Rachel Brimble - Romance Writer

Ahh, you guys are so sweet!!!

2012-02-16T05:38:00.004-08:00

I am the honored recipient of the prestigious Irresistibly Sweet Blog Award, presented to me by Jannine Gallant a terrific writer and a very good friend of mine from across the pond. I try to keep my blog updated as much as possible with guests, general chit-chat about me and my writing so i'm glad you haven't all found it so boring it reduces you to tears, lol!!

Receiving this award means sharing 7 random facts about me, so here goes.

1) I can eat four or five jam (jelly) doughnuts in a row and never feel guilty about it ;)

2) I live just half an hour's drive from the famous Georgian city of Bath in one direction and the gorgeous Cotswold villages in the other. I LOVE where I live!

3) I am a survivor of the 2010 French floods where overnight 25 people lost their lives.

4) I can't write unless the house is quiet. But I can edit when it's noisy.

5) The best bit of my dog is the space between his eyes and I kiss it as much as possible every day.

6) I am almost 38 years old and have never cooked a roast dinner...and feel zero shame! ;)

7) I am passionate about slavery, the American Civil and the civil rights movement of the 1960s - one day I will write the book of my dreams and it will centre around these issues.

Now that you all know how strange I am, I'm giving the award to these 7 stellar bloggers. Ladies, it's time to reveal 7 facts about yourselves and pass the sweetness.

Julie Cohen
Alyson Reuben

I would also like to thank my good friend, Margo Hoornstra, for honoring me with the Liebster Award. This award is for a stick-to-it attitude, and while I'm only supposed to give it to 5 bloggers, all the above ladies have the perseverance to deserve this one, too!

Welcome romance writer, Ginger Hanson!

2012-02-14T04:30:00.008-08:00

It's the first time Ginger and I have met today so I am really pleased to be part of her blog tour and gaining the chance to learn a little more about her and her writing.

Let's get started!

1) Who is your favourite author and why?

I have many favorites authors, but Jayne Ann Krentz is one writer whose work I consistently read. I follow Ms. Krentz in all her guises from contemporary to historical to futuristic. She was one of the first authors I read when a friend suggested I write category romance so I got hooked early in her career. She’s also my favorite because she is a true study in perseverance, having reinvented herself several times as the market changed. Now she has the clout to write what she likes and have readers clamor for more. I’ve always loved her futuristic paranormal series and was glad to see the old ones reissued and new ones published.

2) When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I wrote my first short story, “The Magic Tea Tray” when I was eight years old. In truth, I can’t remember when I didn’t think of myself as a writer!

3) Describe your writing space?

My writing space is disorganized chaos with books to the right, books to the left, books behind me. I’m fenced into my actual writing space by a computer, its peripherals, and two desks. One desk is a lovely library desk that has traveled all over the United States with me and the other is a stark utility computer desk. On the wall above my computer monitors (I use two because I used to copyedit and two monitors made life easier) is a bulletin board covered with photos from my current story, writing tips, important passwords, and dusty reminder post-it notes. I also pinned up a photo a friend of mine took of me for a product placement project for her photojournalism class. I’m holding a copy of one of my books and she added the blurb: “Put a little romance in your life!”

A second bulletin board fills the wall to my left. This is where I pin up homemade clip art books covers for my works in progress. And I a favorite quote by Katherine: If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun!

4) What are you reading now? Harriette Wilson's Memoirs, The Greatest Courtesan of Her Age, edited by Leslie Blanch. I hope to complete another Regency this year and needed to brush up on my Regency ambience! Plus, it’s a fun read.

5) How many books have you written? Written? Lots more than have been published! I have five published novels under my belt as well as several short stories, most recently a Tassanoxie Christmas story. I also have an article in an anthology about writing your first book.

What is your favourite? Choosing a favorite book is always difficult, but my first published book, Tennessee Waltz, a Civil War era romance, holds a special place in my heart. During my quest to become published, many women in my hometown read the manuscript, fell in love with it, and asked if they could lend it to a friend or relative.

Their belief in this story led me to enter the manuscript in a national contest where it won its category and was chosen Best in Show. The rights to this book recently reverted to me and I plan to re-title it, create a much prettier cover, and reissue it in ebook format.

6) What comes first, plot or characters? I often think of that as a chicken or an egg type question. The answer depends on the story. Sometimes the idea for a plot comes first, but other times an idea for a character grabs me and won’t let go. I have to be around my characters for a while to get acquainted because I’m not good at filling out lists or making up background lives early in the process. I need to plop the characters into a situation and see how they react. That’s how I get to know therm.

But I also like to plot and I do a lot of preplanning because I like to have a general idea of where I’m going in the story. If it’s a historical, I want to have a good grasp of real world events because I’ll weave them into the story. I need an idea of where I want to go with a plot, but the route I take to reach the end might not match my original outline because of the characters.

7) Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? Not really, but I like to have several projects underway. Writing is a gestation process for me. If things aren’t going right in a story, it may be time to step back, work on another story or take a long walk or a nap and let the story gestate a little longer. Sometimes the brain needs time to weave the elements into a better whole.

8) What do you like to do when you’re not writing? Read! I read all types of books. And I study Taoist Tai Chi. It helps to keep me a lot healthier than I was.

9) Tell us about your latest book? Lady Runaway is my latest historical. A few weeks after it was published, the first book in my sweet contemporary series was published. Then the second. With three books out in 2 years, Lady Runaway hasn’t gotten the attention it deserves. I’m hoping to correct that situation in 2012.

Lady Runaway is about a second chance at love, a common theme in most of my books. Usually my heroine and/or hero have been hurt in their early relationships (who hasn’t) and now they have a chance to get it right. In Lady Runaway, both Dev and Riana have been involved in previous relationships and neither ended well. This story not only gives them another chance at a meaningful relationship, but they also both learn how to be true to their inner self.

Here’s the blurb for Lady Runaway:

Fleeing arrest by a spurned suitor, Lady Riana Travistock heads for London where she is knifed in a street brawl when she helps a man attacked by footpads. Luckily for Lady Riana, the victim of the attack is army surgeon Captain Devlin Carrington who takes her home to tend her injury.

When Dev cuts off her blood-soaked chemise to stitch the knife wound, a fortune in jewels spill out. Has he saved a lovely jewel thief only to watch her hang?

10) What’s next for you? Right now, I’m at a crossroads in my career. As I mentioned, I recently received the reversion of rights for my first two historical romances and plan to self-publish them as e-books. I also have a more traditional Regency romance on the back burner I’d like to finish writing this year. And I’d love to write some stories about pioneer female aviators!

So many stories to write, so little time…

Excerpt

Dorking, England 1811

Sir Hector patted her knee. Riana’s heart slammed into a higher pace. The cologne and his proximity crowded her. She wanted to push him over backward so she could breathe.

“Your father approved my suit. In fact, he told me it pleased him greatly to know his daughter would be cared for after he died.”

What a plumper! Her father had ceased caring for her after his sole male heir died in that ridiculous gun accident.

“I could not speak my heart while you were in mourning,” Sir Hector said, “but your father promised me your hand in marriage.”

The words hung in the air, their graveyard stench overlain with the sickly sweet scent of the oppressive Canterbury violet perfume. Her father’s animosity reached out from the grave to clamp a cold hand around her heart. He never forgave her for living while his heir died. Not content to ruin the estate, now he had found a way to ruin her life. A molten flare of anger devoured the pain of betrayal and rejection. Her father was dead; no laws of obedience bound her now.

“My father had no right.”

He waved away the faint words as if they lacked consequence. “It was a gentleman’s agreement. In return for certain financial transactions.”

His statement stole the air from her lungs. Despair overrode anger, welling up to melt her bones and slump her back into the chair. Her father had sold her to Sir Hector!

Bio:

Ginger Hanson is a former college history teacher who found writing historical romance a natural outlet for her love of history. While Lady Runaway is her first foray into the Regency period, her two award-winning Civil War era historical romantic adventures were published in 2004. Ransom's Bride scored success as the winner of the 2005 Gayle Wilson Award Of Excellence and was a finalist in the 2005 Holt Medallion Contest. Tennessee Waltz was a finalist in the 2005 Maggie as well as the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence in the Historical category.

Ginger also has two published contemporary romance novels set in the fictional small town of Tassanoxie, Alabama. The series slid into ebook only format with a 2011 Christmas short story, A Christmas Diamond for Merry.

Links:

http://www.gingerhanson.com

Ginger's publisher, Twilight Times Books running the ebook version of Lady Runaway at a 50% discount from the Twilight Times Books web site, Amazon Kindle and Barnes & Noble Nook for the week of her blog tour. Here are the buy links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Lady-Runaway-ebook/dp/B003TU2K0Q/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&qid=1328195840&sr=8-2

BN: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lady-runaway-ginger-hanson/1100242423?ean=2940043310521&itm=1&usri=lady+runaway

Ginger will be giving away a $10 Barnes and Noble GC and the choice of either a print copy of How I Wrote My First Book: The Story Behind the Story which includes “Ten Lessons I Learned from Writing Quest for Vengeance" by Ginger Hanson -or- a new paperback copy of Ransom’s Bride by Ginger Hanson to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour.

Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2011/12/virtual-book-tour-lady-runaway-by.html

Welcome my good online friend, Jannine Gallant!!

2012-02-12T08:15:00.000-08:00

I am so excited to have you visit with me today, Jannine! Having met through the Wild Rose Press yahoo loop a few years ago, Jannine and I have been regularly chatting ever since. Before we start the interview, I have to say how much I LOVE your cover and look forward to hearing more about your latest release.

Over to you...

1) What is your writing routine?

During the week, I get up at 6AM and work on getting everyone out of the house. By 8AM, both girls are at school and my husband is at work, and I’m blissfully alone with only the dog’s sad eyes to distract me. I write all morning (with breaks to check email, FB, blogs, throw in a load of laundry, clean a bathroom… good heavens, no wonder I don’t get as much written as I’d like!), eat lunch, take the dog for a hike, then scramble to get a little more writing in before the afternoon round of picking up girls and taking them to various sports commences. Once everyone is home for the evening, all focus on writing is a lost cause. My family is not a quiet one. LOL

2) Which author/s inspire you to write?

In my formative teen years, I read romances (from Harlequins to historicals—whatever I could get my hands on) and decided then and there I could write them, too. Little did I know, writing is hard work. Before the internet, motivation was tough. Now I am constantly inspired by my online writing friends. (Waving madly to Rachel!) We motivate each other, help promote each other, and provide inspiration with our successes. Knowing there are other women out there just like me, determined to keep their fingers glued to the keyboard through all the ups and downs of writing, gives me the push I need to keep at it.

3) Which is your favorite romance subgenre to read? To write?

My first love was historicals, both for reading and writing. At some point I shifted to the romantic suspense genre, where I fell in love with the faster pace. But lately I’ve had a craving for historicals again. Now, I read and write both, mixing up the genres to keep from getting stale.

4) How do you deal with criticism/rejection?

I take rejection with a shrug and move on. Not everyone is going to like your style. I know and accept that fact. I’m also confident that if one editor rejects my work, another one will like it. If you put in the effort to create a quality product, someone out there will reward you for your hard work!

5) What do you expect from an editor?

Having worked with some wonderful editors, I naively assumed all editors are created equal. Boy was I wrong, and my appreciation for the good ones went up exponentially! I expect an editor to point out my flaws. We all have bad habits. As soon as I take note and fix one quirk, another pops up to take its place. An observant editor will see that you used the same phrase over and over and tell you to change it up. A wise editor will notice that you started 10 sentences in a row with “She” and ask, “What you were thinking?” I expect an editor to give me a kick in the butt and make me a better writer.

6) Tell me about your latest release.

Bittersweet released on February 1^st. (Me doing a happy dance!) I wrote this book 15 years ago, and it has been through the wars. Rewrite after rewrite, rejection after rejection. This isn’t your typical historical romance. My heroine, Tess, was married to the hero’s brother at the beginning of the book. My hero, Daniel, is torn apart by conflicting emotions. There’s another man involved who really is a terrific guy, not the villain you’d expect. But I believed in these characters and this story, and I wouldn’t let it go. I’m happy to say it finally found a home at Whiskey Creek Press.

7) Tease us with a blurb or short excerpt.

Eight months after her husband is killed in a train robbery, Tess Moran knows she must pick up the pieces of her shattered life and build a future for herself and her infant daughter. Daniel Moran’s love for Tess is bittersweet. Acting on his feelings for his sister-in-law will betray his dead brother’s memory. Watching her search for love elsewhere may very well destroy him.

In 1880, life in rural Colorado is filled with hard work and simple pleasures, but trouble looms on the horizon. Together Tess and Daniel battle drought and the outlaw who killed the man they both loved, but the greatest challenge of all is finding solace for their battered hearts.

Daniel followed her across the kitchen. He stood beside her in the doorway, looking out at the star filled sky. “It’s late. I’ll walk you home.”

“You don’t have to. Shadow is with me.”

“I’ll walk you home,” he repeated.

Only the scuff of his boots on the road and the sound of crickets broke the silence. Tess sighed.

“Tired?”

“Yes.”

He cleared his throat. “Why did Nathan come to see you?”

“He asked me to the dance at the Leightons’ barn raising.”

Daniel kicked a rock in the path and swore softly.

She stood still. “You’re the one who said there can’t be anything between us.”

“I know, but I’m only human. Did he stay long?”

“No, why do you ask?”

“I haven’t the right, I know. The way you looked with that wet chemise clinging to you—” His voice trailed off.

Tess blushed and was glad of the darkness. She hurried toward home, unable to outdistance her thoughts. “A gentleman wouldn’t mention it.”

“You were hysterical over Emily, and all I could think about was how beautiful you looked. I hated Nathan for seeing you that way.”

She stopped a few yards from her back door. The light shining from the kitchen window illuminated his face. His misery was clear.

“All it would take is one word from you, Daniel, just one word. Say it,” she pleaded.

“I can’t.”

She swallowed hard. “Then let me be happy with Nathan.”

He turned away. “I’m sorry, Tess. I’ll leave you alone.”

“Fine. Goodnight, Daniel.” Turning, she ran into the house before he could see the tears on her cheeks.

8) Which is your favorite character in the book? Why?

I’d have to say Daniel is my favorite character. Though Tess is devastated by the loss of her husband, her daughter gives her the strength to go on with her life. By contrast, Daniel is eaten up with guilt. He loved his brother’s wife, and he failed to save him. For Daniel, dealing with his grief is more complex. I hope his internal struggle will be something readers remember after they finish the book.

9) What are you working on right now?

I’ve been a busy girl with edits the last few months. I have a novella called Nothing But Trouble with the Honky Tonk Hearts series through The Wild Rose Press coming out in April. I’m expecting the final galley for a full length romantic suspense back any day now. A Deadly Love will be published by TWRP sometime this summer. Currently, I’m completely rewriting a historical romance I wrote 20 years ago set during the Salem witchcraft trials in 1692. I haven’t quite found the right name for that one yet.

10) Your biggest piece of advice to aspiring novelists?

Don’t give up. Write your book, then edit it, and edit it again. When you think it’s perfect, go back and edit it some more! You will find a publisher who is interested if you keep at it long enough.

11) Where can readers find you?

Website: http://www.janninegallant.com/

Personal Blog: http://janninegallant.blogspot.com/

Group Blog: http://rosesofprose.blogspot.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/JannineGallant.Author

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

Publisher Buy Link: http://www.whiskeycreekpress.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=964

Amazon Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/Bittersweet-ebook/dp/B0074EJABA/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1328291957&sr=1-1

Thank you so much for having me today, Rachel. It’s always a pleasure visiting your blog!

You're welcome, lovely to have you here - Now, I don't want Jannine getting lonely so make sure you leave her lots of lovely comments and questions!

Saturday Promo - Ericka Scott...

2012-02-11T02:27:00.000-08:00

A psychic, a skeptic, and a serial killer...

Psychic Lia Morgan sees portents all around her. Although estranged from her family, she joins the search for her missing sister. A simple case gets complicated fast when she discovers her sister's plethora of secrets includes a son.

Professor Jared Trimble's world has no room for paranormal mumbo-jumbo. When asked to consult on a case involving a series of crossword puzzles, he's conflicted. Is he a suspect, or an investigator?

While Lia uses her physic gift and follows signs a, Jared uses his wits and experience. When the two collide, passions flare and the final clue brings them both into the bull's-eye of a serial killer's target.

Jared put his hand on Lia’s shoulder. Its warmth seemed the only heat in the room.

The officer put his pen down and looked at her with narrowed eyes and a grim expression. She shivered.

“No, I’m sorry we haven’t had a chance to call you. Do you know where Sylvie’s partner Margaret is?”

Confused, Lia shook her head. “I tried to call her earlier.”

“Please call her again.”

“Sure.” Lia pulled her phone out and punched in Margaret’s phone number.

“Put it on speaker, please.” The officer snapped.

The call went straight to voice mail.

“Then it’s not only our calls she’s avoiding,” he murmured.

“We don’t understand.” Jared said. “Has there been a new lead?”

The officer’s expression darkened, and Lia felt her eyes well up with tears. Oh God, Sylvie was dead.

“No.”

“Then, why--” Lia began.

“We have reason to believe your sister voluntarily disappeared with her son to avoid appearing in court.”

“Court?”

“She didn’t tell you?”

Lia pursed her lips. “I already told one of your officers that I haven’t had contact with my sister for seven years. Honestly, I didn’t even know she’d had a baby.”

“Well, seems the father of the child is suing for custody.”

“Custody?” Lia felt stupid echoing back the officer’s words, but she didn’t know what else to say. She’d assumed that the baby had been the result of in vitro fertilization, or whatever method of conception most gay couples used.

“Yes, she and Deion were to appear in order to obtain a DNA sample to prove Mr. Kyle Creswell’s paternity.”

Lia’s mind went numb.

“We suspect your sister disappeared voluntarily to avoid that event. It’s doubly suspicious that her partner is also missing.”

Lia swallowed, hard.

“You think this is a staged disappearance. A hoax?” Jared stated.

“Yes, we do.”

“Oh my,” was all Lia could say. Could Sylvie have simply run away, leaving everything--her house, car, business and valuables--behind? It didn’t seem like something her sister would do, but did she really know Sylvie anymore?

“We can no longer dedicate men and resources to investigating the disappearance. Unless new information comes in, we really have no choice but to close the case.”

“I see,” Lia said, her voice sounding small and unsure to her own ears.

“But what if she didn’t disappear voluntarily?” Jared asked.

The officer’s gaze softened a bit. “I’m sorry. I know this must be difficult for you, especially since you traveled all this way.”

Lia started to stand, but Jared’s hand held her down. He didn’t seem ready to admit defeat. “If we turn up something that indicates she didn’t disappear of her own accord--”

“Then, by all means, give us a call. But honestly, I don’t think that evidence exists.”

At that moment, the lights in the station flickered and went out.

The officer cursed. “Stay here, and I’ll go see if one of those damned reporters plugged too many cameras in out front and blew a fuse.”

Then, just as suddenly as they went out, the lights came back on. Lia’s eyes were drawn to the alarm clock sitting on the officer’s credenza. The time flashed on and off. The clock displayed all eights.

Lia shivered. She didn’t have an ounce of evidence to support her belief that Sylvie hadn’t disappeared voluntarily, she simply knew. If the police weren’t going to be out looking for her, that meant she had to find Sylvie.

As if reading her mind, Jared bent over, and murmured softly, “Don’t worry, we’ll find her.”

She wished she could be so sure.

Welcome romance and mystery writer, Amy Corwin...

2012-02-08T23:27:00.000-08:00

Thrilled to welcome Amy here today - Amy is a prolific writer who has many titles out there in the big, wide world. Be sure to check out her website and backlist. Glad to be part of your new blog tour, Amy - here's to lots of new sales!!

Inspiration for The Vital Principle

Like most authors, inspiration is an odd beast. I rarely get a single idea that will generate an entire novel. Instead, I get bits and pieces that I file away in the back of my mind. After a while, some demon rifling through the detritus suggested that if I combine some of those disparate notions, I might have a story.

For The Vital Principle, several things came together to form the story.

The first element was the hero, Knighton Gaunt. He developed over a number of years, as a man who is dedicated to The Truth. He is the founder of the Second Sons Inquiry Agency. He’s the second son of a baron who was murdered and Knighton was blamed. He eventually found the true killer, but this experience reinforced his belief that there is a single Truth and that finding it, regardless of how painful the process, is essential.

The Second Sons Inquiry Agency itself was an idea I had since I have a love of the old gothics and mysteries where the hero and heroine solve a mystery and find happiness together at the end. I’m helplessly addicted to happy endings. So, I wanted a “vehicle” or unifying element that would allow me to develop stories with a variety of heroes or heroines who could act in Knighton’s stead when he was not available. Having the agency allowed me to incorporate other characters in mysteries. I also was fearful of getting locked into one character, such as Knighton, and never being able to expand to other characters. (We’ve all heard the story about Doyle trying to kill off Sherlock because he got so sick of writing about him. LOL Not that I would ever reach that point, but….)

While those ideas were all brewing, another character occurred to me, a woman named Prudence Barnard. Her life was one irony after another. She was of a “good family” but her mother died when Pru was young and her father was a bit of a nutter. He was fascinated by the occult and rather than settling into his own home and raising Pru, he dragged her around investigating stories of hauntings and ghosts. Pru ended up doing the legwork for his investigations and invariably proved the spirits were in fact prosaic things like drafts or bugs in the wainscoting.

However, when her father died, he left Pru with an income too small to rent rooms or support herself, and she really didn’t want to become a governess. When friends began inviting her to stay with them, she leapt at the chance as she could essentially live as a “professional guest” by moving from one house to another. She soon discovered the downside to this arrangement, however, because her hosts hoped she would contact the spirits and relay messages to them. They indicated her past experiences with her father gave her a unique entre into the spirit realm, completely ignoring the fact that she never actually found any proof of a spirit realm. So she was caught in the position of pretending to contact spirits in order to maintain her lifestyle as a professional guest.

And you can see how a man who believes in The Truth would have a bit of a conflict with a woman who pretends to speak with ghosts. Despite their differences, they perfectly complement each other. It may take them a while to realize it, however.

For the mystery, the final element was some obscure information I found in some Regency-period medical books. I won’t talk about that because I don’t want to spoil it for readers. J

Once I had all the elements available, the real work began of writing the story. It’s never easy to successfully meld mystery and romance, but the two do work well together to give readers a more satisfying story. For Pru and Knighton, I’ve got the second story for them written, so like Christie’s Tommy and Tuppence, readers will get to peer over their shoulders as they meet again and their romance deepens.

Thank you for this opportunity to visit you!

The Vital Principle

An inquiry agent seeks to expose a spiritualist as a fraud only to uncover a murder.

In 1815, inquiry agent, Knighton Gaunt, is asked by Lord Crowley to attend a séance with the express purpose of revealing the spiritualist as a fraud. When the séance ends abruptly, an unseen killer poisons Lord Crowley, leaving Gaunt to investigate not fraud, but murder.

Suspicion turns first to the spiritualist, Miss Prudence Barnard. But as Gaunt digs deeper into the twisted history of the guests at Rosecrest, he discovers a series of deadly secrets. Long-time friends soon turn against one another as the tension mounts, and Gaunt is challenged to separate fact from fiction before another death at Rosecrest.

The Vital Principle is the first mystery in the Second Sons Inquiry Agency series and features coolly intellectual Mr. Knighton Gaunt, the agency’s founder. This witty, historical whodunit in the tradition of Bruce Alexander’s Blind Justice will keep you guessing until the unexpected end.

“Murder, mystery, and a dash of romance combined with witty dialogue and unforgettable characters make The Vital Principle a book that will definitely go on my keeper shelf!” —Lilly Gayle, author of Into the Darkness and Slightly Tarnished.

Excerpt

In this scene, Lord Crowley is poisoned in front of a roomful of guests, leaving inquiry agent Knighton Gaunt with a murder to solve.

Lord Thompson stiffened and put his snifter back onto the table with a snap. The pinched skin between his brows and two spots of color staining his cheekbones betrayed anger, but he replied with a cool drawl, “I believe I’ll say good night. It’s well after midnight. And don’t forget our plans to leave early tomorrow for Scotland.”

“As you wish. Good night then, Thompson.” Lord Crowley held his brandy up in a dismissive salute to the Howard ladies. “I hope Miss Howard is not too badly injured by that girl’s clumsiness. If you need anything, just ask.”

“Thank you, Lord Crowley,” Lady Howard replied, hovering over her daughter.

Crowley took another sip of his brandy and then coughed wetly. Sputtering, he placed his glass on the table in front of him. He coughed again into his fist.

As Knighton watched with growing concern, Crowley’s face darkened, flushing with a deep, bluish-purple color. Crowley swayed, wavering unsteadily then gripped the back of his chair. Blinking and coughing, he crashed to the floor, pulling the chair down on top of him.

“Lord Crowley!” He pushed past the other guests and pulled the chair off Crowley. He rolled him over on his back.

Crowley gagged and choked, gasping for air. He clutched Knighton's lapel and jerked him closer. His reddened eyes widened as Knighton worked to loosen Crowley’s neckcloth. But before he could unwind the complicated material, he heard the terrible, unmistakable sound of a rattling exhalation.

“Henry!” Lady Crowley said. Eyes fixed on Knighton’s face, Lady Crowley blindly grabbed Miss Barnard’s forearm and clung to her. “What’s wrong with my son? Henry—Henry! What is happening to my son?”

A Brief Bio

Amy Corwin is a charter member of the Romance Writers of America and recently joined Mystery Writers of America. She has been writing for the last ten years. She writes romance, historical and cozy mysteries. To be truthful, most of her books include a bit of murder and mayhem since she discovered that killing off at least one character is a highly effective way to make the remaining ones toe the plot line.

Amy’s books include the three Regency romantic mysteries, I BID ONE AMERICAN, THE BRICKLAYER’S HELPER, and THE NECKLACE; Regency mysteries, THE VITAL PRINCIPLE, and A ROSE BEFORE DYING; and her first cozy mystery, WHACKED!, will come in in 2012 from Five Star.

Join her and discover that every good romance has a touch of mystery.

Website: http://www.amycorwin.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/amycorwin

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AmyCorwinAuthor

Blog: http://amycorwin.blogspot.com

Amy will BE GIVING AWAY a $25 Amazon GC to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour as well as to the host with the most comments (excluding Amy's and the host's).

Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2011/12/virtual-book-tour-vital-principle-by.html

Welcome romance writer, Debora Dennis!

2012-02-07T01:00:00.000-08:00

Today I welcome romance author, Debora Dennis to my blog - she's talking writing goals...

Welcome Debora!

It's all about showing up for work.

While it would be fun for me to say I sit and write in my pajamas all day long, it would be far from reality. Like most mother's, I wear many hats during the course of my day – and only one of them is that of an author.

I used to stress myself out by writing a word goal on my calendar every day. I'd send myself reminders on my phone twice a day (once in the morning and once at night…crazy, I know!) I had sticky notes stuck to my computer monitor with the word goal in plain sight. Then when the day job called, the kids needed attention or dinner needed to be cooked, I'd add stressing about missing my word goal to the laundry list of daily to-do's.

Did this torture work? No. The words I did get on the page were more out of frustration than anything I'd called "inspired!"

A few months ago I sat myself down and did an internal review. I don't work well with numbers posted in every possible place. I need a simple plan. Yes, the KISS plan applies here: Keep It Simple, Stupid!

One page. Even if the muse is on vacation, I can surely bang out ONE PAGE a day. I did the math - one page a day all year is 365 pages. The bonus? Without the stress of thousands of word hanging over my head everyday – the muse shows up early for work and that one page turns into three or four. Score!

In addition to training the muse to write that one page everyday, I can found online:

Website: http://www.deboradennis.com

Blog: http://www.thesaucyscribe.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DeboraDennis.Author

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/DeboraDennis

Thank you for having me stop by today!

Debora's latest release is A Knight In Her Arms is available now!

Blurb:

Dreaming of the past. Hannah Falcon loves her job cataloging medieval artifacts and setting up the displays at the Natural History Museum in New York City. What she doesn’t love is her friends insisting she date more. When a man dressed as a medieval knight shows up in the museum, Hannah mistakes him for her friend’s latest attempt at a blind date.

Sent into the future: Sir Gavin of Rogueforth is a battle-hardened twelfth century knight who expects nothing more from life than to live and die by his sword. Sent through time to protect a woman named Hannah and claim her as his own, he expects a reward. He doesn’t expect a woman who refuses to be protected.

Can one passionate night, ten days before Christmas, convince a twenty-first century woman to follow her heart and show a medieval knight there's more to life than being a protector?

Excerpt:

Prologue

England, 1192

"Sir?" The squire slowly approached Sir Gavin of Rogueforth, who sat alone in front of the roaring fire with a trencher of food in his hands.

An orange flame spiked in the hearth, warming Gavin's tired legs and half-frozen feet. He needed to teach the boy to know better when he didn't want to be disturbed. Turning toward the squire he nodded for him to speak.

"A woman wishes an audience with you."

"Who is she?" Exhausted and hungry, all he wanted was to eat and sleep. "Can it not wait until morning?"

"It's the old woman from the road, Sir. She is alone."

Gavin barely had time to put his trencher on the table and stand before she walked across the vaulted room and into view.

He immediately recognized the woman cloaked entirely in black, the strands of her hair barely contained beneath the hood. He'd come upon her and another female companion that morning as their coach was under attack from a band of highway thieves. The body of her son lay dead on the road.

She removed her hood and said, "Sir, I wanted to thank you properly for aiding us today."

Her wrinkled, frail fingers clutched at the neck of her cloak. She did not smile, but her eyes held a twinkle he found curious for a lady who'd faced the death of her son mere hours before.

"I'm sorry I didn't arrive soon enough to save your son." Sorry didn't seem enough, but after years of witnessing death both at his hand and that of his enemies, he had no other words to offer.

"I am sorry too, and I will grieve his loss for the rest of my life. He was ill prepared for fighting, I'm afraid. I am not here to talk of my son, but to reward your service. My daughter Hannah is safe tonight because of you."

Available at:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Knight-Her-Arms-ebook/dp/B005FYTDX6/ref=sr_1_4?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1313165357&sr=1-4

All Romance Ebooks: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-aknightinherarms-586348-141.html

Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/78585

Barnes & Noble: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/A-Knight-in-Her-Arms/Debora-Dennis/e/2940013111103

Bio:

Debora Dennis writes spicy romance with timeless adventure which takes her everywhere from contemporary erotic novellas to historical novels with a paranormal flair. An avid romance reader since she first discovered Barbara Cartland in her junior high library, she’s never without a book on her nightstand or in her pocketbook and now on her NOOK. Always the optimist and firm believer that love really does conquer all, every story she writes celebrates romance. You can find her stories everywhere digital books are sold.

Thanks for being here today, Debora! Your post is just what every aspiring writer needs to learn - putting a word goal target on yourself to achieve every day will do nothing but stress you out. I always put a figure in my head that I KNOW I can achieve and as you said, more often than not you exceed that. Happy days!!

Comments?

Saturday Promo - Joya Fields!

2012-02-04T01:51:00.000-08:00

She’s fighting to stay independent—he’s determined to protect her no matter what…

Brooke Richards survived the earthquake that took her parents and most of her leg, but she needs time to regroup. A trip to Florida for a state-of-the-art prosthesis and to visit her best friend Linda seems ideal. But the trip turns traumatic when Brooke witnesses Linda’s boat disintegrating in a fiery explosion.

Police officer Garrett Ciavello believes the blast was intentionally set to hide something Linda found on a dive. When Brooke offers her expertise in underwater archeology, Garrett accepts her help with the investigation. But since his fiancée’s death years ago, Garrett has become overprotective, and as they are drawn to each other, Garrett realizes he will risk anything to keep Brooke safe.

Brooke is fiercely independent. Garrett is fiercely protective. Will they heal each other’s wound and find a killer…before it’s too late?

Excerpt

For the first time since the accident, Brooke forgot about her leg. Forgot about all she’d lost and focused on the way Garrett made her feel.

She knew she needed to stop him. She should find a way to resist the temptation to be with him. But for a few minutes, she could enjoy the taste of him, the feel of him, couldn’t she?

He dropped his hands to her waist and softened the kiss before trailing a line of kisses down her neck. A weak cry slipped from her mouth. “Garrett,” she whispered.

She should stop this now before it got any more intense.

He lifted her chin and forced her to meet his brown eyes, smoky with desire. Heat spiraled to her middle and she caught a whiff of his sawdust scent.

“I…I can walk you back to your own room before I head to mine.” His voice broke as he whispered.

She swallowed hard. She couldn’t do this right now with him. Too many obstacles stood in their way. But as she looked in his somber eyes, she realized none of those complications were bigger than her need for Garrett.

“Let’s go to your room,” she said, her voice shaking. She moved her hands inside his shirt and ran them over his tight abs and chest. Heat soared through her body at the feel of him. “Together…”

Buy Link:

http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=137&products_id=4733

Welcome Bloomin Thyme author, Dianne Venetta!!

2012-02-01T23:22:00.000-08:00

I am excited to welcome Dianne to my blog today for two reasons, 1) Her books are published under Bloomin Thyme Press, tell us more...and 2) Your cover art is GORGEOUS and would love to know who put the whole book together for you. Beautiful job! I love it :)

Okay, let's get started...

What is your writing routine?

I try and start my writing day as soon as possible after I drop the kids at school in the morning. On a good day, I’ll have five to six hours of writing time which can be very productive! I keep water on my desk (much to my husband’s dismay, since water and computers don’t mix well) and two computer screens open—one for writing and one for research/fact-checking.

But alas, problems arise when I remember there is laundry to do, bills to pay, a house to clean, dinner to prepare...argh! The list of distractions goes on! As you can see, working from home is no easy task. And when I have to write a love scene? Bring on the mood music—I have chores to drown out!

Which author/s inspire you to write?

Authors that have achieved the pinnacle of success inspire me. People like Nora Roberts and Debbie Macomber, because in listening to them they make me believe that if they can do it, I can do it. Authors like Roxanne St. Claire and Brenda Novak who are in the middle of the climb inspire me, because their energy and enthusiasm is contagious. And then there are the authors in my local chapter like Wynter Daniels, Pamela Labud, Terry Odell and Catherine Kean who help me become a better writer while they keep moving forward, forging new paths in the ever-changing industry we call publishing.

Which is your favorite romance subgenre to read? To write?

I enjoy reading romantic suspense, provided it’s not too scary or gory. Romantic comedy is fun, because it leaves me feeling happy and positive. (I don’t do doom and gloom.) And of course romantic women’s fiction, which I like to read AND to write!

How do you deal with criticism/rejection?

Ugh. Usually my “sales gal” cap is on safe and secure and I know from experience that getting the sale is only a matter of time; 3 out of every 100 cold call recipients will actually talk to you and one will lead to a sale. Or so they say. So when I’m utilizing this logic, each “no” just means I’m that much closer to a yes. Good news!

But a few years back I received an exceptionally tough rejection (apparently my thick-skin was thinning) and I had to “step away from the beast” so to speak—in order to regain my perspective and objectivity about the craft of writing. Where did I go? Why out to my garden, of course! No better place for me than outdoors. The family and I take care of a 4000 sq. ft. garden and this is a great retreat from the confines of my writing world.

What do you expect from an editor?

An experienced eye for story elements that work, sage advice on plot and character development and of course, excellent grammar skills. For overall appeal of my story, I rely on beta readers with no experience other than reading stories they love. In the end, it’s the readers who matter most!

Tell me about your latest release.

Sam is a feisty lady lawyer with a lifestyle steeped in personal freedom and independence. While family is important to her, she has decided to remain childless and husband-free. Until Vic Marin arrives on scene, that is. Then her current lifestyle choices are challenged.

There is a sub-plot in the novel involving Sam’s younger sister Jessica that pulls Sam and Vic into conflict regarding personal choices and decisions, one that reaches into their relationship and forces Sam to re-evaluate what she thought she wanted from life and what she may desire instead. Lust, or love? It’s time for Sam to choose.

Tease us with a blurb or short excerpt.

She has what he needs, and he won't stop until he gets it. Trouble is, what begins as a matter of death, becomes a matter of life.

# # #

One case away from partnership, Samantha Rawlings is forced to share her high-profile case with a sexy younger man, whose eyes are on a different prize. In the best interests of her client, Sam opens the door to his strategy. Turns out, a little too far...

Victor Marin has ulterior motives. The defendant in her case holds the key to his revenge, and his last chance for justice. But as he chases old demons, he uncovers a powerful woman with no inhibitions, one he wants to possess for himself. But decidedly single, Sam wants no part.

Until Vic walks away.

Excerpt

“I like you, Sam.”

“Me, too,” she murmured, swept away by the current running between them.

“A lot.”

He skimmed the backs of his fingers along her temple, and every inch of her wanted to respond. Balmy breeze, the heavy scent of ocean, romantic moonlight... All he needed was to say the word.

“What are we going to do about it?” she asked, quieting her response, taming the exhilaration coursing through her. She didn’t want to appear eager. Interested, but not eager.

“I don’t know.” He smiled. “What I do know is I’m in a difficult position.”

Realization settled in, but she asked, “How so?”

Vic’s smile turned electric. “My boss is sexier than any woman has a right to be.”

Careless to the schoolgirl grin lengthening across her face, she was captivated within the spotlight of his attention. Which was crazy. She was used to entertaining the hot-crackle-pop of new lovers, the tentative first beginnings, but for some reason, this one was different. Not only snared, this one had her hooked, but good. “Go on...”

“Not only stunning, her mind runs circles around most others. A trait I find incredibly appealing in a woman.”

Doubt pushed in. Should they do this?

Which is your favorite character in the book? Why?

It’s hard not to love Sam. She’s a strong woman who is deeply spiritual, lives by her own rules, has fun in a free-for-all sort of way, likes it spicy and gets to bed some pretty HOT men. Yet she does things for the right reasons. She practices law to “right” wrongs, volunteers her time with under-privileged kids and is always there for her friends and family. Samantha Rawlings is not only someone I’d like to spend some time with, but live vicariously through as well! Definitely a hoot, this one.

What are you working on right now?

My third book in this character series deals with a woman’s appearance—both physical and emotional—and her feelings in regard to the same. A tough exterior may prove useful in business, but will it sustain the woman inside? Can she be both tough and confident on the outside, yet soft and insecure on the inside?  Men can bluster and power their way through doubt. Can women?

There’s also a particularly delightful hero waiting to help her wade through the murk of uncertainty and emerge strong and sure with a clear vision of not only what she wants from life, but what she needs. Personally, I’d follow him anywhere!

Your biggest piece of advice to aspiring novelists?

Write because you love to write and write the novel of your heart. Don’t try and write to the market. Don’t try and churn out a quick book for a quick buck. In the end, you’ll only end up disappointing yourself and your readers. Follow your passion, study your craft and practice, practice, practice. Remember: a career in writing is a marathon. Be prepared to put in the work necessary and persevere.

If you do? You too will be able to say: “I can’t believe I get paid to do this!”

It’s a great feeling.

Where can readers find you?

Everywhere, thank you for asking! My website is http://www.diannevenetta.com. You can join me on facebook.com/DianneVenetta and twitter @DianneVenetta and many reader sites like Goodreads, Shelfari, etc. If you enjoy gardening, check out my blog at Bloominthyme.com. And for those of you who like the feel of a book in your hands, my books are available in both electronic format and print.

Thanks for having me today!

Author bio:

Dianne lives in Central Florida with her husband, two children and part-time Yellow Lab--Cody-body! When not whacking away at her keyboard crafting her next novel you'll find her in their organic garden chasing grasshoppers and plucking hornworms all while drawing wild analogies between kids and plants and men. Definitely men.

A girl's gotta have fun, right?

When she's not knee-deep in dirt or romance, Dianne contributes garden advice for various websites and volunteers in her kids' school garden (a crazy existence to be sure). But at the end of the day, if she can inspire someone to stop and smell the roses--or rosemary!—kiss their child and spouse good-night, be kind to a neighbor and Mother Earth, then she's done all right.

http://www.diannevenetta.com

http://www.twitter.com/DianneVenetta

http://www.facebook.com/DianneVenetta

http://www.BloominThyme.com - the last being my garden blog

DIANNE IS GIVING AWAY a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour.

Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here: http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2011/11/virtual-book-tour-lust-on-rocks-by.html

Thanks for visiting, Dianne - bring on the questions and comments... :)

Welcome Lyrical Press writer, Sara-Jayne Townsend!

2012-01-30T23:21:00.000-08:00

Today I have fellow UK writer and Lyrical Press author with me, Sara-Jayne Townsend. For some reason, I assumed Sara-Jayne wrote romance. I could not be more wrong, lol! She is a horror and crime-writer. So much for assumptions! Anyway, happy to have you here, Sara-Jayne, looking forward to reading your post...

THEATRICAL CONNECTIONS

By Sara Jayne Townsend

I love the theatre. The first time I was on stage, I was five years old, appearing in a school production of PETER RABBIT. I was a flower in Mr McGregor’s garden. I had to sit cross-legged on stage wearing a headpiece of construction-paper petals, singing about what a fine garden it was.

That’s when I was bitten by the bug, and I got involved in all the productions I could at school after that. However, I was never all that good at acting. I was, however, a very good reader, and supremely organised. In junior school this meant I was always the narrator, and in high school I was always the stage manager.

Later on I got involved in amateur dramatics. Although this was a lot of fun, and I spent many happy years involved in plays, time was always a factor. It’s bad enough trying to fit the writing around the day job. When involved in a play, I was going straight from work to the theatre, and straight from the theatre to bed, fitting in eating and sleeping whenever I could. Writing got put on the back burner.

When I made a conscious decision to be more disciplined about finding time to write, I decided reluctantly that the amateur dramatics had to go – there just weren’t enough hours in the day to fit it in with everything else.

Occasionally, I miss it. But I think the decision to make my amateur sleuth, Shara Summers, a professional actress was one way of bringing the theatre back into my life again. I am able to transfer that thrill of adrenalin when the curtain goes up on the first night to her. I am able to use my experiences with the theatre as part of her back story. Various anecdotes from theatrical friends have found their way into DEATH SCENE.

I also thought that an actress would possess useful personality traits for an amateur sleuth. Shara is nosy and forceful, and not afraid to poke her nose in where it’s not wanted, in order to solve the crime. She is able to don disguises and take on different personas in order to infiltrate a place to hunt for clues.

And I get to live the acting life by proxy, by writing about my amateur sleuth. This is a comfort whenever I find myself missing the acting life.

Sarah-Jayne's latest release is Death Scene available now from Lyrical Press. Here's the blurb:

Poking around in family closets produces skeletons…

British-born, Toronto-based, actress Shara Summers turns amateur sleuth when her sister is stricken with a mysterious illness. Summoned back to England to be with her family during a time of crisis, Shara discovers doctors are at a loss as to what's causing Astrid’s debilitating sickness.

After her aunt is found dead at the bottom of the stairs the death is deemed an accident. Shara suspects otherwise. Her investigation unearths shocking family secrets and a chilling realization that could have far-reaching and tragic consequences that affect not only her own future, but Astrid’s as well.

http://www.lyricalpress.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1_52&products_id=409

Bio:

Sara-Jayne Townsend writes horror and crime fiction. Whichever genre she writes in, somebody always dies in a horrible way. By day, she works as a Personal Assistant at a medical college. At night, she kills people off in her writing. She admits to basing characters who meet unfortunate ends in her stories on people in real life, but she’s not saying which ones.

She is a UK-based writer, living in Surrey with her guitarist husband and two cats, but spent most of the 1980s living in Canada after her family emigrated there.

She is founder and Chair Person of the T Party Writers’ Group, the longest-running writing group in London specialising in genre fiction.

Website:

http://sarajaynetownsend.weebly.com/

Questions? Comments? Sara-Jayne would love to hear from you! :)

Saturday Promo - Cornelia Amiri!

2012-01-28T05:41:00.000-08:00

The Prince of Powys blurb:

In an age of heroes, Branda, a Saxon princess helps Blaise, a Prince of Powys, escape her father’s stronghold. In turn, he vows to escort the princess to her sister in Scotland so she can escape an arranged marriage. Instead, he holds her captive as his hostage in the unbreachable hill fort of Dinas Bran, where she captures his heart. Will Blaise be forced to throw away his honor for love or to tear out his heart for honor?

Excerpt:

After sleeping off the ale, he rose at dawn recommitted to keeping Branda, and prepared for his mission in the old ways.

Scan bore the woad and the limewash Neilyn had mixed. Blaise washed his hair with the powdered limestone and water mix then spiked his mane until it stood as thick as a hedgehog's coat. With the woad dye, Neilyn painted magic symbols of the gods upon Blaise's forehead. Painted tattoos liken to the sacred images engraved on the long stones in the tombs. The swirls began small and curved into larger loops. The gods shielded him with these mystical symbols.

The druid chanted ancient words of power as Scan strummed the harp.

"Before the sky and the earth and the sea,

Before the sun and the moon and the stars,

I place a circle of safekeeping around you.

Oh Blaise, bind yourself to Bran's power,

mighty is its strain, oh Blaise.

Magical energy will enliven,

And empower you on the field of battle.

Thrust the Saesneg with the sword of Nuada.

Around you, I place a circle of protection,

To bind Bran's power to you, oh Blaise."

Scan continued to strum the harp and Neilyn drew blue circles upon Blaise's legs, arms, and chest as he continued the enchantment.

"Win your princess as Bran foretold,

So the two of you shall return to us,

To live a life full of honey,

With peace as ample as the sky.

Be this nine times eternal.

I place a circle of protection around you.

Oh Blaise, bind yourself to Bran's power."

Blaise picked up a bronze mirror adorned with Celtic tracery. The image of a warrior prince painted with the magic of the old gods gazed back at him. Pride and determination filled him with a warm glowing sensation of peace and invincibility.

Before he vaulted onto his steed, Neilyn presented him with Nuada's sheathed sword of power. Blaise drew the blade from the serpent etched sheath. The gleaming bronze hilt, curved in never-ending circles of life, mesmerized him as rays of sunlight danced upon the long, powerful sword, which glistened with an ethereal luster.

Neilyn bent his head down and kissed the gleaming blade. Blaise brandished it high in the air as Brochfael, Elisedd, and all the gathered Cymry praised its power.

Buy Now:

http://www.eternalpress.biz/book.php?isbn=9781615725823

Welcome romantic suspense author, Kat Duncan!

2012-01-26T01:14:00.000-08:00

Hi Kat, great to have you here and to be part of your blog tour - wishing you loads of sales and lots of visitors over the coming two days. SO looking forward to finding out more about your new release!

On with the probing questions... ;)

1) Did you set any goals for 2011?

Yes, my goal for 2011 was to learn the ins and outs of self-publishing. It took about 3 months to crest the learning curve of how to format books and produce a great cover, as well as learn where to make books available and how to price and promote the books. As one of my most recent releases, Synapse is one book I can point to as an achievement of this goal.

2) What is the best part of the writing process for you?

The best part of the writing process for me happens when I have the basic idea drafted and I get to really work on and hone the story and the characters. I love finding and developing connections between characters and themes as I hone the story, which to me, is the essence of good prose. In Synapse Bill's father always questioned whether Bill was really his. The conflicts and issues that arose around the issue are resolved in the story, yet Bill is unhappy with how that comes about. I think this tells us that while we may wish for an end to our troubles, we may not always be pleased with the way they resolve themselves.

3) The worst part?

The worst part is definitely the blank page. I can usually dream up lots of good ideas, but for some reason, getting those ideas from my head onto paper is a bit more difficult. That's the part where I feel as if writing is work. I have various carrot and stick techniques I use to force myself to draft. Once the basic idea is down on digital paper I know I can have lots of fun playing with it.

4) What is the book you wish you’d written?

Right now I'd have to say The Host by Stephenie Meyer. In this long, fascinating book she explores the basis of what it means to be human. I really enjoyed the topic because it's one I think about all the time. She took her time uncovering the ways that being human and non-human overlap and the process of how people can change, even if it takes terrible losses and hard-won revelations to achieve.

5) Favourite author/s & book/s?

My all-time top favorite is J.R.R. Tolkien. The worlds and characters he created feel very real to me and his stories and novels are the ones that I have re-read the most.

6) Tell us about your latest release?

Stalked by a killer bent on stealing her laboratory notebook, scientist Molly Augur is desperate to figure out who she can and cannot trust. With the help of co-researcher Bill Banely, she uses DNA technology she invented to prove she can release hidden ancestral memories. In the brain synapses of her mind she finds one person who may know the truth - her long dead ancestor, Mailsi, whose life memories have been recorded in the depths of Molly’s genes.

Ancient passions and betrayals come alive and collide with the present when Molly discovers philanthropist Dr. Philman, with a secret billion dollar need for the technology only she possesses could be the one after her notebook. And Bill, whose wandering heart she has finally won, is working for Philman. In the face of limitless money, what is the value of Bill’s love? Or the value of her life? The answers lie deep within the synapses of her mind.

7) Tease us with a blurb/short except

Excerpt

"Did you dream?"

"Yes." She nodded along with the word, then took a big gulp of milk.

"What did you dream?" He moved closer. Close enough that she felt the warmth of his body. He stared down into her face as she swiped away the mustache of milk with her tongue.

"Uh…It was interesting. And pretty vivid, too."

Bill nodded, keeping his attention on her face. "Was your mother in it?"

"No, it wasn't about my mother at all." she said. "I was Mahlsi, a young Irish girl from Waterford."

"Mel shee. Is that an Irish name?"

"I guess so."

"How young a girl?"

"Ah, seven years old."

"Do you know exactly or is that an estimate?"

"I know exactly. My age was mentioned in the memory sequence."

"You mean her age. Mahlsi's."

"Uh, yeah." Molly broke from his strong gaze to take a careful sip of milk. He must have interviewed hundreds of dreamers in his career.

"Waterford. Are you certain about that, too?"

"Yes."

"And have you any certainty about connections between yourself and Mahlsi?"

Yeah. I am her. "What do you mean?" she asked. That sounded defensive, but he was being clinical.

"I mean do you know of any actual family connections to a person with the name of Mahlsi, or anyone from Waterford in your genealogy?"

"My family came to the United States from County Kerry in southwest Ireland. I don't know of a Mahlsi. But I guess she could be an ancestor."

8) What is your favourite attribute of the hero and heroine?

My favourite attribute for a hero and heroine is honesty. There are times, of course, when complete honesty works against you and can even do harm to the relationship. But I have to really admire and root for a character who tries his or her best to be honest and take whatever consequences may come.

9) What’s next?

Next up is a medieval historical I've been working on. I've gone back and forth with romantic suspense and medieval historicals and it's been fun to try to recreate believable story worlds from centuries ago. This one involves a family feud that ends up involving and endangering hundreds of people until it can finally be resolved.

10) Tell me where you write?

I write anywhere and everywhere, and every chance I get. But I do my best work on a rainy day sitting in my sunroom. I'm not sure what the irony in that implies, but it works for me. If it's a sunny, pleasant day I guess I feel I should be out doing yard work or housework. On a rainy day you can forgive yourself for curling up with a good book whether your reading one or writing one.

11) Where would you like your career to be in 5 years?

I am working toward being a prolific writer, so I hope to have more than 2 dozen books available as ebooks and in print in 5 years. I don't think I can ever stop writing, so I can only hope that there are more and more readers out there!

12) Where can we find you?

Web: http://www.katduncan.net

Blog: http://www.katduncan.net/writeabout

Twitter: @write_about

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/writeabout

Kat Duncan is a creation extremist who is doing her best to identify human creativity and free it from captivity, one student at a time. As a young child, Kat once tried to confess the telling of her stories to her parish priest because she thought they fit the definition the nuns gave for telling a lie. With her lies fully sanctioned and blessed by church authorities, Kat has been telling her lies ever since and writing stories to entertain and enlighten. After a successful career as a software engineer, Kat decided she needed something different to do. She's now a tutor of adolescents with special needs.

Web: http://www.katduncan.net

Blog: http://www.katduncan.net/writeabout

Twitter: @write_about

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/writeabout
Kat will be awarding gift basket worth over $15 of Irish items to one randomly drawn commenter (US/Canada only please) and a $10 Amazon GC to the blog host with the most comments so comment away good people!
Thanks for stopping by with us, Kat :)

Welcome fellow Wild Rose Press author, Victoria Gray!

2012-01-23T23:23:00.000-08:00

Hi Victoria! It's so great to have you visit with us today - first and foremost, as a complete book cover addict, I have to say yours is stunning! It has a really oldie romantic feel to it, just beautiful.

Shall we get started with the questions? Yes? Okay then...

Please tell us a little about your story, Surrender to Your Touch.

Will Reed is out to settle a brutal score. The disgraced Rebel officer's own men want him hanged, and an enemy has ordered him killed. Intent on clearing his name and evening the score with those who betrayed him, he begins with the woman he once loved—Union spy Kate Sinclair.

For years, Kate used seduction as a lure. She knew better than to let her heart get involved--until she fell in love with Will. Grieving his death, Kate's joy at discovering him alive shatters when she is confronted by a bitter, vengeful man—a man who'll stop at nothing to learn the truth of her betrayal. As danger pursues them, Kate fights to tear down the barriers Will has erected around his heart, but her most powerful weapon may ultimately destroy her—surrender.

What are your favorite foods?

Chocolate and white wine!

What’s your favorite romance movie?

Wow, that’s a tough one…there are so many great ones! I think it depends on my mood. For a lighthearted romance, Romancing the Stone is a classic …especially since the heroine is a romance novelist, and I adore Bridget Jones’ Diary…there is something super sexy about Colin Firth. If I’m in the mood for a brooding hero, Jane Eyre, is a great choice. Michael Fassbender was wonderfully smoldering in the latest version. The Notebook is a touching romance, and I adored Crazy Stupid Love…wonder if Ryan Gosling had anything to do with those choices?

Who’s your favorite actor?

Again, it’s hard to name just one. Russell Crowe is my absolute favorite…he is simply brilliant and so very hot! Robert Downey, Jr. is another actor at the top of my list these days. His portrayal of Sherlock Holmes is witty and very sexy. Ryan Gosling is terrific, and I adore Edward Norton. Oh, and I certainly can’t leave out Johnny Depp…those dark eyes get me every time!

Name one thing readers would be surprised to know about you.

I love football! I’m a total football fanatic…unfortunately, my team is now out of the playoffs (I’m a Steeler gal!), but now I can relax and see how it all plays out.

What’s your idea of a romantic evening?

A quiet dinner with my husband, followed by a moonlit walk and time in the hot tub with a glass of wine.

If you were going to cast your hero in a movie, which actor would you cast?

When I wrote Surrender To Your Touch, I had Alex O’Loughlin in the part. He’s tall, dark, handsome, and possesses the emotional intensity to play Will.

Where can readers find you on the web?

I hope readers will stop by my website and my blog, http://www.victoriagrayromance.com/ & http://victoriagrayromance.blogspot.com/

I'd love for you to friend me on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1819636616

and follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/VictoriaGray115

What’s your idea of a romantic evening?

A quiet dinner with my husband, followed by a moonlit walk and time in the hot tub with a glass of wine.

Where can readers find your book?

Surrender to Your Touch is available from The Wild Rose Press (print- http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=191&products_id=4652 and e-book - http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=176_135&products_id=4643

Amazon - http://tinyurl.com/6rhtyos

Barnes and Noble - http://tinyurl.com/7l5e73b

And other great retailers!

Thanks for such a fun interview, Victoria! Okay, over to you guys, Victoria would love to answer your questions and comments... :)

Saturday Promo - Annie Seaton

2012-01-21T02:40:00.000-08:00

Winter of the Passion Flower

March 19 2012

Tag: Sexy heroine seeks captain for time-traveling submarine.

Blurb

Indigo de Vargas is determined to exhibit her products at the Great Exhibition in Crystal Palace. The evil Duke Lorca and his shape-shifting servants, however, have thwarted her preparation at every turn. Indigo's only hope is the brooding captain who appears on her doorstep in the midst of a fierce snowstorm, offering to navigate her submarine to the Amazon so she can collect passionflowers for her potions and hallucinogenics.

Steam powers more than the submarine on this voyage. Sparks flying between Indigo and her captain may ignite a passion neither can avoid. Ably assisted by quirky servants, brass goggles and inappropriate accoutrements, they must fight those out to foil her mission.

WARNING: Steam and immodest clothing

Excerpt

Indigo turned to leave, but a warm hand descended on her bare shoulder. “Not so fast, my beauty,” said the captain. He pushed her gently back against the velvet-lined wall and strands of her hair caught on the soft nap. Eyes narrowing, she stiffened as firm thighs pressed her legs back against the wall. Strong calloused fingers slid down her bare arms and the captain trapped her hands, raising them above her head. His moist lips trailed up her neck until his soft breath warmed her lips. “I sense there is much that has been left unsaid tonight. We will explore that in due course. But first tell me the significance of our tattoo.” He spoke against her mouth. The vibration of his words on her lips sent delicious shivers shooting downward. She leaned away from him, tossing her head, and black curls surrounded him. Indigo freed her arms, fingers linked behind his head, and snared him in the velvet folds of her skirt. His grip loosened as she moved her mouth back toward his. Their eyes locked, and she moistened her lips in a slow and sensuous movement. Indigo moved in closer and the captain’s eyes darkened.

Buy Link:

http://www.lyricalpress.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=81&products_id=507

Welcome UK romance author, Elizabeth Kyne!

2012-01-18T23:24:00.000-08:00

Today, I am hosting UK romance author Elizabeth Kyne whose latest release is a romantic comedy set in the English town of Aylesbury. Her publisher is Elly Publishing whom I have never heard of so hope Elizabeth will share a little bit more about them! I love discovering new publishers... :)

Welcome, Elizabeth!

A LESSON IN WRITING

Author Elizabeth Kyne reveals how she learnt the hard way

and passes on a few tips to save you the trouble

I was always wanted to write, even as a child. I tell people that I wrote my first novel at the age of twelve, but my Mum says that I was always writing stories when I was younger, so my literary leanings probably go back further than that. It was obviously something deep within me because I didn’t learn any of this from my family. Neither my mother nor my father (who is dyslexic) read books at home and my younger sister, who was born eight years after me, never became a reader either.

So, even though I loved books, the idea that I could grow up to become a ‘writer’ wasn’t articulated until I was much older. By this time – although still writing stories – I was kind of distracted by the more normal occupations of passing exams, going to university and getting a job. While studying for a postgraduate diploma in radio journalism, I started writing articles for magazines. This was great fun because I could go off and interview someone, write it up and someone would pay me. I liked this so much, I spent seven years freelancing in both radio journalism and article writing. I even published half a dozen non-fiction books.

Then the lure of a regular salary and the pressure of household bills got to me and I gave it all up for a ‘proper job’. This may have seemed a good idea at the time, but it didn’t allow me the freedom to write a novel as I had hoped. Too many 4.30am starts and being in a creative environment zapped my fiction-writing brain. I did this job for about five years until the heavy burden of stress finally made me implode. I couldn’t take it anymore. I decided to go part time and write a novel.

I knew I had the skills and ability to do it. Over the years I’d written lots of fiction, taken lots of classes and knew what I was doing. Except, now I was older, wiser, more experienced and wouldn’t be interrupted by magazine editors ringing me with deadlines that required me to put the novel aside. I had a publishing background with the books I’d written, so all I had to do was put the words on paper – right?

Wrong!

So desperate was I to prove that I had done the right thing in giving up my full-time salary, that I hadn’t realised I’d forgotten a lot of the writing craft I’d learnt during the years. Here are some of the things I failed to do:

1) Practice. I was very out of practice. It had been some years since I’d sat down at the computer and written a story. The best thing I could have done was to remind myself how to do it by getting my hands dirty. Getting a few short stories under my belt would have been a good idea, thereby allowing me to work out any kinks, make my mistakes and re-learn my craft before attempting to write my 100,000 word novel.

2) Get feedback early on. Now, feedback can be a double-edged sword. It can, of course, be brilliant in encouraging you to improve, spotting the things in your writing that are good and the things that need work. It can also be soul-destroying if you get a harsh critique. There is the additional problem of being caught up in the critiquing cycle of constantly re-writing the same story and not progressing. The best advice I’ve been given on critiquing (and writing workshops in general) is not to stress about re-writing after receiving feedback, but to go on and write a new story, using what you learnt in the earlier critique. I think I could have learnt a lot by following this advice – if only I had been given it two years earlier.

3) Research the basics. By this I mean the ‘rules’ of writing and the techniques that novelists use. Like feedback, this can have its dangers as well as its advantages. A piece of fiction that slavishly adheres to the rules is likely to be as dull as watching a Disney parade in the rain. I’m sure some of the classics we still enjoy today wouldn’t be read if, for example, Emily Bronte had sat down to write Wuthering Heights with a set of ‘rules’ in her head. But it would have been useful for me to re-visit some of the tools in the writer’s toolbox; such as the concept of protagonist versus antagonist, and using all the senses when writing description. Because, as I was writing the novel, the lessons I’d learnt in previous years came back to me in dribs and drabs and made me think a-fresh about what I was doing. If only I had taken time to remind myself of them before I started, I could have had all those useful tools at the back of my mind from the very beginning.

4) Think things through. This may sound obvious, but it was something I didn’t do. Not really. You see, I’d spent a couple of weeks plotting my novel and thinking about what might happen and how the characters would react, but I didn’t fully look at the ideas behind the story and work out the consequences that followed. In other words, I’d worked out a plot, but I hadn’t fully realised the concepts within that plot. For example, a plot might involve a princess that falls asleep for a-thousand years and is woken by a kiss from a prince. To turn it into a story, , I might want to imagine the effect on the kingdom of a sleeping princess and the reasons why the prince goes looking for her.

The result of not following the advice above was a flawed novel. Not that I regret writing it, not for one minute, because I learnt an awful lot from writing it. In fact, I learnt most of what I’ve listed above. But it was a very painful way to learn. Over the course of a year, I’d put all my effort and my hopes into this one project only to realise at the end of it that my hopes were mis-placed. It was devastating. Not least because I’d given up my full-time job to become a novelist and all I had to show for it was a novel I felt I couldn’t send to publishers.

I learnt my lessons in one big fell swoop. They were useful lessons, even if I would have preferred they had been broken to me gently. That particular novel never saw the light of day, but I kept writing and I was really proud of my next novel, and the one that followed it, my current novel If Wishes Were Husbands. I’m just about to start the follow-up to Husbands and I hope I can take the lessons I learnt from all what has come before and craft an even better book. Because a good writer never stops learning. Whether she does it the easy way, or the hard way like I did, the only way to improve is to use your experience. Otherwise, what was the point of experiencing it in the first place?

*****

Rachel re-invents herself when she moves back to her home town of Aylesbury; with a new job, a new house and a new haircut. But people’s eyes glaze over when she tells them about her life as a forty-something singleton who works in accounts. So why not spice things up a bit? Why not tell her new hairdresser and her new friends about her fantastic husband? Everyone wants to hear about Darren, the man who cooks her amazing meals, cleans the house and takes her to bed for orgasmic sex three times a night! What a shame he doesn't exist…

…Until she comes home one night and finds Darren sitting in her lounge. And everything she said becomes true: from his sensuous food to his skill in bed. So real, that she believes it.

Not as if living with a perfect is man is… well, perfect…

She can’t find anything because every time she puts something down, he tidies it away. Then there’s the shock of the credit card bill from buying all that gourmet food. Not to mention the sex! Three times a night is great at first, but sometimes all she wants at the end of the day is a sandwich and some sleep.

Then Rachel decides that Darren has to go - and that’s when her troubles really begin.

Elizabeth Kyne takes the absurdities of the modern woman's quest for love and turns them into an enjoyable romp. She finds the comic in everyday situations, from buying a dress to experimenting with hair dye at home. While, underneath, she comments on the pressure to find the perfect husband and how that quest is doomed for us all.

PAPERBACK

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wishes-Were-Husbands-Elizabeth-Kyne/dp/1908340010/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1319364974&sr=1-3

http://www.amazon.com/Wishes-Were-Husbands-Elizabeth-Kyne/dp/1908340010/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1319365757&sr=1-3

EBOOK

http://www.amazon.co.uk/If-Wishes-Were-Husbands-ebook/dp/B005S66A8M/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1319364974&sr=1-2

http://www.amazon.com/If-Wishes-Were-Husbands-ebook/dp/B005S66A8M/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1319365757&sr=1-3

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/92446

http://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/if-wishes-were-husbands/id475075856?mt=11

http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/if-wishes-were-husbands/id475075856?mt=11

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/if-wishes-were-husbands-elizabeth-kyne/1106913246

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-ifwisheswerehusbands-606059-150.html

*****

Elizabeth Kyne trained to be a radio journalist and spent her early working years reading news bulletins and writing for magazines. Later, after learning the meaning of “mortgage” and “gas bill”, she decided to do the sensible thing and drop the freelance lifestyle to get a proper job. The job, however, all went horribly wrong and she returned to her first love of writing, and worked on several novels before finding success with “If Wishes Were Husbands”.

http://www.elizabethkyne.co.uk

http://www.facebook.com/elizabeth.kyne1

Great post, Elizabeth! These are good points for all of us to remember - as per my recent post on Goal, Motivation and Conflict. Nine books in and I'm still learning the basics, lol!

Elizabeth would love to chat!

Welcome fellow Class of '85 author, Kat Henry Doran!

2012-01-17T01:08:00.000-08:00

It is my great pleasure to introduce you to Kat Henry Doran who is a talented author and huge support to many writers at The Wild Rose Press, including myself. Funny, talented and a great advocate for The Wild Rose Press, Kat has written two books for the popular Class of '85 series as well as several other titles. Be sure to check out her impressive backlist at:

http://kathenry.com/

Over to you, Kat!

Hi, Rachel

Thanks for asking me to visit your blog today. I hope we can have some fun!

1) Who is your favorite author and why?

I have several favorites: Nora Roberts for her use of dry humor and the men she creates. I like Vince Flynn for the non-stop action of his thrillers and Michael Connolly for his legal-suspense novels featuring Mickey Haller. I like John R. Maxim and David Wiltse for their ability to create multi-layered characters, each of whom draws me into the story immediately. I also like Robert B. Parker's Jesse Stone.

2) When did you first consider yourself a writer?

When I realized the 27 page response I’d written to a get well card from an old friend was the beginnings of a book. That was 1987; the book was first released in 2006 from Wings Press and re-released in 2010 by The Wild Rose Press. The title is “Try Just Once More.”

3) Describe your writing space?

I write at a laptop, sitting on a loveseat in front of the TV set with ESPN or the Food Network blasting. Some will say they can’t tolerate distraction of any kind, but it works for me.

4) What are you reading now?

I don’t have much time to read these days so I make use of the time I have by listening to audio books. In the car I’m listening to Sandra Brown’s Chill Factor. In the sewing room [more about that later], I’m listening [again] to her story Envy. I love that book. Adore it. Idolize the hero Parker Evans.

5) How many books have your written?

I’ve written two full length novels and five novellas. Which is your favorite? They’re like my kids. I love them all the same, but each for different reasons.

6) What comes first, plot or characters?

Characters, absolutely, right down to the color and style of their underwear and their choices in food, music and the cars they drive.

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

Doesn’t everyone? When it hits I just take a nap till it goes away.

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

I design and make tote bags and purses for fun and profit. For anyone who’s interested, you can see a sample on http://www.katskarryalls.blogspot.com/

9) Tell us about your latest book?

Mad Dog and the Archangel is the second to last release in the Class of ’85 series out of The Wild Rose Press. It is about con man Rafael Archangeli who is given a second lease on life when he inherits a mega million dollar trust and meets Grace, Mad Dog, Dunavan, a former nun. It was a lot of fun to write.

10) What’s next for you?

I’m starting a series which features the Wild Things, a group of attorneys, both civil and criminal, who specialize in helping those who make too much money to qualify for a public defender but not enough for a Dream Team defense.

Blurb

Rafael Archangeli returns home to Summerville to bury an old friend, collect his inheritance, and then return to the only life he knows—conning wealthy women out of their money. In Rafe's world, money not only equals success, it goes a long way to obliterate the stigma of his past.

Grace Dunavan, former nun turned community activist, gave up worldly goods a long time ago with no regrets. But she's never known a man with the raw appeal of the Scourge of Summerville: Rafael Archangeli.

Their first meeting is like an errant strike of lightning, fierce and stunning in intensity, and takes both by surprise. Has Grace turned Rafe into a changed man? Or is he using his inheritance to pull off the biggest scam of his life?

Excerpt

Safety First.

A personal motto that served Grace Dunavan well for the past thirty-something years. She never picked up strange men. In fact, she rarely dated men, strange or otherwise. And wasn't she the first to preach the wisdom of obtaining a detailed history—family, medical and sexual before contemplating a walk on the wild side? With any man, including the brother of her best friend.

Especially one whose thick mop of jet colored hair, hooded black eyes and razor-sharp cheekbones, all of which held undeniable appeal for a good girl who always did what the nuns and her parents dictated. With a name like Archangeli he should be a protector, not a walking advertisement that proclaimed: I've Been There, Done That; Let Me Tell You All About It.

As he helped her into her coat, Grace heard Gaby murmur something about an attorney who was trying to track down Rafe. None of it made sense. What woman in her right mind could think straight when faced with a man who redefined potency?

It was a night of firsts for Grace: leaving a party with a man she'd never met before; admitting how and where she'd learned to drive; breaking the land speed record for contemplating her first one night stand.

Bio

Over the years I've had the honor to work at a number of occupations: operating room nurse, malpractice insurance investigator, forensic nurse examiner, victim advocate, wife and mother. Five years ago I became Nana for the first time and, believe me, it’s the best job ever!

Even if I sometimes wish they'd remain in the closet, the years I spent in the OR and labor floor, and later advocating for victims of sexual violence, contribute significantly to the voice of my writing. You don’t spend thirty years playing loyal serving maid and mind reader to egotistical surgeons, then twelve years haunting police stations, Emergency Rooms, and criminal courts without developing an internal alarm system for covert misogyny, rampant apathy, and overwhelming bigotry.

I retired my stethoscope and speculum a few years ago but continue to advocate quietly for marginalized populations through Amnesty International and Doctors Without Borders.

I like hearing from readers. You can contact me through my website: http://kathenry.com/ or blog: http://wildwomanauthor.blogspot.com/

Thanks so much for being here, Kat - LOVE the sound of your new legal series!! Can't wait for that :)

Kat will be giving away a Funky Bag and a Toiletries Bag from Kats Kustom KarryAlls, filled with author swag to one random commenter on the tour as well as to the host with the most comments (excluding the host's and Kat's). US and Canada only, please.

Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2011/11/virtual-book-tour-mad-dog-and-archangel.html

Over to you guys! Kat can't wait to hear from you :)

Goal, Motivation, Conflict...

2012-01-15T23:33:00.000-08:00

I am using today's blog as a place to vent...grrr!!!

I am just starting book number 10 - yes, 10. You'd think after penning that many 70,000 + word books, a little thing like Goal, Motivation and Conflict would be established in my mind. Not a problem to face each and every time I start a new story...that's what you'd think. WRONG!!

Today, I am attempting to come up with the GMC for book ten but also go back to the drawing board with book nine - which my agent is expecting to be delivered and polished to within an inch of its life by Feb 1st. Hmm...

Why has this problem arisen with book nine now, I hear you ask.

It all started yesterday when my wonderful critique partner mentioned two points - 1) one of my characters made a decision that felt completely unnatural and 2) she's worried I'm relying too much on external conflict which means my internal is weak.

Ouch!!! But she's right. The more I read the chapter she was referring to, the more I think about the entire book...her points are entirely valid. :(

So, back to the drawing board on not one, but two books - any tips? I'd love to hear how you plan your books, deal with GMC and ensure you internal conflicts are driving the story. I am trying not to have a panic attack at this stage of book nine...help me!!

Rachel x

Saturday Promo - Barton Paul Levenson!

2012-01-14T02:12:00.000-08:00

Today is the start of my new Saturday Promo Spot - each week I will be highlighting a different author of various genres (not just romance) by showcasing their books covers, blurbs and excerpts - oh, and of course, that all-important buy link!

If you are an author and would like a spot or maybe even an interview on one of my Tuesday or Thursday spots (ROMANCE ONLY) - email me at rachelbrimble@googlemail.com and I'll schedule you in. But for today, here's Barton Paul Levenson's latest release...

I rolled her onto her back. A spot of color appeared on the white blouse, a rapidly expanding crimson circle. I wondered what kind of decoration it was—something she got on Earth? Then I realized it was blood—a gunshot wound, probably exit because there was so much of it. Someone had shot her in the back as she bent over. I turned to look up at the balcony. Tourists looked down. Either one was the killer or the killer was already gone.

I looked down again. Kartseva tried to speak, but no words came out. She put her hand in her pocket, pulled out a microdisk and handed it to me. I took it and looked at it. "Miz, we have to get you to a doctor—"

She was dead. I stood there holding the disk.

A policeman came up to stand on the other side of the corpse as his policewoman partner went around and plucked the disk out of my hand. She snapped handcuffs down on my wrists. "I arrest you for murder in the name of the Council."

"What? I didn't kill her!"

"Buddy, there's a lobby full of witnesses who'll say you did."

"Gunner" Dahlquist makes a living piloting his freelance ship, The Rockside Hopper. A cynical, but optimistic veteran of Beast War III, Gunner brought one good thing away from the wars–his roommate, Max.

Max happens to be a talking cat.

Together, Gunner and Max pick an odd set of allies in their quest to find the truth to Max's creation. First, there's the veterinary student who's a martial arts expert and may be falling in love with Gunner. Then the bioengineered Eastern Orthodox mystic who claims to be Max's sister. Next is a coarse and sullen failed shapeshifter experiment. Last is the infant "cereborg" who's trillions of times more intelligent than humans... but is she a friend to Gunner and company, or is her very existence a threat to the human race?

http://www.lyricalpress.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1_23&products_id=264&zenid=m3nrf0s6adavq73urg5lj94m54

Welcome contemporary romance author, Marie Astor!

2012-01-11T23:43:00.000-08:00

Hi Marie! Great to have you here and to be a part of your blog tour. I don't think we've chatted before so I'm looking forward to getting to know you better. Lovely pic of you, by the way. I love your top. Gorgeous!

Okay, let's start the interrogation... ;)

Hi, Rachel. Thank you for inviting me to your blog and giving me the opportunity to talk about my latest contemporary romance, On the Rim of Love.

1) When and why did you decide you wanted to be a published author?

Despite the fear of sounding boring, I must answer truthfully and say that I always wanted to be a writer – it was just something that I thought I would always do. As the time went on, I realized that unless I actually started writing, my dream would never materialize, so one day, roughly three years ago, I sat down and wrote my first sentence with a deliberate intent of writing a novel. Since then, I have written three books: On the Rim of Love – contemporary romance about the unexpected power of love, Lucky Charm - contemporary romance about love, luck and friendship, and A Chance Encounter and Other Stories – a collection of short stories about love and everyday life.

2) What is the best and worst thing you have learned from an editor/agent?

I believe that editing advice should be taken with a grain of salt – on several occasions, I have received conflicting advice from different editors – one was telling me to delete a scene from the manuscript, while the other one was telling me to keep it.

The best advice that I ever received was to listen to my own inner author voice.

3) Favourite author/s?

I read all kinds of genres – I love romance, but I also enjoy women’s fiction and literary fiction. Some of my favorite writers (in no particular order) are: Richard Russo, Kristin Hannah, Anita Brookner, Kurt Vonnegut, Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Jennifer Haigh, Jane Austen, Sarah Addison Allen – the list goes on, but I’ll stop now, before I run out of room.

4) What is your typical day?

I try to write every day; sometimes, life gets in the way, but I strive to devote at least two hours to writing / editing (depending on the stage of the manuscript I’m working on) every day.

5) Share your blurb or short excerpt from your latest release with us

On the Rim of Love by Marie Astor

Maggie Robin has been dating the irresistibly good-looking, successful Jeffrey Preston for two years. But when Jeffrey proposes marriage a week after Maggie’s college graduation, she is no longer sure if she wants to marry a workaholic TV producer.

Her doubts culminate when during a ski trip to British Columbia, Maggie meets Taylor Denton, a handsome, free-spirited big mountain skier who is the complete opposite of Jeffrey. It does not take Maggie long to realize that she has fallen in love with Taylor and she decides to break off her engagement with Jeffrey. But just when she thinks she has found the love of her life, an ill-fated misunderstanding tears Maggie and Taylor apart.

A week later, Maggie is told that Taylor has died in a tragic ski accident; yet, her heart refuses to believe in Taylor’s death. When Maggie returns to Taylor’s native town, she learns that Taylor is indeed alive, but has been seriously injured. Resolved to bring her lover back to life Maggie stands by Taylor’s side, convincing him to embrace life again.

Here’s a brief excerpt:

The bulletin board was filled with countless notices and announcements, but the one that drew Maggie’s attention was a picture of a skier flying down an endless expanse of snow. Taylor Denton having another great day on the mountain, said the caption next to the picture. Maggie stared at the photo, as though she were frozen still. The skier in the photo was wearing helmet and goggles, but the same confident grin shone on his face, the same golden ponytail flew down his shoulders, and the same neon jacket covered his back.

Now, she had a name to connect with the face, and, suddenly, Maggie realized the true reason why she had been so nervous about coming to the Owl Lodge.

“I’m Taylor, Taylor Denton.” The younger man stepped forward without waiting for Jeffrey’s introduction.

I already know that, Maggie thought. For a moment, she was rendered speechless as her gaze remained glued to the dazzling green of Taylor’s eyes: there was something in his open, fearless gaze that unnerved her. “Very nice to meet you, Taylor,” Maggie struggled to keep her voice leveled as she shook Taylor’s hand – his hand was warm, and his grip had just the right amount of pressure. He held her hand in his for a moment longer than necessary, or it might have been just her imagination, but the electrifying sensation she felt at the touch of Taylor’s hand filled her with guilt anyway: her fiancé was standing right there, and she had no business having these kinds of thoughts about some daredevil skier she had just met.

6) Who would you cast to play your hero & heroine in a movie?

For Maggie I would cast Carey Mulligan

For Taylor I would cast Ryan Gosling

7) Did you plan this book? Or write it as it came?

I always try to a write at least a rough outline – when I first start working on a novel, there is this urge to delve right into writing, but even though drafting an outline can be tedious at times, it helps tremendously with the writing process. For On the Rim of Love, I wrote out initial outline where I plotted scenes for each chapter, but as usual, once I got to the actual writing, the outline evolved along the way.

8) What surprised you the most when you became a published?

That there were people out there who wanted to read my books! I am very grateful to all of my readers – I write for you and each and every comment coming from you is valued and cherished.

9) Do you have a dedicated writing space? What does it look like?

My favorite place to write is at home – in my small office (it’s actually a converted dining room) – that’s where I am most productive, but when weather is permitting, I love taking my laptop and heading to the local park and typing away under a tree.

10) What’s next for you?

I am currently reviewing the second draft of my next contemporary romance – it is a love story about letting go of one’s inhibitions, finding true love and learning to tango. The release date is scheduled for March of 2012. Stop by my website, www.marieastor.com, if you would like to sign up to the distribution list to receive updates on future book releases and events.

More about Marie:

Marie Astor is a die-hard romantic who wholeheartedly believes in true love, which is why she writes in the contemporary romance genre. Marie is the author of contemporary romance novels, On the Rim of Love, Lucky Charm, and a short story collection, A Chance Encounter and Other Stories. In addition to being a writer, Marie is an avid hiker, an excellent swimmer, a good skier, and a capable badminton player. Stop by Marie’s website: www.marieastor.com to sign up for book releases and events.

Marie can also be found on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/marieastorcollection

and Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/marieastor.

Books by Marie Astor:

On the Rim of Love – a contemporary romance about unexpected love.

http://www.amazon.com/Rim-Love-Contemporary-Romance-ebook/dp/B005TOWI7K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322449445&sr=8-1

Lucky Charm – a humorous contemporary romance about love, luck and friendship.

http://www.amazon.com/Lucky-Charm-Contemporary-Romance-ebook/dp/B005BZL3L4/ref=pd_sim_kinc_2?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2

A Chance Encounter and Other Stories – a short story collection about love and everyday life.

http://www.amazon.com/Chance-Encounter-Other-Stories-ebook/dp/B004E112TO/ref=pd_sim_kinc_2?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2

Marie will be awarding a custom made jewelry set (necklace and earrings) to one randomly chosen commenter and to the host with the most comments (excluding the host's and Marie's) -- US / Canada only, please.

Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2011/11/virtual-book-tour-on-rim-of-love-by.html

Great interview, Marie! Huge luck with the tour and all the lovely sales I hope it brings - off to find you on Twitter and FB now!

Marie is waiting to hear from you... :)

Welcome Melange Books author, Brenda Whiteside!

2012-01-09T23:24:00.000-08:00

When I hooked up with Brenda for today's interview, she had me interested just from the title of her latest book, "Honey on White Bread"...what?? I can't wait to find out more about it, and more importantly, read it!

Let's get started... Welcome, Brenda! :)

1) When and why did you decide you wanted to be a published author?

About eighteen years ago, I took a creative writing class for fun. I’d loved to write as a kid but hadn’t put pen to paper in years when someone mentioned the class. Now, a day without writing is unfinished and leaves me restless. I had so much fun writing and after a couple of years and several short stories later, I wanted to share my fun. Or at least I hope it’s fun for the reader.

2) What is the best and worse thing you have learned from an editor/agent?

It’s hard to come up with a worse thing. I adore editors – would be lost without them. But they are human. There was some advice I received from one on where to market a book and wasted some time trying her direction. The best thing I have learned from an editor is how to make a scene deeper. I tend to get carried away with dialogue and not put in enough physical and emotional tags. She taught me how to sprinkle them in with great results.

3) Favourite author/s?

The list is extensive but I’ll throw out a few and in no particular order: Diana Cabaldon, Dick Francis, Ernest Hemingway, John Grisham, Jennifer Crusie, Mark Twain

4) What is your typical day?

I’m up by 6 a.m. and head straight to the coffee pot. While it brews and during my first cup, I check email and Facebook. Unless I receive something that needs further attention, I’m writing by the 2^nd cup of coffee. I try to take a break mid morning for either a short yoga routine or squats (both are great for the back). While eating lunch, I’ll check in on email and Facebook again. After lunch, I attend to my editing job or proof. I work for two small publishers. The balance of the afternoon is writing related in some way – research, storyboard, plotting, etc. I get the dog out for a walk in the late afternoon, check email and FB one more time and start dinner. And of course, dotted in are marketing and critique partners pages. There are times, like now, when the routine is out of kilter as I am doing promo for new releases. Just not enough hours in the day!

5) Share your blurb or short excerpt from your latest release with us

Honey On White Bread

When seventeen-year-old Claire Flanagan is wrenched from her father and deposited at the Good Shepherd’s Home for Wayward Girls, all dreams for Hollywood stardom are lost. But when twenty-year-old Benjamin Russell helps secure her release, she starts to believe in a happy future with him…until she discovers his ex-girlfriend is pregnant.

In this post WWII coming of age novel, Claire discovers the silver screen can’t compare with the fight she takes on for the leading role in her own life.

6) Who would you cast to play your hero & heroine in a movie?

I’m torn between Scarlett Johansson and Emma Stone for Claire. Benjamin could be played only by Shia LaBeouf.

7) Did you plan this book? Or write it as it came?

For one thing I’m not a plotter. For another, I typically write characters that are at least forty and usually closer to fifty. But Honey On White Bread is the book of my heart. I grew up watching old 1940’s movies every afternoon, especially when it got too hot to be outside in Phoenix, Arizona. The forties were also my mom’s teen years and she’s a wonderful storyteller. I fell in love with the era. This book percolated for a few years in my head until I got it down on paper.

8) What surprised you the most when you became a published?

The work had only begun! Writing is the easiest, and certainly the most enjoyable, in my opinion.

9) Do you have a dedicated writing space? What does it look like?

I do. I have a small computer table and on it are my laptop, five reference books, and an assortment of clips, post-its and pencils. On the wall, to one side, is a white board calendar that changes month to month with appearance dates and projected writing milestones. I also have a few framed pictures that might change depending on what I am writing. There is also a scented candle (nagchampa).

10) What’s next for you?

Personally – we’re moving to prairie country in Arizona at Christmas. Crazy timing. Professionally, I’m writing a romantic mystery that will in turn have two more spin off novels from it. And then I have another book brewing in my head for a bygone era – 1930’s America. So much to write and so little time!

I love to hear from readers and can be reached at

brenda@brendawhiteside.com.

For information on my other December releases and for my latest contest news, visit www.brendawhiteside.com.

You’ll find her most days on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BrendaWhitesideAuthor

On the 9^th and 24^th of every month I blog at

http://rosesofprose.blogspot.com/

Honey On White Bread ISBN: 978-1-61235-267-1

http://www.melange-books.com/authors/brendawhiteside/honey.html

Honey On White Bread Amazon ASIN: B006LWJ6VU

http://www.amazon.com/Honey-on-White-Bread-ebook/dp/B006LWJ6VU/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1323877492&sr=1-1

Warm Christmas Wishes ISBN: 978-1-61235-265-7

http://www.melange-books.com/authors/anthologies/WarmChristmasWishes.html

Tattoos, Leather and Studs ISBN: 978-1-61235-258-9

http://www.melange-books.com/authors/brendawhiteside/tattoos.html

Great interview, Brenda - you sound as though you work so hard! I wish you all the success in the world with regards to your work and sales. Hope the move went well over Christmas too! Right, off to find you on Facebook...

Brenda would love to hear from you!

The Story Behind The Story...

2012-01-06T01:41:00.000-08:00

When people ask writers where they get their ideas from, more often than not we have no clue – or is that just me? Having said that, I know where the idea “Getting It Right This Time” came from...a snippet of narrative I heard in my head while ironing – I kid you not.

While watching the latest episode of Grey’s Anatomy, I heard “Her name echoed around the room. The scraping of chairs and the shifting of bodies sounded harsh in the subdued atmosphere as all around her people turned and stared.”

What??

I had no idea what it was all about, but it was enough for me to leave the ironing and grab a notebook. Who said her name? Where was the room? Why was the atmosphere subdued? The questions had started and now it was up to me to answer them.

That’s how a lot of stories start for me. I usually get to hear a tiny piece of narrative or a character’s voice in my head either telling me their problem, or what they want. More often than not it leads to a character wanting to start a new phase of their life.

Storytelling is about a journey, a protagonist’s change as they work through problems and obstacles, and in romance, finding a love that will last the rest of their lives. I love my job and hope I can do it forever.

Excerpt from “Getting It Right This Time” – (Including that first piece of narrative!)

Kate turned away, tears blurring her vision. “But Mark Johnston is not anyone, he’s…”

And then, as though sensing her gaze on him, Mark looked directly at her. “Kate?”

She froze.

With the microphone forgotten in his hand, her name echoed around the room. The scraping of chairs and the shifting of bodies sounded harsh in the subdued atmosphere as all around her people turned and stared.

Her mind raced as Kate stood completely immobile. She didn’t move, even as she watched him put the microphone down on the bar and walk toward her. After a long moment, the onlookers hesitantly struck up conversation or picked up their drinks.

Finally, Kate’s paralysis lifted as panic threatened to engulf her. She looked at Lucy. “God, I’m not ready for this. Do something.”

“What can I do? I…”

Nausea rose in Kate’s throat and her stomach clenched tightly around her fear like a closing fist.

“Kate?”

She turned, her feet as heavy as lead. The laughter shining in his eyes when he’d been talking a moment before had been replaced with shock and confusion.

Kate swallowed. “Hello, Mark.”

He squeezed his eyes shut before opening them again. “What are you doing here?” He pressed his thumb and finger to his forehead. “I mean…how did you…when did you…” He stopped. “Are you back?”

His voice shook with what sounded like anger. How dare he be angry with her? Drawing on every ounce of strength, she tilted her chin. “Yes, Mark, I’m back.”

http://www.lyricalpress.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=3_25&products_id=296

Welcome my online friend and hard-working writer, Harlie Williams!

2012-01-04T23:25:00.000-08:00

I am so happy to host one of my best online writing friends to guest here today. Harlie is an aspiring and extremely hard-working writer with a goal of finishing and submitting at least three books this year. I want you to join with me in wishing her all the best for what I am sure will be a fantastic year. Go, Harlie, go, Harlie!! :)

1) Did you set any goals for 2012?

I kinda sorta did. My parents gave me a new laptop for Christmas so I’m not fighting for computer time at home. I’m entering more contests this year and I’m joining a more intense critique group. I need the kick in the pants more than anyone knows. I would like to have all three of my WIPS finished and subbed before the summer.

2) What is the best part of the writing process for you?

I actually like the critiquing/editing part of the process. I crave feedback since I’m new and I take criticism very well. As a reviewer, I know that what I write is subjective so I’m looking for the glaring, “I’m not a writer” things that I need to work on.

3) The worst part?

I would say rejection and I actually have one rejection for a short story but for me, it’s the bedroom scenes. I’m not used to writing them so its sorta weird for me. I’ve been told the more I write them, the better. Keep in mind though, the scenes that I have written are NOT erotic. PG-13/R at best.

4) What is the book you wish you’d written?

I wish I could write like Tom Clancy. Clancy’s love affair with his country through his character Jack Ryan is classic and yes; to me Tom Clancy’s books with Jack Ryan are romantic. Jack Ryan is the perfect alpha male in so many ways. ***sigh***

5) Favourite author/s & book/s?

Linda Howard, Cherry Adair, Karen Robards, Sandra Brown, Tom Clancy, Julie Garwood and Rachel Gibson, just to name a few. Favorite books are the McKenzie books by Linda Howard, Cherry Adair’s TFLAC books are the bomb, Clancy’s Jack Ryan books, Julie Garwood’s contemporaries featuring the Buchanan’s, Deirdre Martin’s NY Blades hockey series and its connected stories. Great series from Deirdre and you don’t have to like hockey. .

Tell us about your latest release? This is the prologue for my excerpt.

Jack Moore finally decided that enough was enough. His old body just couldn’t take it anymore. Cancer had finally taken a toll on him and God decided that it was time. He knew in his mind that it was time, too. He would see his parents and his beloved wife, Linda, after ten long years.

Jack’s veterinarian practice was successful and he knew that Kevin McCloud would take care of his patients. Inviting Kevin to intern with him had been the best decision he made, and he knew that Kevin would do well for himself and deliver the best care to the county. Kevin was a fine veterinarian and an even better surgical vet than Jack. Kevin was young and enthusiastic about animals, and it helped that he was up on the new surgical procedures. Kevin would also continue doing rounds to the outlaying ranches, and farms, that couldn’t get into town for their routine veterinarian care. Now what about Forrest?

Forrest Danielson grew up to be a fine young man. Steadfast, loyal and willing to lend a hand to anyone that needed it. Forrest was also his friend. When Jack got sick, Forrest continued to go on rounds with Kevin and lend a hand. Whatever the farmer or rancher needed, Forrest personally would deliver it that day. He was the unofficial third in the practice. With his co-ownership of the feed store with his father, Jack knew Forrest would be okay. What worried Jack was Forrest’s personal life. Jack had seen Forrest through his marriage, his divorce, and then discovered Forrest wanted a woman that would love him, and the town in which he grew up.

6) Jack knew just the woman for him but Forrest had been too blind to see that his niece, Donna, was that woman. Donna had been in love with Forrest since they were teenagers. When Jack got sick, he decided to make Donna his estate beneficiary instead of his three grown children. He knew it was for the best for everyone involved. Playing matchmaker from the grave wasn’t going to be easy but Jack knew that Forrest and Donna would find their way towards each other.

Tease us with a blurb/short excerpt

That went well, Donna thought. Forrest hasn’t changed a bit. Okay, maybe more gorgeous but his generosity and friendliness were still intact. Standing on the front porch of her uncle’s house, she pivoted towards the porch swing and sat. Barely swinging and closing her eyes, she thought back to riding in his truck to the feed store. Why did I cry in front of him? I know that I’m human but what I didn’t expect was for Forrest to be so compassionate. And then we kissed. Fire brewed in her belly again. Why did he kiss her and why did I kiss him back?

I’m a full-blown, simpering, emotional woman that needs her head checked. I came back to bury my uncle and deal with his estate, not fall in love all over again with Forrest. I have a life in the city, a job I love, plenty of friends but no one to share my life. I am pathetic. Here I’m all worked up about a man that I haven’t seen in fifteen years. Did he even cross my mind when I was at college? No, he didn’t because we were at different colleges. Hell, our paths didn’t even cross in town when I came to visit Uncle Jack and my cousins. So why am I thinking about him now? Actually it’s my libido that is doing the work now. Taking a deep breath and slowly letting it go, I felt my body start to relax when I heard footsteps ascending the front porch stairs. I knew who it was and I wasn’t in the right frame of mind.

“Go away, please. I’ve had enough for today.” she said.

“No, I will not go away and neither will you, Donna. Please talk to me, that’s all I’m asking.”

Opening her eyes, she really looked at him and saw sorrow in those gorgeous eyes. And maybe something else, she wasn’t sure. “What do you want to talk about? Uncle Jack is dead, I’m here to help plan the funeral and settle his estate. When that is done, I’m going back home to my classroom to teach and live my life. Need I to explain it in more simplistic terms?”

He suddenly grabbed me by the arm, and pulled me up against him, until we were standing belly to belly. Licking her dry lips, she saw a man that was on the edge of his sanity and didn’t want to push him any further. Softening against him, she laid my head on his chest and sighed. She soon felt warm arms wrap around her and was engulfed in all the male goodness that she expected from him. Strong, yet gentle, and patient. All he wanted to do was talk to me and I was acting like a spoiled brat. I looked up at him and said, “What is it Forrest? You didn’t come over here to spar with me, so talk. I promise that I will listen to you.”

7) What is your favourite attribute of the hero and heroine?

Forrest is actually a real person from my dad’s hometown and when my grandmother died a couple of years ago, he was at the funeral and come up and hugged me. We hadn’t seen each other in over 10 years. He told me that he stopped by her house a couple of weeks before she died just to say hello. Forrest is a kind, caring and very compassionate man. Unfortunately, he is going to have to work hard on Diane to come around. Diane is a very strong woman and doesn’t expect to find love in a town where she was considered an outsider. She fights back and fights for what she wants.

8) What’s next?

I really need to finish this up and start writing the second and last book in this series. Plus, I have another series planned but this one will be harder to write because the heroine is me.

9) Tell me where you write?

Actually I started this at work but I mostly write at home on my bed or kitchen table with my new laptop.

10) Where would you like your career to be in 5 years?

I would like to able to quit my EDJ and write full time. Believe this or not, but that’s what hubby wants too for me.

11) Where can we find you?

I have a writing blog and an author page on Facebook. I use my real name for Twitter. Too confusing otherwise. J

Twitter: @marika67

http://mywritingbyharlie.blogspot.com

Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Harlie-Writer/224885394212458

Email: HarlieWilliams25@gmail.com

Youe series sounds great, Harlie! It reminds me a little bit of my favorite Nora Roberts book ever, Montana Sky. That was a situation where the patriarch on a ranch dies and the ranch has to be split between the remaining children. The conflict is rife and the romance sizzling. Sounds similiar to yours, lol! Looking forward to seeing it published ;)

Harlie is waiting for your comments...

Happy 2012!!!!!!!!

2012-01-01T03:46:00.001-08:00

Well, it's here. The Christmas festivities are a thing of the past, we've rang in the New Year and now the new and best intentions we've ever had begin today.

How are you feeling? (And I don't mean your banging head from too much wine and cocktails last night) Are you ready to face the New Year with enthusiasm and personal belief? Written out at least three new goals to reach, one of which is bigger than you ever dreamed for yourself?

I truly believe after much soul-searching and reading The New Earth (please, please, please read this book in 2012) by Eckhart Tolle in 2011, anything if possible if we want it enough. Positive thinking and living is key!

Sooo, what are my top three goals...here goes!

1) To write two full-length novels and two novellas

2) To have one of the two novels currently with my agent picked up by a top New York house (Dream big, remember!!)

3) To learn something new - I have yet to decide whether this will be a history or English literature diploma or a new craft. Whichever it may be, something new will be learned.

Okay, my top three, what are yours? - I'd love to hear them! In the meantime, I want to thank all you lovely visitors and readers for making 2011 such a fantastic year for me, both personally and professionally. I am still reeling from all your lovely messages after my daughter's accident as I am all the other wonderful things you've done for me this year. You're fabulous!!

Happy New Year!!

Love

Rachel xx

PS: The Wild Rose Press have reduced the cost of all my books right here...just saying ;)

http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=advanced_search_result&search_in_description=1&zenid=e7cbb40c6f01401b9b95c06307beea51&keyword=rachel+brimble&x=0&y=0