Tess St. John

2012-02-22T00:01:00.000-08:00

Many writers listen to music while writing.

I only listen to certain songs for certain scenes.

While writing DON'T LET IT SHOW I couldn't go a day without listening to Van Morrison's HAVE I TOLD YOU LATELY THAT I LOVE YOU? If you've read the book, you know why! And it's still one of my favorites of all times.

If you've read my book EYES OF JADE you might remember the scene where Eve is dancing in the club with Roy and Jake is watching on surveillance cameras. That was one of my favorite scenes to write and I must have listened to Gavin DeGraw's I DON'T WANT TO BE hundreds of times while writing that scene! I also listened to YOUR SONG by Elton John when I wrote the first draft of that book and had some of the lyrics in my manuscript...before I learned about copyright issues....

Also, I listened to Train's WHEN I LOOK TO THE SKY over and over again when Drake and Emma danced in SECOND CHANCES. I know it's not historical music, but at the beginning it kind of sounds like what I imagine the orchestras would sound like when they were getting ready to begin playing at the balls.

Tell me, you writers out there...Do you listen to music while writing??? And you none writers...are you a big music fan???

WHO SAID THAT?

2012-01-30T00:01:00.000-08:00

Join me today at:

http://englishhistoryauthors.blogspot.com/

For my blog on famous sayings by William Shakespeare. I hope you're as surprised as I was by Shakespeare's many phrases we still use today!

Ciara Gold's Newest Release!

2012-01-11T19:55:00.000-08:00

On Timeless Wings of Gold

Blurb:

They say an eclipse yields a powerful force, an energy that can be harnessed by those with magic in their souls. On such a day when the sun disappears behind the shadow of the Earth, a mighty wizard evokes the elements of nature. With ancient, Celtic incantations, he sends an angel upon the wings of time to tempt a fallen king.

Angel Cashion is struggling to make ends meet and saving for when she can own her own repair shop in hopes of fighting her ex for custody of their daughter, but she is whisked away from home by a quirk of fate. Torin O’Faelain has spent the past two years enslaved by Vikings. A man of strong principles, Torin is committed to finding his way back to his native land and nothing will stand in his way, not even an angel from the future, but love and fate intervene.

Excerpt:

“Ye’re a bold one and have much to learn. Come.” He placed his large hand at the small of her back and gave a gentle shove. If he had to suffer her presence, at least she could perform duties befitting a woman. “’Tis time you earned your keep. A fine meal would no’ be amiss.”

“You want me to cook?”

“Aye.”

She snorted. “Unless you have a ready supply of frozen dinners and a microwave, don’t get your hopes up.”

He had no idea what microwave meant but didn’t feel inclined to ask. Her tone implied an aversion to domestic chores, something he’d have to cure her of right soon.

They reached the hut, and he hesitated. “Did ye leave behind a husband? Wee bairns to care for?”

Instant pain filled her eyes. She turned her back and lifted the flap. “Nope. Not even a goldfish. At present the only love in my life is T-Bone.”

An odd stab of jealousy hit him at the mention of a love interest. He shook it off as nothing more than weariness. When she would enter, he stayed her hand. “Nay. I would set rules afore ye abide in my home.”

She dropped the rawhide and held up her hands. “Fine. Whatever floats your boat. I’ll play your way until it no longer suits me.”

The girl’s nonchalance and dismissive words stirred his anger. Suddenly having his own slave gave him a sense of power he hadn’t expected. Under Erik’s rule and now Rurik’s, he’d forgotten how it felt to be in charge, to make decisions and have no one gainsay him. “Slaves canno’ choose when to quit being a slave.”

“Did someone forget to oil your squeaky parts?” She tugged at her ear as if her hearing had deceived her. “You keep spouting the same nonsense.”

Nonsense? Did the girl not understand that certain things could mean life or death in this harsh land?

He grabbed her chin, forcing her attention. “Ye’ll obey my every command or find your stay most unpleasant. I ken that certain tasks might prove difficult, but I’ll no’ tolerate laziness or lack of respect.”

Angel’s eyes widened, and she nodded. “Yep, you definitely need the squeaky parts oiled,” she muttered beneath her breath.

Not fully understanding, he ignored her odd comment. She twisted from his grasp and followed him inside, her manner more subdued. If she only knew how her presence frightened him. Already, he felt protective of her, even attracted to her. The witch had cast a spell, one not to his liking.

“Only a weak man uses his physical strength against a woman.” She stroked her jaw with nimble fingers. “Are you weak?”

By the saints, she dared much. “Do you accuse me of being less of a man?”

“Touchy.” She glanced off to the side. “I’m not handling this—you very well. You’re overreacting to everything I say. Usually, overreaction is a symptom of fear.”

That she touched upon the truth made his insides curl.

A curtain of black hair swept across her back as she tilted her head and laughed. When she quieted, she pierced him to the core with her dark, brooding eyes. “I’m just as frightened as you. I suppose that gives us common ground on which to proceed.”

Buy Links

Available at Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Timeless-Wings-Gold-ebook/dp/B0064XDDSI/ref=sr_1_11?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1321499127&sr=1-11

Are http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-ontimelesswingsofgold-630440-140.html

Champagne http://champagnebooks.com/shop/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=521

Ciara Gold

www.ciaragold.com

2012-01-04T00:01:00.000-08:00

Welcome Jenna. Thanks so much for being a guest on my blog. Jenna and I met through kindleboards…just a suggestion, if you aren’t on kindleboards and you’re an Indie…you might want to think about it.

Tess: I know this question is asked a lot, but what inspired you to sit down and write your first story? Or were you one of those kids that began dreaming and writing your own stories from a very young age?

Jenna: Well, I had both happen, if you can believe that. Some of my first memories from childhood involve me dressed up as one of my favorite characters, out in the backyard imagining away . . . I would write my stories in picture form (I’ve always been someone who likes to sketch and draw ideas out) and spent a lot of time day dreaming stories up in my head. It wasn’t until the tail end of college that I finally got the great epiphany to write these ideas down. I distinctly remember thinking to myself, ‘Gee, if I don’t write this down, no one will ever read about it . . .’ Ahhh, the glory of discovering I was meant to tell stories ;). Before this grand life-changing event, I had a few sketchbooks full of characters, creatures and maps I’d dreamed up. Guess I never moved away from the ways of my childhood.

Tess: I think that’s wonderful! And I think people should know you designed your own book covers...how cool!

Your favorite book (and yes, you can pick only one).

Jenna: This is always the hardest question to answer. If only I did have a single favorite book. Since I like many books for different reasons, I’ll go with the Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary. I’m always going back to this one ;)

Tess: I’ve had someone else say that they read the dictionary as a child. That intrigues me, because having to use the dictionary felt like a punishment to me when I was a child.

What’s your youngest childhood memory?

Jenna: The furthest back I can remember is the time I was helping my dad put tiles in our newly remodeled bathroom when my sister was born. I was almost three and we had Christmas carols playing.

Tess: How lovely.

What’s your worst teenage memory?

Jenna: During my freshman year in high school I made the junior varsity volleyball team. We were having a terrible season and I had come from a small school and never played club, so I didn’t know all of the advanced rules. One day our coach decided to gather us all together and vote on whose fault it was we were losing all the time. Everybody on the team except for one person decided it was my fault. Let’s just say it’s an experience I’ve never forgotten.

Tess: OMG, I have a horrible volleyball story too! I’m so sorry for you.

What is your favorite movie?

Jenna: I’m not a huge movie fan, but one that I’m always happy to watch is The Princess Bride.

Tess: My family loves THE PRINCESS BRIDE.

Now that we know you a bit better...boxers or briefs?

Jenna: Both! I like to wear boxers as PJ bottoms sometimes ;)

Tess: Who is your favorite all time hero from a book or movie?

Jenna: I’m going to have to go with Robin Hood. It was my favorite movie as a kid, and even now I have a longbow and my friends and I will go out and shoot at targets painted on hay bales every now and again. It’s great fun!

Tess: That sounds like fun!

Thanks so much for letting us learn more about you!

Please tell us about your writing, books, and what is on the horizon for you? And anything else you think inquiring minds want to know!

Jenna: Oh boy, this question becomes more involved the more books you write . . .

I write primarily in the fantasy genre, but I’m hoping to jump around in the different sub-genres of this theme (adult, middle-grade, young adult, urban, epic and I’ve recently been introduced to steam punk . . . maybe I’ll come up with a steam punk fantasy one of these days).

Currently I have three books published, all of them in the Legend of Oescienne series, an epic fantasy aimed primarily towards middle-grade to young adult readers. The first book is The Finding, the second The Beginning and the third book The Awakening. I plan on writing two more books in this series and I have the fourth book started.

I’m also working on a young adult urban/paranormal fantasy that has a huge Celtic influence. Right now all I can tell you is that it will be called the Otherworld series and I have three books planned total for that one. There is a lot of Celtic symbolism in my books (I studied it in college), but in Otherworld series it will be even more apparent than in the Oescienne series.

Besides the Oescienne series and the Otherworld series, I have another stand alone young adult fantasy that is mostly finished, another adult fantasy novel I’m working on, and two high fantasy trilogies as well. I call these my back burner projects and in truth, there are a lot more book ideas back there; I just don’t have the time to work on all of them at once.

Since the Oescienne books are published and available, I’ll give you a quick blurb for each of them:

Book One - The Finding:

Jahrra knows all about the legends and sagas of Oescienne, but never in her wildest dreams would she believe that she played a part in one of them. But the secrets run deep, and as Jahrra fights to earn her place in this extraordinary world, she will begin to unravel the truth of it all: that she isn’t as safe as she thought she was, that danger lurks around every corner, and that her role in this unfurling tale is far more significant than she could possibly imagine.

Book Two - The Beginning:

Jahrra’s life has been filled with adventure, danger, friendship and even loss. Despite what she has learned in school and what she has learned from life, she has no idea that she is in fact human, a child of the race that has been absent from the world of Ethöes for five long centuries . . . As Jahrra continues to grow and learn about the world around her, facing personal dangers, challenges and enemies of her own, she will become aware of the prophecy that she is meant to fulfill and what she must sacrifice in order to survive what lies ahead.

Book Three - The Awakening:

Growing up is never easy, but for Jahrra, seventeen years has brought its own unique share of hardships. Unfortunately, her trials and tribulations are only just beginning . . . With her enemies at her heels and the terrifying truth looming before her, Jahrra will seek shelter with the dragon Raejaaxorix in the faraway city of Lidien, a place of hope and enlightenment. But when the City of Light proves to entertain its own dangers, Jahrra and Jaax find their safety threatened once again. But this time the threat may be coming from those they trust the most . . .

Here is the link to my author page on amazon.com (you can get to all the books through that page): http://www.amazon.com/Jenna-Elizabeth-Johnson/e/B002S17DW2/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1325044326&sr=8-1

The Legend of Oescienne website: http://www.oescienne.com

My personal blog/website: http://www.jennaelizabethjohnson.com

My Twitter profile: https://twitter.com/#!/JEJOescienne

My fan page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Jenna-Elizabeth-Johnson/202816013120106

The Legend of Oescienne page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/The-Legend-of-Oescienne/141197081733

My Smashwords profile: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/jejoescienne

My ebooks on barnesandnoble.com: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s?keyword=oescienne&store=allproducts&page=%2Findex.asp&prod=univ&pos=&box=

*I would also like to mention that the ebook version of The Finding (the first book in the Oescienne series) is currently FREE from both bn.com and smashwords.com

And before I go, I want to thank Tess for this wonderful opportunity. It can be challenging at times for independent authors to get their books seen and their voices heard, so it is much appreciated that I’ve been given this chance. All the best and happy reading and writing to both Tess and all of you indie authors and readers out there.

-J.E. Johnson

http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/jejoescienne

Eyes of Jade is up today!

2012-01-02T08:12:00.000-08:00

www.bargainbooksforyournook.com

DON'T LET IT SHOW is up on Bargain Books for you Nook today!

2011-12-21T07:46:00.000-08:00

http://bargainbooksforyournook.com/2011/12/21/dont-let-it-show-by-tess-st-john/

AGAIN THE MAGIC!

2011-12-18T22:19:00.001-08:00

I’ve decided to do a few book reviews. I hope you enjoy my interpretation of the writer’s work.

The first book is AGAIN THE MAGIC by Lisa Kleypas.

This is definitely one of my favorite books and will be on my keeper shelf forever.

The story begins when the Aline and McKenna are teenagers. He works at her family’s estate and they were practically raised together by the housekeeper. Aline’s parents were not very watchful, only concerned about Aline’s reputation and that she marry well.

But Aline doesn’t care. She knows there is more than friendship between her and McKenna and she plans to explore that.

McKenna understands his place in the world, and it is not with a woman that so outranks him on the social ladder. But when Aline tricks McKenna into kissing her, she is confident their love will survive any social difference. McKenna knows better, but has no weapon against how he feels about her. They enjoy their time together, and while Aline wishes for a future, McKenna knows their days are numbered.

When Aline’s father learns about her relationship with McKenna, he threatens to kill McKenna if he’s not gone by the next day. Aline has to find a way to convince him to leave her forever.

AND THIS ALL HAPPENS IN THE FIRST FOUR CHAPTERS! The rest of the book, which takes place 12 years later, is just as exciting.

The story is a delicate blend of love, passion, embarrassment, shame, survival, overcoming fear, and a soul-deep connection.

McKenna is not a big talker, he’s had a hard life and much of the story he’s trying to figure out Aline’s secrets. But their talk at the end of the book, when she admits all that’s happened, his dialogue is some of the most profound I’ve ever read!

There is also a lovely secondary love story between Aline’s sister and McKenna’s partner. Draped in scandal after her fiancé’s death, Livia refuses to return to society until a magical dance in the gardens with a notorious rake makes her curious enough to brave society and learn more about the man.

Treat yourself this holiday season and pick up AGAIN THE MAGIC. Who knows when magic will strike?

Tatoos, Santa, and Susan Muller!!

2011-12-14T00:01:00.000-08:00

Today I'd like to welcome Susan Muller! She's a chaptermate and we've critiqued one of each other's books...early on...I don't think either of our manuscripts look the same anymore. LOL! But she's one of the most supportive, nicest, genuine people I've ever met! So welcome, Susan, it's a delight to know you! And here are some questions for everyone else to get to know you!

Tess ~ I know this question is asked a lot, but what inspired you to sit down and write your first story? Or were you one of those kids who began dreaming and writing your own stories from a very young age?

Susan ~ I have always loved to read. Even as a child, I often had my nose buried in a book. I tried to write a novel at about age eleven, but didn’t have any idea how to go about it and gave up. Twenty years ago, I wrote a non-fiction book that fell flat. I was in my sixties when I decided to sit down at the computer again to see if I could do it this time.

Tess ~Good for you!!

What is your favorite book (and yes, you can pick only one)?

Susan ~ TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD captured my imagination the first time I picked it up. Harper Lee is a masterful storyteller, weaving elements of humor, prejudice, coming of age, danger, and the justice system into a seamless story. That book is probably the reason I write mysteries today. Trivia question: Who played Boo Radley in the movie?

Tess ~ I have no idea…LOL. I didn’t see the movie…I have seen the play though.

What’s your youngest childhood memory?

Susan ~ Sitting under the Christmas tree when I was seven years old, reading the book I got that year, THE HORSE THAT GOT HIS PICTURE IN THE PAPER, while everyone else finished opening their presents. I still have that book, and even read it to my grandson recently.

Tess ~ How wonderful!

Who is the most influential person who has helped your writing?

Susan ~ I took an online class from John Foxjohn on the nuts and bolts of writing: weak words, passive voice, showing not telling, which was a great foundation. But it was Christie Craig that taught me the art of storytelling, and without a good story, what’s the point?

Tess ~ Knowing both John and Christie…I have to say they are wonderful role models and teachers!

What is your favorite movie?

Susan ~ RAISING ARiZONA. I know, I have a weird sense of humor.

Tess ~ A funny movie!

Now that we know you a bit better...boxers or briefs?

Susan ~ Spanx?

Tess ~ Yikes…just that word makes me cringe (I remember girdles…the devil’s idea of a joke on womanhood!.

Who is your favorite all time hero from a book or movie?

Susan ~ Atticus Finch, of course. But Penny Baxter from THE YEARLING is a close second. Do you see a trend here? Strong, upstanding men and loving fathers who stick to their moral principals in difficult situations.

Tess ~ Now please tell us about your writing, and what is on the horizon for you? And anything else you think inquiring minds want to know!

Susan ~ THE SECRETS ON FOREST BEND is equal parts romance, mystery, and paranormal. Detective Adam Campbell is tracing the gun used in two homicides when he meets Jillian Whitmyer, a sexy gun store owner. Her spiked hair and tattoo hint of a dark side and Adam is immediately intrigued. He soon discovers that those who get close to Jillian have a bad habit to turning up dead. When she confesses that the spirit of her dead sister is responsible for all the mayhem, Adam decides she’s a nut case and breaks off their relationship. But getting rid of a vengeful ghost is not that easy, and Adam becomes the next victim on the ghost’s hit list.

My Christmas short story, REDEEMING SANTA, was inspired by true events. A man dressed as Santa robs the savings and loan and takes young Wilber Jenkins hostage. Now in his nineties, Wilber must learn to forgive and overcome his hatred for all things Christmas for the sake of his family.

My next project, currently about half complete, is WINTER SONG, the first of my SEASONS PASS series. A red car fishtails on an icy street and the driver is discovered shot. Is her death road rage, or something more sinister? The discovery of a most unlikely hitman puts Detective Noah Daugherty directly in the killer’s sights.

(Please be sure to add your links!)

THE SECRETS ON FOREST BEND

www.soulmatepublishing.com

http://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Forest-Bend-ebook/dp/B006JP48NU/ref=tag_stp_s2f_edpp_susan_12er

REDEEMING SANTA

www.amazon.com, www.barnesandnoble, www.smashwords.com

Web Site

www.susancmuller.com

Books to purchase for the holiday!

2011-12-13T10:05:00.000-08:00

If you have a chance, check out this blog...great books listed!!

http://fourfoxesonehound.wordpress.com/2011/12/13/the-ultimate-book-list/

EYES OF JADE GIVEAWAY

2011-12-12T07:21:00.000-08:00

A writer friend of mine who blogs is giving away a copy of my latest today...December 12th!

http://writebybethany.blogspot.com/2011/12/undercover-falling-in-love.html

Great post today at English Historical Fiction Writers

2011-11-29T13:04:00.001-08:00

http://englishhistoryauthors.blogspot.com/

Come by to learn more about Captain Cook!

J.D. Faver a BAD GIRL?

2011-11-21T00:01:00.000-08:00

No...she wrote BAD GIRL

I'm pleased to welcome J.D. She is from my local chapter and just a peach. I've read one of her earlier books, Bad Habit (a romantic suspense), and just loved it!!!!

Hi Tess!

Thanks so much for inviting me to be your guest today. I wanted to share an excerpt from my latest release, Bad Girl!

Bad Girl! Is my sixth novel to be published and is the forth romantic suspense, although this one is the darkest yet.

My heroine is a dominatrix. The subject is kinky, but it’s a mystery/suspense with a bizarre romance twisted in. I have to agree that the episodes of CSI featuring Lady Heather were the best ever and drew the most viewers. The theme of my website is Bad Girls Need Love Too…so my dominatrix is the cherry on top of the frosting. <g>

BAD GIRL!

J.D. Faver

Excerpt:

Thursday, March 23rd, 9:35 a.m.

Kris fitted her key into the lock of her apartment. This was the first time she had been home since her unannounced visit to Felix on Tuesday night. She probably wouldn’t have returned except she needed to pick up clean clothes. She needed her toiletries. She needed her hair dryer.

A large hand reached around her, twisted the knob and pushed the door open.

She sucked in a gulp of air. A scream died in her throat as she recognized Nick Price, looming over her. His grim expression caused her stomach to take a tumble and roll. “Oh, my God! You scared me, Nick.”

“That was not my intention.” He gestured to the open doorway.

She wasn’t sure she wanted to be alone in her apartment with Nick, but she supposed she owed it to him. She lifted her chin and preceded him into her personal space.

He followed silently and secured the door behind him. “Where’s the dog?”

She hesitated. “Tinker is with. . .my boyfriend.” She turned and slanted a distinctly frosty gaze at him.

He snorted. “Boyfriend! You didn’t have a boyfriend a few days ago. Why am I supposed to believe that you suddenly have a boyfriend? Is he inflatable?”

She huffed out a disgusted sound. “I can’t believe your ego. You don’t think I could find another man attractive? Or you don’t think another man would find me attractive?” She glared at him, fisting her hands on her hips.

He loosened his tie. “Of course I know other men find you attractive. That’s obvious.”

“But you don’t think I could want another man?”

A tiny muscle near his eye twitched, but he maintained a steady gaze. The effect was like being burned with a green fire. He took in a deep breath. “I think you belong with me. I can’t help it if you haven’t realized it yet.”

His expression caused a tightness in her chest. She dropped her gaze and turned to the window. She took three long strides and stood looking out at the city. “I know you think you like me, Nick, but we have nothing in common. We’re poles apart.”

“I don’t think so.” He was standing right behind her, way too close for her comfort. “I think we’re more alike than you’re willing to admit.”

His scent wrapped around her, flooded her senses. She couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe. She felt him stroke his hand lightly over her hair.

“I’m with Felix now! Felix is my boyfriend.” The words tumbled out, one on top of another. She stopped, her heart pulsing hard in her ear.

He didn’t speak, but she could tell he was angry.

She pressed her lips together and stared out the glass. There were clouds, but the sun was breaking through in places. She was getting used to Felix’ routine and knew he would probably want to take a brisk walk today. She heard the door slam behind her and turned to find herself alone. A wave of relief washed through her. Relief mixed with disappointment. Why did she always have such a strong reaction to Nick? Why couldn’t she reconcile her attraction to him?

Do I want the man who needs me or the one I seem to need? She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. I have lots of time to figure this out.

Thursday, March 23rd, 9:50 a.m.

Nick walked away with a storm of anger raging in his belly. His fists clenched with the desire to punch someone.

What’s the matter with her? I’m doing all the right things. Why can’t she see that?

The image in his brain of Kris wrapping her thighs around Felix made him sick. The man must be close to forty. She was way too young for him.

He swallowed the taste of bile at the back of his throat.

Maybe all the things she’d been through had made her old for her age. Maybe she had a daddy complex.

Maybe it’s me? Maybe I don’t understand what she wants.

What does she want?

What did most women want? In Nick’s history, women had never been difficult. They wanted to be loved. They wanted to be married and have someone provide for them, protect them, shelter them and impregnate them.

He’d finally met the woman he wanted to do all that with, but she didn’t want him.

And why not?

Because he was too normal, too all-American male for her. He didn’t have a bad boy image. He only had the one small tattoo.

Because she’s damaged. And I can’t fix her.

He released his fists and took a deep breath, liberating it forcefully as he walked.

Giving up. I’m giving up on Kris. I do not care what she does. I do not care who she does, because I’m walking away.

Please visit my website/blog~ http://www.jdfaver.com/

Please follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/JDFaverauthor

And “like” my Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/JD-Faver-Author/117164385030100

Please visit my author pages on

Barnes & Noble~http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/jd-faver

and Amazon~ http://www.amazon.com/J.D.-Faver/e/B0050KEWMM/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

So Much To Say

2011-11-14T11:05:00.000-08:00

I'm slinging slang at English History Authors today...stop by if you have a chance!

http://englishhistoryauthors.blogspot.com/

2011-10-13T00:01:00.000-07:00

Hi, Teri, thank you for visiting today.

Tess ~ I know this question is asked a lot, but what inspired you to sit down and write your first story? Or were you one of those kids that began dreaming and writing your own stories from a very young age?

Teri ~ Thanks for having me, Tess. Yes, I’ll admit I’ve been making up stories since I can remember. I used to drive my sisters and cousins crazy with all my tall tales but they eventually came to appreciate my talent (LOL).

Tess ~ That’s because you’re very talented, dear.

Please tell me your favorite book (and yes, you can pick only one).

Teri ~ That’s easy: The Uninvited by Dorothy Macardle, which she wrote way back in the 1940s. This spooky old haunted house story is one I read every couple of years because I love the characters, the mood and the plot…and the real ghosts that manifest throughout the book. I love a haunted house tale.

Tess ~ I will have to look that one up. I’ve never read it before.

What’s your youngest childhood memory?

Teri ~ Probably the time I grabbed a cactus plant growing in front of our house. While I don’t remember the actual pain, I do remember the tears. I was probably between two and three years old. Since then, I make sure I keep a healthy distance between myself and cactus plants…and I avoid the desert as much as possible.

Tess ~ OUCH!

What’s your worst teenage memory?

Teri ~ I actually had a great childhood. Boring, I know, but I really can’t think of a thing!

Tess ~ How lovely for you.

What is your favorite movie?

Teri ~ Singing in the Rain…hands down the happiest, funniest, most charming and witty movie I’ve ever seen. Gene Kelly…who can keep from smiling when he’s dancing in the rain? This is the movie I turn to whenever I need a pick me up…or just because.

Tess ~ It is a great classic!

Now that we know you a bit better...boxers or briefs?

Teri ~ That depends on who’s wearing them!

Tess ~ Ah, I have to agree with you there…LOL.

Who is your favorite all time hero from a book or movie?

Teri ~ Sir Percy Blakeney, of course—the hero of The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emma Orczy. He was actually the first hero in disguise—predating even Zorro—rescuing people from Madame la Guillotine during the early days of the French Revolution. I’ve read the books, seen most of the movies…even the musical on Broadway. Percy was willing to risk everything for the good of others…you can’t get more heroic than that.

Tess ~ I guess not!

Now please tell us about your writing, books, and what is on the horizon for you? And anything else you think inquiring minds want to know!

Teri ~ I’ve been making up stories since I was a kid, writing my first ‘novel’ when I was a young teenager. My favorite TV show back then was ‘Get Smart’, so of course the story was about funny spies. At least I thought it was funny.

Having always worked a fulltime job, I’ve had to fit my writing in during free time…and around raising my two sons with my high-school-sweetheart husband. Because I enjoy reading several different genres, I’ve written in several of them. Paranormal, suspense, westerns. Some day I’d like to write a Regency and maybe a young adult novel, too. Some people think a writer should stick with one genre, but I figure that we should write what we enjoy reading.

Thanks again, Tess, for letting me stop by and talk to your readers.

Please check out Teri’s latest release!

Border Heat

by Teri Thackston

Blurb:

Murderous drug runners, a wildfire in the Texas desert and the President's runaway daughter…Game Warden Shannon Walker didn't sign up for any of this. Add a sexy Secret Service Agent, unexpected betrayal and a desperate escape into the desert, and the border becomes hotter than Shannon can handle.

www.terithackston.com

Can all Wounds be healed?

2011-09-26T05:51:00.000-07:00

I'm pleased to welcome Robin Badillo today. She's sharing an excerpt from her latest erotic release!

Here is what one reader had to say about Flesh Wounds:

I may be only able to give this a 5 star rating here, but in my heart it was a definite 10! Couldn't put it down, but when I was eventually forced to I couldn't get it out of my head. Fell totally head over heels in love with Dylan only 1/4 way into the book. AN ABSOLUTE MUST READ! Bravo to Mrs. Badillo for thinking out of her "box".

Flesh Wounds

Blurb

After five years away, Julia Benson has finally come home. Facing the painful memories awaiting her in the small Texas town is nothing compared the mess she’ll make when she gets there. Dealing with the ripple affect leaving caused the ones she loved is just as hard as dealing with being abandoned by a father who wasn’t everything she’d believed him to be.

Dylan Banks was the boy from across the street who’d loved Julia since they were twelve. She was the only girl for him and the only one he couldn’t have. Unable to repair that broken part of the girl he loved so much from afar, he now had a second chance to fill the void the only way he could… love her until she got it through her thick skull that not every man was like her father.

Can love really repair all that has gone wrong in Julia’s life or are some wounds just too deep to heal?

Website: http://www.robinbadillo.com

Blog- Sealed with a Kiss: http://www.robinbadillo.blogspot.com

eXtasy Books: http://www.extasybooks.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robin.badillo

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/robin_badillo

Flesh Wounds

PG Excerpt

Dylan laughed to himself as he thought about how he told Julia he‘d broken up with Vicki Talbot because she was jealous of the truck. The truth of the matter was that Vicki couldn‘t have cared less about Beulah. The problem was that Dylan just hadn‘t been willing to invest the same amount of time into a relationship with Vicki the way he‘d invested his time in restoring the truck. Not that he didn‘t care about her, he just couldn‘t seem to care enough about her.
Fortunate for him, Vicki was the type of woman who saw the world as an adventure and constantly changing. Their breakup left no animosity or hard feelings and their friendship had remained intact. Truly, a healthy breakup between adults, and nothing like the insane turmoil he and Julia always reverted back to.
Julia Benson was the only woman other than his grandmother and Beulah he‘d even considered working that hard for. And, to be quite honest, she‘d been making it easier for him lately. Their friendship had blossomed. The way it should have to begin with, before he‘d lost control and allowed it to go too far too fast.
All the times she‘d ridden off in the back seat of some car with her arrogant high school friends, not giving him a second glance, hadn‘t lessened his feelings for her. He knew her. Those temporary friends hadn‘t. When she came home, she returned as the girl he‘d known since they were kids. A little worse for wear, but older, wiser, definitely more beautiful and absolutely more desirable.
“Need some help?” Julia‘s soft voice sounded behind him.
Dylan jumped back startled. “I didn‘t hear you walk up.”
“I thought maybe I could lend you a hand since you‘ve been so nice giving me rides all the time. It‘s the least I can do.”
Dylan paused as he eyed her up and down. Her long wavy hair cascaded across her shoulder. He loved it when she wore it down. She was breathtaking as usual.
“So, may I?”
“Sure.”
Dylan poured more Armor All onto the cloth and handed it to her. Julia stepped toward him, but didn‘t look down at the rag. Instead, she bit her bottom lip and gazed at him with one eyebrow cocked and intensity in her eyes that sent shivers across his stomach straight down his groin.
He‘d seen the look before, but was sure it had been in a dream.
“Thank you,” she cooed as she slid her fingers across his hand and took the cloth. Erotic thoughts ricocheted through his head as her hand raked over his, softer and longer than necessary. “You‘re very welcome.”
Julia stepped closer. “Am I?”
“Are you what?” He gulped, then held his breath.
“Am I welcome?”
Dylan tilted his head to the side. Was she playing a game? The evening wouldn‘t turn out very well if she was intentionally teasing him. He stepped back. “What are you doing, Jules?” His stomach tightened and the air he sucked in nearly choked him. This wasn‘t funny.
“Dylan, I‘ve been thinking a lot and I think I made a horrible mistake.”
“Mistake?” He leaned back against the truck seat.
Julia inched closer to him still. “I can‘t stop thinking about you, Dylan.”
Dylan froze and studied her close, as she struggled with words.
“I‘ve been so blind. I‘ve been letting something that happened to me years ago ruin my life. You were right about what you said. I‘m always classic Jules. Always running away and always trying to keep everyone out, but I don‘t want to run away anymore. I want to run toward something and for the first time in my life, I see what that is.”
Dylan‘s pulse pounded in his ears like a bass drum. What did she just say? His mind swirled, as her words jumbled. His heart began to race.
“Dylan?”
“Yes,” he replied, then swallowed a huge gulp of air.
She eased closer and reached for his hand. Pressing it to her cheek, she leaned into his palm and squeezed her eyes shut.
“You‘re not about to throw a tantrum and run back across the street, are you?”
Her head shook against his palm.
“You aren‘t about to tell me you wanna be friends with benefits or some crazy crap like that, are you?”
Her head continued to shake.
“You aren‘t about to—”
“Dylan, shut up and kiss me.”

A new blog, giveaways, and Anglophiles!!

2011-09-23T07:21:00.000-07:00

This is a new Historical Blog I’m proud to be a part of. We’re giving away a kindle, books, and more at our grand opening this weekend!! Please stop by if you get the chance!

http://englishhistoryauthors.blogspot.com/

Please join us September 23rd through 25th, 2011, to set off some serious "fireworks". We will be launching this new blog, perfect for Anglophiles everywhere. The festivities will include games and a Grand Prize drawing for a Kindle. Other prizes in the drawing will include copies of over a dozen books. You will have the opportunity to get acquainted with numerous authors of British History and Historical Fiction, learn about our books and meet some of our readers.

Following the launch weekend, there will be fascinating daily posts about the history and culture of Britain and the Empire. There will also be a weekly book giveaway. You will be able to follow updates by the authors as

they publish their work. Please follow this blog, or subscribe, to receive the information in a timely way.

Please join us for the grand opening festivities...and share the exciting news with your friends.

Our Authors include:

Christy English

Elizabeth Marshall

Marie Higgins

Mike Rendell

Jenna Dawlish

Maggi Andersen

Tess St. John

Lord David Prosser

Linda Collison

Karen Wasylowski

Richard Denning

Lauren Gilbert

Samuel Thomas

Debra Brown

Regina Jeffers

Tim Queeney

Nancy Bilyeau

Teresa Thomas Bohannon

Felicia Rogers

Lady A~

Grace Elliot

Lucinda Brant

Deborah Swift

Anne O'Brien

PLEASE DROP BY WHEN YOU HAVE A CHANCE!!

If you like the steamier (hotter) side of romance...Robin Badillo is your girl!

2011-09-14T20:38:00.000-07:00

September 16th is release day for Flesh Wounds!!!!

Flesh Wounds

Blurb

Can love really repair all that has gone wrong in Julia’s life or are some wounds just too deep to heal?

Website: http://www.robinbadillo.com

Blog- Sealed with a Kiss: http://www.robinbadillo.blogspot.com
eXtasy Books: http://www.extasybooks.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robin.badillo
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/robin_badillo

“ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?”

2011-09-10T14:06:00.000-07:00

In appreciation of the football kick-off weekend, I’m sharing my recipe for Game Day Hoagies. It’s quick, easy, and there is no cooking involved (which is wonderful since I hate cook)!!! You can also serve this as a dip inside a round french bread with hoagie buns cut in bite size pieces or crackers.

Ingredients

· 6 pickled pepperoncini peppers (or more if you like more spice)

· 1/2 head iceberg lettuce

· 1 large tomato

· 1/4 cup chopped red onion

· 1/4 pound deli-sliced genoa salami

· 1/8 pound pepperoni (optional, depending on your tastes, but I just a small amount, it’s pretty strong)

· 1/4 pound deli-sliced smoked ham

· 1/4 pound deli-sliced mesquite turkey

· ¼ cup cheddar cheese

· ¼ cup pepper jack cheese

· ¼ cup colby jack cheese

· 1/2 cup mayonnaise (you may need more…depending on your tastes!)

· ½ tsp salt

· ½ tsp Fresh ground pepper

· 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

· Hoagie buns

Directions

Dice the pepperoncini, lettuce, onion, tomato, meats (I use fresh deli meats), and cheeses.

Combine the chopped vegetables, meats and cheese in a large bowl. Add the mayonnaise, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir until everything is mixed. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Spoon onto the hoagie buns. I often serve them with chips and fruit!

Happy Anniversary!!!

2011-08-18T11:26:00.000-07:00

In two years my parents will celebrate their 60^th wedding anniversary. That isn’t a typo…sixty years. And I can honestly say they’re still very much in love. They are and always have been great role models!

But where did the practice of celebrating anniversaries come from?

My research shows the celebration originated in Central Europe. It became customary for Medieval Germans to present a wife with a wreath of silver after she’d lived with her husband twenty-five years. The silver was said to symbolize the harmony necessary to make so many years of matrimony possible.

I found this fascinating. I never knew silver was harmonious.

On the fiftieth anniversary, the wife was presented with a wreath of gold. Hence the silver and gold anniversaries.

We've brought those two simple celebrations and gifts to whole new levels. Now there is a gift for most years in a marriage.

I’d always heard the 75th was the diamond anniversary, but was blown away to find that the 10th and 60th are also diamond anniversaries in modern times. Who knew? Do you think they did this because people don’t get married at the age of 9 anymore?

Dh and I will celebrate our 23rd this year. The list says it’s the silver plated anniversary…I think I’d rather redo the tenth!

I admit, dh and I have never bought each other gifts off this list, but from the 25th on, it’s great gifts (at least for a woman). I think we should follow the list from here on out.

The 90th anniversary is engraved stone…isn’t that appropriate? They have to be close to needing a tombstone by then!

As I went through the list, I kind of got jealous of anyone who adheres to the list…there are some great things. Platinum, watches, bronze, jade, sapphire, it goes on and on!

There’s even a traditional list and a modern list. I like the modern list better…much better. And looking at the lists, I think a man must have written the traditional and a woman the modern one. See if you agree. You can find a complete list of anniversary gifts for appropriate years here.

NORTHWEST HOUSTON RWA CONFERENCE!!!

2011-08-09T13:29:00.000-07:00

The Lone Star Writer’s Conference

DATE: October 15, 2011
WHERE:

Houston Marriot North at Greenspoint

255 N Sam Houston Parkway East

Houston, Texas 77060

CONFERENCE FEE: $125.00

Registration will begin August 1, 2011.

Please Note** Full Refunds will be given up to September 30th. No refund after this date.

PLEASE GO TO
http://www.nwhrwa.com/conference.htm
FOR FULL DETAILS

SPEAKERS AND AGENT LINEUP:

Keynote Speaker:

INSTRUCTOR BIO

Alexandra Sokoloff is a screenwriter who has sold original suspense and thriller scripts and adapted novels for numerous Hollywood studios, for producers such as Michael Bay, Laura Ziskin, David Heyman, and Neal Moritz. Her adaptation of Sabine Deitmer's psychological thriller COLD KISSES was filmed in Germany. Alex is the author of the supernatural thrillers THE HARROWING, THE PRICE, THE UNSEEN, and BOOK OF SHADOWS, and a new paranormal romance, THE SHIFTERS. She is also the author of SCREENWRITING TRICKS FOR AUTHORS (AND SCREENWRITERS!), a workbook based on her internationally acclaimed blog and workshops. She is a Thriller Award winner and a Bram Stoker andAnthony Award nominee.

Alex has served on the Board of Directors of the WGAw, the screenwriters' union, and the board ofMystery Writers of America, and is the founder ofWriterAction.com, an online community and resource center of 2000+ professional screenwriters. In her spare time (!)she performs with Heather Graham's Slush Pile Players, and dances every chance she gets.

Visit her website at: http://alexandrasokoloff.com

And her blog on Screenwriting Tricks for Authors athttp://screenwritingtricks.com

WORKSHOP:

SCREENWRITING TRICKS FOR AUTHORS (and Screenwriters!)

Are you finally committed to writing that novel but have no idea how to get started? Or are you a published author - but know you need some plotting help to move your books and career up to that next level?

Screenwriting is a compressed and dynamic storytelling form and the techniques of screenwriting are easily adaptable to novel writing. You can jump-start your plot and bring your characters and scenes vibrantly alive on the page - by watching your favorite movies and learning from the storytelling tricks of great filmmakers.

In this workshop, based on award-winning author/screenwriter Alexandra Sokoloff’s internationally acclaimed Screenwriting Tricks For Authors blog and workbook, you'll learn how to use techniques of film writing such as:

- the High Concept Premise

- the Three-Act, Eight-Sequence Structure

- the Storyboard Grid

- the Index Card Method of Plotting

- as well as tricks of film pacing and suspense, character arc and drive, visual storytelling, and building image systems - to structure and color your novel for maximum emotional impact, unbearable suspense and riveting pacing, no matter what genre you're writing in.

You'll start to create your own personalized workbook of genre tricks based on your favorite books and movies and tailored to your own brand of storytelling, and a collage book to build visual image systems. And the emphasis on premise is invaluable for crafting that all-important query and pitch.

In this rapidly changing world of publishing, more and more agents and editors are looking for novels that have the pacing, emotional excitement, and big, unique, "high concept" premises of Hollywood movies (and the potential for that movie or TV sale!).

Whether you're just starting to develop a book or script, or rewriting for maximum impact, this workshop will introduce you to an easy, effective and fun process to help you make your book or script the best it can be.

Agents:

Natalie M. Fischer

is an Assistant Agent at the Bradford Literary Agency. An honors graduate of the University of San Diego, California, Natalie holds a B.A. in Literature/Writing. She started as an intern at the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency in 2007, after which time she left to write author profiles and book reviews for the San Diego Union Tribune. Finding that journalism was just not for her, she returned to work full-time at the Dijkstra Agency in April 2009, and started building her own client list in September of that same year. She made her move to the Bradford Agency in February of 2011.

Natalie's interests include talented, hard-working new authors with a fresh, unique voice and hook. Her specialty is commercial fiction, with an emphasis in children’s literature (from picture book-YA/Teen), romance (contemporary and historical), historical fiction, multi-cultural fiction, paranormal, sci-fi/fantasy in YA or romance only, fairy-tale/legend spin-offs, and “beautiful dark” novels. She will also consider select nonfiction (has to have a fantastic hook and an even more fantastic author platform) and that amazing project she never even knew she was looking for! She is always drawn to an open and positive attitude in an author, good grammar, and fantastical, engaging and sexy plots.

The Bradford Literary Agency is a boutique agency located in sunny San Diego, California. Founded in 2001, it is an editorial-focused agency that prefers to work closely with its authors in helping to build strong, sustainable careers.

Read more about the agency at www.bradfordlit.com, follow Natalie on Twitter @Natalie_Fischer, or visit her blog

www.adventuresinagentland.blogspot.com

Pam Hopkins - Hopkins Literary Associates
She represents Romance almost exclusively. The areas she would be seeking projects in are Historical, Contemporary, Mainstream, Romantic Suspense, Inspirational, Paranormal and Series Romance. She does represent a bit in the area of Historical Novels and Historical Mystery as well.

Taylor Martindale - Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency

She is most interested in acquiring Young Adult fiction--specifically gritty contemporary, unique paranormal / urban fantasy, and any story with a captivating voice. She loves the way YA authors manage to bring today’s teenage culture to vivid life, set fire to imagination, and make their audience put aside cell phones for the crisp (or wrinkled) pages of a book.

Taylor is also interested in children’s picture books, commercial fiction, women’s fiction, and multi-cultural fiction. She is looking for engaging and unforgettable characters and stories that stay with you long after you turn the final page. ** She will also take other pitches and pass them on to other agents she works with.

Taylor is a proud graduate of The College of William and Mary and holds a BA in English, with a minor in Hispanic Studies. She was the Copy Chief of her college newspaper for three years and occasionally does freelance writing for a local paper. Before joining SDLA in Summer 2009, Taylor was the Submissions Coordinator at Bliss Literary Agency, Intl.

Editor:

Kelli Collins spent a dozen years as a newspaper journalist and editor before finding her true passion in the erotic romance industry. After seven years with EC, that love affair is still going strong. You can frequently find her on Twitter andFacebook, or meet her in person at conferences large and small.

Kelli Collins
Editor-in-Chief
www.ellorascave.com
Twitter ~ Facebook

Nineteenth Century Cooking By Anna Kathryn Lanier

2011-07-22T07:01:00.000-07:00

First printed in 1833, Mrs. Child’s book, THE AMERICAN FRUGAL HOUSEWIFE was “dedicated to those who are not ashamed of economy” and was an “extremely popular nineteenth-century manual for homemakers.” I discovered this reprint of the 130 page book at a gift shop in New Iberia, Louisiana, but it is available through Barnes and Noble and Amazon. It is full of “interesting recipes and remedies, advice on parenting and the myriad responsibilities of housekeeping [which] are all put forth in straightforward, no-nonsense Yankee prose.”

One chapter is “Common Cooking” and I thought I’d share some of Mrs. Child’s recipes with you today. I did debate about whether or not to include the first recipe below, since I don’t think very many of us will cook it today. However, it was a well-known, popular delicacy 180 years ago.

CALF’S HEAD: Calf’s head should be cleansed with very great care; particularly the lights. The head, the heart, and the lights should boil for full two hours; the liver should be boiled only one hour. It is better to leave the windpipe on, for if it hangs out of the pot while the head is cooking, all the froth will escape through it. The brains, after being thoroughly washed, should be put in a little bag; with one pounded cracker, or as much crumbled bread, seasoned with sifted sage, and tied up and boiled one hour. After the brains are boiled, they should be well broken up with a knife and peppered, salted and buttered. They should be put upon the table in a bowl by themselves. Boiling water, thickened with flour and water, with butter melted in it, is the proper sauce; some people love vinegar and pepper mixed with the melted butter; but not all are fond of it; and it is easy for each one to add it for themselves.

Okay, I promise, the rest of the recipes are more appetizing. Though I’ve eaten cow’s tongue (it was rather good), I don’t think I can eat its brains. What about you?

SAUSAGES: Three tea-spoons of powered sage, one and a half of salt, and one of pepper, to a pound of meat, is good seasoning for sausage.

BEANS: Baked beans are a very simple dish, yet few cook them well. They should be put in could water, and hung over the fire, the night before they are baked. In the morning, they should be put in a colander, and rinsed two or three times; then again placed in a kettle, and kept scalding hot an hour or more. A pound of pork is quite enough for a quart of beans, and that is a large dinner for a common family. The rind of the pork should be slashed. Pieces of pork alternately fat and lean, are the most suitable; the cheeks are the best. A little pepper sprinkled among the beans, when they are placed in the bean-pot, will render them less unhealthy. They should be just covered with water, when put into the oven; and the pork should be sunk a little below the surface of the beans. Bake three or four hours.

FRICASSEED CHICKEN, WHITE: The chickens are cut to pieces, and then covered with warm water, to draw out the blood. Then put into a stew-pan, with three quarters of a pint of water, or veal broth, salt, pepper, flour, butter, mace, sweet herbs pounded and sifted; boil it half an hour. If it is too fat, skim it a little. Just before it is done, mix the yolk of two eggs with a gill of cream, grate in a little nutmeg, stir it up till it is thick and smooth, squeeze in half a lemon. If you like onions, stew some slices with the other ingredients.

BAKED INDIAN PUDDING: Indian pudding is good baked. Scald a quart of milk (skimmed milk will do,) and stir in seven table spoonfuls of shifted Indian meal, a tea-spoonful of salt, a tea-cupful of molasses, and a great spoonful of ginger, or sifted cinnamon. Baked three or four hours. If you want whey, you must be sure and pour in a little cold milk, after it is all mixed.

APPLE PUDDING: A plain, unexpensive apple pudding may be made by rolling out a bit of common pie-crust, and filling it full of quartered apples; tied up in a bag, and boiled an hour and a half; if the apples are sweet, it will take two hours; for acid things cook quickly. Some people like little dumplings, made by rolling up one apple, pared and cored, in a piece of crust, and tying them up in spots all over the bag. These do not need to be boiled more than an hour; three quarters is enough, if the apples are tender.

Take sweet, or pleasant flavored apples, pare them, and bore out the core, without cutting the apple in two. Fill up the holes with washed rice, boil them in a bag, tied very tight, an hour, or an hour and half. Each apple should be tied up separately, in different corners of the pudding bag.

I love this recipe….not your usual way to measure things—

SPONGE CAKE: The nicest way to make sponge cake, or diet bread, is the weight of six eggs in sugar, the weight of four eggs in flour, a little rose-water. Whites and yolks should be beaten thoroughly and separately. The eggs and sugar should be well beaten together; but after the flour is sprinkled, it should not be stirred a moment longer than is necessary to mix it well; it should be poured into a pan, and got into the oven with all possible expedition Twenty minutes is about long enough to bake. Not to be put in till some other articles have taken off the first few minutes of furious heat.

Mrs. Child has pages and pages of such recipes as these. They are fun to read, I though I think hard to recreate in today’s world, given the way the ingredients are given. But I really do need to try to do one or two some day….not the calf’s head though.

Next month I’m teaching an online class THE PIONEERING WOMEN OF THE WEST at the Hearts Through History RWA campus. You can learn more at www.heartsthroughhistory.com and click on their ‘campus’ button. Also, I’ll draw a name from the commenters for a free workshop, be sure to leave something so I can contact you if you win. I’ll draw the name on Sunday.

Thanks, Tess, for having me here today.

Anna Kathryn Lanier

DON'T LET IT SHOW IS Ereaders News Today ~ Book of the Day!!!

2011-07-18T09:16:00.000-07:00

Please stop by and LIKE it if you get the chance.

http://ereadernewstoday.com/book-of-the-day-dont-let-it-show/676544

An Interview with Jennifer Bray-Weber!

2011-07-14T22:32:00.000-07:00

Tess ~ Hi Jenn, thank you for visiting my blog today.

Jenn ~ Thanks for hosting me! It is a real treat to be here.

Tess ~ I know this question is asked a lot, but what inspired you to sit down and write your first story? Or were you one of those kids who began dreaming and writing your own stories from a very young age?

Jenn ~I was one of the few writers who did not as a child weave magical stories of fairies, sleuthing kids, or talking animals. I can’t say I ever dreamed of becoming an author, either. In hindsight, I do recall I had a knack for storytelling. Whenever I had a school assignment that required writing, I groaned with the rest of the class. And I especially hated book reports. In high school, my teachers had always singled out my stories to be read for the class. As embarrassing as it was (you know how teenage girls can be), I was proud of my tales. I guess I should have seen that as a sign.

Fast forward to a few years ago. My creative writing college professor suggested one of my assignments was good enough to be written as a novel. I took it as a dare and quit school. I should track him down to thank him.

Tess ~Yes, you should!! I’m glad we’re kindred spirits, sometimes I feel so different when I say writing hasn’t always been a dream of mine.

Having been lucky enough to read a couple of your fabulous manuscripts, I have to ask, why pirates?

Jenn ~Funny, if not a bit clichéd, story. I dreamed one night I was whisked away to a pirate ship over a misunderstanding. It was one of those fun dreams you wished would never end. That dream stuck with me for a very long time. Once I decided to take on the challenge of writing a novel, the pirates in that dream mutinied. They threatened to keelhaul me if I didn’t tell their story. NEVER deny a pirate his pleasure.

Tess ~Girl, you could use that as a tagline…or a title. I can see that in lights.

And why no virgins?

Jenn ~My hand is heavy with grit. My stories flirt with the dark, edgier side. Virgins simply do not have a place in my writing. At one time, every historical book I picked up had a virgin. It seemed overdone. Truth is, throughout history people were a randy lot and virgins somehow became romanticized in fiction.

Tess ~ Interesting…grit equals no virgins!

I know you were nominated for a Golden Heart last year (2009), can you tell us how that one event has changed your life. And your writing.

Jenn ~I was still green when I got the Golden Heart ‘nod’. After all, it was my first manuscript. My peers placed me as a finalist in the historical category out of more than 120 entries. It took a while, but I realized that I must have some smidgen of talent. Either that, or I’m one real lucky girl. There is a good deal of validation that comes from joining the ranks in such a prestigious contest. One of the greatest things that have come from my final was the immediate camaraderie built with the other 2009 Golden Heart finalists. I am very proud to be a part of the Ruby-Slippered Sisterhood. We are bound by solid friendships and genuine support for one another.

In terms of my writing, the Golden Heart has given me a standard to achieve and then surpass.

Tess ~Well, congratulations again on the GH nomination.

What is your favorite book (and yes, you can pick only one)?

Jenn ~Ugh. I have so many. But I guess I’ll choose Anne Rice’s Interview With The Vampire. That book started my love affair for world building.

Tess ~I have not read that book…I think I need to!

What’s your youngest childhood memory?

Jenn ~Riding my tricycle into my family’s pet bulldog. That ole’ dog was like a brick house. I could never topple her.

Tess ~Poor dog.

What is your favorite movie?

Jenn ~Bet you’d think I’d say Pirates of the Caribbean. You’d be wrong. I do love it, but my favorite movie is Blazing Saddles.

Tess ~Blazing Saddles…I’ve never seen it either. You’re giving me a lot to do, Jenn.

Now that we know you a bit better...boxers or briefs?

Jenn ~Boxer briefs!! Form fitting and manly. J

Tess ~I agree.

I know you have two girls and one is very young, how do you find the time to write?

Jenn ~Strict, organized scheduling, loads of discipline…and nap time.

Tess ~Well, you’re blessed if she gives you nap time…my children both stopped napping at two years old!

Who is your favorite all time hero from a book or movie?

Jenn ~Another tough one, Tess. The first person to come to mind is John Wayne in almost every movie he starred. Others would include LeStat of Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles, Acheron of Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark Hunters, Indiana Jones, Rhett Butler, and Peter Blood. Guess you could say I’m partial to flawed Alpha males.

Tess ~Love John Wayne!

Now please tell us about your writing, and what is on the horizon for you? And anything else you think inquiring minds want to know!

Jenn ~I love writing tainted romances sweeping with dangerous adventures, and I’ve been told I do so in a cinematic voice. The first book of my Romancing The Pirate series Blood and Treasure is available now in digital format through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords. The print version will be available later this month. A Kiss in the Wind, the second novel in the series, has been contracted with Carina Press and is scheduled to be released spring 2012. I’ve just completed The Bruised Sky. Yup, you guessed it, book number three. There will be a total of five books all of which have recurring characters and takes place on the pirate ship Rissa. The last tale will be a real challenge. It’s an epic love story of the past paralleling a modern-day romance between scuba-diving treasure hunters who unravel the mystery of the shipwrecked Rissa.

Ahoy, you scallywags! Grab a cutlass, don an eye patch, drink a spot of rum, and visit my website.

You can also find Jenn's books at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords.

Jenn, it was a delight having you visit today!! Thanks so much for sharing a bit of yourself with us!

I Can't Express How Happy I Am to Have Claire Delacroix on my blog today!

2011-07-11T15:52:00.000-07:00

I just want to take a second to welcome Claire Delacroix to my blog! She's one of those authors who will capture the reader's attention and help writers in any way she can! And I'm just thrilled she's visiting my blog today! Take it away, Claire (I call her Claire/Deb...you'll see why when she explains her pen names).

Where Do Ideas Come From?
by Claire Delacroix (website at http://www.delacroix.net and blog at http://www.delacroix.net/blog and Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/AuthorClaireDelacroix)

One of the questions I'm most commonly asked is "where do you get your ideas?" Writers never ask this question. I don't this is because writers know where ideas originate - I suspect it's more an issue of always having so many that supply is never a concern! There used to be a joke that some writers could deliver deadpan, to the effect that ideas came from this guy in New Jersey, whose address was kept confidential by authors, etc. etc. Some authors could stretch this tall tale even longer than that! The truth is that ideas are everywhere. I have far too many of them, which is part of the reason I write in so many different genres. I've written historical romances as Claire Delacroix, paranormal and time travel romances as Claire Cross, mainstream with romantic elements as Claire Cross, and contemporary paranormal romances as Deborah Cooke. (http://www.deborahcooke.com) Here are a few places where I find ideas:

The truth is that ideas are everywhere. Here are a few places where I find ideas:

1/ Travel.
Whenever I go somewhere new, I'm ready to learn all about it. Often I will do a lot of research ahead of time about our destination. Locations just fascinate me. Invariably, I'll find a story in the history of the place - or hear one from a tour guide - which will spark my imagination. I could imagine being the person who stars in that anecdote, for example, which then lets me wonder what his or her life was like. I often will do a bit of research if intrigued, but it's pretty common to run into brick walls. When there's no more history to discover, I start to make something up.

I also have a bad case of wanderlust. When I travel - particularly to Europe - I want to live in a great many places that I visit. If those places have a lot of history, then I'm sure I'd like to live there in a specific place and time. Again, that takes me to research and ultimately to making up a story.

Travel seems to spark more historical ideas for me, although I'm not sure why. I visited Switzerland maybe 20 years ago (maybe more!) and was enchanted by the city of Sion in Valais canton. I did a lot of walking and research while there, and ultimately, I made up a fictional medieval holding called Sayerne which was loosely based on Sion and its vicinity. I wrote three medieval romances associated with that fictional setting - MY LADY's CHAMPION, ENCHANTED and MY LADY'S DESIRE. All three of the Sayerne trilogy (http://www.delacroix.net/harlhist.html) are being re-released by Harlequin in digital editions this week.

2/ Research.
I love libraries and I love doing research. And sometimes, digging around in books gives me ideas - usually I'm looking for one thing, get distracted and find a completely different idea that distracts me even more! I find ideas in history books, in travel books, and also in collections of stories - like myths and legends. It doesn't take much to get me thinking "what if?"

Oddly enough, this kind of research often results in time travels for me. (http://www.delacroix.net/ttravels.html) My first time travel romance, ONCE UPON A KISS, which is set in the Orkney Islands came out of research - both into those islands and into the Picts. This idea was fed by a bit of travel too. When my husband and I travelled in Scotland, he became quite fascinated with the Pictish standing stones and their carving. We ended up "stalking" stones all over Scotland so he could see more of them. (And I didn't complain. They are beautiful.) Similarly, my time travel LOVE POTION #9 comes from a bout of research into tarot cards, how to read them and what they mean - and the question "what if they work?" Lilith, the heroine of that book, reads tarot cards very well, so well that her deck almost takes on a life of its own, giving her unsolicited advice about her relationship with Mitch.

3/ People.
People watching is another habit of mine. People are fascinating, and we do a lot of things that don't make sense to everyone around us. It's so interesting to watch people and try to guess what they're thinking, or what would make them do whatever they're doing, or what kind of person would wear a hat like that - and why.

My medieval trilogy, "The Rogues of Ravensmuir" (http://www.delacroix.net/rogues.html) grew out of the idea that people aren't always what - or who - they seem to be. I was interested in exploring the relationship between brothers, brothers who might be a bit competitive but who were totally different. In THE ROGUE, the hero Merlyn is quite certain that his brother is a troublemaker and the root of many problems in his life. He's right about that, but Merlyn only sees one side of the story. In THE SCOUNDREL, Gawain - who was the villain of THE ROGUE - gets his moment in the sun. It's true that he's thought of himself first in the past, but the right woman and a powerful love turns his life around. I really enjoy what a match Evangeline is for Gawain! In the final book of the trilogy, THE WARRIOR, their descendant Michael has had to be a ruthless warrior to have any chance of regaining his legacy - but the woman he makes his own turns out to have the power to both heal him and make his world complete.

4/ Characters.
Sometimes ideas develop magically out of my own stories. It can seem as if each book contains the keys to an infinite number of additional stories. Secondary characters can turn out to be more interesting than I'd expected. Children may demand to have their stories told. Or conflicts might remain unresolved at the end of a trilogy - the legacy might not be secured beyond this generation, for example.

My medieval trilogy "The Jewels of Kinfairlie" (http://www.delacroix.net/jewels.html) developed organically out of "The Rogues of Ravensmuir" trilogy. At the end of THE WARRIOR, when the Hawk and Aileen hosted a celebration, Roland arrived with his wife and their eight children. Eight children! From one sentence, my imagination sparked. Before I knew it, it was some twenty years later, Roland and his wife had died tragically, and their eldest son was left trying to run a failing estate and marry off his uncooperative sisters at the same time. In THE BEAUTY BRIDE, THE ROSE RED BRIDE and THE SNOW WHITE BRIDE, he manages to get the two oldest sisters married as well as find a bride himself.

5/ The Shower.
Standing in the shower is the best possible source of ideas. This is where the truly unusual and unexpected ideas pop into an author's head. I'm not sure whether it's the running water or the fact that I'm often a bit sleepy when I shower in the morning, but the most remarkable ideas just pop into my head there. (It's a bit challenging to write them down, so a great many of them wash right down the drain because I forget them. I figure they're still there, waiting to pop into my imagination again.)

I was standing in the shower when I wondered "what if the world was on the cusp of the Apocalypse, and a gropu of angels sacrified their wings to try to save humanity?" That's not the kind of question I think every day, but once I started thinking it, the idea grew and grew. It ultimately became my Prometheus Project Trilogy - FALLEN, GUARDIAN and REBEL. (http://www.delacroix.net/angels.html) This is a future-set post-nuclear pre-Apocalyptic romance series featuring fallen angel heroes.

It doesn't really matter where I get my ideas. Once I have hold of an idea that intrigues me and I start writing, I have the most wonderful time.

Where do you get your ideas? (Don't tell me about the guy in New Jersey!)=

Suzan Harden's Newest Release ~ ZOMBIE LOVE

2011-07-08T06:14:00.000-07:00

Suzan Harden has another hit on her hands with her latest release ZOMBIE LOVE. She will take you on an urban fantasy adventure with vampires, witches, zombies, and werewolves. Now who can resist that?

BLURB:

It’s not the family you’re born to. It’s the Family you join.

Dead

For tabloid reporter Samantha “Sam” Ridgeway, chasing down the mysterious Duncan St. James, who saved a pregnant actress from an apocalyptic cult, should have been an easy story. Until her editor nixes the piece without a reason. Until her LAPD contact is murdered in front of her. Until she’s kidnapped by a bunch of crazy scientists to be the guinea pig in their bizarro experiment. And Sam knows what happens to guinea pigs when the experiment’s done.

Undead

But when Sam wakes up, she’s got super-strength, super-speed, and an appetite that won’t quit. She escapes from the mad scientists with the help of St. James, but he’s got more secrets than she thought. Like glowing eyes and fangs. Could things get any worse than getting turned into the living dead and having the hots for a vampire? Yeah, they can . . .

Please use these links to find Zombie Love. Amazon - Barnes & Noble – Smashwords - XinXii MOBI -

XinXii ePUB

HAPPY FRIDAY, EVERYONE!

Sandra Edwards - and Her Interview!

2011-07-06T09:02:00.000-07:00

As an introduction, I met Sandra Edwards through Elements of RWA. She is my guru for everything Indie published and such a sweetheart.

Tess ~ Hi Sandra, thank you for visiting my blog today.

Sandra ~ Thanks for having me, Tess!

Tess ~ What inspired you to sit down and write your first story? Or were you one of those kids that began dreaming and writing your own stories from a very young age?

Sandra ~ I was one of those “kids”. I think I was born a storyteller. I can’t not write. It comes to me as naturally as breathing.

Tess ~ Good for you!

Your favorite book (and yes, you can pick only one).

Sandra ~ That’s easy. Nightfall by Asimov :)

Tess ~ Wow, that was too easy! Most people struggle with that one.

What’s your youngest childhood memory?

Sandra ~ Riding my tricycle before church. I was about two-ish. I can date my age because I recall the coat I had on (which my mother kept because it was my first “big girl” coat. lol. I still have that coat).

Tess ~ Too cute.

How many siblings do you have? I have five and I really think they, along with my parents, taught me so much about people and I’ve used that in my writing. Did your family have the same effect on you?

Sandra ~ I have two sisters and one brother. I think that not only our immediate families, but everyone who comes into our lives for any amount of time at all, teaches us about life and people. My family and friends have a grand time trying to find something of themselves in my characters.

Tess ~ LOL. I just hope you haven't killed any of them off! And I agree, each person we meet shapes our lives.

What is your favorite movie?

Sandra ~ Dazed and Confused.

Tess ~ I've never seen it...but I must now.

Now that we know you a bit better...Boxers or briefs?

Sandra ~ Depends on who’s wearing them ;)

Tess ~ Great answer.

Tell us about the favorite character you’ve written and why.

Sandra ~ That’s not a question I can answer. The characters I’ve created are my muse’s “children”. And just like most mothers, she’ll never say (out loud) which is her favorite :)

Tess ~ Who is your favorite all time hero from a book or movie?

Sandra ~ Definitely Indiana Jones.

Tess ~ Now please tell us about your writing, and what is on the horizon for you? And anything else you think inquiring minds want to know!

Sandra ~ I’m currently working on two projects. Saving Katya is a contemporary romance about former lovers who are reunited at the Winter Olympics. My second project is called Desert Heat and it’s book three in the Soul Searchers series.

Tess ~ Thanks so much for sharing yourself with us today, Sandra!

You can find out about Sandra and her books at her website.

I'm so pleased to welcome Misty Evan to my Blog Today.

2011-06-30T19:56:00.000-07:00

Misty was one of the first writers I met when joined RWAonline (my first chapter). She's just one of the sweetest people and I'm thrilled she's here today. Misty writes stories that are alive. Her Super Agent Series will leave you breathless...and her Witches Anonymous Series is sexy and funny - she even makes the devil yummy!

Take it away, Misty!

I see fake people…confessions of a book whisperer

Remember the scene in the movie Six Sense where Hailey Joe Osmet’s character tells Bruce Willis’s character he sees dead people?

That scene gives me chills every time. It also brings tears to my eyes for that kid. His character is, of course, just a character. But he seems so real to me, I can’t help but empathize with him.

Reading a great book with strong characters often evokes the same reaction. Writing poignant scenes for my own stories does as well. I don’t see dead people, but I see fake people. Fake people who seem real to me in every way. I share their fears, their frustrations, their triumphs. I cheer with them, cry with them, love with them. They’re real to me and some days I feel like the Ghost Whisperer, drawing them out so they’ll tell me their stories.

I’ve read two good books lately that sucked me in and kept me turning pages. The characters were warm, funny, emotional, and sometimes freaky. I loved them all.

One of the books is by Magical Musings’ blogger Edie Ramer. Fitting for this post, since it’s titled Dead People and the heroine in the story is a ghost whisperer. Cassie is proud, independent and hiding her past secrets behind a wall of determination. I absolutely loved her character and thought Edie did a wonderful job of having Cassie’s past be the key that helps her relate and bond with Erin, the hero’s very troubled daughter. Erin tugged at my heartstrings and I was shocked at how her birth mother manipulated her. I got so caught up in her character, I wanted to march into the story and do bodily harm to Erin’s mother.

Another recent book I enjoyed was by Tess St. John! Second Chances was beautifully written and the characters were amazing people. Even the antagonist was someone I loved to hate! The secondary characters were just as real as the hero and heroine and added another layer to this lovely historical romance. I look forward to reading Tess’ latest release, Don’t Let It Show. Suspense is one of my favorite genres.

In my own writing, I just listened to the audio version of my new Carina Press release, Soul Survivor. It’d been six months since the last time I’d read the story during edits, and as I listened to Maia Guest reading it aloud, I got completely caught up in the relationship between Rife and Keva all over again. When it hit the end, where they admit their love for each other, I sighed out loud and smiled. I love a happy ending. I love knowing that the characters I brought to life are happy. I see fake people all the time, but they’re real to me!

Readers, what “fake” characters (movie or book) have recently seemed so real to you, you couldn’t get them out of your head?

Misty Evans writes the best-selling Super Agent Series and paranormal Witches Anonymous series. She likes her coffee black, her conspiracy stories juicy, and her wicked characters dressed in couture. To learn more about Misty and her books, visit http://www.readMistyEvans.com.

links to my blog: http://www.magicalmusings.com

twitter handle: @readmistyevans

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Misty-Evans-Author/189118401101020

Ciara Gold spills on ebooks,

2011-06-15T06:09:00.000-07:00

It is my great pleasure to host Ciara Gold today. Writer and artist, Ciara is multi-talented!

Hey Tess! Thanks so much for hosting me today. I can’t tell you how thrilled I am by your recent success with self publishing. I enjoyed your recent release, Second Chances.

I remember the first time I heard of ebooks and my initial skepticism. I’d started submitting my current manuscript and while I was getting requests for partials and fulls, nothing came of my efforts. One of my critique partners had decided to go the ebook route and was quite pleased with a new publisher she’d found. Again, I was very skeptical and kept thinking I needed to hold out for New York.

An RWA member brought an article to one of our meetings that described how Japanese businessmen were downloading ebooks onto their phones for entertainment on long train commutes. The year was 2005 and that article was the turning point for me.

Look how far we’ve come since then and how much the publishing world has changed. Change is good. Change keeps us on our toes and always learning. Change keeps us competitive.

Wait, competitive? Yes, writers are forever bending over backwards to help one another. When one author enjoys a success, we all share in his/her enthusiasm. But writing is a business and for some a career. By competitive I mean keeping up with current trends, honing our craft, and producing in a timely fashion to build a backlist. In order to keep up with the overwhelming list of great authors, a writer must write. Once a book is published, that’s not the end; that’s only the beginning.

This past April, my tenth book came out from Champagne Books, a small publisher out of Canada.

Dragon King is the third in a sequel and combines sci-fi futuristic with fantasy. Here’s the blurb:

For decades, dragons held the essence of magic that fuelled a wizard’s power, but in 1007 AD, evil claims the heart of one such wizard while another seeks to save the magic.

Tucker Bolen considers himself a renaissance man of the thirty-first century and balks at society’s rigid cultural practices. After purchasing and using a reincarnation reader, he not only connects with his past entities, he also suffers their bid to surface and claim his soul. A collector and explorer, one of the entities leads him on a quest for dragons and a journey that ultimately leads to the greatest magic - love.

Cari Barock fears many things; never finding love, an assassin bent on taking her life, and dragons. When a stranger from a distant planet arrives, she is forced to face all her fears. With her special Deliphit powers, she helps Tucker with his quest, never realizing that she is the key to unveiling his true powers. Will she sacrifice her heart so he can save her world?

Please stop by my website to read first chapters and enjoy my art.

Dragon King is available at the following:

Kindle:

All Romance Ebooks

Beat the STREET HEAT with Will Graham

2011-06-09T22:06:00.000-07:00

As you’ll be able to tell by his answers, Will is a no nonsense type of guy, so I’ll get right to the questions.

Tess ~ Hi, Will, thank you for visiting my blog.

I know this question is asked a lot, but what inspired you to sit down and write your first story? Or were you one of those kids that began dreaming and writing your own stories from a very young age?

Will ~ I was one of those who started young. As soon as I learned how to type (I was seven years old), the floodgates opened. My first efforts were entirely forgettable, and, sadly, none survive today. There may be a connection to their disappearance and Area 51, but no one knows for sure.

Tess ~ LOL. And I bet they weren’t forgettable.

What’s your favorite book (and yes, you can pick only one).

Will ~ No, I can’t. I really can’t…J Way too many to list.

Tess ~ I’m going to let that slide, but only because you put a smiley face with your non-answer.

What’s your youngest childhood memory?

Will ~ Nothing terribly remarkable.

Tess ~ I rather doubt that with your Area 51 statement earlier!

Will ~ I have a younger brother. Life and working as a computer forensic investigator have certainly taught me a lot about people, in some cases more than I ever wanted to know.

Tess ~ **shivers** I can only imagine.

What is your favorite movie?

Will ~ Aw, geez… I bet I can only pick one of these, too? I’ll go with GONE WITH THE WIND, for the sheer scope of storytelling.

Tess ~ I know you’re a huge movie buff, so thanks for answering...I haven’t seen GWTW in a long time, I probably need to watch it again.

Now that we know you a bit better...strawberries or blueberries? (I usually ask the women authors boxer or briefs, but I can’t ask a man that question and I can’t think of a question involving women’s underthingies—so you’re off the hook!)

Will ~ Both strawberries and blueberries! Anything else, let’s just say Haines and leave it there…J

Tess ~ I must say...you’ve come a long way in this short interview—from not answering to giving extra answers when I let you off the hook! Bravo!

Who is your favorite all time hero from a book or movie?

Will ~ Oh, man. This ‘just one’ thing is a killer! I’ll have to go with Sir Gawain. Most, if not all, modern heroes come from him in one form or another.

Tess ~ I’ve got to read this Sir Gawain you speak of...I do love me a hero

Now please tell us about your writing, books, and what is on the horizon for you? And anything else you think inquiring minds want to know!

Will ~ I just released an older work under the title STREET HEAT on Kindle and Nook, and I’m extremely happy with both sales and reviews, and have revised my entire opinion on eBooks. I’m currently finishing up on a novella titled “Sometimes, There Really ARE Monsters Under the Bed”, which is scheduled for release on June 15^th, plus a collection of short stories with the characters from “Mixed Marriages Can Be Murder,” and a couple of other things that are too nebulous at this point to talk about. But, I’ll keep you posted!

Thank you for having me here, Tess!

Tess ~ It was a joy, my friend.

"William Simon is the owner and lead investigator of a licensed firm specializing in computer forensics and electronic evidence. His fiction has been published in the anthology MURDER BY MAGIC, "Suspense Magazine", and the forthcoming THRILLER III from ITW, due Summer 2012. Under the pseudonym ‘Will Graham’ he has released the detective thriller STREET HEAT, and the forthcoming “Sometimes, There Really ARE Monsters Under the Bed". His very nascent website is: http://www.wmsimon.com/

Below is an excerpt from STREET HEAT: at this point in the story, Chace is on tour for his new novel, but picking up intimations the past may be catching up with him….

HOUSTON

Breathing in Houston was like trying to breathe through a jar of peanut butter, Chace thought as he tried to get oxygen into his lungs. His sinuses had clogged on him within ten minutes of his arrival, and had not improved one whit since.

The ride from Houston Intercontinental to downtown KTRK-TV was very long, for two reasons. One, it was a considerable distance between the two, and second, traffic was wall to wall.

"Is it always like this?" he asked the driver.

"Pretty much. Today seems to be a little lighter than usual."

Chace sat back, and just shook his head.

On the set of "Good Morning, Houston," Chace was greeted by Lisa Tripani, hostess of the show; her co host, Don Nelson, was on vacation, but he had asked Lisa to be sure and get Chace to sign a copy of his book.

Lisa and Chace chatted for a few moments, then went into the by now usual routine.

After his part was over, Chace stood near the monitors. His timing was perfect for the network news.

"This is Roberta Mayfield, in San Francisco," the brunette said. "Standing outside City Hall this morning, waiting for a statement from the San Francisco Police Department in regards to the sudden and shocking wave of mutilation murders in the city.

"In less than three months, four victims have been found. The first in a dumpster near City Hall itself, the second on the street, the third in a plastic bag dumped on the side of the road, and the fourth washed ashore yesterday.

"We are waiting here for a statement from Chief of Detectives David Palezifsky, announcing the formation of a new task force designed to apprehend this heinous murderer before he can continue his crimes."

Chace turned away. It was none of his business, he was out of that sort of thing, he had no reason to even think of it. His heart hurt for the victims, but that was the department's business.

Not his.

Never again would it be his.

PHOENIX

After the humidity of the Southeast, the South, and Texas, the dryness of Arizona was blessed relief. Chace was impressed with the beauty of the area. A strange beauty, to be sure, but the desert had a charm all its' own.

The hostess of "Good Morning, Phoenix", Dana Rogers, was very smart, very quick, and very, very pretty. At five foot eleven (five nine of which was legs, Chace guessed), she was eye to eye with him in her high heels.

Dana made it clear from the outset that she had a 'thing' for writers.

Chace figured what the hell, willing to make the supreme sacrifice.

For the sake of promoting the book, of course.

Which she demanded of him later that night, after an evening of candlelight, wine (she drank, he passed), and excellent Mexican food. Prepared by the lovely Ms. Rogers in her own apartment. She drove him to the airport herself.

The next morning.

While Chace was waiting for his flight, his lips still savoring the impact of the farewell kiss Dana had bestowed upon him, he realized he was out of cigarettes. He strolled over to the kiosk after checking in and getting his boarding pass.

Time Magazine had a cover story: The Rise of Serial Murder - A Product of Our Times. Chace didn't even pick it up.

No way.

No way was he going to even look at it.

Once on board the flight, he opened the magazine, and was confronted with a picture of himself. Along with John Douglas of the F.B.I.'s Behavioral Science Unit in Quantico, Virginia, and Professor Lyndon Reynolds of Harvard University, an old newspaper photo of Chace had been squeezed in to form a triptych. He was shocked to find himself classified as an 'expert' on serial killers.

The article was basically a re-hash of the past decades' uprise in serial murders. Going back to Manson, with brief bits on Bundy, Gacy, Corrll, Lucas and Toole, winding up with the Dahmer and Chikatilo cases. Chace was disgusted by the whole thing.

A sidebar gave a recap of the Moonstone killings in San Francisco.

Chace ignored it completely.

This was the 'official' version of events.

He'd been there.

EVERYTHING BLOOD AND MAGICK WITH SUZAN HARDEN!

2011-06-02T22:37:00.000-07:00

Hi Suzan, thank you for visiting my blog today.

Suzan ~ Thanks for inviting me, Tess! I’ve always been making stuff up. Of course, I started with fanfic. The earliest story I still have is from fourth grade—How Godzilla Saved Christmas.

Tess ~ And when will it be coming out?

I’d love to know what your favorite book is, and yes, you can only pick one.

Suzan ~ Hey, that’s not fair! That’s almost as bad as picking a favorite kid. But if I must—it would have to be L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. It was the first chapter book I ever read.

Tess ~ I have never read that book, I must.

What’s your youngest childhood memory?

Suzan ~ The earliest distinct memory is Walter Cronkite announcing the assassination of Dr. King. I was only two and a half and didn’t understand the context of the Civil Rights Movement at the time. My favorite uncle was in the seminary at the time, and I was terrified that bad men were going around killing ministers and he’d be killed too.

Tess ~ Oh, that’s so sad.

Suzan ~ I have two siblings, a younger sister and a younger brother. Let’s just say every single one of my beta readers for the Bloodlines series has made some comment about me “working out my family issues” after reading one of the novels. LOL

Tess ~ Well, let’s admit it, we have to work them out some way!

What is your favorite movie?

Suzan ~ Geez! That’s almost as bad as picking a favorite book! If I’m being perfectly honest, I’d have to say The Wedding Singer.

Tess ~ That was a great movie...Cindy and Scott are newlyweds whoopedydo!

Now that we know you a bit better...boxers or briefs?

Suzan ~ It depends on the snugness of the outfit I’m wearing.

Tess ~ LOL.

Who is your favorite all time hero from a book or movie?

Suzan ~ Duke Alaric Anthony Morgan from Katherine Kurtz’s Deryni series. Tall, blond and he can sling spells as well as he can swing swords. Whew! I’m getting sweaty just thinking about it.

Tess ~ I must read this man!

Now please tell us about your writing, books, and what is on the horizon for you? And anything else you think inquiring minds want to know!

Suzan ~ After years of pulling a Maxwell Smart (I’m showing my age, but one of his trademark phrases was “Missed it by that much!), my husband and I crunched the numbers last winter. It made more financial sense to create my own publishing company to put out my books than to continue pursuing a NY contract. However, if someone offered me J.K. Rowling-type advances, I wouldn’t turn them down.

Right now, I’m releasing two series. The first is an erotic romance series called Seasons of Magick. Spring came out in April (find it at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords), , and the next book, Summer will be out July 25^th. It’s about a little Greenwich Village occult shop, Morrigan’s Cauldron, and the penchant of its owner to nudge, or in some cases, shove her employees and neighbors toward true love.

The second is an urban fantasy project that refused to die, probably because one of the heroines is a zombie.

Blood Magick is the first in the Bloodlines series. Bebe Zachary is a witch, who’s not too fond of vampires after they murdered her parents. Seventeen years later, someone’s gunning for her, she doesn’t have the slightest clue why, and she finds the only person she can trust is Caesar Augustine, a vampire master. Blood Magick is available now at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Smashwords.

Zombie Love is the second Bloodlines novel. Tabloid reporter Samantha “Sam” Ridgeway follows a story that leads straight to a bunch of mad scientists. Scientists that want to use her as a guinea pig. And she knows all too well what happens to guinea pigs when the experiment is over. Except Sam wakes up with super-strength, super-senses, and a ravenous appetite. And she’s one guinea pig who’s not walking quietly into the good night. Zombie Love will be out July 1.

Blood

Caesar Augustine has survived on it for millennia, but his friend Natasha believed she was close to a cure for vampirism. When she dies and her lab notes disappear, Caesar’s only chance to walk in sunlight again is finding her granddaughter Bebe, the one witch Natasha would trust with her research. But getting Bebe to trust him is another matter altogether.

Magick

Dr. Bebe Zachary has feared and mistrusted vampires for seventeen years, since the night she witnessed two of the bloodsuckers brutally murder her parents. When Caesar Augustine comes to her with an insane story that her grandmother’s death was no accident, the last thing she wants to do is believe him. Except her cousins have challenged Bebe for leadership of their coven, somebody definitely wants her dead too, and Caesar is the only the person standing between her and the grave.

Tess ~ Sounds wonderful!

Also,check out Suzan's blog...she has a contest going right now! Wild, Wicked, & Wacky. Thanks so much for visiting today, Suzan!!!

Bethany Averie and her Man-Beast take over my blog!

2011-05-27T05:47:00.000-07:00

Today I’d like to welcome Bethany Averie. Bethany is a gem. She’s always promoting our local Northwest Houston RWA chapter writers on her blog (and at the library, grocery store, local bookstore) and I wanted to feature her, and thank her, for all she’s done for me...and so many others.

Welcome Bethany, wonderful to have you with us.

Thank you, Tess, for giving me this opportunity to guest post on your blog. It’s pretty exciting. If Tess didn’t tell you, we’re actually critique partners. SURREAL (my fantasy romance with paranormal elements) is a better novel, thanks to her help, comments, and brainstorming.

Writing fantasy and/or paranormal isn’t much different from writing any other novel. The difference, there’s generally an element of the otherworldly in it and, if that’s the case, you have to define the parameters of the world. In SURREAL, my hero, Monroe, is a Man-beast lion--a type of shape shifter. Since such a being doesn’t exist in the real world, I had to define what a Man-beast Lion was (he’s fully human in his human form and maintains some human abilities in his beast form. He can still talk like a man, although his voice is deeper).

Readers also need a clear picture into Monroe’s world, because he doesn’t live in the human world. He lives in The Third Realm--a world that parallels the human world, except it has magic. Plus, there’s mythical and paranormal creatures with an old fashioned element due to years of traditions passed down from one generation to the next.

In my writing, I tend to gravitate towards what generally only exists in the imagination. I enjoy stretching my “what if” to the very limit and then pushing past it. I have a lot of fun and I’m delighted when others have fun reading my stories.

At the moment, none of my stories are published, however, I do have a blog, which you can find at http://writebybethany.blogspace.com/ . I hope I’ll find people who wish to help me achieve publication in the near future.

For fun, Bethany’s done an interview with her favorite character.

INTERVIEW WITH A MAN-BEAST (shape shifter)

Welcome to my head, well the imagination side of it. Don’t mind all the clutter, I have a lot playing around there.

“You should have Ayres clean this place out,” a disembodied voice growls.

Sighing, I peer into the darkness. “Monroe, come out where everyone can see you.”

Muttering, a tall, over six foot figure steps forward. Long blond hair is pulled back in a queue with a black elastic, and he’s dressed in a white button-down shirt, open at the collar, black pants, and shiny black dress shoes. Sitting down in a wingback chair across from me, he scowls, his golden hazel eyes flashing.

“Hello, Monroe, how are you?”

His fingers tap the arm of the chair. “I’d be better if you left me alone.”

“I could say the same thing about you. But, never mind. Please tell readers about yourself.”

He shifts uncomfortably in his chair. “My name is Monroe Dubay. I’m a man-beast lion. What you humans would call a shape shifter. Except, unlike your shape shifters I don’t rely on any moon phases. I can turn into a lion anytime I please, unless I’m in the human world.”

“Tell them where you live.”

“Why don’t they read my story?”

“It’s not published, yet, remember? I got that last-minute polishing left before I send it out.”

“Exactly why isn’t that done?”

“There’s been a lot going on in my life. You know that.”

He folds his arms. “You just had to have that jewelry giveaway on your blog.”

“Oh come on, one of the sets was in honor of you and Sasha.”

His face softens. “So, they know me and Sasha’s story exists?”

“Of course they do. I’ve mentioned it on my blog. Plus, you know Tess St. John is my critique partner.”

“Right.” His lips quirk into a vague smile. “Tess is all right. The only thing I hold against her is she likes Bast.”

“He’s your best friend.”

Monroe’s lips twitch. “He’s a pest.”

“Aw, be nice. How’s Sasha?”

He smiles a real smile. “She’s fine. Although, I think you got me in trouble with her. She doesn’t like it when I growl at you.”

I smile back. “What else can you tell us about her?”

“Besides the fact she’s perfect?”

“See, Monroe? I knew you were an ole pussy cat.” I nudge his arm.

He pulls his arm back. “Am not! I’m a lion.”

I roll my eyes. “Yeah, yeah, hear you roar. So what are your hopes for when people do get to read you and Sasha’s story?”

He folds his hands, resting his ankle on his leg. “That they’ll like her as much as I do. Perhaps you’ll let me see what you have planned for the other stories? There’s glimmers of them all over the place. They’re very distracting when Sasha and I are trying to have a conversation.”

I grin. “Nope! Unlike Sasha, I won’t let you in to rummage around my consciousness. You’ll just have to find out when everyone else does.”

“All the more reason for me and Sasha’s story to hurry up and get out there.”

Standing, I offer my hand to him. “Well, these things take time. Thank you for dropping by.”

He gives my hand a light shake, his grasp firm. “Thank Sasha. She’s the one who said I owed it to you.”

“Be sure to tell her I said thank you. Have a nice day, Monroe.” I wave as he disappears, around the corner, to another part of my imagination.

Bethany, thanks so much for visiting today and giving us a glimpse into your life and your writing!

Welcome Author MELISSA OHNOUTKA

2011-05-19T22:25:00.000-07:00

I am thrilled to welcome Melissa to my blog today. I met Melissa when we both attended a Northwest Houston RWA meeting. Being newbies, we sat at the back table. She's just the sweetest person and after meeting her, you'd never guess she writes thrillers that will have you jumping at every sound (while I was reading Faithful Deceptions, someone knocked on my front door and I squealed!--scared to death!)

Tess ~ Melissa, thank you for visiting my blog. I know this question is asked a lot, but what inspired you to sit down and write your first story? Or were you one of those kids that began dreaming and writing your own stories from a very young age?

Melissa ~ First thanks so much for having me today, Tess! I know I've said this before, but I'm so glad I don't have to travel on this bumpy journey alone. J

I've always loved to read and I guess I've been making up stories in my head for as long as I can remember. In 7th grade I actually started putting one down on paper. All my friends were in it of course, and I'd pass around the pages I finished for them to read. But I never really dreamed of being a writer. I didn't pick it back up until after my second child was born. Two babies under the age of two. I had to do something to stay sane! And it's just progressed from there to something I love to do.

Tess ~ Heavens, you were a busy woman. I can't believe you had the time to write!

What's your favorite book (and yes, you can pick only one).

Melissa ~ That's pretty easy for me. "Rebecca" by Daphne Du Maurier. I read it back in high school and have loved it ever since. I even have the movie version thanks to a wonderful friend who's really into old movies!

Tess ~ My daughter keeps telling me I need to read that book...now I guess I have to!

What’s your youngest childhood memory?

Melissa ~ Oh, this one is hard. My memory seems to be fading fast with each new day. LOL It would have to be me running around in my go-go boots at about 3 or 4. I had black ones and white ones and never wanted to take them off.

Tess ~ How cute!!!

Melissa ~ I grew up with one younger brother whom I love dearly. Then found out about two years ago that I also have an older brother as well. Pretty shocking, but it's been a real blessing. It's weird. I knew something wasn't right growing up, just couldn't put my finger on it. I never felt like I should be the oldest. I truly believe family helps shape who you are and I find myself looking forward to learning more about my older brother and making new memories with him in our family. For me, the love and support of family is everything.

Tess ~ I agree, dear.

What is your favorite movie?

Melissa ~ Okay, don't laugh! "Pirates of the Caribbean" for adult movie. "Over the Hedge" for my inner child. J I just loved Hammy!! "But I want a cookie."

Tess ~ No one laughed!!! But I've never seen Over the Hedge.

Now that we know you a bit better...boxers or briefs?

Melissa ~ Ack! I'm blushing. Can't answer that! LOL

Tess ~ Okay, I'm letting that pass.

Who is your favorite all time hero from a book or movie?

Melisaa ~ Daniel Day-Lewis in "The Last Of The Mohicans"

Tess ~ Now please tell us about your writing, books, and what is on the horizon for you? And anything else you think inquiring minds want to know!

Melissa ~ I love writing suspense. I've tried to write a simple sweet romance at the urging of my sweet mother, but dang if my heroine doesn't get herself in some kind of trouble with a dead body or two every time. J Sorry mom!

"Faithful Deceptions" is the first of three books I'm working on dealing with human trafficking. This has been a really hard subject for me to research. I have two daughters of my own and just knowing that this goes on here, in America, really disturbs me on all kinds of levels. My books don't go into the horrible details, but hopefully shed some light on how close to home this crime really is.

I have a short story that will tie the first two books together and put you smack dab in the middle of a victim's point of view. I shiver at the thought. Did I tell you how hard this was? LOL I'm hoping to have the short story available by June and then "Target of Betrayal" will follow sometime this summer.

After these, I plan to challenge myself to write something else. We'll see how that works.

Here's an except from Faithful Deceptions:

Faithful Deceptions

Prologue

“Hailey. Open your eyes, sweetheart.”

A burning sensation ripped through her insides. Where am I? Why is it so dark?

Precious seconds passed as she tried the simple action of just swallowing. Why

couldn’t' she move, speak?

And oh, the pain.

No matter how hard she tried, Hailey's efforts to focus and lift her eyelids fell short.

It felt as if she was being pulled though an opening much too small. Jagged pieces, pointed, razor sharp, scraping and cutting at her tender flesh as she tried to regain

consciousness.

Oh, no. What’s happening to me?

Death’s icy fingers laced around her heart as the empty void expanded further and

tormented her soul. A part of her wanted to quit, to give in and find the peace she knew

was just beyond her reach. But somewhere, somewhere deep within, the will to live grew

stronger. Wouldn't let her cross over.

“Hailey?”

In the deep recesses of her mind, a glimmer of hope flickered. Someone was calling her name. She could hear them, sense their presence. But they sounded so far away. Their voice drifted in and out, the way the ocean flows beyond all boundaries of time and space on a solitary seashore.

Oh, dear God. Why couldn't she think straight?

I’m here. I can hear you. Alarm spread over her as she tried to lift a finger to alert

them she was still alive. Not one tiny muscle even flinched. She may be able to hear

them, but the person made no indication they knew of her receptiveness.

This isn’t happening, she thought, feeling her chest rise and fall with rapid repetitions. Don’t panic. Not yet.

Focus already. Just focus.

This reminded her way too much of those nights back in high school when she’d ended up at home in her own bed, unclear about how she had made it back at all. So much defiance, so many wild parties, so much pain. She cringed at the memory of her brother’s smiling face, of how he’d always been there to rescue her from those irresponsible intoxicated messes.

A sob tightened her throat.

Oh, Eric. The horrible truth tore through her chest like a feral beast. She let him down in the worst possible way when the time came for him to need her in return.

Flashes of disturbing images filtered through the murkiness and sent her heart racing with dread. These experiences were from her troubled teens. All disappointing memories she’d tried so hard to forget for so many years.

Well isn’t this just perfect. Not one single clue significant enough to explain the dilemma facing her now surfaced. But she could vividly picture the twisted metal, the branches of that blasted tree, and all the blood from that horrifying night so long ago.

What the heck was causing her selective memory? She had no idea where she was or how she ended up this way. The last thing Hailey recalled before being plunged into the depths of darkness was a huge Christmas party given by one of her best clients. But she wasn’t even sure why she had changed her mind and decided to go after all.

Especially since Delaney… Oh, what the heck had Delaney done again? This was getting old way too quick. Days were missing. A lot of them. She could picture herself descending the winding staircase into an extravagantly decorated ballroom and hear the joyful Christmas music floating in the air around her, but after that her memory grew hazy. There was some sort of blinding light she couldn't quite identify and then, nothing at all as her brain spiraled into unresponsiveness.

She now lay counting eternal seconds of panic-stricken weightlessness. Her head throbbed in rhythm with each heartbeat, a tight heaviness in her chest threatening to collapse her ribcage with the next breath she dared inhale.

Summoning all her strength and courage, she fought off the urge to scamper away and hide like an injured animal. It would be so easy.

Please visit me at www.melissaohnoutka.com or follow my blog: www.melissaohnoutka.blogspot.com to stay up to date with my progress.

And you can find my books here:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Smashwords

Thanks again, Tess!

Wishing you all the best with your books too!

"Second Chances" was amazing! I still can't get the characters out of my head. LOL

Incredible Dreams and an Incredible Giveaway!

2011-05-13T18:41:00.000-07:00

I'm tickled to introduce Sandra Edwards who has written an incredible book...and is holding an incredible giveaway! Thanks so much for stopping by, Sandy!

Incredible Dreams Links

Kindle US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/ B003ZSHPBQ

Kindle UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/ B003ZSHPBQ

Print: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1453780874/

BN Nook: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Incredible-Dreams/Sandra-Edwards/e/2940012057860

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/21665

Blurb:

            Incredible Dreams is the story of a modern-day ghost whisperer who travels through time to save the life of a WWII fighter pilot and ends up jeopardizing her own existence.
            Izzy Miller prefers to call herself a spiritual therapist because she thinks it makes her sound more professional than plain old ghost-whisperer. She expects her latest project to be quick and easy because exorcising military personnel is pretty routine.
            But there's nothing easy or routine about Captain Jack Baker—he's a rather forgetful spirit and somewhat mischievous. And even though he's intrigued by the US Government's latest attempt to remove him from the only place he can ever remember being...he has no intentions of going anywhere.
            Plans to exorcise Jack are quickly sidelined when Izzy discovers a portal into the past inside her dreams and sets out to change his fate. Trouble is...when she gets back there, she can't remember anything but her name. She still sees ghosts, but is far less accepting of her gift. And, to make matters worse, a demonic force pretending to be the forgetful heroine's sister has her own plans—to steal Izzy's soul.

At the end of this blog tour, Sandra's giving away a new Kindle 3 and a nice starter library from some great authors. For more info, please check her website at http://www.sandrawrites.com

Followers of the "Incredible Dreams Kindle 3 Giveaway" here are your questions for this stop on the blog tour:

1. In Markee Anderson's Love Means Nothin’, why did Melody go to New York City? -- Find the answer at: http://markeeanderson.com/lovemeansnothin.html

2. In KC May's The Venom of Vipers, which of these characters is a sapher: Katie, Stephen, Ryder, Hamilton? -- Find the answer at: http://www.kcmay.com/ss.html

* Please don’t post your answers in the comments section here. Detailed instructions for entering the giveaway are at Sandra's website.

Author Victoria Gray

2011-05-10T09:45:00.000-07:00

I'm thrilled to welcome a critique partner of mine today. I LOVE Victoria's stories and know you will too!

What comes to your mind when you hear the word spies? James Bond, gadgets, an eccentric Civil War-era spinster known as Crazy Bet.

Yes, that’s right…a spinster known as Crazy Bet - Elizabeth Van Lew, a Richmond spinster known as Crazy Bet, used her eccentric behavior as a cover for her ingenious schemes, disarming the people she’s deceiving without ever using a weapon. The daughter of a prominent Richmond businessman, she spent her inheritance buying and freeing slaves before the war. During the war, she spied for the Union, supplying information to Union generals; during her frequent visits to the Confederate prison in Richmond, Crazy Bet brought food and books for the imprisoned Federal soldiers and much desired treats for the guards while she gleaned information she could funnel to Union officers. Using her reputation as an eccentric to her best advantage, she adopted the touched persona of “Crazy Bet” to further avoid suspicion of her activities.

Elizabeth Van Lew’s story inspired the character of canny spymaster, “Crazy Betsy” Kincaid, in Angel in My Arms, the story of Amanda Emerson, a beautiful Union spy and Captain Steve Dunham, the Union officer she recruits for a suicide mission. Steve Dunham’s facing a noose when sable-haired beauty Amanda Emerson and her crazy matron “aunt” engineer his escape from jail. There's a catch - Amanda needs him to break into Libby Prison to rescue a notorious double agent who may or may not be on the side of the Union. He’s trading one noose for another, but Steve can’t resist her. He’ll possess her love – if he lives long enough.

The rugged soldier she recruits for her plan looks more like a Viking warrior than a disciplined officer, but Amanda’s drawn to Steve’s courage and tenderness. As the danger surrounding them thickens, every moment he’s with her jeopardizes their lives, but they discover a passionate love that’s worth the risk.

Steve Dunham, the hero of Angel in My Arms, was introduced in an earlier novel, Destiny. When I wrote Destiny, I knew I’d have to give Steve his own love story. Throw in a gang of gun-runners who specialize in stolen military weapons, a nest of beautiful spies, a heroic Confederate officer whose ties with Steve go back to their Army service in the western territories, and a villain with a thirst for revenge, and you've got a plot that isn't your mother's Civil War romance.

Here’s a little about the story:

Amanda Emerson must break her cousin, a notorious double agent, out of a Confederate prison before his imminent execution. She’s a skilled Union operative, but for this mission, she needs a man. Even a man who looks and acts like a Viking warrior.

Caught with Rebel battle plans and set for a hanging, Union spy Steve Dunham isn’t about to refuse the assistance of the sable-haired beauty who shows up at the jail and slips him the keys to his cell. Of course, she’s there for a reason besides saving his neck—he’s the key to her plan.

He may be trading one noose for another, but he won’t forsake her. The spoils of his victory will be her surrender. And the terms of surrender will be sweet.

Here’s an Excerpt:

Amanda closed her eyes and savored his possession. How could anything feel as good as his lips against hers? With his arms wrapped tight

around her, she felt as though nothing could penetrate the tender shield of his embrace.

Wanting him was wrong. He was little more than a stranger. A man she’d teamed with for a mission. He was supposed to be nothing more.

But he’d filled her heart.

His handsome face captivated her all the more for its tiny imperfections. A small scar on his chin. The small bump at the bridge of his nose that told the tale of a long-ago break. Another scar, much more recent, on his jaw that looked to be the result of a man’s ring connecting with his flesh and bone.

He was a warrior. Her warrior. Fierce. Tender. Courageous. Protective.

“You’re so beautiful, Mandy.” His lips trailed the column of her throat.

She nestled against his broad chest. He smelled like bay rum and pine and leather. She’d never realized how tantalizing the scents could be. Mingled with his natural essence, the blend of aromas touched something deep and primal within her. She couldn’t resist the scent. Or him.

He took her hands in his. A sly smile curved his mouth as he studied her. “Such sweet temptation. The question is where to begin.”

She’d wasn’t an innocent, but she’d never experienced the heat of a man’s gaze drinking her in as though she were a fine wine to be savored. When Steve looked at her, she felt wanted.

Desired.

Loved.

Ridiculous. He couldn’t possibly love her.

But he hungered for her touch. That would have to be enough. After all, she didn’t love him.

Keep telling yourself that, Mandy.

She couldn’t love a man she barely knew.

Even if she longed for his scent. For his touch. For the moment when he’d claim her.

Even if she prayed he’d come to his senses and leave her before the rebels captured him and dragged him away to prison. Or a noose.

Contact me at:

www.victoriagrayromance.com

www.victoriagrayromance.blogspot.com

Angel in My Arms is now available in print and as an eBook from The Wild Rose Press, www.thewildrosepress.com .

Faithful deceptions!

2011-05-02T16:29:00.000-07:00

A good friend of mine Melissa Ohnoutka has released her first book! I'll warn you, don't read it while you're home alone at night!

Faithful Deceptions is a chilling tell of human trafficking and a woman who is captured, entended to be sold into slavery. Determined not to let that happen, is an agent who discovers he has more to lose than just this case.--now his heart is on the line also. I fell in love with Hailey and Patrick!

Here is the blurb:

Money dictates the rules of this game and the victim could be anybody— regardless of sex, age, or race.

When high-end antiques dealer, Hailey Devlin, discovers her business partner's boyfriend has bankrupted their company, she sets out to expose the thief. Unknown to Hailey, her target is involved in a brutal trafficking ring where human lives are sold off to the highest bidder and she fits the next customer's order perfectly. She awakens to a world she can't remember. An alluring man claims to be her husband-a man who seems both to want and reject her. Is this amnesia or something much more sinister?

ICE Agent Patrick Roark jumped at the chance to put his training to the test on an elite human trafficking squad of Homeland Security. Undercover as the bodyguard to the ring leader, and key suspect in a murder case, proves more than he bargained for. Masterminding a clever deception, he's determined to keep the next victim safe—even if the high-stakes operation costs him everything-including his heart. Can they survive a killer's wrath? And if they do, will the lies be too damaging for their love to endure?

2011-04-22T12:22:00.000-07:00

I want to thank all of my friends, family, and people I don’t even know, for the wonderful support this last week!

For two days Second Chances was in the top 100 of Regency Romance kindle books sold!!! And under #10,000 for Amazon Bestsellers rank (I was at 5,500 on release day!). Quite a wonderful week for me.

Many friends helped by blogging, facebooking, and emailing their friends!

Today I'm being featured on Suzan Harden's blog

I am so blessed.

Happy Easter/Passover to everyone!

And So It Begins

2011-04-21T06:32:00.000-07:00

I launched my first book yesterday—a scary, exhilarating day.

I had great response from friends and family members (thanks to all for the support and good wishes), but now it’s time to market!

Wish I knew exactly what works and what doesn’t, but I don’t think there is a tried and true way for anyone to reach the masses.

I’m learning as I go and right now I’m trying these avenues: I promised my hair stylist I would blog at least once every two weeks, friends are featuring me on their blogs, and I’m spending time at kindleboards, nookboards, and goodreads.

I need to learn to twitter...but I’m not much a tweetie kinda gal.

Anyone have other marketing ideas for Indie writers?????

Tess St. John

WHO SAID THAT?

Ciara Gold's Newest Release!

Eyes of Jade is up today!

DON'T LET IT SHOW is up on Bargain Books for you Nook today!

AGAIN THE MAGIC!

Tatoos, Santa, and Susan Muller!!

Books to purchase for the holiday!

EYES OF JADE GIVEAWAY

Great post today at English Historical Fiction Writers

J.D. Faver a BAD GIRL?

So Much To Say

Can all Wounds be healed?

A new blog, giveaways, and Anglophiles!!

If you like the steamier (hotter) side of romance...Robin Badillo is your girl!

“ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?”

Happy Anniversary!!!

In two years my parents will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary. That isn’t a typo…sixty years. And I can honestly say they’re still very much in love. They are and always have been great role models!

But where did the practice of celebrating anniversaries come from?

I found this fascinating. I never knew silver was harmonious.

On the fiftieth anniversary, the wife was presented with a wreath of gold. Hence the silver and gold anniversaries.

NORTHWEST HOUSTON RWA CONFERENCE!!!

Nineteenth Century Cooking By Anna Kathryn Lanier

DON'T LET IT SHOW IS Ereaders News Today ~ Book of the Day!!!

An Interview with Jennifer Bray-Weber!

I Can't Express How Happy I Am to Have Claire Delacroix on my blog today!

Suzan Harden's Newest Release ~ ZOMBIE LOVE

Sandra Edwards - and Her Interview!

I'm so pleased to welcome Misty Evan to my Blog Today.

Ciara Gold spills on ebooks,

Beat the STREET HEAT with Will Graham

EVERYTHING BLOOD AND MAGICK WITH SUZAN HARDEN!

Bethany Averie and her Man-Beast take over my blog!

Welcome Author MELISSA OHNOUTKA

Incredible Dreams and an Incredible Giveaway!

Author Victoria Gray

Faithful deceptions!

And So It Begins

In two years my parents will celebrate their 60^th wedding anniversary. That isn’t a typo…sixty years. And I can honestly say they’re still very much in love. They are and always have been great role models!