SILVER SILENCE : Joy Nash

Interview with Rhys, hero of Silver Silence, book 3 in Joy Nash’s Druids of Avalon trilogy.

Rhys, a Druid in the time before King Arthur, wanders Britain in search of Celts in possession of outlawed Druid magic. He brings these initiates to the hidden Druid settlement on Avalon, where the Light of the Old Ones is preserved for a future warrior king's battle against darkness.

Q: Rhys, how many years have you wandered Britain, searching for Druid initiates for Avalon?

A: Sixteen winters, since I was a lad of fourteen.

Q: Is it a life you sought out?

A: Far from it. As a young child, I wanted nothing more than to live on the sacred isle of Avalon forever. I wanted to take my grandfather's place as Guardian when he died. But Grandfather was a Seer, and his visions of Britain's future did not allow for my dream. My twin sister, Gwen, was to become Guardian. I was to be banished from my home. At fourteen, I was sent away with little more than my harp and the clothes on my back.

Q: You've found many Druid initiates for Avalon over the years. Many of them were children when you encountered them. Why is that?

A: Children are not yet set in the way of good or evil. They more easily learn the ways of the Light that will one day save Britain from war and chaos.

Q: Out of all the children you encountered in your journey, one stands out. Tell us about her.

A: I first encountered Breena when she was a child of three summers. Even at so young an age, her rare Seer's magic shone. My grandfather insisted I bring her to Avalon. But Breena was not like the other children I'd found--poor, destitute, eager to travel with any stranger who offered food and safety. Breena's father was a Roman landowner, and she lived on a prosperous farm. I could not ask her family to give her up to a clan of outlawed Druids. I would have been arrested for the mere suggestion! I visited her home for years, watching over her. It was only when she was fourteen years old, and was nearly killed by her own untutored magic, that her parents finally agreed to let me take her to Avalon.

Q: By then, Breena was convinced she was in love with you.

A: That's right. As a child, she worshipped me. As a girl, her fantasies turned romantic. I did everything that I could to discourage her. Her older brother was my best friend. I thought of her as a sister.

Q: Or, more accurately, you tried to think of her as a sister. But that wasn't so easy when she became of age. During one of your rare visits to Avalon you found her dreaming of handfasting and marriage. And you discovered she'd used her Seer's magic to spy on you during a night of passion with another woman.

A: Gods in Annwyn! I wanted to turn her over my knee for that wanton misuse of her power. If she had seen everything...well, suffice to say, I'm far from proud of my behavior that night. It sickens me to think how close Breena came to witnessing that sordid encounter.

Q: You know, it's becoming clearer and clearer how much you care for Breena. You love her, don't you? And she proposed to you! Why didn't you accept?

A: Love? What do I know of love? I'll admit I want Breena in my bed. But you are mad if you think I would even consider marrying her. She's an innocent, and she was raised in a Roman household, with luxuries most Celts have never even dreamed of. Living on Avalon is difficult enough for her. Do you really think I would subject her to a life as the wife of a wandering bard, sleeping on strangers' floors, or in barns, or by the side of the road? All for the sake of my own base desires? She's a fragile flower--she wouldn't last a fortnight. Which is what I told her, in no uncertain terms.

Q: You quarreled bitterly. And the very next day, she disappeared. The only trace you found of her was a spell of deep magic, cast by a Druid more powerful than any you had ever encountered in all your wanderings.

A: That's right. I found the remnants of a spell of forbidden Deep Magic near an ancient standing stone. The magic was so powerful that no Druid of Avalon, or any Druid I have ever known, could have cast it. The spell led into the Lost Lands, that shadowy landscape that exists outside time and place.

Q: What did you do?

A: Of all the Druids of Avalon, I was the only one powerful enough to gather the remnants of the strange magic, and recreate the spell that spirited her away. So I did.

Q: You’ve cast forbidden Deep Magic—a power only a god can command? You, Rhys? You’re only a man. You’ve vowed never again to risk such danger. It can go horribly wrong.

A: What do I care of vows? Of danger? What is my life without Breena? She’s been taken. Of course I will follow her – even through the forbidden Lost Lands and into Britain's chaotic future. Mark my words, I will find her in that dark place. And know that I will not rest until I bring her safely home.

Note from Joy: One lucky reader who comments on today’s post by midnight ET on Sunday Nov 1 will win autographed copies of The Grail King and Deep Magic, books 1 & 2 in the Druids of Avalon trilogy. (Please consider including your email with your post so I can contact you quickly if you win!) And if you don’t…check out more chances to win at http://www.joynash.com/. Good luck to all!

The World Is Just Spinning Too Fast - Marie Ferrarella

Tomorrow is Halloween, that one day a year where, after 364 days of telling our children not to take candy from strangers or even talk to strangers, we send them off, telling them it’s okay to take candy from strangers and talk to those same strangers as long as the words “trick or treat” are woven somewhere into the brief exchange. After that, Thanksgiving gallops by, pausing only long enough for a quick nod of acknowledgement. When did we really stop celebrating Thanksgiving? I can remember it being a really big deal when I was a kid. Now it’s just mostly recognized as being the day before the biggest sale day of the year.

The true focus of all this, of course, is Christmas. Is it just me, or does Christmas seem to arrive faster and faster each year? I can remember when I was a kid (and no, it wasn’t that many decades ago, it just feels that way) when Christmas seemed to take forever to get here and somehow, that made it all the more special when it finally did arrive. Now, our first hint of Christmas is when a world famous card store chain (which I dearly love and frequent often) puts out its first Christmas tree decorations—in the beginning of July (I fully expect that someday very soon, the first tannenbaum decoration will put in its appearance the day after Valentine’s Day). And then, everything after that, no matter what the holiday (the 4th of July, Memorial Day, Labor Day, etc.), in the back of everyone’s mind is the holiday that is swiftly approaching with the speed of a runaway toboggan on a forty-five degree incline.

Don’t get me wrong, I adore Christmas, I always have, even when the decorations on the tree (a real tree, not the ten foot artificial one my husband made me buy because he has more than a healthy respect—as well as first hand knowledge—of how fast a real Christmas tree can go up in flames) were only paper chains my mother and I made and secondhand balls and lights purchased from the local Salvation Army thrift shop. Adoring Christmas is one of the reasons why I begin putting up the ten foot tree the first of December. The tree, even with my daughter helping me (I get supervision from my husband and son, but not much hands-on help) takes three days to put up and I figure with that amount of time invested, I want to look at it for as long as possible.

To me, Christmas is a warm glow and the spirit of sharing and giving and there’s just nothing like it. But I’d really rather not have that “specialness” (I’m a writer, I can coin words if I want) to be defused by letting it spill over to the other months (I just saw a website that informed me there were only 57 shopping days left until Christmas, sigh). It’s getting so that there seems to be no point in taking down the tree at all because you turn around and it’s time to put it up again. Next year, after Christmas has come and gone (and the bills are just beginning to burn an imprint into your checking account), I just might decide to leave the tree up. I can throw a sheet over it and call it a Valentine Bush (and an Easter Bush after that). It’ll certainly save me time the first week in December. Time I can use shopping for Christmas presents. What do you think?

http://www.marieferrarella.com

Getting To Know You - Lori Handeland

Hi everyone. I’ve come by to let y’all know about my new release, APOCALYPSE HAPPENS, which will be out November 3. But first let’s do a little get to know each other quiz. I love books and I know you do
too. So let’s talk.

1. What was your favorite book as a child?


I loved the Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Probably Little House in the Big Woods was my favorite and that was most likely because it took place in Wisconsin where I live.

2. What is your favorite book right now?

Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase. It’s been my favorite ever since I first read it. The book is incredibly different—ugly hero, bluestocking heroine—with wildly clever plot twists and dialogue. I’ve never read better.

3. What book do you like to give away as a present?

I used to give away Through a Glass Darkly by Karleen Koen but now I’d be more inclined to give Guilty Pleasures by Laurell K Hamilton.

4. What book are you reading right now?

Evil at Heart by Chelsea Cain.

5. What book have you always wanted to read, but haven’t yet gotten around to?

Since I have a degree in English, I’ve read most of the classics, but I’ve always wanted to read The Wizard of Oz by Frank L. Baum

6. What book would you have liked to have written yourself?

Twilight

7. What book (not your own) should have made the bestseller lists?

Pete’s Dragon by Lindsay Longford

8. Who is your favorite fictional hero?

Edward Cullen—I was totally captivated by the Twilight movie and can’t wait for New Moon to be released.

9. Who is your favorite fictional heroine?

Anita Blake—the early years. When Anita first came onto the scene she was the only kick ass heroine around. From the instant I read about her, I wanted to write something similar.

10. What is your “guilty” reading pleasure?

People Magazine—My mom and I discuss all the “stars” whenever we get
together for breakfast. It’s shallow. But it’s fun.


And now on to the self promotion portion of our program.


Apocalypse Happens! Look for it in a store near you on November 3. This is the third book in my urban fantasy series The Phoenix Chronicles. In it my heroine, Liz Phoenix determined to stop yet another Doomsday. But this time, it’s going to be more difficult than ever because is bound and determined to destroy Liz and everyone she loves in the upcoming Apocalypse.

Liz goes to Los Angeles to ferret out a nest of varcolacs: half human, half dragon creatures who crave the destruction of the sun and moon. But before she can prevent the kind of eclipse that would bring the world to an end, Liz must mine the depths of her own heart. She and her former lover Jimmy Sanducci have some personal demons to battle—and there’s always her mentor, the Navajo shaman Sawyer. Is he on their side or isn’t he? In the end, the three of them must find a way to fight together…or perish alone.

I hope you’ll pick up Apocalpse Happens and that you’ll love it as much as I do.

I'll be giving away a signed copy of AH chosen at random from the posters on today's blog.

Lori Handeland
APOCALYPSE HAPPENS-November 3, 2009
SHAKESPEARE UNDEAD-2010
http://www.lorihandeland.com/

Little Sisters - CJ Lyons

Pesky Little Sisters…

Writing a series is like living with sibling rivalry. And I was never good with sibling rivalry.

Why? Easy. Because my sister wins. Hands down. No contest. Every time.

You see, I'm the oldest. The responsible one. The one who always had the hand-me-downs until I learned to sew and make my own clothes and then started to work and buy them myself. The one who was expected to take care of everything (cooking dinner, babysitting, keeping my room clean) and follow the rules.

I'm not a very good oldest. I was a rebel and fiercely independent, resenting any attempt to force me to follow the rules or pigeon-hole me into a caretaker role before I'd even had a chance to figure out who I was. Left home at 17 and pretty much didn't look back for a long time.

You'd think I'd paid my dues. I earned scholarships to college, then worked all through medical school and became a doctor, taught at a prestigious academic medical center, almost died twice on helicopters flying out to get patients in bad conditions, saved lives, comforted the sick and dying….

Doesn't mean a thing. My little sister, the baby, the one handed everything on a silver platter including $100 designer jeans, the one who stayed close to home…..she wins.

Not only did she meet and marry a really, really great guy; not only is she a wonderful person who, despite all the stuff that happened when we were young (honest, sis, it wasn't me who shaved your Barbie's head, scout's honor), is now my best friend in the whole wide world; no, all that isn't enough.

My sister had kids. Two of them. Nope, no snotty nose brats for her. She had to go off and have the two nicest, smartest, most wonderful kids in the universe….really, they are!!!

Know what else my niece and nephew are? Grandkids for my mom.

Sigh. I'll never win.

Funny thing is, the same kind of rivalry plays into writing—at least writing a series like mine.

First born was LIFELINES (released March, 2008) Typical of the oldest, it's a bit more serious, the main character tries to take care of everyone and everything—which of course gets her into mega-trouble!

It had all my love and attention for a while, but now, bad mommy that I am (did I mention my sister also inherited ALL the maternal instincts in the family?) I can barely remember what it's all about. Poor baby. It needs some good family to buy it and take it home and give it some loving.

Next up was WARNING SIGNS, the sequel, released in February. The main character in WARNING SIGNS has sibling problems of her own: she's the baby, the only girl in the bunch, and her older brothers are trying to run her life. She's a bit of a rebel (just like me!) and that both helps and hinders her as she tries to find her way.

WARNING SIGNS is the perfect middle child—approachable, accommodating, a natural born peace-maker. Especially compared to the baby of the family, the third book, URGENT CARE, out this week. Ahh….my problem child.

Months of pouring my blood, sweat, and tears laboring over how to deal with a sensitive subject and still provide entertainment, how to allow my characters to grow they way they need to but still do what I want to with the plot, how to keep the tension high without tipping over into melodrama…..well, after all that labor, it's finally here.

Although it definitely belongs to the same family, URGENT CARE is nothing like the first two. It's dark and edgy, delves into dark recesses of the human mind and heart. Thriller pacing, suspense intensity, it screams for attention.

Hmmm….wonder how it will get along with its siblings?

If you read series books, what kind of changes do you enjoy seeing as the series progresses? What do you hate?

Thanks for reading!
CJ

About CJ:
As a pediatric ER doctor, CJ Lyons has lived the life she writes about in her cutting edge suspense novels. Her debut, LIFELINES (Berkley, March 2008), became a National Bestseller and Publishers Weekly proclaimed it a "breathtakingly fast-paced medical thriller." The second in the series, WARNING SIGNS, was released January, 2009 and the third, URGENT CARE, is due out October 27, 2009. Contact her at http://www.cjlyons.net/

In honor of URGENT CARE's release, CJ Lyons is hosting a contest. One lucky winner will have their query package critiqued by her agent, Barbara Poelle of the Irene Goodman Agency.Check here for more details: http://cjlyons.net/2009/10/08/cjs-query-contest/

Also, comment on this blog and you could win a copy of each of my first two books, LIFELINES and WARNING SIGNS.

Terri DuLong : A Sense Of Place

As an author, I’m often asked what first inspires me to write a story. All writers are different when it comes to their muse, but for me it’s always a sense of place.

I’m the kind of person who does her homework before visiting a place. I pour through any information I can find in regards to the locals, something the place might be noted for, historical points of interest, how the town or region may have differed 50 or a hundred years ago. And, as a result, I always leave with a visceral sense of place.

That’s exactly what happened the first time my husband and I visited the small fishing village of Cedar Key, off the west coast of Florida. When our weekend was over, not only did I feel that the town was exactly what I had heard or read about beforehand, but I also knew both the town and the people resonated with me in a way that would require a return visit. Over 15 years and many visits later when my husband retired, we knew this was where we wanted to relocate.

And once again I found myself doing extensive research. Would I be able to live in a place that had no doctor, no pharmacy and no movie theater? Not to mention, no nail salon, no vet and no major shopping. Most of these services, I learned, are about a 50 minute drive to a medium size town and on a larger scale, the university town of Gainesville was one hour away.

After giving it a lot of thought . . . my answer was a resounding yes. It was abundantly clear to me that it was more than a fair tradeoff. To live in a town with virtually no crime, a place where people actually know your name and wave, a fishing village where five generations of the same family live and work, a town without one traffic light where the speed limit is 20 mph. Factor into this that I would also be surrounded by Mother Nature—an island with water pretty much everywhere I looked (a definite plus for a Pisces), a night sky with stars as bright as diamonds (there’s no light pollution), trees filled with bald eagles and osprey, and a formation of Ibis that comes onto the island each morning and leaves at sunset. I knew I was in my element and after over four years here, I’ve never looked back.

So it was this strong sense of place that inspired me to write my debut novel with Kensington, SPINNING FORWARD, being released October 27. I quickly came to realize that as beautiful as my island paradise was, it was the people who made the island irresistible. Hearing their stories and learning their folklore, my fictional story came together.

I knew my main character would also be a transplant to this charming and picturesque island; although, her circumstances would differ greatly from mine. She would come to love this island because of the people, because of their strong sense of community and the way they cherished family, and she would be a much different woman by the time my story ended.

Could my story have taken place somewhere else? I think not. With a different setting I would have a different story, different characters . . . maybe good, maybe bad—but not this story.

The inspiration I draw from this place has led to a second book in the Cedar Key series, as well as a Christmas novella in an anthology headlined by Fern Michaels (both books will be released by Kensington in November 2010).

So now tell me, do you have a place that inspires you—as a person, a mother, a traveler? If so, where is it? And why does it call your name?

Comment on this blog and you could win a copy of SPINNING FORWARD!

ONE NIGHT WITH YOU - Francis Ray

Hope things are going great for you. As for me, I'm counting the days until the release of ONE NIGHT WITH YOU, book # 3 in the Grayson Friends Series. I can't believe that in 15 days the book will be in stores. I'm always nervous when a new title comes out. It doesn't matter that this is book # 41 for me. I won't relax until I hear from my readers.

ONE NIGHT WITH YOU is Duncan McBride's story. Faith and Cameron might have escaped the McBride family curse, but Duncan doesn't hold out much hope for himself. But, then, he hasn't met Raven La Blanc. Readers met Raven in IRRESISTIBLE YOU when Ruth Grayson used her to push Pierce toward Sabra. I wonder if Ruth is up to a little match-making between Raven and Duncan. If so, this time she might need a little help. One guess who that help is coming from. You'll be happy to know that the book will provide you with an update on Blade and Sierra, and Faith and Brandon, and you'll learn a bit more about Rio. And, yes, Rio will have his own story.

Please check my web site at http://www.francisray.com/ in the coming days for the book trailer for ONE NIGHT WITH YOU. It will be released on November 2, 2009. On my web site you'll also find my tour dates/locations. I have a blog at www.francisrayblog.com where I've posted one excerpt and plan to post another one..

Enjoy Chapter One of ONE NIGHT WITH YOU below:

Duncan McBride knew trouble when he saw it and he was looking at it in spades. He could handle sudden snowstorms, droughts, brush fires, and ornery or sick livestock with grit and determination. He planned to leave his mark on the land, and for that, he knew he had to work hard.

However, no matter how he wished otherwise, there were times he'd come out on the losing end. He didn't like it, but he accepted the harsh truth and worked harder so that the next time he'd walk away the winner.

Standing on the front porch of his ranch house east of Billings, Montana on a beautiful summer morning, Duncan dispassionately watched a woman emerge from the driver’s side of a dusty black Jeep that had seen better days. Before her booted foot hit the paved driveway, he knew trouble had come again to the Double D Ranch.

Long-legged, elegantly shaped with generous breasts, she had a small waist and come-hither hips that gently flared in body-hugging jeans. Those features alone would have been enough to bring any man to his knees, but added to that stunning combination was a breath-taking sculptured face with high cheekbones and a generous mouth painted berry-colored. The explosive package sent a punch straight to his gut.

He didn't have to watch his foreman, Ramon, a renowned ladies’ man, and his newest hand, Billy, almost trip over themselves rushing to meet her to know he was right. Unmoved, Duncan folded his arms and leaned against a stone post on the porch. Whoever she was, she would be leaving in a hurry.

He'd learned the hard way that beautiful women didn't like isolated ranch life and they weren't happy unless a man was fawning over them, catering to their every whim. He didn't have the time or the inclination to do either. He had a ranch to run.

“I'm Ramon Vasquez, and this is Billy Johnson, welcome to the Double D,” Ramon greeted, tipping his black Stetson, his white teeth flashing in his olive-colored face. “Good morning, Ramon, Billy. Raven La Blanc,” she returned, extending her small hand, a smile curving her sensual lips.

It took Ramon’s elbow in Billy’s side to get him to stop staring with open-mouthed fascination and remember to speak. “G-Good morning, Ms. La Blanc. Welcome.” “Thank you,” Raven said, gently disengaging her hand when Billy continued to hold it. “Could one of you please direct me to Duncan McBride?”

Ramon and Billy turned to Duncan, their twin expressions openly envious. The woman stared at him as well. With the face of a man’s most erotic and forbidden fantasy, Duncan found he wasn't immune to her obvious allure anymore than his two ranch hands. However, he controlled his body, not the other way around.

He easily dismissed the stirring of his lower body. He wasn't dead, just selective. And it was just his bad luck for his body to remember he hadn't been with a woman in two years. “I'm Duncan McBride.”

The smile that slowly spread over her golden-hued face caused his gut to tighten for an entirely different reason. Her slender hand swept the thick mass of long black hair out of her face. For one traitorous moment Duncan could imagine too well him doing the same thing for her, his mouth following.

She was definitely leaving, he thought as she started toward him. The admiring gaze of his two ranch hands followed. Straightening, his eyes narrowed in anger. His men were staring at her butt. Several feet away, she paused, her head tilting to one side, studying him. She surprised him by not running back to her Jeep. His men had certainly taken off. He could almost admire her for standing her ground. Almost.

“What can I do for you, miss?” he prompted, wanting to get rid of her as soon as possible so he could get to work. There never seemed to be enough time to complete the endless jobs needed on a ranch the size of his. Today, they were bringing in the calves to start branding. One of his prize mares was taking her own sweet time about foaling, and the Angus cows he'd purchased were due to arrive soon. He didn't have time for a woman.

Raven La Blanc did her best not to stare at the gorgeous man on the porch. He was broad shouldered with smooth, creamed-coffee colored skin, a tempting mouth, and piercing onyx eyes beneath a worn black Stetson.

She'd seen handsome men before, dismissed them without a moment’s hesitation, but something about the unsmiling man intrigued her. From the way he was staring at her in his defensive stance, he clearly didn't share her interest. He wanted her gone, but she hadn't driven over a thousand miles to turn around and go back to Santa Fe.

Being a woman with a mixed heritage of Native American and French, Raven was used to challenges. Her smile widened as she closed the distance between them, stopping at the foot of the steps to stare at up at his unwelcoming face. “Good morning, Mr. McBride. I'm Raven La Blanc, the archaeologist Ruth Grayson spoke to you about. I'm here to authenticate the ca--“ “What?” Unfolding his arms, he quickly descended the steps. Raven had to back up to keep him from plowing into her. “You can't be the one I'm expecting.”


Raven had heard it before. People tended to look at her face and quickly decide there was nothing but air in her head. She'd fought the battle repeatedly in her collegiate days and throughout her academic career. She'd fight again if needed. This was too important. She needed an edge to put her on the fast track to tenure at St. John’s College. The goal of obtaining one had brought her to the Double D.

“I assure you, Mr. McBride, I am. I am very interested in—” “Mrs. Grayson said the woman she was sending had experienced he said, cutting her off once again. Patience, Raven reminded herself. This is your chance. “I might be young since I earned my Ph.D. at twenty-two, but I've been a professor at St. John’s with Ruth Grayson for the past year. Before I accepted the position there I was on several digs in America and Europe.”

“Doing grunt work no doubt,” he hurled. “I wanted someone capable of getting the job done.” Raven’s blunt tipped nails dug into the palms of her hands. Condescending men irritated the hell out of her. “My credentials speak for themselves. I don't plan to stand here and argue with you. According to Mrs. Grayson, you were pleased to learn that someone of my experience was free and willing to come here. You wanted the authentication done quietly and secretly.” Black eyes narrowed on her face. “That was then.”

Raven’s chin jutted. “Think what you will about me, but you've given your word that I could study and authenticate the find and that’s exactly what I plan to do. If you don't want me staying at your ranch as planned, that is your right. I'll get a room in town and be back at eight in the morning to start. Goodbye.”

Spinning on her booted heels, Raven stalked back to her jeep. With an irritated flick of her wrist, the motor ignited. Shifting the vehicle into gear, she spun around in the wide driveway, lamenting she wasn't on dirt so the tires could spit dust in Duncan’s condescending face. He'd just thrown a monkey wrench into her plans. She'd counted on staying at the ranch to conserve time and money. That was out of the question now, but she had no intention of leaving Elks Ridge. If the drawings were authentic, and they certainly looked that way from the sketch he'd sent to Ruth, it was important that they be preserved and studied.

The fly in the ointment was that she needed the owner’s permission to study them. The government jurisdiction didn't extend to private property unless there were human remains. Raven’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. She refused to think he might be a big enough jerk not to show her the cave. Ruth had spoken highly of him. Just goes to show that a man could fool even the most intelligent woman. That was one lesson she'd learned the hard way and didn't need a refresher course on.

Comment on this blog and you could win a $15.00 gift card to Bath and Body Works as well as a copy of THE WAY YOU LOVE ME, book #1 in the Grayson Friends Series.

WELCOME TO MY WORLD - Paula Graves

I suppose a lot of readers, when they think of world-building in fiction, think of fantasy realms and science fiction universes, where all the rules have changed. Why would contemporary romance writers need to build new worlds when they have the real world as their canvas?

But fictional worlds are made up of more than soil and sky, governmental entities and fantastical creatures. They're made up of people, relationships, power-struggles and alliances, too. And that's true of contemporary, "real world" fiction as well. The stories we love as readers--and love to write as writers--create worlds of connections and conflicts that seem as real to us as the world in which we live.

My first three novels for Harlequin Intrigue, FORBIDDEN TERRITORY, FORBIDDEN TEMPTATION and FORBIDDEN TOUCH, took place in a contemporary world where paranormal gifts were a reality. The three Browning sisters, Lily, Rose and Iris, each had a special gift that put her in danger--and thrust her into contact with the man who would become the love of her life. These characters had histories, connections and conflicts that fleshed out the present-day world of their stories.

Though I'm personally skeptical of the paranormal, I tried hard to make the three sisters and their gifts seem utterly grounded in reality. They struggled with their abilities, with scorn and disbelief. They suffered painful consequences for using the paranormal abilities they'd been given. Had I given them gifts that always worked smoothly and didn't have negative aspects, I don't think the world I created in those books would have seemed believable. The real world is full of obstacles, a rollercoaster ride of gains and losses, joys and sorrows. For fictional worlds to seem real, they must share those same aspects.

With my next series, the Cooper Justice books coming from Harlequin Intrigue starting January 2010, I created an even more far-flung but interconnected fictional world where the events in foreign lands have real-life consequences. I used a country I'd created in FORBIDDEN TOUCH, the war-torn Central Asian republic of Kaziristan, to flesh out the back story of Sam Cooper of my February 2010 book, CHICKASAW COUNTY CAPTIVE. By grounding Sam in a world I've already created, I retain the ability to connect characters from that other series to the current series if I want.

The first Cooper Justice book, CASE FILE: CANYON CREEK, WYOMING, goes a step further, taking a secondary character from my stand-alone book, COWBOY ALIBI, and giving him his own story. I was able to revisit some characters I'd loved in my previous book and see where they were in their lives after the Happily Ever After, and I was also able to flesh out the tragic back story I'd given the character of Riley in that previous book, offering him closure and the hope of new love.

Readers sometimes wonder why writers love to write series and interconnected stories. I think it's because the characters and worlds we're creating when we write a series become real and beloved to us. I think readers often feel the same way. When the heroes kiss and the book ends, readers aren't quite ready to say goodbye to those people and their world, any more than we writers are.

So, how about you? Do you like interconnected books? What elements of series work for you, and what elements don't work? I'd love to hear what you have to say.

Comment on this blog and you could win a copy of COWBOY ALIBI.

http://www.paulagraves.com/
http://spinstersandlunatics.blogspot.com/

COOPER JUSTICE - coming from Harlequin Intrigue in 2010
Case File: Canyon Creek, Wyoming - January 2010
Chickasaw County Captive - February 2010

Can't Stand The Heat - Louisa Edwards

One of the ways I knew I should write a culinary-themed romance was that after I moved from New York City to a small town in Ohio, I started reading cookbooks as if they were novels. I’d pore over the glossy pages full of exotic ingredients that were no longer at my fingertips; I’d salivate over each full-color photo of a perfectly prepared dish, and think about how much I wanted to simultaneously cook it, eat it, and write about it.

Professional chefs, like the hero of my debut contemporary, Can’t Stand the Heat, don’t use cookbooks all that often. Sometimes, maybe, to double check a technique or remember a particular flavor profile, but mostly, their recipes are in their heads.

I’m definitely not that proficient. I love to follow recipes in all their precise detail just as much as I love to freestyle in the kitchen, tossing in a pinch of this and a dash of that until it tastes the way I want it. One of the things that made me ecstatic to move into larger digs was the opportunity to buy a big baker’s rack where I can line up all my beautiful cookbooks and gaze at them lovingly. When I don’t know what to make for a dinner party or to bring to a sick neighbor, I run my fingers across their multi-colored spines and remember them like old friends.

I would have a hard time giving up a single one, but if I absolutely had to choose—if I were going to be marooned on another planet with only five of my top favorite cookbooks—I know which ones I’d pick.

1. Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle, and Simone Beck
*Not to be all Julie Powell about it, but after we moved, I really did start to cook my way through Volume 1, and it totally blew my mind.

2. The Gourmet Cookbook ed. By Ruth Reichl
*Sixty years of the best food magazine ever produced this gorgeous baby—if it doesn’t appear in this cookbook, you don’t want to make it anyway.

3. Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison
*I’m really not a vegetarian. I mean, not even a little bit. But I do love vegetables, and if you want to learn new ways to make the non-protein parts of your meals shine, this is the cookbook for you.

4. Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Herme
*This book of dark, delicious sweets is by Paris’s reigning king of chocolate, and I’d want it with me on that cold, unfamiliar planet if only to comfort myself by looking at the fabulously decadent photographs. Mmm…mousse…

5. Simple to Spectacular by Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Mark Bittman
*One of the granddaddies of French nouveau cuisine teams up with the NY Times’ food columnist for a slim cookbook that’s all about teaching cooking techniques. Every dish in this book is a slam dunk.

So what are your favorite cookbooks? I’m always willing to expand my collection!


Comment on this blog and you could win a Can't Stand The Heat apron and 2 spatulas!

http://www.louisaedwards.com

WHO AM I TODAY? by Kathy Lynn Emerson w/a Kaitlyn Dunnett (and Kate Emerson)

Once upon a time, I knew who I was. Kathy Lynn Emerson wrote historical mysteries (The Face Down Series featuring Susanna, Lady Appleton, 16th century gentlewoman, herbalist, and sleuth, and the Diana Spaulding Mysteries set in 1888). As Kathy, I had previously written romances and, before that, a few children’s books. Every once in a while, I’d write non-fiction or a short story. Then I sold the idea of a mystery series with a modern setting. After ten years as a writer of historical mysteries, a pseudonym seemed the best way to avoid confusion. For booksellers and readers, I imagine it worked. For myself . . . not so much.

The Liss MacCrimmon Scottish-American Heritage books, although they are also murder mysteries, are populated with quirky characters and written with a light touch. That the detective’s home town is tiny Moosetookalook, Maine, population 1007, should give readers their first clue that these stories are firmly in the “cozy” camp. No crafts or cooking are involved, but Liss MacCrimmon does work at Moosetookalook Scottish Emporium. The store sells everything Scottish, from kilts to haggis.

Since I needed a new name that would fit the new series, I worked with my agent to find just the right one and we came up with Kaitlyn Dunnett. Kaitlyn is the name I always wished my parents had given me instead of Kathy (which, by the way, is really Kathy and not short for Katherine or Kathleen). Dunnett is in honor of Dorothy Dunnett, one of the most talented writers I’ve ever read. She wrote both historical fiction and a contemporary mystery series. The surname also sparks a connection, in most people’s minds, to the whodunnit—the type of mystery these books represent.

In the first, KILT DEAD, Liss returns to her home town after an injury ends her career as a professional Scottish dancer. When she discovers a body in the stock room at Moosetookalook Scottish Emporium she ends up as the prime suspect in a murder investigation. In SCONE COLD DEAD, Liss is reunited with her old dance troupe when their tour brings them to Maine. What at first looks like an accident is soon revealed as murder and Liss involves herself to prevent one of her oldest friends from being arrested for the crime. And now, in A WEE CHRISTMAS HOMICIDE, a book released on September 29, 2009, Liss organizes the Twelve Shopping Days of Christmas when she discovers that she and two other Moosetookalook merchants have the only supply in all of New England of the hot toy of the holiday season. Her plan to make a killing on the sale of Tiny Teddies succeeds just a little better than she intended.

The idea for the Tiny Teddies came from the craze some years back to collect Beanie Babies. When supplies ran out in the U.S., people tried to smuggle them in from Canada. There were stories in the local papers here in Maine about trunk loads of the toys being confiscated at the border and destroyed. I thought there was potential there for all sorts of mayhem. Motive for murder, but opportunities for humor, too. I know I had fun writing the book.

But to return to the subject of this blog—Who Am I Today?—the story doesn’t end with Kathy Lynn Emerson and Kaitlyn Dunnett. Oh, no. No sooner had I started writing the Liss MacCrimmon series than an opportunity came along to return to one of my earliest story ideas—one that goes all the way back to 1976, and my fledgling efforts to become a published author. I was not an immediate success. I collected the requisite wall papered with rejection letters. Although I loved those early books, they simply would not sell. Part of the problem was that I was still learning how to write fiction. The other part was that the type of book I was writing wasn’t what publishers were buying back then. These things go in cycles. Big, non-mystery historical novels are back. Especially those that tell a real person’s life story. Especially those set at the Tudor court. And I’m a much better writer now than I was in 1976. But again, this genre was significantly different from what I’d been writing. And so, another pseudonym seemed called for. That’s how I became Kate Emerson, author of the Secrets of the Tudor Court series. The books do not use the same characters, but they all involve real sixteenth-century courtiers. The first, THE PLEASURE PALACE, the story of a young woman named Jane Popyncourt, came out earlier this year (2009) and the second, BETWEEN TWO QUEENS, the story of a maid of honor named Anne Bassett, who was in the household of four of Henry VIII’s queens and that of his daughter, Mary Tudor, will be out in January of 2010. I love doing all three sorts of writing. I hope to keep on being three people in one. But sometimes, if I’m not paying enough attention to what I’m doing, more than one of me ends up signing her autograph in a copy of one of my books. I have to remember to stop and think, at home when I sit down to write as well as at book signings—just who am I today? Comment on this blog and you could win a copy of A WEE CHRISTMAS HOMICIDE.

http://www.kathylynnemerson.com/
http://www.kaitlyndunnett.com/
www.KateEmersonHistoricals.com

My Patron of the Arts - Susan Wiggs

It’s October–my mom’s birth month! And I have a new book out! So this blog post is dedicated to her, my first patron of the arts.

Some of the best writers in history had patrons–Chretien de Troyes, Shakespeare, Jane Austen. Check out the acknowledgments page of many modern literary novels, and you’re likely to see thanks to foundations and funds. Because let’s face it, making art is not always synonymous with making money. From the moment inspiration strikes, a writer needs to find someone who believes in her utterly, someone who will support her not just materially but morally.

My mom was a girl of the early sixties, in pedal pushers and Keds and a middy blouse. She wore red lipstick and a kerchief, and she smoked Parliament cigarettes. In college, she dreamed of becoming a meteorologist, although her very traditional parents didn’t love the idea. Did this make her determined to nurture her own children’s dreams? Maybe so, because she was my first writing teacher. As a toddler, I used to scribble drawings on church collection envelopes and bank deposit slips, and Mom would write the words I dictated. These stories all seemed to be about a child up a tree, with scary things coming after her. To this day, that’s pretty much what all my books are about. A girl in trouble. Big trouble.

When I was six years old, I came down with pneumonia in the dead of winter. We lived in western New York State in a town that looks suspiciously like Avalon, the setting of the Lakeshore Chronicles books. This area is a repository of the worst lake-effect snows in the country, and due to the pneumonia, I was not allowed to go outside. My mother no doubt tired of endless readings of The Poky Little Puppy, Go Dog. Go!, Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel and Yertle the Turtle. She showed me how to knit and taught me to play selections from The Cat in the Hat Songbook on piano. Finally, she taught me to type.

We had an old manual typewriter with ribbon that smelled of musty ink, and an inspiring complement of round glass keys. It was an antique even back then, and it had a curious, irresistible charm. The typeface was an odd sans serif lettering I later learned was called “Futura.” From the moment I sat down in front of this typewriter, feet dangling from my chair, eyes wide with wonder, I was overcome by the feeling that magic was about to happen.

Mom and I sat side-by-side at the Formica kitchen table. It was yellow, with a pattern of overlapping boomerangs, and I had to sit on a stack of Grolier encyclopedias to reach the keyboard with the proper posture. My mother was very methodical in showing me her method of touch-typing. She started with the four fingers of the left hand: ASDF. Again and again I typed those letters in various combinations: FADS. SAD. AS. AD. FA, until I could type them with my eyes closed. We moved on to the right hand. We added one letter at a time until I’d memorized the location of ever letter on the keyboard. She showed me the shift key and how it could transform a keystroke into something entirely different. She gave me a tour of the exotic symbols above the numerals, taught me the meaning of the mystical ampersand.

I recovered from the pneumonia before I learned to touch-type the top row of numbers and symbols, and to this day, I’m not able to use them without looking. But the lessons of those dark winter days became part of my blood and bone. Something in me awakened–a realization that publishing is the way a story finds its voice. Magic did happen. My stories were transformed into printed pages. To an emerging writer, this is the moment the world shifts.

It’s doubtful that when my mother sat down with a bored, restless, feverish child, she meant to foster a future writer. She was probably just trying to minimize the whining and earn some peace and quiet.

But it was also her instinct, and her mothering style, to nurture creativity in a variety of fashions. When we were very small, my sister and I used to lie awake in the bedroom we shared and shout downstairs to our mother to play the piano for us. Invariably–and, I now realize, with remarkable good humor–she would oblige, playing and singing us to sleep on our old upright piano, the strains of Brahm’s Lullabye and “Here We Go Looby Loo” winding up the stairs and into the darkening bedroom with its gabled windows and angled shadows lying across the wooden floor.

My mother believes in art in all its forms, but music was the thing that came most naturally to her. She believes in singing several times a day, with gusto and confidence. She gives the same value to “Little Brown Jug” as she does to an aria from “Cosi von Tutti.”

She taught all her kids that the most important thing a mother can do for her child is to be her soft place to fall, the place where her creativity can bloom and her spirit can soar. So much of the advice she gave me growing up is directly applicable to a writing career. To wit:

• Say what you mean and mean what you say.
• This too shall pass.
• You know more than you think you know.
• Don’t let the world tell you no.
• Keep things that matter, and fix them when they need repairs. This applies to old family heirlooms, your grade point average and your relationships, especially your marriage.
• When someone says an unkind word to you, treat it like a fart in church–hold your breath for thirty seconds, until the smell goes away. Then carry on.
• Be with people who make you happy.
• Use common sense.
• Don’t ever finance something that will lose value with time. If you don’t have enough money to buy a car without financing, then take the bus.
• Least said soonest mended.
• To thine own self be true.

These days, Mom is still my number one fan. She unapologetically (and deservedly) trots me out to meet her garden club, her bridge club, the library committee and the people at the dog park. And I always oblige with a smile on my face. Thanks, Mom.

This year for her birthday, she’s getting a spa day and her very own copy of my latest, Lakeshore Christmas.

Please stop by http://www.susanwiggs.com/.susanwiggs.com/ and click the “Meet Susan” link–I would love to meet you! You’re invited to my blog at http://www.susanwiggs.wordpress.com/.

Dangerous Secrets: Do You Have One? - Julia London

I am not very good with secrets. If you ask me to keep one, I will keep it, but I won’t like it. Secrets bug me, and I usually don’t understand why people need them. At least I didn’t before I started following SecretTweet on Twitter and yes, I can see how it’s probably a good idea to keep the fact that you are sleeping with your sister-in-law a secret. But most people don’t really need to keep secrets, do they? Every once in awhile I will do an interview and someone will ask what is one thing about me people don’t know. I have to think really hard about it, because most of it is just out there for everyone to see.

Once, in college, Friend A told me a secret about what Friend B’s boyfriend was doing behind her back. Boyfriend had told her. It wasn’t nice, and it bugged me, and I couldn’t keep the secret. I told the Friend B. Boyfriend was furious and he demanded to know who had told me. I outed Friend A. Needless to say, Boyfriend and Friend A were not friends with me after that, and I realized, that it was not MY place to tell the secret. So my motto became, don’t tell me any secrets!

Then I got married. You cannot be married and not have secrets. You know, like, “Don’t tell your mom/the kids/your lazy brother, but…” Recently, my husband decided he wants to go back to school. He took the LSAT exam for law school, but made me keep it a secret! I understood why—we aren’t exactly college age, and he has a healthy fear of failure like most of us. I never told anyone when I started writing for the same reason. But I didn’t want to keep my husband’s secret precisely because he is past the age of wanting to do something like that. I knew that our friends and family would cheer him on. I kept the secret, but I was very smug when it turned out I was right and everyone was so excited for him.

In A Courtesan’s Scandal, the last book in the Scandalous series, (October 20), the Prince of Wales knows a secret about the Duke of Darlington that allows him to shamelessly exploit the duke. He asks the duke to pretend to that the prince’s mistress is his mistress. The prince is seeking a divorce from the Princess of Wales and rightly assumes that yet another new mistress will no look good for him. The duke has to do it, of course, because of his secret. But when sparks start to fly with the courtesan, more secrets pop up, and suddenly, the secrets are pretty dangerous for all parties involved.

I don’t like to have secrets, but like writing about them. It’s fun to watch how one secret will twist and turn everything on its head. Those are the kind of secrets I can handle.

What about you? Do you have a secret? Do you keep them, or would you rather not know? This is not a secret: one lucky commenter will get a signed copy of Highland Scandal today!

http://www.julialondon.com/

Meet SEDUCE ME IN SHADOW’s Caden and Sydney: Shayla Black

1. Welcome to Seduce Me In Shadow's Sydney and Caden. It is a pleasure to have two people so much in love as our guests. How did you two meet? Tell us your “When Harry Met Sally” story.

Caden: “I went to work at a paranormal tabloid newspaper as a staff photographer—”

Sydney: “Pretended to.”

Caden: Smiles. “Right. Pretended to. I really hired on at Out of This Realm to shut you up. As a human, she knew too much about magickind, and I’d been given an assignment to discover her source of information and put a stop to her revealing articles.”

Sydney: “You were partially successful.”

Caden: “Yes. I discovered your source of information, a bit too late for my needs. As for shutting you up…”

Sydney: “Good luck with that.” Grins.

Caden: “Oh, I’ve given up, love. On the bright side, that big mouth does have some delectable uses…”

2. So you both worked at the same newspaper, I so love an office romance. What were your first impressions of each other? Was it love at first sight, kindred spirits, or opposites attract?

Sydney: “Gorgeous, and totally disinterested in me. He seemed to have a one track mind that revolved around my magical war story and who was feeding me details.”

Caden: “Little did you know how much I was pretending not to want you and how badly I did.” Smiles. “My first impression of Sydney? Besides being beautiful, she had the kind of moxie that makes my heart go boom. She’s total woman and never afraid to be herself. It’s one of the things I love about her.”

3. What was life like for each of you before you met?

Sydney: “Normal…if dull. Magickind is a whole new place. Scary at times. War is never good. But I learn more each day. It’s really fascinating.”

Caden: “My life was normal, as well. I liked it that way. But it wasn’t meant to be. I have a bigger destiny, and while I loved Texas, my home is England, so here I’ll stay.”

4. Describe each other with five words, and also tell us what you think is each other’s best attribute.

Caden: “Smart, sexy, stubborn and…slightly insane. My mate’s best attribute—and sometimes her worst—is her gumption. She’s a never-say-die kind of girl.”

Sydney: “Talk about stubborn…” Raises brow. “Caden is also loyal, brave, loving and a surprisingly good listener.”

5. Let’s get back to the magical book that Sydney got for her birthday gift…you know the one that grants sexual fantasies. Where can I buy one *grins* because it obviously worked for you. Tell us more about it.

Caden: “Oh, no. No more of the Doomsday Diary in human hands. Sydney’s antics were more than enough. The book was originally created by King Arthur’s half-sister, Morganna le Fay, and she used it ruthlessly to punish people who, in her mind, crossed her, like poor Marrok. After Bram’s botch up that allowed Sydney to get her hands on it, we’ve got much better safeguards on it now.”

Sydney: “But between you and me, it was loads of fun.” Winks.

6. What is the greatest obstacle you’ve had to overcome as a couple, and what do you think was the defining moment in your relationship?

Caden: “The greatest obstacle? We had so many… You want a list?”

Sydney: Giggles. “It could be when you realized I had the Doomsday Diary. Because at that point, I had no idea what it was or what it did.”

Caden: “Could be that I was ordered to steal it from you, which proved impossible. Dodgy thing…”

Sydney: “I didn’t enjoy, um…meeting Mathias. That’s one evil git! Then there was your transition.”

Caden: Winces. “From human to wizard, yes. Terrible time.”

Sydney: “The resulting parlor tricks have been…interesting.” Grins.

Caden: “Indeed. But I think our defining moment was when we officially formed our mate bond.”
Sydney: “True. Leave it to you to pick such a romantic location.” Rolls eyes.

Caden: “I know, I know… That didn’t stop you from Binding to me.”

Sydney: “Nothing would have stopped me from Binding to you.” Kisses him softly.

7. When did you each realize you were in love?

Sydney: “When Caden realized that I was his true love and that being with me would tie us both to magickind, he resisted.”

Caden: “That’s true. Though I was born to magic, it always felt alien to me. Sydney helped me accept who I really am: a red-blooded man and a full-fledged wizard.”

Sydney: “I suspected that I loved him after our first night together. That diary really works!” Winks. “But I knew it for sure once I stepped into magickind. I saw you and us belonging there. Just took you a while…”

8. Do you have a song…you know one that identifies you as a couple?

Sydney: “The Fray’s You Found Me because we found each other.”


TEMPT ME WITH DARKNESS - 9/08 SEDUCE ME IN SHADOW - 10/09 POSSESS ME AT MIDNIGHT - 11/09 Pocket Books

Download "Fated" - FREE Doomsday Brethren e-novella - http://romance.simonandschuster.com/

http://www.shaylablack.com/

http://www.doomsdaybrethren.com/

Post a comment to this blog and you could win a signed copy of TEMPT ME WITH DARKNESS, book 1 in the series, and a Shayla Black/SJ Day tote.

Reader Driven Stories - Lucy Monroe

One of the most common questions writers get asked is, "Where do you get your story ideas?" My usual answer is, "Everywhere." Seriously, I'm a huge people-watcher. You wouldn't believe how many stories people tell every day with their actions and expressions, even when we can't hear word-one that they are saying.

However, for a few select stories, I can honestly say they never would have gotten written without reader requests. That's how The Greek Tycoon's Inherited Bride in the 2-in-1 Harlequin Presents "The Latin Lover" came about.

I can't speak for other authors, but when I hear from lots of readers asking for the same story, I stop and listen. Especially when those requests keep coming long after the release of the book that originally sparked them. Phoebe and Spiros were first introduced in "The Billionaire's Pregnant Mistress", my second Harlequin title, released in December '03 in the UK. (It actually came out after other releases in North America.) Ever since the first edition of the story was published, I've been hearing from readers who wanted Spiros' story. Really, really, a lot. :)

It wasn't that I didn't know his and Phoebe's romance journey, I did. I had to in order to write "The Billionaire's Pregnant Mistress." It was that I had all these other stories I hadn't already told myself vying for my attention. But the reader letters kept coming. And coming. And coming. And honestly? I appreciate my readers more than I can ever say.

So, when the opportunity came to write the novella, I snapped it up. And I'm really glad I did. I had no idea I would enjoy writing the story I thought I knew so well already as much as I did. I alternately wanted to hug and smack Spiros. I cried with Phoebe and then I laughed with her. And I'm so hoping readers have the same reaction. :)

Plus, not only did I get a chance to write this "thank you" for my readers, but Harlequin put this story with the fabulous Trish Morey's Back in the Spaniard's Bed in a special 2-in-1 Presents, "The Latin Lover." So, not only do readers get a story they've been waiting for, but they get an equally compelling and sexy one by Trish. Now, that's a deal, yeah? I love reading a talented author as much as the next person and Trish is definitely that. I felt like Harlequin was giving our readers something really special with this 2-in-1.

So, how about you...what story are you waiting for your favorite author to write or wish they had written? I know there are a few secondary characters I've fallen in love with and really wish their authors was equally enamored. :) Most recently, I was thrilled with Lora Leigh's "Mercury's War" - his was a story I'd been waiting for with hugely eager anticipation ever since she first introduced his charcter in the early Breed books.

Hugs,
Lucy

The Latin Lover
Mass Market Paperback ~ Harlequin Presents® #2861
October 2009
Rich, hot-blooded, passionate...These Mediterranean men are irresistible!

The Greek Tycoon's Inherited Bride by Lucy Monroe
Phoebe's betrothal to his brother meant she was forbidden to him, and honour was the code Greek billionaire Spiros Petronides lived by. But with one kiss Spiros knew he had to claim her as his!

Back in the Spaniard's Bed by Trish Morey
Leah Mitchell had left Alejandro Rodriguez because she'd over-stepped the boundaries of a mistress and fallen in love! The Spaniard's arrogance angers her, but his touch ignites her, so when Alejandro storms back into her life, how can Leah deny him?

www.lucymonroe.com