Demons, Vampires, and Psychics -- Oh My! - Michelle Rowen

by Michelle Rowen

***Winner of the signed copy of either Something Wicked or Touch and Go is "Kristen". Congrats! Please contact me at michelle@michellerowen.com with your choice of book and your mailing address to claim your prize. Thanks everyone for all the great comments!***


A family member asked me, when I recently told her about one of my latest deals, "Can't you think of any ideas that don't have vampires in them?"

I think she might prefer that I'd write about forensic CSI agents, or small town ladies who uncover criminals, or, well, something that could exist in the Real World. I don't think that she appreciates the paranormal all that much.

Well, that makes one of us.

So... can I think of ideas that don't have vampires in them? Sure I can. But I just don't wanna.

I write paranormals -- or, to be more specific, fantasy. It's what I do. And yes, the ideas I get are about things that don't necessarily exist in the Real World.

And I'm totally okay with that.

I have been, or will be published in young adult, romance, and coming up in 2013, mystery as well. And all of these books focus on vampires, demons, ghosts, angels, witches, werewolves, and psychics. Not necessarily in the same book.

It's beyond fun giving a character something out of the ordinary to deal with -- a new out of control power; an attraction to someone who isn't just the bad boy, but a literal demon; a thirst for blood even though they're just still the girl next door.

Yes, my name is Michelle Rowen, and I write paranormal novels. And I wouldn't have it any other way!

My most recent releases are SOMETHING WICKED, the second book in my Living in Eden trilogy about a demon named Darrak who must possess a woman named Eden every night. Darrak is, quite possibly, the funnest (?) hero I've ever written. He's sexy, snarky, protective, selfish, selfless, and madly in love with my heroine.

In my second Harlequin Blaze, TOUCH AND GO, I pair up a couple of sexy psychics who work for the Paranormal Assessment and Recovery Agency as they head to the Bahamas to solve a mystery, and my heroine Carrie attempts to figure out why my hero Patrick is a completely hands-off kind of guy. Hint: he isn't for long!

I'm going to give away one of these books to a randomly selected commenter who answers this question: what's your favorite paranormal character? ie: vampire, demon, etc. Feel free to use specific examples from one of your favorite books! I'll be back to pick a winner tomorrow, Thursday, November 18th at 9:00 pm EST. Good luck!

Happy Reading!

Michelle xoxo

http://www.michellerowen.com/

An offer you can't refuse -- Michelle Styles

Like the Godfather, one should never refuse an editor’s offer of an opportunity...so was the wisdom imparted to me by a seasoned author when I sold my first story. And I took it to heart.


Early in September, the phone rang. My editor said in a cheery voice that she had a wonderful opportunity for me. Without waiting to hear the opportunity, I said yes. Cue relief in her voice and she began to explain. The Digital part of Harlequin thought a free online serial would be a great way to highlight the North American release of my duo –A Question of Impropriety and Impoverished Miss, Convenient Wife. The kicker in this opportunity (there is always one) was that it needed to be done by 17 September or basically 2 weeks. I had never written a serial before and equally I am not entirely convinced that I can write short. There are reasons why I write historical including it has the highest word count of all the series lines that Harlequin publishes. Add just agreeing a new contract with a challenging first deadline and having written the duo back in 2008, I could just about remember the world and the characters . But I had said yes and so I became determined. My editor was also very good about reassuring me that the serial only needed to be loosely linked to the books. It was not supposed to be a prequel or sequel but a stand alone.

Writing a serial is different from writing a short story or a novel. Readers may start the serial in different places. There needs to be a cliffhanging ending of some sort to each segment and it can’t be the same sort. The length of each segment is predetermined plus there is a set number of episodes. However it was a real chance to showcase my writing.

I started by reading as many of the online serials as I could. If you haven’t discovered this great Harlequin resource, give it a try. It can be a fantastic way to try a line or an author whom you are curious about. And as I didn’t have a clue on how to begin, I thought it best to read a few. I soon decided what I liked and why, so I began to write, and made my deadline.

There were a few revisions and I learnt a few things through the revisions process. It was the first time I had encountered Track Changes edits from an editor and was finally able to see a line edit in detail. Among other things she highlighted repetition of words. Seeing it highlighted truly brought it home.

Anyway, it was an education and hopefully my future writing will show that I have learnt a few lessons...

The first chapter of the FREE Online serial is now up at eharlequin and you can read it here. It finishes on 3 January.

The blurb reads:

Tyne Valley, 1813
When her sister eloped with someone other than her betrothed, Lady Anne Dunstan knew two things. One, that she completely supported her sister's making her own choice about who she would marry. And two, that Anne—the responsible one—would have to clean up the mess


What she didn't know was how her sister's intended, Jason Martell, would take the news. Or how Anne would respond to the force of his presence, his rugged good looks, his less-than-gentlemanly advances.


Or to his proposal of marriage.


Copyright © 2010 by Harlequin Books S.A.

I do hope you will take the opportunity to read it. Eharlequin has helpfully provided a discussion thread for the serial.
And in case you are wondering why it is copyright Harlequin rather than Michelle Styles. With free reads, Harlequin buys the entire copyright out right -- through out the universe both known and unknown.

So do people enjoy serials? Do you read them all at one go, saving them up or do you read them as they are put up?

Saying "Oops" to the Dress - Lisa Dale

So, I bought my wedding dress (yay!) and I adore it. It’s everything I wanted and an okay price. But for a while there, I was pretty nervous—fearing that I’d never find the right dress.

Certainly, there’s a lot of pressure surrounding buying a wedding dress. But I heard a story a couple weeks ago that was hands down one of the most memorable wedding dress stories that I’ve ever heard.

For those of you who read my blog regularly, just skip to the bottom of this post—you’ve heard this story already. Or, better yet, pop over to this link and leave a comment to enter to win my latest LOVE TO READERS prize.

But for those of you who haven’t heard this yet, you’re going to want to! It’s a crazy story and it bears repeating!

So, my boss’s mother went wedding dress shopping with her mother and mother-in-law. And they found a dress that the bride loved, so they bought it.

Flash forward a few weeks. The bride and her man are walking down the street—I imagine them arm in arm, and he’s wearing a fedora under a lamppost, and she’s got on apricot slacks (I don’t know why I imagine it this way)—when, lo and behold, the dress they see in a shop window is the dress that the bride had just purchased, the one she can’t wait to walk down the aisle in on her wedding day.

And what does the groom say?

“Ugh. What an awful dress. How could anyone wear that? It’s so ugly!”

Of course, the bride did her best to keep a straight face. But it wasn’t long before she was in the dressmaker’s shop, crying her eyeballs out. Can you imagine?

Luckily, the seamstress saved the day by fashioning the old dress to look totally new.

I’ve already told Matt—now that I’ve bought a dress, you’re not allowed to comment on any other dresses that you might happen to see.

But he’s assured me that if I walk down the aisle in a burlap sack, he’ll still think I’m beautiful. *sigh* And that’s why I’m marrying him.

Do you have any memorable wedding garb stories? I’d love to hear them! I’ll check back in this evening to respond to your comments!

Cheers,

Lisa Dale

Warm and Wonderful - Christina Hollis

Autumn is really closing in. It doesn't get light here until after breakfast, and it's dark by teatime. The advantage is the wonderful autumn colours we've enjoyed this year, and when the wind blows the clouds away, extravagantly starry nights. If you're lucky you might see a shooting star, or even Comet Hartley  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/103P/Hartley, but there are lots of distractions, including firework parties!  When you come in from the cold, it's great to curl up in front of the fire with something comforting. My favourite roast pumpkin soup recipe is really easy. Splash chunks of pumpkin (no need to peel, but discard the seeds and tough fibres), crushed garlic cloves and a thinly sliced onion with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast at 180C for about 40 minutes or until soft, then (taking care not to burn your fingers) scrape the flesh into a saucepan. Add enough vegetable or chicken stock to produce soup with a good consistency then  mash or blitz until smooth. A pinch of smoked paprika is a good addition. Heat the soup through, then serve with cheese topped rolls.
That's great for nights when you've been out getting chilly, but sometimes it's lovely to just snuggle down with a book and something chocolatey. Grannie's Gateau (crushed cookies stirred into a melted mixture of butter, syrup and cocoa and chilled until set) is a real treat, but so rich it's only for special occasions - especially when given a chocolate topping!
What's your favourite fireside snack at this time of year?

Christina Hollis writes for Harlequin Mills and Boon's Modern Romance/Presents Extra. Her latest UK release, The Italian's Blushing Gardener, will be released in the US in January 2011 under the title The Master of Bella Terra. Visit her website at Http://www.christinahollis.com for details of her Christmas Holiday Competition!

Guilty Heroes - Kathleen O'Brien

Forgive and forget.


Great words. Words to live by, to love by. But pretty tough to follow.

I was thinking about them today, as I worked on my new novel. My hero and heroine are facing some difficult issues. In the past, he was a rat. She’s burned and bitter. Now what? Can I get them beyond this barrier?

Ironically, a romance novel is only about a third "romance." (I made that number up, of course.) Most of the book is about conflict. It's not a sweet, sexy list of little blue diary entries covered in hearts and exclamation points. It's an exploration of a couple’s struggle to overcome the obstacles that stand between them and a happy ending.

So, paradoxically, the best romances are the ones in which those hurdles are really big and bad. But there's the hitch. How bad is too bad? Is there something a hero could do that you, as a reader, couldn't forgive? Is there that one action that's an absolute deal breaker?

Think about Daphne du Maurier’s timeless classic, Rebecca, for instance. Max de Winter…. No, wait. Should I issue a spoiler alert, even though it came out in 1938? Well, here it is: If you haven’t read it, stop here. I’m going to reveal the ending.

Max KILLED his first wife. As in murdered. Really. Not falsely accused, not an accident, not an over-active guilty imagination. Gun. Shoot. Dead.

I’ve loved Rebecca for half my life. It has always had (and always will have) a place on my bookshelf-right next to the picture of my brilliant, sharp-minded mother, who introduced me to it.

When I first read the novel, as a teenager, I completely accepted that the black-hearted Rebecca had manipulated Max into shooting her, and he wasn’t really to blame. When I re-read it decades later, though, I wasn’t so sure. Something hard inside me just wouldn’t melt.

Then I realized that my only reason for not forgiving him as easily was completely illogical. I wasn’t feeling merciful because he was such a thoughtless beast to his naïve and vulnerable new wife.

Yes, he’s haunted. Yes, he hates himself. But why couldn’t he be nice to the poor girl? If only he’d said, just once, “Look, honey, I know I’m moody as hell and hard to live with. But it’s not your fault.” That might have helped. But he didn’t. He just kept brooding and barking and making her feel like dirt, which her “companion,” Mrs. Van Hopper, had already been doing for years.

And that’s when I realized I could maybe, just maybe, forgive him for snapping once, fatally, under the pressure of Rebecca’s manipulation. But I could not forgive his self-indulgent, bad-tempered, day-in-and-day-out cruddy behavior toward the second Mrs. de Winter.

Illogical, but there you are. Being unkind to the innocent new wife was the deal-breaker for the grown-up me—not the murder of the first one.

What is it for you? Infidelity? Violence, gambling, drinking, lying? Not being there when the heroine needs him? Not caring as much about her as he does about work or money or keeping up with the Joneses? Not respecting her family? Being distant or unkind to her children?

All of the above? Where is that line in the sand...the one even the best writer can't coax you to step over?

Wicked Surrender - Jade Lee / Kathy Lyons

Hello everyone at Author Sound Relations! Did any of you attend this July’s RWA convention in Orlando? Don’t worry if you didn’t because I’m going to retell my lightning moment of inspiration right here. Ready? The keynote speaker Jayne Ann Krentz told us to know what our core story is. In other words, what is the story that always seems to appeal to you as a writer? Or even as a reader? Do you know?


I puzzled over it for a while, but eventually I realized that I just love giving my heroine the choice between two good but very different men. As in, would you choose security with a man who loves you or passion with the man who doesn’t? An easier life as a respectable woman or an exciting life of topsy turvy adrenaline in the moment?

I think it all harks back to my college romance where I had two guys, um...men, who were interested in me. The first was Simon who was a fellow extrovert. Being with him was exciting, passionate, and a huge roller coaster ride of exhausting fun/pain. The other was David who was like coming home to hot chocolate cookies and settling in for a nice night of good television. He was warm and accepting, and I was never more peaceful than when I was with him. In the end, I picked David and have never regretted the choice. But sometimes I wonder if Simon and I could have sustained something lasting. I think not. We were too hot as it was, and after just a couple months the lows were getting bad. Still, it’s fun to remember those wild college nights!

The heroine of my new historical Wicked Surrender has just that choice. Respectable marriage with a sweet man. (Well, in his case, he’s really more of a boy). And passion with someone who loves her with a kind of madness, whose touch excites her, and who is not offering marriage. Here’s the book trailer.

So tell me what you think! Have you ever faced a choice like this? One lucky commentor will get a Jade Lee book! Or if you prefer, you can have a copy of my new Blaze as Kathy Lyons Taking Care of Business. It’s out this month!

A Life of Crime! - Anna Campbell

by Anna Campbell

Hey, have you guys noticed the explosion of criminal activity lately?

Well, on TV at least!

I must say my addiction to American cop shows is a fairly recent phenomenon.

Here in Australia we get a mixture of telvision, local, UK, American. I was brought up in a family that mainly watched British imports on our government channel, the ABC. I still love a good British crime show like MIDSOMER MURDERS or POIROT (love David Suchet in that role - he's amazing!).

Before I became a full-time writer, I spent many years working as a captioner for the Deaf and hearing impaired. Suddenly I was exposed to a whole range of American television I'd never watched before. I became a LAW AND ORDER franchise fan and gradually that seems to have seeped over into other shows.

These days, I watch a lot of American crime shows! I get them out on DVD so there's no ads and I don't have to stew on the cliffhangers (apart from the ones at the end of the series!).

There are four of my favorites!

I love BONES for a stack of reasons and not all to do with David Boreanaz! I love the sly humor and the dark irony. I love the geeky stuff! I love that the heroine in many ways takes the role the hero often does - you know, the clever, solitary, focused one who is out of touch with her emotions. I LOVE that she's so clever.

BURN NOTICE isn't so much a police procedural but it definitely revolves around burned spy Michael Westen operating outside the law. Hmm, having mentioned David B, I must say I find Jeffrey Donovan who plays Michael very easy on the eye. Love the way he wears Armani on that long lean body. Love the way he takes his shirt off too.

Who, me? Shallow? NEVAH!

THE MENTALIST is a fairly new one to me. Again a handsome hero! Nothing wrong with that. Again, I love that the main character is always the cleverest person in the room.

CRIMINAL MINDS is full of people who would be the cleverest people in the room if, um, they weren't all in a room together! Again, I love the geekiness of a lot of these characters. And while I mourn the departure of wonderful Mandy Patinkin, there's some nice looking boys left, all the same (Shemar Moore, anyone?). Oh, and the stories are pretty good too!

Hmm, perhaps I should admit to being shallow!

Actually there's a few things these shows have in common. BURN NOTICE, BONES and THE MENTALIST exploit ongoing sexual tension to keep you tuning in. Will they, won't they is a great way to keep a story ticking over. Any romance writer can tell you that!

BURN NOTICE, BONES and CRIMINAL MINDS feature a team of people who are specialists in their own fields and pool their skills to create a whole greater than their parts. And all of these shows portray strong loyalty bonds between the ongoing characters. I love that aspect!

So what about you? Are you, like me, pursuing a life of crime? Do you have any favorite crime shows? What makes one show stand out from another for you (because after all, there's a million of these out there!)? Let's STEAL a few moments and KILL some time talking about TV!

Mermaids and misstarts—Kandy Shepherd

When my daughter was 4 years old she knew she was going to grow up to be a mermaid. She grew up to be a good swimmer but now as a teenager she’s thinking she’d like to be a dietician. Yesterday she did a barista course and now she’s wondering about hospitality. (See below what she made her dad this morning--I think she might have a future in coffee!)

When did you know what you were going to do in life? I can’t remember not wanting to be a writer. As soon as I could form letters with my pencil, I was scribbling stories and wanting people to read them.I had my first short stories published when I was 21—and then got diverted into magazine journalism. Hey, I got to write and I got paid well—what wasn’t

there to like about that? Answer: I wasn’t writing fiction. And that’s what I really wanted to do. My dream never went away and now I have two contemporary romances, LOVE IS A FOUR-LEGGED WORD and HOME IS WHERE THE BARK IS, published by Berkley Sensation. I still work freelance as a magazine editor and get to write fiction too—I’m so lucky to be able to work in both my worlds.

What about you? Did you always want to pursue a certain career or role in life and single-mindedly set your path on getting there? My friend Emma wanted to be a ballet dancer from the time her little legs were strong enough to glide her around the room. Through hard work, determination and talent she achieved that dream.

But a dancer's life is a short one. Now she teaches ballet and Pilates and is content to still be in the dance world if no longer actually on stage. (Oh, and she’s just about to become a mother which is also another dream role for her!)

Or did you find what you wanted to be only after a few misstarts? My friend Kim wanted to be a schoolteacher but wasn’t encouraged in her dream. This year she is going to graduate as a schoolteacher, having fitted in her studies around a full-time job and three children. Another didn’t-get-there-straight-away is Patrick, a former high school teacher. Now he’s a farrier, shoeing horses and enjoying being his own boss. Then there’s Louise, who started out a nurse and ended up managing a housing construction company—and her six kids!

The heroine of my latest novel HOME IS WHERE THE BARK IS, Serena Oakley, barely made it through high school. She dropped out of college. Flitted from one job to another. Beat herself up for not being able to stick at anything. Then finally found her ideal career—running her own doggy day-care center. But just as she’s finding success, her business is threatened by a series of identity frauds. Enter my hero, Nick Whalen. Nick knew one thing for sure—he wanted to get out of the small rural community where he grew up and was expected to follow in his father’s footsteps as a farmer. He ended up as an FBI agent and by

the time he meets Serena he’s a private investigator in his own business—and tracking Serena down as his prime suspect.

I love talking with people about how they got to where they are—their first job, their worst job. I’d love to hear about you. Did you have a dream you never gave up on? Or maybe you found your career/role almost by accident. Please leave a comment for a chance to win one of two prizes—a signed copy of HOME IS WHERE THE BARK IS or a HOME IS WHERE THE BARK IS T-shirt (my covers make cute T-shirts!) If you want a chance at the prize, please include you email address.

http://www.kandyshepherd.com

Finding Homes for Stories - Donna Alward

Every now and then a story won't leave you alone. Every now and then, it takes a few tries to get it right. Sometimes it doesn't quite meet the needs of an editor. At that point you have a few questions to ask yourself: What is wrong with the story? And Is it worth reworking? In other words, how much do you believe in the story? And how far are you willing to go to revise it into the story it is meant to be?

I've had a couple of those books. Like my Harlequin Romance debut. I had written that story in an earlier ms. The Marriage of Convenience/pregnant heroine hook began oh, four books or so before I sold. I had a different hero, a different setting, and a lot to learn about writing. In short, it just didn't work. I believe I titled it The Reluctant Husband as a working title. I wrote it, I submitted it, it was rejected, I moved on.

But the idea wouldn't leave me alone. The heroine wouldn't either. So several books later I went back. I wrote the same story in a completely different way and it became Hired By The Cowboy. I believed in the story. I believed in it so much that I was willing to go back to square one and start from scratch.

Believing in it doesn't mean it's perfect the way it is. It just means you feel in your bones that it's worth pursuing - even if it means ripping it apart and rewriting.

I've only done that one other time and that's my current release, BREATHE. This was a very different story in its first form. My characters have altered backstories, different names, different perspectives. They are not from the same place they were when I wrote it the first time and that changed everything. It changed who they were and how they spoke and how they looked at things. But the core story remained the same, and so did the setting. I believed in it. I wanted to find this story a home. And in order to do that, massive revisions were in order to make it the kind of story it needed to be.

So I did that, and sent it off to my editor at Samhain Publishing, who e-mailed me back after reading it and said "thank you for writing this wonderful book and sending it to me."  She followed that up with "I want it."

Music to my ears. I am so, so happy that you now get to meet Jace and Anna and spend some time at Two Willows Winery.  And how about this cover? I love it. I've loved it since the draft of it first landed in my inbox.

BREATHE released on November 2 and you can purchase it from Samhain Publishing, Amazon Kindle or any other e-book retailer.

Brightening November by Kate Walker

I usually find November to be one of the most miserable months. The weather has changed from anything that could be described as autumnal and is rapidly turning into winter. The temperatures have dropped, the sun seems to have disappeared from the sky, the clocks have changed so that the nights draw in dark and fast - and it all seems very - well Novemberish.

But this year things have been happening that had brightened up my November so that in many ways it's turning into one of my favourite months so far. For one thing I've just reached the end of the celebrations of 25 years as a published author. I've just rounded off the celebrations by giving away 25 prizes to readers who entered my contest in October. I love sending out prizes so this has been extra-special. Although this year has been fun and I've had a fabulous time celebrating, it has been rather a 'looking back' time and now I'm ready to be looking forward. So when December dawns, I can plan ahead and start finding new things to celebrate for my 26th year.

One of those things will be the publication of the third edition of my award-winning 12 Point Guide to Writing Romance. This means that this book has now sold out twice since it was first published in 2004. I just got my first author copies yesterday and I'm thrilled to have them in my hands.

Another thing I'm celebrating is the fact that the Romantic Times Book Review reviwers' choice awards were announced. And my book The Konstantos Marriage Demand was one of the five novels short-lised as Best Presents Extra 2010. I'm pretty sure that I celebrated on here when The Konstantos Marriage Demand was chosen as an RT Top Pick for March - now I'm celebrating again. I'm in really good company - the other books short-listed are:

WEDDING NIGHT WITH A STRANGER (Aug.)Anna Cleary

RICH, RUTHLESS AND SECRETLY ROYAL (Apr.) Robyn Donald

THE TWELVE NIGHTS OFCHRISTMAS (Nov.) Sarah Morgan

ITALIAN MARRIAGE: IN NAME ONLY (Apr.) Kathryn Ross

THE KONSTANTOS MARRIAGE DEMAND(Mar.)Kate Walker

And now . . . they say that good things come in threes so what's the third one? That's a very special, gorgeous Christmas present that my lovely DH has chosen for me. What? Yes, I do know about it because I had to go and choose it. You see this is the sort of a gift that can't really come as a suprise.

I'll bet you're all wondering what I'm talking about - but I'm afraid you'er going to have to wait just a little while. As soon as I can I'll tell more about this extra special (to me) gift over on my own blog.

But I can tell you that lookig forward to that and all of these little celebrations have really broghtened up my November - and it's still only the 7th .

So as you know I like to share when I'm celebrating, I'm m offering a giveaway copy of my short-listed title The Konstantos Marriage Demand to someone who posts a comment here today. Just let me know which Presents novel you've read you think should be awards Best Presents or Best Presents Extra for 2010.

(Or if you don't read Presents then tell me about some really special present someone gave you - or you gave some one. That will still be the Best Present!)

The Konstantos Marriage Demand is still available on Amazon or eHarlequin, But of course my latest Presents title is The Good Greek Wife? which is out in Harlequin Presents Extra in shops right now or again on Amazon or eHarlequin. This is the book that sold out here on the UK and it's been appearing on all the bestseller charts now it's out in America.

If you want to know more about The Good Greek Wife? you can find out on my web site or my blog where all the most up to date news and contests appear.

And the winner is - Linda Henderson. Linda please email me kate AT kate-walker .com with your postal address and I'll get your book in the post to you

Escaping the Mundane - Karlene Blakemore-Mowle

The thing I love the most about reading is that you can instantly be transported into another world, be it literally as in a futuristic genre or metaphorically—into someone else's life for a little while.


Most of us are every day people with kids, bills, big decisions to make everyday like…what to cook for dinner that night—important stuff! Now don't get me wrong—I have a fantastic life, a husband I adore, kids who are happy and healthy, and I'm living my dream of writing, but there's not an awful lot of glitz and glamour happening in this little black ducks life! I still write around kids arguing, dropping and picking up kids from school, grocery shopping *shudders* there's still a need to escape the everyday and lose myself in a good story now and again.

I took this one step further, and began writing my own stories, when I started hoarding my books under the bed in order to hide my reading addiction!

When it came time to think about what type of story I wanted to write, I thought, what would happen if you took an everyday person and put them in an extraordinary situation? I'd always had a thing for romantic suspense and lets face it who hasn't dreamt of being rescued by a man in uniform…or is that just me?...anyway, that's how Operation Summer Storm came to be.

Summer Sheldon likes things quiet, safe and predictable, it's her sister, Willow, an investigative photojournalist, who thrives on excitement—traipsing through hostile environments in search of her next exclusive, until she is taken hostage by a band of rebels in a remote jungle as she tags along with a medical team while during a story.

Summer's nice, safe life is turned completely upside down and she finds herself well and truly, out of her comfort zone when she seeks out a mercenary, Tate Maddox, to rescue her sister.

As this story began to unfold, I realised that as clueless and Summer was out of her natural surroundings, and lets face it—not many of us are thrown into a situation where you have to learn how to shoot an automatic weapon or jump out of an aircraft into a remote jungle in the dark—under pressure, Summer actually manages to do alright…although she still manages to mess things up along the way, but then, I had to give Tate something to do—he couldn't just stand there bare-chested, and sexy the whole way through the book could he? Did I mention there's an outdoor shower scene?

Operation Summer Storm is available now at the Wild Rose Press, and if you need further tempting, you can go to my web page and watch a trailer of Summer Storm and read an excerpt.

Frocks, Horses and 150 Years of History - Fiona Lowe

While Americans have been voting, Australians have been partying! All this week in my state of Victoria, it's the Spring Racing Carnival.

For weeks, women have been preparing their outfits and hoping to take out the covetted, 'Fashion on the Fields' prize. Today is 'Oaks Day' otherwise known as 'Ladies Day' and women are flocking to Flemington in their frocks and fascinators, sipping champagne and trying to stay in their high heels until at least 3pm:-)

Saturday was Derby Day, where the men wear morning suits and top hats and look splendidly dapper, but it is Tuesday, the first Tuesday of November that is the ultimate day in the Spring Racing Carnival calendar; Melbourne Cup.

Such is our love affair with the Melbourne Cup that all Melbourne residents get a public holiday!! But the allure for 'The Cup' isn't limited to Victoria alone, and it is known as the 'race that stops a nation.' For three minutes, all around the country all eyes are glued to the race ,and ears to the radio...after all, three quarters of the adult population of the country have placed a bet on it!

And to be truthful, the nation stops for longer than three minutes as there are office parties and lunches with hat competitions and sweeps, as the festival rolls around the country.

The best horse flesh from around the world comes 'down under' to compete in one of the longest races in the world along with massive prize money. As we are so far away from Europe and NA, often a local horse wins and hopes were high given it is the 150th celebration of 'The Cup' this year. But it wasn't to be.

A French horse called Americain won by a goodly distance. I so should have taken more notice of this horse because it won my hometown cup two weeks ago and my son is currently in France so how is that for an omen?

As a child Cup Day meant going sailing with my father, as an adult and not living in Melbourne, it means lunch with my tennis team.

Cup Day is always a prompt to me that Christmas is 8 weeks away and it's time to cut up my Christmas cake fruit and soak it in whiskey, rum, brandy, vanilla and lemon essence for a month before baking it on December 1st. It's also the time the junk mail quadruples and we start reading catalogues looking for Christmas gift ideas.

And this year, Cup Day was the day my latest book was released; The Most Magical Gift of All. It's a Christmas story set in the outback and Jack and Sophie have very different plans for Christmas but the universe has a plan of its own. I had so much fun writing this and filling it with lots of Aussie Christmas tradtions.

So do you have a favourite tradition during the year? It might be a holiday for a horse race or perhaps you celebrate change of seasons in your own particular way?

Leave a comment telling me and you'll go into the draw for a copy of The Most Magical Gift of All. To be in with a second chance of wining a copy or a backstory book of your choice, join my Facebook Page.

Fiona Lowe is an Australian Author who writes small town romances with a big heart.

The Most Magical Gift of All is out now at eharlequin, Mills and Boon UK and Mills and Boon Australia and The Book Depository in Paperback and E book format. For information about Fiona and her books head to her website.

The Fortune Hunter - Jasmine Haynes

For those of you who haven’t read my Holt Medallion winner, The Fortune Hunter, it has been released in mass market edition! I think it’s a fun, sexy marriage of convenience story with a sensual twist. I’ve got a fun little trailer on my website and here’s a blurb for the book.

Heiress Faith Castle wants to be a mother, and she can’t wait forever for Mr. Right to come along. When she meets Connor Kingston, it’s not exactly love at first sight. But isn’t any marriage a bargain? He’s yummy, he’s available, and he thinks she’s sexy…

Faith gets the family she’s always wanted, and Connor gets her father’s company. But the terms go beyond that. Connor will be faithful—if Faith agrees to a no-holds-barred sex life. The shy heiress is not sure she can satisfy her new husband’s desires. As he tenderly and boldly releases Faith from her inhibitions, she learns to appreciate herself, body and soul.

And then something even more unexpected happens…Faith falls for Connor. But that was never part of the bargain.

The idea for The Fortune Hunter came to me while I was watching The Heiress with Olivia DeHavilland and Montgomery Clift. It’s an old historical movie (yes, you all know I love old movies!) in which the heroine is romanced by a fortune hunter. Or is he really only after her money? I wondered what would happen if the story was updated to the present. Then I wondered what would happen if the couple actually made a bargain out of the marriage. And that was the glimmer of The Fortune Hunter.

Movies are updated all the time! The Thomas Crown Affair (although I preferred the original). Hah, now they’ve even remade A Nightmare on Elm Street. But have you noticed how no one has tackled Gone with the Wind? What great old movie would you like to see remade?

Leave a comment and your contact e-mail address and I’ll enter you in the drawing for a copy of Laced with Desire.

Don’t miss the excerpt for Take Your Pick on my website! And Dead to the Max will be available in print within the next week with a fresh new cover look and a text revamp.

Chosen by the Sheikh - Lynn Raye Harris

Chosen by the Sheikh, is officially in stores! This book is a Harlequin Presents 2-in-1, which means you get two stories by two different authors.

***

The Sheikh and the Virgin
by Kim Lawrence Prince

Tariq Al Kamal furiously forbids his brother to marry an unsuitable woman. Then Tariq whisks Beatrice away to his desert home where he becomes intent on seducing her. What he doesn't realize is she isn't his brother's intended—she's an innocent who's about to become his bride!


Kept for the Sheikh's Pleasure
by Lynn Raye Harris

King Zafir bin Rashid al-Khalifa does not care for surprises. Especially ones that involve the reappearance of his ex, Dr. Genie Gray! Now Zafir has the power to make all the rules—and what he wants is a willing Genie in his bed....

***

Zafir is my first sheikh. He’s as gorgeous and ruthless as you would expect a sheikh to be. But he’s also deeply emotional, and he’s been hurt before. When his ex-lover crashes into his life after ten years, he finds that he can’t quite let her go. Not without tasting her one more time.

Dr. Geneva Gray is an archaeologist who once loved a prince of the desert, but who walked away when she realized they could never be together in the way she wanted. Now, she’s been captured and given to Zafir as a gift—and the feelings she once pushed away are demanding to be dealt with before she can leave him a second time.

Naturally, nothing is as simple as either of them hope it will be. There's a rocky road on the way to that happy end.

I find the dynamics of reunions fascinating. Why didn't it work out in the past? How have the characters grown in such a way that they are capable of dealing with what didn't work before? How can they possibly make it work now? Do they need to be different people, or simply more mature than they once were? The possibilities are endless.

I hope you enjoy this reunion tale! There's a hot desert setting, a fabulous and opulent palace, and some serious steaminess as these two give love another chance.

Do you think it's possible to reunite with an old love and have it be even better than it was before? Or is that a tale best saved for romance novels?

NaNoWriMo -- Susanna Carr

Years ago I participated in the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). It was a difficult challenge for me and I swore I would never do it again.

But this weekend a relative of mine signed up for the NaNoWriMo and asked if I would do it alongside her. She obviously hadn't listened to my suffering, or maybe she thought I was being dramatic.

She'll find out for herself soon enough.

So today I am unofficially doing the NaNoWriMo. You can follow my progress--the good, the bad and the ugly--at http://www.facebook.com/susanna.carr.

This challenge is going to show every writer her strengths and her weaknesses. My hope is that my writing output and consistency have improved since the last time I did the NaNoWriMo.

Have you participated in the NaNoWriMo? If you have any survival tips, please share them!

Revolution Giveaway! - Lee Hyat

Random House Children’s Books is publishing Jennifer Donnelly’s first young adult novel in six years since her L.A. Times Book Prize for Young Adult literature recipient, A Northern Light. Contemporary Brooklyn and the brutality of Revolutionary Paris converge seamlessly in her new novel, REVOLUTION (Delacorte Press / on sale October 12, 2010 / $17.99)—a breathtaking novel that weaves two girls’ stories into one remarkable account of life, loss, and enduring love. Donnelly’s passion for history and hands-on research shine brightly from the pages of REVOLUTION. Through Andi and Alexandrine, Donnelly explores the importance and power of art and music, takes on families in crisis, mental illness, and racial and class inequality.
REVOLUTION is a critical hit!


In a starred review, School Library Journal said, “Revolution is a sumptuous feast of a novel, rich in mood, character, and emotion.” In another starred review, Kirkus Reviews raved, “The novel is rich with detail, and both the Brooklyn and Paris settings provide important grounding for the haunting and beautifully told story.”

 REVOLUTION is a hit with booksellers The novel has received incredible support from all channels!

 REVOLUTION was #1 on the Autumn 2010 Kids' Indie Next List—"Inspired Recommendations for Kids from Indie Booksellers.”

 JENNIFER DONNELLY is the author of two adult novels, The Tea Rose and The Winter Rose, as well as well as the widely acclaimed, award-winning young adult novel A Northern Light, winner of Britain’s prestigious Carnegie Medal, the L.A. Times Book Prize for Young Adult literature, and a Michael L. Printz Honor Award.


We're giving away 3 ARCS for this fantastic novel!  For a chance to win, please send your full name and mailing address to totebag@authorsoundrelations.com and please mark the subject as 'Revolution'.  Winners will be contacted shortly after November 7th!  Good luck!

***Winners for the ARCS are as follows:
-- Git B. of OR
-- Margay R. of MA
-- Pamela P. of GA
Congratulations!  Your package will be in the mail ASAP!!***

Wearing Masks - Dara Girard

With Halloween just around the corner in the States I’m having fun promoting my new release PAGES OF PASSION because it’s premise fits into the theme of the season—dressing up and pretending to be someone else.


I’ve always enjoyed false identity stories:

Viola dressing like the twin brother Sebastian in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night.

The Pauper pretending to be the prince in Mark Twain’s The Prince and the Pauper.

Rosalind pretending to be a male in Shakespeare’s As You Like It

In The Comedie of Errors Shakespeare has two sets of twins cause havoc (hmmm seems The Bard liked that premise to)

I could go on and on. Changing identities can be a thrill but can also cause trouble.

That’s exactly what Noreen and Michael find out in my latest release. Originally, the story was called “Midnight Masquerade” because they meet at a party where Michael is dressed as a pirate and Noreen as a witch. Their disguises suit them more than they’d like to admit. They met on a cruise under false pretenses. Noreen thinks Michaels is just a casual traveler like her, when he’s really on a covert operation. Michael thinks Noreen’s involved in a smuggling ring.

I really enjoyed playing with their identities how people perceived them and how they saw themselves. It was lots of fun and thoroughly enjoyable for me.

So, have you ever found yourself playing someone else? Or, what was one of your favorite costumes you dared to wear on Halloween?

http://www.daragirard.com/

The Electricity Question - Jessica Barksdale Inclán

I have been given and have purchased for my mother a product that has had two serious gaffes. My GPS and hers have generated a couple of emails from the company, and now comes news that the battery might burst into flame. Whoo-wee, that's something to think about while lost. Not only can't you find Cousin Robert's house but your car is on fire.

There is some kind of metaphor here, but I'm not sure what it was. Maybe it's about technology, but I love so many technological things, I don't even want to go there. there's no way (bad battery or not) that I can do without them. Maybe the metaphor about the journey--it's the journey not the destination? Maybe it's about how everything ends in flames, but I don't like that either.

So the bottom line is--my GPS is okay, hers is not. Her machine is going on a journey home, the post office guiding its way. Ironic, that. Maybe no metaphor, but we can have irony.

When Michael and I were in Spain and France for our honeymoon earlier this month, we rented a car and drove around. In order to do so without a map the size of the car, I downloaded Europe. Who knew that one could download Europe? It was a very long download, and the good news is that it worked. We navigated small Spanish towns, the French boarder, and the South of French coast, British-accented GPS telling us where to go the entire time.

We also brought with us several adpaters and converters for our stay. I needed my computer, thus, I needed a block that was like a brick. Of course, I also needed such things as phone and iPod chargers. My suitcase weighed a ton because of converters and such, but at least I was able to blow dry my hair.

I find it interesting that electricity speaks in different languages. Why the inability to communicate? Isn't electricity electricity? In any case, I was prepared for the language difficulty and nothing exploded during our stay.

My older son is here visiting, and all sorts of electrical appliances have popped up on the counter from their hiding spots. The tea kettle. The waffle iron. the blender. Who knew he needed so many things to exist? Also slightly involved was the microwave, though that's in the wall. He also plugs in his phone all over the place, and I find chargers in various locations.

The question is--can we live without juice? The answer is we need the right amount. Not too much (or things explode) and not too little (no tea or smooth hair). We need it when we travel and we need it when we have lost our way. We need it at night or when the skies turn dark and rain falls.

Just pray for no recalls.

(As a PS--I'm going to give away some books this month as I have another temporary overflow. Please write to me through my web site--click on my name below--and I'll send you a copy of Being With Him, the mass market version. Or, if you have a request, I can see if I can did up one of those. For US residents and the first ten respondants only.

I also have eight coupons for eight copies of my ebooks--Where I am Now, The Magic of Longing, The Tables of Joy, and The Perfect Lover. These I can offer to any reader, amnywhere. Please look at my ebooks on my site, tell me which you are interested, and if you write early and one is availabel--it's yours.)

Jessica Barksdale Inclan

Fangirl Weekend Coming Up! - Terri Brisbin

I just read Jennifer's post about seeking her inner zen and finding a middle-schooler there instead and it reminded me about this coming weekend. Oh, I am going to be the glamorous romance author, attending my local romance writers' conference, facilitating the published authors' retreat and meeting editors and agents, too. I'll be wearing my black pants and shoes (clearly a sign of being in professional mode!) and I'm even hunting down my missing lipstick to wear for the weekend.

But the real high point of this conference is when I can be a fangirl and gush over meeting some of my favorite authors! There's a bookfair at the end of the event that's open to the public and I have a list of must-see authors and must-have books. You see, a fact my husband has yet to grasp, authors don't stop being avid readers just because we begin writing. We love books, we love romances and we love reading them.

So, who am I going to try to stalk....er...see this weekend? Well, there are going to be more than 60 authors signing at Saturday's bookfair and there throughout the weekend, so here's my plan:


First, I have to stop by and see fellow Harlequin Historical authors Jeannie Lin and Deb Marlowe and cheer on Jeannie on her debut book, BUTTERFLY SWORDS.

Then I have to find the others authors who I blog with over at Sisterhood of the Jaunty Quills. I'm excited because 6 of us will be there -- can't wait to see Cindy Kirk, Katherine Garbera, Emily McKay, Robyn DeHart and Kathryn Smith.

And I have to make sure to chat with Brava Authors HelenKay Dimon, Diane Whiteside and Heidi Betts, too. Heidi is new to Brava after being named 'Queen of the Universe' in Harlequin land so it will be great to see her.



And, how could I resist all my favorite authors, especially when I have their books in my TBR pile? Madeline Hunter will be there, Miranda Neville, Pam Rosenthal, Claudia Dain, Julianne MacLean, Deborah Cooke (who is also Claire Delacroix!) and many more....I haven't even mentioned all my
NJRW author friends yet!



So, I am going to let my inner fangirl out this weekend -- what are you going to do to have some fun? I'll choose 2 people who comment and they'll each receive a copy of my brand new Brava release, A STORM OF PLEASURE, and another surprise book I'll pick up from one of my favorites at the bookfair.




Terri is thrilled to see her latest Brava book hit the shelves and to be seen on the B&N Nook's new 'More in Store' feature. Please stop by my website for more info about my books, events and more at http://www.terribrisbin.com/

Grandma and the Prince - Part 22 - Barbara Bretton

ATTENTION: We have a winner! PETITE, I need your mailing address ASAP so I can ship out your prizes. Email me by clicking here or writing to barbarabretton AT gmail DOT com and I'll get right on it.

And one more thing: SPUN BY SORCERY will hit the shelves right around Halloween and I can't think of a better book to curl up with in between trick or treaters. I hope you'll check it out. I'm running a BIG contest at my website: the lucky winner will receive a shiny new Kindle! Click on contest, and make sure you enter.

Now let's get back to my grandfather's story. Last month he met Teddy Roosevelt.

This month he meets the love of his life. Enjoy!

* * * *

It was the lowest part of the Lower East Side. Two buildings face each other across
the narrow city street. They are mirror images. A small apartment in a brick
building with fire escapes at the living room windows.

They didn’t call it the Big Apple back in the early 1930s. It was just simply the
hub of the known universe. Certainly the hub of Grandpa’s.

Sometimes I think the term “long hot summer” was invented to describe the hell that is Manhattan in August. It’s a dangerous time. Tempers are short. Grievances multiply. Desires hide close to the surface. The orphan boy from Kansas, the World War I sailor, is now a New York City cop. He’s with the mounted force. He always knew his riding skills would come in handy someday.

He sits at the window late at night and watches life on the streets, counts the
windows of the apartment building across the way, notices the patterns of light and dark, the shadowy shapes behind the filmy curtains and wonders. He wonders about the small, dark-haired woman in the third floor apartment. He sees her moving about each night, back and forth, graceful movements in the warm night air.

That night he is sitting there in the darkness, watching the way the lit end of his
cigarette glows metallic red in the dark. He draws a circle in the air then
notices with a start that the dark-haired woman across the way is mimicking his
movements with her own glowing cigarette. He draws an X. She draws an X.
Squares. Figure 8s. Elongated ovals.

She is there the next night and the next. The fourth night he takes the plunge.
He climbs down his fire escape, strides across the street, and walks into her
building. He finds her apartment on the first try. She opens the door and smiles
up at him. I’m Larry, he says. She holds out her hand. I’m Margie. She invites
him in for a cold drink and the rest, as they say, is history.

Margie was the second of Grandpa’s five wives. She was also his favorite, the
one he lost to death and not divorce. My mother often said she believed their
lives would have been very different if Margie had been able to beat cancer.
This is Margie at the New York World’s Fair in 1939, not long before she died.

(Grandpa’s fifth and last wife, Bess, looked enough like Margie to be her twin sister.)

Margie was an interior decorator for the big department stores of the day. She
also decorated the homes of the big department store owners. Her career took off
not long after she met Grandpa and they soon found themselves living on the snooty upper East Side in a fancy one-step-below-the-penthouse apartment. Imagine how it felt for my mother, a child of divorce back in the days when divorce carried a terrible stigma for all concerned, to leave behind the farm and outhouse in Maryland and arrive a few hours later in Manhattan where she was met by a liveried driver in a big black limousine. “You’ll be living here now,” my grandfather said to her at the train station. “You won’t be going back to Maryland.”

My mother told me she cried when she heard that and Grandpa grew very angry with her. Why wasn’t she happy to live in splendor instead of poverty? What was the matter with his ten year old daughter? My mother didn’t care about the splendor. She missed her mother and her friends and the pets she’d left behind. She missed her old life.

Margie understood that, however, and she set out to shower my mother with what she really needed: love. Margie welcomed Grandpa’s only daughter and his two sons into her life with a full heart. She was everything you could have wished for in a mother.

I wish I could find my notes about Margie and Grandpa’s apartment. My
mother told me about the lacquered hunter green walls and the sleek furniture. She remembered every candlestick, every sconce, every vase, and throw pillow. She said Margie always wrapped her presents in shiny white paper and tied them with red satin ribbons. One Christmas Mrs. Saks (of Saks Fifth Avenue) sent her driver to the apartment with a back seat filled with presents for Margie and her family. My mother would come home from school to find a stack of dresses piled high on her four-poster and a note from Margie: “Pick whatever you like! You can model for me when I come home from work.”
Which my mother went on to do for awhile before I was born.




This is a photo of Uncle Budd and Uncle Jimmy. You can see Grandpa reflected inthe mirror. Margie was the photographer. Notice the clock suspended from a heavy cord. That clock hangs today in my living room. The dragon candlesticks rest on my mantel. The samovar inspired my 2003 book, SHORE LIGHTS.



See this picture of their dining room? Notice the table if you will. That table
is upstairs right now in my office. You might not recognize it with the copier and stacks of paper on top of it, but it’s there. That table came into my life in 1971 and has supported sewing machines, typewriters, computers, printers, fax machines, and copiers. Not a day goes by when I don’t look at that table and think of the woman it first belonged to.

Margie was dead more than fifty years when my mother shared her story but the pain of loss was still evident on her face and in her voice. I listened to her talk about Margie with Grandpa in those months before his death and I thought I knew the depth of her love for her stepmother. Truth is, I hadn’t a clue. It wasn’t until Grandpa died that I learned just how much Mom loved Margie.

She loved her enough to keep her secrets.

Margie’s death from cancer was long and heartbreaking and it coincided with the darkest period in my grandfather's life. He was recovering from a terrible riding accident when Margie was diagnosed and was caught up in his own pain and loss. (His horse fell on him, crushing his pelvis and causing catastrophic damage.) The stress on both of them must have been unbearable and near the end Margie made a terrible mistake. My mother was around sixteen at the time. She came home from school early one day and found a man in Margie’s bed. The bed she shared with Grandpa. The man was Margie’s first husband. My mother was shocked and she ran crying to her room. Margie slipped into a robe and followed her. I don’t know
exactly what she said to my mother but I do know she shouldered the blame herself.

She never asked my mother to lie for her. She never asked anything at all of my
mother except for love. Whatever you do, Margie said, I’ll understand.

Grandpa never knew of the incident. My mother held onto that secret until his
death.

And now you know too.

* * *

How about another contest? Leave a comment below and you'll be automatically entered to win signed books and maybe a surprise or two. The winner will be announced next month.

And don't forget to visit my website and enter the Kindle contest. Good luck!