An Interview with Diane Venetta

  1. accused_coverFinalHow did you get started writing?

About fifteen years ago, I was sitting at home watching television when images of a teenage girl bombarded me. She was riding her bike, interacting with her family. It was strange. I could see her with vivid detail and for some reason, felt compelled to begin writing what I saw. Call it divine intervention or sheer boredom, but once I hit the keyboard, I never looked back. That story remains in my computer and will be published. One day. I’ve been writing ever since, making writing my full-time pursuit for the last four years.

  1. What is your writing routine like?

I drop the kids at school in the morning, come home and begin writing. Taking a few breaks for food and housecleaning duties, I continue writing until it’s time to pick them up. After school tennis practice? You’ll find me in the car writing. Weekend space of time? You’ll find me at the computer writing. Being a stay-at-home mom is my first priority so I try and squeeze as much writing in and around those duties whenever I can!

  1. Where do you get the ideas for your stories?

I’d have to say I have an over-active imagination. Some days that’s a good thing. Other days it can wreak havoc. Anxiety, worry, watching too much news… it can be a challenge having all those crazy thoughts banging around up there! But for writing, it’s a definite plus. Writer’s block is NOT one of my issues.

  1. What is your favorite part of writing?

I love creating characters and situations. I love writing about the drama, the twists and turns of life, the challenges as well as the fun. When I’m on a roll, I can spend eight hours writing and not even blink an eye. That’s a great way to make a living.

  1. Do you have other talents? Or is there a talent you don’t have that you wish you did?

Actually, it’s sort of a talent. I have a huge backyard vegetable garden where I grow organic fruits and veggies. I wouldn’t call myself an expert but I do enjoy it—and blog about it on my website: BloominThyme.com. It’s geared mainly toward women and kids (myself and my own act as inspiration) and we try to make it fun and easy. Easy is always good when it comes to the job of gardening. Leaves more time for the fun of harvest!

  1. What is your favorite dessert/food?

I love Bananas Foster. Recently, I discovered a restaurant that served a Bananas Foster Belgium Waffle. Talk about Heaven! Dessert at breakfast…does it get any better? Other than an early sugar surge, I can’t think of anything!

  1. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be, and why?

I’d live in more than one place if I could, like a home in the mountains out west and a home along the beach/water in Florida. Of course, traveling between the two and visiting all the beautiful places in the US would be wonderful, as well!

  1. Do you have any upcoming FREE promotions you would like to tell us about?

Book one in my Ladd Springs series is currently free for ereaders. Set in the eastern Tennessee mountains, the series is packed with mystery, family feuds, romance and a host of drama.  There are six books in the series but I warn you: once you read the first, you’ll have to pick up the rest!!

  1. Where can readers find you?

Readers can find me at DianneVenetta.com and on Facebook.com/DianneVenetta. I also hang out @DianneVenetta on Twitter and of course, my garden blog! BloominThyme.com. My books are available for all ereaders and print versions are available for sale via most bookstores. My new children’s series will be written under D.S. Venetta

  1. What’s next for you?

In addition to book #3 in my Silver Creek series, ALL ABOUT YOU, set for release summer 2015, I’m working on a new project near and dear to my heart. It’s a fiction series for children, ages 7-12, titled SHOW ME THE GREEN! Set in an around an backyard organic garden, the story follows Lexi and Jason Williams as the youngsters work their hand in the garden to win the First Annual Gardening Contest for kids. Along the way, they discover a world of excitement they never knew existed. Think: worms, bugs, animals, mystery, fun, challenges, achievement and much more. Early reviews are in and in one sentence…the kids LOVE it! My website is currently under construction, but readers can follow my Facebook page to stay-tuned for details on the upcoming spring release: www.facebook.com/DSVenetta

Excerpt from BECAUSE OF YOU…book #2 in the Silver Creek series.

Pulling her creamy wool Fedora snugly over her brow, Kinsley Fairchild sauntered across the wide swath of street and around the corner then headed for the rendezvous where her partner would be waiting. Together, they would walk down the narrow pass between buildings and into a restaurant on the next block where they would order Morel Risotto and Roasted Red Pepper Crostini, along with a side of her favorite sourdough bread and pesto. Ten minutes later, she would raise her glass and toast their victory as thousands of dollars of fur were destroyed several blocks away. Should anyone ask as to her whereabouts at seven-thirty on Friday night, Sebastian would honestly reveal them. They’d been dining at Adele’s.

As she turned the corner, a thrill raced through her at the sight of him. Sebastian was leaning against the brick façade of an art gallery, deft fingers working his smart phone. He was dressed in a black overcoat and slim white jeans, pants that tapered neatly over his black shoes, the pointed ends of which stood out against the fresh fall of snow. Sebastian was total urban tech and style, his presence commanding, leading most within the organization to carry out his every bidding. Few had a passion for activism that rivaled hers, but Sebastian Wu was certainly among them.

As she neared, he looked up and the two shared a wicked smile.

“It’s done,” she told him, adrenaline firing through her limbs, accompanied by a rapid-fire pulse. No matter how many times she’d struck, each blow felt as exciting as the first.

“Wonderful news.” Slipping his phone into an interior pocket of his coat, he offered her an elbow. “Shall we?”

Kinsley smiled. “We shall.”

Snowflakes pelted their path as they walked the planned route. She leaned close, giving them the appearance no different from any young couple taking an evening stroll. The rich spice of Sebastian’s cologne enveloped her, infusing her with comfort and familiarity. “It feels good, doesn’t it?” she whispered. “Knowing we’re making a difference?”

“Most definitely. This one will cost the shop owner thousands and send a message to every store in the town. Support for expansion will carry a steep price.”

“Maybe she’ll get the hint and move on to selling something less endangering.”

Sebastian chuckled at her double entendre. “Let’s hope, though we both know some people learn quicker than others.”

But Kinsley would never give up. She was determined to close the sales channels that harmed animals, and direct the world onto a more humane path. It was a cause she had devoted her life to. Her every thought, her every move. Kinsley would pursue the cause until she changed the trajectory, changed the course of history.

It was her destiny. Someone had to give voice to the helpless. Someone had to give a damn that animals were being pushed out of their natural habitat for no other reason than the comfort and enjoyment of humans. That someone was her.

 

author profileBio:

Dianne lives in Central Florida with her husband, two children and part-time Yellow Lab–Cody-body!  When not whacking away at her keyboard crafting her next novel you’ll find her in their organic garden chasing grasshoppers and plucking hornworms all while drawing wild analogies between kids and plants and men.  Definitely men.

A girl’s gotta have fun, right?

When she’s not knee-deep in dirt or romance, Dianne contributes garden advice for various websites and volunteers in her kids’ school garden (a crazy existence to be sure). But at the end of the day, if she can inspire someone to stop and smell the roses–or rosemary!—kiss their child and spouse good-night, be kind to a neighbor and Mother Earth, then she’s done all right.

 

Inspiration by Wendy Byrne

accused_coverFinalInspiration comes from the strangest places at the oddest times. First off, I love to observe people’s behavior, their conversations, maybe adding some additional scenarios in my head about what’s going on. I might see a woman wearing something that’s interesting and unique and the beginnings of a new character might be born. Or I might overhear a conversation and think about how something might fit in a storyline.

As an example, one time when I was on a commuter train, I overhead two dads talking about their kids. Nice, right? Then the one dad said something that really made me smile. He remarked to the other dad that it was Wednesday which meant it was daddy daughter dinner night and that on daddy daughter dinner night, they always ate desert first. Awwww. Wasn’t that the sweetest thing? I thought what a lucky girl to have a father like that. I still haven’t figured out a way to work that conversation into a story, but I will eventually.

Life experiences. Sometimes good and sometimes bad might also be the jumping off point for inspiration. My book Accused started with a nightmare. I woke up shaking with the vividness of a dream. My eldest son had been arrested. Knowing my son was safe and sound and it was only a nightmare made my writer’s wheels start to turn. The feelings from the dream returned to me: the terror I would feel as a mother if that happened, the second guessing I would do, and what would be the worst thing that could happen—the son could be charged with murder.

I immediately started to work. I had such a vivid picture of Jillian (my heroine) and what she would experience. But I needed to think about her son (Travis) as well. What circumstances led to the arrest? What was he going through? Why? And then I started to think about the hero in the story. I knew I didn’t want to make him the detective because that felt too cliché. I started to think about how the hero (Sam) might be connected to Travis. That’s when I came up with the thought that Sam could be Travis’ football coach/mentor. And what if Sam had a troubled past himself, how would that play into the story?

This is where my own background comes into play, I’m a social worker by profession and worked many years in the field of child welfare. I always thought about how kids growing up in the system needed somebody to love them unconditionally, to be there for them and support them. Sadly, most of the time, this isn’t the case. But what if Sam had a troubled past with a mom who was on drugs, but managed to end up in a foster home with a woman who believed in him, who didn’t think he was a bad kid, but a kid who needed some love and guidance. So when I wrote Accused, I thought about a series of books all inter-connected by being loved and nurtured by a foster mother by the name of Mama Iris.

Below is a short excerpt from Accused:

The old floorboards creaked and groaned under Jillian’s tentative steps. Pacing lent itself to distraction. Leg up, leg down, creak, leg up, leg down, creak. Turn, take a sip of cold coffee. Repeat.

The problem was that when she stopped calculating each step, it became second nature, thus freeing her mind to remember why her heart fluttered, her stomach clenched.

Glancing at the clock for the hundredth time, doubt surfaced.  Glowing numbers mocked her as if to say, “You shouldn’t have trusted him.” Two in the morning. Where in the hell was he?

Jillian’s smoldering anger exploded into fear as she waited for her sixteen-year-old son Travis to come home. She tamped down worst case scenario thoughts as she dialed his cell phone once again.

Directly into voicemail.

Damn it!

She must have called thirty times since his eleven-thirty curfew had come and gone. If he’d been in an accident, she would have heard something by now. Then again, the roads leading to their home on the mountain were isolated, especially late at night. He could have run off the road and be lying unconscious in a ditch.

Being a single parent with all sorts of tragic scenarios bouncing around her head was hell. But she couldn’t say that married to Archie had made things easier. He was rarely home, and when he was, he usually detached himself from any parental responsibility. If he were around, no doubt he’d be in bed, sound asleep—no help whatsoever.

Jillian peeked out the window, hoping to glimpse headlights coming up the mountainous road. Her gut clenched and unclenched with each passing moment.

Two-fifteen.

After everything they’d gone through, he wouldn’t do this to her. Something had to be disastrously wrong. Travis was a good kid.

She ran fingers through too long, in-desperate-need-of-color-hair and considered contacting the police. Hand poised over the phone, she contemplated the repercussions….

Would they take her seriously, given his recent history? He’d run away before. They’d theorize he was back at it again. But her mother’s instinct told her this time was different.

wendy.smallThanks, Cindy for having me on your blog! I will select one random winner for a $5 Amazon gift card from anyone who signs up for my newsletter at http://www.wendybyrne.net/contact/

Wendy’s Amazon Author Page

http://www.amazon.com/Wendy-Byrne/e/B006T5BXQU/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1429463686&sr=8-2-ent

 

 

 

 

Cowboys of the Old West By Elizabeth Rose

gunslinger300I love watching old western movies. Who doesn’t? Recently I started a new series called Cowboys of the Old West.

I have many interests and can’t seem to write just one subgenre of romance. So along with my medieval, small town contemporary, and paranormal romances, I now write westerns as well.

The stories in my series range from short stories such as The Outlaw to novella-length stories like The Drifter. So far there are five books in the series which also includes The Bounty Hunter, The Gambler and my latest release, The Gunslinger.

While researching the Old West, I found myself extremely interested in stagecoaches. My heroine in The Drifter is Nessa Pemberton. She is a widow with a young son. She also has a brother who has lost the use of his gun arm fighting off stage coach bandits – or road agents. Her husband died in a similar episode. Chase Masters is a drifter who is mistaken as the bandit, Bloody Bart. He arrives at Nessa’s stagecoach relay station wounded and in need of her help.

Back in the Old West there were stagecoach relay stations – or swing stations. Traveling across the open plains in a drifter2300stagecoach was rough, dirty, long, expensive and very dangerous. They could be attacked by bandits, Indians, or be a victim to the elements of nature. It wasn’t uncommon to break a wheel or get stuck in the mud.

Along the road to their destination there were relay stations where they could stop to refresh themselves and get a fresh team of horses. As the stagecoach approached, there was no way of knowing if even the relay station was safe. Therefore, the conductor who took fares, watched over passengers, and sometimes was responsible for the mail, blew a stagehorn as they approached. The station master would also blow a horn in return to tell the stagecoach it was safe to enter.

The stagecoaches ranged in size, probably the largest and nicest being the Concord coach which was usually painted red and had large yellow wooden wheels. It had canvas flaps that could be dropped down over the open windows. It was usually pulled by four to six horses or mules. It had three wooden seats inside that held nine people. The people who couldn’t afford one of the nicer seats bought tickets to sit atop the roof with the luggage and were called hangerson.

bounty2300 The stagecoach driver was called the reinsman or the whip, and sat up front atop the box or boot – a deep luggage carrier where valuables and sometimes gold was carried. Next to him was a stagecoach guard with a rifle called the Shotgun. Since travel was very dusty, the passengers were given long coats or dusters to wear over their clothes.

When they stopped at the relay station it was usually only for ten minutes, or up to a half hour if they were eating. They could buy a hot meal from the station keeper that usually included hot strong coffee and Johnnycakes – a type of cornbread. The station itself was usually just a small cabin and a barn or corral, and was run by just a few stock-tenders.

The books in my series are only 99 cents each, and the first four books are now in a boxed set – Cowboy of the Old West – Volume 1 which is also available as a paperback. There will be another volume to follow as I release more books in the series.

Here is an excerpt from The Drifter:

 Chase’s eyes slowly opened, and he felt as if he’d died or was close to it. His wound hurt like hell and bright light blinded him, telling him it was daytime. He went to raise his hand to shade his view, and that’s when he realized he couldn’t move either of his arms – which were above his head.

“Don’t try anything funny, mister.”

He focused, and saw that he was lying in a bed in a log-built cabin with sunlight streaming in through the window. That gambler300same woman he’d seen in the barn who’d tried to shoot him was standing over him and still had that damned gun pointed in his face.

“What the hell!” He tried to move again, and found himself pulling at the ropes that bound his arms above his head to the iron barred headboard. “You tied me up? Is this usually how you treat your wounded guests?” He tried to kick at her with his good leg, and realized his feet were tied together too, and fastened to the iron posts at the foot of the bed. “Look, lady, I don’t like what you’re doing. Now untie me before I make you sorry.”

“James, get in here,” she called out, and a man with a limp-hanging arm hurried into the room with a little boy at his side.

“Nessa, he’s awake! I still think you should have killed him instead of patching him up,” snarled the man.

“Are you really an outlaw?” asked the kid, starting to walk to his side. The woman reached out with one hand and stopped outlaw300him.

“Stay back, Billy. He’s dangerous.”

I’m dangerous?” He chuckled at her comment. “I’m wounded and hog-tied like a pig to a pole and you’re standing over me waving that damn rifle in my face. I’d say you’re the dangerous one, lady.”

“Don’t talk!” she ordered. “I don’t want to hear you say a word til the next stage comes in and we can get you out of here and over to the sheriff in Deadwood.”

“Oh, good. That’s exactly where I was headed anyway before I got tied up and distracted. I need to talk to the sheriff of Deadwood again.” Actually, he’d been coming from Deadwood, not going there, but she didn’t need to know that.

“What?” She batted her long lashes and squinted those bright green eyes of hers. She looked tired, as if she hadn’t slept in awhile, and her soft auburn hair hung long and tousled around her shoulders. “Why would a bandit be going to see the sheriff? You’re lying.”

“I’m not a bandit,” he told her. “My name is Chase Masters and I’m a drifter.”

Lizrose300 Author Bio:

 Elizabeth Rose is the author of over 40 books. She writes medieval, small town contemporary, paranormal, and western romance. She has also just released her first young adult book, Mary, Mary, from her Gnarled Nursery Rhymes Series which was a finalist in the Golden Palm Contest.

Her first book was released in 2000 from a traditional publisher followed by four others. She had to stop writing for many years to go back to the non-writing working world. After losing her job two years ago, she turned to Indie Publishing. She is a fast writer, and also had a good-sized backstock of unpublished novels, and now has 41 published books. Her westerns have consistently been on Amazon’s top 100 best-sellers in the western category, and her medieval boxed set, Border Lords and Ladies has been holding at number 3 on Amazon’s best-sellers list for the ancient worlds category as well.

She has a background in art, and has designed all her covers as well as made her own book-trailers and website too.

You can sign up for her email list and read excerpts of any of her books at http://elizabethrosenovels.com. Her twitter handle is ElizRoseNovels and her facebook page can be found under Elizabeth Rose – Author (don’t forget the dash.)

Here are the links to her Cowboys of the Old West Series as well as the other books mentioned.

The Bounty Hunter – Book 1, http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QJ4EWDC

The Gambler – Book 2, http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00R6K0NZY

The Drifter – Book 3, http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00S433X8G

The Outlaw – Book 4, http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00D2USPR0

The Gunslinger – Book 5, http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00V10ZQCA

 

mary2200Mary, Mary – Book 1 (Gnarled Nursery Rhymes)

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VQMOJVC

 

Border Lords and Ladies Boxed Set

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UM9J9TM

An Interview with Leo Coulson

THANK YOU CINDY for having me as a guest at your blog today!

  1. LC_TheRoaringRedwoods-3Tell us about yourself.
    1. I live in the Santa Cruz Mountains with Redwood trees in my front yard. I’m originally from the central valley of California, but have lived all over the state as well as in Texas and Costa Rica. I call myself a spectrum parent with kids from one end to the other. My oldest graduates college next month and my youngest starts kindergarten in the fall.
  1. Tell us about your current series/WIP.
    1. Love, honor and money…and the laws we break to keep all three. Joe Santone might bear the name of a saint, but he is nothing of the sort in his work for Boss Joe Torrio in 1920s Chicago. An assassination attempt has him re-evaluating his career choice and heading to California for a job he can tell his mother about. Helen Decker has escaped her violent home for a privileged education in New York City, but now devotion draws her back. Prohibition didn’t save her father, but maybe she can. Shaw McLendon hates the sea, but it takes a near drowning to convince him to leave Scotland and make a life in lumber instead of fish. And Mei Xing Chen can no longer hear the voices of her ancestors as she feels the pull of the ancient trees and rushing San Lorenzo River whispering her future is in America, even as her family prepares to return to China. They all flock to where illegal booze flows freely and the parties are legendary— to the World Famous RiverWood Lodge and Casino— where the Pacific Ocean meets the Redwoods, gangsters meet immigrants, loggers meet movie stars—and the lines between right and wrong are obscured by the trees. The Roaring Redwoods debuted as an e-serial with episodes published semi-monthly. In March the first collection (episodes 1-5) was published and collection two (episodes 6-10) just came out this month. I hope my words evoke the smell of the trees in summer, the rhythm of 1920s jazz, and the taste of a perfect martini.
  1. Where do you get the ideas for your stories?
    1. I’ve had ideas come from everywhere. A news story, my own life, a dream. Sometimes a combination of all three.
  1. How likely are people you meet to end up in your next book?
    1. Pretty likely. I like what Anne Lamott said, “If people didn’t want you to write about them, they should have behaved better.” I do write about people who do behave well too. I change a lot of details though so it’s just between me and the keyboard who is who.
  1. Tell us about your hero. Give us one of his strengths and one of his weaknesses.
    1. Joe Santone is trying to reform. He has a strong sense of right and wrong, regardless of what the law says.
  1. Tell us about your heroine. Give us one of her strengths and one of her weaknesses.
    1. Helen Decker is smart, hardworking and independent. Her weakness is her belief that what others think of you/say about you is important.
  1. Do you have any words of inspiration for aspiring authors?
    1. You can do it. If you have a story to write, write it. Do not worry about the rules or publishing or if it’s any good or anything until you follow your heart and write the words. Write the words and then figure out the rest later.
  1. What’s next for you?
    1. I have a contemporary novel coming out next month. With a Lemon Twist will be published under my own name. It’s the first in a planned four book series. Leo Colson (my historical fiction pen name) will have a new book out at the end of this year.
  1. Where can readers find you?
    1. My website is com. My blog is Prayers and Cocktails and I have lots of info for both my historical and contemporary fiction there. I’m on Facebook too. My newsletter is only 4 times of year, but full of fun stuff (you can sign up at my website and see below about this month’s prize). I’m @ocharise on Twitter but not especially active there.
  1. Where can readers find your books? Print/Ebook?
    1. Kindle, Kobo, iBooks. The digital versions are in episodes and collections. Print is only available for the Collections.
  1. IMG_2370Do you have any upcoming FREE promotions you would like to tell us about?
    1. Yes! Episode 1 of The Roaring Redwoods is free (so is Episode 6!) so you can try it before deciding on the rest or purchasing it in the collection length versions. For the month of April—I am giving away a prize package including Collection One of The Roaring Redwoods AND a gorgeous 1920’s inspired necklace. Leave a comment here or sign up for my newsletter at com (or BOTH for two chances!). The winner will be announced May 1, 2015.

Excerpt:

If he wasn’t stone cold sober, he’d doubt his senses.

She jerked at his words and stopped brushing debris from her skirt. “Hello.”

“Hello. Pardon me, but did you just come out of that tree?” Joe shifted his arm, reminding him of his gun holstered there. If women were climbing out from under trees around here, he was glad to be armed.

She was dressed well, not fancy, but well. She must be a tourist like himself. Odd she was alone given the locale and her beauty. She seemed to possess all the colors of the forest as she stood against the backdrop of it. Her light gray suit picking up the stripes of shade and shadows cast by the sun through the canopy, her green eyes the deep rich green of seedlings, her hair brown with ribbons of red and nearly black like the intricate patterns of the bark. Even a few strands of gold glittered in its mass of curls like the sun dappling through the branches.

She gestured briefly behind her. “There’s a hollow spot.”

Joe shook his head slightly. She answered as though it made perfect sense that she would be inside of a tree in the middle of nowhere. She smiled tightly. Her words were cold. She walked by him stiffly. As she did, he saw dirt smudges on her face, green needles in her wavy hair. “Forgive me, I’m Joseph Santone.”

“Helen Decker.” She stopped and extended her bare hand. Joseph took it briefly, aware it was bare and glad she didn’t seem to mind. Her fingertips were stained red from the bark.

“Helen of the Trees.” He released her hand. Her mouth pulled as though it wanted to smile but just couldn’t manage it. Joe noticed the dirt smudges on her face were tear streaks.  (This is a scene from Episode 2: Shade)

Leo CoulsonBio:   Leo Colson is the pen name of Charise Olson writing in tribute to her paternal Grandfather, Leo. Grandpa was not a professional writer, but someone moved by words and an avid reader. He tinkered with writing as much as he did woodworking. Charise now writes at the desk he built, though she did paint over the original and very distinctive burnt orange color. Grandpa Leo passed from this life in 1991. Charise lives with her family in the Santa Cruz Mountains where her garden is tormented by deer and she is inspired by the Pacific Ocean and Coastal Redwoods.

Links:

Website: http://chariseolson.com

Twitter: @ocharise

Kindle/Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00QMT36EK

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/the-roaring-redwoods

iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/roaring-redwoods-episode-1/id952496744?mt=11

Going Back in Time: A Woman’s Life on the American Frontier by Shirleen Davies

family+travleing+west+by+wagonThe period of western expansion and settlement challenged settlers in ways inconceivable to us today. It’s hard to believe, with all our modern conveniences and creature comforts, that our ancestors were ever so resourceful, determined, and resilient in the face of monumental difficulties.

When you start to do a little digging, it doesn’t take long to discover that women who traveled west—alone or with their families—had unprecedented responsibility on the frontier. By necessity, women did a great deal more physical labor on the frontier than we’re accustomed to today.

Most women on the frontier who took jobs to survive, worked in traditionally female roles such as teaching, nursing, and service work. However, these jobs made women’s labor integral to the growth of western communities.

farm+wife+collecting+buffalo+chips+for+fiewThe challenge of frontier life started with the journey. Women were responsible for preparing their families for the long, dangerous trip westward. One of the most important pieces of that puzzle was outfitting a wagon. Women hand-sewed wagon covers (often in groups as a social event) as well as clothes for the journey. These items were necessary to surviving harsh and varied climates which included burning heat in the plains and deserts, and freezing cold in the mountains. Wagons were stocked with the bare necessities, forcing tough choices when it came to leaving precious heirlooms behind. Families needed to be kept clean, fed, and clothed, but saving space and weight in the wagon made this a delicate balancing act between preparedness and minimalism.

When families reached the frontier, priorities shifted away from basic survival toward establishing sustainable lives in the new land. Women were vastly outnumbered by men. Some figures place it at three or four men for every woman. However, women still shouldered a great portion of the work.

saloon+girlMen worked jobs that drew them west in the first place, while women took charge of home management as well as assisting with farming and ranching chores. Unmarried women often cleaned rooms in hotels and boarding houses, worked in saloons, and assisted in medical clinics that benefitted local families as well as the huge number of single men who lived in or passed through their towns. Providing laundry and seamstress services also gave women with no family a way to survive. Women as a whole often pooled time, skill, and capital to provide care for the entire town’s children, bachelors, transients, ill, and injured.

Women also shouldered the responsibility for orchestrating social and leisure time. Church boards and ladies’ groups were often a town’s most important asset in terms of creating a homey, enjoyable social life in frontier towns that were isolated and detached from the rest of the country.

Mining town life, however, drew a different type of woman. Many traveled from camp to camp, working in saloons and offering their favors in the sex trade. Brothels sprung up overnight in such camps and were extremely popular. Women who didn’t make it in this trade occasionally became outlaws. There are accounts of numerous females who became accomplished at robbing stagecoaches, banks, and unsuspecting newcomers to the west.

one+room+sod+school+house+-+Southwestern+frontierMany women were drawn westward for teaching opportunities. One of the reasons that so many women were able to get jobs in education is that one could get away with paying female teachers less than male teachers. Still, education jobs were considered valuable opportunities, enticing women to strike out for the western territory. Female educators did their best with little to no supplies, bare classrooms, overcrowding, and nothing more than the Bible for reading material. Schools also operated according to ranch and farming schedules, which meant some schools were in session for as few as three months out of the year. As a group, determined, altruistic female teachers were responsible for educating an entire generation of western Americans in basic academic and life skills.

female+cattle+rancher+in+1880sBecause there were so many more men, women were “in demand” among those who wanted to settle down in the west. This meant that unmarried women could afford to be picky, and many women held more social and financial capital than they could have in the east.

Participating in local politics became more common among women in the west. Tough, resourceful, enterprising women, earned the respect and admiration of the town’s men through their mettle and fortitude, proving themselves through their countless contributions to the economy of frontier towns. In some towns, women secured their rights earlier than their eastern sisters. Believe it or not, women in the western territories had the right to vote well before the 19th amendment, and well before most of their sisters on the eastern seaboard.

Unending work, hardships, and unparalleled opportunity awaited those women willing to make the sacrifices necessary for a life on the frontier. Could I have lived during the western expansion? Of course. Any of us could. Would I want to do it given present day conveniences and jobs? Hmmm…that’s a whole other question.

What would you do?

dsc_0254_0120+cropped+2Bio: Shirleen Davies writes romance—historical, contemporary, and romantic suspense. She grew up in Southern California, attended Oregon State University, and has degrees from San Diego State University and the University of Maryland. During the day she provides consulting services to small and mid-sized businesses. But her real passion is writing emotionally charged stories of flawed people who find redemption through love and acceptance.  She now lives with her husband in a beautiful town in northern Arizona. 

Web links (website, social media, etc):

Write to her at:  shirleen@shirleendavies.com

Visit her website:   http://www.shirleendavies.com

Comment on her blog:   http://www.shirleendavies.com/blog.html

Facebook Fan Page:   https://www.facebook.com/ShirleenDaviesAuthor

Twitter:   http://twitter.com/shirleendavies

Google+:   http://www.gplusid.com/shirleendavies

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/shirleendaviesauthor

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/shirleendavies

Tsu: http://www.tsu.co/shirleendavies

About the Book

 Book Title: Wildfire Creek, Book Two, Redemption Mountain Historical Western Romance series

Genre: Historical Western Romance

 Publisher: Avalanche Ranch Press LLC

 Date of Publication:  Jan 26 2015

 Word Count:  90,000

 Formats available: mobi, ePub, PDF, Paperback

 

Book Description:

Luke Pelletier is settling into his new life as a rancher and occasional Pinkerton Agent, leaving his past as an ex-Confederate major and Texas Ranger far behind. He wants nothing more than to work the ranch, charm the ladies, and live a life of carefree bachelorhood.

Ginny Sorensen has accepted her responsibility as the sole provider for herself and her younger sister. The desire to continue their journey to Oregon is crushed when the need for food and shelter keeps them in the growing frontier town of Splendor, Montana, forcing Ginny to accept work as a server in the local saloon.

Luke has never met a woman as lovely and unspoiled as Ginny. He longs to know her, yet fears his wild ways and unsettled nature aren’t what she deserves. She’s a girl you marry, but that is nowhere in Luke’s plans.

Complicating their tenuous friendship, a twist in circumstances forces Ginny closer to the man she most wants to avoid—the man who can destroy her dreams, and who’s captured her heart.

Believing his bachelor status firm, Luke moves from danger to adventure, never dreaming each step he takes brings him closer to his true destiny and a life much different from what he imagines.

ShirleenDavies_WildfireCreek_200pxExcerpt:

 “Hold it right there.”

Ginny froze, not recognizing the deep growl coming from behind her.

“Put your hands up and turn around.”

She did as he asked, her heart pounding, wondering if someone had slipped by Hank to come in the front door. Slowly she turned, raising her eyes to meet those of the man holding a gun on her. Her breath caught at the sight of Luke, his face hard, his mouth in a thin line. She could see the instant recognition dawned. He lowered the gun in a quick motion and slammed it into the holster.

“What the hell are you doing here? And why are you dressed like that?”

She swallowed the hard lump in her throat and took in a shuttering breath, anger replacing the fear she’d felt. “You scared the daylights out of me,” she hissed and pulled the hat off her head, exposing soft brown wisps of hair which had escaped the loose bun.

He held his ground, taking in the sight of her in men’s trousers, a too big shirt haphazardly tucked inside and held together by a wide leather belt. The coat he’d given her covered the ridiculous outfit. He let his gaze wander over her, his eyes softening at the same time his body tightened—a reaction he was powerless to control.

“I asked what you’re doing here, sneaking around the house. Stealing?”

“I am not stealing,” she threw back at him. “I work here.”

“What?” His voice took on a hard edge as his eyes narrowed, signaling his disbelief.

“Dax and Rachel hired me to take on Bernice’s job.”

He took a step forward, then thought better of it, crossing his arms over his chest, planting his feet shoulder width apart. Frustration warred with the desire he felt toward her. This was not what he’d expected to come home to—Ginny living at the ranch. It slammed into him that he’d see her every day, obliged to be around her, and forced to fight his constant attraction toward her. His jaw hardened as he processed the implication of her new position. He didn’t like it. Not one bit.

“We’ll see about that.” He turned and stormed from the room, walking into the study, slamming the door behind him.

 Buy Links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00RUYQB7K

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00RUYQB7K

Apple/iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/wildfire-creek/id955583047?mt=11

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wildfire-creek-shirleen-davies/1121005233?ean=2940046495669

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/508037

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/wildfire-creek

NEW RELEASE!!! CORA, The Brides of San Francisco, Book 3

cora1Cora Jones has a dilemma. She was engaged to be married but her fiancé Asa Woods was killed in the Civil War. She’d never been madly in love with Asa, but she did care for him deeply and grieved his loss. When she stopped grieving she decided she wanted to put everything behind her and became a mail order bride for Harry Belcher.

Cora sailed to San Francisco to meet Harry. She’s checking into her hotel when she hears a voice from the past say her name. No, it can’t be. She turned to find Asa Woods behind her, just as Harry comes up to her, too.

What’s a girl to do when one fiancé returns from the dead and she has another one calling to her from across the lobby? Cora decides to have both men court her in order to make up her mind.

Who will she choose—the man back from the dead who wants her for his wife or the man who sent for her to be his bride?

Cora is available at all retailers:

Amazon  http://amzn.com/B00VBVE7NS

Apple  https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/cora/id975603805?mt=11

Barnes & Noble  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1121640891?ean=2940151608367

Kobo  https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/cora-6

Google Play  https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Cynthia_Woolf_Cora?id=4MiyBwAAQBAJ&hl=en

 

An Interview with Leslie Lynch

I’m delighted to be a guest on your blog today, Cynthia! Thank you for inviting me. It’s always a pleasure to chat with your fans!

If you are interested in reading powerful stories of hope and healing, you might like my Appalachian Foothills Series. Strong women facing difficult circumstances; the men who are challenged to grow as they walk beside them; and even a villain who discovers potential redemption that he doesn’t deserve but secretly yearns for.

My inspiration comes from the people around me, news articles, and snippets of life that spark my imagination.

hijacked333x500Hijacked, book 1 in the series, sprouted from the seed of “what if” one morning as I readied my small airplane for a traffic reporting flight. (Yes, I’m a pilot!) Though Bowman Field is situated in a residential neighborhood of Louisville, Kentucky, it can be as deserted as any wilderness. What if someone commandeered a plane…? And what if the pilot, a young woman, held a secret that was slowly destroying her?

Unholy Bonds, book 2, is a closely related yet standalone sequel to Hijacked. It came to be as a result of my longtime fascination with the concept of Restorative Justice, first practiced on a large scale as part of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa when the country did away with apartheid. The concept is gaining ground in this country as an alternative and/or adjunct to criminal justice, and is especially effective with teens. This available also on Apple iTunes, Nook, and Kobo.

Opal’s Jubilee, book 3, was inspired by pardons granted by then-Governor Ernie Fletcher of Kentucky on his last day of office in 2007. The controversial move granted clemency, pardons, or early parole reviews to twenty-one women who had been convicted of murder or attempted murder after experiencing years of domestic abuse. Coincidentally, I viewed a quilt created during incarceration by some of those women, a raw and touching statement without words.

CHRISTMAS+HOPEChristmas Hope, a novella and book 4, features a veteran who is coming to terms with life-changing wounds received in battle. An ad by the Wounded Warrior Project got my imagination going; throw in a heroine who has a bit of an unconventional approach to life, and the result is a poignant, uplifting holiday novella. This is available also on Apple iTunes, Nook, and Kobo.

The books are available through Amazon (and other venues as noted) in electronic or print versions.

A portion of the proceeds from my books are donated to a variety of charities:  Wounded Warrior Project, Missouri Puppies4Parole, and Women’s Prison Association.

What sorts of questions spark your imagination? News stories? Photos? A chance encounter, or an idea? I’d love to hear what you think!

Again, Cynthia, thank you for inviting me! It’s been a pleasure!

Hijacked

Pilot Lannis Parker’s carefully constructed, sterile life is upended when her small plane is hijacked before dawn on a wintry Louisville morning. Her captor does more than force her to fly him to the Appalachian wilderness, though. He resurrects memories she’s tried to bury, memories of a brutal attack she’d survived four years earlier, an attack she didn’t report and tries to pretend didn’t happen.

Wounded, and losing strength by the minute, Ben Martin knows he has no choice but to commandeer a plane before he’s set upon by a ruthless band of drug dealers intent on wiping him out, along with the information he’s acquired. He’s horrified to discover the pilot is a woman—but once his plan is launched, there’s no turning back.

During a week in the wilderness, Lannis learns her hijacker is fair and honorable, compassionate and insightful—strange attributes for a criminal. And when he discovers her secret, he vows to be the friend she desperately needs but refuses to accept.

Will she come to terms with her past?  And will he be part of her future?

unholybonds333x500Unholy Bonds

Pilot Lannis Parker has triumphed over her past—or so she thinks. She faces her rapist, then dredges up the courage to bring him to trial, and is relieved to see Robert Davis imprisoned.

But the closure she’d sought is elusive. Resurrected memories invade her life and threaten to splinter her relationship with those she loves most, including Ben, her new husband. Lannis discovers she’s as much a prisoner as Davis, shackled by fear and inextricably bound to him through his crime. Frustrated at her descent into the past, Ben tries to understand, but fails.

Cracks appear in their fledgling marriage, and Lannis becomes desperate to repair the underlying cause. She gradually realizes that healing will come only when she acknowledges Davis’s humanity—not a popular notion, but one she increasingly understands as essential. In a bold move, Lannis meets with Davis in prison—and challenges him to recognize her humanity.

Will Lannis’s gamble free her from that unholy bond and open a path to peace? Can she save her marriage? Or will she lose everything in the process?

 

opalsjubilee333x500Opal’s Jubilee (187)

Fresh out of prison after twelve years, Opal McBride must find a job in order to meet parole requirements. Failure means she’ll serve out the remainder of her sentence behind bars. The system has seen fit to drop her in Louisville, Kentucky, a far cry from her hometown of Jubilee in the Appalachian hollows. Scrambling to adapt, Opal finds more than a potential job in May Boone’s quilt shop; she finds acceptance and perhaps even friendship.

 

That is, until May’s son recognizes her. A detective, Josh Boone is not about to let a felon work for his soft-hearted mother. Though Opal’s crime was against a sheriff’s deputy, his innate sense of decency prods him to break ranks and defend her from the disdain of his fellow officers. Then he finds she may have light to shed on a cold case—and discovers there is more to Opal’s story than it seems.

Josh risks his professional reputation (and his heart) as he digs into Opal’s past. When secrets are exposed, will justice prevail? Will Opal and Josh find redemption—and maybe even love—where they least expect it?

Christmas Hope (175)

Sam Bledsoe prefers his reclusive existence. A one-man landscape business keeps a roof over his head and food on the table—and keeps his badly scarred face away from curious eyes. But when a woman faints on her way from neighbor Maggie Ross’s house, he doesn’t hesitate. He rushes to help while grappling with memories of the incident that burned him so badly.

The father of Becca Sweet’s unborn baby showed his true colors when he showed her the door. The apartment she has lined up isn’t available until the first of the year, and with Christmas and a storm on the way, living in her car is no longer an option. She appeals to her no-nonsense sister for help, but Maggie, unaware of Becca’s pregnancy, chooses that moment to dish out some tough love.

When Sam comes to Becca’s rescue, their battered hearts collide. In a moment of holiday magic, they discover that Christmas hope applies to all, even to them. And will hope lead to love, the most precious Christmas gift of all?

Author Bio

Business+Head+Shot+smallAward winning and Best Selling author Leslie Lynch gives voice to characters who struggle to find healing for their brokenness—and discover unconventional solutions to life’s unexpected twists.

Leslie lives near Louisville, Kentucky, with her husband and her adult children’s cats.  While not engaged in wrestling the beautiful and prolific greenery of their yard into submission, she flies light aircraft, loves the exuberant creativity and color of quilting and pottery…and, of course, writes.

You can find her at www.leslielynch.com, on Facebook at LeslieLynchWrites, on Pinterest at Leslie Lynch, and on Twitter @Leslie_Lynch_

 

An Interview with Amy Patrick

first+4+covers

Be sure and leave a comment. Amy would like to give away an ebook to one lucky commentor.

 

How many books have you written? I’ve written seven novels and a novella. One novel (a YA) is on sub to editors through my agent. I’ve self-published five books so far, with more to come this year!

You write contemporary romance as well as Young Adult fantasy romance. Why the different genres? I like to read different genres and always have, and I think that’s why I like writing in different genres. Though my 20 SOMETHING series and The Hidden Trilogy are very different, they both contain romance, which is always my main interest, whether in books or movies or the TV shows I prefer. The 20 SOMETHING contemporary series features twenty-somethings in the world of TV news and is inspired by my own experiences as a news anchor/reporter working at 6 different stations in 4 different states over the years. As far as The Hidden Trilogy— in middle school I was a huge Lord of the Rings geek, and when I learned that J.R.R. Tolkien was inspired by Norse mythology, specifically the Poetic Edda, I looked into the ancient minstrel tales myself. In them, the Fae are described as beautiful, frightening, powerful, sometimes god-like. The Trilogy, beginning with HIDDEN DEEP, is based on a combination of this Norse mythology and Celtic Fae legends.

How did you get started writing? I actually tried writing a novel the year I graduated from college when I was working my first job as a TV news anchor/reporter. I covered an amazing murder trial and it inspired me to write a murder mystery. But I quickly discovered that news writing and novel writing were *very* different. I didn’t know how to get past the first few chapters. As I moved from city to city, moving up the TV news career ladder, I kept trying, starting and stopping several novels over the years. It wasn’t until I quit my full-time job to stay home with my kids that I really began the long process of learning about story structure and good writing. I joined RWA, went to some local conferences and found my first critique partner at one of them. I entered chapter contests for feedback and read a lot of writing craft books. I was fortunate that the first novel I completed was selected as a Golden Heart finalist in 2013. I was a finalist again the next year with that YA murder mystery/romantic suspense book! That’s the book that got me my agent, too.

FINAL+HIDDEN+1What’s your typical day like? I’m very blessed to be able to write full-time, which for me is about four or five hours a day. I still have young kids at home, so when’s school’s out, I’m a full-time mom. But I do write every day. I go to the library and sit in the furthest back corner with only the most boring reference books for a view. I wish I was one of those super-focused people who can write anywhere anytime, but I’m the world’s worst multi-tasker.

Are you a plotter or a pantser? I’m definitely a plotter. I could never write so many books so quickly without it. I pantsed my way through my first book, which was fun, but then it needed LOTS of revision, which took way longer than just planning it out in the first place. Now I do a few character exercises, fill out a beat sheet and then a scene-by-scene outline (in pencil) during my pre-writing stage. I follow it for my story structure, but I also keep a good eraser on hand in case inspiration strikes and I want to make changes. While I am a plotter, I’m not rigid about it—things can and do change as the story progresses and I don’t feel it inhibits my creativity at all.

You mentioned you have an agent but you are also self-published. How did you decide to do both? Honestly, a few years ago I believed self-publishing was not for me. Then I had so many talented author friends (and fellow Golden Heart finalists) who were choosing that option that I finally began to learn about it. Once I did, I was convinced it was something I really wanted to try. I love that authors have more options these days. Interestingly, I signed with my agent about the same time I decided to self-publish. In fact, I made sure when we spoke during THE CALL that she was okay with my plans to do it. I’m not against traditional publishing at all—I guess I just want to try everything and see what suits me best. Also, some genres sell better self-published than others. Some, particularly contemporary YA, still do better trad-pubbed.

What went into the process of self-publishing? SO much! I won’t lie– it’s a lot of work. After writing several drafts of a book, I send it to my critique partners and implement their suggestions. Then it goes through three rounds with an editor and then to a proofreader. I hire a formatter as well as a professional cover designer—they give me both ebook and print versions of my interiors and covers. I upload the books myself to the various retailers. I have hired PR companies for almost every release (and some cover reveals) to spread the word and try to reach my target audience. Some have worked better than others. I utilize social media and a newsletter to keep readers updated about new releases and/or sales, but I try not to overdo it and turn people off.

Do you have other talents besides writing? I’ve been a voiceover artist for the past 14 years, doing radio and TV ads and corporate videos. I also narrate audiobooks. No, I haven’t done my own yet—I haven’t had time! I’m like the plumber with leaky pipes in his own house—so busy working for everyone else, I haven’t recorded my own books. But they’re coming! I’ll be sure to update you when they’re available.

Do you have any advice for someone who wants to write a book and become published? I’ve seen the statistic that 90% of people want to write a book and only 10% actually do. I think lack of know-how stops most people. So my advice would be to join a great writer’s group like RWA (Romance Writers of America) and a local chapter. It’s such a great resource for information on good writing as well as for support. Having writer friends to trade work with made an incredible difference for me. I also enjoyed writing more and had more success when I got a firm grasp on story structure. I loved the book Save the Cat by Blake Snyder for that. It’s very accessible and clear, besides being funny and enjoyable. When I read it, a lightbulb went off for me.  

What’s your next project and when will it be released? I’m working on the next books in the Hidden Trilogy. Book two, HIDDEN HEART, is in the editing process now and will come out May 24. I’ve just finished a Hidden-related novella called THE SWAY for a box set with some awesome YA fantasy authors. The bundle is called Faery Tales and will be released mid-May. I still have to write a fifth book in my 20 Something series, but I’ll be immersed in the Hidden world for at least the next few months before starting that.

Thank you so much for hosting me today Cindy—it’s been fun!

 

HERE’S THE BLURB FOR CHANNEL 20 SOMETHING:

22-year-old Heidi Haynes is almost one year into her “real life”. She has her first reporting job, her first apartment, and a comfortable relationship with her college sweetheart. But for some reason she’s not as eager to talk about walking down the aisle as he is.

Heidi secretly longs for big cities, big-market breaking news, and real independence from her way-too-close-by helicopter parents. Problem is, the last time she left the security of home for new places and new people, things didn’t go so well. Disastrously, in fact, and she came running back to a local college and a “safe” boyfriend.

Aric Serrano is definitely not safe.

He’s six-feet-four-inches of missing-Hemsworth-brother-hotness and plans to stay in small-market-Southern-Hell just long enough to grab a cup of coffee and put together a kick-ass “escape tape”. He’ll serve his one-year contract, then he’s taking off for a higher rung on the TV sports ladder—alone—the way he likes it. Then he meets his new co-anchor.

Heidi would be so much more comfortable if she could simply ignore Aric. He’s just her type—the type she’s so careful to avoid these days. But that becomes impossible when she’s forced to work closely with him on the weekend newscast. Now the attraction between them is growing even faster than the ratings, and what happens behind the scenes is the real news.

 

AND MY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:

WEBSITE- http://www.amypatrickbooks.com/

FACEBOOK- https://www.facebook.com/AmyPatrickAuthor?ref_type=bookmark

TWITTER- https://twitter.com/AmyDelucaAuthor

PINTEREST- https://www.pinterest.com/AmyPatrickBooks/

GOODREADS- https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3247178.Amy_Patrick

Amy+Patrick+Author
Author Bio:
Amy Patrick is a two-time Golden Heart finalist (2013 and 2014) who writes Contemporary Romance and Young Adult fantasy/paranormal romance. She is the author of the Hidden Trilogy and the 20 Something series. Living in New England now with her husband and two sons, she actually craves the heat and humidity of Mississippi, where she grew up. She’s been a professional singer and news anchor and currently narrates audio books as well as working as a station host for a Boston TV station.
Links:
EXCERPT FROM CHANNEL 20 SOMETHING:
The song segued into another Michael Jackson hit—the DJ must’ve been encouraged by the sudden influx of dancers to the floor and didn’t want to take a chance on losing the mojo. Mara jostled me with a hip-bump, and I laughed, beginning to move to the music more fluidly, relaxing, enjoying myself more than I had in a long time.
The girls from the station were spinning and showing off, thrilled to find a guy who would actually dance, and Aric served as a sort of group-partner for us all. Though we were all together, every time I glanced up at Aric’s face, he was watching me. He studied how my body moved, responding to my motions, matching them with moves of his own. We didn’t touch at all, but it felt like we were… connected somehow.
After another song or two, I grew used to the feel of his eyes on me, grew to like it. And the focused attention made me brave. I sang along with a song I knew, closing my eyes and moving to the hypnotic beat, as Michael advised me to let the madness and the music get to me.
“It’s fun to watch you dance.”
The nearness of Aric’s voice jolted me out of the moment. My eyes opened, and I took a step back, the seductive warmth of his breath still caressing my ear. “Um… you too. You’re good.”
He leaned in close again to be heard over the pounding music, his fingers gripping my shoulder lightly. “No. I mean I really like watching you.”
I stopped cold, right there on the dance floor. Literally feeling cold, as if someone had poured a post-game Gatorade bucket over my head.
“I’m—going to the ladies room.” I spun around and headed for the lighted sign in the back of the club as if the hounds of hell were at my back.
I’d recognized him. Not him, of course. But I knew what kind of guy he was—I’d met his breed before. The elite players, the sexual Heisman candidates, genetic freaks who produced bionic pheromones capable of turning even the smartest girl stupid, at least temporarily.
How could I not have seen it right away? The beautiful face, the enticing scent, the self-assured way he walked and talked and danced. If I could’ve left the club right then, I would have. But I’d promised to drive Kenley and Mara home. I couldn’t strand them. I fled to the restroom and gave myself a narrow-eyed look in the mirror. Not going there, girlfriend. I did not return to the dance floor.

 

“Writing the Range” by Jacqueline Diamond

ladyindisguise400_2When I began writing, it never occurred to me that an author might be expected to specialize in a single genre. Because of my passionate love of reading, I was eager to write everything from fantasy to romance to adventure.

Initially, my love of Jane Austen inspired half a dozen Regency romances. Then my agent encouraged me to write contemporary romantic comedies as well. Only later, at a writing seminar, did I come across the concept of branding oneself. Not, I hasten to add, in the painful manner of ranch animals, yet to me the notion of being strait-jacketed for the rest of my career burned like fire.

However, writers live in the real world. Our grocers, medical providers and landlords expect to be paid now, not on that mythical day when we hit the bestseller list. Unless we score big from the start (very rare), or have some other means of paying the bills, we have to respect commercial considerations

Here’s the conflict: Publishers have very specific ideas about what kind of books they want to buy. But an author who writes books she doesn’t believe in risks alienating her readers and burning out creatively.RancherNanny400_2

It’s been more than thirty years since the publication of my first novel, the Regency romance Lady in Disguise (of which I’m giving away three ebook copies today). I’ve sold 100 novels, and learned a few things.

Chief among them is that those of us who intend to stay in the writing business and not go broke have to strike a balance. For me, that has meant finding a way to write in a range of genres that I enjoy, from medical romances to zany comedies to mysteries, pleasing both publishers and myself.

For the past few years, I’ve been writing the Safe Harbor Medical series, set in and around a fertility hospital, for Harlequin American Romance. The 15th book in my series, The Baby Bonanza, came out in March. Each book stands alone, although there are continuing characters that are fun to follow. And yes, I love the world of Safe Harbor and the subgenre of medical romance.

BabyBonanza_(253x400)_2 Over the years, I’ve also indulged my love of screwball comedies, including The Rancher’s Unusual Nanny, which is on sale this week for 99 cents at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Although it was originally published by Harlequin, I’ve regained the rights and updated the details.

Along the way, I ventured into mysteries (Danger Music, among others) and romantic suspense (including The Stolen Bride). And every now and then a truly off-the-wall idea strikes me that won’t let go.

The description of my science fiction thriller Out of Her Universe shows how unusual it is: “Strange perceptions trouble artist Hannah Fleischer, who has no idea she’s from another universe. Brought as a child from a parallel world where history has taken a dangerously different course, she believes she’s found happiness with a handsome police detective. But when the universes unexpectedly reconnect, cascading events thrust Hannah into a crisis that could destroy both her worlds.”

As you can see, this is about as far from a Harlequin series romance as an author can stretch. Writing it refreshed my UniverseNew400_2enthusiasm for my craft, without detracting from my ability to continue with medical romances.

Also, although my books cover a wide range of moods and styles, each contains my trademarks—plots with surprise twists, characters who grow and change, a focus on emotional relationships with minimal bedroom scenes (or none, in my Regencies), and fast-paced dialogue.

So, in a sense, I have established a brand of my own while out there writing the range. All my stories and characters reveal aspects of myself, but, I hope, are much more interesting!

Giveaway: 3 ebook copies of Lady in Disguise, a traditional Regency

From The Rancher’s Unusual Nanny:

The blurb:

In Jacqueline Diamond’s The Rancher’s Unusual Nanny, psychologist Nancy Verano promises to spend the summer as a nanny on a Texas ranch, secretly bailing out her unreliable younger sister. She never meant to trick handsome rancher Max Richter, but she has to publish or perish. So, while fulfilling her sister’s job contract, she decides to research an article on cowboys. Just as she starts to fall for Max, though, she learns that he’s hated psychologists ever since his first wife ran off with their marriage counselor. What will happen when he learns the truth about Nancy?

The situation: Having flown from California to Texas, Nancy is met at the airport by her new employer and his children.

 Excerpt:

Only the tanned skin, jeans and yoked shirt matched her expectation of what a rancher looked like. Otherwise, he had nothing in common with the crew-cut, muscle-bound, tight-faced lout she’d anticipated.

He was a lean six foot three, she estimated, with thick brown hair that softened the commanding effect of his high-boned face. Even from a distance, she could feel the melting effect of those intelligent, chocolate eyes. As for his full mouth, it looked as if it wanted to smile, but rarely did.

The man’s gaze flicked over her and stopped. An instant connection sizzled through Nancy, all the way down to her toenails.

Time to step forward and make a good impression. “Mr. Richter?” she asked, moving toward him. “I’m Ms. Verano. And these must be the children. Well, of course, they’re children. What else would they be? Did you all have a nice flight? I mean, I certainly did.”

There, she’d handled that with aplomb, Nancy thought. She smiled, held out her hand and awaited his response.

Website: www.jacquelinediamond.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JacquelineDiamondAuthor

Lady in Disguise: http://moourl.com/5pdpe

The Rancher’s Unusual Nanny: http://moourl.com/q0nxl

The Baby Bonanza  http://moourl.com/tva11

Out of Her Universe  http://moourl.com/agh45

BIO

Jackiebooksclose1Jacqueline Diamond has sold 100 novels, including romantic comedy, romantic suspense, fantasy, mystery and half a dozen Regency romances. A two-time finalist for the Rita Award, Jackie received a Career Achievement Award from Romantic Times and is a former reporter and TV columnist for the Associated Press. Her bestselling ebooks include By Leaps and Bounds, Designer Genes and A Lady’s Point of View. Jackie writes the Safe Harbor Medical miniseries for Harlequin American Romance. Harlequin released her medical romance The Baby Bonanza in March. Her romantic comedy, The Rancher’s Unusual Nanny, is on sale for 99 cents this week at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.