The holiday from hell!!!!!

As promised, I have now had the courage to revisit the scene of the holiday from hell and download the photos that will hold a special place in the family album...and our minds forever!!
On June 11th, me, my husband and two daughters embarked on a week long holiday with our oldest and best friends and their chlldren to the wonderful, glamourous Cote D'Azur in the South of France - or so we thought. Don't get me wrong, the first four days were exactly that. Sun, sea and plenty of sand. The temperature was in the high nineties and we were living in our swimming costumes.

And then on day five, the rain started to pour - and I mean POUR!!! From the minute we woke up, the rain did not stop. Now, we British know rain, we cope with rain, we live with rain almost daily but this was rain that we could barely see through! So after a homemade curry and a few glasses of wine, we called it a day and went to bed close to midnight, oblivious to the terrifying spiral of events that was to begin just three short hours later.
I woke up with the ringing of my phone beside the bed at approximately 3am to hear my best friend telling me to grab what clothes etc we could and get out. The caravan park was flooding. And flood it did. Quickly. Powerfully. And unbelieveably.



By 3.30am our kids were huddle under a blanket in torrential rain on the roof of the park's clubhouse. The water had risen to over two feet within half an hour and still rising at an incredible rate. We waited and waited, tried to laugh and keep the kids from flipping out by keeping upbeat and none of us voicing what was running through our heads. WHAT THE HELL WAS HAPPENING???

And then at 6.30 am the sun had risen and the rain stopped - and that was when we saw the devastation. Cars were completely submerged in dirty flood water, mobile caravans were floating away and people stranded in trees were whistling and shouting to get someone's, anyone's attention. It was terrifying. We had no idea how long we would be on that roof or how we would get off!

The wait was a long one, a ten hour one but to cut a long story short, I will never forget the sounds (babies crying, people shouting, tearful calls to loved one on mobile phones) or the smells (dirty water, wet people/dogs, cigarette smoke and worst of all, the eventual smell of gas) but finally we were rescued by police and marine helicopters completely unhurt and all still together.

Our ordeal was terrifying but we were lucky, there were others in the small village at the bottom of those deceivingly beautiful mountains that lost their lives, their homes and businesses. I thank God for sparing us and the thousands of others...

Welcome fabulous medical romance writer, Mona Risk!

I have the huge pleasure of interviewing fellow Wild Rose Press author, Mona Risk today. I LOVED her medical romance, Babes in the Bargain and can't wait to hear more about her latest release. Hi, Mona and welcome!

1) Did you set any goals for 2010?
Every year I set and write them on a card I keep on my desk next to my computer. This year I decided I will continue last year goals. A month ago, I challenged myself to write 1000 words every day for a minimum of 5000 words per week. So far, it’s going pretty well. I hope to finish a 90,000 words paranormal romance in two months.

2) What is the best part of the writing process for you?
Writing is so soothing. I love being with my characters. I usually prepare a brief outline before starting a story but often time my muse wanders in different directions and I don’t follow my outline. I love writing action scenes and dialogue.

3) The worst part?
For me, love scenes are the most difficult to write. My editor often asks me to make them longer. According to her, a hero should be a good lover—of course!—and good lovers take their own sweet time to perform.



4) What is the book you wish you’d written?
I have written every book I wanted to write. The first one To Love A Hero was the book of my heart simply because it was the first one to be published. But after that I enjoyed every book I wrote. And I fell in love with every one of my heroes.

5) Favourite author/s & book/s?
Roxanne St. Claire with French Twist (romantic suspense). Carla Capshow with the Gladiator (inspirational historical). Heather Graham’s old historical. And my books To Love A Hero, French Twist, Babies in the Bargain. I never tired of reading my own books. The one I am writing is always my favorite.

6) Tell us about your latest release?
My latest release is Rx For TRUST (or PRESCRIPTION FOR TRUST).
My heroine wonders: What is better, a truth that draws a tear, or a lie that brings a smile?

And my hero quotes Walter Scott: What a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive.

My book is based on a true story.

Tease us with a blurb/short except

Short Synopsis:
Successful physician and loving mother, Olivia Crane fiercely believes youthful mistakes should be kept secret and skeletons are better left in the closet. Dr. Luc George, the French psychiatrist, she loved ten years ago, detests secrets. Can he help her conquer her inner fears or will he get burned by the past too? Will Olivia grab her second chance and finally find happiness with the love of her life?

An Excerpt presenting the hero, heroine and villain:
“Mr. Rutherford, what are you doing here?” Luc barked and stepped forward, hiding Olivia behind his tall frame.
I hope he didn’t recognize me. Her jaws slack, she cringed behind Luc, her heart pounding against her ribs.
Jeremy tilted his head to the side. She glimpsed his curious grin. Luc followed suit, shifting in the same direction. “I have to talk to you, Dr. Lucien. When I called for an appointment, this woman said you were with patients.”
“You should have waited for me to call you back.” Luc’s angry tone snapped her out of her panic.
Take a deep breath and count to ten. Still rooted to the floor, Olivia counted to twenty and then to thirty.
He can’t hurt me. I am stronger. Her fingers clasping her name tag relaxed, and then tightened again.
Yes, but he can hurt Melissa. Another deep breath. The stiffness in her back ebbed, but her heartbeat was still running out of control.
This is ridiculous. You need to get out of here, her brain scolded.
“I don’t have all day.” Jeremy shrugged, completely at ease. “Instead of wasting my time waiting for you to call back, I decided to stop by. I waited outside. When I saw your patients leave, I came in. As simple as that. Do you still have a patient?” Frowning, he craned his neck to look behind Luc.
“No. Have a seat.” Luc indicated a chair and gestured to the receptionist to leave.
Was Luc planning to keep Jeremy here for an analysis session?
Olivia was done cowering. Time to function and get out of here. She touched Luc’s back to push him out of her way. But Luc turned toward her, enfolded her in his arms and cradled her head against his shoulder.
“My love, I will walk you out.” He swiftly slid to the door with her nestled against him.
Bless you, Luc.
Jeremy burst out laughing. “Ha ha. I caught you playing hanky-panky with a pretty nurse. Don’t worry, Luc, I won’t report you. I’m an understanding guy.”
“Calm down and go,” Luc whispered against her ear. “Chérie,” he raised his voice, “I will pick you up in half an hour for dinner.” He entered the consultation room and closed the door behind him.
Olivia took another deep breath and wet her lips. Jeremy’s voice reached her. “You’re head over heels for her, you son of a gun. She’s a pretty morsel.”
A moment of silence. She pictured the sarcastic smile accompanying Jeremy’s condescending tone.
“Strange, she looks familiar. I wonder...”
Oh my God. Her bravado crumbled. She forced herself to navigate the reception area with a steady pace, but once in the corridor, she rushed and locked herself in her office.
Rx For Trust is available at The Wild Rose Press and amazon.com

Contest Awards: First Place in Central Ohio Ignite the Flame; Second Place in Heart of Denver, The Molly; Third Place in FTHRW Golden Gateway.



7) What is your favourite attribute of the hero and heroine?
I like alpha heroes who are passionate about a cause and can be great lovers.
I write about career women who hide a soft heart yearning for love under a cool façade.

8) What’s next?
After publishing two romantic suspense books at Cerridwen Press, TO LOVE A HERO and FRENCH PERIL; and three medical romances in the genre of ER and Grey’s Anatomy at TWRP, BABIES IN THE BARGAIN; Rx FOR TRUST and Rx in RUSSIAN, I am writing a paranormal romance set in Egyptian mythology.

9) Where can we find you?
www.monarisk.com
www.monariak.blogspot.com

Links to buy books:
To Love A Hero: At Jasmine Jade
http://www.jasminejade.com/p-6651-to-love-a-hero.aspx?skinid=13

FRENCH PERIL: At Jasmine Jade ISBN: 9781419959240
http://www.jasminejade.com/pc-7354-35-french-peril.aspx

Babies in the Bargain: at TWRP
http://www.thewildrosepress.com/babies-in-the-bargain-p-1298.html


Rx For Trust: at TWRP ebook
http://www.thewildrosepress.com/prescription-for-trust-p-3790.html
Thank you so much for the interview, Rachel.

Mona Risk writes romantic suspense for Cerridwen Press: TO LOVE A HERO and FRENCH PERIL and medical romance in the genre of ER and Grey's Anatomy for The Wild Rose Press: Rx FOR TRUST and BABIES IN THE BARGAIN, winner of 2009 BEST contemporary romance at READERS FAVORITE and 2009 BEST ROMANCE NOVEL at Preditors & Editors Readers Poll. All books are available at Amazon.com

Great interview, Mona! Please pose your comments and any questions, folks, Mona would love to hear from you.

Back in time with Laura Hogg

Hi Laura and welcome to my blog! I hope you enjoyed my interview, can wait to read your answers. Over to you...

1) What is your writing routine? I start after work and write until I have to go to bed, taking breaks for reading and other things.

2) Which author/s inspire you to write? I love historical novels. One favorite author is Margaret George. And romance, oh so many authors. I have favorites for each sub-genre.

3) Which is your favorite romance subgenre to read? To write? Historical or paranormal. I love writing about history so I write a lot of time travel.

4) How do you deal with criticism/rejection? I try to learn from it, even if it hurts to read. I appreciate it when critiquers are specific about what didn’t work for them.

5) What do you expect from an editor? Specifics, easy to work with, respect and kindness, not to mention, a sharp eye.

6) Tell me about your latest release. Descent into Darkness is set in London and Russia in 1811-1812. It’s out with Moongypsy Press: http://www.moongypsypress.com/hogg.php

7)

Tease us with a blurb or short excerpt:
8) Duncan Amberley has come back from war, fighting Napoleon's men on a ship. Clarissa Hale is a lovely shopkeeper with a great sense of humor. A heroic heart rests inside this insecure, intelligent beauty, and she will be called to prove it. Clarissa and her love are pitted against each other for the sake of their families and some terrible accusations. She will be in constant peril as she gathers evidence to convict Duncan's dangerous brother of a harrowing crime. Duncan's heart breaks when he discovers something about Clarissa's sister. Can their love survive the results of their investigations? They devise a dangerous plan to get to the truth, which brings them into the heart of Napoleon's camp in 1812 Russia as spies. Risking everything, they must get to the truth.

9) Which is your favorite character in the book? Why? Clarissa, she’s strong, but sweet, ambitious, but feminine and a perfect match for Duncan.

What is next for you? Ah, I’m always researching and writing. At the time of this interview, I’m working on another book in my time travel series: Romeo vs. Juliet but have other ideas as well.

10) What are you working on right now? A few different things. A Romeo vs. Juliet book set partially in the 1920s, a children’s fantasy book, and others.

11) Your biggest piece of advice to aspiring novelists? Build up your credits. You can enter contests or get short stories published in magazines or ezines, for example. Also, join a critique group. Even if you’re a strong writer, you’ll be surprised at what you can learn from other writers, and you’ll make friends and connections in the industry.

Where can readers find you?
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?ref=profile&id=62648343
http://twitter.com/lovebooksmusic
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B003F977GI
http://traveltheages.blogspot.com/2010/04/hello-and-good-evening-to-you-im-happy.html
http://www.myspace.com/l_hogg

Thanks for having me! If anyone likes my blog, I love featuring guest writers. Please contact me if you’d like to talk about your work there.
Warmly, Laura

Great interview, Laura and great cover too! Glad to have you here x

Welcome Margaret West!!!

Huge apologies for this terribly late post - I have been on holiday and meant to post Margaret's blog before I left but completely forgot. News about the holiday from hell will follow shortly, but in the meantime, please welcome Margaret West!!



BIO
Born in England, Margaret moved to the Kent countryside five years ago to get away from the busy life in London. She married with two grown up children and has worked in various fields of work. She is a Clairknowing medium, Crystal Therapist, Parapsychologist and Psychic Development tutor.
She’s been writing over 20 years and has numerous short stories, novels and articles published. Margaret writes romance and paranormals. Incorporating her spiritual experiences, into her books.

When I grew up
When I was young I always wanted to be an air hostess. It looked so glamorous. But from the age of 13 I was already 5foot 8inches, far too tall, and my dream of being one vanished. I literally fell into a job working for Eon productions. The James Bond Movie makers. I watched the script writers battle out scenes, write and write characters and I thought....I want to do that. If course I didn’t, I did the next best thing, I wrote a novel. It took me a year on a typewriter that was older than Neptune himself, but I did it. From that day, I never really looked back. I write what grabs me at the time. Romance is my main genre because I’m a romantic at heart and I happened to be lucky enough to find a husband who feels the same. We all need a little bit of romance. The paranormal elements to my writing came later, when my budding mediumistic gifts came to the fore.
My latest release The Heart of a Warrior is a romance. But not just boy meets girl, falls in love blah blah. It’s a romance that is stirred up by deep emotions, ripped apart by traditions that date back hundreds of years. A battle fought, sometimes lost, but never forgotten. Can love alone keep two people together, when everything is against them?
Yuma, a Navajo chief on a reservation which is closing to the outside world. Belinda, a nurse from the UK wants to be with him. It’s a battle neither can win. Sometimes love cannot conquer all. Sometimes it gets crushed to pieces. But the fighting isn’t over until someone gives up and neither are willing to do that. The Heart of a Warrior will have you on the edge of your seat.



Excerpt
Yuma held her hand tightly in his. “Ayiana, I can’t offer you anything.”
Belinda smiled. She knew he wasn’t rich; he didn’t even have a house of his own. But that didn’t bother her. “I don’t need anything, I’m a simple girl. Feed me occasionally and…”
“NO,” Yuma interrupted. “You don’t understand. We can never have a life together.”
Belinda frowned. He was right, she didn’t understand. How could he kiss her like that and then say he didn’t want to be with her? “I don’t understand; I’m divorcing Ray. I’ll be free in just a few…”
Yuma placed his finger over her lips. “It’s nothing to do with Ray. My culture...who I am… it’s very complicated.” He dropped her hand and raked his fingers through his long hair in agitation
“Then explain it to me.”
Yuma stood up and paced the floor. “The Navajo have a clan system.”
Belinda looked at him in confusion. Why was he telling her about the Navajo when they were discussing their feelings? “Clans?” she repeated.
“Yes. A woman brings a primary clanship into her husband’s family. In addition to this primary clan, her parents have three additional clans. The father's clan, the clan of the mother and father's father.”
“I don’t understand.”
Yuma sat on the edge of the bed. “Clan relationships are important. They break down social walls, allowing a person to be a part of a group. When you meet for the first time, you’re expected to introduce yourself by your clan membership before you speak your name.”
“Okay, I see. So, you’re saying because I don’t have a clan, I can’t be with you?”
“It is not just that,” Yuma tried to explain further. “Navajo women bring to their husband secret cooking recipes passed from their own mothers. Our traditional dishes. When guests visit it’s an unspoken contest with the wives to see who cooks the finest meal. Again it brings status to the clan. Navajo women teach their children the beginnings of our language, until they are of school age.”
Belinda’s laugh was hollow as she lay back against her pillows. “So because I don’t know how to cook your food and speak your language, I’m not worthy to marry.”



Two faces One Life
This is my favourite. A short story with a big impact. Any disability is devastating, but to some it becomes a choice whether you want to live or die.
Sarah wants to die. Badly burnt in a fire she feels her life is over. When she bumps into Ted by accident, that begins to change, as he shows her that life is for living.

Buy these books at
Buy my books
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=two+faces+One+Life+by+Margaret+west&x=12&y=24
http://www.eternalpress.biz/people.php?author=318
Find me at
www.margaret-west.com
Writers Blog. http://Margaret-paranormalromanceauthor.blogspot.com/
Spiritual Blog. http://magsx.blogspot.com/
Facebook Margaret west
Twitter mwest1962

Ooh, definitely on the 'to buy list', Margaret! I love Native Indian romances but just don't have the confidence in my research to tackle one myself. Your book sounds fantastic! Margaret would love to hear from you, folks!!

Welcome Margaret West!!!

Happy Birthday to you!! Happy Birthday to you, Rebecca J Clark!

Hi Becky and welcome to my site on your very special day!! I am so happy to have you here and can't wait to read your post. I know you should never judge a book by a cover but yours was totally the reason I bought it, LOL!! It is sitting on my bed to be packed for my holiday next week so I'll be sure to let you know what I think!!
Over to you...


Five things I love about my Nook
By Rebecca J. Clark

My husband bought me an ereader for Christmas—it took me until mid-March to decide which one to buy. Rather than go into all the details about why I chose the Nook over the others, I’ll tell you what I love about it now that I’ve had it a few months.

1. I’m reading more than ever, because I’ve read a lot of short stories, novellas and short novels—those are not readily available in paper form.

2. Free book Fridays at the Barnes & Noble e-store. Every Friday, you can download a free book. I’ve read some great new-to-me authors like Phillip Margolin, Alton Gansky and Renee Riva—authors I would never have picked up otherwise.

3. Ease of use. I’m a total spaz when it comes to anything technical. I wanted something with no learning curve whatsoever. Okay, so the Nook had a slight learning curve…all of about 2 minutes before I figured it out.



4. The Nook reads lots of formats. I had a pretty extensive digital library on my PC—I needed a reader that could actually read those files. The Nook does this. I also wanted a device that made it easy to transfer those files. Was it easy? If you can open up a file and drag and drop to another file, you can transfer your library to the Nook.

And last but not least,

5. The name. Nook. The word is fun to look at and fun to say. Try it. Say it aloud. See? Makes you grin, doesn’t it?

Question for you: do you have a reader? Are you in the market for one? Or will you never succumb because you like a good, old-fashioned book to hold?

Bio: When Rebecca J. Clark isn’t writing, she works as a personal fitness trainer and group exercise instructor, where she teaches Pilates, Turbokick®, Zumba®, and yoga—all that exercise makes up for her chocolate and Cheetos addictions. She makes her home in the Pacific Northwest with her husband of 22 years, two kids, a German Shepherd beast who thinks he’s a lap dog, two cats, and a gecko. In her rare free time, Rebecca enjoys reading, watching Criminal Minds reruns on TV, and doing absolutely nothing.

Her first published novel, BORROWED STILETTOS, released in February 2010 from The Wild Rose Press. You can learn more about her at www.RebeccaJClark.com, on talk with her on Twitter @RebeccaJClark. She also runs a blog for shy and introverted writers. www.shywriters.blogspot.com

Yet to buy an ereader but it will definitely be on my Xmas list! What about you guys??

Barbara's missing!!!!

I am trying to contact Barbara Edwards who was due to appear on my blog on Thursday but so far, no good. If any of my readers, followers or visitors know or work with Barbara, please mention she is still more than welcome to send me her post but unfortunately I can only keep it up until Tuesday...
In the meantime, I thought this is the perfect opportunity to....(drum roll!!!) post the cover of my next book, YAY!!!!!



Well, what do you think??? The Arrival of Lily Curtis is my very first historical due for release by The Wild Rose Press on July 23rd. I am excited and nervous in equal measure...my first historical...in other words, can I do this? Can I really write in a different period? Will my characters ring true?? Help!!!
I'd love to hear from you all!!

Please welcome Pamela Hearon to my blog today!!

Hi Pamela, it's lovely to have you here! As a fellow Wild Rose Press and Lyrical author, it's so great to meet you. Can't wait to read your blog post...take it away...

Studies have shown that creative visualization can be a powerful tool for some people, especially those involved in sports when the technique is used to train muscles even while at rest. Quite by accident, I had a brush with it. I had a golf date scheduled for the next day, and I suppose I went to bed with the activity on my mind. Whatever the cause, I dreamed of playing golf. In fact, it seemed like I played golf all night. But I didn’t just play golf. I excelled at it. Over and over in my dreams, I made perfect shots. The next day, I played better than I ever had in my life. I still didn’t make par, but I played extremely well for me. After that, I tried to dream of golf on nights before game days. Try as I might, I couldn’t make it happen again. My game returned to normal quickly.



One day, the film The Secret was recommended to me by a friend. I watched it, purely out of curiosity. One of the featured stories caught my attention. A man put a picture of his dream home on a bulletin board. Years later, when he had become successful, he realized the dream home he’d visualized for so long was the one he now lived in.

His story reminded me of my golf game, but more importantly, it prompted me to do something with my manuscripts, two languishing in unpublished land and the third unfinished.

Four years ago, I signed a contract with a small publisher to publish my first book. Before my book came out, the publisher filed for bankruptcy. It took a year to get my rights back. Was I doomed to remain unpublished? Maybe, but I wouldn’t go down without a fight.



I grabbed a copy of Romantic Times Book Reviews Magazine and found three books whose covers looked like they could have been mine. I cut them out, and with the help of a little computer magic, replaced the titles and the author’s names with my own. I glued them to a strip of paper and taped them to my bathroom mirror where I would look at them day and night. I looked at them for so long, I began to think of them as mine. So much so that when I worked the Literacy Book Signing at the RWA National Conference, I opened a box and let out a squeal. The box contained my book, except it wasn’t; it was the cover I claimed as mine. Still, it was a thrill for a couple of seconds.

I started researching publishers again. Soon, I felt like I had found a good fit for both of my manuscripts. I sent The Timestone Key to Lyrical Press and His Hotness to The Wild Rose Press. It wasn’t long until I received an email from Lyrical. They wanted to offer a contract. Three weeks later, The Wild Rose Press accepted His Hotness.

I finished the third manuscript with a slightly different objective in mind. This time, I dreamed of an agent. I started researching until I found the person I wanted to represent me. I’m happy to report we signed an author/agent agreement in March.

The day I mailed the agreement back, I took the now-faded strip of paper off of my mirror and put it away. It had done its job. It kept me believing in my dream until it became my reality.

Rachel: Ooooh, I LOVE this!! I wholeheartedly believe in the concept of creative visualisation in so much as I have 'vision board' (a la Oprah) of my own pinned to my office wall. I have cut out pictures of houses, people, agents, animals, destinations...you name it, it's on there and I truly believe one day it will all be mine, Ha ha!!

So what about you, readers - let's hear your visions!!