Green Beans & Gloria!

Please welcome Wild Rose Press author, Gloria Marlow to my site today! She is talking about our pesky muse, the thing that pops up at the most inopportune moments! Boy, don't we all get that!


My Muse is Crazy

I haven’t cooked a pot of fresh green beans in years without burning them. You may wonder what that has to do with writing, so I’ll tell you. My muse is crazy. She feeds off of chaos or at the very least pressing matters that are not related to writing.

This is an example of how she works:

I pick green beans from the garden (or the store). I snap the green beans, my full concentration on nothing but snapping green beans (and the fact that I haven’t cooked any in years without burning them). As I near the end of the bowl, a scene pops into my head. I mull it over as I wash the beans and put them in the pot. I fill the pot with water, most of my mind still on the beans and what I’ll cook to go with them but the scene growing a little larger as I work. I turn them on, telling myself I should go jot the scene down before I forget it. I sit at my computer and begin to “jot”. I remember the beans when either the sound of the smoke alarm or smoke brings me back to reality.

Give me a house full of kids or a weekend crammed with plans, and I guarantee you she will come knocking. In her hand, she’ll carry the best idea I’ve heard in months and the temptation to dump everyone and everything to spend two blissful days locked in my room.


For the last decade, I’ve dreamed of empty hours I could dedicate solely to writing. When we moved a few years ago, I thought I’d have that opportunity. And I did. There I was with hours of opportunity…and no muse in sight. Until the holidays or supper time or American Idol night, that is.

So I give up. If Hollywood’s portrayal of bestselling authors as hermits who hide themselves away for days is true, I’ll never write a bestseller. Maybe their muse likes the peace and quiet, but mine is crazy. She likes kids and green beans.


Gloria Davidson Marlow is the author of romantic suspense novels Flowers for Megan, Shades of Silence, The Butterfly Game. Her latest novel Sweet Sacrifices is scheduled to be released in December 2010. A native Floridian, Gloria has been married to her high school sweetheart for twenty-four years, raised three children, and is now enjoying being "memaw" to her first grandchild. From "Once Upon a Time" to "Happily Ever After", Gloria loves every moment of being swept away by a great romance. To find out more about Gloria and her books, visit www.gloriamarlow.com

A blurb for Sweet Sacrifices:

With few clues to go on, and a newborn baby in tow, Kendall James Templeton sets out on a journey to find her wayward husband. What she finds when she arrives at his family’s estate in Larrimore, Florida is a lifetime of secrets that shatter her illusions, put her life in danger, and offer her a love she never expected.


Gloria Davidson Marlow
Romantic Suspense Author
www.gloriamarlow.com
www.gloriamarlow.blogspot.com
www.beachesbackroadsbooks.blogspot.com
www.associatedcontent.com/gloriamarlow

Thanks for being here today, Gloria - your article really made me smile, totally understand where you're coming from. Oh, and I LOVE your cover. Bring on the comments people, I am sure you all have your own inconvenient muse stories to share!

Welcome Cornelia Amiri talking romantic mystical Celtic folklore

Celebrate Lughnassadh with Cornelia Amiri’s Druid Bride


Lughnassadh, pronounced LOO-nahs-ah, is the Celtic Harvest festival, celebrated July 31 or August st but it’s also a great time for romance. For one, it was named after the sun god Lugh, a tall, muscular warrior with sky blue eyes and a hallo of golden light which blazed around his thick flaxen hair. He was also known as Lugh of the long arm because of his magic spear, which never missed its mark. That brings quite an image to mind, doesn’t it. The earth goddess (Tailtiu in Ireland and Blodeuwedd in Wales) was an important part of Lughnassadh as it celebrates the marriage of the earth to the sky, so hand fasting marriages were celebrated at this time. Also as fruit gathering was part of Lughnassadh, young men and women paired off to pick sweet, ripe bilberries and didn’t return until nightfall.

Here’s an excerpt of that from my latest release, Druid Bride:
Lughnasa, one of her favorite festivals. She and Brude would pick bilberries together and stay out until dark. He would thread the dark berries they plucked together into a bracelet for her to wear that day. At least, he should. She imagined his lips on hers, pressing down, hot and wet, kissing her beneath the light of the white moon, his mouth and breath tasting of sweet, juicy bilberries. .

Of my nine Celtic/Romances, many have Lughnassadh excerpts. Here’s another from Druid Bride:
Tribesman blew bronze horns and blared their pipes as Tanwen moved toward a large, spoked wagon wheel coated with black, gooey tar. From the hill, she gazed down at the fertile fields below.
Brude, the chieftains, and the crowd joined her as she chanted, “The sun burns, yet winter nears. The season turns. Summer comes to an end. Sun and earth, Lugh and Macha. Life to death, the wheel turns, Lughnasa, Lughnasa.”
Brude handed her a firebrand, and she lit the wheel aflame.My life has turned in a new direction like a wheel on a wagon, rolling from one street to go down another. Will my life with Brude be as passionate as the fiery wheel? Her mind filled with the memory of wild, blinding pleasure and of his firm, muscular body taking her over the crest until she’d screamed in ecstasy. With an iron rod, she rolled the fiery wheel down the hill. “The end of Lugh’s reign, god of the sun.” She gasped air as she ran with the rolling symbol of the sun. She glanced at Brude, who kept pace with her on the other side of the burning wheel, garbed in a red tunic interwoven with gold and draped with a plaid bratt of blue, green, purple, gray, white, and black. Tanwen’s gaze fell to his eyes, which smoldered with heat and enflamed her with desire. Smoke rose, as flames ate the wood. The flaming wheel reached its end and crumbled into pieces of burning wood. The crowd stopped in their tracks and encircled the dying Lugh. She spread her arms into the air and focused on the gods.
“The sun begins its journey into dark winter. The season turns, sun and earth, Lugh and Macha, life to death. Winter nears, Lughnasa, Lughnasa.”
I’m part of the turning season. Soon I’ll transform from maiden to wife, and then to mother.
With the fire nothing more than smoldering embers, the wheel no more than ashes, and with Brude at her side, she led the crowd back up the hill.

That’s the last excerpt for today but you can drop by my website anytime at http://CelticRomanceQueen.com and you can also find me on twitter http://twitter.com/CelticRomanzqEn and facebook http://www.facebook.com/CelticRomanceQueen

Thank you so much for being here today, Cornelia! I have never read any romance set in the wonderful world of Celtic folklore but I have LOADS of friends who devour them. You make everything sound so wonderfully romantic and scenic. Mmm, now, back to the Eternal Press website for a little shopping me thinks!

Comments please!

Welcome my very first guest from New Zealand - Leigh D'Ansey!

Hi Leigh and welcome to my site! I think you are my first guest from New Zealand so it's super special to 'meet' you.

Hi Rachel – thanks so much for inviting me to be your guest.

1) Who is your favourite author and why?
I honestly can’t pin one down because there are so many authors I admire across different genres. Names that come to mind include Anita Shreve, Barbara Delinsky, Isabel Allende and Joanna Trollope, but you’re just as likely to find me reading Bill Bryson. Although I don’t envisage myself writing one, I love thrillers and have just discovered Paul Cleave, a New Zealand writer who writes an excellent yarn. It’s quite difficult to analyse the ‘whys’. I like writing that’s emotional with plenty of drama but is understated and about situations and people I can relate to.

2) When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I feel as if I’ve always been a writer. My short stories and poetry were singled out while still in primary school and at high school I won a couple of writing prizes. Over the years I’ve had short stories published in various magazines. I love the written language, using words and composing sentences. However, I wrote many partials over many years before I managed to complete a full-length manuscript (well, 50,000 words which is quite short for a novel but an arduous journey for me!).

3) Describe your writing space?
I write from a corner of our dining room. It’s not the best arrangement but it’s the warmest space in a rather cold house. The good thing is that it is MY corner! I’ve included a pic because it’s tidy at the moment – usually I can hardly find my keyboard. The pink heart on the wall was made at a meeting of our romance writers group where the facilitator got us all to write an affirmation on a heart and pass these around at the end of the session. My space looks kind of boring but I have shelving nearby for books, the coffee’s handy and I can look outside at trees and sky any time.



4) What are you reading now?
I’ve got caught up in medieval times. I’ve been reading about the Crusades. I had to rush a stack of books back to the library yesterday because my overdue fees were crushing.

5) How many books have you written? Which is your favourite?
I’ve written only one novel, a contemporary romance called ‘Kincaid’s Call’ released by The Wild Rose Press in May this year. It’s been an exciting journey for me, because my romance about Nathan Kincaid and Kate Summers hit the bestseller list on Fictionwise and a couple of other e-book sites.

I’ve also written and had published oral histories which were used in some NZ primary schools. I loved interviewing the old people and listening to their stories about when they were children.

6) What comes first, plot or characters?
Characters. People are endlessly fascinating to me. For me, plotting is the most difficult part of writing full-length fiction. This is something I’m working on and I read everything I can about plot construction. I hope it will all fall into place one day but I suspect plotting will always be something I have to work hard at.

7) Do you ever suffer from writer’s block?
I don’t know that I suffer from writer’s block. I suffer from lack of discipline and call it writer’s block.



8) What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
Reading – I’ll read almost anything. I started painting a few years ago, and I enjoy exploring different art-making practices. I love trying to capture our beautiful natural environment through art. Spending time with my family is fabulous. I think just sitting and staring into space is a kind of ‘work’ for writers so that makes me feel better about sitting staring into space (probably one of my most favourite things to do).

9) Tell us about your latest book?
I’m working on another contemporary romance set in the Hawkes Bay in New Zealand. The area was struck by a devastating earthquake in 1931 and rebuilt in the Art Deco architectural style of the time. The Hawkes Bay is also renowned for its vineyards, wineries, orchards and coastline so it makes a marvelous backdrop for romance.

10) What’s next for you?
In the near future I’ll continue to work hard at full-length contemporary romance. A bit further down the track I’m keen to explore a generational saga - and there’s that medieval romance shining somewhere in the shadows.

Great interview, Leigh! I love the sound of the book you are working on at the moment, make sure you let us all know when its complete and sold. Any questions or comments for Leigh??

Romantic Suspense with Golden Heart Finalist, Autumn Jordon!

Welcome Autumn, great to have you here today!

First, Rachel, thank you so much for hosting me. I’m happy to be here. Let’s do it. WINK.

1) Who is your favorite author and why?

My favorite book of all time is the Valley Of The Horses by Jean Auel. It’s part of the earth series. I love the detail, the characters, the emotion and the romance. I enjoy many newer voices too, but I don’t want to run this blog too long by naming them.


2) When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I always wanted to be a writer and did write my first short story in third grade. As an adult I wrote newspaper and magazine articles, poetry, business letters and even a personal essay published in the Cup Of Comfort books, but I don’t think I thought of myself a novelist until I typed the end on my first full manuscript. Knowing I had accomplished what many say they want to do was the greatest high.

3) Describe your writing space?

I have several work spots since I work on a laptop. My office definitely needs a little straightening. So I guess that tells you I feel there are more important things in life than a home that looks like the Merry Maids just exited stage right.

I also spend time outside on my back porch. I love it there, especially in the early morning. I love the outdoors.

And in the evening, in my living room, while my dear husband watches his games, I’m usually tweaking dialogue, interviewing characters and catching up on emails.


4) What are you reading now?

I decided to make this summer the summer of new authors. Right now, I’m reading Robyn Carr Paradise Valley. She has great characters and has a way of drawing you into their lives. I’ve also read Liz Talley, Addison Fox, Kaylea Cross, and Misty Evans. All were very good, and up next are David Baldacci and Andrew Cross. In between the newbies, I’ve squeezed in Brenda Novak, Karen Robards, and Harlen Coburn. I read whenever I can. Usually, while DH is driving or before bed.

If you want to jump start your writing, read a bit.

5) How many books have your written? Which is your favorite?

Evil’s Witness, my new release, is my fourth book. It was my 2009 Golden Heart entry. My fifth book released earlier in January and I just finished my sixth, another romantic suspense.

6) What comes first, plot or characters?

Actually, for me, it’s a first line or a germ of an idea. I don’t really plot. I get this logline of an idea and I begin to write. Usually by the end of the first chapter, I’m searching for pictures of my hero and heroine. I like to have them posted near my desk. I’ll write maybe fifty pages and then I’ll jot down a sketchy synopsis. Basically, I’m writing down goals, motivations and turning points. The synopsis changes when I’m finish a bit because my characters have a way of lead the way sometimes.



7) Do you ever suffer from writer’s block?

Sometimes I get stopped, but I feel the story churning inside me. When this happens it’s because there is something wrong in what I already wrote. So delete and write again. Never feel hesitant about hitting the delete key.

8) What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

Read, spend time with my family and friends and travel with my dear husband. We have a garden and many flower beds so I’m always primping them. And we have dogs and a cat. I love to walk for exercise.

9) Tell us about your latest book?

Evil’s Witness is a romantic suspense set in my own back yard. The idea came about because of two real incidents that occurred at my family’s business-trucking. We hauled funds for the U.S. Treasury. No, we didn’t lose funds for the treasury, but we did have a trailer of fruit juice stolen. Anyway, I wondered what if tractor-trailers carrying U.S. funds were suddenly targeted by the Russian Mafia, and what if a woman and her children witnessed a heist and became Mafia targets. Who would they turn too and how would they be protected? And what if she fell for the agent who protected them?

See, a germ of an idea.

I’m thrilled that Evil’ Witness has received two great reviews so far and I’ve had a few readers email me saying they loved the story. Melissa said she can’t get my characters out of her head. I love Melissa.



10) What’s next for you?

I just finished another romantic suspense and dove right into another. I’m at 17 k today. And this morning, while searching my office for something, I found an old note with another idea written on it and I’m like I need to keep this. It s tacked to my bulletin board, so I know where I’m headed next.

BIO:
Autumn lives in Northeast Pennsylvania with her husband, who supplies her with support and tons of laughs, and their Yorkshire Terrier and Irish Setter. Her favorite destinations farther from home so far are Vermont and Arizona where she enjoys hiking, golfing, horseback riding and learning the history of the areas. No matter what Autumn is doing, she’s busy dreaming up ideas to put the characters of her romantic thrillers in grave danger.
Visit her at www.autumnjordon.com
Or friend her on Facebook, Twitter or MySpace


Blurb for Evil’s Witness:

Stephanie Boyd’s world crashes when she and her children witness a blood bath. To escape the wrath of the Russian Mafia, she has no choice but to help the FBI uncover the mafia’s mole inside the U.S. Treasury. While on the run with the handsome agent who is willing to die for them, Stephanie learns the meaning of love.

Agent John Dolton’s break in solving the case that cost him everything is a couple of kids and a beautiful widow. But keeping them safe seems impossible when their every move is foreseen by their enemy. Stephanie and her children soften the loner’s heart and John vows not to fail to protect the family he comes to love.


Excerpt from Evil’s Witness: © protected by Autumn Jordon

After a week, her touch was familiar. His heart melted. He grabbed her hand, holding her in place as he turned and smiled down on her. Her nipples pushed against her white T-shirt. He gently brushed a knuckle across one peak. “No. It was hell without you.”
“Mmmm. Same here.” She pulled back and lifted his arm around her, curling into him. Looking out over the lake, she sighed. “I could stay here forever, if you’d let me.”
“I wish we could.” He gathered her closer and kissed the top of her head. “But eventually Bobby and Em would have to go to school.”
“I could home school.” Her chuckle was strained.
He felt her pain. He smiled while his heart wrenched. He would like nothing more than to forget about the world and stay here with her and the kids. But they couldn’t. “Sooner or later Ben will call. We’ll have to go back.”
“I know.”
Steph moved away. A cold void took her place.
She drifted to the other porch column. Leaning against it, she folded her arms across her chest. Her lips pressed together as if she was forming the right words behind them. “I know I said that our time together here was going to be enough to last me a lifetime, but—” Tears brimmed her lids. “I was wrong. A lifetime won’t be enough.”
John stepped toward her. “I don’t know what—”
“I know; you don’t know how we can be together. So, Ben will call. We’ll go back, and I’ll identify Victor. You’ll toss him in jail and throw away the key. You’ll drive off in pursuit of the next bad guy and me…Well, I’ll go home and wonder where you are. Wonder if what I felt was love.”
The woman knew how to make a guy feel like a heel.
John pulled her into his arms. She buried her head in his chest and cried softly against him. He kissed her head and smoothed her hair. “Steph, I didn’t think I’d ever love again,” he whispered softly, cupping her chin and tilting her face up until she looked at him. “Like a bomb, you dropped into my life. Every defense I’d put up to protect myself from ever being hurt again came tumbling down. You opened up my heart. As much as you don’t want to live without me, I don’t want to live without you. I love you.”
He kissed her gently. Her arms wrapped around him and held on. “Somehow, we’ll figure this out. I promise,” he assured her.

Great to have you here, Autumn, I have heard so many great things about you and your writing from fellow Wild Rose authors so it's great to finally 'meet' you. Autumn would love to answer your questions and read your comments...

Welcome Nerine Dorman who writes for Lyrical Press!!

Nerine writes for my brand new publisher Lyrical Press with whom I have a release coming in January 2011. I am still 'meeting' Lyrical authors online so it is fabulous to have Nerine here today to tell us a little more about her and her work. Welcome!!!

1. Who is your favourite author and why?
My all-time favourite authors include Neil Gaiman, early Poppy Z Brite, Jacqueline Carey, William Burroughs and Storm Constantine. My main reasons for liking these authors is because they are very good at evoking setting, with textures, sights and sounds that are incredibly vivid but also dreamlike. Sometimes gritty, always beautiful dark, evocative and often erotic prose.
2. When did you first consider yourself a writer?
My first attempts at novel-writing took place while I was bored during high school. I was always drawing, reading or writing in class. Don’t ask me how I managed to still get good grades. I drove my teachers crazy. Always a dreamer. My first attempts started at age 13 up until 19, when a boyfriend discouraged me by telling me I was too sentimental, and I believed him because he was studying a bachelor in arts at the time. I started again when I was 26, running the whole gamut of bad fantasy short stories featuring supernatural creatures and things that go bump in the night. I always considered myself a writer, but I lacked the know-how of getting my butt on a chair until ’round about 2007 when I wrote my debut urban fantasy novel Khepera Rising.
3. Describe your writing space?
My writing space is wherever I happen to be sitting near a computer or scraps of paper. Now that I have my netbook, I write everywhere… On the train, during down-time at my day-job at the newspaper, on movie sets, at my husband’s photoshoots… It never ends. My “office” at home is my couch, however.
4. What are you reading now?
Not enough. Currently most of my time is taken up reading submissions for one of my publishers, for whom I’m also a content editor. I review genre fiction novels for my day-job, for fun, but it’s never books I’d willingly read myself, and I’m usually quite disappointed by some of the material from authors who should know better. Out of my own choice I’m busy with an Aldous Huxley, which is quite heavy going: The Devils of Loudon, but I’ve a few William Burroughs titles waiting in the wings.
5. How many books have your written? Which is your favourite?
I’ve written about six novels, I think, although I’ve buried the second because it was just so bloody awful. My favourite is Camdeboo Nights, which I’ll be rebooting as an adult urban fantasy story later this year. I’ve just rebooted my fifth, which I’d still written before my netbook days, in longhand, in notebooks. I got about a chapter into the second draft then the story took me down a few paths I hadn’t expected.



6. What comes first, plot or characters?
Very often I’ll have a very vivid image of a character. Then I’ll ask myself what sort of story they want to tell. It all sort of unfolds from there. But plot is very important, to show enough conflict and character development going through to a satisfying resolution.
7. Do you ever suffer from writer’s block?
What’s that? I have more stories to write than I have time.
8. What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
I like being at home, in my garden, where I maintain a collection of succulent plants. I spend a fair amount of time helping out on my husband’s indie film sets. Most of the time… I’m writing, reading or editing. I start getting a bit anxious if I’m separated from my computer. I do, however, enjoy travelling and meeting new people… So long as I can also have some quiet time for the words… Other than that, I have a deep-rooted fascination in Egypt and associated esoteric philosophies.
9. Tell us about your latest book?
I’ve just completed a fantasy in a pseudo eighteenth-century setting, playing with themes of colonialism and cultural conflict, with a dash of Lovecraftian mystery. The protagonist is a botanist turned reluctant vampire, who inadvertently starts a war and has to learn to rely on himself to make decisions instead of being manipulated by others.
10) What’s next for you?
Having recently sold my first work of erotic fiction, which I’ll be publishing under a different name, I’ve already started the second. At the moment I’m alternating between works that will sell (erotic fiction) and my “serious” books where I invest the full extent of my creativity, and I find I enjoy the contrast between genres. The erotic writing is fun, a bit of a holiday while I recharge my batteries for the next work of dark fantasy, which often require a lot of mulling over of ideas before I’ll start outlining.
Useful links:
http://nerinedorman.blogspot.com (writing-focused blog)
http://nerinedorman.livejournal.com (not-so-serious blog)
http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=49386633567&ref=ts (Facebook group)
http://twitter.com/nerinedorman (Twitter)

Fabulous to meet you, Nerine - I hope my visitors make you feel welcome with lots and lots of comments, hint, hint!! ; )

Great to learn Gwenna Sebastian shares my passion for JD Robb books...!!!

1) Did you set any goals for 2010? – Oh yes! Ideally, I’d like to have two novels done that I’m in the middle of. One is the sequel to my current release- Lost and Found. I’ll be happy if I can get one of the two done and to my editor!

2) What is the best part of the writing process for you? – The research. I love researching and since what I write about involves mostly the Vietnam War era, it’s fascinating. I can’t get enough of learning about it. Right now I’m researching for another novel that I’ve only got a rough outline for that will be set against the famous battle for the Imperial City- Hue during Tet in 1968.

3) The worst part?- Writing up a synopsis in order to submit it. I absolutely hate trying to do that! Actually, the entire submission process. I get all tied up about the details and what ifs if that makes any sense.

4) What is the book you wish you’d written?- I can honestly say there isn’t a book I wish I’d written, but there are some really cool concepts, plot and character twists I wish I had thought of. The “background” of JD Robb’s “In Death” series I think is fascinating and I wish I could have come up with something like that.

5) Favourite author/s & book/s?- JD Robb as I just mentioned- I love the grittiness and sharp edges of those stories. I also love Suzanne Brockman’s “Troubleshooters” series which follows several members of a Navy SEAL team along with a FBI antiterrorist group.

6) Tell us about your latest release?- Lost and Found is an M/M romance. I like to base my characters in the military, past or present. Mark Connor is a Vietnam vet who lost the love of his life during an ambush back in the war. He’s shut himself off from everyone. He travels up and down the east coast, doing home remodels. He gets himself in over his head in his latest job, a house in the Outer Banks, so he hires Josh Myers. Josh is a former Marine who survived the 1983 bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut. Unlike Mark, who basically died back in Vietnam, Josh now embraces life with wide open arms. Mark has no idea what he got himself into when he hires Josh. And Josh finds the quietly angry Mark way too interesting and attractive to let things alone. With Josh in the house Mark finds himself fighting to keep his memories of his long dead lover and his growing attraction to Josh. It all boils over when a Nor’easter blows into the islands, trapping everyone inside.

7) Tease us with a blurb/short except –
“If you’re going to San Francisco,” greeted Mark as he walked across the bedroom. He stood in the doorway of the bath. “Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair...” Josh had his back to him, sweating some copper fixtures for the sinks on the far wall as he sang along. Crossing his arms over his chest, Mark leaned against the doorframe, watching. Josh wore a faded brown t-shirt with lettering mostly hidden by the baggy coveralls that hung on his lean frame. His long hair was tied out of his face with a pink bandana, of all things. But it certainly looked like he knew what he was doing as he soldered the joints, handling the small blowtorch with ease.
The song changed to Bob Dylan’s All Along the Watchtower. Without warning, Mark flashed back to Vietnam.
Mark leaned against the Huey's shuddering frame, the jungle sliding by in a kaleidoscope of greens as he watched. The wind whipped around him as he glanced over his shoulder. First squad was jammed into the cargo area, everyone on top of each other. They were exhausted, some asleep, heads down, rifles over their laps. The smell of diesel, sweat, and blood washed over him.
The pilot was talking on the radio but Mark couldn't make out the words over the slick's engine and comforting whump, whump, whump of the rotor blades. Ryan dozed behind him, shouldered against Mark's back, his rifle wrapped in his arms.
This was safety, skimming over the jungles. Sarge played tunelessly on his harmonica. Most of the time Mark swore he’d steal that damned thing and hide it. Today, it didn't annoy him. They were on their way back to the firebase after almost two weeks in the bush. He was alive, Ryan was alive. Another day survived in this God forsaken hell.

Mark snapped back to the present, blinking, staring at Josh who had stopped what he was doing. He’d turned off the music along his blowtorch. He now stood, eyes filled with concern behind the safety glasses.


8) What is your favourite attribute of the hero and heroine?- Physically- it’s the eyes. I’m fascinated by that. And anyone who can admit they were wrong and apologize- no matter how hard it is.

9) What’s next?- I’m currently working on a futuristic Vietnam story as well as the sequel to Mark and Josh’s adventures. I’ve also got a WWII novel in the works. I like having two or three projects going at once.

10) Tell me where you write?- I have a netbook, so anywhere I end up. I’ve got two regular jobs and so I sort of write on the fly a lot of times. I’m also great for writing on scraps of paper while I’m on hold with insurance companies. When I actually sit down and write, I’ve got a work room all my own and shut everyone out when I’m in there. But for two young lady cats who have to constantly be around me! LOL

11) Where would you like your career to be in 5 years?- Being a full time writer would be a dream come true for me, so that’s where I’d love to be in five years.

12) Where can we find you?
Website: www.gwennasebastian.com
Blogspot: http://gwennasebastian.blogspot.com/
Live Journal: http://gwennasebastian.livejournal.com/
Email: gwennasebastian@yahoo.com

Thank you so much for appearing on my blog today, Gwenna. Writers of M/M romance fascinate me...i suppose two men are always better than one!! Comments? Gwenna would love to hear from you!

Talking Suspense with Patty Hardin

Today I am interviewing Patty Hardin, a fellow Wild Rose Press whose release Scent of Cherry sounds as though it has a bit of everything worked into a story of love...fabulous!

Welcome, Patty!

1) What is your writing routine? When I’m working on a book or a story, I try to write at least 500 words per day. Discipline is important in a writing routine and I sometimes struggle with it so I don’t always make my minimum number of words.

2) Which author/s inspire you to write? Phyllis Whitney, Debbie Macomber, Mary Daheim, Earl Emerson and Janet Evanovich

3) Which is your favorite romance subgenre to read? To write? It is definitely romantic suspense.

4) How do you deal with criticism/rejection? At first criticism and rejection stung hard and made me want to quit. Now I look at criticism this way. When someone critiques a manuscript of mine, if that person tells me why something doesn’t work, it can only help me improve. Rejection is a little harder for me to deal with. I need to remind myself that a rejected manuscript needs to be sent out again right away.

5) What do you expect from an editor? Honesty regarding my work and a willingness to answer correspondence promptly.

6) Tell me about your latest release It’s a paranormal romance short story (Scent of Cherry) from The Wild Rose Press. In the meantime, I have been busy with non-fiction projects.

7) Tease us with a blurb or short excerpt The scent of cherry pipe tobacco tantalizes Angela Cabot while she paints her kitchen walls. What is the message someone is trying to send her?

8) Which is your favorite character in the book? Why? Marc Braley, the hero, because he is unafraid to show his sensitive side and his acceptance of the unexplained.

9) What is next for you? I’m about to start work on a mystery novel.

10) What are you working on right now? I’m working on a non-fiction book for which I’ve gathered stories from Vietnam veterans.

11) Your biggest piece of advice to aspiring novelists? I’m going to pass along some advice I got from a mystery author several years ago. “Find a protagonist, or protagonists, that you can live with.” This made good sense to me at the time, and still does. If you don’t love your characters, it’s a good bet your readers won’t either.

12) Where can readers find you? www.thewildrose press.com

Questions? Comments? Patty would love to hear from you!

Cate's come back to visit with me!

Hi Cate,
So great to have you back on my blog! Cate is one of the most generous and prolific writers I have met on this often difficult and lonely world of writing and I try my very best to be as she is, with other writers. Support is key and Cate is great at showing just that. Right, gushing over ;) Let's hear what you're up to at the moment, Cate. Take it away, girlfriend!

Hey Rachel! Thanks so much for having me as a guest at your beautiful blog!


1) Who is your favourite author and why? I can never pick favorites! I love so many. My top five are: Alice Hoffman, TC Boyle, Margaret Atwood, Michael Chabon and Neil Gaiman, though there are tons of others I love too. I’m also trying to catch up on many fellow authors’ works.

2) When did you first consider yourself a writer? I don’t know that I ever consciously considered myself a writer. I just knew that I feel like I’m in my element while writing. And seeing my name on the cover was a great feeling. :)

3) Describe your writing space? Messy! But I love it, because when we moved a few years ago, the house had a spare room, so for the first time in my life I have an actual office, complete with desk, printer, bookcase, futon and some cool art posters and photos. Sometimes I take the laptop out on the deck, which is also a great writing space.

4) What are you reading now? I just finished Natasha Mostert’s Season of the Witch and have tucked Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere in my handbag, though haven’t started it yet.

5) How many books have you written? Which is your favourite? I’ve written more than I’ve had published. :) But here’s the rundown of releases: Eternal Press: One Soul for Sale, Picture This, Fever Dreams, Winning (tomorrow – yay!), Follow the Stars Home (Aug. 7); Freya’s Bower: Angels Sinners and Madmen (summer), Wilderness Girl and The Lure of the Vine; Wild Child Publishing: Liberation via Pen; The Wild Rose Press: Seventh Heaven, The Duende and the Muse, Going with Gravity and Design for Life; Whiskey Creek Press: Surfacing (Aug.) and The Bridge Between (fall?); Shadowfire Press: Reflections. A few shorts stories were published in web zines or lit zines, and those are linked to my web site: http://www.catemasters.com, and blog: http://catemasters.blogspot.com, which both also contain book trailers, excerpts and reviews. I can’t possibly pick a favorite story, except maybe to say it’s always the one I’m writing at the time. I fall in love with the characters and they’re like family.

6) What comes first, plot or characters? I’m trying to learn to plot better, but I’m mainly a pantser. Every story idea has its own particular origin. Sometimes a snippet of a plot, sometimes a scene will just play in my head. Once I heard a line of dialogue in my head, and the story took off from there.

7) Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? No, the opposite. The flood of ideas comes too fast sometimes, and I can’t keep up. I’m always writing a few stories at once, and I think switching between actually helps me keep perspective, and keep the flow going.

8) What do you like to do when you’re not writing? Reading, music, photography, gardening – though those mostly take a back seat to writing. I actually like creating book trailers too – it takes a certain finesse (which I’m trying to acquire!)

9) Tell us about your latest book? Tomorrow, Winning will be available from Eternal Press: http://www.eternalpress.biz/people.php?author=240 A short that’s mainstream, with a tinge of magic realism, the premise posits that people remain the same no matter what, but that certain circumstances will enable them to reveal their true selves, possibly more than they intended. In this case, winning a huge lottery.

Here’s the blurb: Joe doesn’t expect much more from life. His marriage is average, kids are average. So when he wins the lottery -- one of the biggest jackpots of all time -- everything changes. Or does it? Would they have made the same choices anyway?

10) What’s next for you? This summer, Freya’s Bower will release Angels Sinners and Madmen, a historical adventure/romance set in 1850s Key West, Florida, which was a lot of fun to write. Next month, Eternal Press will release another historical novel centered on the Carlisle Indian Industrial School called Follow the Stars Home. Also in August, Whiskey Creek Press will release Surfacing, a contemporary fantasy about an indie rocker and a mermaid, also a blast to write. And this fall, Whiskey Creek Press will release a mainstream novel, The Bridge Between, which I set in my hometown of Lambertville, NJ. I’ve been writing a contemporary fantasy which I originally thought would be a novella, but it just keeps expanding, so hopefully I’ll finish that up this summer. A few other stories are in the works as well. You can keep up with the latest news on my web site: www.catemasters.com, or blog: http://catemasters.blogspot.com. Thanks again for being such a wonderful hostess Rachel!

Dawn Chartier just can't get enough paranormal...

Hi Dawn and welcome to my website! I'm looking forward to learning a little bit more about another fellow Wild Rose Press authors, don't you just love writing for them?

Thank you so much Rachel for having me here today….

1) What is your writing routine? Routine? Hmm. I try to write on my days off, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Sometimes I sneak in time on the weekend if the family is doing their own thing.

2) Which author/s inspire you to write? Several authors inspire me. (Chrisitine Feehan, Sherriyln Kenyon, Jodi Picoult, J.R. Ward, P.C. Cast, Karen M. Moning, etc.) But creating a story has to come from your own imagination. Completing the story has to come from a drive that you have deep down that won’t let up.


3) Which is your favorite romance subgenre to read? I go through phases, but usually I love reading anything paranormal. To write? I write paranormal as well, but I find myself writing more mystery, suspense and thriller, but the paranormal is always there.

4) How do you deal with criticism/rejection? I haven’t had lots of criticism yet, and I’m sure it will sting when I do, but I try to remember we all have different taste, which is a good thing. Even the best authors get bad reviews. Even Nora.

5) Tell me about your latest release. My first novel, Not An Angel came out in May 2010, and the story is about getting second chances at love. My character Kira has been through hell and finds herself ready to end it all. Of course, she doesn’t because then there wouldn’t be a book. (grin) She goes through a lot of heartache, but in the end, she gets the greatest reward of true love - even though he’s a Poryria Guardian vampire.

6.) Tease us with a blurb or short excerpt. Kira McCoy wants to die. Losing her husband and daughter tragically left her without hope. Now her disturbed brother-in-law will stop at nothing to have her for himself. All she wants is to find peace, but instead finds herself on top of a bridge ready to end her suffering.

Protector of the Poryria, Trace Stuart is called to defend his race or embrace death. Defending humans is not part of the plan, but he cannot stop himself from saving Kira.

Realizing that he shares a special bond with Kira, Trace defies his Queen and rushes into the heart of darkness in order to rescue the woman he loves. Will Kira be able to reach past her own pain to pull them both into the light?
7.) What is next for you? Currently I’m writing a romantic mystery/suspense with paranormal elements novel. If all goes as planned, I have ideas for the second and third book in this series.

8) Your biggest piece of advice to aspiring novelists? There is no one piece of advice that says it all, but I have a few suggestions. Take classes, enter a few contests, join a critique group, join RWA, and don’t submit anything until it is completely ready. Once you finish your first draft, then read it out loud. If it doesn’t excite you, then it won’t excite anyone else. I have several rewrites because I allow myself to get it out first. Then I do my edits. The most important tip is “Don’t stop writing.”

12) Where can readers find you? Readers can find me at www.dawnchartier.com or you can find “Not An Angel” at www.thewildrosepress.com or www.amazon.com
I blog on occasion at: www.dawntheauthor.blogspot.com




This interview was fun. Thanks for having me.


Thanks for sharing with me and my readers today, Dawn. I love the sound of 'Not An Angel', such a romantic premise! Dawn is waiting for your comments...