Please help me welcome Kristine Cayne to my blog today. Kristine will egift 2 copies of Under His Command to be released on December 17th. To be entered, the commenters need to leave their email address and choice of vendor. They will receive the book on December 17th.

How did you get started writing?

The very first thing I did when I decided I was serious about writing was to take some creative writing classes at my local community college. After that, I joined my local RWA chapter and met some wonderful authors who mentored me. I’ll always be grateful to them.

Tell us about your current series.

I’m currently working on two series: my Deadly Vices romantic suspense series and my Six-Alarm-Sexy erotic romance series. Each book in this series focuses on some trait that is usually seen as a vice of some sort: obsession, addiction, betrayal, deception, etc. The heroes and heroines are from different cultures and backgrounds. They often speak different languages and follow a different religion. These stories about being attracted to your opposite and the compromises that entails.

My Six-Alarm-Sexy series revolves around a group of Seattle technical rescue firefighters. These brave men and women face life and death situations on a daily basis. This series delves into the private lives of these adrenaline junkies and explores the impact of their profession on their relationships, both with their families and potential lifemates.

What inspired your latest book?

I’ve always written alpha heroes, but I haven’t written about any traditional heroes like police officers, military men, or firefighters. Personally, I think firefighters are extremely hot. And I thought it would be fun to write about the extraordinary members of the technical rescue teams, those men and women who do some of the hardest rescues, but usually get the least attention.

What is your favorite part of writing?

Although it’s very difficult, I enjoy writing the draft. I love seeing how the story develops and takes form on the page, how the characters take on an identity and grow as the story unfolds. It’s magical.

What is your least favorite part of writing?

In many ways, I don’t like editing as much as writing the draft because it’s the nitpicky part of writing. It can take hours to get a particular sentence just right, or to find the word that suits exactly. On the other hand, the editing phase is where the story goes from being a pretty stone to a shiny jewel. It’s very satisfying once it’s done. 

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

Under His Command, the first book in the Six-Alarm-Sexy series, releases on December 17th! I’m very excited to share this story with readers. I’m busy editing it now and I’m working very hard to make it the brightest jewel on the shelf!

The prequel to the series, “Aftershocks”, was released as part of an anthology in October.

What is your typical day like?

On a typical day, I spend the first two hours waking up while going through my email, checking my Facebook and Twitter feeds, and reading a few blogs. After that, I have some breakfast, then I get down to writing or editing. Twice a week, in the afternoons, I meet with my critique partner to review our latest work, ask questions, and discuss industry changes. Every day, I also have to find the time to fit in some blog posts, interviews, and of course, promotion.

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

I probably spend about 2-3 hours a day working on promotion. In this, I include such things as interacting with readers on Facebook and Twitter, answering reader emails, blog hops, blog posts, contests, book tours, etc. Advertising on some sites has worked for me, but rarely has anything worked as well as having one of my books features on a major reader-oriented Facebook page.

How has your experience with self-publishing been?

I’m really enjoying the experience so far. I’m not Amanda Hocking, but I’m slowly acquiring readers who genuinely like my writing and who look forward to my next books. It’s a fabulous feeling! And so much better for my personal well-being than riding the reject-o-round for years and years.

Do you have critique partners?

I have one critique partner, Dana Delamar, whom I meet with twice a week. She’s an amazing author and editor. She’s taught me so much and I’m thrilled to have embarked on the self-publishing journey with her. I’m also part of the Rainy Day Writers group. We’re six writers who meet about twice a month to share our writing and our news. We recently collaborated on the Romance in the Rain Anthology where we each wrote a novella in which our hero or heroine was a member of the Caldwell family over four generations. It was a wonderfully rewarding experience!

What are you currently working on?

I’m working on the plot for Deadly Betrayal, the third book in my Deadly Vices series. I also have a high concept for Everything Bared, the second book in the Six-Alarm-Sexy series.

BIO

Award-winning author Kristine Cayne is fascinated by the mysteries of human psychology—twisted secrets, deep-seated beliefs, out-of-control desires. Add in high-stakes scenarios and real-world villains, and you have a story worth writing, and reading.

The heroes and heroines of her Deadly Vices series are pitted against each other by their radically opposing life experiences. By overcoming their differences and finding common ground, they triumph over their enemies and find true happiness in each other’s arms.

Today she lives in the Pacific Northwest, thriving on the mix of cultures, languages, religions and ideologies. When she’s not writing, she’s people-watching, imagining entire life stories, and inventing all sorts of danger for the unsuspecting heroes and heroines who cross her path.

Deadly Obsession is the first book in Kristine Cayne’s Deadly Vices series. It is available in print and/or e-book format at the following retailers:
Amazon US – http://amzn.to/RETLOq
Amazon Paperback US – http://amzn.to/Q7U2e1
Amazon UK – http://amzn.to/On7LZN
Amazon Paperback UK – http://amzn.to/Qmdfq5
Nook – http://bit.ly/Qf1u5s
Nook UK: http://bit.ly/PZ7Oze
Kobo: http://bit.ly/XpYs0R
ARe: http://bit.ly/TdgzmJ
Apple iTunes: http://bit.ly/KUXUrB
Diesel ebooks: http://bit.ly/L48YD1
Smashwords: http://bit.ly/JwCb8f
Sony: http://bit.ly/K0ngms

Kristine Cayne’s links:
Blog (http://kristinecayne.blogspot.com/)
Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/KristineCayneAuthor)
Twitter (http://twitter.com/KristineCayne)
New Releases List (http://kristinecayne.blogspot.com/p/new-releases-list.html) or
Website (http://www.kristinecayne.com)
Goodreads (http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5428452.Kristine_Cayne)

Deadly Addiction is available at the following retailers:
Amazon US – http://amzn.to/SLFf87
Amazon Paperback US – http://amzn.to/OnUDa7
Amazon UK – http://amzn.to/RwiNwU
Amazon Paperback UK – http://amzn.to/RfitCo
Nook: http://bit.ly/JAaX4O
Nook UK: http://bit.ly/ZYtjBW
All Romance eBooks: http://bit.ly/SfvD3Z
iTunes: http://bit.ly/MXYCuO
Smashwords: http://bit.ly/JwCb8f
Kobo: http://bit.ly/MpinIC
Diesel: http://bit.ly/JU71sS

Thank you Cynthia Woolf, for having me as a guest on your blog! I’m so excited to be here! I hope that you all enjoy learning some of what makes me tick .

Leave a comment with your name and email address for your chance to win a pdf copy of my newest book, Where There’s Smoke.

How did you get started writing?

I got my start in writing in the 7th grade when I entered a book writing competition in school. It was a children’s book about two cousins who just happen to be bunnies. Complete with illustrations and a fuzzy flannel cover (I thought the fuzziness of the flannel would tie in with the soft fur of the bunnies.).

Although I didn’t win that contest, it lit the flame in me to write. I wrote many short stories over the years following.

Then in 1990, I began writing full-length pieces.

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

I write Romantic Suspense. I like to add a little intrigue into my romance because, well, what fun would it be if everyone just met, fell in love, and lived happily ever after? Imagine how boring that would be.

Tell us about your current series.

My current series, The Heroes of Hammonds Bend, is situated in the fictional small town of Hammonds Bend. It is a series that tells the stories of the local heroes and the trials and tribulations that they must go through in search of their happily ever-afters.

What inspired your latest book?

The inspiration for my latest book, Where There’s Smoke which due out in mid-December, came from my own experience as a Firefighter/EMT. Of course, it’s all fictional, but the emotions during the action scene I have experienced under similar circumstances.

What is your favorite part of writing?

My favorite part of writing would have to be, WRITING! I love just sitting down and letting my fingers fly. It gives me such great pleasure to watch a story unfold before my eyes.

What is your least favorite part of writing?

Hands down, my least favorite part of writing is revisions! UGH! I dislike having to come out of the minds of my characters and look at the piece with the eye of an editor. When I first started writing, there were times I would read and reread my books so many times that I got tired of reading it. Now that I have a little more experience under my belt, I have honed the process down to a tolerable level.

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

My next project is book 2 of the Heroes of Hammonds Bend series will be released January 2013.

What genres are you drawn to as a reader?

As a reader I find myself most drawn to the Romantic Suspense genre. I read Contemporary Romance (especially if there’s some comedy in them), and LOVE Historical Romances as well.

Do you prefer to read in the same genres you write in or do you avoid reading that genre? Why?

Yes I love to read in the same genre that I write in! It helps me keep an eye on the competition…lol In all seriousness, I was told a long time ago to write what I know. And, given the jobs I’ve held throughout my life, suspense just seems a natural fit, and of course I have to throw a touch of romance in there.

Gift
I’d like to share a copy of my e-book, Autumn Nights, with one lucky winner! So be sure to post a comment with your email address for your chance to win!

Bio

When she’s not writing, S.D. love to read, crochet, cross-stitch, cook, garden, photography, or just spend time relaxing with her family and friends.

S.D. is a member in many online writing groups, and has a special group of women that she connects with for writing sprints frequently. She spent 12 years working as a Firefighter/EMT as well as a 9-1-1 Communications Technician. Two careers which will always hold a special place in her heart, alongside her writing!

Excerpt from Where There’s Smoke

Hanging around Annie could definitely be bad for his self-imposed bachelor status. More importantly, if she were somehow involved in his investigation it could be occupational suicide. Physical attraction aside, he just didn’t get a deceptive vibe when he was around Annie. That sense was the asset he counted on the most when working undercover. It had saved his skin more times than he cared to count.

Another muffled yawn drew his attention back to the current conversation.
“Guess I am, but don’t start planning a wedding, Andrews. I don’t know very many people around here and thought that maybe you could show me around.”

Funny how the idea didn’t turn him off now as it would have a week ago.

“Um sure,” Annie murmured. “Anything in particular you are interested in seeing?”

“Now Darlin’ you should know better than ask a man a loaded question like that.”

“Listen, Ramsay,” Mason admired the strength in her tone. “I’ll take you to lunch and show you around town a little only because you’re new to town. Don’t go thinking I like you any more than I like the other guys at work. You’re a very attractive man, but I wouldn’t want you to fall for me, and have to break your heart.”

Mason threw back his head and roared with laughter. He had to give it to Annie, she sure didn’t beat around the bush where her feelings were concerned. His admiration grew.

“I promise Ms. Andrews” he responded several seconds later when he had finally regained his composure. “I won’t mistake your hospitality as a promise for anything more,” He couldn’t resist adding in a low timbre. “Unless you ask for it of course.”

“That’s good. The last thing I need is another stalker.”

Please help me welcome Misha Crews to my blog. Misha will be giving one commenter complimentary copy of Homesong in their choice of format, as well as a gift card to Starbucks. So be sure and leave her a comment so you can be entered in the drawing.

Hi Cynthia! Thanks so much for having me on your beautiful blog! It’s a real pleasure to be here.

How did you get started writing?

My first writing project was when I was about seven or eight. It was actually a full stage show (put on by myself and my friends, at a premium ticket price of 25 cents each). We had jokes, songs, and even clowns! It played to a packed house of four grownups. I had my taste of creativity, and I was hooked.

Tell us a little about yourself and your latest book.

Well, my most recent release is actually a re-release of my first novel, Homesong. It’s a multi-generational story about a small town called Angel River, Virginia, and it’s told from the perspective of two childhood sweethearts who are reunited on a Caribbean cruise. It was originally published in 2008, and was a finalist for the Bronte Prize for Romantic Fiction. I’m really tickled that it’s available again on Kindle, and is coming soon in Nook and paperback (yay!). In fact, one commenter on this blog will receive a complimentary copy of Homesong in their choice of format, as well as a gift card to Starbucks. (Yay again!)

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

I refuse to answer on the grounds that it may… oh, heck with that. It depends a lot on the person and the circumstance. There’s no denying that parts of people I know – gestures, mannerisms, etc. – end up in my writing. That’s part of the fun of it!

What is your favorite part of writing?

Getting to know the characters. Each book is like making a whole new set of friends: learning their stories, what their families are like, what makes them laugh and so on.

What is your least favorite part of writing?

Getting my new friends into trouble! I hate putting my characters through unhappy times, making them suffer. But at least I also get to take them through to their happily ever after (at least, most of the time!).

What genres are you drawn to as a reader?

When I first started reading I was a total mystery addict. Nowadays I’m drawn to romance with a touch of mystery, especially stories that have gothic elements. But really I’ll read anything! As long as it’s well-written and interesting, no genre is out of the question.

Do you prefer to read in the same genres you write in or do you avoid reading that genre? Why?

That’s an interesting question! There have been times when I haven’t wanted to read in my genre, because I was afraid I’d be influenced too much by other writers and wouldn’t be able to create an original story. But these days I enjoy reading the genre that I’m working on, because it puts me totally in the mindset of what I’m writing, even when I’m relaxing.

What’s next for you?

Well, I had so much fun reviving Homesong that I decided to spend some more time in the fictional town of Angel River. There’s a quartet of novellas in the works, with some new characters (and a few old friends). All four novellas will be out in 2013.

* * *

About the Author

Raised in a family of book lovers, Misha’s mother first encouraged her to read by offering to pay her two cents per page of Hop on Pop, by Dr. Seuss. At first Misha was happy just to be raking in the cash, but before long she traded the pennies for the riches of the written word, and since that time she’s seldom been seen without a book in her hand, in front of her nose, or at the very least in her purse! Misha is married and is currently living and working in Northern Virginia. She welcomes messages about writing, reading, workshops, ice cream, antique typewriters, stuff that make you laugh, etc., and can be contacted via her website: MishaCrews.com

About Homesong

In a small town, everyone knows everything about everybody. Or do they?

For twenty years, Kate Doyle has been haunted by the night when she was forced to flee from her tiny Virginia home town and abandon her childhood sweetheart, Reed Fitzgerald. So when Kate, now in her mid-30s, escapes her unhappy life in Washington, DC and takes a much-needed vacation, the last thing she expects is to be reunited with Reed. Now, under the warm clear Caribbean sun, amid ancient churches and pink flamingos, Kate and Reed seek to revive the love that they thought was gone forever.

But will small-town secrets ruin their last chance for happiness? Woven into the modern tale of Kate and Reed are the tales of those who came before them. Their mothers: teenagers in the chaotic 1960s, best friends who are in love with the same man, although only one of them knows it. Reed’s grandmother: already a bitter old woman by the 1930s, she would do anything to carry on the family name…and would drive away anyone who came between her and her grandson. And even the founder of the town: in 1865, what guilty secret drove one man to bring his two daughters across the ocean from Ireland and settle in the dark Virginia hills?

At its heart, Homesong is the story of a small town: its lies and truths, its beginnings and endings. It’s about proud secrets, unrestrained joy, and the old adage that you may leave your home, but it never really leaves you.

Excerpt from Homesong

It was dusk when they finally returned to Bonaire Horseback Tours. The day had been long, hot, and sticky, but the scenery was beautiful, and the tour had been very entertaining.

When Kate dismounted and waved a final goodbye to Stacy, she was amazed by how tired and sore she was. She had forgotten how strenuous horseback riding could be. And she wasn’t alone in her exhaustion. The entire group was silent with fatigue as the transport lumbered back to the ship.

Hot breezes blew through the gathering dark, spiced with the smell of tropical dishes and ringing with the distant sound of music. It made Kate long to wander the city and find the sources of those enticing sounds and smells. But by the time they got back to the ship, all she wanted was a hot shower, a bite to eat, and a long night’s sleep.

Then Reed gazed down at her with those soulful, luminous eyes. Holding her hand, he murmured a suggestion, and Kate found herself nodding in agreement. She trailed after him to his stateroom, and ten minutes later, she was soaking in his whirlpool bathtub, up to her chin in fragrant, frothy water. She had closed her eyes in modesty as he showered in the frosted glass stall adjacent to the tub, and had promptly drifted into a doze.

The sound of the shower turning off roused her, and she rubbed her face with wet hands as she struggled to stay awake. “I have to warn you,” she called. “I’m falling asleep out here.”

“Don’t worry,” he called back. “The bath balm will help with that.”

“What’s in it, anyway?”

He opened the door and stepped out, a long towel wrapped around his waist. Although she knew he couldn’t see through the frothing water, she folded her arms discreetly over her breasts as he stood looking down at her.

The motion wasn’t lost on him. He knelt beside her and stroked her cheek, intensely aware of how close together they were. The steam from the shower enveloped them, combining with the scent of the bath to form a heady fog that seemed to draw them together.

“Lemon and peppermint for energy,” he answered softly. “Epsom salts and baking soda for tired muscles.”

She felt herself blush as if he had propositioned her.

He let his finger slide along her jawbone and down her neck, pausing as he traced her collarbone. A few inches more and his hand would disappear under the frothy water, slide under her sheltering arms and cup her breast.

He could imagine how soft her flesh would be there — warm from the water, her nipple pressed against his palm. His mouth went dry at the thought, and he couldn’t quite get his breath.

He could see the pulse beating hard in the hollow of her neck, and he knew she wanted his hand to drift under the water, wanted his fingers to wander where they would. A smile ghosted around his lips. When his eyes met hers, they were bright with longing.

Reed stood up. Kate swallowed hard and struggled to pull herself together. His touch on her damp skin had been achingly gentle, sending hot chills rushing over her. She’d had to fight to keep herself from dragging him into the tub, towel and all.

Help me welcome Norah Wilson to my blog to day. Her new book, Comes The Night will be available on December 1 and you’re seeing the cover here first. It ROCKS!

Please leave Norah a comment and be entered in to a drawing for a $10 gift card or an ebook. There will be two winners.

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

With my solo writing, I write romantic suspense and paranormal romance. But I’ll tell you a secret – the paranormal romance is just romantic suspense with the addition of supernatural beings.  At least that’s my approach. As for the why of it, I love how the strong external plot gives me something to hang the romance on. Straight up contemporary romance is my first love, but when I tried to write it, I found it positively exhausting trying to come up with stuff for them to do. The strong suspense plot gives them plenty to worry about, and the romantic development becomes so much easier once I’ve thrown them together in a high stakes battle. You know the axiom that true character is revealed under pressure? When I throw them into this crucible, the characters come to know each other’s character on a very fundamental level in a relatively short time. That totally appeals to me!
I also write young adult paranormal with writing partner Heather Doherty. Again, that fast-paced, suspenseful plot really helps! Heather and I also write the laugh-out-loud Dix Dodd cozy mystery series. I can find no explanation for that. LOL! You’d have to read one.

Tell us about your current series.

My best selling series right now is the Serve and Protect Series, which are romantic suspense stories featuring sexy police detectives (with a police K-9 handler thrown in there). I guess you’d call them women in jeopardy stories, if you feel the need to pigeonhole them. But that doesn’t mean my heroines are shrinking violets. They are strong, smart women who just happen to find themselves in situations where they need protection.

Also doing reasonably well is my Vampire Romance series. I wish I could entice more of my romantic suspense fans over to the dark side, since these books really are nail-biting suspenses.

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

It’s a joint project with my writing partner, Heather Doherty. By December 1, 2012, we expect to have the first book in our Casters series of YA paranormal/horror launched. It’s called Comes the Night, and it’s sooo scary. We’ve created a whole new entity. Three girls who are sent to a boarding school which is just one step away from jeuvie find a way to escape their pain by literally escaping from their bodies. There are four books planned in the series, to be released over the course of 2013.

How has your experience with self-publishing been?

It’s been extraordinary. I got in early – the summer of 2010. I was – and still am – agented, but I had a number of books that had already made the rounds of appropriate traditional publishers, with no takers. I came to the conclusion that they were never going to sell to New York and I had nothing to lose by self-publishing them. Well, with the possible exception of my reputation. At that point, self-publishing was still pretty much synonymous with vanity publishing. But I’d been listening with great interest to fellow author Delle Jacobs, who is the first author I knew personally to take the plunge. I figured if it was good enough for Delle, for whom I have enormous admiration, it was good enough for me. Sales started slow, but about six months in, they exploded. Apple was the first market I penetrated with any substantial numbers, and they are still a very important market for me, but after I put my free loss leader short novella on Amazon and they price-matched it to free, my Amazon sales came on very nicely. At this point, I’m not out there leading the indie pack, but I’m comfortably somewhere in the middle. 

Right now, I’m fortunate enough now to have a book out with Montlake Romance (Every Breath She Takes, Sept. 2012), and I’m thrilled with what that has done for my indie sales.

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

I love talking about my heroes! Since your focus is indie, I’ll talk about John Quigley, or Quigg, from Guarding Suzannah, the first book in my Serve and Protect series. Quigg is strong, protective and sexily capable, but he may also be the least Alpha hero I’ve written. In a lot of ways, he’s smarter, more patient and better adjusted than a lot of those out-and-out Alphas who can sometimes go off with very little provocation. He’s the son of a laborer and sees the heroine, Suzannah, the daughter of a chief justice, as somewhat out of his league. Suzannah, a criminal defence attorney, is also abhorred by his colleagues on the police force for her habit of demolishing them on the witness stand. When Quigg discovers Suzannah has a stalker, he has to walk a fine line between solidarity with his colleagues and his need to protect this beautiful, independent woman who refuses to make an official complaint to a police force she half suspects is behind the harassment. When she refuses to go to police, he appoints himself as her protector, whether she wants it or not. Of course, with his patience and steadiness, he turns out to be the perfect match for the sexually and romantically skittish Suzannah.

Do you have any words of inspiration for aspiring authors?

Absolutely. Don’t give up. There are more avenues than ever before for authors to succeed. But even with the self-publishing avenue open to anyone who wants to take it, there will be challenges. Discoverability in a world where shelf space has become unlimited is the new mountain to be scaled. I know lots of amazing authors who toil in relative obscurity. But here’s the thing – if you self publish, you can have a successful career writing to a relatively small niche. For instance, New York has pretty much declared the romantic suspense dead, and only the superstars of the genre continue to sell at a clip that will support a traditional publishing career. Traditional publishing requires a blockbuster of a book to make it a profitable undertaking. But as an indie, there are more than enough romantic suspense fans to support my books. And for readers, the genre has been revitalized by the indie movement, with more choice than ever before. So yes, it’s a challenge, but you can target a niche market and write to it. Work on your craft. Deliver a quality product. Work with an editor. Commission a cover that looks great in thumbnail and which SCREAMS the genre. Make it available on as many platforms as you can. Build you fan base with another book and another book.

Thank you for hosting me, Cynthia. It’s been a blast!

Excerpt from Guarding Suzannah (Serve and Protect Series, #1)

She looked so thoroughly disheartened, way beyond what a flat tire should cause. “Relax, Princess.” He pushed away from the pillar. “I’ll change your tire, have you on your way in five minutes.”

“Don’t bother,” she clipped. “I’ll call CAA.”

“Hey, I can handle this. Besides, with any luck, I’ll get dirt or grease all over me and won’t have to go back in there.” He indicated stately Old Government House with a nod of his head.

“Thanks for the offer, but I don’t have room in my trunk for four spares.”

“Four?” He blinked at her. “They can’t all be flat.”

“They can if they’ve been slashed.”

Quigg shot a look at the valet, who nodded a confirmation, then retreated back to his station.

He gripped her elbow. “What’s going on, Suzannah?”

Calmly, she removed her arm from his grip. “Nothing that’s not par for the course, Detective.”

“Jesus, your tires are slashed and you don’t even bat an eyelash?”

She opened her ridiculously tiny beaded purse and pulled out an even tinier cell phone. Seconds later, she was talking to the CAA dispatcher. Cripes, she had the auto association on her speed dial? He listened as she gave her situation and her location.

“Wanna explain what’s going on here?” he asked as she tucked the phone away again.
She shrugged, an elegant lift of the shoulder. “Just the cost of doing a little criminal Legal Aid in this town.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? And why wasn’t your first call to the cops, especially if this isn’t the first time it’s happened?”

“The police.” She laughed, a surprisingly grating sound that lacked real amusement. “Yeah, that’d work.”

Quigg sucked a breath in through his teeth. “You think cops did this?”

She arched a delicate eyebrow. “Congratulations, Detective. I’ll bet you graduated top of your class.”

“No.”

“No? Gosh, with those deductive powers, I’d have –”

He stepped closer. “No, it wasn’t a cop who did this.”

Her bosom lifted on a long inhalation, but she didn’t huff out an impatient sigh as he half expected.

“Look, I’ve been around the block a few times, Detective. I know I haven’t endeared myself to you guys. I also know you stick together –”

“But not like this –”

“Hey, I understand. Really. The blue wall. You’re charged with enforcing what amounts to a pretty puritanical code, one that abhors improprieties like drunkenness or lewdness. So you avoid those social situations where you might make a hypocrite of yourself. Then, before you know it, your social sphere includes nothing but other cops.”

“Can I just say –”

“It’s okay. I totally get it. You put that uniform on, that badge, and it isolates you from your friends, from your community, even from the legal system. Which sets up the us/them solidarity thing. So when a guy gets a rough ride from me on the stand, of course the rest of you are going to empathize pretty strongly with him.”

“Thank you, Dr. Phelps, for that lesson on police sub-culture. But read my lips – it wasn’t one of us slashed your tires.”

Help me welcome Mara Jacobs to my blog today. Mara has generously offered to give away 3 ebook copies of her book to 3 commentors so be sure and leave her a comment.

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

I write 2 series that are romantic mystery series, as well as contemporary romance. I like my happy endings!

Tell us about your current series.

The Worth Series is a contemporary romance series featuring three life-long girlfriends who are now in their mid-thirties. Subtitles are The Nice One, The Pretty One, and The Smart One. Each woman was pegged with their title in school and in some ways it has shaped the women they’ve become —and yet they’re so much more.

What inspired your latest book?

Worth the Drive, the second Worth book, was totally inspired by my long-time crush on professional golfer Jose Maria Olazabal. Very fun to play out that fantasy!

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

This is very new to me—I just debuted with my indie books in October—so I’m still feeling out what works. I’ve done some ads, some blogs, and the usual social media outlets. I truly believe that the best promotion is getting the next book out, so I’ve really tried to concentrate on spending my time writing.

How has your experience with self-publishing been?

So far, so good. My agency, Writers House, was offering the expertise of a self-publishing service to their authors if they were interested. I decided to do my first 3 books through them, and my 3 Worth books myself so I could compare and contrast the experiences. I’ve found pros and cons to both venues—timing and control being a pro of doing it all yourself. And of course the time taken away from writing by doing it all yourself (or hiring those to do things like formatting, cover art for you) is a major con. It’s been an interesting process and I learn something new about it all everyday.

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

Weigh out time vs. money when deciding what to do yourself and what to hire out. Is it time that would serve you better in the long run by writing the next book instead of spending time learning to format, etc? Having said that, I do believe you HAVE to get professional looking covers and editing done from an outside source unless you have strong graphic design skills.

Do you have critique partners?

Yes, and they have been instrumental in my continuing to write. They are both very different (and awesome!) writers and bring different things to the table on the critiques they do. Hopefully I do the same for them. One of our three-some is multi-published with the major houses as well as self-published and a great wealth of information on the publishing industry.

What is your favorite dessert/food?

Red Velvet Cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory. Thank God I don’t have one near me!

What is most difficult for you to write? Characters, conflict or emotions? Why?

Probably conflict, because I honestly believe that we’re sometimes our own biggest conflict. Internal conflict, to me, is more human that outside conflict – at least in contemporary times. And yet, a book with ONLY internal conflict may not be everybody’s cup of tea. So, the hard part for me is balancing internal conflict (which is easy for me) with external conflict (which is not so easy).

Give us an elevator pitch for your book.

For Worth The Weight: Woman loses half her body weight and heads to her hometown to try out her new body on an old flame.

What are you currently working on?

The third Worth book, Worth The Fall, is just wrapping up and I’ll have it out right around Christmas.

Excerpt

“God, I love the smell of theater popcorn, there’s nothing else like it.”

Finn Robbins heard the female voice from behind him. He couldn’t say the same. The smell of fresh popcorn made him sick. It seemed the aroma stayed with him wherever he was, the buttery stuff burning into his nose with every breath. It was enough to make him puke.

It’d been okay when he’d worked here years ago, but this time around it was too much. Everything was too much.

Something about the voice made him turn. Three women stood at the concession stand counter, one of the new high school kids waiting on them. Finn had his head buried, connecting a new Coke tank. The old tank had just died, spraying Coke all over his white shirt. Just another sign that the universe was having a good laugh at him.

He checked out the women. Mostly all he saw were packs of kids and couples at the theater. It was refreshing to see a group of thirty-something women together. The two he could see were striking, but in very different ways. Completely opposite in looks. The first was tall and Nordic looking, and strikingly beautiful. A Viking princess. The other was all soft curves, darker skin and hair, but still blonde. A dark Finlander and a light Finlander, the two mainstays of the Copper Country.

There was something a little familiar about them. Maybe they came to the theaters often? He dismissed that. He’d have definitely remembered the Viking.

The woman behind the two got her order and turned, allowing Finn to see only a flash of long black hair ending just above a wonderfully lush butt. He tried craning his neck, but from where he stood he couldn’t get a clear view of her.

Those damn high school kids were too fast. They had the women’s orders done before Finn had a chance to get out from behind the counter and get a proper look. He wanted to figure out where he knew the two from, and definitely wanted to see the third.

There was something about that voice. Maybe he could catch a glimpse of them after the movie as they left the theater.

Lizzie Hampton couldn’t concentrate on the movie, which was unusual. She, Katie and Alison had been seeing movies at the Mine Shaft together since sixth grade when they were finally allowed to go without parental supervision.

One parent would drop the three girls off in downtown Houghton. They would see the movie, then cross the street to the Big Boy for a hot fudge ice cream cake. One of the other girls’ parents would pick them up in front of the Big Boy exactly one and one-half hours after the movie was scheduled to get out. In that time, the girls would dissect the movie while plying themselves with the decadent dessert.

Over time, the girls’ critiques of the movies went from “isn’t he dreamy” to “the use of the wide angle lens by the director was really effective.” Although isn’t he dreamy never really went out of style. They had progressed from parents’ pick up and delivery service, to being old enough to walk on their own, to driving their parents’ cars, to driving their own.

Now they were back to walking across the bridge from Hancock to Houghton, but this time for the exercise. The Big Boy had long closed down, but Lizzie fully expected the Pavlovian response of craving hot fudge the moment the credits rolled.

Except tonight, she wasn’t immersed in the movie. “He didn’t even know me. Not a flicker of recognition,” she said out loud, as much to herself as her friends.

“SSSHHHHH,” came a voice from behind them.

Amazon Buy Link – http://amzn.com/B009MZQMAQ

BIO

After graduating from Michigan State University with a degree in advertising, Mara spent several years working at daily newspapers in Advertising sales and production. This certainly prepared her for the world of deadlines!

Most authors say they’ve been writing forever. Not so with Mara. She always had the stories, but they played like movies in her head. A few years ago she began transferring the movies to pages. She writes mysteries with romance, thrillers with romance, and romances with…well, you get it.

Forever a Yooper (someone who hails from Michigan’s glorious Upper Peninsula), Mara now resides in the East Lansing, Michigan, area where she is better able to root on her beloved Spartans.

Please help me welcome Lily Rede to my blog today. Lily had generously agreed to gie away and ecopy of her book today to onw lucky commenter so be sure and leave ehr a comment.

How has your experience with self-publishing been? What advice do you
have for other authors wanting to self-publish?

The only advice I have for authors who are curious about self-publishing is DO IT. For a long time, I think the world felt about self-publishing the same way they felt about internet dating – curious, but wary. Now, the situation is different. A solid chunk of my nearest and dearest found their better halves online, and self-publishing has become just as mainstream. If you have a solid critique group, a good editor, and some graphics skills (or a few pennies to throw at an artist with Photoshop), there’s no reason you can’t put out a quality product in a fraction of the time. Why wait two years to see your book in print if you don’t have to? Don’t get me wrong, those big publishing houses are there for a reason, but self-publishing is a great way for new writers to get their feet wet, build up an audience, and see if this whole crazy business is actually for them.

Tell us about your current series.

My current series – BRIGHT’S FERRY – is about a fictional New England seaside town where everybody knows everybody. I wanted to create a place where people have known each other for decades, but really have no idea what kind of strange and twisted things lie under the surface. The series is planned for three books, but may go further – a blend of hot erotic romance and romantic suspense.

Tell us a little about yourself and your latest book.

SAFE FROM THE DARK is the first in the BRIGHT’S FERRY series – Evie Asher, a disgraced New York cop, heads back to town in search of a new start, and finds that and a whole lot more. From the start, she’s drawn to Colin Daniels, the popular mayor, who is exactly the kind of guy she should avoid – controlling, powerful, and dangerously
attractive. Unfortunately, she’s not the only one who thinks so, and Evie and Colin are thrown together to catch a killer. Colin finds Evie stubborn, pushy, and impossible to resist, so of course the sparks are going to fly as they try to protect each other from a dangerous predator.

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

I like contemporary romance and romantic suspense, but I’ve got some fun paranormal and fantasy titles planned for 2013! The process of building new worlds and filling them with great characters is completely addictive. And writing romance lets me really push
characters to their emotional limits, which is half the fun!

What is your least favorite part of writing?

Continuity. Sigh. Any time you change something on p.173, you have go back and make sure that it tracks on p.8, p.42, and p. 96. It’s the bane of my existence, because whenever I think I’m done, there’s ONE MORE MISTAKE! Argh.

What is your typical day like?

Snooze button. Hungry cats. Hungry dogs. Half an hour checking email and wasting time. I try to get all my promo stuff done in the morning, and then write for a couple of hours. Sadly, I’m not writing full time quite yet, so the afternoon is usually spent doing “paycheck” work, and then more writing. If I’m lucky, I’ll knock off
around seven.

What do you have planned for the future? How far do you plan ahead?

I usually have a concrete plan for about two months ahead, and a loose idea beyond that. I’ve learned that flexibility is key – in self-publishing, your deadlines are your own, so while it’s great to stick to a schedule, over-planning takes all the fun out of it.

Do you have any words of inspiration for aspiring authors?

Don’t stop. If you get a bad review, don’t stop. If the book is just a total mess, don’t stop. If nothing is selling, don’t stop. Natural talent is all well and good, but how do we get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice. My first attempts at writing were horrific, but I’m a better writer than I was five years ago, and I’ll be a better
writer five years from now. Do it because you love it and don’t listen to anyone who tells you to quit.

SAFE FROM THE DARK

EXCERPT

SHIVERING AND COMPLETELY DRENCHED, Evie dropped her backpack on the Daniels’ porch. It was a beautiful hundred-year-old farmhouse that was obviously in the process of being restored – scaffolding protected a new wing off the side of the two-story structure. Evie spared only a quick glance around – her teeth were starting to chatter.
Fingers tight with cold, Evie raised a hand to knock.
Nothing.
Come on, come on.
Someone had to be home, judging from the sporty little SUV in the driveway sitting behind a more utilitarian truck. The lights within blazed with beckoning warmth and the smoky scent of a fireplace teased Evie with promises of heat and comfort.
She knocked harder, kicking the door for good measure, stumbling back as it jerked open.
“What the hell, Tom? Can’t a guy take one Sunday afternoon – ”
He broke off abruptly, hazel eyes widening.
Evie tried to form words, but her brain inconveniently chose that moment to shut down, obviously overloaded by impending hypothermia and the sight of six plus feet of bare, tanned muscle standing in the doorway, clutching a blanket around his waist with lean, elegant hands. His skin had a light sheen of sweat and his dark hair was ruffled over those bright hazel eyes.
Hot.
Even the inner cop whimpered and she gave it a mental shove.
Pull it together, Asher.
“I’m so sorry to bother you, but I was looking for Mr. or Mrs. Daniels – ”
His brows snapped together with a frown.
“They’re dead. Over a year now. Car accident.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t know. I was headed to the old Asher cabin down the road and my car got stuck.”
“You were trying to get out there in this?”
Incredulous, he gestured and the blanket slipped just a bit, exposing another inch of taut waist and a narrow pelt of dark hair under his navel that arrowed downward in a most interesting manner.
Evie swallowed and kept her eyes on his.
“I just need a phone to call the garage, if that’s okay.”
“Colin?” The breathy voice drifting down the stairs had Evie’s face heating in a blush, despite her shivers, as her brain stuttered back into working order.
Two cars in the driveway, panting sex god in the doorway. Way to go, Asher. You just cock-blocked your new neighbor.

Amazon Buy Link – http://amzn.com/B00A1SR2NY

SAFE FROM THE DARK – BLURB:
Nursing a broken heart and a couple of bullet wounds, no-nonsense Evie-Asher leaves her career with the NYPD to move into her grandmother’s old house in a small New England town in the middle of nowhere. She wants nothing more than a new start and a chance to
forget the mistakes of the past and get her life back on track, minus the shootouts. Her plans are shattered when her new neighbor, the town’s hunky young mayor, starts receiving death threats from a dangerous stalker. Evie is unwillingly drawn back into a world of peril, and while her bruised heart tries to resist the out-of-control sparks that zing between them, she is forced to stay close to keep him safe as the stalking quickly turns to murder…

Colin Daniels has his hands full running Bright’s Ferry as their popular and busy young mayor. He doesn’t have time for stalkers or threats, much less a lovely gray-eyed cop with control issues who insists that the stalker is a member of the community, someone he knows and loves. When the situation takes a deadly turn, Colin finds that he has no choice but to give up some control himself and rely on Evie to protect him until they can unmask the killer. Passion sizzles between two stubborn hearts as they clash over the best way to handle a dangerous situation, but can they keep each other safe as the dark closes in?

Amazon Buy Link – http://amzn.com/B00A1SR2NY

BIO:
Lily has been writing since she was ten. She lives steps from the beach with a bunch of semi-feral cats and two goofy dogs who are forever tracking sand into the house, but she loves them anyway. She has lived all over the world and jumped into writing full time when her cubicle city became too confining. Lily writes hot contemporary
romance, paranormal, and works of ludicrous fantasy, depending on her mood. Titles include: BUILD ME UP, POUR ON THE HEAT, HOT FOR JOE, PASSION & PUMPKINS, MY FAIR HEX, and HOT & SWEET – BEGINNINGS.

Twitter: @RedeLily

Please help me welcome Blythe Gifford to my blog today. Blythe is giving away a copy of her book to one lucky commentor so be sure and leave a comment for her.

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

I started writing seriously after a corporate layoff. Ten years later and one layoff later, I was an “overnight success” when Harlequin Historicals bought my Romance Writers of America Golden Heart finalist manuscript.

Did you have several manuscripts finished before you sold? If so, did you send them out yourself?

I did not get an agent until I had two books sold and a contract in hand for two more. I sold my second completed manuscript. But by the time frame, you can see I made one of the number one rookie mistakes. I spent too long on my first manuscript! Six years writing, rewriting, submitting, reworking…! I did finally sell it, but I should have moved on much earlier.

Do you have any other words of inspiration for aspiring authors?

Obviously, based on the above, I’m a big believer in perseverance. But my advice sounds like just the opposite: If you can quit, do. What I mean by that is, if writing is something you are doing on a lark or for fame or because that lady who wrote 50 Shades of Gray made a mint, that won’t be enough to get you through all the difficulties of this profession. Make it easy on yourself. Quit now, while you’re ahead! Each writer has to find that inner reason that drives the work.

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

I write historical romance. When I first started writing seriously, that was my favorite genre to read.

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

Well, I started writing (and illustrating) my first historical novel at age ten. In pencil. Thankfully for the world, I gave up illustration. But yes, I am firmly rooted in history. I just don’t get any contemporary ideas! But when I read history, which I do, even for fun, I start wondering what that event would have meant to a real person.

Do you prefer to read in the same genres you write in or do you avoid reading that genre? Why?

It’s so hard to keep up with my genre these days. (True confession: I have NOT read 50 Shades!) And, sadly, it’s harder for me to be swept away by a romance now because I read as a writer, analyzing how the author put the story together. To escape, I’ll read non-fiction (history) or a thriller.

Tell us about your current series.

RETURN OF THE BORDER WARRIOR is the first of three about the Brunson Clan, a family of Reivers on the Scottish Borders during the early Tudor era. It is the story of John, the youngest son, who returns home after years of serving as a “big brother” to the young Scottish king. John is a man with something to prove, both to himself and to his family. As the only blue-eyed Brunson, he’s always felt as if he didn’t belong. Now, he no longer wants to. As soon as he enforces the king’s command for peace, he plans to return to his life at court and leave the valley of his birth for the last time.

But first, he must persuade Cate Gilnock to release his family from their promise to avenge her father’s death. Cate is a woman fierce as a warrior, but behind her eyes John senses vulnerability and secrets she refuses to share. Bit by bit, he falls in love with her, and with each step, he is drawn back into the life he thought he had left behind forever. Because of Cate, he discovers he is more like the rest of his family than he thought until, finally, he must decide: Is he truly a Brunson? Or is he the King’s man after all?

CAPTIVE OF THE BORDER LORD, January 2013, will tell the story of John’s sister, Bessie Brunson and finally, Black Rob Brunson, oldest son and leader of the family, meets his match in TAKEN BY THE BORDER REBEL, March 2013.

What inspired your latest book?

The trilogy was inspired by a real historical event, the execution of a famous Border Reiver. The story is told, or sung, more accurately, in “The Ballad of Johnnie Armstrong.” Johnnie was one of the most notorious reivers on the Borders. According to the balladeer, Johnnie was not lawfully tried and convicted, but basely murdered when he was lured to a meeting with the king by a “loving letter” that insisted he come unarmed.

I thought Johnnie deserved a happy ending, so I set out to write one.

Having achieved your goal to be a published author, what is the most rewarding thing?

Oh, hearing from readers, absolutely. Even seeing a review that someone liked my book makes my day.

One lucky reader who comments on today’s blog will be randomly selected to win a signed copy of RETURN OF THE BORDER WARRIOR.

In this excerpt from Chapter One of RETURN OF THE BORDER WARRIOR, John has come across Cate, practicing her sword fighting against her own shadow. He thinks to play with her, easily besting her sword with his dagger, but the woman proves more capable than he imagined…

He jumped just in time to escape a touch. Now was not the time for distractions. He had expected a playful joust. Instead, he faced a warrior.

He swung high, but she held up her sword, turned sideways, to block his stroke. A clever move, but lifting the two-handed sword had strained her strength and when she lowered it, her arms shook.

Seizing on her weakness, he attacked and they crossed blades again. Prepared now, he leveraged his strength against her sword. Though she kept her grip, he pushed the blade away, coming close enough to feel her chest rise and fall, nearly touching his.

Close enough that his mind wandered, careless of the blades, thinking that under her tunic and vest, she had breasts. Now he could see her face, the angles of it, sharp and cleanly sculpted as her sword. Yet thick lashes edged her brown eyes, disguising some of the hatred there.

“Surrender now?”

Panting, she shook her head. Yet her lips parted, tempting him to take them. She was, after all, a woman. A kiss would be mightier than a sword.

He pushed her sword arm down, pulled her to him, and took her lips.

She yielded for a breath, no more.

But it was long enough for him to lose his thoughts, to forget she held a sword and remember only that she was a woman, breasts soft against his chest, smelling of heather…

In a flash, she turned stiff as a sword and leaned away, though her lips did not leave his, so he thought she only teased.

When he felt the point of a dirk at his throat, he knew she did not.

“Let me go,” she said, her lips still close that they moved over his. “Or you’ll be bleeding and I’ll leave you to it, I swear.”

He eased his arms from her back and she pushed him away, wiped her mouth, and spat into the dirt.

He touched the scratch she’d left on his neck, grateful she had not drawn blood.
Her eyes, which he had thought to turn soft with pleasure, narrowed, hard with fury.
“It’s a Brunson you’re facing,” he said, trying a smile. “Not a Storwick.”

She raised both sword and dirk, the larger wobbling in her grip. “It’s a man I’m facing who thinks what I want is of no consequence if it interferes with his privileges and pleasures.”

Had he imagined the echo of the bedchamber in her voice? No more.

He raised his eyebrows, opened his arms and made a slight bow. “A thousand pardons.” Words as insincere as the feelings behind them.

She frowned. “You are a stranger here, so you know no better. And because you are a Brunson, I’ll let you keep your head, but I’ll warn you just once. You will not do that again. Ever.”

She lowered her sword, slowly.

You are a stranger. She was the Brunson, besting him with a sword, displacing him at the family table. His temper rose. “And what if I do?”

The blade rose, this time, not pointed at his throat, but between his legs. “If you do, you won’t have to worry about bedding a woman ever again.”

He swallowed, gingerly, his body on fire. Only because she had challenged him. Nothing more. No man could desire such a woman.

“Then have no worries on that score, Catie Gilnock,” he said, flush with anger. “When next I bed a woman, it most certainly will not be you.”

BIO

Blythe Gifford has been known for medieval romances featuring characters born on the wrong side of the royal blanket. Now, she’s launching a trilogy set on the turbulent Scottish Borders of the early Tudor era, starting with RETURN OF THE BORDER WARRIOR, November 2012, Harlequin Historical. CAPTIVE OF THE BORDER LORD will follow in January 2013, and TAKEN BY THE BORDER REBEL in March 2013. The Chicago Tribune has called her work “the perfect balance between history and romance.” Visit her at www.blythegifford.com, www.facebook.com/BlytheGifford, or on Twitter @BlytheGifford.

Excerpt © 2012 Photo credits. Cover used with permission. Author photo by Jennifer Girard.

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

Having recently published The Long Road to Loving Grayson and Glass Ceilings as both e-books and paperbacks, I’m now working on my next novel, The Brande Legacy, the first book in the Brande series of soft paranormals.

I’m excited about writing this story—I love the Claire-Rose Brande character, and look forward to having her take me on many a spooky, mysterious, and romantic adventure as we travel through this series of tales. As to when the first instalment, The Brande Legacy, will be released, I’m hopeful of having the e-book published by the end of the year, and as a paperback by early 2013. And then it’s onto book 2….

Do you have critique partners?

But of course! I couldn’t survive without their generous, honest and uber-valuable input. My sister, Jill, an author herself, is an invaluable collaborator on all my stories, as is my husband, Frank, who provides the all-important ‘bloke’s’ viewpoint for my heroes. I’ve also gained a lot of useful feedback through entering writing competitions.

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

I’m an author, so everyone I know / see / hear about, is a likely candidate for my stories!

Grayson in The Long Road to Loving Grayson is based on a number of characters I worked with in remote north western Queensland, including one engineer whose wife actually did choose the departure lounge of Heathrow airport to tell him she was leaving him!

Claire in Glass Ceilings is based on my loyal friend Gail, who worked with me in a Western Australian alumina refinery. But, unlike Claire, I’ve never known Gail to get blotto on champers! And she’s luckier in love than Claire is, in this book at least—watch out for Claire’s story, which I’ve been asked for by readers.

Give us an elevator pitch for your book.

In Glass Ceilings, ambitious career woman Verity shatters the glass ceiling of a multi-national mining corporation, snatching the job of CEO from the waiting hands of ruthless corporate nemesis Royce, only to find herself in danger of losing more than just her tenuous hold on the job. Her carefully shielded heart, and even her life are at risk. But like glass ceilings, some things are meant to be broken, and when someone determined enough shatters the glass, look out everyone below!

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

I develop detailed profiles for all the important characters in my stories, and even family trees where historical details are important, as in The Brande Legacy.

Royce James, the hero in Glass Ceilings (who I picture being played by Gerard Butler – mmm mmm!) is … well … I’ll let the heroine, Verity, tell you.

‘I thought I had his measure—the typical hard-nosed, ruthlessly ambitious executive, with his eyes resolutely focused upwards as he squashes everyone else beneath his boots. But then I glimpsed a very different picture. I saw a kind angler who shares his catch without asking anything in return, a gentle dog owner who spends quality time with his old pet, and a man who’s been using his career as a crutch against loss and regret. And it became clear that the man I thought I knew, wasn’t the real man at all. But what I do know … is that for some reason, he’s never far from my mind now.’

Tell us about your heroine. Give us one of her strengths and one of her weaknesses.
Verity Parker in Glass Ceilings, (who I picture played by Emily Blunt) is bright, kind, intelligent, and capable. But she’s also wary of love, having suffered a nasty marriage break-down. Fiercely protective of her love-scarred heart, she shields it with a toughened glass ‘ceiling’.

Verity’s best friend and co-worker, Claire, made these observations about her:

Taking in her friend’s damp hair and freshly scrubbed, makeup-free face, Claire wondered if Verity ever looked plain or ordinary. Like I would if I’d had a late night, she thought enviously.

With no rouge or eyeliner to accentuate her fine bone structure and dark eyes, Verity looked, if anything, more youthful and vibrant than ever. The smooth skin of her face had a translucent peaches-and-cream quality, and her naturally sweeping brows made a perfect foil for her brown eyes; eyes that held great warmth and laughter, but which could also be disarmingly direct and unnervingly shrewd. Her choice of fitted linen suit emphasised her slim waist and trim figure, and a pair of classic patent leather courts fine-tuned the outfit.

Claire took a quick peek down and frowned at her own slightly lumpy proportions, clothed in practical but unspectacular corporate wear. She glanced back at her friend and acknowledged that Verity certainly did look like executive material.
I’d bet my bottom dollar some of the ‘powers that be’ have noticed it, too, she thought. But still, isn’t it presumptuous for her to try for the company’s top management position, ‘la grande fromage’? Everyone knows Royce James has dibs on that title.

Are you a member of any writing organizations and, if so, have they helped?
I’m a member of Romance Writers of Australia, and the North Queensland Writers chapter, along with a number of online author groups. I’m also a past member of the Queensland Writers’ Centre.
I’ve received inspiration, knowledge, guidance, advice, feedback, support, and encouragement from every one of these organisations, and especially from RWA. My writing has improved by huge degrees through my involvement with them all. But since becoming an indie author, I’ve found the online groups provide me with the practical information and support I need at present. Without their input, I would never have made it this far down the publishing path, and I’d recommend to anyone considering taking the indie path, to join a group or two. Therein lies your salvation! 

Gift
I’d like to give someone a copy of my e-book The Long Road to Loving Grayson, downloadable in all formats from Smashwords.com. I hope he/she enjoys it, and I’d welcome a review!

Bio

Alicia Hope, author, bass player, scuba diver and bird lover, has an appreciation for espresso coffee, fine chocolate, and good food. She lives in one of the most beautiful parts of Australia, surrounded by rainforest, rare birds and butterflies.
Stories have always been a big part of her life; reading them, listening to them, telling them, and writing them. She composed stories, told stories, daydreamed stories (when she should’ve been working at maths!), and won prizes in story competitions, always certain that one day this would be her ‘job’ – and now it is!
Hers are feel-good reads. For optimal, all-round corporeal enjoyment, she suggests accompanying them with a side-serving of barista-quality espresso and a generous slab of fine chocolate.

Are you tempted yet? 

Excerpt from Glass Ceilings:

Royce James’ sardonic gaze swept over the crowd of executives and their partners like he was assessing thoroughbreds before the Golden Slipper race. He turned towards the bar, smirking a promise to himself that these senior staff dinners would be more exciting in future, once he was CEO. His left eyebrow arched lazily.

A soft hand on his arm interrupted his thoughts. Kerry Stowe, the CEO’s executive assistant, was standing close beside him. He noted that as usual, Kerry was the most glamorous woman in the room. As he bent his head to speak to her, her tantalising fragrance rose to meet him, and he observed once again how enticing she was.
‘Having fun, Royce?’ Her voice was low and throaty, and beneath the words lurked another, more primal question.

‘I am now.’ His nonchalant smile and deep voice gave nothing away, although close inspection would have revealed faint traces of mockery in his eyes.
But it wasn’t his eyes that most interested her.

She watched as he raised his wine glass and sipped the chilled Margaret River chardonnay. His firm lips rested against the glass’s rim as he savoured the wine’s crisp woodiness. Thick lashes cast small shadows on his tanned cheek and veiled his intense, dark eyes briefly. For a fleeting moment, his face lost its usual stern and often arrogant expression, and then his calculating gaze fell on her again.

With a dazzling smile, she moved her hand from where it had been discreetly caressing his arm to press it against his chest, and felt the strong, regular thud of his heart under her fingers. Her own heart was racing as she leaned closer to him, her thigh brushing his gently. His tall frame, accentuated by the charcoal grey, double-breasted Armani suit, towered over her.

Royce always makes a startling contrast to the usual assortment of podgy executives at these ‘doos’, she thought smugly to herself.

As though knowing it was expected, he allowed his eyes to take in her firm, curvaceous body, in the tight burgundy gown with a plunging neckline she was using to full advantage. On their way back up, his eyes took in the smooth skin of her exposed cleavage, and the points of her ample breasts pushing against the silky fabric barely containing them.

His mocking glance flicked to her face. ‘Where’s Jim?’

Kerry squirmed. Was it contempt she saw deep in the deliberately nonchalant darkness of his eyes?

‘You know how to spoil a mood, don’t you Royce?’ Her mouth, tinted the same luscious colour as her gown, grew petulant.

He gave a deep laugh and raised a scornful eyebrow, once again lifting his glass to his lips. This time he took a good mouthful of wine and let it linger on his tongue while he thought about Kerry’s husband. Jim Stowe was one of RCL’s senior executives and a genuinely nice guy in Royce’s estimation. He wondered why their marriage lasted. But as he looked down at Kerry, stunning in her expensive finery and oozing sexuality like a ripe plum longing to be picked, he could hazard a guess. And he was sure she’d be very unwilling to part with the pampered lifestyle her marriage offered.

‘Jim’s feeling anti-social again, or should I say still, so I’m here on my own,’ she said, with an affected sigh.

The throaty purr on the lower registers of her voice seemed to resonate along his spine, and he conceded, cynically, that she had a talent for seduction.
‘And of course you’d never consider staying home and playing the dutiful wife, would you, Kerry?’

‘If Jim wants to shut himself away with his laptop, that’s up to him,’ she mewed. ‘It doesn’t mean I have to be boring too. I can make my own fun.’
Royce felt her press even closer against him.

‘Oh, I’m sure you will. But you’ll have to excuse me, I see a lady I want to talk to.’

With a dismissive bow of his dark head and a smirk in his eyes, Royce drew away from her and strode across the room, leaving Kerry drifting rudderless in the social sea like a piece of abandoned flotsam.

She watched him take a seat beside Mrs Galloway, the aging CEO’s wife, and bitterness rose to fill Kerry’s throat. How she hated herself for wanting him … and how she hated him for not wanting her.

How often have I pictured his face on a pillow beside me, and those dark eyes gazing at me as though I’m the gateau and he’s the cake fork?
Too damn often, Kerry acknowledged bitterly. No matter what I do, it seems Royce James laughs at my efforts to seduce him, when most men would jump at the chance.
Scowling at the thought and forcing herself to look away, she rested her perfect teeth on the rim of her scotch glass for a second. When she lifted them off, anyone watching would have sworn she was snarling as she breathed the words, ‘Well, you’re running out of chances, Royce. One day you’ll realise I’m not someone to be toyed with….’

I’m excited to be guest blogging with Cynthia Woolf today! In honor of the occasion, I’m giving away a book. One lucky commenter will win a copy (Paperback or eReader-winner choice) of The Pendant’s Promise and an Amazon gift card. Check at the end of the interview for details.

1. What did you want to be when you were a child? Did you always know you wanted to be a writer?

JM: I’m something of a Peter Pan when it comes to what I want to be when I grow up. I practiced for hours with a stick horse and upside down buckets in my back yard during my I-wana-be-a-barrel racer stage. Then I wanted to be nurse-and ended up married instead. Then I wanted to be a Department of Army civilian (DAC). That’s someone who’s not in the military but works for the Army. Next, I did some time as a public school teacher. At the same time, I owned and operated an antiques shop. I still dabble in antiques and estate liquidations.

I never verbalized I wanted to be a writer. I simply wrote. With Irish storyteller genes, how could I not?

2. How did you get started writing?

JM: I often wish I’d started writing for publication sooner. I’m always quite humbled when I see my work in print and readers tell me how much they enjoy my stories.
For years, I wrote newsy letters from all the wonderful places I’ve lived and yearly Christmas letter memoirs. I wrote articles about things I’d seen and done. I wrote professional articles. Finally, at the insistence of family and friends, I started submitting short stories and publishers bought them.

Encouraged, I joined Romance Writers of American and American Christian Fiction Writers, worked on my writing skills and started adding depth and length to my stories. The rest, as they say, is history. My debut novel THE PENDANT’S PROMISE released last spring for eReaders and this summer in paperback.

3. What inspired your latest book?

The idea for THE PENDANT’S PROMISE germinated from my time as a DAC in South Korea.
In 1966, the US Army sent my husband to South Korea. Unwilling to be left behind, I secured a passport for myself and our toddler daughter, sold our car, bought airline tickets and followed. At barely twenty-one, I didn’t think about negative possibilities of being an unauthorized dependent in Southeast Asia. I only knew I didn’t want to be away from my husband for thirteen months.

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

LOVE IN THE MORNING CALM, a prequel to THE PENDANT’S PROMISE is in the editing phase. It’s scheduled for release in early 2013. I’m also plotting the love story of two secondary characters from THE PENDANT’S PROMISE, Shirley and David. The pair has been talking in my head since THE PENDANT’S PROMISE released, begging me to share their story with readers.

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

Very. But not specific identifiable people. And, never, ever, without permission.
You’ve seen that tee shirt, “Be careful or you’ll end up in my novel.” That’s me!
What happens is an occasional overheard word from a loud person behind me in a restaurant or snippets of others’ conversations while waiting in line serves as the impetus for a story idea. The phrase “in one ear and out the other” does not really apply for any writer, especially me. Instead, it’s more like “in one ear and disappear until needed.”

6. What is your favorite part of writing?

Writing is by its very nature an isolated endeavor. That’s a problem from some. Not me, I love the separation when I’m working on a project. The quiet. An alternate world plays in my head like a movie in a dark theatre and I’m anxious to know how the story will unfold.

7. Do you have any words of inspiration for aspiring authors?

WRITE. Then rewrite. And rewrite. And rewrite some more. And when you’re finished, send your baby out for feedback. Use critique partners. Find beta readers. Then rewrite again.

STUDY the craft of writing. There are outstanding workshops available from gifted publishing professionals. Email me if you want my personal recommendations or check the writer’s resources page on my website.

Be PROFESSIONAL especially on social media. Publishing is a big, small world. That six degrees of separation can come back to bite you.

And, last, BELIEVE in yourself. NEVER give up. I love R. Marston’s quote: “…giving up is simply not an option.”

EXCERPT from chapter one:

In the weeks following Mack’s death, Lily made regular weekend trips from her home in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, to Virginia helping Aggie with disposing of Mack’s things. She gulped back tears and tugged on the handle of the file cabinet drawer in Mack’s office. The sound like chalk on a blackboard screeched around the room. The difficult process had her thinking too much of Ace. When she lost him, all she’d had were her pendant and an old sweater he’d left behind in her U.N. Village apartment in Han Nam Dong. The threadbare remnant was still tucked away in a carton in her attic. She should get rid of it.

Waiting for Aggie to join her, she removed a large box from the metal drawer and began rifling through the contents. She pulled out a yellowed White House invitation to the Presidential Reception at Walker Hill and photographs spilled across the desk. One caught her eye–a picture from her birthday party with the G3 gang. She studied the faces. Sam Ware, Mack’s executive officer at the time, looked so young. She’d thought him an old fogy like her daddy, but Sam remained a true friend. Same as Mack and Aggie, not judgmental.

That night at the resort’s Crane Restaurant had been her first sight of Ace. The brazen smile he’d given her when their group passed his table remained branded in her memory. Several times during the meal, his brown eyes stared and waves of awareness surged through her. But at that moment in her life, she’d had plans, places to go and things to see. South Korea was the beginning. The dinner celebration honored not only her nineteenth birthday, but her promotion. She was a women’s libber on her way to a career as a Department of Army civilian.

She tossed the picture on top of the others. She’d been young, so gullible.

“What’d you find?” Aggie joined her by the large mahogany desk.

“Stuff from when we were in Korea together.”

“Really?”

Lily pointed to the box. “It’s full.”

“I thought Mack tossed this stuff years ago.”

They dug through the photos and mementoes stored in the Army surplus file cabinet drawer, finding menus from restaurants and Officers’ Clubs, ticket stubs from the Seoul Zoo, museums, and pictures from weekend excursions around South Korea. Caught up in memories, they laughed and they cried, reminiscing about rides in Kimchee cabs, trips to Miss Kim’s dressmaker shop, and joked at pictures of Lily and Aggie in native garb of silk skirts and bright striped bolero-like jackets, and Mack in his Papasan attire with the wide-legged paji.

Lily found a photo someone had snapped in the G3 office. Ace’s back was to the camera, but she recognized him and knew Aggie would too. Not wanting to upset her, Lily buried the picture under others and knelt beside the open drawer. “Let’s see what else there is.”

A file stamped ‘Confidential’ lay beneath where the box had been. She moved the folder onto the desk, opening it. “I wonder what Mack kept in here.”

Aggie slammed the cover shut. “I think it’s time for a lunch break.”

Lily tilted her head in a questioning scowl. “Okay. I’ll go make us some sandwiches.”
Fifteen minutes later, she carried a tray with plates and iced tea into the glassed sunroom where Aggie waited. The blue morning glories Mack had planted along the cedar split rail fence so full and vibrant earlier were beginning to fade and close.

Aggie sat with her leg swinging at the wrought-iron table she and Lily had found on one of their forages at a nearby antique shop. Her foot stopped abruptly when she spotted Lily in the doorway.

“I love this room.” Lily set the tray on the glass tabletop. “Some of my favorite memories are how Mack pushed Beth on that swing set and raked leaves in high piles so she could jump into them.”

“Aye. He’d swing our Beth for hours. And when she didn’t want his help, he’d stay close by, weeding his flowerbeds in case she fell. He couldn’t bear for her or anyone else he loved to be hurt.”

Lily knew all about Mack’s protectiveness. He’d appointed himself her personal guardian the moment she’d walked into his office and guided her through the sea of military policies and procedures the whole time she’d worked with him. All the while running interference with over-zealous, admiring soldiers.

Except for one, she reminded herself.

“How’s the lass doing?” Aggie’s Irish brogue slipped out more often since Mack’s passing.

“Great. She wishes she could join us more.”

“Schoolwork or boyfriend?”

“She’s pretty steady with Jay.”

Aggie gave a startled look. “They’d still be dating? Tis serious then.”

“Afraid so. I’m not ready for my baby girl to be seeing any man seriously. Sending her into the big bad world of college was hard enough.”

Aggie patted her hand as Lily gathered their empty plates. “Give her time. Maybe she’ll be changing her mind.”

“I hope so. What’s on our agenda for the rest of today? More in Mack’s office?”
Color drained from Aggie’s face. “No. No more paperwork.”
“But what about the other two file drawers you need to go through?” Lily wanted this arduous task over. Finished. They both needed to move on.

Clearly agitated, Aggie pushed from the table. “I’ll take me time after you’ve gone home. Let’s clear out his uniforms and clothes and get them to the Ft. Belvoir thrift shop. That way, I won’t be driving over to the post by myself.”

Earlier, going through all the keepsakes from Korea, Aggie had seemed fine. Did her reluctance stem from overwhelming memories?

All the memorabilia had certainly stirred Lily’s recollection of her mystical, magical time in the Land of the Morning Calm, at the same time triggering thoughts of the maelstrom that followed and the consequences she and Aggie both lived with daily.

Thoughts that needed to be left buried.

Author Bio:

Award-winning writer Judythe Morgan is also an antiques dealer, former public school teacher and one time Department of Army Civilian (DAC). But she’s a romantic at heart and storytelling is, and always will be, her passion.

Reality can be harsh and depressing. She loves creating stories that will touch your heart and end in a happily-ever-after. When’s she not writing, you’ll find her browsing antiques shops, reading a book on the front porch or walking her dogs . . . an Old English sheepdog named Toby and a Maltese named Buster. To learn more about her and her work, visit her at her website www.judythemorgan.com or her blog:

www.judythewriter.wordpress.com

Thanks so much, Cynthia, for allowing me to share a little about me and one of my stories.

Giveaway Details:

Be sure to include your email address in the body of your comment. One lucky commenter will win a free copy of THE PENDANT’S PROMISE (your choice paperback or e-version) and a $5 Amazon.com gift card. Winner will be notified by October 20!

Please help me welcome Becky Lower to my blog today. Be sure and leave a comment. There will be a prize drawing and one lucky commenter will win.

What genre do you write and why?

I have an ongoing series of historical romances featuring the Fitzpatrick family, and set in America in the 1850s. In a totally different vein, I’m shopping around a baby-boomer contemporary about three sisters who are in their 40s and haven’t gotten along for twenty years. And I keep plugging away on my time-travel story, which has taken me years to research and write.

Tell me about your current series.

It’s called The Cotillion Ball Series. The Cotillion was introduced into America in 1854 as a way to introduce young ladies of affluence into society. The Fitzpatrick children needed to take their place in society, so Ginger is the first to experience the Cotillion. She is The Reluctant Debutante, which debuted in July. The second book, The Abolitionist’s Secret, is about Heather Fitzpatrick, who participates in the Cotillion the following year, and is swept off her feet by a southerner. She hides her abolitionist activities from him. You know that’s not going to go well. I am just wrapping up the third book in the series—this time it’s about one of the brothers, who is living in St. Louis. The focus is not on the Cotillion, but rather the wagon trains that leave every spring from St. Louis on the way west. But the Cotillion does factor into the story at the very end.

What movie best describes your life?

I would have to say it’s “The Holiday,” starring Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet. My life has been sort of like Kate’s in the story. Always falling for the wrong man and thinking he feels the same way when he just wants to use my mind, or my connections, or my wallet. It took me a long time before I figured out those men who floated in the background of my life were the ones to really focus on. And, before it was too late, I found the career I’ve always wanted—that of a romance writer.

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

The Abolitionist’s Secret is due out in December, 2012, by Crimson Romance. I entered it into a few contests prior to Crimson accepting it, and was told that it would never see the light of day, because I talk about slavery in the context that it was discussed in the 1850s. So many people romanticize about the Civil War but forget why it was fought. Because of the time frame in which my series is placed, the rumblings of an impending war are a part of everyday life, regardless of where in the country the story happens. I like to show how historic events were a part of my characters’ lives and how it affected them. It brings the history books to life. Fortunately, Crimson Romance had an open mind and saw that I approached the explosive issues of the time with dignity and accuracy.

Do you have critique partners?

I have several critique groups, and they are all amazing. I live in a small college town and meet weekly with a group there. It’s comprised of all types of writers, from poets to fan fiction to paranormal to romance. They bring a fresh perspective to my work. My other group is strictly romance writers, but is about an hour’s drive away, so we post chapters to our loop and critique each other that way during the month. We have one face-to-face a month, where we try to educate ourselves on various topics. And I have my cousin, who is also a writer. She sees everything I write before I send it out. She’s been invaluable.

What is most difficult for you to write? Character, conflict or emotions? Why?

I always struggle with conflict. Why can’t two people, who are both wonderful, complex characters, just meet, fall in love, and get married? The simple answer is because that would make for a boring book. I usually write my scene, then go back and look for places where I can insert conflict. Sometimes it comes easy, as with The Abolitionist’s Secret. There’s enough conflict there for several books. But I am continually aware of it as something to strengthen in my work.

Do you prefer to read in the same genres you write or do you avoid it?

Since I’ve been writing historicals set in America, I’ve been reading a lot of them. Some are excellent, but I start picking them apart, since that’s my genre. To the casual reader, they’re fine. I may not get every detail right either, but I try to pay attention to the history, the decorum, the dress, things like that. So, I’ve kind of steered away from American historicals and have gone back to my old standby—Regency romances. I don’t know that much about every nuance of the Regency period, so I am a casual reader there, and if something is not historically accurate, it doesn’t stand out to me. And, they’re fun.