Anne Calhoun: Uncommon Passion

Ben Harris, the hero in my latest release, UNCOMMON PASSION, first showed up on the scene in my previous erotic romance release, UNCOMMON PLEASURE. Ben was the man the heroine turned to when she wanted to get over the Marine who broke her heart half way through his deployment. Her life was falling apart around her ears, and she didn’t want anything more complicated than booty call. She knew Ben is a cop with a reputation, and therefore perfect for what she needed. Eventually Ben ends up in a ménage with that heroine and her returning Marine, serving as the catalyst to their HEA.

Erotic romances often feature a character like this, Dan Savage’s perfect ménage partner: someone you trust totally who will fade into the background and never mention that single night of passion again. But Ben’s willingness to be used like that stayed with me long after I finished that book. My favorite way to come up with plots for books is to develop the characters as deeply as I can, then imagine the worst thing I can do them. It’s a fun (and by “fun” I mean “cruel”) way to work out a book, and in this case, it led me down a very specific path:

What if jaded, world-weary, emotionally unavailable Ben meets Rachel, who happens to be a virgin? What if he doesn’t figure out she’s a virgin because a) he’s drunk and b) she’s doing her best to hide it? What if, when he confronts her, she tells him she chose him because she knew he wouldn’t care? She doesn’t want his pity or his protectiveness or his sexual expertise. She got exactly what she wanted out of the encounter, and he can go on with his life.

What if Ben’s discovered a way he doesn’t like being used, or what that says about who he’s become?

That’s the catalyst for the emotional journey in UNCOMMON PASSION: experienced cop determined to feel nothing at all meets a woman equally determined to feel everything, physically and emotionally. I was also influenced by Laura Kinsale’s Flowers From the Storm, about a Quaker heroine and a jaded duke (this is one of my favorite historical romances and I highly recommend it). Drawing from FFTS, I gave Rachel a back story set in separatist religious community she felt called to leave.

Rachel’s dead on assessment of Ben’s character rocks him back on his heels. Rachel is everything Ben isn’t: awake and aware in a world that will devastate them again and again and again. Suddenly, he does care, and what they experience together makes him face everything he’s avoided from his past. What happens between them is erotic and emotional and frightening; it’s what happens when Fate or God or love grips you by the nape of the neck and refuses to let you go.

Have you ever looked around at what you’ve become and decided to choose a different path? I have. I “woke up” in a cube farm one morning and knew I couldn’t keep doing what I was doing. It wasn’t bad or dangerous or wrong…just not authentic. Tell me your story, and I’ll choose one winner to receive a copy of UNCOMMON PASSION. Thanks for reading!

***Anne's winner is Artemis!  Please email totebag@authorsoundrelations.com with your mailing address!***

Bringing Light to the Dark Ages

The trouble with writing about the Dark Ages is that the primary evidence can often be fragmentary and hard to find. For example, even today, we are still not completely sure of the names of the kings who followed Halfdan in the Kingdom of Jorvik. Or we know that the second battle of Corbridge happened in 962 between the Vikings and the Scots but we have no idea when the first battle happened or indeed if it happened at all.

However our general knowledge of the Anglo Saxon period is better than it could have been – thanks to one man – Matthew Parker. He worked for Henry VIII during the dissolution of the monasteries and amassed a huge collection of illuminated manuscripts and Anglo-Saxon writing. When someone is called a nosy Parker, it is Matthew Parker they are referring to.  When he died, he left his personal library to Corpus Christi College, Cambridge where he had been Master. It remains today one of the most important resources for early Medieval manuscripts and rare books.  Among other treasures, it has the Corpus Glossary which is the earliest dictionary in English and dates from around 800 AD. It also has the Anglo Saxon Chronicles.

It used to be that you had to apply to the Parker Library to able to see various books (which they might or might not grant)  but thanks to a cooperation between Stanford University and the Parker Library, various manuscripts are on the web. You can subscribe or you can take the more basic option. For example, you can see the Corpus Glossary  online. For me, it is incredible to think that monks were busy writing this just after the Vikings had invaded Lindesfarne in 793.  The Corpus Glossary was on display when I recently the Parker -- turned to the word Musica or the first time music was written in English. There are Latin and Greek defnitions of the words running next to them.

If you are interested in learning more about the library and its books. They do run a blog.   It is also full of interesting information about various up and coming television programmes which have used the Parker library as a backdrop. They also have interesting information about more unusual pieces in the Corpus Christi collection, including the medieval drinking horn which is still used when students become members of the college —something which shocked the V&A a few years ago when it was sent for cleaning.

Horns used to be used in the giving of lands. It was called cornage.  The Pusey horn which is in the V &A museum was reputedly given to the Pusey family as a thank you for a warning about an impending attack from the Danes is probably the most famous surviving example. You can see a picture of it here.

If you want to see the Parker Library, Visit Cambridge does run tours on a Thursday afternoon but they have to be booked in advance. The tour also includes parts of Corpus Christi College.

But it is thanks to Matthew Parker’s foresight that we have more of a glimpse into the hidden Anglo Saxon world than we would have otherwise. And thanks to the web, it is easier for authors of Viking historical romances to find out about the period... The amount is research which is involved in writing is much more than the factiods which appear on the page. And it can be very frustrating when you want to know more but the information just has been lost.

My next book, Paying the Viking’s Price is released on 1 November 2013 and takes place in Northumbria in 876.  And because of the Parker Library’s collection, my research was made easier.

Michelle Styles writes warm, witty and intimate historical romance in a wide range of time periods. You can visit her website www.michellestyles.co.uk to learn more about Michelle and her books.

Christina Hollis – Hedgerow Harvest

Coe's Golden Drop

After a practically non-existent harvest in 2012, we were hoping for a better year this year. It didn’t get off to a good start. Only two of my colonies of bees made it through to spring. Both were headed by new young queens, but the foul weather last summer meant neither had been properly fertilized. They couldn’t lay replacement workers, so those two hives soon died out as well.  It meant for the first time in  four years the hum of honeybees was missing from our garden. That was sad enough. Then forestry work out in the wood sent the deer in the direction of our garden.  All the lower branches of our cherry, plum and apple trees were nibbled to death. The lay of the land around  here means it’s impossible keep them out, so we resigned ourselves to having no fruit for a second year running. The orchard at Tottering Towers now resembles a Capability Brown landscape in miniature, with trees pruned drastically to livestock-height. We thought things horticultural couldn’t get any worse - until the rodent population exploded. Our cat can cope with the mice and voles, but with the garden encircled by trees, most of the squirrels can bounce out of his reach. When rabbits finally returned to our neck of the woods, it felt like the last straw. 

Damsons

Then unexpectedly, things began to look up. We finally shook off the cold, wet spell that lasted from winter right through to midsummer. The sun started to shine, and forgot to stop. Our local beekeeping group managed to raise enough new stock to sell replacement colonies to those who, like me, had lost all their bees.  Best of all, our garden went into overdrive.  The blackcurrant bushes produced about double their normal yield of fruit, while the remaining branches of  our fruit trees are bowed down with fruit. Even the damson tree my sister gave us for our wedding anniversary a few years ago rose to the challenge. Unusually, it didn’t have many flowers on it this spring, but just about every one it did have turned into a fruit. They looked ripe last week so I tried one. Big mistake. The taste was so sharp, it made me pucker up like a Siamese cat in a wind-tunnel. It’ll be a while before they’re even ready to turn into jam.

Blackberries

At the moment I’m busy trying to grab windfall apples before the deer can hoover them up. It’s been such a good year for brambles, the hedges are full of them. Here’s a really simple recipe for making the most of this hedgerow harvest. The amount and type of fruit can be varied according to what you have available. You just need to make sure you have about a pound and a half of prepared fruit in total. 

APPLE AND BLACKBERRY CRUMBLE

1.5lbs peeled, sliced cooking apples and washed blackberries

Sugar to taste

4oz flour

3oz butter or margarine

2oz demerara (brown) sugar

3oz rolled oats

Put the prepared fruit into an ovenproof dish with sugar to taste and a couple of tablespoons of water.

In another bowl, rub the fat into the flour. Stir in the sugar and oats. Spread this crumble mixture evenly over the fruit, making sure to cover it completely. Cook in the oven for around half an hour at 180°C, (fan oven 160°C) Gas Mark 4, or until the fruit is cooked and the topping is golden. Serve it hot or cold, with plenty of custard, cream or ice cream.

What’s your favourite fruit dish?

You can read Christina's blog at http://www.christinahollis.blogspot.com and see a complete list of her published books at http://www.christinahollis.com

Dusted: A Maid in LA Mystery Book #2

After more than fifty romance novels, I've made a move this year to...mysteries.  My first mystery, Steamed: A Maid in LA Mystery, came out in July to rave reviews.  Well, the reviews were by my family and weren't all raves...unless you count raving mad.  My family is...funny.

"Hey, at least it's not a romance." Holly's son. 

"Dear God, not another cop character.  Any police procedural inaccuracies are all Holly's.  They are not the fault of her personal police models.  Of course, the fact that she portrays cops as hunks is totally accurate." Holly's husband and two brothers (aka...the cops)

*"Holly is a fantastic writing talent...not that I'm biased."
~Holly's favorite daughter*

*"Holly Jacobs is an auto-buy for me.  Not that I buy her books...she gives them to me."
~Holly's favorite daughter*

*"Holly makes me laugh...so do her books."  ~Holly's favorite daughter*
*DISCLAIMER:
Holly has three daughters...she has no favorites.

***

Yeah...funny, aren't they?

This week the second book in the series comes out, Dusted: A Maid in LA Mystery.  Since my family was so helpful reviewing the first book, I went to my friends to review the second book.  You see, my first sale to Harlequin was to their Duets line—their comedy line.  And through that book, I met the most wonderful group of writers who have become some of my nearest and dearest friends.  So when I went to them and asked them for reviews, they jumped right on the reviewing bandwagon.

"When someone asks what you did today, just say, "DUSTED."  They don't have to know it's a delightfully sparkling Maid in LA mystery by Holly Jacobs, now do they?"
~Jenn McKinlay, NYT bestselling author of the Library Lovers mysteries and the Cupcake Bakery mysteries 

"If this thoroughly delightful, smart, and funny gem is the only book you read this year--you need to read a lot more often."
 ~Isabel Sharpe, Half-Hitched, Harlequin Blaze

"Thank God she finally found a legal outlet for those weird urges of hers." ~Carolyn Greene, Finding Favor, Finding Faith series #1, Harlequin Love Inspired

"Clever and fast-paced, Jacobs' DUSTED has the impact of a plane swiftly eliminating vermin from a cornfield." ~Anonymous

"Dead bodies in bedrooms, stolen art?? Oh, my, how amusing. I, um, have to tell you, Holly, that as much as I have loved sharing a hotel bedroom with you at many a writing conference, my nerves are too--um, my schedule's too full to be able to room with you anymore.  Seriously, Holly's one of the funniest women I know. And she's a darned good roommate to boot!"
~Nancy Warren,  Frosted Shadow, A Toni Diamond Mystery

With friends and family like this, how could I possibly go wrong??  LOL

I hope you all will check out Quincy and her friends.  And watch out in November.  Quincy's got a holiday novella coming out.  You see, she's going home to Erie, PA for Christmas in Spruced Up: A Maid in LA Holiday Mystery.

If anyone has any other "cleaning" sort of titles, I'd love to start a list for future books.  Because I don't think Quincy's done quite yet!

Holly

Addison Fox: Ch..ch…changes

This time of year is always full of changes. Even for those of us who aren’t going back to school, there is excitement and possibility in the air. But with that possibility comes the simple reality of change. From the changing weather to the changing number of daylight hours to the steady reality the year is coming to a close, it’s easy to feel the change in the air come fall.

I was also thinking about change relative to a conversation I’d had with one of my best friend’s the other day. She’s in the process of moving to a new home and there is something awesome, humbling and a wee bit frightening about putting every single thing you own in a box and placing it on a truck. No matter how welcome the move, it’s stressful and it’s hard.

It’s change.

This conversation also got me thinking about writing. I think it’s true of any type of story, whether you write romance or not, but for a story to be compelling, at it’s heart, it must be a story of change.

In order to take your readers on a meaningful journey, you have to put your characters’ through their paces. They’re challenged by new circumstances, by a battle they never expected to wage or a life event they never expected to bear. They are forced to change and it’s only through that change that they’re ready to move to something new.

A new life.

A new outlook on the world.

And maybe, even a new love (especially a new love if you write romance!)

So what about you? Now that fall is on its way (or spring for our friends in the southern hemisphere!), do you feel the change in the air? Are you excited about what’s to come?

Thanks for joining me today!

XOXO,

Addison

~~~~~~~~~~

Despite early ambitions of being a diver, a drummer or a doctor, Addison Fox happily discovered she was more suited to life as a writer. She lives in Dallas and - thankfully - doesn't have to operate on anyone. You can find her at her home on the web at www.addisonfox.com. Her latest book, JUST IN TIME, is out now from NAL/Signet Eclipse.

You can visit her at her website at www.addisonfox.com or on Facebook: www.facebook.com/addisonfoxauthor or on Twitter: www.twitter.com/addisonfox

Rakes and Rogues and Midnight Kisses, Oh, My!

by Anna Campbell

Wow, I feel like I've had a lot of releases this year!

It's not long since DAYS OF RAKES AND ROSES, my e-novella which is 1.5 in the Sons of Sin series (love that 1.5! It's like it's waiting to grow up and become a proper number), hit the digital shelves.

And this month, I'm delighted to introduce my latest effort (and it gets a nice round 2 in the series!), A RAKE'S MIDNIGHT KISS from Grand Central Publishing!

This is the story of rakish (well, he would be with a title like ARMK!) Sir Richard Harmsworth and virginal and scholarly vicar's daughter Genevieve Barrett, a woman with no time for rakes!

Here's the blurb:

It Takes a Lady

 

Brilliant scholar Genevieve Barrett knows how to keep a secret. Her identity as the author of her father's academic articles has always been her greatest deception-until a charming housebreaker tries to steal the mysterious Harmsworth Jewel from her. She doesn't reveal that she recognizes her father's devastatingly handsome new student as the thief himself. For Genevieve, this will be the most seductive secret of all...

To Catch a Thief

 

Sir Richard Harmsworth has been living a lie, maintaining a rakish facade to show society that he doesn't care about his status as a bastard. Yet long haunted by his unknown father's identity, Richard believes the Harmsworth Jewel will confirm his claim as the rightful heir. But when Richard sets out to seduce the bookworm who possesses the stone, he instead falls for its beautiful owner. But even as she steals Richard's heart, Genevieve will be in greater danger than her coveted treasure...

You can read an excerpt here: http://annacampbell.info/rakeskiss.html

As you can probably tell, we're in TO CATCH A THIEF territory. The charming moocher with the hidden agenda and the smart woman who pretty quickly works out that all is not what it seems with this particular lounge lizard.

And as in TO CATCH A THIEF, our detached, outwardly self-serving hero finds himself having to step up to the plate and become a hero in truth when it becomes apparent that there are genuinely dangerous men on the block after the treasure - and the girl!

I had enormous fun writing this story. After the gothic drama of the first Sons of Sin book, SEVEN NIGHTS IN A ROGUE'S BED, this one is much lighter.

It was so enjoyable watching these two characters fall in love much against their better judgement. It was also fun seeing more of Jonas and Sidonie from ROGUE and the other people who populate the Sons of Sin world, like Camden Rothermere, the Duke of Sedgemoor, a man upon whom I have a huge writerly crush at the moment (occupational hazard, falling in love with our heroes!).

So do you have a favorite rake from a romance novel? The reformed rake is such a stalwart of the Regency genre, but we never seem to get enough of him. Why do you think this particular breed of man is so popular with readers? I've got a signed copy of A RAKE'S MIDNIGHT KISS (ebook or print) for someone who comments today. Good luck!

The Softest Ears … and how I will miss them :: Anne McAllister

Yesterday was my only daughter and oldest child’s birthday, and so always one of the happiest days of every year.  Yesterday was also the day our beautiful golden retriever, Micah, bid us an earthly goodbye and so, also, this year a day of sorrow.

Because I am such a ‘dog person’ I can’t let him go without sharing what a great dog he was, how much love he gave to everyone he met, and how blessed we feel we were to have had him for 10 of his 11 years. 

He came to us at 14 months because his first human couldn’t keep him due to a sudden health crisis. It about tore him apart to give up Micah – and he’d had him barely a year. For us it feels ten times that hard because he’s been a part of the family so long.

Micah was the sixth golden to make us his family.  He arrived as the ‘middle child’ between a four month old golden puppy, Mitch, and the six year old flatcoat, Gunnar. He had been used to being an only dog and was the ‘stud’ of his neighborhood.  I was a bit apprehensive about how he would fit in. Gunnar did not suffer annoyance gladly and Mitch bounced on everything and everyone.

Micah took it all in stride.  He was properly respectful of Gunnar, let Mitch bounce on him and wrestled and tussled with him for the rest of his life.  He became an enchanting ‘middle dog’ who never demanded the rights of the alpha but certainly could have – he was the biggest and strongest of them all. 

But Micah was a ‘live and let live’ sort of guy.  He charmed everyone who came in the house because a) he didn’t bounce on them and b) he didn’t look suspiciously at them and mostly c) he made everyone feel as if they were the best person to ever walk in this house and he would remember them forever (especially if they gave him a treat or a back scratch or an ear rub). 

Micah loved back scratches and ear rubs (and treats, he would remind you. Especially treats).  I spent much of the last day scratching his back and rubbing his ears.  He would no longer eat treats, though his eyes told me how much he wished that he could.  But he got lots of back scratching and ear rubs right to the end. 

He had the softest ears in the world.  No one could walk past him without wanting to rub his ears. 

Now I will think of him running in the meadow, fully able to do all the things he once did – and even I’m’ sure, in his version of heaven, beat Mitch to the tennis balls everyone threw for them. Now I think of him walking for miles without his arthritic knees hurting.  Now I think of him shrugging his shoulders in ecstasy over his shoulder rubs, not holding himself tensely together. Now he will be able once more to rejoice in life to the fullest.

Thanks for a wonderful decade, Micah. And thank you all reading this for letting me celebrate the joy of his existence here on the Tote Bags & Blogs space.  I wish for all of you the unstinting unconditional love of a dog like Micah. 

My youngest son, at age 12, said about our first golden, “He really does improve the quality of life around here, Mom.”

He did.  So did Micah. 

I will always miss them.

Spring my way—Kandy Shepherd

We’ve had a record-breaking warm winter in my part of Down Under and are basking in summer-like spring conditions.

We usually don't see this flowering plum quite so early

The plants in my farm garden are totally confused—they’re blooming a full two weeks before they’re meant to.

This gnarled plum tree is more than 60 years old and produces the most delicious plums

The pictures I’m sharing here were taken three weeks ago, when the daffodils were still meant to be in bud and the fruit tree blossoms just pale swellings on the branches. 

This iris is blooming weeks earlier than it did last year

Usually there isn’t a tulip in sight at this time of year but they’re about to open and there are rosebuds on the just-pruned rose bushes. (While many parts of Australia don’t have a very cold winter, our little farm is in the mountains and we get heavy frosts and the occasional flurry of snow—not this year, though.)

Our daffodils are early this year--I love the way they just keep flowering year after year

 The vegetables, too, are starting to thrive. Last summer I left a few lettuces to go to seed. Lots of tiny green seedlings resulted and now they’re growing into lush lettuces so fast I’ve actually harvested my first (small) salad.

These lettuces are from a plant I left to self-seed--how nice to get free seedlings!

The snow peas (mangetout) I planted in autumn are now climbing up their supports—fingers crossed for the treat of fresh snow peas come late spring.

It won't be long until we'll be enjoying cabbages

Spring is my favorite season in my garden, though I’ve tried to plant carefully so we have flowers all year round.

Nature provides these lovely wattle blossoms in the bushland part of my farm garden

I particularly love daffodils as when I was pregnant with my daughter I planted lots of daffodils. As I buried those nondescript brown bulbs, I wondered what my baby would be like and counted the months until I would meet her (or him!) knowing by the time the daffodils were in bloom she would be born. The joyous day we brought her home, she was greeted by a garden bed of yellow daffodils.

Jonquils have been blooming for weeks and filling the garden with their glorious scent

The whole upside-down thing of the hemispheres can be confusing to humans, too. Last week I left my spring garden behind and am currently enjoying autumn as I visit England. Sometimes I have to catch myself and re-orientate myself to the season!

I found this little violet vase in a market--perfect for delicate violets

 I’m in England on a quick visit to catch up with friends and family. It’s the first time I’ve been here in 10 years and I’m so glad to be back. (My mother was Australian and my father English and I’ve always been torn between the two countries.)

When I get home it will be time for more planting!

I’d planned the trip before I sold my first book to Harlequin Mills & Boon UK. So now I have the added excitement of meeting my editor face-to-face for the first time and visiting “romance headquarters” at Richmond. I’ll also be meeting some of the Mills & Boons authors I know only online or through reading their wonderful romances. I’m so thrilled to be joining their ranks!

My first story for Harlequin Romance is titled The Summer They Never Forgot. It’s an emotional reunion story and will be out in January 2014. I’m eagerly awaiting the first glimpse of my cover…

Spring, summer, fall or winter—do you have a favorite season in your garden? Or a flower that holds special significance for you? Do you hate gardening but enjoy buying flowers—or being given them! Please leave a comment—I’d love to hear about it!

 Kandy Shepherd writes fun, feel-good fiction.

Her new contemporary women's 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.

Watch out for her The Summer They Never Forgot, her first release from Harlequin Romance in 2014.

Visit Kandy at her website

www.kandyshepherd.com

Gardening and writing - pretty much the same.

Despite glorious days, the summer is, we're told, officially over.

And it's true.

The swallows gathered overhead last week in swooping, tweeting excitement and have now disappeared, flying south on their gruelling migration south.  The nights are noticeably colder. And yesterday we pulled up the anthirrynums which have been in bloom for months and even last week looked wonderful. But suddenly they didn't.

We've had a year in the garden of our new house. The winter was all about a new lawn in front, fresh paving and a raised stone bed at the back, the spring about planting, but the summer has been all about flowers. Everything is brand new so some things are still babies. The roses were gorgeous, but with a gorgeousness that will only get better with each passing year. The dahlias took forever after a cold spring and were a mixed bunch. Some blousy, over the top gorgeous, some restrained and barely earning their place.

We've added our Gothick window, the dh built a raised heart bed which we're going to fill with red roses, underplanted with violets to celebrate our ruby wedding anniversary, our "joy", "peace", "calm" slates are up, and the latest addition, the bug hotel made by the dh, was raised this week. He did want to put up a sign in case they didn't know what it was. I vetoed that suggestion on the grounds that bugs can't read!

The stone raised bed was gorgeous, a completely over the top mix of stuff we just stuck in there because we didn't have a plan. And sometimes not having a plan really works!

This winter it's back to groundworks. One of the trees had to come down because the trunk was split. The back lawn has to be levelled and relaid.

It's all a bit like writing.

Sometimes, like the raised bed, you can wing it and it works. Sometimes you have to cut right back to basics put in the hard graft and get the groundwork done.

Gardener and writer, in both cases, it's 95% hard graft!

Liz Fielding has just finished her latest book for the Harlequin Kiss/Modern Tempted series. The working title is Total Exposure, but that is unlikely to survive through to the cover.

I Wished for Tomorrow and Here It Is – by Karen Rock

Thank you so much for having me on Tote Bags ‘n’ Blogs today! It’s my pleasure to return to see all of you again J Now that my first Harlequin romance has hit the virtual bookshelves, I couldn’t be more excited or prouder to chat about it with you.

When my husband I moved to our subdivision, the first neighbors to welcome us had a little girl the same age as our own daughter, Danielle. We soon learned we had much in common with Katie (name changed) having the same birthday and initials as I do and she and her husband Michael (name changed) having the same anniversary! We were instant family friends and the more I’ve learned about them over the years, the more they’ve impressed me with their devotion to their children, one another, and their community. Most of all, I was taken with their love story. It is the inspiration behind Wish Me Tomorrow, September release.

Michael met Katie, the girl of his dreams, his first year of nursing school. Shortly after Michael and Katie began dating, Michael learned he had leukemia. He told me he was sure that he’d lost Katie but, to his surprise and relief, she stayed by his side. She helped him get through his chemotherapy treatments and kept him up-to-date with his assignments so that they graduated, together, with RN degrees. Twenty years later, they are happily married, now have three beautiful children and Michael is cancer free. Michael calls Katie the strongest woman he knows, and I agree.

The idea of writing a love story where feelings were strong enough to withstand an uncertain future took hold. Such devotion is the purest, most beautiful, selfless kind of love and I hoped for a story idea that would do it justice. I needed to create characters with complex, compelling back stories and vulnerabilities that made it difficult for them to take such risks with their hearts. Yet, if they did, the payoff couldn’t be greater.

I began with Eli, a strong, devoted father who married a woman who couldn’t handle his illness and had never liked the idea of having children. When she left him during his chemotherapy treatments, he became extremely protective of his children. So much so that, even during his recovery, he worked hard to save money to guarantee their future since his own was uncertain. More importantly, he won’t allow another woman in his life and risk her breaking his children’s hearts if his cancer returns and she walks out. As for himself, he’s become too much of a realist to believe in falling in love when he doesn’t know what his tomorrows will bring.

Next I imagined the type of woman who would be uniquely able to help his troubled children, be capable of handling Eli’s recovery, but have a past that would make her guarded about getting romantically involved with a cancer survivor. Christie’s character was born- an oncology grief counselor RN who specialized in working with children.  While she was willing to help Eli’s children deal with the aftermath of their father’s illness and the loss of their mother, she wouldn’t trust her heart with a man who affected her more than any other. While she counsels her patients with an optimistic, hopeful approach, she’s experienced loss too. Her positive approach masks her painful past. The guilt she associates with it has made her fear relationships in general, especially with a man whom she might lose.

Both of these characters had much to overcome in terms of trusting and forgiving themselves and life. They needed to have faith in each other and love… to believe that their time together was more precious than holding on to past hurts and old regrets. As you can see, it’s a deeply emotional book, yet with lots of fun secondary characters like her speaks-her-mind, 1940s glamour girl Gran and perennial ladies’ man, and Eli’s older chemo-buddy, John. The children provide humor as well and, for me, that is what life is like. Moments of despair, moments of joy, and all of the other grades of high and low moments in between. I adore all kinds of romance, but have a special place in my heart for contemporary stories about real people overcoming true-life issues to find lasting love.

Here’s an excerpt from the story. I hope you enjoy it!

“So, why were you two talking about me?” Eli probed, shifting in his black Oxfords. In the background, the piano keys banged out the song “Let’s Do It,” an off-key chorus accompanying it.

Gran’s husky contralto rose above the rest, belting out the lyrics, “Let’s fall in love…” as she gazed down at an eyebrow-waggling John. Why was life so uncomplicated for them? They were enjoying each other’s company, plain and simple. So why, when it came to her and Eli, did their distance seem insurmountable?

“Something about Becca thinking we like each other.” Christie’s voice came out unevenly—he was standing very close to her, near enough that she could feel the warmth of him.

“Hmm. Guess she knows how to read her dad, at least.” He ran a hand through his hair, the intensity in his eyes making her flinch and turn away.

Her chest rose and fell, colored dots appearing on the edge of her vision.

“Christie. Talk to me.”

She shook her head mutely, unable to meet his gaze. There were too many secrets her eyes might tell.

He cupped her elbow and steered her farther from the party guests until they stood alone in a far corner. A sign outside the window cast red light on his pale face.

“Am I really alone in this?” His voice sounded as tattered as a retired flag. “I didn’t want to press you after our run in the rain because you looked so…surprised by my admission that I want more. But can you really tell me you’re not feeling something for me, too? Because I’m losing my mind, losing sleep. Every waking moment is me thinking about you…about us.”

His urgent tone made her look up into his pleading eyes, the surge of hope in their depths making her heart leap.

She nodded and felt his hand tighten, his hold draw her close. Her eyes shut, and she shivered at the caress of his breath against her temple. This was it. All this time, imagining what it would be like to have Eli’s arms around her, to feel him against her, their hearts beating together…it was close to coming true and she wasn’t going to deny it any longer…even though she knew she didn’t deserve any of it. And Eli needed to know why.

She wanted to admit what was in her heart before things went further, but she became suddenly conscious of the quiet crowd and the dimmed lights.

“Time to sing everyone,” Mary said. She carried a chocolate sheet cake with loopy writing and a blaze of candles. Luckily everyone was looking her way and not theirs.

John pounded out the opening notes to “Happy Birthday.” Christie avoided Gran’s speculative gaze as she and Eli stepped from the shadows and joined the assembly. Her voice blended with the rest, her body relaxing against the warm arm encircling her waist. Time to tuck away her rational self and live in this perfect, happy moment. There’d be time enough for doubts later.

“Make a wish, Eli” John called. “You’ll need a big breath to blow out all those candles.”

The group laughed then hushed as he closed his eyes and inhaled long and deep. Christie stepped aside to join Becca, Tommy and a tail-wagging Scout. Eli’s breath exploded from him, obliterating every pinpoint of light and smearing some of the candle wax on the frosting. Wow. Whatever he’d wished for, he meant it.

“What happened to Mister I-don’t-believe-in-wishes?” John wheeled closer and ruffled Scout’s ears.

Eli shrugged. He picked off the candles and dropped them on a paper plate. “Guess I’ve seen the light.”

“So, what’d you wish for, Dad?” Becca asked, grabbing hold of Tommy’s finger as it inched toward the cake.

When the lights came back up, his eyes leveled on Christie.

“Something I can’t live without.” ***

I hope you enjoyed this sneak peek! Wish Me Tomorrow is available as a Kindle download at Amazon or on Nook at Barnes and Nobles as well as a print book version on eHarlequin. Please share your thoughts about contemporary love stories you’ve fallen in love with- fact or fiction- and you’ll be entered to win my giveaway of an autographed copy of Wish Me Tomorrow and my Young Adult Romance, Camp Boyfriend to share with a family member or read for yourself! Thanks so much J

Website / Twitter/Goodreads/Heartwarming Blog/Facebook

~Karen Rock

***Karen's winner is Girlygirlhoozier52.  Please email totebag@authorsoundrelations.com with your mailing address!***

Shirley Jump: The Sweetheart Bargain

Thanks so much for having me on the blog!! I was asked recently what influenced the writing of THE SWEETHEART BARGAIN. If I had a grandma like Greta, the bourbon-swilling, matchmaking, sassy grandma who puts my hero and heroine together in the book. My grandma wasn’t Greta exactly, but she was unforgettable, and I think her spirit is in all the grandmas I create. I wrote an essay about her years ago (that got picked up by Chicken Soup, and Woman’s World) and I thought I’d share that with you today to show you the kind of influence I had as a little girl.

MARKING TIME     

I’m late. Again. My fancy digital watch, with an alarm and two built-in time zones, is losing twenty minutes a day. I’ve made three trips to the store this week and every time, forgot to buy a new battery. A mom on a constant schedule, I need an accurate timepiece, so I grab the only other watch I own, a delicate silver one my grandmother left me when she died.

            Nana’s watch is small, with a diamond-encircled face and a sliver of a band. It’s beautiful and petite, just like she was. I’ve always loved it, but rarely wear it. It’s the old-fashioned, battery-free kind that needs winding each night. For me, a person who has trouble remembering to feed the cats, wearing a watch requiring any degree of upkeep is a bad idea.

            The first few days I wear Nana’s watch, I keep forgetting to wind it and still end up late for everything. But by week’s end, its elfin face and ticking second hand are as familiar to me as the feel of Nana’s hand in mine when I was a child.

            Wearing the watch wraps me in memories of Nana. She used to take regular walks around the yard, just to see the loganberry trees in bloom. After dinner, she and Grandpa would walk me down to the 7-11 for a packet of M&M’s. We spent countless afternoons strolling downtown, window-shopping and dreaming of things to buy and adventures we’d have someday.

            Nana appreciated the value of time. Her son, Bobby, died when he was 8 in a tragic accident that left a measure of perpetual sadness reflected in Nana’s eyes. In 1976, Nana herself slipped through Death’s grasp when she had a brain tumor removed successfully. We celebrated the bicentennial of our country that year, cheering for the woman who was still here to sing silly songs and give advice on making potato salad.

            Nana refused to waste a second of the extra time granted to her. She taught me piano, asked about every school day, and waded with me through boxes of photographs and memories, trying to imprint legacies on an eleven-year-old girl who couldn’t know then that time would ever feel short.

            She laughed, she cried, she hugged, she kissed. She lived.

            Years later, when she passed away, Nana left me the watch. In the busy-ness of my life with a husband, two kids, two cats, a dog, a job and a house, I often forget to slow down and really see the little things around me. Bread is store bought, self-scrubbing bubbles clean bathrooms, and my car is a mobile office between soccer games and Brownie troop meetings.

            When Nana’s watch stopped one day -- because I’d forgotten to wind it again -- I was lost. The children and I were shopping, on our way to an appointment that seemed important at the time.

            I stopped in the middle of Wal-Mart and looked around for a clock, muttering to myself, annoyed. The children started whining about missing some show on TV. Spying an opportunity, my son darted across the aisle to a toy and my daughter headed for some books nearby. I had melting ice cream in the cart, cranky kids and someplace I had to be. I didn’t need another frustration.

            I tapped the watch with the futile hope that it would magically start again. When I did, a flash of memory slammed into me with the force of an electrical jolt. Nana, my mother, and I were strolling in the sunshine at a sidewalk sale. We bought a book for a dime, a drink from the soda fountain, and nothing else. Twenty-five years later, I still remember it as one of the best days of my life because every moment seemed to last forever.

            I realized I’d been letting schedules and errands swallow those mini-moments in my own life, ruled by the ticking of a clock that weighed heavy on my shoulders. I abandoned the cart and joined my kids, bending down to see the toys at their level. I marveled at the latest Buzz Lightyear and a colorful new Harry Potter book cover. Hand in hand, the kids and I ambled through the aisles, poking at this toy, pushing the buttons on that one, dreaming of Santa and birthdays and days to come. We wandered by the pet department, made friends with a hamster and chatted with a parrot.

            We arrived home much later, carrying a puddle of ice cream in the grocery bag, and one new goldfish. I’d missed my appointment, but it didn’t matter. After dinner, we explored our neighborhood on foot, hunting for squirrels and rabbits in the summer evening light. We fed the ducks at the pond, soared through the air on swings and played a rousing game of tag. When we returned home, we were exhausted but laughing. And we all had another happy memory to hang onto.

That night, while I turned the tiny knob to wind Nana’s watch, I realized why my grandmother had left me this particular piece of jewelry. Her legacy wasn’t a million-dollar home on a hill or a priceless art collection. Her gift was much simpler, one we often forget in our calendar-driven lives. She gave me the gift of time, wrapped up in a watch that needs daily attention, a continuous reminder that our days pass as fast as summer storms.

In its tiny silver face, I see Nana, and in the ticking of its second hand, I hear the running journey of my life. That’s when I turn off the phone, close the calendar and take the kids outside to greet the first daffodils of spring.

            You can buy THE SWEETHEART BARGAIN in stores nationwide, and also at all online retailers like Barnes and Noble and Amazon. Visit Shirley’s website and her blog for more behind-the-scenes looks at her books and family!