interested in submitting to a small publisher, research who some of their other authors are. If you can discover a name you recognize from one list or another, email that author and ask how they like their publisher. Would they recommend that pub? Small pubs, including epubs, go down the drain oftener than you might think. Beforehand knowledge is a good to have. You don't think this happens to NY pubs? It does. I had two books orphaned from failed NY pubs. I did manage to resell them, but it took time. As a general rule, the longer a small pub has been in business the better.

Rule 6. After sending in a submission, don't bombard the pub with queries about its status. The only possible reason to email them is this: If you don't get a return email to say they received it, then you can ask if they did, in fact, receive what you sent on such and such a date.
Things do get lost in cyberspace sometimes. I noticed in my "Sent" mail folder I'd sent a partial ms. to a publisher six months before. I 'd failed to check for a response. So six months had gone by before I emailed them asking if they ever did get that partial. They hadn't. Resent it and got a request for the entire ms. a few days later. Along came a contract soon after that.
If you did get a "got it" response, review what their submission guidelines said about when you could expect an acceptance or rejection. If they say two months, wait three before asking if they had a chance to look at your ms. Pubs get backlogged often.

Rule 7. You got accepted and now have an editor. You may know more about your story than that editor, but it's very likely you don't know as much about house style, grammar and other editorial requirements. If you happen to get an occasional dumb question, always be polite. And remember, if an editor doesn't understand a part of what you've written, it's likely a reader won't either.
Also each pub has certain house styles that may bother you. Don't argue, even if means you have to write blonde instead of blond, if this happens to be a house style. Do it. You can't fight house styles. But if, for example, you've written chaise longue and the editor changes the last word to lounge, simply politely quote the dictionary to that editor and stet the word, knowing you're right.

Follow these rules and don't email others bad mouthing any editors because they're giving you a hard time. It happens. As I said before, word gets around far quicker than you realize when you diss people online. If you pay attention, you can always learn your writing weaknesses from editors. I certainly have, and it's made me less likely to make the same ones next time I write.

Visit author's website at www.JaneToombs.com