Debra Mullins: The Heroes We Love to Love

Pirates. Cowboys. Dukes. Rakes. Highwaymen. Warriors. Vampires. Werewolves. Rebels. Men of mystery. Lone wolves. Tormented brooders. These types of heroes have become women’s favorite fantasy lovers over the years through books, film and television. I know I love them all, and I bet do, too. So this was my conundrum as I was planning my current historical series, the Brides of Nevarton Chase. Which types of heroes should I choose for these three books? Oh, the choices I could make! The book is set in the Victorian period, so that helped narrow things down a bit, and finally I settled on my three: a pirate, a man of mystery and a highwayman.

In book one of the series, Tempting A Proper Lady (June 2010), we meet Samuel Breedlove, an American sea captain who was left for dead during a voyage by the villainous Lord Raventhorpe. Now, Samuel is a good guy, an honorable man who worked his way up to captain of his own ship with pure sweat and determination. But when Raventhorpe leaves him for dead on a tiny island in the middle of nowhere and then proceeds to go back home and steal Samuel’s heiress fiancée—well our boy gets a little cranky. He is rescued from the island by his good friend John Ready and sails off to England to stop the wedding.

He gets to England. He stops the wedding. But then the trouble begins, since his sweet fiancée doesn’t believe his stories about Raventhorpe’s crimes. The wedding is not canceled, only postponed, and Samuel takes on a bit of pirate wickedness as he enlists the help of Cilla Burke, the woman planning the wedding, to help him stop his now ex-fiancée from marrying a monster. But Cilla’s price for helping him—lessons in seduction—complicate matters more than he dreamed.

In book two of the series, Too Wicked To Love (June 2011), I tackle the Man of Mystery—John Ready. Now, John is quite clearly not what he seems. He works as Samuel’s coachman, but speaks like an Oxford scholar. He stays in the shadows much of the time and manages to escape the notice of most people—except Genny Wallington-Willis. She is too curious and suspicious for his taste, but soon events unfold that expose the secrets of John’s past, including his true identity and his seven-year feud with Raventhorpe. The revelation threatens his love for Genny and puts his very life in jeopardy.

Throughout the first two books, there has been a recurring character—a scoundrel of a highwayman named Black Bill. The question I get asked the most once people have read the first two books is “Will the third book be about Black Bill and Annabelle?” And the answer is YES. I don’t have a release date for that one yet, but I will update my website when I do.

I’m tackling pirates and cowboys with the re-releases of three of my earlier books: Once A Mistress, Donovan’s Bed and The Lawman’s Surrender. They’ll be coming out in digital format from Samhain Publishing in early 2012. In addition, I’m currently working on a contemporary paranormal trilogy for Tor Books. Featured heroes: a lone wolf, a tormented brooder and a warrior.

As you can see, I can’t make up my mind about my favorite type of hero. So what’s your favorite and why do you love him? Those who comment will be entered in a drawing for one person to win the first two books of The Brides of Nevarton Chase series!

Debra Mullins
http://www.debramullins.com/

***Debra's winner is Lolarific!!  Lola, please email me at totebag@authorsoundrelations.com  with your full name and mailing address so Debra can get the prize in the mail to you.  :)  Thanks everyone else who commented!***

Winter in Queensland

by Anna Campbell

Firstly, I'd like to start today's blog with a big apology. I went out and took LOTS of really gorgeous pictures of long rays of light over water and local birds - I remember with particular fondness a shot of a heron against the sinking sun.

And then my camera decided it really didn't want to talk to my computer.

I've tried all sorts of things to fix it and nothing has worked. Sigh.

I should have known when I put a jolly little post on Facebook about how much I love my digital camera (I only turned digital last November - yeah, I know, I'm a Luddite) that I was asking for trouble. Double sigh.

Luckily I already had two shots transferred that I took a few weeks ago of a beach up the road from me. You'll see I'm not exaggerating when I say that winter here in South East Queensland is the most beautiful season. And a great time to visit if you're contemplating coming to Australia!

Look at that blue sky and those azure seas and that pristine beach (well, except for the bit of lifesaving gear in the corner but you'll be glad of that if you get in trouble in the surf).

And I reiterate - it's MIDWINTER!!!!

Temperatures right now are really pleasant. Days are cool and crisp and sunny, nights are cold enough to make it lovely to snuggle down into bed with a good book (or whatever else you prefer to snuggle with, snicker).

Of course, there's the occasional gray miserable day but not enough to spoil the overall impression that this is a lovely time of year down here.

So when are you all coming down?

Oh, and I'm off to Melbourne right down in the south of Australia for the Romance Writers of Australia conference this week. Cold? I think so! BRRRRRR! I'm not sure what email access I'll have but I'll do my best to get back - if not immediately, as soon as I can.

Happy winter, Aussies!

What's the weather doing where you are? I know temperatures have been quite revoltingly hot in parts of the Northern Hemisphere this year (and last year, when I was there to suffer the heat). Let's get all English and have a conversation about the weather!

What to save? - Kandy Shepherd

What would you save if your house was on fire? I’ve sometimes pondered the answer to that question—but a few weeks ago I was put to the test.

We had a fire at our farm house, started by an electrical fault. Thankfully our wonderful neighbors not only discovered the fire and contacted the fire department, but also broke a window and put most of the fire out. In our valley, most of the men are bush fire brigade volunteers, so they knew what they were doing. They saved our house from total ruin. Real life heroes!

The kitchen was destroyed and the rest of the cottage severely smoke damaged. Fortunately we were insured, because every single thing in the house was covered in horrible, stinking chemical soot. The “disaster management” team leader who came in to clear the house and will assess what can be saved and what will have to be replaced, asked me to tell him what was particularly important to me. There was nothing that wasn’t replaceable or repairable but he stressed that you can’t put a price on items with sentimental value.

Of course I was too shell-shocked to think straight at first. Luckily all the photo albums and other irreplaceable items were stored elsewhere. But I went through the rooms with him and found it wasn’t so hard to direct him what to try and save at any cost. My teen daughter’s horse riding trophies. Her adored border collie stuffed toy. The furniture my husband had spent months restoring and finishing. The carpet I’d hauled back from India with me many years ago. The watercolors of lavender painted by my friend for my bedroom. My mother’s china. My stepmother’s linens. So much stuff that was precious.

Then he came to the bookshelves and the atmosphere got gloomy. Books, he told me, were very difficult to salvage from smoke damage. I would be advised to only rescue the minimum. So, in the limited time we could stay in that poisonous atmosphere, I had to sort through hundreds of books and prioritize them. The collection needed culling. I wondered why I had hung on to so many books I knew I would never read again. But then there were the ones I adored and wanted to immerse myself in again. And there were the signed editions from my author friends. Precious children’s books I had read aloud over and over again to my daughter. Cook books. Gardening books. Interior design books. Travel books.

What I saved for possible repair, and what I didn’t, gave me pause for thought. All of the above I saved. But I said goodbye to many novels I knew would cost more to restore than replace, without too much heartache. Why? Because I knew I could easily replace them with e-books. And that’s a decision I wouldn’t have made so easily even three months ago. But a digital library is so much more fireproof than the other kind!

Above all, the thing the whole family mourned the most was the cupboard full of my preserves: the cherry jam, the peaches, and most of all the plums. Our disaster manager said it simply wasn’t safe to keep them. Please, plum tree, bear a bountiful crop again this year!

What would you put first in your list to save from a fire or other disaster? Could a digital book ever replace a “proper” one? I’d love to hear your thoughts! Please leave a comment for a chance to win a signed trade paperback copy of either of my novels HOME IS WHERE THE BARK IS or LOVE IS A FOUR-LEGGED WORD and include your email address and which book you would prefer if you want to be in the draw.

http://www.kandyshepherd.com

Donna Alward: Summer Schedules

In summertime, schedules go right out the window. It is why after last year I chatted to my editor about building in some R&R time into July and August.  I still have work to do - and yes, I'm having a struggle to fit it in. But the deadlines aren't quite so tight which is fab.

Everyone is home during the summer at my house - since the husband switched jobs, he has July and August off (he's teaching college). The kids are home from school. Locking myself in the office just doesn't work a good portion of the time.

So what have we been doing?

I have a summer to-do list of things that needed to be done around the house - things like re-staining the front steps (done), cleaning the basement, for the husband to build a small table (done) so we could put on our first batch of wine (also done, yippee!). We've all been to the doctor for checkups and to the dentist. We've been fishing in the ocean (and caught lots that ended up being dinner) and tubing on the lake and swimming in the pool. We've been to see Harry Potter at the theatre, had people over for dinner, taken walks with the dog. I've been to work on the Christmas presents I'm making and I've been reading.

And don't forget gardening! We put out a few strawberries, blueberries and raspberries this year, as well as tomatoes, peppers and herbs on the deck.

I've also done a second round of revisions (book 19 done and dusted, yay!), started my next book, done promo, and proofed galleys for an upcoming release.

And my day is starting later than usual - instead of a 6:30 start we're all crawling out of bed at 8 or 8:30. That, my friends, is bliss. I'm trying not to think of how much of a shock we're going to get on Sept 6 when everyone is back in school again.

I'm trying not to stress about the low productive output because I'm having a marvelous time, and I know the time NOT working means more energy when I do finally get back to a regular schedule. It also means that I'm tucking little bits and pieces of LIVING away in my mind that will show in future books - after all, the best research trip of all for an author is simply LIVING.

And before I know it, fall will be here and I'll be back to a regular work schedule again, sorry that the summer fun is over.

How are you spending your summer?

Favorite Onscreen Couples -- Susanna Carr

I was flipping through a magazine the other day and saw an article about romantic couples onscreen. The article stated that the following were the most favorite couples:

Julia Roberts and Richard Gere

Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler

Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks

I'm sure these pairings are popular, but the most favorite? What about the classics like Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy? Or Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers? And let's not forget about the movies made outside Hollywood. I'll watch any Bollywood movie that pairs Shahrukh Khan and Kajol.

I continued to skim the article to see what made these couples the most favorite. The writer suggested that these were the most favorite onscreen couples because they appeared together in more than one successful romantic movie.

Well... pfft. That's no way to judge. These couples may very well deserve to be called favorites, but for different reasons.

A favorite onscreen couple may only have made one movie together, but it's the kind of movie you want to watch over and over again.

A favorite onscreen couple has chemistry. It's magic when they're onscreen. They make you believe they should be together. They may or may not have a happy ending, but you are emotionally invested in their journey.

Which romantic couple onscreen is your favorite?

Where do they live ? by Kate Walker

I'm starting work on my new book. Well,  I've been working on it for a while, in my head,  even if I haven't got many words down on the screen.   I know who the hero is, who his heroine is going to be I have to put them in that order for this particular  book, because that's thye way  they came to me - it's the hero's position and situation that gave me the story. Thinking about that told me who my heroine needed to be.So I have  a  hero, a heroine - and a plot. I have an opening, a stiuation that  starts off the story as a whole, and I have conflicts. A big problematical conflict that starts off the  story and puts it into motion, and deeper, more personal ones for both my central characters.  The ones that will come between them and stop them falling into each others' arms.

I even have names - I think.  These are liable to change if they end up not fitting as I tell their story. But right now, Alexander  (Alex)  and Ria are the hero and heroine, and they're names I can work with. I even have a villain - though I'm not sure of his name yet.

But  I have a problem with one thing. I don't know where my book is set. And that's important because the setting is part of the story, part of the plot, part of the problem.

Usually when I write a book, I set it wherever the hero or the heroine live - if the hero is Greek, then a Greek island,  or perhaps a Spanish city. The book I just finished - the one my lovely editor let me keep my favourite title  for - The Devil and Miss Jones - is set partly in Argentina  and the UK - one is where my hero (The Devil) and one is where Miss Jones (my heroine) live.  My hero in my next book out - The Return of The Stranger - is Brazilian, but the book takes place in the UK for a very special reason, as well as the fact that it's where his heroine lives. (More on that next time).

But with this new story I need to invent a country for myself. I'm writing a Royal' book - one where one of my characters (not telling you which yet because it would spoil it) is heir to a small kingdom. It's not a real country of course - I'm creating my own conuntry, with its royal family, its history, its customs. Its a European country - just - because it's almost in Russia it's that far along the coast of the Black Sea (at least this is how I'm imagining it at the moment.) 
It's a tiny country, not much  more than the size of Monaco, but it has  some real importance - its major port for one - and an invaluable mineral that is mined in its northern mountains.

I already know a lot about it, but as of now I don't have a name. I think  a name is important because it will also tell me more about it.  Ruritania, for example, the country where The Prisoner of Zenda is set,  was a Germanic country, Shangila was in the Himalayas. Nora Roberts has Cordina. The Sheikhdoms I've had in the past have been  Kuimar   (Desert Affair) and Barakhara (At The Sheikh's Command.)   But as I said, I wanted a more European - possibly east European  - name for this kingdom.

So I thought I'd run a contest. And I'd ask you all to join in.  Have you got any suggestions for the name of my ficitonal kingdom?  Any ideas what it looks like? If so to enter please tell me about it in the comments section,  give me the name of the country I'm crfeating - and perhaps a few details about your imagining of it to inspire me. 

I won't promise to use any name from here, but itf there is a really great one then I'll not only use it, I'll acknowledge it - and you - on the dedication page of my book.  And I'm offering prizes too. If someone  gives me a name I' really want to use, then I'll send you two signed books from my backlist as a thank you for the help. If I don't pick the actual name of my fictional kingdom from here, then I'll get Sid the cat on the job of picking a couple of winners anyway, and  they'll get a signed book as a prize.

So  - what would you name an imaginary country and what would it be like? I'd love to know.

Kate's newest title - The Return of The Stranger -  is officially released in the UK in Mills & Boon Modern on Septermber 2nd. It will be published in Australia and America (in Presents EXTRA) in October.   She'll be back next month to tell you more about this book and why it's very special to her.

You can find out more about The Return of The Stranger and all Kate's books on her web site, together with her most up to date news on her blog.

Sorry to be late in replying but I only just managed to post before I was hit by a migraine and have only just been able to look at the screen again. I'm tempted by four of these suggestions  - can't make my mind up yet!

So if Laney, Caroline, Sonali and Michelle L would email me  -
kate AT kate-walker.com I'll let you know which of my backlist I have copies of and you can choose a prize for helping me get this far

And if I do decide on one of these for definite then I'll let you know!

Erica Hayes: Keeping the paranormal world fresh

When you get up to book 4 in a paranormal/fantasy series, the scene is pretty much set. You've described the world and its inhabitants, who the good guys and bad guys are, who's got magic and who doesn't. There's only so much worldbuilding you can do before you're covering old ground. So how do you keep the series fresh?

Well, in a romance series like my Shadowfae Chronicles (sure, it's strong on the fantasy angle, but having a new hero and heroine and a HEA in each book makes it romance, right?) you can rely on the characters to give it a fresh angle each time.

The series is set in a dark and shadowy underworld, a city secretly ruled by a demon lord and his gang of ruthless vampire mobsters. The magical creatures exist under a fragile shell of glamour that hides them from the human world. But the city is wracked with gang fighting, backstabbing and useless acts of violence, and there's no escape. For some, death would be a mercy, if they weren't already damned.

In book 1, SHADOWFAE, the heroine is the demon lord's indentured slave, and she wants out. For Jade, the shadow world is a prison she longs to escape. But in book 2, SHADOWGLASS, I took a different angle – the heroine is an outsider, a petty thief with lofty ambitions whom no one takes seriously – instead of wanting out, Ice desperately wants in.

In book 3, POISON KISSED, I flipped to the other side for yet a different angle on my world. The bad girl from book 2, Mina, becomes the heroine. She's tough and powerful, a gang enforcer who uses her lethal banshee magic to kick heads and take names. Mina thrives in the shadow world, but still longs for the one thing she can't have: love, and in particular, the love of her snaky gang boss, a frosty, secretive character who holds her at arm's length.

And now, in BLOOD CURSED, we meet Ember, a defiant girl who's neither physically strong nor magically powerful, and has to rely on others to protect her in the dangerous shadow world. She's deep in trouble because she fell for the wrong guy and is determined never to make that mistake again. Instead of longing for love, it's the last thing she wants.

So in each book, you get a subtly different view of the world, because you see it through another character's eyes. I hope that keeps it interesting -- and of course, no matter how dark and hopeless the world seems, love stories never get old. I hope you enjoy them!

Erica Hayes
http://www.ericahayes.net/
Blog: http://erica-hayes.blogspot.com/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ericahayes
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Erica-Hayes/313558020750

Vicky Dreiling: The Rules in Regency England

The idea for HOW TO SEDUCE A SCOUNDREL originated the afternoon my daughter and I watched the movie He’s Just Not That Into You. The vulnerability of the couples negotiating the complicated modern dating scene really grabbed me. After seeing the movie, I recalled that controversial how-to book The Rules. I bought a copy and to my surprise, I learned that The Rules is based on the advice of a grandmother who received numerous proposals back in 1917. When I read that, I just couldn’t resist writing a Regency-era version.

In HOW TO SEDUCE A SCOUNDREL, my hero Hawk reluctantly agrees to be the guardian for his best friend’s sister Lady Julianne for the season. Hawk and Julianne have known one another since she was a little girl. But in the year since he last set eyes on her, Julianne has undergone a subtle womanly transformation, and she’s acquired a bit more polish. Hawk is a bit taken aback at first, but he’s determined to think of her as his ward. After all, a friend’s sister is forbidden. He has no idea that Julianne is determined to win his heart.

Matters go awry when Hawk denies his attraction to her after a steamy waltz. Julianne is at first heartbroken, but soon she’s angry that he would toy with her. Determined to get even, Julianne secretly pens a pamphlet advising young ladies how to entice determined bachelors to the altar. Needless to say the notorious pamphlet creates quite the scandal.

I had a blast writing HOW TO SEDUCE A SCOUNDREL. It was especially fun to watch Hawk try to deal with his growing attraction to Julianne. But best of all, I loved their happy ending.

Thanks for stopping by to visit with me!  I will give away a copy of HOW TO SEDUCE A SCOUNDREL to one commenter US & CA only.

Vicky Dreiling is the bestselling author of HOW TO MARRY A DUKE and HOW TO SEDUCE A SCOUNDREL. She’s also a historical romance junkie, anglophile, and yes, she really did set off an alarm in Windsor Castle.  To learn more about Vicky’s books and listen to her playlists, visit her website: http://www.vickydreiling.com/index.php

Thea Harrison: Dark Fae, Light Fae—What’s the Difference?

Dragon Bound, the first book in my Elder Races series, was released on May 2nd, and it focuses on the Wyr demesne in New York which is headed by Dragos Cuelebre, Lord of the Wyr.


For those who are new to the series, in the Elder Races universe, there are seven demesnes of Elder Races that overlay the human geography of the continental United States. The seat of Elven power is based in Charleston, South Carolina. The Nightkind, which includes all Vampyric forms, controls the San Francisco/Bay area along with the Pacific Northwest and the human witches, considered part of the Elder Races due to their command of magical Power, are based in Louisville, Kentucky. Demonkind, like the Wyr and the Nightkind, consist of several different types that include Goblins and Djinn, and their seat is based in Houston.

The other two demesnes belong to the Dark Fae and the Light Fae. The Dark Fae’s demesne is centered in Chicago, and the Light Fae is based in Los Angeles. Both races are Fae, which is to say they share certain characteristics in common—they are magical and long-lived, and they have long elegantly pointed ears and a certain similarity in bone structure.

But aside from geographical and political differences, the Dark and Light Fae also have other strong differences as well. The Dark Fae are black-haired, with pale skin and gray eyes, and they often have a gift for metallurgy. The Light Fae are a blond, charismatic race, with either blue or green eyes, and they have an aversion to iron.

Storm’s Heart is book two in the Elder Races series. This story focuses on Tricks and Tiago, who were first introduced in Dragon Bound. Tiago is the Wyr warlord and sentinel. Tricks, who for many years has worked as the head of PR for Cuelebre Enterprises, is actually Niniane Lorelle, heir to the Dark Fae throne. Tricks and Tiago take a journey that delves deep into the heart of the Dark Fae, as Tricks confronts her painful past and claims her rightful heritage, and both she and Tiago come to recognize and claim each other as mates.

Thea Harrison
http://www.theaharrison.com/

Vampires: Love them or hate them? by Devyn Quinn

What is it about vampires that fascinates people?

Well, the answer to that is I happen to like the idea of things that go bump in the night. I like the idea of inhuman beasts lurking in the shadows of the night, of an alternate reality entwined around our own world where the witches and sorceress run amok and create havoc. In my mind, being something like that would be totally cool, and certainly much less boring that my own day-to-day reality. Also, I don't function well in daylight -- that and the exposure to the sun makes me red as a beet without benefit of tanning.

When I think of the paranormal, I automatically think of its kissing cousin, the occult. In some people’s minds this definitely conjures images of dark and dangerous things, like vampires. That is a part of my writing, too, and many of my books touch on the troubles and trials that dabbling in such a realm can bring to the unwitting and unwary. Many of my ideas are inspired by Judeo-Christian beliefs, which I take and bend to give my own special fictional twist.

I can't exactly pin down why the paranormal (and the occult) fascinates me, except that I have always been of a dark mind to begin with. Even on the brightest day I'm thinking of the thing that’s possibly lurking around the corner, ready to snatch a person right off their feet and pull them through some dimensional rift into another world. And while there are a lot of creatures out there, the one that’s always got my creative juices to flowing is the vampire. What can I say? I love ‘em, undead or alive, fanged or not.

With that said, I'll be offering a copy of my latest release, Darkness Descending to one lucky reader. Just leave a comment (with your email address!) and you'll be entered in the drawing.

Devyn
http://www.devynquinn.com/

The Pay-Off : Karen Chance

I’m a firm believer in pay off. It stems from being a big fan of the X-Files once upon a time. My favorite part of the show was the mystery of it, the feeling that there was this amazing back story slowly unfolding as the series went on, and that, if I paid close attention, maybe I could figure it out ahead of time. I collected clues, added them up, looked at them from every which way. And slowly, little by little, I began to feel like a chump.

The truth might be out there, I realized, but it wasn’t on my TV screen. And I doubted it was going to be, since it didn’t seem possible to reconcile the many clues we’d been given into something like a coherent whole. It started to dawn on me that there hadn’t been some big, masterful story line behind things at all. The writers had simply been dropping random clues to ramp up the tension, with no real intention of ever paying off.

Russian Cover

First I was disappointed. Then I was steamed. And then I stopped watching. And years later, when I began writing, I remembered that experience and swore never to do something similar to my readers. Hunt the Moon, the most recent Cassandra Palmer novel, is me keeping that promise.

Mircea Basarab

For four books, readers have followed Cassie Palmer, a young clairvoyant brought up at a vampire’s court, as she transformed into the Pythia--the chief seer of the supernatural world. Along the way, she picked up a few friends, a huge number of enemies and trouble by the bucketful. And readers amassed a laundry list of questions.

Mircea Basarab

They wanted to know about Cassie--how she ended up with a vampire for a guardian, what happened to her parents and what made her the woman she is today. They wanted to know what was behind the small rebellion in the supernatural community that had somehow turned into a major war. They wanted to make sense of the mythology of the series, which had elements of most of the major European traditions. And, of course, they wanted to know about the men in her life.



John Pritkin



For someone who spends as much time dodging enemies as Cassie, romance would seem to be out of the question. Yet she’s managed to attract several very unusual suitors. The first is Mircea Basarab, a former prince and a current member of the ominous North American Vampire Senate. He placed a claim on Cassie, which in vampire terms essentially equals marriage. The only problem? He didn’t ask first.



John Pritkin



Cassie is fighting the strong attraction between them because she doesn’t want to end up as merely another vampire’s servant. But sometimes, Mircea makes that awfully hard. Readers wanted to know why Mircea is so controlling—is he simply a dominant master vampire used to getting his way or is there more to it? And what about his background, which he avoids talking about whenever possible? Cassie, and the reader, needed to feel that they knew Mircea better, and Hunt the Moon gives important insight into his character.

The other contender for Cassie’s affections is John Pritkin, a former member of the powerful Silver Circle of light mages and currently Cassie’s bodyguard. But things are even more complex there than with Mircea, for Pritkin has a lot of secrets, too, some of which could be deadly. Hunt the Moon gives more information on the irascible war mage than all the other books in the series combined, including the main reason he has remained so aloof from Cassie until now.

Hunt the Moon doesn’t answer every question—if it did, I wouldn’t need any more books! And it does open up a number of new possibilities with a slew of questions all their own. But nonetheless, in a very big way, it delivers. Readers are given the answers they have been waiting for and that they deserved. Mulder and Scully, that’s how it’s done.

Karen Chance

http://www.karenchance.com/

Jennifer Estep: Favorite Hero Characters

Greetings and salutations! First of all, I want to say thanks to Lee for having me back on the blog. Thanks so much, Lee!

I’ve been thinking a lot about characters lately, especially when it comes to heroes. There are certain types of characters that I think make great heroes and that I find myself wanting to watch on TV, see at the movies, and read about again and again. Here are some of my favorite hero characters:

Cowboys: What can I say? I’m a sucker for westerns, and there are few things sexier than a rough, rugged cowboy with a heart of gold. When I’m in the mood for a western, I’ll read contemporaries by Linda Lael Miller; historicals by Jo Goodman; or wait until there’s a Clint Eastwood marathon on TV, hopefully featuring The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.

Pirates: Yargh! I like pirate stories too, although you don’t see them much anymore. (If anyone has any recommendations here, please list them in the comments.) Luckily, there’s Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow whenever I want to watch a swashbuckling pirate movie.

Princes: Whether it’s epic fantasy or a contemporary romance, princes remain popular characters with timeless appeal. Who wouldn’t want to be swept off her feet by a handsome prince? It’s the ultimate fairy tale.

Spies: Ah, spies. There’s something dark and dangerous about a guy who goes behind enemy lines and puts himself in harm’s way for queen and country. I’m currently loving Daniel Craig as James Bond. Here’s hoping that the next Bond movie is as good as Casino Royale was.

Superheroes: I love the idea of superheroes – of folks with these special abilities fighting the good fight. This has been a great summer for superhero movies with Thor, Green Lantern, and Captain America in theaters – and the guys who played them were pretty easy on the eyes too.

Thieves/conmen: Bad boys can be so very entertaining to watch and read about. I love a good heist story, like The Italian Job with Mark Wahlberg or The Thomas Crown Affair with Pierce Brosnan.

Warriors/soldiers: Whether he’s a centuries-old vampire, a werewolf devoted to his pack, or a Navy SEAL protecting his country, you have to love a guy who stands up and fights for what he believes in.

So there you have it – some of my favorite kinds of heroes. What about you guys? What are some of your favorite types of heroes?

USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Estep writes the Mythos Academy young adult urban fantasy series for Kensington. The books focus on Gwen Frost, a 17-year-old Gypsy girl who has the gift of psychometry, or the ability to know an object’s history just by touching it. After a serious freak-out with her magic, Gwen is shipped off to Mythos Academy, a school for the descendants of ancient warriors like Spartans, Valkyries, Amazons, and more.

Touch of Frost, the first book in the series, was published on July 26. First Frost, a prequel e-story to the series, is also available now. The second book, Kiss of Frost, will hit shelves on Nov. 29.

Jennifer also writes the Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series for Pocket Books. The books focus on Gin Blanco, an assassin codenamed the Spider who can control the elements of Ice and Stone. When she’s not busy killing people and righting wrongs, Gin runs a barbecue restaurant called the Pork Pit in the fictional Southern metropolis of Ashland. The city is also home to giants, dwarves, vampires, and elementals – Air, Fire, Ice, and Stone.

Books in the series are Spider’s Bite, Web of Lies, Venom, and Tangled Threads. Spider’s Revenge, the fifth book, will be released on Sept. 27. Visit www.jenniferestep.com for free short stories, excerpts, and more.

Ashlyn Chase: Reinventing Myself

In some of my bios, I mention the idea of the writer’s theme. It’s not the theme of a book; it’s the theme of all that author’s books. Whether or not we writers realize it, an all-over pervasive theme usually emerges in every book by a particular author. I’ve come to realize my theme has to do with characters who reinvent themselves.

I’m well qualified to write it too. I’ve reinvented myself many times—both as a writer and a person. I worked as a registered nurse for twenty years. Before that, I attended Massachusetts College of Art, hoping to become a famous artist and travel the world showing in premier galleries. Then I got real.

Reinvention number one: From artist to nurse. Nursing doesn’t allow for a lot of creativity. In fact, it’s actively discouraged. You follow doctor’s orders, period. And if they get “too creative” it’s your job to reel them in. But as you might have guessed, I’m a creative person and that trait doesn’t stay buried easily. Most artists will tell you they become very uncomfortable—physically, emotionally or both—if they can’t create. I’m no different. To satisfy my creative urges I took a course in screenwriting. It wasn’t as messy as painting and I had since married a neat-nick.

Reinvention number two: From nurse to writer. I tried a couple of other things along the way. I trained as a hypnotherapist and an interior designer, but for some reason my clients eventually began smoking or gaining weight again, and it was discouraging. I never earned a dime with my Interior Design training. There were just too many pitfalls, so I used my knowledge to design my own home and offer opinions to friends—if asked. But it was writing that stuck.

Reinvention number three: From hot suspense to hot comedy. I was a published author. I had a few devoted followers and some great reviews, but something was missing. My joy and spontaneity. I wasn’t having as much fun as I would have liked. Writing these books had turned into work. Then I had an experience that changed me again. I wrote my first erotic comedy. I let myself go buck wild, and it just poured out of me. What resulted was an off-the-wall novella that every reader and reviewer loved. It was nominated for a CAPA and an Eppie award. I loved it as much as readers did, plus I loved the experience of writing it.

Reinvention number four: From short to long: I had heard that what readers and publishers wanted were not one, but several related books in a series. So I tried to come up with an idea for a hot humorous series. Let’s see…write what you know…use your voice…and try to think of a long, rich storyline that can go on and on and on…

The Vampire Next Door is the third in the Strange Neighbors series and it’s available August 1st! Here’s why you won’t want to miss it. All of the characters in the previous books make a reappearance, and every tenant receives their own happily ever after ending. I love what the blurb on the back cover says.

Apartment for Rent: Normal need not apply. Fans of the series will understand that with no explanation. For those who have yet to discover it, here’s the rest of the paragraph…

This old Boston brownstone is not known for quiet living…first the shapeshifter meets his nurse, then the werewolf falls for his curvy lawyer, but now the vampire is looking for love with a witch who’s afraid of the dark…and you thought your neighbors had issues!

So, that’s it. No more hints…just the promise of a happy ever after ending for all.

Ashlyn Chase describes herself as an Almond Joy bar. A little nutty, a little flaky, but basically sweet, wanting only to give her readers a scrumptious, satisfying, reading experience. She holds a degree in behavioral sciences, worked as a psychiatric RN for several years and spent a few more years working for the American Red Cross where she still volunteers as an instructor. She credits her sense of humor to her former careers since comedy helped preserve whatever was left of her sanity. She is a multi-published, award-winning author of humorous erotic romances. Represented by the Nancy Yost agency in New York, NY, she lives in beautiful New Hampshire with her true-life hero husband and a spoiled brat cat.

Fiona Lowe: I've Got to Go There!

OK, so I confess to watching 'A Farmer Wants a Wife' and last year one of the Aussie farmers was a pearl farmer living on the Western Australian coast, and the images of the area just blew me away.

The blue-green sea, water so clear you could see dugong, turtles, mantarays, massive schools of fish from the top of a cliff and the most amazing sight of red, outback dust suddenly changing to whiter than white sand are images that are burned into my brain. It was a place where the outback meets the ocean and the perfect place to take a French exchange student so he could experience both the outback and glorious beaches. I started planning a vacation!

We're just back from that holiday and it was spectacular. We were in the World Heritage listed Shark Bay and the recently listed Ningaloo reef and I got to swim with whale sharks, which was something I had never imagined myself doing. The experience will stay with me forever. There is something about swimming next to an 8 metre fish that makes you realise how tiny we really are!


Of course we wanted to visit this part of the world and we were open to everything, but it's different when you're 'told' you have to go somewhere or 'do' something. In my latest release, Career Girl In The Country, Poppy Stanfield is told she has to go to the outback and work in a mining town.

It isn't in a World Heritage area with amazing sceneary and it's a two hour flght from Perth. With the never-ending rest dust and the searing temperatures, Poppy feels like she's been sent to hell. She's determined to get out of town as soon as possible and back to her life in Perth, and her career dreams of being the head of surgery in a Perth hospital.

Nothing goes to plan and slowly, despite not wanting to, she starts to see beyond the moon-scape environment and starts to glimpse some positive attributes to the town; not to mention the gorgous but brooding ER doctor, Matt Albright.

So tell me, what situation have you been in where you were told to do something or told to go somewhere that you didn't wish to, but ultimately you realised it had been a good experience for you? Leave a comment and go into the draw to win a copy of Career Girl In The Country!

Fiona Lowe is an award-winning, multipublished author or romance fiction with Harlequin Mills & Boon and Carina Press. Whether her books are set in outback Australia or small-town USA they all feature small towns with big hearts fillled with warm, likeable characters that make you fall in love. When she's not writing stories, she's a weekend wife, mother of two boys who she's trying to instill in them heroic charcteristics like cooking and ironing. She's currently writing her 18th novel. She loves to hear from readers and you can find her on Facebook, Twitter and at her website.

Lynn Raye Harris: Between Books

Ah, bliss. It's that happy time in between books where I've just sent off the last book, the revisions haven't arrived yet, and I'm contemplating the next book but haven't begun it. I love this time, where I feel like my life is my own again and the next book is so full of possibilities that it will surely write itself (that sound is me snorting, because it's never true).

This week, I've straightened up my office (somewhat), gone grocery shopping (oh it was bad in the pantry), been to routine appointments (my vision is still 20/15, which is pretty cool!), had lunch with a writer friend, and gone to dinner with non-writer friends and family (and will go again tonight).

Ideally, if I could take a vacation between books, I'd go here:


Or maybe here:


In any case, I'd want to drink this:

And eat this:


Generally, I'd just want to relax and take in the scenery. For me, the time between books is important. Even if it's only a couple of days, I need that time to recharge - to read, talk with my hubby, go shopping, relax, watch TV, etc. Writing for Harlequin Presents is very rewarding -- and emotionally draining, at least for me! After every book, I'm wrung out by all the emotions. I don't know how anyone finishes a book today and starts a new one tomorrow. I've done it, but it wasn't easy. I function better with a little bit of time off in between.

How about you? Do you like a bit of down time as a reward for a job done?

(All photos are my own. Waikiki, Venice, strawberry daiquiri at the Hale Koa hotel in Waikiki, and dinner in Rome).

~~~

If you're ready for some relaxation, how about a nice trip to Russia? My June book, BEHIND THE PALACE WALLS, reached #1 on the Borders list and has been described as fast-paced, passionate, and hot! Here's the back cover copy:

‘Kiss me,’ he growled… ‘And make it believable.’

Alone and scared on the dark streets of Moscow, staid, bespectacled Paige Barnes has no choice but to comply with the handsome stranger’s command…

Little does Paige know she’s been rescued by Alexei Voronov—a Russian prince and her boss’s deadliest rival. Now he has Paige unexpectedly in his sights, Alexei is prepared to play emotional Russian roulette to keep her close and discover her true motives. But in his splendid gilded palace his game of chance spins out of control and passion takes over…

It’s only when she’s back home that Paige realizes she’s pregnant with the Prince’s baby…


(PS: Right now, Amazon is selling my April release, THE DEVIL'S HEART, for only $2.36 on Kindle! And if you're in the UK, you can buy my passionate sheikh story, STRANGERS IN THE DESERT, for only 99p on Kindle!)

Lynn Raye Harris is a USA Today bestselling author who writes glamorous, sexy romance for Harlequin Presents. You can learn more about Lynn and her books at http://www.lynnrayeharris.com/. You can also follow Lynn on Twitter @LynnRayeHarris or visit her author page on Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/AuthorLynnRayeHarris

The Joys of...Shopping - Annie West

I don't know about you but I often find shopping a chore. Supermarket shopping is a case in point. It seems to take far too long, especially when there's an essential ingredient shelved in a bizarre place. Too often I head to the shops intent on finding a particular item, or if I'm optimistic, a whole list of necessities, only to find that none are available/the right size/the right price.

I have friends who thrive on shopping. Who look forward to a day out at the shops as a real treat and who come back with a stack of bags loaded with goodies, impressive credit card bills, and the most amazing clothes or jewellery or shoes to show for their efforts.

I don't know how it is but I seem to have missed that shopping gene. Don't get me wrong - snaffling a great sale item or finding the perfect present for a loved one is a real thrill. If I have time I love window shopping, and yes, even to pastry shops. What gets me down are those times when I have to find the right thing and it eludes me. You know - for some reason you need a plain white shirt, or a pair of comfy shoes and no matter how you try, that's exactly what you CAN'T find. Every store has just sold out. Grr.

I've decided that the shopping I adore is the serendipity shopping - when you go out not expecting to succeed and out of the blue find the perfect item, or the dress you've been wanting for years, or something absolutely delightful that you can store for that special birthday gift you need to give in a month's time.

This post was inspired by two things. One was the fact that I went out today with plenty of time and no menfolk in tow, to do birthday shopping for my husband. Not only did I find the items I wanted (quickly!) I also made time to check some of the sales and unexpectedly found some comfy, good looking, uncrushable clothes for myself - perfect for an upcoming trip. And they included some long black trousers. I mean loong. Being tall I always have difficulty finding trousers long enough and these are so long I have to wear heels with them. I nearly swooned! A red letter shopping day.

The second impetus for this mail was that I was discussing my latest books with someone and realised both stories have an interesting twist on the shopping theme. In PRINCE OF SCANDAL Luisa is an unwilling princess, made over despite her wishes. She's given couture gowns and wonderful jewellery, which she rather enjoys, but what makes her happiest of all is when she gathers the courage to wear the clothes she likes best - casual but chic, flattering but not too formal. Then in RAFE'S REDEMPTION Antonia plays the role of mistress to a wealthy man, a man she doesn't at first like. When he demands she dress the part she takes delight in finding glamorous, provocative clothes that wipe the smile from his face when he realises the depth of his reaction to her. Shopping becomes a weapon in Antonia's fight for independence, and a bone of contention between them. The fact that she sources her designer gear in second hand shops rather than live up to Rafe's expectations that she's interested in his money, adds extra spice.

Do you enjoy shopping? Is it a chore or a pleasure? Have you ever had the perfect shopping experience, and if so, what were you buying? Personally I love browsing in book stores (surprise!) and have lots of fun too eyeing off shiny new cookware and stationery.

I'll give away a signed backlist book to one person chosen at random from those who comment. Or, if you have all of mine, a copy of another romance.

Talking of shopping, if you're interested in acquiring new books, look out for my latest releases, both Harlequin Presents titles are available now. RAFE'S REDEMPTION can be bought from the Harlequin website in paperback or ebook (it's not available in stores) and PRINCE OF SCANDAL is out whereever Harlequin titles are stocked. To read more details about either, including some excerpts and review quotes, just pop by my website.

All the best,
Annie