Karin Tabke | Bouncing Off the Walls!

If someone doesn’t glue me down soon I’m going to hurt myself. Why all the extra energy? Lot’s of reasons. Despite this economic downturn and the lull in publishing, romance has not only survived, it’s thriving!

Take that, literary snobs! Okay, that isn’t nice, but it’s how I feel. Would someone please tell me what is so bad about losing yourself in a passionate love story? One that ends with a Happily Ever After? Hot heroes to die for, heroines we’d like to befriend and that warm fuzzy feeling we get when we read The End. How can anyone have issues with that?

Not me, and I don’t defend romance either. I blow off the snarky comments with a shrug of my shoulders and a suggestion to the naysayer that perhaps they might want professional help to deal with that cynical chip on their shoulder. Okay, maybe that is a wee bit defensive, but it’s true!

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Jennifer Ashley | Unusual Heroes: Who Do You Love?

As most readers know by now, my May 2009 release, The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie, features an unusual hero. Ian Mackenzie has Asperger’s Syndrome, which is considered to be high-functioning autism. Traits include the inability to make eye contact, trouble with nonverbal cues and subtext, obsession with detail (but missing the “big picture”), and others. Not everyone who has AS exhibits the same traits, and the syndrome tends to present differently in men than women.

I’ve been recently praised for the risk I took writing Lord Ian. Which surprises me a little (though I don’t mind the compliments!), because when I sat down to write the story, I never thought: “Hey, I’m gonna go out there and take a risk! I’m going to do something different.”

Click here to read the rest of Jennifers blog, leave a comment and enter her blog contest.

Vanessa Kelly | WHAT IS IT ABOUT SISTERS?

What is it about the topic of sisters that causes so much controversy? My new Regency-set historical, Mastering The Marquess, is partly a story about a pair of sisters, and the life-threatening situation they confront together. Meredith, my heroine, will do anything to keep her little sister Annabel out of harm’s way—even if it means putting her own life at risk. And she does that without blaming Annabel for their predicament, or feeling resentful that she must potentially sacrifice her own chance for happiness.

Meredith’s selflessness didn’t seem odd or out of character to me, likely because I have an older sister who has always been uber-protective of her siblings. She would take on a herd of charging elephants without a second thought if it meant keeping me or my brothers safe. But to my surprise, a few readers of Mastering The Marquess expressed discomfort with Meredith’s willingness to sacrifice herself for Annabel. They thought their relationship was too perfect—that real sisters fought more, and that Meredith should, at the very least, be resentful of Annabel. That took me aback since I can count the number of times I’ve fought with my sister on one hand, with a few fingers still left over. Maybe I’ve been lucky and I just happened to win the grand prize in the sister lottery, or it could be that we’re just a pair of really irritating goody two-shoes!

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Leigh Greenwood | Series, Series, Series

I didn’t set out to write series. I fell into it by accident. I was watching the movie Seven Brides for Seven Brothers with my younger son about twenty years ago. We didn’t pay much attention. He was eight and preferred trying to wrestle his father to watching a musical even though it was his idea to watch the movie together. (Since he’s never watched a musical before or since, Providence’s hand must have been at work.) After it was over, I thought that seven brothers looking for wives would make a good idea for a series, never dreaming it would turn out to be an idea for me. Sometime later, I realized I had a group of brothers in my head. I didn’t know where they’d come from or why they were there, but they were remarkably well defined. A little bemused, I asked my agent what I should do about them. She suggested that I write a proposal, let her send it out, and see that happened. Thus was born the Seven Brides series.

A John Wayne movie, The Cowboys, gave me the idea for my The Cowboys series. He recruited schoolboys to help with a cattle drive. My idea was to have a school teacher looking for homes for orphan boys nobody wanted and a rancher in need of cowhands to help with a cattle drive. She could provide the love and sense of belonging they didn’t know how to accept while he provided the safety and sense of purpose they needed. I just had to figure out a way to get them together. It took thirteen books, but I finally helped each boy find the love and family he’d always wanted.

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Elizabeth Hoyt | The Middle Child

So my May book is the third in a four book series set in Georgian England. The series is The Legend of the Four Soldiers and the book is To Beguile a Beast. The other three books are about soldiers coming home from war. But To Beguile a Beast doesn’t have a soldier hero.

Sir Alistair Munroe is a civilian naturalist.

The other three soldier heroes were in the British army when their regiment was decimated by the French and their Indian allies. They volunteered for the army or bought a commission, but in any case, they chose to be there.

Sir Alistair just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.

And while the other heroines in The Legend of the Four Soldiers series are aristocratic heroines, Helen Fitzwilliam, the heroine of To Beguile a Beast is no aristocrat.

Nor is she a lady.

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Diane Whiteside | Once Upon A Time in A Place Far, Far Away

Historical authors always write about someplace that can’t be seen or felt by their reader. For KISSES LIKE A DEVIL (just published in February 2009 by Brava), I always knew Brian, William and Viola Donovan’s second son, would find his true love in turn-of the-century Europe. But I wanted it to happen in a fictional country, not someplace well-known where I’d have to walk the straight and narrow path of rigid locations and dates set down in an almanac. No, I wanted the fun of making up a country’s map and history all on my own, just like I would for a fantasy. Yes!

I decided to call it Eisengau, or “Iron Mountain” in German. Quite suitable for someplace that made topnotch guns and cannons, then sold them to the rest of the world at big time prices.

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Emily Bryan | VEXING THE VISCOUNT

"The decision to become a courtesan is not to be made lightly. A woman must be willing to make her own choices . . . and pay for them."

“--from the memoirs of Mlle. Blanche La Tour

Thanks for the chance to guest blog here at FreshFiction. For those of you who’ve been following my blog tour, I hope you’ll bookmark this site. FreshFiction is fabulous.

When I started writing VEXING THE VISCOUNT, I wanted to play with the idea of my heroine masquerading as a courtesan. But I knew Daisy Drake wouldn’t be convincing unless she had some inside information, so I allowed her to discover the memoirs of Blanche La Tour, a French “woman of pleasure.”

Which meant I needed to research the life of an 18th century courtesan. Here’s a little of what I discovered:

Move over, Britney! Eat your heart out, Paris! Courtesans were the original prey of the paparazzi. These darlings of the London tabloids provided the cartoonists of their day with juicy on dits and outrageous exploits to lampoon. Top-tier 'birds of paradise' demanded and received generous stipends, clothing allowances, jewels, houses, a box at the opera and endless diversions from their well-placed protectors. When the relationship ran its course, these astute businesswomen often had negotiated an annuity to comfort them in retirement.

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Donna Russo Morin | Characters are the soul of the plot; plot is the receptacle of the soul.

That’s the answer I give whenever asked the timeless question, “which is more important, character or plot?” And invariably I get a look of skeptical confusion. But to be truthful, we must recognize that not only can one not exist without the other, but that one cannot be successful without the other…a good character can not carry a book without a stirring story to breathe in.

When we fall in love with a character, it is not only his or her instinctive traits that endear them to us, but their responses to the situations in which they find themselves. Quite frankly, Scarlett O’Hara (one of my favorite heroines of all time) would simply have been deemed a demanding diva if she acted the way she did under normal circumstances. If the war hadn’t broken out and if her struggle did not become one of survival for herself and her family, she would have become a character worthy of reality show depiction and abhorrence.

Jeanne du Bois, the protagonist of my recent historical fiction release, THE COURTIER’S SECRET, would have been considered no more than a spoiled brat were her father not a controlling and abusive man, did she not live in a society that afforded her no control over the course of her own life.

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Lauren Willig | Driving by Misdirection, or Oh, the Places You’ll Go!

Most things in my life happen when I’m trying to do something else. I don’t even mean the big things, like planning to write a dissertation and coming out with a series of romance novels instead (ought I to get an RD for that? I like the sound of Romanciae Doctor), or the fact that if I meant to go right, I usually walk left (I find all sorts of new and interesting places that way). This happens to me in my writing, too. What I wind up writing is seldom exactly what I intended it to be.

Take my first book for example, the lengthily titled Secret History of the Pink Carnation. I very firmly told my agent that what I had produced was a “traditional Regency romance”. My agent is a very kind, patient sort of person. Instead of making snorting noises, he said, very gently, “Are you sure?” I was quite sure. “Um…” he said, flipping through the mental filofax for Tactful Ways to Deal With Deluded Authors. “Are you really sure?” That’s how I found out that what I’d really written was Napoleonic-era historical fiction/ romantic suspense/ mystery/ chick lit. No can quite agree on what it is, but it sure ain’t a traditional Regency. In a word, ooops.

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Mary Nichols | Writing Historical

I love writing historical romance, researching the backgrounds and working out how my hero and heroine are going to resolve their dilemmas. Although the majority of my books have Regency backgrounds, I have also used the English Civil War, the Jacobite Rebellion, the building of the railways (Working Man, Society Bride) and the outcry for and against building the Crystal Palace in Victoria's reign (A Desirable Husband). Romance can be found in the most unexpected places. For instance, the conflict between Roland, the Earl of Amerleigh and Charlotte Cartwright in The Earl and The Hoyden, just out in the UK, involves a quarrel over the ownership of a Shropshire lead mine.

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Kat Martin | Trapped in the Past

Trapped in the past for nearly two years, I have written four historicals in a row! I much prefer to mix in Contemporary Romantic Suspense, but contract obligations made it impossible.

The good news is, when you are writing in a certain time period, you begin to get a feel for that period. Mostly, my historicals have been set in the Regency Period, but a few years ago, I got an itch to move on, and so I set The Heart Trilogy: HEART OF HONOR, HEART OF FIRE, and just released, HEART OF COURAGE, in London in the 1850’s.

The books are all set around the London ladies’ gazette, Heart to Heart. I chose the period because it was a time when women were beginning to be involved in activities outside the home. They worked, they owned businesses, they were becoming more outspoken. I thought this time would give me an opportunity to explore a broader range of stories and I think it has.

Currently I am immersed in The Bride’s Trilogy, books about three brothers, also set in the Victorian period. The first, ROYAL’S BRIDE, will be out next September.

In the meantime, I hope you will watch for HEART OF COURAGE and that you enjoy! All best wishes for a great 2009!

Kat
www.katbooks.com/

Diane Gaston | A Regency Christmas

As an author of Regency Historicals, I love to imagine myself in Regency England. At this time of year that means imagining a Regency Christmas.

The Regency (1810 – 1820) was the time period of the Napoleonic War, of literary greats such as Jane Austen and Lord Byron. Many familiar Christmas traditions--decorating Christmas trees, singing Silent Night, waiting for Santa Claus--did not emerge until the later Victorian times, but a Regency Christmas did have other traditions still celebrated today.

Regency families decorated their houses with holly and ivy and evergreens of fir and pine. Mistletoe was hung and the tradition of a gentleman and lady kissing beneath it would have been part of a Regency Christmas. With each kiss the gentleman plucked a berry from the mistletoe. When the berries were gone, so were the kisses.

Christmas was mainly a religious holiday during the Regency. Gifts were exchanged, church attended, and guests might be invited to Christmas dinner. At Christmas dinner a goose or turkey would be served. A Regency household would also serve a Christmas pudding that was made on Stir Up Sunday, the Sunday before Advent, and served on Christmas day. The pudding was a porridge of sugar, raisins, currants, prunes, and wine that was “stirred up” and boiled together in a pudding cloth.

Some of the traditions of the Regency holiday season had their origins in ancient winter celebrations. First-Footing customs of New Year’s Day may have originated in ancient Greece. In order to have good fortune all the year, an uninvited stranger--a dark man in some areas of the UK but the hair color could vary by region--should be the first to cross the threshold on New Years Day. He might carry symbolic gifts- salt (or a coin) for wealth; coal for warmth, a match for kindling, and bread for food. The householder might offer him food and drink. In some villages one tall, dark, and handsome fellow was selected to visit all the houses, receiving food and drink at each one.

Twelfth Night, the eve of the Epiphany, was even more of a time for revelry than Christmas day during the Regency. It was a time to drink wassail (ale or wine spiced with roasted apples and sugar) and play games. A bean was buried in a cake and whoever found it was designated the Lord of Misrule who presided over all the Twelfth Night festivities, which might include theatricals or singing, although many of our most popular Christmas Carols were translated from German later in Victorian times. When Twelfth Night is over, the house decorations are removed and the season is over.

In 2006 my Christmas novella, A Twelfth Night Tale, was released in the Harlequin Historical Christmas anthology, Mistletoe Kisses. Last year the same stories were released in the UK as A Regency Christmas. Read more about them on my website. Both books are available at used book sites online. I’ll also be blogging about the holiday on the Risky Regency Blog and The Wet Noodle Posse.

Do you have any questions about a Regency Christmas?

What is your favorite Christmas tradition?

Diane Gaston
www.dianegaston.com/

Karen Harper | RESEARCHING THE LIVING AND THE DEAD

No, I don’t write vampire novels, but I do write both contemporary and historical fiction. For the last ten years of my twenty-five-year writing career, I have written one romantic suspense novel and then one historical novel—back and forth. I have a writer’s split personality since it takes different skills and research techniques to do both. I love reading and writing in two genres and in two times, but it does have its challenges as well as its rewards.

For my contemporary romantic suspense novels, I can visit the settings for my story and interview people who live there or have the same careers as my hero and heroine. For THE HIDING PLACE (Nov. 2008), I spent a week in the Rocky Mountains outside Denver. I was able to interview men with dogs trained as trackers. I took two classes to learn about how my female P.I. would work, one class from a tracer who looks for lost people, and one from a female private investigator.

When I write my Elizabethan novels (most recently, THE LAST BOLEYN and MISTRESS SHAKESPEARE), I can, at least, still visit my settings. Nothing like a research trip to England! The Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, Greenwich—and museums, of course—help me to understand Elizabeth Tudor and her times. Although I can’t interview anyone from that era, the Elizabethans were great recorders of their lives: diaries, lists of their possessions, wills, books, and, of course, their literature such as poems and plays. I even have a reference book of the poems, prayers and speeches the queen herself wrote. All of that helps my characters to come alive for me, and, hopefully, for the reader too.

One of the great things about being a writer is that I learn so much about things I would not ordinarily know. I hope my readers not only enjoy my books for great entertainment and emotion, but also for a fun, easy way to become more educated. Whether writing the past or the present, that’s my goal.

Karen Harper

www.karenharperauthor.com/

Steve Berry | The Mystery of Charlemagne

Charlemagne is a historical figure you don't see a lot of in thrillers. Katherine Neville is the only writer I can recall who’s made good use of him. But he's fascinating. He ruled for 47 years, and lived to be 74, at a time when kings rarely reigned more than 5 years, and people died long before age 40. He unified a continent, laid the groundwork for the formation, centuries later, of a modern Europe, and many of his policies and practices became proven models for western civilization. He was a visionary who surrounded himself with smart people and, for the first time, placed the needs of his subjects before royal ambition. He was so progressive that it begs the question—did he have help? Was he privy to special knowledge?

Both questions spurred my imagination.

Within The Charlemagne Pursuit I utilized an actual artifact known as the Voynich Manuscript. It’s preserved in the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale University . Supposedly created sometime in the 15th or 16th centuries, its folios are penned in a language that no one has ever been able to decipher. In addition, there are a multitude of colorful, odd drawings. By general consensus the Voynich Manuscript is probably an elaborate medieval hoax, designed to fleece a royal patron out of a hefty payment. But no one knows for sure. Writing may well have been the single most important creation of human kind. Once we learned to memorialize our thoughts, in languages that could be understood by others many millennia later, human civilization rose to new levels. The Charlemagne Pursuit explores this all-to-real-phenomena.

The Charlemagne Pursuit is an intensely personal journey for my recurring hero, Cotton Malone. For 38 years he’s pondered what really happened when his father died in a submarine disaster in the North Atlantic. Then I came across the book Ice, by Marianna Gosnell, which described the amazing affects of Antarctic cold. Once I realized what was actually possible, I increased the intensity of Malone’s journey. As a writer, I struggle with character development. This book, my seventh novel, allowed me an opportunity to work on that aspect of my craft. It's much more character-driven than the others (though I don't scrimp on plot). I only hope reader’s regard my effort as a positive one.

In writing the story, I visited the Zugspitze in Bavaria and rode the same cable car, 10,000 feet up, that Malone finds himself trapped on. I also loitered around the cathedral in Aachen for four days, trying to conjure up the Charlemagne pursuit. Biltmore Estate in Asheville is one of my favorite places. I’ve visited several times, especially at Christmas. As for Antarctica, unfortunately I didn’t make it there (thank goodness the good Lord created National Geographic). My goal is to walk upon all seven continents. I have two to go.

Steve Berry
www.steveberry.org

Cathy Maxwell | The stress of the holiday season is already upon us!

And it has always been that way. Not because we are doing anything stressful. What can be stressful about seeing family and friends? Okay, let me rephrase that—what can be stressful about seeing friends?

The truth of the matter is that it isn’t a bad thing to try and do too much. It isn’t bad to push ourselves a bit or do a little extra. These shorter days beg for us to do something especially cheerful. But what is bad to not take our time and enjoy the doing of it.

One of the ways I de-stress is with books. Hey, books are the best entertainment bang for under twenty dollars—many times less than five. If you go to your library, they are free. Reading helps you keep real worries and fears in perspective or gives you insights into other people’s lives that you can apply to your own, even in fiction. Perhaps I should say most always in fiction. I always feel revitalized after spending time with characters I love. Plus, I’m one of those read-at-bedtime people. It’s “me” time at the end of a long day.

Right now, I’m helping Sid Halley solve a murder in a Dick Francis book. I’ve just finished Kristan Higgins TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE which will be out soon. Delicious contemporary romance. Sort of a Gilmore Girls meet Susan Elizabeth Phillips. She has three other books on the shelf now that you can enjoy before her new one is out and I suggest you do (look up CATCH OF THE DAY). I also devoured an advance reading copy of a Tracy Anne Warren historical romance that is classic Beauty and Beast titled TEMPTED BY HIS KISS. Warren always delivers a great read.

I have a book out now, too—A SEDUCTION AT CHRISTMAS—that has been, thankfully, flying off bookshelves. It’s the beginning of a new series for me that we are calling “Scandals and Seductions” and will give you a glimpse of how the Regency celebrated Christmas which was very much a family holiday and meant it had to have a few stresses! Avon Books has also repackaged YOU AND NO OTHER, the third book I wrote and my take on the Sleeping Beauty story. I think the covers for both of these books are absolutely divine. Each would make a great stocking stuffer. If you’d like an autographed bookplate, email me your mailing address http://www.cathymaxwell.com/. Let us not forget what great reading weather we’ll find in January and February!

But whatever you do this holiday season, please focus on the people you love. They alone give life meaning. And, yes, they are worth the stress.

So share with me, what books have you been reading? You know I have a radio program titled “Books!” where we operate under the belief folks like talking books and we haven’t been proven wrong. I’m always looking for books (even classic ones) to recommend . . .

Cathy Maxwell

Karin Tabke | The Holidays Are Here!

And I’m still full from my turkey induced coma of last week, have done no shopping and don’t plan to. What am I going to do this holiday season? Read. And read some more. Funny thing that. Thanksgiving night I was going a bit stir crazy wanting a good book. One with a hot alpha, who had hot alpha friends, and who meet up with a heroine who was like no other woman any of them had ever encountered. I was stumped because this story also had to have mad passion, conflict and angst. I looked over my to-be-read pile and still could not quite find what I was looking for. Then I looked down at the box that had arrived from my publisher Simon and Schuster the day before. I knew what was in it, and I smiled. There in that box was a true love story that still haunts me almost 8 months after I wrote it: MASTER OR TORMENT, book two in my Blood Sword Legacy series. This story is of Sir Wulfson and Lady Tarian Godwinson. It is without exception a story of my heart and soul, and it transcended the pages. Reviewers love this story, readers are panting for more, and well, I couldn’t help myself. I grabbed a copy, went downstairs and stayed up until 6 the next morning reading. I loved it more. While I love writing my contemporary hot cops, there is something different about the Blood Swords, something more primal. More is at stake and these brave proud men must fight not only their own longings for love and acceptance in an era where bastards were looked upon as less then whole men, but they must carve out a place for themselves and their lady love and begin a legacy that will transcend time. They always make me sigh. What is the Blood Sword Legacy?

The Blood Sword Legacy

Eight mercenary knights, each of them base born, each of them bound by unspeakable torture in a Saracen prison, each of them branded with the mark of the sword for life. Each of their destinies marked by a woman.

‘Twas whispered along the Marches that the demon knights who rode upon black horses donned in black mail wielding black swords would slay any man, woman or child who dared look upon them. ‘Twas whispered their loyalty was only to the other and no man could split them asunder, nor was there enough gold or silver in the kingdom to buy their oath. ‘Twas well known each of them was touched not by the hand of God but by Lucifer himself.

‘Twas also whispered, but only by the bravest of souls, that each Blood Sword was destined to find only one woman in all of Christendom who would bear him and only him sons, and until that one woman was found, he would battle and ravage the land...

If you love proud, handsome knights in black armor whose passion runs deep and swift and the ladies who bring them to their knees, this is the series for you. I love writing the stories of these eight Blood Swords. Each knight is unique but bound to the other by blood and suffering, and to their ladies they are bound by their hearts and souls. Set in the tumultuous time of William the Conqueror’s England the stories are gritty, hard hitting with passion woven throughout every scene and through the hearts of the heroes and the heroines who love them. I sigh each time I think of them and their stories. Whether you love contemporary or historical romances, the stories of each Blood Sword is a testament to love conquering all. I invite you to pick up a copy of MASTER OF TORMENT, and see for yourself.

I’ll also be giving away a signed copy of MASTER OF SURRENDER, book one that unleashes them all into your heart at my ONE DAY ONLY BLOG contest.

I also have a question: Does time period matter or do you always fall for the love story regardless of where and when?

And since ‘tis the season, I want to wish you all a safe and joyous holiday!

Karin

MASTER OF TORMENT, Pocket Star, Out Now!
HAVE YOURSELF A NAUGHTY LITTLE SANTA, Pocket Star, Out Now!
www.karintabke.com/

Sara Bennett | Angst or Not

Thanks for inviting me to blog! My name is Sara Bennett and I write historical romance for Avon. I have to confess that I tend to write books that have a lot of angst in them. I try not to. I tell myself that I’ll lighten up, write one of those bubbly, sunny books. But no matter how I try the angst creeps in. Before I know it the hero has suffered some terrible trauma or the heroine is struggling with the memory of a miserable childhood. For some reason my creative voice tends to dwell on the darkside.

My November book is called Her Secret Lover, and is the final in my series of Aphrodite books. Aphrodite is an infamous courtesan living in Victorian London, and she has lots of angst in her life. The first three books (Lessons in Seduction, Rules of Passion and Mistress of Scandal) told the stories of Aphrodite’s three daughters and some of the issues covered are, well, dark. The next book (A Seduction in Scarlet) deals with widowhood, the expectations of others, assassination attempts . . . yes, there are some angsty subjects in this one as well. Now I’m saying goodbye to Aphrodite, but I believe I’ve written a wonderful farewell in Her Secret Lover, a rollercoaster ride of suspicion and mistrust and misunderstandings and, you guessed it, angst.

I’m looking forward to my next series, beginning in June 2009, and I’m going to try for lighthearted. Maybe this time I’ll manage it.

Come and visit me at http://www.sara-bennett.com/ I have contests, updates, and excerpts.

Sara Bennett

Jodi Thomas | Writing the West, Texas Style

I’ve been lucky in writing. I’ve been in the game 20 years with twenty seven books on the shelf with my name on them. I’ve had a wonderful time, lots of fun, many dear friends and only a few bumps along the road.

My brother says we have Irish Luck in our family. He knew it the month after he came home from Viet Nam wounded. Someone said to him, “Man, are you lucky. You were hit bad enough to send you home but not so bad that you won’t recover.” My brother’s one thought was that if he’d been lucky, he wouldn’t have been hit at all.

Sometimes I feel the same way about my writing career. Man, am I lucky. Lucky it only took me four or five years to find an editor. Longer to find an agent. Lucky I picked a field, Historical Romance, about the time it died. Lucky my wonderful editor kept getting pregnant and finally quit.

But, remember, I have Irish luck. In all those years of waiting I kept writing so when I did sell, I sold five books in 15 months. Lucky I picked Historical Romance and stayed in until finally as it comes back I’m at the top of the game. Lucky my editor kept having babies because after she quit, she became my agent.

So, after twenty years, I doing what I love, I’m writing the west in Historical Romance and in present day fiction. My newest book, TALL, DARK, AND TEXAN is the story I feel like may be the best I’ve ever written. It’s a tender love story that will make you laugh and cry and feel good all over. It’ll make you believe that even people who’ve never loved can find someone they’ll love forever.

So, before I say happy trails to you, I wish you all Irish Luck. May whatever you want in life come to you, not always when you want it, but always when you need it. In the mean time, I’ll meet you when you open one of my books and we’ll take an adventure together.

See you soon,
Jodi Thomas
www.jodithomas.com/

Janet Dean | Orphanages

Thanks to Fresh Fiction for inviting me to guest blog today. November isn’t usually the prettiest month here in the Midwest, but it’s still a favorite of mine. I’ve always loved the Thanksgiving holiday and our first child was born in November. Although our daughter’s original due date was November 13, as babies will, she came a little later. Even with little sleep and the extra pounds I could have done without, we put our firstborn at the top of our “thankful for” list that Thanksgiving. And there she’s remained, joined by her younger sister and down the road, their husbands and our four grandchildren. Family means a great deal to me. Perhaps that’s why I was fascinated the first time I heard about the orphan train and decided to use this slice of history in a book.

Before writing my novel, I researched the orphan train phenomena. Between the years of 1853-1929, over 250,000 children were sent by train to new homes in the Midwest and beyond. The idea to place out orphans originated with Methodist minister Charles Loring Brace, founder of The Children’s Aid Society. At the time Brace came up with the plan, immigrants were pouring into the country. Problems with poverty and disease were staggering. Brace saw children working in sweatshops, peddling newspapers and living on the streets. His and other orphanages overflowed. He decided relocating these children to homes in agricultural areas would give them a chance for a better life. For some, it did. Others lived more like indentured servants than members of a family.

My “what if” moment became the kernel for Adelaide’s story in Courting Miss Adelaide, Steeple Hill Love Inspired Historical, September, 2008—What if a lonely spinster wanted a child and saw the orphan train as her last chance for motherhood? Though the town fathers refused to give a single woman a child, Adelaide wasn’t a quitter. Her life and that of editor Charles Graves becomes entangled with two of those orphans. Already at odds over dual ownership of the town newspaper, tensions rise for Charles and Adelaide when she insists a respected man in town is abusing William and Emma, the orphans in his care. Charles and Adelaide’s investigation tests their faith, threatens their livelihoods, and then their lives, yet, neither can turn away from a child in jeopardy.

It breaks my heart to think of children suffering under the hands of adults, especially those who are to love them. Sadly, the problem is still with us today. My prayer is that all children may one day live in the happy, safe homes they deserve. Until then, I hope someone will notice the abuse and speak up as Adelaide had the courage to do. To me family isn’t restricted to those sitting around our tables this Thanksgiving. Family includes all of us.

My second book, Courting the Doctor’s Daughter, Steeple Hill Love Inspired Historical, will release in May 2009. As I write my third book while leaves are falling and we brace for another winter, I want to express my thanks to all my readers. Your letters and e-mails are a huge blessing and I’m grateful for your encouraging words.

Janet Dean

www.janetdean.net/
www.janetdean.blogspot.com/
www.seekerville.blogspot.com/

Elizabeth Amber | Lustworthy Pin-up Guys

As I write each novel in The Lords of Satyr series, I always have an idea of what the hero looks like in my head. And pinned on my wall. Since my pin-up guys are cut from magazines, they’re usually actors, musicians, models--someone I consider lustworthy. He has to have the right hair, eyes, and muscles.

But most importantly, my pin-up guy(s) must capture the mood of my hero. It’s the mood that inspires me and reminds me who my guy is, inside and out, lest I forget over the months it takes me to write a novel.

For The Lords of Satyr series, which is historical paranormal erotic romance, I found at least some of my inspiration in a single statue I saw on a trip to Europe a few years ago. I was writing about half-satyr half-human males. Imagine how thrilled I was when I stumbled on this life-size statue of a satyr male in the Louvre! I took so many photos of it, I’m pretty sure I worried the hovering guard. I explained to her that I was writing romances about satyr brothers in Tuscany and showed her bookmarks. She was intrigued—or maybe that was bafflement I read on her face due to the language barrier. Either way, she was happy to have me autograph the bookmark, which she pocketed. But she still kept an eye on me.

The face of this statue doesn’t match what I envisioned for any of my satyr guys—Nicholas, Raine, Lyon, or Dominic. I’d find those faces elsewhere. But talk about mood! This alpha guy has what I remember Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City calling great “throw down” when it comes to his women. And the statue as a whole has a voluptuous, sensuous mood that’s perfect for what I wanted.

Like many authors, I don’t see my covers until long after my novels are finished, so I can’t base my heroes on the cover models. Rather, the marketing department and my editor choose the covers based on their vision of the heroes I’ve written. And I have a feeling readers put their own spin on every hero they read as well. I know I do.

In my November e-newsletter, I asked members to rank my four book covers in order of preference. Each cover depicts a single image—the satyr hero. Results are still coming in, but so far, one cover has been ranked last most often. It’s Raine, the most naked of them. Interesting. Still, three readers who ranked this cover last said it was the one that initially drew them to the series. They found the other books afterward. If you’d like to weigh in, visit www.elizabethamber.com/ to join the newsletter and vote (for a chance to win a book). I plan to pass the tally on to my editor.

How important are visual images of heroes to you? If the guy on the cover doesn’t fit your image of the hero, does it dampen your interest in the book itself? Is there one truly lustworthy romance cover that has stayed in your head for months or years? Which is more important to you--the specific look of the hero on the cover or the mood of the cover? Do you even want to see the hero on the cover?

I hope you’ll leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of my newest release, Lyon, The Lords of Satyr. I’ll randomly select a winner from among the commenters a week from today.

Elizabeth Amber
Nicholas, The Lords of Satyr
Raine, The Lords of Satyr
Lyon, The Lords of Satyr
Dominic, The Lords of Satyr (March 2009)

Elizabeth Boyle | Baking Cookies

My son had this past Friday off from school. Imagine me, standing before the calendar and thinking to myself, “Only two weeks into school and already the teachers are shipping them home?” Haven’t they a care for my poor nerves? to quote the always quotable Mrs. Bennett.

And since it was only the littlest hero and me at home, we decided to bake cookies. He loves the measuring and the mixing, and we all love cookies, so it’s a win all over the house. The first step was the debate over what sort of cookies to make: Chocolate chip? No, Nick doesn’t like those. Sugar cookies? No, not Dad’s favorite. Quite frankly, I’ve never met a cookie I’d turn down, but go figure that my house of men are picky about such simple things. We finally settled upon an old favorite recipe for gingersnaps, which everyone in the house loves but then we had to make sure we had all the ingredients.

And it was about then, as I was hunting around the cupboard for molasses, that I realized how much baking cookies for one’s family is like writing romance novels for your fans. I smiled as I pulled out all the familiar ingredients: the flour, the sugar, the baking soda, the salt, the things that go into nearly every cookie one can bake. Elements as essential as the hero and heroine, the happy ending and the conflict that keeps them apart for most of the pages. And while there are always these stock elements in every book, it is the molasses, the ginger and cinnamon that give a gingersnap its distinctive flavor, and the author’s own mixology as she writes that makes every story different.

I suppose when an writer adds something new to the mix and you bite into what you think is going to be sugar cookie, with its sweet, mother’s hug of vanilla, and you find your senses being filled with hints of licorice or cardamom, you wonder what the heck your author was doing as she was writing that book.

I know this is true, since I did just that with my Marlowe Wish series. I added paranormal elements to my usual Regency romance. Imagine Jane Austen meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which was how I pitched my new book, Tempted by the Night. Now some readers rejoiced and loved the differences, (they are probably your basic cookie-holics, just like myself) others curled up their noses, rather like one of my little heroes when you try to get him to eat a chocolate chip cookie. A Regency is a Regency, thank you very much.

To probe this peak inside human nature a little further, I tried to get the little guy to put something outside the recipe into our batch of cookies, and he looked at me as if I wanted him to commit heresy. “That is not what is says here, Mom,” he said, stabbing his finger at my grandmother’s faded, yet firm handwriting.

Ah, the lessons you learn when the kids stay home from school. There is nothing wrong with writing outside the lines, I know, but romance readers have their recipes for a great story, just as cookie recipes are written in exact terms for a reason. So the finished product comes out exactly as we expect it—to comfort us, to feed us, and to touch our hearts in a way that is familiar. And there is nothing wrong with that.

Eliabeth
elizabethboyle.com

Deanna Raybourn | Writer’s Passion

As a writer of historical fiction, I am frequently asked about research. Specifically, readers—and aspiring writers—want to know if it is necessary for me to visit the sites I write about. On this point I always give a firm and unequivocal yes. And no. Contradictory, I know, but hear me out. Developing a historical novel means creating a dual setting; it means creating a specific time and place for your reader to inhabit. They are a tourist in your world, and you must give them a guidebook of essential details to help them get around. In order to do that, you have to know the neighborhood at least as well as they do—and preferably better!

In preparation for writing Silent in the Grave, I traveled to England. (Technically, I tagged along on a school trip as a chaperone—a maneuver I only recommend to the truly desperate or masochistic.) I had planned that Grave would be a Regency effort, light and sparkling and frothy as a syllabub with just a spot of murder to spice the pot. But once I began writing, I realized the book needed Victorian London, a city of foggy streets, shadowed by industry and populated by Jack the Ripper and Sherlock Holmes. The only difficulty was that I knew much less about 1886 than I did 1816. Luckily, I changed the setting the week before I was scheduled to depart. Once I knew my setting would be changed, the trip to London enabled me to experience that setting through new eyes. I sat on the same park bench that Lady Julia Grey shared with a London prostitute; I walked past her house on Curzon Street; I chatted with a raven in the Tower. And just as importantly, I was able to purchase maps and historical guides only published in England—books and ephemera that were indescribably valuable in establishing the London of Julia Grey and Nicholas Brisbane.

On the other hand—and you knew there would be another hand, didn’t you?—when it came time to write Silent in the Sanctuary I was desperately pressed for time. (My publisher may have gotten the idea that I was just a bit further along than I actually was…) With a deadline looming and the dollar falling, I had no choice but to press on and write the book without a trip. I relied instead upon mountains of research books and the blessed expanse of the internet. I found floorplans to Cistercian abbeys, photographs of jubilee towers, and moon tables for 1886 so that I could write with confidence that the moon was full and streaming its silvery light into the windows of Bellmont Abbey.

I have repeated the pattern in subsequent books. For Silent on the Moor, I told my husband I needed to smell a moor, and we packed our bags to spend Easter week of 2007 in Yorkshire. (And a very good thing we did. It turns out that moors have a very distinctive smell, and that it is very difficult to hold a proper conversation upon one.) The book I am just beginning to write, The Dead Travel Fast, is a compromise. It opens in Edinburgh, a city I have visited twice, but the action quickly moves to Transylvania, and I am forced once again to rely upon research and my own imagination.

And in the end, I think that is the most important travel tool of all. All of the scrambling over pyramids or sailing down the Danube will never convey the atmosphere of a place to a reader. Only a writer’s passion for a setting can do that, and while travel is broadening and inspiring, it is no substitute for the journey of imagination.

Deanna Raybourn
www.deannaraybourn.com/

Barbara Pierce | A SILENT CHARACTER: THE ENGLISH COUNTRY HOUSE

In many ways, I view the country house as a silent character in my books. Although its role is often relegated to the background, the country house represents different things to different characters. For Amara Claeg in Tempting the Heiress, the family’s country house, Arras Green was a tragic reminder of Lord Cornley’s violent assault. In A Lady Mischief, Foxenclover was both a prison and sanctuary for young Maddy, while it represented a reclaimed birthright to her brother Tipton. Lady Fayre in Wicked Under the Covers viewed Arianrod simply as her beloved home, whereas in my current release, Scandalous by Night, Lord Everod was banished from Worrington Hall. The house became a symbol of all that he had lost.

Once I’ve locked down the plot and characters for a new story, I set to work on creating the various country houses and London town houses that will be featured. This is a great deal of fun for me because it mixes history with my imagination. It also has given me a chance to set up at least a half a dozen dream houses. Most of what I design never makes it into my books. This step is mainly a personal tool to help me visualize the setting. What’s relevant to the characters does go into the book, since I am telling the story through their point of view.

For fun, I’ve selected three country houses that have exteriors and interiors that never cease to inspire me. The first one is Chatsworth House. With four hundred and fifty years of history, the country seat of the Dukes of Devonshire and the family are both worth studying. Its extensive gardens are renowned throughout England. Chatsworth was used as Mr. Darcy’s Pemberley in the 2005 version of Pride and Prejudice. The house also makes an appearance in Keira Knightley’s new film, The Duchess.

Levens Hall is a manor house located in the county of Cumbria. The original house was built by the Redman family in 1350. The Bellingham family added to the house during the Elizabethan period. Additional renovations were done in the 17th and 19th centuries. One of the more interesting features of Levens Hall is its topiary gardens. The gardens date back to 1694, and are some of the oldest in the world.

Another one of my personal favorites is Stourhead. The 2,650 acre estate is located in Wiltshire. The Palladian mansion was designed by Colen Campbell and built by Nathaniel Ireson circa 1720. The house was gutted by fire in 1901, but the Hoare family rebuilt the house in its original style. The natural landscape gardens are breathtaking.

Do you have a favorite English country house, castle, or garden? Has a book ever inspired you to decorate your own home in a certain style or design a garden?

Barbara Pierce
www.barbarapierce.com/
www.myspace.com/barbarapierce

Sophie Jordan/Sharie Kohler | Juggling Genres

Authors can find themselves writing in different genres for multiple reasons: 1) varied interests that demand you try your hand at ... well, varied genres; 2) career security; and, 3) a cheating heart. Yes, Hank William's twang is running through my head right about now. Anyone else?

As you may know, I write historical romances (Sophie Jordan) and paranormal romances (Sharie Kohler), which puts me at writing a book every five months, sometimes less. Why do I hold myself to such a demanding schedule? Which of the above reasons motivates me?

I'm guilty of all three. Like most of us, I'm a voracious cross romance genre reader. Right now I have books in the following sub-genres on my nightstand: historical, suspense, single-title, category, paranormal, young adult, women's fiction, even the occasional inspirational and erotica (talk about extremes!). Seriously though, great books all. Books that move and inspire me. I cut my teeth on historical romances: Kathleen Woodiwiss, Johanna Lindsey, Dorothy Garlock, Julia Quinn. I love(d) these books! I wanted to write books like these. So - I did. Starting with my debut, ONCE UPON A WEDDING NIGHT. Incredibly (at least to me!), Sophie Jordan was born and here she is, four books later. But I like gritty contemporary reads, too, and decided to try my hand at a paranormal, and MARKED BY MOONLIGHT came to be. Check off reason number one.

Reason two? Career security sounds mercenary, but I figured two balls in the air increased my chances of maintaining a writing career. And above all, I want to write for as long as possible. I want to keep my stories on shelves. It's the career I've always dreamed of - to write romance novels?!? For thousands to read? And I get paid to do it? Yessssssssss.

And what about reason three? A cheating heart touches on reason one a little bit. As varied as my interests, it's just impossible for me to remain faithful to one genre when there are so many other smooth-talking and good-looking genres out there. Fortunately number three only applies to my books -- I'm happily married. ;)

So what do I tell readers who read one of my books from one genre and love it, but claim to dislike books of the other genre? Don't knock it til you try it! If you like Sophie Jordan, you're going to like Sharie Kohler, too! Because, be it historical or romance, you're going to get the same type of emotional journey behind each book. No matter the genre, I write with the same tone, the same level of intensity. Test me! Take the Sophie Jordan/Sharie Kohler challenge by starting with my newest historical release, SURRENDER TO ME and then reading book #1 of my paranormal Moon Chasers Series, MARKED BY MOONLIGHT.

So the question begs to be asked ... would I ever add another genre to the mix? Hmmm... can I plead the fifth? Who can say? With my cheating heart, it's always a possibility. ;)

What about you? Readers: do you cheat, too, and read cross-genre? Or are you loyal to one specific genre? What about the writers out there? Are you exclusive?

Cheers,
Sophie/Sharie

www.shariekohler.net/
www.sophiejordan.net/

Julia London | Reading for Pleasure: History

Writers are readers, first and foremost, and I know a lot of my romance-writing pals read romance for pleasure. I used to read romance for pleasure, but when you write romance all day, it can be sort of a stretch to try and relax with one. That’s not to say I never read it—of course I do—but I don’t read it like I used to.

For BOOK OF SCANDAL, my latest release (in stores now), I read a couple of riveting biographies. You would think it really dry reading, but if you are into the regency period like I am, sometimes those books can read like the People Magazine of its time. There was some down and dirty goings-on!

The first book I read, The Princesses, by Flora Fraser, was about the six daughters of King George III. I didn’t even know he had six daughters. They were strictly monitored and kept close to the king and queen so as not to gain reputations—while their seven brothers were out gallivanting around and being accused of all sorts of things: adultery, secret marriages, incest, and even murder. Moreover, the king and queen were pretty picky about who they would marry their girls to, and as a result, none of them married until they were in their thirties, and two of them never married at all. I thought about writing a book to include them, but finding the romance in that was too hard.

Then I read The Unruly Queen by Flora Fraser, about Princess Caroline, who came from Brunswick (Germany) to marry the Prince of Wales, the future George IV. That is where I found the genesis for the idea behind BOOK OF SCANDAL. George agreed to marry Caroline so that Parliament would pay his debts. He lived the life of a profligate, complete with a “secret” wife, numerous mistresses, and some really bad debts from his extravagance. Caroline of Brunswick was not particularly handsome, nor was she very genteel. There were concerns about her hygiene habits and her own family seemed to be glad she was gone.

Whatever the truth, the two did not suit at all. They managed to consummate the marriage and produce an heir in one or two tries, but after that, they were permanently estranged. They were both awful—they both were rumored to have adulterous liaisons, they both participated in bawdy games, and they both continued to sling mud at each other, principally through an aging and ailing king. But did that stop them? Hardly!

Here’s another one you might enjoy: Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire by Amanda Foreman. Now here was a chick who was dragged through the proverbial wringer. It’s another book that reads like pulp fiction, and I gobbled Reading for Pleasure: History

Writers are readers, first and foremost, and I know a lot of my romance-writing pals read romance for pleasure. I used to read romance for pleasure, but when you write romance all day, it can be sort of a stretch to try and relax with one. That’s not to say I never read it—of course I do—but I don’t read it like I used to.

I hope you will pick up a copy of BOOK OF SCANDAL, released just this week! Please stop by www.julialondon.com/ for excerpts, message boards and monthly giveaways. This month, we’re having a fabulous giveaway to celebrate the release of the book. it up. But if you don’t think reading Georgiana is your bag, by all means, wait for the movie. It comes out this fall.

Julia London

Eve Silver | Why Gothic?

Thanks to FreshFiction for inviting me to blog today.

Sometimes, the best laid plans blow up like a shook-up soda.

I’m a suspense fan. Lisa Jackson's Shiver, Linda Howard ’s Cry No More, Lisa Gardner’s Hide...those books sent a shiver up my spine. But I never imagined myself as a suspense writer. In fact, my very first romance-writing attempt was a light, funny contemporary romance that is buried in the back yard where it belongs. Some books should never see the light of day, LOL! Still, the months I slaved over that manuscript were not a waste. I learned a lot. Specifically, I learned I should not be writing contemporary romantic comedy. (What was I thinking?)

No problem. I tried my hand at a light, funny historical. Umm...not such a success. No matter how hard I tried to be funny, everything I wrote was dark. Very dark. And spooky. And scary. In fact, that first historical ended up as a twisty, creepy gothic. So I ran with it, and I kept writing gothics. It was easier than fighting the dark cauldron of my imagination. I guess you could say that I didn’t choose gothics, they chose me.

My August release, His Wicked Sins, is no exception. It’s a little less gothic, a little more suspense, and a lot sinister. In 1828 Yorkshire, a killer lurks in the shadowed halls of Burndale School. Three women are dead. Murdered. Elizabeth Canham is drawn to Griffin Fairfax, the father of one of her pupils. But she soon learns that all of the victims were intimately connected to him. As the murderer stalks her, Elizabeth must decide if Griffin could be the charming, seductive killer so many women have lost their hearts—and lives—to...

Considering how much fun I have writing these books, I must admit that I don’t regret going over to the dark side.

Please visit www.evesilver.net/ or www.evekenin.com/ for more information on HIS WICKED SINS and other Eve Silver / Eve Kenin books.

Happy reading!

Eve Silver / Eve Kenin

Kathryn Albright | A Rose by any other Name…

Traveling about the United States has always inspired my writing. I guess that is why, when I have the time, I prefer to drive places rather than fly.

Besides the names of mountains and lakes, the town and street names catch my eye. For example, my grandparents lived in Buzzards Bay on Cape Cod. Now doesn’t that sound like a great place to set in a story? Other “east coast” names that fascinate me are Nantucket Sound and Owls Head. The name Poughkeepsie in New York just makes me smile. It sounds like fun—and would be a light story. Roanoke and Claymont give away their “stuffy” British backgrounds. The name Nags Head makes me wonder what happened to the poor horse there—or was it about a discontented woman? (Probably neither—but there goes my imagination…) Women seem to get little respect from history as the names of most places related to them are similar to Crazy Woman Creek, Maggies Nipples, or Squaw Hill (all of Wyoming.)

Even old names of streets such as Gallows Road and Persimmon Tree Road start stories spinning through my head. Seven Locks Road—now there just has to be a story about covering up a murder in there somewhere.

My new release, The Rebel and the Lady, is set in San Antonio, Texas and the names of places there reflect the Spanish/Mexican/Indian heritage of the land. Nacogdoches, Cibolo, Gonzales are all surrounding towns. Apache Creek and the Brazos and Guadalupe Rivers are nearby and legends and stories abound of lovers leaps, mad woman hauntings, Comanche raids and buried gold. Dead Horse Gulch, Broken Man Trail, Agua Dulce (sweet or fresh water) all give rise to more story ideas.

Coyote Mesa, Buffalo Trail, Coon Hollow, Whiskey Ridge, Slipdown Mountain—well, you get the picture. Perhaps, as I suspect, only a writer or history buff has this strange affection for names and places. What about you? Do you live near or have you heard of a particular place with an unusual/interesting name?


Kathryn Albright
www.kathrynalbright.com/

Karin Tabke | Hot Cops and Hot Knights

I want to start off by thanking everyone here at Fresh Fiction for inviting me as a guest blogger today! I’m really happy to be here.

So, let me ask you this: What is it we find so sexy about those sexy cops and to die for knights??

Hmm, could it be the washboard abs and the muscular arms? Or those brilliant piercing eyes that seem to look right into our souls? Maybe it’s that thick dark hair we want to run our fingers through. Or the uniform or the chain mail?

Or maybe it’s more, much, much more. Could it be the many layers that comprise an alpha’s true character? You know? that command presence they have when they walk into a situation and immediately know what to do: The bad guy is apprehended, the damsel in distress is no longer in one kind of distress but now a completely different kind of distress.

I think for me, what makes a guy sexy, whether he is a knight of William the Conqueror or a beat cop, is his brain. It’s all connected to how he works. How he thinks. His compassion, his take control attitude, his willingness to stand for something and fight for it, but mostly, his passion for everything he does. Whether it’s work, play or love.

A man who is unwaveringly committed is sexy. A man who when he walks into a room does not have to roar to let everyone know he is the king of the jungle, he just is, is damn sexy. That understated rawness and power that every woman wants to tame is beyond hot.

He could be wearing a five thousand dollar Italian suit or holey Wranglers and a faded tee-shirt. A sexy man looks good in anything. He wears it all, well. He has that charisma that smile that way to make each woman he makes eye contact with feel as if she were the one. Be still my beating heart. A sexy man can make a woman forget her name, where she lives and what she had for breakfast. He can take a confident over-achiever and reduce her to a pile of stuttering mush. He can make a wallflower bloom. He can make grandmothers blush and wish they were forty years younger and make a school girl wish she would hurry and grow up.

Sigh, it is because of men just as I have described that I write romance. I fall in love each time I write a book. How about you? What makes a guy sexy, and tell us who your all time favorite romance hero is.

Karin
http://www.karintabke.com/

Shari Anton | Whatever made you think you could write a novel?

How often have you read a bio where the author states she's been making up stories since she was in elementary school? I'm not one of those authors.

Sure, I got good grades in English class. I didn't grumble when the teacher assigned a five-page essay because that wasn't torture for me. Reading literature was a joy and the book reports were a breeze. However, if someone had told me then that I would someday write a 400 page manuscript and have it published I would have laughed hysterically.

I needed a practical education. Like many females of my age group, I took the courses needed to get into college along with a bunch of secretarial courses as back up if the college thing didn't work out. Including Gregg shorthand. Does anyone remember shorthand? I didn't think so.

Well, college didn't work out. And I got married and had kids. So over the course of the years I've had several jobs – sometimes part time, and occasionally full time, alternating with the times I needed to be a full time Mom (which I was so glad I was able to do and wouldn't give up those years for anything!).

During one of the Mom times I got hooked on Romance, especially historical romance. I can remember trolling the book aisle at K-Mart for any cover that featured a cowboy, knight, or pirate. Hmmm … I still tend to do that, but now I'm usually in the bookstore, and I have my favorite authors, and there all those lovely Victorian and Regency books … but I digress.

One of my full time jobs was for a brand new company. We needed everything from purchase orders and invoices to marketing brochures and technical manuals. As you can imagine, some of the writing I was doing was rather dry and boring. Looking for help, I decided to take a creative writing class, thinking I could pick up some tips on how to jazz things up.

Discovering how much fun writing fiction could be was like the proverbial slap upside the head. The poetry section was interesting and the essays weren't challenging. Then we began writing short stories. Ideas flowed. Writing was exciting. My stories were always too long and convoluted for the form. I needed to write a novel. To my amazement, I sold EMILY'S CAPTAIN (March 1997), and suddenly had the writing career I'd dreamed of. MAGIC IN HIS KISS (July 2008), is my twelfth novel.



I sometimes look back at my temerity and wonder where the passion, determination, and confidence came from. But then, no one has ever accused me of being shy or timid, either. A friend of mine says he tries to do something every day that he's just a little afraid to do. What have you done lately that gave you a moment's pause – but you forged ahead and completed the task, or survived despite the danger, or changed your life – and you're so glad you persevered?

Shari Anton
www.sharianton.com/

Jenna Petersen | Accidentally Dark: Or I Didn’t Mean to Make Him Alpha

I am funny. Okay, I may not be stand-on-a-stage-do-The-Last-Comic-Standing funny, but I can tell a funny story and I have a quirky sense of humor. I really like to laugh and I am silly more often than I care to admit in a public forum. When people meet me and they find out what I do, they often assume that I write light-hearted romantic comedies with a sarcastic sense of humor that matches my life "voice".

They are wrong.

No, I don’t write romps. I don’t do slapstick. I can’t tell funny to save my life. Instead, I write highly sensual, intensely emotional, dark historical romances set in the Regency period for Avon Books and Avon Red (erotic romances, those are written as Jess Michaels). People emailed me after my debut, Scandalous, came out in October 2005 and told me I made them cry. And I was happy about it!

So how did this happen? How did I go from being a reasonably happy person with a high sense of the absurd and the amusing to writing super dark romance?

I tell you what, I blame the men. That’s right, it’s not my fault, it’s my heroes. You see, I tried my hand at a few light stories in the dark days before Avon came calling. I sat down and I told myself that there would be no angst. There would be no brooding. There would just be a nice, normal, sexy hero with a sense of humor.

And then he whispered to me, “By the way, I accidentally killed my brother three years ago. I’ve never quite gotten over the guilt.”

No!!! Bad hero. BAD. You aren’t supposed to be wracked by a guilty secret. You aren’t supposed to be torn apart and broken by emotional turmoil. And yet, as soon as he said that… I knew it was true. And it made him far more compelling to me. Although that story never sold, ten books have and all of them feature the common thread of a emotionally tortured hero in one way or another.

My latest book, Lessons From A Courtesan (which just came out Tuesday) features a hero, the Earl of Baybary, Justin Talbot, who isn’t any different. Like many of my previous heroes, he has a dark secret that he’s trying to keep. He has a complicated relationship with the members of his family. Oh yes, and he was blackmailed into a marriage of convenience with his wife, Victoria, who just showed up in London posing as a courtesan.

Well, that’s just enough to make any man dark and brooding, isn’t it?

So, as a reader do you like the tortured, brooding, darkly sexy hero? What do you think draws us to these alpha male types? And is there a twelve-step program for writers who are addicted to tormenting their characters?

Jenna
www.jennapetersen.com/

Jill Marie Landis | Celebrate Every Day!

Aloha to all of you readers out there in cyberspace. How exciting to be back on the Fresh Fiction Blog and in such good company.

This month I have plenty to celebrate. HOMECOMING, my first book for Steeple Hill, will go on sale today.

Set in the 1870's, it's the story of a young woman who is “rescued” from the Comanche clan that abducted her as a child. She has no memory of her past when she is taken in by Hattie Ellenberg, a woman who has suffered at the hands of the Comanche herself. Joe Ellenberg is Hattie’s son. He’s a man who has lost his faith and his hope for the future—until this lovely young woman searching to know “Who am I? Where do I belong?” comes into his life.

It's a book I truly enjoyed writing, even though I began with a little trepidation. I've never written an inspirational before and I wasn't sure I'd be able to achieve the goal I was going for: a page-turner filled with emotion, tension and characters readers would remember long after the last page was read.

So, when I finished, I gave the book to two friends and fellow writers to read. Stella Cameron (A MARKED MAN, Mira) was the first. She was here for R and R and I gave her only the first fifty pages and she came back begging for more until she'd read the entire book. Not only that, but she gave me some ideas for elements to put into the final "happily ever after" scene--which I never write until the final final draft.

The second read was by Kristin Hannah (FIREFLY LANE from St. Martin's). Kristin has a home here in Hawaii and we share a lot of beach time doing plotting and brainstorming while she's on island. She also blazed through the read. Whew.

Next, HOMECOMING was off to my editor--and as it turns out, she loved the book so much for the first time in what seems like forever, I had not one revision! I was so fired up I've already finished my second book for Steeple Hill. AN ACCIDENTAL LAWMAN will be out next year.

I've spent the past couple of weeks "touring" around on various blogs to promote DESTINATION: MARRIAGE and HOMECOMING. (It's a lot easier than leaving the island, believe me.) It's been fun and exciting. Writing is a solitary endeavor and at times it's hard to stay inside when there is so much to see and do all around me. When I'm in the writing "zone," sometimes a lose a whole day. I get up, shuffle to the kitchen, make some oatmeal, sit down to write and look up and it's two in the afternoon. Lately I've been trying to turn over a new leaf and take short ten to twenty minute breaks at least every hour or so. I've been walking the neighbors' dog. Riding my bike to the post office and back. Walking myself around. Puttering around the garden. It sounds like avoidance, but it's actually working! I'm getting more done and enjoying what I'm doing. It's a mini way to celebrate every day and not let life slip by while I'm plunking away at the computer.

Speaking of celebrating, July is definitely the month to have fun. Not only are my brother and his wife coming to visit us here in Hawaii, but the 4th is just around the corner. Here we celebrate by attending a friend's fantastic bar-b-que and pot luck at a nearby beach. She has an invite list of 400 and they bring friends! Not only that, but there's live entertainment all day long, which includes hula. You can bet I'll be dancing.

Thanks for spending some time with me. If you want to know more about HOMECOMING, visit my author page here at Fresh Fiction or my home page at www.jillmarielandis.com/

Above all, enjoy your day, enjoy life, and celebrate!
Jill Marie Landis

Elizabeth Hoyt | Muses on Detours in Life and in Writing

I’m writing my sixth historical book now—the third in The Legend of the Four Soldiers series—and already I’ve gone off my writing map. Writers generally fall into two groups: ones who plot out their story before they begin writing and those who wing it. I’m in the former camp, but here’s the thing: no matter how meticulously I plot before I write, no matter how much I try to foresee all eventualities, I always end up making detours from my plot.

Detours, in writing as in life, are sometimes frustrating (How do I get back on the main road?) sometimes confusing (Can I get back to the main road?) but usually interesting, and sometimes revolutionary.

For example.

About ten years ago my life took a major detour. I was a stay-at-home mom living in the city where I’d grown up, spending what free time I had volunteering in a non-profit organization. Then my husband got a new job. In a different state.

I wasn’t pleased, but my husband was the main breadwinner at that time in our family, so I pulled up my roots, left the non-profit I’d been so active in, and moved away from both family and friends.

And you know what? If I hadn’t made that life detour I probably wouldn’t have started writing. I would’ve stayed in the non-profit organization, stayed near family and friends who kept me busy, and never had the push to start writing a book.

All because of a detour my life took.

The detours that happen in my books are frustrating for me as the writer, but they can be revolutionary for the book. In To Taste Temptation, the first book in The Legend of the Four Soldiers series, I suddenly started writing a scene in which my hero, Samuel Hartley, is running. In London, of all places. Why? I thought. Nobody runs in Georgian England for pleasure. Where is this scene going? Why am I writing this?

Well, as you’ll find out when you read To Taste Temptation, running becomes a central facet to Sam’s character. He runs to forget, he runs for the sheer pleasure of feeling his muscles move, and in a pivotal scene near the end of the book, he runs because his world will end if he doesn’t.
All because of a detour my writing took one day.

Cheers!
Elizabeth Hoyt
www.elizabethhoyt.com

Celeste Bradley | When I Grow Up

Why is there no period of perfection between zits and gray hair? Why can't I ever be at the beginning of a trend instead of two years behind it? When exactly do I get to feel like a grown-up?

When I grow up, I want to be that confident woman who smiles more than she worries and who is happy with her body because it is strong and healthy. I want to be the woman who gets dressed only once, who can wear a scarf with flair, who puts on paisley without ever considering if it makes her look just a bit like an overstuffed sofa. When I grow up I want to meet new people and remember their names and their jobs and what makes them laugh--and never ever stare at them the next year without any fragment of recognition.

When I grow up I want to be on time for all appointments, wash my hair before it needs it and be on first name basis with everyone at the gym instead of the ice cream parlor. When I grow up I want to never be late with the light bill or lose a check or forget to give my kids lunch money. I want to listen to people talk about investments without my eyes glazing over or feeling faint. I want to start my taxes on January 1st and start my Christmas shopping in August.

When I grow up I want to be always patient and kind and generous and never make grumpy, envious snap judgements about other women because they wear scarves and wash their hair before it needs it and make regular appearances at the gym.

When I grow up I want to be just like me--only completely different.

Hmm...my forty-mumble birthday is coming. I'd better hurry up.

Celeste Bradley
celestebradley.com

"The Heiress Brides" are racing to the altar!
DESPERATELY SEEKING A DUKE (March 2008)
THE DUKE NEXT DOOR (April 2008)
DUKE MOST WANTED (May 2008)

Kathryn Caskie | Romantic Frame of Mine

Sometimes it's hard to get into a romantic frame of mind when its time to sit down and write, even when a deadline looms. For instance today. Two days ago, the sewer line from my 200 year old house to the street suddenly burst sending raw sewage into the air and across the yard. Yeah, how romantic is that? And then I see the outrageous bill, for digging up my entire yard to replace piping--none of which it seems is covered by insurance. There is no working plumbing in the house last night or today, the dogs had to be shuttled off to a kennel and the kids to a neighbor's house. So I have a little time alone--except for all of the plumbers with backhoes, shovels and long lengths of pipe--and it's time to write a love scene.

So how do I do it? How does an author write a rich, emotional scene when the world is not cooperating? I know of a fabulous New York Times bestselling romance author who pours herself a glass of white wine and then sits down to write three love scenes all in one sitting. I know another who watches sexy movies. I know another who calls her husband and asks him to come home for an early lunch. All very...inspiring.

Me? I read. It doesn't have to be steamy stories, or even Regency-set. I just need to read. Reading transports me like nothing else. Books can whisk you away to another time and place...where toilet paper isn't dangling from a limb and one plumber isn't daring the other to eat the five-inch worm he just dug up. Today I just happen to pick up The Seduction of an Unknown Lady by Samantha James. Within the span of a single page I was in her lushly detailed world, not my own. I was her heroine for an hour or so.

Then I opened the chapter I had been writing the day before. I read it aloud (I have this quirky way of launching myself into the scene--I read my pages in a British accent, but its not the Queen's proper British--it's more Monty Pythonesque. It embarrasses my kids, which is, I suppose, part of the fun of doing it. But it works!) Then, I close my eyes and watch the scene unfold in my mind. The characters come to life and I listen. And I write. The world outside my office has dissolved and Regency London has taken its place.

If ever there was a means for time travel, it would be reading. It takes us away and allows us to experience another reality for a while. Let's us forget our own troubles, replacing them with worries about choosing a gown for a ball--and whether the sexy hero is going to kiss you...um...I mean the heroine that night.

Books are pretty powerful things. If they were a drug, they'd be illegal. But they're not. They're only $6.99 or so. How great is that?

Kathryn Caskie's new book, How to Propose to a Prince, is on the shelves now! Stop by her web site for excerpts, fun and contests. www.kathryncaskie.com/

Sherry Thomas | Am I a paranormal reader? Sure I am!

A couple of weeks ago, I called a local romance-friendly bookseller to invite her to have lunch with the published authors of my RWA chapter. And she invited me, in return, to attend the monthly paranormal readers’ meeting, which would take place that evening at her store.

The kids were at Grandma’s for spring break. And though I did not read heavily in the paranormal genre, I thought it was a good opportunity to get out of the house and meet the bookseller in person.

Did I mention that I don’t read heavily in the paranormal genre? I was surprised when I got to the meeting to realize how many I have read. There was another author from my local chapter at the meeting. Other than the two of us, none of the other readers present had yet to try J. R. Ward. We practically shoved the Black Dagger Brotherhood books into their hands.

During the course of the evening we’d recommended Shana Abe, Nalini Singh, Lara Adrian, Meljean Brook and Marjorie M. Liu, among others. And right after I left the meeting, I smacked myself on the forehead. How could I have forgotten Kelley Armstrong?

It was, believe it or not, my first time interaction with other romance readers simply as a fellow romance reader. I joined RWA early on in my journey to publication, and over the years, all the other romance readers in my acquaintance have also been writers. It was different and great fun to discuss books—and not just romance, but urban fantasy, mysteries and general fiction—purely from the standpoint of enjoyability.

By the end of the meeting, I had in hand Jim Butcher’s name written down as an author to try, two new releases that I’d bought at a special 25% discount for attendees of the paranormal readers’ meeting, and the bookseller’s enthusiastic assurance to increase the store’s order for my debut book (Private Arrangements, which hit shelves today).

I will most definitely be joining this readers group again in the very near future.

—Sherry Thomas
writersherrythomas.com/

Paula Quinn | Happy St. Patrick’s Day everyone!

Even as a child growing up in an Italian-American household, March 17th has always been one of my favorite days of the year. My dad loved to celebrate every holiday with a bang, and this day, celebrating the Irish culture, was no different. After donning our Kiss Me, I’m Irish buttons, we would head into downtown Manhattan to see the parade, and then go back home for dad’s famous corned-beef and cabbage. It’s a tradition I still carry on with my husband (who is, of course, Irish) and our kids.

Imagine how happy I was when I discovered that this time of Celtic appreciation had been extended for a few more weeks. Tartan Week in Manhattan runs from the end of March to the beginning of April. Scottish pride abounds at such glorious events as the Dressed To Kilt fashion show, the Tartan Day parade, The Scottish Village in Grand Central Terminal, and the 10K Scottish run in Central Park.

It was at the Scottish Village where I met the hero of my next Grand Central release, A Highlander Never Surrenders, in the flesh. His name is Chris Capaldi, model and former rugby star from Edinburgh. (Or as I now affectionately refer to him, Graham Grant—notorious Highland rogue.) Here’s how it went down. The Scottish Village hosts a small fashion show that was about to begin. I love kilts. I’ll watch.

Donning a kilt of black leather and matching jacket that he held closed at his chest, Chris stepped onto to stage like he owned it. His tousled mop of deep amber hair eclipsed killer green eyes that sparkled with confidence and a hint of wickedness. All he did was smile and a horde of women behind me started whooping and cheering in a dozen different languages. Oh yeah, he knew the ladies were digging him and he fed the frenzy by sliding the jacket off his bare bronze shoulders and curling his sulky mouth into a grin so salacious I swear every woman in attendance sighed at the same time. Six feet three inches of pure rogue. Grand Central was never so hot.

Did I mention I love Scotland…and kilts? Oh, right, and St. Patrick’s Day! I’ll be celebrating today, but next week I’m off to the Scottish Village to see Chris again. Research purposes, you know. Sigh, someone’s got to do it.

Visit my website to read a free chapter of my August 2008 release, A Highlander Never Surrenders, and check out more pictures of Chris! www.paulaquinn.com/ timessquare.com - Great Scots, It's Tartan Week!

Paula Quinn

www.paulaquinn.com/

Available now
Lord Of Desire
Lord Of Temptation
Lord Of Seduction

Available Dec '07
Laird Of The Mist

Available Aug '08
A Highlander Never Surrenders

Anne Easter Smith | Research

I've just come off my first book tour and for the most part it was a blast! The weather was my only real complaint. What a thrill to meet readers and hear first-hand how my two books have impacted them.

As an historical novelist, the aspect of authoring that seemed to interest people and provoke the most questions was the research. “How much research do you do?” or “What percentage of your day goes to research and what to writing?” or even “Do you enjoy researching?” were common questions I was asked.

Yes, I love the research – especially when it takes me to neat places like Lisbon, Bruges, Edinburgh and London. I usually spend two or three weeks before starting to write in Europe—you know, if it's Tuesday it must be Belgium (and in my case that happened a lot for “Daughter Of York”)--and I have to confess it is tiring following in the footsteps of my characters. But without seeing the cities, churches, castles and landscapes that my characters would have seen, how can I give you a good idea of what it was to live there in those times? I need to look out of the third floor window of Louis de Gruuthuyse's house in Bruges and see what he could see. I loved peering down through the leaded panes of his little oratory room window and at the high altar in the Church of Our Lady next door. He built a bridge over a side road between his house and the church so that he and his family need not leave the house to join the Mass! I have Margaret shown the room by Louis in “Daughter of York” when she visits him. I love those little details in other good historicals I have read, so I was determined to include them, too.

But it takes time and perseverance to find what you need. I spend hours in libraries and archives looking for letters, drawings of palaces and castles, and medieval maps of the city or town I'm in. I've met with town historians and university professors who have given of their time to help me. Then there was the time in Mechelen (in Margaret of York's time it was more often referred to as Malines) when,one morning, I was snooping around the stage door of the theater there which is all that remains of Margaret's palace and found an unlocked door; so I snuck in. Halfway up the stairs I was confronted by a woman who was most indignant that I was trespassing. When I apologized and explained why, she identified herself as the artistic director of the theater and took me into the Green Room, which was once half of Margaret's great hall. How wonderful was that! It gave me goosebumps to be standing in Margaret's home. It pays to be bold, I guess.

While at my computer in the writing phase, I never stop researching and find I cannot continue halfway through a paragraph if something comes up that I am not sure of: like whether I could say that my protagonist in the third book reminded her friend of a wren. I grew up loving those sweet little birds in England. But something nagged at me and I went into my Observer's Book of British Birds and found out that the wren is actually an immigrant from North America. This is 1485 and Columbus has not yet sailed the ocean blue! So I had to use a sparrow instead—a native but not so perfect a species for my purpose. Boo! Also, things like how long a ride in a carriage would have taken from London to Canterbury, or where did the medieval road take you through. Sometimes I wonder why I chose this genre—surely it would have been simpler to write about today and what I know!

But no, this is truly where I belong—after all there had to be a reason why I spent all my daydreams as a child in a long dress, wandering through Gothic cathedrals, down narrow dirty streets, or through meadows of wild flowers searching for my knight in shining armor!

Anne Easter Smith, author of “A Rose for the Crown” and “Daughter of York”

http://www.anneeastersmith.com/
http://www.anneeastersmith.bookvideos.tv/
http://www.simonsays.com/

Joanne Rock | Hunger for Historicals

It’s a good time for historicals. Or at least, it should be. I’ve seen more historical shows and movies in the last few years than at any time in the last few decades. The Tudors. Rome. Cate Blanchett’s turns as Elizabeth. Not one, but two versions of Beowulf. It’s a historical writer’s dream. But what about for a fan of historical stories? Are we seeing the trend carried out in our books? Certainly I see the trend in more mainstream-y fiction. The fabulous success of Philippa Gregory’s books tells me interest is there for readers. But I’m not sure the new popularity has fully touched the ranks of romance given the percentage of new historical romances available.

My first clue was that some of historical romance’s brightest stars have gone on to write contemporary books. Lisa Kleypas in recent years. Before that, readers witnessed a rash of historical author defections—Elizabeth Lowell, Iris Johansen, Julie Garwood, Pamela Morsi. Other authors, like Amanda Quick, maintained a larger presence on the contemporary side while still writing historical books. I miss their historical offerings, don’t you?

Likewise, when Pirates of the Caribbean exploded in popularity, I thought for sure we’d see some renewed interest in pirate books. A diehard fan of Miranda Jarrett’s Sparhawk series, I couldn’t wait for this to happen. But how many pirate books have we seen in the last decade? Not nearly enough. Remember Susan Wiggs’ Charm School? I could read many, many more books like this.

Of course, it’s hardly all bad news for historical romances. Authors like Madeline Hunter have tapped into the wealth of readers hungry for historical books. And a few years ago, Harlequin Historicals debated discontinuing the long-running series and then decided against the move after readers and booksellers proclaimed their appreciation for the line. Since then, I’ve seen Harlequin Historicals become more open to a wider variety of time periods, and I think that’s a good sign.

What about you? Are there enough historicals in stores to suit your reading appetite? Or do you wish there were more? If so, what time periods do you enjoy and would you like to see an expansion into others?

Finally, I’d love to hear what you think of the historical movies and series in our media. Do you adore The Tudors as much as me? Enter my One Day Only blog contest, I'm giving away signed copies of A Knight Most Wicked to two lucky winners.

Joanne Rock

http://joannerock.com/

http://myspace.com/joanne_rock

Amanda McIntyre | Perceptions

As I step ever so lightly toward another birthday this week, the one that comes "after" the milestone one we all remember our parents getting to. I am reminded again of how very different perceptions of youth, not to mention birthdays can be.

I honestly don’t think about growing older. I don’t think I would trade all that I have learned, for the chance to go back and relive it. Besides, I’ve far too many adventures ahead of me yet to want to return to the blossom of my youth.

Nevertheless, to each his/her own; though we joke about it, I have a dear friend (who looks much younger than I look, but is, only by a month and killer genes, I’m guessing) who has made me swear I must never allow her to be placed in a nursing home. She claims *GASP-those are for old people. She isn’t going to get old. Given that, I should never have to worry seeing her in a home for the aged, since she never plans to be old. Her humor and attitude though, is what I admire and emulate. We see ourselves as an aging Thelma and Louise, making our spur of the moment road trips, creating havoc wherever we go, and enjoying the ride. (Our husbands, btw, just shake their heads and offer wry smiles.)

Old to me is more of a 'state of mind', than candles on a cake, (which btw, I prefer not to have anymore after the last one where the fire department accidentally showed up at my door. Hysterical, not.)

It’s less about how others see my age and more how I see myself. The gifts that are unique to me, the experiences that have given me every laugh line (or every gray hair.)

And no, btw, I’m not yet ready for silvery doos just yet. Look at George Clooney, Richard Gere, or how about Sean Connery and Harrison Ford? These guys make growing old a pleasure!

Perceptions are an integral part of the reason I chose to write DIARY OF COZETTE, (HQ-SPICE 10/08) a story about a young English girl, orphaned by poverty and caught in the dark side of Victorian England. To survive, she must face and deal with the prejudices and perceptions of a very constricted society with a great many double standards. In young womanhood, fate takes her hand and walks her across the line into the lives of the affluent of London. Yet, even here, she encounters the stilted perceptions and prejudices on all levels of the household. As the year’s progress and her experiences serve to give her greater insight, she soon realizes that no matter what your social rank, people will always believe what they want about you, but what is most important, is how you feel about yourself.

And me? I plan to have a wonderful birthday, surrounded by my family and the many memories of experiences, places and people that have shaped me into the person I am, with one open as I jostle up the next hill of this great roller coaster ride called life!

Visit Amanda and sign up for her newsletter at http://www.amandamcintyre.net/ or www.myspace.com/amandamcintyre For fun, and a chance to win great prizes, come name our rakish Lord at Lust in Time-my new blog launched this week with buddies Kristina Cook and Charlotte Featherstone. http://www.lustintime.blogspot.com/

Sabrina Jeffries | Rakes Are Just Hell on a Writer

I don’t write many rakehell heroes. The hero of my upcoming book, Let Sleeping Rogues Lie, is really only my third. And why is that, you may ask?

It’s simple, really. I like my heroes to have compelling reasons for what they do, and I tend to think of rakehells as skirt-chasers who just want to have fun. A guy like that is hard to reform, and if he doesn’t reform, well, I worry that he’ll go on chasing skirts after the wedding. That would certainly put a damper on the whole happily ever after thing.

Still, I’ve managed to create a few by digging deeper. For Gavin Byrne in One Night with a Prince, I gave him a fear of rejection that made him skittish of anything but the most basic of physical relationships. Jordan, the Earl of Blackmore from Forbidden Lord, saw himself as unable to love. And my latest hero Anthony Dalton …

Well, I’ll leave that to you to find out. But I must admit that I have a soft spot for Anthony. His chickens have come home to roost, and they’re laying eggs all over his comfortable rakehell life. He handles it pretty poorly at first, which is where my heroine comes in. She shows him it can be fun to be responsible, respectable, and, most of all, monogamous.

Of course, that doesn’t keep them from finding enjoyment in the bedroom. My characters always do. But then, that’s what we like about those rakehells, isn’t it? That they reform while still holding on to the fun aspects of their character?

Or maybe I’m wrong. Maybe you have another reason entirely for liking rakehell books. Maybe you don’t like them at all.

Here’s your chance to voice your opinion. Do you like those rakehells in romance? If you do, then why? If not, then why not? And what would a rakehell have to do for you to decide that he’s irredeemable?

-Sabrina Jeffries, author of Let Sleeping Rogues Lie

http://www.sabrinajeffries.com/

Anne Gracie | On Beloved Books and Banter

I write in a room lined with beloved books - it's like being with old friends. I know chunks of some of these keepers by heart. For some reason it's usually dialogue I remember, some favorite exchange between the characters.

I love the banter that takes place between a hero and heroine, particularly where they're talking about one thing, but there's a delicious sexual undercurrent underlying the whole conversation.

I'm not talking about suggestiveness, but banter as a sexy duel, a form of courtship, a dance, a game that neither can lose. Good banter always makes me smile.

Some books, some heroes, lend themselves to it more than others. For me, it's usually the hero who starts it. For instance, here's an example from my current book, THE STOLEN PRINCESS, where the Regency hero gets the heroine all hot and bothered with just a few teasing words.

She gave him a severe look. "I told you, I have no desire to put myself under the thumb of any man, ever again."

"But it wasn't my thumb I was thinking of." He said it with such a— such a wicked, laughing look she was hard put to know what to say. So she turned on her heel and walked off.

It took her several minutes of marching along as fast as her legs could carry her before she was able to think at all, let alone think of an appropriately crushing, yet dignified response. His words, along with that laughing smile in his eyes, were a pure invitation to sin. She snorted. Nothing pure about it!

* * *

Later she tells him:

"You know perfectly well what I meant by not wanting to be under the thumb. My entire life has been spent under the rule of two extremely autocratic men — first my father and then my husband. Now I have had my first ever taste of freedom, and nothing — no man —could ever taste sweeter than that."

"Is that a challenge?" he said softly.

"No! Do not be so frivolous."

"I wasn't," he said in a meek voice, but his eyes were dancing.

It was the color, she thought irrelevantly. She'd never seen such blue, blue eyes. Like sunlight sparkling on the sea. Another thing that wasn't fair. Men shouldn't be allowed to have eyes like that.

They walked on and, as they turned a corner, the house came into view. Thank goodness, Callie thought. She might have been walking on a firm graveled path, but it had felt in some ways like she'd been negotiating a marsh, full of traps for the unwary.

He was a very dangerous man! She glanced at him and found him watching her.

"I'm so relieved," he told her.

Callie could not imagine what he was talking about. "Relieved?"

"That you're not afraid of my thumbs. I think they're quite nice thumbs — for thumbs, that is. Don't you think?" He spread his hands out for her to inspect, and though it was clearly ridiculous, she couldn't help glancing at his hands.

"What do you think?" he asked.

She gave them a second critical look and sniffed. "All I can see is that your thumbs are rather large," she said in a quelling voice.

He gave her a slow smile. "Exactly."

Callie had no idea why she should blush, but she did. "I think our breakfast will be ready now," she said and marched briskly back to the breakfast room.

He strolled along beside her. "Yes, I'm ravenous." The way he said it, he didn't just mean for food.

Callie walked faster.

* * *

On one level it's a conversation about nothing much, really, but on another, the sexy duel has begun; we can see he's all out to seduce her -- starting with nothing but words. And thumbs. LOL.

What are your beloved books and what do you love best about them? Enter my one day contest and win a copy of THE STOLEN PRINCESS.

Anne Gracie

http://www.annegracie.com/

Tasha Alexander | Dare to Dream

When I first started writing, I hardly dared to dream. I banged away on a semi-decrepit laptop in my attic apartment in New Haven, Connecticut (yes, really, an attic...servants’ quarters, actually; I kept looking with no success for the butler...), working on my debut novel, And Only to Deceive, with only the briefest someday-maybe-if-I’m-good-and-lucky-this-will-get-published thoughts.

I’d chosen the location for the novel carefully—wanted to use settings familiar to me. Places I’d actually been. I studied abroad in college, living in London, and that seemed an easy starting point. Two trips to Paris had cemented the city in my soul, and a recent visit to Greece had wholly seduced me. I was confident I could capture the essentials of each location.

But what next?

I’d joked for a long time that my writing career was a thinly veiled attempt to justify my travel plans, but I’d never really let myself believe that someday, just maybe, I could be an author and jet about the world on research trips. I kept those thoughts far from my brain, focusing instead on writing. It’s the best thing an aspiring author can do—nothing is more important than crafting the best books possible—while all the while pushing the bounds of what you can accomplish.

And you know? A really funny thing happened. All of a sudden (well, okay, not quite; a few years and a few books later), I found myself sitting on a ferry cruising up the Bosphorus to the Black Sea, watching the colors of Istanbul bounce from the shores of both Europe and Asia toward me. Somehow, through lots of hard work and more than a little magic, I’d made it: two weeks in Turkey, researching the next book in my series. The characters I created in that attic apartment are still with me. They’ve grown and deepened and developed a fondness for Turkish food, and I’ve no doubt I’ll drag them along for many more adventures.

I’m home now, more than a little worse for wear (I blame the two hour cab line in a snow storm at O’Hare for that), fairly confident that I’m never going to entirely regain my voice, but happier than I could have ever imagined. Dreams have a way of catching up with you—and I can’t wait to see what happens now that I’m no longer bent on keeping them at bay.

Tasha Alexander

A Poisoned Season - Available Now

A Fatal Waltz - Coming May, 2008

www.tashaalexander.com/

Melody Thomas | Happy Endings find us all happier. What could be wrong with that?

Some years ago I sat in a movie theater watching, The Perfect Storm. I must have been the only one present who did not know this was a true story, therefore the ending set in the proverbial stone of historical fact. Up until the point all three of the heroes perished, I had been waiting for that miraculous intervention, anything that would save them. When the movie ended, I was so aggravated that I had sat through the entire movie and had nothing but a sense of doom to show for my time. So my question to you is: what is the point of a movie or a book if it does not end with at least the hope that the characters we suffer with will be happy when the story ends. This is one of the reasons I don’t trust mainstream fiction or movies that are supposed to have a meaningful message to us poor, beleaguered souls of humanity. Too often, such entertainment leaves me depressed. In addition, because I am a writer, I have concluded that it is a lot easier for an author to give a book or a movie a sad ending than it is for one to deliver the hope of happiness. It takes great skill to leave a reader, who has just been put through an emotional wringer with a character, elevated at the story’s end. It is far easier for a writer to let characters dangle indefinitely in perpetual misery than it is to build the foundation for a happy ending. A good story accomplishes this feat. A great story resonates long after we close the book. Knowing that our intrepid heroine has overcome adversity, taken control of her life and destiny, and found true love, empowers us all as we embrace her happy ending as if it were our own. A great romance does this by invoking all of our emotions throughout the book and, just at the moment when all feels lost, somehow pulls it all together and yanks that worried reader back from the brink. That quality is what makes this wonderful genre the most popular and bestselling mass market genre in the world. As a writer of romance novels, I am proud to stand up for the happy ending.

To that happy end, I hope you check out my latest two historical romantic suspense releases from Avon, Wild and Wicked in Scotland and Sin and Scandal in England. I write emotion and grit with some humor, and guarantee that though my characters’ trials and tribulations are many, they do earn their happily-ever-after ending.

Melody Thomas

Website: http://www.melodythomas.com/

Anna Campbell | What a Beauty Is This Beast!

Great romances often have a mythic underpinning that adds depth and resonance. So a road romance can echo The Odyssey or a Harlequin Presents can hark back to the universal themes of Cinderella. I believe readers, even if not consciously aware of these patterns, recognize the structure in their subconscious minds. So the satisfaction we get at the end of The Ugly Duckling when the duckling after all his trials turns into the beautiful swan is the same satisfaction we get at the end of a great love story where the plain governess snags the fabulously glamorous Regency rake who recognizes her inner beauty.

One of my favorite fairytales is Beauty and the Beast so it’s no surprise it’s behind a lot of my stories. Beauty is a lot gutsier and more proactive than many fairytale heroines (I mean, Sleeping Beauty basically…sleeps!). Although she’s sure it means her death, Beauty offers herself up as the Beast’s prisoner to save her father. She’s also got some great values although perhaps a financial adviser mightn’t go astray. Still, it’s a lovely moment when after the sisters have asked for everything that walks and talks from their father, Beauty asks for nothing more than a rose. I love the Beast too. I love that his outer shell doesn’t match his inner heroism. I love that he loves Beauty so much. There’s a wonderful old French film of Beauty and the Beast where the Beast’s pain and loneliness just break my heart, especially when he admits his shame at being an animal before the woman he loves.

My second historical romance for Avon, Untouched, uses the themes of Beauty and the Beast. Matthew, the hero, has a lot in common with the Beast. In fairytale terms, he’s been cursed by his wicked uncle and forced to live as a captive madman. But like the Beast, Matthew has an inner strength that nothing can quash and like the Beast, when he falls in love with Grace, the heroine, it’s completely and forever. And as in the fairy story, Grace gradually sees past the façade to the wonderful man beneath. Only when they surrender to love and unite against evil can they break the curse and get their happily ever after. Which is how all the best fairytales end!

What’s your favorite fairytale? Does it find echoes in your favorite romances? And don’t forget to check out news, excerpts and my latest contest on http://www.annacampbell.info/

Anna Campbell

Laura Drewry | Self Discipline

Last year, I set three goals.

1. Sell more books
2. Lose weight
3. Learn self discipline

Well, to quote the always quotable Meatloaf, two outta three ain't bad. I sold two more books and I lost the weight. So this year I've decided to tackle the whole self discipline thing. How hard can it be? It's simply a matter of retraining my brain, right? (snicker chuckle snort)

In order to lose the weight, I had to learn a bit of self discipline. And although I still believe Reeces Peanutbutter Cups and buttered popcorn deserve to have their own section on the food group pyramid, I no longer believe I'll die if I don't eat both of them every day. So, with the basic principal of "I've sort of done it before, so surely I can expand on it further", I've set out to define the areas in which I need to increase my self discipline:

1. I write in fits and spurts, instead of every day. That has to change.

2. I have convinced myself that plotting is the curse of death and that winging it is the only way I can write. That has to change.

3. I tend to let my 'office' (for lack of a better word) turn into a dumping ground, leaving me feeling overwhelmed and claustrophobic. That definitely has to change.

And

4. I've never exercised regularly. That probably won't change, but never say never, right? :-) After reading Maggie's post from the other day, I'm definitely more inclined, I just need to find the self discipline. Funny how this all comes around full circle, eh?

Every writer has his/her own way of doing things, and they don't always make sense to anyone else. The funny thing is that my way of writing doesn't always make sense to me, and I'm the one doing it! I love writing and I love that every single writer has a different process of getting from blank page to the finished work. What I don't love is knowing that no matter how organized and anal I might be in the rest of my life, I haven't been able to duplicate that methodology into my writing life.

It'll happen, though. I mean, honestly, if I can retrain my brain to believe I can get by without the almighty Reeces, surely I can retrain it to plan and plot a little, right? Right?!?

Laura Drewry

Kathryn Albright | Where do you find your inspiration?

What sparks that excitement inside that urges you to write? Is it a news report, a TV show, a person, or a place?

For my debut book, The Angel and the Outlaw, a historical romance, it was the setting that captured me and begged me to write. Growing up in San Diego, I often visited the Old Pt. Loma Lighthouse with my family. My imagination would take flight there, and I’d conjure up scenarios involving the cliffs, the tide, and the caves. As a child, the news reports of people stranded when the tide came in made me nervous enough to keep a close eye on each and every wave while exploring the tide pools (and have nightmares about tidal waves!) The stories of shipwrecks off the coast added even more adventure to the mix.

The Old Pt. Loma Lighthouse was built in 1854. Through its 36 years of service the light keepers saw many of the things I mention in my book such as the community picnic. The light keeper, having a perfect view of the ocean, would hang a red flag on the railing when he spotted a pod of the California Gray whales migrating to alert the Johnson Whaling Company on the harbor side of the peninsula.

San Diego in 1873, the year The Angel and the Outlaw takes place, was already an international mix of people—much like it is today. The Hispanic culture formed San Diego long before any Anglos made their mark. Then there were the Portuguese whalers and Chinese fishermen, each staking their own area of town. All of these add wonder and interest to the city’s history and also to the setting of my story.

Needless to say—history fascinates me. I’d love to hear how you are inspired. Add a comment here or contact me through my website at http://www.kathrynalbright.com/

Thanks Fresh Fiction for inviting me to blog today!

Kathryn Albright www.kathrynalbright.com/ The Angel & the Outlaw ~ Harlequin Historical, Dec. 2007

Sherry Thomas | A very fine setting

After a voracious romance reader had read an advance copy of my debut historical romance, Private Arrangements, she emailed and told me that she loved the book, but being a devotee of the Regency era, she was surprised at how different and modern the turn-of-the-century setting felt. So when Fresh Fiction asked me to guest blog, I immediately thought of a whirlwind introduction to my favorite era for readers who might be unfamiliar with it.

La Belle Époque, aka fin de siècle, aka the (more loosely defined) Edwardian era, refers to a time period that comprises the last two decades of the nineteenth century and the first fourteen years of the twentieth century, until the outbreak of World War I.

Victoria still reigned in the 1890s, the decade in which both of my first two books are set. But oh what a different world she lived in from when she’d first ascended the throne.

Early in the nineteenth century, travel was still slow and laborious. But by the end of the century, you could cross the Atlantic in less than a week. And then, make the trip from London to Edinburgh in eight-and-half hours on the Scotch Special Express (later renamed the Flying Scotsman). The telegraph, the Victorian internet, brought news from far ends of the globe to the average man in his next day’s newspaper. The telephone was already in use in wealthier homes, as well as electricity—though with its cheap and abundant coal and still relatively cheap and abundant supply of indoor servants, Britain would not adopt central heating for many years to come.

Globalization, a word that seems synonymous with our era, was but an acceleration of the bustling international trade that was part and parcel of life at the end of the nineteenth century. Tea, sugar, and spices had always been imported. But with the increasing urbanization of Britain, the cities needed more food than could be supplied by the surrounding countryside, and so grains were imported from South America and meat from New Zealand. Raw materials, from cotton to copper to guano, sailed into Liverpool, Southampton, and the Port of London. And finished goods from industrial Britain sailed out in the cargo holds of her merchant fleets.

It was an era of rapid scientific and technological advancement. Vaccines for human use were manufactured. Karl Benz (sounds familiar?) had produced the first commercial automobile. Engineers and aviators had been experimenting with self-powered aircrafts since 1890 (the Wright Brothers made their flight in 1903). And in Private Arrangements, set in 1893, a minor character, who is an astronomer, had a paper of his mentioned, a paper that dealt with the capture of comets by Jupiter—a subject lifted right out of an actual paper published around that time.

In art, salon art reigned supreme, with William-Adolphe Bouguereau being the most admired artist of his day; but under the radar, the Impressionists were working hard. In literature, Dickens was long dead and Oscar Wilde, until he was sent to prison for homosexuality, was the most successful dramatist and one of the greatest literary celebrities. In the upper echelon, the fun-loving, amorous Prince of Wales set the pace, the aristocracy having long tired of his mother’s rather staid and stuffy society.

Women’s lives were becoming less restricted. The Suffragist Movement was in full swing. There were several residential colleges for women in England. Women, even married women, could now work outside the home and still remain respectable. The first woman doctor began practicing in Britain in 1865. The first English woman lawyer would not practice until after WWI, but elsewhere in the British Empire, the first woman lawyer was admitted to the bar in 1897 in Canada (the first American woman lawyer was admitted to the bar in 1892).

There are many things that I love about writing in this period. First, no need to invent heroes and heroines who bathed at abnormal frequencies—given the advances in home comfort and medical understanding, personal hygiene was rigorously practiced at the turn of the century, at least from the middle class on up.

Two, the dynamic life and increasing independence of women. I can write about an heiress who has set a goal for herself to become a duchess, and I do. But my heiress also runs her own large and complex enterprise, because after the Married Women’s Property Act of 1882, her legal identity was no longer subordinated to her husband’s after the wedding, and what was hers remained hers.

Three, although changes were coming fast and furious, there was still a tremendous formality and rigidity in people’s lives and many, many rules of etiquette. Innocent little things we take for granted today—holding hands in public with a boyfriend, wearing trousers—would have caused an uproar. This gives a wonderful tension for a writer to explore the sexual charge in a look, a word, a hand held a fraction of a second too long.

But don’t take my word for it. Experience the late Victorian/Edwardian era in romance for yourself. The following are my recommendations:

The Shadow and the Star, by Laura Kinsale. 1887. against the backdrop of Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee.

Beast, by Judith Ivory. 1902. Transatlantic voyage on a luxury liner. The best the Gilded Age had to offer.

The Proposition, by Judith Ivory. 1899. A reverse “My Fair Lady” story.

The Bridal Season, by Connie Brockway. 1890s.

And Then He Kissed Her, by Laura Lee Guhrke. 1893

Louisa Burton | BOUND IN MOONLIGHT

It’s December 26, Boxing Day, one of my all-time favorite holidays. Not that I know what it’s about—I looked it up in Wikipedia and I still don’t get it—but because it marks the winding down of the annual Chrismahanukwanzakah Festivity Vortex. Much as I love the holidays, this time of year tends to make me just a little bit tense. It always seems like there’s a whole lot more stuff to do than I have time for in my already harried life, and I have to admit to a sigh of relief when it’s all over but for New Year’s—which, in our upstate New York household, means champagne and cigars with our closest pals as we huddle under afghans in the “smoking lounge” (our screened-in back deck) until the wee hours. My favorite night of the year.

But back to Boxing Day. This year, there’s another reason to love it, and that’s because it’s the release date for Bound in Moonlight, the second book in my Hidden Grotto series. You can’t miss it in the bookstores—it’s the trade paperback with the bright, shiny gold cover and an oval inset of Bouguereau’s Evening Mood, a romantic Victorian masterpiece. I’ve posted this fabulous painting on my website, if you’d like to take a look. Click here and scroll down.

Being the artsy fartsy type, I love that Bantam is going with classic art for my covers. The paintings they’ve chosen are not only gorgeous, but sensual and evocative, which is perfect, given that the Hidden Grotto series is erotic fiction. Actually, “erotic fantasy” might be a better description, because the stars of the series are four beautiful immortal beings who live in a secluded French château and thrive on sexual energy: an incubus, a succubus, a djinni, and every reader’s favorite trend-loving satyr with the mythic endowments, boyish grin, and MySpace page: the now-legendary Inigo.

The readers who wrote to me about the first book in the series, House of Dark Delights, begged for more of Inigo, who accordingly gets a whole lot more “screen time” in Book #2. Bound in Moonlight is comprised of three closely linked stories set at the château, each of which explores a different aspect of enslavement—physical, psychological, and of course, sexual.

In the first story, “Tutelage,” which is set in 1902, Emily Townsend, an American “dollar princess” engaged to a land-poor British nobleman, walks in on her betrothed doing the wild thing with two women. At first appalled, then curious about what she’s been missing all this time, Emily takes our merrily lusty Inigo up on his offer to teach her a thing or two... or three.

We journey back to the Regency era for the second story. “Slave Week” takes place during an annual event in which moneyed libertines bid at auction for temporary “ownership” of beautiful women of their own class whom they may enjoy at the château in any manner they desire. Enter Caroline Keating, a ruined rector’s daughter just desperate enough to put herself on the block, only to be purchased by a brooding rakehell with a dark past whose depraved demands are meant to keep her at a distance.

Fast forward to the present day for “Magic Hour,” in which Isabel Archer (yes, she was named after the Henry James character), long enamored with the charismatic young lord of the château, makes a rare visit only to find a porn film being shot there—a film based on the events in the first story, “Tutelage.” (Read the book—it’ll all make sense.)

The world of the Hidden Grotto, which has become all too real to me, is explored in barking-mad detail on my website, louisaburton.com. I’ve just finished revamping it, so stop by and then drop me a comment here letting me know what you think of it—or of my blog, where I’m posting a column on writing and publishing called FictionCraft. And if you have any questions about what it’s like to write “intellismut,” as my friends call it, bring ‘em on!

Louisa

louisaburton.com
myspace.com/inigothesatyr
uncutandunexpurgated.com

Brenda K. Jernigan | Christmas and Other Stuff

OK – I do have a new book out - Southern Seduction by Alexandria Scott, so I probably should talk about the book first.

It’s what I call an old time romance. Remember the ones you read that made you sigh once you had finished because it gave you such a good feeling? Well that is what Southern Seduction is and yes I felt just that way when I finished reading the galley. Here is a short intro into the book.

Between desire and surrender lies a new beginning – and that is just what Brooke Hammond has to do – start over.

They didn’t start out to be whores. But sometimes life doesn’t turn out the way one plans, so you do what you must in order to survive.

As Brooke Hammond, Shannon McKinley and Jocelyn Rutland stand at the ship’s rail; they smile at the new life that awaits them. It’s their chance to put the past behind them and start a new life.

However when Brooke arrives at Moss Grove plantation she discovers a devilishly charming, infernally arrogant obstacle named Travis Montgomery, co-owner of her estate. So begins a contest of wits and will and winning the battle may mean losing everything that matters ….

I will add that there is a nice Christmas scene in Southern Seduction, which brings me to my other topic. . . Christmas

How many of you love Christmas and love to decorate? Christmas has to my favorite time of the year and it goes by too fast. If everyone could be in that cheerful mood all year – wouldn’t that be nice? I also love to decorate and have enclosed a picture of my Christmas tree last year. This year is not up yet. We’ll go and get the tree Saturday, and then it will take me 2 days to get it up because my trees are never small. Twinkling trees always takes my breath away. How do the rest of you feel about Christmas?

When the big day has come and all the presents have been opened and you have nothing else to do, I hope you will be able to settled back with Southern Seduction and be swept away and by the end of the day I hope you smile just like I did.

Merry Christmas

Tracy Anne Warren | Back to Back to Back . . .

Trilogies are an interesting beast—especially back-to-back trilogies. Readers enjoy them since it means they don’t have to wait long between books to find out what happens in a series they’ve discovered and come to love. On the flip side, it does mean that once the trilogy is concluded, it’s over for a good long while––at least if the follow-up trilogy is another back-to-back.

That’s the situation that occurred with my first two trilogies––both of them written back-to-back-to-back! After the best-selling success of my debut Trap Trilogy, I was excited when my editor told me she wanted a second back-to-back trilogy. I rubbed my hands together and got right to work. But that excitement was soon tempered with expressions of frustration from some fans who wanted more books as soon as possible. While the time between trilogies seemed a bit too long to a few of my readers, it seemed very brief to me as I hurried to write three new books in the shortest amount of time I could manage. Still, in the intervening months between trilogies, my readers have been wonderfully supportive and patient, eagerly counting down the days with me!

I’m happy to confirm that the wait ended last month with the October 30th release of My Fair Mistress, the first book in my new Mistress Trilogy! In that story, young, aristocratic beauty, Julianna Hawthorne, risks her reputation and her heart by agreeing to spend six months as the mistress of Rafe Pendragon, the man who holds her brother’s gambling debt. I adored this story with its elemental conflicts of power and sacrifice as well the chance to explore the lengths to which people will go to protect and cherish those they love. Similar themes and lots of good, sexy fun continue when Rafe’s rakish best friends struggle against the inevitability of love, starting with Ethan’s story in The Accidental Mistress––which, thanks to the back-to-back release schedule––will be in stores starting November 27th. Tony’s tale follows on December 26 with His Favorite Mistress––a day-after-Christmas present, as it were.

So which release schedule do you like best? Books that come out in quick succession, but which may entail a longer wait in between new trilogies or series? Or a more frequent schedule where a new book in the same series is available every six months or so?

http://www.tracyannewarren.com/

Sylvia Day - Reaching Out

Hi Everyone,

I hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving, if it was that time of year where you live. If not, I hope it was simply a beautiful day for you!

Reaching out to readers is something I really love doing. I travel to as many readers' conferences/conventions as I can afford, I participate in book signings and guest blog when asked, and I try to keep my website as accessible as possible with areas like my blog and message board, an interactive Q & A section, and fun things like book trailers.

Funny thing is, when I meet up with readers at events I usually talk about anything but my books. Recent all-night reads, favorite recipes, interesting things to see and do in the area, mutual fan-girl moments for other authors... those are the topics I touch on most. I'm a shy person (though some who've met me don't believe it *g*) so focusing on other things is more comfortable for me.

Then, late last month, I tried a new way to interact with readers that I'd never attempted before -- podcasting. Have you listened to podcasts? Do you enjoy them? I was a bit apprehensive at first, plus I had to talk about my latest release, A PASSION FOR HIM, since that was the whole point of the interview. Despite my nervousness, I jumped in with both feet and gave it try.

Through the podcast readers can hear me talk about my book in my voice, with all the inflections it carries. It’s another way to interact and when the interview was over, I found I enjoyed it. If you’re curious about the one I did, you can listen to here: http://www.sylviaday.com/books/passion-for-him/

I’d love to hear what you think. (I’ve been too shy to listen to it myself. LOL!) Hugs and Happy Holidays!

Sylvia

Julianne MacLean | On Romance and You Tube

So here's the deal. I am a Romance writer (I write historicals), and I do what most writers feel a compulsion to do -- I make an effort to promote my books so that not just my mother will read them. I've done everything from purchasing print ads in magazines to sending shelf talkers (those pretty little flaps that hang off a store shelf under your book) to thousands of retailers. I have a website, I do book signings, and I hang out on reader message boards to connect with readers all over the world.

The one thing I had not done yet, however, was a book video.

I've been watching the whole video trailer phenomenon with interest over the past few years, and since my husband has an interest in filmmaking and we love to do things together, I was keen to give it a try. I knew I could trust him with the project because he'd already directed a short film that made it into some major film festivals, but also because hey - he's my soul mate -- and most importantly, he has great sense of humor.

This was key, because I wanted to do something fun. I wanted to produce a trailer that would entertain, because that's the promise I make to a reader every time I write a new book. My aim is to provide a few hours of entertainment, escape, laughter, and the emotional experience of falling in love. I want my readers to feel passion.

So we set out to produce a video for my newest book, In My Wildest Fantasies, with a whole lot of passion in our hearts.

My husband came up with the concept and wrote the script. We then hired the right people for the job -- from the actors to the director, the producers, and the very important hair and makeup artist who made the leading lady look like the model on the cover of my book. We hunted all over the city for the proper corset (a key element in the plot), and put immense effort into the set decoration.

It was a busy and stressful few weeks leading up to the day of shooting, but it was all worth it in the end, when everyone came together, the director said, "Action," and the cameras started rolling. It didn't end there, of course. The footage had to be edited, and a great deal of skill and artistry went into that. It took weeks, and it was 3am on the final day when my husband finally arrived home with the final cut.

If you haven't seen it yet, you can watch it on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qpkg7T8iYvc

Let me know what you think and if you found it entertaining. We had so much fun doing it, that we already have a script ready for a sequel. I guess that means more passion in the offing for hubby and me!

Blythe Gifford | Truth? Any consequences?

Whenever I say I write medieval romance, the first comment I get is "But you have to do so much research!"

Let's leave aside for the moment that for me, research is a "get to," not a "have to."

The truth is, contemporary authors have to do research, too. I had breakfast with Mary Alice Monroe the other day and she is about to go out in the Atlantic Ocean on a shrimp boat in total darkness for the sake of her next book. This seems to me an entirely different level of commitment than Googling "forms of address Richard II."

The point of all the research, of course, isn't to educate the reader. That sort of "information dump" kills the story. We do it because we want to plunge you into a world you can see, hear, taste, smell, and touch. We want to draw you in so deeply that you forget about the "real" world and live in the fictional one, at least for awhile. We try to create an experience so authentic that you believe not only the world, but the truth of the characters who live there.

For me, it's not a only a question of accuracy. Research gives me my best story ideas. Whenever I get stuck, going back to history always seems to uncover the nugget that seems perfect for the story.

My latest medieval, THE HARLOT'S DAUGHTER, was actually inspired by a real person, the illegitimate daughter of a much loved king of England and his much hated mistress. (Edward III and Alice Perrers, for students of the period.)

When the king died, his mistress and her children were kicked out of court. Her property was seized and she was nearly banished.

There were only a few tantalizing facts about the children, who subsequently disappeared from history.

In my imagination, one of her daughters returns to court ten years later, determined to reclaim her rightful place. It was a reverse Cinderella story: she begins as near a princess then is hurled out of paradise and into the ashes.

In telling her story, I had to do something I had not done before: portray real historical characters in my fiction. It added a layer of complexity (okay, fear) to my work. In writing a real person, it's not just a matter of having dates correct. It's whether your portrayal of a real king and court meshes with the historical perspective on the monarch.

I'll admit, I tend to be a little fanatic about this. I think it comes from my training as a journalist. I write with a map and a calendar at my elbow and I've gone so far as to check tide tables and moon phases for my historical settings. (Otherwise, it would be far too easy to have a full moon every night so the hero and heroine could look into each other's eyes at midnight.)

Not every author shares my obsession.

I've heard some authors say the only thing that matters is the story. If you've constructed a compelling page turner, who cares whether the gun the cop is carrying is the wrong caliber? Ultimately, there's truth to that. We're telling a story, not writing a textbook. And most readers won't even know whether your world is authentic.

What do you think?

What books have you read that really took you into the world the author created?

Are you rabid about details of one particular period or profession but not so much about others?

Ultimately, do you care how "accurate" a book is? If so, how can you tell?

I'm interested in your thoughts.

Best,

Blythe

www.blythegifford.com

Jacquie D'Alessandro | Time for the TOP Three Questions -- Author to Reader!

Hey everyone! I’m really excited to be here blogging with you! I thought it might be fun to reveal to you the top three questions I’m most often asked by readers. Starting at number three: What made you want to become a romance writer? The answer is, my love of books. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t love books. As a kid I loved Nancy Drew. Thanks to Nancy I wanted to solve crimes, travel to exotic locations, and find a guy like Ned Nickerson—smart, loyal, and heroic. I also loved the Cherry Ames series. Thanks to Cherry I wanted to join the Army and be a nurse. Then came Vicki Barr, the airline stewardess (bet you can’t guess what I then wanted to be??). Then I graduated to Agatha Christie and my family was grateful that those books didn’t inspire me to become a criminal, although reading about Miss Marple did inspire me to learn how to knit—not with very good results, I’m afraid. I managed to eek out one very crooked, bunched up scarf and half of an argyle sock. (have you ever tried to knit an argyle sock??? There’re like 12 bobbins hanging off the needles—nothing but knots, it gave me cramps and stress and ugh—awful. But I digress:) .

As a teenager, I discovered romance novels, which inspired my romantic imagination. I spent hours lost in the glamorous worlds those romance authors created. Even my favorite mysteries soon became the ones that had a romantic element weaved into them. Looking back, I can see how all these book influenced by future career choice. As a teenager, I was a candy striper at the local hospital for four years—a very rewarding experience that proved beyond any doubt that I did not want a nursing career. I spent two years during college in Army ROTC. A rewarding experience that proved beyond any doubt that I did not want an Army career. (are you seeing a pattern here?). After college, I spent the next ten years working in the airline industry—thank you, Vicki Barr--not as a flight attendant, but I still got to visit those exotic locales Nancy Drew had planted in my mind. And even though I never dated anyone named Ned, thanks to my romantic notions, I did manage to find that smart, loyal, heroic guy. After loving romances so much for so many years, a light bulb finally blinked on in my brain and I wondered if I could actually write one myself. Turns out—after much trial and error—that I could.

The number two question readers ask me is: Where do I get my ideas. The answer is: everywhere—TV, newspapers, radio, songs, overheard conversations. Everything is fodder. Don’t say you haven’t been warned. :)

And the number one question I am most often asked by readers is: What is the best thing I’ve ever written. I always answer this question the same way: The best thing I’ve ever written is “the end.” For the writer in me, there is no greater sense of accomplishment than typing those two words 400 some-odd pages later. It’s a euphoric feeling (always accompanied by a boatload of tears!) of Yes! I did it! Unfortunately, soon after that euphoric feeling, reality thumps me on the head and I recall that now that I’ve typed “the end”, I’m going to have to do some laundry because my family has named the mound of accumulated dirty clothes “Mount D’Alessandro.”

Well, those are my top three questions—and I’m hoping you’ll have more for me! And I have three for all of you: 1) What was the first romance you ever read? 2) What are your top five fave books of all time (doesn’t have to be romance), and 3) If you could have dinner with any person (be they dead or alive, famous or not), who would it be?

Jacquie D'Alessandro

http://www.jacquied.com/

Jodi Thomas | How do we get back up when we fall.

When considering a topic, I've decided to go with one few writers talk about--How do we get back up when we fall.

In my writing career of nearly twenty years, like most writers I've had my ups and downs. Once, just after my fifth book came out, my numbers were so bad my editor assured me I wouldn't be writing another book for them, except for the fact I'd signed a two book contract. I was down and almost went back to teaching. I'd already written book six, so I decided to try one more time. I won a RITA with that sixth book.

Since then I've learned to take the ups with the downs. I love the ups---the awards, the lists, the money---but I think it's been the downs I've had that have taught me the most in this game of writing. Sometimes I've learned to try harder. Sometimes I've learned to trust myself.

This year I decided to take another chance. With my next Historical Romance, TEXAS PRINCESS coming out in November, I'm hard at work on something different. In April I'll have a book of a different kind released. TWISTED CREEK, I can only hope my readers love it as much as my agent and editor do. This was the first book I've ever written with the door closed. No one saw it before I mailed it. I needed the story to develop without suggestions.

Now, don't think I'm leaving historicals, I love writing them and I'm in the middle of a series. I think I've been very lucky in my life to step so easily into the past and meet some really nice people there. In TEXAS PRINCESS, I enjoyed the adventure of my characters. Sometimes it seems like the stories already there, I just have to find it. This book ran full speed out of my head. I'm at home in the ranch setting.

I'm looking forward to chatting with you all.

Jodi Thomas

http://www.jodithomas.com/

Bonnie Vanak | When Romance Authors Cheat On Their Heroes

The heroes of Bonnie Vanak’s Egyptian books stood outside their creator’s house. Jabari of The Falcon & the Dove gave the door a blank look.

“What’s wrong?” asked Graham of The Panther & the Pyramid.

“I do not know what to do,” Jabari admitted. “I live in a tent.”

Kenneth of The Cobra & the Concubine rolled his eyes. “You knock, you bloody fool.”

“Do not call my father a bloody fool,” warned Tarik of The Sword & the Sheath. “You once lived in a tent.”

"Do you think we should formally announce ourselves?” asked Ramses of The Tiger & the Tomb. “After all, she is not writing and may not want to see us.”

The men exchanged glances. “You’re right,” said Thomas of The Scorpion & the Seducer. “We should just walk in and surprise her.”

They went inside, walked down a hallway and entered a bedroom. Bonnie was sorting through laundry. Shock dawned in her eyes. “Not you guys again!”

“We came here to recharge your creativity,” Thomas explained. “You haven’t written since my story was finished. I’m not published until next May, so you have time to write your next Egyptian historical.”

Bonnie laughed. “What time? Come with me. I have been writing.”

She led them to another room. Bonnie opened the door. “Go ahead, look. But watch out. They bite.”

The six romance heroes stepped into the small office. Bonnie pressed a button on the computer. Suddenly two tall, handsome men materialized. They were muscled and looked menacing. They shapeshifted into two sleek wolves.

“You’ve been unfaithful,” Tarik protested as Nicolas and Damian growled at him. “Werewolves? Whatever happened to Egyptian warriors and English noblemen?”

“You guys are for my Dorchester historicals. Nicolas and Damian are for my paranormals for Silhouette’s Nocturne line. The Empath, Nicolas’ book, is out in December. Look, please leave. I need to concentrate on Damian and his internal conflict.”

“A werewolf with internal conflict? Ridiculous,” Thomas declared.

Nicolas and Damian shapeshifted back into human form. “Show respect for my pack leader,” Nicolas warned.

“Bonnie put me in a fierce mating heat and hasn’t allowed me to have sex yet in order to build the sexual tension. Fighting you would relieve some of my frustration.” Damian growled at them.

The six historical romance heroes stared balefully at the two snarling werewolf heroes. Bonnie held up a hand. “Enough! Damian’s book is due in less than two months. I need to think about New Orleans and magic. You guys can come back when the next Egyptian historical is due. Now go!”

She hustled them out of the bedroom, closing the door behind Nicolas and Damian. All six heroes muttered as they left Bonnie’s house.

“Bloody werewolves, think they’re so special,” Thomas grumbled. “Why couldn’t she be happy enough writing about me, an English earl who falls in love with an outcast Egyptian woman? I gave her enough internal conflict!”

Jabari put a hand on Thomas’s shoulder. “I do not know, my friend. Let us hope Bonnie gets through this and returns to her Khamsin warriors of the wind. Perhaps it is a passing phase that will not affect us.”

“I hope so,” Ramses said morosely. “I wouldn’t look good in a fur coat.”

For more information on Bonnie’s historicals and paranormals, check out her website at http://www.bonnievanak.com/

Eve Silver | A Little Bit Dark....

I wrote my first book when I was nine, the story of an unwanted teddy bear that found a new and loving home. Poor teddy! I guess even at the age of nine was a little dark, LOL!

Years later, I tried my hand at romantic comedy (an abysmal failure). My next attempt was at a lighthearted, fun historical, the kind I loved to read. Only problem was, no matter how hard I tried, I just wasn’t funny. Everything that flowed from my imagination was creepy and dark and moody.

So what is it with me and dark books? Whether I’m writing historical gothics or sexy, contemporary paranormals as Eve Silver, or speculative romance as Eve Kenin, everything I write is dark, dark, dark (with the occasional quirky humor thrown in).

What is it about a dark, tortured hero that is so appealing? And why does the heroine love him when he’s so hard to love?

In my historical gothics (DARK PRINCE, HIS DARK KISS, DARK DESIRES), the heroes are secretive and a little sinister. Terrible things have happened to them, and they’ve done terrible things in turn. Yet, the tortured hero captures the love of the heroine and the reader, and we cheer for his happily-ever-after. Because the heroine is strong enough to be his match. She’s brave and resilient, and she brings light to the hero’s darkness.

My first contemporary paranormal, DEMON’S KISS, is just hitting shelves now, and guess what…? Yep, dark tortured hero. But this story threw a twist at me that I wasn’t expecting. The sexy, seductive hero, Ciarran D’Arbois, is sworn to protect the world of man from the demons who would decimate it. Problem is, he is the very thing that he’s sworn to fight against. How’s that for tortured?

DRIVEN, my post-apocalyptic trans-Siberian trucker tale (written as Eve Kenin) brings a whole new perspective to my dark side. The world that the book is set in is barren and bleak, and the hero is a man with no emotion. Not a guy who hides his feelings. Not a guy who has buried them deep. A guy who doesn’t have any. Kind of made finding true love a bit of a challenge.

Coming up next I have—you guessed it—a few dark, moody tales to tell. My next historical gothic, HIS WICKED SINS, will be out in August 2008. DEMON’S HUNGER, the second book about the Compact of Sorcerers is coming soon. And HIDDEN, the next book set in the post-apocalyptic world I created in DRIVEN will hit shelves in July 2008.


So what appeals to you about a dark, tortured hero? What makes him so appealing? And what sort of heroine do you think is his perfect match?

Happy reading!
Eve
--
http://www.evesilver.net/
http://www.evekenin.com/

Lucy Monroe | Trying Something New

Why an eBook? I get that question a lot since I decided to publish Annabelle's Courtship with Samhain Publishing. My first reaction is: Why not? :-)

But seriously...Samhain Publishing is such an impressive entity to me that I really wanted to work on a project with them. It started with two Inspirationals I'd written before I discovered that my fit as a writer leaned much more heavily toward sexy romance. Samhain doesn't have any of the limitations on publication for an Inspirational that the larger presses do and luckily for me, they were interested in publishing my books.

Meagan's Chance came out under the LC Monroe name in July and Miss Fixit will be out later this year with a co-author.

I also had a historical I'd written early on that Berkley had not yet purchased and I saw this as a golden opportunity to do something with Samhain as Lucy Monroe. Berkley very generously allowed me an addendum to my contract to make this possible and voila...Annabelle's Courtship was published! Not only has Annabelle's Courtship come out as an original eBook, but it and Meagan's Chance will be released in print (available in all major bookstores - and some not so major ::g::) later in 2008. They will both also be highlighted in the Ingram's catalog by my publisher and what that means for my readers is that they can buy the book as easily as any of my others.

What it means for *me* is that maybe a whole new group of readers will meet my characters and maybe...just maybe fall in love with them like I have. Which is a big part of the answer to: Why an eBook?

But the other part of the answer is more about the personal me than the author me. I'm an eBook fanatic. Not only is my office filled with numerous six feet high bookcases with double stacked and overflowing shelves of print books, but I've got several hundred electronic releases on my harddrive. I've read them all, but in addition I've got a TBR folder only slightly less brimming than the bookcase full of print books in my bedroom that I haven't yet read. There are tons of authors on my autobuy list for both print and eBooks, some of whom I insist on having in both.

What about you, are you an eBook reader?

http://www.lucymonroe.com/

Cheryl Holt | What DO Readers Think?

After 21 published novels, and numerous reprints of my old titles, I’m getting ready once again to contract with my publisher to write some more books. It’s always an interesting time for me, because I get to pick new characters, new plot twists, and new storylines.

As I go through this process, I’m interested in what readers think. I’m renowned as “The Queen” of erotic romance, as well as “The Queen” of villains, so I write a story that’s very different from mainstream romance. My books are very plot driven. By this I mean they’re very fast-paced, with a focus on action and dialogue. They’re also very passionate and very dramatic, with extremely evil villains.

If you’re one of my fans, and have read some (or all!) of my novels, I would love to hear what you enjoy about them. For example, is it the macho heroes? The great sex scenes? The heartbreak? The drama? The villains? What do you relish the most? Also, what could I leave out or tone down?

The answers to these questions help me pinpoint the direction my books should go.

If you haven’t read my books before, I’m curious as to why not. Is it that you haven’t heard of me? You don’t read erotics? You don’t read historicals? If you’re not one of my regular readers, how could I change my stories to interest you? What is it that makes you purchase one romance instead of another? Is it the cover? The back-cover story description? The author? The time period? What can I do – as a writer unknown to you – to intrigue you into becoming a fan?


Cheryl Holt
http://www.cherylholt.com/

Elizabeth Hoyt | Ten Clues That You Are Watching a Really Bad Movie

So, the other day after my computer blew up, I decided that I needed a break from reality and I stuck a DVD in the player, sat back, and prepared to enjoy a whole lot of bare nekkid male chests. But a strange feeling came over me as I watched the previews to the movie. A feeling that I may have chosen A Really Bad Movie.

Herewith is a list of my Ten Clues that perhaps I was not the target audience for the movie 300:

1. The pre-movie advertisements are for violent video games aimed at fourteen-year-old boys.

2. The men are all wearing leather shorts.

3. All the bad guys are ugly or gay or both, and the chief bad guy is wearing gold lipstick.

4. Sacred lepers.

5. Eugenics is a good cultural practice and the only people who are against it are wussy hunchbacks who can't fight like real he-men anyway.

6. The traitor bad guy has a bad guy mustache.

7. The traitor bad guy tells the heroine that the only way she can save the hero is to have skanky sex with him. And she falls for it.

8. War rhinos.

9. The Deep and Meaningful love scene employs more than five positions.

10. The hero says--actually says--that the only way they can lose is if someone tells the Persians about the secret goat track back entrance to Thermopylae. Oh, and then he rejects the hunchback who told him about the secret goat track back entrance. Dude! Use your head!

Bonus 11th Clue: arterial blood spray is used as an artistic device.
So, while this movie was definitely divorced from reality, and certainly had a whole heapin’ spoonful of bare nekkid male chests, I would not recommend it. Instead, if you need your own break from reality, I suggest picking up a good book, such as, oh, The Serpent Prince, out this month. I think you’ll find it more enjoyable.
Cheers!

Elizabeth Hoyt

http://www.elizabethhoyt.com/

THE RAVEN PRINCE, Available Now!
THE LEOPARD PRINCE, Available Now!
THE SERPENT PRINCE, Available Now!
TO TASTE TEMPTATION, May 2008

Colleen Gleason | Research & the Paranormal Historical

I’ve been asked many times about whether I research before writing my historical novels, or as I go. The short answer is: I research as I go.

But that's partly because I've been writing, reading, and watching historical fiction for a long time. So, I already have at least a sense of the era.

I know the basics about what the people wear, how they travel about, what conveniences they have and don't have, etc., so when I sit down to write a book set in the past, I have enough information just to be dangerous.

But the fun part comes as I'm writing, because that's when things start to happen. Usually, I have the bare bones of a plot, but not the details. And the details, in my opinion, are what make a book. And the details are what I research when I'm in the process of writing.

When I have to make decisions--about what someone is wearing in particular, about where a certain house or building is located, about what they might eat at a ball or fete, about a political event that's happening--that's when I do the research for that particular thing. I stop writing and start searching.

I think this works partly because it keeps the whole process from being so intimidating. I don't have to know everything before I start! You can't eat the elephant all in one bite, as one of my bosses used to say--and that's a great mantra for historical research.

For example, when she wrote Unmasqued: An Erotic Novel of the Phantom of the Opera, Colette Gale says she didn't have the best sense of 1887 Paris. “I had enough to start off (I'd read the book, seen the movie), but I didn't have the details.”

She explains, “So when I had Christine and Raoul take a drive through Paris, I had to find out what it might have looked like, and what they might have seen. I was able to answer this question by using three tactics:


1. Googled "Paris 1887" and got lots of stuff

2. Looked at paintings of Paris that were done in the late 19th century

3. Read fiction set during that time period

Paintings particular were helpful to me, because I'm a visual person, and seeing a picture of Paris with the Eiffel Tower just being built gave me an image to work from.

And reading fiction written (and set) during the time in question is really valuable. I can hear how people speak, what words they use, and often get little details that I wouldn't have found otherwise.

So it was fun for me to learn, through this research, that in 1887, the Eiffel Tower was just being built and the Parisians hated it. They thought it was a monstrosity.”

And that brings me to another serendipity about research, and why I do it as I go: it's the gems I find. The little nuggets of detail or information I'm not looking for, but I find accidentally. If I did all the research up front, I may not find these pretty little things.

Here's an example from my own experience: I'm currently writing the third Gardella Vampire Chronicles book, which opens in Rome. I had to decide where a particular church that is important to the Venators (the vampire hunters) is located.

I guess I didn't really have to exactly identify where the church was, but I wanted to. It gives me a better sense of place, too. So I spent about three hours, literally, poring over a book about Rome and then validating my decision to locate the church of Santo Quirinus in what is called the Borgo.

When I started researching the Borgo, I found a lot of interesting information about that area; details that I included in the setting: that the umbrella makers were relegated to this quarter because the wet silk they used smelled so bad, that rosary makers lived in the Borgo, and I even found a painting of the area.

Another question that I’m asked a lot in regards to research, since I write paranormal historicals, is whether the world-building in a non-contemporary time period is more difficult than in a modern one.

I don't think that paranormal world-building in a historical setting is any more difficult than it is in contemporary settings. In fact, in some ways it might be easier.

It's a lot of fun to take a historical fact and twist it to fit my world-building. A perfect example occurs in Rises the Night. I introduce John Polidori, who is the author of The Vampyre (the first book that really portrayed vampires as aristocratic, mysterious creatures that lived amid Society).

My research taught me that John Polidori died in 1820, which is the year in which my book is set. How convenient is that? I also learned that there was some mystery surrounding his death. Hmmm.

Some said he died from poison. Others said he died in an accident.

I decided that he died from a totally different reason--related to the world I've built--and made that an event in my book.

So, to sum up, let me just say that for me, as far as research goes, once I have the basic idea of the time period, the research is just for little details. But the little details (hopefully) are what give the book its flavor and color and authenticity, and paint the picture.

I don't use everything I learn. I don't describe my characters' dress every time they come on the scene, or every single carriage or room. I give enough to paint a wide swath, with a few well-placed details, and that usually works to give a good flavor of setting without bogging the book down.

Colleen Gleason

www.colleengleason.com

Madeline Hunter | The Making of a Video

I had an impulsive idea a couple of months ago. Wouldn't it be cool to make one of those video trailers for my next historical romance, Lessons of Desire (due September 25)? What the heck, I thought. I'll take a shot and see what happens.

The way I saw it then, I'd contact that company that makes them, sign up, and voila', it would be done.

Um, no. It turned out I had to do a bit of work myself before we got to voila'.

COS Productions wanted to make a video that I liked and approved, so they needed my input.

This was how I found myself in early August looking at hundreds of faces. My video was going to use live action, which meant an actor and an actress had to be hired. I needed to help make the choices.

My producer opened a folder for the project at an online West Coast casting site, and posted the job description with general appearance requirements. Actors and actresses deposited their headshots and resumes in the folder. I could then go online and look at their files from my home in Pennsylvania.

I have never associated my characters with known faces. So for the part of Lord Elliot Rothwell I was not looking for a guy who looked like Famous Actor Whomever. I was just looking for a guy who looked really good and who could pass for an early 19th century son of a marquess. Since my really good may not be everyone's really good, I had to eliminate certain faces that others on the team strongly disagreed on, and vice versa. It was a consultative process, as in:

Me: How about him? Second face in the third row. I think he is hot.

Team: (Silence)

Me: He has a certain something. . .you don't like him, do you?

Team: (pause) You are the client. It is important that you are happy. (spoken in a tone of patient professionalism).

Me: Never mind.

By day three of this, I was feeling sort of funny because the process had a retail market aspect to it. If the face was wrong, all the credits in the world would not matter, so the first cut was strictly on looks. It felt like buying clothes. Go to the rack, flip through the jackets-- quick look, quick rejection, pause for a maybe to check it out more closely, set a few aside to try on.

My problem was that darn few were being set aside for the part of Elliot. It wasn't that the actors were not good-looking. Quite a few were. Many of them, however, were thoroughly 21st century American in appearance. Lots of adorable cute college frat boy types. Quite a few apple-cheeked happy Midwestern types. Almost no piercing-eyed, hard-edged alpha types.

Then there was the matter of height. The actresses for the most part were tall, so for that reason alone we needed a tall actor. On the face of it, no problem.

According to the resumes, every male actor in southern California is at least 5' 11". And most are over six feet. If there aren't many tall men in your neighborhood, now you know where they all went.

Except the resumes also told another story. In addition to height they included more detailed measurements for wardrobe purposes. When a guy who claims to be 6' 1" wears a 38R and has a 30 inseam---he is lying about something (No! Men lie about their heights? Say it ain't so).

Then one evening I went online, opened the folder, and there he was. Slam-dunk. Great eyes. No micro cut. Genuinely tall. Looked late twenties and not nineteen or forty. I sent a two word email to the producer: "Hubba hubba." She hubbaed back. Jon Woodward went into the try on pile, right on the top. I really liked that jacket.

Time for auditions. What if he didn't show? What if he couldn't act? What if he shaved his head after the head shot? There were other try ons, but as you know, when you have decided you want THAT jacket, it is very disheartening when it doesn't fit.

I received the audition downloads. Not only could he act, he was the best actor. Hey, I wasn't prejudiced! He really was.

These auditions were enlightening. See, headshots are static. They are idealized and perfected with lighting, PhotoShop---it is amazing what can be done with a headshot. For an example of these miracles, go see mine.

Auditions are video. Live action. The real thing. Merciless. One actor was so unlike his headshot in so many ways that I actually did not recognize him. I emailed the producer asking where that guy's audition was, only to learn I had already watched it several times.

On the whole, however, it was not the actors who provoked serious reevaluation after the auditions, but the actresses. When it came to the part of Phaedra Blair, the three highest ranked try ons disappointed, but another actress dazzled. Samantha Colburn made herself a slam-dunk once the camera rolled. Not only was she even more lovely than her pictures, but her acting outshone the rest.

I was very fortunate that the talent for the Lessons of Desire video were good actors, because as the process continued I realized something crucial.

In a trailer for a paranormal or a suspense book, weak acting can be worked around by emphasizing something else like special effects or shots of the heroine running from the psychopath. In an historical romance, it is pretty much all about the characters one-on-one. The actors have to carry the whole thing.

I haven't decided yet whether I will do another book video, but I am happy with this one. Oh, I can wish I'd had twenty thousand dollars to throw into costumes and sets, but it worked because of Jon and Samantha, and because of the professional skills of Victoria Fraasa, the director and producer. They treated my Lessons of Desire three minute book video as seriously as a two hour, high budget film, and gave it their all.

As I write this, post production is wrapping up. The video will go "live" in a few days. It is already up here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfGkoER3lo8 if you want to take a look.

Madeline Hunter

www:madelinehunter.com

Jess Michaels | “What’s in a Name?”

Well, I’m back! But this time it’s under my other name. Yes, that’s right, I’m one of those schizophrenic authors who has two names (actually three if you count my real name, which I really should since if I don’t that’s kind of scary). You already met and talked to me as Jenna Petersen earlier this month.

Jenna writes historical romances for Avon. They are Regency-set and sensual. I hope they are also highly emotional and dark. That’s what I strive for, anyway, so if you like that sort of thing… well, look me up!

But Jess… ah, Jess. She’s a whole other beast. Yes, she still writes highly emotional and dark stories, but she crosses over that sensual line and into the erotic. So if you like your love scenes a bit more adventurous and detailed, but you still want a story in there, too, Jess might be your girl. Luckily, both my names have books out in the next two months (Seduction Is Forever in October from Jenna, Everything Forbidden in November from Jess).

It’s kind of weird being two (or three) people all at once. First off, there’s the name calling. Not that kind of name calling. I mean, remembering to answer to all my names at booksignings or conferences. Sometimes I start to get so turned around that I’ll answer to anything that sounds remotely like my name (Julie, Jenny, Bess, etc). There’s also the name signing. A few weeks ago I panicked because I realized I had signed an ARC of Everything Forbidden as Jenna Petersen instead of Jess Michaels. Does that make it a collectors item?

There are advantages to having different names, though. For one thing, you get to pick your name. Which you hardly ever get to do in real life. No one waits to name their child until they have a free will. Funny how that works. Also, there is the ‘putting on’ of a name. I think my “Jenna” personality is pretty much all the best things about my real personality, but I leave the not so nice things behind. So when you meet Jenna, you get the very best of me.

The process of picking a pen name can be quite arduous. I picked Jess Michaels because it combines a portion of my real name and my husband’s name. Jenna Petersen was harder. I actually spent quite a few days sending potential names back and forth with my agent, trying to find the one that fit best. Some of the rejects were Lanie Hayes (variations of my maternal grandmothers’ maiden names), Jess Petersen (too masculine) and about twenty more that I’ve blocked out entirely. But we settled on Jenna and I have grown accustomed to it over the past few years.

So what about you? If you could pick a new name for yourself, would you do it? How would you pick it? I’ll pick one commenter to win an Advanced Reader Copy of Everything Forbidden (and I’ll try to sign it with the RIGHT name this time).

http://www.jennapetersen.com/jess.htm

Sabina Jeffries | Why Write Series?

Why NOT write them? The connected series is a staple of most genre fiction. Mystery series have abounded for decades, as have fantasy and science fiction series, but only in the last fifteen years has the romance series become popular. At the beginning, they were rare. When an author did write them, as with Johanna Lindsey’s Malory series, they weren’t necessarily planned out ahead, the way they are now, with publishers announcing the series connections from the beginning. More often, authors wrote isolated connected books here and there, like Jayne Ann Krentz's Gift of Gold and Gift of Fire (two of my all-time favorites).

Eventually the romantic series came into its own, and now authors write them more often than not. My own School for Heiresses series, Regency-set historicals featuring the spirited graduates of Mrs. Harris’s School for Young Ladies, is the fourth series I’ve written. These unconventional heiresses who prove a match for society’s most irresistible rogues are connected only by their association with the school, but I’ve also written series where the characters were friends, royal half-brothers, and sisters. Here’s why I like writing them:

1. The over-arching themes—in this particular series I include a running thread in the epigrams, of letters between Mrs. Harris and her anonymous benefactor, “Cousin” Michael. It’s such fun to play around with those two characters without actually revealing who Cousin Michael is.
   
   
2. Seeing the same world through the eyes of more than just one book’s hero and heroine gives me a broadened perspective of the milieu.
   
   
3. For faithful readers of the whole series, I can include inside jokes that only they would get. It enhances the experience, for me AND for them, while hopefully not alienating readers who pick up only one book.
   


4. If I fall in love with a secondary character, I can have a second go at him or her. That’s what happened with Eliza, a minor character in ONLY A DUKE WILL DO. She just sprang off the page, so I had to include her in a future story, which turned out to be the novella in the SCHOOL FOR HEIRESSES anthology.
   


5. I can explore a character outside his/her relationship to the heroine/hero. That’s hard to do in one book. I can also explore a character’s growth over a longer period than one book.

So what about you? Do you read series? Do you like them? If so, why? If not, why not?

Sabrina Jeffries

http://www.sabrinajeffries.com/

Lorraine Heath | Intrigued with Anglomania

When I first began taking my Texas ladies to England's shores, I had to do quite a bit of research about the Victorian period in order to understand how things would go for them. One of the best research books I found was How to Marry an English Lord. It went into quite a bit of detail about American heiresses' obsession with marrying English lords. And English lords, many of whom had fallen into an impoverished state as a result of changing times changing their income, were quite happy to provide these ladies with a title in exchange for a nice settlement.

I saw one political cartoon of the time that showed an old, crotchety looking fellow--obviously an aristocrat--kneeling before a young, haughty woman. The caption read, "American heiresses, what will you bid?" It was, of course, making sport of the American obsession with the nobility.

What will you bid? That phrasing stayed with me for a while and one day, I had a vision of a penniless aristocrat who didn't want to bother with courtship. Being pragmatic, he invited all the American fathers, who he was certain were tired of the Season, and told them that he'd marry the daughter of the man willing to pay the best settlement. The auction began, and he finds himself betrothed to the one daughter he'd hoped not to marry. Of course! Could it be any other way?

And so Just Wicked Enough came to be. I was really in the mood to write a dark, brooding hero, and Michael Tremayne was agreeable to the role.

As a writer, I always feel like I should be in charge of the characters, but the truth is that they're usually the ones in charge--down to the minutest detail, including their names. I recently was struggling with writing a story, changed the hero's name, and the story flowed along swimmingly after that. Who would have thought something so simple could provide such a stumbling block?

Have you ever read a novel and thought--this character's name is wrong? Who was the character and what should his name have been?


My best,
Lorraine
Visit Lorraine's website

PS. I thoroughly enjoy writing my stories set in England, but as you may know my earlier stories were set in Texas--which I also thoroughly enjoyed writing. My mom was British, my dad a Texan, so I'm quite fond of both settings. But going back to my earlier writing roots (although before I wrote my first Texas-set book, I was writing medieval-set stories--did you know that?), I recently joined forces with a group of writers who write westerns and we just launched http://www.petticoatsandpistols.com. Its purpose is to provide a place where readers who love western romance can find information on the latest books and writers of romance can find sources. It's a lovely group of ladies, and I'm pleased to be included with them. I hope you'll drop by and visit. We have a very yummy cowboy puzzle that you can have fun with.