Where Did Winter Go?

I'm not sure how it happened, but clearly winter has decided to skip southern NJ and go to other parts of the country instead. As I write this, a MAJOR winter snowstorm/blizzard is heading for Seattle. . . SEATTLE? Around here? Well, after a Halloween weekend surprise snow, we've had nothing! I am seriously not happy. Then my azalea bushes began to bud and three blossoms even showed up a day later. 65 degrees in December is simply not acceptable.

It's this time of year that I get at least a couple of wonderful, hunker-down reading days during snowstorms or just after it. I make a nice pot of tea and curl up with a good book. . . or two or three. If the weather is really bad, I could spend two whole days on the couch. Ah, those are good times.

Not this year -- 2011 has slipped into 2012 and there's no sign of winter! Spring will bring its flowers and nice(r) weather and outside activities and I will have missed my significant winter reading time.

So, at this point I'm hanging my hat on the only guilt-free reading day that's possible -- I've been called for jury duty next week. Since it can be difficult or inconvenient to bring my laptop and attempt to get some writing done, I can only bring along a book or two and simply sit and read through the day while waiting to be called to the courtroom.

Either way -- it's pretty bad when I have to rely on winter storms or jury duty to get some quality reading time for myself! LOL!


How about you? How do you carve out reading time for yourself? Is it weather-related (more or less in winter or summer)? Is it job-related? Some other way? Post a note and I'll be choosing two commentors to each receive a copy of the special Mills & Boon release - ROYAL WEDDINGS THROUGH THE AGES - an anthology of seven stories about historical royal weddings. (It's only being released in the UK so it is SPECIAL!)

Terri is working on her next Harlequin Historical release (returning to the MacLerie Clan in the Highlands of Scotland!) while re-publishing her first four books that include 3 time-travel romances and one historical. Visit her website for all kinds of info about her and her books and events!

First Lines And More

I’m writing today with only one hand, and the left at that, courtesy of a shifty horse and a Mexican beach.

How’s that for an opening line? And an unfortunately true one. Try typing with your non-dominant hand sometime and marvel at how difficult a familiar keyboard becomes. So please pardon my brevity and all the typos!

My accident was a fairly common one, falling backward and stupidly using my hand to break my fall. But Mexico was gorgeous and one of my favorite places to be in winter. I crave sun and warmth this time of year. Perhaps that’s why I’ve placed my witchy Malcolm characters in California—so I can soak up their heat as I write!

Since I’m supposed to be chatting about my book and not my boo-boos, here’s the opening line from LURE OF SONG AND MAGIC:  Hollywood’s hottest producer seeks former teen sensation to find kidnapped son.

Hard to pack an entire story into one line, but I tried! And lest you’re left with the impression that this is a romantic suspense, let me assure you that Pippa and Oz are far too strong-willed to let plot get in the way of their conflict, or their romance. But have pity on my injured wrist and go take a look at the excerpt if you doubt me: http://patriciarice.com/Lureexcerpt1.pdf

Sourcebooks is offering books to  two lucky commenters. To start things off, why don’t you tell me if you like a touch of paranormal in your books and why or why not.

I blew up my last Facebook page but I’ve started another at: http://www.facebook.com/OfficialPatriciaRice   Stop by and check out the pics from my Mexican adventure! I’m accident prone, so Like the page and you can follow my misadventures.

If you prefer, you can reach me through my blog at http://www.patriciarice.blogspot.com or by stopping by my website at http://patriciarice.com/ and Twitter hasn’t kicked me out yet: https://twitter.com/#!/Patricia_Rice

So let me know how you like LURE and what you’d like me to do in the future (besides fall off horses). More Magic books? Historicals? Contemps?




***Marybelle and Maureen are the winners! Congratulations, ladies! Please send an email with your full name and mailing address to totebag@authorsoundrelations.com so we can get the prize in the mail! Thank you!***

Lisa Dale - A Little Contest To Celebrate My New Release

Happy New Year!

Hope your 2012 has got off to a beautiful start, with a fresh burst of optimism and many things to look forward to as the year goes on.

I'm having an especially nice new year because I've just released a new book, A Promise of Safekeeping!

Keep reading to see if this is the kind of story you're in the mood for.

A Promise of Safekeeping is a story of how the human spirit triumphs over darkness--even over itself.

Nine years ago, Lauren Matthews prosecuted the case of a lifetime. But her error in judgment sent an innocent man to prison. Now Arlen Fieldstone’s finally been released, and Lauren has only one thing on her mind: asking forgiveness. But how can she make up for nine years of his life?

To get to Arlen, Lauren must first get through Arlen’s best friend, Will Farris. Will hasn’t forgotten Lauren from those days, and hasn’t forgiven her for destroying his best friend’s life. He is Arlen’s keeper—protecting him from suspicious neighbors as well as from Lauren.

In the steaming summer streets of Richmond, Virginia, three people’s lives collide. Lauren needs forgiveness. Arlen needs hope. And Will? He needs something too, something that no one can know—especially not Lauren…

I'm really excited to share this book with you. As I wrote, the characters became deeper and deeper, the story taking on new shades and colors...it was mesmerizing. I hope it will be the same for you.

Will might actually be my favorite hero ever. He’s strong on the surface, but he has a deep vulnerability that I can’t give away here. When the book opens, every woman he’s ever dated has run away from him. He is wary of Lauren at first—with good reason, since she put his best friend in jail. But when he warms to her, he begins to wonder if she might be the one woman who is strong enough to bear his secret, if he can bring himself to tell it.

There's a second love story in A Promise of Safekeeping too. It's between Arlen (the ex con), and the wife who divorced him when he was pronounced guilty. Although it seems as if his wife gave up on him, there’s hope: As much as Arlen is thinking about Eula, she’s thinking about him too.

To celebrate the release of my new book, I'm giving away a copy of Slow Dancing on Price's Pier, my release from last year that was a Top Pick and Barnes & Noble and Bookpage magazine. U.S. addresses only, please.

To enter, just answer this question:

In A Promise of Safekeeping, Will is an antiques collector. What do you collect?

Good wishes for every blessing in the New Year,

Lisa Dale
www.LisaDaleBooks.com

Georgette Heyer:Biography of a bestseller

One of the first things I learnt as a teenager who wanted to be an author was that if you wanted to learn about authors and how they truly worked read an in depth interview, in particular read a Paris Match interview. The advice was fine as far as it went. But some authors were notoriously private. Georgette Heyer being a prime example. She didn't do interviews and hated the whole author as a personality thing. Up to this year there has only been one biography by Jane Aiken Hodge which I kept meaning to find and read.
One of my Christmas presents from my husband was Jennifer Kloester's new biography of Georgette Heyer. It has been a thoroughly splendid read. As a working author, I can really identify with some of Georgette's struggles. I found it interesting how she reworked some of her short stories into novels and how long it took her to discover her *true* voice. I was also interested to learn the background to her novels. I already knew about her fantastic approach to research and had made several educated guesses to various influences on her plotting and therefore was pleased to learn more.
I found it interesting that she wanted to withdraw from publication several of her early books. Thankfully she was unable to suppress These Old Shades as it is one of my favourite  of her books. I loved reading about her struggles and how sometimes characters wouldn't come. It is also interesting to see her unique problems. for example, the naming of characters was important to her and once a name was settled on, she had difficulty in changing. Bath Tangle posed a particular problem as she discovered late on that she had used a real title for the hero and had to change. 
Kloester also explores Heyer's world view and how that influenced her writing. For example, Heyer didn't really believe in women working outside the home and so did not really explore this facet of Regency life. Heyer also had a tendency to layer her own Edwardian viewpoint and sensibility into the Regency world she portrayed. It is one of the things about being a historical novelist -- in many ways you are holding up a dark and shadowy mirror to your own time.
If you are interested in how authors work or where ideas come from or indeed some of the struggles authors go through when they are trying to manage their career, Kloester's biography is a good place to start. If you happen to be a Heyer fan, then you are in for a real treat.

Michelle Styles writes warm, witty and intimate historical romance for Harlequin Historical. Her next book will be His Unsuitable Countess (August 2012 UK and US) You can read more about Michelle's books on her website www.michellestyles.co.uk

The End of a Series

I’ve heard a lot of readers bemoan the end of a series that they loved. Many readers want to keep reading about those characters they’ve come to love over the span of a couple of years. They don’t want to give up that relationship yet. Writers feel the same way.

We mourn the loss of characters that have been in our lives for years and any times, years longer than it took to get them on paper and publish. When I first heard authors talking about how sad they were to be done with a series, I was unpublished and naïve. I had hundreds of characters and plots running through my head. Once I was done with a book or series, I would just move on to the next one.

Silly me.

When I first started writing Every Night I’m Yours, I feel in love with my characters. All five of my heroes and heroines. By the time I finished writing One Night Scandal, I was still in love with them, albeit a little weary of their constant involvement in my life. But I was at a loss of what do to next.

It took me several attempts at writing a synopsis for my agent. Nothing I put down was really “calling” to me. I was sure I didn’t want to write another series revolving around regency women. But as I tried to edit the first few chapters, I realized my heart wasn’t into this next series.

For some reason, watching the History Channel (when there is history on it, not reality shows) tends to get my creative juices flowing. When I was watching something about the history of witches, they mentioned the term Wise Women. My brain latched on to that tidbit. It turns out that wise women were the healers on the lands and practiced some pagan rituals. Because they had knowledge, many were declared witches and killed.

So my crazy brain took that and said, what if there some of these women still around in during the regency period and were still healers on the estates of peers? And what if they still performed some rituals only because it’s what their mothers and grandmothers had done for centuries? And what if the one of the heroes wanted nothing to do with his wise woman because his first wife had died in childbirth at the hands of the wise woman? And my brain just kept going. 

Soon, I had another series revolving around three women. Here we go again. I’m currently working on my Wise Women series. The first book, tentatively titled, Bewitching the Duke will be an ebook release from Kensington in 2012.You can find me at www.christiekelley.com.

How do you as a reader feel when you get to the end of a series? Do you hate to let go or are you anxious to start another series?  I’m giving away a signed copy of the first book in my series, Every Night I’m Yours to one commenter.

Christie

www.christiekelley.com 

***Melissa is the winner for a copy of EVERY NIGHT i'M YOURS! Congratulations! Please send an email with your full name and mailing address to totebag@authorsoundrelations.com so we can get the prize in the mail! Thank you!***

Friday the 13th

by Tawny Weber

Did you know today is Friday the 13th? I ask because there are many a'day that I'm clueless to the position of the calender. But those fateful Friday's do tend to snag my attention. Not because I'm superstitious (although I suppose I am), but because I've always had the best luck on Friday the 13th. And this year, we get 3 of them! I can't wait to see what happens :-)

Now I know many people see this day differently. It's supposed to bring bad luck. Kind of like black cats (I have two). There are enough people with a phobia of the date, that it has it's own name: friggatriskaidekaphobia (say that three times fast). But, like I said, it's usually one of the best luck days of the year for me. When I was 17, there was a boy I had been crushing on for months. He finally asked me out on Friday the 13th. I've gotten raises on Friday the 13th. I've found killer sales deals on Friday the 13th. I've written record page counts on Friday the 13th (which might tell you what I'm trying to beat today *g*).

Maybe it's because I've seen Friday the 13th as a lucky day since I was a teenager, that I've always managed to draw good luck to me. Which is what the characters in my newest release, SEX, LIES AND MIDNIGHT, do. They make things happen. The hero is an FBI agent who is 'lucky enough' to make contact with the one person guaranteed to bring him in the inner circle of a notorious con man. The con man's daughter. He's even luckier when she needs an escort home. For Maya, it's great luck that she finds a gorgeous, sexy guy who's perfect for distracting her arch-nemesis. And even luckier? He's free and willing to come home with her. Neither would say it's luck, though, so much as that they see opportunities and make the most of them.

So my question is this... Is luck something we create because we believe in it? Or is it something that's there whether we believe or not-but some of us are just too stubborn to realize there's bad luck happening that we aren't paying attention to. Do you have any fun Friday the 13th stories to share?

Be sure to leave a comment to be entered in the drawing for an autographed copy of SEX, LIES AND MIDNIGHT!

Tawny Weber has been writing sassy, sexy stories for Harlequin Blaze since her first book hit the shelves in 2007. When not obsessing over deadlines, she’s shopping for cute shoes, scrapbooking or hanging out on Facebook and Twitter. Come by and visit her on the web at www.tawnyweber.com

In December of 2011 Tawny launched her Undercover Ops series with SEX, LIES AND MISTLETOE. The second book in the series, SEX, LIES & MIDNIGHT is on shelves in January 2012, quickly followed in February by SEX, LIES & VALENTINES. You can read the first chapter of SEX, LIES & MIDNIGHT on her website, too – all you have to do is join the Reader LoveFest! Be sure to follow Tawny on her Holiday Survival Tour as she celebrates these three books with tons of fun and a chance for readers to win a $100 giftcard!

At Long Last

I love European settings in books.  I don’t know what it is about them and in essence the people that draws me in.  It has that…Je ne sais quoi type of sensation. The thing I can’t put my finger on.  It’s probably why I’m writing a new steampunk series for Carina Press set in 1850 London.

I’ve been to Germany and Austria and the Netherlands.  I loved it there.  I could wax poetic about the way I felt when roaming the cobblestone streets or touring the spectacular cathedrals and castles.  But no one wants to hear my poetry…trust me.  I long for the day that I can go back to those places, and add more to my touring schedule…places like France and Ireland and Scotland.  I really want to travel through France.  My sister lived there in a tiny village for a few months and I envy all the stories she has about her time there and the pictures of all the quaint towns and people she met along the way.

I long to see Paris, and Marseille, and Nice, and Lyon, and Nouveau Monde.  Say what?  Nouveau Monde?  Yes, that’s right.  It’s that picturesque city where the Otherworlder community has congregated.   Vampires and lycans and witches, and even humans live in relative peace and harmony in the beautiful progressive city.   It has much of the same look and feel of Lyon, with a long and wide river winding its way through the bustle of the city.   You should go there.  It’s gorgeous.  Just watch out for the nightlife…they just might bite.

Nouveau Monde is the city in France that my next Nocturne A WOLF’S HEART takes place.  It’s book six in the Valorian Chronicles and the last book.  Here’s a little bit about it…

Gabriel Bellmonte let his first love slip away, while loyalty to his kind kept him in Nouveau Monde fighting crime. But now the seasoned Lycan investigator has been handed his toughest assignment yet. “Shadow Elise Leroy’s every move,” is his order from above—something Gabriel will do with pleasure. Except his lingering attraction for Elise could be his downfall. She has returned a glamorous, successful actress, who now finds herself the target of a twisted stalker...and in need of 24-hour protection.

Gabriel is skilled at what he does, but he’ll need to sharpen his fangs against a formidable foe. Because he can’t risk the consequences to his reputation...or to the enticing little diva who has dramatically reclaimed his heart.

What kind of settings do you love?  Europe?  Asia?  Good old America?  What kind of settings do you long for?  Share your thoughts and I'll give away an eBook of GLIMMER to one person who leaves a comment!

Vivi

www.vivianna.net

A Holiday Reading Feast!

by Anna Campbell

Oh, the bliss of the summer holidays here in Australia. As I write this, just before Christmas, I'm really looking forward to a couple of days of complete sloth over the Festive season. Of lying by the pool. Of snoozing. Of knocking a few books off the TBR pile.

Every year, if I possibly can, I take the time off between Christmas and New Year. Here in Australia, basically the whole country shuts down and I don't see why I should be any different.

I stockpile special books for these days as I love to curl up with a couple of really luscious reads and enjoy my leisure time.

This year is no different (I hope. Touch wood. Salt over my shoulder). So I thought I'd share some of the books I'm really looking forward to. There are others on the pile but these are the five that caught my attention first.

First is a book I read ages ago in manuscript and absolutely adored. It's the perfect Beauty and the Beast story - and as a lot of you know, that's far and away my fave fairytale. It's the second in Christina Brooke's Ministry of Marriage Series, MAD ABOUT THE EARL. Beastly Griffin (except he's mega yummy under the beastliness) and beautiful Rosamunde have such a rocky road to love when they embark upon their arranged marriage that you won't be able to put this book down. I'm looking forward to revisiting this delicious love affair and losing myself in Griffin's arms...uh, story!

Another luscious historical on the TBR pile (and another one with a beautiful blue cover!) is DESIRED by one of my long-time fave authors Nicola Cornick. This sounds like such a sexy, tug of war between duty and desire. And I already know which one is going to win. I always close Nicola's romances with a big happy sigh. Look forward to the same reaction with this one.

Tawny Weber writes wonderful sexy, saucy, smart contemporary romance. SEX, LIES AND MISTLETOE is the start of a new three-parter for her and it sounds wonderful. Intrigue, forbidden attraction, lots of flirty fun. I can hardly wait.

While I'm on a category kick, I'm really looking forward to the latest Sarah Morgan. Have you read her? I think she writes the most brilliant classic Harlequin Presents (marketed here in Australia as Sexy and believe me, these books just bristle with sexual tension!). The latest is ONCE A FERRARA WIFE... (love the elipsis!) which sounds like a passionate reunion story. I devour Sarah's books in one gulp like chocolate - can't imagine this one will be any different!

At the moment, I'm reading a lot of crime to go with my romance and a series I've really got hooked on is Nevada Barr's Anna Pigeon Mysteries.

Anna, the principal character, is a middle-aged widow who works as a ranger in a series of national parks across America. The descriptions of landscape and environment are extraordinary, so vivid that you actually feel like you're there. FLASHBACK is the next one I'm due to read. It's number 11 in the series and what's a nice benefit of these later books is that Anna has mended her broken heart to the point where she's have a very nice romance with a sheriff at her latest national park. I love a bit of romance to go with my murder ;-)

So do you get to catch up with your reading over the Christmas/New Year break? What did you read that really made you sit up and pay attention?

The good, the bad and the way better than expected… Kandy Shepherd

Was 2011 a good or a not-so-good year for you? At the turn of the year, I was concerned by the number of people, both around me and on social media, saying 2011 had been a terrible year for them. It made me think about my year past. I concluded that—although the world situation was an ongoing cause for concern—it hadn’t been a bad year for me, though there were some ups and downs.

I like to think the beautiful rainbow over our farmhouse brought it good luck and saved it from destruction by fire.

DOWN

Last July, a fire at our farmhouse destroyed the kitchen and caused severe smoke damage to practically every possession. Thankfully, no human or animal was hurt. Months of angst, disruption and inconvenience followed. We are only just this week moving back in.

UP

The insurance company was fabulous. They provided a “disaster recovery” team who cleaned and restored what they could and a builder to replace the kitchen and make repairs. What can’t be restored we can replace. Looking around the beautiful new kitchen, carpets and window coverings in the newly-painted rooms, we think maybe the silver-lining part of this dark cloud turned out to be pretty substantial! 

Lots of rain plus sunshine equalled magnificent roses in my garden

DOWN

As a family, we seemed to catch every cold and flu going around—despite having flu vaccinations. I swear I felt ill for half the year! My teenage daughter had mononucleosis (glandular fever) twice. Would we ever get better?

UP

Of course we did. My daughter successfully got through her first year at university. Medical tests concluded that there is nothing seriously wrong with any of us. So reassuring!

I learned to cook Thai food--yum!

DOWN

After a long wait for confirmation, a two-book contract with a big publisher didn’t happen for me. Very disappointing. But that’s publishing for you.

UP

Excited by the surge in indie publishing, and with some trepidation, I decided to self-publish my contemporary romance The Castaway Bride. To my ongoing amazement and delight, it became a Kindle bestseller. The Wall Street Journal recommended it in its "Reader’s Guide to Self-Published Big Sellers". I’ve gained lots of wonderful new readers. Now that really is an “Up”! 

My Kindle bestseller

Over the course of twelve months, there was much to celebrate: ongoing friendships; my pleasure in my family; the joy from my animals; good books read and movies enjoyed; new recipes tried and enjoyed; the biggest and most beautiful roses I have ever grown. I’m hoping for more ups than downs in 2012—not just for me, but for you too. 

Happy New Year!

Just looking at them makes me feel happy!

What about you? Any particular ups and downs for you in last year? Any hopes for 2012? I’d love to hear about them!

Please leave a comment for a chance to win a signed trade paperback copy of my contemporary romance Home Is Where the Bark Is published by Berkley Sensation. Be sure to include your email address if you want to be in the draw.

Kandy Shepherd writes fun, feel-good fiction.

http://www.kandyshepherd.com

Amelia's Introduction

So Gwen Hayes was supposed to guest blog today at Tote Bags ‘n Blogs but she all “I’m busy. Ame help a girl out.” So here I am. My name is Amelia, my peeps call me Ame, and I guess I’ll be your guest host today.

Okay, so about me. I go to Serendipity High in Serendipity Falls, CA. Basically, our town is located on a portal between realms which means we attract all kinds of paranormal riffraff on account of the portal is cracked. But it’s also super cool because it’s like a hotspot for otherworldly adventures. Personally, I’m way into the metaphysical, so I love the energy of living so close to a portal. The vibe is really conducive to honing my psychic powers, but it also amplifies the charge for demons and, well, purveyors of dark power. You take the good with the bad, you know?

Besides knowing how to stake an errant vampire or vanquish a creeper demon, my other passion is environmentalism. My friends aren’t as into it as me. And by that I mean, they pretty much don’t pay attention at ALL to their carbon footprint. I think part of the problem is that most people don’t realize how easy it is to make little changes that make a difference. I mean think about it…if just one house on every block in your city switched to a push mower instead of a gas powered one, that would make a huge difference in fossil fuel use in your town right? What if that happened in every town in your state? Your country? See where I’m going with this? That’s just one easy change…but if you don’t have a lawn or whatever, you can still make a difference.

For instance, this year for Christmas, I made my super special witch brew all-purpose cleaner for my parents. Since my chores sometimes include cleaning the bathroom or kitchen, I was doing it for myself as much as them. I mean, I don’t want to inhale a bunch of chemicals or dry out my fragile skin, right? And even if you don’t have magic powers like me, you can still make up your own brew. You might just want to leave out the eye of newt. It will still clean just as well, I promise. You can also make a spiffy label—be creative!

Ame’s All Purpose Cleaning Potion

1/4 cup vinegar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon Borax

1 teaspoon liquid soap (go organic! Dr. Bonners is a great brand)

10 drops lavender essential oil

10 drops rosemary essential oil

5 drops tea tree essential oil

1 oz eye of newt (optional)

Warm water to fill 32 oz spray bottle

·         Dissolve Borax in vinegar and lemon juice

·         Add soap

·         Add drops and newt

·         Transfer to spray bottle

·         Fill rest of bottle with warm water--slowly so it doesn't foam up.

·         Say an optional blessing and feel good about yourself every time you reach for your non toxic brew instead of skeezy chemical laden, not to mention expensive, bottle of hazardous material

About the Author: Amelia is a character from the Falling Under series by Gwen Hayes. The sequel to Falling Under, Dreaming Awake, was released on January 3, 2012. For more information about Gwen, Ame, and Serendipity Falls please visit www.gwenhayes.com or follow Gwen on Twitter http://twitter.com/gwenhayes

Laptop Limbo : : Anne McAllister

This is the time of year that I should be making resolutions and cleaning my house after holiday celebrations and, according to my editor, finishing my book.

And I will – but first I need to find a laptop.

My laptop, Charley, whom I have loved for the nearly three years I’ve had him because he is light and fast and responsive, seems to have a fatal illness which hours of assiduous customer service and a complete wipe of the hard drive and a return to factory specs do not seem able to put right.

It  could be the fan. The fan makes a terrible grinding whirring gasping noise.  And then it’s silent, and I can’t think that’s a good thing for Charley.  I fear he will over-heat. So I shut him off. Then when he’s cooled down, he comes back on and behaves for a while, and then he begins to groan.  Also not a good thing.

I am not conversant in laptop-speak, but when even though I can personify my laptop to the extent of giving him a name, when he begins to talk to me, I worry.  I fear for either my sanity or his health. My sanity seems pretty good at the moment, so it’s Charley’s health that is definitely in question.

I have a friend who thinks he might have a fan he can put in my laptop.  But in the meantime, because while I love Charley, I realize his life span may be limited, I am looking at laptops. (I don’t say ‘replacement’ in his hearing, but you know what I mean).

So, do you have suggestions?  Recommendations?  Commiserations? 

Any of all of the above?

This is what I’d like: a 13” or 14” laptop with a fast processor (Windows, not Mac because I do stuff that I would have to change everything for if I got a Mac, even though I am sometimes tempted). I’d like it fairly light-weight and I’d like it to survive being dragged to the library and the coffee shop and where I teach my genealogy class when I’m not writing romances.

Another Charley, basically.

But unlike Charley, I don’t think I want to take this new one on serious long trips. I used to do that. Then I got a netbook and it was so much less stressful, not to mention ‘heavy,’ that I’m leaning toward that for travel.

I took Charley to New York a few weeks ago and he did fine. But he stayed in the apartment once we got there.   When I took him to Washington DC last summer, he stayed in the hotel room after the first day because he was too heavy to schlep across the mall every morning and back every afternoon. So I’m thinking a new one doesn’t have to stand up to the bangs and bumps of travel the way Charley did.

I want good customer service, which I have had with Dell. So I have no complaints there.  But that isn’t to say someone else doesn’t also have good customer service, though apparently some don’t. 

My daughter, who has a laptop of a different brand that begins with T, is not at all enamored of their customer service. “What service?” she has been known to shriek.

So, I would welcome recommendations and suggestions. Or warnings. 

Either one will help me narrow things down. I am leaning toward the Dell XPS 14z.  Do you have one? Do you know anyone who does? If so, I’d love to hear about your experiences. Forewarned is forearmed and all that.

Besides, if you warn me and I do it anyway, you’re entitled to say, “I told you so!”

Anne is working on a Christmas book. She’d better hurry and finish it because, as her editor says, “It is rather tied to a particular time of year, Anne.”  Er, yes.

  Her next title, Savas’s Wildcat, will be an April 2012 Presents Extra.  And her most recent book was The Night That Changed Everything, out last November  from Presents Extra.

Regency New York City

Despite my having had a love affair with all things Regency and London since I was in high school, I will admit, I have had a much longer obsession with all things known as historical New York City ever since I first saw the movie Annie as a girl. 

After seeing the movie, I wanted to know everything there was to know about New York.  Everything. 

So my father let me loose in our local library at the age of nine and without even knowing what I was doing, I researched the history of New York City with such a determined passion that I ended up stumbling on a much grittier side of New York than what was shown to me in Annie.  It was known as the Five Points.  I even found words I didn’t understand.  Like Prostitution.  My father was horrified and told me to forget about New York AND research.  But the Five Points stayed with me ever since. 

When the movie Newsies came out, just as I was finishing high school (yes, I’m dating myself here), it came calling to me again in a way that sent me back to the library.  There was just something about historical New York City I couldn’t let go of and it wasn’t until now that I found the stories in my head to fit the stories I saw in my youth.  I wanted two very different worlds to collide (not just poor versus rich, orphan versus parents, street kid versus authority, but everything versus everything) and in my Rumor Series, I’m ensuring it. 

Forever and A Day is my version of the Price and the Pauper, yes, but you will also notice that my heroine is actually a feisty, older version of Annie, with red hair to boot.  Forever A Lady is my twisted version of the Newsies.  Only I’m going with buff, older men toting pistols, instead of boys toting newspapers.  And Forever A Lord is my version of the movie Cinderella Man.  Only instead of setting it in the Depression, it’s set against the savage, underground boxing rings of Regency New York with a journey that takes our hero into the upper crusts of London society as a bare knuckle boxer where he will become what he has always been...a Lord. 

So now I open up a question to you.  Which is YOUR favorite New York set movie or book?  Comment for your chance to win a signed copy of FOREVER AND A DAY!  This giveaway is open to both U.S. and International readers.

Delilah

www.delilahmarvelle.com

***Sheree is the winner of FOREVER AND A DAY! Congratulations, Sheree! Please send an email with your full name and mailing address to totebag@authorsoundrelations.com so we can get the prize in the mail! Thank you!***