An Interview with Nina Lane

Posted on January 28, 2013 by Cindy Woolf

Please help me welcome Nina Lane to my blog today. Nina has graciously agreed to give one lucky commentor a paperback copy or a kindle copy of her book, winners choice. So be sure and leave her a comment.

What genre(s) do you write in and why?

I write both erotica and erotic romance. I got started writing erotica years ago with Black Lace books, and I once had an agent tell me I have a “special talent for writing love scenes,” so I guess I took that compliment and ran with it! Because I’ve always had a soft spot for romance, I like the combination of steaminess and the quest for love, so incorporating both into one book is the ideal world. I also write historical romances under the name Nina Rowan.

Tell us about your current series.

AROUSE is the first book in my new Spiral of Bliss series. It’s an erotic romance series, but it’s a bit different because it focuses on a married couple struggling with sudden difficulties in their blissful, lusty relationship. Professor Dean West is a brilliant scholar of medieval history, and his wife Olivia is utterly devoted to him…until she discovers that he has kept a secret from her for the duration of their marriage. The books focus on how Liv and Dean overcome mistrust and doubts, not to mention unexpected temptations, as they fight for both their love and each other.

What is your favorite dessert/food?

Anything good! I love excellent Indian food (chicken tikka masala and naan bread are particular favorites), or my favorite sandwich is tomato, fresh mozzarella, and basil pesto. I also love ice cream with lots of “stuff” packed it into—chocolate chips, nuts, peanut-butter cups, fudge…yum!

Do you have a view in your writing space? What does your space look like?

My writing space is a mess! My computer is on the dining table because I need a new desk, which I don’t have yet. So I sit in the dining room with papers all over the table, books piled at my feet, and a plate of incense ashes that I haven’t thrown away. Obviously, we don’t use the space for actual dining at all! I have a dream of what my “real” workspace will one day be—a lovely, oak desk with a matching bookshelf, filing cabinet, and a real, ergonomic chair. I’ll have special paintings and photos on the walls, and a corkboard to pin up important ideas and pictures. And it will be very, very tidy!

Tell us about your hero. Give us one of his strengths and one of his weaknesses.

I love Professor Dean West. He is brilliant, sexy, strong, and he completely adores his wife. He knows about Carolingian Era politics and medieval poetry as well as baseball stats, foreign films, Russian economics, why Star Trek is better than Star Wars, and how to throw a spiral in football. However, because he is so accomplished, his biggest weakness is his fear of failure, and it’s precisely that fear that almost destroys his marriage.

Tell us about your heroine. Give us one of her strengths and one of her weaknesses.

Olivia West is both lovely and complicated. She’s determined, practical, and has spent much of her life maintaining the image of a good girl…so she’s a very willing student when Dean teaches her just how sexy a good relationship can be. Liv has pulled herself out of the darkness of her past and found a safe haven in the arms of her husband, but is now just beginning to realize that she might be lost in the shadow of Dean’s brilliance. Her need to be cared for and nurtured, a desire that Dean fulfills, has made Liv lose sight of who she is and what she might be. Now she has to figure that out.

What do you have planned for the future?

I have two more books planned in the Spiral of Bliss series, and hopefully the second one, ALLURE, will be out this spring. I’m also working on the sequel to my first book, THE EROTIC DARK, which reached #1 on Amazon’s Erotica bestseller list. Beyond that, I have a bunch of ideas but am trying to stay focused on my current works-in-progress. One of the greatest things about being a writer, and also one of the most difficult, is that my brain is constantly zinging with ideas, so I have to pick and choose which ones take precedent!

EXCERPT FROM AROUSE by Nina Lane:

“So what exactly is it you teach, Professor West?” I asked.

“Mostly medieval archeology and architecture, though that ties into other things. Town planning, political structures, religion. I’m going to France over winter break to do some work on the architecture of Sainte-Chapelle.”

I should have been intimidated by the illustriousness of his work, but he was so matter-of-fact about it that any potential breach between us—a renowned professor and a girl struggling to get a bachelor’s degree—faded into insignificance. And I loved listening to him talk, his smooth baritone voice thudding right up against the walls of my heart.

After dinner, we had coffee and shared a sinfully rich chocolate torte. He took a couple of bites, then sat back and watched me. Warm tension tightened my belly. I swiped a dollop of chocolate from my lower lip.

“You, ah… you look at me a lot,” I remarked.

“You’re very pretty.”

I didn’t know about that, but the compliment poured through me like honey. “I like the way you look too.”

That was an understatement. One glance at him and I went all hot and fluttery inside.

He leaned forward, resting an elbow on the table. Curiosity and heat simmered in his expression.

“What is it about you, Olivia?” he asked.

“What do you mean?”

“Why are you so sweet and determined and guarded all at once?”

“I didn’t know I was all those things.”

“You are. Why?”

I shrugged and sank my fork into the torte again. If I was eating, I couldn’t talk much. I ate another bite and spoke around the mouthful. “This is really good.”

Dean’s mouth twitched with a smile, but his eyes were still curious as he sat back again. He continued watching me as I polished off the torte and scraped the plate clean.

By the time he paid the bill and retrieved our coats, I’d realized the danger of Professor Dean West. If I let him, he would slide right past all my defenses. No one had ever done that before.

We went outside into the cold. He didn’t touch me. This time, though, I wanted him to. I nudged his elbow. He looked at me, then extended his arm and waited. I moved closer, falling into step beside him as we walked back to State Street.

It felt exactly the way I’d imagined it would, pressed to his side with his body heat flowing into me and his arm strong and tight around my shoulders. I fit against him like a puzzle piece locking into place.

“Where do you live?” he asked.

“Off Dayton Street, not far from the Kohl Center. I walked.”

“Next time I’ll pick you up.”

My pulse leapt at the idea that there would be a next time.

“And this time,” Dean said, “I’ll drive you home. I’m parked by the museum.”

When we reached the parking lot, he unlocked the door of a black sedan and ushered me inside before getting into the driver’s seat. I told him my address, and we fell silent on the short ride home. The buildings of downtown passed by in a blur of light and shadows.

When he pulled up in front of my apartment, my damned nerves got tense again. I fumbled around collecting my bag and buttoning my coat.

“So, thank you,” I said. “That was really nice.”

“Yes, it was. Thank you too.”

I took hold of the door handle. “I’ll just…”

“Olivia.”

I turned to face him. His eyes glittered in the light of the streetlamps. He reached out slowly, as if he were trying not to startle a kitten, and curled his hand around my wrist.

His touch spiraled heat into my blood, igniting flashes of unbearably intimate thoughts—me in his arms, his lips sliding over my throat, his hands on my bare breasts. The air grew hot, compressed.

“I’m going to kiss you now,” Dean said.

My heart crashed against my chest, and a hard tremble swept through me. I parted my lips to draw in a breath.

“I… okay.”

He leaned across the console and lifted his hands to cup my face. His touch was gentle, still cautious, but the heat brewing in his eyes left me in no doubt as to his desire. We were closer than we’d ever been before, so close that I could see the darker ring of brown surrounding his irises.

For a moment, we just stared at each other. Then his hands tightened on me as he lowered his mouth to mine. And the world fell away the instant our lips touched.

***
AROUSE: A SPIRAL OF BLISS NOVEL is available now at Amazon:
http://amzn.to/12LfRnB

BIO

Bestselling author Nina Lane writes elegant, romantic, and sometimes raunchy erotica. Her novel “The Erotic Dark” hit #1 on Amazon’s Erotica Bestseller list. Nina wrote novels for Black Lace Books, and she has published stories in anthologies such as Best Women’s Erotica and Erotic Travel Tales. Her work has been translated into both German and Japanese. She is currently working on several contemporary and historical writing projects.

Visit Nina at http://www.ninalane.com or join her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/NinaLaneAuthor
Write to Nina at nina@ninalane.com

Interview with Margery Scott

Posted on January 26, 2013 by Cindy Woolf

Please help me welcome Margery Scott to my blog today. Margery is giving away a ecopy of her book to one lucky commentor, so be sure and leave her a comment.

Tell us about your current series.
I’m working on The Morgans of Rocky Ridge, a trilogy of novellas about three men who live and love in Rocky Ridge, Colorado in the 1860’s. Cade, the hero of the first novella, is a law-abiding man who goes against his beliefs to protect the woman he’s always loved. Trey (the hero of book #2), is a gambler, a happy-go-lucky ladies’ man until meets his match in Maura, the woman who owns the other half of a saloon he’s won. And Zane (the hero of book #3), is the bounty hunter who disovers there’s something to be said for a sitting by a warm fire with the woman he loves instead of sleeping on the ground and chasing outlaws.

What is your favorite part of writing?
Plotting/outling. The ‘what-if’. I love coming up with the intial idea and brainstorming the twists and turns of the plot so my characters can have their happy ending. Two of my favorite words are “and then …”

What is your least favorite part of writing?
Revision. Ugh! I’ll do most anything rather than revise, which means I revise as I go. It does make the writing go a little slower, but I don’t often have any major revisions. A read-through to tweak and polish, and I’m usually done.

What is your typical day like?
I’m a morning person, so I’m usually at the computer with my first cup of tea by six am at the latest. I check email, Facebook and Twitter, and take a look at my calendar. Without my to-do list and my calendar, I’d be lost. Then I open my file and get to work until hubby gets up. I stop and have breakfast with him, then go back to work until lunch. After lunch, I putter, take care of errands, housework, etc., checking email off and on for the rest of the afternoon. After dinner, I usually have my laptop in front of the TV. I make notes on what I want to do the next day, take care of the “business” end of writing, writing blog posts, arranging promo, etc. By then, I don’t have an ounce of creativity left in me and I’m ready to call it a day.

What genres are you drawn to as a reader?
Of course, I do love historicals, particularly westerns, early medieval and Scottish (since that is my background). Yet most of the time, I find myself reading mainstream suspense/thrillers. I love being scared, as long as the threat isn’t real 

What are you currently working on?
Right now, I’m working on Trey’s story (book #2 of The Morgans of Rocky Ridge) as well as outlining the first of a series of full-length historicals set in the fictional town of Calico Creek, Texas. Trey’s story should be available at the end of March, and the first Calico Creek book by mid-summer.

Do you have a view in your writing space? What does your space look like?
I’m lucky enough to live right on a lake, so when I’m not feeling particularly creative in my office (which has no view at all), I take my laptop, curl up on a chair in the solarium that’s surrounded by windows and overlooks the water. There’s something about watching water that’s almost hypnotic to me. My internal editor doesn’t like water  so she leaves and lets the creative side of my brain have control for a while.

Bio:

Although Margery was born in the Scottish Lowlands, she now divides her time between her home on a lake in Canada and a small house in central Florida.
To Margery, writing in only one genre is like eating only one kind of candy. Boring. A late bloomer, Margery didn’t start writing until she found herself with an empty nest, some free time, and an old standard typewriter her father found somewhere she’d rather not think about. She still has the empty nest on a lake far away from the city, but the typewriter has been replaced by a computer and free time is a thing of the past. Margery writes all across the genre board as the muse and the mood hit her, but these days she tends to stick to either historical romance or romantic suspense. When she’s not writing or traveling in search of the perfect setting for her next novel, you can usually find her wielding a pair of knitting needles or a pool cue.

Website: www.margeryscott.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorMargeryScott
Twitter: www.twitter.com/margeryscott

Blurb:
When revenge leads Cade Morgan to hold up a stagecoach and kidnap his childhood friend, Isabella Morrow, he discovers his feelings for her are stronger than ever. He suspects Bella feels the same way, so why is she intent on marrying another man? And what kind of future can he offer her now that he’s wanted by the law?

Buy links:
Amazon: http://amzn.com/B00AXLV0CI

Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Cade/book-LefxdaQv8ECIjdyEipFRbQ/page1.html

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/272538

What’s in a Name? by Tim Smith

Posted on January 24, 2013 by Cindy Woolf

Please help me welcome Tim Smith back to my blog. Tim will be giving away a copy of his newest book, Snowflakes and Palm Trees, to one lucky commentor, so be sure and leave him a comment or a question.

What’s in a Name?

By Tim Smith

Once upon a time I had an idea for a romantic adventure story. I had a ripped from the headlines plot and the ideal hero, a former CIA spook that walked away from the spy biz to live in Key Largo, Florida. He would be cool, tough and sexy, (something most of us aren’t), and would get involved in cool, tough, sexy adventures (something most of us can’t do). There was only one little problem – what should I call him? I had his first name picked out but needed a surname that was unique and wouldn’t conjure up a preconceived image. That eliminated names like Callahan, Savalas, Columbo, Rambo and Bond. I christened him Nick Seven and his first couple of adventures became best sellers and critical hits.

Then I conceived another series featuring a leading man who was light years removed from this character. I named him Vic Fallon and he’s a former police detective in northern Ohio who was discharged for using unnecessary force. He’s now a private investigator, but with a twist. He doesn’t really have to work and only takes jobs when he’s bored or something intrigues him. He’s also the only recurring character, leaving him free to romance a different woman in each story.

Now comes the hard part. How do I keep these two characters straight when I’m writing about them? There are some similarities but I want each to have their own personality. I recalled that when Mickey Spillane wrote about someone other than Mike Hammer, the names might have been different but they were basically the same person. I didn’t want to stumble over that rabbit hole.

Nick Seven is a rather dark character, due to some past experiences when he worked around the globe as a spy. He’s damaged goods and that usually comes into play in each adventure. He lives with a Barbadian beauty named Felicia, who is a former co-worker. All they want to do is live anonymously in The Keys but their former employer has different ideas and each story has a topical theme. Here’s an example from my newest release, Never Look Back:

The last bit of moonlight over Key Largo slowly faded with the arrival of daybreak. The emerging sun was quickly overshadowed by dark clouds rolling in, accompanied by thunder that rumbled over the Gulf of Mexico. Soon the inevitable rain began, pelting the ground with an instant cloudburst, washing away the grime and guilt of the previous night.

Nick Seven watched from the kitchen of his condo that overlooked the Atlantic. He leisurely puffed a cigarette between sips of coffee while his mind wandered, dredging up things from the long ago past.

Pre-dawn has to be the loneliest time of night. It’s worse than midnight, when all the animals come out to play. That’s when you face the ghosts, the bad memories that won’t leave you alone, the ones you can’t exorcise from your soul. Those ghosts are always needy and desperate, like a lot of people. Things happen to average people when they’re desperate. It drives them to do things they’d never think of doing when they’re rational.

Those are the people you watch out for.

* * * *

Vic Fallon, on the other hand, is a throwback to the pulp fiction characters of Chandler, Hammett and Westlake, but in a contemporary setting. Vic is a tough wise-ass who always finds himself in unwanted situations, and his cases can take him anywhere. The women he meets are straight out of an old B movie where the hero takes one on the chin in the name of love. This is the opening from his latest adventure, Lido Key:

I had the craziest damn dream. I was standing on a cloud of white satin while angels strummed their golden harps all around me. I swear one of them looked like Taylor Swift. Then this guy showed up, dressed in a double-breasted blue pinstripe suit and a gray fedora. Looked like he stepped out of an old Bogart movie. No, wait, it wasn’t Bogart, it was Robert Mitchum. Yeah, that’s it. Mitchum handed Taylor a bottle of cheap whiskey and she poured a healthy slug into a tumbler. She smiled when she handed it to me, you know, one of those smiles that tells you everything’s okay even though your gut tells you it isn’t. I drank it down in one swallow then felt lightheaded so I curled up on that satin cloud and fell asleep. Probably shouldn’t have eaten sushi for dinner last night.

Vic Fallon slowly awoke from a deep slumber and looked through one drowsy eye at the clock radio. 8:30. I never sleep this late. Must’ve been more tired than I realized. He stretched his arms and yawned. I never sleep this well in a strange bed the first night away from home, either. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed, blinked a few times to wake up then looked around. His brow furrowed. This isn’t where I fell asleep last night.

* * * *

When I come up with a story idea I have to decide which series it would best fit. If it’s drawn from current events, it would probably work as a Nick Seven spy adventure. If it’s something quirkier I’ll develop it into a Vic Fallon crime caper. The online consequences of sexting inspired Lido Key, and the Wiki-leaks affair served as the jumping off point for Never Look Back.

Someone proposed a wild idea to me recently. They suggested that I put both characters in the same story. Hmm, Nick versus Vic. What a concept! I could also throw in some supporting characters named Rick, Mick and Dick to really confuse things.

Bio:

Tim Smith is an award-winning, bestselling author whose books range from romantic mystery/thrillers to contemporary erotic romance. His website is www.timsmithauthor.com.

Buy Links:

Never Look Back – http://www.amazon.com/Never-Look-Back-Seven-ebook/dp/B0097U8OVG/ref=sr_1_16?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1347412246&sr=1-16&keywords=never+look+back

Lido Key – http://www.amazon.com/Lido-Key-Vic-Fallon-ebook/dp/B0081NXWLC/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1336682390&sr=1-2

Tim Smith’s website – www.timsmithauthor.com.

Sneak Peek of Heiress Bride

Posted on January 22, 2013 by Cindy Woolf

Here is a sneak peek of my upcoming book, the second in the Matchmaker & Co series, Heiress Bride. I hope you like it. Leave me a comment and be entered to win a $5 Starbucks card or a copy of Capital Bride the first in the series. There are two winners so don’t forget to comment.

CHAPTER 1

March 14, 1868
Dear Mrs. Selby,
It is my understanding from your last correspondence that you have found a bride for me. With this letter is a draft in the amount of one hundred dollars for your fee and the train ticket for a certain Miss Ella Davenport from New York City to Denver, in the Colorado Territory.
Thank you for your assistance in this matter.
Sincerely,
Nathan Ravenclaw

Margaret Selby put the letter in the file for Nathan Ravenclaw. The file was thicker than most. He’d been more difficult to help than she’d originally thought he would be. He was a successful rancher it was true but because of his half Arapahoe Indian heritage he was outcast from both the white and the Arapahoe communities. Especially when it came to marriage. They might accept him to do business with but not to marry their sisters or daughters.

She didn’t think she was going to be successful until Ella Davenport came in to her office. Ella was a beautiful young woman with chocolate brown eyes and dark brown hair. She’d been horribly disfigured in a carriage accident and was recluse from her community because of those scars.

Margaret thought these two young people could perhaps help heal each other. She felt this one deep in her bones. This was the right match for them.

She placed the draft in her reticule then readied herself for the short walk to the bank. Her black coat was made of fine wool to withstand the harsh winter wind that whistled between the buildings. She pulled the bright blue scarf over her fiery red hair with not a trace of gray in it despite having reached the age of forty. The scarf was the only splash of color in her entire outfit, even her gloves were black. She blew out the lamp on her desk and closed the door as she left.

Her husband had been kind enough to leave her with this building when he died in the bed of his mistress. He hadn’t managed to leave her with children but he did leave her with a place to run her business and to live. She lived on the second floor of the three story building. The third floor she rented to a young couple for two dollars and fifty cents per month. One quarter of the market rent of ten dollars a month. As part of their rent the young man did the upkeep on the building. It was a beneficial arrangement for all concerned.
She hurried the two blocks to the bank. A storm was approaching and she wanted to be safely tucked in her apartment before it hit.
Miss Davenport was due in the office tomorrow afternoon. In the morning Margaret would go to the train depot and buy the tickets Miss Davenport would need to get her to Denver, in the Colorado Territory. She didn’t want the storm to prevent either of those two things happening but better to put them off than to risk anyone’s safety. She refused to worry about it and would just have to wait until tomorrow to see what the day brought.

She entered the bank at 4:30 PM. It was quiet, the local businesses had not ended their work day. She timed it specifically for that reason. She went to the first open teller, deposited the draft and withdrew the money for the train ticket.
Shoving the money into her reticule she braced for the cold walk back home.
*****
The storm passed in the night leaving a dusting of snow and clear blue skies. Ella Davenport dressed with care for her final meeting with Mrs. Selby. Her black wool skirt and matching jacket were fitted perfectly. She exchewed the bustle that was popular instead preferring a simple A-line skirt. She had her blouses made with a high, straight collar to hide her scars. Her blouses were all plain white. Nothing to attract attention to her face. Even here at home, she was conscious of her facial scars. Today she was going out and would wear the heavy veil to hide her face. It was easier to wear the thick lace than to see the look on people’s faces when they saw her disfigurement. At first horror and then pity. She hated it.

Today she would get her train tickets for the trip west to the Colorado Territory and Mr. Nathan Ravenclaw.

She went down to the breakfast room. It was one of her favorite rooms. The soft blue walls above the chair rail with the dark blue flowered wall paper below appealed to her need for calm. She knew that Cook prepared her favorites for her. Eggs, sausage and mushroom toast.

Joshua was already there dressed in one of his suits. This one brown, the same caramel color as his eyes. Her brother was a handsome man in a quiet way.

“Good morning, brother.”

“Good morning. You look particularly fetching this morning.”

“It’s my final meeting with Mrs. Selby. I get my tickets today.”

Joshua put down his paper and stared at her. “Are you certain this is the right course of action for you? There are dozens of men who would be happy to marry you.”

“You mean they would be happy to marry my money. Or worse yet to marry me out of pity. I don’t want a marriage based on either one of those things. Mr. Ravenclaw knows about my scars but Mrs. Selby said he carries scars of his own because of his heritage. Being half Arapahoe Indian has outcast him from both the whites and the Indians.”

“Have you thought about the fact that if you marry this man you’ll then be outcast as well?”

She finished filling her plate and sat down on her brother’s left. It had become her habit to sit there so he wouldn’t have to look at her scars while he ate. He’d never ask her to do it. Her scars didn’t bother him for the most part, though she occasionally saw pity in his eyes. Then it was gone as quickly as it came.

She sat down, filled her fork with the savory mushroom toast and then set it down again, her appetite suddenly gone. “Have you not looked at me lately? Do you not see the scars on the left side of my face? Do you not see that I have my collars made especially high to cover the ones on my neck? If these are the ones you can see, have you never wondered at the ones you can’t? Not only those on my body but those inside? Am I not already outcast?”

He took a deep breath. “Well, if you’re sure, I will support you. If it doesn’t work out you can always come back here. You will always have a home here with me. I see you have your trunks packed. I’ll have them shipped to you. I don’t want you to have to deal with them when you change trains. From the research I’ve done, you’ll have to change trains at least twice. The trip takes seven days, you may have to change more often than that.”

“I know. I’m prepared. I have one valise with me with a change of clothes in it. I’ll put those on just before I reach Denver. I believe that’s the last stop. Mr. Ravenclaw will have to pick me up from there. I’ve had cook prepare some bread and cheese to take with me and I have cash for the restaurant car on the train. I intend to take the tickets Mrs. Selby gives me and upgrade them to a sleeping car. There is no need to be primitive before I have to be. Listen to me rattle on.” She smiled.

Joshua smiled back. He always told her that her smile transformed her face. That it was so beautiful no one noticed the scars, only her rare beauty.

He set his coffee cup back in the saucer. “I haven’t seen you this excited since,“ he shook his head, “I don’t remember the last time.”

“I am excited. I’m finally getting on with my life. The accident is not going to be what defines me.”

“Well, I only wish they’d caught the man who sabotaged the carriage. You could have died just as father did. I’m sure you were meant to.”

“Probably, but I didn’t. I’m sure it was MacGregor or one of his henchmen who sawed through the carriage axels. They had to be trying to kill us. He’s always wanted the business. Ever since father bought him out and then the business boomed. He wanted back in but father said no. You remember that.”

“Yes, I remember.”

“You’re going to have to be extra careful, Joshua. He’s going to try to kill you too.”
“Now we don’t know that.”

“If we don’t know it, why do you have James and Robert? They’re your body guards. Mine too, if I was staying. I should be safe now that I’m leaving.”

“I’ll be fine. Eat your breakfast and check your hair again. It’s falling on one side.”

“What?” She got up from the table and went to one of the many mirrors that lined the north dining room wall. They made the room seem bigger than it was.

“There’s nothing wrong with my hair you ornery cuss.”

He laughed. “Now, now such language coming from my sweet sister.”

She laughed now too. “There is nothing sweet about your sister and you know it.”

“So you say.”

He had a twinkle in his eye and a smile on his beloved face. She would miss him more than she could say. Though she’d never tell him, she was pretty sure he already knew it. They were as close as a brother and sister could be. Their father’s death in the carriage accident that had so scarred Ella, had brought them even closer together.

Joshua had been at her bedside every day while she was in the hospital and then he’d stayed with her when she came home after all the surgery to save her life. He never winced when he looked at her though she was sure he wanted to. Everyone did at least the first time. Friends feeling the pain she must have gone through, strangers at the ugliness of it.

The veil helped when she traveled outside the house. People were less likely to be horrified by her visage if it was shadowed by the veil. That was another reason for the sleeper cabin, a Pullman car if she could get one, to save other peoples sensibilities. Price wasn’t an object. She could afford what she wanted but she wasn’t willing to buy a husband. She much preferred the idea that a man was willing to pay for her hand in marriage.

Ella prepared to journey into the cold and visit Mrs. Selby. She put on her long, black wool coat, pulled her black wool scarf over her head and around the lower half of her face. Traveling in the cold was easier for her than in warm weather because she could cover the lower half of her face with her scarf and no one thought anything about it. She’d pulled on her winter boots. Lined in soft fur, they kept her feet warm even in the snowy streets.

An Interview with Anna Markland

Posted on January 19, 2013 by Cindy Woolf

Please help me welcome Anna Markland to my blog today. Anna will be giving a digital copy of any one of her books, or a paperback of any one of the four books of The Montbryce Legacy to one lucky commentor, so be sure and leave her a comment.

Thanks for inviting me to blog with you today, Cindy.

I am passionate about medieval romance. History provides fascinating plots and characters. Who could have dreamed up a man like William the Conqueror? I enjoy the research required to provide the reader with an authentic medieval experience. Very often things I discover in my research drive my plots. For example in Dance of Love, I learned about an Islamic physician, Al-Kindi, who created many recipes to alleviate illnesses. I wanted my heroine to have this knowledge, but did not want her to be Islamic. The history of Spain provided a perfect solution. She became the daughter of a Spanish woman carried off to Jerusalem after a battle between the Christian kings and the Moors. (Battle of Sagrajas which the Christian kings lost).

I am currently writing the second book of my fourth series, though it is actually #1 in the series! My mind does not seem to work chronologically. I have a recommended reading sequence on my website for those who prefer to read sagas in chronological order http://annamarkland.com/

I published Dance of Love in early November. It is Book III of the series Montbryce~The Next Generation. The current WIP is Dark Irish Knight, which I hope to have out by February. This book will have something of a paranormal aspect as I introduce the legend of the selkie. The hero’s name is Ronan, which means Son of a Seal.

I never cease to be amazed at where the ideas come from for story lines and events. I have never thought of myself as a creative person, and yet—

Could it be my characters are telling me their stories? Nah!

My least favorite part of writing is editing with “My Stupid Word List”. It is tedious, though necessary.

Some days I do nothing but write. If the inspiration is flowing, I like to go with the flow! Sometimes I spend about half the day on email loops with other authors, setting up and running FREE promotions, tweeting, blogging. I would say I have found the Yahoo loops the most helpful in learning about writing and publishing. I have built some very beneficial relationships with other authors. It is a sharing community.

I love being self published. It frees me to write what I want and not with a view to pleasing a publisher. I can edit my books at will, upload new covers,etc. I also like that I get all the royalties (after Amazon takes its share, of course)

The Montbryces, a noble medieval family from Normandy, is at the heart of all my stories, so I have that basic framework. I have set up a family tree in genealogical software and I pick a son or daughter from one of the descendant lines. I have set their stories in such diverse places as Spain, Germany, Denmark, Wales, Scotland, and of course England and Normandy. Once I choose a location I weave the plot around historical events at the time.

If you are toying with the idea of self publishing, my advice would be to go for it. You have nothing to lose. I decided to let readers judge my books. You’ll get criticism (some of it not so constructive), and you have to learn to ignore the morons and learn from those who genuinely want to help. If you discover editorial flaws, despite your careful editing, it is easy to fix them by uploading a new file. It is imperative to make sure you do edit carefully though, otherwise you lend credence to the false rumour that self published books are inferior to traditionally published ones.

I self published my first book thinking it would be wonderful if I could sell 100 in a year. I am now close to 20000 in my first year and I have 12 books published. Some readers have embraced me wholeheartedly, others have not. You can’t please everybody.

When I am in Canada, I have a large office available to me in my home, but I prefer to sit at a small secretary desk in the living room! There is a sliding glass door out onto the rear deck and I can see the garden from there. I live in the only sub-tropical part of Canada, so I rarely see snow!

When I am in Panama, I have a small desk set up in a spare bedroom in my condo, which is about 25 yards from the Pacific Ocean. My desk does not face the ocean. That would be too distracting. I get some of my best ideas walking along the beach. Las Lajas is somewhat off the beaten track so I rarely bump into anyone.

I really enjoy reading medieval romance. In fact I like historical romance as a whole.

When I thought about writing a novel, I was influenced by the fact I am an avid genealogist. I was born in England and have always had a fancy to trace my own line back to the time of the Norman Conquest. This of course is an impossibility since I am not descended from a noble family (at least I don’t think I am!) In researching the 11th century I came across some very interesting characters and thought their stories would form the basis for a good plot. Once I began I couldn’t stop! The ideas simply poured out. The Montbryces became my family!

I originally wrote over 200,000 words, then decided there were just too many relationships, so I split the manuscript into four separate books, enhancing the story of each hero/heroine. They became the first series, The Montbryce Legacy. That is why there is good continuity in those books—I wrote them all at the same time!

Anna Markland is my pen name. Anna did exist and was actually my 4g great aunt. She died at 15 so never had a chance to experience romance. There was no happily ever after for her, so this is her opportunity!

When I was a child I wanted to be a teacher and that was my profession for many enjoyable years. I love to communicate ideas.

I have a soft spot for two of my books. If Love Dares Enough is probably my favourite, followed by Dance of Love. The hero of Dance of Love is a young warrior plagued by (rheumatoid) arthritis in his hands. This makes it difficult to wield a sword. Because his hands are gnarled, he avoids women, tired of seeing revulsion on many faces as his condition worsened.

His heroine has the ability to help him, if he will allow it, but she too hides a terrible disfigurement. However, where there is great love, there are always miracles. There is an element of the unexplained in this book too.

The action ranges through France and Spain. I learned a lot about the history of Aragon in northeastern Spain while writing this book. Fascinating too was the knowledge medieval people had about natural ingredients which could alleviate the pain of diseases such as arthritis. The pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela also features in the book.

The most rewarding thing about my success is receiving messages from fans telling me I am now their favourite author! The checks are nice too!

Thanks for the opportunity to blog with you. I invite your followers to visit my blog and join me and the Montbryces on our journey through the Middle Ages.

An Interview with Michele Callahan

Posted on January 18, 2013 by Cindy Woolf

Please help me welcome my friend and critique partner, Michele Callahan. Michele is giving away a $5 Starbucks card and a copy of her book Silver Storm to lucky commentors. That means two winners so be sure and leave her a comment.

How did you get started writing?

My mom read fairy tales to me until I was old enough to read them myself. Once you get lost in your first story, you’re never the same again.

What genre(s) do you write in and why?

Thank God for independent publishing. No one would touch my stuff. I had several agents and even more editors ask me, “Which section of the bookstore would your book go on the shelf? I don’t know how to market you.” I don’t fit in a box. My books are a mix of romance, metaphysical, sci-fi, paranormal, and suspense. I entwine science with paranormal and metaphysical phenomenon and then wrap a hot romance around it. In movie terms…I live where Terminator meets Ghost…

Tell us about your current series.

My current series is the Timewalker Chronicles. The Timewalkers are women who have died in their own time and are then taken from Earth in the moment of death by the Archivers. They are genetically enhanced and given special abilities by the Archivers, then sent back in time to prevent major world catastrophes. Of course, it’s never easy, they always run into trouble, and they always fall in love. Red Night’s heroine, Alexa, can make herself invisible and must destroy a deadly virus before it breaks free. Silver Storm’s heroine (Book 2), Sarah, can manipulate energy, and must stop a new, deadly alien weapon from wiping out Chicago. (p.s. You can check out Red Night at Amazon for only $.99 on Kindle.)

What inspired your latest book?

Terminator and Kate & Leopold. I am a huge fan of time travel, especially if there is a love story involved.

What is your favorite part of writing?

Brainstorming. I can come up with some crazy stuff.

What is your least favorite part of writing?

Typing. I hate typing. My dad bought a voice recognition/dictation program for me for Christmas last year and I adored him for it! Yeah, Dad!

What is your next project and when will it be released?

BLUE ABYSS is the third book in the Timewalker Chronicles. It will be out next month. You finally find out who the bad guys really are (you actually see one), who the Archivers are (we get to see their ship), and why they’re all really here. You will meet two new players in the battle for Earth and humanity’s survival. You also get to meet Raiden, a half-immortal hottie who looks a lot like Godfrey Gao (left) – with sexier (Immortal style) hair. Totally hot hero. I’m in love with him right now, but he’s a bit stubborn. Marina, the Timewalker in the story who he falls head-over-heels in love with, can breathe water and has some very interesting friends in the ocean. No cute dolphins for her. I was shocked, then amazed, then totally in awe and adoring of some amazing predators. You can read it as a stand alone, but you’ll have more fun with the characters if you’ve read the other books first.

What is your typical day like?

I am a sprinter, not a plodder. I either work, or I don’t. On working days, I typically put in 16-18 solid hours between the day job, RomCon, and writing. I forget to eat lunch, don’t go to bed until 1-2 am, get up at 6:30 and start again. Off days we call ‘Pajama Days’ at my house. We watch movies, read, make waffles, and order pizza for dinner. I LOVE pajama days. I love to be home relaxing with my family.
How has your experience with self-publishing been? I love it. Total freedom. No rules. There is a lot to learn, but there are people out there blazing the trail and willing to help.

Where do you get the ideas for your stories?

Everywhere. News articles. Dreams. The ether?

What advice do you have for other authors wanting to self-publish?

Don’t rush. Make sure you are publishing the absolute best work you can. Edit it. Format it. Get great cover art. Make it as perfect as you can. Once a reader puts you down, they’re unlikely to pick your books up again. I don’t like to lose a single reader. Every single one of them is important! Self-publishing is a marathon, not a sprint.

What is your favorite dessert/food?

Milk Chocolate and Coca-Cola, preferably together.  (Obviously, I’m a serious health nut.) And make fun of me all you want, but when we go out to eat, I always want to go to Olive Garden, and I always order Chicken Parm. LOL. Exciting, aren’t I?

How likely are people you meet to end up in your next book?

VERY. When I first started writing, I intended to write simple, stand-alone stories. But my twisted brain had other ideas. Especially in the Timewalker series, with all the time loops, you see everyone again. I love it. The characters become like a family and I don’t have to abandon any of them just because their part of the adventure is (mostly) over. They get to help and be involved in the next stories. I love that, because I get so attached to all of them. They become real people in my mind. If I’m not able to spend any time with them, I miss them and wonder what they’re up to. I like to visit them in their Happily-Ever-After.

Was your road to publication fraught with peril or a walk in the park?

I’ve been writing, on and off, for 23 years. In the mean time I got married, had children, went through losing my grandma and then my mom to cancer, and all of the usual life events that wear us out and steal our time. So, I wouldn’t say it’s been either. It’s been a challenge, and an adventure. But even when I was driving carpool, I wasn’t thinking about the day, or what to make for dinner, I was thinking about my stories. They simply refused to die. That’s what makes a writer, in my opinion. No matter what you’re doing, the stories keep spinning. It’s getting them out of your head and onto the page that’s tough. That’s where the published and the unpublished differ. Write. The. Words.

Tell us about your hero. Give us one of his strengths and one of his weaknesses.

Raiden, Half-Immortal Prince who was attacked, betrayed, and left for dead (until the heroine finds him). Strengths – Determination and Honor. Weakness – He doesn’t like to bend…

Tell us about your heroine. Give us one of her strengths and one of her weaknesses.

Marina Lucia Jean-Menette, Grew up in Santa Fe, loves to scuba dive, has nightmares that are more than simple dreams… Sent back in time to save Raiden from certain death. She can breathe water and heal. Strength – Independence and Courage. Weakness – She has walls around her heart and a secret, very personal mission she can’t abandon…even for a prince.

What genres are you drawn to as a reader?

I love to read. Romance. Thrillers. Suspense. Historical. Paranormal. Contemporary. High Fantasy. Urban fantasy. I like smart books and characters that feel real. Don’t read historical fiction or non-fiction much. (Yawn…)
Having achieved your goal to be a published author, what is the most rewarding thing? Re-reading a story I wrote after a long break (so I forget some stuff) and thinking…”Wow! That didn’t suck!”

Are you a member of any writing organizations and, if so, have they helped.

I am very involved in RomCon and their annual romance reader convention. Love it.

What’s next for you?

Hmmm? Not sure, but the bad guys are getting pretty scary. I think I need some Bad Ass Alpha Warriors to kick their you-know-whats… DarkWalkers anyone? (Oh, heck yeah!)

Buy Links:
Red Night: http://www.amazon.com/Night-Book-Timewalker-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B004Z9ADW2/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1

Silver Storm: http://www.amazon.com/Silver-Storm-Timewalker-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B007U0VXLI/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1

Interview with Sara Walter-Ellwood

Posted on January 16, 2013 by Cindy Woolf

Tell us about your current series.

The Colton Gamblers is basically a family saga sort of thing set in a small fictional Texas town of Colton that seems to have a sudden run on fraud, rustlings, murders, stalkers, and kidnappings. The books are all romantic suspense, some more heavily so then others. All the stories build on the one before it—however each book is written to be a standalone and have a different hero/heroine. The characters are somehow tied to the founding gamblers of Colton—the exceptions being the heroine in book 1 and the second hero in book 5 (but they are sister and brother). The “blurb” for the series is in foreword of Gambling On A Secret and on my website:

In 1865, three disillusioned first cousins return from the battlefields of the defeated South to find their home in East Texas a shambles. Determined to make a new start, they head west. In the cowboy town of Dallas, Texas, they decide to pool the few silver dollars they have between them and enter into a poker game. With their gamble, they win over 100,000 acres of good grassland in Central Texas. Over the next century and a half, their descendents build a fortune in cattle and oil, but as time goes by, greed erodes their family bond.

These are the stories of the eighth generation gambling on love and bringing back the bond of family…

Book One—Gambling On A Secret (January 7, 2013)
Book Two—Gambling On A Heart (tentative release of September 2013)
Book Three— Gambling On A Dream (my current WIP)
Book Four—Gambling On A Wish
Book Five—Gambling On A Song
Book Six—Gambling On A Lady

Due to the fact there are so many characters and family dynamics involved, I’ve created complete family trees for each of the three clans—The Cartwrights, The Blackwells and The Fergusons. They are posted on my website.

What is your next project and when will it be released?

Heartstrings is due out in April and also a contemporary Western. The hero is a sexy mega country music star and the heroine is a Native American registered nurse who made a terrible mistake when she married their mutual best friend to make sure her baby had a father. It is also set in a fictional town in Texas.

What is your typical day like?

I work full time, so I don’t start writing until after I get dinner on the table at 6 PM and the dishes done and spend some time with the family. By this time it’s 7:45 or so. I usually try to breeze through my emails while I’m making dinner, so that I can write for a few hours. I try to get to blogs and stuff like that before 11 PM, but some days I just can’t make the rounds. On the weekends, I usually spend one of the days doing laundry and cleaning the house and one day for family and writing.

Do you have critique partners?

Oh God yes! My two main CPs for Gambling On A Secret were D’Ann Lindum and Martha Ramirez. D’Ann has been amazing and a Godsend when we met by chance on one of the writer’s YahooGroups a few years ago. She’s taught me so much, not just about writing, but about the West. What I love about Martha is she and I don’t write in the same genres. She writes mostly sweet or YA and I write spicy contemporary and paranormal and would never think of writing YA. What she brings to a critique is seeing the story from different angles. I value both their opinions and wouldn’t be here without them.

Was your road to publication fraught with peril or a walk in the park?

I don’t consider my road to publication to be either. I didn’t struggle to get published as long as some, but I had to work to get here. Both Gambling On A Secret and Heartstrings were rewritten so many times it’s not funny. But once I got it right, publication came quickly.

Give us an elevator pitch for your book.

“When a mysterious runaway-turned-heiress trusts a drunk ex-soldier to rebuild her ranch, an entire town is shaken to its core as more secrets than just hers are revealed.”

I came up with this in a high concept class taught by Lori Wilde last summer. It’s the same pitch I’d used on the blog that landed me my contract with Lyrical Press.

Tell us about your hero. Give us one of his strengths and one of his weaknesses.

Special Forces Captain Dylan Quinn is a veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. During his last tour, his Delta Team was ambushed and received incredible losses. Dylan blames himself for the deaths of his guys, since he was their commander and his mind wasn’t in the game. Two days before the mission in support of Seal Team 6, he receives a Dear John letter from his wife of 10 years—she wants a divorce and is pregnant with another man’s baby. He has PTSD and is an alcoholic. But despite his military upbringing—his father is a general—all he ever wanted to be was a cowboy and own a ranch.

His greatest strength is his loyalty and honor. His weakness is not believing in himself.

Tell us about your heroine. Give us one of her strengths and one of her weaknesses.

Charli Monroe is the heiress to a fortune, but she has a dark past. At age 15 she ran away from home and her verbally abusive grandfather. She ended up on the streets of Las Vegas where she found work as a stripper and prostitute to support her cocaine habit. Her abusive pimp was also her “husband” and controlled her by withholding the drugs she was so addicted to. After serving a year in jail for a crime she unknowingly helped him to commit—all by the time she’s aged 19, she goes home to her grandfather. He’s a changed man, and for the next few years, she learns about his ranch. But when he dies, she heads to Colton where she buys the dilapidated Blackwell Ranch. She’s a hard worker and determined to change her life around. And to do so, she plans to help young women like herself by eventually earning a social work degree and opening up her remodeled home to troubled teenage girls.

Her biggest strength is her big heart and need to help anyone who needs it. Her weakness is her need to hide the past instead of facing it which causes her to be blind to what his happening now.

Are you a member of any writing organizations and, if so, have they helped?

Yes! I’m a member of the RWA and my local RWA Chapter. I also am on many a dozen or so YahooGroups. I’ve learned so much from all of them.

Will you share some encouraging words for authors still struggling for that first contract?

As cliché as it sounds, it’s also the most true statement out there—DON’T EVER GIVE UP. But what does this mean?
*Learn as much as you can about craft, writing and even the business. (I personally wish I’d spent more time learning the business end of things before I was published.)
*Network as much as possible because this will help you after you are published. Don’t think you don’t need a website or to blog or Facebook/Twitter before the contracts—you need to do this before.
*Take a good hard look at why you’re getting rejected. If you’ve moved from form/or no-letter-at-all rejections to helpful ones, consider what the editor/agent is telling you. If you have more than one or two letters that are telling you the same sort of things, chances are those are the things you need to fix.

Blurb:
When Charli bets everything on a secret, will she find the deck stacked against her?

Former runaway-turned heiress Charli Monroe is hiding her sordid past and planning a future in Colton, Texas. Attending the local college for a degree in social work, she intends to raise cattle on her newly purchased ranch, which she plans to open as a home for troubled teens. Only a few glitches—the Victorian mansion is crumbling, the barn needs a roof, and her oilman neighbor wants more than friendship. When she meets Dylan Quinn, Charli is willing to take a chance on the town drunk to help her rebuild the rundown ranch.

Dylan has his demons, too. The former Special Forces commander can’t get past his ex-wife’s betrayal and the botched mission that left him with much more than a bad limp. Certain the greedy oilman next door to Charli wants much more than just her heart, Dylan’s even willing to stop drinking in order to protect her.

When things get dangerous and secrets of the past are revealed, is he only looking out for his new employer, or is she the new start he so desperately needs?

CONTENT WARNING: Details abuse of a minor, drug abuse, alcoholism, swearing, spicy sex, murder.

COVER QUOTE: “Full of intrigue, tangled pasts, and raw emotions, this one is guaranteed to keep you turning pages from start to finish and then wishing for one more chapter!”
Carolyn Brown, New York Times bestselling author of Just a Cowboy and His Baby.
Ms. Brown also named Gambling On A Secret as one of her favorite romance reads in 2012 in the

Happy Ever After Blog on USA Today

Excerpt:
“Ferguson, what are you doing here?” Dylan barked.

Leon ambled toward them on the stone path. “I’m saving a young maiden from torment. What are you doing here, playing the part of the devil?”

“I’m Miss Monroe’s new manager.” The deadly edge of his voice matched the flintiness of his eyes. “If there’s anyone to save the young maiden from, it’s you.”

“Mr. Quinn, please.” She turned to Leon. “Leon, is there something I can do for you?”

He smiled, showing off perfect white teeth in a face handsome enough to belong to an actor. “I was just passing by on my way home and decided to stop. How are the boys working out?”

Dylan’s stance widened and his hands flexed at his slides. “What boys?”

“Charli and I have entered into a business arrangement.”

She lost the battle with the urge to wrap her arms around herself. As much as she appreciated Leon’s kindness, respected him, and was even a little attracted to him, something about him didn’t sit right with her. He represented her peers in the community. According to Mrs. Pratt, besides the Cartwrights, she and Leon were undoubtedly the wealthiest residents in the county. No one in Colton could learn about her past. It would ruin her, and Leon, no doubt, had the means to dig up the dirt.

“Really?” Dylan stepped closer to her in a protective manner. Whiskey tainted his breath as the warmth of the exhalations tickled her cheek. “What kind of business arrangement?”

She could protect herself. Dylan Quinn wasn’t any safer than Leon Ferguson. Stepping away from him, she forced her arms to her sides. “Mr. Quinn, I can handle this.”

She faced Leon. “I’m amazed by how much the men got done since starting on Monday. The foreman told me last evening they’d be reseeding another fifty acres for hay this morning. And they have the corrals fixed and started on the fencing in the north pasture.”

“Good, good.” He glanced at Dylan. “I’ll be going, unless you need a more reliable exterminator. I couldn’t help but overhear about your snake infestation. I can give you the name of the company that has gotten rid of the snakes in our lakes over on Oak Springs for years.”

Although he presented the perfect solution, she didn’t the like way Leon had looked at Dylan as he said the word exterminator. “No, Mr. Quinn is quite capable of getting rid of the snake.”

“Oh, I’m sure he is.” Leon tipped his hat. “Let me know if there’s anything else I can do for you, Charli.” Dylan’s jaw tightened as his uncle glanced at him. “It’s good to see you up among the living again.”

Leon headed back to his Porsche. With no pretense of lowering his voice, Dylan said, “Now, there’s a snake no one wants in their garden.”

Upon hearing the jibe, Leon’s shoulders jerked in mid-stride.

Rattled by Leon’s attention and the snake fiasco, she turned on Dylan. “You aren’t off the hook. I want those snakes gone.”

“We’ll see.”

“I hate snakes.” She shuddered and put her hands on her hips. “Maybe I should have asked him who the exterminator is.”

Bio:
Sara Walter Ellwood is an award winning author whose novel Gambling On A Secret was named by bestselling author Carolyn Brown in the Happy Ever After Blog on USA Today as one of her favorite romances of 2012. Although Sara has long ago left the farm for the glamour of the big town, she draws on her experiences growing up on a small hobby farm in West Central Pennsylvania to write her stories. She’s been married to her college sweetheart for nearly 20 years, and they have two teenagers and one very spoiled rescue cat named Penny. She longs to visit the places she writes about and jokes she’s a cowgirl at heart stuck in Pennsylvania suburbia.

She also writes paranormal romantic suspense under the pen name Cera duBois.

Buy Links:
Lyrical Press: http://www.lyricalpress.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=3_25&products_id=574
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Gambling-Secret-Colter-Gamblers-ebook/dp/B00AVLL4XA/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1357261386&sr=1-1
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/gambling-on-a-secret-sara-walter-ellwood/1114062294?ean=2940016153667
BookStrand: http://www.bookstrand.com/gambling-on-a-secret

Author links:
Website: http://www.sarawalterellwood.com
Blog: http://www.sarawalterellwood.com/blog/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sarawalterellwood.ceradubois/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/sara_w_ellwood

Giveaway:
**PLEASE LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE GIVEAWAY**
~One poster from every stop will win a Gambling On A Secret ebook
~One commenter from each stop will win a piece of custom jewelry.
(The winners of these two prizes will be announced the day after the tour stop.)

I also have 2 Grand Prizes!

~First Grand Prize is a SWAG PACK, including a signed copy of Carolyn Brown’s Just a Cowboy and His Baby. Also included is a copy of D’Ann Lindun’s Shot Through the Heart, a pen, a notebook, a horse themed mini calendar, a patriotic themed day planner, and more all tucked away in a reusable tote bag at the end of my blog tour.

~Second Grand Prize is a $10 Gift Card to either Amazon or Barnes and Noble. If you follow the tour and comment as often as possible, you increase your chances of winning!
(The winners of the Swag Pack and Gift Card will be announced on March 1, 2013.)
(Swag Pack is only eligible for US residents to win. The jewelry and gift card are eligible to US and Canada residents only. The ebook is eligible to anyone, unless prohibited by law.)

IN MEMORY OF CJ SNYDER

Posted on January 15, 2013 by Cindy Woolf

My dear friend CJ Snyder, Jan to her friends, passed from this world night before last and took her bright, shining light with her. She was much too young, only 57. She was an accomplished and brilliant writer with three books published, DEAD TO RIGHT, the much anticipated finale of her Black Fire trilogy, coming soon and so many more in her mind. Her thrilling, romantic suspense novels, WHILE YOU WERE DEAD, DEAD RECKONING and MAVERICK are some of the best books you’ll ever read. Her covers and the buy links follow. I hope you’ll take advantage and read her legacy.

I’m going to miss my friend and critique partner. I already do. I miss her smile and laugh. Her quick wit and thoughtful comments. The void she has left in our lives is huge and cannot be filled. She bravely fought and won the battle against breast cancer all the while, unknown to anyone, pancreatic cancer was growing inside. The only blessing in this is that she did not linger and now she will join her beloved husband Hal, who preceded her in death.

Jan leaves behind four children and nine grandchildren, her mother, sister, two brothers and many grateful friends. We will all miss her dearly.

Amazon buy link – http://amzn.com/B006PTW9WW

Amazon buy link – http://amzn.com/B007P0OIKG

Amazon buy link – http://amzn.com/B007A99S9S

Interview with Elysa Hendricks

Posted on January 14, 2013 by Cindy Woolf

Please help me welcome Elysa Hendricks back to my blog. Elysa has a new book out, The Sword and the Pen. She’ll be giving a copy of this book to one lucky commentor, so be sure and leave her a comment.

1.What genre(s) do you write in and why?
I write across multiple genres of romance – contemporary, historical, fantasy and sci-fi – sometimes the lines as to which is which blur. Each story is written in the genre that suits it best.
THE SWORD AND THE PEN combines a contemporary setting with a fantasy element. What would happen if an author’s fictional creation came to life?

2. What is your favorite part of writing?

The best part of writing is hearing from readers. There’s nothing better than knowing that something I’ve created has made someone laugh or cry, and has helped them spend a few pleasant hours escaping from “real” life. Aside from that I love writing my favorite two words THE END. Depositing royalty checks is always fun, too.
I do enjoy doing research as well as brainstorming story ideas with other authors.

3. What is your least favorite part of writing?

My least favorite part of writing is the actual process of writing. It’s hard work and I’m never 100% happy with the words I manage to get down. I angst over each word, sentence, paragraph, and plot point. Did I handle the action well? Does the narrative flow? Do the descriptions add to the story or are they intrusive? Are the characters, their actions and dialogue believable? I always feel I can do better, so I spend a lot of time editing, revising and polishing my work.

4. What is your typical day like?

Let’s see. A typical day in my life goes something like this:
8:00 The maid opens my drapes and brings me a yummy breakfast in bed.
8:30 My masseuse gives me a massage.
9:00 – Noon I spend in my office writing.
Noon – 1:00 Lunch with friends at the club or something thrown together by my live-in chef.
1:00-3:00 More writing/research/promotional work.
3:00 – 3:30 Another massage or a dip in the pool/hot tub.
3:30 – 5:00 Out shopping or reading.
5:00 – 7:00 Dinner with hubby and/or friends.
7:00 – Bedtime Is spent with hubby and/or friends watching TV, going to the movies, plays, etc.
Yeah, right! If you believe that I have some ocean front property in Kansas to sell you. There’s never a “typical” day for me. I try to write every day, but life seems to conspire against me. I’m fortunate that I don’t haveto try and juggle my writing around a full time day job, but I still find myself struggling to find writing time and energy (at least together.) Laundry, household chores, meal preparations, and other mundane tasks seem to eat up my life. I only write during the weekdays. Evenings and weekends are reserved for spending time with my husband, family, and friends. That’s the only part of my “typical” day that’s real.

5. How much time do you spend promoting your books? What works best for you?

I spend way too much time promoting. I think I’ve tried just about everything that doesn’t cost a lot of money. Poor “starving” author here. But I’ve yet to figure out what works best. I have books I haven’t done much promotion for that sell really well and books I’ve spent hours promoting that don’t sell at all. If anyone has any secrets to share, I’d love to hear them.

6. How has your experience with self-publishing been?

After doing the traditional publishing route for over ten years and never earning out my meager advances I jumped into the self-publishing pond (ocean) about a year and a half ago and I love it. Being a control freak I like being in charge of my product from the content to the cover art. That said, self-publishing has a steep learning curve and doing everything myself eats up a lot of time and energy I could use for writing. It’s very easy to get sucked into the technical and promotional aspects of self-publishing to the detriment of the actual writing.

I haven’t had the success of some, but for the first time in my writing career people are reading my books and I’m making money every month, so I couldn’t be more pleased. Well, a best seller or two and tens of thousands of dollars in sales wouldn’t be bad.

7. Give us an elevator pitch for your book.

When Brandon Davis’s fictional character Serilda invades his life, the slightly neurotic sword and sorcery author finally learns what it means to live.

8. Has your muse always known what genre you would write and be published in?

My muse is a flighty, fickle little witch who lives in the attic of my mind. She comes and goes on her own time table without a thought as to how her absence impacts my work. She likes so many different genres of fiction, especially in romance, that it’s hard to pin her down as she flits from story to story like a bee from flower to flower. Still, I wouldn’t trade her in for another. She encourages and inspires me with her energy and imagination. She also does her best to banish the “evil” inner critic who lurks in the basement and loves to bash my work.

9. Tell us a little about yourself and your latest book.

My life is so totally bland, beige, boring it’s hardly worth talking about. All the exciting stuff happens in my books and that’s just the way I like it. My motto is: Boring is good. Excitement (in real life) is vastly overrated.
Brandon Davis the author hero in THE SWORD AND THE PEN has lived by this motto most of his life. It isn’t until Serilda, the fictional character in his popular warrior woman series – the one he’s about to kill off – turns up as a flesh and blood woman in his study that he realizes life is a crazy adventure worth living. And that for love any man can be a hero.

THE SWORD AND THE PEN is what I call my Xena – The Warrior Princess meets Stranger Than Fiction story. It was inspired in part by an old Twilight Zone episode – A World of His Own starring Keenan Wynn about a playwright who can dictate his characters into life. If anyone is interested they can watch the episode on YouTube at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVHfJ3Kb61A for Part I and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=el8-ARmgDFk for Part II.
If you’d like to know more about me or my books, you can find me on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Elysa-Hendricks-Author/137316289643103
Or check out my web site: http://www.elysahendricks.com

Here’s an excerpt from THE SWORD AND THE PEN when Brandon first meets Serilda in the “real” world.

She poked him in the arm with the tip of her sword.
“Ow!” Brandon scooted back, nearly under his desk.
“Warrior? Priest? Sorcerer?” She crouched down to rest on her heels, and stared at him. The position put her full breasts nearly in his face. “Definitely not a warrior.” She pinched his arm. “You have muscle, but not enough to wield a sword in battle. No courage, either. Priest? Unlikely. They don’t fear the sword. Only their god makes them cower. Wizard? Perhaps, but not one of any power, or else I’d be at your feet. So…you’re the wizard’s assistant most likely.” As if satisfied with her conclusion, she rose to her feet.
“Get up. I’ll not harm you. I wish to speak to your master. He and I have business to discuss.”
Brandon eyed the woman warily. Though her speech and clothing were odd, she sounded and looked extremely familiar. Why? Was she a crazy fan he’d somehow communicated with before?
To be honest, she bore a striking resemblance to Serilda, if shorter. She was five feet seven or eight inches, rather than six feet, and she was less buxom and had softer features than the character he’d ultimately developed.
Despite the trampy clothing and hard scowl, she was attractive. Short reddish blonde curls framed an elfin face. Dark lashes fringed large, cat-like green eyes. Sun-kissed skin covered high cheekbones, and her lips, though currently set in a hard line, were full and red.
“I said get up!” She grabbed his arm and hauled him to his feet.
He was surprised that, when he stood, he topped her by a good six inches and probably outweighed her by sixty pounds. That size difference gave him a bit of confidence, but the nasty-looking sword she held with such self-assurance negated it. One could never trust the actions of a crazy person.
“Who are you?” She looked him up and down then seemed to dismiss him.
“Brandon Alexander Davis. This is my home.”
Unimpressed, she laughed. “Brandon? What kind of name is that? Bran is what I eat to ease my bowels.”
Heat crept up Brandon’s neck. “Who the hell are you? And what are you doing here in that ridiculous costume?”
“Who I am and” — two spots of color stained her cheeks — “what I wear is a matter I will discuss with your master. Where is he? Has he run to hide from me? It will do him no good. I’m determined to find him and solve this.”
“I don’t have a master. I live here alone.” Damn! Why had he told her that? He eased back from the lunatic toward the phone. Could he wrest the sword away from her before then?
His size would be an advantage, but even standing at ease, the woman radiated strength and skill. The odds seemed against him. To win he’d have to hit her– hard– and he doubted he could bring himself to do so. The lessons of chivalry his grandmother had taught were too deeply ingrained. In that way, he and Donoval were of one mind. No matter how greatly provoked, men didn’t hit women.
Although, the thought of wrestling with this woman was appealing.
“No master? Do not lie to me.” The lunatic’s fingers flexed around the hilt of her sword.
“Why would I lie?” he snapped. “It’s obvious your beef is with someone else. If I knew who and where he was, why would I protect him?”
“Because you’re a coward. A powerful sorcerer inspires fear if not loyalty in his minions. But you should fear me more than him,” she warned.
“There is no him! I’m the only one here. And I’m not a coward.” Being called one triggered something inside him. Having phobias about crowds, insects and small furry animals didn’t make him a coward. Not really.
She gave him a thoughtful look. “Is it possible? Are you the one?”
“The one what?”
She ignored his question and studied him. Her intense perusal made him squirm.
“Why didn’t I see the resemblance?” she murmured.
“What resemblance?” He didn’t like the turn of this conversation. Come to think of it, he hadn’t liked the original direction, either.
“To Donoval. You are him– in form at least.” A bit of fear crossed her features, though anger quickly erased it. “I’m loath to believe it, but you are the wizard. Did you construct me so you could play God in my world? Does it give you pleasure to toy with me?”
“What the hell are you talking about? Play God? I’m just a writer trying to make a living. I write stories for people to read and enjoy. It’s just entertainment.”

THE SWORD AND THE PEN IS Available for $3.99 from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Sony, and for other ereaders via Smashwords.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Sword-And-Pen-ebook/dp/B008E6XBDK
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sword-and-the-pen-elysa-hendricks/1100672461?ean=2940044775626
http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/The-Sword-And-The-Pen/book-f-N78SIv4ESZ3SNs00eX-g/page1.html?s=HPE8a53zzUuVTEx2kJUunw&r=1
https://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/elysa-hendricks/the-sword-and-the-pen/_/R-400000000000000778978
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/211282

An Interview with Robin D. Owens

Posted on January 11, 2013 by Cindy Woolf

Please help me welcome my friend Robin D. Owens to my blog today. Be sure to leave her a comment to be in the drawing for her prize, a copy of Feral Magic or Enchanted Ever After in PDF format, winners choice and for a second winner a $5 Starbucks card.

How did you get started writing?

I actually wrote bits and pieces of scenes since I was a child, and often felt the need to write. When a guy dumped me (I was giving 75% of my creative energy to that relationship), I took a course one spring through Colorado Free University on Writing Romantic Suspense…met my mentor and great friend, Cassie Miles (single mother who writes for Harlequin Intrigue and raised and supported two daughters on her income). Over the course of that summer (mumble, mumble years ago), I wrote a book without benefit of critique. Even after two revisions it remains terrible. Then I got sucked into Rocky Mtn Fiction Writers who taught me how to write.

Tell us about your current series.

I have three. The “Heart/Celta” books set on a world colonized by Earth people with psi 400 years before, with a Celtic/pagan society culturally and rather England Regency-like socially and politically. People have magic/psi powers I call Flair, but I’m most known for my telepathic animal companions (telepathic cats with attitude = redundant). Berkley publishes that series which has eleven books and one novella collection, starting with HeartMate and as far as Heart Secret…

I JUST published my first enovella, Feral Magic, which is a contemporary paranormal shapeshifter work, set in Denver. My heroine, Brandy, recently had a near death experience and “awoke” to find that she was now telepathic with cats (see a theme here? My readers love my animals, and I love writing them). Brandy is informed that there is a “lost one,” when she finds a cub instead of a kitten, she takes him home then is stunned when he transforms into a human baby, and even more thrill—uh, surprised—when his sexy uncle shows up in jaguar form to retrieve his nephew. This is a sexy romantic enovella.

My series published by Luna is more fantasy for women with romantic subplot. Enchanted Ever After (new) has a human woman becoming a magical being…merfolk. The Mystic Circle cul-de-sac is again in Denver, a magical place of brownies and djinns and treefolk and airsprites…

What inspired your latest book?

For Enchanted Ever After, it was the movie The Last Starfighter, or Ender’s Game (book), By Orson Scott Card. For Feral Magic – I don’t know, I had the idea and sat down writing a couple of years ago – a missing baby and a woman who finds a jaguar in her back alley… but I didn’t think I could sell it, and so it sat in my computer files until epublishing came around.

What is your favorite part of writing?

Waiting to hear something from a traditional publisher.

Do you have critique partners?
I couldn’t function without my critique partners. They tell me when something is cliché, when what is in my head didn’t make it onto the page, when I’ve repeated a plot twist in the last three books. They are invaluable, especially helping with back cover copy, blurbs, etc.

How likely are people you meet to end up in your next book? Well, if you subject me to the worst humiliation I’ve ever felt in my life, you will find yourself in an evil rain of wormlike frinks (first Luna Summoning series), swallow them and explode. If you make an impression you might become a helper or a friend or an acquaintance to hero or heroine.

Do you have a view in your writing space? What does your space look like?

I once looked at offices of writers. on the net. The only person’s whose desk was messier than mine was Jennifer Crusie. I won’t be posting shots.

Excerpt from Feral Magic, Dak is the hero, black werejaguar, Brandy is the heroine, human:

Purrs roused Dak near dawn and he tensed, stared at the small, black female cat who’d awoken him. He’d gotten no more than a couple of hours of sleep and weariness dragged at him.

After a disrespectful conversation, the cat led him to food. She slunk over to a few bites in a dish set outside a wooden fence. Dak’s nose twitched. He hadn’t eaten for a long time. He stared at the cat. He supposed it would be rude to eat her. No matter how irritating she’d been, she’d helped him. And he really didn’t eat felines. Except after battle with his enemies.

He caught a whiff of something and his heavy mane lifted along his spine. His nephew, Favel!

With one leap he was over the fence…and hit by two small and plump cat bodies.

This is OUR house, go away! said the black and white one.

Go, go, go! said the long-haired black.

I have come for my kit, Dak snarled, putting vibrato into his threat.

The thing. He has come for the thing! the younger, long-haired cat said.

Good. He can have the thing. He is another thing. Black-and-white cat was older and dominant. Dak sensed that though the two lived together they weren’t family or friendly.
The black-and-white cat lifted his lip to show tiny fangs.

Dak let his growl rumble all the way from his gut.

The damn black cat shrieked. Neither of the small ones backed down. He could admire their courage even as their foolhardiness disgusted him.

Creaking door, stomping feet. The hopeful and wonderful smell of Dark Panther Klatch shit and urine – Favel!

“What’s going on here?” A woman walked out, holding the baby who wore a cloth on his nethers!

Dak bounded over the small cats, sending them tumbling with his tail.

*~*~*
Brandy froze, angled her body to protect the baby. Her heart pounded. The one step back into the house and closing the door would be too slow.

The threatening black jaguar pinned her with his glare. His head was taller than her waist. She’d viewed a lot of photos of wild cats on the internet, and though the cat had a jaguar’s facial features and build, his mane was a lion’s, long and growing nearly halfway down his back.

Huge, bigger than any of the “largest” stats. Longer, heavier. Bigger teeth.

His upper lip had risen, showing really scary fangs. A dangerous, predatory, intelligent purple gaze watched her.

She managed a tiny swallow. She’d known Stanley had been well cared for. But why hadn’t she thought someone – something – would come for him?

The adult version of Stanley tilted his head back and his nostrils flared. His plumeless tail lashed.

Don’t run. Don’t run. Don’t run. Mountain lions. Make yourself appear bigger! Yell! She didn’t think that would work with this beast. She supposed she was lucky seeing him at all instead of being ambushed and killed. She took a step back. Didn’t stumble over the threshold.

He prowled forward.

BIO

RITA® Award Winning novelist Robin D. Owens credits the telepathic cat with attitude in selling her first futuristic/fantasy romance, HeartMate, published in December 2001. Since then she has written eleven books in the series. Her five book Luna series included average American women Summoned into another dimension to save a world. Her new Mystic Circle series is a mixture of contemporary urban and romantic fantasy set in Denver. She is profoundly thankful to be recipient of the 2004 Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers’ Writer of the Year award as well as the 2011 Writer of the Year Award, the Colorado Romance Writers Lifetime Achievement Award and the 2010 Best Paranormal and Best of the Best Daphne Du Maurier Award.

Cynthia Woolf

Cynthia Woolf creates stories in the Old West she loves. Whether it be a mail-order bride or bounty hunter, she has a story for you.

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