Saturday, May 18, 2013

Christina Hollis: Research and Romance...

Sunset over the Golden Horn, Istanbul, Turkey. Photo by Bertil Videt 2003.
Istanbul by Bertil Videt

I wrote my first romance almost by accident, but found I loved the process. 
My writing career began in journalism. A  piece I did on Robert Curthose, the eldest son of William the Conqueror, attracted a lot of interest. Writers love to see how many ways they can use the research they've done, so I decided to try expanding my work into a new biography of Robert. It felt like a good idea, but at the time publishers weren't interested in anyone who hadn’t been immortalized by Holbein - like the much more famous Henry VIII. 

Young Robert led a wild and exciting life, but he ended up as a pretty obscure footnote to English history. Without much in the way of written records or illustrations, I was told his natural habitat was between the pages of an academic thesis. That didn't appeal to me, so I put the idea aside. 

Then one day, BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour did a feature on historical romance. When I was at school, I'd loved the books of Georgette Heyer so I decided to try turning some of the general research I’d already done into a novel. The result was Knight's Pawn, which was published by Harlequin Mills and Boon under their Masquerade imprint. This was followed by five more historical novels for Harlequin, written under my pen name of Polly Forrester. At the time they were only available in the UK. I'm now in the process of bringing them out as ebooks, to introduce them to a wider audience. 

Lady Rascal is already on sale and my next title, Jewel Under Siege, is due for release later this summer. Jewel under Siege is set in Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul), at the time of the Crusades. Elena is a young widow who finds herself in an impossible situation when tough warrior Emil literally falls into her life. He is the enemy, but the lure of the forbidden means Elena and Emil are attracted to each other despite the dangers. Robert Curthose manages to become a footnote to their story, too!

One thing I've noticed when revisiting my earlier work is that my fiction tended to be sweet, rather than steamy. As my career in fiction-writing has expanded, I've lost some of my inhibitions so I’m busy warming up the scenes between Elena and Emil at the moment 

How do you like your historical romances - tender, or torrid? 

If you'd like to keep up with the latest news about Jewel Under Siege, you can subscribe to Christina’s newsletter by sending her an email at christinahollis@hotmail.co.uk with the word “subscribe” in the subject line. You can also read her blog at http://www.christinahollis.blogspot.com, and see a complete list of her published books at http://www.christinahollis.com.

Friday, May 17, 2013

Alyse Carlson - When Murder is a Laughing Matter



Mystery readers come in all shapes and sizes, so it really shouldn't be surprising they come in all variety of preferences, eh? But Cozy Mystery readers are a breed off from most... I believe they are perhaps gentler spirits, if no less inquisitive. They want the thrill of the mystery and the solving of it, but they don't care for the blood and guts of death; they aren't driven by the police procedural matters. They seem to care more about character development, and... strangely, they like their murder with some laughs...

That isn't to say the murder itself is comical—it needs to still be believable—but probably it is best if the reader never came to LIKE the guy... in fact a despicable victim is preferable... one that LOTS of people might like to see dead.  But still... the death itself isn't the funny part. So what is?

Characters, mostly.

Characters can be funny because they have a fine sense of humor (or are snarky). I try to always have at least a couple characters that readers would really want to hang out with—the kind of people you SHARE laughter with.  Annie, in particular, channels my silliest moments and I have a ball with any interaction between she and my MC, Cam.

Others are a little ridiculous, or annoying in a way that is funny, provided you don't actually have to spend time with these people. Life is full of these folks—nit-picky people, people with ridiculously high expectations, people with personality quirks. I love using folks like this for my background cast—most of the garden society is made up of nice people, but most of them also have a quirk or two that is amusing.

And then there are the obnoxious people: people so brazen that jaws drop. At least one of these folks will end up dead... and one or two more will end up on the suspect list, though some portion of suspects are also decent folks. But it is human nature to include a few obnoxious people when writing out that suspect list.

And then there are the situational opportunities.

I find having somebody ask my MC to do something she'd really rather no is often a fabulous place to infuse a little humor.

Or when characters who are snooping have to cover... either hiding, running, making up a story...

And there is ALWAYS gallows humor.

So how do you like your humor in mysteries, or other typically dark genres?

Begonia Bribe Blurb

Roanoke, Virginia, is home to some of the country’s most exquisite gardens, and it’s Camellia Harris’s job to promote them. But when a pint-sized beauty contest comes to town, someone decides to deliver a final judgment …

A beauty pageant for little girls—the Little Miss Begonia Pageant—has decided to hold their event in a Roanoke park. Camellia is called in to help deal with the botanical details, the cute contestants, and their catty mothers. She soon realizes that the drama onstage is nothing compared to the judges row. There’s jealousy, betrayal, and a love triangle involving local newsman—and known lothario—Telly Stevens. And a mysterious saboteur is trying to stop the pageant from happening at all.

But the drama turns deadly when Stevens is found dead, poisoned by some sort of plant. With a full flowerbed of potential suspects, Cam needs to dig through the evidence to uproot a killer with a deadly green thumb.

Hart Johnson (aka: Alyse Carlson) writes books from her bathtub and can be found at:
Confessions of a Watery Tart: http://waterytart23.blogspot.com/ 

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Nancy J. Parra - Gluten For Punishment



Introducing Toni Holmes of “Gluten For Punishment” a Baker’s Treat Mystery--

Can a gluten-free baker find her place in a small wheat town?

Toni Ryder returns to her home town of OilTop, Kansas, to fulfill her mother’s wish that Toni keep her sprawling Victorian homestead in the family. The wheat ranchers around her are not happy when Toni tries to make the best of things and opens a gluten-free bakery storefront. Matters grow worse as Toni becomes suspect number one when a wheat farmer is found dead, face down in the horse trough outside Toni’s bakery door.  Getting nowhere with the local police, Toni takes the investigation into her own hands as threats grow closer to home, but her number one suspects ends up dead in front of the local bank. Both deaths seem to point to Toni as threats escalate, her home is broken into and her mother’s things smashed and slashed. Can Toni catch a killer and make a place for herself or will the town prefer to be Toni-free over gluten-free?


Here's an excerpt from Gluten For Punishment -

“Toni, did you kill George Meister?”
My mouth went dry. My jaw went slack. The camera’s flash kept popping, blinding me. “What?” I glanced toward Grandma Ruth for some help. 
“It’s a fact George vandalized your store before he was killed,” Candy Cole, Oiltop Times reporter pushed on. “You were inside the store at the time he was murdered.”
“I was?” I shivered at the idea. It was bad enough to have a dead body nearby but to have a murder happen within a few feet of you? Nauseating.
“Honey,” Candy said. “You had motive and opportunity. Did you do it?”
“Seriously?” Here I’d been ready to give her a free cup of coffee. Not anymore. I stepped back. “Of course not, I wouldn’t kill anyone.”
“Are you telling me, it’s a coincidence that you’re new in town and a man is murdered outside your bakery?” Candy’s eyes glittered like a snake’s. 
“I’m not new in town,” I crossed my arms in front of me. “I grew up here. Are you saying any murders that happened while I lived here as a kid were my fault?”
“No,” Candy said thoughtfully. “But it’s a good angle. I can check and see how the murder rate was when you lived here and what happened after you left.”
“Stop it,” Grandma Ruth slapped the counter. “Toni wouldn’t kill anyone.”
“Oh, really? Then why is the Chief at the courthouse right now getting a warrant signed to search your home and your bakery for evidence?”
I sat down hard at the word warrant. 
“Put your head between your knees.” Grandma was beside me. Her sharp tone of voice combined with her palm on the back of my head had me doing exactly what she said. I have to admit staring at the black and white tile floor was a bit more calming than looking at Candy.  Her delight at my distress was unnerving.
“I thought we were friends, Candy,” I muttered.
“We are friends, honey,” Candy came around the counter and squatted down to peer at me. “That’s why I’m here.”
I turned my head. “You came to warn me?”
“Good friends hide the body, honey, remember?” Her gaze took on a warm and concerned look. I wasn’t sure if I should believe it.
*Glutenfree recipes included
-- 
Nancy J. Parra
www.nancyjparra.com


Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Why I love a warrior hero By Michelle Styles



From paranormal to historical and contemporary, there is just something about a warrior. And for me as well enjoying reading about them, there is just something extra special about writing a warrior hero. I love exploring his possibilities and depths.

So what is it  a warrior that appeals?

A warrior is the ultimate alpha hero.  He is not a savage or a brute but someone who knows both sides of human behaviour.

He is someone who can be very dangerous and more than a bit untamed. He has been in life- threatening situations and is not afraid to kill. Far from being an indiscriminate psychopath who takes pleasure in killing or hurting people, he has a code and only fights when necessary.   He also knows the cost of killing.  He is someone who will have lost people close to him because it is the nature of his job.

He has a strong streak of loyalty. He may fight for his country or cause but ultimately he fights for his friends. And those bonds are strong. His fellow warriors become his brothers. And those he loves and cares about, he is willing to fight for.  He will put himself in danger for those he loves. He knows how to lead but he is also not afraid to follow.

He has a strong protective streak as he seen the cost of failure. He seeks to shield people from danger rather than putting them into danger. This will often cause conflict with the heroine as she will be strong willed and utterly determined. A strong hero requires an even stronger heroine so the sparks can really fly!

It also helps that because he is a warrior, he will be in great physical shape as he has to make sure that he protect and defend.  But he can carry both physical and mental scars from the battles he has fought. Often times he has to learn to trust women again or to be able to re-enter civilised society rather than existing on a war footing all the time.

My next Viking will be out in November 2013  Paying the Viking’s Price  and is about an Anglo Saxon lady who has to become a Viking warrior’s concubine in order to protect her people.  I have two other Vikings in the works, including the one which I am currently revising.  Warriors are just really fun to write about and to read about. I hope other people agree.
Michelle Styles writes warm, witty and intimate historical romance in a wide range of time periods. You can learn more about her books on www.michellestyles.co.uk

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Jo Davis: Sworn to Protect



Detective Shane Ford, Sugarland’s favorite cop, has been blindsided by the sudden death of his best friend, NFL star Brad Cooper, and becoming the legal guardian of Brad’s son, Drew—a bitter, angry sixteen-year-old with a dangerous secret. Shane is determined to pry the truth from Drew, but only manages to alienate him—and winds up going head to head with Juvenile Detective Daisy Callahan, whose job is to protect the teen’s best interests.

Shane has always been drawn to Daisy’s beauty and strength, but he’s determined not to allow their intense attraction to interfere with his duty ever again. It’s a vow that will prove difficult to keep, as the realities of Shane and Daisy’s blossoming love and their growing bond with the grieving teen propel Shane headlong into danger for the new family he’s sworn to protect.

Top Ten Things Readers Should Know About Detective Shane Ford

1) Shane is the most eligible bachelor in town and he plans to keep it that way—until he gets close to Daisy Callahan on a dangerous case and she ignites his passion.
2) Shane is a top detective at the Sugarland Police Department.
3) He’s good friends with many of the guys at Fire Station Five.
4) Shane is six-plus feet of lean, long-legged sexy cowboy cop with gray eyes and sable brown hair that’s a bit longer than regulation.
5) He’s got a soft spot for kids, especially his 16 year-old godson, Drew.
6) Shane has a twin sister, Shea, who’s the heroine in LINE OF FIRE.
7) Shane’s brother-in-law is Tommy Skyler, former Station Five firefighter, who now works for the Fire Marshal’s office.
8) Shane’s best friend is murdered, and he suddenly becomes legal guardian of his godson, Drew.
9) Shane will have to work fast to discover Drew’s dangerous secret if he hopes to save his new family.
10) Shane is 100% pure hero, and it’s too bad there aren’t more men like him in the world.

Monday, May 13, 2013

May-December Friendships

Yesterday was Mother's Day.  I saw, or heard from, all of my kids.  And as always, I marveled that I am so lucky to have these four amazing people in my life!  Oh, it's not that they don't drive me a bit crazy on occasion, but they are some of my very favorite people on earth (along with my husband).  Being a mother has been one of my most treasured jobs.

Yesterday I wrote a blog for Mother's Day about my grandmother and a very special teapot.  She was a strong woman, a 'feisty' woman who loved so fiercely.  Add to that my own mother and my mother-in-law, two women who taught me so much...well, I think that's why the idea of family is the the focus of so many of my stories.  It's because I've been blessed to be surrounded by a family I not only adore, but truly like!

You Are Invited...
This month, the second book in my A Valley Ridge Wedding trilogy, April Showers, was released.  The first book, You Are Invited..., dealt with a woman who inherits three children. This second book  in addition to the romance between Lily and Sebastian focuses on a May-December friendship between  Lily, and the hero's grandfather, Hank.
April Showers

There's something special about May-December friendships.  The generations who came before us offer so much wisdom, so many insights.  I've been lucky to have people like Hank in my life!

Yesterday was a day for family.  It was great to have my children celebrate Mother's Day with me yesterday.  It was nice to be able to honor a women who helped shape me in my blog, and to go visit my mom.  I also took time to remember all the people who helped shape the woman I've become.  My grandmother's best friend, Jean, who's read all my books and supported me in so many ways.  Marge, an older friend who helped me shape Lily and Hank's May/December friendship.  And Papa John, a man who wasn't related to me, but was my grandfather in every way that counts.
A Walk Down the Aisle

Do you have older people in your life, related or not, who helped shape the person you've become?

Holly






Sunday, May 12, 2013

Personal Best by Carolyn Hart


When our children were young they were on a swim team. Both were good swimmers though never destined to be champions. But always in each race they strove to achieve their personal best. If that won a race or brought a pink or yellow ribbon that was added delight. But the important objective was to do your best.

I have always tried with each book to write the very best book I could write. But as books went out of print, their worth seemed to diminish. 



We all have a tendency to be immersed in now or as Zen enthusiasts understand, we are in the moment. My energy was focused on the new Annie and Max - DEAD, WHITE AND BLUE in May, the new Bailey Ruth - GHOST GONE WILD in October, and the new standalone - WHAT THE CAT SAW, last fall.

And I am excited about those titles. Since DEAD, WHITE, AND BLUE is the 23rd in the Death on Demand series, I made a special effort to offer something fresh. This time the book doesn’t open with murder. Instead a reckless, careless young woman walks into the pines and is never seen again. In GHOST GONE WILD, I maroon Bailey Ruth on earth and who knows if she will ever make it back to Heaven. In WHAT THE CAT SAW, Nela Farley and Steve Flynn struggle with their own heartaches as they seek the truth about a forceful woman’s death.

But the past is suddenly very much in my present. Unexpectedly and happily, two small presses are publishing many early titles. Perhaps because they were out of print for so many years, I was dismissive of those early books and uncertain of their worth. For the republication, it was my task to read galleys of books that I had not read for more than 30 years. I was apprehensive and ended up feeling great relief. I hope readers will not begrudge me a moment of happiness when I realized that I had done my best with the early books just as I have for the later books.
There are more titles than readers will have time for but perhaps one or two might appeal. These books are harder edged and faster paced than the series books.

Out last year: RENDEVOUS IN VERACRUZ, college students plunge into danger in Mexico City in the early 80s; FLEE FROM THE PAST, Janey Hamilton builds a new life but the past catches up with her; SKULDUGGERY, the missing Peking Man bones surface in San Francisco’s Chinatown.

Out this year: THE DEVEREAUX LEGACY, February, a ghost haunts a South Carolina plantation; A SETTLING OF ACCOUNTS, March, Kay Emory returns to post war London but the danger of the war isn’t over for her; ESCAPE FROM PARIS, June, two American sisters in Occupied Paris help British airmen escape but the Gestapo is only a step behind; NO EASY ANSWERS, July, an Army brat opposes the Vietnam War; BRAVE HEARTS, August, star-crossed lovers flee from the Japanese in the Philippines; DANGER: HIGH EXPLOSIVES!, September, students oppose the Vietnam War; DEATH BY SURPRISE, November; K.C. Carlisle is a street savvy street lawyer who comes to her family’s aid when a blackmailer threatens.

The year ends with publication in December of CRY IN THE NIGHT, a suspense novel set in Mexico City in the early 80s. Never before published, Berkley released it as an e-book last year. In December, it will be in print for the first time.

For the first time in many years, almost all of my books are available. I hope some may appeal. My only promise is this: I did my best each time. 

Saturday, May 11, 2013

Brilliant Brenda Novak Auction!

by Anna Campbell

May has become a really significant month in Romancelandia. And not just because it's spring in the Northern Hemisphere, the season when minds traditionally turn to love.

May is also the month when NYT bestseller Brenda Novak holds her wonderful auction to raise money to help find a cure for juvenile diabetes. Here's a link to the auction's home page: http://brendanovak.auctionanything.com/

Brenda is an amazing example of the power of one. I'm in awe of what she's achieved just through hard work and vision. So far, she's raised over $1.6 million for her cause and this year, she hopes to break the $2 million mark. More power to her right arm, I say! 

Every year, the whole romance community rallies behind this marvelous cause. There are gift baskets and trips and treats galore, and appropriate for a writer's auction, there are critiques and marketing packages and educational opportunities. Not to mention more signed books than you can poke a stick at! How can you resist?

I thought today I'd point you in the direction of my offerings - along with encouraging you to explore the site and discover what other delicious items are up for grabs.

First up, for writers, I'm offering a detailed critique of three chapters and a synopsis of an unpublished romance novel. I've done this every year and I've met some amazingly talented writers as a result, many of whom have gone on to stellar careers (names would be revealing too much but can I say NYT bestsellers?).  Here's the link for my critique if you'd like to bid: http://brendanovak.auctionanything.com/Bidding.taf?_function=detail&Auction_uid1=2841432

For readers, I've got three packs of signed books for your delectation:

THE RAKES AND ROGUES DUO - signed mass market paperbacks of SEVEN NIGHTS IN A ROGUE'S BED and MIDNIGHT'S WILD PASSION http://brendanovak.auctionanything.com/Bidding.taf?_function=detail&Auction_uid1=2841434

THE COURTESAN COLLECTION - signed mass market paperbacks of CLAIMING THE COURTESAN, TEMPT THE DEVIL and MY RECKLESS SURRENDER http://brendanovak.auctionanything.com/Bidding.taf?_function=detail&Auction_uid1=2841435

THE HUNKS AND HEROES TRIO - signed mass market paperbacks of UNTOUCHED, CAPTIVE OF SIN and MIDNIGHT'S WILD PASSION http://brendanovak.auctionanything.com/Bidding.taf?_function=detail&Auction_uid1=2841433

I'm also part of the wonderful Romance Bandits basket which includes goodies from all my blog sisters: http://brendanovak.auctionanything.com/Bidding.taf?_function=detail&Auction_uid1=2961814

And if you're an aspiring writer, don't miss out on the critique of a partial from my wonderful crit partner, USA Today bestseller Annie West: http://brendanovak.auctionanything.com/Bidding.taf?_function=detail&Auction_uid1=2864988 Annie is a Tote Bags 'n' Blogs regular and her latest release is the fabulous CAPTIVE IN THE SPOTLIGHT.

I find Brenda so inspiring. So now I'd like to know who you find inspiring and why. 

And don't forget to check out the auction!

Friday, May 10, 2013

Lost in the Past : : Anne McAllister

One of the things we do as writers is continually learn more about the world we live in. We can’t write out of our imaginations without drawing from reality as well.

E1867 TX Sarah C Jenkins tombstoneven if we write fantasy, we need an inner logic on which to base our characters’ actions.  And if we write romance or mystery or westerns or, well, just about anything, we have to understand the world we are writing about. 

For me that often means finding the nitty-gritty details about what my heroes or heroines do for a living, where they live, what sorts of places they live, why they live there.  It has to do with setting a scene, it has to do with motivation. It has to do with who they are and what made them that way.

Some of the things that I draw on are things I grew up with – beaches, cowboys, volleyball players, artists.  Some are things I’ve learned about as I’ve found characters who intrigued me.  They did things I’d never have done: rode bulls, designed buildings, worked as models and photographers, built ships, sailed around the world.

So I’ve learned about all those things. I’ve talked to people engaged in those occupations. If I haven’t been there and done that, I’ve talked to people who have.

Caton_4But this past year I’ve been digging less in the present than in the past. I’m just finishing a course in British military records and I’ve been spending my days – and far too late many nights – reading photocopies of service records from men who were in the trenches in World War I, who fought at Trafalgar, who were Loyalists in South Carolina and barely survived  the Battle of King’s Mountain.

It’s been an interesting month.  Before that there were months I dug into old mining records, learned about the industrial towns of the British Northeast, delved into records from textile mills and pored over apprenticeship records.

It’s been a break from the usual sort of digging and scratching I do when I come to write a book. But it has primed the pump in a way that contemporary research hasn’t been doing recently.  It’s not necessarily a new itch, but it’s definitely a different one to scratch.  It started out as an interest in my own family history. It’s gone on to make me interested in lots of peoples’ histories. They all bring the past into the present.

St._Lawrence_Mine,_Butte,_Montana,_1910sAnd I find that the past and the present are in many ways not so different.  Or, rather, people aren’t. People still hope and dream. They work and they play (though more of the former than the latter).  They rejoice and they mourn.  And always, it seems to me, I find an undercurrent of a need for connection – a desire for love.

Maybe it’s coming full circle.  But at the same time that I’m writing my latest book, I find that my characters’ story is both unique to them, and filled with echoes of other stories, other lives, both real and fictional. 

So the truth is, maybe I’m not lost in the past at all. Maybe I’ve looked there and found that what I write about in the present is there as well.

Have you looked into your own family history?  Do you get excited about those people whose decisions have had an impact on your life. Or are you like my mom whose eyes always glazed over at the very thought?!

Great War: Richard Caton Woodville [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons; St Lawrence Mine, Butte, MT [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Thursday, May 09, 2013

No rest for the writer - Kandy Shepherd


A writer never really has a holiday. No matter where we go, what we do, our stories and characters are always with us. Even on an indolent tropical vacation, those characters in our heads are always poking their noses in and suggesting ways the location might affect them and the way they behave on the pages of our books. If we’re away with another writer that’s even worse, as we talk incessantly about our stories and the way they’re shaping up!

Recently, I’ve been fortunate enough to take two mini-breaks in Australian locations utterly different from each other.One to a resort in tropical far north Queensland where it’s always summer, the other to the Southern Highlands south-west of Sydney where it’s autumn right now.

The bliss of a lagoon pool in a funky, tropical resort

The relaxing beauty of change of season
One resort was funky, upbeat, with a lagoon pool, palm trees and a party atmosphere.

The sign says it all!
The other was traditional, elegant, reminiscent of a Scottish manor house complete with baronial hall. I loved each of them for very different reasons. (Oh, and they both had amazing food!)

Even the adjoining golf club house was traditional

While I swam in Port Douglas, Queensland, walked country roads in Sutton Forrest, New South Wales, my mind was ticking over with ideas for various new stories and the characters who will drive them.

Could my character work in a place like this? Or own it?

Which romance hero or heroine could live behind these gates?

I came up with the perfect “back story” for one heroine, in this case where she met the man who done her wrong and affected her future relationships. And all sorts of scenarios are ticking over for other stories.

The traditional hotel was once a private home and comes complete with ghosts
 
Fun and funky in the tropics -- appealing in a different way

When I’m away from the everyday, relaxed and enjoying good company, the creative side of my brain kicks into overdrive. (It certainly helps not having to cook, clean, or do laundry, too!)

When people ask me did I have a nice, relaxing break, I of course say “yes”, but a writer never really takes a break and with my creative batteries recharged, I’m keen to get back to my stories.



I’ve used Port Douglas briefly in my latest release Reinventing Rose, not as an actual location but as somewhere the characters talk about visiting. (To say any more would become a spoiler!)

BTW, the hotels I visited were the QT at Port Douglas and Peppers Manor House.

What about you? Do you have a favorite vacation destination? What do you like most about taking that so-needed break from routine? Do you enjoy exotic destinations in the novels you read? I’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment for a chance to win a free download of Reinventing Rose.

Don’t forget to include your email address if you want to be in the draw.




Kandy Shepherd writes fun, feel-good fiction.

Her new contemporary womens fiction e-book, Reinventing Rose, is available now at  Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple, Kobo, Smashwords, and other e-book retailers.

Kandy’s romances include the Amazon bestseller The Castaway Bride, Something About Joe, and the award-winners Love is a Four-Legged Word and Home Is Where the Bark Is.


Visit Kandy at her website

Tuesday, May 07, 2013

Karen White: I love the internet. Really. I do.




When I was a little girl, my father’s job had us moving all over the world about every two years.  I loved the experience of meeting new people and making a new house a home. I actually thrived on it.  But what I didn’t like was leaving behind the friends I’d made.  Luckily, back then things called “hand-written letters”, “postage stamps,” and “mailboxes” existed, which allowed me to keep in constant contact with a growing number of friends.  Sort of an old-fashioned Facebook, but more personal.

I remember fighting with my brothers over who got to run out to the mailbox after the mail truck left (twice a day—remember that?) and then getting the warm and fuzzies as I recognized the soft pink stationary of my friend Suzy Dorf who lived in New Jersey, or the one with kitten stickers all over the envelope from my friend Monica who lived in Venezuela.

Fast-forward mumble-mumble years and here we are in the age of the Internet.  Where anonymity and in-your-face coexist hand-in-hand.  For a writer, it’s wonderful that I have all this instant access (and visa versa) with my readers.  On the other hand, all that access can sometimes seem, well, daunting.

A while back, I received an email from a reader that started out like most of the ones I receive and that gives me a warm squeeze around the heart.  “Dear Karen, I just started reading your book and I it was so wonderful that I couldn’t put it down.  Until the fairies came and started plucking at my sleeves.”  The letter ended with my book in a plastic bag surrounded by rocks and candles.  No, I am not making that up.

Last month I received an email from an irate reader berating me for making my readers wait so long for the fourth book in my Tradd Street series (as if I had any say in the matter, and as if it took as long to write one of my books as it did for her to read one—which, for the record, isn’t true).  She was so upset about being made to wait for the next book that, she informed me, she wasn’t going to buy that fourth book when it came out.

Huh?  But wouldn’t that mean…?  Oh, never mind.  My attention was quickly diverted to the reviewer on Amazon who gave me one star for one of my books—despite a really glowing review—because several of the pages in her book were crumpled.

I spend a lot of time on my Facebook fan page because it’s a great way to connect to my readers and they’re all very nice there.  I love to post pictures of my dog, and my dreadful manicure when I’m on deadline, and pictures of the layers of pollen on my screened porch.  We talk about books, too, but it’s all these other things that help my readers and me see that we have a lot in common besides books.

When I was bemoaning the fact that my poor dog had horrible seasonal allergies, I had about thirty comments from readers about their own tried-and-true remedies.  It was like having a direct link to WebMD and Dear Abbey!

My next book (June 2013), The Time Between is set in Edisto Island, Charleston, and Hungary.  Even though I had the opportunity to travel to all three places while writing the novel, the Internet was like my personal travel agent, showing me pictures and travel routes, and neighborhoods where my characters should live.  I even found a website where I could listen to recordings of Hungarians speaking their native tongue so I could get an ear for the accent to give to Helena, one of my protagonists.

For my characters’ names, I searched the web for burial records in each setting, looking for recurring names that would be indicative of the families that had once lived in those areas.  I ended up with the surnames of Beaufain, Murray, and Szarka—but the first names are all my own:  Finn, Eleanor, and Helena.

I try to schedule my Internet time to two hours in the morning and two in the afternoon—but sometimes the draw of checking email or my Facebook page pulls too strongly during the middle of the day, especially when I see I have a new email from a reader (I really need to turn off my email notifications on my iPhone!).

Last week, I received an email from a woman thanking me for my books.  Her husband had recently passed and she said it was by reading my books during her husband’s long illness that she was able to get through a very difficult period in her life.  What a blessing to me, as a writer, to know that my words had offered comfort to a complete stranger.  And what a wonderful thing the Internet is that allowed her to communicate with me.

On the flip side, I have a folder in a filing cabinet in my home office.  It’s filled with printed out emails from people who, let’s just say, aren’t necessarily readers or fans, but maybe lonely people with lots of cats at home who don’t get out much but love to express their opinions—however misguided they might be.  I keep them so that if I ever disappear, my husband knows where to direct the police as they being their search.  We’ve all seen Stephen King’s Misery after all!

And then there’s this blog.  I’m sitting here in Florida listening to the rain while typing this, knowing that people around the country will happen upon it and read it, and perhaps smile, or skim over it before hitting the next button, or they might be compelled to visit my website (www.karen-white.com).  They might even check out my Facebook (facebook.com/karenwhiteauthor) page where they’ll find photo albums of bottle trees sent by readers after reading my book On Folly Beach, and of course lots of photos of my dog. 

The world is a very big place—sometimes bigger than I’d like it to be—but in the World Wide Web, it’s a wonderful place where readers and writers connect.

Monday, May 06, 2013

LuAnn McLane - Small towns



I think that it’s safe to say that there is a special place in all of our hearts for small towns.  After all, who wouldn’t want to live in Mayberry where residents smile and wave while the days slip by at a leisurely pace?  There’s just something warm and comforting about old brick buildings with a rich past.  Quaint shops sell one-of-a-kind treasures and diners serve up meatloaf and mashed potatoes and homemade apple pie for dessert.   

I suppose my love of small towns goes back to my early childhood in Bellevue, Kentucky where we could walk to the butcher shop, bakery and grocery store.  There were no malls so shopping meant a bus ride across the river to Cincinnati where we shopped in beautiful department stores and had lunch served on real china followed by a delicious dip of Graeter’s Ice cream.  Later, we moved to suburbia but my love of small towns remained so it’s no wonder that I place most of my stories in a small town setting.  I find it sad to travel through small towns who are struggling with Main Street all but shut down.  Like in Cricket Creek, it’s always my hope that the residents will find a way bring life back to local shops and stores.  

A recent article in USA Today http://www.businessinsider.com/the-ten-best-small-towns-in-america-2012-11?op=1 talks of friendly small towns and I wasn’t surprised that Kentucky has three in the top ten.  I’d like to think that if Cricket Creek were real, it would have made the list!  Do you have a favorite small town, local diner or shop that you love?  Let me know! I will randomly choose a post and give away a copy of on one of the novels in my Cricket Creek series.  You can catch an excerpt of Whisper’s Edge, (the May release in the series) at www.luannmclanecom

Sunday, May 05, 2013

May delights with Kate Walker


I don’t know about you, but for me May has always been one of my favourite months. It’s the time


when at long last winter really does seem to have been left behind. The  cold, dark days – and here in the UK, the rain and the snow that could still linger even in April, have gone, the sun has started to shine and the leaves are turning green on the trees.  In our garden the  magnolia has beautiful blossoms on the branches, the primroses and pansies   are making a glorious display of colour in the flower beds, and the birds are singing in the trees. They still  come down to the bird table to grab some of the suet balls and seeds that I leave out which shows that they have families to feed as the eggs hatch in their nests.


For me, one of the real signs of spring arriving is the appearance of the family of hedgehogs – nicknamed ‘The Hecks’ by Anne McAllister – who live at the bottom of  my garden. The cute little creatures hibernate in compost heaps, under fallen leaves or – in our garden – in  the specially  provided little wooden houses we have put in the shady, hidden part of the garden. In spring they come out when the weather is warming up and got snuffling about the place looking for food.  They’ll eat up the old cat meat that  Flora and Charlie don’t eat – or, if we’re lucky, clear the flower beds of snails and slugs. The cats sometimes play  with them, risking getting their noses  pricked on the spikes that cover the hedgehogs’ backs. The Hecks don’t appear until it’s warm enough  - so to


see them appear in the evenings (they’re nocturnal creatures) is to know that summer’s on its way.


There’s a long weekend  this week – the May Day  Bank Holiday gives everyone and extra day off to enjoy the sunshine, and just relax. And if you don’t mind fighting your way through the heavy traffic then there is the opportunity to go away for a few days – perhaps head for the coast or the countryside. Personally I prefer just to stay at home and I’ve had a wonderful couple of days spending time with my family,  sharing special meals and reading a lot – while my husband and son watch a football match and cheer on their team.

May is also  an important month for birthdays.  My  special friend  and wonderful romance writer Michelle Reid has just had her birthday , my own birthday is coming up next week, and my eldest sister has her special day towards the end of the month.  So there’s plenty to celebrate and to help make May even nicer then.

So for me it’s a special delight to know that I also have one more thing to celebrate this particular May.  My newest title – A Throne For The Taking  - will be published this month . It’s officially a July title – but the  actual publishing  date is May 21st so it fits perfectly into my favourite month.  After a complicated and difficult year, I’m thrilled to have a new book out on the shelves  and selling on line. And I’m even more delighted to  have seen that A Throne For The Taking is already up there in the bestseller list   for both ebooks and print copies over on eHarlequin  where it’s already available to order.  This is my first ever Royal Romance so I hope you enjoy it when you read it.

So what about you? Is May a month you love or do you have other months of the year that you think are really special? And do you have anything really nice to celebrate this month? I think everyone will be really glad to hear about good news – so do share your celebrations if you have them.


Kate’s royal hero is Alexei Sarova, the black sheep prince who has to face up to a new and unexpected destiny with his heroine Honoria Escalona (Ria), the woman he wants as his queen.

A kingdom's safety...
Betrayed by those she loves, Honoria Escalona must now face the only man capable of bringing stability to the Mediterranean kingdom of Mecjoria. A cold, hard man who once called her his friend... Alexei Sarova-the true

King of Mecjoria.



In exchange for her happiness

But Alexei's tortuous past has changed him into someone she hardly knows. He blames Ria's family for his bitterness, and his help-when he offers it-comes with a price: he'll take his rightful place as King with Ria as his wife, until she produces a true-blood heir...
A Throne For the Taking will be published in the Royal and Ruthless miniseries in both Harlequin Presents and Mills & Boon Modern in June.
Other up to date news and details of all Kate’s books can be found on her web site and in her blog.

Saturday, May 04, 2013

More to Fantasy than Swords and Dragons… by Freda Warrington


Hello, I’m Freda Warrington and I’ve been writing since I was around five years old. As an only child I always loved reading and daydreaming, and somehow my habit of writing those daydreams down never went away. Now as my twentieth novel GRAIL OF THE SUMMER STARS is published (by Tor), it’s a nice time to reflect on the sort of things that inspire me to write.

After all, writing fiction is a weird occupation if you think about it. As if there isn’t enough going on in the real world, we have to make stuff up as well! However, since thousands if not millions of other people love writing too, I’m comforted to know that I’m not as odd as I’ve sometimes feared. The human imagination is like a Tardis, far bigger on the inside than the size of the skull that contains it. Quite an amazing thought.

I’ve written all sorts of fantasy, from sword n’ sorcery (A Blackbird in Silver Darkness) to epic (The Amber Citadel) to vampire gothic romance (A Taste of Blood Wine) to alternative history (The Court of the Midnight King (about Richard III)). Although I find similar themes cropping up throughout my work, I don’t like to rehash the same story so I’m always looking for fresh challenges.

Character, psychology and relationships are my central concerns, although it’s difficult to pin down where my protagonists come from. Sometimes a face will flash into my mind and the person is there, fully formed. At others, the character will build up slowly, and I often don’t discover who they really are until I’m well into writing about them! And of course, every story needs a setting. Landscape, mood and atmosphere are intensely important to me. Weather is wonderful for adding atmosphere, mirroring what’s going on inside your protagonist’s head or providing an uncomfortable counterpoint. I’ve used a few “dark and stormy nights” in my time, but you can do so much with rain, or a flat grey sky, a misty autumn day or the oppressive heat of summer… while a good downfall of snow can change the entire course of the plot!

The three books in my Aetherial Tales series – Elfland, Midsummer Night, and Grail of the Summer Stars – first took root while I was “between publishers” a few years ago, and free to write exactly what I wanted. First, I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of beings who look human but aren’t – elves, demons, angels, vampires, demi-gods and suchlike. Aetherials are simply my version of such an other-race. Next, I wanted to set the stories in the present day, using the real-life evocative landscape of Charnwood Forest (in the UK) where I grew up. I had an idea of two households – one warm and loving, one cold and dysfunctional – and the conflicts and relationships that develop between the two families. And, as a backdrop, I wanted a sweeping story that takes my characters in and out of a fantastical Otherworld.

Each of the novels can be read as a stand-alone story, although it helps if you read all three, because there’s a background arc that finally comes to fruition in Grail. A (real) jewellery museum inspired the place where we first find the female lead, Stevie, puzzling over why an old friend has sent her a surreal painting and then gone missing. Soon she becomes entangled with feuding Aetherial brothers, Mist and Rufus, whom we first met in Midsummer Night. As their journey takes them through the village of Cloudcroft (where Elfland was set), through the terrifying Otherworld to the painted deserts of Nevada, I found a strong theme about family relationships developing. Albeit a rather deranged family, to put it mildly! Perhaps families interest me because my own is so small.

Some literary critics have heaped scorn on fantasy, assuming it’s all dragons and orcs, battles and big swords. But there can be far more to it than that. Fantasy may act as a powerful metaphor for all kinds of real life issues… For example, my first published novel, A Blackbird in Silver, was secretly about my fear of the Cold War and nuclear annihilation! There can be so much more to fantasy that quests and wars and wizards. There are always the universal themes of love, struggle, loss and sacrifice… And both reading fantasy, and writing it, can help us work through every one of our human concerns on a bigger canvass than mainstream fiction can provide.

Besides, losing yourself in your own dream world is just so much fun. Anything can happen!