Behind the Book

Matchmaking Fun -- Is it horrible mistake or happy ever after?

2011-12-17T20:47:00.000-08:00

Hello readers! I know I've been away for awhile. A moved from California back to Oregon (Yea!). A job change. (Yea!) And lots of details have kept me away from my blog. But I am sooooooooooooo happy to be back and to present you with a fun book with a wonderfully, kind, funny, and talented woman. Though this isn't your traditional Christmas story, I promise it will bring a smile to your face.

Please meet Jamie Brazil and her book Prince Charming, Inc. You can't help but laugh, empathize, and root for the heroine in this book. Whether you want a fun read, a bit of feminist treatise, or just a great romance, you can find it in this book. I just finished it, and I am dying for the next one in the series. It meets all its promise and definitely portrays a modern woman that I love.

Let's get to know Jamie.

This book and the series follow-on are in what I call the light-romantic-caper genre. Would you agree? What is it about this genre that calls to you?

The late Olivia Goldsmith, with her laugh-out-loud novels, is my idol. Contemporary romance, especially fast-paced, funny stories, are my favorites.

I understand you immigrated to the U.S. from another country. Can you tell our readers where from and how that might influence your writing and your sense of humor?

In Canada, British comedy rules the airwaves. At least on the non-cable stations. Fawlty Towers, Black Adder and the lot. And just like the Brits, Canucks tend to watch the same series over and over until we’ve committed every line of every episode to memory. It’s a little OCD-ish.

A few years back, attending a writing conference in Corte Madera, I had the pleasure of meeting a major British author whose best-selling thrillers have been translated into almost every spoken language. In his opening address, he marvelously ripped off some of Hugh Laurie’s best lines from Black Adder. Talking with him later, I told him I knew where he’d cribbed his one-liners (because I do the same thing in conversations with family). He smirked and said, “I only steal from the best.” And then I proudly announced, “I’m Canadian.” He replied, “I’m sorry.”

It seems that most authors use something from their own lives, or the lives of people they know as an integral part of their stories. Is there anything in this story like that? If so, what?

You got me. I have a bit of a knack for matchmaking. I’ve sworn off the habit these past few years, but yes, I’ve introduced several couples who’ve later married. Including two literary agents.

Are there more books planned in the series? I can see this going for a long time. Anything you can share about future plots, release dates?

The next matchmaker book in the series is set in Seattle with a different heroine… in an entirely different end of the ready-made-relationships pool. In the meantime, I’ve just Kindle-released another, quite different novel, “The Mayan Sisterhood.” It will be a free download available on Amazon from Dec. 25th-Dec. 27th, 2011.

Prince Charming, Inc. is really a twist on the matchmaker concept. TV typically has a matchmaker hook up "poor" good-looking women with (tends to be jerks) millionaire men, but in your story you are doing the opposite by finding solid, nice men for millionaire women. What is it about this twist that drew you to the story?

I subscribe to O, am addicted to HGTV, and break out the glue gun on full moon nights to pursue some crafty remodel project that usually ends in disaster. I’m so NOT crafty, though for some reason I delude myself into thinking I am. So the fantasy of rebuilding a man is just an extension of my “let’s improve stuff” gene. When I break out the feathers, sparkles, cinnamon sticks and yes, the glue gun, my husband disappears to the shed where he tinkers with his chainsaws until my madness passes, and I funnel that energy back to the pursuit of writing.

So, to answer your question, Maggie, it was fixing up fictitious grooms or seeing a therapist.

I love the whole "makeover the man" concept too. I bet women the world over know good, solid men that only need a little help (or maybe they married that guy). What was the brainstorm behind this idea? Would you consider being a matchmaker as a business?

Matchmaking as business is a definite “no.” Too hard to please everyone all the time. I’ll stick with writing where I can play God and guarantee the outcomes for the characters.

The concept for the series of matchmaking novels came from, drum roll please, dog-sharing with my neighbors. Max was a Pitbull-Rhodesian-Ridgeback cross who stayed with us Monday-through-Friday, 8 a.m. ‘til his parents picked him up. He’d drop in for “night snacks” and weekend visits, too. He had us trained. We had him trained.

Like Rex Von Terrance in Prince Charming, Inc., Max was the perfect dog without ever losing any of his gigantic, naturally territorial personality. (We’ve all seen over-trained zombie dogs, right? All obedience, zero personality.)

So we had the ideal arrangement. And one night, over a few gin and tonics, my husband and I were tossing around concepts and wondered out loud if spouses could be trained, too. Just like that, a premise was hatched.

Max passed away in May of 2008 and we keep a picture of him in our kitchen. We’ve since adopted another canine family member. A Bloodhound named Frankie. She’s a loving, gentle, food-obsessed work-in-progress.

Thanks for joining Behind the Book, Jamie! I'm looking forward to the next matchmaking book, and I'm running out to download Mayan Sisterhood immediately.

You can get copies of Prince Charming Inc. at these fine distributors.

Slaves, Curses, and the Sweetest Blood

2011-09-20T16:16:00.000-07:00

Want to know what new series has so much buzz, I suspect it'll be a bestseller out of the box? It's Kristen Painter's new urban fantasy series about the House of Comarré. At the Romantic Times convention it got lots of interest. I've heard of readers dying to get ARCs. And I have to say, it couldn't happen to a nicer person.

Here's the blurb for the first book in the new series.

Born into a life of secrets and service, Chrysabelle's body bears the telltale marks of a comarré -- a special race of humans bred to feed vampire nobility. When her patron is murdered, she becomes the prime suspect, which sends her running into the mortal world...and into the arms of Malkolm, an outcast vampire cursed to kill every being from whom he drinks.

Now, Chrysabelle and Malkolm must work together to stop a plot to merge the mortal and supernatural worlds. If they fail, a chaos unlike anything anyone has ever seen will threaten to reign.

Kristen's previous publications have all been solidly in the romance genre, including contemporary, paranormal, fantasy, and steampunk. This is her first foray into urban fantasy, and it uses all of her talents in world-building, characterization, and imagination. I've long been a fan of the way Kristen builds worlds with description, mood, and themes. This world is one that twists both the vampire mythos and the urban fantasy genre.

Kristen Painter has long been a mentor and friend to many authors. She is also the co-founder of the amazing Romance Divas site which has supported authors since 2004. On top of all that, I have loved her writing since I read her Viking paranormal fantasy, All Fired Up. I've always loved her characters and the crazy way her mind works--a combination of serious thought and snark-- to imagine these worlds and the situations her characters encounter. So, please welcome Kristen to the blog as we learn about her new series.

Vampires are certainly all the rage, but in your series you have a twist in that your heroine is NOT a vampire. She is a comarré. Can you share what that means and how you came to choose the actual “bodily” servant of vampires as your heroine?

I've been carrying the idea of Chrysabelle in my head since I was in college - this seemingly docile girl with a gold tattoo who was actually much more than she seemed. It wasn't until I started writing Blood Rights that the idea for the comarré really came into being. They are a specially bred species of human raised to provide the vampire nobility with blood and in doing so, they protect mankind from the vampires.

The other unique twist with your story is that it is set in Florida. I must admit that Florida and vampires are not a natural mix in my mind. New Orleans, New York, maybe Chicago. But Florida? What made you select Miami as a locale and how does the culture of your new Florida play into the story?

Miami - or what it's become in my series, Paradise City, is made up of many nationalities, so what better spot to mix in some completely new and not entirely human nationalities? Also, vampires might abhor the sun, but they like warmth.

It seems that most authors use something from their own lives, or the lives of people they know as an integral part of their stories. Is there anything in this story like that? If so, what?

I've never been a vampire, a blood slave or a cat shifter, so no, there's not much of my personal life in this book. The emotions in the book - loss, anger, the sense of wanting to make one's own way in the world - those come from my real life experience, but everyone has emotions they can pull from. I hope those emotions ring true.

I love that you have back-to-back books in this series, so that readers don’t have to wait a year to find out what happens next. Does Book 3 end your involvement in this world, or can your readers expect something more?

There will be two more books in the House of Comarre series. And possibly a spin off series if my editor likes it.

I know you also have other books outside of this vampire world. If a reader falls in love with this series and wants to explore your backlist, what would you suggest they read next?

That's a tough one since the rest of my books are romances, whereas Blood Rights is much more urban fantasy. I'd say pick whatever looks good!

Thanks very much for joining Behind the Book, Kristen. I really believe this is a great world and I hope you have millions of readers who sign on to read about the House of Comarré.

Because I don't want to miss a single chance of reading these books, I decided to pre-order the whole set. This means I'll have a new book every month. I recommend other people do the same. Below I've linked to the whole set at two major retailers. Of course, you can go to your local bookstore and pre-order as well or wait in line the end of this month for this one.

Cursed Viking Shapeshifters

2011-08-22T22:52:00.000-07:00

Today we are talking to Lisa Hendrix about her third book in the Immortal Brotherhood series, Immortal Champion. With cursed Vikings who shapeshift, a well-researched history and mythos, and love that can last forever how could you not love the premise of this series? All three of her books in this series have garnered the coveted Top Pick from Romantic Times book reviewers. The two review quotes below are reflective of the craftsmanship reviewers have recognized in her latest book.

Romantic Times Top Pick! Kathe Robin said [readers] "will be enthralled by Hendrix’s masterful storytelling and talent for seamlessly blending magic, myth and romance."

Romance Reviews, Lenore said "IMMORTAL CHAMPION is a glorious book that begs to be read. From the eye-catching cover art to the depths of the pages, readers will be enthralled by Lisa Hendrix's craftsmanship."

Please welcome Lisa Hendrix to Behind the Book. Pull up chair and get to know more about Lisa, her series, how each character matches perfectly with his animal self, and more specifically learn about this wonderful third book in the series, Immortal Champion.

These three words--medieval, paranormal, and romance--aren't often seen together, but it's sooooo cool. What made you chose the Middle Ages as the setting for your Immortal Brotherhood series?

First, I love medieval romance. My introduction to historical romance was Kathleen Woodiwiss’s The Wolf and the Dove, and even before that I loved the whole Robin Hood, knights and ladies, storm-the-castle thing, so that’s where my heart lies. And then there’s the fact that my guys are Viking warriors. Since the Vikings started raiding England heavily during the mid-800s, that was when my guys were cursed. All the stories would have to take place in the centuries following.

And really, can you think of a better setting for a paranormal story? Gloomy castles, windswept moors, the Black Death, alchemists...

It seems that most authors use something from their own lives, or the lives of people they know as an integral part of their stories. Is there anything in this story like that? If so, what?

Well, Gunnar is a bit like my husband in that he’s an ordinary man, just trying to get by and live his life with honor. (Perhaps that’s why I love Gunnar so much. Hmmm.) I’ve also loosely modeled a few minor characters on folks I’ve known over the years, and used real incidents for bits of action in my various books.

Additionally, I have a degree in biology, and that (and a lot of research) informs the stories in this series. The animal each man becomes reflects the human personality of each man. You can see the raven in Ari’s love of bright objects and talkativeness, the bull in Gunnar’s way of stubbornly plodding ahead no matter what, the wolf in Jafri’s sullen wariness, the eagle in Ivar’s loyalty to his mate, and so on.

To date you've published 3 books in this series, and it looks like book 4 is due next year. How many more can your readers expect in this world? Will the timeline of later books extend beyond the middle ages?

Though the first three of the Immortal Brotherhood books are set in medieval times (1096, 1290, and 1405-15), the entire series will span approximately a thousand years, with the next one set in Elizabethan times (1583), and the others working their way forward in time up to the present. After all, if a group of men are immortal, you wouldn’t expect them all to find their true loves in the same three-week period one summer.

But I would like to clear up something. “This world” is the real world of England. I make everything as historically accurate as I can, except for the warriors themselves and the magic of the curse. They are simply men, forced by the curse to try to make their way in a very un-magical world where (at least for the first books) most good men and women fear the very idea of magic. That’s part of the fun of this series to me. What do you do if you turn into a bear every day at sunrise, or a dog every night? How to you create any semblance of a normal life when you’re hunted as a beast for half of each day and considered a demon during the rest? How on earth can you find companionship, much less real love, when they’re burning ‘witches’ all around you?

As for numbers: I’m planning nine books, one for each of the men. I’ve introduced most of the crew in the first three books, and readers will meet the last two warriors, Rorik and Ketil (aka Kjell), in next year’s book, Immortal Defender, when the pair of them interrupt their wenching to ride to Torvald’s aid. They are, to say the least, the worst scalawags of the bunch.

If someone was just starting the series, would you recommend they start with Book 1? Does it matter which book they read first?

Immortal Warrior (Book 1) does have the “creation myth” for the whole series, plus it introduces Brand, the captain, and Ari, his friend and skald, who are the crucial characters for the series. But each book has a Prologue that consists of a section of Ari’s written chronicle or saga, which ties the stories together and lets the reader catch up on the story without missing a beat. I work hard to make each book stand alone, so you really can start anywhere, and then go back to pick up the others. Gunnar, from Immortal Champion, really is my favorite, though, (and my editor’s and agent’s, for that matter), and I think his story makes a wonderful place to jump in.

What's next for you? Can you tell us about any upcoming releases?

As I said, Immortal Defender is coming next August 2012, and quiet, monkish Torvald has a real adventure in store after he bumps into Josian Delamere one night. You see, Josian is definitely not the shy, virgin widow of romance mythology. She’s talkative, quick, and shall we say...a bit fast. In other words, she’s a true merry widow for the contemplative man I sometimes refer to as my Zen Viking. She boldly invites Torvald to come on up to Chestershire and see her sometime, and oh my, do the sparks fly. But madmen, zealots, and ancient magic conspire to destroy them, and it will take all the courage each of them has to beat back the darkness and find their way to freedom and love.

Since I’m one of the slower writers in the biz and people are already emailing me that they’re getting impatient, I’ve decided to self-publish a short story to tide everyone over. I’m not sure yet whether it will be about Tom, Ivar’s squire from Immortal Warrior, or Robin/Robert from Immortal Outlaw. I have stories for both churning around in my head, so we’ll see which one won’t leave me alone after I finish my current WIP. Or maybe I’ll write both. All I’m certain of right now is that my newsletter subscribers will get it for free. (How’s that for a bribe? Sign-up for the newsletter here.)

And finally, I’ll be republishing my out of print works in ebook format over the next several months. Readers should sign up for my newsletter to keep up with the news.

Wow! You certainly have a lot going on with free reads, a long series, and a newsletter to keep us all up to date.

Thank you so much for joining us, Lisa. I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm going to download books 2 and 3 right now! I liked book 1, Immortal Warrior, but then I got busy and the next two slipped by without me buying them. This interview convinced me I was missing out.

Be sure to visit Lisa's website, where you can find excerpts from all the books, interactive maps of the locations, and info on how to get some fun swag. (like cool romance trading cards)

Below are links to all of Lisa's books in this series. Enjoy!

Strong Women Through The Ages

2011-08-06T21:23:00.000-07:00

Karen Harper is a NYT bestselling author. She writes both contemporary and historical novels. I must admit, she is a new author to me. However, as I prepared for this interview I was very impressed with her output (over 30 books since the mid-80s), her strong heroines, and with her intelligent and thoughtful approach to her stories. Karen's historical novels have been praised for her attention to detail and for making the characters truly come to life. Her historical novels tend to be in the Tudor or Medieval periods of history. The Romantic Times Book Club said of her contemporary Amish suspense novels:

“Multidimensional characterization, fascinating details about Amish culture and a twisting, complex plot make for the kind of rich reading experience readers have come to expect from Harper.”

I must admit, when I learned that Karen had been a professor at The Ohio State University, I had an immediate affinity for her. I began my academic career in Columbus, Ohio at Franklin University (known as the other university in Columbus). Through RWA I have learned there are many academics who write wonderful romantic fiction, and every time I meet someone new I smile.

Please join me in welcoming Karen Harper as she talks about her career, and the two books released in the past two weeks. The Queen's Governess, her historical released in paperback, and Fall from Pride, a suspense novel set in Amish country.

You write both contemporary and historical fiction. It seems what binds them together is a suspense or mystery element. What is it about suspense that draws you to write these stories?

My contemporary books have much more suspense than my historicals, although the thrill of the heroine escaping disaster is prominent in both genres. Above all, I love a story of a woman who conquers huge odds with the help of the man she comes to love. My “amateur sleuths” in my romantic suspense novels don’t set out to be crime solvers. Something terrible impacts their lives, and they have to find and stop the criminal.

Another common element in my writing is a culture clash of some sort: the hero and heroine come from different worlds. This may mean one is a commoner and one nobility in my Tudor novels. In my contemporaries, I’ve lately been fascinated by a mismatch of one Amish character and one ”worldly.”

Most often the woman is Amish and the hero an auslander or outsider. That means, when they are thrown together to solve a crime, they learn a lot about each other’s worlds. Besides, what is more interesting than forbidden love? If an Amish person dares to fall in love with or marry a worldly person, the community of Plain People will shun them—a big price to pay.

In my current rom/sus, Fall From Pride, Amish Sarah Kauffman and worldly arson investigator Nate MacKenzie are forced to work together to solve a series of barn arsons. As the barns blaze, their feelings for each other do too.

But as to your original question that does suspense draw me to write my stories, that is true also. I love for each character to have a secret—to be hiding something. Aren’t we all? Suspense comes in many forms: how members of the same family can be so different…how two opposites can fall in love…how a seemingly “good” person can commit a crime. One of the best comments I get is, “I had no idea that person could be the killer until the very end!”

In your most recent release, Fall From Pride, your heroine is Amish. It seems rare to see an Amish novel that is not marketed as an inspirational. What was the spark that led you to come up with this story, and how did that spark blossom through your characters?

It’s true that most Amish novels are inspirational fiction today. Mine are suitable for those readers and a broader audience. They are not faith-based per se—though with the Amish beliefs, that always comes in a bit. I’m not writing to get on a current, popular “bandwagon,” as I began writing my Amish books ten years ago, including: Down To The Bone, Dark Road Home, Dark Harvest and Dark Angel. (The last three have been re-released twice more recently.) My spark for these, as well as for my Aug. 2011 Amish novel, Fall From Pride, is simply my fascination with and familiarity with the Amish.

I live two hours from their largest US settlement (Holmes County, Ohio, not Lancaster, Pennsylvania anymore!) I’ve studied them, mingled with them and learned from them for years. Because they live isolated, rural lives with no phones in the home, “slow” transportation, mistrust of police and lawyers, they make perfect subjects for suspense novels.

After all, they often must solve their own problems. They do call in outside help at times, but they can’t/won’t just “call the cops.” Also, they’re pacifists and don’t fight back physically against evil; therefore, they must find other clever, careful ways to protect themselves. And yes, I must admit, that sometimes means cooperating with an arson investigator, sheriff or FBI agent who is thrust upon them.

Your reputation is one of writing “proto feminist” heroines in your historicals which seems anathema to the historical genre (except in romantic fiction). What is it about how you choose and form your characters that interests you in exploring power dynamics?

The heroines in all my historicals are real, dynamic women who actually lived, so I write historical novels with romance rather than historical romance. I try to keep my main characters true to their times, but these are not weak women and I research their lives carefully. My heroines pulled themselves out of difficult situations and triumphed in life. Each of them has a great love story.
Mary Boleyn, Anne’s sister, is one of these in my The Last Boleyn. My Boleyn book was published about 20 years before Philippa Gregory wrote The Other Boleyn Girl, and our takes on her are completely different. (Check out Alison Weir’s Oct. 2011 nonfiction book on Mary if you want to see which author came closest to the real person!)

Joan of Kent (The First Princess of Wales) rose from obscurity to marry the Black Prince; Kat Ashley (The Queen’s Governess) was the once impoverished woman who became Elizabeth Tudor’s governess and foster mother; Elizabeth Fitzgerald (The Irish Princess) was the Irish spitfire who dared to challenge the Tudors. Each woman (at least eventually) wed the man she really loved—a bit of a novelty for those days—so that sounds a bit modern too. In Mistress Shakespeare, the heroine stands up for herself against great odds. My nine-book series the Queen Elizabeth I Mysteries focuses on the queen herself—her happy marriage was to her nation.

Most authors either purposefully or subconsciously use parts of their own lives in their novels. Do you find yourself in these two novels? If so, in what way?

My books, of course, reflect my interests and world view. The assured, take-charge heroes are my ideal kind of man. And all my books are ultimately uplifting: true grit and love conquers all, even deadly crimes. There is always a triumphant, happy ending in a Harper novels.

Is there a particular scene in each book that you really loved when you finished it? Which ones and why?

I love reunions scenes, be they between lovers or families. Also, I am an author who must write about the settings I know well and love. Many authors start with character or plot, but I almost always begin with a place I relate to emotionally. That helps the story and people in it to come alive for me and, hopefully, for my readers. And how do I know when to stop researching and start the story? When the characters start talking to each other and I have to scramble to write what they say.

What’s next for you?

I have already written Return To Grace, book 2 of the Home Valley Amish trilogy, which will be out in March. Book 3, Finding Mercy, is almost through the planning stages and ready to come to life. In the historicals, I have recently completed Mistress of Mourning, a book set in 1500 where the Medieval world clashed with the English Renaissance. Mistress of Mourning is a historical mystery probing whether Prince Arthur Tudor (Henry VIII’s older brother) was murdered and what happened to the Princes in the Tower, a long-time debated historical mystery. The book has two heroines, Queen Elizabeth of York, mother of Henry VIII, and Varina Westcott, a merchant-class candle-maker and death mask wax carver, who, with the hero, solves the murders of the queen’s brothers and son.

My big author news of the year is that I now have a British publisher for my historicals and a recent review said they would never have guessed I was American and not English. I hope all my books seem that real and “right on” in bringing people and places to exciting life.

Thank you for joining me at Behind the Book. I can barely wait to begin reading Fall From Pride!

You can find all of Karen's Books at these fine retailers.

Mining for Love

2011-07-27T23:28:00.000-07:00

Mary Vine always brings tidbits of history, a little suspense, and a great relationship to her sweet, inspirational novels. One of the things I love about her books is the setting in North Eastern Oregon among the rugged mountains, the desolate high desert, and the small towns that may have existed in the old west. An afficianado of ghost towns, Mary always takes the reader to an unexpected place.

Please join me in welcoming Mary Vine to behind the book as she talks about her new novella, Wanting More.

What was the spark that led you to come up with this story, and how did that spark blossom through your characters?

I own two lots on Main Street in the ghost town of Bourne, Oregon. It is an old gold mining town in Northeast Oregon. It is a place you can sit and listen to the creek and think about what must have gone on there from 1862 through the early 1900s. The second step in putting this story together came from two Asperger's syndrome students that I taught awhile back. Both had an interest in the Civil War and as the story was coming together in my mind, I asked them questions. The hero in my story is fresh from being a doctor during the war and has escaped to the mining area to perhaps try his hand at finding gold and heal his inner wounds.

It seems that most authors use something from their own lives, or the lives of people they know as an integral part of the story. Is there anything in this story like that? If so, what?

My father has five brothers and one sister. Some families cherish their only girl and treat her like a princess (like my aunt) and other families have a kick-butt kind of girl that tries to keep up or outdo her brothers. My heroine is mostly the latter and a fun character to write.

Is there a particular scene in this book that you really loved when you finished it? Which one and why?

Actually there are two scenes that come to mind since the book went to print. One is how the heroine flirts with the good doctor when she is under the influence of the “medicine.” The other is towards the end of the story when her brothers come to bring her home. They roll her up in blankets next to their campfire, and take turns keeping watch so she doesn’t outsmart them and get away. I suppose it’s the humor I like in these situations.

You've written about a number of historical places in the Pacific Northwest. What is it about ghost towns that so intrigues you?

My father always said to invest in real estate. In the summer of ’96 my husband and I looked across the state of Oregon for affordable river front property and bought some acreage between Baker City and Sumpter. We spent every chance we could four wheeling amongst the junipers, pines, firs and rocky crags. My husband’s interest was in panning for gold, while I was enamored with the decaying buildings, the caves, or equipment left behind in the mining districts and still visible today.

What's next for you?

I’m working on a contemporary story once again set in NE Oregon, having to do with a clash between the mayor and an attorney who just passed his bar and taking a much earned vacation. He is looking for Spanish treasure on the outskirts of the fictional town of Salisbury Junction that I’ve used in two of my other stories.

That next book sounds intriguing too. I'll have to add it to my pile when it comes out. Thanks for joining us at Behind the Book.

You can find Mary Vine's latest book at these fine retailers. Also be sure to check out her previous titles: Maya's Gold and A Place to Land for more wonderful historicals that take place in NE Oregon.

The Masks We Wear

2011-07-10T05:20:00.000-07:00

Terri Reed is always an automatic buy for me, so I am very happy to have her on Behind the Book. This book is written in Terri's page-turner, suspense style with a faith element that very naturally sustains the story. What drew me into this book from the beginning is the blurb. It has everything to hook me --heroine's horrible childhood and loveless marriage, an autistic son, and a protector who has failed a witness before and so he is determined not to fail this time.

I suggest you run to buy The Innocent Witness. You won't regret it. Please join me in learning more about Terri Reed and this particular book.

What was the spark that led you to come up with this story, and how did that spark blossom through your characters?

I stumbled across an article from 2002 about a plane crash that killed a US Senator. There was some question if the crash was really an accident or was murder. I started playing the ‘what if’ game. I knew I didn’t want to do something as big scale as a plane crash. And I wanted there to be no question that the crime was murder. But who? And why? And what if there were a witness? As I started to answer those questions, the characters began to take shape and the plot developed.

When I read this book, the theme that smacked me between the eyes was how we all wear masks, and how even the mask changes depending on the occasion. I know there have been times in my life when I wondered if the mask I wore was the real me or not. Why did you choose this as one of the important themes in your book?

You’re right, I think we all wear masks. I think it starts out subconsciously but can be deliberately developed as either a way to cope or overcome some flaw or for more sinister reasons. I know that my persona when I’m in public is much different that the shy and reserved person I really am deep inside. This dichotomy provides much fodder for a writer. So when I was developing the character of Vivian Grant, I decided to explore this. Here was this woman who on the outside was polished and seemingly had everything, but inside was a different story. I wanted to reveal her inner psyche through the circumstances of the story.

In your January interview with Behind the Book you mentioned that redemption, forgiveness, trust, hope, giving up the illusion of control are threads that run through all of your books. How does that play out in this one?

All of these run through the book and can be seen at various points. Anthony Carlucci, the hero of The Innocent Witness, needed to find redemption from something he blamed himself for. In order to be redeemed he had to forgive himself and give up any illusions he had that he could control life or circumstances. Ultimately, Anthony learned through Vivian to place his trust in God. On the other hand, Vivian’s trust in God was tested many times, but she never lost hope. Her faith was the one constant she could count on. But trusting another man? That was harder to do and took every ounce of hope she had.

Your heroine's son is autistic. This is a disability that has a wide range, from someone who needs constant care to a person who can lead an independent life. What made you choose this disability for this particular story?

I needed a reason why Mikey couldn’t tell what he’d seen the night his father was murderer. I chose autism because I have some personal experience to draw from. Growing up my best friends little sister was autistic and my neighbor’s son is also. The disorder is very individualized and has such a wide variety of symptoms, which helped in creating the character of Mikey.

Because of the subtitle "Protection Specialists" this seems to be part of a series. Can readers expect more from you in this series?

Yes, this is a series. The Innocent Witness is the first book. The second, The Secret Heiress, will be a January 2012 release. The third book, as yet untitled, will be a September 2012 release. More books will be coming in 2013 and beyond.

What's next for you? Can you tell us about any upcoming releases?

January 2012, The Secret Heiress
June 2012, The Deputy’s Duty-book 6 of the Fitzgerald Bay continuity series
September 2012 Untitled-A Protection Specialists book.

Here’s the blurb for The Secret Heiress

A SHOCKING REVELATION

Finding out she is heir to a fortune shocks Caroline Tully to her core. And to “qualify” for the inheritance, she just has to visit her newfound grandfather’s Mississippi home from Christmas to New Year’s. Adopted as a baby, Caroline knows nothing about her mother’s family...and doesn’t realize they can’t be trusted. When attempts are made on her life, there’s only one man who can protect her. Donovan Cavanaugh—a man who made her lonely heart want to love again. Posing as her fiancé, Don promises to find the would-be killer. But will his protection—and his love—be enough to keep her safe?

Protection Specialists: Guarding the innocent

Thanks for joining us on Behind the Book! As always, you provide intriguing plots and thought-provoking themes.

You can purchase The Innocent Witness in ebook form or paperback at these retailers. You may also order it at your local bookstore.

Will the Truth Set You Free?

2011-07-04T18:26:00.000-07:00

Margaret Brownley is a new author to me. Always interested in inspirational messages, I read this book with high expectations of both history and inspiration. Being the 4th of July, it seemed appropriate to a read a book about the old west, a time which was the fermenting of social innovation. The suffragette movement was going strong and men and women were figuring out new ways of interactions and rights that facilitated a different relationship to work and family. In A Vision of Lucy Margaret Brownley brings us into this time through a young women who loves photography, and in her own way brings illumination of the truth about people and their lives.

All of us have secrets--some of them small secrets like a convenient lie, some secrets are larger like a betrayal. Every secret hurts someone, including ourselves. Some people have secrets so large it effects their entire life, it changes everything they do and sets them on a path God never intended. In her own naive, stumbling, and sometimes humorous way Lucy learns of a secret that will change every life in her small town, including her own. The saying "the truth will set you free" is one I was brought up to believe. But even in facing the truth it is not easy. And the longer one waits, the more debilitating it becomes.

Please join me in welcoming Margaret Brownley with her wonderful third book in the Rocky Creek series.

What was the initial spark that put this story in your head?

The idea for my protagonist Lucy Fairbanks was sparked by an advertisement in an old newspaper. In 1860 Julia Shannon of San Francisco took the family portrait to new heights when she shockingly advertised herself as a daguerreotypist and midwife. How could I not be intrigued? After seeing that ad I just had to write about a woman photographer.

It seems that most authors use something from their own lives, or the lives of people they know as an integral part of the story. Is there anything in this story like that? If so, what?

One of the underlying themes of the book is abandonment. It's an odd thing but I think every child who loses a parent at a young age, even if it’s to death, feels abandoned. I know I did and I delved into that pain to write the book. I guess the ability to write serious themes with humor is a survival tool.

Is there a particular scene in this book that you really loved when you finished it? Which one and why?

It's a romance so of course I loved writing the scenes with the hero, but I also enjoyed the scenes with Lucy with her brother. Caleb is the brother I never had.

Your books all take place in the Old West. This seems unusual for a Southern California gal. What is it about this time period that draws you to write these stories?
I love writing about the old west because that’s when women came of age. The westward migration freed women in ways never before imagined. Women abandoned Victorian mores and rid themselves of confining clothes. The gun may have won the west, but it was the women who tamed it. They brought churches, schools, newspapers and helped build community. These are the heroines for whom we like to cheer. It must have been a shock to the male ego to have to deal with such strong and unconventional women—and that’s at the very heart of my stories.

I also like writing serious themes with a touch of humor and the old west lends itself nicely to laughter, don’t you think? Since people lived so close to the land it’s also a perfect setting for an inspirational novel.

I noticed that your three books are all subtitled "A Rocky Creek Romance." Is this book part of a series? If so, should the reader start with an earlier book or does it matter the order in which they are read?

All three stories take place in the fictional town of Rocky Creek, Texas, but the books don't have to be read in any particular order. I planned it that way. The other two books are A Lady like Sarah and A Suitor for Jenny.

What's next for you? Can you tell us about any upcoming releases?

My story Snow Angel will be in the Log Cabin Christmas collection due out in September. I'm currently working on a new series that takes place in Arizona Territory. The first book Dawn Comes Early will be out March 2012.

Thank you so much for letting me visit your blog today. Readers can reach me through my website. www.margaretbrownley.com

Also my publisher is running a “Vision of Funny” photograph contest with prizes. To enter go to the Margaret Brownley Books Facebook page.

You can get Margaret's Books in print or e-book from these fine retailers and from your local bookseller. Margaret is also willing to give away one free book to a lucky commenter. I know I really enjoyed reading this, so please take a chance and see if you can win a book.

Ghosts and Humor and Love, Oh My!

2011-06-20T06:11:00.000-07:00

MINNETTE MEADOR is one talented writer. She writes SF, Historical, and now a paranormal romance with humor. She is genre bending and does not skimp How one person can write in each of these genres and keep you glued to your seat is amazing. My first exposure to Minnette's writing was with her Starsight novel. I was drawn to the Spider Robinson quote--a favorite writer of mine, and when I finished it I knew this was someone to watch. Then I read her first Centurion Novel, The Centurion and the Queen. I must admit, I thought no one who writes SF well can also write a good historical. Boy was I wrong. Historical Romance is definitely a genre Minnette can handle. So, now she has a ghost story with humor and romance, A Ghost of a Chance.This is a woman who is always pushing the envelope. Believe me, I am not going to misjudge her again. It's already in my buy list for the release date on Wednesday.

Please join me as we find what makes this author tick. I am certainly excited to download my copy of A Ghost of a Chance ASAP.

What was the initial spark that put this story in your head?

I am a devoted ghostie. I not only believe in them, but I've seen them quite a few times. It was late at night, just as I was getting to sleep (and I think after a Ghost Hunters marathon), it suddenly dawned on me that a poor guy who sees not just one or two ghosts, but all of them, might make for an interesting comedy. Voila! Keenan steps in and the book takes off from there. I had a blast writing this and, since it's my very first comedy, it was nice to laugh instead of cry like I usually do with my historicals or fantasies.

It seems that most authors use something from their own lives, or the lives of people they know as an integral part of the story. Is there anything in this story like that? If so, what?

I think in some ways, Keenan is a male Minnette. Like him, I put out streetlights when I'm angry or upset on a walk. I have seen ghosts and I consider them more of a pain in the ass than something that frightens you. I LOVE the Hawthorn District of SE Portland, including the Bagdad theater, micro brew, McMenamin's and The Hotcake House. These are all places that are as familiar to me as my husband's smile.

Is there a particular scene in this book that you really loved when you finished it? Which one and why?

I think I like the scene with the succubus on the 2nd night. It is surprising and life changing for Keenan.

You've written in a number of genres: SF, Historical, and now a paranormal. Is there a theme that carries you to all these different places, or are you one of those writers who just like variety?

I always seem to have music somewhere in my books, whether as a main character, like Starsight, or as something important, like A Ghost of a Chance. However, I really do like variety; I am an avid reader and I've never met a genre I didn't like, so I guess that carried over into my writing. The ideas that pop into my head know no genre boundaries!

What's next for you? Can you tell us about any upcoming releases? Will you be traveling in the next few months where readers can find you?

I'm am extremely excited about my next two projects: The Gladiator Prince, historical romance (third book in the Centurion Series, though this one is completely stand alone), and The Bell Stalker, an urban fantasy thriller. See blurbs below for more info. I will be in downtown Portland on July 30th from 11am-5pm at the Pioneer Square for the NW Book Festival, and then at Jan's Paperback Books for a book signing on August 4th from 12-4.

THE GLADIATOR PRINCE: Book III of the Centurion Series
RELEASE DATE: August 17, 2011 Resplendence Publishing.
Prince Thane is the last surviving royalty of the Trinovantes Tribe in Roman Britannia, having surrendered to the Romans after the Boudicca Revolt to save his two daughters, whose identities he sacrifices his freedom to protect. He is condemned by Nero himself to become a gladiator, to fight until he dies in the arena. When his two daughters are taken in a slaver's raid, Thane escapes, forcing the daughter of his master to take him to Rome to save his children.

Little does he know that the beautiful Syrian woman holds not only the key to his passion, but a secret that triggers a disaster that ignites the world. Will this spoiled willful girl betray him in the end or sacrifice herself to save them all?

THE BELL STALKER - an urban fantasy thriller
RELEASE DATE: October 26, 2011 Resplendence Publishing
For a year, Belle Stark has struggled to conquer fears plaguing her since being attacked by a maniac who continues to roam free and the murder of her father. And she nearly succeeds, until she discovers her lover's murdered body spread over the furniture, making Belle a prime suspect. Certain her attacker is to blame, she seeks help from her ex-husband, homicide detective Mike Cranston, the one person she swore she would never let back into her life, or heart.

In their hunt for answers, the two uncover more than a lunatic: a supernatural underworld hidden beneath the tall skyscrapers of the city and a secret that could kill them both. Faced with a terrible choice, Belle surrenders herself to the hands of a monster and Mike must solve an ancient mystery before it's too late to save her---

Thank you for joining us Minnette!
I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm surely buying everything Minnette is writing. Now, if only I could get them all right now and stock up for all my business trips.

NOTE: Resplendence Publishing marks this as a book with sexual content that may not be suitable for anyone under 18. If you are uncomfortable with explicit sexual content, you may not find this particular book suitable.

Here are the fine retailers that carry Minnette's books.

Fishing for Love

2011-06-14T06:00:00.000-07:00

This week we are featuring Leigh Duncan, and her new Harlequin American Romance, The Daddy Catch. I first met Leigh several years ago while visiting a friend in Florida. I have to say she is one of the nicest, sweetest people I've ever met. Even though it was our first introduction, I immediately thought "this is the kind of woman I would hang out with if I lived in Florida." She is down to earth and considerate of others. Yet she walks with quiet confidence. I only wished I wasn't clear across the country where I rarely get a chance to see her in person.

Even with all these great personal qualities, the real reason you should read Leigh's books is because they are just darn good. Her books are charming, heartwarming, and uplifting. Most of all they are romances that make you feel good. When I finish one of her books I just want to curl up and say Thank You.

Here's the blurb for The Daddy Catch.

More than hooks and lines are in the lesson plans when an upcoming fishing trip with his new business partners forces a hunky thoracic surgeon to hire a feisty fly fishing guide. Dan Hamilton is a foster care success story whose wildest dreams are within reach when he’s asked to join in building a medical center on Florida’s east coast. Widowed Jessica Cofer wants little more than to help her young son grow into an honest man and preserve the natural beauty of Phelps Cove. Their temperatures rise faster than mercury on a summer day...until she learns the handsome doctor has his eye on more than her curves—he plans to steal the land from under her feet.

Maggie, thanks so much for inviting me to Behind the Book. I’m thrilled to be here today. Before we get started, though, congratulations on your just-released book, Eternity, and the upcoming release of Expendable. They both sound like winners!

Well thanks, Leigh. I certainly hope the readers see it that way too. :) So, let's get on with this interview. After all, this week is all about you and your wonderful Harlequin American Romances.

So, what was the initial spark that put this story in your head?

THE DADDY CATCH actually started out as an entry in a short story contest. My husband had stumbled across an ad for the Robert Traver award in one of his fly fishing magazines. This contest offered an amazing thousand-dollar prize for a story about fly fishing. Hubby challenged me to enter—more as a dare than anything else, since I’d been writing, writing, writing and not selling, not selling, not selling.   Over the next couple of months, I wrote a mistaken identity story that revolved around a doctor who spies a fly fisher on his way to work. Her grace and beauty inspire him to take up fly fishing, but he’s a smug sort who’s certain he’ll master the sport without help. When he visits a fly fishing shop, he quickly realizes three things—the owner is the lovely woman he saw in the river; he needs her help in learning how to cast; and, by the end of their first lesson, that he’s made his “catch of a lifetime.”

Unfortunately, I missed the deadline for submission that year. And by the time the contest rolled around again, the judging committee had switched gears. Instead of fiction, they wanted essays about fly fishing.

So, that short story collected dust in my desk drawer until after I sold my first book (THE OFFICER'S GIRL, April 2010). When my editor asked, “What else do you have?” I pulled that short story out and took a hard look at what parts of it would work for Harlequin American. There wasn’t much, except for the germ of the idea—a woman fly fishing guide and a doctor.

I loved The Officer's Girl! I'm so glad you had another idea and could develop it. I must admit, I've never read a romance before where fly fishing is a key element. Congrats!

It seems that most authors use something from their own lives, or the lives of people they know as an integral part of the story. Is there anything in this story like that? If so, what?

Several years ago, I took a Voice class from Barbara Samuel O’Neal. Up until that time, I’d tried very hard to weed my personal experiences out of my manuscripts. But in that class, Barbara taught us to use our experiences, to incorporate them in our writing. What a valuable lesson that was!

Hubby and I both love to fish, although we approach it differently. I’m one of those throw-out-a-hook-kick-back-and read-a-book types. He’s an avid fly fisher. We’ve both caught our share of fish and love the exhilaration of something huge on the other end of the line. And we both practice catch-and-release, returning our fish to the water so they can brag to all their friends about the big one they got away from.

I pulled from all of those experiences in writing THE DADDY CATCH. When Jess takes her little boy to Phelps Cove where she hopes he’ll catch his first red fish, I called upon my own memories of fishing for reds. Those fish are notoriously skittish so, of course, our hero Dan, startled the school, costing Jess’s son Adam his catch-of-a-lifetime and setting up the conflict for the rest of the story.

Is there a particular scene in this book that you really loved when you finished it? Which one and why?

The very last one. This scene wasn’t part of the manuscript when I submitted THE DADDY CATCH.   But my editor thought the book needed a more romantic, more emotional ending. She was right! Now, I can’t read that last chapter without getting all teary-eyed. And I wonder how I could ever have thought the book was finished without it.

You seem to have found a home with Harlequin American Romance. What is it about this line that fits what you want to write?

Each of the Harlequin lines has its own focus, its own heat level. Harlequin American romances are set against the backdrop of home, family and community. That means children and small towns are almost always features of our stories, both of which I love to write. These books are a little shorter than some of the other lines and because of that, we don’t have a lot of subplots or extra characters that could distract from the primary focus, the romance. I love that about Harlequin American Romance.

What's next for you? Can you tell us about any upcoming releases? Will you be traveling in the next few months where readers can find you?

Right now, my editor is looking at my next two proposals for Harlequin American. The first one is a reunion/second chance at love story with a heroine I absolutely love. Mandy grew up on the professional rodeo circuit, but walked away from that life to go to school and become a lawyer. Sparks fly when her client sues Mandy’s first love for custody of his daughter. I’m not sure which story I like better. That one, or the one that takes place during an old-fashioned cattle drive across the heart of Florida. Both sound like the perfect fit for Harlequin American, don’t they?

Yes, they both sound perfect. If your editor is smart, she'll take both of them!

As for travel, other than a quick appearance at the Florida Panhandle RWA chapter and a book signing next weekend (June 18th), I’ll be sticking close to home this summer while I work on those next two projects. On July 24th, though, you can catch me at Fish Tales and Cocktails, a fund-raiser for Casting for Recovery, a group that sends breast cancer survivors on fly fishing retreats. I also have a full slate of blog appearances. You can read about those on the News Page of my website at www.leighduncan.com.

As always, you amaze me, Leigh! Great stories and now a great charity as well.
You can get Leigh Duncan's book, The Daddy Catch, at any of these fine retailers. Add it to your summer reading list. You will be truly happy you did!

Books a Million

Is Living for 800 years a good thing?

2011-06-10T22:37:00.000-07:00

Gosh, I haven't posted an interview in over a month!!! I could tell you all the reasons -- too much work at day job, getting my new novel, ETERNITY, launched. Then there was our vacation in Yosemite and Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Parks to celebrate our anniversary in mid May. But I won't talk about all of that. :)

However, I do want to talk about my newly released novel, Eternity. It is available in ebook now and will be available in print by June 20th. Rather than gush over myself with an intro to the interview, I'll just answer the questions I ask everyone else. Then all of you can feel free to gush if you want--especially over my beautiful cover by the magnificent Bosha Struve. I really do LOVE it! She's a genius.

What was the initial spark that put this story in your head?

As with most of my books, it wasn't a single spark but several things that collided over a long period of time and then hit me over the head one day. Sometime in the mid 1990's I read an article in the science magazine Nature. (Of course, then it wasn't on the web.) The article described scientists in Antarctica taking deep core samples in the ice. The purpose was to determine if the ozone hole had grown over the last couple hundred years. I was mesmerized by the idea of core samples revealing anything about past conditions. Then I wondered, what else could be found in that sample? Diseases? Cures? What else could the jetstream carry over the poles and deposit in the ice?

Fast forward about twenty years when I was working at a medical university which served four or five hospitals and was doing a lot of health-related research. The core sample idea came back to me and I wondered what if the sample yielded some type of virus? A virus the world hadn't seen in thousands of years. What if the ages of people in the Bible (some purported to be 800+ years old) was true. Could it be that a virus existed in the time of Abraham or Moses that allowed people to live longer?

And if we found that virus today and were able to give it to people what would happen? Would we give it to everyone? Or would we use it as a means of power? Would we charge hundreds of thousands of dollars for it and save it for the few? If we distributed it widely, would we keep it from certain kinds of people? Why? Would there be people who didn't want to live for 800 years, perhaps people who thought it was against the natural order of things? How would those people rebel? Of course, if everyone lives that long over population becomes a huge problem very quickly, and that brings all kinds of social chaos. Thus an entire world was born.

It seems that most authors use something from their own lives, or the lives of people they know as an integral part of the story. Is there anything in this story like that? If so, what?

Because this is a made up world in the future, it isn't directly from my life. However, many of the difficulties of this world are extrapolations from difficulties in our own world. As with many Science Fiction authors who deal in social systems, I examine things in my made up world that are reflections of things happening today that really bother me. For example, every time I read about kidnaped children or human trafficking, I shudder. Every time I read about the horrific things some countries to do their own people cry for the inhumanity of it and wonder why we haven't evolved to be better people? Every time I read about people who join cults in order to feel accepted or a part of something, I wonder how religion is or can be perverted to motivate people toward a specific agenda. All of these things are magnified in my dystopian world.

However, in spite of all the evil in the world, I still truly believe that good will triumph in the end. That there are people who will stand up for right and be counted and fight for their beliefs. And those are the people who are my prime characters. The characters, of course, don't always agree on what is right or how to get there. But they do fight for their beliefs and they do each in their own way win back something for humanity.

Is there a particular scene in this book that you really loved when you finished it? Which one and why?

There are many scenes I love, but I think my favorites are the dialogs between the three main characters--Miki, Rohin, and Anna. They are a threesome that discovered the virus together and fight each other, and sometimes fight together throughout the book. I think each one of them represents the difficult decisions we all face in life when we have to choose a direction in the face of huge odds. It is these types of decisions that make us really look at all of our prejudices--really evaluate what is most important and what we are willing to sacrifice to get it.

What's next for you? Can you tell us about any upcoming releases? Will you be traveling in the next few months where readers can find you?

My next release is a Romantic Suspense novel, EXPENDABLE, from The Wild Rose Press. It will be available in August. It also plays with some futuristic ideas, but a little closer to today's biotechnology--dealing with stem cells and gene manipulation. I hope everyone will keep an eye for it.

You can buy ETERNITY in ebook from these booksellers. When the print version releases on June 20th you will be able to buy it print from then or have your local bookstore order it. I'd love to hear from anyone about what you think living for 800 years might be like? Would you want to live that long or would you fight it?

Forgive and Forget?

2011-04-17T17:49:00.000-07:00

When I first met Jenna Bayley-Burke, I knew we would become friends. Why? She is just one of those people you instantly like. She sees the world as a hilarious place to live--though a bit chaotic. Whether she is chasing her three young children, organizing a baby shower for a friend, or joining in a kiddie party, she truly lives up to her moniker of "domestic goddess." It's no wonder she writes incredible romances with a bit of humor. But she can also be serious and very supportive of people in need, as evidenced by her latest novel.

Please welcome Jenna Bayley-Burke as she launches her eighth novel, Private Scandal from Samhain Publishing. Set to release April 19th.

What was the initial spark that put this story in your head?

Celebutants & Rapunzel. No kidding. I've always identified with the story (and not just because I long for the hair!) Circumstances happen to people and they have to find a way out of them. The white knight riding in to save the day is fine, but I like heroines who aren't waiting around for the pounding of hoofbeats and are instead actively looking for ways to save themselves. And while I love the soap operas that are the lives of our reality TV stars, I think they give celebutants a bad rap. Sure, some of them have a boyfriend of the week and have spent enough on their shoe collection to build a dozen elementary schools, but others are using their status and wealth to help others. Lauren Bush's work to fight world hunger comes to mind. Then it started with a what if:: poor little rich girl loses everything - money, family, boyfriend, friends, dog....what does she do? How does she save herself?

Your reputation is for writing hot contemporaries with a flirty sense of humor. The blurb on this book seems more serious. Is this book a new direction for you or is there still some humor too?

I've had an emotional streak going! Writers tend to channel bits of their own mood into their work, and the last two were written when I was in a torn place personally. I had to make some hard choices about what was best for me and it wasn't always the popular choice. Now that I have that squared away (mostly), I'll be returning to stories where I can explore whacky things and crack myself up!

It seems that most authors use something from their own lives, or the lives of people they know as an integral part of the story. Is there anything in this story like that? If so, what?

For me it tends to be what the characters eat. If there's food in the scene you can bet that I was dieting and wanted something delicious instead of carrot sticks (not that there's anything wrong with carrots). In this story, Megan is the champion of a handful of women's shelters that her family had always provided for. Without the family's backing, these private shelters are in trouble. I've always been passionate that every soul should feel safe in their own home, and I think I unconsciously chose women's shelters because of this.

Is there a particular scene in this book that you really loved when you finished it? Which one and why?

I love the flying Birkin scene. Oh, and when Megan walks through the penthouse in a towel. And pretty much any scene with Danny in it. The guy might need his own book! I tend to like the funnier scenes, which is why I tend to write them. When I can write something I think is clever, and then read it later and laugh, I know I've done a good job.

I know you have a pretty extensive backlist and you've published widely. Where can readers find all the books you've written?

The Amazon river will come right to your door :) I have novels from Samhain there, but the erotica from Phaze is available at places like Diesel ebooks and Fictionwise. The Mills & Boon romances are nearly impossible to find, which is such a disappointment. I'm hoping I can convince them to ebook them soon.

What's next for you? Can you tell us about any upcoming releases? Will you be traveling in the next few months where readers can find you?

I'm re-releasing a reworked version of one of my favorite stories, For Kicks, in late summer with Samhain. Writing the story was therapy for me since I was able to work out my years in retail management. It's about reaching your goal and then realizing it wasn't right for you.

Hopefully, I'll be writing up a storm in the next few months! I don't have any reader events planned until RWA Nationals in NYC in late June!

Thanks for joining us, Jenna!

You can get Jenna's new book, Private Scandals, at one of these fine online retailers. I personally pre-ordered it and can hardly wait for it to download to my Nook. I suggest you run and get your copy too.

If You Go Home, What Will You Find?

2011-04-05T23:09:00.000-07:00

Just the title of this book got me to download it to my Nook the moment I heard it was available. I'm a sucker for stories where a woman takes a look at her life and says "What am I doing? What do I want to be doing? What am I willing to sacrifice to get there?" Maybe that's because it's happened to me more than once. Then when I found out this was about a Marine--even better a woman Marine--I absolutely had to have it. A woman. A hero. A journey to self-discovery. AND it's in the capable hands of Susan Lute! Ahhhhhhh. Pull up a piece of rug in front of the fire and settle in with Jane's Long March Home.

Multiple RITA winner, Wendy Warren, sums up Susan Lute's sense of story best. She said, ""Susan Lute is a beautiful keeper of the human heart. She explores the soul and leaves the reader certain life is worth the journey." So, it is with great pleasure that I am interviewing Susan Lute this week. Welcome Su!

Hi Maggie. Thanks for inviting me to Behind The Book.

What was the initial spark that put this story in your head?

I’ve always wanted to understand the intimate relationship between surviving grief and the enduring strength of the human spirit. And because I grew up in a military family, I guess it’s not surprising I should start that exploration with a Marine story. Interesting enough, the original version was about a wounded Marine and how he got from one day to the next after a terrorist attack took his best friend. Then I wondered what would happen if the Marine was a lady, who was desperate to return to the life she was about to lose because of a lot of insubordination and disorderly conduct. That idea became Jane’s Long March Home, the first of four novels about Marine pals who played poker every Friday night, until a bomb changed everything.

Your last book was a light and humorous category book for Harlequin. This one is definitely more serious and Women's Fiction oriented. Is this book a new direction for you?

Jane’s Long March Home is more serious in tone than Oops...We’re Married?, but at the heart of both stories is a traditional, multi-generational, contemporary romance that hopefully leaves reader’s hearts happy. You’re right - the stories I love to tell don’t fit into one specific genre, because I quite naturally write a women’s fiction flavored contemporary romance. I’ve probably always told this story, but Jane is the first of these genre blended books to be published, and as long as I can keep publishing them, I’m very excited to have at least three more books in the Falling For A Hero series. I also have two women’s fiction novels looking for a home, and a completely different genre for me, a post apocalyptic paranormal romance that was tremendous fun to write.

It seems that most authors use something from their own lives, or the lives of people they know as an integral part of the story. Is there anything in this story like that? If so, what?
Well, there is the Marine angle. And, when I met my husband, he lived in a little valley along the Columbia Gorge in Central Oregon, called Lone Pine. I always thought I was writing the orphan story. I come from a blended family and, looking back, I can see it’s family that most intrigues me, whether it’s the one a person is born into, or the one they gather around them. Like Jane, when I was young and just starting out on my own, I used to think I didn’t need family. How wrong we both turned out to be.

Is there a particular scene in this book that you really loved when you finished it? Which one and why?

This is an interesting question, Maggie, because I’m particularly fond of many of the scenes. But if I had to pick my favorite, I’d say it’s the opening scene. It’s been in and out of the story a dozen times, but I just couldn’t, in the end, leave it out. It’s that defining moment when Jane has to decide if she’s going to make it or not. I think we all come to this place. Then we pull up our big girl panties and do what we have to do, to be who we want to be :)

What's next for you? Can you tell us about any upcoming releases? Will you be traveling in the next few months where readers can find you?
This is an exciting time for me as a writer. There is, of course, the next three books in the Falling For A Hero series. I’m just finishing up a small town romance, tentatively titled, The Return Of Benjamin QuincyThe Dragon’s Thief for Harlequin Special Edition. It’ll be the first of many novels set in Rosewood, Oregon. Cross your fingers the editor will fall in love with it. And I have the post apocalyptic paranormal romance,The Dragon's Thief , being considered by St Martin’s Press. There are so many stories to write and so little time :)

During the next few months, writing is the name of the game, but I can be found online @ Facebook ; Goodreads; and my website.

This had been so much fun. Thanks again for inviting me to hang out with you.

I suggest you hop on over to Amazon, B&N, or your favorite e-reader home and immediately order Jane's Long March Home. It's priced very well at $2.99 so how can you go wrong? Click one of the button's below and get it downloaded to your e-reader or your computer right now.

Romantic Suspense From a Master Storyteller

2011-03-27T12:05:00.000-07:00

Okay, I admit, this is a huge fan girl interview for me. I've been reading Roxanne St. Claire's books since French Twist in 2004. But when I had the chance to meet her in Florida at a STARS Conference, about five years ago, I fell in love with her personality, her openness, and her positive attitude. Some of that down-to-earth approach can be seen in her own words on her website.

In terms of her writing, I'm not the only one who thinks she's amazing. Rocki is a New York Times bestseller AND this year she is a finalist for a RITA (the Oscars for romance writers) for her first book in the Guardian Angelinos series, Edge of Sight. Go, Rocki!!! Please welcome Rocki to Behind the Book. She's giving away an autographed copy of the second book in the Guardian Angelinos series, Shiver of Fear to some lucky commenter. So, get on the ball and say Hi. I promise she'll answer you.

What was the initial spark that put this story in your head? Please describe the event or series of events.

Devyn Sterling, the heroine of Shiver of Fear, first appears in the opening scene of Edge of Sight (the first and only book so far in the Guardian Angelinos series), as the wife of a man who gets assassinated in the first few pages. I knew she had nothing to do with the crime, but her character intrigued me. I described her as a cool socialite and that tag stuck in my head. Is she...or isn't she? She never appeared again on the page, but Devyn lingered as a possible heroine for me. When it came time to lay out the next story, I wanted to explore Devyn Sterling...well, I wanted Marc Rossi to explore her. I knew she had inadvertently given her husband information about her biological father that got him killed, so that led me to wonder about her biological mother...and send Devyn on a dangerous hunt to find her. Well, she certainly can't go on that adventure alone, can she? Enter Marc Rossi, a man who has everything she wants...but believes she can't have.

It seems that most authors use something from their own lives, or the lives of people they know as an integral part of the story. Is there anything in this story like that? If so, what?

Only the very end! Devyn longs for a big family and Marc's Rossi & Angelino crew simply makes her ache with envy. Early in the book, he casually mentions a Christmas Eve tradition and rather than get the point of his story, she sort of gets lost in the fantasy of a being part of a family like that. Of course, she ultimately is. (Hey, it's a romance! There's an HEA!) So when I describe the festivities, I'm taking it right from my real life -- my husband is Italian and the Feast of the Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve is our family tradition, too.

Is there a particular scene in this book that you really loved when you finished it? Which one and why?

There are a few, of course. Toward the end of the book, there's a scene that, for me, is deeply heartbreaking and also quite sensual, when the heroine is vulnerable to the breaking point. In addition (this is probably some sort of writer's sin!) I love every scene with Vivi Angelino, the hero's cousin who is working behind the scenes, especially when she interacts with FBI Agent Colton Lang. Their chemistry warmed the keyboard, and positively fried my computer when I wrote their story, Face of Danger - out in just four weeks!!

I admit to loving your Bullet Catchers world and when I knew you were leaving it to start a different series, I really grieved. But now I'm madly in love with the Guardian Angelinos and the more flirty/snarky characters. Are there more to come in this series?

In a month, you can gobble up another Guardian Angelino - Vivi's story is totally delicious book candy! And all I will say is this...neither series is over. I don't have an exact date or title or information, but both the Bullet Catchers and the Guardian Angelinos will be back. There is a huge hint in the last scene of Face of Danger (Tease!!!!)

You have an extensive backlist of stories. If readers want to to go back and read some of your other books, are they still available? Where might they find a good list and descriptions?

Oh, yes, every book I've ever written is available as an ebook for any ereader. Check out amazon, bn.com, wherever ebooks are sold. And all of the Bullet Catchers are still in print, though they might need to be ordered (any bookstore will order them) or found on the romance shelves in the chain bookstores, like Barnes & Noble. A complete list (in order) is on my website: www.roxannestclaire.com on the "Book List" page. There are also biographies and photos of all the Bullet Catchers and Angelinos, a free read, and excerpts of every book.

What's next for you? Can you tell us about any upcoming releases? Will you be traveling in the next few months where readers can find you?

There are tons of opportunities to "cyber meet" and win a set of Shiver of Fear and Face of Danger!! Watch my website, where I'll be posting a full list of a 40+ stop blog tour I'm doing in April. What's next after that is a whole lot of writing. One of the projects I'm most excited about is my debut in the Young Adult market. DON'T YOU WISH (tentative title) is set for release in the summer of 2012. I love the book so much and had an absolute blast getting into the teen head to write it. (I live with two of them, so I'm qualified!!) Adding to the thrill of my first hardcover, my first light paranormal, and my first YA is the fact that it has been optioned for my first film deal! My dream director, Garry Marshall, has paired up with a fantastic family-fare friendly producer, Jeff Franklin (creator of Full House), to develop the screenplay based on the book, and begin the long and excited process of movie making. *Deep breaths, Rocki, deep breaths.* No matter what the outcome, the journey just this far has been incredible! Honestly, I guess the same can be said of my whole writing career!

Thank you for joining Behind the Book, Rocki. It was truly a pleasure for me.
Thank you so much for having me, Maggie! Don't forget I'm giving away an autographed copy of Shiver of Fear to one commenter. Ask a question (I'll come and answer!) or leave a note and be entered!

Being such a fan girl, I had already pre-ordered both Shiver of Fear and Face of Danger. I want to be sure they are delivered to my Nook the moment they become available. I strongly recommend all my readers to the same. Rocki's books are available in print and ebook for all platforms. Links to some booksellers are below. If you prefer print books and want to support your local indie bookstore (something I always recommend), please know any of them can order Rocki's books and get them to you VERY quickly.

Angels, Demons, and Redemption

2011-03-13T00:02:00.000-08:00

This week are joined by Cassiel Knight, author of paranormal romance and urban fantasy, with kick-butt heroines and sexy heroes. Her new release, Key of Solomon, is the beginning of a series that features angels and demons and looks absolutely delicious. Please join me in welcoming Cassie and learning about this intriguing book.

What was the initial spark that put this story in your head?
Well, it's been a while and the story has gone through several incarnations but what I remember that put the spark for this one was the now defunct Silhouette Bombshell line. I'd written one futuristic romance targeted for that line because I love strong, kick-butt heroines and when that was finished, I wanted to write about a hurting woman and a fallen angel - another subject I found interesting. Plus, I was watching Tomb Raider and Relic Hunter and really thought about how to combine the two. It didn't actually work out that way - the story is light on Tomb Raider and Relic Hunter elements but I did write about angels and demons and I wanted to do that. Oh, and I wanted to mix mystical historical details as well and Egypt. So, basically, I had a soup of wonderful ideas and Relic Defender series is how I combined them, with Key of Solomon as the first book.

I'm a huge paranormal fan, and it seems that angels and demons are the new hit these days. Your story seems to really cross the line between the two. It appears that good and evil aren't necessarily easy to determine. Can you tell us a bit about that?
Definitely. This seems to be a pattern not only in books I write but those I read. I like the idea that even angels and demons can be a mix of good and bad. It's what they do that defines them not necessarily who they are. And I really wanted to write about a fallen angel who made a mistake, made the wrong choices and to show that redemption can happen to even a fallen angel.

It seems that most authors use something from their own lives, or the lives of people they know as an integral part of the story. Is there anything in this story like that? If so, what?
I wish I was as strong as Lexi! No, this story is pure fiction. Lexi and Mikos' tale really came about to blend all the things I love into one story. I guess, you could say that it's my passions in life that drive my stories.

Is there a particular scene in Key of Solomon that you really loved when you finished it? Which one and why?
I have to say my favorites are the ones with Rocky, my shape-shifting imp. He loves the gangsters of the 1920s and is really fairly irreverant for a lesser demon. I plan to keep him around. And of course, while I can't tell you why because it would give away the ending, I loved the moment Mikos and Lexi got together - when they found their happily ever after. Now, that, I can tell you. :)

With the subtitle, Relic Defender, this book looks to be part of a series. Is it? If so, can you tell us how many books are planned and how they'll be linked? Also, any release dates for future books?
Yes, this is a series. At this point, I have book number 2 in progress and book 3 outlined. I haven't thought much beyond that. I love the world I've created and would enjoy staying there. I don't foresee getting tired of it and there are certainly enough story ideas that it could keep going. I hope the readers will tell me whether they want the series to continue. I would certainly enjoy continuing to write it. In fact, if readers want to get a taste of book two, they can visit my blog site specifically set up to launch Relic Defender.

If someone wants to check out your backlist based on loving this story, where would you suggest they start? Or which books would be in a similar vein?
Up until recently, I had a futuristic romance available from New Concepts Publishing; however, I pulled it and am looking for a new home for it or publishing directly to Kindle. So, Key of Solomon is the first book in the Relic Defender series with Samhain. If readers want to see what I'm working on, they can visit my webpage. I've posted excerpts from the first book in another series that is tagged as Tomb Raiders meets The Librarian. Yes, this one truly has a tomb raider element. :)

That's the end of the interview. Thanks for joining Behind the Book.
Thanks so much for having me. It's been fun revisiting the birth of this book.

Readers, this interview had me immediately ordering Key of Solomon. I can't wait to read it! You can get the book in your favorite ebook format from these publishers.

The Book Breeze -- A new monthly paper all about books

2011-03-06T01:49:00.000-08:00

This week I'm deviating from the norm to talk to Donna Kiehle, owner and editor of The Book Breeze. Perhaps you've seen small flyers with book reviews, or author articles in your favorite bookstore. You may frequent a few review sites online. The Book Breeze is all that and more. It's a newspaper designed for readers. Articles about authors, new short stories, and of course book reviews are all part of this new paper. While giving a nod to the past by producing an actual tabloid on books, it also plans to stick with the future and have a PDF version available for anyone who prefers to read electronically.

The Book Breeze is fresh, exciting, and I predict it will do very well. The first issue will be launched at the Romantic Times conference, and soon follow at the Heart of Dixie Reader's Luncheon.

Soon the tabloid will be available in bookstores across the U.S. Please join me in welcoming Donna Kiehle, the owner of The Book Breeze.

The Book Breeze is getting a lot of buzz among authors. Can you tell us why you decided to start a monthly newspaper on books?

Because readers are always looking for a good book and writers are always looking for a good reader.
There are 1,500 books published each day in this country. How does a reader navigate that volume? How does a writer get noticed? Facebook? Twitter? Amongst millions of posts and tweets? It’s information overload.

Sometimes, to get noticed, you need to step to the side, out of the flow, out of sync. The Book Breeze isn’t a replacement for the social network, it’s an additional resource in the world of promotion.

I can see lots of reasons authors may want to promote in The Book Breeze, but what's in it for readers?

There’s Behind the Book.
Short stories that provide us with a brief respite in our day.
Articles that celebrate the written word, for instance, the importance of the industrial revolution, the dime novel and literacy or how writing opened doors for women.
A peek into the possibly sane world of a writer with the Writer’s Cave.
Book seller’s recommendations.
New releases.
Contests and puzzles and prizes. Oh, my!

Your website says you plan a distribution of 5,000 copies. That's huge. Do you have a list of bookstores and libraries already? Are these all across the U.S.? How about international?

I’m compiling that now. I’m looking first for independent bookstores, then at the demographics of the area such as income and education level. My goal is to get The Book Breeze into as many states as possible and if 5,000 isn’t enough of a print run, I’ll increase it to get the coverage. As for international and online, well, it’s certainly a possibility. I do have a friend at the English Academy in Madrid Spain who’s going to pass around copies.

For readers who are interested in getting the newspaper but don't have it in their hometown, or they live far away from a bookstore or library, how can they get it? Will you have subscriptions and/or an online version of the newspaper?

Subscriptions are available. Because this venture is just beginning, the mail version will cost between $1.25 and $1.50 a month until the mailing list builds enough to qualify for bulk rates. I’m also looking into sending a PDF version but since I’m still compiling my first edition it’s difficult to say at this point. Keep watching the subscriptions page for the latest.

I understand The Book Breeze celebrates all genres of fiction, not just Romance. Can you give us a preview of some of the books and authors in your premier issue?

Because my contacts are primarily romance, so far that is the bulk of authors. So tell your friends from other genres to submit, advertise and participate. I’d love to see some poetry, YA, mystery, and non-fiction. Also, if you know of an exceptional teen who writes, tell them to submit. There is no age limit to good writing.

Well, I can hardly wait for the first issue. I'm definitely buying a subscription. If you want more information on The Book Breeze. Visit the website or contact Donna Kiehle with your questions.

Real History for Real People--And Always Love

2011-02-25T05:19:00.000-08:00

If you were a time traveler, you would have no problem recognizing both versions of Delle Jacobs here. When it comes to Delle, I really do believe she lived in Regency England, in Medieval England, and perhaps even in Norman England. Delle Jacobs is one of those authors who I could listen to all day. Why? Because she truly loves history. Not history as in the memorize-the-dates-and-spew-it-back-to-the-teacher type, but history as it formed and changed the lives of every day people. And Delle's books frequently chronicle that history in terms of the daily struggles and passions of women--the very women who were the primary voices of change and the glue that often held the world together. Please join me in welcoming Delle Jacobs as she talks about her novel, Lady Wicked, published by The Wild Rose Press and shares with us her own author secrets.

What was the initial spark that put this story in your head?
We'd have to call it sparks, plural, I think. Most of the time my stories start when several different thoughts or ideas start to pull together. Being a member of the Beau Monde, over the years, I've been a part of many deep discussions and research sharing. A number of questions had come up about the position of women, marriage, women's inheritance, divorce, etc. It's really hard in this day and age to grasp just how restricting and often demeaning the state of women was in Regency England--and actually in this country at that time as well.

I've seen a lot of change in marital rights in my own lifetime, but it's nothing compared to how different things are from the early Nineteenth Century. A married woman, particularly one of the aristocracy, literally had no rights. She did not even legally exist, for the marriage state had made the two one- and that 'One' was the
husband.

Theoretically a man would protect the woman who by church and state is considered a part of him. But the situation was ripe for abuse, and abuse was common. And so I began to ask myself what would-and did- happen to a woman whose husband wanted to get rid of her at any cost? The documentation of such things is appalling. Divorce was always looked upon as being the wife's fault, and no matter her situation or innocence, she became a social pariah. She could not even testify in her own behalf.

I'd also thought a lot about a story using a hero and heroine who were almost anti-hero and heroine. And I began to see Davina and Lord Savoury, two outcasts who, in saving each other, save themselves.

It seems that most authors use something from their own lives, or the lives of people they know as an integral part of the story. Is there anything in this story like that? If so, what?

We have to write what we know, whether we experienced it or learned it. And our heroes and heroines are ultimately ourselves. The one question I had to answer in this book was: What would happen to someone who was wrongly accused and could do nothing about it, yet who wouldn't bend under the weight of the oppression?

I did have a bad marriage- not just an unhappy one, but an abusive one. I have learned escape was possible, and that the surest way to find the way out of a very dark place is to just keep going. I was a social worker for many years, and I learned far more from my clients than they learned from me. From them, I learned just how much the human spirit can triumph. I don't have much interest in people whose lives are always wonderful, who never have to rise above adversity. But a person who has done what others say is impossible, who perhaps didn't even believe it herself but kept on trying, is a person who intrigues me, one I admire. So these are the people I write into my books.

In Lady Wicked, I have a man who has lost his moral compass and a woman who cannot allow herself to hope. In giving her hope, he finds his path, and in lighting his way, she finds the depth of her courage and ultimately, her heart.

Is there a particular scene in this book that you really loved when you finished it? Which one and why?
I really had to think about this, because this book is full of scenes I love. My Lord Savoury and Lady Wyckham develop a deep friendship as well as love, and they have a lot of fun together. So I think- maybe-
the scene I love most is the one in which Davina discovers for the first time that she can give as good as she gets. Savoury is always needling and teasing her, and she's finally catching onto it. So when he offers her a ride as he's heading down to Matlock to market, and she discovers he has a big knot on his forehead, and he doesn't want to talk about it, she seizes her advantage and razzes him as badly as he has her. I think this is the place where Savoury glimpses for the first time he not only desires her but perhaps really loves her. And he has embarked on a path he can no longer abandon.

Does this story background relate to previous or future books? If so, in what way?
Not directly. I have thought about sequels, but I like for each story to bloom entirely on its own, not take its plot from another book. It's like my other books regardless of time period or genre, in that all my heroes and heroines face deep struggles. Ordinary people, I've discovered, are actually not all that ordinary. So I write about what's deeper than the social surface.

If someone wants to check out your backlist based on loving this story, where would you suggest they start? Or which books would be in a similar vein?
That doesn't sound like a hard question, but it is. All of my stories interlace deep dilemma and humor, which is the way I think many people deal with their deepest sorrows. Fire Dance has a lot in common with
Lady Wicked even though the time periods are so far apart. And Sins of the Heart deals with a woman hiding from a past that could bring her death. And it has a hero whose war experience has left him feeling like his soul is dead. His Majesty, Prince of Toads is a battle of wills between two people who should not have been forced into marriage. But it's not your typical marriage of convenience, for these two have deeply embedded secrets and pains.

You have found yourself a great niche in the Regency period. What is it about this period that so entrances you?
I love most historical periods. The glitter of aristocracy is not what catches my attention, though. I'm not quite the Cinderella type. But I like the pre-industrial revolution times, and the Regency period sits right at the very edge between the medieval past and the modern age of machines, speed, and mass communication. Only a few years later, locomotives are chugging across the land at impossible speeds and steamships cross oceans in half the time. Social change is on the edge. People talk about the vice of slavery, corruption in government,
even whether married women ought to be allowed to own property. Napoleon is on the Continent and revolution is in the air. The world is about to be turned upside down. It is a simpler time, in some ways
a safer one. Pasteur has not yet looked into a microscope. One in which we might see each other with clearer vision, or perhaps not truly see at all.

Do you write any books that are not Regency? If so, where can reader's find those and are they under the same name?
I have two medievals available, Fire Dance and Loki's Daughters. Both are available on Amazon. I also have some historical paranormals that will be available soon. Faerie is set in Norman England, in a world in which the superstitions and beliefs people had are real. And a completely fantasy sea myth re-told, Siren. I recently co-authored a contemporary novella with SamMarie Ashe, The Boss Word Red in the Cupid Gone Wild anthology, which will be released Jan. 28th. It's a wacky Big City Fashionista vs Cowboy story, just right for a fun Valentines Day read.

Thank you for joining us, Delle. Remember readers, commenting and following this blog gets an automatic entry into the drawing for a book. Say hello Delle and we will draw a name for a copy of Lady Wicked. In the meantime, run out and download a copy of Lady Wicked into your favorite e-reader or order the print copy.

Love, Family, and God Always Ring True

2011-02-20T07:07:00.000-08:00

One of the sweetest authors I know is Lissa Manley. She wrote for Harlequin Romance for a number of years and then stepped away from writing to concentrate on spending quality time with her children. Now, she is back and better than ever. She is now writing Inspirational romances for Harlequin. Her books have the same sweet stories with the added punch of a life enhanced by a spiritual relationship with God as well as the romantic relationship. Even better, we will see many new books from Lissa in the very near future. Please welcome Lissa back to writing, and especially to sharing her insights with us at Behind the Book.

What was the initial spark that put this story in your head? Please describe the event or series of events.

Well, that's a long and complicated story. This book wasn't actually intended to be the first book in the Moonlight Cove series. The second book, Mistletoe Matchmaker, coming out in December of 2011, was intended to be the first. But...when I submitted MISTLETOE in an earlier iteration, I sent my editor a blurb about what I envisioned as the second book in the series to be. She ultimately rejected MISTLETOE for a number of reasons, but she liked the sound of the blurb I'd sent for the second book and asked me to send a proposal for that book. So I wrote THAT proposal, sent it in, and she bought it and it became Family to the Rescue. After that book sold, I went back to MISTLETOE and rewrote it to be the second book in the series, along with a blurb for the book I envisioned as the third book. They bought MISTLETOE, and the third book in the series, which will be out in mid-2012.

Whew. That's a lot to take in. Anyway, I had always wanted to write a book set on the coast in a town like Cannon Beach (see below). I also really wanted to write a book about a single mom starting over (who became Kim in the book), and I really wanted to include an older relative who would be the heroine's mentor (who is Aunt Rose). I liked the idea of putting a closed-off hero (Seth) into a situation with a child (Dylan) because there's nothing more romantic than a big, athletic guy being nice to a kid.

I also wanted to show right off what kind of guy Seth was, and really wanted him to literally rescue Kim from a dangerous situation in the opening scene. I have a cousin who almost drowned on the Oregon Coast because of an undertow, so I thought what better way to open the book than with Seth rescuing Kim from drowning. I also really like stories that come full circle, and I like the "rescue" theme because Kim and Dylan end up rescuing Seth emotionally in the end, mirroring how Seth rescued Kim physically at the beginning of the story.

It seems that most authors use something from their own lives, or the lives of people they know as an integral part of the story. Is there anything in this story like that? What?

Yes, the setting. I wanted a small town on the Pacific Northwest coast because I like to write what I know (not really a big research gal), and kind of wanted to set the book somewhere other than Oregon for variety. I chose Washington State. I wanted a quaint tourist town that was little enough to have that small-town feel, but would have enough businesses on Main Street to provide plenty of heroes and heroines. I immediately thought of Cannon Beach, where I spent a lot of time as a child, and it fit the bill perfectly. So I made up a town (so I don't need to be accurate!) called Moonlight Cove and based it on Cannon Beach, but set on the Washington coast. I included the wooden boardwalk, and based many of the businesses and stores that I've been to many times while visiting Cannon Beach.

I noticed this book is part of a series. Can you describe how this story's characters and background relate to the rest of the series.

Of course. The series is set in Moonlight Cove, Washington, and the heroes and heroine's are owners of businesses along Main Street. Family to the Rescue features Seth, who owns the sporting goods store, and Kim, whom he saves from drowning and who also ends up working for him at the store. She has moved to town after her husband walked out on her and their seven-year-old son to live with her aunt, Rose Latham.

In the next book, Mistletoe Matchmaker, the hero is Kim's cousin, and the heroine owns the designer pet store on Main street. The third book features the owner of the ice cream parlor as the heroine, and the new sheriff in town as the hero. Common characters will tie the series together (most significantly Aunt Rose), as does the town itself; a lot of the action takes place in and around the businesses on Main Street. I was aiming to create a quaint small town where everyone knows everybody else and which, of course, boasts a stunning and romantic coastal backdrop. The tag line for the series is: Moonlight Cove. A beachside town where love and faith blossom. And that's exactly what I was going for.

Is there a particular scene in this book that you really loved when you finished it?

I have two. The first is the scene where the heroine, Kim, has coaxed the hero, Seth, out of his back office at the store where he's sequestered himself to avoid interacting with Kim (he just can't deal with being so drawn to her). She has just settled in behind some shelving to watch him in action with a customer who's asked for him, and he sneaks up behind her and nearly scares her to death. Kim pretends she's looking at the sock display, but Seth knows better. She's very flustered and babbles on and on about picking out a pair of socks for her cousin. I love the scene because it's cute and funny, and really highlights the attraction growing between the hero and heroine. Plus it shows the heroine that maybe she'd be better off if she left him in his cave. Yep. Conflict is good.

The second scene is towards the end of the book. In it, Seth, who has a rocky relationship with God because of unanswered prayers in his youth, is struggling with his attraction to Kim, and his growing attachment to her son, Dylan. Because of a conversation he and Kim had earlier in the book about how to find faith in God, he finds himself at the local church, and ends up going inside and praying to God for guidance. It's a touching scene, especially when he knows Kim's advice was good because, with God's help, Seth realizes he loves her.

I also have to add, I also especially like all of the scenes with Seth and Dylan. Again, there's just something so appealing about a man's man who's kind to kids. Seth, a former professional baseball player, ends up coaching Dylan's little league team The Sharks (with Kim as the assistant coach, of course), and the scenes with him and the boys on the team are really touching (or at least, that's the way I hope I wrote them). In fact, his gentle way with The Sharks is one of the reasons Kim finally falls in love with him. Who can resist a guy who can get a bunch of rowdy seven-year-olds to play baseball and looks darn good doing it?

You were previously a Silhouette Romance (now Harlequin Romance) writer. Can you tell our readers what's different between your Romance books and your Inspirational books?

Well, in some ways they're very similar. Both lines are sweet lines, without any graphic sensuality. Although, I should note that I always try to have a strong, unmistakable sense of attraction between the hero and heroine from the start; I just don't think any romance is believable if the hero and heroine aren't very aware of each other in a physical way.

Both lines are 'Home and Hearth' kinds of lines, and feature plots that focus pretty much exclusively on the romance, which I like because I find writing the romance part the easiest part of the whole writing process. The hero and heroine are together for almost every scene, and every scene is directly related to building the romance while the conflict simmers in the background. No suspense, no secondary character POV, etc. Again, a good thing for me because I like to be able to focus on the romance rather than a very intricate, drawn out plot. Not to say there's no plot. Just that the romance is the prime focus within the framework of the plot.

As for differences, the main one is the Love Inspired books feature a faith thread and Silhouette Romances don't. This was actually hard for me because I'd written six Silhouette Romances without a faith thread, and I wasn't used to having to come up with or think about the faith element. I actually wrote most of Family to the Rescue without much of a faith element because that's how I was used to working, and then during second draft edits added about 65% of the faith element. Interestingly, I was asked by my editor to add even more faith element during final revisions and copy-edits, so even my second draft wasn't strong enough in that regard. Overall, I'm pleased with how that thread turned out in the book considering I was clueless when I started. Kudos to my critique partner Terri Reed, who's written over 20 books for Steeple Hill in the last five years. She helped me a lot with the execution of the faith element. Thanks, Terri!

The length is slightly different between the two lines, with the Love Inspired line being 55,000 to 60,000 words and the Silhouette Romances being 50,000 to 55,000. I only mention this because both lines are a bit shorter than some of the other Harlequin lines, and because I think this makes them excellent reads for the busy reader (and who isn't busy these days?) This longer length was actually somewhat of a challenge for me because I was used to writing shorter, and found myself wanting to wind my story up at 50,000 words but, of course, I had to keep writing. Still adjusting to that one.

If someone wants to check out your backlist based on loving this story, where would you suggest they start? Or which books would be in a similar vein?

This book is the first one I've written for Harlequin Love Inspired, so it is my first inspirational title, and my first book which features a faith thread. But, again, all of my Silhouette Romances are like the Love Inspired books in many ways, and feature similar plots and sweeter, more traditional stories focusing almost exclusively on the romance and conflict between the hero and heroine.   So reading those books would be similar, if not exactly the same. No matter what line I'm writing for, I always strive to write books that make the reader laugh and cry and sigh.

For reference, my previous titles (all Silhouette Romances) are:

The Bachelor Chronicles
The Bridal Chronicles
The Baby Chronicles
In A Cowboy's Arms
Love Chronicles
The Parent Trap

Can you give us a preview of the other books in this series and their release dates?

Glad to. The MOONLIGHT COVE series will, hopefully, feature many, many books. I may have to add businesses or extend Main Street to come up with enough heroes and heroines!

The kickoff title, Family to the Rescue comes out in March 2011, and will be available starting the last week in February.

The second book, Mistletoe Matchmaker, which has a Christmas setting, will be out in December 2011. This book is especially dear to me because the dog who brings the hero and heroine together in the book is based on my own standard poodle, Jade. As I write the answers to these questions in February 2011, I have just finished writing the first draft of that book.

And the third in the series, tentatively titled Her Second Chance Sheriff (this will undoubtedly change, but odds are sheriff will be in the title!), should be out sometime in mid-2012.

I already have the characters in mind for the fourth book, but have not sold that one, or any others. Yet. Hopefully, if everything goes to my plan to have a book out every six months, #4 should be out sometime in early 2013.

Thank you, Lissa, for joining us on Behind the Book. I'm really glad to see you writing and selling again and I'm sure your readers will gladly follow you to the Love Inspired line. If you are interested in Lissa's books you can purchase them directly from Harlequin and at these fine retailers. Also keep an eye out at your local bookstore.

Sweet Romance to Celebrate Valentine's Week

2011-02-12T08:39:00.000-08:00

Cindy Christiansen was referred to me by our great supporter, The Book Breeze. I can't say I know her personally, but after reading her bio, I can see we have plenty in common with each other. First, she must have some geek girl in her, like me, because she was a Computer major (though you'd never tell by her beautiful picture). I've spent a lot of time in the computer industry, so I always appreciate a logical mind. Second, she raises special needs children, which takes a very special and patient mother. When I was at Utah State University (way back in the time machine 70's) I worked with special needs children and their families. It gave me a deep appreciation for parents who continuously work to help their children overcome challenges.

Finally, and most importantly for this blog, Cindy is a romance writer. She believes in good triumphing over evil. She believes in love conquering all. She believes in putting her own challenges behind her to bring happiness to all her readers. Now, that's my kind of woman. Please welcome Cindy A. Christiansen to Behind the Book. For all you sweet romance readers, I think she'll be just your cup of tea.

What was the initial spark that put this story in your head?

When my husband and I bought our first home, we ended up buying a “money pit”. The previous owners had put posters and paintings over the fist-holes in the walls. They put up a shower curtain to make it look like there was a shower. Every drawer in the house had been busted. They used tons of air freshener to cover up the smell of dead mice. The house was so infested with mice that they had eaten all the insulation off the wiring inside the stove. The list goes on. We practically had to gut the house and start over. Mind you, the house wasn’t sold at a low price and we even paid over the appraisal price. So naturally that led to a book about house restoration—Household Repairs.

Building houses or fixing old houses is something many people undertake at some time in their lives. Common wisdom seems to say: If you can live through remodeling together, you can live through anything. Do your characters clash a lot during this remodeling project?

Having gone through the remodel we did and an addition to our house at a later time, I whole-heartedly agree with that statement. ((smiles)) It definitely opened up avenues for some comedic situations. So did the fact that the heroine (Tatum), having escaped her over-protective father, wants to do a little dating in her new home and the hero (Ryan) is not only a little protective himself but also jealous. He works vigorously at sabotaging her dates.

It seems that most authors use something from their own lives, or the lives of people they know as an integral part of the story. Is there anything in this story like that? What?

This is positively true for me as an author. I use little experiences from my life to give my character’s depth, and so I can more fully explain their emotions. I am a wildlife artist like Tatum and have been a computer programmer/analyst with my own business.

Ryan is an intelligent home restoration specialist who happens to have Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), a condition extremely prevalent in our society today. Not only my husband but my two children have this disorder, and although the situation provides for many comedic scenes in the book, I also hoped to convey the frustration and self-esteem issues caused by the disorder as well as dispelling the idea that people with ADD are not intelligent.

Does this story background or characters relate to previous or future books you've written? In what way?

Each of my books and their characters are distinctive. I’ve been told by my readers that they can’t imagine how I can continue to make each character so unique. They’ve complained about authors who seem to only change the characters’ names and the location and write the same book.

I like to give my characters definite character flaws—after all, they’re human too. Whether it’s ADD, pyrophobia, anxiety disorder, fear of confrontations, or whatever, my characters are real people to which the reader can relate. I know I don’t enjoy reading total fantasy where the hero is perfect in looks, a millionaire who doesn’t have to work for a living, and already completely devoted to the heroine. I find it way more intriguing to see what the hero will overcome to be devoted to her.

Is there a particular scene in Household Repairs that you really loved when you finished it?

It’s so hard to pick just one because there are different emotional aspects:

Romance-wise, I loved the scene where Tatum and Ryan are picking out bathroom fixtures together and her imagination gets the better of her.
Comedy-wise, I love the scene in the Governor’s Mansion where the two of them and the professor are tossing an expensive, gold-trimmed saucer back-and-forth because they didn’t want to have to be the one to take action.
Suspense-wise, I love when Tatum’s date turns out to be an imposter and Ryan defends her.
Character-wise, I love when Ryan confronts his father about the way his dad has treated him all his life because of his ADD.

If someone wants to check out your backlist based on loving this story, where would you suggest they start? Or which books would be in a similar vein?

Household Repairs is my first light contemporary sweet romance with suspense elements. My previous books, Legacy of Lies and The Royal Pain are both sweet romantic suspense with stronger more serious story lines but with a little humor sprinkled throughout.

What can we expect to see from you in the future?

Household Repairs seems to be my readers’ favorite book. I believe it’s because it has a broader range of emotions including laughter, excitement, sorrow, joy, love and caring emotions between the characters. With the world the way it is today, I also believe people are looking for something more light-hearted.

I have another light contemporary, Caskets and Corruption, completed which is more along the same lines, but it is not yet published. I’m currently looking for a different publisher.

Lizzie Cantrell finds herself exclusively painting portraits of deceased loved ones and decides she needs a new career out amongst the living. Unfortunately, she ends up with Phillip Van Dyke, an uptight funeral director with issues, and smack in the middle of a drug smuggling operation involving caskets and dead soldiers.

The Cleansing Fire is another completed romantic suspense of mine.

Afraid of jeopardizing his future, a summer wildfire volunteer is reluctant to get involved with the pyrophobic woman assigned to him, especially when things start heating up between them…and someone’s out to kill her.

Right now, I’m working on another light contemporary sweet romance so look for these titles in the future.

Being an author with multiple health issues, I’m not as prolific as other writers. I hope my fans will be patient and look forward to each book as they come out.

Cindy, Thank you so much for joining us! Please be sure to come back again when you sell your next book. I'm definitely buying a copy of Household Repairs right now, and as usual I will give away a free copy to one lucky person who posts to this weeks blog.

Reader's you can pick up a copy of Cindy's book at these fine retailers. Click on the logo to purchase.

Royal Wedding is Perfect Timing for Book

2011-02-03T00:29:00.000-08:00

When I read the title of Melissa McClone's new book, I absolutely had to buy it. With the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton scheduled in April, my immediate thought was TWINS! So, I begged Melissa to please come to Behind the Book and share with the readers how she wrote the book and what she has planned for the future. Though she has a very busy schedule, she agreed to squeeze in this interview.

What was the initial spark that put this story in your head?

Expecting Royal Twins had a long journey from initial spark to what was actually published. I originally pitched a story to my editor via email called Princess Nobody in November 2007. It was a Plain Jane/Cinderella romance with a royal marriage of convenience added in.

I've always loved stories where a character finds out they're not who they thought they were. Think Princess Diaries, one of my daughters' favorite movies. I was given the go-ahead, but then was offered a spot in a trilogy in February 2008. The royalty idea got put on the back burner once again in June 2008 after Harlequin Romance scheduled a royalty trilogy.

When I was at the San Francisco RWA conference in July of 2008, another royalty story popped into my head. There was still a Cinderella element and also a marriage of convenience, but with a little twist. What if they were married, but neither the hero nor heroine knew it? I quickly filled out Blake Snyder's beat sheet. I knew the line didn't want any royalty themed stories so I just played around with it whenever I had a little free time.

In late 2009, I asked if I could do a royalty book after I finished another manuscript. I told my editor I'd written about 60 rough pages and thought I'd found the story which was a combo of what I'd pitched her before and the new idea. In early 2010, my editor asked to see what I had as-is.

Talk about a worst nightmare. I'm a draft writer. Rough really doesn't begin to describe the writing at this stage of the process. But I emailed the pages anyway sure my career was over. She said she appreciated this was a draft and saw the potential for Harlequin Romance. She asked me to polish the pages into a proposal and submit them. Here's what she said about the "polished" proposal:

Melissa, this story has so much potential – it is a pure fantasy with Ellie discovering she is a real life Princess and being whisked off to a castle in a faraway land! I do have some points for revision to make sure that the characters remain sympathetic and contemporary, and the premise remains believable.

The original proposal began in Vernonia, Oregon with a heroine who was a motel maid named Elliana. (Yes, I was taking the Cinderella archetype to heart.) My then-editor Joanne Grant had written three bullet points with various ideas/questions for me to address in the revisions.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized I couldn't fix the proposal. The heroine wasn't working. She wasn't contemporary enough. I needed to start over with a brand new heroine, someone completely different. The spark of the idea was still there, but I had to rethink everything else. The royal twins remained since the book had been pushed up in the schedule to be part of February 2011 Babies and Brides promotion.

It seems that most authors use something from their own lives, or the lives of people they know as an integral part of the story. Is there anything in this story like that? What?

I wish I could say I was a long-lost princess, but Expecting Royal Twins is a fairytale, a pure fantasy as my editor wrote. I did use my love of auto racing to come up with Izzy's dream of working on a pit crew. In my mid-to-late twenties, I worked on a pit crew, went to kart racing school and attended car races all over the country.

More integral to the story was the help I received from other people. I reconnected with a guy I knew from a rival high school via Facebook. Roger Carstens graduated from West Point, spent time in the Balkans and starred in the TV show, "The Wanted." He helped me to better understand the Balkan region and gave me a soldier's perspective, providing me with insights into my prince hero who had fought in his country's civil war. Roger introduced me to a friend of his, John Fenzel, who is not only in the Army but also the author of a novel set in the Balkans. Both of them were very helpful suggesting research materials and answering my questions.

Does this story background relate to previous or future books? In what way?

One of the secondary characters in Expecting Royal Twins, Princess Julianna from Aliestle, was also a secondary character in my Silhouette Romance April 2000 release titled, If the Ring Fits….

I've wanted to write her story for over a decade! I finally got the chance following Expecting Royal Twins. In July 2011, Julianna gets her shot at a happily ever after in my Harlequin Romance titled Not-So-Perfect Princess.

All three stories are stand-alone books so it's not necessary to read one before the others. I hope to write Julianna's crown prince brother's story one of these days.

Is there a particular scene in this book that you really loved when you finished it? If so, which one and why?

The wedding scene! It's actually three scenes since I switch to the hero's POV in the middle. Not only are the hero and heroine getting married, but it's their first kiss, too! I had my reasons for holding off on a kiss until then. I hope that works for the readers.

As to why that scene, I love weddings. I think there's something extra special about royal weddings, too. I remember when I was a teenager lying on the couch at my aunt's house really early one morning so I could watch Diana Spencer marry Prince Charles. I'm sure I'll be doing the same thing when Kate Middleton marries Prince Williams.

If someone wants to check out your backlist based on loving this story, where would you suggest they start? Or which books would be in a similar vein?

Most, if not all, of my books are in a similar vein. The Cinderella archetype is a favorite of mine (even when the heroines have money of their own) and many of my stories could be considered modern day fairy tales. My backlist is available on my website.

Expecting Royal Twins is the only book, with the exception of my very first called Fiance For the Night, with anything resembling a love scene. My books are very traditional romance (aka sweet) reads.

If I had to pick specific titles most similar to this one, I'd say If the Ring Fits…, The Billionaire's Wedding Masquerade, Plain Jane's Prince Charming and Memo: The Billionaires Proposal. Unfortunately the Silhouette Romance titles are out of print, but can be found at used bookstores.

Thank you, Melissa, for taking time to join us at Behind the Book! Readers, hurry to buy Expecting Royal Twins and have it read before the upcoming Royal Wedding. The combination will be dynamite.

More Scandal from Delilah Marvelle as the Trilogy is Completed

2011-02-01T04:46:00.000-08:00

We featured the amazing Delilah Marvelle as one of our first Behind the Book authors when she began her Scandal trilogy on January 1st. We now have her back with her second book, Once Upon a Scandal, already out and her third book, The Perfect Scandal, being released two weeks early. I caught up with her soon after she returned home from an exciting but exhausting book signing road tour with author Lisa Hendrix. Let's see what's going on with her now that her back to back books are almost all available.

This second book in the Scandal series, Once Upon a Scandal, has been termed more romantic than the first one. Can you tell us a little more as to why these characters demanded a “softer” feel than the very difficult relationship between Radcliffe and Lady Justine in Prelude to a Scandal?

I wanted every book in the Scandal series to have a different feel. From raw to emotional to intellectual. Because in the end, I would hate for my readers to get the same read over and over from me. It wouldn't be fun to read and it most certainly wouldn't be fun to write. The reason Book 2, Once Upon a Scandal is more romantic is because it has to do with the hero himself. To him, it isn't about sex but emotion and that creates that softer feel. Of course, the subject matter within the book is anything but soft. So while, yes, it is the more romantic of the two, it still has that edge the first book has. In Book 1, Prelude to a Scandal, the hero is a recovering sex addict, so obviously, there is more tension and more steam because of it. I always let my characters guide the sex and the tension and the relationship. I don't have a quota to fill when it comes to sex, lol. I have an obligation to ensure that my characters remain within character.

I loved your video on you tube sharing your book tour with Lisa Hendrix. What were two of your favorite memories from that tour?

I have to say there were too many to name! The Romance Readers Book Club at Borders in Elk Grove was AMAZING. Mary Morgan, the romance bookseller at Borders created a book club months earlier and when she discovered we were going to be in the area for our book tour, she went above and beyond to ensure that our visit was memorable. And it really was! The group brought food and treats and gifts for us. They were just so amazing. My other favorite memory from the tour would have to be just hanging out with Lisa herself. She's an amazing gal and has the BEST humor. We got along beautifully.

Your third Scandal book, The Perfect Scandal, is being released even earlier than planned. I know readers love having them available so quickly. Can you talk a little about what it’s like to write back-to-back books? Did you do them all in one year or spread out?

Book 3, The Perfect Scandal, actually comes out February 15, the day after Valentine's Day. The book was originally scheduled for March 1^st but I guess HQN is as excited to get these books out there as I am, lol. And yes, you're right, I've been getting tons of emails from readers telling me how much they appreciate the back to backs. Writing back to back books takes a lot of work but the end result is well worth the months of piecing all three books together.

I basically wrote all three books in ten months, not including revisions. I wrote 7 days a week, 8-12 hour a day to ensure the books were the best that they could be. It was a new experience and challenge for me altogether because I've never written back to backs. I learned a lot about myself as an author and as a person, that's for sure. On the last book, The Perfect Scandal, just two weeks before my deadline, I did a cut and paste I shouldn't have and ended up losing the last 75 pages of my book. After freaking out, I sucked it up and started those 75 pages all over again.

My attitude of 'just do it' paid off and I learned that it was the best thing to have happened to me because the story and the writing took a completely different turn. One I absolutely love. So I learned that I write best under pressure and when push comes to shove, I actually can step up to the plate and get things done.

One lucky winner will get a copy of ALL THREE of the books in the Scandal series for commenting on this blog posting or following the blog. I will draw a name on February 15th when the final book is released.

Automobiles, Love, and a Free-Spirit -- How can it possibly go wrong?

2011-01-25T05:16:00.000-08:00

With two degrees, one in law and the other in psychology, Susan Fox is one smart woman. Writing under the names Susan Lyons and Susan Fox, she has published sixteen sexy, contemporary novels that range from hot to sizzling. Her books have won Booksellers Best Awards, the Aspen Gold, the Golden Quill, the More Than Magic, the Lories, the Beacon, and the Laurel Wreath, and she was a nominee for the 2009 RT Reviewers Choice Award.

Though the exploration of sex and love are at the center of Susan's stories, sharing the character's development and move toward empowered choices is also critical. As one reviewer wrote of Susan's previous novel, Love, Unexpectedly , "Susan Fox has the rare gift for making ordinary people extraordinary." Susan's new book, His, Unexpectedly is the third in her Planes, Trains, Automobiles, and Cruise Ship series. Please welcome Susan to Behind the Book as she shares some of her author secrets and why writing and reading her sexy novels are so fun.

What was the initial spark that put this story in your head?

His, Unexpectedly is the third book in my “planes, trains, automobiles and a cruise ship” Wild Ride to Love series for Kensington Brava. The concept of the series originated when two ideas came together. First, I think different modes of transportation have a romantic, sexy allure – and the phrase “planes, trains, automobiles” (the cruise ship was added later) popped into my head and wouldn’t let go. Then, after writing the Awesome Foursome series about four best friends (my “Sex And The City set in Vancouver” series), I had the urge to write about sisters. So I needed to figure out how to put sisters together with modes of transportation – and I thought it would be fun to have three older sisters who all live in different places, suddenly having to come home for their baby sister’s unplanned wedding.

So, that was the series idea, and hurray, Kensington bought it. The first book, Sex Drive (a Cosmo Red-Hot read, by the way), brought buttoned-up older sister Theresa home by planes from Australia – and her romantic journey began when she was seated beside Damien, one of Australia’s 10 sexiest bachelors.

In the second book, Love, Unexpectedly, Kat came home by trains from Montreal, and played a sexy “stranger on a train” game as her best friend Naveen set out to win her heart.

By the time it came to book 3, His, Unexpectedly, I knew it was Jenna’s turn, and she’d be traveling by automobiles from California. I also had a pretty good knowledge of Jenna’s personality, including her vivacious, free-spirited nature and her secret vulnerability, so I needed to figure out exactly the right man to challenge her on her own wild ride to love.

So, when Jenna started the drive from Santa Cruz in her yellow MGB convertible and her car broke down, I presented her with sexy globe-trotting marine biologist Mark Chambers, a guy who’s as serious as she is free-spirited. We all know that opposites attract, and often it’s because they have things to learn from each other, and that’s certainly the case for Jenna and Mark.

She bewitches and bedazzles him – and definitely makes him lighten up! – as they make their way up the Pacific Coast, camping, skinny dipping, and having scorching hot sex. But she bothers him, too. For the first time in his life, he wants commitment – but it’s with a woman who shuns the concept. Can Jenna overcome deep-seated insecurity and believe what her heart tells her – that this wild ride has an unexpected and very special destination: love? Well, it’s a romance, so you’re guaranteed a happy ending. The fun for the reader – and for me, in writing the book – was figuring out all the steps in Jenna and Mark’s journey.

It seems that most authors use something from their own lives, or the lives of people they know as an integral part of the story. Is there anything in this story like that? What?

The drive along the west coast, through California and Oregon, then up the I-5 through Washington, is something I’ve done myself. Once I even made the trip in a butter yellow MGB convertible, exactly like the car Jenna drives. Also, I do share one or two personality traits with Jenna, like wanting to find my own way and not be bound by societal conventions.

Does this story background relate to previous or future books? In what way?
As I mentioned earlier, this is the third book in the Wild Ride to Love series. Each book stands alone, but if you read the series in order, you get to know more about the other sisters – and get perspective on their characters from each other’s points of view. In Sex Drive and Love, Unexpectedly, readers saw that older sisters Theresa and Kat – and in fact the whole family – viewed Jenna as free-spirited, eccentric, and a bit of a flake. A modern-day hippie, in other words. In His, Unexpectedly, the reader finds out exactly who Jenna is as they see her deal with a secret vulnerability she’s never confessed to her family and grow into a more responsible, but still vivacious, fun, generous person as she and Mark deal with the highs and lows of their journey to love.

In His, Unexpectedly, readers also find out how Theresa’s and Kat’s romances are progressing.

For the future, there will be one more book in the series, baby sister Merilee’s romantic journey. It’s tentatively scheduled for December 2011.

Is there a particular scene in this book that you really loved when you finished it? Which one and why?
Two really stand out for me. The first is Jenna and Mark’s first meeting, where there’s an instant mutual attraction, but it’s obvious how very different they are. I had so much fun writing that scene. It rang true for me immediately, and I fell in love with Jenna and Mark. Readers can find that scene on my website. The other I love is the ending, where Jenna and Mark both prove how far they’ve come in their personal growth, and how much they truly care for each other. It’s not the conventional romance novel ending, but they’re not conventional people. The scene really touched my heart, and I hope it does the same for my readers.

If someone wants to check out your backlist based on loving this story, where would you suggest they start? Or which books would be in a similar vein?
There’s a printable booklist on my website. A good starting point is the other books in the Wild Ride to Love series. But, really, all my books and novellas have a similar style. They’re sexy contemporary romances, each with a pretty serious issue or two but handled with a light touch. I’m going to take the liberty of quoting from the Publishers Weekly starred review for His, Unexpectedly, because I think this comment is a good description of my writing style: “Well-crafted story lines and richly observed characters bolster a strong erotic element in this delightful, memorable romance.”

If readers like the sisters in the Wild Ride to Love books, they’d probably enjoy the four girlfriends in the Awesome Foursome series: Champagne Rules, Hot in Here, Touch Me, and She’s on Top. My destination wedding books (Sex on the Beach and Sex on the Slopes) are a lot of fun, too, each containing three interrelated romances that take place during the same time period (one set in Belize; one set in Whistler). I have blurbs, excerpts, behind-the-scenes notes, review quotes, discussion guides, and recipes on my website, so readers can get a pretty good “taste” of each book.

Susan is offering a signed copy of her new book, His, Unexpectedly to a lucky commenter or follower. So, ask your questions and please make comment about your experiences with Susan's books.You can order His, Unexpectedly in Print or eBook form at your local bookstore or online at these places.

Paty Jager Returns with a new Paranormal Western Trilogy

2011-01-22T20:18:00.000-08:00

The prolific Paty Jager has more than one book out this month, so I had to come back and ask her about her new Paranormal series which has me dying to dive in and get reading. It has all the elements to intrigue me-- history, Native American lore, spirits, and of course romance.

Your Spirit of the Mountain book is a paranormal, which to some people would seem a departure from your historical and contemporary Westerns. Can you tell us if there is a connection or is this a genre you will be continuing to write in?

Spirit of the Mountain is classified as a paranormal because the hero is a Native American spirit. To me it is a historical western because spirits were/are a large part of the Native American culture. I researched the Nez Perce, how they lived, their legends, their beliefs, and incorporated the spirit element which is purely my imagination into the facts. This is the first book of a trilogy.

What was the spark that interested you in pursuing this direction for your novels?

The spark or sparks to write these books came from two things: I attended a writer's conference and the editors were looking for historical paranormal. Since my brain thinks western, I figured I could write Native American spirits. The second—I've always been interested in the Nez Perce. I grew up in Chief Joseph's beloved valley in NE Oregon and have always felt a connection and empathy for the way they were treated. This trilogy is my way of bringing their plight to people through an entertaining medium--romance.

Your website indicates there is another Spirit book coming in May. How are these two books connected and will there be more?

Yes, this trilogy is about three siblings who were made Nez Perce spirits by the Creator when their greedy father's actions killed a large number of the warriors in their Northern band and their families turned on the youngsters. The Creator took them from their area where there were blonde, blue-eyed Nez Perce(a fact I learned when researching) and placed them as the stewards for the country and band of the Wallowa Lake Nez Perce.

The first book, Spirit of the Mountain, is about the oldest brother who travels about the mountain as a white wolf and falls in love with the chief's daughter as she is being given to a warrior of their enemy the Blackleg.

The second book, Spirit of the Lake, is about the younger brother who is a bull elk and lives in Wallowa Lake. His character came from a Nez Perce legend about an antlered animal who lives in the lake. He works to help a young maiden raped by an evil white man who pretends to be a friend of the Nez Perce. Together they prove the man is a traitor and fall in love.

The final book, which I'm writing right now, is Spirit of the Sky. This book is about the younger sister who watches over the Nez Perce from the air as a bald eagle. Her story takes place as the Nez Perce are being chased from their beloved land because they refused to go to a reservation that they didn't agree to live on. She has a hard time saving her people from the soldiers and finds one who intrigues her with his actions and words.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The entire trilogy sounds great to me, and I must say I LOVE these two covers. The covers alone make me want to run out and buy them. Thanks for joining us again, Paty. I wish you great success with these books. To all my readers, pick up Spirit of the Mountain today in ebook or print.

Overcoming Abuse to Find a Happily Ever After

2011-01-14T13:00:00.000-08:00

Paty Jager is someone who knows real cowboys, runs a real ranch with 350 acres, and now has eight western-themed books published. Her reputation in writing circles is someone who creates multi-dimensional characters (in other words you believe they are real). She has also been a frequent speaker at writer's conferences on how to write male characters. How does she know? She grew up with two brothers and five surrogate brothers (Her mom's best friend was divorced with five boys and they did everything together). Paty has raised two girls and two boys.

You are in for a special treat with Bridled Heart. A story that tackles the childhood abuse suffered by the heroine and the tough decisions a couple makes to keep the relationship alive.

What was the initial spark that put this story in your head?

I wanted to write another contemporary western so I picked a rodeo rider as the hero. While traveling on a plane from Alaska after my daughter had a baby, I sat next to a woman who was a traveling ER nurse. Her occupation and way of life was fascinating, and I thought what a great way for a woman who wanted to remain unattached to live. Then I started wondering why she wanted to remain unattached and came up with a woman who took charge of her life after being a child of incest.

It seems that most authors use something from their own lives, or the lives of people they know as an integral part of the story. Is there anything in this story like that?

Growing up I had a friend that, while she didn't come out and say what was going on, as I've matured and experienced more of life I've come to realize she was probably like my heroine as a child in my book.

Does this story background relate to previous or future books?

No, this is a stand alone book.

Is there a particular scene in this book that you really loved when you finished it?

The scene where Gina tells Holt about her past-- all of it-- to the last little detail she kept holding back. She was purged and he then has to take it all in and decide the best way to deal with the knowledge and his feelings. I think it shows how you can work and work for a relationship then when it's finally given to you, you have to decide if you're ready for all the good and the bad it can bring into you life.

How long have you been married, Paty? I imagine you know a lot about working a relationship.

Yes, I've been married 32 years. The first 20 years my husband drove truck and I had to keep things going when he was gone for several days at a time. When we adopted a child with emotional problems, I put my foot down and said he had to be around more. He then only did day trips, so he was home at night to help take up some of the emotional slack of dealing with our newest family member. When the kids flew from the nest, we worked together every night (he was now working at a fertilizer plant), weekends and holidays to build a house. It took us two years and many people said that's how you end up divorced! But we now live in the house and are happy. The main thing about working together like we do is knowing when to keep your mouth shut and knowing when a break is needed.

I understand you actually ranch a large amount of acreage. That must be why your cowboy books and westerns are so realistic. How do you manage to both write AND ranch?

There is actually a good amount of down time with the type of ranching we do. We have 30 head of mother cows. In the summer we just have to move them from one pasture to the next when they get one eaten down. That's about once a month. In the fall we calve, which requires me to walk through the herd a couple times a day and check for new calves. Then in the winter we feed hay once a day. We load a week's worth of hay on a wagon and pull it with a tractor. We alternate between me driving and my husband feeding or he drives and I feed. It depends on which tractor we need to use due to weather conditions.

The last three summers, I spent half my time at our property in Eastern Oregon doing the irrigating. I lived in a 10x16 cabin without running water the first two years. I had to get water from the pump and filled a tub outside to bathe in the first year. The second year my husband set up a shower head on the side of the cabin, and I could get water there and take a shower, but still outside. This past spring we added on another small room, and I now have a sink and a shower inside the cabin. I'm still using an outhouse, but I love the inside shower. While I’m at the remote ranch there's no TV, phone, and only occasional internet so I get a lot of writing done because all I have to do is change the pipes twice a day, which takes me about an hour and a half morning and night. The cabin is so small there's hardly any cleaning to do and I’m the only person there so meals are a snap.

In your release, Bridled Heart, music plays an important role in the story. Do you play an instrument? Or is there a particular instrument that is your favorite? What’s your favorite kind of music?

I played a clarinet from fourth grade through to my freshmen year of college. In high school I played the baritone sax in the jazz band, and I always wanted to learn to play piano but never got around to learning.

I love music. I laugh all the time at the fact I like to have it playing when I write, when I drive, when I’m doing just about anything. My husband gets in a car and he turns the radio off. When he comes home from work, he turns the CD or radio off that I have playing. I even walk with a mp3 player. I like just about all music except rap and heavy metal. They just blast to me. Most of my books have been written while I listened to specific music. When I use specific music for specific books I can move into the story and start writing much faster when I sit down to work. I'm like Pavlov's dogs! LOL

What music were you listening to for Bridled Heart?

I listened to ex-rodeo cowboy and country western singer Chris LeDoux and classical piano.

If someone wants to check out your back list based on loving this story, where would you suggest they start? Or which books would be in a similar vein?

Perfectly Good Nanny my other contemporary western that won an award would be the next book in my list that is similar to this one by genre and emotion driven. The next one that would be close to these in that it is emotion driven is Gambling on an Angel; it's a historical. Then the Halsey brothers series, Marshal in Petticoats, Outlaw in Petticoats, Miner in Petticoats, and Doctor in Petticoats are historical westerns the first two are driven more with action and the next two are more emotion driven with mystery mixed in. The paranormal historical, Spirit of the Mountain, is action and emotion.

Buy Bridled Heart at The Wild Rose Press or order from you favorite bookseller. If you love cowboys...if you love the passion of being out on the ranch and in the west, then you'll love Paty Jager's books. Believe me, you will be rooting for this couple and wanting them to both get a well-deserved happily ever after.

Suspense with an Inspirational Twist

2011-01-13T00:36:00.000-08:00

Please welcome Terri Reed to Behind the Book. I've been personally reading Terri's excellent Inspirational Romantic Suspense novels for several years. The author of more than 20 inspirational novels, Terri writes in both the Love Inspired line and the Love Inspired Suspense line. What I love about Terri's writing is that she always has characters I understand and I really keep turning the pages to make sure they are safe and fall in love with the right person. In Daughter of Texas, Corinna is courageous in the face of death and grief, even though there are now assassination attempts on her own life. She is also independent, stubborn, and totally lovable. If your own faith has ever questioned why bad things happen to good people, or if God really cares enough to intervene, you will identify with the struggle Corinna faces in this book. If you just like suspense, particularly suspense featuring a handsome, caring, always-d0-the-noble-thing type of guy, you will also love this book. Personally, Ben Fritz definitely fits my profile for high quality husband material. :)

So, let's learn some secrets about Terri Reed and how she writes such wonderful books.

I understand that Daughter of Texas is part of a continuity series for the Love Inspired Suspense line. Can you describe how your book fits with the series?
My book is the first one in the series so it sets up the overarching suspense thread that runs through all six books and will be tied up in book six. The overarching thread for the series is that Texas Ranger Captain Gregory Pike is murdered. With each book, the Rangers gather clues and draw closer to finding out why their captain was murdered and ultimately capture the villain.

Even though the book has to fit with the series, you still have control over the plot, right?
More or less. Each author is given a collection of details that need to be put in to the story. I look at it as putting a jigsaw puzzle together.

What was the initial spark that put this story in your head?
I wanted to start with action and since the murder needed to take place at the beginning it seemed natural to start with the murder and then build from there.

And what made that spark blossom?
The characters brought the story to life. I do a great deal of pre-writing or character building if you will, before sitting down to put words on the page. So I know the characters pretty well which makes their reactions to every situation, word, action and emotion come from the character I’ve developed. Though sometimes the characters surprise me. I didn’t understand at first why Corrina reacted the way she did to finding her father dead, until I was almost all the way done with the book. Every time I tried to make her react differently, it didn’t ring true so I finally just went with it and it turned out well.

It seems that most authors use something from their own lives, or the lives of people they know as an integral part of the story. Is there anything in this story like that? If so, what?
For this story, the woman who developed the whole series named the characters and gave the physical descriptions for Corrina and Ben after a couple that she is friends with. I sent them a signed copy of the book. As for what I put of myself in the story...there’s always a little bit of me in my characters, even if the characters are nothing like me in real life. I get to live vicariously through them.

I know that faith is an important part of your own life. Can you tell us how that faith plays out in what books you choose to write or stories you choose to tell?
They say every author has a theme to their books that is woven in unconsciously. When I look over the landscape of the last twenty books, I see reoccurring themes played out in various different ways: redemption, forgiveness, trust, hope, giving up the illusion of control. All of which are tied deeply to my own faith journey.

Is there a particular scene in Daughter of Texas that you really loved when you finished it? Which one and why?
The scene that I most remember writing is when Corrina thinks she’s alone in the dance studio and she is dancing, trying desperately to out run her grief. I felt that scene so acutely.

What do you have on the horizon for your next book(s)? Can you give us a story preview?
I’m working on a new series of my own for Love Inspired Suspense titled The Protection Specialists, about a group of bodyguards (both male and female), all of whom are ex-military or ex-law enforcement. This idea spun out of my November 2009 release Chasing Shadows.

The first book in this series comes out in July 2011, titled The Innocent Witness—about an ex-Secret Service agent turned bodyguard hired to protect the widow of a murdered US Senator and her autistic son—the only witness to his father’s murder.

The second book in the series will be a January 2012 release titled The Secret Heiress-about an ex-Marine turned bodyguard hired to protect a woman who discovers she’s an heiress but someone doesn’t want her to live long enough to claim her inheritance from the grandfather she didn’t know she had.

The third and fourth books are under contract but as of yet don’t have titles or publication dates. Though I do have plots and characters just waiting their turn.

My book will be the last in the series and will be out in June 2012.

Wow! That's exciting that you have three books coming out soon. I can't wait to start ordering more. If someone wants to check out your backlist based on loving this story, where would you suggest they start?
On eharlequin you can buy the last three most recent releases. To see the whole back list and buy from Amazon go to Fiction DB.

Thanks, Terri, for spending time with us at Behind the Book. Now I suggest if you haven't already run to get a copy of Daughter of Texas, you better do so now. Below are links to several places to buy. To contact Terri Reed via email terrireed@sterling.net
Blogs:
http://ladiesofsuspense.blogspot.com/
http://www.loveinspiredauthors.com
http://craftieladiesofromance.blogspot.com/

Secrets from Delilah Marvelle

2010-12-27T16:50:00.000-08:00

The always delightful Delilah Marvelle has now joined us to reveal some of her secrets about her new Scandal series of books from HQN.

What was the initial spark that put this story in your head? Please describe the event or series of events.

It all started with a red little etiquette book from 1881 that I had in my library. I started wondering who might have owned that book and why. Kind of like who are the people who buy self-help books and how do they apply it to their lives. That small nugget of an idea then started growing into a series. I wanted to join a series, not by characters but by an object. The rest of the characters and the stories took time to develop, but that basically started it all.

It seems that most authors use something from their own lives, or the lives of people they know as an integral part of the story. Is there anything in this story like that? What?

Hemingway once said, “A man’s got to take a lot of punishment to write a really funny book.” Truer words have never been spoken, though I would have been the first to point out to Hemingway that the same applies to women, not just men. I had a really rough upbringing that warped my outlook on life and enables me to twist ideas and situations in my head and, in turn, apply it to my writing and my humor. I'm pretty twisted. Ask anyone who knows me.

In Prelude to a Scandal, there is one particular scene in the book that is VERY personal to me. It's the scene in which the heroine is being attacked by the hero's brother, Carlton. I sobbed writing that scene knowing what it meant to me. My husband was brutally attacked and almost murdered before me by two random men. We were at the wrong place at the wrong time. Witnessing the brutality of that night swept its way into the pages of my book. I wrote that scene hoping to let go of the anger and the violence of that horrible moment. Few will ever know what that scene means to me. Some reviewers have called that scene melodramatic but little do they know that it's based on MY reality. Sadly, melodrama to one is grim reality to another. It's something readers and reviewers alike don't realize when they're reading a book. We, as authors, get very personal without them even realizing it.

I’m so excited you have a trilogy and that I can read the books back-to-back. Can you tell me, does this story background relate to the next two books? In what way?

As I had mentioned earlier, all three books are actually linked by an object. Although throughout all three books there is one hidden character that emerges come book 3. A character that has been there all along but few will notice.

Is there a particular scene in Prelude to a Scandal that you really loved when you finished it? Which one and why?

My favorite scene in the entire book would have to be the ending. I don't want to spoil it, but it's something that I want for myself and my husband. To be swept away in a moment and in Africa surrounded by nothing but ourselves.

I’ve loved your “A Bit of Muslin” blog that shares a lot of your research around sex in history. What are a couple of your favorite research books and where in the world did you find them?

My favorite books are actually memoir-related. Like Casanova's memoirs as well as the raunchy MY SECRET LIFE. In reading these books I learned quite a bit about the “uncensored” realities that many readers would be SHOCKED to behold. If they think my writing is scandalous, I dare them to pick up historical accounts of REAL scandal...

It seems you are making a name for yourself in the sexy historical genre. For me, what sets you apart from other historicals that are labeled “sexy” is that you deal with sex as the central part of your novel. It’s a lot more than describing love scenes in detail, it’s really about the role of sex in the lives of these characters, and sometimes its very complicated. Why have you chosen to explore the sex part of history? I mean this seems like a “calling” for you.

I don’t write racy books because I have an orgasm quota my editor and readers expect from me, lol. I write these books because it fascinates me to explore the nuances of grittier, more intimate moments between people in a relationship. People take on a different persona once the clothes come off and THAT is what intrigues me. It allows me to dig a little deeper into my own understanding of my characters and in turn allow my readers to have a deeper understanding of them, as well. It’s not about the sex. It’s about what happens to them emotionally during those moments and how it carries itself through the rest of the story.

What sets me apart, I feel, is that I'm writing about taboo topics usually only found in erotica but bringing it into mainstream historical romance. Taboo topics like syphilis, male prostitution, and other issues set within a time when sex and sexuality wasn't understood. Many people have a tendency to say this creates stories that aren't historically accurate and to that I say, history and its books from that period were CENSORED. Which means there was quite a bit left unsaid. I am simply filling in the blank words that all those bastards left out, lol. I take history as it was and what I know of it, flesh it out and add “what ifs.” That doesn't make it historically inaccurate. It simply makes it a story. Modern readers have a horrible tendency to base their own assumptions on history (books they've read, movies they've seen) and apply it to what I write. And sadly, not all books they've read or movies they've seen can be considered “historically accurate.”

I hope you’ll come back when the next scandal book is ready to launch. Is there any preview you can give us on that book that will get people to pre-order now? I know I’ve already pre-ordered the rest of the series. I don’t want them to run out before I get mine.

Book 2, Once upon a Scandal is a grittier take on Cinderella. Only I twist the story on its head by making the hero Cinderella. It's the most romantic out of all three books because the hero is a hopeless romantic that won't quit until he's found his happily ever after.

Thanks for joining us, Delilah! Dear Readers, RUN to get your copy of Prelude to a Scandal. Even though it says it's available January 1st, it's already in many bookstores and definitely available for order online! It is not to be missed. While you are ordering, you might as well pre-order the rest of the series to make sure you get them each month. I don't know about you, but I'll be counting the days until the next book is available. They are THAT good.

A Little Christmas Kink?

2010-12-23T08:28:00.000-08:00

Our second holiday author is the prolific Anh Leod. She provides us with a special holiday romantica from Ellora's Cave. When you combine a go-go boots fetish with Christmas fun the imagination runs wild. She will be joining us just in time for you to order your holiday read. You can download it immediately from Ellora's Cave and start reading right away. Then, if you're in the mood for more sexy imagination, check out her back list too. All immediately available for download.

We moved Anh up because her story is Christmas-specific. So let's learn some sexy secrets about this wonderful author.

What was the initial spark that put this story in your head? Please describe the event or series of events.

I had just come back from London. It was 1985 and I had bought the most gorgeous pair of white boots. I wore them shopping to Nordstroms and a shoe salesman knelt before me reverently to fondle them. I was a teenager and it was quite a shock, but the experience has been brewing ever since.

It seems that most authors use something from their own lives, or the lives of people they know as an integral part of the story. Is there anything in this story like that? What?

The idea of a shoe salesman salivating over new boots happened to me – just not in a sexy way. LOL

Does this story background relate to previous or future books? In what way?

This story is part of the multi-author Merry Kinkmas series at Ellora’s Cave. The idea was to explore kinky topics that usually aren’t published at EC and see if readers want that kind of story. Readers have been asking for them.

Is there a particular scene in this book that you really loved when you finished it? Which one and why?

I liked the first scene because I was improving on my personal history!

If someone wants to check out your backlist based on loving this story, where would you suggest they start? Or which books would be in a similar vein?

If readers want sexy, all they need to do is check out my Ellora’s Cave backlist. Claudia’s Pleasure is another contemporary story, for instance. As Heather Hiestand, I have another (non-sexual) Christmas story out in the Holiday in the Heart anthology.

I understand you have a special holiday present to offer one commenter.

I do, we will select one commenter or follower on Christmas day to get an ebook copy of Christmas A Go-Go. I'll be responding to posts the 24th through New Years. We'll announce the winner the day after Christmas.

Update: Anh Leod is blogging tomorrow through New Year's Day

2010-12-22T19:42:00.000-08:00

Delilah Marvelle is in such demand I couldn't get her here before Christmas. So, she will be blogging between Christmas and New Year's. Be sure to check back then.

Tomorrow we will have Anh Leod with a special Christmas treat. You won't want to miss your chance to win a copy of her new novellette, Christmas A Go-Go.

Secrets Revealed on Sensuous Historicals

2010-12-21T22:09:00.000-08:00

Thanks for joining me at my new blog where authors reveal secrets behind their books. Our first holiday author is joining us tomorrow. Please welcome the wonderful historical romance writer, Delilah Marvelle. Many readers may remember Marvelle's two delightfully naughty, fun books: Mistress of Pleasure and Lord of Pleasure. She has now returned with a new series of scandals with publisher HQN.

In these sensuous historical novels, we see the love story against a more serious turn in history. Also books that deal with serious issues. Justine and Radcliffe feel like real people with real problems. Even though this story takes place in the regency period, many of the issues are one's some people face today. I promise you will fall in love with Justine and Radcliffe and be rooting for them to the very end.

The best part about this series is that ALL THREE books will be released back-to-back. One each month. My suggestion is to order all three now. You'll get to read the first one during the holidays, and then once a month for the other two. Check back tomorrow to see what secrets we can get Delilah Marvelle to reveal.