Author’s Lunch: A Bite of Reuben Sandwich

Today's Guest: Historical and Suspense Author, Jannine Gallant

2012-02-27T00:00:00.000-05:00

Hi, everyone! Welcome to another maniac Monday. Today's guest is historical and suspense author, Jannine Gallant. As you all probably already know, I'm going to ask you to please help me make her feel welcome here today.

ABOUT JANNINE:

Write about what you know. I've taken this advice to heart, creating characters who live in small towns and plots that unfold in the great outdoors.

Whether I'm writing romantic suspense, contemporary, or historical romance, I try to bring the beauty of nature to my stories.

I grew up in Gasquet, a tiny town in Northern California, where as kids we swam in the river, ran wild in the woods, and rode our bikes every-where we wanted to go. Now I live in Tahoe City with my husband, two daughters, and dog, Ginger. When I'm not busy writing or being a full time mom, I enjoy taking Ginger for hikes in the woods around our home.

I graduated from U.C. Davis with a double major in history and creative writing. Though I've worked in both the restaurant and ski industries, I never wanted to be anything but a writer. After many years of pursuing my passion, I've finally achieved success with the publication of VICTIM OF DESIRE and my CLASS OF '85 stories, proof positive that dreams do come true!

Jannine: Thank you so much for having me today, Alyson. It’s a pleasure to visit your beautiful blog!

Alyson: Thanks, Jannine! And I'm super primed to have you as a guest. Let's begin with you telling us a little about yourself in general. Pets? Hobbies?

Ginger

Jannine: I live on the west shore of Lake Tahoe with my husband, two teenage daughters, and dog, Ginger. I grew up in a small town, and I can’t imagine living in a city. My favorite part of the day is taking a hike (or snowshoe) with Ginger in the woods around our home. Hobbies – hmmm… I wish there were more hours in the day. I do love to cook, if that counts. But writing is my addiction.

Alyson: I know what you mean about writing being an addiction! At times, it's hard to even squeeze in much-needed breaks. Is writing a passion you always remember having? Or did it evolve from an event or special period in your life?

Jannine: I think it was my senior year in high school that I decided I was going to be an author when I grew up. I double majored in history and creative writing, intent on pursuing this goal, and spent my college years working on a wagon train story. That book was never finished, but one of these days I may go back and see if I can salvage something from the hundreds of pages handwritten in a notebook! It took me 30 years to get my first book published, but then, maybe I’m not quite grown up yet. LOL

Alyson: Well, that just proves the truth in the saying, good things come to those who wait. It took me over twenty years to be published (since I was eight), so I know exactly what you mean. At least we've had time to learn what writing techniques work best for us. Which leads to the next question: do you outline and plan a story first, or do you prefer to start with an idea and let the story take off on its own?

Jannine: For full length novels, I generally make an outline, character sketches, etc. I’ve found it’s difficult to keep subplots and secondary characters on track for a longer story without a broad plan. For novellas, I write by the seat of my pants. I usually envision an early scene (often the first one in the book) and build from there. I never thought I’d write shorter books, but I’ve found I enjoy the immediacy of a project I can have ready to submit in under two months.

Alyson: What part of a book do you find the hardest to write? The beginning? The middle? Or the end?

Jannine: Definitely the middle. I LOVE starting a new project, though I probably spend the most time rewriting that first scene. The end always evolves naturally for me. But the middle – yikes! Sometimes it’s like trudging through thick mud to get my characters to the homestretch. That’s where an outline comes in handy to keep me motivated.

Alyson: When you take breaks from writing, what kinds of books do you like to read? Are they the same sub-genre or a different one?

Jannine: I read what I write – romantic suspense and historicals. Even when I’m writing straight contemporary, I have to slip in a mystery to keep the reader guessing. I’m not a big fan of fantasy or supernatural books. But I do love a good ghost story.

Alyson: I love historicals and suspense stories, too. Mix those two elements and I'm in absolute heaven! Your latest book, Bittersweet is a historical, isn't it? And I LOVE the cover! Tell us about it.

Jannine: I began my writing career with historicals, even though I published several contemporary stories first. I actually wrote Bittersweet when my fifteen-year-old daughter was a baby. I had my own perfect (and I use that term loosely LOL) example to use, so I wanted a heroine with a baby of her own. That involved killing off the husband and finding a new hero in Tess’s life. Daniel was an experiment. He’s a beta hero, having always lived in the shadow of his older brother. Isn’t the hero supposed to be the best at everything? Yet Daniel is more of an average guy. And there’s another man involved, the new sheriff in town, an alpha man like the husband Tess lost. Bittersweet breaks a lot of rules for historical romance, but it’s probably my favorite of all the books I’ve written.

BITTERSWEET

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.

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 destroy him.

Alyson: Are you working on another story? Other future projects?

Jannine: You shouldn’t have asked! LOL I’ve got a lot going on right now. Nothing But Trouble, a novella for the Honky Tonk Hearts series with The Wild Rose Press, will be published the end of April. I loved writing this story, and the series has some great authors contracted, so it should be a big hit. Next up is A Deadly Love. I just turned in my final galley for this romantic suspense about a serial killer in the redwoods of Northern California. I grew up in this area, so it was like going home to use it for my setting. I don’t have a release date yet, but it should be out sometime this summer. Currently, I’m undergoing massive edits on the very first historical I completed over 20 years ago. It’s set in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692, definitely a dark period in our history, and my poor heroine finds herself right in the thick of it!

Alyson: Ooh, I'm loving the sound of A Deadly Love! All three of your upcoming books sound fantastic!

Everyone, show your excitement and leave some awesome comments/questions below for Jannine. :)

Review of Leila Meacham's ROSES

2012-02-20T12:36:00.000-05:00

The inside cover says: In the classic tradition of THE THORN BIRDS comes a panoramic saga of dreams, power struggles, and forbidden passions in East Texas. And: With expert and unabashed big-canvas storytelling that reads like a Texas GONE WITH THE WIND, Leila Meacham pens an epic of three intriguing generations.

I could also add the book’s heady blurb, but if I did I wouldn’t have room for the review. However, I will say that the statements above are absolutely correct. This book reminds me of Gone With the Wind (which I love) on so many levels, only with some unique twists and turns. It is similar to The Thorn Birds mostly because of the spanning of generations.

I’m going to post this warning now, before you read any further: if you don’t like juicy epic family dramas, this is not the book for you.

As a longtime fan of ‘Dallas’ and ‘Dynasty’ (I watched both with my mom in the 1980’s) and of the current BBC’s ‘Downton Abbey’, I guess you could say I get caught up in family dramas. So, this book was a natural choice for me.

Writing this review is tricky. The book is sooooo long (607 pages), and the details are layered like a decadent gourmet cake. Honestly, I can envision myself scrambling every which direction to give you the entire layout of the story. So, I’m stopping myself here and now and giving you only my take on a few key points of the story.

Admittedly, Roses got off to a semi-slow start for me. It picks up with the elderly, dieing Mary, head of the Toliver family, visiting her lawyer to make a major change to her will. She no longer intends to leave her beloved Toliver plantation (think Tara from Gone With the Wind) to her niece, Rachel. There are hints that she has very strong reasons for making this change. I would’ve preferred a bit more action from the start, because it took a little while to get absorbed into the story. However, because of its substantial length, Roses can afford to have some slower moments. Once I reached the fifth chapter, which takes us back in time to Mary’s younger years, when she fell in love with Percy Warwick, a member of her family’s long ago enemy clan, and she inherited the plantation (a female mind you, instead of a male, which in those days was just unheard of) instead of her older brother, I was thoroughly hooked. To say I couldn’t put this story down is an understatement. I was forced to put it down… because it was four o’clock in the morning and I needed at least two hours of sleep before finishing the rest!

I love the classiness of these characters. They’re not a horny, sleeping-with-every-character-in-the-book bunch of people, who, unfortunately, are sometimes represented in epic novels. Instead, they are regal, though very human and at times bone-meltingly passionate.

Second of all, I have to mention the fact that what makes this story so very different is that the central plantation, The Toliver’s Somerset, is cursed. I’m not talking about a storybook walk-along-the-property-and-feel-a-chill kind of curse. I mean with a genuine, evil, rip-entire-families-apart curse. At first, I couldn’t understand why Mary would allow her family to come apart at the seams for a mere piece of property. Especially when she had to work so very hard to get the cotton crops to produce for her. Again, think Scarlet in Gone With the Wind after the war ended. However, reading further into the story, I began to get the gist of the curse. It controlled Mary and her decisions. Later, as an elderly woman, she didn’t want to pass the curse onto her beloved niece. Her decision was not without dire consequences.

I don’t want to add spoilers to this review, so I won’t give the lush and gruesome details of what happens to Mary’s mother, her brother, her neighbors, Percy, her son, and everyone else tied to the Toliver family during the three generations the book spans. There are just too many fabulous details.

Do I like this book? Let’s just say it’s rare when a book sticks in my mind for so long. I’m already on the list to receive a first copy of Leila’s next book, Tumbleweeds, to come out in June of this year. Would I recommend Roses to friends and family? If I think they’re strong enough to handle it, yes. Will you love it or hate it? It mostly hinges on whether you like family epics. If so, you should definitely give this book a shot. Wade into the book slowly, be prepared to get frustrated and even angry with the characters at times, keep a box of tissues handy, and I promise you'll be left thinking of this book long after the last page is read.

Five Stars:

Calisa Rhose: Author of HOME

2012-02-13T01:45:00.000-05:00

Hi, everyone! Did you have a nice weekend? Yeah, me too. A couple of local events kept my family busy. We can't avoid community functions, because around here everyone knows everyone else and no one wants to leave anyone out. We're all friends... or, at least, we try to be. That's one heartwarming detail about living in a small area — although there are a few downsides too. I imagine today's guest blogger feels the same way about the small town she hails from.

Everyone, let me introduce you to the awesome Calisa Rhose, author of intriguing romance. She's here to share a tempting peek inside her book, Home. As I always ask whenever I have a guest, please help me make her feel welcome with lots of great comments.

Small-town country girl Calisa Rhose lives in a semi-remote area of Oklahoma with her husband, five dogs, one cat and one horse. All of her three daughters and their families live within throwing distance. She’s a member of RWA and the local chapter OKRWA. She intends to nurture and continue to grow as an author with the help of her family and supporters.

* * * *

Home's Blurb:

What could a gypsy and a Vietnam veteran have in common?

Silvertown’s outcast, Poppy Tippen, has loved football hero Sam "The Force" Callahan forever. But he never seemed to know she was alive. Now he’s home from the war and she suddenly finds herself comforting him from the demons of "that damn war." Is his attention merely an escape from the haunting nightmares? Or does she hold the interest of the only man she’s ever truly loved?

Sam Callahan’s only solace from the war nightmares wrecking his life comes in the unlikely form of a gypsy girl with stigmas of her own. He’s known Poppy his entire life, but there’s something different about her now. Something special he desperately wants to hold on to. Can he convince her she’s the only thing he needs to put the past behind him?

Excerpt:

Over the next week he actively avoided his mother as he raked and watered the lawn. He’d found out the gardener had left when his mother stopped paying him, not that Sam blamed the guy. So, he would try to do what he could to fix the old place up again. Somehow, like himself, he doubted the place he’d called home would ever fully recover the ravages of wartime. It gave him something useful to get through the days before he creeped out at night.

"Sammie, we need to talk."

He dropped his head and counted briefly before facing his mother. "Good morning, Ma."

"Have you talked to that woman?"

No nonsense, that was Ma. He dragged in a heavy breath to stifle a groan. "What woman would that be?"

"Don’t play games with me, Sam. You know full well I’m talking about that gypsy woman who owns the doll store. Did you tell her you want the doll back?" His mother threw hands to hips. He waited five ticks. Yep, there it was. Her left foot began flapping like a fish out of water to make known her full ire at him. He almost grinned.

As he stared at her tapping foot, Sam realized he’d actually missed that trait in his mother while he’d been gone. But she wasn’t interested in reflections of days past. "No. I’m not going to get the doll. It’s better off gone if it causes you so much distress. Just forget it and let it be, Ma."

"Forget it? Haven’t you heard what I’ve been telling you? It will only cause more problems the longer that woman has it!" She was almost yelling and Sam cringed inwardly with a glance around. She ought to keep her voice down or—

Or, what? Did he expect the VC to pop out of the surrounding sticks that had once been shrubbery admired by the whole town? Yes. He did. Damn it all. Why was it so hard for him to let go of the war he was no longer a part of? He shuffled his loafer-clad feet and sighed heavily. "What’s so special about that doll that you won’t let it go?"

His mother looked away from him as though she had a secret and twisted her hands around her ever-present hankie. "It’s bad, evil."

"Then, why on earth would you want it back? Good riddance, I’d say."

"No!" She backed up a step and looked up at him, lips painted the same bright red, and he vaguely wondered if she’d worn it so long it had become permanent, a tattoo. A bright red tattoo. Blood red… "It was a gift from my cousin, Helen, when I visited her in California, before she died. I already told you that. But, it’s cursed! I can’t risk anyone else suffering because of that—that thing!"

Blood red… Sam shook the image off and looked over his mother’s head toward the street.

Of all the times to wander in, he didn’t need Poppy showing up right then, while his mother was on her insane rampage about a doll.

A doll that Poppy’s mother had bought fair and square, according to Ma. Now it was a cursed doll? She’d said something about that last time she mentioned the damn thing. He was suddenly afraid his mother was losing her mind. "Son of a bitch."

"Watch your mouth, young man. I won’t have that kind of language used in this house. Your father—God rest his soul—didn’t use that filth, and I won’t have my only son speak it." She sounded so normal, suddenly.

"Sorry, Ma. I need to go…somewhere, for a while."

"Get the doll." Her voice poured from that red mouth like a warning.

He leaned the rake he’d been using before the interruption against the wood shed and tossed a wave over his head to his mother as he strode for the driveway, and Poppy. Suddenly, it took all his will not to break out in a run and just keep going. Never to stop until he was far, far away from this new nightmare his mother had introduced to him. Blood red, blood. Red, blood, red, blood, red blood.

Sam didn’t stop when he reached Poppy, but grabbed her hand and swung her around with him—took her away before his mother realized who she was. He especially didn’t need her to see the doll shop owner’s daughter.

He picked up his already fast pace until he felt a jerk against his hand and slowed down. He didn’t want to talk. Not yet. Walk. Keep walking…fast.

"Whoa, soldier boy!" She yanked him to a stop. For a little thing, she was stronger than he’d have thought. "What’s with you? If I wanted to race I’d be a horse."

Blood red. No talking. Walk. Her hand still in his, he gave a rough tug.

****

Get your copy of HOME at The Wild Rose Press and Amazon and B&N .

You can find Calisa at her website/blog http://calisarhose.wordpress.com/
On twitter @Calisa_Rhose and Facebook @Calisa Rhose
She loves to hear from readers so drop her a line at calisa.rhose@gmail.com

Winner of Yesterday's Book Giveaway — KNIGHTFALL

2012-02-07T14:39:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to S.G. Rogers for being the lucky winner of Berinn Rae's Science Fiction Romance, Knightfall!

Be sure to stay tuned, everyone, for more upcoming giveaways and interviews here on A Bite of Reuben Sandwich.

**Win An E-copy of KNIGHTFALL: Interview With Author, Berinn Rae

2012-02-06T01:43:00.001-05:00

Hello, everyone! Did you have a great weekend? Another busy one for me. Saturday found me attending an adorable wedding, scurrying to a softball signup, and taking care of some much-needed writing. Sunday was supposed to be restful. Instead, I ended up helping my daughter with a science-fair project that she waited until the last day to put together! Argh! As it turns out, we made a pretty good team. Lucky for her, my daughter has a penchant for science and didn’t mind handling the messy experiment. I helped with the written report. Science isn’t my strong point, I admit. However, anything related to literature and reading I can totally handle.

http://www.berinnrae.com/

Speaking of reading, you're going to love today's guest, author Berinn Rae! She's offering a free e-copy of her book, KNIGHTFALL to one lucky commenter! So be sure to comment after checking out her awesome interview!

Please help me make Berinn welcome!

* * * *

Berinn: Thanks so much for having me today, Alyson!

Alyson: You're welcome, Berinn! It's such an honor to have you here today. Let's start out with you telling us a little about yourself. I know you fly your own plane(s), which has to be the most interesting hobby of anyone I‘ve featured in my blog posts! Would you mind telling us about this? How about pets & hobbies?

Berinn: I fly American WWII warbirds, which come straight from the timeline of A Beautiful Cage (I’m fascinated with that era). To me flying is magical—aviation requires me to leave stress and any other thoughts on the ground and focus on flying the plane. Nothing beats a nostalgic sunset flight over the lake in an open cockpit Stearman biplane. It’s magical.

When I’m not flying, writing, or reading (or at the day job), my husband and I cater to our incredibly spoiled sixty-pound Gordon Setter who’s convinced she’s a lap dog.

Alyson: Amazing! I'd love to fly with you sometime!

Is writing a passion you always remember having? Or did it evolve from an event or special period in your life?

Berinn: I’ve always been a ravenous reader and boasted a pretty impressive comic book collection in my teens. I’m also an incurable daydreamer. Three years ago I realized I had so many ideas swirling around in my mind that I needed to let them out. Writing became that outlet, and I fell completely and obsessively in love with putting new stories on the page.

Alyson: Do you generally outline and plan a story first, or do you prefer to start with an idea and let the story take off on its own?

Berinn: I’m a plotter. Before I even consider writing the first word, I spend about a month on character bios and a one-page storyboard (outline). Once I start writing, the story will take different paths than I ever imagined, but I still like feeling prepared.

Alyson: What part of a book do you find the hardest to write? The beginning? The middle? Or the end?

Berinn: Definitely the beginning. Even after plotting the story for a month or so, getting those first words down on the blank page always seem to be like pulling teeth. Once I get a couple chapters in, the characters take over and push the story to where they want it to go.

Alyson: Oh, I'm in 100% agreement with you on that one!

When you take breaks from writing, what kinds of books do you like to read? Are they the same sub-genre or different?

Berinn: I find myself reading what I write: especially paranormal romance and urban fantasy. My pre-buys always include the latest of J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood, Gena Showalter’s Lords of the Underworld and Kresley Cole’s Immortals After Dark. I buy a new book at least once a week. I am a total sucker for a gritty alpha male and a HEA (Happily Ever After).

Alyson: How did the story idea for KNIGHTFALL come about? Is there anything about the story you want to share besides the blurb?

Berinn: I was daydreaming at the local airport one day the scene from Chapter 1 came to mind – where Gareth and Kerra meet for the first time. Then I started to think what if the seven seals were living things that depended on their hosts’ survival? Well, it’d take lots of sexy badass guys to protect them from a perseverant fallen angel who’d like to see them destroyed. It didn’t take long for Kerra to take over the story from there.

KNIGHTFALL

A woman believed to be the harbinger of Armageddon. The seductive immortal knight assigned to kill her.

Life is relatively normal for bush pilot Kerra Cain. That is, until a fallen angel reveals himself, with plans to use her to destroy the Seven Seals. To escape, she must place her trust in the arms of Gareth, a dangerously sexy but enigmatic man who has haunted her dreams for years. Thrown into a desperate war for survival, Kerra must embrace a heritage long denied her in the passionate first tale of The Guardians of the Seven Seals, a fantasy romance series about innocence lost and heroes forged in a time where a supernatural war threatens to consume the world.

Alyson: I heard some fantastic news! You have a new book coming out this month, don't you? Tell us about it.

Berinn: Yes! Hellbound is the second novel of The Guardians of the Seven Seals, a series about innocence lost and heroes forged in a time where a supernatural war threatens to consume the world.

The Seven Seals are said to be all that stands between humanity’s survival and the end of days. Led by a reclusive angel, the Seven are immortals, enhanced by the marks they bear. After centuries of bloodshed, the Seven and their Guardians have brought down the nefarious Dominion. But the world isn’t safe yet. Now, an outlaw hellhound is building an army to claim the Seven Seals for himself.

Everyone has monsters under their bed. But what if you’re one of them?

A year ago, Lana Wolfe was brutally attacked—reborn a walking nightmare. Carrying scars from her past, she dedicates her life to destroying others like her. That is, until she’s challenged by Orion Benandanti, the Alpha of all hellhounds and host to the Third Seal. But when the hunter becomes the hunted and Orion’s Seal is put at risk, the only way to survive is for Lana to trust the man who very well may destroy her soul.

Read the first chapter for free at http://www.berinnrae.com/

Alyson: While waiting for Hellbound’s official release, are you working on another story? Other future projects?

Berinn: I have an anthology on Greek legends retold coming out this year with a couple amazing authors. And I’m just wrapping up a romantic SciFi about an ordinary woman dropped in the middle of an alien invasion, and it’s up to her to pull off the impossible: save the world and – hopefully – live a little happily ever.

Alyson: Ooh, an ordinary woman dropped in the middle of an alien invasion? Sounds fascinating Can't wait to read it! Again, thanks so much for being here today, Berinn.

Leave a comment and be entered to win an e-book of Knightfall, Berinn’s debut novel. I'll pick the lucky winner. This contest is open to all readers, regardless of location.

A Peek Into A SECOND CHANCE AT FOREVER with Author JM Stewart

2012-01-30T00:17:00.008-05:00

Hi, everyone! Bet you had a great weekend, huh? And probably, like me, you're wishing it wasn't over. Yep, just another maniac Monday. But, here to pep things up at A Bite of Reuben Sandwich, is author JM Stewart, contemporary romance author of Staking His Claim. Not only is she sharing some tidbits about herself and details about her upcoming book, A Second Chance at Forever, she's tempting us with a juicy excerpt from it. As always with my guests, I ask you to please make Joanne welcome with your fabulous comments and/or questions.

http://jmstewart.webs.com/

Hi, everyone! Alyson asked me to tell a little about myself. So, here goes...

I currently live in Washington State. Married to my very own hero, for…geez, fifteen years now I think? Terrible isn’t it? It’s been so long I have to think about it! Lol We have two boys, one of which just started driving this past summer. Eeeks! We also have two puppies, a ten month old lab/Shepherd mix and a four month old Chihuahua mix. My current hobby? Keeping up with the dogs. Lol We had to put our 14 year old German Shepherd down, and we missed her so much we adopted a puppy. Being from a large litter, the new puppy missed her litter mates, so what did we go and do? Got her a friend! They’re adorable and sweet as pie, but they definitely keep me busy. It’s like have three year olds all over again!

A SECOND CHANCE AT FOREVER
Look for it later this year at The Wild Rose Press

Working two jobs and recently divorced, Angela Lewis’ life has no room for love. When her childhood crush finds her at the nightclub on the Las Vegas Strip where she works as sexy stripper Candy Cane and expresses an interest, she can’t resist. She only wants one night to live in the fantasy.

Alex McKinley is still trying to pick up the pieces of his shattered life, and one night with Candy is exactly what he needs. He gets more than he bargained for, however, when he discovers she’s his best friend’s kid sister. Suddenly little Angie’s all grown up and driving him crazy with desire.

When Angela discovers she’s pregnant, Alex knows he’ll stand by her, but the more time he spends with her, the more he finds himself falling for the woman she’s become. She heals his wounded heart and makes him want to live again. The question is, can Alex convince Angela to take a chance on him?

Excerpt:"What’s your real name?" he asked, shoving his hands in his pockets in an effort not to grab her. He was getting another glimpse at her, and he didn’t want to break whatever spell held them bound.

She quirked a brow. "What makes you think Candy’s not my real name?"

"You don’t look like a Candy. You don’t act like one either."

She stared up at him for a moment, her face bathed in moonlight that made her skin seem to glow. Then her back stiffened, and she very softly said, "My name is Angela."

"Angela." He studied her a minute, flicked his gaze over her, reached out and drew a finger down her arm. "You definitely look more like an Angela than a Candy."

Even as he said it, images of a fifteen year old with bright blue eyes filled his mind. The similarities were definitely there, but it couldn’t possibly be her. There was just no way Brock’s baby sister would ever be a stripper at the Diamond.

A reluctant smile curled across her mouth. "I should go. It’s late." She stared at him for a moment, studying his face, then slowly leaned in and placed a gentle kiss to his cheek. "Thanks for being such a gentleman," she said, pulling back to meet his gaze.

She stood so close her perfume drifted to him on the slight breeze that blew through the buildings, ruffling the edges of her hair. And everything inside of him tightened in response, his arms yearning to reach out and pull her against him.

Unable to help himself, he offered her a smile and stared into those eyes as he tapped his mouth. "I think you missed."

She stared at him for a long moment, sucked her lower lip into her mouth and bit down, then drew in a barely audible breath and leaned in. His heart drummed in his chest in sheer dumb hope. He understood what she intended two seconds before her mouth touched his, but it was all the encouragement he needed.

He groaned, cupping her face in his hands, and met her halfway. He slanted his mouth over hers, kissed her gently, sipping and tasting, savored the flavor of her tongue and enjoyed the soft play of her lips with his own.

He wasn’t sure what he’d expected from her. She was a walking contradiction. One minute bold and provocative, the next shy and sweet, but she moaned against his mouth, her nails curling into his chest, and pulled herself closer, deepening the kiss. When her tongue flicked against his, he knew he was done for. His arms wrapped around her of their own accord, every inch of him acutely aware of her soft curves molded to his length and burning for that sweet release his body told him he could find in hers.

But with another quiet moan, she pulled back, her eyes fluttering open. A coy little smile slid across her mouth, but a mixture of wickedness and shyness sparked in the depths of her eyes that made him want to groan in agony. The angel and the devil in a single look that wound him in knots.

* * * *

Wowsa! That's one hot excerpt! I'm sure everyone agrees, right? Let Joanne know what you think in the comment section below. :)

A stay-at-home mom of two boys, Joanne lives in the Great Northwest. She started novel writing a little over ten years ago when she had a dream one morning that demanded to be written down. Writing has become her passion. Her first book, Staking His Claim, is available at Amazon and The Wild Rose Press.

* * * *

Chatting With Romantic Suspense Author, Jerrie Alexander

2012-01-23T01:18:00.000-05:00

Jerrie Alexander
www.jerriealexander.com

Hi, everyone! As we head into January's last complete week, I hope your 2012 resolutions or goals are headed in the direction you intended. If not, don't feel bad. My number one goal, to write like a fiend, is off and running — but not without its bumps and bruises. A couple of days last week, my concentration played a hideous game of hide and seek. Drove me crazy with restlessness.

Thankfully, my concentration needs no help today. That's because I'm super excited to announce today's guest author: Jerrie Alexander. Her book, The Green Eyed Doll, a romantic suspense, will debut this year from The Wild Rose Press. I, for one, am eager to read it!

Please help me make Jerrie welcome. She'll pop in and out of the blog all day, and looks forward to reading and answering everyone's comments.

Alyson:Tell us a little about yourself in general. Family? Pets? Hobbies? Other tidbits?
Jerrie: A little about me...hmmm. What can I say in print? Married to a reincarnate of John Wayne. We have one gorgeous daughter and an equally gorgeous granddaughter. A crazy brother who tells people we live so far out in the country (not true) that the transmission for Saturday Night Live shows up on our TV sometime Wednesday morning. The universe left an abandoned seven pound puppy in our back yard a month or so ago, he'd been bitten by a big dog and couldn't lift his head off the ground. Somehow, he'd made it to our backyard and collapsed. He's asleep at my feet today. Happy and well!

Alyson: Ooh... your husband is a reincarnation of John Wayne? I MUST meet him sometime. I'm a huge JW fan. It sounds like your wonderful family has a precious new addition. So glad your puppy found a loving home! Since he's already found his way into your heart, maybe he'll find his way into one of your future stories?

Is writing a passion you always remember having? Or did the desire to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) evolve from an event or special period in your life?

Jerrie: I've always spun stories to anyone who'd listen. Studied journalism but decided those folks were just too rude, so I switched to creative writing. I wrote mostly for myself in the beginning. This was just as well because my first novel, These Boots Were Made For Walking, will never see the light of day!

That effort at writing the great romance served a purpose. It kept my characters from interfering with daily life. But the need to share with others, to reach out with words and touch a reader drove me to seek publication. It's a wonderful gift to affect another person with the written word and I hope I can offer that to my readers. You did that, Alyson, in A Beautiful Cage. Your book touched me as a reader. And now I'm a total fan-girl!

Alyson: Oh, wow, Jerrie... I'm blushing! Thank you so much! That means a lot to me.
I totally agree with you about the need to share your stories with others, and to touch a reader. That too, is my biggest intent.

Do any of your present/past characters represent a part of you? Or do they have traits completely different from yours?

Jerrie: I wish I had as much nerve and spunk as the female characters in my books! They're a lot braver. Maybe their wisecracks and ability to get into trouble reflect my personality a bit.

"...the need to share with others, to reach out with words and touch a reader drove me to seek publication." — Jerrie Alexander

Alyson: What part of a story do you find the hardest to write? The beginning? The middle? Or the end?

Jerrie: All the above. My critique partners will testify that I'm impossible to deal with when I start a new book. I'm convinced I'll never write another word. Then as the book goes on and the plot comes together, it becomes a little easier.

If I had to pick one, it's the beginning. Romantic Suspense has to grab the reader's attention on the first line, pull them onto the rollercoaster and keep them on the edge of the seat for 95,000 words of fear, mystery and romance.

Alyson: Yes, starting a story is like testing the water of an unfathomably deep ocean.

When you take breaks from writing, what kinds of books do you like to read? Are they the same type or a different sub-genre?

Jerrie: In general, I read romantic suspense. Allison Brennan, Karen Rose, Donnell Bell are a few authors I follow. And Avery Flynn, I love her voice. For straight mystery, I read John Sandford and Harlen Coben. But I enjoy a good historical romance.

Alyson: Your novel, The Green Eyed Doll will debut this year from The Wild Rose Press, and I’m looking forward to reading it. The title alone is interesting. Give us a few teaser lines of what the story is about.

Jerrie: A woman running from her past. A Texas sheriff who ignites a flame she thought lost forever. A killer who paints his victims to look like porcelain dolls.

Catherine McCoy, in spite of her aversion to the law, is attracted to the cowboy sheriff at her latest stop. Catherine begins to believe she’s found a place to start a new life. Keeping secrets is a mistake, one that could cost her dearly.

Sheriff Matt Ballard hunts for a killer in the middle of the longest heat wave and drought on record. A green eyed redhead moves to town and captures his heart. When he learns she’s lied about her past, the bond of trust he thought they had formed is broken.

Catherine disappears, but the killer has a surprise coming. She’ll fight to the death before being abused again. But will her determination be enough?

Alyson: While waiting for its official release date, are you working on another story? Other future projects?

Jerrie: The Last Execution is complete at 96,000 words. Hell or High Water is my current WIP at around 82,000 words. Hell or High Water will be the first series I've tackled. Both are Romantic Suspense.

Alyson: Did you set goals or resolutions for 2012? Care to share?

Jerrie: My critique partner, Barb Han, has a degree in marketing. She believes a person must have a business plan. To tell the truth, she beat me into submission in 2011. Don't tell her, but I liked having goals and objectives laid out in front of me. In fact, I finished my 2012 business plan before she reminded me. Here are a few of my goals:

· Research/meet/pitch agents and publishers to find the best possible fit

· Set up blog tour to launch the release of The Green Eyed Doll

· Continue to grow as a writer and hone craft

· Stay on top of trends in the publishing industry

· Develop relationship with future readers

Alyson: Wow, sounds like you have a real strategy for 2012, Jerrie! I especially like how you mentioned staying on top of the publishing industry and developing relationships with future readers.

*A fun question: If, for one day, you had a chance to swap personalities with one of these three people to find out how they really feel about their life and circumstances, good and bad, which would it be? A.) Actress, Angelina Jolie, B.) Author, Nora Roberts, or C.) Celebrity chef, Paula Deen? Yes, I know… this is an unbalanced list of choices, and you might not particularly like any of them, but that’s what makes it fun. For me, it would be hard to choose, because each person is interesting for an entirely different reason.

Jerrie: Hard choice is right. Angeline Jolie does great humanitarian work. She'd be super interesting to meet. Plus she has a really hot husband.

Nora Roberts is...well... Nora Roberts. I heard her speak at the RWA conference in Orlando, and I believe if I asked her for advice, she'd repeat the same words of wisdom she shared with us all. "Just write the damn book!"

But I'd have to swap with Paula Deen. I read she's battling Type 11 diabetes, and I wish her the best. She seems to be a down-home gal who loves to live, eat and laugh. Just think of the recipes I'd come home with.

Alyson: Yes, I love Paula Deen. She makes cooking look like such a breeze. I drool over her recipes.

Thank you so much for being here today, Jerrie! Your answers are awesome. I predict that you'll have absolutely no problem making the connection you seek with future readers. They'll love you for your warm personality and even more for your obvious talent with words.

** Jerrie mentioned that she sometimes wishes she had nerve and spunk like the female characters in her books. Have you ever caught yourself wishing you were more like a particular character you've read in a story?

Love Is In The Air: Guest Author, Nancy Jardine WIN AN EBOOK

2012-01-09T00:55:00.009-05:00

Hello, everyone! I hope you're staying warm and toasty, avoiding ice and yucky sleet if you're on my side of the world. If you're on the other side where it's not winter... please don't tell me about your warm, sunny days! You can probably tell I don't exactly embrace winter. But there are a few good points about it. Okay, actually just one. It gives us all an excuse to curl up indoors with a fantastic book... or two... or three! And today's guest is going to introduce us to just such a book. Plus, she's giving away a **FREE** ecopy to one lucky commenter! Let's make welcome, author Nancy Jardine!!!

About Nancy:

Nancy has lived in Scotland most of her life with the exception of 3 years when she lived in Holland, where she conveniently gave birth to 2 daughters. Convenient since elementary teaching was her profession (11-12year olds) and it was suitable to have a career break then. Nancy now spends her time writing contemporary romance novels having only recently given up teaching.

The picturesque ‘castle country’ of Aberdeenshire, Scotland, has been home for the last long while and is a fabulous area to live in. She has two grown up daughters, two fabulous sons-in-law and one gorgeous (yes, she’s totally biased) granddaughter of 4 months.

When time permits she adores reading other people’s writing, dabbles in family history research, and does exciting fun things with her daughters and sons-in-law that she’s never done before. Working in her large garden where she tends real flowers and some spectacular weeds sometimes appeals…when she’s in the mood for fresh air!

Hi, Alyson. It’s a pleasure to be on your blog today since the romantics in us are shucking off the events of Christmas and New Year (in reality and in our writing) and looking forward to what the coming weeks might bring. And what might that be I asked myself?

Ahh…the romance of February!

That wonderful Valentines Day is looming yet again. Such a wonderful time for romance writers to write about! The thrill of two people coming together for the first time…or the build-up perhaps before someone makes that first move to snare a new lover…the expectation of romantic-maybe even soppy- cards, wonderfully thoughtful gifts and…possibly even (if you play your cards right) some shared loving. It’s the ideal to have two people romantically in heaven at Valentines but does that always happen in real life? Are intentions, and cards, and gifts always appreciated and valued?

I guess not… Sometimes life has little twists and turns…

I got to thinking about what was happening to my ‘Monogamy Twist’ characters on their first Valentine’s evening together. By Valentines Day, Rhia and Luke have been living together as man and wife for more than seven months, and you’d expect things between them to be hunky dory.

Nope! They weren’t! (Of course to understand why they were like this you’d need to read the whole novel).

Although I never actually referred to the words ‘Valentines Day’ in Monogamy Twist here’s how it went around that eventful time…

EXCERPT:

More than seven months into their co-habitation things began to unravel. Much as he didn’t want to Luke had to spend a night in London without Rhia. She’d picked up a disgusting cold followed by a persistent chest infection and wasn’t well enough to travel.

On his return the following evening he swept her into his arms and kissed her cheek soundly-because she turned her cracked lips away just in time. He was distressed to find she was still under the weather, her cough rattling like mad, but he had the very thing tucked away in his pocket. After a theatrical flourish, he presented her with a beautiful white gold amethyst pendant with matching bracelet and earrings.

"To cheer you up."

"I don’t need jewelry, Luke!" Rhia croaked, handing the set back to him.

It was grossly unfair of her to take her mood out on him, but he could see how miserable she was feeling. Any amusement vanished though when her next retort blasted out.

"Take them all back and get a refund!"

An attempt to soften her nasty comment failed, even though she told him she was touched he’d thought about her and had taken time out of his work-filled schedule to buy the gift. She was shrewish over the incredible expense, and even cast doubt on his purpose. "It makes me feel like your mistress-waiting at home for your return—someone who has to be thrown a bone to keep her happy, Luke. I don’t want them!"

In her present mood he couldn’t persuade her otherwise, her vehement reaction to the gift creating tension between them.

"I wanted to cheer you up, Rhia," Luke protested. "My first proper gift and you throw it back in my face. I wish I’d never bothered."

MONOGAMY TWIST

Luke Salieri thought he'd seen everything. But when he inherits a dilapidated English estate from a woman he's never heard of—and with quirky conditions besides—it’s a mystery he wants resolved immediately. There must be a woman out there who can meet his needs. But how far will he have to go to persuade her? Lucrative employment for a whole year? The job of researching the old house and its fantastic contents is enticing – but Rhia Ashton can’t see herself living with gorgeous Luke Salieri and not wanting his body as well. Can she live and sleep with him for a whole year and then walk away? Rhia has her own ideas about what will make it worth her while.

Contact info:
Monogamy Twist — available from The Wild Rose Press, Amazon.com (.co.uk), and Barnes and Noble.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJVzbrkJQzA
http://nancyjardine.blogspot.com/

http://nancyjardineauthor.weebly.com/

It’s been great to be with you today, Alyson. A huge thank you for inviting me and a belated Happy New Year to all your readers!

Wow — awesome excerpt, Nancy! And thank you so much for being a guest here at A Bite of Reuben Sandwich! I'm wishing you lots and lots of success!

** LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN A FREE ECOPY OF MONOGAMY TWIST!**

Ringing in the New Year: New Hair Color, a List of Goals, and a Special Sale!

2011-12-31T21:23:00.000-05:00

This is such a cute vintage
postcard! Love how the
'New Year' cherub is
popping out of the book!

Hi, everyone!

Yay! A brand new year! I'm looking forward to 2012! But.. I'm not doing resolutions. Nope. Not this time. Instead, I've decided to set goals for myself. Achievable goals. No plans to lose weight (not that I couldn't stand to lose a few pounds!). No plans to be a better version of myself (although there's always room for improvement!). Besides an approaching appointment to have my hair carmelized and to get some glow to my skin, via the tanning salon, most of my goals will stretch into the year and are writing oriented. Here's my list:

1.) Finish my current WIP, CASTLES WE BUILD, which is nearly complete.

2.) Finish my second WIP, A BEAUTIFUL TEMPEST, sequel to A BEAUTIFUL CAGE, which is not nearly complete! Argh!

3.) Write two novellas for TWRP's Love Letter's line.

4.) Polish up a YA story that I wrote last year for my daughter (who complains I never write anything she's allowed to read! lol).

5. ) Find an agent.

Not a long list. But long enough. These goals will give me something to work hard at. And deadlines always serve to kick my butt into action. Just ask my hubby (who, believe it or not, is helping critique my stories) and my actual critique partner, Elle.

I also want to let everyone know that my vintage WWII romance, A BEAUTIFUL CAGE is now only $5.99 at The Wild Rose Press's website: http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=176_145&products_id=4606 If you're looking for something different to read this upcoming year, Gustav and Rebecca's story might just be the one you're looking for!

So what are your plans for this new year? Resolutions? Goals? Share them with me! Let me know what's happening in your world.

S'now Way!!

2011-12-08T14:36:00.001-05:00

Brief update to let you know about an event coming up in 2012:

Hello everyone! Hope your Thanksgiving was a fabulous one, and that you've left a few inches behind your waistband for those yummy Christmas treats!

Speaking of treats, I'm gathering together a list of guest authors for 2012's January and February Author Round-up, and, wow, are there some super awesome authors on the list! They'll be blogging about their latest books, filling us in on their lives, and offering book giveaways and prizes. I'll be posting the names and the dates shortly. So keep an eye peeled.

My naked, snow-laced Red Maple tree.

Depending on where you live, this photo of Indiana's first snow of the year is either next-to-a-blizzard or a measly dusting. But I can tell you, it sure surprised me! It was raining one minute and pouring huge snowflakes the next. Absolutely beautiful... and I hope it doesn't happen again this year. Once every winter is fine with me! Am I being too hopeful? Probably. We're known for having very unpredictable weather.

So how is it around your place? Freezing cold and icy? Balmy and sunny? If you're experiencing nice weather, you can tell me about it... just don't torture me with pictures of you laying out on the beach or wearing shorts!! :)

On the Count-Down

2011-11-10T13:06:00.003-05:00

This is yet another mock cover,
this time by me. I think Elle's J.
Rossi'sdesign bug is contagious!
I usually stick to standard art
mediums, but graphic art is
an art all to itself.

Hi, everyone! Hope you're all doing great! If you're like me, this has been a super busy month. A lot of you have heard of NaNo, which provides a global writing challenge of writing 50,000 or more words during the month of November. Some of you are probably even participating. I'm not. But I sort of am. Yeah, I know... that makes no sense. I didn't think it was fair to join with two partially completed WIPs, so I just decided I'd use the NaNo challenge as a way to speed up CASTLES WE BUILD. So far I have 86,000 words. That count will go up and down before the finished product is, well, finished.

Yes, before anyone asks me, I'm still putting together a list of participants for another round of guest blogging. Can you say 'sloooow'? lol My problem is finding the time to interview other authors. And I have a strong suspicion that most of them are having the same issue at this time of year. Especially since gobble gobble day is right around the corner. Don't you just love Thanksgiving? I love the hallowed warmth and the feeling of being with family. I do plan to blog again before that delicious holiday, so I won't actually say Happy Thankgiving. Well, actually, I just did, didn't I? Oh well.

So, are you participating in the NaNo challenge this year? Or maybe you're doing some other reading, writing, or blogging challenge/event? Drop a comment below. It helps to know we've got cyber friends who are in the same giant global frenzy.

Virtual hugs to you all!

Excited To Share an Excerpt From My Newest WIP

2011-10-24T02:06:00.003-04:00

This is a mock cover that my
fantastic critique partner and friend,
Elle J Rossi made for Castles We Build.
Isn't it gorgous?

Hi, everyone! Today, on this very rainy day in my neighborhood, I'm sharing an excerpt from one of my two latest WIPs, CASTLES WE BUILD. It's in present-tense and in first-person. Very different from A BEAUTIFUL CAGE, but just as intense. No, I'm not going to tell you all about the book... not yet. I plan to give you sneaks and peeks into the story within the next few weeks. Call me a tease! Anyway, if you enjoy it, please be sure to leave a comment below.

I trace my index finger along the longest line on Landon’s bare back. Then I sketch the jagged path to connect to a smaller line running almost parallel with his spine.

This is the first time he’s let me look this closely at his scars. Scars that represent his agony and humiliation. I close my eyes and memorize the texture of the uneven trail contrasting so sharply against smooth skin. I try to imagine that I’m extracting some of the damage, not from the physical mark itself, but what’s inside him, unseen.

Staring at the hot sun and blue sky from above an enclosed prison compound for nine years must’ve seemed like an eternal hell of bleak nothingness. A nightmare world, robbing his youth.

I’ll never be able to erase that miserable part of his life any more than the enemy had erased the beautiful part he’d spent with me.

Bending forward, I plant a kiss on the tight skin between the scars, hoping it’ll penetrate the surface, sinking into the deepest part of him.

“The pain must’ve been excruciating,” I whisper softly.

He rolls over, facing me, reaching for my hand, and bringing it to his lips. “Sure, it hurt. But not as much as living without you.”

He’s looking at me through half slit eyes. At thirty-six, he has a rugged, almost dog-eared finesse. His cheeks and jaw-line are leaner, more chiseled. Harder. The fine lines around his eyes make me realize how much I miss seeing them crinkle up in laughter the way they used to. But in spite of the changes, he’s alluring. Maybe even more so than before.

“Stay here with me, tonight, Julia,” he murmurs against my fingers, kissing their tips. Sensual. Seductive. Skin tingles. Heart beats faster. It would be so easy to stay here. To never leave.

So Easy. And, yet, it would exact a price I can’t make myself pay.

“I’ll be back tomorrow. Around four o’clock,” I promise, retrieving the undergarments draped across the club chair.

Landon’s only response is silence.

He knows already. Because we have this identical conversation every time we’re together, in a hundred different ways. In every touch we share, the truth lurks. In every kiss, there’s the bitter reminder that things have changed.

I have another life away from him. And I can’t forsake one for the other. Not now. Not even tomorrow. Maybe never.

www.alysonreuben.com

Let's Talk Weddings!

2011-10-20T00:30:00.001-04:00

Talk about a unique bridal-do!
Isn't it fantastic?

Here's come the bride... da da da-da....

The bridal march has been running through my head ever since attending my distant cousin's wedding over the weekend. It was a simply spectacular ceremony. The first one I've seen to incorporate all the colors of fall — brown, green, russet, orange, and gold. The bride's attendant's gowns were silken chocolate and their bouquets were a mixture of fall leaves and berries, which really popped against the deep brown. The lighted arch above the bride and groom was festooned in autumn garland and filmy organza. Elegant and beautiful!

I think this is such a pretty
wedding photo. No, I don't
know this couple. Hope they
don't mind me displaying it here!!

Weddings fill me with nostalgia. Makes me think of mine and my husband’s connubial bliss. Our bridal party was simple — a single bride's maid, a groomsman, 2 flower girls, and a ring bearer. But it was exactly the way we wanted it. Our colors were popular that year — burgundy, dusty rose, and hunter green. Am I revealing my age? Anyway, attending weddings always makes me feel like lugging out my beloved photo albums. Looking through them, I can hear our trembling voices taking our vows and the nervous titters from the flower girls. I hear my baby brother, then only eight, shuffling nervously with the ring pillow in his hands, and later at the reception, his laughter as he crams a piece of cake in his mouth. Hearty congratulations and speeches still ring out to me from those pictures. Most of all, I’m reminded of the sound of my pounding heartbeat, nervous and thrilled at the same time.

How's this for a gorgeous groom?
Bet no woman would keep him
waiting at the alter.

If I had to plan our wedding all over again, would I have it the same as it was? For the most part, yes. But it's fun to think of new things I could add to it. More artsy photography maybe. I love some of the new wedding portraits. Especially the ones with an avant-garde touch. And if I were picking modern wedding colors, I’d choose light spring green and black. Or maybe red and black, my two favorite colors. With the exception of a few new friends, I would NOT change my guest list!! I loved each and every person in attendance. And I loved the affection and good wishes people showered on us. Sigh. Call me a romantic. But, hey, I'm unapologetic. That's why I write romance!

So how about you? What's the prettiest wedding you've ever attended? If you're not married yet, what kind of wedding would you like to have? And if, like me, you tied the knot long ago, what would you now do differently in your wedding, if anything?

Winners of K.M. Daughter's Giveaway....

2011-10-14T08:14:00.000-04:00

It was recently brought to my attention that I forgot to post the winners of K.M. Daughter's book giveaway. *Slapping a hand upside my head* Totally my mistake, and NOT Pat or Kathie's. Leave it to scatterbrained me to forget something so important! Where are my handy-dandy post-its when I need them?

So, without further delay, TADA — here are the winners:

Tammy Yenalavitch
Debra St. John
Sarah Grimm

Congratulations!!! Winners, please contact me with your address if you want a paperback, or your email address if you want an e-copy. alysonreuben2010-web@yahoo.com

**** Note: If you'd like a chance to win a free book, stay tuned for future giveaways here on A Bite of Reuben Sandwich. I'm getting ready to start a new round of fall/winter guest authors!

The Question Isn't WHAT to Read, It's WHEN to Read!

2011-10-03T14:04:00.006-04:00

Here’s an advertisement for the
German Oktober Fest I attended
over the weekend: Schnitzel,
potato cakes, Bavarian Cream,
& oodles of booths and concessions.
There were bluegrass bands,
Beatles imitators, and a live polka
band with dancers. The temperature
was a bit nippy, but totally worth
braving for all the awesome activities.

Now that the Summer Blog Bonanza is over, I’m taking a quick break before beginning a fresh round of guest authors.

In the meantime, I've made a recent discovery... well, okay, it's not really a new discovery. Just a reminder. As some of you may already know, back in the beginning of September I signed up as a Goodreads author, hosting a giveaway for A Beautiful Cage that ended with 1665 entries! Yay! Whoo! But looking through the thousands of other books listed on the site brought something else to my attention… I desperately need to make more time for reading in my life! Back in what seems like a lifetime ago, I spent hours and hours reading, sometimes staying up all night to finish a delicious story. I could read anywhere, at anytime, even with a tornado of activity around me and still not lose one iota of concentration. Now, writing consumes a huge portion of my time — and, no, before you ask, I’m not complaining. Crafting stories is my passion! But I’ve made a new resolution — to devote at least an hour each evening to doing nothing but reading other people’s fantastic stories. For fun, not research. Reading is, after all, how I discovered my passion to write to begin with. I don’t want to lose that. And I don't want to miss out on all my author friends' wonderful books!

When do you do the majority of your reading? Before you go to sleep? While riding in the car/bus/subway to and from work? On lunch breaks? Or all of them!

Summer Blog Bonanza: Rachel Brimble, author of The Arrival of Lily Curtis

2011-09-24T00:02:00.041-04:00

Hello, Everyone! Welcome to the final week of the Summer Blog Bonanza. You might feel the term ‘summer’ is a bit passé right now. I certainly do! Autumn has announced herself with a chilly, leaf-shivering hello. Brrr!! In fact, I’ve retrieved my warm, fuzzy slippers from the closet and am wearing them as I type.

Ready to heat things up, guest author Rachel Brimble is here to talk about her latest historical release, The Arrival of Lily Curtis. Grab a cup of hot apple cider (or the beverage of your choice), and be ready to “let its enchantment work its way into your soul…”, as Rachel’s sexy hero, Viscount Andrew Westrop remarks in the excerpt.

About Rachel:
I live with my fantastic husband, our two young daughters and my beloved black Labrador, Max in a small market town near the famous Georgian City of Bath. Having always ‘played’ with writing, I didn’t seriously sit down and write toward publication until I became pregnant with my second daughter – then I told myself to get my butt in the chair and get on with it before she grows up and I’m forced to get a real job!

Lots of short stories followed as did lots of rejections! I took a few distance learning courses, joined some online writers groups and basically, learned my craft. Finally deciding short stories weren’t working for me (they are an art form in themselves!), in 2006 I decided to embark on my first novel and voila Searching For Sophie was born! Since then, my other books have followed each year. I love writing and although I work part time for at my husband’s financial adviser’s firm, I write at every opportunity…and I mean EVERY opportunity!!

And when I’m not writing? You’ll find me with my head in a book or walking the beautiful English countryside with my family. And in the evening? Well, a well-deserved glass of wine is never, ever refused.

Welcome to the blog today, Rachel!!

I can’t believe you live near bath! How lucky you are! I’ve read so much about it through Persuasion, Pride & Prejudice, Northanger Abbey, etc…. I’m a huge Jane Austen Fan, and I have a strong suspicion Jane is special to a lot of fellow romance readers. So, tell us a bit about living in Bath. Do your surroundings inspire you? Has it had a special place in any of your books so far?

I live in a small market town just thirty minutes drive from Bath and feel so lucky. I am here promoting my Victorian historical, The Arrival of Lily Curtis today which mentions Bath several times although most of the action takes part in a small village just outside called Colerne.

It is a hugely inspiring City place and even now after living here for ten years, there are still some parts of Bath I have not fully explored. Bath draws visitors from all around the world. My second Victorian historical is set entirely in Bath but is currently sitting on my agent’s desk so you may have to wait awhile for that one!

I agree with you about writing short stories; they really are an art form all to themselves. So very compact! You mentioned taking lots of writing classes. Do you feel that they helped build on the talent you were already gifted with? Would you recommend aspiring authors to take a class or two?

Definitely to both questions! I was obsessed with taking classes at the start of my career. Writing is a craft that can be learned. I recommend every aspiring writer to take as many classes as they can afford to hone their craft. Having said that, the best way to learn is to practice and just keep at it.

An added bonus is a supportive and honest critique partner – but a bad one can be detrimental so go with your gut. If it’s not working, get out!

You also mentioned that you work part-time with your husband, and fill in every available gap with writing. Plus, like many of us, you have children and a separate life from writing. Can you give us a tiny glimpse into a single day in your life?

Okay, well, I am lucky enough that I have been released from work duty for awhile, yay! My husband has taken on a younger, prettier model for the time being, lol! ;)

So basically my day is get up, get the kids to school and then I write solidly from 9 til 11am, then I take the dog out for a walk and then write from 11.30ish til 2.30. Then it’s school run and Mum’s taxi to their clubs, friends etc plus housework, plus dinner, plus baths.

In between, I am running back and forth to the laptop – I try to keep my evenings free for my family and also, I have found anything I write after 7pm is usually rubbish so best avoided.

Are any of your characters a little bit like you? Or do you prefer making them totally different?

I think there is a little of me in ALL my characters, male or female. It might be their principals, or their experiences or even what they like or don’t like. I don’t think we can write authentically unless we understand our characters beliefs, fears or wants.

Which do you prefer? Alpha-males as your heroes, or males with beta blended with their inner ’tough-guy’?

Beta males definitely! I can’t write an Alpha male no matter how hard I try. I don’t find Alpha males attractive in real life so I wouldn’t as my heroes either.

Every romance author needs to be in love with their hero in order for the reader to feel the same. Anything less, and it will come across on the page and you’d lose your reader. I love all my heroes but Andrew in The Arrival of Lily Curtis is one of my absolute favorites. Yum!

Have you ever found yourself, part way through writing a book, not liking one of your characters? Or vice-versa, have you ever found yourself falling in love with one of them?

LOL! See above. I always fall in love with my heroes but as for not liking a character? That often happens BUT I always understand them and their motives. If you get that right, the reader will care enough to watch their journey and hopefully get what’s coming to them.

Tell us about The Arrival of Lily Curtis. Give us a bit of info about the characters.

The best thing is for me to give you the blurb…

THE ARRIVAL OF LILY CURTIS

At the mention of an arranged marriage, Elizabeth Caughley feels her life is over at the age of three and twenty….so she hatches an escape plan. She will reinvent herself as a housemaid. Overnight, Elizabeth becomes Lily…

Viscount Westrop wants nothing more than his legacy to be passed to his own son one day. Even though he feels insurmountable pity for the unborn child already, he knows how much pain a broken promise can cause and will do what is right. But with the arrival of his new housemaid, his plans are thrown into disarray. Lily is funny, feisty and the most beautiful creature on earth – Andrew is thunderstruck. But if anyone suspects how much he wants to ravish her and endlessly love her, Andrew’s lineage will be in peril. And he cannot let that happen…

You can find it at http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=176_138&products_id=4124

As for the characters, Lily is just fantastic and grows throughout the novel to become a woman that I would love to be. She is brave and honest and wears her heart entirely on her sleeve. As for Andrew? What a man!

What’s in the works? Upcoming releases? Current WIPs?

My latest release is a contemporary romance. Paying The Piper is available now from Lyrical Press. It is a darker, grittier romance set against the backdrop of nightclubs and pubs in South West England. Here’s the blurb:

PAYING THE PIPER

Nightclub manager Grace Butler is on a mission to buy the pub where her mother's ashes are scattered but the owner wants to sell to anyone but her. And that owner happens to be her father...who has a secret she will do anything to discover.

Social worker and all around good guy Jimmy Betts needs funds to buy a house for three special kids before their care home closes. Time is running out and he's desperate for cash. He agrees to to a one-time 'job' for bad-man Karl Butler. But in a sudden turn of events, Jimmy finds himself employed by Karl's beautiful, funny and incredibly sexy daughter, Grace. Their lives couldn't be more different, yet one thread binds them: they're both trying to escape the bonds of their fathers. Maybe the only way they'll be free is by being together, instead of alone.

You can find it at
http://www.lyricalpress.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=81&products_id=424

My next book is currently being polished after a full request from an editor so keep watching my website for updates…

I love hearing from readers, so please contact me anytime!
Rachelbrimble@googlemail.com
www.rachelbrimble.com
www.rachelbrimble.blogspot.com
www.twitter.com/rachelbrimble

Excerpt from THE ARRIVAL OF LILY CURTIS:

“Will you dance with me, Lily?”

“Dance? But we cannot…” Relief, or maybe disappointment, slumped her shoulders and she threw a hesitant look in the direction of the house. “If someone were to come looking for us…” But then he propelled her into his arms with one sharp yank of his wrist.

Her breath caught and laughter bubbled in her throat as he flashed her a cheeky grin and pulled her firmly against his chest. “Come now, Miss Curtis, at least do me the honour of dancing a waltz with me on this beautiful night.”

“A waltz? But I couldn’t possibly…”

“What? Is it too scandalous? Too risqué for your faint heart?” he asked, wriggling his eyebrows suggestively.
She tipped her head back and laughed, suddenly caught up in his drunken rebuff of status and decorum. “For me, sir? Never!” she declared.

He grinned. “Then listen to the music, fair lady. Let its enchantment work its way into your soul until you have no choice but to move with me as though we are one.”

Closing her eyes, Lily let her ears attune to the gentle muted melody coming from the house. Mozart’s harmonious flute and violin duo swept and dipped along on the breeze, snaking its way into her limbs and heart. Opening her eyes, she gracefully declined her head and yielded to his challenge. He took her in his arms and they mirrored each other’s feet perfectly without word or instruction.

Pressed so close to him, with his hand placed protectively at the base of her spine, Lily moulded into the heat of his body. The feel of her flattened breasts against the firmness of his chest aroused something so erotic, so primal inside of her she didn’t know whether to be scared or delighted by it. Heat seared her cheeks as she forced herself to meet his eyes. His own gaze shone. Carefree and devoid of the anger and frustration, her heart leapt to see him so happy. He swept her around and around the limited space beneath the canopy of trees surrounding them. This was the antithesis of the man who so frequently seemed to want to escape Cotswold Hall, galloping away on his horse as though a raging fire chased him.

* * * *

Thanks so much for being here today, Rachel! I've enjoyed the interview, and I'm looking forward to hearing all the fabulous things A Bite of Reuben Sandwich's followers and guests will have to say.

Questions and/or comments? Leave them below and Rachel will be glad to answer them.
:)

Book Giveaway Summer Blog Bonanza: K.M. Daughters, authors of In the St. Nick of Time

2011-09-17T01:52:00.016-04:00

Wowsa, late summer’s found us busy around my house! So many things happening at once. This week, my family has been wrapped up in our small town’s annual festival. We’ve had perfect temperatures for enjoying shish-kabobs, corn-on-the-cob, and candy apples while helping to ‘support’ (using this term makes us feel better) the different booths and concessions. Today will be the grand finale — a town parade, which my daughter’s getting ready for this very minute, preparing to ride on the cheerleaders’ float. We might be a small town, but we believe in celebrating BIG.

And speaking of celebrating, let’s cheer for K.M. Daughters, the first writing team to be showcased here on A Bite of Reuben Sandwich! The dynamic duo, Pat and Kathie, are sisters who share an inherited talent for storytelling. And today they're offering to ***GIVE AWAY*** an autographed copy of IN THE ST. NICK OF TIME, plus a button: All I Want For Christmas Is A Sullivan Boy! Come on, you all know you want one — so comment below for a chance to win!!

http://www.kmdaughters.com/

K.M. Daughters is the award winning writing team of sisters, Pat Casiello and Kathie Clare. Their penname is dedicated to the memory of their parents: Kay and Mickey Lynch. “The Daughters” are wives, mothers, and grandmothers. Kathie lives in northern New Jersey and Pat lives in the Chicago suburbs. In addition to their Sullivan Boys romantic suspense series, published by The Wild Rose Press, K.M. Daughters writes inspirational romance published by White Rose Publishing.

So glad to have the both you here today, Pat and Kathie!

I’m going to start off with a question that I remember Mary Higgins Clark and her daughter Carol Higgins Clark discussing on a TV interview when asked about collaborating their books: Do you two really get along while writing together?

Yes, we really do. We love spending time together doing just about anything.

Part of that bond must be because you had such fascinating parents. Your mother was a natural story-teller and your father wrote children's stories in between his career as a painter. You obviously inherited these talents from them. Did they encourage you to write? Did you have other outside influences?

Our parents encouraged us to write, read, play instruments, play sports, learn languages - in short, to pursue anything that captured our interest and fostered our creativity. We have always read books for enjoyment. Early on other romance writers inspired us to become published authors.

What’s your writing routine? For instance, do the two of you swap ideas? Do you write individual scenes or chapters, then combine them?

We alternate writing chapters and Pat maintains the master manuscript as we build the story.

IN THE ST. NICK OF TIME

Sullivan Boys Series, Book 5

All the Sullivans are good cops… The last Sullivan is a girl. Can she stack up against the boys? Kay Sullivan Lynch, reinstated to the Chicago Police Department after two years as a widowed mom of four, not only plans to excel on the force, but to show her brothers—who opposed her return to “the job”—that she’s up t o the challenge. Captain Flynn Dowd, battling demons of his own, empathizes with Kay’s struggles—but Sidewalk Santas collecting for the hungry are dropping dead all over Chicago. No apparent motive, no identifiable MO. It’s up to Kay and Flynn to stop the "Santa Slayer." As they race against time to stop the killer, Kay’s grief-deadened senses awaken to Flynn's overwhelming sexual magnetism. But when he becomes more than just her partner, will her kids' opposition force her to choose between motherhood and her man?

And your routine has obviously worked out well. You have several books to prove it. Tell us about your latest story, IN THE ST. NICK OF TIME. Where did the inspiration for the story come from?

Kay just wouldn't leave us alone after we thought we had concluded the series with All's Fair In Love And Law. Mike had died in an accident and Kay was devastated and alone. All her brothers had found true love. She wouldn't let us end her family saga until she had her second chance at love.

And Kay certainly has a story to tell, doesn’t she? I like that she’s a cop like the predominantly male members of her family. Even more interesting, she’s a grieving widow with four children. Did you find it challenging to combine those elements?

Kay's decision to return to the force grew out of her healing process. As she emerged from debilitating grief she had to make a new life for her own benefit and for her children's benefit. Before full time motherhood Kay had served as an expert law enforcer - first of the "Sullivan Boys" to follow in their father's footsteps. She was a great cop and a great homemaker. Now, despite the challenges she sees no reason why she can't do both. And we agree.

So do I. I love reading about strong female characters who persevere and triumph!

I just have to ask, do either of you see yourselves in any of your characters?

No, we aren't like our characters. Kay, our Mom's namesake might share some of our Mom's lovely qualities. Having lost our father when we were teenagers we do understand Kay's and her children's grief on a personal level. Pat was a single parent to her two girls for five years after a divorce, and then remarried. Her experience shed light on Mike's reaction to Kay's dating.

What are you currently working on? Are there any upcoming releases you’d like to mention?

Our WIP is women's fiction and we are about halfway through the first draft. Later this year we look forward to the release of Resurrected Love, Volume 3, Gospa Journeys, an inspirational romance novella.

Sounds like you both will be busy for months to come! Thanks again, Pat and Kathie, for being on the blog today!

Comments or questions? We'd love to hear from you! Remember, your comments enter you for a chance to win a free book and a hot button, so drop us a line in the section below.
:)

Summer Blog Bonanza: P.L. Parker, author of Absolution

2011-09-10T01:46:00.021-04:00

Hi, everyone! Welcome to another week of Summer Blog Bonanza! Special treat today! My guest, P.L. Parker, author of paranormal historical ABSOLUTION has a special something she’s giving away today. Be sure to look for more details below.

P. L. Parker
Romantic Adventure at
its Best
www.plparker.com
www.plparker.blogspot.com
www.myspace.com/mrsplparker

About P.L. Parker: Offbeat is a perfect word when describing me. For many years, I taught, performed, as well as choreographed, dance. I am a dreamer and an avid reader of fiction, a sometimes gardener and an inept crafter. I love to travel, always returning to my beautiful Idaho where I reside with my husband, Jack, my children and extended family, Jared, Travis, Zachary, April and Tannis, two huge cats and a toy poodle.

I am a member of Romance Writers of America and Fiona is my first novel. It has been followed by Riley's Journey, Heart of the Sorcerer, Aimee's Locket, Absolution, and Into the Savage Dawn - the sequel to Riley's Journey.

ABSOLUTION

For years, travelers in the French Vosges Mountains heard the wailing of a woman echo in the hollows. Her cries went unbidden. No one was brave enough to seek out the source. Over time, the screams lessen, then stop. Eventually, even the memories slipped away, forgotten.

Six centuries later, two over-eager research assistants find and release the young half vampire, Chloe — unaware of events they unwittingly unleash with her.

Far away, other forces are aware of her awakening. Zaccarius, greatest of all the Slayers, is sent by the Council of Nine to seek out Chloe, determine her worth and render justice. Enticed by her purity and innocence, he becomes her protector. However, Jochad, the Dark Master and his army of evil vampires are eager to claim Chloe.

In the battle that ensues, Zaccarius falls beneath Jochad’s army. To save her lover, Chloe must make a choice. Ancient and dying, Jochad needs her blood to reanimate. His ultimatum—her blood or Zaccarius’ life.

*Absolution is available from Eternal Press, Amazon and most online book stores.

So glad to have you as a guest today, P.L.! First off, I have to say I love how you’ve given paranormal vampires such lavish historical details. Brilliant! In ABSOLUTION, you cover a lesser-known period of history. Give us the timeframe.

The beginnings of Absolution take place in England in 1382. Researching the time frame for the early years of Absolution took me back to England and France , circa 1387 through approximately 1430.

And ABSOLUTION’s heroine?

Chloe, is a child of those times. Unlike the norm, Chloe is given the opportunities few women of her time would be accorded. She is taught to read and allowed a freedom few women would enjoy, until disaster strikes. My troupe of characters are forced to flee England and take refuge in France.

Such a scary period in history! Tell us a few things that were taking place during this timeframe.

It is a time of strife, the 100 Years War waged, England ’s kings held large parts of France as feudal fiefs which didn’t set well with the French Monarchy. It is also this very scenario when in 1429 French forces under Joan of Arc raised the siege of Orléans.

England – 1377, Richard II becomes king at age 10. In 1382 or so depending on the records, Richard II married Anne, daughter of the late Emperor Charles IV, by arranged marriage. Born Anne of Bohemia, she was also known as “Good Queen Anne.”

Queen Anne is mentioned when Chloe, in modern times, reports she met Queen Anne but that was not presented at Court because of her young age.

Who says paranormals don’t require research? Especially historical ones! You certainly did your share, didn’t you?

Yes! Clothing styles, head dress, etc., were all parts of my research. What would my vampire heroine have worn? She is the daughter of a Lord, albeit a country Lord, not a London-towne dandy.

Fashion in 15th century Europe was characterized by a series of extremes and extravagances, from the voluminous gowns with their sweeping floor-length sleeves to the revealing doublets and hose of Renaissance Italy. Elaborate hats, hoods and other headdresses grew in popularity.

For more information on styles of the time:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1400%E2%80%931500_in_fashion

For a list of Rulers during this time frame, see:
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/euru/hd_euru.htm

Before we move into the excerpt, P.L. is giving away a **free ebook** to one very lucky commenter! And when you read the except, you’ll know why this is one book you definitely want to WIN!

A taste of ABSOLUTION’s prologue:

She woke with a start, the pounding of her heart deafening in the confined space. What be this place? Where be my papa?

Her fingers traced the sides of her prison, feeling for an opening, but found none. Confused, she attempted to sit, but the space above her was too narrow. Absolute darkness surrounded her, choking her with terror. She could see nothing, even with her heightened eyesight. The darkness was too dense to pierce.

“Help me!” she cried. “Someone help me!”

She screamed as realization hit—and screamed, clawing and shredding the velvet above until her fingernails broke and her hands bled. I be in a tomb with no way out!

Why?

She screamed again, over and over. Crying and weeping. Please! Please!

“Papa,” she whispered. “Save me…Save me!”

Why had she been so forsaken? What had she done? She knew not, but her sins must be grievous for such a terrible punishment.

She kept screaming until she could scream no more.

Questions and/or comments? Please leave them below. Both P.L. and I would love to hear from you!

: )

Announcing the Winners...

2011-09-04T15:09:00.002-04:00

Thanks to everyone who entered my celebration for the release of A Beautiful Cage!

I drew names from all the people who entered (those who don't already have a copy). And the winners are....

***Congrats to Jennifer Jakes and

Jerrie Alexander!!!***

If you didn't win, I'm also hosting a contest on Goodreads (details in the side panel), where I'm giving away two more copies, ending on September 30th. You're definitely welcome to enter it :)

A Beautiful Cage is out! Let's Celebrate With A Book Giveaway!

2011-09-02T02:43:00.007-04:00

Wow, I thought this day would never get here! I'm floating on cloud nine! I'm also super excited to be giving away ebooks and paperbacks of A BEAUTIFUL CAGE! Details for how to win are listed at the bottom.

A BEAUTIFUL CAGE

Wanted by the Gestapo, Rebecca Bloomberg is on the run for her life. Sheltering in the home of a reporter who writes absurd lies for a Nazi propaganda newspaper is hardly an ideal solution. Irresistibly drawn to the man, she dares not trust him, until she discovers his journalist position is a mask for involvement in an anti-Nazi resistance ring.

Gustav Von Furst has done all he can to perfect his mask. Neither his family nor his close friends know the truth. Hiding a Jewish girl is the most foolish risk, yet there is something about her that makes him want to protect her.

Eager to forget the outside world, Rebecca and Gustav are caught up in a private world of forbidden passion—until unexpected danger lands on their doorstep and they’re faced with a decision that will change everything. Will love demand a sacrifice too great to give?

EXCERPT:

Gustav slipped off his glasses and rubbed his face. Always, when he got a new assignment, his adrenaline shot up and his blood pulsed hotly until he feared his arteries might explode. But once he entered his realm of concentration, the apprehensionwould be forgotten. Today was no exception.

A sudden knock at his bedroom door almost made him strike the wrong keys. When the door squeaked opened, he muttered irritably, “Großmutter, how many times have I asked you not to bother me when I’m in the middle of my work?”

He turned to meet Rebecca’s startled expression.

“Bertie asked me to tell you dinner is ready.”

He shot out of his chair. “You’re not to come in here while I am working. What is Großmutter thinking, to let you roam the house this way?” He yanked her all the way inside the room and closed the door behind her. “I told you to stay hidden,” he growled fiercely. “If someone were to see you... You’re not to come in here again. I have private work to do. Do I have to resort to locking the doors in my own home?”

“Your typewriter.” Rebecca stepped around him, walking over to peer down at it. “The keys are…” She whirled around and stared at him with large, shrewd eyes. “You’re mixing up the letters.”

Quick as lightning, he backed her up against the wall, hands gripping her upper arms and lips pressing against her ear. “Listen to me, Becky. Don’t ask questions.”

She smelled so good. And felt good. A little too skinny, yes, but how many times had he dreamed of holding her?

For just a moment, pushing aside the fact that he shouldn’t, he dropped one hand from his hold on her arm and let his fingers caress down her hipbone, trailing lightly along her upper thigh. Her warm breath, fanning his chin and mouth, seemed to invite him to move closer and taste. And he was seconds away from doing just that.

Where you can purchase A Beautiful Cage:
www.thewildrosepress.com
http://www.amazon.com

* * * *

Here's your chance to *WIN* a digital copy or a print copy, your choice!

This is how it works: Leave a comment or question about the book. Or you can let me know what you think happens next where the excerpt leaves off. I'll tell you this much — the answer isn't as obvious as it may seem. In fact, the scene even surprised me as I wrote it! If you go this route, please keep your language PG-13 or below.

If there are ten-plus commenters (but only one comment per person), I'll pick TWO winners. Twenty-plus commenters, I'll pick THREE... and so on.

****Please be sure to include an email address or website where I can connect you if you are a winner.

Good luck! And I look forward to reading your comments and questions :)

One Day Away from the BIG DAY

2011-09-01T14:32:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow is A BEAUTIFUL CAGE's release date!!! You might call it a birth, so to speak, coinciding with Monday's Labor day, which also happens to be the actual day of labor I went through ten years ago for my gorgeous daughter.

We all know what a birthday calls for, right? ***A PARTY!!!!***

So tomorrow I'll be hosting a release party here in honor of my hero, Gustav and heroine, Rebecca, and their story. While we can't offer ice-cream and cake online, we will be giving away prizes! So be sure to drop by, and leave a comment for a chance to *WIN* a digital copy — or a print copy, if you prefer! And you know wild parties can get, especially when there are lots of people. So, the more commenters the merrier! This is the perfect chance to invite all your friends and their friends, and the friends of their friends... uh, you get the point.

This is how it'll work: If there are ten-plus commenters (but only one comment per person), I'll pick TWO winners. Twenty-plus commenters, I'll pick THREE... and so on.

I'm sooooo primed and ready for this party! See you tomorrow!

Summer Blog Bonanza: Ilona Fridl - Author of Bronze Skies

2011-08-27T01:05:00.007-04:00

Hi, everyone! Shew, it's been a busy week around my place! Trying to get schedules shifted and adjusted. So much to do, so little time.... I think that's most people's slogan these days. How about you?

Well, this is the perfect time to just sit back and take it easy as we welcome this week's guest author, Ilona Fridl to the Summer Blog Bonanza. Ilona has an especially unique interview to share with us.

So glad to have you here with us, Ilona!

Ilona Fridl's interview

with heroine Pam Wright

First of all I want to thank Alyson for inviting me to her blog. Because I began this blog tour with an interview with my hero, Tom, I've kind of neglected my heroine, Pam. Bronze Skies was mostly Tom's story, but Pam kept an eye on the home front during the war.

IF: I want to welcome Pam Wright. Thank you for agreeing to do this interview.

PW: I'm honored you wanted to talk to me.

IF: First, tell me something about yourself.

PW: I was born in Juneau, Alaska Territory. My parents moved there from Wisconsin after the Great War. Normal childhood, I guess. Graduated from high school in 1940 then went to work at Millie's, a restaurant in town. Lately, I've been working for my boyfriend's family, who own Golden North. That's a theater and restaurant. I work for Jenny, his cousin, who runs the restaurant and bar.

IF: What does your boyfriend do?

PW: Before the war, he was flying the mail in and out of Juneau. Now, he's in the Army Air Corps. I'm not sure where he is right now, but I think he's in the North Pacific.

IF: He didn't tell you?

PW: None of the service men can tell their families exactly where they are. They don't want the enemy getting the information.

IF: How has it been for the families at home?

PW: The rationing is hard to deal with. We get coupons to buy a limited amount of food. Many people have started what is known as “Victory Gardens” to grow fruits and vegetables for their families. Gas, rubber, and different metals are hard to come by. Living through the depression did help us to exist on fewer things, so we'll survive.

IF: What are your plans after the war?

PW: Tom and I plan to get married. I imagine he will stay in a job that has flying airplanes in it. Whether we make a home in Juneau or not, is too far off to know right now.

IF: Thank you, Pam, for answering my questions. I wish you and Tom happiness.

PW: Thank you!

Now, I'll give all you readers a peek of what Pam's life is like.

A month later, the early June sun belied the chilly breeze coming off the harbor. Pam straightened her back as she looked at the neat row of carrot seeds she'd just distributed in the restaurant garden behind the theater. Putting her hands on either side of the rich moist soil of the rows, she covered the seeds as gently as a mother covers her little one, loving the earthy smell that billowed up.

With food rationing on, the grassy area had become a tiny farm. Victory gardens, they were being called. Jen had decided the restaurant could be self-sufficient with its own fruit and vegetables, and all the waitresses could help with the gardening.

The wind played with the kerchief Pam had tied over her hair. She grabbed it before it got snatched away and looked at her watch. I’d better get cleaned up. We’ll be opening for dinner in a half hour.

Hurrying through the kitchen door, Pam almost ran into Jen and Muriel. Jen grasped her hand. “Pam, we were going to have you come in.”

Muriel put an arm around her. “We've just heard news on the radio that Dutch Harbor and Fort Myers were bombed by the Japanese these last two days.”

Pam went numb. “Oh, no! Do you think that’s where the boys are?”

The silence from both of them scared her. Following them to the office, she saw Zeke, Addy and Josh listening intently to the radio, and heard, “―smoke from the explosions could be seen from twenty miles away. The nearby air defenses were unable to stave off the attack.”

Pam started trembling so badly she thought she would collapse, but Jen threw an arm around her shoulders and hugged her close. “We don’t really know where they are stationed.”

“Tom told me in one of his letters that he was in the North Pacific. He also said he knew where Hank and Joe are. They must be near.”

“I know. We got the same information from Hank.” Pam stood next to Jen, listening to her heart pound. The two sets of parents sat in stunned silence.

Suddenly, Zeke stood. “Let’s all get back to work. Take your minds off the war and put them into running this theater. The boys can take care of themselves.” He hustled everyone out of the office. Pam glanced at Addy’s stricken face, as Addy stared at Zeke. He took Addy into his arms. “Don’t worry, love, I haven’t taken leave of my senses. It will do us no good to sit and worry. We need to take care of things here.”

As he left the office, Addy turned her tear-filled eyes to Pam, reaching out to squeeze Pam’s hand. “Tom wouldn’t want us to sit and worry, either. Come on.”

Pam consigned the nagging fear to a far point in her brain and went to work. Zeke was right; doing something forced her to concentrate on the things at hand. But when she walked through the door at home, at the end of the workday, she looked at her parents and burst into tears.

Rushing to her side, her mother embraced her. “Honey, you heard the news?”

“Tom―I want to know how he is,” Pam sobbed out.

Gripping her by the shoulders, her father shook her gently. “Until we hear anything one way or another, we shouldn’t assume the worst.”

Pam nodded sadly and, after a goodnight, headed to bed. Her prayers were strong and intense. “Dear Lord, keep Tom and the other boys safe. I know all won’t come home, but give their families and loved ones the strength to go on. I may sound selfish, but I need Tom to live. Please. Amen.” She stretched across her blanket while the slow tears soaked into it.

Thank you for joining me today! You can find info at http://www.ilonafridl.com You can purchase Bronze Skies at The Wild Rose Press, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble. You can find me on Facebook and Goodreads.

Didn't you just love that interview? Ilona and I would love your comments in the space below!
Have a happy and blissful weekend and upcoming week.
:)

Summer Blog Bonanza: Marie Tuhart, author of Quick Silver Ranch: Saddle Up

2011-08-19T23:30:00.027-04:00

Hello, everyone! Can’t believe it’s mid-august already! I don’t know what kind of temperatures your part of the world is experiencing, but here in Indiana, it’s been scorching hot! And, this week at the Summer Blog Bonanza, it’s about to get a whole lot hotter, because our guest is Marie Tuhart, author of erotic romance -- In Plain Sight, and the Quick Silver Ranch series. So make sure you have something cold to drink waiting nearby… and crank up the air conditioning!

Marie Tuhart
Website Blog Buy Books

Escape To An Erotic Fantasy

Marie Tuhart can't remember a time when she didn't have a book in her hands. A voracious reader since childhood, she has a TBR pile so big that she finally gave up and rented storage space! Though her family doesn’t really understand the stacks of books in her study, or the way Marie will stare off into space when she's thinking of yet another sexy scene between her hero and heroine, they support her completely in her writing endeavors.

She began writing at 19, and in 1994 decided to join RWA and get serious about publishing. When she isn't reading or writing, Marie loves to spend time in bookstores. A world traveler, she enjoys searching out corners of the globe she hasn't experienced yet. While still totally open to finding her own tall, dark and handsome man, she is certainly enjoying the journey.

Her Aries Sun makes her impatient, courageous, and something of a daredevil. Her Virgo Moon makes her exacting and a perfectionist for that telling detail. And best of all, her Scorpio Ascendant gives her a cat-like curiosity for more than one sexy walk on the wild, dark side which she really likes to use in her erotic novels.

"My dream, is to give readers as much pleasure with my erotic romance stories as my reading has given to me. That, for me, will be true success."

Glad to have you here this week, Marie!

Like a lot of us, the writing bug bit you early in life, didn’t it? Besides being a member of RWA, do you also belong to a local writers group? Work with a critique partner? Or do you prefer to work totally alone?

I work with two critique partners locally, and I have one critique partner in South Africa. I've found that critique partners are invaluable because they always find things I miss.

In your bio you mention getting caught staring into space, thinking of new scenes. Does this mean you write purely by instinct and inspiration -- or do you also outline or map out your story ahead of time?

It really depends on the story. Sometimes I'll map out the story I want to write and others I just start writing. But in either case, when my characters start talking to me I listen.

Do you ever find your characters doing or saying things that surprise you?

All the time, with my last published work, my hero Jared after 15,000 words jumped up and said "Hey that's not me, I don't act like that." Tossed those 15,000 words and restarted the book.

Writing sex scenes can be fun but also very challenging to romance writers for several reasons. Partly because the details must be realistic enough not to raise eyebrows. What do you find most challenging about it?

Keeping it fresh, I don't want my readers to get bored with the scenes, so I try to reveal tidbits of my characters during these scenes, but also keep the sex exciting and different.

Some people seem to automatically assume erotic romance books are all sex, with no intelligent storyline. Have you ever had to deal with this kind of prejudice? And what would be your advice to other erotic writers, or romance writers of any kind, when faced with this issue?

I've asked people if they've actually read one, when I hear silence, I give them a few authors to pick up and read. The best advice, ignore the bias. It is hard, but it's the only way to retain your sanity in this business. Everyone has their impression of romance, let alone erotic romance, I'm not going to change their mind.

Tell us about your latest book, Quick Silver Ranch: Saddle Up.

Saddle Up was a fun book to write. I wasn't planning on writing Jared and Angie's story right away, until my editor asked me if I'd be willing to write it now and they'd put the books out as a 2 book series and I could keep my title Quick Silver Ranch. When I said yes to my editor, I had no plot, no conflict, no idea what to do. Even I was surprised when the book came out the way it did.

Quick Silver Ranch: Saddle Up
Available from The Wild Rose Press

Angie Davidson finds herself at loose ends after her best friend's wedding and in need of a vacation, so when sexy yet aloof co-owner of the Quick Silver Ranch, Jared Turner, insists she stay to explore their sexual attraction, she agrees. Though she loves being a submissive in the bedroom, Jared's distant air after lovemaking brings back bad memories. Can she show this strong sexy man he has nothing to fear from her, or will he abandon her like everyone else in her life has?

Sexy yet aloof Jared, co-owner of the Quick Silver Ranch is eager to explore Angie's submissive side with two weeks of toys and other naughty play. However, the last time he was this attracted to a woman—mentally and physically—she wasn't able to put up with his Dominant streak. Can Angie see that her vacation with him can be the perfect way of life?

Future projects?

Right now I'm working on a straight contemporary romance while my editor is reading a futuristic erotic romance. As soon as the straight contemporary is finished and off to an editor, I'll start another contemporary erotic romance, the idea floating around my head right now is two brothers who are in law enforcement and the heroine who comes back home after a five year absences. The sparks these three set off rivals the fourth of July.

As my followers have come to expect, I ask each guest author a bonus fun question. And guest what? You won’t be an exception! Your friend has talked you into attending a large party, ripe with the possibility of meeting hot guys, except she didn’t tell you about it until it was too late for you to buy an appropriate dress. She has three you can borrow. Unfortunately none of them are your ‘dream’ dress. Which one would you pick? A.) A super short black mini-dress, with a plunging neckline that dips all the way to the belly, and has tendencies to gap when the wearer sits down. B.) A long, red slinky dress that hugs every curve and zips all the way to the mid-butt, which has been known to have issues unzipping at the wrong times. Or C.) A god-awful outdated floral dress your friend’s Aunt Bee bought her that’s has been hanging in the back of her closet for years.

LOL, none of the above. Okay, while in real life this wouldn't happen to me, if this did happen I would pick the outdated floral dress, but I'd find a way to make it mine, maybe add a belt to the dress, then make sure I had on killer shoes and dress it up with a nice shawl.

Ha! Fantastic answer, Marie! It wouldn't happen to me either! If it did, I'd pick the floral dress too. My artsy side is a big believer in de-constructing and making over vintage clothes, so I'd transform it with a needle and thread. No granny dress for me! LOL

Excerpt from Marie’s latest release, Quick Silver Ranch: Saddle Up

Angie drank in the feeling of Jared's body against hers as they danced. His hardness to her softness, and part of her wanted to melt in a puddle at his feet, another part wanted to be bold and daring.

“Becca mentioned that you're closing down the ranch for a while.” Maybe a little flirting would work.

“Two weeks. There needs to be some renovations done, and the staff needs some downtime. It was a good time to do it with Tyler gone.”

“How much can be done in two weeks?” She thought back to when they were renovating the offices she now worked in, it seemed like it took months and with every little problem the workmen came to her.

“A lot, if you know how to motivate people.”

“Really?” Angie tilted her head up and fluttered her eyelashes. “And how would you do that?”

The corners of Jared's lips tilted up. “Lots of money.”

Okay, subtle flirting wasn't working with him. Her fingers trailed over his broad shoulder, to his neck, where she stroked his dark brown hair. His hand tightened on her lower back, bringing their hips together. And Angie swore she could feel his hard erection. Good, he wasn't immune to her.

She let her fingers skim from his neck, down over his shoulder blade, down his spine, over his well-defined ass, until she could rest her palm over his butt cheek. Then she squeezed it.

“Behave.” His breath brushed her ear and he swatted her ass.

“You hit me.” She couldn't believe it; he actually smacked her on the ass. Not that it hurt, but heat flowed through her body making her nipples grow harder. She’d never realized a little swat could make her so hot.

“I'll do worse if you don't behave yourself, Angie.”

“Promise?” The word was out of her mouth before she even realized it. The music ended, Jared escorted her back to the table and pulled out her chair.

His palms cupped her cheeks, tilting her face up to his. “We'll talk later.” He dropped a hard brief kiss on her lips before striding away.

Angie's heart skipped several beats while she observed Jared cross the room. She put her fingers to her lips and sank down onto the chair with her core pulsing with need and her panties wet. If he met her later, they wouldn't be talking if she had anything to say about it.

**** Marie would love to answer your comments and questions! So please feel free to leave one (or as many as you want) below!
: )

Summer Blog Bonanza: Alison Henderson, author of A Man Like That

2011-08-13T00:27:00.018-04:00

Hallo, everyone! Vielen Dank for stopping by. In case you’re wondering why I’m using German, I’m getting more and more excited about next month’s release of A BEAUTIFUL CAGE (set in WWII Berlin, Germany), because I just ordered my author copies.

Welcome to another week of Summer Blog Bonanza!!! Today’s guest is author Alison Henderson. Fantastic first name, don’t you think? Okay, okay, so you’re thinking I’m just saying that because my name is also Alyson, right? Well… maybe. But I still think it’s a great name. And what’s even better is that Alison's here to talk about her latest awesome book A MAN LIKE THAT, sequel to HARVEST OF DREAMS. Please make her feel warmly welcome!

http://www.goodreads.com/alisonhenderson
Website: http://www.alisonhenderson.com/

About Alison:

I grew up in Kansas City on the edge of the prairie, the product of a long line of pioneering women. One grandmother was born in Broken Bow, Nebraska, and the other majored in physical education in college - an adventurous choice for a young woman ninety years ago.

Like any pioneer, I've always been intrigued by new places and experiences. I followed my mother to Vassar College in upstate New York, where I studied art history. By the time I was twenty-one, I had traveled the world from Japan to Tunisia.

Unlike many writers, I didn't always have the writing bug. I was bitten when I temporarily quit work to stay home after my daughter was born. I've always been an avid reader and decided to try my hand at writing the kind of stories I loved. After many months of typing away during naptimes and pre-school, the first manuscript was born. And quickly died. But it was followed by another and then another. I was hooked on the creative process.

Today, my husband and I are empty-nesters living in Minnesota, and our daughter is a graduate student in Chicago. Like most of you, I spend my days up to my elbows in the mundane requirements of life, but later I shed that skin and slip into the magical world of imagination. I invite you to join me.

Hi, Alison. I’m honored to have you as a guest author! Let’s get started:

Reading your bio, I see that the ‘pioneer’ trait passed to you through your genealogy is traveling. And it sounds like you’ve been to a lot of fantastic places around the world. Of all those places, which is/was your favorite?

That’s a very hard question to answer because I’ve visited so many beautiful, fascinating places over the years. When I was sixteen and student travel to Europe was stunningly cheap, my cousin and I joined a group that took us through Western Europe and to a dozen cities around the Mediterranean. Some of the highlights of the trip that remain vivid memories today include: Venice; the island of Crete; and Granada, Spain. My current favorite place is the Central Coast area of California. The natural beauty of the Monterey Peninsula feeds my soul, and my husband and I just bought a vacation condo in Carmel so we can go there whenever we want (or need) to.

You mention that you were hooked on the creative process while first starting out, which prompts my next question: Do you outline your story ideas first? Do a lot of research? Make notes? Or do you start with the faintest glimmer of an idea, start writing, and see where it goes?

I guess I would say I’m a plotter in that I do a lot of pre-writing work that helps me understand my characters and get a good idea of where my story is going before I start writing the book. I start with character studies and then brainstorm what those characters might do. My first two books, HARVEST OF DREAMS and A MAN LIKE THAT, are historical romances, so I got a number of plot ideas from my preliminary research. I usually do a chapter-by-chapter outline before I start, knowing that things will change as the work progresses. Many writers feel an outline stifles their creativity, but I find the structure comforting. I’ve never experienced writer’s block, and I still enjoy discovering what my characters will say and do as I go along.

That you majored in art history is especially interesting to me, as an artist. And as a writer, I imagine there’s a lot of potential in that subject for a book as well. Any plans to create characters in the art world setting?

Because of my interest in art history, I’ve read a number of books set in that world and loved them. (I wish I’d had the idea for The Girl with the Pearl Earring!) I don’t have any current plans to base a story around art, art history, or art heists, but it’s fertile ground, so you never know.

Tell us about your latest book, A MAN LIKE THAT. Where did the idea for the story come from?

A MAN LIKE THAT is the sequel to my first book, HARVEST OF DREAMS. It’s set in Missouri just after the end of the Civil War and follows two of the secondary characters from the first book on their own adventure.

The story developed naturally from HARVEST OF DREAMS when I found I just couldn’t leave Jessy and Morgan without finding out what happened to them. The setting for these books is somewhat unusual for historical romance, but I grew up in Kansas City, and my husband’s family is from the Ozarks. I was interested in the history of the area, and my research fed this story.

A Man Like That

Jessamine Randall, fearless crusader and champion of the downtrodden, is not a woman to be left waiting at the altar. When her fiancé disappears hours before the wedding, she hatches a plan to track him down and bring him back where he belongs.

Morgan Bingham knows he’s no good. Never has been. Never will be. A former outlaw is no fit husband for the daughter of the town judge, despite her misguided notions. Besides, after ten long years away from home, it’s time to return to the hills and face his demons.

Ill-prepared, but armed with unshakeable certainty, Jessy follows Morgan to his family’s cabin deep in the Ozark Mountains where she’s sucked into a whirlpool of deep secrets and old hatreds. While she fights to bring light and hope into their dark lives, her greatest challenge is Morgan himself. Can she ever convince him he’s worthy of love?

Were there any surprises for you while writing it? i.e: a character took a turn you didn’t plan ahead of time, or a character made a decision that surprised you.

Since the main characters were pretty well-developed in the first book, Jessy and Morgan behaved as I expected. However, the secondary characters in A MAN LIKE THAT were all new, and they were full of surprises. I initially planned the character of Zeke to be a huge, gruff, scary mountain man but discovered he was a gentleman at heart with a soft spot for Jessy.

What’s in the future? Can you give us a hint about your current work in process?

After spending several years writing historicals, I switched to contemporary romance for my most recent book. It’s the first in a proposed series about an all-female bodyguard agency in which a former FBI agent signs on to protect an ex-CIA operative-turned-bestselling author. It has sharp, snappy dialogue and a tone reminiscent of the TV program “Castle”. I’m currently looking for a publishing home for that one.

Fun bonus question (I always add one to the guest interviews to shake things up a bit!): You’ve promised to participate in a community volunteer project. Which of these three would you choose to do? A.) Help roof a Habitat for Humanity House in the hot sun on a　ninety degree day　B.) Head up a children’s choir (all under 13) to sing at Riley Children’s Hospital, or C.) Run a ten mile marathon for the Just Say No to Drugs program?

Habitat for Humanity is one of my favorite causes, and I donate to them regularly. However, I’m not sure I’d be very useful trying to roof a house in ninety degree heat, so I have to choose option B). In college I sang with an all-female a capella group, the Vassar Night Owls, and loved it. I also enjoy young children.

Thank you, Alison! Terrific answers!

* Fellow bloggers and readers, Alison mentioned the possibility of her degree in art history having an impact on one of her future books. My question: If you could pick a career for a heroine or hero, what would it be? Something related to what you do in real life? Or something totally different? A serious profession? Or a zany one?

Alison and I (the other Alyson), would love to answer your questions and comments, so please leave one below!

Hope everyone has a terrific week! Tschüss!
: )

Summer Blog Bonanza: Jenna McClure, Author of Animal Attraction

2011-08-06T12:42:00.027-04:00

Hi, everyone! It's been a busy, busy week here for me. My family has tried out what feels like a zillion vehicles, trying to replace one we lost in a car crash over a week ago. There are two family reunions in the works. And two days have been spent shopping for back to school (a fun part). My daughter's Bantam cheer squad has started practicing for the upcoming fall. Keeping me busiest of all is my hefty new story in the works.... But all that stuff can wait right now, because....

I have guest author Jenna McClure here with me today for this week's Summer Blog Bonanza! Yay! Jenna is a spanking new author with The Wild Rose Press. And she's going to share with us about the adorable dog in the picture, details about her full schedule, and her book, ANIMAL ATTRACTION!

Please make Jenna feel really welcome and bowl her over with questions and comments!

Jenna and her sister (who
encouraged her to write).
Jenna is on the left.

ABOUT JENNA:

Jenna McClure grew up in the urban south, but moved to Colorado to satisfy her desire for fresh air, mountains, lots of snow and wide open spaces.

She became a vegetarian in 2003 after seeing a graphic film about animal cruelty. A long-time romantic, she has been reading romance novels since her sister introduced them to her as a teenager. She finally decided to merge her love of animals and studly men into a romance novel. She has been writing for over seven years.

Jenna's favorite hobbies include digital photography, biking, hiking and an ongoing quest for her own novel-worthy hero. She daylights as a Project Manager for a software development company, but writes as much as she can.

She lives outside Denver with a gloriously goofy greyhound and two cats, one is deaf and the other extremely talkative, and all of which are named after some of her favorite fictional characters.

This is her first published novel, but she is currently at work on her second.

Glad you have you here today, Jenna! Let's jump right in and get started...

As a brand new author, how does it feel to have your book out on the digital ‘shelf’, and to have people tell you they loved reading it?

It still feels a bit surreal, like it's happening to someone else. That could have something to do with the fact I'm using a pen name, or maybe I'm still in surprised shock that I'm a real "author" and people are actually reading what I wrote. Maybe it will sink in when I either sign my first autograph or get my first royalty check. Although I have been doing happy dances and shrieks of joy at home for the last few weeks. So far I've only received feedback from a few people, but it's all been positive so far, which is really encouraging.

You’ve been writing for seven years. Is Animal Attraction the first book you’ve ever written? Or, like me, do you have several finished and half-finished stories in storage?

I think most authors, published or not, have lots of half-finished dreams hanging around somewhere. I have one that is still in an old college notebook somewhere. For me, though, two was my lucky number. Animal Attraction is the second full book I've written. And when I say "written", I mean "finished and submitted for publication." My first book was a historical romance that took place just after the Civil War on a wagon train from Kansas to NW Colorado. TWRP actually offered to contract it if I made some changes to it, but at that point, I'd realized my voice is a more contemporary one. I think I'm too sarcastic and I've been told my personality is too, well, hmm, let's say "enthusiastic" to have been a woman in the 19th century. I did a lot of research, and was so proud of my organization for that book, so I may go back and rework it sometime. I still have all of my research books on 19th c. wagon trains, clothes, Kansas, etc, if anyone wants to use them!

You have great hobbies! I love biking and hiking, too! Between your activities and your job as a software manager, what kind of writing schedule do you have? Are you an early morning writer? An evening writer? A write-on-whatever-is-available-during-a-spare-second writer? Or, like me, find yourself howling at the moon while clacking away?

Thanks! I try to stay active since I live in such a great state. If I don't stay active and busy, I feel guilty for not being outside taking advantage of the great Colorado-ness of everything the state offers. You have to take advantage of the weather whenever you can because it changes so quickly.

This has pretty much taught me to write wherever and whenever the urge hits - at the office when my brain can't concentrate on work (shhh, don't tell anyone), at home, writing on napkins or in the little notebook I keep by my bed. I found a great digital recorder app for my phone that is perfect for recording snippets and phrases from my real-life muses. I do tend to write more in the evenings when the dog is taking his pre-bedtime nap, but I hope, as I get richer and more famous (ha ha, I will have the luxury of being able to work less and write more. I tend to write late into the night on the weekends, so Monday's can be hard sometimes.

I love the piece in your bio about your pets: a greyhound and two cats. And you mentioned that they’re named after your favorite fictional characters. So, I just have to ask…. What are their names?

I had to mention them as they do keep me sane. I can't imagine living without a cat or dog running around underfoot all the time and getting fur all over my couch and clothes.

The greyhound (the cutie-pie in the photo wearing the elf hat) is named Asher, after Sherrilyn Kenyon's Acheron from the Dark Hunter series. I wanted to keep it close to his racing call name of Adam so he would learn it faster. I guess I could have left him as Adam, but then I might have inadvertently given my Animal Attraction hero too many canine characteristics. :-) The older (deaf) cat is Socrates (pronounced So-crates as in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure), and the younger cat is named Duncan, after Duncan McLeod, the Highlander. Adrian Paul's character is the inspiration for the cat's names in Animal Attraction, and honestly, probably my unconscious inspiration for all my male heroes. He's just so sexy!!

Tell us about writing ANIMAL ATTRACTION. Where did the idea for the story come from? Did the characters develop for the storyline or did the story develop around the characters? Did you have any major tough spots or tricky scenes to write?

The idea actually came up about five years ago when I was more active in Animal Rights/Animal Welfare work, when I was first learning how destructive range cattle are to the environment. I had only been a vegetarian for about two years, so was still learning so much about it. The storyline just kind of panned out from there, with the story developing around the characters. I knew the romance between two such conflicting characters had to be believable - both to readers and to any vegetarians and activists out there. I wanted my facts to be accurate about the impact of agri-cattle (my word) on the environment, but I didn't want it to be preachy, and turn people away.

I keep a mini Nora Roberts on my shoulder as I write, thinking "what would Nora do/say?" when I get stuck, and I think that's helped tremendously. She has such a way of getting to the heart of her characters without giving you pages and pages of details and backstory about them. I hope I've come somewhat close in Animal Attraction. I want readers to see this as more of a romance story and not a message, but if it makes people think about some of the facts I mention, that would be great too!

The hardest part was probably the sex scenes. What romance author hasn't read hundreds of them?! But researching that particular stuff can be a bit tricky when you're single. And that's all I'm going to say on that subject. :-)

The closing scenes are tricky too. You want the ending to reflect how the characters have grown, both individually and together, but at the same time, it can't be too corny or smarmy. Does that make sense? I don't think I will ever forget my very first short-story romance I wrote in the 10th grade for a class paper. The very last line was... "And they lived happily ever after, day by day, with love in the house." And I had to read it out loud! It was traumatic, definitely.

Can you give us a clue about your current WIP? A teeny-tiny tease maybe?

Hmmm, well, since I've already told the real-life heroine's Catholic family, I guess I can tell everyone else...She is somewhat of a nympho, but hates romantic complications. He's recently vowed to not have sex until after a specific event happens, which is months away. Throw in a dash of steamy attraction and witty dialogue, stir and you have [insert title here]. When I'm done with my current story lines, I'm hoping to have a three-series out of it. And I really hope TWRP contracts both of my next books!

Okay, I always throw my guests a fun bonus question. Sometimes it’s really off the wall. Here’s your scenario. You’re being contracted $100,000 to write an autobiography/biography of a famous person. You have three people to pick from. Shouldn’t be too complicated, right? But here’s the hitch: They’re fictional characters, so you’ll totally have to make up most of your material. Which one of these three would you pick? A.) Captain Jack Sparrow (sorry, not Johnny Depp, just the character - although wouldn' t he be hot to write about? lol) B.) Kermit the frog, or C.) Betty Boop.

Wow, good question! You might think, as a vegetarian, I'd want to write about Kermit and how his little legs were saved from the dinner plate. LOL One might also assume I'd pick Captain Jack because he's well, he's Captain Jack! But I'm going to go with Betty Boop. I'm not really a Booper, but I could have so much fun with her little character. I grew up with the Muppets (am I giving away my age??) and Captain Jack's bio would come under so much scrutiny, so I think you could have the most liberty with Betty. Although, would it be okay if I made her voice just a bit less...Boopish??

ANIMAL ATTRACTION

Environmental consultant Emmalyn Ashmore is outraged when she discovers the last minute replacement for guest speaker at her annual conference is none other than Adam McLean, a cattle rancher, whose lifestyle represents everything she loathes.

Adam McLean has never met a more contrary woman. From the moment Emmalyn opens her mouth, he knows she's exactly the type of woman he doesn't need in his life—ever.

As the sparks fly, Emma realizes there's more at stake than conserving the environment. She has to figure out how to conserve her heart, before she loses it forever.

Buy Link: http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=175_133&products_id=4572

EXCERPT:

“It’s never good to make assumptions about people you don’t know,” he replied, throwing her words back at her.

She jerked her eyes to him, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Right. Sorry.”

Idly, he wondered if she was always this nervous, or if it was just him. Selfishly he hoped he had the same effect on her as she did on him.

“I know you’re a cattle rancher and all,” she started, “but I…”

He didn’t care for her opening words, but he liked her voice, so he concentrated on that. Besides, if he missed anything important, he’d ask her to repeat it. Over dinner, he mused as he continued to stare at her mouth. It was still moving, which meant she was still talking and he was still not listening, but she didn’t seem to notice.

Or so he thought.

Her lips stopped moving, snapped shut, then opened slightly. A brief, shrill whistle pierced the air. He jerked his eyes back to hers, and found her staring at him in angry disbelief.

If she didn’t look so mad, he might have laughed.

“Mr. McLean, were you listening to a word I said?”

Adam scratched his chin. “Sure. You said something about me being a cattle rancher, which I already knew, and then something about your impressions. But you kind of lost me after that.”

She placed her hands on her hips. “I was trying to talk to you about how misleading your speech was.”

He cocked an eyebrow. “Yeah? I must have missed that part.”

“I think you missed all my parts.”

“Trust me, I didn’t,” he drawled.

*****

Wow, great interview answers, Jenna! Love your excerpt, too! Again, thanks so much for being this week's guest!

And I'm sure Jenna would love to answer all your questions and comments, so feel free to leave one below!

* Fellow bloggers, here's a good chance to tell us about your pets, too! We love the furry little guys... or maybe they're scaly instead?
:)

Summer Blog Bonanza: Vonnie Davis, Author of Contemporary, Historical, and Vintage Romance

2011-07-30T00:44:00.031-04:00

Hello, gorgeous friends and fellow bloggers! It's time for another fantastic Summer Blog Bonanza week! My guest today is contemporary, historical, and vintage author, Vonnie Davis! She's here to talk over her debut novel, STORM'S INTERLUDE, and the story behind meeting her husband, author Calvin Davis. Plus, find out which one of the great literary masters she takes style cues from.

www.vonniedavis.com
www.vintagevonnie.blogspot.com

Vonnie attended Penn State University and Wilson College where she majored in both Business Administration and English. Like most writers, she started penning stories in elementary school with the hope of becoming an author. Then life got in the way--marriage, children, job, college and, after twelve years of being alone, a new love. She is now retired, embarking on her second and long-desired career--writing. She lives in Lynchburg, VA, with her husband Calvin, a man she met online. Ah, now there's a romantic story.

Calvin, who often unloads the dishwasher and vacuums so she can continue kissing the computer keys with her fingertips, is also an author. In fact, he is one of the few men to give birth at a sidewalk cafe in Paris. His child, you ask? The Phantom Lady of Paris. Visit his site at http://www.calvindavisbooks.com/.

Vonnie is represented by Blue Ridge Literary Agency.

She also blogs at Vintage Vonnie. She'd love for you to stop by, see what she has to say and leave a message. http://www.vintagevonnie.blogspot.com/

Hi, Vonnie! So glad to have you with us this week.

You’re one of only a handful of authors I know whose partner is also an author. Interesting! And I love that you were introduced to your husband, Calvin online. Did the two of you ‘meet’ through your mutual interest in writing?

My foray into online dating sites is a story in itself. Oh, the horrors! I’d been alone for over ten years. One night, in the middle of a wine-and-sugar induced crying jag, I brushed the cookie crumbs from my jammies and went online, filled out the match dot com form, attached a picture and hit submit. The next morning, I sat straight up in bed, hands clasped over my ears so they wouldn’t fall off my hung-over head and whispered, "OMG, what have I done? I put myself out there for all the wacko’s to find me." And find me, they did. Oy!

Then one day, a gentleman sashayed into my mailbox on a jazz beat and a smile. "Hello," he wrote. "I see by your profile that you majored in English in college. So did I. I see you love to write. I’m working on my second novel. I see you like Shakespeare. I do also. I see you enjoy used bookstores and flea markets, just as I do. Would you be interested in striking up a dialogue?" At last, I thought, an introduction that makes sense and shows me a measure of respect. (Yes, I have his email memorized.)

We emailed for a few weeks before moving onto instant messaging. Then after a couple months, he asked me to log off the Internet so he could call me and say "goodnight." I was more than a little hesitant about giving out my phone number and told him so. A week went by, and he asked me again for my number. This time I gave it to him, and he called. He had this deep voice with a southern accent, and I was lost.

A month or so later, we met at a Barnes and Noble. He was standing by the door, holding a bouquet of red roses. We were married a year to the day of his first email. That was 8 years ago.

I also see that Calvin helps out with the household chores while you’re busy working. Lucky woman! Does this mean the two of you have schedules you work around? Do you ever ‘bounce’ ideas off each other?

We’re both retired. Calvin taught high school English for 40 years. I retired as a technical writer when we married. He said I’d worked long enough. Hey, who was I to argue with that? (**big cheesy grin**) Outside of my trips to the stores or lunch with the girls, we are together 24/7. Not in the same room, of course. Calvin writes in the den. I write here on my recliner in the living room.

Do we bounce ideas off each other? Yes, often. We write different styles. Calvin writes sentences full of thunder and lightning. I write in my own style. He’s not working on anything right now, so his attentions are focused on my writing and how he can help. My husband is a very supportive man; I am very blessed.

Do you generally outline and plan a story first, or do you prefer to start with an idea and let the story take off on its own?

I type "Chapter One" and I’m off. My mind is a weird thing. I do study my characters and try to design them from the inside out. Instead of focusing on how they look, I focus on what hurts they’ve had in the past. What drives them? What are their buttons, and how do they react when they’re pushed? Lastly, I think of their appearance.

Now let’s talk about STORM’S INTERLUDE. I really like how you use dreams in this story (I’m a big believer in prophetic dreams). Where did this idea come from?

I have a western historical tucked away on my computer that’s about ¾ written. The hero in it was raised by Native Americans. As I studied their history and lore, I stumbled across vision dreams. When I wrote the opening scene for Storm’s Interlude, I was in a bit of a snit. You see, I’d written a "sweet" romance that no one wanted and I was fuming. I was convinced I didn’t know how to write sensual and, most certainly, didn’t know how to write a sex scene, so I challenged myself. I sat down and wrote the most bizarre opening scene I could think of; later, I had to justify Storm’s kissing a stranger. Vision dreams popped into my head. Yeah, I thought, he could dream about her eyes for several nights before he meets her. That’ll work, so I went back to the first two chapters and added it.

Did you find it difficult to weave together different concepts, such as Storm’s twin sister’s chemo treatments with lighter aspects, like Rachel and Storm’s flirty banter?

No. I knew Storm and Sunny were very close. Often, they simply call each other "brother" or "sister," especially during times when they’re sharing feelings. I placed myself in his head and thought of how he would feel losing a part of himself. Then his fear, his denial, his overpowering urge to protect became very clear. Still, anytime we deal with something "heavy," we need to balance it with something from the opposite end of the emotional spectrum. Shakespeare was a master at inserting comic relief into his dramatic plays. Learn from the masters and then tweak it to your style, I always say.

Any upcoming book(s)? Tell us about it/them.

You looked at my stubby fingernails, didn’t you? I have a romantic suspense set in Paris, Mona Lisa’s Room, under consideration at The Wild Rose Press. I also have a short story, Waiting on a Dream being considered there, too. I should hear on both in 2-3 weeks. So, it’s nail biting time for me.

Fun bonus question: If you were given a part in a stage production of THE WIZARD OF OZ would you a.) Take Dorothy’s lead part, which would require you to sing or b.) pick the role of the wicked witch of the west or c.) be one the flying monkeys, which requires you to hang suspended on wires across the stage. Which would you chose?

Oh, hon, if you’re going to bind my breasts so I look like a pubescent girl in a short dress and braid my hair, I’m going to sing. Believe me! Why should I be the only person to suffer? (**Evil grin**)

AVAILABLE FROM
THE WILD ROSE PRESS --
Storm's Interlude

Nurse Rachel Dennison comes to Texas determined to prepare her new patient for a second round of chemo. What she isn’t counting on is her patient’s twin brother, Storm Masterson.Half Native American with the ability to have “vision dreams,” Storm dreams about Rachel for three nights before her arrival. Both are unprepared for the firestorm of emotions their first chance encounter ignites. Even so, Storm has two things Rachel won't abide: a domineering personality and a fiancée.

Yet, ultimately, it is Rachel's past--an abusive maniacal ex-boyfriend--that threatens to keep them apart…and Storm’s dreams that bring them together again.

Excerpt from Storm's Interlude:
Someone swaggered out of the moonlit night toward Rachel. Exhausted from a long day of driving, she braked and blinked. Either she was hallucinating or her sugar levels had plummeted. Maybe that accounted for the male mirage, albeit a very magnificent male mirage, trekking toward her. She peered once more into the hot July night at the image illuminated by her headlights. Sure enough, there he was, cresting the hill on foot—a naked man wearing nothing but a black cowboy hat, a pair of boots and a go-to-hell sneer.

Well, well, things really did grow bigger in Texas. The man quickly covered his privates with his black Stetson. Rachel sighed. The show was evidently over. Should she stand up in her Beetle convertible and applaud? Give a couple of catcalls? Wolf whistles? Maybe not.

She turned down the music on the car’s CD player. Sounds of crickets and a lonely bullfrog in the distance created a nighttime symphony in the stillness of this isolated stretch of country road. Lightning bugs darted back and forth, blinking a display of neon-yellow glow.

The naked man strode toward her car, and Rachel’s heart rate kicked up. Common sense told her to step on the gas, yet what woman wanted to drive away from such a riveting sight? Still, life had taught her to be careful. She reached into her handbag and extracted her chrome revolver. Before he reached her car, she quickly slid her gun under the folds of her skirt.

Just let him try anything funny—I know how to take care of myself.

Both of his large hands clasped his hat to his groin. His face bore annoyance and a touch of chagrin. "I need a ride." By his bearing and commanding tone of voice, she guessed the man was used to giving orders and having them followed.

Her gaze took a slow journey across his face. Even in the moonlight, she could see traces of Native heritage. His shoulder-length ebony hair, too long for her tastes, glistened against his bronzed skin. Proud arrogant eyes sparked with anger.

Because Rachel believed in indulging herself, she allowed her gaze to travel over his broad shoulders, muscular chest and tight abdominal muscles. She saw a thin trail of dark hair starting below his navel, and, knowing full well where it ended, she fought back a groan. Her eyes slid back up to lock on his. "You need a pair of pants, too." Knowing her voice hummed with desire, she cleared her throat, hoping the naked man hadn’t noticed.

He looked up at the sky for a beat. "Just my freakin’ luck! A birthday party gone bad, and now I’m bein’ ogled by some horny kid with damnable blue eyes."

What the heck was wrong with her eyes? She quickly glanced in her rearview mirror and saw nothing amiss. She narrowed those "damnable blue eyes" and sneered. "Look, buster, I’m not the one prancing around Texas naked as a jaybird. I’ll have you know I’m hardly a kid." She glanced down at the black cowboy hat. "And, furthermore, stop hiding behind that big ol’ Stetson. From what I saw, a French beret would do the job."

There, let the arrogant fool stew on that while he strutted back to whatever rock he’d crawled out from. She slammed her car in gear and sped off.

She swore she wouldn’t look in her rearview mirror. Nope, she would not look. As if the mirror were a magnet emitting a powerful homing signal, her gaze slowly slid to the glass surface. He was standing where she’d left him…

Buy links:
http://amzn.to/pkkcLq -- Amazon.
http://bit.ly/pb9DQd -- Barnes & Noble, Nook version only.
http://bit.ly/rcCIMa -- The Wild Rose Press.

Vonnie would love your comments and questions, so feel free to leave a comment below!

Vonnie talked about how she applies Shakespeare's style of mixing humor and sadness to her stories. What major influence(s) have touched your life, whether for reading, writing, a hobby, or just daily living?

Summer Blog Bonanza: Amie Louellen, Author of Contemporary Romance

2011-07-23T00:42:00.027-04:00

Hi, everyone! Welcome to another fabulous week of Summer Blog Bonanza! Amie Louellen, contemporary author of zany, sexy romance stories is here to talk about her latest book, BRODIE'S BRIDE. Plus, she's even sharing a sneak-peek excerpt!

Amie Louellen--author FaceBook
http://www.amielouellen.com/
http://amielouellen.wordpress.com/
www.twitter.com/AmieLouellen
email: amielouellen@gmail.com

About Amie Louellen: Amie loves nothing more than a good book. Except her family...and maybe home-made tacos...and shoes. But reading and writing are definitely close to the top. When she's not creating quirky characters and happy endings, she enjoys attending little league baseball games and boy scout meetings. Born and raised in Mississippi, this transplanted Southern belle now lives in Oklahoma with her deputy husband, their genius son, a spoiled cat, and one hyper beagle.

Amie has won several awards for her writing including: First Place in TARA's First Impressions Contest, the Central Ohio Fiction Writers' Ignite the Flame Contest, and Northwest Houston RWA's Lone Star Writing Competition. She was also awarded finalist in the Valley Forge Romance Writers' "Shelia" contest and the Wisconsin Romance Authors' FabFive contest.

So glad to have you here, Amy!

Reading through your bio, I see that you’ve won a couple of writing contests. Is this how you got your start in the field? If not, what launched (or initiated) your writing career?

Actually, the contests came about after I starting writing. I guess I've always been a writer, so I'll say it all officially started after I decided to really put pen to paper--or fingers to keyboard. My husband and I and some of his family had the opportunity to live in the Caribbean. (Yes, it was great). It was especially a treat because I didn't have to work while we were there. As I said some of Rob's family was there as well, and I became good friends with my then sister-in-law. She and I would read books and share the ones we liked the best. One day she gave me a copy of Meghan McKinnley's Till Dawn Tames the Night. I still have that very copy. I devoured that book, read it all in one night. Bleary eyed, I met her the next morning and said, "We can write one of these." And so we did. We were in the heart of pirate territory, so our novel was a pirate romance--a misunderstood pirate and a woman in disguise. I have such fond memories of that book, but we both agree that we can't read it now for fear it's not nearly as good as we remember it to be! I've since switched from historical to contemporary, but that's another story all in itself!

You sound as busy as I am with family activities. Do you find it difficult to juggle time for writing with the sports and activities your boys are involved in? Do you have a set schedule or do you write during spare moments?

It is difficult to juggle all the mom responsibilities and the day job and everything else I find I have to do, but I think the secret is not thinking about it too much. People ask me how I do it. I honestly don't know, I just do. My karma is such that if I make a writing schedule, then something happens to mess with it. Broken arm, call from an editor to change projects, unexpectedly having to go into work...something. So I make it a point to write some everyday. That's not counting research, emails, blogging, or jotting down ideas. Writing--words on the paper, story line. I do have a tape recorder in my car, and a notebook that never leaves my side. I'm pretty sure the guitar teacher believes that I'm plotting to take over the world as furiously as I write stuff down during the half hour the boy child has his lessons. Then I carve out every moment I can to put it all on the computer.

The cover of Brodie’s Bride is soooo sexy! I literally oohed & ahhed at the first sight of it - my favorite color is red and I love satin and silk. Your hero and heroine, Brodie and Savanna are a seemingly mismatched couple who find themselves married under, ahem, unusual circumstances. This sets the premise for both a funny and touching romance. How did this fantastic idea come about?

Okay, I gotta say it, I LOVE LOVE LOVE my cover! Tamra Westberry did an amazing job on it. I couldn't have asked for a better cover! See, Savanna spends most of the first chapter wrapped up in that sheet stomping around the seedy little hotel where she'd just spent the night with Brodie. As for how the idea came about, I just wrote an entire blog post about that. No kidding! But I'll give you the pared down version. First let me say that I love marriage of un-convenience stories. There's nothing more fun for me than to take two people who don't really belong together and don't really love each other and make them stick it out, living together and trying to get out of the situation they've found themselves in. Another fav of mine is the "fish out of water story." Brodie's Bride has both. Poor little rich girl Savanna Morgan has to go live with barely-making-ends-meet Brodie Harper. She enters his crazy life and finds out a lot about herself in the process. Of course Brodie goes through his own self-discovery as well. And the whole thing started from a country song--Jose Quervo by Shelley West. Of course now we have Last Name by Carrie Underwood, but she just took Shelley's song to another level. LOL

All authors I’ve interviewed have their own process for writing. No two are ever quite the same. So, tell us a little about the process behind BRODIE‘S BRIDE, such as if there were any funny or really tricky moments while writing it.

There's a great scene toward the middle of the book before they give in to this attraction that's sizzling between them. They've gone to Texas to help Brodie secure the casino construction contract. They're on a ranch in a house where people believe they are really married and there's one bed in their room. So Savanna goes out for a walk to get away from Brodie, but he has the same idea. He ends up scaring Savanna and she falls into a stock pond they use on ranches to water the livestock. The idea for the scene was suggested by one of the members of my critique group. He (yes, a man) had to tell me all about stock ponds and their uses. But the best part was him demonstrating how she could fall down the slope and into the water. And the rest...well, I can't spoil it! It's one of my favorite scenes in the entire book! :)

Let’s talk about your upcoming book(s). What other projects are in the works?

My upcoming book is called Love (Potion) Me, Baby. It's the classic tale of Girl meets Boy. Boy drinks shampoo, falls madly in love with girl, and convinces her to marry him only to wake up the next morning unable to remember her name. Standard romance stuff. Seriously though, I really love this story. It's fun and crazy, borderline silly, but a definite feelgood read. Love Potion is shorter than Brodie, but still packs a sexy punch! :) I can hardly wait to be able to share it with everyone!!

Bonus fun question: Let’s pretend you just lost a bet with a friend. This friend gave you three choices to pick from: a.) take a very deep plunge from a bungee cord, or b.) jump off a cliff with a hand-glider, or c.) not read or write any books for a whole year. Which would you choose?

OMG--I don't know! I'm not sure it there's enough Xanax in the world to get me *on* a cliff much less jump off of it. And I can tell you straight up that there will be no bungee jumping here! But I'm sure I'd die if I couldn't read or write for a whole year. And if I didn't, the people around me would surely wish that I would because I would be so miserable. So I'm going to go with (gulp) jump off a cliff with a hang glider. But someone better be at the bottom with something by Susan Elizabeth Phillips and a glass--no, make that a carafe--of wine!!!

Brodie's Bride

Waking up next to a beautiful golden-haired stranger isn’t the worst thing that has ever happened to Brodie Harper, but staying in a fake marriage in order to gain a new construction contract could very well be.

Savanna Morgan just wanted a way out of an engagement to a man she didn’t love. Marrying Brodie seemed liked the perfect answer at the time. Less perfect the next morning when she finds herself disowned by her father and flat broke. Now she must make it through the weekend. Monday they can get it all annulled and forget it ever happened.

The real problem may be keeping their hands off each other until then.

Excerpt:

"On Monday, after our appointment, you’re leaving."

"I have to go home," she said quietly, turning away from him to stare into the postage-stamp sized back yard.

"But we have an agreement for the weekend. I think we should have some ground rules."

"Good idea." Savanna clapped her hands, then rubbed them together as if she were ready to get down to business. "Like what?"

"We only have two working bedrooms here," Brodie said. "Mine and Nan’s. Do you mind sharing a room with me?"

Her pupils dilated, and he knew she was thinking about the scarlet room they had shared last night.

"My room has two beds," he continued. "We can be like Lucy and Ricky."

She smiled. "If it was good enough for the Ricardos, I’m sure I can handle it for a few days."

"We may not so lucky at the Sullivan’s."

Sobering, she nodded. "If there’s only one bed there, we can just take turns sleeping in it."

"Fair enough." Brodie said. "Now, as a married couple—especially at the ranch—we’ll be expected to act like a married couple."

"Okay. But only around others. When we’re alone, we can act like we’re not married."

"Correct. But sometimes…" He took a step closer to where she leaned against the porch railing. "Sometimes married people hold hands."

He reached out and took her fingers into his own. Her skin was velvet soft and smelled so sweet, like the mountains after a rain.

"I—I don’t have a problem with that."

"Sometimes married couples put their arms around each other." He placed her hands behind his neck, then slid his arms around her waist.

"That’s okay," she whispered. He watched as she swallowed hard.

"And sometimes married people kiss. Just a peck here and a peck there. Are you going to have a problem with that?"

"Huh-uh." She shook her head.

"Maybe we should practice," he rasped, bending his head close to hers.

"Maybe," she repeated before he brushed his lips across hers once, then twice.

His intent had been the small, nearly chaste kiss of old married couple, but once he got close to Savanna, once he could smell her sweetness and taste her heady essence, he couldn’t stop himself.

He pulled her close to him, gathering handfuls of her tank top, securing her to him. Over and over he slanted his mouth across hers. Over and over, deeper and deeper, until her whimper brought him back. He released her, his breath rasping in and out of his lungs in hard painful gasps.

She grasped the edge of the porch railing, looking as disturbed as he felt.

With demonstrations like that, they may not ever convince Blair and Nan their marriage was an accidental twist of fate, but they would surely convince Red Sullivan their passion was for real.

Brodie ran his fingers through his hair, just one more gesture to keep from reaching for Savanna again.

"There," he managed to croak. "That wasn’t so bad, now was it?"

Fabulous excerpt, Amie! Thanks again for being this week's guest.

****So, readers, writers, and fellow bloggers, let us know what you think! We'd love to have your comments and questions!

Psst, and don't forget to click the 'follow' button (on the the right), to catch more great Summer Blog Bonanza guest authors here at A Bite of Reuben Sandwich.
:)

Summer Blog Bonanza: Barbara Edwards, author of Ancient Blood

2011-07-17T01:03:00.018-04:00

Hello, gorgeous 'followers' and fellow bloggers! With us on the Summer Blog Bonanza this week is Barbara Edwards -- one 'howl' of an awesome author, whose werewolf paranormals really give you something to sink your teeth into!

Barbara, thanks so much for joining us here at A Bite of Reuben Sandwich! I'm thrilled to have you as a guest!

Author Barbara Edwards

Barbara:

This little piggy went…

All day this nursery rhyme has been playing in my head.
Only I changed it to: this little piggy went blogging, this little piggy stayed home, this little piggy had lots of sales and this little piggy had none.

It started when I was reading on-line about setting promotion goals. Now I’m not the most computer literate person on the planet. In fact my kids call me ‘the computer killer’ with good reason. So any new use for the computer is way over my head, but I do try. Today I signed on to Shelfari. Messed that up so it took me a long time to get it right. Signed up on Goodreads. Had practice making a mess, so it went faster. Tweeted. Checked Facebook. Who plays all those games I end up blocking? Decided to catch up on the blogs I owe.

As I’ve said before, I like to blog. My problem is I tend to take on too much, stretch until I snap, then hide away in my office until I can breathe again.

So the piggies are dancing in my head. I’m trying to work on the next book in my Rhodes End Series. I’m finally getting the writing goals done I set for myself today.

And I did my promo- so this little piggy is happy.

Thank you, Alyson, for having me guest today.

Ancient Blood

The Wild Rose Press

Lily Alban escapes a murderous stalker, but his vicious attack leaves her with the ability to see auras. She finds safety in the tiny hamlet of Rhodes End where a stranger stands out like a red light. Try as she might to deny her growing desire for Cole, she seeks his help but soon discovers the man she loves is not a man at all.

Werewolf Cole Benedict resists his attraction to Lily. A botanist researching the healing herbs to find a cure for Lycanthropy, he’s determined to protect Lily from her stalker as well as himself even in human form, but instinct takes over when he changes to his inner beast.

Together they must use their extraordinary gifts to catch Lily’s stalker before he attacks again, but revealing their secrets to one another could destroy their growing love or save them both.

Excerpt from ANCIENT BLOOD:

"Lily?" His strong hands gently cupped her shoulders.

"Don’t, please don’t." She pulled away, fully intending to flee. Her resistance shattered, and she turned into his embrace. It was too late to escape. Pressing against his strength, she wound her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. His erection prodded her stomach, and she moaned. A heavy groan filled his throat as he lifted her from her feet. He kicked the bag aside as he sat her on the counter.

"I can’t wait," he growled. His flaring aura spiraled with colors she couldn’t name. She caught her breath. One hand burrowed through her hair, keeping her still as he stepped between her thighs. "You’re all I could think about all day."

Clasping her bottom, he slid her to the edge of the counter. With his lips claiming her mouth, he unbuttoned her slacks, than lifted her slightly to push them down and off.

The cold surface only made her more aware of his scorching heat. His rough denim pants scraped her inner thighs in contrast with the silky hair under her palms. Her pulse leaped, and she gasped. His male scent mixed with hints of the wild forest filled her nostrils. When his fingertip explored the heated moisture gathering at her juncture, she tightened her thighs around his hips.

Buy link: http://tinyurl.com/3f627vh

ANCIENT AWAKENING
The Wild Rose Press

Police Officer Melanie Petersen is the only one who believes a suspicious death is murder. By disobeying direct orders from the Rhodes End Chief, she risks her career to follow clues that twist in circles to her backyard and lead the killer to her.

Her neighbor Stephan Zoriak is a prime suspect. While working for a major pharmaceutical company, he is exposed to a dangerous organism that changed him. He suspects he is the killer and agrees to help Mel find the truth when the deaths continue. In the course of their investigation Mel and Steve find more death and continued distrust that make them wonder if love can defy death.

How to contact barbara:

http://twitter.com/barb_ed

http://www.Facebook.com/BarbaraEdwards.Author

Readers and writers, have you ever had a nursery rhyme haunt your thoughts, giving you ideas for a story or a blog post? We'd love for you to drop us a line (or several) in the comments below.

*Congratulations to Julie Mann and Patricia W., winners of Beth Ciotta's book giveaway! Each will have their choice of INTO THE WILD or OUT OF EDEN.

*Julie and Patricia, please contact me at alysonreuben2010-web@yahoo.com with your address and the book of your choice.
:)

Summer Blog Bonanza: Beth Ciotta, HQN author of INTO THE WILD

2011-07-09T02:21:00.036-04:00

www.bethciotta.com or visit my blog !
"...fun and sexy..." ~Publishers Weekly
"...charming romantic comedy..." ~Book Page

Welcome to more Summer Blog Bonanza! This week, I’m honored to have HQN’s award-winning author, Beth Ciotta, as my guest blogger. I was first introduced to Beth after reading, ALL ABOUT EVIE, the first in her contemporary trilogy, The Chameleon Chronicles. Falling in love with the story, I couldn’t help but write a book review and post it on the eHarlequin site. From there, a terrific cyber friendship developed. Since then, I’ve discovered not only how multi-talented she is, but how graciously she welcomes new author friends, readers, and fans. Point in case: this week on A Bite of Reuben Sandwich, she’s offering not one, but two free books! Two lucky winners will each receive their choice of OUT OF EDEN or INTO THE WILD. *Can I hear handclaps and loud whistles?*

Please, everyone, let’s make Beth feel fabulously welcome!

So glad to have you 'guesting' today, Beth. Let’s get started with how you decided to become a writer. Were you ‘born’ with the urge, did it develop as a child, or did it arise from your adult experiences?

I think I was born with an artistic streak that motivated me in various creative ways. My first love was singing. But I was also inspired to dance, act, and write. I remember writing my first ‘book’ when I was about ten—THE LITTLEST GREEN MAN. Fifty handwritten pages about a Martian on Earth who lamented being different and not fitting in. I find it interesting that the next full length story I wrote, a creative writing project in high school, featured an octopus struggling with similar problems as the Martian. Being different from the other creatures around him. Not fitting in. As an adult, I see the running theme. Obviously, I felt out of the norm. Happy to say I’ve learned being ‘unique’ is not a bad thing.

As far as making a conscious decision to pursue a career in publishing, that came later in life. I worked as a professional performer from age fourteen to forty. At thirty-two I rediscovered my love of reading romance novels which instantly ignited a burning passion to write. My storytelling creative juices have been on fire ever since.

When did you publish your first book? Did you find it difficult to break into the profession?

I published my first book in 2002, after finaling in RWA’s Golden Heart contest along with my then writing partner, Cynthia Valero. SCANDALOUS SPIRITS (and two other co-written paranormal novels and one short story) were published under the name CB Scott. My first solo novel, JINXED, was published in 2004. Since then I’ve been writing two books a year, first for Medallion Press then for HQN Books. Most recently I signed with St. Martin’s Press and NAL (Penguin).

Was it difficult to break into publishing? Yes. I started submitting manuscripts to agents and publishers in 1995. I endured a lot of rejections before signing with a small publisher. From there it was a slow build. That said, it’s almost as difficult to stay in the game as breaking in. Last summer I compiled another folder of rejections. The key is passion and perseverance.

You’ve had a tremendous amount of theatrical and musical experiences, haven't you? Do you think those experiences gave you a better feel for developing fictional characterizations?

Beth: "The band JUSTUS. Dig those costumes.
Spandex-city. Hee! But trust me, they were
'in' at the time.The man I'm leaning against is
my now brother-in-law, John Ciotta.
That handsome guy on my left/your right
(dark hair/moustache), is my now husband
Steve (still as sexy today, sans the moustache)."

I’ve been ‘performing’ all my life. Oh, the ‘shows’ I subjected my family to! At age fourteen I started performing professionally, singing every weekend with a house band in a local Holiday Inn lounge. I went ‘on the road’ when I was seventeen, fresh out of high school, and made my living traveling and singing in night clubs and hotel lounges for the next seven years. After that I settled in Atlantic City and performed almost exclusively in the casinos. In addition to singing in the lounges, I also worked as a character actress and dance motivator. Interesting times. As for giving me a better feel for fictional characters, I don’t know about that, but I do think my entertainment background prepared me for many of the business as aspects of publishing. For instance, I’d already developed a pretty thick skin dealing with rejection. In entertainment rejection often comes in person, face-to-face. In publishing you usually receive disappointing news via letters and emails. Much easier to withstand as far as I’m concerned.

Your characters are known for zany comedy, mixed with drama and often a degree of suspense. How do your ideas usually come to you? What inspirations do you draw from?

I get that question a lot, and I never really know how to answer it. I guess my ideas coming from life experience and observation. Some aspect of my heroine is always rooted in a personal belief, fear, dream or experience. It makes the heroine very real to me. The plot is sometime loosely based on a life experience, but mostly born of my imagination. Write what you know and what you’d like to know.

Tell us about all the books you’re giving away copies of today.

OUT OF EDEN and INTO THE WILD are connected by siblings. Kylie McGraw, a shoe boutique operator, is the heroine of OUT OF EDEN and her brother, Spenser McGraw, a thrill-seeing adventurer and TV star, is the hero of INTO THE WILD.

That said, these two books are very different stories. OUT OF EDEN takes place in their small hometown and involves several quirky, fun characters and subplot revolving around an ex-mobster. Kylie is confident, a bit reckless, and attracted to the new town sheriff, Jack, who is in fact someone she’s carried a torch for for a very long time. I very much enjoyed writing about a small town and an old love, and the suspense element via the mob was a challenge and hoot to incorporate.

INTO THE WILD takes place in the Amazon jungle and the Andes mountains. It involves an ancient legend and treasure, thrills and chills and an intense romance between a neurotic heroine and tortured, adventurous hero. Writing this story was a personal thrill for me because it’s something that I’ve always dreamed of doing, but would never have the nerve to actually pursue. By living vicariously through the heroine, River Kane, I got to experience my very own treasure hunt with an Indiana-Jones-type hero, Spenser McGraw.

What are the Cupcake Club books?

Early this year I signed with St Martin’s Press to write four connected books, a contemporary romance series called ‘THE CUPCAKE CLUB’. Each book will feature a new heroine and heroine, however they are all connected in some way to The Cupcake Club, a social baking club that was conceived in the 1940s by women whose loved ones had gone off to war. Their charitable efforts continue to this day as they try to make a difference in the world via cupcakes! I’m presently wrapping up the first book which is also a set up for everything after. Hard work but lots of fun. I don’t have a release date yet, but I’m hoping for 2012.

I love how you’ve mastered a variety of sub-genres -- from historicals and contemporary stories to paranormals. Is there any other kind you look forward to writing someday?

I’ve been very fortunate in that I’ve pretty much sold every story I’ve conceived, no matter the sub-genre. I’m probably best known for my contemporaries, but I equally enjoy writing historicals and paranormals. My newest sub-genre is Steampunk Romance. I recently signed to write a series for NAL (Penguin) presently entitled—THE GLORIOUS VICTORIOUS DARCYS. I’ve yet to learn the release date, but again, hoping for 2012. As for the Young Adult market, I’ve yet to dip my toe in those waters, but I do have a project simmering. That’s the sub-genre next on my wish list!

Bonus fun question: If you were shipwrecked on a desert island and could salvage just two special things to keep there with you, aside from necessary food & drinks, what would they be?

Aside from my husband? Hmm. Well, since there’d be no electricity I guess I’d have to forgo my laptop and Kindle. In that case, I guess I’d salvage a great book that I could read over and over (preferably a really LONG one) and a journal and pen (with endless ink). Hey… you may have just inspired a new story idea!

Thanks so much for joining me here, Beth! Not only are readers getting a chance to know you better, I’ve also learned a couple of new things about you I didn’t know before.

Thank you for having me, Alyson!

****Be sure to leave a comment below for a chance to win OUT OF EDEN or INTO THE WILD! And don’t forget to click the ‘follow’ button for A Bite of Reuben Sandwich, (down on the right side of the screen) to catch all the other fantastic authors participating in the Summer Blog Bonanza.

* Last week's NOT WITHOUT RISK giveaway winner was Calisa Rhose.
<3

Summer Blog Bonanza: Sarah Grimm, author of NOT WITHOUT RISK

2011-07-02T01:37:00.019-04:00

Hello, fabulous fellow bloggers and readers!

I had my bicycle tuned up last week, and I’ve been going on rides alongside my nine-year-old. Wow, are my legs sore! Guess that’s what happens when a person turns twenty-nine. *cheesy grin* Okay, okay... enough about me.

This week’s guest for the Summer Blog Bonanza is author Sarah Grimm. Yay!! And, as an extra bonus, she’s giving away a digital copy of her book, NOT WITHOUT RISK. So you’ll definitely want to keep reading to find out how to win.

About Sarah

As a young girl, Sarah Grimm always had a story to tell. At times they were funny, other times scary, but they were always happily-ever-after.

Sarah spent years scribbling in notebooks, filling the pages with partial chapters and the margins with titles and story ideas. She told friends that the characters spoke to her, and that she was compelled to get their stories on paper. Eventually, she sat down at a computer and wrote her first tale of dangerously sexy suspense. That book, Not Without Risk, was nominated for Long and Short of It's Best Book 2010. Sarah lives in West Michigan with her husband, two sons and three miniature schnauzers. Between mom's taxi service, parts runs, and answering the phone for the family marine repair business, Sarah can be found curled in her favorite chair, crafting her next novel.

Sarah, I’m so happy to have you here today!

From reading your bio, I can see that you and I met our fates similarly -- as children. The reference to filling notebooks with stories and ideas is so incredibly familiar to me.

Did NOT WITHOUT RISK, your first published book, also start out in your notebook?

NOT WITHOUT RISK is probably the only story that didn’t start out that way. It actually got its start in the lunch room of the insurance company I worked for about 20 years ago. (Yikes, was it really that long ago?) It was during a power outage and the company, known for never giving time off work, kept us at work for four hours before finally giving the go-ahead to go home. During that time I entertained my friends by telling them a story ‘off the top of my head’. Of course, I made quite a few changes once I sat down and wrote the story, but that’s how NOT WITHOUT RISK began. 　

So what made you decide to write romantic suspense?

For the longest time romantic suspense was pretty much all I read, so writing it just seemed to make sense. But then a character came to mind, one who wouldn’t go away, who stayed with me for years until I finally sat down and wrote her story. AFTER MIDNIGHT is a contemporary romance with just a minor element of suspense. I had so much fun with it that now I’m working on another contemporary and I question whether I’ll go back to romantic suspense. My stories will always have some element of suspense, but true romantic suspense—a story that mixes the genres fairly equally—I just don’t know.

What part of the book do you find hardest to write? The beginning, middle, or end?

It seems to change with each book I write. With NOT WITHOUT RISK it was the middle—I worked and re-worked the middle at least three different times before everything clicked into place.

AFTER MIDNIGHT I struggled with the ending. The story just poured out of me and I couldn’t seem to wrap it up. I wrote and re-wrote the last two pages of it several times not settling on exactly how it ended until my third set of edits. I’m sure I drove my editor crazy with that but she is great and never said anything.

And because my muse is a fickle beyotch, with MIDNIGHT HEAT I struggled with the beginning. I knew exactly how the second scene/chapter of the book played out, heck, I even knew exactly how it ended and wrote the ending already, but the beginning? That took me a while.

Is it difficult for you to balance being a writer with family life? Balancing it with your family’s business? Do you have a set schedule for writing, or do you fit it into every available gap possible?

The older my kids get, the harder it is for me to find time to write. When they were young, I was a stay at home mom so I actually found it easier to sit in the computer chair and craft stories. Now, I not only have a new job outside of the family business, but my sons have a very busy schedule, and my husband still needs me to run for parts or return customer phone calls. I get so busy that I had to give myself a self-imposed deadline to get the third book written or it would get pushed to the backburner until my muse got fed up enough to start screaming at me.

Tell us about NOT WITHOUT RISK.

He has a killer to find & doesn't need a leggy brunette clouding his investigation. She wants to know who murdered her friend. As Paige and Justin try to stay one step ahead of a madman, love comes...Not Without Risk.

I absolutely love that summation of the book and I have to thank Amie Louellen for penning it for me. Thanks Amie!

NOT WITHOUT RISK, is a romantic suspense with a wounded hero—the story of Sergeant Justin Harrison, who returns to his job as a San Diego homicide detective after six months of medical leave. Determined to prove he’s fit for active duty, he doesn’t need the self-doubt that plagues him, or his growing feelings for the leggy brunette who is at the center of his homicide investigation.

I have a fantastic new book trailer (thanks again go to Amie Louellen) for NOT WITHOUT RISK. You can check it out here:

http://youtu.be/peDUrXuQPbQ

I’m absolutely blown away by the cover of your upcoming book (available September 30, 2011), AFTER MIDNIGHT. It’s gorgeous! And the story sounds every bit as breathtaking, with a promising mix of drama, suspense, and steaming romance. Where did the inspiration for this one come from?

I adore my cover for AFTER MIDNIGHT! It was designed by the talented Nicola Martinez and I think she captured the drama and intensity of the story very well. Sure, AFTER MIDNIGHT is a romance, but the road to happily-ever-after is not easy for Isabeau and Noah.

Every author I’ve ever spoke with has one story they truly believe is THE story of their heart and AFTER MIDNIGHT is mine. Isabeau Montgomery is the owner of Izzy’s Bar, a child prodigy, piano phenom—a woman who is hiding behind a lie of her own making. She’s just so very tortured, her past so full of tragedy…It was a while before I felt I could do her story justice.

Here’s the official blurb:

Thirteen years—that's how long Isabeau Montgomery has been living a lie. After an automobile accident took her mother's life, Izzy hid herself away, surviving the only way she knew how. Now she is happy in her carefully reconstructed life. That is until he walks through the door of her bar...

Black Phoenix singer/front man Noah Clark came to Long Island City with a goal--one that doesn't include an instant, electric attraction to the dark-haired beauty behind the bar. Coaxing her into his bed won't be easy, but he can't get her pale, haunted eyes nor her skill on the piano out of his head.

Can Noah help Isabeau overcome the past? Or will her need to protect her secret force her back into hiding and destroy their chance at happiness?

Where did the inspiration for it came from? I honestly have no idea. One day Isabeau was just there—in my head—talking to me and telling me about her past. Sounds a bit schizophrenic, I know, but that’s how it happened.

Tell us about MIDNIGHT HEAT, your sequel to AFTER MIDNIGHT.

Midnight Heat is my current WIP (work-in-progress). It features Dominic Price, a secondary character from After Midnight. I originally had no plans to give Dominic his own story, but about halfway into writing After Midnight, fell so in love with his character that I changed my mind. 　

What is an unusual trait or quirk that most readers don’t know about you?

I love cars, especially classic cars. I love speed—I have a ‘lead foot’. Combine the two, classic cars and speed, and I’m in heaven. There’s just something about the rumble of a well-tuned engine. My favorite past time is going to the drag strip with my husband…the smell of burning rubber, the roar of the cars racing down the quarter mile strip at speeds that boggle the mind…Yeah, that does it for me. And my husband? He’s not the only one allowed to take his truck down the track!

Wow, I love that answer, Sarah! Would love to see a photo of you in a classic car or out on the track, sometime!

Readers: How about you? Do you like classic cars? Fast cars? Love going to races?

Leave Sarah a comment below for a chance to **WIN** a digital copy of NOT WITHOUT RISK!

Summer Blog Bonanza: Jean Adams, author of Yesterday's Dreams

2011-06-25T00:45:00.006-04:00

Hello, everyone! I hope summer is treating you well. I may be sporting a sunburn, but the weather here in my part of Indiana has been hovering in the mild 80’s (knock on wood) for the past few days. Absolutely adore it! And, trust me, I’m not taking it for granted either. Our mid-western climate is known for changing rapidly.

Glad you could stop by for the second week of the Summer Blog Bonanza! Help me welcome this Saturday’s guest -- New Zealand’s Jean Adams.

Jean lives in the North Island of New Zealand, but originally came from England. She loved watching movies when she was growing up, and could always be found in the cinema dreaming about her latest hero. That's probably where her love of storytelling started. In fact it didn't stop there. A few years ago, she went to Cornwall (her most favorite place in the whole world) and sat spellbound amongst the other kids while the resident storyteller at King Arthur's Castle at Tintagel told her about Cornish folklore.

She once worked for an airline (several actually) and was lucky enough to travel for next to nothing - France, Spain, Portugal, India, the USA, Barbados, Australia, and of course, back to the old country.

After realizing that there was a serious lack of support for budding writers in her area of the world, she founded Romance Writers of New Zealand in September 1990. They began with a handful of people and have grown into an international organization of more than 300 members. She’s immensely proud to say that since that date many of the group’s members have gone on to publication, herself included.

Jean is a firm believer in happily-ever-after and she loves books with happy, feel-good endings, and stories with a touch of the mystical.

Her books: HIDDEN DREAMS, ETERNAL HEARTS, A PLACE OF HEALING, BEATS A WILD HEART, THE SABINE CONNECTION, and a short story, THE LOTUS POOL.

Jean, I’m so glad to have you as a guest today!

Let’s get started by talking about your work in the writer’s group. How incredible that you founded Romance Writers of New Zealand, which now has 300 members! How are the meetings conducted? In person or internet based?

We meet in person once each month, as do the other chapters in other parts of the country. Once each year we hold our 3-day conference -- the next one is coming up in August -- and we regularly host authors, publishers and agents from NZ, Australia, the US and the UK. We've hosted Donald Maass and Christopher Vogler, and this year we have Bob Mayer.

Do you find it helps writers achieve their goals to be connected to a local network of fellow writers?

Yes, they like the buzz of the conference weekends where they meet old friends, make new ones, and talk about writing.

From your extensive travels, it’s easy to see where you might get the ideas for your international settings. Did this part of your life feed your writing career?

Yes it did. I love international settings. They add color and glamour to stories.

Aside from any research you have to do, do you map out your stories carefully, outlining all or most of the details, or are you a ‘pantster’ who starts with a idea and writes with the flow.

I never plot rigidly. I begin with the characters, usually the hero, then introduce a heroine who will add conflict. Then I think up all the possible things that can go wrong with a budding relationship in their context, and rough out a plot. I just list bullet points and work my way from point to point. This allows me the flexibility to add in further twists and turns as I work through a story. So I guess you could call me a pantster who plots. :-)

Sounds like an awesome work plan, Jean. I like the idea of writing from point to point.

Before we introduce your latest book, YESTERDAY‘S DREAMS, tell us briefly about your other ones.

My next book, THE FIRES OF PASSION, due soon from The Wild Rose Press, is the sequel to YESTERDAY’S DREAMS. The Wild Rose Press has also published A PLACE OF HEALING. Both these books are set in New Zealand. I also have an ancient Egyptian time travel, ETERNAL HEARTS, with Highland Press. That one was the book of my heart.

YESTERDAY'S DREAMS
Publisher: Wild Rose Press

She was his strength—and his weakness.

Ten years ago, Emma Davenport gave her innocence to a blue-eyed bad boy guaranteed to break her heart. Little did she know, a teenage love would eternally haunt her dreams and change her life.

Now Kane Hunter’s back. With him comes a whirlwind of memories and unrequited dreams. He possesses the means to repair Emma's fractured world and guilt drives him to do all he can for the woman he’s never forgotten.

But when he learns he has a daughter, Kane confronts the one fear that all his success can’t negotiate.

Will youthful passion become a reality, or will their love

always remain yesterday’s dreams?

You can find YESTERDAY’S DREAMS at your favorite bookstore,

and online at www. thewildrosepress.com

In YESTERDAY’S DREAMS, the main characters, Emma and Kane, had a youthful romance, then separated, only to be reunited years later to face a renewal of passion… and mistrust. There are a few surprises in store for both characters throughout the book, which makes it even more interesting. Where did the idea for this story come from?

It's difficult to remember just where the idea for Kane and Emma's story came from… but it began way back in the mists of time, and has evolved over several years.

I always like to ask at least one question that's a little unexpected. So here it is: Let’s say a relatively new writer in your group asked for your number one piece of advice. What would it be?

Am I allowed two? The first thing I'd say is read, read, read. Get a feel for books. The second piece of advice would be never to listen to dream-stealers. They'll try to stop your dreams stone-cold dead.

Here are some of Jean’s practical, very achievable suggestions for when and where to squeeze in extra time for writing:

- Waiting for the bus.
- Waiting outside school to pick up the kids.
- Waiting for the repairman who never arrives on time.
- Morning/afternoon tea break.
- Lunch break.
- Mute those TV ads (if you’re watching TV instead of writing).
- Go to bed an hour later.
- Get up an hour earlier.

Only got 20 minutes? No problem. There’s a lot you can do in that short time:

- Write a paragraph.
- Write a snippet of dialogue.
- Line edit. - Check spelling.
- Check grammar.
- Look for typos.
- Write a character sketch.
- Fill in character charts – what’s the hero’s eye color, favorite food, music, etc.
- Write some scene detail.
- Listen to conference tapes.
- Read a how-to book. Your mind retains information better in small doses.
- Brainstorm ideas.
- Plan your next scene. Decide what you want, turn it over to your sub-conscious and you’ll be amazed what it will come up with.
- Carry your WIP with you and some colored marker pens, then you can check for repetitions in dialogue tags. How many times has the hero snarled, glared or grinned?

Great advice, Jean! And thank you so much for being at the Summer Blog Bonanza today. We really enjoyed getting to know you better.

You’re welcome, Alyson! And thanks a million. It was fun.

Subscribers and fellow blog friends, do you have a unique tip for squeezing extra time into your busy day to read and/or write?

Comments are welcome. Jean and I would love to hear from you!

Summer Blog Bonanza: Sue Fineman, author of The Mitchell Money

2011-06-17T22:57:00.013-04:00

Yay! It’s Saturday! Time for a serving of Blog Bonanza!
This week’s special guest is author Sue Fineman -- The Mitchell Money and The Gregory Series.

Sadie, Sue's rescue doggy

Sue Fineman lives in a small town in Washington state with her husband of forty-some years and two very spoiled little dogs. Her three grown children are now officially older than her. She has one adorable grandson and multiple grandpuppies and grandkittens.

She writes mostly romantic suspense, women's fiction, and light paranormal romance novels. Although she doesn't write comedy, there's a little humor in everything she writes.

In addition to being a wife and mother, Sue has been a secretary, technical writer, real estate agent, and foster mother to five children. She's lived in Ohio, Arizona, Florida, North Carolina, Michigan, Puerto Rico, California, Texas, Oklahoma, and Washington state. Always an avid reader, Sue began writing in her mid-fifties, when her husband started driving her crazy. Immersing herself in her stories helps keep her sane, or insane, depending on the little people running around inside her mind.

You have a great bio, Sue! Love how you mentioned your grandpuppies and grandkittens along with your grandson! And you have my wholehearted admiration for having been a foster mom to five children. Anything in particular you’d like to share about these precious people and animals in your life?

In the early 50’s, when I was a little girl, I belonged to the junior choir at my church. We took a lot of field trips, and one of those was to an orphanage. Seeing how those kids lived made such a big impact on me – big colorless rooms filled with dozens of beds, some with no pillows. Siblings were split up and put in different parts of the building.

At the orphanage, they had a farm where they grew most of their own vegetables, and they had a barn for the milk cows. The boys worked in the barn or in the fields, and the girls worked in the kitchen. There weren’t many toys for the little ones or enough people to take care of them all. It was such a dismal place. I decided someday I’d take in kids who didn’t have a stable home, so they didn’t have to live in a place like that. Over the years, in addition to our own three kids, we’ve had five foster kids and a couple strays my son brought home.

My kids are now grown, educated, and self-supporting. Isn’t that every mother’s dream? My grandson is absolutely adorable, just finishing up the first grade. My doctor daughter said I’d have to settle for grandpuppies and grandkittens from her, because she didn’t intend to have children. Which is fine by me. As a veterinary oncologist, she not only works long hours, she’s always on call. I don’t know how she’d handle kids, too.
　
Wow, you’ve lived in several different states, and even in Puerto Rico (personally I love Puerto Rican rice dishes! Yum!). Do these settings ever find their way into your stories?
　　
Absolutely. I’ve used Texas, Ohio, Arizona, Oklahoma, Florida, Kentucky, Puerto Rico, and several spots in Washington State as settings.

We had a maid in Puerto Rico who taught me how to cook a few local dishes. We didn’t speak the same language, but we understood each other just fine. She was such a big help with the kids. We had three babies in three years, the last one in Puerto Rico, and I was overwhelmed. Three in diapers at one time is a lot of work. Come to think of it, so is having three in college at the same time.

I don’t have the desire to travel now, maybe because we moved so often before we settled in Washington State. I have good memories of all the places we’ve lived, though, and I can hear the different accents of my characters by remembering people I’ve known in those places.
　
Being an author of suspense, women's fiction, and light paranormal romance novels, do you find yourself slipping into a different state of mind with each story, because they’re so different from each another? Is it easy or difficult for you to change subgenres?
　
It’s not difficult. There’s mystery and/or suspense in my women’s fiction and also in the novels with light paranormal elements. My daughter, Sheri, has psychic visions, I’ve had visions, and a ghost visited me in Houston, so when I put ghosts or visions in my novels, I can picture things actually happening that way. I had an editor turn down one of my books because it “wasn’t grounded in reality,” and I had to laugh. Apparently, my reality isn’t the same as hers.

I believe wholeheartedly in psychic visions and dreams. I’ve had a few of them myself, so I can certainly understand your ability to write about the paranormal in a convincing way!

Before talking about your latest book, The Mitchell Money, tell us a little about the Gregory Series: On the Edge, On the Lam, and On the Run.

On the Run is kinda silly in spots, fast moving, because they’re on the run from a drug lord’s hired killers. I love the interaction between Greg and Neen. She’s been on the run so long she carries everything important in her purse – money, clean underwear, and a gun, of course. Greg can’t figure out how she gets it all in there. He’s a former DEA agent working undercover with the FBI.

Greg’s brother, Bo Gregory, is the hero in On the Lam. Callie is a battered wife running away from her abusive husband, but she doesn’t tell Bo her husband is the county sheriff back home in Texas. He’s stolen her ranch, and she wants it back, but she’s terrified of what he’ll do to her if he catches her again. Bo is a reluctant hero, a wounded former marine with a shattered elbow who lives with a lot of pain. Callie wants to ease his pain, but she won’t let him wallow in self-pity.

Chance Gregory’s ex-wife was murdered in On the Edge, leaving him with three grieving children. Chance, an attorney, is next on the killer’s list. So is Baylee Patterson, a newspaper reporter who writes feature stories about the killer and other abusive men. When a police detective advises them to leave town, they go together, hoping the police catch the killer before the killer finds them.

The books in the Gregory Series are available in ebook format from Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Search for Sue Fineman and they should all pop up.

The Mitchell Money

Before his death, Rachel’s husband hid their money, and the only man in Maystown who can help her find it is the surly ex-cop who drives an ancient pickup and talks on his cell phone instead of paying attention to his driving. She doesn’t want to accept Gary’s offer to trade his investigating skills for her cooking, but if she doesn’t find the money soon, she could lose her new house.

Gary’s reluctant to get involved with the rude woman who backed into his truck, but she needs his help, and he needs a cook at the ranch. He suspects Rachel’s husband hid more than his money. Can she handle the truth about the man she’d been married to for so many years?

I love the maturity of your characters in The Mitchell Money. I also really enjoy how your characters play off each other. Did you have fun with Gary’s crankiness? And Rachel’s initial mistrust and annoyance at him?

Cranky or not, I love Gary. He’s the wealthiest man in town and owns the biggest ranch in the area, but he’s lonesome and frustrated. The town gossip has been after him for years, but he can’t stand her. Gary had a happy marriage, but his wife died years ago, and he doesn’t think he’ll ever find another woman he can love. He takes an instant dislike to Rachel when she insults his truck, which is pictured on the book cover.

After Rachel’s miserable marriage to a controlling man, she’s not likely to trust any man, especially Gary, who ran into her car, dented her fender, and then blamed her for the accident. If he wasn’t the only person in the area who could help her find the money her husband had hidden before he died, she wouldn’t have anything to do with him. She’s desperate to find the missing money before she loses the land and her half-built house.

How did the story idea for The Mitchell Money come about?

I was sketching the floor plan of a house – a long-time hobby – and wondered where the house would be built. Then I wondered who’d live there. What was their story? Several of our friends and neighbors were moving to Arizona, so I pictured this home on a hilltop overlooking a small town in the hills near Sedona, Arizona. The house is fairly small, but there’s a three-car garage and a one-bedroom guest cottage all grouped around a big square courtyard, which they use as an outdoor living area. I could live there myself.

Do you have a favorite character/book you’ve written so far?

My favorite book is usually the one I’m working on at the time. I just finished revisions on The Lady Killer, the story of a police chief, a former stripper, and a serial killer. I have another book under consideration with TWRP. It’s called The Nightmare. The villain in that one could give anyone nightmares.
　
Ooh, sounds fantastic! I love books that have creepy villains! They’re almost as fun to read about as the heroes and heroines!

If you were forced to choose between subgenres, sticking to writing only one for the rest of your life, which one would you pick?

Romantic suspense. I don’t plot out my books before I begin writing, but everything I write has some mystery or suspense in it. And every book has some romance.

Thanks for having me on your blog, Alyson. Your questions really made me think. Enjoy the summer, everyone!

You’re welcome, Sue! And thank you for joining us here at A Bite of Reuben Sandwich today!
　
**Fellow readers, have you ever longed to jump into a book’s setting or situation simply because it was described in such an appealing way? Let us know!

2011-06-15T10:17:00.001-04:00

Just to let everyone know where I am today: I'm being featured on Sia Mckye's Over Coffee @ www.siamckye.blogspot.com Love to see you there!

MR. CREATIVE OUTLET: a writer's version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

2011-06-11T01:55:00.020-04:00

*Summer Blog Bonanza*

Hello, everyone! Wowsa! do I have a fantastic line-up of great authors coming your way! Trust me, you'll want to hear what they have to say, chat with them, and possibly win some prizes!

Today, my critique partner (and fantastic friend) is helping to kick off this event with a few words about a subject a lot of fellow writers and readers may find very familiar.

Let’s make welcome… *drum roll please*… Elle J. Rossi!!

Elle is a writer of paranormal romantic fiction.

www.ellejrossi.com
ellejrossiloudwhispers.blogspot.com

Once upon a time…

Four words on a page.

Four words at the beginning of any given story. Four words setting everything into motion. There was a time I’d look at those four words, whatever they may be—because let’s face it, every story has to start somewhere—and excitement would sizzle and zip through my veins. This is going to be soooooo good. This is the beginning of yet another fantastic story I’m fortunate enough to be reading! This is where the dark moments get flippin' hot!

That was then. You know, once upon a time. Now? Now I read those first four words and wonder if the author chose the best four words, or if, perhaps, they should have used third person rather than first. And maybe they could have made me feel just a little more for the heroine, even though my heart is already breaking for her as I dab the tears from the corner of my eye. Oh! How about this? Why, oh why, did they use a dash rather than a comma? But the best times are when I wonder how the hell they picked the absolute perfect combinations of words. I'm forced to pull out the highlighter and mar up a treasure trove.

Ack! An incredibly evil villain has sucked almost all the pleasure I get from reading a wonderful book out of me! Oh, no, you say? Yes, it’s true…sadly, sadly true. Mr. Creative Outlet, a.k.a. incredibly evil villain, keeps me from enjoying a lazy Sunday afternoon by perching his arse on my right shoulder and pinching my ear until he has my full attention. He’s never happy, never satisfied. (sound familiar?). Instead of allowing me to absorb the rewards of reading a fantastic story, he’s forcing me to write my own absolutely wonderful and magical story that everyone will love and tell all their friends to rush out and buy -- not one, but at least two copies! Yes, he’s that insistent and no matter how many times I try to wrestle him to the ground and sit on his horned head just to shut him up, he weasels his way out from under me and parks his butt right back in the no parking zone.

Ack again! I miss reading for pure pleasure. I miss the escape and the wonder of those charmed stories.

You think I could ditch him if I run through the woods and let the branches smack him around? I’d give anything to spend a weekend reading for entertainment value only. Well, anything but give up writing. That I can’t do.

Got any evil villains parking their cheeks on your shoulder? Do share!

- Elle

Elle and I would love to hear from all of you, so please feel free to leave your comments below!

***Stop by next Saturday, June 18^th, as SUE FINEMAN, author of romantic suspense, light paranormal romance,
and women's fiction,

joins us here at the Summer Blog Bonanza! You won't want to miss it!

Had One Hail of a Good Time on Vacation, and Came Home to Awesome News!

2011-06-07T14:37:00.001-04:00

Hello, everyone! Hope your week has gotten off to a fabulous start!

I've been on a family vacation to Nashville, Tennessee and Cave City, Kentucky. We had a hail of a time! And, no, I didn't misspell that. We ran into a horrendous storm while traveling. High winds, hail, and battering rain. We pulled over beside a ditch, prepared to leap out to take cover from a tornado. Luckily, things didn't progress that far, because, not only did I fret about being swept into a funnel cloud, I wasn't crazy about getting wet. Rain does terrible things to my hair. Anyway, in spite of the storm, we had tons of fun! In fact, there wasn't enough time to cram in everything we planned to do. Still, it's always good to get back home. And, this time, coming back had a double appeal because of what was waiting for me.

I've been enjoying keeping everyone at facebook and twitter in suspense about the awesome news I received, but I've decided to let my friends here at A Bite of Reuben Sandwich know first (since you guys are so special). Ready? Okay...

I received the release date for A Beautiful Cage!

*Look for it on September 2nd!!!*

Yippeee! I'm squealing for joy! And now that I have a final date, I'll be able to add my own book to those who participate here on my upcoming Summer Blog Bonanza, starting June 18th. I moved the starting date up a couple of days, in order to kick off on a Saturday. I'm also open to do guest interviews about A Beautiful Cage for other blogs or web groups. Likewise, if you're interested in being interviewed or participating in my Summer Blog Bonanza, please leave a comment below. The Blogger site has had recent difficulties, so if it won't accept your comment you may need to email me directly at alysonreuben2010-web@yahoo.com . You can also find me at facebook: facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001136916696 And at Twitter: twitter.com/#!/alysonreuben

In order to kick off A BEAUTIFUL CAGE's release in an extra special way, I've been racking my brain for different ideas. A blog contest, maybe? Do you have any fabulous ideas that would be fun and creative? Let me know what you think! I'm pretty open at this point. While I can't guarantee I'll take up all the suggestions, no idea is a stupid one.

** The list of authors and dates for the Summer Blog Bonanza will be posted soon.

Hugs and Kisses,

Alyson

Getting caught up and news about my upcoming Summer Blog Bonanza

2011-05-27T16:22:00.004-04:00

Hi, everyone! Hope you all are safe and sound! So far, here in Indiana, my small town has been only slightly wind-damaged by the severe storms and nearby tornadoes raging around us. However, several of my friends in surrounding towns that have been hit very hard with damage. Fortunately, no fatalities.

The most recent books I’ve read (not full reviews):

Summer’s Road by Kelly Moran. So, so good! The relationship between the characters was very realistic. I like stories of friendships evolving into something much deeper, probably because my husband and I were friends years before our romance began. A few parts of the story made me cry because it involved children who have cancer. My cousin’s six-year old daughter is in remission from Leukemia and had a really tough way to go for a while, so this part of the story struck a major heartstring.

Prescription in Russian by Mona Risk. I really liked the location and setting (a Russian medical facility) of this one! The scenes involving laboring mothers and newborn babies were brilliantly written. I was amazed to discover that baby abandonment is a major issue in Russia. Mona touches on several touching and painful issues, but they are counterbalanced by the beautiful romance, drawing one woman’s grief into the loving circle of a wonderful widowed Russian man and his adorable, spunky sons.

I’m currently reading Against the Wind by Kat Martin, Forget-Me-Not by Linda Morris, and I’ll Walk Alone by Mary Higgins Clark. Yes, I know. That’s a pretty eclectic mix. Guess I’m what you’d call a rainbow reader - I never stick with one particular genre of book. If only there was more time to devour them all! *When I'm finished with these, I'll write up mini blurbs (like the ones above) for them.

The following is just a quick list I compiled...

You may know you’re a die-hard writer if you identify with any one or two of the following points:

1. Your husband (or wife/significant other) and kid(s) thanks you for your occasional visits.

2. You catch yourself editing your most trivial emails and notes before sending them out. Sometimes even the grocery list.

3. You find yourself mentally editing signs and billboards while traveling.

4. There is no such thing as taking a break from your job while on vacation, because your stories hitchhike along for the ride.

5. Someone mentions the word ‘read’ and you instantly think of your story with a surge of obsession.

6. You would rather write through a meal than take the time off to enjoy it.

7. You take a sadistic approach towards research. Pain before pleasure.

8. You catch yourself telling people about your characters as if they’re living, breathing people.

9. You secretly get uptight whenever someone mentions reading a book or watching a movie that involves a similar theme as your book, because you fear your idea might be passé before it even reaches publication.

10. You catch yourself pondering the irony of not reading other authors' books as often as you used to.

The last one absolutely boggles me. I used to read several books a week, and occasionally did reviews for them on eHarlequin. I enjoyed doing them, but unfortunately, although I do sneak in some reading time, especially at night on my Nook, I can’t find much time to write full reviews.

Identify with any of the above? Have any others to add to this list? Comment and let me know! It helps to feel we’re in good company!

** With my book, A Beautiful Cage about to receive its release date any day now, I’m preparing to launch a Summer Blog Bonanza, starting June 20th. I plan to host author interviews here on A Bite of Reuben Sandwich, while also doing guest interviews for other bloggers, authors, and reviewers. So please check back next month! Also, if you’re interested in guest blogging about your book(s) during my Summer Blog Bonanza please leave a comment below, or email me directly at alysonreuben2010-web@yahoo.com **

Staying True to Yourself, a Four Star Review, and a (Mostly) Human Family of Lion Aficionados...

2011-04-08T02:34:00.005-04:00

Hi, everyone! Spring finally feels like it is here to stay, and I’ve been outside soaking up the sun in between the thunderstorms.

Today’s blog post ranges from serious to silly.

A local news article caught my attention a few days ago that I haven't been able to get out of my mind. Without going into detail on the article itself (yes, I plan to keep you in suspense!), I'm amazed by how easily some people's opinions are swayed. I've given this realization a lot of thought, even letting it seep into my writing. Hey, I take inspiration wherever I can get it! Call me warped! As a consequence, I've been asking myself, from an author's point of view, what I would do if I was asked to write about a scenario I wasn't comfortable with? Would I raise my hand in a polite but firm no, standing my ground? Or would I cringe and set about plowing over my qualms to write what was in demand? Would I go with a popular trend or go with my gut instinct?

No matter what, I plan to stay true to myself.

Okay, enough philosophy already!

Moving on... I realized yesterday, while looking at my bookshelf, that I forgot to rate the last book I blogged about: My Enemy's Cradle by Sara Young.

Back cover: "I am grateful you are not here," Cyrla's Jewish father last wrote from Poland. He had sent her to Holland for safekeeping with relatives, but now that country too has been overrun by the Nazis. In a rush, she takes refuge in one of the Lebensborn -- maternity homes for girls carrying German babies. But can she escape before her real identity is discovered? And will her love keep her safe when danger surrounds her? As Cyrla travels to the other side of war and through the heartbreak of survival, My Enemy's Cradle becomes a love song to kinship, and elegy for the women we have lost, and a lullaby for the children we must save.

I found certain scenes achingly sweet and touching, which made the shocking parts all the more shocking. There were a few slow segments that I skimmed through, but they were completely counterbalanced by some incredibly riveting scenes. Also, I was very satisfied with the ending, which wasn't summed up too neat or too sloppy, near perfection. Yet, what makes me rate this book a high 4 stars out of 5 is the beautiful way it's written. The prose is elegantly poetical and the descriptions are rendered in a way that makes you really experience them. Sara Young is a superb executor of 'show not tell'.

And here is a little something to leave you with:

Hmm, I don’t know about you, but I’m sensing a definite story behind this picture. Do I want to know what it is! Yes, yes I do! What do you think the photo is saying? Are they striving to tame their 'inner beasts'? Or are they training for the greatest show on earth? Come on, give me your best answers! :)

Not for the Faint of Heart, or the Tender-Headed...

2011-03-09T01:23:00.008-05:00

Hi, everyone! I just ran across this video when I was, believe it or not, doing research for my current WWII WIP, a sequel to A Beautiful Cage. Not only have I always loved Veronica Lake's hair, but I also find it fascinating how the 1940's hairstyles (and lifestyles) changed as women began working in the factories.

And what happened if women didn't follow the hair safety instructions while working in wartime factories? For the majority, probably nothing. But I did read one memoir from a woman who said her coworker hated the idea of pulling her gorgeous curls back in a net. When she refused to follow the rules, it got tangled in a machine and yanked her partially bald. Ouch, much? I'd say so.

And since we're on the subject of hair and vintage style, here's one of my favorite modern spins on the era:

I plan to do this look at least once. Not sure my hair is quite long enough, but I'll give it a whirl.

And how about Dita Von Teese? She's smokin' hot in this vintage-do:

Okay, so again I managed to go off on a fashion binge. Even during research!

So, have you ever tried a retro/vintage hairstyle? Would you try one? Just remember, if you leave it hanging loose and wavy, don't work around heavy machinery. Ew, ouch... my head hurts just thinking about it!

Mid-week Motto

2011-02-23T01:44:00.008-05:00

I love this motto! Fits me! Just ask anyone who makes the mistake of disturbing me for reasons other than bringing me the top two listed items. Geez. When will people ever learn? *wink*

Unfortunately, on some days, this one fits me too:

Hey, who can resist the social whirl of fb? Thank goodness my coffee refills (and interrupting family and friends) help keep me on the write path. Oh, I mean, the right path. Yeah, I know. That was lame. I think I need another nibble of chocolate to clear my head.

Hope everyone has a great rest of the week!

* Oh, and to give credit where credit's due, I found both of these items on http://www.cafepress.com

Author’s Lunch: A Bite of Reuben Sandwich

Today's Guest: Historical and Suspense Author, Jannine Gallant

Review of Leila Meacham's ROSES

Calisa Rhose: Author of HOME

Winner of Yesterday's Book Giveaway — KNIGHTFALL

**Win An E-copy of KNIGHTFALL: Interview With Author, Berinn Rae

A Peek Into A SECOND CHANCE AT FOREVER with Author JM Stewart

Chatting With Romantic Suspense Author, Jerrie Alexander

Love Is In The Air: Guest Author, Nancy Jardine *WIN AN EBOOK*

Ringing in the New Year: New Hair Color, a List of Goals, and a Special Sale!

S'now Way!!

On the Count-Down

Excited To Share an Excerpt From My Newest WIP

Let's Talk Weddings!

Winners of K.M. Daughter's Giveaway....

The Question Isn't WHAT to Read, It's WHEN to Read!

Summer Blog Bonanza: Rachel Brimble, author of The Arrival of Lily Curtis

**Book Giveaway** Summer Blog Bonanza: K.M. Daughters, authors of In the St. Nick of Time

Summer Blog Bonanza: P.L. Parker, author of Absolution

Announcing the Winners...

A Beautiful Cage is out! Let's Celebrate With A Book Giveaway!

***One Day Away from the BIG DAY***

Summer Blog Bonanza: Ilona Fridl - Author of Bronze Skies

Summer Blog Bonanza: Marie Tuhart, author of Quick Silver Ranch: Saddle Up

Summer Blog Bonanza: Alison Henderson, author of A Man Like That

Summer Blog Bonanza: Jenna McClure, Author of Animal Attraction

Summer Blog Bonanza: Vonnie Davis, Author of Contemporary, Historical, and Vintage Romance

Summer Blog Bonanza: Amie Louellen, Author of Contemporary Romance

Summer Blog Bonanza: Barbara Edwards, author of Ancient Blood

Summer Blog Bonanza: Beth Ciotta, HQN author of INTO THE WILD

Summer Blog Bonanza: Sarah Grimm, author of NOT WITHOUT RISK

Summer Blog Bonanza: Jean Adams, author of Yesterday's Dreams

Summer Blog Bonanza: Sue Fineman, author of The Mitchell Money

MR. CREATIVE OUTLET: a writer's version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Had One Hail of a Good Time on Vacation, and Came Home to Awesome News!

Getting caught up and news about my upcoming Summer Blog Bonanza

Staying True to Yourself, a Four Star Review, and a (Mostly) Human Family of Lion Aficionados...

Not for the Faint of Heart, or the Tender-Headed...

Mid-week Motto

Love Is In The Air: Guest Author, Nancy Jardine WIN AN EBOOK

Book Giveaway Summer Blog Bonanza: K.M. Daughters, authors of In the St. Nick of Time

One Day Away from the BIG DAY