My Writing Process – Blog Tour

I was invited to this blog hop by E. Ayers. You can visit her blog at http://ayersbooks.wordpress.com/

redeemed_by_a_rebel_2What am I working on?
Editing Healed by a Heart and writing Seduced by a Sinner

How does my work differ from others of its genre?
My works are shorter, usually running around 45K

Why do I write what I do?
I like reading westerns, always have, but when I decided to pursue writing all those years ago, my mom’s story about how she met my dad inspired me. It couldn’t have been anything other than a western, since they met on a ranch.

How does your writing process work?
I’m a pantser, so basically I get an idea, make a few notes about the characters and the plot and then start writing. I write until I get stuck, somewhere around the middle, then I sit down with my critique partners and discuss where the book should be headed and maybe some scenes to get it there.

Amazonhttp://amzn.com/B00I1GZAU0

Barnes & Noblehttp://tinyurl.com/kh8da53

Applehttps://itunes.apple.com/us/book/redeemed-by-a-rebel/id806815888?mt=11

Kobohttp://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/redeemed-by-a-rebel

Google Playhttps://play.google.com/store/books/details/Cynthia_Woolf_Redeemed_by_a_Rebel?id=OXGpAgAAQBAJ

Cindy 12.04.2013 200x300BIO

Cynthia Woolf is the author of six historical western romance books and one short story with more books on the way. She was born in Denver, Colorado and raised in the mountains west of Golden. She spent her early years running wild around the mountain side with her friends.

Their closest neighbor was one quarter of a mile away, so her little brother was her playmate and her best friend. That fierce friendship lasted until his death in 2006.

Cynthia was and is an avid reader. Her mother was a librarian and brought new books home each week. This is where young Cynthia first got the storytelling bug. She wrote her first story at the age of ten. A romance about a little boy she liked at the time.

Cynthia loves writing and reading romance. Her first western romance Tame A Wild Heart, was inspired by the story her mother told her of meeting Cynthia’s father on a ranch in Creede, Colorado. Although Tame A Wild Heart takes place in Creede that is the only similiarity between the stories. Her father was a cowboy not a bounty hunter and her mother was a nursemaid (called a nanny now) not the ranch owner.

Cynthia credits her wonderfully supportive husband Jim and the great friends she’s made at CRW for saving her sanity and allowing her to explore her creativity.

TITLES AVAILABLE

REDEEMED BY A REBEL
TAME A WILD HEART
TAME A WILD WIND
TAME A WILD BRIDE
TAME A SUMMER HEART
CAPITAL BRIDE
HEIRESS BRIDE
FIERY BRIDE
LOVE AND MISERY, a very short story

Are you Lucky In Love?

First to the give away. Answer my question, “Are you lucky in love?” and be entered to win one of two $5 Starbucks cards or one of two copies of the first book in this series, Capital Bride. Four prizes all together. Be sure and leave your EMAIL ADDRESS IN THE BODY OF THE COMMENT in order to be eligible for the grand prizes.

heiress_brideAre you lucky in love? I am. I met my husband when I was twenty-one. It wasn’t the best of circumstances. See I’d been in a car accident and had just returned to work. He was the new guy and had started while I’d been gone.

I flounced through the office with my usual aplomb and a huge ding on my forehead where I’d hit the visor. (Thank goodness is was down or I’d have hit the windshield. This was in the days before seatbelts were mandatory.

He asked some of the other guys who I was. I think he was there a week or so before I realized he wasn’t a customer just using one of the desks. LOL.

Anyway to make a long story short, we’ve been married for 17 years in June, though we’ve been together for most of 37 years total. As we both say, I chased him until he finally caught me and he and I together are the best thing in my life.

Excerpt from Heiress Bride

She arrived in Denver on April 6, 1871. A date she would forever remember as the start of her life. It was almost like another birthday.

The weather was cold. The wind rushed off the plains and collided with the mountains to the west, keeping the chill in the air. The buildings weren’t as tall as in New York, but the wind still whistled between them and over the platform where she stood. She was glad of her good wool coat and lined boots. They kept her warm while she waited for Mr. Ravenclaw to find her. There wasn’t anyone else wearing a veil so she didn’t think he’d have much problem identifying her.

She wasn’t really sure what she expected, but it wasn’t the tall, devastatingly handsome man that approached her. He had a square jaw shaved clean and a tiny dimple in his chin. Black eyebrows slashed over his eyes, the color of which was hidden by the shadow from his hat, pulled low on his head. For once she was glad of her veil. He wouldn’t be able to see her mouth hanging open, gawking at him.

“Miss Davenport?”

“Yes. Are you Mr. Ravenclaw?”

“I am.”

Ella was surprised to find her hand trembled as she held it out to him. “Ella Davenport.”

He removed his glove and enveloped her hand in his big one. His fingers brushed the skin of her wrist just above her glove. The tingle that traveled clear to her toes was unexpected and her gaze snapped up to his. She looked up into the most beautiful blue eyes. They seemed to question the chemistry between them as much as she did.
He held her hand for what seemed like a lifetime and they simply starred at each other.

“Miss Davenport….”

“Ella. Please.”

“Ella. I would like for you to lift your veil.”

“Are you sure you wish to do this in public. It can be…shocking.”

“I’m sure.” He squeezed her hand and then let go.

“Very well.” She lifted the heavy lace, prepared for him to be taken aback by the ugliness of it. She wasn’t prepared for him to lift his hand and gently trace the thin, putrid purple scar all the way from her left eye over her cheek and down her neck to the top of her collar.

There was no disdain on his face. His blue eyes took in everything and accepted it, but even so he said the last thing she expected.

“You are a very beautiful woman.”

She stood there with her mouth open until he raised her chin with his knuckle.

“Why are you surprised? Surely you have heard the compliment before.”

She shook her head to clear it and find her tongue. “Not since the accident, except from my brother. But he’s biased. He loves me.”

“He but states the obvious. Your scars do not detract from your beauty.”

“I must thank you because good manners dictate it. However, I believe we should see about getting you some glasses.”

He laughed. A rich, deep baritone. “I’m glad you have a sense of humor.”

“Who was joking?”

—————————————————–

Now to the GRAND PRIZES.

We have TWO grand prizes. You as a reader can go to EACH blog and comment with your email address and be entered to win. Yep, you can enter over 200 times!

Now what are those prizes?

1st Grand Prize: A $100 Amazon or B&N Gift Card
2nd Grand Prize: A Swag Pack that contains paperbacks, ebooks, 50+ bookmarks, cover flats, magnets, pens, coffee cozies, and more!

Heartbreaker heros

logo-heartbreaker_2First to the giveaway. Almost 300 bloggers have giveaways and posts about these men we love!

But that’s not all….

We have THREE grand prizes. You as a reader can go to EACH blog and comment with your email address and be entered to win. Yep, you can enter over 200 times!

Now what are those prizes?

1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet
2nd Grand Prize: A $100 Amazon or B&N Gift Card
3rd Grand Prize: A Swag Pack that contains paperbacks, ebooks, 50+ bookmarks, cover flats, magnets, pens, coffee cozies, and more!

I’m giving two $5 Starbucks cards and two copies of my book, The Swords of Gregara-Honora, in any format you desire, Kindle, ePub, PDF or Paperback. There will be four winners all together so be sure and leave a comment with YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IN THE BODY OF THE COMMENT. If you don’t leave your email you won’t be eligible for any of my prizes or any of the grand prizes. Thank you and good luck.

HONORANow to the blog.

You’re a heartbreaker
Dream maker, a love taker
Don’t you mess around with me

Who hasn’t heard the song by Pat Benatar? Is your favorite hero a heartbreaker? Mine are. At least in the beginning. They always redeem themselves by the end because of the love of a good woman.

What about in real life? Is your man a heartbreaker? Still? Or was he before you came along?

My husband was a definite heartbreaker. He didn’t believe he’d ever marry. Then he met me and eventually he fell head over heels for me. I chased him until he caught me. Love isn’t an easy road which is why it’s not an easy thing in my books. Who would want to read about a man and woman who meet, fall head over heels in love and live happily ever after with no problems, no conflict? There’s got to be some angst in there. We have to think that it may not work, even though because it’s a romance we know that in the end they will find each other.

I’ve found in real life that’s often how it works too. Very rarely is the path to true love smooth. There are lots of bumps and dips and pot holes along the way. Sometimes there’s even a big ‘ole sink hole but somehow we manage to get out of it, to move forward. To give love and be loved in return. That’s all any of us are really looking for. Love.

In my latest book, The Swords of Gregara – Honora, my heroine is the one who doesn’t believe that she can love anyone. She believes that as a member of the Gregarian Guard that she must remain forever alone. My hero, Joridan, sets out to prove that they are perfect for each other. Let the sparks fly.

What is your favorite or most memorable New Year’s memory?

capital_bride_ARe 200 x 300Hi. Welcome to my first blog of 2013. For this blog hop I’m giving away one ebook copy of Capital Bride, my new western romance and one ebook copy of The Swords of Gregara – Honora, the series finale of my scifi romance series. I’m also giving away two $5 Starbucks cards. You must put your EMAIL ADDRESS IN THE BODY OF THE COMMENT to be eligible to win.

What is your favorite New Years memory?
One New Year’s Eve I spent with my uncle. I was twenty. My aunt was working and my cousin, his daughter had a date. She also had a three year old and a two week old baby. Uncle Verd was comfortable watching the three year old but not the baby, so I went to their house and took care of Stephanie, the baby.

After the kids were to bed, Uncle started talking, telling me stories about my dad. You see Dad died when I was five and I didn’t really know him or have many memories of him. Uncle told me about Dad when he was a boy. At the age of ten he started working, helping to deliver milk. At fourteen he quit school and when to work full time to help out the family.

My Dad was one of thirteen children and the second oldest. They were poor, migrant farm workers. They followed the crops and once you were old enough you started working, too. Old enough was obviously a lot younger than we consider the age to be able to work. Old enough was ten, at least for Dad.

Uncle Verd told me many stories of their lives together when they were kids and as they grew up. It was one of the best New Year’s Eve’s I’ve ever had and one I always will remember.

HONORAYou’ll have four chances to win, just on my blog. I’m giving away a copy of each of my new books and two $5 Starbucks cards to four lucky commentors for this blog, so be sure and leave me a comment. Don’t forget to LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IN THE BODY OF THE COMMENT, to be eligible for the grand prize drawings.

Now what are those prizes?

1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet

2nd Grand Prize: A $300 Amazon or B&N Gift Card

3rd Grand Prize: A Swag Pack that contains paperbacks, ebooks, 50+ bookmarks, cover flats, magnets, pens, coffee cozies and more.

Black Friday Shopping – NEVER

I’m giving away a $5 Starbucks card to one lucky commentor and a paperback copy of Tame A Wild Bride to another. In order to qualify for the Grand Prizes listed below you must leave your EMAIL ADDRESS IN THE COMMENT.

I know people who get up at Midnight to hit those first Black Friday sales. That’s INSANE. What in the world is worth that? Are the deals and the attitudes you encounter worth that? Not to this person. Maybe I’ve never wanted anything that badly.

I hear the horror stories not only from the nightly news but from friends and family who brave the wilds of the shopping malls or Walmart, to save $50 on an iPod or something. I suppose $50 off an iPod would be a really BIG discount but is it worth standing in line, in the cold with a bunch of cranky strangers?

Not to this girl.

How about you? Do you shop on Black Friday? Why?

We have THREE grand prizes. You as a reader can go to EACH blog and comment with your email address and be entered to win. Yep, you can enter over 200 times! Don’t forget that in order to enter for these prizes you must LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IN THE COMMENT.

Now what are those prizes?

1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet
2nd Grand Prize: A $75 Amazon or B&N Gift Card
3rd Grand Prize: A Swag Pack that contains paperbacks, ebooks, 50+ bookmarks, cover flats, magnets, pens, coffee cozies, and more!

Here is a short excerpt from my latest book TAME A WILD BRIDE. I hope you all have a great time today, whatever you choose to do.

EXCERPT
Rosemary Stanton stood patiently on the train platform, sweat rolling down her back and between her ample breasts. Waiting. Sweating because it was an unusually hot day in late April. Waiting for her husband. A husband she wouldn’t recognize if he were standing right next to her.

She’d been desperate when she answered the advertisement for a mail order bride. Wanted: Single woman to cook, clean, and care for children on a cattle ranch in southwestern Colorado. Will marry upon arrival.

Well, she was twenty-six with no prospects. Her brother just got married and his new wife, Beatrice, didn’t want Rosie around. She could answer the advertisement or become a governess. Help someone else’s children grow up into adults. Live in someone else’s house. For the rest of her life, she’d have nothing she could call her own.

Rosie wanted a home. Her own home. She wanted a husband and children. All the things she’d never have if she stayed in Philadelphia. When she’d seen the ad in the morning paper, she’d nearly shouted with glee. However, she managed to restrain herself until she retired to her room before she giggled with delight as she pressed her back against the door. The advertisement was tailor-made for her needs. It got her away from Beatrice and got her her own home all in one fell swoop.

Her brother, Robert, though was not happy with the idea of his baby sister traveling across the country to marry a stranger. He grudgingly agreed to give her her dowry to take with her. Five thousand dollars. She’d take the draft to the bank as soon as she arrived in Creede, Colorado, and married Mr. Thomas Harris. Cattle rancher. It was her “in case it doesn’t work out” money. Though she supposed it would belong to her husband once she married. Perhaps she just wouldn’t tell him about it.

Her conscience spoke up. That’s no way to start a marriage. With lies and secrets. Oh, all right. She’d tell him and have him take her to the bank. But not until after she’d taken his measure. She could tell by how he treated his animals what kind of man he was. A man who was cruel to his horses would also be cruel to his wife. If he was a cruel man, she would leave and she sure as heck wouldn’t tell him about her money.

Even the substantial size of her dowry couldn’t seem to provide marriage prospects for Rosie back in Philadelphia. She wasn’t pretty in the conventional sense. She thought her face with its big brown eyes and full lips was pleasing enough, but men apparently hadn’t. Her one beau told her that her eyes were the color of warm brandy. That was before he left her to marry another more suitable woman. More suitable, hah! Richer was more like it.

He’d had expensive tastes and had married a rabbit-faced girl, heir to a substantial fortune to which he’d have access. Well, good luck and good riddance.

She hoped her new husband wouldn’t be as snootish as Paul had been. As a cattle rancher she didn’t know what to expect but the idea of a more earthy, less frivoless man appealed to her.

Rosie did have one extraordinary feature. Her hair. Waist length, wavy and a clear, golden blonde. Right now, standing on the train platform in Creede it was bound up in a loose bun on top of her head under her hat. It, like the rest of her, was covered in white dirt and a nasty grayish soot from the train. Her suit would never be the same again.

She’d discovered on the second day of her trip, she could minimize the grime by sitting in the front of the car with the window closed. But sooner or later the heat and mugginess of the car would force her to open the window. The air came rushing in, cooling her, but bringing with it the dirt and ash from the train’s boilers and whatever the wind picked up along the way.

On the long trip, she’d told herself again and again she’d made the right decision. She was right to make the difficult trip. This was her life and she had to take her future into her own hands.

“Excuse me. Miss Stanton?”

Rosie shaded her eyes from the late afternoon sun and looked up at a tall man with dark hair. His hat was pulled low, hiding his eyes. He had a strong jaw covered with a shadow of whiskers.

“Yes. I’m Rosemary Stanton.”

He took off his hat and held out his hand. “I’m Tom Harris.”

Rosie took his hand. It engulfed hers with a shock of warmth. Her pale skin stood in stark contrast to his tanned one. Calluses rubbed against her soft palm though the touch was not unpleasant. She looked from their clasped hands up into the bluest eyes she’d ever seen.

“Pleased to meet you, Mr. Harris.”

“Tom. Call me, Tom.”

“And I’m Rosie.”

“Where are your trunks, Rosie?”

“Oh, I don’t have any trunks. I only brought what I thought I would need out here.”
He picked up the two valises at her feet. “Doesn’t seem like much for an Eastern woman. I’m glad to see you’re practical.”

Rosie felt the heat in her cheeks and knew she blushed at his praise, undeserving as it was. “Well, I didn’t think you’d have any balls.”

He cocked an eyebrow.

Purchase Links

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Smashwords

Apple

Autumn’s Harvest Blog Hop

What do you think of when you think of autumn or fall? I think of crisp evenings and warm days. Of new clothes for school and Halloween.

It’s my favorite time of year. Autumn. I’m a September baby and my birthday is usually the first day of fall, so I guess I was predestined to like autumn the best. I love the smell of fall, portending the coming of Ol’ Man Winter. I love the changing colors of the leaves and even putting my garden to bed before winter is upon us.

I still buy new clothes in the fall. Like I’m still getting ready for school. Only now, I get to buy what I like, not just what fits. I was extremely lucky as a child because my mother could sew. I would show her what I wanted in a magazine and she could make it for me. She made her own patterns, so the sky was the limit. Of course, she had to approve it as well. My dresses were always longer than the current fashion of miniskirts, but now that I think back to it, she always dressed me well. The other kids didn’t tease me about my clothes because they were just like theirs. I was a fat kid so I didn’t have the choices that the other kids did when it came to buying clothes, but my mom made sure I had clothes that I liked to wear and that were in current fashion, too.

And Halloween. What can I say? I love it. Seeing the little ones dressed up as princesses and cowboys and bumble bees. I love it. I decorate our house. I dress up every year and give out the candy. LOTS of candy. I give out a handful to each child. I remember when I was a kid and only got one little piece. I thought it was so chintzy, unless of course, it was a full size bar. Then WOW! I’d hit the jackpot. Now when Mom said I could have only one piece I had a major one to spring on her. LOL

Then there is Thanksgiving. A favorite holiday because I get to spend it with my chosen family. Not just the family I was born into but the one I choose to belong to.

Let’s face it there are so many things to love about fall. And I love them all.

I’m giving away two $5 Starbucks cards and 2 paperback copies of TAME A WILD BRIDE. In order to be entered in the drawings for my prizes and for the Grand Prizes of a Kindle Fire or Nook, a $50 giftcard, and a HUGE swag pack, you MUST LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IN YOUR COMMENT.


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96.
103.
120.
121.
131.
144.
163.
169.

Romancing the Hop

What is a romance? Or more specifically what is a romance novel?

Did you know that almost every novel out there contains a little romance? Even ones that are strickly aimed at me. Look at the Hunt for the Red October? He has to leave his wife at the beginning of the story, they kiss, he promises to be back soon. Tada ROMANCE.

It happens in little doses like this in most books. There are some that really don’t have any kind of romance but I can’t for the life of me think what they are.

Take Zane Grey. Everyone thinks he wrote westerns. What he really wrote were romances. There is a romance at the center of every one of his novels. Try Riders of the Purple Sage or On Her Majesty’s Rancho just to name two. He was very prolific and very popular. Still is. Every man I know holds up Zane Grey or Louis L’Amour as the pinnacle writers of the western genre. I would add western ROMANCE genre.

Which is what I write. I was introduced to Zane Grey by my older brother who recognized that they were romances and challenged me to read one and tell me they were not. I read Riders of the Purple Sage and discovered he was right. At the center of the book is a great, powerful romance. I went on to read several more and was flabbergasted that my brother, Gene, had been right. Gene is gone now but I am still thankful for what he taught me about books and novels, helping me give my romances more of a western flavor.

Now you may ask, “What about your sci-fi? It’s not western.” Oh, contraire, my friends. What is a scifi romance but a western set in space, on another planet, in an alternate universe? Westerns gave us pioneers, carving out a new life on a new frontier. Sound familiar? Of course, it does. Lots of Scifi novels are books about pioneers carving out a new life on a new frontier (planet). My favorite example of this is Joss Whedon’s television series Firefly.

I didn’t see Firefly when it was on television. I don’t know why except we didn’t watch much that was on Fox at the time. My younger brother gifted us with the DVD’s when it came out. We looked at him in question. He said, “You’ll love them. It’s a western set in space.” He was right. We did love the show and lamented it’s passing and the fact that it was only half a season. I think they should have made many more episodes. Unfortunately there are many current fans, that didn’t even know about it when it was on. Like us.

Don’t get me wrong. Most books contain a romance but not all contain a Happily Ever After, like our books do. Just because you have a romance in the book, doesn’t guarantee a happy ending. Just look at any of those books that Oprah liked to promote in her book club. For the most part, they have what I call shitty endings. In some everyone is the loser. What the heck kind of book is that and why do people like to read them? I can’t answer that, won’t even try, because I simply cannot fathom why you would read a book that moves you to tears and leaves you there.

Okay, enough ranting about what is and isn’t romance. Suffice it to say that I love romance. I write romance. I read romance. That’s me. That’s who I am. Who are you?

Leave me a comment to be entered into the drawing for our Grand prize of a Kindle, second prize of a gift care to Amazon or Barnes & Noble and a third prize of a HUGE swag pack, featuring bookmarks, pens, lip balm, and of course, books by the authors in this blog hop.

Not only that, I’m giving away two $5 Starbucks cards for my personal blog drawing. So remember to leave me a comment and if you want to be entered for the Grand prizes, leave your email in the comment. That is the only way to enter for the grand prize. You must leave your email in the comment.

Happy hopping!!

TAME A WILD BRIDE available at Amazon http://tinyurl.com/cauchyv

EXCERPT FROM TAME A WILD BRIDE

Rosemary Stanton stood patiently on the train platform, sweat rolling down her back and between her ample breasts. Waiting. Sweating because it was an unusually hot day in late April. Waiting for her husband. A husband she wouldn’t recognize if he were standing right next to her.

She’d been desperate when she answered the advertisement for a mail order bride. Wanted: Single woman to cook, clean, and care for children on a cattle ranch in southwestern Colorado. Will marry upon arrival.

Well, she was twenty-six with no prospects. Her brother just got married and his new wife, Beatrice, didn’t want Rosie around. She could answer the advertisement or become a governess. Help someone else’s children grow up into adults. Live in someone else’s house. For the rest of her life, she’d have nothing she could call her own.

Rosie wanted a home. Her own home. She wanted a husband and children. All the things she’d never have if she stayed in Philadelphia. When she’d seen the ad in the morning paper, she’d nearly shouted with glee. However, she managed to restrain herself until she retired to her room before she giggled with delight as she pressed her back against the door. The advertisement was tailor-made for her needs. It got her away from Beatrice and got her her own home all in one fell swoop.

Her brother, Robert, though was not happy with the idea of his baby sister traveling across the country to marry a stranger. He grudgingly agreed to give her her dowry to take with her. Five thousand dollars. She’d take the draft to the bank as soon as she arrived in Creede, Colorado, and married Mr. Thomas Harris. Cattle rancher. It was her “in case it doesn’t work out” money. Though she supposed it would belong to her husband once she married. Perhaps she just wouldn’t tell him about it.

Her conscience spoke up. That’s no way to start a marriage. With lies and secrets. Oh, all right. She’d tell him and have him take her to the bank. But not until after she’d taken his measure. She could tell by how he treated his animals what kind of man he was. A man who was cruel to his horses would also be cruel to his wife. If he was a cruel man, she would leave and she sure as heck wouldn’t tell him about her money.

Even the substantial size of her dowry couldn’t seem to provide marriage prospects for Rosie back in Philadelphia. She wasn’t pretty in the conventional sense. She thought her face with its big brown eyes and full lips was pleasing enough, but men apparently hadn’t. Her one beau told her that her eyes were the color of warm brandy. That was before he left her to marry another more suitable woman. More suitable, hah! Richer was more like it.

He’d had expensive tastes and had married a rabbit-faced girl, heir to a substantial fortune to which he’d have access. Well, good luck and good riddance.

She hoped her new husband wouldn’t be as snootish as Paul had been. As a cattle rancher she didn’t know what to expect but the idea of a more earthy, less frivoless man appealed to her.

Rosie did have one extraordinary feature. Her hair. Waist length, wavy and a clear, golden blonde. Right now, standing on the train platform in Creede it was bound up in a loose bun on top of her head under her hat. It, like the rest of her, was covered in white dirt and a nasty grayish soot from the train. Her suit would never be the same again.

She’d discovered on the second day of her trip, she could minimize the grime by sitting in the front of the car with the window closed. But sooner or later the heat and mugginess of the car would force her to open the window. The air came rushing in, cooling her, but bringing with it the dirt and ash from the train’s boilers and whatever the wind picked up along the way.

On the long trip, she’d told herself again and again she’d made the right decision. She was right to make the difficult trip. This was her life and she had to take her future into her own hands.

“Excuse me. Miss Stanton?”

Rosie shaded her eyes from the late afternoon sun and looked up at a tall man with dark hair. His hat was pulled low, hiding his eyes. He had a strong jaw covered with a shadow of whiskers.

“Yes. I’m Rosemary Stanton.”

He took off his hat and held out his hand. “I’m Tom Harris.”

Rosie took his hand. It engulfed hers with a shock of warmth. Her pale skin stood in stark contrast to his tanned one. Calluses rubbed against her soft palm though the touch was not unpleasant. She looked from their clasped hands up into the bluest eyes she’d ever seen.

“Pleased to meet you, Mr. Harris.”

“Tom. Call me, Tom.”

“And I’m Rosie.”

“Where are your trunks, Rosie?”

“Oh, I don’t have any trunks. I only brought what I thought I would need out here.”
He picked up the two valises at her feet. “Doesn’t seem like much for an Eastern woman. I’m glad to see you’re practical.”

Rosie felt the heat in her cheeks and knew she blushed at his praise, undeserving as it was. “Well, I didn’t think you’d have any balls.”

He cocked an eyebrow.



HEROES

Welcome to the HEROES blog hop. For this hop I’m giving three $5 Starbucks cards. You must leave me a comment, with your email address, to be entered into the drawing. Also, by entering my drawing you are automatically entered in the drawing for the large swag pack (picture below) and for the Kindle Fire. Enjoy the hop. For every blog that you leave a comment you get one entry for the grand prizes. So vist everyone and get more than one hundred entries.

What is a hero? Or more specifically what is a romance hero?

A romance hero is the embodiment of every fantasy we have as girls and women. He’s strong, good looking, gentle, good with children, loves us beyond reason, is a protector, takes what he wants but only if we’re willing, is stern when he needs to be, doesn’t get taken advantage of, but if it happens seeks and gets revenge. He’s our father, brother, matinee idol, soldier all rolled into one sleek package.

Why do we need heroes?

Romances would not exist if not for the hero. Our heroine has to have someone who wants her and ends up loving her, usually in spite of herself, in order for it to be a true romance. The hero must take a journey. Usually it’s learning that he loves the heroine, that it’s okay to be vulnerable, okay to be gentle, okay to be the man she needs.

What’s your favorite characteristic of a hero?

My favorite characteristic is gentleness melded with strength. I want my hero’s to love me unconditionally. He’s gentle with me all the while being the strong man he needs to be as well. He knows that he doesn’t have to be hard to be a man. He’s secure in his manhood.

Who is my favorite romance hero?

One of my favorite romance heroes is Challen Ly-San-Ter from Johanna Lindsey’s Warrior’s Woman. He is the epitome of raw strength and gentleness. As is Duncan from Julie Garwood’s Honor’s Splendor. Both of these books are on my keeper shelf and I read them again and again. At least once per year. And, of course, the heroes in each of my books are my very favorites

Now you tell me. Who is your favorite romance hero and why? I’d love it if you tell me, in your comments, who your favorite romance hero is and what book they are from. I’m always looking for new books to read. You don’t have to of course, just leave any comment to be entered into the drawings for the grand prizes or for my books.

Again, leave me a comment and be entered to win a Kindle Fire or an Amazon/Barnes & Noble gift card. Remember, three lucky commenters will win copies of my books from the Tame Series. Either TAME A WILD HEART, TAME A WILD WIND or TAME A WILD BRIDE.

BIO
Cynthia Woolf was born in Denver, Colorado and raised in the mountains west of Golden. She spent her early years running wild around the mountain side with her friends.

Their closest neighbor was one quarter of a mile away, so her little brother was her playmate and her best friend. That fierce friendship lasted until his death in 2006.

Cynthia was and is an avid reader. Her mother was a librarian and brought new books home each week. This is where young Cynthia first got the storytelling bug. She wrote her first story at the age of ten. A romance about a little boy she liked at the time.

She worked her way through college and went to work full time straight after graduation and there was little time to write. Then in 1990 she and two friends started a round robin writing a story about pirates. She found that she missed the writing and kept on with other stories. In 1992 she joined Colorado Romance Writers and Romance Writers of America. Unfortunately, the loss of her job demanded the she not renew her memberships and her writing stagnated for many years.

In 2001, she saw an ad in the paper for a writers conference being put on by CRW and decided she’d attend. One of her favorite authors, Catherine Coulter, was the keynote speaker. Cynthia was lucky enough to have a seat at Ms. Coulter’s table at the luncheon and after talking with her, decided she needed to get back to her writing. She rejoined both CRW and RWA that day and hasn’t looked back.

Cynthia credits her wonderfully supportive husband Jim and the great friends she’s made at CRW for saving her sanity and allowing her to explore her creativity.

Here are the links to all my books, western and scifi. I hope you’ll check them out.
All are on Amazon.
TAME A WILD HEART
TAME A WILD WIND
CENTAURI DAWN – This book was a finalist in the Romcon Readers Crown Contest
CENTAURI TWILIGHT – This book was a finalist in the Romcon Readers Crown Contest
CENTAURI MIDNIGHT
THE SWORDS OF GREGARA-JENALA
THE SWORDS OF GREGARA-RIZA

Angel or Demon? What do you choose for a hero?



First let’s get to the give away. Leave me a comment about who you prefer as a hero, an angel or a demon and you’ll be entered to win a paperback copy of Centauri Series: The Complete Collection. It contains all three Centauri books, Centauri Dawn, Centauri Twilight and Centauri Midnight. I will be giving away one copy each day, so four chances to win with just one comment. Also, by commenting here, you’ll automatically be entered into the prize drawing for the GRAND prizes of a Kindle Touch to one winner and a $60 gift card to another. When you comment you MUST include your email address to be included in the drawings for the Grand prizes.

Okay, let’s be honest here.  What kind of hero do you prefer an angel or a demon?  I’m talking run of the mill angels here, not arc angels which are a category unto themselves.

Me?  I prefer demons.  They are the bad boys we all love to try and reform.  An angel is already a good guy.  If we try to change him, then we are corrupting him rather than saving him.  Generally, I don’t want my heroines to be a BAD influence on people.

With a demon as a hero there are so many opportunities to “save” him.  What heroine worth her salt could resist such a challenge?  None of mine could.

Unfortunately for me, I don’t write about either angels or demons.  If I did, I’d most certainly choose demons, simply because they’d be more fun to write about.  There are unlimited possibilities for plots and redemption.

You noticed I refer to my demon as my hero, not my heroine.  Because I write romance, first and foremost, I automatically think that my demon character would be the demon.  And because I write romance with happily ever after endings, there must be some form of redemption, usually by the hero before the book ends.

So what happens to a demon hero after he’s been redeemed.  Is he still a demon?  In your world you can make it anyway you want it.  In my world, if he’s been redeemed, he’s also been thrown out of hell and is not a demon anymore.  But that doesn’t mean he isn’t still the worlds greatest lover.  Some things simply can’t be changed.

My Wedding Ring

The GRAND prizes for the ENTIRE hop is:
1. A Kindle Touch
2. A $60 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble giftcard
Please make sure to leave a comment that INCLUDES your email address to be entered into the drawing for the GRAND prize, no email address, no chance! So leave it!

Now there will be two winner of my blog in this hop.  I’m giving away 2 copies of my Centauri Series: The Complete Collection in paperback, each of which is a 18.99 value.  Remember to leave your email in the post to be entered to win one of the grand prizes listed above.  You can win on my blog and still win the grand prize, so take a chance and leave a comment with your email address.  The paperback copies are for US only.  Outside the use you will win ebook copies.

 

We don’t make a huge deal out of birthdays in my family.  Never had any parties as a kid, just do a cake of our choice with the family.  Until my 40th birthday.  My husband, who was not my husband at the time, threw me a surprise birthday party.

He had it at my mother’s house and had me meet him there for dinner after I got off of work.  It wasn’t unusual for us to have dinner with her, so I didn’t think anything about it.  I figured she’d made me my favorite cake, German chocolate, and we would have dinner.  A nice quiet birthday.

Imagine how surprised I was when I walked in and my whole family and several of my friends were there waiting for me.  I couldn’t believe that all these people had managed to keep the secret and surprise me.  My family especially. We tend not to be great secret keepers.

Then I got presents from everyone.  It was lovely.  I was excited and happy.  My  husband then gave me a small square box and he was on his knee’s in front of me.  Everyone got quiet.  I unwrapped the box and slowly opened it.  My mouth dropped open.  Inside was the most beautiful…fly for fishing that I’d ever seen.

Disappointed.  You bet.  He knew it too.  His joke was funny though.  So funny, I pushed him over.  He laughed and came back up on his knees and handed me another ring box.  I wasn’t so cautious this time, figuring that it was another fly.  He ties them as a hobby.

I was wrong.  Inside this box was a beautiful emerald ring.  It wasn’t an engagement ring, but it was close.  He asked me to marry him about six months later and got married about six weeks after that.

My family and friends gave us our wedding.  One of my friends did the cake, one did the flowers, another the food.  My nephew did the music and another one did the pictures.  I have a very talented bunch for family and friends.  It ended up costing us about $800 including the judge and my dress.  And it was a beautiful wedding.  I got lots of compliments on how fun the wedding was.

As a side, note.  Don’t ever get an emerald in a ring.  They are a soft stone and break very easily.  That’s what happened to mine.  About nine years after we got married the stone broke and fell out.  I was devastated.   We had used the ring I got on my 40th birthday for my wedding ring.  That was 2005.

We were in Estes Park, Colorado which is only about an hour from where we live, not long after than in a cute little jewelry store and I saw this ring that I fell in love with.  It had a huge pink spinel stone, which is a sapphire, and a swirl of opal.  It was gorgeous.  My dear husband bought it for me so I’d have a wedding ring again.  That was in 2007, eleven years after we got married.  It’s still as gorgeous and strong today as it was when he bought it for me.  We go back to Estes Park at least once per year to get it cleaned and checked.  It always looks so beautiful and sparkling after they clean it.  It truly lives up to the name they gave the design.  Verve.