From the Pages

Welcome, Pat Casiello

2009-08-11T02:43:00.000-07:00

Welcome to From the Pages, Pat. It's great to get a chance to know you, and introduce you to my blog readers. Pat is part of the sister team that writes a K.M. Daughters.

How did you celebrate your first contract?

With a gloppy, delicious tropical drink in the downtown area of Universal Studios, Orlando, Florida. We were there on a “sister trip” for fun when we received an email from Nicola Martinez, Sr. Editor at The Wild Rose Press offering us a contract for Jewel of the Adriatic. Seated in an amphitheater-like attraction called The Eighth Voyage of Sinbad an email came through on Pat’s cell minutes before the stage show started. Pat related to Kathie, “We sold our book!!!!!!” And a canon went off on stage.

What kind of food do you like best?

We are unanimous! Lou Malnati’s Chicago style deep-dish pizza. Kathie votes for sausage and Pat votes for the Lou’s special (sliced tomatoes, spinach and three different cheeses – as if one isn’t enough!).

Can you tell us anything about what you’re working on now?

We just finished final galley approval of Beyond The Code of Conduct, 2nd in the Sullivan Boys series and are into the first draft of the 3rd book in the series, working title Capturing Karma. We also just launched our first manuscript contracted to Sapphire Blue Publishing, a contemporary romance, Past, Present and Forever, available in digital formats.

Tell us a little bit about your book, please.

We have three books available now: our debut novel was published in print August 2008 - Jewel of the Adriatic, an inspirational romance set in a fictional Adriatic village where millions believe the Mother of God appears daily to three visionaries.

The first book in our Sullivan Boys romantic suspense series, Against Doctors Orders followed in October 2008. NYT Best Selling author, Brenda Novak says: “Watch out! The Sullivan boys are a force to be reckoned with. Against Doctors Orders packs a punch and keeps you turning the pages.”

Set in suburban Chicago, sexy homicide Detective Danny Sullivan meets bossy ER doc Molly Jordan when he’s brought to her ER with a bullet wound. While the Henna Housewife Killer targets red-headed victims, Danny works to stop him despite the distraction of irresistible Molly.

Our third book, is a contemporary romance, Past, Present and Forever, available in e-book only through Sapphire Blue Publishing. Unaware they share the same goal, Lizzie and Jack motivate Jack’s brother Charlie out of his despondency after the death of his wife. Lizzie and Jack both understand loss. Liz was jilted by her fiancé the same day her parents died ten years ago. Jack’s mother abandoned her small sons to life with a father who never recovered from the separation. Now Liz faces the man who destroyed her at a college reunion, with Jack as her companion instead of Charlie who engineers the covert substitution. As they collide in the present can they overcome their pasts and find forever?

Is there anything about you that would surprise your readers?

Kathie can play the drums and Pat can speak Spanish, neither can do the other.

If you had the choice of being stranded on a desert island or lost in a huge city, which would you prefer and why?

We both choose lost in a huge city, preferably together. So many opportunities for adventure, so much to see, maybe even people to meet along the way. We were in Paris once together and decided we wanted to visit the Eiffel Tower. Our hotel was miles away. We love to walk and talk together – the genesis of every story plot and character discoveries. We figured if we could see it – and the Eiffel Tower is hard to miss – we could find our way to it. We succeeded at the end of a meandering, hilarious time together.

The question most readers want to know but never get the chance to ask, do you ever write in your pajamas?

All the time. Probably most of the time.

What circumstances led you to writing?

Kathie was addicted to Silhouette Romances when her boys were babies, an addiction she shared with our Mom. She decided to try her hand at writing series romance and produced several manuscripts. Perhaps the “writing bug” is hereditary because our Dad wrote several children’s books (we self-published them in a three-book volume Three Wishes by Michael Lynch) before he died when we were teenagers. Kathie encouraged Pat to attempt to write a book and when we joined Romance Writers of America we each had separate manuscripts we wanted to hone. At an RWA national conference in Reno, Nevada, Kathie suggested we write as a team and the author wannabe K.M. Daughters was born.

How many books have you written? Do you have a favorite?

We have written five books together and contracted them all in 2008. (Our 6th is our WIP) The most recent contract is for the inspirational romance, Rose of the Adriatic, the sequel to our debut novel. Perhaps it’s because it’s the most recent or because of the special nature of the story – a visionary who speaks daily with the Mother of God falls in love with a doctor who comes to her village to discredit her claim that she receives heavenly messages – but we are truly in love with this story.

You’re in an Italian restaurant. What do you order?

Pat is married to Nick Casiello – she knows her Italian menus. A wonderful bottle of Italian red wine from the village of Montepulciano in Tuscany. First roasted red peppers topped with melted white cheese and maybe grilled Portobello mushrooms topped with parmesan cheese for appetizers. A tomato Caprese salad – beefsteak tomatoes sliced with a layer of mozzarella cheese and fresh basil , next. For the pasta dish rigatoni with broccoli, red peppers and mushrooms tossed with olive oil, Parmesan & pine nuts. For the main entrée grilled halibut and roasted veal loin. Side dishes -roasted potato wedges and green beans tossed with olive oil and garlic. For dessert an ice cream bomba. All served family style and brought at leisurely pace one course at a time. The meal should take hours. And might involve another bottle of wine.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us today?

We always dreamed that the most joyful, ecstatic moment on our writers’ journey would be when holding a book we wrote in our hands, marveling at its existence. Yes, those moments are thrilling! But we discovered far greater joy when a reader we’d never met wrote us or wrote a review for us because she loved our book. Or when a reader contacted us from our website concerned that she’d “missed” the release date of Beyond The Code of Conduct because she loved Against Doctors Orders and can’t wait for the next book in the series. These are truly dreams come true.

Thank you for joining us today, Pat. It's been a pleasure having you here.

For more information, Pat's website is http://kmdaughters.com/

Welcome, Candace Black

2009-08-04T02:21:00.002-07:00

Welcome, Candace! It's so nice to have you here today.

Can you tell us anything about what you’re working on now?

I started about four projects at once and finally decided to finish one. "Kindertransport" will be out August of '09"Clown College" and "Forgotten Bathory" will be submitted as soon as they are tweaked."Clown College" is a YA/inspirational or sweet romance. I like a variety of things so my genres sometimes overlap."

Forgotten Bathory" is about Elizabeth Bathory's illegitimate daughter. It could be categorized as suspense or historical.

I am also working on a book about Straight Inc, also a YA that I hope to make a series. Due to legal stuff I will have to change the title probably to "the program" or "DRABS: Drug Rehab and Behavior Specialists" -- eek, don't like that title. This organization was closed in the 1980's for child abuse.

Where do you write?

I am trying to do the bulk of my writing at the computer. I used to write longhand, then type and copy/paste pieces together like a puzzle, very time consuming. I have sticky notes in the bathroom and the car in case an idea or dialogue line hits. (there's a joke in there somewhere)

How many books have you written? Do you have a favorite?

I have written a baby book that is gathering dust and a midlist I have trouble placing. It was written in the memory of my husband's brother. He died of cancer at age 5. I called it "Wishes". I wrote six pieces start to finish but only have one published so far. I have a queue of other stories waiting patiently to be written. No favorite yet.

Where did you get the idea for this story?

History. For every point of view lies a different story. Kindertransport was inspired by a random computer search. I had never heard of the transport and I was surprised to learn some don't consider these children to be technical holocaust survivors. I did some research on Grafeneck castle and the outline came flying at me.

How do you juggle all of life’s other demands with your writing career?

Organization is my goal for '09. I have to write everything down. I keep a calendar and lists so I can at least get the most important stuff done.

How did you meet your significant other?

His best friend was married to my best friend. I walked in her house one day, she wasn't home and I met Rusty. he was curious as to why I just barged in without knocking. I said "hey there," and teased about my friend knowing better than to not be there at my beck and call. He's used to my sense of humor now.

Do you have a pet?

It's weird, I'm allergic to some cats but not others. After adopting two adorable kittens who nearly put me in the ER I tried to adjust to having a dog ( I borrowed my nieghbors to see if i was allergic) then I had the chance to adopt peachcup, an American short hair. no problems! which was good as she had kittens 3 months later. I now have her and her daughter, Freya. no allergy problems.

Do you believe in extraterrestrial beings?

God seperated Heaven from the Earth, so would Angels be considered extraterrestrial? I will say yes, its a big universe and I see no reason why humans would be the only creatures in it.

Is there anything about you that would surprise your readers?

My humor. I love humor in all forms, high brow, sophomoric, slap stick, dry. I love the Addams Family. I tend to parent the way Morticia does. My son was shooting targets and I actually told him "darling, move that target away from the window, why don't you play with the machete for a while?" ( he is 16 and we have weeds growing over the fence). We both laughed after I said it. We tease each other. laughter is important to us.

If you had to choose another profession, what would it be?

I would take care of newborn babies and their moms. Once I thought babies were something you put up with until they got to be fun. (defined as over four), but after having one, I realize how smart they are. Heck, they are fluent in a foreign language in less than four years! Nurture them, feed their curiosity and learn together! Raising children is an awesome experience.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us today?

I'm a Star Trek fan from way back! Spock has been my role model, he taught me how to outsmart bullies by giving them no reaction. (except for the one time I was suspended for fighting. oops a bit of Klingon seeped through.) We are an incredible force for good. Don't be afraid to let your light shine.

Thanks so much for stopping by today. I have enjoyed getting to know you. Congratulations on the release of Kindertransport.

Readers, Candace has graciously offered to give away a copy of Kindertransport, which releases on August 7th from The Wild Rose Press. Every comment is an entry in the giveaway, so comment away and check back to see if you're the lucky winner!

A blurb:

I filled a syringe with morphine.

Could innocent blood ever be washed away?Would my hands ever be clean again if Icontinued on this course? The gas would make themchoke, gasping for breath as life was strangled to nothingness. Morphine would make them euphoric,and an overdose would put them to sleep, peacefully,with no pain. A sleep from which they would notwake, but they would be safe from the evil thatawaited them otherwise.

I filled the second syringe. I thought of each child as I punctured the rubber stopper, the needle sucking up the lethal fluid filling the tube. LittleWilhelm. My treasured leader of the pack. The braces on his legs never stopped his imaginationfrom soaring. Lara. An artist’s soul expressed with the one good hand she had. Art reflective of thebeauty living in her heart. The twins. Isn’t intelligence measured with creativity? I would sorely miss their energy.

My hand slipped, and the needle grazed theknuckle of my thumb. I swore and bit my lip. Perfect. I’ll kill myself before I get a chance to euthanize my children. Then, after I enter Heaven’s gates, if He lets me inside them, God can tell me I am an idiot and a murderer.

I rubbed my shoulders. They hunched with an invisible weight that made my back ache.

For more information, check out Candace's website candaceblack.net

Welcome, Beth Caudill

2009-07-28T02:32:00.000-07:00

Welcome to From the Pages, Beth. It's so nice to have you here today. I've got lots of questions to ask, so I hope you don't mind if we just dive into the interview.

Where do you write?

Have laptop will travel. Most of the time, I’m found sitting on the sofa or lounging on the bed. However during the summer, I can be outside watching the kids and continue to work.

Can you tell us anything about what you’re working on now?

I write paranormal and fantasy stories. Usually I base my stories in an alternate reality of our own universe, with this wip (work in progress) I wanted to create a brand new world. So I’ve set my story on a planet in a far away galaxy populated by typical paranormal or fantasy creatures. No humans allowed. I wanted something I could build into a series but I have a hard time sticking with one breed of paranormal. The first story in there series stars the werewolves and will be set in the forests. I plan for the second to be about elves and located in the city. After that, we’ll see how it goes.

Sounds very interesting!

Do you need silence to write or can you write through anything?o

I have to some type of background noise. I can get lost in the story better. However, new tv shows can be an unwanted distraction when working at night.

Do you listen to music while you write?

Yes! I’ve found New Age, Classical, and Soundtrack music work the best. I don’t create playlists for individual stories. Pick a CD off the pile and away I go.

What do you love most about being an author?

The freedom to create. Science and math are good but they follow precise steps and very rigid lines. I cannot draw and music is fun to play but I don’t have the ability to create in that medium. But making up places and characters that only I can see that is fun.

Do you have a recipe you would care to share with us today?

I use this recipe all the time for holiday parties and baby showers. It’s quick and the kids can help. I put this into a glass trifle bowl but have seen it in a rectangular pan as well.

Éclair Cake

Ingredients

3 ½ cups milk
1 8oz container Cool Whip
1 Box Graham Crackers
1 ½ Containers of Chocolate Cake Icing

Mix 3 ½ cups milk with the pudding and stir as directed on package.

Add Cool Whip and stir again.

Layer as follows in a glass bowl:

Graham Crackers
½ of the Pudding Mixture
Graham Crackers
½ of the Chocolate Icing
Repeat the above layering sequence and refrigerate

Now that sounds yummy! Thanks for sharing the recipe with us. I'm definitely going to try it.

What are your hobbies?

There are so many – reading, growing roses, and cross stitch are the ones I do regularly. I have a bunch of quilting stuff but I haven’t found the time to make a quilt yet.

You’ve just won a million dollars. What would you do with it?

First create accounts/trusts for my kid’s education and pay bills. After that go to RWA National Conference which I can’t afford to do this year. Maybe look at a bigger house or give more to the charity’s we usually support.

If you had to choose another profession, what would it be?

Out of college, I took the first job I could get: Technical Support. I moved to Quality Assurance testing after a few years and then I became a Stay-At-Home-Mom. Now if I had my choice of careers, I’d be a librarian. I love books and reading and being surrounded by them day after day would be cool.

Do you believe in extraterrestrial beings?

Yes. An infinite universe and tons of worlds, I believe there has to be other places intelligent life evolved.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us today?

You can read more about my short stories at my website.I belong to a paranormal romance group blog and have my own.I’m also on Facebook and MySpace.

I’ll be giving away a copy of my first short story, Garden Magic, to a lucky commenter.

Thanks for visiting, Beth. I've enjoyed this opportunity to chat with you.

Readers, check back to see if your name is the lucky one chosen to win Garden Magic!

A bit of Beth's newest release, Informally Yours--

Informally Yours

Buy Link: http://www.thewildrosepress.com/informally-yours-p-997.html

Blurb

Everyday Melinda Jenson goes to work at Formally Yours, a high-end formal wear store, unaware the customers and owner are members of the local supernatural community. On Halloween night, Melinda's boss asks her to make a simple delivery. Unwilling to disappoint her niece and nephew, she arrives late and has an unexpected encounter with a wolf. Now she’s chasing cute, furry forest creatures, and mated to a man she barely knows. “May you live in interesting times,” just took on a whole new meaning.

Excerpt

When she regained consciousness, Melinda opened her eyes and looked around in wonderment. The world had changed. The woods emitted a dark green glow that pulsed as if it were alive. She could hear insects burrowing and small animals scurrying away. The cry of an owl sounded as close as if it were next to her, yet she could see it circling high above the trees. Unfamiliar with her new body, her movements were slow as she gained her feet—all four of them! Stunned, she fell back on her haunches and examined her paws. They were covered in a cream-colored fur, and if she concentrated, she could force claws to extend. Suddenly a nudge from another animal almost knocked her over. Looking around, she nipped at the large gray wolf next to her. It nuzzled her face as if in apology. The wolf ran off a few feet, stopped, and looked back at her. She ignored him. She wanted to sit and examine her new senses. Smell and hearing were the most affected, while sight was crisper but essentially the same. The other wolf returned growling, then nipping at her behind until she got up and followed. She gave a half-hearted growl. She would go for a run if it would get him to leave her alone.

Her limbs seemed to know what to do, carrying her faster than she could imagine. Although she had been following the gray wolf, the fresh scent of a rabbit scurrying across the trail snared her attention. Yipping to let the other wolf know she stopped, her wolf senses filtered out the smell of moss and pine forest. All that remained was a fresh rabbit trail to follow on the right. With stealth, she picked her steps with care where moments before she'd been bounding through the forest.

Eventually she came upon rocks where the rabbit sat licking its paws. Melinda crawled into position ready to pounce.

An image came into her mind of her attacking the helpless animal, sinking her teeth into tender skin, breaking bones, and eating the tasty morsel. Acting on instinct, her body lunged for the rabbit but a tiny voice in the back of her head cried "NO!" The thought of eating Thumper was too disturbing.

Melinda lost her concentration and ended up falling short of the rabbit. She crashed onto the rocks. As she watched, the rabbit dashed into the safety of its burrow. She picked herself up and worked her way to the forest floor before issuing a frustrated growl.

It would take a bit to adjust to this new body. She enjoyed running through the forest, but devouring cute little forest creatures would take a little more time.

http://www.bethcaudill.net/

Joshua's Hope Winner!

2009-07-26T05:00:00.000-07:00

I apologize for taking so long to announce the winner of Carol Ann Erhardt's novel, Joshua's Hope. Thank you all for being so patient. Carol Ann has been incredibly gracious about my delay, and I sincerely appreciate her understanding. I loved having her visit on the blog, and I hope she will come back again sometime soon. I'd enjoy hearing more about what this talented lady has up her writing sleeve!

I just put the names of all the commenters in my favorite Yankees cap, shook the slips of paper around for good luck, then asked my wonderful husband to pull one name out of the hat.

The lucky winner of Joshua's Hope is...

*Drum roll, please!*

Mary!

Congratulations, Mary! The book will be on its way to you shortly.

Thanks to all who stopped by to visit. Special thanks to Carol Ann!

Welcome, Annette Snyder

2009-07-21T02:13:00.000-07:00

Good morning, Annette. It's always fun to have you visit here at From the Pages. I know you've got some special news to share with us today.

Thank you Sarita for having me today. It’s always a treat to blog with you and especially this month as I have a release from a mutual publisher, Whiskey Creek Press.

Summertime is my favorite time to read a fun love story. The weather is warm and the water is cool. There’s just no place to be but lounging by the side of a pool or at the park under a shade tree with a book.

For anyone who wants a tender summer romance, my newest release and first contemporary read, Intimate Flames, is out in e-book and print. On top of being my first present day novel, it’s my first holiday story centered around the Fourth of July. Intimate Flames is based on a young woman struggling to find herself after the sudden death of her boyfriend. This novel chronicles changes in Bradie Carpenter’s life after a tramatic event,dealing with single parenthood and finally meeting of a wonderful man and learning to trust again. Happy endings? Of course! I wouldn’t write anything else.

Just to give everyone a little peek into what I’m up to, I host an online book club blog. It’s called Lost in a Good Book at Writers and Readers of Distinctive Fiction. One week each month, we discuss a few novels. It’s a standard book club without the hassle of driving to meetings.

I also have several releases this year besides the two I’ve got right now. Travis Pass MegaBooks I and II will release shortly and Eureka Springs, the second novel in line with Viveka’s War, releases soon. You can find all this information on my website.

As a great big thank you to Sarita Leone for having me today, I’m offering a fantastic summer prize package to participants of Sarita’s blog just perfect for your trips to the pool, picnics at the park or lounging in your backyard garden. An oversize book tote, roomy enough for storing all your summer cargo, sunscreen to protect from those harmful summer rays and an autographed copy of Intimate Flames should cover all your hot weather needs. Good luck and thanks for stopping by!

What a nice way to add interest to the summer, Annette. Intimate Flames sounds like a great read!

Readers, every comment gives you a chance to win Annette's lovely prize package, so comment away and check back in a day or so to see if your name has been randomly chosen.

For more information about Annette Snyder's work, check out her website, http://annettesnyder.atspace.com

Welcome, Carol Ann Erhardt

2009-07-14T04:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to From the Pages! I'm so glad you could stop by and visit with us today. I've got lots of questions to ask, so if you don't mind I'll get started.

When you're not writing, what do you like to do?

Since I have a full-time job and weekend chores, I don't have a lot of spare time. What I really like to do is watch sappy movies and read whenever I can squeeze in the time. In the warm weather, I schedule vacation days around long weekends so hubby and I can take our camper to local state parks. There's nothing more inspiring that walking on a warm sunny day and then sitting in the shade with a good book. I love camping. There are no phone calls, no internet, no nagging responsibilities…nothing but relaxing and enjoying nature. And most times, hubby does the cooking! It doesn't get better than that.

It sure sounds like you're a busy woman! And I agree with you; anytime hubby cooks is all right with me.

Can you tell us anything about what you're working on now?

My current manuscript deals with the sensitive issue of life support and forgiveness. It's a story about a man and woman who are driven apart by guilt and blame until God brings them together through another tragedy. Forced to work together, they learn the true meaning of unconditional love before finding their happily ever after.

Tell us a little bit about your book, please.

The book I'm promoting today is JOSHUA'S HOPE. Having known how hard some people have fought to gain custody of their own children, I wondered what would happen if two people divorced and the one who wasn't the biological parent wanted custody. I created the heroine, Hope, who loves her stepson with all her heart and soul and only divorces her husband to save her life. But, she can't turn her back on her stepson, Joshua. She begins a battle to remove him from his father, a dangerous criminal, but can find no attorney who will help her. In desperation, she kidnaps Joshua to save him and finds herself a prime suspect when her ex-husband is killed. She turns to the only person she knows who can help her, a small-town sheriff who is dealing with issues of forgiveness in his wife's death. This is the story of an incredible journey of hope in the midst of darkness, and how God's love can work miracles when we let Him into our lives.

Joshua's Hope sounds wonderful! Where did you get the idea for this story?

My daughter went through a horrible year of legal battles to regain custody of her daughter after her ex-husband stole her. We lived through the pain, the fear and the anger. Another daughter had two legal battles against her ex-husband to keep custody of their son. I wanted to show the pain that is involved in losing a child and how hope can be lost and faith challenged. And I wanted to show the journey to faith involved when we have nothing left but to turn it over to God. From the reviews I've received on this story, I believe I met my goal.

If you had the choice of being stranded on a desert island or lost in a huge city, which would you prefer and why?

Oh, I hate big cities! They frighten me. I was raised in a very small, rural community. I love the peace of being in a less populated area. Being stranded on a desert island would be full of adventure and quiet solitude. Hmmm. But I would want to be rescued by a handsome hero with a heart of gold.

The question most readers want to know but never get the chance to ask, do you ever write in your pajamas?

All right. I confess. I do write in an oversized t-shirt and underwear (which is my pajamas) on many mornings. I hop from bed to my laptop to write as much as I can before I have to shower and head to work. And, it's wonderful to not have to worry about having your hair combed or makeup on when you write. That's one of the perks of being a writer. I am dreaming of the day when I can give up the day job and dress comfortably every single day.

How do you juggle all of life's other demands with your writing career?

I don't juggle well, that's for sure. I believe the balls are dropped more than they stay in the air. I must confess that writing takes a backseat a lot of the time to family, church, and other commitments. I try to get up early enough to do a little writing before I have to go to my day job. Sometimes, I can squeeze in a little writing on my lunch hour, but usually I spend it with my nose in a book. After work, there's dinner to prepare, clean-up and spending time with my family. And, I have a few favorite television shows as well. I never get to write at night. Saturdays are for cleaning, but I try to find time to write a bit, too. Sundays are for church, family, and relaxation. The hardest part about being a published writer is keeping up with edits, marketing and promotion. It's very time consuming. That's usually an hour spent before bed every night. So, juggling? Not so good, I guess.

Goodness! You certainly know how to fill the days, Carol Ann. I am amazed by all you do!

In the house--shoes or bare feet?

Bare feet. I take off my shoes when I get in the door. In fact, I'm barefoot now. In the winter, I will wear socks to keep my feet from freezing.

Do you have a pet?

Boy, do I! I have three indoor cats named Wilbur, Templeton, and Charlotte. Wilbur is a Maine Coon. He's beautiful with long hair and tufts in his ears and between his toes. Templeton is a black and gray tabby, built like a mountain lion, and not afraid of a thing. In fact, he's the official greeter of every visitor. If you come to my house and ignore him, he'll get your attention by leaping from the floor to your shoulder. Trust me, that's sixteen pounds of muscle you won't ignore. And Charlotte is the little girl with the loud voice. She's very DIVA. In my backyard there are thirteen semi-feral cats which we care for. It's a story too long to tell here, but your readers can read about it on the bio page of my website.

Do you need silence to write or can you write through anything?

I really need silence and no distractions. I do have a two CD-set which I play to help me focus. It's the Creative Mind System by Dr. Jeffrey Thompson.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us today?

Thank you for this opportunity to let your readers know a little more about me and what I write. I'd love to offer an e-book version of JOSHUA'S HOPE to one of your readers. Also, I have two blogs. One is Inside the Writers Mind at http://carolannerhardt.blogspot.com. This is where I share little pieces of information about the every day life of this writer. On my other blog, Keeping Hope Alive http://caerhardt.blogspot.com , I share more inspirational things, daily devotions, and stories of God working in our world today. My website is www.carolannerhardt.com

Thank you so much for chatting with me today, Carol Ann. I am a fan of your work, and have enjoyed getting to know the author behind the stories!

Readers, Carol Ann has generously offered to give away a copy of Joshua's Hope to one lucky commenter. So comment away, and check back to see whether your name has been drawn to receive Joshua's Hope.

Buy Link: White Rose Publishing http://www.whiterosepublishing.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&manufacturers_id=23

Blurb:

Hope Courtland escaped her marriage to save her life. Her only regret is leaving her four-year-old stepson, Joshua, behind. Though she wants custody, no attorney is willing to tackle her ex-husband in a custody battle. Hope's faith begins to falter. She learns that Joshua is paying the consequences for her freedom, and in an act of desperation, she kidnaps him. Suddenly, she becomes a suspect in her ex-husband's murder.

Zack Stone is content to be sheriff of Pine Cove, Tennessee, where the worst conflict he deals with is handing out speeding tickets. Though his faith is strong, he struggles with issues of forgiveness surrounding his wife's death. When he rescues Hope in a rainstorm, the last thing he expects is to find a woman who stirs his heart. Being a small town sheriff shouldn't involve kidnapping and murder, but Zack can't turn his back on Hope and the little boy she loves.

Excerpt:

Loud voices drifted up the stairwell. Hope opened Joshua's door and slipped inside. His eyes were open. He stared at her, silent tears carving paths down his cheeks. She put a finger on her lips, urging him not to say anything. She lifted him and he wrapped himself around her like a small monkey.

“Mommy,” he whispered.

“It's all right. Mommy is going to take you home with her now. But you have to be very quiet. Can you do that?”

He nodded against her neck. “I need white doggie.”

Hope reached for the stuffed animal she'd given him on his first birthday. The neck fur had been rubbed off in two places from Joshua's fingers. “Mommy will carry white doggie for you. Don't be scared and don't look up. Just hold on tight.”

He nodded again, his arms squeezing tighter.

She kept one arm firmly around him and eased the door open. So far, so good. She only needed to get downstairs without being seen.

She closed Joshua's door and began a slow descent.

The hairs prickled on the back of her neck, alerting Hope someone was watching. Swiveling her head, her gaze locked with Anna's. For endless moments, Hope's heart stopped.

Then Peter's study door crashed open and she feared she'd been caught.

Joshua's small body jerked and he began to tremble. His fingers dug deeply into her skin.

The nanny rushed down the stairs, and as she passed, she whispered, “Run.” Her hand waved Hope toward the front door.

“You're not the one calling the shots on this, Courtland. The kid knows too much.”

Hope froze. A man wearing a security uniform focused dark angry eyes on them. He and Hope stared at each other, recognition dawning in his eyes. She'd seen him before. Many times. One of Peter's henchmen who visited during the late hours of the night.

Peter stepped into view and looked up at Hope, astonishment showing on his face.

The other man's gaze moved off Hope's.

“You dare to threaten me, Courtland?”

The man raised his hand and Hope saw the flash of metal before Anna blocked her view.

“Run, get out of here now!” the nanny cried.

Welcome, Elaine Cantrell

2009-07-07T04:40:00.000-07:00

Welcome, Elaine. I'm so glad you could visit From the Pages today. I've got lots of questions to ask, so I hope it's all right if we just dive right in.

How do you juggle all of life’s other demands with your writing career?

Oh, that’s so hard! I work full time as a social studies teacher, so I have a busy agenda. I also have a family that expects dinner and clean clothes. For some time I felt almost overwhelmed, but then I realized that no one could do it all. I was killing myself tying to be superwoman. I decided that it wouldn’t hurt to eat out instead of cook on nights when I needed time to write. Sandwiches and canned soup won’t kill anyone either. I also realized that other people could do the laundry and help me with the household chores. Everyone should learn the power of delegating.

Where do you write?

I have a great little office upstairs. It used to be my son’s bedroom until he got married and moved out. It’s only a tiny room, but I love it so! I have my computer desk in there as well as a bookcase, TV and single bed. If I need a nap I can leave my computer and fall onto the bed for a snooze. I told you; the room is very small. I intended it to be my little getaway, but my husband noticed my absence downstairs and came to see what I was doing. He liked the room too. So much so that he squeezed a little desk and chair for himself into the room. It really isn’t big enough for two people, but if my feet get cold he doesn’t mind holding them to warm them up, and if he’s really in a good mood he’ll go downstairs and get me a snack when I need it.

How long does it typically take you to finish a writing project?

Forever! I write a scene and go back the next day and make corrections. Then when I finish the book I go back and edit it again. Then if it gets accepted for publication I have to do more edits. Until it’s actually in print I’m not through.

Tell us a little bit about your book please.

I’d love to! Since I’m not sure exactly when this will be on the blog I’ll tell you about my Lachesis release. I don’t have a release date yet, but it’ll be sometime in 2009. Here’s a little blurb and a short excerpt.

Blurb:

If Kara had it to do over she’d never go into the attic. She’d run away from that trunk screaming and shrieking because nothing-not even losing the love of her life-was as bad as what she found. Oh, and what will Ross say when he finds out? He’s been her lifeline the past few months.

Handsome dairy farmer Ross Williams has waited for Kara Cochrane since they were in the second grade, but Kara only had eyes for Brandon. Brandon’s out of the picture now, and Ross is ready to make his move. Will the contents of that trunk change his mind, or will he continue in his quest to win Kara’s heart?

Excerpt:

Kara removed the suit and opened her closet to find a hanger, but she saw her wedding dress before she could find a hanger. Impulsively, she unzipped the plastic bag which covered the dress and ran her fingers across the heavy satin in a caress. She had so loved this dress!

She fingered the small pearls sewn into the bodice, and stuck her arm into one long, sheer, embroidered sleeve. How sad that such a beautiful dress would sit in a closet forever.

Without warning anger flooded Kara. If not for her horrible sister, she would have worn this dress only hours earlier when she married Brandon, the love of her life. How could Kelly have done it? How could she have betrayed her own flesh and blood!

With a cry of pure rage Kara grabbed the sleeve of her beautiful dress and jerked as hard as she could. The gossamer fabric parted with a ripping sound that sent Kara’s temper sky high. She started to tear at the dress, ripping off buttons and pearls and shredding those wonderful, sheer sleeves. She threw the dress to the floor and stepped on the hem to hold it down while she tried to rip the bodice from the skirt. The expensive, well sewn gown gave way so abruptly that Kara staggered and fell to the floor among the debris.

What had she done! Sanity returned with a rush, and sickening shame soon followed. Frantically she bundled the destroyed dress into the plastic bag which had covered it and dropped to the floor to search for pearls and buttons.

Finally, she zipped the bag with trembling hands. What could she do with it? She’d die before she’d let anyone see what she had done. Think! They’ll be home soon.

The attic. Good idea. She’d hide the dress in the attic. Only last month her father had installed a disappearing staircase so they could have easy access to the attic. She’d hide the dress there because staircase or no staircase nobody ever went up there.

She dragged the heavy bundle into the hallway and pulled the staircase down. Thank goodness her father had installed a light up there because it was pitch black in the attic. She had a hard time climbing the stairs while pulling the heavy dress behind her, but desperation lent strength, and she got that dress into the attic.

Any advice for an author just starting out on the writer’s journey?

Absolutely. Be true to your own vision of your story. I’ve had two different critique groups take a look at the same material and tell me totally conflicting things. I submitted a manuscript to a contest where it was critiqued by three different judges. It scored from a 98 to a 70. What I learned is that you can’t please everybody, and if you try you’ll end up with a story without heart or soul. That being said, I don’t think you should be a prima donna and think you’re too good a writer to listen to an editor. They can be very helpful.

Do you have a recipe you’d like to share with us today?

I sure do. Try this and see if you don’t get so many compliments you don’t know what to do with them.

Chocolate Delight

1 cup flour
1 stick butter
1 cup chopped nuts

Soften the butter and mix all ingredients. Bake at 300 for 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool.

1 8 oz cream cheese softened
1 cups powdered sugar
8 oz. Cool Whip

Mix together and set aside.

2 small instant chocolate pudding mix
3 cups milk

Mix.

Crumble the baked crust and layer the ingredients in a trifle bowl.

The question most readers want to know but never get to ask, do you ever write in your pajamas?

When I’m not working I always write in my pajamas. I seldom get dressed before lunch time. That’s the good part of being an author. Nobody can see how you look.

What are you reading now?

I’m reading the Twilight series. Some of my students in school were so intrigued by it that I went out and bought a copy to see what was so thrilling. I loved it. I found myself rooting for the underdog, Jacob, even though I think he’ll probably never win Bella’s heart.

What brings you the most joy?

My grandchildren of course. I also love a winter’s night when the moon is bright, and the tree branches are stark against the moon. It brings me joy to hear the insects chirping on a hot summer’s night. I always feel a surge of pleasure when I first see my husband too. Yes, even after 34 years.

Do you have a pet?

Yes, I do. I have one sweet brown dog and two mean cats. Our older cat adopted us. We had a family of strays who lived on the hill above our house, and softies that we are we fed them everyday. They wouldn’t let us touch them, but one day one of the kittens followed my husband back home. He tried to pet it, and it let him-probably because it was so sick. Anyway, he fell in love with it and made me take it to the vet and get it some medicine. She and the dog are jealous of each other. If my husband pets the dog, the cat comes running and gets in his lap between him and the dog. The dog is the same way.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with us today?

Yes, there is. I blog every Friday at http://www.elainepcantrell.blogspot.com I’d love for you to check it out. I have excerpts, guest bloggers and guest interviews, my own take on things, and lately I’ve done a series on Victorian life. Also, if you would like to be eligible for my monthly contest you can subscribe to my newsletter which goes out once a month. Don’t worry; I won’t flood your inbox with spam. To subscribe, go to my web page at http://www.elainecantrell.com and scroll down the homepage until you come to the yahoo button. Click it to subscribe.

Elaine, thanks so much for visiting! I've enjoyed getting to know you.

Welcome, Donna Hatch

2009-06-30T03:51:00.000-07:00

Welcome to From the Pages, Donna. I'm so glad you could stop by and visit today. I'm looking forward to getting to know another Wild Rose Press author. I've got lots of questions, so why don't we get started?

Did you always know you wanted to be an author?

Pretty much. I wrote my first story when I was in the third grade and have been writing on and off ever since. It's sort of a weird compulsion that I can't seem to ignore.

Hmm...I can totally understand that compulsion! *G*

Does your family support your writing career? How?

My husband is very encouraging – more so now that I'm published, because he no longer views it as a hobby that I'm passionate about. My children have gotten better at knowing Mom might mumble to herself for unexplained reasons or suddenly stop in the middle of something, make an exclamation, and run to the computer and begin madly typing.

When you're not writing, what do you like to do?

Read. A lot. I also sing, play the harp and I love to dance. Mostly, I'm playing Mommy when I'm not writing.

Can you tell us anything about what you're working on now?

I have a 15 page novella coming out soon called Troubled Hearts, also a Regency Romance. It's finished, and it's in the hands of the publisher. And I'm also putting the final touches on Book Two of the Rogue Hearts Series which is about the brother of the hero of Book 1, The Stranger She Married. Book Two is called The Guise of a Gentleman, which is about Jared, who is a pirate, and the lady who captures his heart and whom he sets free from her social restrictions. I hope to have that released in the summer or fall of next year. Book Three is rough-drafted, and Book Four is still in the planning stages.

Tell us a little bit about your book, please.

Desperate to save her family from debtor's prison, Alicia vows to marry the first wealthy man to propose. Her choices in potential husbands narrow to either a scarred cripple with the heart of a poet, or a handsome rake with a deadly secret. When yet another bizarre mishap threatens her life, Alicia suspects the seemingly unrelated accidents that have plagued her loved ones are actually a killer's attempt to exterminate every member of her family. Despite the threat looming over her, learning to love the stranger she married may pose the greatest danger of all … to her heart.

Where did you get the idea for this story?
I
often wonder about the other side of a story, and about the back stories of secondary characters in movies and books. I also like to ask what if? What if the Phantom was a gentle loving soul trapped in a scarred body? What if Christine fell in love with the Phantom instead of the handsome young aristocrat? Anyway, my story started out like that and then took on a life of its own. I love romances, love triangles, and a twist of intrigue, so that's all in there.

How did you meet your significant other?

I actually met him at church after his brother (who I babysat for) introduced us. I'd just graduated from high school. Nothing really happened. Then, two years later, I dated his younger brother (not the one I babysat for) and we got to know each other pretty well then. A year or so after things fizzled out with the brother, we saw each other at a singles activity and hit it off. We got married three months later and we've just celebrated our 21st wedding anniversary.

In the house—shoes or bare feet?

Bare feet. Unless it's winter, and then it's either socks or slippers.

Guilty pleasures. Got any? Remember, this is a G-rated interview!

Any rich and decadent dessert – doesn't have to be chocolate, I'm an equal opportunity dessert lover. Long bubble baths. My husband.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us today?

My book, "The Stranger She married" is available now at The Wild Rose Press in e-book and in print.

http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=176_138&products_id=1001

Thanks for visiting today, Donna! I've enjoyed this little chat. Best of luck with your book, as well as your upcoming projects.

Readers, learn more about Donna and her writing at the links below.

http://www.donnahatch.com
http://donnahatch.blogspot.com/
http://www.myspace.com/donnahatch
http://www.facebook.com/people/Donna_Hatch/105396

Welcome, Debra St. John

2009-06-23T03:47:00.000-07:00

Welcome, Debra, to From the Pages. I'm so glad you stopped by to chat today!

Where do you write?

I write in a lot of places. "Home base" is in my den, which has my PC and all of my bulletin boards. Last summer I finally invested in a lap top, so now I tend to "wander" while I write. Sometimes it’s on the living room couch or the front porch on a nice summer day. The back porch is also a favorite spot.

How did you celebrate your first contract?

First I hugged and kissed my wonderful hubby, then I called my parents and all of my friends and relatives. My local writers’ group (Chicago-North RWA) has a great chocolate tradition. When you sell a book you don’t simply say "I sold a book", but you bring a box of chocolates to a meeting. When the President asks for good news, you pull out the candy with a flourish and announce, "I brought chocolate!" My first chocolate moment was fabulous. It couldn’t have been more perfect if I’d written it out myself!

How wonderful!

Can you tell us anything about what you’re working on now?

Right now I’m working on the sequel, or maybe spinoff if a better word, to "This Time for Always". For those of you familiar with this book, this is Zach’s story. I figured he deserved a girl of his own. "Wild Wedding Weekend" is currently with my editor at Wild Rose. Once I get it back from her I’ll move on to final edits and galley approval for that book.

Love your titles!

The question most readers want to know but never get the chance to ask, do you ever write in your pajamas?

Every chance I get! In the summer my routine is to sleep in, wander downstairs in my jammies, fire up my lap top, and sit on my back porch and write for a couple hours. It is usually an extremely productive time.

How did you meet your significant other?

We met at a country bar. The bar later became the setting for "This Time for Always".

When did you know you’d "made it" as an author?

When I held a copy of my book in my hand for the first time.

What are you reading now?

I’m really hooked on the "Twilight" saga by Stephenie Meyer. I’ve read all four books three times already and have plans for a fourth go-around in the near future.

Do you listen to music while you write?

I listen to music while I write, but not while I edit.

Have you ever laughed so hard something has flown out of your face?

When something strikes me as really funny I have a tendency to laugh until I cry.

Do you collect anything?

Mickey Mouse items. I have hundreds of them. Unfortunately they are all hidden in boxes in my unfinished basement. Someday when I get that million dollar royalty check, I hope to given them a room of their own.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us today?

I’d simply like to thank everyone who has supported, encouraged, and cried with me on my incredible journey to becoming a published author. It’s been a life-long dream, and I continue to be amazed at the new things I’m learning and discovering everyday. I look forward to continuing the journey for many, many years.

Thanks so much for visiting today, Debra! I've enjoyed getting to know you. Best of luck with your writing career. I hope your Mickey Mouses get their own room very, very soon!

http://www.debrastjohnromance.com/

The purchase link for "Always" is here.

Blurb for "Always":

As the manager of a local bar, The Corral, Sharlie Montgomery has put the past behind her. That is until Logan Reed walks back into her life, turning her world upside down. His presence brings back painful reminders of the past: the love they had once shared, the money he took from her father, and the baby she’d given up for adoption. Logan wants to buy The Corral, and he’s come back to town to prove he was able to make it on his own without the Montgomery money. Sparks fly whenever Sharlie and Logan are together. Anger, fear, and jealousy aren’t enough to erase the love they once felt for each other. But is love enough? Logan wants a family - the one thing Sharlie can’t give him. -------

Welcome, Susan Vaughan

2009-06-16T02:26:00.000-07:00

Welcome to From the Pages, Susan. I'm so glad you could stop by and visit today. I've got lots of questions to ask, so I'm just going to begin. I know readers want to get to know you better as much as I do.

First, where do you write?

If you mean where geographically, I live in the state of Maine. On the coast, so there's plenty to distract me from my WIP. If you mean where in my house, I write in what could be a bedroom but has been converted into an office. My handy dh built me a computer desk with bookshelves above and plenty of desktop space. The window looks out on the lawn and woods, though not coastline, enough to distract me if my mind wanders.

Maine is such a beautiful spot. It sounds like you've got the perfect writing space!

How long does it typically take you to finish a writing project?

Writing a short book for Silhouette typically took me 9 months when I was working full time and 6 months when I quit teaching. Writing a full-length novel like PRIMAL OBSESSION or the other I've completed took about a year. What can I say? I'm slow. I know some people write four books a year. My process is deliberate, stop and go, revise and start again even though I plot ahead.

Can you tell us anything about what you’re working on now?

Right now I'm working on what for me is a very emotional story. "Once Burned" (working title) is about a man convicted of the arson murder of his girlfriend. When he's freed due to a technicality, the only person who can help him find the real murderer is the girlfriend's twin sister, who was burned trying to save her twin. Both divide their lives by before the fire and after the fire, and both have good reason not to trust the other.

Sounds interesting!

Tell us a little bit about your book, please.

My sixth book and latest release, PRIMAL OBSESSION, is about two people trying to defeat a killer who has followed them on a wilderness canoe trip in northern Maine. Injured former Major Leaguer Sam Kincaid needs to prove to himself he can be a success at something besides baseball. And investigative reporter Annie Wylde wants the killer who murdered her friend caught and punished. When they realize the killer is after Annie, Sam faces the challenge of his life.

Where did you get the idea for this story?

A few years ago, my husband and I took a six-day canoe and camping trip in northern Maine. Once we'd signed up, I started thinking of what story could be set there, so the trip was research for the book. Many of my experiences on the canoe trip were fodder for the book. We canoed ten or more miles a day, paddled white water, made our own camps and slept in tents, and bushwhacked with compasses, but we had no killer along. Thank goodness.

The question most readers want to know but never get the chance to ask, do you ever write in your pajamas?

Hardly ever. I usually have to go out at some point during the day, so I dress before breakfast. But I do occasionally suffer from insomnia. When my brain just won't shut down and I can't sleep, it's usually the story that's keeping me awake. And even it it's not, I pad down to the computer for a while in my pjs and write.

What are you reading now?

I'm reading Marley and Me, the book the movie is based upon. I've had three dogs, none of them Labs, but I sure see a lot of the same behaviors no matter the breed. The author is so great at describing the puppy's antics and expressions. I was reading just today at the gym and I know people were wondering about the crazy lady giggling on the elliptical machine. I know there's a sad part in the book, but I'm enjoying the humor for now. And I can't wait to see the movie.

You’re in an Italian restaurant. What do you order?

That's easy. Eggplant parmesan. I love the dish but can't fix it at home since the dh loathes eggplant in any form.

Great choice! We had that for dinner last night.

Do you speak a foreign language?

I speak French, having studied it as a French literature major both in college and grad school. I lived in France for a summer, which greatly increased my fluency, but that was many years ago. I know a little German, Italian, and Spanish, just enough to be dangerous.

Do you have a pet?

I have a wonderful border-collie-chow mix named Sasha. She's the third of our dogs, and I hope the other doggie angels aren't listening, but the best dog. We brought her home from the local Humane Society shelter at ten months. She'd been brought up from New Orleans with some other dogs and cats. New Orleans doesn’t have enough homes for strays, and that's what she was, a stray puppy at three months. She's beautiful, loving, quiet, calm, and, best of all, comes when we call. She lies on the futon beside my desk while I'm writing. I can feel her staring at me, willing me to decide it's time for a walk.

She sounds like a sweetie!

Is there anything else you would like to share with us today?

Now that you mention it, yes. With the economic difficulties these days, many people are finding it difficulty to keep their pets and are surrendering them to animal shelters. Worse, some people are simply abandoning their loving animal companions. Those who care for abandoned and stray animals need as much help as we can give. Anyone who can help, please give to the Humane Society at http://www.hsus.org/, the ASPCA at http://www.aspca.org/, or to my local shelter here in Maine at http://www.humanesocietyofknoxcounty.org/.

Sarita, thank you for giving me this opportunity to climb up on my soapbox.

I'm so glad you came to visit today, Susan! I've loved getting to know you. I do hope you'll come back to chat with me again in the future, maybe when your next book is released.

Readers, Susan has generously offered a copy of her latest book, Primal Obsession, to one lucky commenter. Check back soon to see if you are the randomly chosen winner!

Blurb for Primal Obsession:

Guiding a canoe party through the Maine wilderness is more than just a job for former Major-Leaguer Sam Kincaid. After hitting rock-bottom, he needs to prove he can pull himself out of the bottle and succeed at something. He can't let himself be distracted by an ambitious, obsessed female, even if she's sexy, witty and smart. Investigative journalist and confirmed urbanite Annie Wylde embarks on the canoe trip to keep a promise to her murdered friend and intends to use the outing to study her notes on the notorious killer called the Hunter. She banters with Sam but rebuffs his advances, considering him just another egotistical jock. But when Annie realizes the killer has followed her into the woods, she learns there's more to Sam than testosterone and dimples. And Sam faces the challenge of his life to keep Annie safe and defeat the Hunter.

Buy link for the ebook: PRIMAL OBSESSION, is http://thewildrosepress.com.
The print release, ISBN 1-60154-390-5, at http://www.amazon.com.

http://www.susanvaughan.com

Welcome, Shereen Vedam

2009-06-09T05:07:00.000-07:00

Welcome, Shereen. I'm so glad you could stop by and chat with me today! I've got lots of questions to ask, so I'll just jump right into the interview.

First, how long does it typically take you to finish a writing project?

A short story (~10 words) – 1 month for a rough first draft
A novel (~90,000 words) – 8-9 months for a rough first draft
Editing takes as long as it needs to take.

Did you always know you wanted to be an author?

No. I wanted to be a wildlife field guide, a zoologist, a veterinarian, but became an animal health technician, a secretary and a data coordinator.

Becoming an author came as a complete and shocking surprise. I’m still in recovery.

Can you tell us anything about what you’re working on now?

A fantasy regency novel set in 1815. It deals with an alternative history about witches and warlocks and what those witch trials from the 1400-1700s may really have been about.

The story takes place in Britain, moving from London to Callington, Cornwall, to Fishguard Wales and delves into the folklore of those people and places.

Oh, and the hero is a church guard and the heroine is a witch.

What can I say? I like challenges.

Tell us a little bit about your latest release, please.

Last year was a busy year for releases. I had three short stories come out - all fantasies.

Baron of Dragon’s Reach…
is about a young woman who made a grave mistake, and while desperately trying to correct it, she lands herself in even worse trouble.
The lesson here is that sometimes facing your problems is better than running from it. And love always has its own agenda.

Daughter of the Sorcerer King…
is about a sorceress princess searching for her identity when the role she trained all of her life to play is ripped away from her.
The lesson here is to understand there is a world bigger than then one we enclose ourselves in. And sometimes a girl needs a grieving dragon, a precocious child and a handsome knight to help her realize that.

Dragon Dreams…
is part of the Cat Tales anthology. In this urban fantasy short story, a burnt out veterinarian starts to hallucinate (or so she thinks) about being transported into an alternate world.
The lesson here is that loneliness is often a state of mind and to receive friendship and love, we must first be willing to freely share it.

Any advice for an author just starting out on the writer’s journey?
What you think you need to learn is like sighting the tip of an iceberg. Be prepared for a lifetime of learning.

What are your hobbies?

Kayaking, horseback riding, foreign travel, gardening and reading. Almost got killed riding a crazy Andalucian (look, I’m a race horse) mare in Spain once.

What’s your most comfortable outfit? Are you a jeans-and-sweatshirt kind of person or a dressier sort?

I’m a shorts-and-t-shirt-and sandals gal. I’ve been known to go out into a back yard buried in two feet of snow in sandals and shorts to re-fill the birdseed feeder.

In the house, shoes or bare feet?

Bare feet.

What are you reading now?

The other short stories in the Cat Tales Anthology, edited by George H. Scithers. There are some awesome stories in there.

Do you speak a foreign language?

I took French in high school, but only remember a few words. I grew up in a household that spoke Tamil (a south Indian language). I can understand it well enough but can’t speak it. It’s developed into a kind of one-way translation.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us today?

My stories have magic and witches and spells, with the occasional dragon tossed in, all spiced by that unruly, terrifying and heady experience of falling in love.

Shereen, thank you so much for visiting today. I enjoyed getting to know you, and hearing about your writing.

Readers, find out more about Shereen by visiting the website:
www.shereenvedam.com

A Winner!

2009-06-03T15:55:00.000-07:00

Randomly chosen from all of yesterday's comments,
the winner of Linda Hope Lee's
Finding Sara is...

*drum roll, please!*

Sharon!

Congratulations, Sharon.

Thanks, everyone, for stopping by
and visiting here at From the Pages.

Sharon, please email me
so I can send off your prize.
Thanks!

Welcome, Linda Hope Lee

2009-06-02T02:05:00.000-07:00

Welcome to From the Pages! I'm so glad you could stop by and chat. I've been looking forward to getting to know you. I've got lots of questions for you.

First, where do you write?

I use a laptop, so I write in several places. Never at a desk, though. If I wake up early enough in the morning, I grab my laptop, prop myself up in bed, and start writing. This is the best time to compose a story's first draft. Later on, I move to some other place in the house. I make myself comfortable in an easy chair in the living room or in my office. I love my laptop!

How long does it typically take you to finish a writing project?

Finishing a project used to take three to six months, but now that I divide my time between writing and my art work, writing a novel takes longer.

Did you always know you wanted to be an author?

No, I didn't. I remember enjoying writing stories as a child, but that got lost when I grew up and had to turn my attention to earning a living. Working as a librarian and loving to read kept books in my life, though, and one day it occurred to me, why don't I try writing something? I did. I wrote short stories, and articles, and scripts for educational media, and, eventually, novels.

How many books have you written?

I have written twenty-five novels and published eighteen. I also wrote and published a nonfiction book, How to Write & Sell Romance Novels.

Wow! That's an impressive list. Your nonfiction book sounds very interesting, too.

Can you tell us anything about what you're working on now?

I am putting the finishing touches on books 2 and 3 of the Red Rock, Colorado series, of which Finding Sara is Book 1. This my first attempt at a series, and it's been great fun.

When you're not writing, what do you like to do?

I do art. Watercolor, pen and ink, colored pencil. As with the writing, I enjoyed art as a child, but it also got lost when I grew up. Then, about ten years ago, I took it up again. Yes, it competes with the writing, but I manage to combine it sometimes, such as writing a poem and then illustrating it.

Art sounds like a wonderful way to spend some quiet hours. Definitely a nice, relaxing pastime.

Do you have a pet?

I have a wire-haired fox terrier named Graham. He is a rescued dog we got three years ago and he is a wonderful pet. Very mellow and sweet. He's our fifth wire. I'm crazy about the breed and would have no other.

Do you collect anything?

I collect anything that has to do with wire-haired fox terriers. Since the breed was popular during the 30s and 40s, much of my collection is from those years. I have prints, figurines, plates, cups, playing cards, charms, pins, coasters, and even one that holds a tape measure.

What are your hobbies?

I enjoy photography. I especially look for photo subjects I can use as inspiration for my art work.

If you had to choose another profession, what would it be?

A detective or a private investigator. Probably why I enjoy reading and writing mysteries.

I completely understand you on that point. I share your alternate vocational dreams. *G*

Is there anything else you would like to share with us today?

No matter how many stories I write, I find there is always room for improvement and always something new to learn about the craft.

Thank you so much for visiting today. I've enjoyed our chat, and I hope you have, too.

Readers, my charming guest author has graciously offered to give away a paperback copy of her delightful book, Finding Sara. One lucky commenter will be chosen at random to receive the prize, so comment away and check back tomorrow to see if your name has been chosen. Good luck! And thank you, Linda!

Finding Sara, by Linda Hope Lee
The Wild Rose Press

Blurb:

On the run to avoid marrying a man she does not love, Long Island, New York heiress Sara Carleton boards a train heading to the West Coast. Fate intervenes when she is mugged during a stop at Red Rock, Colorado. Rancher Jackson Phillips doesn't mind helping the attractive victim he rescued, but having her come to his ranch to recuperate turns out to be much more than he bargained for.

Excerpt:

Setup:Stranded at the Red Rock train station, Sara phones her father to let him know she's okay. While she's waiting for him to come to the phone, she gazes idly around the station:

Her gaze roved over the busy ticket counter, a cafe's arched doorway, and landed on a newsstand, where a man stood reading a newspaper. A brown cowboy hat hid most of his face, but his broad shoulders, lean waist and long legs in hip-hugging jeans were in full view.

The man looked up, and, as though he'd known someone observed him, his gaze shot straight to her. Deep-set, dark eyes widened, and then narrowed in a sexy way.

A shiver of excitement sped down Sara's spine.

They continued to stare across the room, not even breaking contact when people passed between them. Although certain she'd never seen the man before, she had the craziest feeling she somehow knew him.

http://www.thewildrosepress.com/
http://www.lindahopelee.com/

A Winner!

2009-05-31T05:27:00.000-07:00

Recntly I had the pleasure of being interviewed at Pure Southern Genteel. Everyone who commented on the interview post, either on my blog or at Miss Mae's was entered in an impromptu giveaway. This morning I pulled a name out of the hat...

Congratulations, Melissa! You're the lucky winner!

Please shoot me an email with your snail mail address and I'll get your mystery gift right out to you.

Thanks to everyone who stopped by and visited over at Miss Mae's!

Welcome, MC Scout

2009-05-26T04:42:00.000-07:00

I'm so glad you're here today, MC. I have a ton of questions to ask, so if you don't mind I'll begin asking them.

First, tell us a little bit about your book, please.

MY LORD BALTIMORE is a vampire tale of love lost only to be found again be it several centuries later. It begins in Philadelphia and heads to Baltimore then ends in Finn’s ancestral home in England. Cambria is the direct descendant of the woman he loved but feared getting close to thanks to his master.

Where do you see yourself in the future? Will you still be writing, or do you have a new adventure on the horizon?

I hope to still be writing as well as traveling and getting more ideas for more stories.

You’ve just won a million dollars. What would you do with it?

Right now, I’d pay off my daughter’s college loans and get that out of the way then I’d buy some land in Wyoming and move there after I had a house built.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you choose?

It would definitely be Wyoming—it’s an amazing state and I love the openness.

You’re in an Italian restaurant. What do you order?

Anything with shrimp in it.

Do you speak a foreign language?

Not really though I do try to incorporate Spanish and German into some of my stories.

How did you spend your first royalty check? Was it a splurge, or something practical?

The first one went to paying for the limo for my daughter’s prom.

Do you need silence to write or can you write through anything?

Not really though I can’t concentrate with MTV on. If they still showed the videos like they did at the beginning, it wouldn’t be a problem but the shows now are annoying.

What frightens you?

Even though I am in awe of Mother Nature’s power, thunderstorms still bother me. The harsher ones make me want to hide and I refuse to get into a shower when one is overhead.

What do you love most about being an author?

I’ve met a great deal of really cool people since I’ve gotten published. I also love the research that goes into a book whether it be historical or otherwise.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us today?

One thing I have always lived by—if you don’t learn at least one thing in a day’s time, the day is wasted.

That's a great thing to consider. I am so glad you stopped by today! Thanks for visiting with us!

Journal page: http://mcscout.bravejournal.com/
Publisher’s website: http://www.whiskeycreekpress.com/torrid

Welcome, Deborah Panger

2009-05-20T01:21:00.000-07:00

Welcome, Deborah, to From the Pages. I’m so glad to have you here with us today! My name is Anna, from the pages of Sarita’s Vineyard Mambo mystery. I’m a librarian and as soon as I heard you’ve got such wonderful reading taste I knew I had to meet you.

Your new release, Saje from The Wild Rose Press, sounds wonderful! I know we all want to hear more about it, and about you, so why don’t we get right to the questions?

Where do you write?

I write at home, in an office my husband and I call the ‘writing’ room. I love Bon Jovi, so I have my Jovi shrine on one side of me, and a book shelf on the other. I usually burn a candle while I’m writing. And my dog, Gizmo Killer, is at my side.

How long does it typically take you to finish a writing project?

It depends on what life is throwing my way at the time. Last year I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. Stage IIIA. I wrote a lot of Saje while I was undergoing chemotherapy, so it was a very slow process. I only had a few days that I felt good enough to sit at the computer before my next treatment would start again, but I got through it. I’m blessed to say that I’m now cancer free.

I’m happy to hear you’re healthy again. Big congratulations on that!

Who is your favorite author? Favorite book?

Night Play by Sherrilyn Kenyon is my all-time favorite book. I also love J. R. Ward and Christine Feehan’s Dark series.

Can you tell us anything about what you’re working on now?

I’m in the middle of a short story about a fireman who is captured by a female firefae who started the fire he just extinguished.

The question most readers want to know but never get the chance to ask, do you ever write in your pajamas?

Yes. All the time.

What circumstances led you to writing?

I decided to write down a daydream that I had and got brave enough to show it to one of my coworkers. After reading it, she told me that I should write a book. I thought that maybe I could, so on a whim, I began writing my first novel. Punished Desire was born. It’s full of errors, and I had no idea how to write back then, but I still love and believe in the story.

Any advice for an author just starting out on the writer’s journey?

The number one advice that I can think of is to join a critique group or partnership. I wouldn’t have gotten to this point in my career without one. I’ve learned so much from my group.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you choose?

St. Augustine, Florida. I absolutely love it. My family and I have been there several times during the years, vacationing, browsing the shops, enjoying the beach or exploring the fort and lighthouse. The whole town is so beautifully historic. I have fond memories of our times there.

I’ve never been there but it sounds gorgeous. My husband, Tony, and I bought a house in Pensacola. I’ll have to check and see how far it is from St. Augustine. I sense a road trip coming up!

What’s your most comfortable outfit? Are you a jeans-and-sweatshirt kind of person or a dressier sort?

I’m a casual kind of girl. Jeans and shirts. Comfort is a friend of mine.

Do you collect anything?

Tinkerbell, Peter Pan and fairy figurines. Bon Jovi memorabilia,

Is there anything else you would like to share with us today?

Yes! Make sure you get your yearly mammograms and exams. Don’t put it off. I did. I thought I was too busy at work to take time off for such things. Boy, I was wrong and it almost killed me. Laugh, love and enjoy each new day, and God bless.

Deborah, that’s great advice. I know a lot of us think we’re too busy to take care of important things like mammograms but you’re right—that isn’t something to put off. I hope our readers take your advice and get their yearly exams.

Thank you so much for visiting today! I’ve loved getting to know you better. Feel free to come back again. I’d like to hear more about that fireman story you’re working on!

Readers, Deborah has offered a lovely bookmark as today’s giveaway. It is a silver colored and has a cross pendant hanging from it. One lucky winner will receive this nice gift. If you’d like to be considered for the random drawing, just leave a comment in the comments section. The winner will be drawn tomorrow and announced in tomorrow’s post. Check back to see if you’ve won!

A blurb from Saje:

What could be worse than waking up lonely on May Day? Finding a naked male stranger with wings in your house.

That is exactly what Amanda Birchfield discovers when she stumbles out of bed to make her morning coffee. After rousing from a faint, Amanda learns her intruder, Saje, is a trinket-hoarding, seed-spreading bastard of a Woodland Fairy. And he’s brought her a room full of May Day Baskets in hopes she'll trade a little pleasure.

Instead of fleeing for her life--or admitting herself to the local looney bin--Amanda is drawn to Saje’s scrumptious body and carefree spirit. But once the brief, but oh-so satisfying sexcapade atop her dining room table is over, he refuses to leave. How will she get rid of him. Or will she want to?

http://www.deborahpanger.com/
http://myspace.com/debbiemacklin

A Nice Surprise

2009-05-13T03:53:00.000-07:00

Last night someone asked me for the buy link for Sandswept: A Chincoteague Island Mystery. When I went to get it I saw the review section on the excerpt page had grown. What a lovely surprise!

“It is rare these days to find an actual romance story with all the erotica out there but there is definitely romance in Sarita Leone’s Sandswept: A Chincoteague Island Mystery. Though I had a hard time pronouncing Chincoteague, this story was not hard to swallow. The characters were real. The story moved at a very realistic pace and it made me feel something. Kelley is a woman with a secret, one that it is well worth your time to read and find it out. And Owen *sigh*.

If you want to escape the clutter of erotic stories that are out there now, and read a story that was written by a master of mystery and romance, get your hands on a copy of Ms. Leone’s Sandswept. You will not regret it. And Ms. Leone, I applaud you for writing a story so rich and so worthy to be curled up with on a lazy afternoon. Bravo.”

-5 Moons! Reviewed by Blu Moon- Moon Over Water Reviews

Welcome, Christy Poff

2009-05-12T02:35:00.000-07:00

Welcome, Christy! I'm so glad you could visit today. I've got lots of questions, so let's get started.

Where do you write?

I write wherever I can – at home, on the road if the highway’s smooth enough to get a decent thought down, doctor’s waiting rooms—you name it, I’ve probably written there.

How long does it typically take you to finish a writing project?

It truly depends on the story and whether the characters sing and I can get the major scenes coherently joined together though I have one that’s been sitting for awhile because I can’t get the continuity together on it.

When you’re not writing, what do you like to do?

I love going to Gettysburg—each time I see something new and it’s a great place to be at sunset into full dark. We travel and my husband and I are also involved with our local fire company.

Any advice for an author just starting out on the writer’s journey?

Don’t let anyone tell you that you cannot write. I listened to a “know it all” and wasted a good many years that I could have been writing and getting published. Let them offer advice but in the end, the author should have the final say on their work.

How did you meet your significant other?

We met one day at the fire house though he had a girlfriend at the time. After a no-holds barred game of football, I didn’t see him until several years later. We got together and the rest is history, so to speak.

In the house—shoes or bare feet?

Bare feet for sure

How many books have you written? Do you have a favorite?

About 40 so far and still going. As to favorites – they all are because each one is different yet a part of me.

Do you listen to music while you write?

I have 2 MP3 players which I listen to and then it’s Linkin Park, Nickelback, Michael Buble, Don Johnson, Brooks and Dunn, Gary Allan, Dierks Bentley, the Stones, the Beatles and….

Do you collect anything?

Lapel pins from where we go. I have a lot of Nascar ones from when we use to go to the races, fire service and Civil War. I also collect shot glasses as well.

Do you believe in extraterrestrial beings?

Of course – why are we so conceited to think we’re the only planet with intelligent life on it? Besides – I love Doctor Who and Torchwood plus Babylon 5.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us today?

I have several releases coming up in 2009. Check me out at either my journal page: http://cpoff.bravejournal.com/ and at Whisky Creek Press Torrid: http://www.whiskeycreekpress.com/torrid Have a great day!

Thanks for visiting, Christy!

A Winner!

2009-05-06T05:51:00.000-07:00

Randomly chosen from all of yesterday's comments,

the winner of Sandy Wickersham-McWhorter's

The Winds of Fall is...

*drum roll, please!*

Rachel!

Congratulations, Rachel.

Thanks, everyone, for stopping by

and visiting here at From the Pages.

Rachel, please email me

so I can send off your prize.

Thanks!

Welcome, Sandy Wickersham-McWhorter

2009-05-05T04:47:00.000-07:00

Welcome to From the Pages, Sandy. I'm so glad you took the time to stop by and visit. I have lots of questions to ask, and I want to hear all about The Winds of Fall, so if it's okay with you I'm just going to dive into the interview.

First, where do you write?

I’m one of the lucky ones that had a room I could turn into my office! I have an art table and couch as well as my writing stuff, and a wall full of books I’ve read and collected. The room overlooks the street in front of our house, and the huge window gives me an excellent view of trees, houses, and traffic. Some of the houses are from the late 1800s like mine, others are newer.

Sounds ideal for writing!

Does your family support your writing career?

My husband is more understanding than my youngest son, and my oldest son is the most understanding of all. I bounce ideas off of him or he gives me hints or reality checks, and we even do this in public. Him and I even speak Spanish back and forth “just off the top of our heads ” in public! I’m sure some people around us think we’re crazy, especially when we talk about odd plot points! That’s my idea of support, someone who’s willing to make a fool of themselves for me in public!

How did you celebrate your first contract?

I went into intensive care when I stopped breathing in December, when I got my first contract e-mail. My daughter-in-law copied it and other e-mails and sent them with my husband when he came to visit. That was on December 8th, my birthday. I couldn’t celebrate except for thanking God for it and that I was alive.

Wow. I'm certainly glad you're all right!

Can you tell us anything about what you’re working on now?

I’m working on a romantic-suspense novel about a woman who runs the Canadian ice roads for her father who can’t that year. She meets a Canadian trucker\English professor who loved her even before he met her, thanks to her father. Her dad’s enemy tries to kill her and sabotages her runs to the fabulous diamond and gold mines up in Yellowknife, Canada. I became hooked on the Ice Road Truckers on the History Channel and the story came from there. It’s part of an Ice trilogy I’m planning based 3 History Channel series.

How do you juggle all of life’s other demands with your writing career?

I fit writing in when I can. I’ve found that if you have a family you can’t neglect them totally to write books; there must be a balance. Lately my family has made more demands on my time, usurping my writing time. I do substitute teaching in lower grades, so I have an average of almost two hours each day to write when the teacher I’m replacing has a planning period, lunch, or when her students take tests. Lately I’ve not been writing much when my hubby’s home so we can be together more. When my youngest son and his family move out in February I’ll have more free time, and when my oldest gets a kidney and moves out I’ll have even more free time. In the end, family matters more than writing, but I won’t ever give it up for anyone or anything. It keeps me sane and staves off old age and Alzheimer’s.

It sounds like you've got everything well balanced.

Who is your favorite author? Favorite book?

I don’t have one favorite author. Heinlein, Wells, Bradbury, Verne, Richter, Stewart, Whitney, and Norton are all my co-favorites from the past that I still like. Today, when I take time to read, I read whatever books by members of my RWA chapter that strike my fancy; Deborah Simmons, Donna MacMeans, Lori Foster, and others, and Sherrilyn Kenyon, Susan Grant, and Stephen Hawking (yes, I’m a theoretical physics nut!). My all-time favorite book ever is Citizen of the Galaxy by Robert A. Heinlein. I’ve read it at least 80 times, and no, that’s not a misprint.

Is there anything about you that would surprise your readers?

The fact that I teach college English 101 (essay writing) in three adult-male prisons. Yes, prisons. I’ve been doing it since 2000, and I love every trying minute of it! The guys are respectful, eager to learn, and never try to do anything bad. The only bad incident I’ve had all those years was when one student and his cohort folded a giant paper airplane on a break and then flew it at me during classtime. If I didn’t wear glasses it would have hit me in the eye. I feel like I’m a positive female influence to many of my students who’ve never had a mother or were abused abandoned by mothers. These inmates must have exemplary behavior records in prison and be within 5 years of being released, so my students are there to better themselves so they can try to get their lives back on track and not be repeat offenders after release.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you choose?

Since I’m a Veteran who proudly served her country, I must say America, with a home in England so I can learn about my own family’s ancestors in Bolney, Sussex where they lived and died. The first Wickersham in America was my ancestor, Thomas Wickersham, who came here in 1700. Even then people knew what we know today, that with all of our problems, America is still the best country on the planet!

What is your favorite kind of cake?

Hands down devils-food, which along with Toll House cookies are my guilty pleasures. I have a recipe for the cake in a cookbook I got when I was a Brownie in elementary school. It makes the best devils-food you’ve ever tasted. I won’t use any other recipe for it! Of course, it must have that new lighter marshmallow frosting.

I am completely with you on this one. You've chosen two of my all-time favorites!

Do you have a role model?

My role model was my grandmother who I lived with from 1959 until her death in 1972. I felt like I could do no wrong in her eyes. I had security, food, warmth, and love. My imagination ran wild as I grew up with her guidance. I’d spend hours reading comic books and later books with chapters, coloring, cutting and pasting together my own rocket-ship models, writing down my dreams and turning them into short stories, playing outside all day in the summer, and riding my bicycle all over my hometown, Muncie, Indiana, staying outside until midnight.

It sounds like you had a lovely time with her. How wonderful!

Is there anything else you would like to share with us today?

For those who are thinking about writing as a career, be prepared. If you can’t learn how to handle rejection, if you don’t love learning languages and learning new things, if you think your writing is perfect in its first draft, if you don’t like to read and never read much as a kid, if you don’t like words and playing with them, if you never drew pictures and made up stories for them in school, if you’re not observant of things around you, if you’re not willing to spend money you don’t have to keep your writing habit going, if you’re not comfortable with being with yourself a lot, if you don’t have perseverance, then you may not have what it takes to be a successful writer. Note I didn’t say published writer. Being published is only the icing on the devils-food cake of writing. Success comes when you can do all the things I listed (there’s probably 100 things I forgot) and feel like it’s your vocation, your life, your life-preserver, then you are a successful writer.

An excerpt from The Winds of Fall:

When he turned the corner to his entry’s area, he saw a woman near his canvas. She was touching it.

Wasn’t she aware of art gallery etiquette? “Hey, get your hand off my painting.”

“Leave me alone. I want to go home. I must go home.” She said in a monotone voice.

He stepped closer, and his heart jumped into his throat. Her left hand had entered his artwork, and her forearm slid in as he watched! Joe moved closer and said, “Get away from my canvas.” He could hardly breathe as he prayed no one would see them. The consequences would be unimaginable.

The woman slowly turned her head toward him. Like in some nightmarish horror movie, she looked at him with vertical cat’s-eye pupils instead of human pupils. A gasp escaped his lips. He wanted to run, to hide from what he knew the future would now bring, but horrified fascination glued his feet to the floor.

A cobalt-blue emptiness gradually replaced her green irises and the cat’s-eye pupils. He’d never seen human eyes do anything remotely like this. He blinked away his shock and regained enough control to say, “You must get away from my painting! Now.”

She didn’t respond.

Fear of being seen made Joe close the short distance to her and shake her shoulder. “If anyone sees what you’re doing—”

“Leave me alone. I want to go home. I must go home.” She replied in the same monotone. Her elbow slid into his entry as she spoke.

As her face turned back to his artwork, a knife of horrendous loneliness sliced through Joe’s mind. He had to find out what made her feel that empty and alone. People can’t survive such loneliness. He began pulling on her free arm with all his immense strength, but the force drawing her into the picture exceeded his might. Her left shoulder disappeared into his canvas as he struggled.

Hearing faint footsteps coming near kicked adrenaline into Joe’s nervous system, so he braced a foot on the wall for leverage and pulled harder.

He struggled until sweat stung his eyes, and finally, she began sliding out of his canvas. Would she be out before those footsteps brought people with them?Panic made him pull harder, and soon, Joe heard a soft whoosh as she slid out. They fell to the floor in a heap, rose perfume filling the air around them. He watched in awe as her eyes changed from empty cobalt pools to dark-green irises then normal round pupils. But, could such haunting depths ever be called normal?

The brown eyes staring into her soul fascinated Skye, but she was repulsed to find herself sprawled on top of a total stranger. How long had she been in this ungainly position? While she jumped off and stood, she assessed him. His short brown beard and long brown hair graced the most gorgeous man she’d ever seen.

Sandy, that's an awesome excerpt! I'm hooked!

I'm so glad you came to visit today. I enjoyed getting to know you, and I do hope you will come back again sometime.

Readers, Sandy has generously offered a copy of her fabulous book, The Winds of Fall, to one lucky commenter. So comment away, and come back tomorrow to see if your name has been randomly chosen to win.

The Winds of Fall now available from The Wild Rose Press

http://www.sandywick.com/

A Winner!

2009-04-30T15:53:00.001-07:00

Congratulations, Becky! Your name was randomly chosen to receive Janet's Whiskey Shots volume!

Drop me an email and I'll send your prize right out.

Thanks, everyone, for stopping by!

Welcome, Janet Quinn

2009-04-28T05:07:00.000-07:00

Welcome to From the Pages, Janet! I'm so jazzed to have you here visiting with us today! If you don't mind, I'd like to begin asking you questions straight away...

Where do you write?

I used to sit at my desk and write. Ever since I got my laptop, I haven’t moved off the couch. I balance my laptop on one leg and a pillow and write with the TV on. I have found my dog leaves me to my writing more now that I am on the couch. When I move to my desk, he feels we must play catch.

Did you always know you wanted to be an author?

When I was in high school, I wanted to be doctor, until the end of my senior year. My English teacher told me I could write and I got my first A ever in English. I always got A’s in math and science. That’s when I decided I wanted to be an author. My mother wasn’t thrilled and it took me many years to actually become an author, but I did finally realize my dream.

Can you tell us anything about what you’re working on now?

At the moment I am writing a sequel to The River’s Treasure, which is a historical romance. Sam, who was a slave bought by the hero in The River’s Treasure, was a favorite character of everyone, so I decided to write his story. It is called Freedom’s Treasure and is an underground railroad story. Sam, a giant of a man, is content with his life until Jubilee crosses his land as she is being chased by slave hunters. He falls in love with her and finds himself being led into all types of trouble while he tries to keep her safe.

How many books have you written? Do you have a favorite?

I have sold twelve books and six short stories. I have several manuscripts in the file cabinet and that is probably where they will stay. Whatever book I am working on is my favorite at the time until I get to the galley stage where I hate the book, the characters and everything else about it and never want to see it again. Once I hold it in my hands, that all changes. My favorite character is Cassidy in Arrow of the Heart, which is a time travel romance. She is a gunslinger who comes forward in time, and even though she doesn’t understand her new world, she isn’t going to let anyone take advantage of her.

Where do you see yourself in the future? Will you still be writing, or do you have a new adventure on the horizon?

I plan to be writing until they bury me. I have had plenty of new adventures in my life and I am happy sitting on my couch writing, when I am not teaching.

The question most readers want to know but never get the chance to ask, do you ever write in your pajamas?

Since my three grown sons live with me, I sleep in sweats and a T-shirt. I also write in sweats and a T-shirt except in the summer when the sweats are traded for shorts.

Do you have a pet?

I have two cats and a dog. Chewbaca, the dog, is a spoiled, fat, lazy dog. He likes to sit in the recliner when he’s not playing ball. He also likes to chase the cats. The smaller one lets him know that she is Queen of the house and he’d best knock it off. He discovered his Christmas presents on top of the fish tank and tried for half an hour to climb up and get them. He is my baby and gets Christmas and birthday presents and even gets his picture taken with Santa. The cats, on the other hand, want to part of any of that.

If you had the choice of being stranded on a desert island or lost in a huge city, which would you prefer and why?

I would definitely choose to be lost in a huge city. I don’t go anywhere that doesn’t have ice, beds, or flush toilets. I am rather into air conditioning as well.

When you’re not writing, what do you like to do?

When I am not writing or teaching – I have two day jobs that involve teaching – I like to lay on the couch and watch TV. I used to read, but by the time I am through with everything else I do, I’m too tired to concentrate, so I watch dramas. I almost never watch movies.

Do you have a recipe you would care to share with us today?

Chicken Mozzarella
Easy and Elegant

8 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
2 cups grated Mozzarella cheese
16 ounce jar of spaghetti sauce
4 ounces Italian bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350°.

Pour bread crumbs into small flat bowl.

Dip chicken breasts into bowl, coating inside of chicken.

Put cheese in middle of chicken breasts and fold in half.

Place in 8 inch square baking pan.

Pour spaghetti sauce over chicken breasts.

Bake in 350° oven for 45 minutes.

Sprinkle remaining cheese over chicken.

Bake for an additional 10 minutes.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us today?

Writing is a passion and something I can’t imagine not doing. It is also a job that takes discipline and dedication. It is some of the hardest work I have ever done, but finishing a story and seeing my published book, makes all the work worthwhile.

Janet, thanks so much for talking with us today. I've enjoyed getting to know you, and I know my readers have, too. I hope you'll come back and visit again.

Readers, Janet has graciously offered to give one lucky commenter a copy of her Whiskey Shots, Volume 7. All you've got to do is make a comment; one name will be chosen at random to receive this collection. Check back to see if your name has been picked!

http://www.janet-quinn.com/
www.amberquill.com/Betrayals.html
www.whiskeycreekpress.com/authors/Janet_Quinn.shtml the link for the prize I am giving away which will be Whiskey Shots Vol. 7

From Betrayals:

Logan Lambert's world shatters when an earthquake destroys his newly constructed building. In the aftermath of the quake, he soon realizes that his reputation as a builder has also been damaged, and possibly beyond repair. But to make matters even worse, his also learns of the betrayal of his most-trusted friends, which shakes him to the very core of his being.

Kayla Hampton, a blind CPA, is drawn into Logan's chaotic new world when her father asks her to investigate Lambert for signs of fraud. Not only does she find herself falling in love with the discredited yet determined builder, taking risks to help him repair his reputation, but chancing to step outside her safe and orderly existence. Together, Logan and Kayla are plunged into a dangerous world of shoddy construction, gambling, murder and betrayal. And to clear Logan's good name, they must locate the man responsible for the mayhem. But will they expose the real culprit in time to save themselves? And if they do, will their love be strong enough to put their worlds back together?

Carrying her briefcase, she walked across the lawn that
separated her building from the street, her cane skimming the
top of the blades. When her feet hit the solidness of the
sidewalk, she sighed. Calm filled her as the night breeze blew
across her face. Everything was in order. Here, her world was
normal. She had twenty steps to walk to the front door. Then
she would open the security latch, go in and walk ten steps to
the stairway. There were twelve steps to the landing, two steps
to the right, then twelve more steps to the second floor. From
the stairs, it took her fifteen steps to her front door.

She had covered ten steps when the quietness of the night
ended. Hurried footsteps sounded on the sidewalk from about
half a block behind her. Her heart pounded. She paused,
holding her breath and listening. Taking in a deep breath, she
tapped her cane on the sidewalk. Why would anyone be after
her? She was being silly. Anyone could be coming down the
sidewalk.

Still… Squaring her shoulders, she hurried toward the
door, fumbling in her bag for her keys. Once inside she’d feel
safe again. She knew all of this was a reaction to the earlier
break-in, but she couldn’t stop her trembling. The footsteps
disappeared and breathed again. Then the footsteps hit the
sidewalk and her breath caught in her chest. Heavy footsteps.

Made by work boots like Logan wore. Logan making sure she
had arrived home safely? She hesitated, listening to the
footsteps, sniffing the air for a whiff of his cologne. It wasn’t
Logan. She ran the last few feet to the doorway. Jamming her
key into the lock, she tried to turn it. It stuck. The footsteps
bore down on her. They were behind her. She turned,
swinging her briefcase.

“Ooof,” a deep voice breathed.

Kayla tightened her grip on the handle, yanking it toward
her. A hand gripped her shoulder and shoved her. She crashed
backward, her head hitting the door as the doorknob bit into
her spine. The attacker wrested the briefcase from her hand.
Pain shot through her fingers and up her arm, causing her to
scream.

A second set of heavy-booted footsteps sounded against
the pavement. She pulled herself up the door and groped for
the keys in the lock. A body thudded behind her. A rush of
breath broke through the night.

“Kayla, get inside.”

A Winner!

2009-04-22T14:25:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all who stopped by yesterday!

The randomly chosen winner of Christina's novel, Foretaste of Forever, is...

*drum roll, please!*

Amy!

Congratulations, Amy. Your prize is on its way.

Welcome, Christina Phillips

2009-04-21T04:39:00.000-07:00

Welcome to From the Pages, Christina! I'm so glad you could stop by today and chat with us! I've got lots of questions I'd like to ask you, so if you don't mind I'm just going to begin asking.

First, where do you write?

Up until recently I wrote in a corner of the family room, but a few months ago my eldest moved out and so I now have her bedroom as my office. It's all pink and girly, covered in photos of my babies, full of all the wonderful romance novels I love to read, and I just... love it so much!!!

Tell us a little bit about your book, please.

FORETASTE OF FOREVER is a dark erotic romance with paranormal elements, published by the Scarlet line of the Wild Rose Press. It is available here.

It's about a strong heroine who is prepared to do anything to be with the man she loves, and an alpha hero who is so blinded by his sense of honor that he can't see his destiny when she is standing right in front of him.

Where did you get the idea for this story?

This story was actually inspired by a recurring dream I had. And not just any old dream - this one was in full technicolor and surround sound. Midnight, on a deserted beach with only the moon for illumination. But despite haunting me for four years, this couple never got any further. And they slowly began to drive me insane!

Eventually it occurred to me that I should write their story down, just to get it out of my head. I was pretty shocked to discover the dreams immediately stopped. But even though I no longer dreamed about these two people, I still couldn't quite get them out of my head.

It wasn't until a few years later when, encouraged by my fabulous CPs I went back to it and added the spice and submitted to The Wild Rose Press.

Where do you see yourself in the future? Will you still be writing, or do you have a new adventure on the horizon?

I can't imagine a time in the future when I won't be writing. It's a part of who I am, and when I don't write I get bad tampered and twitchy and a nightmare to live with!! Besides, I love being the goddess-of-my-own-universe far too much to ever give it up!!!

If you had the choice of being stranded on a desert island or lost in a huge city, which would you prefer and why?

Much as I like shopping in the city, I have no sense of direction and can get lost walking round the corner. So the thought of being lost in a huge city is kind of a nightmare for me! So...

If we're talking about being stranded on a fabulous desert island with white beaches, palm trees and warm turquoise water, then I guess I would just have to make the best of it, and ensure my co-strandee (I'm not alone on this island, right?!), the delectable Clive Owen, didn't succumb to sunstroke. I'm thoughtful like that.

The question most readers want to know but never get the chance to ask, do you ever write in your pajamas?

Hee hee!! Chance would be a fine thing. I have three kids and only after I've dropped the youngest at school, done the shopping and various chores do I collapse in front of the computer.

Any advice for an author just starting out on the writer’s journey?

I'd quote the line from Galaxy Quest - Never Give Up! Never Surrender! It took me nine years before I sold Foretaste of Forever and I came close to giving up several times, especially after particularly painful rejections. Another thing I discovered was Never Say Never - when I first started writing I aimed at category romance and was sure I would never write a first person chic lit. So then I wrote a couple of first person chic lits, while telling my CPs I could never, much as I'd love to, write paranormal.

I then wrote a couple of light paranormal romances, and despite my CPs telling me I should try my hand at erotic romance knew I'd never be able to.

Within six months I had not only written my first erotic romance, but it had been contracted by The Wild Rose Press.

Now, whenever I say never to my CPs they can barely contain their mirth!

That's great advice. And yours is definitely a success story! Congratulations!

In the house—shoes or bare feet?

Flip-flops or, as they are known Down Under, thongs. I can never call them thongs though, since as I originate from the UK thongs are skimpy knickers!!

What is your favorite kind of cake?

Something rich, chocolately and decadent and most importantly calorie free. If you know where I can get one, please let me know!

What frightens you?

The thought of being alone.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us today?

I was born in England, emigrated to Australia ten years ago, my star sign is Leo and I am twenty-nine years old. Well okay, three out of four isn't so bad!

Christina, it's been great getting to know you. I look forward to reading your work, and I wish you every success. I do hope you'll consider coming back and chatting with us again.

Readers, Christina has graciously offered a copy of her Foretaste of Forever to one lucky commenter, so comment away! One name will be randomly drawn to receive this intriguing story. Check back to see if your name has been drawn!

Blurb:

Elyesha, last surviving descendant of a line of powerful witches,
finally finds the only man she's ever loved, the man who deserted
her countless years before. But Ben is torn between desire and
despair when Elyesha, his only love, eventually penetrates his
protective retreat. He knows what she wants, but the price of their
love is too high. At midnight, on the beach, a battle of wills and
erotic seduction ensues as each confronts the other's darkest fears.

Excerpt ~ Edited

Elyesha hooked her ankles around Ben's waist as he strode through the castle's crumbling entrance. For a fleeting moment, she wished it had retained its former glory, but her ancestors had allowed the magnificent stronghold to fall into ruins centuries ago.

Besides, it didn't matter where she had Ben. So long as she had him. And soon – she would have him forever.

In the Great Hall, with its soaring arches and remnants of ancient grandeur in the carved four poster bed, he paused and she slowly slithered from his grasp. "What shall we do now?" she said, tilting her head to one side and allowing her long hair to tumble provocatively over her shoulder.

"No suggestions?" She raised one eyebrow and trailed her finger over his groin and toward his chest. She didn't know why he fought against her some nights. What did he hope to achieve? Sooner or later, she'd get her way and then he would see how foolish all his protestations had been. "Perhaps I'll strip you naked," she suggested, loosening the ties on his scarlet linen shirt.

He didn't reply, except to give the merest grunt of a laugh. She tugged his open shirt from his britches and admired his
perfectly sculpted chest, before sliding the shirt over his shoulders and along his finely muscled arms.

"Enjoying yourself?" There was a rasp to his voice, as if he tried to deny the rising desire between them.

She shot him an exasperated glance. "I intend to enjoy myself far more before this night's over." She tugged at the fastenings at his crotch, deliberately prolonging the procedure. Occasionally she found Ben's inhuman self-control infuriating, but even that didn't matter. Because, in the end, he always succumbed.

Christina's Website http://www.christinaphillips.com
Christina's Blog http://christinaphillips.blogspot.com

A Winner!

2009-04-16T04:51:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who stopped by and left a comment on Annette's interview post!

Annette has put together a lovely gift package for one lucky commenter.

I've just randomly pulled a name out of a hat

(actually a Yankees cap!) and that name is...

*Drum roll, please!*

Dru!

Congratulations, Dru!

Welcome, Annette Snyder

2009-04-15T04:42:00.000-07:00

Welcome, Annette, to From the Pages. I'm so glad you could stop by and visit today. I've got lots of questions to ask so if you don't mind we'll get right to them.

How long does it typically take you to finish a writing project?

I usually finish a book from idea to saleable state in about a year. Once I get the last draft finished, I put the project aside and let it rest while I write a synopsis and put a query together. With luck, the novel finds a home at a publisher and then editing and re-editing, cover art work-up and printing—total two to three years. The hardest time for me to stay motivated in my writing is November thru January, who knows why. I do write every day even if it’s just a little bit.

Did you always know you wanted to be an author?

When I was in college taking creative writing classes, I’d get so involved with my projects that the rest of the world would disappear. I lost track of time. I enveloped myself in my work so much that the projects seemed real. After I’d write something, I’d reread it and wonder what part of my brain that came from. I wanted to write but knew the chances of earning a living doing something I loved was a far fetch. Only a handful of writers make money with their work. Instead, I went into business school and started a family. When my kids got old enough, my father in law gave me his old computer and I started to write again. Travis Pass was the first novel I ever finished and my third sale. After I wrote Travis Pass, I got more and more ideas and I learned to hone my craft using more description and depth of character. Now, if I go for a day without writing, its unusual.

Can you tell us anything about what you’re working on now?

2009 is proving to be a busy year for me. I thought I’d have two releases and recently discovered I’ll have four. The New Year starts with the release of Viveka’s War, one of my favorite stories. July marks the release of Intimate Flames, a novel about putting the past behind and learning to love a second time. It’s a read beginning and ending on Independence Day. In October and December, my Travis Pass Series releases in MegaBook I and MegaBook II. Readers will be able to purchase three of my Travis Pass stories in one volume for a great low price. I’m also involved in a cooperative band of Nebraska producers called Grow Nebraska, www.growneb.com and I host book club at WRDF. The information is available in this post and at my website http://annettesnyder.atspace.com Add all that to my writing, I’m working on a project involving a fast food worker and a limousine driver. Plus, I work full-time, part-time and I do the regular stuff taking care of my family. Who says the life of a writer is a solitary one?

It does sound like you're very busy!

The question most readers want to know but never get the chance to ask, do you ever write in your pajamas?

I’d go to work at my real job if my pajama’s were presentable enough but they aren’t. I used to attend church in my PJ’s if you really want to know a secret.

Oh my gosh, that's funny. PJ's in church! I haven't tried that one...yet!

In the house—shoes or bare feet?

I’m known for bare feet. When it gets warm enough to go without shoes, I shed them. Once I went to work and forgot my shoes--worked all day without them. If it wasn’t for snow, I’d go barefoot in the winter.

How many books have you written? Do you have a favorite?

I’ve written about fifty books. I have eight released, three more releasing soon and a couple contracted. Not all the books I’ve written are to the publishable stage because I wrote them way before I knew what a publishable book consisted of so, when I have time, I go back and revamp the old ones with my new skills—That’s between edits and new ideas. It’s good that I keep a file for new ideas and go back to my older stories when I think of things pertinent to them. I think my favorite book, so far, is Viveka’s War based on the struggles one woman learns to overcome during her life and the novel afterward, Eureka Springs about a woman who learns to put the mistakes of the past behind her. I try and make sure all my characters learn and grow with each story.

You’re in an Italian restaurant. What do you order?

I went to Naples, Florida with my girlfriends last November and we went to an Italian restaurant. There was a sign outside that read, “Two for the price of one from 4-6.” I ordered Bloody Mary’s. Cost me fifteen dollars but by the time I left, I was speaking Italian.

Sounds like you had an interesting language lesson! *G*

Do you need silence to write or can you write through anything?

I can write through anything. In fact, I think when a person is going through a bad spell in life, if they write it helps work through that spell. I also can sleep through anything. Noise and distraction don’t bother me through writing or sleeping.

Do you collect anything?

Dust. I collect giant, fuzzy dust bunnies. I’m thinking in 2009, my friends will get them as gifts! I also collect rocks. When someone tells me they’re going on a trip, I tell them to bring me a rock. I have them from many states, cities and places of interest in the USA, Bolivia, Canada, Iraq, The Baltic Sea, Guatemala, and several ruins overseas. My rocks come from castle walls in Germany and haunted hotels in South Dakota. My aunt, a Catholic nun, even stole a rock from the Pope during her visit to the Vatican.

Do you believe in extraterrestrial beings?

I saw a UFO once. I used to commute an hour to and from work and I crested a hill with my rust bucket 1969 AMC Ambassador—this was in 1985 so that tells you how old my car was. Through the windshield of my car, I saw a neon blue orb skate across the sky in a straight line. It came in the east side of the horizon and exited the west side half way between the ground and the atmospheric ceiling. I followed the light with my eyes and the whole trip took about four seconds. At first, I thought it might be a shooting star or space trash, but it was bright blue, had no tail and entered and exited in a perfectly straight line. I researched all over the internet and newspapers but couldn’t find anything about a mysterious light in the sky. Had to be an alien craft.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us today?

I’d like to let everyone know about a great group I’m involved in. I host the Writers and Readers of Distinctive Fiction’s book club blog. Each month, Lynda Cook and I hand-select some great reads to discuss on Lost in a Good Book. It’s free to join the WRDF community, If you’re a reader and interested on getting the latest information on your favorite authors and reads, it is the place to be. If you’re an author and would like your novel considered for our book club, all the information is one the WRDF site. Check us out through these links: Writers and Readers of Distinctive Fiction http://romancewriterandreader.ning.com and Lost in a Good Book http://blog.elceepublishing.com It’s a great opportunity for readers and authors alike. You can also check my website for that information plus more on my career http://annettesnyder.atspace.com

Thanks for visiting, Annette. I've enjoyed getting to know you.

Readers, Annette is offering a lovely prize package to one lucky commenter so comment away and check back later in the week to see if your name has been chosen to win!

A Winner!

2009-04-15T03:58:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all who stopped by yesterday!

The randomly chosen winner of PL Parker's novel, Riley's Journey, is...

*drum roll, please!*

Emma Lai!

Congratulations, Emma. Your prize is on its way.

Welcome, PL Parker

2009-04-14T02:33:00.000-07:00

Welcome, PL, to From the Pages. I am so happy you're able to take time from your busy schedule to visit with me! I've got lots of questions, so if you don't mind I'll get right to them.

Where do you write?

I am a sneaky writer. I keep a screen open at work and whenever an idea comes to me, I flip over to the screen and write it down. At the end of the week, I send my ideas home so that I can sit down and put them all together. Works really well for me and I can pretty much fill 4 or 5 pages of single-spaced typed pages every week, depending on my workload.

Did you always know you wanted to be an author?

Actually, no. I dabbled in writing for years, but only started truly writing in 2006. I was always telling my husband these stories I made up and he kept telling me I should write them down and once I got started, the ideas just kept coming. Besides being a legal assistant, in my spare time, I was a dance teacher, choreographer and performer for many years. I am also quite crafty, which has fallen by the wayside now that I am writing. I used to sell many of the things I created, fairy gardens, Christmas wall hangings, that sort of thing – not good at scrapbooking, too tedious and nerve-wracking.

Does your family support your writing career? How?

My husband is my biggest fan. He is the one who builds my confidence when I sometimes feel inadequate or struggle to keep my motivation going. He reads everything as I write it and is excited every time I give him the next chapter to read.

Can you tell us anything about what you’re working on now?

I'm currently working on a vampire story, along with probably every other author in the country, with Twilight coming out.

How long did it take to write?

I started my story in February. So far, I've finished my novels in about 6 to 8 months each, but this one has taken me somewhat longer. I am at the end of the story, though, and am excited to put in the finishing chapter.

Who is your favorite author? Favorite book?

My favorite author(s) are Christine Feehan and Sherrilyn Kenyon. I love paranormal and rarely read anything else – which could be why that is the genre I choose to write. I love any of the books Feehan writes that deal with the women who have the special powers, although her Carpathian series is great too. As to Kenyon, I love the stories about the gods and goddesses.

If you had the choice of being stranded on a desert island or lost in a huge city, which would you prefer and why?

I certainly would prefer the huge city. At least, I could find a restaurant and eat and visit with strangers if I wanted to. That is something I can relate to, not living by myself. I talk to myself enough as it is – imagine how I'd sound on a desert island!! Hee hee.

In the house—shoes or bare feet?

The minute I walk in the house, the shoes go!

Do you have a pet?

I have three right now. Two huge cats and my little darling – Biddy, my toy poodle, who is like an extra foot. If I'm in the house, none of the males exist. They are okay until I'm available and then they're dirt.

Do you believe in extraterrestrial beings?

Most certainly. Don't want to meet one, but I believe!

Is there anything else you would like to share with us today?

I would say to write with passion, pick subjects that make you feel what your characters are feeling, be it good or bad. I think my early years acting gave me an edge on that aspect. I mentally act out what each character is doing or feeling when I am writing and how they would react to situations. Really helps me set the stage.

Thank you so much for visiting today. I know I've enjoyed learning about the lady behind the stories, and I know readers did, too. I hope you'll consider visiting again!

Readers, PL has generously offered a copy of Riley's Journey to one lucky commenter, so comment away and maybe yours will be the randomly chosen name! Check back to see if you're the lucky winner!

Riley's Journey can be purchased here.

Learn more about PL Parker and her work at: Links are www.thewildrosepress.com; fictionwise.com; www.amazon.com. My personal links are www.plparker.com; plparkerblogspot.com and www.myspace.com/mrsplparker

Aimee's Locket Blurb:

The antique ivory locket was the key! Exquisite and enchanting, it drew Aimee like a magnet. Though the locket cost every spare penny she had, it was money well spent – or so she thought!

Catapulted back to the year 1847, Aimee finds herself alone in St. Louis, Missouri, the jumping off site for the Oregon Trail. The much touted slogan “Go West Young Man” takes on new meaning. Seattle, her home in the present, was a distant dream, and unless she found a suitable male willing to marry, Aimee would be left behind when the emigrant train departed, bound for the Oregon Territory.

Jake Marshall, scout for the Markham Party, was the perfect, if unwilling choice. Undaunted by his overt rudeness, Aimee entices Jake to the alter, promising her diamond earrings as payment for a marriage of convenience. Properly wed, she thereby secures passage on the wagon train, and embarks on a chain of events that would ultimately culminate in the far reaches of the great American West.

Grapes For a Guinness -- A Winner!

2009-04-08T05:00:00.001-07:00

The name out of the winner's hat is Sue W!

Congratulations, Sue!

Mike Ryan's Grapes For a Guinness will be on its way

to you by the end of this week.

Please shoot me an email with your

mailing address.

Thanks to everyone who stopped by

yesterday to visit with Mike!

Welcome, Mike Ryan!

2009-04-07T04:03:00.000-07:00

Welcome to From the Pages, Mike. So glad you could drop by and visit with us today. I've got lots of questions to ask, so if you don't mind I'd like to just dive right in.

Where do you write?

Usually in my office in the basement and occasionally on the commuter rail.

Did you always know you wanted to be an author?

Yes, probably since I started reading.

Does your family support your writing career? How?

Yes, they support me by tolerating my sometimes visits to historical places or listening to me ramble about historical people.

When you’re not writing, what do you like to do?

Reading, biking with my wife, and following the Boston Red Sox.

Great hobbies! I'm a baseball fan, too.

Can you tell us anything about what you’re working on now?

I’m working on the third Cootch Connolly mystery, No Fun In the Fens; a novel about a guy hitting 50 not sure how to commemorate that milestone, and a political novel.

Sounds intriguing!

How long did Grapes For a Guinness take to write?

About two years. Grapes For A Guinness stemmed from a lousy short story I wrote. I liked the idea, junked the short story, and turned it into a novel.

Where did you get the idea for this story?

From reading the Guinness Book of Records.

Hmm, I don't think I've ever had anyone give that answer before. It just goes to show that inspiration can strike from almost anywhere. Very interesting.

The question most readers want to know but never get the chance to ask, do you ever write in your pajamas?

Yes, whatever it takes.

Any advice for an author just starting out on the writer’s journey?

Plank your butt into a chair and type.

Excellent advice.

How did you meet your significant other?

Ironically, it ties in with the supermarket setting in Grapes For A Guinness. While I was in college, I worked part time running the front end of a supermarket. One of the bundle boys said to me, “I have sister your age.” I was single, I was available. “Really,” I replied. He said, “Yuh, she’s five-nine and ugly.” That killed my interest.

A few months went by. The store sponsored a softball team and I played on it with Bob the Bundleboy. He invited me to his high school graduation party. I went to the party to be polite. I met his sister Debbie. I was smitten at first sight.

I grabbed Bob later at work. “You’re an a**h**le,” I said. “Your sister isn’t five-nine and she’s not ugly.” He shrugged his shoulders. “You know how brothers and sisters are.”

She had a boyfriend, and for once I didn’t take a pass. We’ve been married for 29 years and have two great children.

What a great story. I love it that you got the chance to see Debbie for yourself, and it's great that you didn't let her brother or her boyfriend get in the way. Good for you!

How many books have you written?

Four of my books have been published. I’ve written four others.

Do you speak a foreign language?

I studied German for four years in high school.

Do you have a role model?

My father.

Do you listen to music while you write?

Yes.

What brings you the most joy?

My family.

What do you love most about being an author?

Having someone read one of my books and tell me that he or she enjoyed it.

I agree. That is one of the best feelings in the world.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us today?

I had two great writing teachers. In high school it was Paul Wilgoren. I was too much of a wiseass to accept his constructive criticism. In grad school at Boston University, I studied magazine writing under Tim Cohane, former sports editor of Look Magazine. Tim Cohane possessed a great love of good writing and passed it along to his students. Sadly, both men are deceased, and I wished they were around so I could have thanked them in person.

Readers, Mike has generously offered to give away a print copy of his book, Grapes For a Guinness, to one lucky commenter. So comment away, and check back to see if you're the randomly drawn lucky winner!

Thanks so much for visiting today, Mike. I have enjoyed getting to know you and I look forward to hearing more about your upcoming novel.

Grapes For a Guinness blurb:

Mickey Paquette lives a quiet life occupied mainly by working to help his father—his mom died when he was twelve years old, his dad’s a recovered alcoholic. Mickey doesn’t make waves at school and doesn’t worry about his social life. Near the end of his schooling, Mickey stumbles on an intriguing notion to celebrate those academic years —to try to gain an entry in the Guinness World Book of Records. He hatches the idea to break a world record after watching two friends throw and catch grapes at lunch. After embarking on his quest, Mickey soon discovers he has an amazing mix of friends, helpers and adversaries, most of them tangled up in the often-vicious environment of small-town rumor, romance, and politics. Despite setback after setback, he pursues the record—but will there be one final stumbling block?

Excerpt from Grapes For a Guinness:

They walked, passing a few ranch-style homes. They arrived twenty minutes later in downtown Knightsbridge. Inside Fielder’s Package Store they bought soda and stood over a footbridge overlooking Potter Falls. Plants lined the footbridge shooting the floral scents, while bees flitted from pistil to pistil.

Despite the closing of the mills in the seventies the water remained brown when it gushed toward the waterfall.

Barry broke the silence. “You really like Charlotte. Don’t you?”

“Yup. She thinks I’m a pimple on the rear end of progress.”

Barry laughed. “She thinks better of the fleas on her dog’s ass.”

“I really want to do something this year.”

“Take Charlotte to the senior prom?”

“Without Travis and his thugs tossing me over this bridge?” Mickey chugged his root beer.

“We have to do something big this year, Bazz.”

“Senior prank or senior skip day?”

“I heard that one class tore apart a Volkswagon and reassembled it in the bell tower.”

“I think Dad said it happened before him.”

“Senior skip day is dumb. Drive to the beach and try not to get arrested for drinking on the beach in Rhode Island.”

“I can see the wheels turning. You’ll come up with something, Mick. I know you will.”

“I hope so. I hope so.”

Buy Grapes For a Guinness here.

Mike Ryan is the author of the EPPIE AWARD winning novel BEGIN WITH ME.

Visit Mike Ryan's website at http://www.ryanmj.com/.

A Winner!

2009-04-01T14:10:00.000-07:00

Big congratulations, Becky! You're the randomly chosen commenter who will receive Linda's new book. Please email me asap and I'll send your copy right out to you.

Thanks, everyone, for stopping by. And thank you, Linda, for visiting here at From the Pages!

Welcome, Linda Mooney

2009-03-31T04:06:00.000-07:00

Good morning, Linda. Welcome to From the Pages. I’m so glad you stopped by today. My Strength, My Power, My Love released this month from Whiskey Creek Press Torrid. I’m excited to hear about it, and chat with you, so why don’t we get started?

Where do you write?

After son #1 moved out, I moved son #2 into his bedroom and took the smaller one for myself, and turned it into my own office.

How long does it typically take you to finish a writing project?

For an approximately 60K novel, 3 months. Unless I go a tad overboard, and the book takes on a life of it's own. It could take a year, but that usually is because I put it aside to simmer for a while (and work on something else until I'm ready to go back to it).

Tell us a little bit about your book, please.

My March release from Whiskey Creek Press Torrid is called MY STRENGTH, MY POWER, MY LOVE. It's an erotic sci-fi romance novel. It's also a stand-alone.

Where did you get the idea for this story?

Sometimes I'll challenge myself to write a story where X can't happen because of Y. In other words, I put my hero and heroine in situations where they face obstacles of my own creation. And as I write the story, I try to figure a way out of the mess I made for myself. LOL! This is one of those instances.

Where do you see yourself in the future? Will you still be writing, or do you have a new adventure on the horizon?

I am in the middle of my 31st year of teaching. By next year I'll be able to retire with full benefits. Once I do that, I want to become a "full time" writer.

What kind of food do you like best?

Seafood! Followed closely by Chinese.

In the house—shoes or bare feet?

Bare feet!

You're in an Italian restaurant. What do you order?

seafood alfredo, or anything seafood with pasta

Do you have a pet?

A pug named Daisy, a cockatiel named Sweetie, and hubby has a tank and a pond of fish that I have to take care of when he's out of town.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us today?

Yes! I would like to tell you about my newest novel, MY STRENGTH, MY POWER, MY LOVE

http://www.lindamooney.com/

http://lindamooney.blogspot.com/

www.whiskeycreekpress.com/torrid

Blurb:

Once in every one million births, a child is born on Bellac with the Synergistic gene. These children are taken from their parents, raised, trained, and prepared for the day when they will find their Synergistic other half. For when that happens, an entirely new power is created—a power ready to protect and defend their home world.

Grey Dansis is a Synergian. She has reached that point in time when she must go forth to meet the others like herself and hopefully find the male who will become her life-long partner. There are nearly a dozen to choose from—strong, prime adult males who are ready to join the war as soon as they are united with their female halves.

Unfortunately Grey has secretly harbored a longing for Rowe Maine. But the man is five years her senior and considered long past acceptance. He is an Unmatched Synergian who has lost his chance to become one of the rare few empowered union mates. Now the man is a trainer and teacher at their special school.

It won’t be long, however, before their world is again attacked by marauders. The creatures bent on domination are a species the Synergians have never encountered before. And this time the creatures’ goal isn’t just to conquer Bellac, but to totally wipe the planet’s current population and its army of Synergians out of existence.

Grey has no idea that Rowe, the man she has long been in love with, is her fated other half. Or that the power that could come from their union would be the only force strong enough to save Bellac from complete annihilation.

They may never know because the law won't even let them touch.

Excerpt: (Rated G)

The temperature inside the ship was rapidly growing colder. Rowe’s suit kicked on the heat, and the gust of warm air going up his nose was enough to rouse him. He fought the fogginess and moved each limb slowly to check for any sign of broken bones or internal injuries. Gods, he hurt, but there wasn’t any sharp pain to let him know something wasn’t right.

His next thought was of Grey. He couldn’t sense anything from her, and fear reared its ugly head. Rowe panicked.

"Grey!"

He reached for the seat when his arms started drifting upward. It finally sunk in that they’d crashed, but somehow the flit had miraculously remained intact. At the moment they were hanging upside-down in their seats, held into place by the harness.

It was also pitch dark.

Rowe reached for the interior lights and flicked the switch. A barely perceptible blueish glow filled the cockpit. Unbuckling his harness, Rowe slowly slid out of his seat and eased onto the cockpit roof. In this position he could crawl underneath Grey and check her vitals.

His hands were trembling when he lifted her helmet to gaze at her face. A tiny amount of condensation fogged her faceplate from the inside. The knot inside his chest eased, allowing the tears to sting his eyes. She was alive. Thank all the heavens, she’d survived the crash.

"Grey, can you hear me?"

The crash must have severed communications. He grabbed her shoulders and gave her a little shake. Her head lolled back and forth, but she remained unresponsive. Bits of frost were starting to form inside her faceplate, which told him her suit wasn’t functioning properly. Unless he could fix it, she could freeze to death.

He glanced down at the instrument panel. The readouts were black. It was impossible to tell what, if anything, still worked. First things first, though. He had to get Grey out of her seat and into someplace warm.

He unhooked her from her harness and let her drop into his arms. There was no longer any need to watch where or how they touched. They’d crash landed gods knew where, and if they had any chance of surviving long enough to get back to Bellac, they needed to use any and all skills available to them, including the ones they had yet to discover as union mates.

Her left arm hung at an awkward angle. Lowering her to the roof, he carefully checked it from wrist to elbow. It was definitely broken. The bone in her lower arm moved unnaturally. He managed to scramble to the back of the ship and find the emergency aid kit. Taking the single small cuff, he slipped it over her arm before inflating it. The cuff would keep her arm rigid enough to allow the bone to knit. There was little else he could do for her until she gained consciousness.

This sounds like a great read, Linda. Thanks so much for visiting today!

Readers, Linda has generously offered a copy of My Strength, My Power, My Love to one lucky reader. All you’ve got to do to enter is leave a comment. One commenter will be chosen at random to receive a copy of Linda’s new book. Check back tomorrow to see if your name has been chosen!

A Winner!

2009-03-25T05:19:00.000-07:00

Big congratulations to Danielle!

Her name was drawn as the lucky commenter who won a copy of

Linda's new book, Circle of Love!

Welcome, Susan Palmquist

2009-03-25T05:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome, Susan! I'm so pleased you've stopped by to visit with us. I look forward to getting to know the lady behind the writing, so if you don't mind I'm going to begin asking questions straight away.

Where do you write?

I have two spots where I do most of my writing. As well as writing fiction, I'm also a freelance writer so one of the rooms in my house is used as my office. It's downstairs, has a window that faces the side of the neighbor's house and therefore has very few distractions besides the odd bird or squirrel flying or running by. I use a desktop computer for my non-fiction work and then in the evenings I take my laptop and head into the family room and start to work on my fiction. In the winter there's not much to look at besides snow, but in the summer I open the windows and the patio door to listen to the waterfall in the pond by the patio.

How long does it typically take you to finish a writing project?

It really depends on what I'm working on. The children's book. The One and Only, that's just been published took me just a couple of weeks. But A Sterling Affair took about six months and then a couple more months for rewriting and editing. A lot depends on how much thought I've given the plot and characters before I start working. Sometimes I'll just get an idea and wing it.

When you're not writing, what do you like to do?

In the summer I spend lots of time outside gardening. And I love to cook. For me, it's a way of relaxing and a chance to iron out on scenes that aren't working out for me. I also enjoy riding my bike, photography and I sometimes knit.

Can you tell us anything about what you're working on now?

For the first time ever, I have several projects and a rewrite going on at the same time. I'm reworking another paranormal romance that's set in Ireland. I'm about 14,000 words into a mystery novel and then I'm about 10,000 words into a contemporary romance.

The question most readers want to know but never get the chance to ask, do you ever write in your pajamas?

No, most of the time I head to my office in a t-shirt, sweatpants, slippers and many times wet hair when I'm working on deadline and just need to get to work.

What circumstances led you to writing?

My degree is in psychology and I had every intention of becoming a child psychologist. My first job was as a children's advocate in a shelter for battered women and I was taking everyone problems home with me. I was going home in tears when I saw some of the awful things one human being can do to another and it made me realize I'm just a too sensitive a person to be in that line of work. Panic set in when I realized that I'd wasted my time studying for a career that wasn't right for me. I went to the library to research other lines of work and the first book I found was about public relations and noticed the main job requirement was writing. I'd been writing short stories since my great aunt's neighbor told me she was collecting royalties from a book she'd written 20 years ago and me thinking it was a great way to make money, got caught up with the whole writing thing. So I eventually went to work in PR, did lots of writing, became a freelance writer and still kept writing short stores and eventually novels.

Do you have a pet?

Yes, a cat named Flynn who's appeared on two calendars. He likes to either sit in front of the computer screen while I'm working or put his whole body over the keyboards on my laptop. Besides that annoying feature, he's my best writing buddy. I used him as one of the characters in the paranormal romance I'm rewriting…and yes, he plays himself.

Do you listen to music while you write?

Always. Depending on what stage of writing I'm at, determines what I listen to. If I'm just starting a project then I'll listen to all my old favorites …many from the mid 80s to 90s. Peter Gabriel, Sting, U2, Tears for Fears. When I start working on the next draft, I'll switch to instrumental music, no lyrics so I can hear the characters talking. Sometimes it will be classical music, sometimes New Age.

What frightens you?

Easy one…the dentist. When I was three, my mom took me along to the dentist while she was having a filling to prove to me that going to the dentist's office was no big deal. Bad idea, it just so happened that particular day, the dentist let the drill slip in my mom's mouth. I've hated the dentist ever since and I have to drag myself in there every single time.

Have you ever laughed so hard something has flown out of your face?

No, but when I was at school I laughed so hard the teacher made me stand outside the classroom for an hour as punishment. I never understood why laughing would need to be punished. Back in those days I didn't have the nerve to challenge him on that one.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us today?

Just that I feel very honored to spend some time with everyone, to thank you for dropping by to read this and hope that you'll buy my book…just kidding on that last bit!

I've loved getting to know you, Susan. Thanks so much for stopping by!

Widow Deana Adams gets the shock of her life when she discovers a naked man in her living room. It's an even bigger shock when she learns Sir Ian Ashby is over 200 years old. Wanting nothing more than to return him to his grave, Deana soon realizes that Sir Ian offers her a second chance at love.
Excerpt
Madam, are you afraid of me?”
Deana couldn't speak, so she just shook her head. But then she got up the courage to answer him.
“Why would you think I'm afraid of you?”
“The fact that I can feel you shake in my hand. That I can see your body trembling.”
“It's just that I've never seen a ghost before,” she said quickly. The shaking wasn't because she thought he was a ghost, or even spooky for that matter. She was in awe of this magnificent man.
“A ghost. I do not believe that I am a ghost. Ghosts are dead. I believe that I am alive.”
He took her hand and pressed her palm to his chest. She could feel a network of well-defined muscles, and the little mats of curly hair tickled her palm. If he hadn't come back from the dead, she would have taken a guess he'd been working out a couple of times a day. He moved her hand across to the left side of his body and she suddenly felt his heart pounding against her palm.
“Are you now convinced that I am alive?”
“Yes.”
Deana felt her knees go wobbly again, and it definitely wasn't because she was standing next to a supposedly dead man. There was only one simple explanation for the way she was feeling. She was attracted to him, and found him, well, the only word she could think of was sexy.
He let go of Deana's wrist, so she stepped backwards away from him. “The clothes,” she said, holding them out to him again.
He took them with one hand while managing to keep the cushion in place with the other.
“Perhaps you should tell me your name, Madam.”
“I'm Deana Adams, and those are my children, Todd and Amy.”
He looked across the room at them. “Yes, imps who enjoy a lark. And I would very much like to speak with their father as soon as possible. I would like to recommend to him what their punishment should be for this game they have played.”
“That won't be possible,” said Deana.
He looked back at her.
“And why not?”
“Because I'm a widow, their father is dead.”

Buy Link:
www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1076

www.susanpalmquist.com

Welcome, Linda Swift!

2009-03-24T03:58:00.000-07:00

Oh, Linda, I am so very glad you decided to come back and visit with me! I can't tell you how much our first chat did to lift my spirits. At my age the small things, like spending time with a special friend, mean so much. I enjoyed our last visit; now that we're "old pals" I'm sure we'll have even more fun.

My lemon bundt cake has taken blue ribbons at the county fair a time or two. I don't mean to shine a light on my own shoes, but I pondered long and hard, trying to decide what you would most enjoy sharing with me and I finally chose the lemon bundt. I baked it this morning--ooh, don't you just love the scent of lemons in the air?

I'm so glad you invited me back, Miz Elinor. And thanks for sending those delicious oatmeal-raisin cookies home with me. My husband agrees they were the best he's ever eaten. And my mouth is watering at the thought of sampling your lemon bundt cake when we take tea today.

Oh, I'm so glad your husband took to the cookies! What is it about cookies that just seem to bring out the boy in any man? Goodness, but that surely is the truth, isn't it? And, just between us, I baked a spare bundt for you to take with you when you leave. I thought your darling man might just enjoy a slice...or two or three!

Maybe I should explain why I called you Miz Elinor. In the South that is a term of respect for anyone older than we are and really doesn't mean Ms. as Women's Lib used the word.

You are a dear! Thank you for being so kind!

Now, why don't we settle in and get to introducing you to the folks peeking in on our chat? But first, let me pour you a cup of tea. And here, a slice of cake.

All right, now we're ready. So, does your family support your writing career? How?

Absolutely. One hundred percent. My husband helped me build my website and he helps me with all things too technical for me to understand. Both he and my son, daughter, and son-in-law give me encouragement, praise, and support. And my daughter established Facebook and MySpace for me and keeps them updated.

It's lovely that you've got help with all of that. It sounds like they free your time up so you can devote yourself to writing. I like that, a supportive family. Nice, very nice.

Any advice for an author just starting out on the writer's journey?

Don't try to keep up with trends and make your writing fit the cookie cutter mold. Develop your own voice and listen to it and it will not lead you in the wrong direction.

Expect rejections. Learn from them. A professor once told my class the only difference between published and unpublished authors is "lunatic persistence." I've proved that. I qualify on both counts!

Have you gotten any piece of writing advice that has been particularly helpful?

I began a short story in a university writing class and shared it with the teacher and he advised me to always narrate a story at the level of the main characters. I change the narrator's voice and the story won a Fiction Skills scholarship at the Indiana U. Writers' Conference that year.

Do you have a role model?

I've had many through the years but my current one is Miz Ivy, an almost 96-years-young English lady who lives alone, walks to church, has tea every Wednesday (really lunch) for anyone who wants to pop in (there's always a roomful). She always wins at Scrabble, works crossword puzzles, reads voraciously, and writes me long newsy letters. She is interested in people and events worldwide and takes pleasure in living. You would enjoy her company, Miz Elinor.

What a wonderful relationship, both for you and Miz Ivy! You are right, dear. I would definitely enjoy her company.

What do you love most about being an author?

When a reader tells me they enjoyed my book, that it touched their heart, that they want to read more about the characters.

Who is your favorite author? Favorite book?

Maeve Benchey. Every book she has written and I have collected all of them. She writes about ordinary people and places and everyday events in an extraordinary way. She has a gift of touching the emotions that are common to us all.

Ooh, you've chosen one of my favorite authors. That woman can tell a story, can't she? And it seems perfect that the traits you admire in her writing are ones yours possesses, as well. Sarita told me that one of the things she liked best about your Let Nothing You Dismay was the warm-hearted feeling the story left her with.

What kind of food do you like best?

Desserts. Candy, pie, cake, cookies, pastries, ice cream. You name it, and if it's sweet, I like it.

Do you have a recipe you would care to share with us today?

Certainly. And it will be a dessert, of course, pretend it's lowfat and enjoy.

FUDGE PIE

1/2 cup butter or margarine
2 squares semi-sweet baking chocolate
1 cup sugar
3 unbeaten eggs
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring
1/2 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts)
Vanilla cream or Cool Whip

Melt together butter and chocolate. Mix in sugar, eggs, flour, vanilla flavoring and nuts. Pour into greased and floured pie pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 25-35 minutes. Cool.
Top with ice cream or Cool Whip and serve.

Now this sounds like my kind of pie! Simple to prepare, and with two of my favorite ingredients, chocolate and nuts. Yes, I'll be giving this one a try. Thank you for sharing!

You have just won a million dollars. What would you do with it?

First, I'd invest most of it for my family's security. Then I'd take what I'm comfortable spending and travel to places I'd like to see...Ireland, Switzerland, Germany, the Greek Isles, and all over England and Scotland for a year or two. I'd be frugal and travel with National Holidays in the latter two countries.

Do you collect anything?

I collect bookends, coffee table books on England, trios (matching cup, saucer, and dessert plate), tea sets, pitchers, and trays. Someone has pointed out to me that all my collections are objects that hold something. I don't know if this is significant, do you?

What an insightful observation...it's true. I wonder... Now you'll have me thinking on this all afternoon. My first thought was that I'd love to sometime see your collection of tea sets. I admit I've got a fondness for those myself, especially pretty cups and saucers. Oh, yes, I do like my tea...

I hate to see our visit draw to a close but I know you must be so busy with your writing and your family that I know you'll have to run. I would keep you here all day if I could, but I know I shouldn't monopolize your time, Linda.

Just one more question, if you'll indulge an old woman.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us today?

Since I visited before Let Nothing You Dismay was voted Readers' Pick of the Month at http://findagreatromance.blogspot.com and I was interviewed at Between The Lines where you can read about my trip "To Hull and Back." http://blog.lyndacoker.net

And Circle of Love, my second book with The Wild Rose Press released on March 13th. So I have brought along a picture of the beautiful cover and blurb and a little excerpt to share with you. To learn more about this book and two more coming out this year, visit my website at www.lindaswift.net.

I've enjoyed our visit so much, Miz Elinor. The cake was delicious and I hope you'll share your recipes for the cake and those yummy oatmeal-raisin cookies, too. It's all low fat, isn't it?

You know it is, my friend. All low fat, and low calorie, too. I think that any treat shared between friends and over a nice pot of tea must be healthy, don't you?

I do hope you will come back and visit with me again sometime soon. Maybe when it's not quite so chilly we'll be able to take our tea on the front porch.

I'll look forward to seeing you again when the weather is warmer.

I'll hold you to that. Thank you for visiting with me today, Linda.

Readers, Linda has been gracious enough to offer a copy of her new book, Circle of Love, to one lucky commenter today. Check back later in the week to see if your name has been randomly drawn.

CIRCLE OF LOVE by Linda Swift
Available March 13th from The Wild Rose Press www.thewildrosepress.com
E-book: $6. Print: $11.99

And now, a small bit of Circle of Love:

Blurb:

Joanna returns to a small Missouri town for her high school reunion and comes face to face with Pete, the love of her life. A college professor in Tennessee. She has never married and Pete, a prosperous farmer, is now a widower with five children. Their attraction is as strong as it was on graduation night when Pete was leaving for boot camp. He never knew that Joanna had his child and gave her up for adoption. And Joanna doesn't know that her baby girl, Beth, is now married and has begin a search for her birth parents. Will Beth find what she is looking for? And will Pete and Joanna, despite their diverse lives, rediscover a love that has come full circle?

Excerpt:

They danced in silence, each acutely aware of the other in every step they took together, in every place their bodies touched.
"I've missed you, Joanna." Her name was a caress on his tongue.
"Don't," she said, feeling the pleasure-pain in every cell in her body.
"Have you missed me?"
"I've missed you."
"Why didn't you answer my letters?"
She drew a quick breath as she thought of finding Pete's letters in a locked drawer in her father's study after his sudden death. Letters with a familiar looped scrawl that bore foreign stamps, now faded with time. She felt again the sharp pain his words of love and promise had brought. The frustration that caused her to pound her father's immaculate desk in a screaming rage that bruised her doubled fists.
"It doesn't matter now."
"Maybe not," His words sounded unconvinced.
The night, the music, the man who held her seemed unreal to Joanna but the intense aching inside was very real.
The band began to play a haunting Elvis tune.
"Joanna," his voice was muffled against her ear. She looked at him and saw his longing. "Let's get out of here."
She nodded wordlessly. Yesterday was gone and who could know what tomorrow would hold? But she had tonight. She was here with Pete again and there was magic between them as there had always been. She wouldn't think about consequences now. Just for tonight, she would listen to her heart instead of her head.
"Come on." Still holding her hand, he led her across the crowded floor and out to the dark lot where his car was parked.
In the shadows of the gnarled pear tree, he gathered her into his arms and kissed her without restraint.

It was graduation night all over again. Blooms of silver-white formed a scented canopy that enclosed their moonlit world. Tomorrow Pete would be gone; there was only tonight. How could she tell him how much she loved him when words were not enough? Of its own volition her body found a way.

The long kiss ended. In the awed silence that followed, they held each other once again, the long undreamed of separation over.

Beautiful!

2009-03-24T03:52:00.000-07:00

While I am not having a problem viewing Linda's lovely cover, apparently it is not showing up for everyone with the interview post. This is such a gorgeous cover, and it is part of what I am sure is another wonderful story by a very talented author that I want to be sure everyone gets a peek at it!

Nicola Martinez is behind this beautiful cover. Another hit from The Wild Rose Press!

Have a nice day!

Welcome, Keena Kincaid

2009-03-18T04:36:00.000-07:00

Welcome, Keena! I'm so glad to have you here at From the Pages. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to visit with us. I am looking forward to getting to know you, so if it's all right with you, I'd like to get right to the questions.

Where do you write?

I tend to move about a bit. Sometimes I write at my desk surrounded by bookcases (it’s a lovely office). Other times, I plant myself on the couch and write with the TV playing in the background. I’ve also been known to write on trains and planes (but not in automobiles). I spent 10 years as a newspaper reporter, so I learned to write anytime, anywhere, anyplace.

How did you celebrate your first contract?

I texted all my friends to let them know, and some of us got together later that week for a celebratory supper.

That sounds like the perfect way to celebrate!

Can you tell us anything about what you’re working on now?

I’m working on revision for TIES THAT BIND, my third book with The Wild Rose Press.

Tell us a little bit about your book, please.

It’s a sequel to ANAM CARA, set five years later in Carlisle, England. It tells the story of AEDAN ap OWEN, now a minstrel and spy. He’s a druid who doesn't believe in coincidence, destiny, or second chances. And against all the rules, he freely misuses his ancient gifts for his own gain.
Aedan is sent to Carlisle to investigate rumors of unrest in the north and dispatch the troublemakers. One there, he discovers someone is stealing Saints’ relics, murdering monks and plotting to assassinate King Henry II. And all clues point to the fiancé of the only woman he's ever loved.

LADY TESS of BRIDSWELL has no interest in kings or crowns, and refuses to rekindle her relationship with Aedan despite the yearnings of her heart. She knows all too well how he squanders his affection and misuses magic to manipulate others. But her resolution to stay away goes away whenever Aedan steps near.

She gives Aedan an ultimatum: magic or her. He renounces his magic, then discovers the would-be king possesses his own. Using the stolen relics to amplify his power, he wields it like a weapon against all who stand in his way. Meeting the traitor's magic with magic will stop war, but will it also destroy his opportunity to show Tess he has at last mastered the Ties That Bind him to her and to the ancient wisdom of his people.

Sounds intriguing! I know I'm already hooked! I can't wait to read the story!

The question most readers want to know but never get the chance to ask, do you ever write in your pajamas?

Yes. Frequently. If readers knew how long it takes me to get out of my jammies in the morning, they’d be shocked.

Any advice for an author just starting out on the writer’s journey?

It might sound flip, but my advice is: write the story that comes to you. So many people try to write what’s popular or what they believe will be easiest to sell, but this is a tough, fickle business, and we all know there are no guarantees. In my opinion, if anyone is going to spend year or two laboring over a story, then spend another year trying to find an agent and/or publisher for it, it should to be a story that’s rooted in your heart.

You’ve just won a million dollars. What would you do with it?

Oh, this the dream question in this economy. I’m going to dream really big and pretend the $1 million is AFTER TAXES. LOL! I would put half in the bank, CDs, etc. I’d set up a college fund for my niece and nephews, give “just splurge” gifts to other family members and probably buy a house on a rocky, windy beach somewhere. Finally, after quitting the day job, I’d pack up the laptop and travel the globe for about three years.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you choose? This is a tough question. According to my mother, I inherited the gypsy gene. And given that I seem to move every three or four years, she’s probably right. At the moment, I’d probably pick Key West.

In the house—shoes or bare feet? Bare feet. Even out of the house if I can get away with it.

Do you speak a foreign language? I can order coffee in a dozen languages and find the washrooms in most, but other than that, conversations quickly devolve into sign language.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us today? I’d like to thank you for having me on your blog. It’s a privilege to share my stories with others. In addition to ANAM CARA, which is available now, my second book, ART OF LOVE, will be available March 27, 2009 in both print and electronic editions.

Also, feel free to email me with questions and check out my Web site for information about me. Thanks!

I'm so glad you visited with me, Keena. Thank you. It's been great getting to know you!

ANAM CARA--available
ART OF LOVE--coming March 27, 2009
http://thewildrosepress.com
http://keenakincaid.com/

Welcome, Denysé Bridger

2009-03-17T04:47:00.000-07:00

Welcome, Denysé! I'm so glad you stopped in to visit with us here at From the Pages. I know I love reading your stories, so I am tickled to have the opportunity to let my readers get to know you and your work. If you don't mind, I'll get right to the questions...

Did you always know you wanted to be an author?

Pretty much from the time I was a child I knew that creating stories was something special and challenging, and what I wanted to do. I think I started creating my first tales when I was still well under ten years old.

What kind of food do you like best?

Italian. I love the pastas, vegetables, and the sheer variety of things that are associated with Italian food, and Sicilian dishes.

Can you tell us anything about what you’re working on now?

At the moment I’m working on the most romantic novel I’ve written in years. A vampire tale called “A Perfect Beauty” that I’m writing with my partner, Vincenzo Chiofalo. The hero is an ancient Prince of Sicily, and the head of a family of vampires who are as diverse and driven as humanity. If anyone wants to have a peek at this one, there’s a post on my blog with an excerpt, and you can find it here:

http://fantasy-pages.blogspot.com/2008/07/meet-sebastiano-diadema.html

I’m also working on a fabulous romance set in Rome and Amalfi. That one’s being done as a special project with Italian singer, Riccardo Foresi. Ric’s my “hero” for that one, and if you want to listen to his amazing voice, check him out on MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/riccardoforesi

Sounds like you keep very, very busy!

Tell us a little bit about your book, please.

My first major, mass market release is called As Fate Decrees and it was a finalist for the Prix Aurora Award this year, which was a fabulous honour!! There’s an amazing book trailer on my website for this book, if you want to have a look:
http://www.denysebridger.com/books-asfatedecrees-video.html

On my website page are links that will allow you to download a Media Kit for the book, read the first chapter, etc.

How long did it take to write?

Actual writing time varies for each book. With FATE, it wasn’t the writing time, it was the waiting time as it went through the process for traditional publishing. All in all, from the time I wrote it to the time it was in my hands as a published book was almost ten years. The electronic process is a lot quicker, obviously.

Where did you get the idea for this story?

Stories are inspired by just about everything in my life. The current works are mostly inspired by the special men in my life, such as my friend Ric. Vincenzo is my heart and he inspires so many things in creative terms. He’s working with me on “A Perfect Beauty” and you’re likely to see his name on the cover when it’s done – as well as his face, he’s the cover model for it!!

Where do you see yourself in the future? Will you still be writing, or do you have a new adventure on the horizon?

Life is an adventure every day, isn’t it? I’ll always write, it’s part of me, and it gives me a voice that I reach people with and maybe entertain them and inspire them with on occasion. Since none of us knows what’s around the next corner, I’ll just hazard a guess and say I’ll be around doing this for a lot of years. Only my location may change, the work won’t.

The question most readers want to know but never get the chance to ask, do you ever write in your pajamas?

All the time. If I don’t have to leave the house, I often spend the day working in my robe and nightshirt!! Such a slob, huh? J

Any advice for an author just starting out on the writer’s journey?

Don’t listen to your friends when they tell you your writing is wonderful, odds are they love you and can’t be objective or wholly honest – even if they don’t mean to be less than honest with you. Listen to editors, and learn from them. If you really love what you’ve done, it shows, and what they have to offer by way of observation and criticism is valuable, even if you don’t agree with every word. Just take it under consideration, use what you can, and trust your gut with the really important stuff.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you choose?

Anywhere in Italy, but preferably the Amalfi Coast. Positano or Ravello really appeal to me.

Do you need silence to write or can you write through anything?

I remember reading ages ago a quote from Louis L’Amour that went something like he could sit in the middle of a busy highway in traffic and write. I didn’t believe him when I first read that quote. Years later and many books later myself, I can do the same thing, so I believe him now!! I’ve started books sitting in hospital waiting rooms with a pen and notebook, so I don’t need quiet, or even semi-quiet to create, just inspiration and time.

What frightens you?

Being alone with my thoughts for too long. They take me places that are not always healthy. Memory and fears are terrible demons, and we all fight them on a daily basis in some form. If you are too alone, they get stronger with time, and that’s dangerous to the peace we all want to know inside us.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us today?

It has been such a pleasure chatting with you and your readers, Sarita, I’ve really enjoyed spending some time with you!! The whole romance community, and the loyalty and endless support of the readers is what makes the long hours and work worth it. I hope you’ll all drop by my website, and enjoy the fun stuff that’s there. I’ve got lots of wonderful free extras for everyone to use or download… stories, a postcard service that includes some spectacular photos from my talented partner, Vincenzo Chiofalo. And don’t forget to sign the Guestbook, I pull a name from there occasionally and toss out a free book as a thank you. My newsgroup and newsletter are always available, too! All in all, just come by and have fun!

I've loved having you here, Denysé. Thanks so much for spending some time with us!

Website: http://www.denysebridger.com/

Official Blog: http://fantasy-pages.blogspot.com/

My newest/current release is:

HEART OF STONE
ISBN: 10: 894817-04-4
ISBN: 13: 978--1-894817-04-2
Publisher/Buy: Absolute X-Press
Genre: Action/adventure thriller
Pages: 66 - Price: $3.95
Cover by: Justyn Perry

Randall Stone is the stuff of heroes, a mercenary given a discharge from the army he has served with his life. But the government is still interested in using the skills they've taught Major Rand Stone, and he continues to work with his hand-picked team. Into his shadowy world a light has come, and in her love, Stone discovers unhoped for joy, and, perhaps, unbearable sorrow?

Welcome, Brenda Gayle

2009-03-11T07:55:00.000-07:00

Welcome to From the Pages, Brenda. I'm so pleased I'm getting this opportunity to get to know you! Soldier for Love sounds wonderfully romantic. I've got lots of questions to ask, and I know you're busy, so I'm going to get right to the interview, if that's all right.

First, something I'm always curious about when I interview authors, where do you write?

I write wherever is most convenient. I have a laptop that I cart around the house. My current release, Soldier for Love, was written primarily at the kitchen table as life revolved around me. I now have an office with a proper desk and that's where I usually write, however, there are times when I really need a change of scene and so I'll just move. The only place that I've found that's not conducive to writing is on the patio during the summer.

Did you always know you wanted to be an author?

I've written stories for as long as I can remember. In high school my girlfriend and I used to play a game were we'd come up with a first sentence and then go off and write our own short stories. I was always amazed at how different they were. But along with a love of writing, has been a love of reading. While friends dreamt of being actresses, singers or sports stars, I always dreamt of having a best-seller!

What a great game!

Does your family support your writing career? How?

My family is phenomenally supportive. My husband always makes sure I have time and space to write. Every couple of months he takes the kids away for a weekend to visit his family and allow me to have a mini-writing retreat at home. The kids, ages 9 and 11, are very proud of Mom and love to tell everyone about their mother, the author. They are also very understanding when my muse is calling and fend for themselves.

When you’re not writing, what do you like to do?

That's a hard one. Like most authors, writing is what I do for my me-time -- after I've completed all my house chores and made sure the kids are taken care of. I love to read and seem to never have enough time for that. I also like to knit and cook.

Can you tell us anything about what you’re working on now?

I have just completed my second manuscript, Wildhorse Pass. It's set in New Mexico (living in Eastern Ontario, Canada, I wanted to be able to fantasize about a nice warm climate). Here's the blurb:

When Shelby Holt first sees Chad Greene she thinks she’s going crazy. He looks uncannily like the man she loved—a man she believes was murdered.
But Chad, burned by love and war, is not quite what meets the eye.
Posing as a ranch hand, he’s come to Wildhorse Pass to investigate the woman making wild claims about the death of his cousin—a death ruled accidental. He knows Shelby Holt is hiding something.
But then, so is he.
Chad’s disturbing resemblance to the man she loved confuses Shelby, both physically and emotionally. And in close proximity, despite the danger, sensual attraction simmers and deception deepens. Because the closer Shelby and Chad get to each other, the closer they get to the answer...and the closer they get to danger—until Shelby herself becomes the target of a killer.
Only when they learn to trust one another with the truth will Shelby and Chad be safe and, together, resolve the mysterious death at Wildhorse Pass.

Wildhorse Pass sounds like another good read. Best of luck with that!

The question most readers want to know but never get the chance to ask, do you ever write in your pajamas?

Sure. I mean, what's the point in being a writer and working from home if you can't lounge around in your PJs for a day. I've had to learn to be a quick change artist, though, after several embarrassing incidents of people arriving at my door in the middle of the afternoon.

What are you reading now?

Mistress of the Sun, by Sandra Gulland. It's a fictionalized biography of Louise de la Valliere, a mistress of Louis XIV. I love biographies about strong, powerful women and although this is fiction, Gulland has done a lot of research. Just prior to this, I read the Lives and Loves of Louis XIV, by Antonia Fraser. I'm a real history geek!

Do you have a pet?

We have a Siberian Husky, Takoda. We had a husky when I was growing up and I've had several since I left home. My current one, however, is in danger of losing his Nordic dog status. Although he's quite capable of staying outside in sub-zero temperatures, he would rather be inside. He's also taken over the couch and I find him every morning, lying on his back, stretched from one end to the other!

What do you love most about being an author?

I love the freedom to let my imagination run away. I understand how appealing it is for actors to "get into character", and as a writer it's even better because you create those characters. You can explore situations and emotions that you'll never face in your own life. Through your characters, you can take a risk or act in a way that is totally foreign to you.

Being a writer also gives you license to learn about anything that even remotely interests you -- all in the name of research. I can fantasize about being on a tropical island while I'm snowed in at home.

If you had to choose another profession, what would it be?

I'd love to be an archaeologist. I can just image the great stories you can create from the artifacts you discover. You could learn not only about whole civilizations, but about the individual day-to-day activities of their inhabitants.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us today?

I don't think I'm different from most writers when I say that writing is both the most difficult and easiest thing I do. But writing is only half of it. Sharing my stories with readers is equally important, and blogs like this one, which allow authors and readers to connect, are a wonderful forum. Readers of this blog all know the wonder of getting yourself totally lost in a book. To be able to give that gift to someone is my life's dream.

Thanks so much for giving us the inside scoop on the woman behind the stories, Brenda. I've enjoyed chatting with you. I hope you'll come back and visit again!

Readers, Brenda has graciously offered to give away a copy of Soldier for Love to one lucky commenter. So comment away, and check back to see if your name is the one that has been randomly chosen!

And read more about what Brenda's working on at her website, http://www.brendagayle.com/

Purchase Soldier for Love here.

SOLDIER FOR LOVE

She’s his Commanding Officer. So why does he seem to in charge?

Major Julie Collins should be on top of the world. Her long-sought promotion has finally come through and she has just been given her first overseas command. But when one of her troops turns out to be the handsome Native American who has just left her bed, everything starts to unravel.

Lieutenant Matt Wolf’s exploits with the opposite sex are legend—if only they were true. His larger-than-life persona masks deep loneliness and isolation. He has every intention of obeying Julie’s order to stay away, but what’s he to do when she follows him and then gets herself kidnapped by a deranged voodoo priest? Suddenly, all orders are belayed as Matt mounts a one-man rescue, risking both of their careers and the only home he has ever known.

An excerpt from Soldier for Love

"What were you doing before I woke up?" she asked to cover her confusion.

"Oh, just a little whittling. I find it helps pass the time." He rose and retrieved the object he had been working on. "Here, I did this for you," he said as he held the piece of wood out to her. "Hummingbirds are incredibly beautiful and delicate, yet also strong and independent," he explained. "Like you." His voice had become husky.

Julie looked down at the bird. Its face reminded her of the festival mask he had selected for her from Madame Lucie’s collection. The vision of making love to him, the wolf, flooded back. At the time she had found arousing the sense of anonymity the masks provided. Had it only been two days ago?

Last night there had been no masks. For the first time they had come together honestly—two people, no more or no less than who they really were. Her body stirred with the memory.

Matt hadn’t let go of the bird when she went to take it from him and his hands melded with the textures of the carving. She stroked the hummingbird’s extended wings, feeling its feathers morph into gentle fingertips. Its head and neck were smooth, Matt’s hands strong and hard.

"Did you know some hummingbirds’ wings beat one hundred times per second?" he whispered. "Can you hear?"

Julie nodded slowly. She had raised her gaze to his face and was losing herself in his eyes. They were questioning; she wasn’t sure she had an answer. In her ears the hummingbird’s wings beat one hundred times a second, keeping pace with her own heart. She couldn’t breath and closed her eyes as Matt lowered his head.

A Winner!

2009-03-11T06:30:00.000-07:00

Big congrats, Sharon!

You're the randomly chosen winner in yesterday's contest.

I hope you enjoy Joanne Otness's Passion Flowers!

I'll send it out to you right away.

Thanks, everyone, for stopping by!

Welcome, Joanne Otness

2009-03-10T04:23:00.000-07:00

Welcome, Joanne! I'm so happy to have you here at From the Pages! I know everyone is looking forward to getting to know you so if you don't mind I'm going to dive right in and begin asking questions.

How did you celebrate your first contract?

I traveled to New York to visit family and had lunch at Tavern on the Green—with a toast to Chasing Galahad!

Tell us a little bit about your book, please.

Should a woman who is afraid of the water have to travel across two thousand miles of it just to find a man?

That’s the opening line of Passion Flowers by Molly Charles and the question heroine Leigh Taylor Cole asks herself as she travels to Hawaii to find Deke Kearney and bring him back to Seattle to meet with his estranged grandmother. Leigh thinks the search will be simple - she doesn't expect to fall in love or be caught up in Deke's attempt to protect his son from kidnappers - much less to allow the Hawaiian spirit to soften her resolve and help her find answers to a family tragedy. Leigh and Deke both discover that releasing the past and embracing the present allows their passion and love to truly flower.

Where did you get the idea for this story?

Both of the Molly Charles books begin in a favorite travel destination and return to the Pacific Northwest. In Passion Flowers the story starts in Maui—and many of the ideas came from trips to Hawaii. Specifically, for this story, a Mark Twain quote inspired the story:
–For me its balmy airs are always blowing, its summer seas flashing in the sun; the pulsing of its surf is in my ear . . . I hear the splashing of the brooks; in my nostrils still lives the breath of flowers that perished twenty years ago.- Mark Twain, a Biography*

Any advice for an author just starting out on the writer’s journey?

Never give up! Time is going by anyway, and you may as well be building a writing career along the way. Keep learning about the craft by attending writers’ conferences and workshops and reading books on all aspects of writing. The advice you hear today that seems overwhelming, may come in handy in the future.

Have you gotten any piece of writing advice that has been particularly helpful?

An agent at a national conference offered this advice: always know where you are as a writer. Think about it—are you a beginner? Or more advanced with two or more completed manuscripts? Have you won contests or given workshops? Knowing where you are will help you decide what to do next. And that’s important at any stage of the game.

The question most readers want to know but never get the chance to ask, do you ever write in your pajamas? I don’t write in PJ’s, but will often do editing late at night or early in the morning wearing a comfy bathrobe and drinking a cup of tea.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you choose?

I’ve traveled extensively (I was a flight attendant for an international airline) and enjoy visiting a variety of destinations – especially London, New York, and Hawaii – but I would still choose to live in the Pacific Northwest. This is beautiful country and I love it!

What are you reading now?

I usually have several books going at once. Right now, I’ve declared myself snowed in, so I’ve spend the afternoon cruising through first chapters to see what I want to read next . . . the current contenders are Sleight of Hand by Kate Wilhelm; The Sunday Philosophy Club by Alexander McCall Smith, and the next selection for my neighborhood book club, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. It’s been a great way to spend a snowy afternoon!

What a wonderful way to spend some snowed in time! Love your reading choices!

Do you speak a foreign language?

I speak French. It’s easy to lose the vocabulary so I just bought a 2009 desk calendar with daily phrases and a CD—hopefully, this will keep me focused!

Do you have a pet?

I have two dogs. Charly is a sixteen-year-old mixed breed (but never mutt!) Yorkshire Terrier type. Zoe is a six-year-old yellow Lab who loves to walk around the house carrying stuffed toys.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us today?

Molly Charles is a pen name for the writing team of Jena MacPherson and Joanne Otness. We are often asked about collaboration, and many people are surprised that we can co-author a novel. Our process is one of brainstorming story ideas, identifying key scenes and plot points, and then starting the process of drafting and editing. We exchange work and take turns layering in new materiel. Believe me, it’s pretty interesting to watch the characters develop using this method, and often very surprising to see what they have been up to while you weren’t paying attention!

Thank you so much for stopping in to chat today, Joanne. I apologize for not being able to upload your cover; Blogger is being persnickety and refuses to accept its format. But I'm sure readers will be so enamored with the excerpt below that they'll go looking for your book on their own and see that you've got a beautiful cover!

Readers, Joanne has graciously offered a copy of Passion Flowers to one lucky commenter! So, comment away and check back to see if your name has been randomly drawn to receive this delightful book!

FIRST CHAPTER EXCERPT
Passion Flowers by Molly Charles

The restaurant host was a huge Hawaiian man wearing an orange and white flowered shirt. A happy smile gleamed on his round face.

"Aloha! Welcome to Mike's. Restaurant or bar?"

Leigh crawled out of her thoughts and managed to smile back at him. "The locals hang out in the bar?"

He nodded, indicating an open flight of stairs leading to the upper deck. She thanked him and navigated around a large group waiting for dinner. A singer grated out the lyrics of a corny country song, and laughter swept down the stairs as she began to climb.

Somewhere on the upper deck a guitarist hit his final lick, and the old wooden building rocked with whistles and applause. The noise died down, giving way to a Rod Stewart classic, "Tonight's the Night.” Tonight’s the night. Leigh smiled grimly to herself. Maybe she'd be lucky. Maybe tonight would be the night she found her quarry. It would be a great relief, for she was more than ready to put this time-consuming distraction behind her.

She'd spent the last months becoming thoroughly disgusted with David Kearney. Searching for the man and getting frustrated by every dead end, growing angrier and more appalled that he had been so absent and unfeeling that he had not been in contact with his own grandmother for years. What decent man would turn his back on the woman who raised him? Not a man Leigh wanted to find.

But a promise was a promise. Carefully, she picked her way along the narrow wooden steps. Glancing up, she stopped. And stared.

A tall lion of a man in a faded blue Aloha shirt and khaki shorts blocked the top landing. Sun-streaked hair too long to be businesslike. Scruffy three-day beard. All bronzed and hard-muscled, he was impossible to ignore. Especially if you liked the type. Which she most certainly did not.

The lion was shaking out a match. A just-lit cigarette hung from the corner of his mouth. Seeing it, a tremor of distaste rippled through her. Didn't the restaurant have a no-smoking policy? Still she couldn't help but watch as he took a draw on the cigarette. Exhaling, he descended the stairs, his deep-set blue eyes boring into hers.

Giving him a cool glance, she climbed purposefully until she realized his territorial position on the stairwell didn't afford room for them to pass without touching. Too late, she shrank back, digging her hip into the railing.

He stopped and grinned lazily at her, his cigarette clamped between even white teeth. Through a curl of smoke, she caught a glint in his eyes. Of what? Amusement? Irritation? She wasn't sure which and she didn't much care. She was travel-cranky and stressed out--just let him try to mess with her. It would be a relief to unleash her temper on a deserving subject.

He took the cigarette from his mouth with an annoyingly graceful swagger. "I won't bite," he drawled, his whisky-rough voice dripping with deliberate sarcasm.

She shot him her best frosty glare. "More than I need to know."

His expression was impassive, but his eyes flashed in response. Leigh looked away and took a step to sidle past. Their hips brushed. Just a feather touch, but she swayed precariously. He grasped her wrist, steadying her with a strong brown hand that looked stark against her pale skin. A disturbing sizzle of electricity jolted up her arm.

Leaning close, his breath hot at her temple, he purred, "Until I know you better, babe."

Babe? She jerked her hand away as if she'd been burned and rubbed her wrist.
He chuckled and moved on down the stairs. A quiet sound at first, his rumbling laughter grew louder until it chased her all the way up to the second floor.

Writing as Molly Charles:
Jena MacPherson and Joanne Otness
www.mollycharles.com
Passion Flowers—January/09 Five Star Expressions
Chasing Galahad—May/06 Five Star Expressions

Five Star Standing Orders
Title – Passion Flowers
Author: Molly Charles
Price:US $25.95
ISBN 13: 9781594147517 ISBN 10: 1594147515
Product number: 243768
Published/Released: January 2009
Shipping Weight: 2.00 lbs /0.91 kgs

COMING IN JANUARY 2009
Published by FIVE STAR An imprint of the Gale Group
ISBN #978-59414-751-7 
Hardcover: $25.95
Order through your favorite bookseller or online at:
Amazon.com  Borders.com  BarnesandNoble.com

How Nice!

2009-03-06T03:00:00.000-08:00

I am always thrilled to read a good review. What author isn't? A few days ago I read a new review for my latest release, Sandswept: A Chincoteague Island Mystery.

4 1/2 Books from Long and Short Romance Reviews!

Part of the review:

"...The story captivates the reader from the very beginning with a masterful use of back story to open the chapters. This allows the reader to crawl into Kelly’s mind and absorb the central problem she is dealing with. Our hearts literally wrench with emotions as we rise and fall through her self healing. Rich descriptions of the island, its small town quarks, and the desolation that surrounds the Eastern Shore heighten the senses as you read. Mrs. Leone throws one or two red herrings to the reader keeping you on the edge your seat until at last the true villain is revealed and we cheer for that happily ever after ending.

Applause, applause for this sweet sensual tale, pick up this book from Whiskey Creek Press and take it with you on those dark and stormy nights when you need a good tale to cuddle up to the one you love. Kudos, Ms. Leone, for a well written story."

The whole review is here.

What a wonderful way to begin this month! Thanks, Bluebell and LASR!

Welcome, Jim Whitaker

2009-03-04T05:31:00.001-08:00

Welcome to From the Pages, Jim. I'm so glad you could stop by and visit with me. Hill of Beans sounds like a delightful book. I'm very much interested in getting to know the man behind the stories, so if you don't mind I'll get righ to my questions.

Where do you write?

In my head. Putting it on paper or electronic format is merely a formality for expressing to others. A good writer spots creative ideas and creates them again in no matter wherever and whenever. Yeah, that sounds profound enough.

Did you always know you wanted to be an author?

Yes, but they named me "James" instead. Actually I wanted to be a cartoonist, but that didn't work out. You know, I was drawn away from that career. Come on, you saw it coming.

Tell us a little bit about your book, please.

Hill of Beans is a compilation of selected columns - a couple of them award winners - I've written during the last 20 years for the Palmyra Mo. Spectator and the Hannibal Mo. Courier-Post. Did I mention some were award winners?

How long did it take to write?

20 years, to compile a couple of weeks.

The question most readers want to know but never get the chance to ask, do you ever write in your pajamas?

Only my name with a laundry marker. Come on, you saw that one coming, too.

Any advice for an author just starting out on the writer's journey?

Buy your tickets well in advance. It's a crowded passage. Above all, never get off the train before it's your stop, even if you're on rejection no. 876,098--that's my personal record.

You've just won a million dollars. What would you do with it?

Buy as many copies of my book as I could so I'd get rich from royalties.

Do you have a pet?

Is this an attempt to drop off some stray dog on me? My wife is the cat keeper of the family. I once had a goldfish. But the idea of going to the bathroom and then swimming in it sorta creeped me out.

Have you ever laughed so hard something has flown out of your face?

Something flew out, but thankfully not from my face.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us today?

This cold I have, but you probably don't have to worry about that. Life is hard sometimes. We all need a break, so take one or two or 3,000.

Thanks for taking the time from your busy schedule to visit today, Jim. I've enjoyed getting to know you. I hope you'll come back again sometime.

Readers, Hill of Beans is available from Whiskey Creek Press. Buy it here.

Jim Whitaker
"Hill of Beans" Author, Columnist
The book is available at whiskeycreekpress.com
http://jimwhitakerworld.blogspot.com/

A Winner

2009-03-04T05:31:00.000-08:00

Congratulations, Skhye! You're the lucky winner of Catherine Stang's The Bargain!

Thanks to all who stopped by!

Welcome, Catherine Stang

2009-03-03T03:55:00.000-08:00

Welcome, Cathy! I'm so glad to have you here at From the Pages. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to visit with us. I know everyone is looking forward to getting to know you, so if it's all right with you, I'd like to get right to the questions.

Where do you write?

I ave an office in my house that share with dogs. Often I write there. But since I got my laptop, I tend to sit on the sofa, so my dogs can join me.

Did you always know you wanted to be an author?

Yes, ever since I was little I knew I wanted to wanted write stories.

How did you celebrate your first contract?

I went out to eat with my son and husband. I also celebrated with cake and ice with my critique partners.

Can you tell us anything about what you’re working on now?

I’m working on the second book in Donna McAteer and my Bliss Society series. Right now we are calling it Courting Scandal. (That could change, though.) It’s Jordan and Isabel’s story. All I can say is that the ladies of Bliss Society are at it again.

How long does it typically take you to finish a writing project?

That depends on book. It takes me about 4 months, sometime longer depending on complex the plot is.

Who is your favorite author?

Julie Garwood Favorite book? Saving Grace by Julie Garwood

If you had the choice of being stranded on a desert island or lost in a huge city, which would you prefer and why?

I’d rather be on a desert island as long as it had a beautiful beach. I love the ocean. Living in Kansas, I don’t get to see it very much. I’ve always dreamed of being able to live on the beach.

What are your hobbies?

I’m a trained therapy dog handler. I have 4 dogs, three Papillons on one tiny Yorkie. They take turns going with me to the nursing home. My cousin, who raised my Yorkie, Riley, sometimes goes with me. The residents get big charge out of seeing the mama dog and her puppy. Riley has been going since he was 3 months old. They’ve watched him grow up over the course of this year. Dogs are just special in the way the bring people out of their shell.

How did you meet your significant other?

My husband and I met in college. He was lab partner in Microbiology. He saved me from flunking Chemistry and Microbiology. We’ve been together 26 years and married 23 of those years.

The question most readers want to know but never get the chance to ask, do you ever write in your pajamas?

I have to confess that I do. Sometimes if a story is calling me I’ll get to work before I get dressed. My husband comes home for lunch, so I do try to get dressed before he comes home.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us today?

I have new book coming out Feb. 1st. More Than a Wife starts Bliss Society series that I’m writing with Donna McAteer. It will available in print & e book from http://www.whiskeycreekpres.com/

My website is http://www.catherinestang.com/
I blog at http://www.cathystang.blogspot.com/
and I blog with Dani Harper http://www.thesecretlifeofromancewriters.blogspot.com/
Newsletter http://groups.yahoo.com/group/The_Secret_Life_of_Romance_Writers

Cathy, thank you so much for visiting with me. I have had a great time getting to know you!

Readers, Cathy has graciously offered to give away a copy of The Bargain to one lucky commenter. Comment away, and check back to see if your name has been randomly drawn!

And now for a treat...a glimpse into Secret Wishes. Enjoy!

A blurb from Secret Wishes:

War can change a man, and Ross Stanton, Earl of Brynmor, is determined to retreat from life. He’s also determined to protect Emma Hamilton by staying away from her. But his big empty house proves not so empty, when two bickering ghosts take matters – and Brynmor’s love life – into their own hands.

Emma has loved Ross all of her life, but he only sees her as his best friend’s annoying little sister. Her talent for talking to the dead – and suddenly receiving their advice – may be the last hope she has of changing Brynmor’s mind before she is forced into marrying someone else.

Unedited Excerpt from Secret Wishes
By Catherine Stang
Coming in Dec
From www.cobblestone-press.com

He just wanted to be left the hell alone. Was that too much to ask? Ross Stanton, Earl of Brynmor, glared up at the ceiling as doors slammed on the floor above him. Voices whose words he couldn’t quite make out could be heard echoing in the hallways, followed by more doors slamming.
Bloody bleeding hell. Apparently he was asking more than the ghosts, who’d invaded the dark, cold townhouse he’d rented, could give.
More door slamming. More yelling.
“Enough!” he thundered, slamming the flats of his hands on the top of his mahogany desk.
They either didn’t hear him or weren’t listening, because the yelling and door slamming continued.
There was only so much a man could take. “I said, enough!” Ross roared.
But again was ignored. Pushed beyond his patience, his temper sparked. All the doors in the house blew open and were forced to stay that way.
As the house grew quiet, he relaxed, letting the crackle of energy around him back off to a slow sizzle. The silence was almost deafening. Had he frightened them off? One could only hope. He went back to responding to the correspondence that his man of affairs had left for him.
“Bloody hell,” he muttered as muffled voices floated down from the bedroom directly above his study. The one the servants refused to enter, because they swore it was haunted. Lucky for him, he was the only one that could hear the ruckus the ghosts were causing or else…
More silence.
Then, soft female crying.
“Well, well. That was an interesting trick.” A mellow voice with a hint of amusement in it made Ross look up. A medium-built man in rumpled riding attire leaned casually in the doorway of the study with his hands in his pockets. He was obviously a ghost. “And all this time we didn’t think you could hear us.”
“I can hear you,” Ross muttered as he went back to his work. Damn. Now they’d never leave him alone. “How the bloody hell could I not? You made enough noise to wake the dead. Pardon the expression. You’ve proved you’re here, now go haunt someone else.”
“I can’t. You see, I made a bloody mess of things one Christmas Eve and I’m still paying for it.”
Despite his desire to end this conversation, Ross looked back up at the ghost.
“What has that got to do with me?”
“I don’t know, but we’re connected. We have to be or else you couldn’t hear us. None of the others who lived here could hear us.”
Being able to see them didn’t necessarily mean they were connected to him or that he was supposed to help them. He’d seen ghosts most of his life. That, and his ability to manipulate people and objects with his mind, were talents he’d honed as a spy in the military. He’d often met ghosts who could give him information. However, he’d had to be careful not to get caught up in their agendas, a lesson he had learned the hard way. Since then, he usually tried to ignore the ghosts he encountered. If they didn’t know he could hear or see them, then they left him alone.
“Since you’re the one who is alive, I supposed it will be your job to figure it out,” the ghost said, bringing Ross out of his thoughts.
“And if I don’t?”
“History repeats itself and next year you could be haunting someone.”
“Now isn’t that a cheerful holiday thought.”

A Winner!

2009-02-27T06:46:00.001-08:00

Congratulations, Susan!

You're the winner of Donna McAteer's Barely Legal!

Please email me so I can get this wonderful prize out to you today.

And thanks to everyone who stopped by this week. Please come back again...March will be another month filled with great interviews and fabulous prizes!

Welcome, Sandra Kay

2009-02-25T04:14:00.000-08:00

Sandra, welcome to From the Pages! I’m Nina Tallman, from Sarita’s Sniffing Sand novel. I hope you don’t mind, but I had to meet you. I am a huge fan of cowboys (shh! Don’t tell my husband, Maxx!) so I really wanted a chance to talk to you about your contemporary western romance, Heart of Stone. It sounds wonderful!

Actually, I’ve got lots of questions so if you don’t mind, I’m just going to begin asking them.

First, where do you write?

I write at the dining room table…right in the middle of the daily chaos at my house. Somehow, I manage to plot, write, and listen to what’s going on at the same time. It works for me, but I certainly wouldn’t recommend it for everyone.

Does your family support your writing career? How?

Absolutely! My husband, Bob, has been and continues to be my biggest supporter. He always had faith that I would be published even when my spirits flagged. Now, he’s my biggest fan!

How did you celebrate your first contract?

You mean after the jumping up and down and screaming? I hugged my husband, who took me out to dinner to celebrate. I called my critique partner, who took me out for lunch. Is it any wonder I’ve gained weight? lol

I love celebratory meals! So much fun for everyone, aren’t they? What kind of food do you like best?

Ooh! Dangerous question! I like almost everything—Italian, Mexican, Chinese and the ever popular steak. Tonight, I’m making a meatloaf. The crisp weather just seems to call for it. I like to put a confection of ketchup, dried mustard, and brown sugar on top. Before the meatloaf is finished cooking, I sprinkle French-fried onion rings on top. Hmmm! Getting hungry.

That sounds like something Maxx would love. Onion rings on top of meatloaf—I’ve never heard of that before but I’m going to give it a try. Thanks for the tip!

Can you tell us anything about what you’re working on now?

I’m working on the second book in the Brandon Cattle Ranch series. This one is titled Cady’s Chance, and is about Stone Brandon’s sister, Cady. The third book will be about another brother, Tyler. And the fourth book will be about the youngest sibling, Jeff.

Tell us a little bit about Heart of Stone, please.

A marriage in name only. A secret past. Can love be found amid the tangle of distrust and betrayal?

Heart of Stone is a contemporary western, published with The Wild Rose Press. It takes place on the Brandon Cattle Ranch in Texas. It is the story of past betrayals, and Stone and Amber’s search for answers. We live and hope with them as they learn to love again. Heart of Stone is the first book in a four-book series about the Brandon siblings.

So you’ve got a series! That’s something for readers to look forward to. Personally, I love reading books in a series.

The question most readers want to know but never get the chance to ask, do you ever write in your pajamas?

No, that doesn’t work for me. As I mentioned, my computer is in the dining room and there are too many people coming and going all day long for me to feel comfortable in my pjs. I like to wear sweats while I’m writing.

What circumstances led you to writing?
A
fter my three brain aneurysm surgeries, the psycho-analysis showed that I had “word search” difficulty (find the correct word for what I wanted to say.) A friend suggested that we write a romance book as a form of therapy. We did, and enjoyed so many moments of laughter and fun. She eventually dropped out, but I persevered.

It sounds like you have an amazing friend, Sandra. I love it that she did that with you. And it think it’s great that you turned your circumstances into a very positive endeavor. I hope you’re fully recovered by now.

Do you have a pet?

You ask me this now, as I’m listening to our little toy Pomeranian yap at the noise the sprinklers are making. He’s only 2 years old. A little blonde Pommy. We, also, have 2 cats. A young calico, who happens to be very long! And an older cat, who has decided she likes to live in the garage and leave the house to the two “youngsters,” or terrors, depending on their behavior.

What brings you the most joy?

My church, family, friends. My grandchildren; all 7 of them. Traveling—we were fortunate to be able to visit Israel in Feb. of 2008. An extraordinary country. I loved the experience of viewing Biblical sites; seeing archeology digs; and learning the history of Israel.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us today?

My first book, Heart of Stone, just received a wonderful review. Here’s what she had to say:

Review:

For me, Heart of Stone was the perfect read. The author, Sandra Kay, does not waste any time drawing you into the story . From the git-go you know who the main characters are and what is really on their minds despite the fact they are both determined never to trust or love again. I was totally captivated by the entire Brandon family and their sense of "family" and what it really means. Before it was all over I was ready to be adopted by them.

When I finished reading Heart of Stone, I was a little disappointed, I wanted more. I was happy to discover that the Brandon Family will live on in a series of books by Sandra Kay. I will be keeping my eyes open. —Reviewed by FJD, WRDF Review

That’s an excellent review, Sandra. Congratulations! And thank you so much for visiting with me today. I enjoyed getting to know you. I hope you will consider coming back sometime soon.

Readers, the buy link for Heart of Stone, as well as links to Sandra’s website, is below. Also, a blurb and short excerpt are here for your reading pleasure!

HEART OF STONE
Blurb:

A marriage in name only. A secret past. Can love be found amid the tangle of distrust and betrayal?

Alone and pregnant with twins, Amber Wilson has only a fuzzy memory of how she got that way. One thing she knows for sure—no man will ever get near enough to hurt her again. But when she meets Stone Brandon, the attraction is too great to ignore. Stone’s ex-fiancée’s betrayal has hardened his heart. Though he is drawn to Amber, he knows he can never fall in love again. Still, with her help, the dreams he has for the expansion of his family’s ranch can become a reality. A platonic marriage seems like the logical answer for both of them—until he realizes that a marriage in name only with Amber is a hell of his own making.

HEART OF STONE
Excerpt:

“Amber?” he yelled as soon as he threw the front door open.

“Stone, help me.”

The weak, panicked voice stopped his heart.

“Amber, where are you? What’s wrong?” Stone’s heart lurched to a start again, but thudded into his throat.

“I’m up here… ”

Her voice trailed off into a scream that bounced off the walls in the empty house.

He ran toward the sound, boots pounding on the wood floor, joining her scream in the echoing cavern of the vacant rooms. Fear gripped him when he reached the stairwell to find her collapsed on the landing, her back against a wall. As he neared, her face contorted and she cried out in pain.

She’s in labor!

He bounded up the steps three at a time, and dropped to his knees.

“The baby’s...coming,” she gasped.

Her hazel eyes seemed too large for her face, and he heard the fear in her voice.

“Its okay, Amber. I’m gonna take you to the hospital. Don’t worry. Everything will be all right.”

Stay calm, cowboy. Don’t let her know she’s scaring the hell out of you.

Buy Link:
http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=983&zenid=30776d7a1c9d95ba9c70aef8c40dc671

Sandra Kay
www.sandrakayauthor.com
www.sandrakayauthor.blogspot.com
www.myspace.com/_sandrakay

Welcome, Donna McAteer

2009-02-24T04:06:00.000-08:00

Donna, welcome to From the Pages! I’m so glad you stopped by today to chat with us. I know you’ve got two great new titles, Barely Legal and Masked Seduction, that recently released. Great titles, by the way.

I hope you don’t mind, but I’d like to get straight to the questions. I’m really looking forward to getting to know you.

Can you tell us anything about what you’re working on now?

My current work in progress happens to be a time-travel, from the 21st century back to medieval England, and I’m having a great time doing it. But it’s strange how I eagerly rushed to write my first romantic suspense, Barely Legal, yet somehow ventured back to my first love of writing historicals by doing this time-travel. I guess that’s where my heart will always be no matter what I write.

A time-travel romance, how interesting! And you’ve chosen such an interesting time in history for the setting. I look forward to hearing more about this story in the future.

Where did you get the idea for Barely Legal?

Barely Legal takes place in Miami Beach and I’ve spent a lot of time there in recent years. My daughter was a model and we’d quite often go down to see agents and go on modeling calls. Plus, my daughter-in-law was raised in Miami and we’ve visited her family a number of times; I just feel at home in Miami Beach.

Where do you see yourself in the future? Will you still be writing, or do you have a new adventure on the horizon?

I see myself as a writer for the rest of my life. As a former painter I am most content writing and love the creativity, plus being able to stay at home to perform my profession. My most immediate new adventure on the horizon would be to write category romance for Harlequin Blaze and increase my fan base. I love to know that there are readers who like my stories.

What circumstances led you to writing?

The circumstances that led to my writing were the stress and burn-out associated with my medical professional career. I started writing while I was still working in a hospital and used writing romance as an outlet for my difficult job requirements. Being able to create wonderful characters that always had happily-ever- after endings was the antidote for my demanding days.

How many books have you written? Do you have a favorite?

I’ve written six books, which doesn’t seem like much considering I’ve been at it since 2001. But I was employed as a Registered Respiratory Therapist while I was writing, being a mom, wife and everything else. My favorite book is Heartless Warrior, a medieval, because of the characters and the morals in the story.

When you’re not writing, what do you like to do?

When I’m not writing I love to read! I read just about anything, from historicals to contemporaries, but I have a particular love for Harlequin Blaze stories!

Who is your favorite author? Favorite book?

I have so many favorite authors I couldn’t begin to pick just one, but my all-time favorite book is A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux.

Is there anything about you that would surprise your readers?

Not many people know that since I quit my medical professional career I’ve been the caregiver for my ninety-one year old father. It has allowed me to remain home to write while making sure that he safe and well cared for in his final years.

How wonderful for your father. And for you, too, that you’re able to spend time with him.

How did you meet your significant other?

I met my husband of twenty-nine years at work. And as corny as it sounds it was love at first sight because I literally looked across the room and said, “That’s the man I’m going to marry.”

What a great story! I love hearing about love at first sight!

What brings you the most joy?

Besides writing, my greatest joy comes from being with my family—they are very important to me.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us today?

I will simply say that I am having an incredibly wonderful time writing romance and that no matter where it all takes me, I will continue to write just for the joy of it! Thanks.

Thank you, Donna, for visiting today. I enjoyed getting to know you. I hope you will come back again. I know everyone would love to hear more from you!

Readers, Donna has generously donated a copy of her Whiskey Creek Press Torrid release, Barely Legal, as a giveway today. All you’ve got to do is leave a comment on today’s post to be entered in the random drawing to win this steamy romance! Check back tomorrow to see if your name has been chosen!

Barely Legal by Donna McAteer at Whiskey Creek Press~Torrid www.whiskeycreekpress.com/torrid/

Blurb:

When Taylor Webb gets roped into posing for a steamy romance novel cover by her best friend, Annelise, the voluptuous South Beach Miami attorney doesn't count on the explosive feelings that surface as she spends hours of intimate posing time in the arms of a gorgeous hunk by the name of Carson Troy.

Taylor attempts to ignore the intense physical chemistry between them, but their paths are fated to intertwine. Things heat up with the sexy NFL stud when Taylor is recruited to date him in a ploy to uncover whether he is involved with an illegal performance enhancing drug ring. Her problems are compounded as she is stalked by a Mafia member who seeks retribution for her failure to win his case in court.

Together Carson and Taylor discover the danger surrounding them as they run for their lives from a notorious gang intent on staying profitable.

Barely Legal available from Whiskey Creek Press Torrid
www.whiskeycreekpress.com/torrid

Be sure to visit Donna's website to discover a variety of romances for your reading pleasure.

www.DonnaMcAteer.com
www.myspace.com/donnamcateer

Excerpt:

Her breath caught and her heart seemed to trip when their eyes met. He was extremely tall and noticeably muscular; Taylor could practically see the testosterone dripping from every sinew of his well-defined body. His physique looked like the body of a conditioned athlete or someone definitely into taking care of himself. With a virtually non-existent sex life, she had to marvel at her sudden interest in this guy for extracurricular activities. It was a feat all in itself that she was attracted to him at first glance. She had to admit that when it came to men she was a bit picky.

He had the carefree swagger of a man who knew his assets. Long, muscular legs were poured into tight black pants. His black boots clicked on the linoleum floor as he sauntered to the center of the room. He was shirtless, broad shoulders perched above his clean-shaven chest displayed sculpted pecs and a six-pack any woman would beg to run her hands over. His slim waist led to narrow hips and a tight butt that was simply amazing.

He was--well, gorgeous; yet, brutally masculine at the same time. A man who could dominate anyone he chose. A man who set her pulse racing with the danger she felt just being in his presence. Not a perilous feeling, but a feeling for the power he exuded.
But the crowning touch was his face, handsome. Dark hair trailed down the back of his neck as he stopped in front of her, his lop-sided grin showing his arrogance. The man was ruggedly handsome and definitely not one of Miami’s prettier men.

Taylor found herself staring up at him, but suddenly reminded herself that she was not really interested in this whole production. She was only repaying a favor to Annelise. Yet the perks definitely warranted some looking into.

Welcome, Marissa St. James

2009-02-18T03:49:00.000-08:00

Welcome, Marissa, to From the Pages. So nice to have you visit today! I know you write under the name Eden Arthur as well as Marissa St. James, so we’ve got a lot of ground to cover. I hope you don’t mind if I get right to the questions.

Did you always know you wanted to be an author?

Actually, no. I wrote silly poetry in high school. Years later when I got my BA and started going online, I got involved, as a volunteer, with different writing projects…newsletters, reviews, short story challenges. After a few years, when I looked back on my accomplishments, I realized I’d been taking things a step at a time, moving closer to becoming a published author. The goals haven’t stopped. There are still things I want to do, and in time, I will complete those challenges.
When you’re not writing, what do you like to do?

I do a lot of reading, and some craftwork. I’m working on some lap afghans for a couple groups.

Tell us a little bit about your book, please.

In The Heart Remembers Sylvia has no life of her own thanks to a domineering mother. All she wants is to run her own life. Sylvia is transported back to the early 13th century, where, as a widow, she and her younger daughter are summoned to King John’s presence on false pretenses. The ladies are about to become the prizes in King John’s jousting tourney.

Faris has spent the last twenty years living with Moors in a peaceful life. He and his son return from a trading trip to find their small oasis settlement burned to the ground. Faris makes a decision to return to England with his son, Halim, where they decide to enter the tourney. Seeing
Lady Sylvia stirs long ago memories.

While neither Faris nor Sylvia recall their contemporary lives, they have an opportunity to recapture a past relationship and discover whether or not the heart remembers.

Where do you see yourself in the future? Will you still be writing, or do you have a new adventure on the horizon?

Since I got a ‘late’ start, I expect to continue writing for a long time to come.

Any advice for an author just starting out on the writer’s journey?

First thing you need to do is develop a thick skin for all the criticism, comments and rejections you’re going to get. Learn from it all and learn your craft…both the writing and the business end of it. When the good stuff comes, getting those contracts, making sales, success will be that much sweeter.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you choose?

Definitely Scotland. About half my books are set there, and I plan to do more. Some day, I’ll actually get to go there.

What’s your most comfortable outfit? Are you a jeans-and-sweatshirt kind of person or a dressier sort?

I like tee-shirts, elastic waist pants and oversized flannel shirts when it’s a bit on the cool side.

In the house—shoes or bare feet?

In the cold weather, it’s socks. When it’s warm, it’s barefoot. I don’t wear shoes when I don’t have to.

How many books have you written? Do you have a favorite?

Let’s see… I’ve written five novels, two collections of paranormal short stories, and a non-fiction reference guide on writing. My favorite would be hard to say. I’ve been working on a series, Guardians of Time, and I’ve enjoyed writing every book so far.

Do you speak a foreign language?

Not yet. When things settle down a bit, I want to take up Portuguese.

Do you have a pet?

I had a cat that adopted me and was happy to live with me until five years ago. CharlieBaby was the ‘model’ for Dinks in my book, Spellbinder.

Charlie Baby sounds like a sweetie. Love it that you were the one who was adopted!

What do you love most about being an author?

I love the challenge of being creative. Writing is a form of artistry and painting with words, finding the right ‘shading’ can be just as challenging as an artist who paints on canvas. When you find the right words, you create a wonderful picture for your readers.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us today?Whatever you do, do it whole souled. Give it your best efforts and take pride in your accomplishments, but never forget to continue learning.

Welcome, Miss Mae

2009-02-17T04:44:00.000-08:00

Welcome, Miss Mae, to From the Pages. I’m so glad you stopped in today. I’ve been looking forward to getting to know you better—I guess this is my chance!

I’ve got a number of questions I’d like to ask, so if you don’t mind I’ll get right to them.

First, just so I can visualize where your wonderful stories originate from, where do you write?

Since I live in a modest, four room mobile home, space is cramped, as you can imagine. There are only two bedrooms and the smaller one is “my” area…it’s not big enough to be called an ‘office’…LOL…

Can you tell us anything about what you’re working on now?

This is a romance that I first wrote about..*mumble, mumble*…years ago. It’s been rewritten so many times, I’ve almost despaired of trying. However, I’ve allowed it to lay aside for several months after my last rejection and now I’m reworking it. It’s set in the 1960’s with the backdrop of the Vietnam era (though I don’t go into detail about the protest marches, etc. It’s simply mentioned in the story). We first meet the heroine at sixteen when she’s “slapped” in the face with the hero, a 20 year old vet who’s returned home. (He doesn’t slap her, literally…LOL…It’s just that his blond good looks hit her up side of the head!) His reputation is a “bad boy” and she’s a “good” girl who is on the lookout for her white knight. During the course of two years, when she becomes an 18 year old young woman, can she accept him when he proves, that though his armor may be tarnished, his noble deeds prove he is the knight for her?

It sounds very interesting! I hope you find a home for it. Now, tell us a little bit about your book, please.

“Said the Spider to the Fly” is a romantic suspense. Mona Murphy returns to her home town, Copper Springs, at the death of her grandfather. She meets his insurance agent, Preston Hitchcock, and together, they find bloody towels outside her grandfather’s house. What’s worse is, after they type the blood, it’s found to be her grandfather’s. While Mona is trying to piece together exactly how her grandfather died, strange events happen: she’s the target of a fouled up hit-and-run, she and Preston are locked together in the town library’s basement and then steam from the furnace escapes, threatening to cook them alive. How does all that connect – or does it – to her old boyfriend who jilted her for another girl, but is now seeking to rekindle their relationship?

How long did it take to write?

I began “Said the Spider to the Fly” as a NaNoWriMo project last year, 2007. I only lasted about a month…LOL…I hadn’t really plotted the story, as my understanding for NaNo was to write, without giving much thought to what you write about. After I slacked off, I concentrated on other projects. I came back to it after four months. By then, I had a fairly good idea of how I wanted it to go. So, with writing on it every day, I finished it in about two months’ time.

Isn’t it amazing what National Novel Writing Month produces? I’ll bet there are a good many books that began as NaNo projects out there!

How many books have you written? Do you have a favorite?

One, “See No Evil, My Pretty Lady” is published (released Jan. 16, 2008), my one to be released, “Said the Spider to the Fly” will be available as an ebook February 4, 2009 – print, March 20. And a free read short story, “Dove Island” is now available. These three can be bought at http://www.thewildrosepress.com My latest, “It’s Elementary, My Dear Winifred” was recently contracted by Class Act Books and will be released as both ebook and print in April, 2009.

I do think, “It’s Elementary, My Dear Winifred” will turn out to be my favorite. It was fun to write. I put my heroine, Winifred, in many a situation similar to “The Perils of Pauline”. She and hunky Remington Hawthorne aren’t the only couple to find romance in this tale. I have my other characters to also find a happily-ever-after.

How did you meet your significant other?

I was sixteen and home alone, my parents had gone out visiting. A little while later, a car pulls up in the driveway. A guy who was a friend of my brother’s was driving, his wife, and then a guy I didn’t know. I remember as I saw him through the windshield and he looked at me with his blue eyes, I thought, “Wow! He’s cute!” (He was stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky with my brother’s friend – both soldiers – and he’d come with him on a weekend pass.)

Guilty pleasures. Got any? Remember, this is a G-rated interview!

It used to be chocolate and/or coffee frappucio…yum! These are the ones that you buy in a super market, four glass bottles in a carton. Chill them, unscrew the top and…slurp, you get a bit of heaven on earth…Unfortunately, your waist line gets too happy, so I no longer indulge.

That’s great that you’ve got such wonderful self-control! I’m still fighting the chocolate urge…and it’s winning. But shh! Let’s keep that between us, all right?

Do you have a pet?

Definitely. Three. All dogs, and all female. They were also all thrown aways. I wish we had the means to rescue all unwanted animals!

What frightens you?

High wind. Since we live in a mobile home, I especially feel vulnerable (and we have no cellar or storm pit…*gulp*…)

I can see why high wind would be a concern for you.

Do you collect anything?

Yes!..*sigh*…dust!! Right now I’m staring at a mountain of it on my computer desk. Would any one like some extra? I’ll happily share!

Is there anything else you would like to share with us today?

I hope readers will visit my website, www.missmaesite.com to see my reviews and trailers. Also, I dabble in an art program called Paint Shop Pro. I’ve assembled some of these pictures as a slideshow that can be viewed at my site, called “My Art Gallery.” Some months back, a stationery site put some of my collections into a musical, scrolling stationery. If folks use Outlook Express, they can download my work for FREE. It’s called “Fusion – The Art of Miss Mae.”

http://thundercloud.net/stationery15/fusion/index.htm

And I’d like folks to stop at my blog: http://missmaesite.blogspot.com Recently, I was voted “Readers Pick of the Month” at Jennette Green’s blog, so I made a banner for that which is displayed on my blog. I have interviews with various authors, not just romance ones. So stop by, and say, “hi!”

Buy link for "See No Evil, My Pretty Lady", "Said the Spider to the Fly" and "Dove Island":

http://www.thewildrosepress.com/

Miss Mae, thank you for chatting with me today. I’ve enjoyed every minute of it, although I confess the time seems to have flown by. Maybe you’d consider coming back again sometime…I’d love to see you again.

Blurb for "Said the Spider to the Fly":

"Mona Murphy returns to Copper Springs to attend her grandfather's memorial service. His passing appeared ordinary enough--the official report stated he'd tripped and fallen down the staircase. Yet Preston Hitchcock, the insurance agent who'd sold a half a million dollar policy to Mona's grandfather days before the old man died, isn't convinced, especially when bloody towels are discoverd in the backyard.

And that's only the beginning. Who is the hit-and-run driver who attemps to run Mona down? Why is her old boyfriend more ardent for her affections now than ever before?
And why is Mona helpless to guard her heart from the devastating influence of Preston's practiced lady-killer smiles?

Secrets Mona never knew existed in Copper Springs become exposed. But none is so revealing as the one she fights to hide--and the very one that might save her life.

And an excerpt:

“What are you doing here?”

Her body slumped like a wilted flower stalk when she recognized the voice that urgent whisper belonged to. Holding her by her shoulders, Preston pushed her against the sun-heated wall. She placed a trembling hand atop her heaving bosom. “You scared me. I thought you were one of those ugly gorillas out front.”

“No. Just a damned fuming one.” He scowled in frustration.

“Why are you upset? They drooled over me, not you.”

“And can you blame them with the way you look in those jeans?” He shook a warning finger in her face. “I gave you explicit instructions to stay out of trouble.”

“You’re not my boss. You have no claim on me. Besides…” She paused and swallowed, the fact of his presence raising an important question. “Wait a minute,” she said. “I’d like to know why you’re here.”

He released an irritated sigh. “Since you’ve made it a point to show up, you might as well be put to work. Tell me what you hear.”

“W…what?”

He patted the brick wall. “Are you able to listen through this? I need to know what’s going on inside.”

She looked from the wall to him. “Why don’t you just go around to the front and knock on the door?”

“Mona.” He glowered his impatience.

“I told you I don’t eavesdrop on people. That would be an invasion of privacy.”

His jaw hardening, he stepped nearer. “Should I have respected those thugs’ privacy when they held you against your will? There was a ‘No Trespassing’ sign nailed there, you know.”

“There was?” She gave an awkward shrug. Well, when he put it that way…

“I have reason to believe there’re more thugs in there.” He jerked a thumb toward the wall. “You refuse to help me, though I earlier helped you?”

She hesitated, perplexed at his attitude. What could be inside that he wants so badly? And what thugs? Are they more of David’s poker buddies? Or maybe it’s David himself?

Recalling the beating David’s so-called friends had given him the night before, she knew she couldn’t take the risk of him perhaps being bound to a chair and having to suffer another thrashing. Though reluctant, she nodded. “Okay. I’ll try.”

She pressed her ear against the warm bricks, closing her eyes. A mixture of different sounds reached her. “I hear machines,” she said to Preston, “but the noises are combined and I can’t make out what they are. And there are voices, men’s voices, but the machines are so loud they drown out the words.” Her eyes popped open. “That’s a car engine. Someone’s leaving.”

Preston grabbed her hand, pulling her with him as he sped past a line of trashcans toward the building’s rear alley. Stumbling in her heels, she panted. “Where are we going? What are you—?”

She broke off her query when she caught sight of his Porsche. Yanking open the passenger door, Preston unceremoniously plopped her in the seat before he ran to the driver’s side and dropped behind the wheel. He jabbed the key in the ignition, saying, “Fasten your seat belt. This may be a hell of a ride.”

Winner!

2009-02-14T04:51:00.000-08:00

I apologize for being so late announcing a winner in John's contest. Please forgive me!

Without further ado, the winner of the wonderful novel Corruption's Child is...

drum roll, please!

...Mary!

Congratulations, Mary! And thanks to all who stopped by.

Big thanks to John for sharing insights into his life and writing with us!

Welcome, K. Starling

2009-02-11T06:26:00.000-08:00

Welcome to From the Pages, Kissa. I’m so happy you could join us today. I know readers want to learn more about you and your writing, so I’ll get right to the questions.

How long does it typically take you to finish a writing project?

When my muse inspires me I can write a lot in a short time. On a good day I can write around 5K words. There are days when I do good to get a blog written. Longer works take a few months and I always try to let them sit a while before I go back, edit and then submit.

When you’re not writing, what do you like to do?

I love to read, listen to music, do yoga and meditate. I spend time every day with my family and pets. I love old movies and drinking from bendy straws.

Bendy straws! I love those, too.

Can you tell us anything about what you’re working on now?

I’m in the process of finishing two stories. One is I Heart You. I hope to submit this to Alyson Books before the end of the year. The other is a short fetish story for Red Rose Publishing. In January I will start edits on Celtic Destiny, a sweet romance due out in May from Lyrical Press, Inc.

Where do you see yourself in the future? Will you still be writing, or do you have a new adventure on the horizon?

I love to do different things so I imagine I’ll be trying several new things in the next few years but I also plan to continue writing. I have a few stories in print but one of my goals is to have my own book in print—with only my name on the cover.

If you had the choice of being stranded on a desert island or lost in a huge city, which would you prefer and why?

I’m a people person so I’d have to pick a huge city even though I’d be terrified. At least there I could call someone or find a nice, quiet tea room and calm myself down. I so love a hot cup of tea.

In the house—shoes or bare feet?

Shoes are kind of like clothing—they should be left at the door.

Guilty pleasures. Got any? Remember, this is a G-rated interview!

Chocolate and nuts—cashews are my favorite. Oh and long bubble baths.

How did you spend your first royalty check? Was it a splurge, or something practical?

I used it to pay bills. I had visions of buying something cool but then the darn blasted electric company demanded I pay them! How rude.

What do you love most about being an author?

I love release days, letters from readers, and the sense of accomplishment I get when I finish a story, sign a contract or finish edits.

Do you believe in extraterrestrial beings?

I do. There has to be more out there. It would be highly conceited of us to think we were the only creatures living in this huge thing called a world.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us today?

I’m just venturing into the huge world of sweet romance so I’d like to get feedback from readers. I have a short story, Sweet Tea Maggie, out now as part of the One Touch, One Glance, A Sweet Romance Anthology from Freya’s Bower.
http://www.freyasbower.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=29_39&products_id=149
I also have a sweet romance novella, Celtic Destiny, in edits now and slated for release in May of 2009. http://www.lyricalpress.com/
I
f you like sweet romance buy one or both and let me know what you think. If you love my writing definitely write and let me know what you liked best. (I am such a mail hog!)
kissa_starling@yahoo.com

Find out about my recent releases and news by visiting www.kissastarling.com

Kissa, thank you so much for visiting with us today! I loved having you here. Please feel free to stop by again sometime.

Welcome, John R. Lindermuth

2009-02-10T04:15:00.000-08:00

Welcome to From the Pages, John! I’m so glad you came by to visit with us today.

I’d like to express my gratitude for providing this opportunity. I’d also like to thank any readers who take the time to read the interviews and learn a little about the foibles of that strange breed, the writer.

I know readers are looking forward to hearing about your work, and getting to know you a little better, so I’m going to jump right into asking questions. I’ve got to admit, I’m pretty inquisitive and I’ve got a lot of them!

First, Did you always know you wanted to be an author?

I started out wanting to be an artist. I discovered a talent for drawing early on and it’s still something I enjoy. My Dad had a decent library and always encouraged me to read. When I first started writing in my teens I wanted to emulate the authors I read and who had stimulated by imagination. It was only later I realized how much my desire to tell stories was influenced by my grandfather. Health problems forced him to retire early and, as the only grandson, I spent much time in his company, listening to his wealth of stories about earlier times, people he’d known and even some I’m certain he made up.

Your grandfather sounds like a wonderful man. It’s great that you got to spend so much time with him.

Tell us a little bit about your book, please.

Corruption’s Child is the third in the Sticks Hetrick mystery series. I never planned to write a series but it seems my characters had other ideas and kept intruding in my imagination.

I have read—and loved!—Corruption’s Child. It was an impulse purchase, one of those the-blurb-looks-great, I’ve-got-to-have-it things. I haven’t read the first two books in your Sticks Hetrick series but it didn’t matter. Corruption’s Child easily stands alone, I think.

How many books have you written? Do you have a favorite?

I’ve written ten novels (six published and one under contract now). I think an author always harbors especially good feelings about his first published work. I’m fond of all of them but—if given the chance—there are probably things I’d change in each of them.

Can you tell us anything about what you’re working on now?

At the moment I’m dividing my time between a fourth Hetrick mystery and a non-series mystery.

Have you gotten any piece of writing advice that has been particularly helpful?

The best advice I ever got came, indirectly, from an artist. As a boy I wrote Thomas Hart Benton and asked his advice on how to become an artist. His reply was one word: “Paint.” I think the same formula applies to writing. I’m an empiricist. I believe the only way to learn anything is by doing it. I also support the opinion of Charles Nodier—“A writer should read until he is filled to the brim and like a pitcher which is over-filled over flows. And then he should write.”

Great advice!

I love to read, and I’m always on the lookout for reading suggestions, so I’ve got to ask, who is your favorite author?

I can’t really name one favorite writer; there are too many I admire and love reading. Some classic favorites include Poe, Melville, Emily Bronte, Twain, Dumas, Dickens, Cervantes, Robert Louis Stevenson, Jack London, Steinbeck, Katherine Anne Porter—the list goes on. In the modern era I’d have to name Peter Matthiessen, John Fowles, Nabokov, Jim Harrison, Jon Krakauer, mystery writers like Charles Williford, Ruth Rendell, James Lee Burke, Elizabeth George—again the list goes on and I’m always discovering new writers who make me envious.

You’ve got good taste in reading, John. Wonderful list.

When you’re not writing, what do you like to do?

When I’m not writing, reading or drawing I enjoy spending time with my children and my four grandsons. I also like walking, especially in the woods and mountains around home. And I spend a lot of my free time on genealogy. Since retiring I’ve been librarian of my county historical society where I assist patrons with historical research and genealogy.

What’s your most comfortable outfit? Are you a jeans-and-sweatshirt kind of person or a dressier sort?

I’m definitely on the side of casual attire. Except on a few rare occasions I haven’t worn a tie (the most useless piece of clothing ever forced on man) since retiring. I’m a huge fan of jeans, sweatshirts and sneakers.

Oh! My husband would so agree with you about ties! He hardly ever wears them now that he’s retired, either. I toy with the idea of making a quilt with his old ties.

Now, a question that’s purely to satisfy my own curiosity. Do you speak a foreign language?

I’m fascinated by language. I’ve studied and picked up a smattering of a number—German, Korean, Hebrew, Spanish, Japanese—but can’t claim fluency in any. Right now I’m trying to improve my knowledge of Spanish.

I thought you might be a language lover, too! I share your fascination. If we lived closer we could get together and practice our language skills.

What kind of food do you like best?

You wouldn’t guess it to look at me. I’m skinny as the proverbial rake. But I love to eat and will sample virtually anything put on my plate. If I had to name favorites I’d have to say Italian and Asian (particularly the spicier Szechuan, Hunan and Korean dishes).

Where can people read more about your work?

I’m in the process of getting a professionally-designed web page. Meantime, readers can still find me at http://jlind11.tripod.com

I also have a blog at www.myspace.com/jlind11

Thank you so much for visiting with us today. I’ve loved this chance to chat with you. I hope you’ll consider returning sometime soon.

Readers, John has offered a copy of his wonderful book, Corruption’s Child, as a prize to one lucky commenter. To enter, just leave a comment. A winner will be chosen at random from the day’s comments. Tomorrow I’ll announce the winner and send the book off, so check back to see if you’ve been chosen!

Blurb for Corruption’s Child:

Retired police chief Daniel ‘Sticks’ Hetrick, still serving as unofficial consultant to his less experienced successor, has another murder to deal with in rural Swatara Creek, Pennsylvania. It soon develops the death of a local waitress is not the only trouble in the township. An elderly man has been seriously injured in the latest in a string of burglaries from the Amish, there are items missing from the police department evidence room and rumors of drug dealing are circulating.

Excerpt:

“The Amish have a problem,” he said. “They asked me to talk to the police for them.”

“What kind of problem?”

Amos swallowed, rolled his eyes and rubbed his palms on his pant legs. “There’s been some robberies.”

Brubaker sat up. “Yeah? How come we haint heard about it?”

“You know—they like to handle things themselves.”

“There are some things they’re not equipped to handle on their own.” Brubaker leaned forward, giving Amos a penetrating look.

Amos nodded, almost apologetically. “I know. That’s why I’m coming to you now.”

“You want a cup of coffee, Amos? Let me get you one. Then you can start at the beginning.”

Funk relaxed a little after he had his coffee. He shifted around on the uncomfortable seat, leaned forward with his elbows on Brubaker’s desk. “You know, despite the differences with my own church, the Amish trust me. Some of us—me and them—is kin. That’s why they asked me to come here for them. They don’t go to the English unless they have to. ‘English’ was the term the Amish employed in regard to people, even others of German descent, outside of their sect.

Funk had the small button eyes of a weasel and they glittered in the reflected overhead light. He rubbed the back of one hand across his fringe of gray beard and grunted.

Across the desk, Aaron smelled the barnyard on the man’s clothing. “Right,” he said. “I grew up around them. I know how they are.”

“Anyway, there’s been four or five robberies…”

“Four or five!”

“Yeah. I know. You shoulda heard about it before. Anyway. It happens while they’re at services. You know. They rotate around to one another’s barns. After services, they have food together. A social time. So it can go on for a while.”

“Get to the point.”

“Well, the thieves go to the houses where nobody’s home and they take things.”

“Like what? I mean—what do they steal?”

Funk grinned and shook his head. “You think they got nothing worth taking? Think again. They don’t trust banks. So, there’s money squirreled away. More important—and mostly what’s been taken—they have stuff you English value. Antiques. What the Amish use in their homes everyday—dishes and quilts and furniture and such—you people covet and coo over like it was some kind of…I don’t know?”

“Okay, okay. I get your point.”

“Yeah. Well, that haint the worst of it.”

“It’s not?”

“On Wednesday, there was a weekday service. Old Teddy Funk—you know him? He’s a cousin to me. Anyway, he wasn’t feeling good. So, he stayed home. Those son-of-a-guns, they came and they hurt that old man. He must be nigh onto eighty. And those bastards, they hit him over the head.”

Brubaker gasped in shock. “That poor old guy. Is he…”

“He’s in a coma. They had the doctor out and he couldn’t say whether Teddy’s gonna make it or not. After that happened, that’s when they come for me. The stuff they could live without. But when people are getting hurt…”

“You done right, Amos. They should have contacted us before, but…”

The office door flew open then and Fred Drumheiser barged in, his face white, breathing heavy.

“Fred? What the blazes? Don’t you knock? I got somebody…”

“Sorry, chief. It’s an emergency. My kid found a dead body.”

Buy line: https://www.whiskeycreekpress.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=649

Welcome, Pauline B. Jones

2009-02-04T04:04:00.000-08:00

Good morning, Pauline. Welcome to From the Pages. It’s great that you came to visit today! We’ve got a lot of ground to cover, so why don’t we get started? If you don’t mind, I’ll begin asking the questions I know readers want answered.

First off, did you always know you wanted to be an author?

I don't remember "always knowing," but I did become enamored of the idea around the time I fell in love with reading. I wrote some really crappy stuff in high school and then let it slide to the back of my mind when I went to college. I picked (and discarded) several majors, but it was always there, growing stronger after I married (though I'm not sure why that made a difference!). My parents offered to pay for me to become a dental hygienist. My hubby pointed out that I wanted to write books, not clean teeth. I told them no and started reading writing books and took some classes. From that point, I was a writer in my head, but it took me a long time to admit it to anyone but my husband.

Does your family support your writing career? How?

I get a lot of support from my family. My husband has been my "patron of the arts" from the beginning and my sister and her husband have contributed to my success in more ways than I can count. My mom wishes I wouldn't kill people (fictionally), but she's still supportive—which I think is very cool of her. One of my daughter's helped me with edits on my first book and the other daughter and her husband have designed some of my cover art. And my son is my space battle consultant. It's very much a family affair for me.

That’s so great! I love it that so many family members are involved in your writing life. And your mom sounds like a great lady, with a wonderful sense of humor. How amusing that she wishes you wouldn’t kill people—even fictionally! So funny!

How long does it typically take you to finish a writing project?

Typically, it takes me about two years from germ of an idea to finished book. The actual writing can be very fast or painfully slow. It depends on how bitter my muse is at any given moment—and how crazy my real life gets.

The question most readers want to know but never get the chance to ask, do you ever write in your pajamas?

Absolutely! Why be a writer if you can't go to work in your pajamas occasionally. Or a lot.

I completely agree! So, what’s your idea of the “perfect” night out?

LOL! To stay in! I'm such a hermit, it's embarrassing. When I get out, I usually have fun, but it’s hard to make myself leave the house. I love being at home, curled up under a blanket with a comfort movie on the TV and a good book to read. And chocolate.
That sounds wonderfully relaxing—especially the good book and chocolate part. I’m with you on that!

Do you listen to music while you write?

Yes! I create a play list for a project and it helps me get back into the story faster. Sometimes the music will filter into the story and I have to go back and edit it back in lines with copyright. But music is a huge help. Right now I'm listening to Kid Rock sing "New Orleans." I love that song.

Do you have a recipe you would care to share with us today?

This is a family recipe and one of my favorites. It's lovely on a hot summer day. I posted several family recipes on my website when I was promoting OUT OF TIME.

Grandma Gwynn's Frozen Dessert

3 egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
1 can of condensed milk
3 tbsp of lemon juice
salt
3 egg whites
Vanilla Wafers

Directions:

Make a custard of egg yolks, sugar,

salt (to taste) and lemon juice

by cooking over medium heat

until mixture thickens and boils.

Cool and add: beaten egg whites.

Freeze condensed milk to mush.

Whip (like whipping cream) and

fold into custard mixture.

Crush Vanilla Wafers to crumbs

and press into a square cake pan.

(Can add melted butter for better

sticking factor.

I'm a huge fan of butter.).

Pour mixture over crumbs

and sprinkle some on the top for decoration.

Freeze solid before cutting

and keep remaining

(if there is any) frozen.

Grandma Gwynn’s recipe sounds yummy! Thanks for sharing it with us.

Tell us a little bit about The Key, please.

Everyone asks me how I could go from writing a time-travel-to-World-War-II novel to writing science fiction. The short answer is, I have no clue. I just go where the ideas take me and this time the idea took me into space. I didn't think about writing science fiction (because I'm not that good at science) and just told the story I needed to tell. I "met" Sara first and she wanted to be a space pilot. She needed lots of room to move and an alien to love. She was probably one of the most fun characters I've written. She's brave and bold and she keeps losing her temper right when she shouldn't. She also has some secrets. Secrets are good when you're trying to tell a story.

It's high energy, high adventure, but also some romance (because if my characters don't get to fall in love, then its just not fun!). And there's the space battle that my son helped me write. It's pretty cool.

How many books have you written? Do you have a favorite?

I've written eight novels, three non-fiction books (one co-written with Jamie Engle), and contributed short stories to two anthologies. I love all my books, but my favorite is probably The Key. It was just a lot of fun to write and with it I found my sense of humor again after a challenging time in my life. When I finished it I knew *I* was back.

Can you tell us anything about what you’re working on now?

I'm working on a follow-up to The Key. It's set in the same time frame, same universe and includes some of the characters from The Key, but features a new heroine. It's called Girl Gone Nova and should release late in 2009. Like Sara, Doc—Dacey Oliver Cay—can kick some serious butt but life is about to start kicking her back. Big time.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us today?

I hope your readers will stop by my website and check out my contest page. I usually have contest going on, particularly close to the release of a new book.

Pauline, I’ve enjoyed meeting you today. Thanks so much for being here! I can’t wait to try your wonderful recipe.

Many thanks for allowing me to come visit!

Pauline Baird Jones
www.paulinebjones.com
Pauline@paulinebjones.com

Blurb for The Key:

When Sara Donovan joins Project Enterprise she finds out that what doesn’t kill her makes her stronger…

An Air Force pilot – the best of the best to be assigned to this mission – Sara isn’t afraid to travel far beyond the Milky Way on an assignment that takes her into a galaxy torn apart by a long and bitter warfare between the Dusan and the Gadi.

After she’s shot down and manages to land safely on an inhospitable planet, Sara encounters Kiernan Fyn – a seriously hot alien with a few secrets of his own – he’s a member of a resistance group called the Ojemba, lead by the mysterious and ruthless Kalian. Together they must avoid capture, but can they avoid their growing attraction to each other?

A mysterious, hidden city on the planet brings Sara closer to the answers she seeks – about her baffling abilities and her mother’s past. She has no idea she’s being pulled into the same danger her mother fled – the key to a secret left behind by a lost civilization, the Garradians.

The Dusan and the Gadi want the key. So do the Ojemba. They think Sara has it. They are willing to do anything to get it.

Sara will have to do anything to stop them…

What reviewers are saying about The Key:

"This thrilling adventure and love story is the stuff of dreams for a perfect romantic space adventure. Stories like this are why I love to read, and I definitely understand why this novel has been nominated for awards. Forget sleeping, plan on take out, and invest your time relishing this magnificent tale." - Five Stars, Featured review from Manic Readers

"Great plot! Superb workmanship on the characters! So sit back and take the ride of your life. This was by far the best Sci Fi novel in a long time. Pauline Baird Jones, a marvelous creator of some remarkable characters, put a new twist on a great Sci Fi story, The Key." - Simegen Reviews

"Love Linnea Sinclair? Get a kick out of Susan Grant? Then you'll want to glom up on releases by Pauline Baird Jones. The Key isn't so much a sci-fi release as it is a dang good read, and this reviewer is anxious to read more of Baird Jones. Fun and fantastic at the same time, The Key is an intergalactic space adventure that will thrill readers to the very tips of their toes." - Heartstrings Reviews

"Clearly this author knows how to tell a story no matter what the genre. Her character development, pacing and humor satisfy across genre boundaries." - Mostly Fiction Reviews.

Buy link:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/105-9418719-1592451?url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=Pauline+Baird+Jones

A Winner!

2009-02-04T03:38:00.000-08:00

Congratulations, Dru!

You've won No Worries, Lauren N. Sharman's amazing story. I read it and enjoyed it, and I think you will, too!

Welcome, Lauren N. Sharman

2009-02-03T03:45:00.000-08:00

Lauren, thanks so much for visiting with us today. I am so happy to have this opportunity to chat with you. I know our readers are looking forward to getting to know you, so I'll get right to the questions. I hope you're prepared--I've got a bunch of them!

Can you tell us anything about what you’re working on now?

Sure! I’m a romantic suspense author…who loves to write rescue scenes. The final book in my four-book McCassey Brother’s Series was just released, and I have recently begun another romantic suspense series…with paranormal elements. This is completely different from anything I’ve ever done. The paranormal part of the book takes place in Sharpsburg, Maryland, in an old barn that has been in the hero’s family since the 1700’s. It’s haunted by two confederate soldiers, who are actually descendents of the hero. I don’t have an exact release date yet, but it will be out sometime in 2009 from Whiskey Creek Press.

That sounds intriguing! I’ll look forward to reading your new series.

What circumstances led you to writing?

I have been creating characters and writing short stories since I was a little girl. It always fascinated me that I could create a world to be able to escape to…that was inhabited by people I ‘invented’. They all had names I loved, families I loved, and did things I would love to do. I became serious about writing novels in 2002 when my husband, Joey, put a computer at the desk in my kitchen. I sat down one day and just started writing. Eight weeks later, I had my first complete novel. It was Joey who encouraged me to search for a publisher after he’d read just the first chapter of the book.

If you could be any one of your characters, which one would you choose? Why?

Wow, that’s a tough question. If I could be any one of my characters, I’d have to say Angel from The Devil’s Candy (The McCassey Brother’s Series: Book 2). Angel is a, leave-me-alone-I-can-take-care-of-myself type girl. I love her take-charge attitude, sarcastic sense of humor, and the fact that even though she thinks Blackie McCassey created the stars, she isn’t afraid to occasionally tell him where to stick them. She’s rough around the edges, but loves deeply. Plus, who wouldn’t want to sit on the back of Blackie’s Harley with their arms wrapped around his hard, muscular body? Truthfully, I think I would love to be any of the McCassey women. That family is as tight-knit as it gets. To be part of something like that…I’d be a lucky girl.

When did you know you’d “made it” as an author?

That’s easy. When I began submitting my first manuscript to agents and publishers, my goal was to see my words in print. When that very first print test copy arrived in my mailbox, I brought it inside, ripped open the package, and stared at my name on the front cover. That was it. That was when I thought to myself, ‘Yay, I did it!’

A wonderful moment, certainly. And you were right—you did it! What do you love most about being an author?

What I love most about being an author is what I fell in love with in the first place…being able to create characters and their stories. I have always believed that to create a believable character, you have to become them. And that’s exactly what I do. I put myself in their shoes…feel their feelings…experience their joys and heartaches…try to think as they would. So for a while, I get to play and be someone else. Other than actors, there aren’t many people who get paid to do that!

When you’re not writing, what do you like to do?

When I’m not writing, my favorite thing to do is spend time with my family and friends. My husband, Joey, is my best friend and my hero, and he’s a lot of fun to hang out with. He built me a ‘69 SS 396 Chevelle four years ago, so we have a good time cruising around in that. We also love live music, so we hit a lot of bars and clubs to watch our favorite bands. We also coach our daughter’s fastpitch softball team together (he’s head coach, and I run the bench!), which is a lot of fun. I love to watch my daughter and stepson play basketball, too. My very favorite thing, though, is to spend time in my happy place…which is my backyard. Enjoying a bonfire on a nice night is a peaceful, relaxing experience.

Who is your favorite author? Favorite book?

Cindy Holby, hands down. She’s an historical romance author I discovered by accident several years ago. My husband and I were getting ready to leave on a trip and we had stopped at Target for something. I ran into the book aisle, read the back cover blurb of a book I thought looked interesting, and was hooked. Chase the Wind is the first in a series of seven books with ‘Wind” in the title. It’s my favorite because it’s the beginning of a long story with fabulous characters. Each and every one of them draw you in, and you can’t help but love them.

Your life is about to hit the big screen. What’s the title, and who plays you?

The title of a movie about my life would definitely be, CRAZY TRAIN, starring Drew Barrymore!

What’s your most comfortable outfit? Are you a jeans-and-sweatshirt kind of person, or a dressier sort?

Jeans all the way! The most comfy pair I have is literally falling apart. They’re threadbare and full of so many holes that I have to wear long underwear or leggings underneath. Unfortunately, I had to say goodbye to my favorite sweatshirt last year. It was black when I bought it, but gray by the time I had to throw it away. That, too, was threadbare, full of holes, and stained with everything from grease to substances I couldn’t even identify.

I see you’ve brought a recipe today! I love recipes—could you tell us a something about this one?

I would like to share my recipe for a lemon sour cream pound cake. It’s always a hit, and appropriate for any occasion!

Lauren’s Lemon Sour Cream Pound Cake

-3 Cups flour
-1/4 tsp. baking soda
-1/4 tsp. salt
-3 Cups sugar
-1 Cup margarine
-6 eggs
-1 Cup fat free sour cream
-1 tsp. lemon extract
-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

*Using a mixer, cream margarine,

lemon extract, vanilla extract,

sugar, eggs, and sour cream.

Beat well.

*In a separate bowl, mix salt

and baking soda with flour.

*Add four mixture to wet mixture

in mixer slowly, by the spoonful.

*Again, mix well…

batter will be on the thicker side.

Bake at 325 degrees for 90 minutes

if you are using a bundt or tube pan.

Loaf pans are smaller

and will take less time to bake…

check often so you don’t over cook it.

**note**

The sugar in the recipe creates

a ‘glaze’ on the cake.

It does NOT need to be iced.

This sounds wonderful, Lauren. I can’t wait to try it!

Is there anything else you’d like to share with us today?

Actually, there is. I am very proud of being voted BEST AUTHOR in the 2006 Preditor’s & Editor’s Reader’s Poll. I’m also proud of my award-winning, romantic suspense, McCassey Brother’s Series, and would like to share the books’ accomplishments with you!

No Worries (The McCassey Brother’s Series: Book 1) (October 2006)
-#1 BESTSELLER at Whiskey Creek Press, December 2006
-2006 Preditors & Editors Reader’s Poll #1 BEST ROMANCE NOVEL
-Recipient of the 2006 eCataromance REVIEWER’S CHOICE AWARD

The Devil’s Candy (The McCassey Brother’s Series: Book 2) (May 2007)
-#2 BESTSELLER at Whiskey Creek Press, May & June 2007
-Recipient of the 2007 eCataromance REVIEWER’S CHOICE AWARD
-2007 Preditors & Editors Reader’s Poll Top Ten Finisher
-Voted eCataromance BEST ROMANTIC SUSPENSE NOVEL of 2007

Dusty Rose (The McCassey Brother’s Series: Book 3) (January 2008)
-#1 BESTSELLER at Whiskey Creek Press, January 2008

The Long Road Home (The Final McCassey Book) (September 2008)
-#1 BESTSELLER at Whiskey Creek Press, November 2008

Please feel free to stop by my web site, http://www.laurensharman.com/ where you can read the first chapters of all my books. There are reviews for them there, as well.

If you’re interested, I also have a free monthly newsletter you can sign up for, which I send by email on the first day of every month. It’ll keep you updated on what’s going on with me and my books…informs you of contests I’m running, and gives you the first look at information on my new releases!

I absolutely love to hear from readers, too. I welcome any and all questions and comments about my books!!!

It’s been a pleasure having you here today, Lauren. I am so glad we got this chance to chat!

Readers, Lauren has generously offered a copy of No Worries, the first book in The McCassey Brother’s Series, to one lucky person. All you’ve got to do to be in the running for this fabulous book is leave a comment. I’ll pick one completely at random—check back tomorrow to see if your name has been chosen. I read—and loved!—No Worries. I think you will, too.

The blurb for No Worries:

Witnessing her mother's murder put a label on Gypsy Lance that few people overlooked. Raised in foster homes, she spent her childhood yearning for love and acceptance. Nearly penniless, she arrives in Hagerstown, Maryland looking to put down roots and outrun a past she fears is about to catch up to her. . .

Blue collar bad boy Rebel McCassey knows what it's like to try and escape your past. No longer the hellion he once was, he's never been able to shake his family's bad reputation. When he finds Gypsy lost in the woods, her unconditional trust and refusal to judge him by his infamous last name touch Rebel in a place he didn't know existed. . .his heart.

When the demons chasing Gypsy are caught lurking in the shadows, Rebel vows to keep her safe; even if it means slipping back into his old ways. . .

And an excerpt:

A fresh start.

A chance at happiness.

Was it really possible?

The heavy door squeaked shut and a thousand pair of eyes seemed to be watching as she made her way down the narrow aisle, clutching two knapsacks stuffed with everything she owned.

Gypsy Lance claimed the last remaining empty seat on the Greyhound bus, questioning her decision right up until the moment the driver released the air brakes and the bus began to inch forward. As they pulled away from the Baltimore Travel Plaza and merged into traffic on Interstate 95, Gypsy sunk down into the worn, cloth seat and willed herself to relax.

Her mind racing, Gypsy reminded herself repeatedly that this was exactly what she’d planned to do. Did it really matter that she was doing it a few years ahead of schedule? And so what if she only had six hundred and fifty dollars to her name and no place to live? Wasn’t her life worth sleeping in a shelter until she could get a job and get herself settled?

Gypsy knew the answers to the first two questions were no. She also knew that it didn’t matter if she moved a hundred more times during her life; because wherever she was, she’d never be completely safe. She was, however, much safer today than yesterday, when an old friend called with the information that prompted Gypsy to immediately begin searching for bus schedules the minute she hung up the phone.

And she’d slept in worse places than a shelter.

As thunder rumbled and droplets of water began beating loudly against the metal roof of the bus, Gypsy turned to stare out the window at the gray storm clouds rolling toward them from the west.

Was this storm a sign?

Had the rain been sent to wash away her old life in order to make room for the new one?

A quick, bright flash of lightning seemed to spark a revelation in Gypsy’s mind. Suddenly, the answers she’d been searching for were there.

Everything was crystal clear.

There was no reason she shouldn’t embrace the opportunity to start a new life. After all, the one she left behind meant nothing to her. The past eleven years had been filled with feelings of loneliness, a desire to belong and be accepted, and her painful reputation as an outcast; all stemming from a tragic childhood.

But where Gypsy was going, no one knew her. And no one had heard the rumors or cruel gossip that had kept other children from being allowed to play with her. To everyone she met, she would just be Gypsy Lance, the new girl in town. Sure, she still had her problems and fears, but nobody knew about them, either. This was her chance to finally fit in and be normal.

Confident now that she’d made the right decision; Gypsy smiled to herself and closed her eyes.

Even if she never was completely safe, she was bound and determined to experience some happiness.

She deserved it.

And she would succeed.

As long as her past stayed where it belonged…

Winner!

2009-01-31T04:46:00.000-08:00

Please forgive me for not posting the winner of Amy Gallow's The WidowMaker until now. I am sorry, but like a lot of the country we've been somewhat victimized by the ice storms. Internet access has been sketchy this past week so it's taken me a while to catch up. Sorry!!

Without further delay, the randomly chosen lucky commenter is...

Margaret Tanner!

Big congratulations, Margaret! Please email me so I know where to send your prize.

And thanks to everyone who commented. It was so nice to "chat" with all of you! :)

Welcome, Danyealle Autumn Myst

2009-01-28T03:39:00.000-08:00

Welcome to From the Pages, Danyealle. We’re so pleased you came by to visit with us today. We’ve got a lot to talk about, so let’s get started…
Do you need silence to write or can you write through anything?

I can pretty much write through anything. I have two cats that should explain a whole lot. I've been known to talk on the phone and keep going, keeping track of both the conversation and whatever it is that I'm writing. Though the TV can be distracting…

Where do you write?

Believe it or not-at work! I work 3rd shift at a hotel front desk so there isn't a lot to do at night other than sit around and watch TV so I write while sitting there. Works out very well for me and my bosses don't mind it at all. At least that way I'm awake!

Does your family support your writing career?

My family didn't even know I wrote until I got my book published! But my fiancée really does support me. He does some editing for me and lets me bounce all kinds of ideas, no matter how strange, off of him. He's been great about it and seems to understand my 'obsession' and just smiles knowingly and tells me to go for it.

What circumstances led you to writing?

Writing has been my catharsis and way to cope with so many things. I can sit down and pour out what I'm dealing with or feeling into a bunch of characters that I can't hurt and maybe find a solution to what I'm dealing with. For me, it's my therapy.

What does your office look like?

I have an office???? My office is a big ole metal army desk with a computer on it plus all kinds of other junk. My desk and I have an agreement…I will be allowed to find things if I don't actually 'clean' it off-straightening up here and there is acceptable. Generally it's like a black hole, things get lost on it on a regular basis. Plus, at any given time there is at least one cat perched on it somewhere causing havoc.

The question most readers want to know but never get the chance to ask, do you ever write in your pajamas?

Oh yeah, the more relaxed you can get the better the flow!

Do you have a pet?

Two cats: Pockets-a pure black cat who looks like the most malevolent feline you could ever meet (it's the yellow eyes) but is a big cuddle-cat. Squeebles-a grey tabby who is beautiful but the ninja attack cat of death. They are my boys and I love them with all my heart!

Do you collect anything?

Inuyasha stuff-more specifically Lord Sesshomaru. Right now it's my current obsession. Don't ask…

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you choose?

Actually, I love it right here where I am in central Texas. I'm not a native and chose to live here so I like it!

What's your most comfortable outfit? Are you a jeans-and-sweatshirt kind of person or a dressier sort?

Sweats and a t-shirt! Comfort, comfort, comfort…

Is there anything else you would like to share with us today?

Fate: In The Beginning is my first published (for money) work and I'm proud of it, as most people are their baby. It took me a great deal of time and rewrites to do.

Congratulations on the release of Fate: In the Beginning. It sounds very interesting, so we won’t keep readers dangling any longer. We’ll give them a bit of your intriguing story.

First, I want to thank you for visiting today. It’s been a pleasure getting to know you!

The blurb:

They've met twice once at one the Marquis DeSade's infamous parties, then during World War II in Germany. That should have been the end of it. It wasn't…

Darious Mooksoon, the demon Lord of Lust, Sex, and Decadence, could have any being he wants, human or dark creature. But there is one he wants more than any other, and he can't find her—the doe-eyed, sexy and beautiful Lady Danyealle DesLoup.

After more than a century of trying to find her, he's been able to locate her once more and will do everything to have her again back in his life. They parted amicably, so he feels it shouldn't be a problem. But it is. Faced with the obstacles she gives him, he has to do the impossible to make it happen, or perform things he's never thought he would or could do

Excerpt:

Darious crouched down so he would be at eye level with her.
He stared into those brown doe eyes that had haunted his dreams
for so long and almost lost all power of speech. Moving his hand
down, he placed it over hers and gave her hand what he hoped was
a reassuring squeeze. "It's been a long time, hasn't it?"

Kat nodded, looking deep into his piercing blue eyes. She was
resisting the urge to wrap herself around him and hold him once
again. Truth be told, she did miss him and was very glad to see him.
She had thought a lot about him since their parting, but she was
realistic, she could not be with him because of what he was. It almost
broke her heart all over again to see him right beside her and
know she would have to tell him to leave.

When the time had come for her to leave him in Alaska, it had
been one of the hardest things she had ever done in her entire life.
But she had done it without looking back because if she had, she
would have turned around, not something that was a viable option.

She thought the whole thing was funny in its own weird and
ironic sort of way. Here she was, Lady Danyealla herself, the oldest,
most powerful and feared she-devil above ground and she had
fallen hard for the one being in the universe who was incapable of
returning her feelings, a demon. But no, she couldn't do things
halfway, she hadn't fallen for just any demon, no not she, she had
to fall for the Lord of Lust, Sex and Decadence himself. Well, no
one ever said she did anything in half measures.

There was also the added bonus that even she couldn't be with
a demon unless she possessed him and made him her pet, any other
way would open herself to all kinds of manipulation and might even
endanger the rest of her kind. It was painful to sit and look into his
eyes once again after over a century of being apart.

Her heart pounded in her chest and she could feel a flutter of
excitement in her stomach. She tried to not let her emotions show
and gave him a small smile. "Yes, Darious, it's been a very long
time."

Available at: http://www.whiskeycreekpress.com/torrid/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=294&zenid=91f35a3562b95496ada3027d634b7de2

Danyealle’s website: http://www.myspace.com/danyea11e

Welcome, Amy Gallow

2009-01-27T03:31:00.000-08:00

Amy, welcome to From the Pages! We’re thrilled to have you here. I know you’ve got lots of exciting news to share so we’ll get right to the questions, if that’s all right.

Can you tell us anything about what you’re working on now?

Typically, for me, I have five submissions at four publishers, a completed first draft of a 90,000 word historical fiction waiting rewriting and revision, a contemporary romance midway to completion of its first draft, a paranormal (vampire) romance in gestation, and a mainstream sea story written in 1972 ready to update.

The hardest thing I find about writing is the constant waiting for responses, release dates, royalties etc., (two of my submissions are now approaching seven months) so I keep the maximum number of balls in the air at any one time to distract me. In the case of completed first drafts, it allows me to come back to them with fresh eyes and the benefits of an ongoing learning curve as a writer.

In between times, I judge competitions and conduct part time classes and workshops in fiction writing at the local Adult Education facilities.

I know everyone wants to hear about your book, The Widow Maker. Can you tell us about it, please?

“The Widow-Maker” takes its name from a poem by Rudyard Kipling “The Harp Song of the Dane Women”, but is a motorcycle with an experimental suspension that has already killed one rider. When Glen Smallwood seems determined to ride it in the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix at the Phillip Island circuit, the pressure on Alexandra “Lexie” Douglas mounts to an unbearable level. Already considered a jinx by the locals, she seeks to escape loving him, lest her presence tip the scales against him. The intensity of her emotions strip away the barriers of misunderstanding between her and her family and she emerges stronger and more focused, able to cope with the final test of her love and triumphs over her fears.

How long did it take to write?

This story had a chequered history. Initially written for my first Australian publisher under a different title, it was never published because she folded before it came to print and languished in my pile of MSs whilst I wrote a three-book series of paranormal romances for New Concepts.
When I found time to recover it from the pile, I read it with fresh eyes and realized that the motorcycle was the real driving force of the story. The name change and Americanizing the text, but not the location, took two weeks and the submission process another five months.

The original writing time, including a research visit to the location, was about ten weeks for the sixty thousand words (initial draft, cooling time, and rewrite), but I had the advantage of my youthful memories of the sport and the locale.

Where did you get the idea for this story?

Our eldest daughter made a comment that showed how little she understood our life before her tenth birthday and how powerfully puberty had twisted her perceptions of what she did know. It affects her views even now, when she has risen to Associate level in an International firm of consultant engineers and is the mother of two. This difficulty would be intensified with a so-called “Change of Life” child, especially if she were born into a family of boys. (Our daughter wasn't).

Having experienced an Island environment when I was young, it seemed the ideal pressure cooker for the situation and Phillip Island was the closest Island community available. The addition of the Grand Prix circuit provided a further intensifier and crammed all the events into a short, four day, period. Youthful exuberance had led me to ride the circuit years before and the surfing there is great, so I had all the ingredients of the story.

How many books have you written? Do you have a favorite?

I've published nine, plus two romantic short stories in local women's magazines, but have written fourteen, plus the three manuscripts that are works in progress. As to favorites, I suffer from the same problem that afflicted C.S.Forester (of Hornblower fame). I find reading my published work difficult because I have moved on in my learning curve and would love to apply the lessons learned to what can't now be changed.

If you had the choice of being stranded on a desert island or lost in a huge city, which would you prefer and why?

A youthful military exercise had us living exclusively off the land in a barren environment with no weapons beyond a heavy bladed knife so I am aware of the reality of the hard work involved in survival. On the other hand, I've had years of travel in foreign countries and am comfortable with most urban environments so being lost in a large city is neither new nor threatening.

How did you meet your significant other?

I'd been away from home for almost two years and my cousin, who'd been my frequent partner at social events when we were both at a loose end, rang and had four tickets to the Company's annual ball. We both went looking for partners and I met the one who share my life from that moment at a local dance. When we married, almost five years later, we'd spent less than twelve months physically together, but had enriched the postal services of many countries.

What brings you the most joy?

Forty-five years of marriage make that a given. I have been incredibly fortunate, both in marriage and in my children, and now my grandchildren. Writing was the hidden passion of my professional life and is now endlessly fulfilled as I learn more and more about the craft and venture further and further afield.

If you had to choose another profession, what would it be?

I grew up the youngest child of an itinerant Bush worker, picked peas to make ends meet, sometimes went without food (which meant my parents had less) washed pots and pans in the galley of a passenger-carrying paddle steamer, spent time in the military, went to sea professionally, lectured in the university, and ended up in the senior management of the offshore oil industry. I rode motorcycles competitively, bushwalked, lived in several countries and travelled in many others. I played ice hockey, squash, basketball, sailed in racing yachts and professional fishing boats.

It's hard to imagine anything that I haven't done that would interest me, but there's always tomorrow…

Is there anything else you would like to share with us today?

The first thing is to thank you for allowing me to babble on about my life and my writing. I enjoy what I do intensely and the prospect of seeing “The Widow-Maker” on the big screen is a buzz, even if I appreciate the many hurdles that lie between the contract I signed recently and the premiere screening of the film. The screenplay is finished and now we wait the decision of the funding body.

For the rest, please visit my website http://www.amygallow.com

Amy, it’s been a pleasure getting to know you. Please keep us updated about The Widow Maker’s progress; I’d love to see it on the big screen someday, and I know others readers would, too.

And readers, Amy has generously offered a copy of her fabulous book to one lucky commenter. The winner will be drawn at random from all of today’s comments, so comment away! Check back tomorrow morning to see if your name has been chosen!

Another Winner!

2009-01-21T04:48:00.003-08:00

Oh my, how I do love contests...

Congratulations to Pam!

She won Jeff's wonderful book. Pam, please email me your snail mail addy so I can get the book right out to you.

Thanks to all who stopped by and left a comment.

Welcome, Shauna Hart

2009-01-21T03:21:00.000-08:00

Hello, Shauna. Thanks so much for visiting with us today. We’ve got a lot to talk about, so let’s get started.

What circumstances led you to writing?

I think deep down I have always wanted to be a writer. I used to give new chapters to girls at my school. When I got older, I started to think about what I wanted out of life for myself. It didn’t take long to figure it out. Then, I had to start learning how to be a writer.

How many books have you written? Do you have a favorite?

I’ve written 7 books and am currently writing book 8. Obviously, each one is special to me for a different reason. I think my favorite is always the book I’m working on at the moment.

What do you love most about being an author?

I love exploring different lives. There’s nothing more exciting than a fresh idea for a story. Plus, I’m a nut for research. I love it. So, if I start a new book that requires research, I will quickly acquire all sorts of books on the topic.

Where do you write?

I usually write sitting on the couch. I have a weird system. I actually hand write everything in a notebook. Then, when I type it, I do my first edit. For me, writing it in the notebook is a little less formal. It gives me the freedom to make mistakes. I also write ideas in the margin that I want to explore when I type it into the computer. There is something about typing it that makes me feel like it has to be perfect.

How long does it typically take you to finish a writing project?

That depends on the project. Some books I’ve finished in a month. Others I end up taking a break from and it takes several months. For instance, my new release, The Pleasure of Sin, took a little over a year to write. I started the book, which is set in New Orleans, and then the Hurricane Katrina hit. With all of the terrible things that happened, I just couldn’t go back there. It took a few months for me to feel like I could actually start writing it again.

Any advice for an author just starting out on the writer’s journey?

I think the best advice I can give aspiring authors is to believe in yourself. My favorite phrase (which I used many times while trying to get published) is “If I don’t believe in myself, then why should anyone else?” I firmly believe that. Unless you are extremely lucky, getting published takes time. You will need to be your own cheerleader for a large portion of that time. Friends and family may support you, but it is not “real” to them until you get a contract. It has to be real to you. When you go to conferences or lectures, see yourself up there giving the speech.

How do you juggle all of life’s other demands with your writing career?

That is something I think we all struggle with. Having a full time job on top of writing makes it even harder. Essentially, you have two jobs. If you haven’t been published yet, people only recognize one of those jobs. That is the worst part. I’m lucky that my husband is such a help around the house. Plus, he is totally supportive of my writing.

The question most readers want to know but never get the chance to ask, do you ever write in your pajamas?

Usually for me, it is sweatpants and a tshirt.

I have to ask…guilty pleasures. Have you got any? Remember, this is a G-rated interview! *G*

Most of my guilty pleasures are television shows. They would be: The Hills, Flavor of Love, I Love New York, Charm School. They definitely are not high brow shows, but they are easy to get lost in for a while.

What’s your idea of the “perfect” night out?

Going to dinner and a movie with my husband.

Do you collect anything?

Boring as it sounds, the answer would have to be books. I just can’t seem to let go of them and I keep collecting. Maybe one day I’ll open a bookstore J

Is there anything else you would like to share with us today?

It took me 6 years to get published and there were a lot of times when it would have been easy to give up. What got me published was not giving up. If you are an aspiring author, just keep working on your craft. Also, start working on building up your fan base. A lot of aspiring authors think that they can’t start doing this until they are published. That is not true. It is a good idea to get a website (some are $25 a month), start a myspace page and develop a blog to start building a fan base. This way when you get published, you already have a database of people to market to.

Thanks for stopping by today, Shauna. It was a pleasure getting to know you.

Thank you so much for inviting me! You are my first interview. It was really fun!

www.shaunahart.com

Buy link:

http://www.whiskeycreekpress.com/torrid/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=364

The Pleasure of Sin is available from Whiskey Creek Press Torrid. Here is the blurb and a G-rated excerpt…

The blurb:

When Jade Monroe's sister, Ruby, is murdered, she vows to find her killer. But coming to New Orleans means facing the one man she has never been able to get over, her sister's ex-boyfriend.

Clay Devlin stole more than just a kiss years ago. He stole a piece of her heart. Now, he is her only link to the life her sister led. But Clay wants Jade to leave New Orleans. And the closer she gets to him, the more she begins to wonder what he is hiding.

As Jade investigates, she discovers that Ruby had secrets. Secrets she kept hidden from the people around her. Secrets she indulged in a private club. But Club X is not your average club. It's a sex club that caters to all kinds of tastes, no matter how dark or forbidden. As much as she tries to deny it, she is pulled deeper into a world where fantasy is reality.

Will she discover the truth before it's too late?

Or will her passion become the ultimate weapon against her?

And an excerpt:

All throughout dinner, they spoke of 'safe' topics, each one not wanting to voice the questions that remained just below the surface. An hour and a half later, they began the walk back to the apartment. They had talked about everything during dinner—life, current affairs, things they had done.

It had been comfortable.

Too comfortable.

She mentally scolded herself.

She couldn’t allow herself to be comfortable with him.

Not until she knew the truth.

She couldn’t rule Clay out. She had to stay objective. Even though she didn’t want to believe that Clay was capable of doing something as heinous as murdering her sister, the truth was she didn’t know much about him. What if he had killed Ruby in a jealous rage? She had heard the stories of men who seemed normal and then one day snapped.

Was Clay one of those men?

He couldn’t be, could he?

When they reached the door to the apartment, she turned to face him. “Do you want to come in for a drink?” As soon as the words left her mouth, she cursed herself for a fool.

What was she doing?

Had she lost her mind?

“That would be nice.”

As she poured the wine, a new strategy began to form. Perhaps some wine would loosen his tongue. She took a seat on the couch next to him as he took a drink of his wine. He placed his glass on the coffee table. Turning to face her, he slid his arm along the back of the couch.

“Can I ask you a question?”

She hesitated for a moment before murmuring, “Sure.”

“Why don’t you like me?”

His question stunned her, and for a moment she was unable to speak. Finally, she regained enough composure to reply. “I like you.”

He moved a little closer to her. “Is it because of what happened that night?”

That night.

It stood between them, as impenetrable as a brick wall.

Her eyes met his. The intensity of his gaze stole the breath from her lungs. Her lips parted involuntarily on a sigh.

Yes, it was because of that night, because of the shame she still carried around like a badge. But there was something else as well. Something she never admitted to anyone, not even to herself.

A longing.

That night, he’d awakened a longing within her that she never dared to let loose, for fear it would burn out of control. Like a caged wild animal, she refused to allow it to see the light of day for fear it would destroy everything in its wake, including the bond she had with her sister. That longing had only found life through one man. And it was a sad irony that the one man who could bring it to life would never be given the chance to cultivate it. With so few options, the only viable choice she had was to hate him.

Self-preservation at its finest.

His head began to descend toward hers, and a part of her wanted to give in to the temptation. Then it hit her. They were in Ruby’s house, on Ruby’s couch, and even though she was dead, she was alive all around them.

“You should go,” she said, turning away.

For a moment, he was silent. Then he stood.

“You’re right. I’ll see you tomorrow at eight thirty. There’s a new restaurant we can try.”

“I’m not sure…” she hedged, searching for a way to reject his offer.

He pinned her with a steely glare. “I’ll be here at eight thirty.”

Welcome, Jeff Rivera

2009-01-20T04:48:00.000-08:00

Welcome, Jeff! Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to visit with us. I have read Forever My Lady so I am especially excited to hear more about the author behind such a wonderful story. So, if it's all right with you, I'd like to get right to the questions.

Forever My Lady takes on some pretty tough topics without holding anything back. Was it emotionally taxing to write this story? If so,how did you unwind after a day spent at the keyboard?

It wasn't emotionally taxing at all, in fact for me it was therapeutic and felt exhilarating to write. I loved every minute of it. Though, there were times when I wondered if I'd ever finish it and had to force myself to keep writing, I'm so glad I did.

The scenes with Dio's mother were especially poignant. Was there anything you drew upon that helped you make these parts of the book so heartfelt?

I didn't draw on my own mother at all (except for wearing the blue eye shadow thing which my mom STILL does) but I created a character that I thought would be true to Dio's experience. I thought to myself what would Dio's mother look like. She was a very fun character to create.

How did you celebrate when Grand Central bought your book?

Well, I was in shock for the first 6 months and to be honest, I never did really celebrate it. I really ought to, maybe I'm still in shock!

How has your life changed since Forever My Lady has been published?

I definitely feel more validated as a published author. You go through so much self-doubt when you're writing, wondering if people are going to "get" what you're writing so to have a major publisher get that excited about it to the point that they're willing to publish it was awesome.

Can you tell us a little bit about what you're working on now?

Well, now I'm working on a YA novel. My goal this year is to write as many first drafts as possible then the next year to rewrite them. So many stories that have been screaming to come out for so long.

Where do you see yourself in the future? Do you aspire to write forever or do you have other plans?

I do plan on writing forever. It's what I do, it's who I am. I'd definitely like to have the sequel to Forever My Lady out too soon as well.

Thank you for visiting with us today, Jeff. Readers, Jeff has graciously donated a copy of his novel, Forever My Lady, to be given away to one lucky commenter on today's post. I'll randomly pull a winner's name from the comments, announce the winner tomorrow and make arrangements to send the paperback to the winning commenter. So comment away! This is a thought-provoking story, and I believe the winner will definitely enjoy reading Forever My Lady.

To learn more about Jeff, visit his website http://www.jeffrivera.com/

Another winner!

2009-01-15T04:43:00.000-08:00

Oh my, how I do love contests... I especially like pulling a name out of a hat, like I just did. I know I said I might just wait until next week to announce the winner but I'm an old woman and knows the value of every day. So...

Congratulations to Celia!

She won Linda's wonderful story, Let Nothing You Dismay.

Just drop Sarita an email with your email address and she'll get that lovely title right out to you. Thanks to all who stopped by and left a comment. Please come back next week, when we'll have more interesting author interviews for you.

Have a nice weekend!

Welcome, Linda Swift

2009-01-14T03:07:00.000-08:00

Welcome to From the Pages, Linda. I’m so pleased to meet you! My name is Elinor, from Sarita’s Snowdance novel. I hope you don’t mind being interviewed by a ninety-seven-year-old woman. I assure you, I may be getting a little long in the tooth but my mind is as sharp as ever. At least I hope it is!

Anyhow, when I heard you were going to visit today I baked some cookies. They are my favorite, oatmeal raisin. I thought you might like to settle back, drink some tea with me and have a few cookies. And if you like them, I’ll send you home with a plateful to share with your family. The recipe, too.

But enough from me. Readers are here to hear about you, so why don’t we get to the questions?

I have to know…did you always know you wanted to be an author? Or was it something that came later, after you’d had a chance to explore life a little?

I have loved books ever since I can remember. My daddy and grandmother, who were both school teachers, read to me long before I could read. And my daddy helped me choose appropriate-age books from the library and books were always among my Christmas gifts. So I developed a love for books and reading which led naturally to wanting to write them. I first wrote poems, then short stories, and at age 16, I wrote my first 500 page (handwritten) book. Then life happened: marriage, children, going to college (in that order), teaching, and finally writing again. But it took publication of my work to really feel validated at an author.

Ah, I see… It takes a lot of commitment to write a five-hundred-page handwritten book. And at such a young age, too. Good for you! Very commendable.

So, can you tell us anything about what you're working on now?

I'm working on completion of a half-finished historical set in 1605 England. I already have the cover which is a great inspiration to finish it soon.The book is a sequel to another historical, MAID OF THE MIDLANDS, set in 1573 which is being released by Awe-Struck/Mundania Press in 2009. I am also revising an earlier book, published by Zebra/Kensington. And submitting other completed manuscripts and doing promo for the book just released and looking ahead to promo for the three books coming out in 2009.

My goodness; you are a busy lady. I love historical novels so I’ll be on the lookout for your Maid of the Midlands.

Tell us a little bit about your book, please. I love the title. Let Nothing You Dismay…yes, that’s very thought-provoking.

LET NOTHING YOU DISMAY is the story of Kala, a tour guide at a Kentucky Welcome Center who is coping with debts left by her late husband's illness. When her car quits running, she enrolls in an auto-maintenance class taught by Rex, part-time instructor who has just lost his important job and family. Kala ignores her attraction to him when she finds out he is years younger and he has sworn never to be involved with another woman. When the storm of the century closes the Interstate, Kala opens her home to a houseful of strangers and provides them with an old-fashioned Christmas. She and Rex cope with fire, flood, and friction and in the process discover the greatest gift of love.

When did you know you'd "made it" as an author?

It has actually happened more than once for me. When I had my first short story accepted for publication by The Ball State Forum, a university literary journal, I accepted the "awesome responsibility" of being a writer. At that point I realized for certain I truly was a writer.

When Zebra/Kensington bought my first full length novel, I felt validated as a published author.

And when Awe-Struck Press bought my first ebook this year, I knew I had made it as a published ebook author.

So you’ve had a number of successful moments in your writing career. How lovely!

How many books have you written? Do you have a favorite?

Ten fiction, counting the book at age 16 and one non-fiction. Eight are contemporary and two historical.

My favorite is FOREVER, MY LOVE, a Civil War historical-family saga. It is the longest book I have written and set in my favorite time period. It is unpublished but I have had some "near-misses" on it. So I know I just have to find the right place for it.
I wish you well with finding it a home. I do so enjoy a good Civil War story…

Now, for the questions that I like to think of as the ones that tell readers a little bit about the person behind the public figure. I promise not to get too intrusive. Just a few things that I’m curious about, if you don’t mind.

Let me pour you another cup of tea. There you go…

Okay, what are your hobbies?

I would have to list reading first. (I don't consider writing a hobby; it is my profession) I also enjoy ballroom dancing, with my husband as my partner. I like to paint when I have time; pictures and also furniture and walls! Sewing makes the list. But I cook only of necessity though I do enjoy preparing occasional meals for guests. I like to shop and walk and visit beaches and travel.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you choose?

Ah, that's a hard one. So many places appeal to me. Coronado Island would be one. A small village in England for at least a few years. A small town (but not too small) in the Southwest--Arizona or New Mexico. Nashville. (both my children live there) And I'm quite happy on the Gulf Coast of Florida where I live now.

One book lover to another, what are you reading now? I’m always on the lookout for new books to read, especially during the long, snowy winter months.

THE WIVES OF HENRY VIII by Antonia Fraser
CIRCLING MY MOTHER by Mary Gordon
Newspapers, Magazines for relaxation
And I have a list of downloads of current ebook authors waiting to be read.

What brings you the most joy?

Besides my relationships with my husband and children, of course, on a personal level, it would be getting to share what I have written with other people. If we write and no one ever reads our creations, then we have not communicated. And to me, writing is about communicating with other human beings, about touching their emotions and making a difference in their lives.

If you had to choose another profession, what would it be?

Teaching, as that is what I am trained to do and I loved doing it for several years. However, there is only a certain amount of psychic energy that each of us has, and I chose to leave my teaching career to write full time. But teaching is about reaching other human beings, too, and making a difference in their lives. It is very rewarding and we never know how far reaching it may be.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us today?

Yes, I would like to invite anyone reading this to visit me at my web site http://www.lindaswift.net/ to read about my upcoming books. There are blurbs and excerpts and release dates as I get them. I also have a Poetry Page which I update with new poems each season. And there is a Guest Page where visitors can leave a message. I also have links on the site to MySpace and FaceBook and other places of interest. I'd love to hear from readers and other writers.

Linda, it has been a pleasure visiting with you today. I know you have touched my heart, and I suspect you’ve done the same with our readers.

I do so hope you will come back and visit with me again sometime soon. It can get kind of lonely living out here in this old farmhouse. I don’t often get to share my morning with someone as thoughtful and as talented as you. Maybe you wouldn’t mind coming back during the summer months, when the creek is gurgling and the roses are blooming. We could sit beneath the maple tree and talk about whatever you’re working on next. I know you’ll have something interesting to discuss, so let’s make a date, all right?

Maybe next time I’ll bake a lemon bundt cake. My Al, he used to love my lemon bundt…

Oh! I digress! Readers, Linda has kindly offered a copy of her lovely holiday story, Let Nothing You Dismay, to one lucky commenter on today’s blog post. Just leave a comment to be entered in the random drawing. Winner will be announced tomorrow on Tuesday the 20th, so check back to see if your name has been drawn.

If you can’t wait—and I don’t blame you if you can’t—to see whether or not your name has been pulled from the hat, just head over to The Wild Rose Press at http://www.thewildrosepress.cm and pick up a copy of this little gem. I know I’m going to do so, and then I’ll sit here this afternoon and read Linda’s story with a nice, hot cup of cocoa. Seems like the perfect way to spend a snowy afternoon!

Thank you for giving me this opportunity to appear on your blog, Elinor.

It was my pleasure, Linda. I meant it—I hope you will come back again. Now, why don’t we give the readers a taste of Let Nothing You Dismay? The blurb and a small excerpt, that’s the thing…

Blurb:

Kala's position as a tour guide at a Kentucky Welcome Center isn't enough to cope with huge debts left by her late husband's illness, but she manages to make ends meet...until her car quits running.

To save money on repairs, she enrolls in an auto-maintenance class taught by Rex, a handsome part-time instructor whose broken heart needs repairing, too. After recently losing his important job and family, he has sworn never to get involved with another woman.

Kala discounts her growing attraction to Rex when she learns he is years younger, until the winter storm of the century throws them together. When the Interstate closes down, Kala opens her home to a houseful of strangers. Despite fire, flood, and friction, she creates an old-fashioned holiday rich in the true spirit of Christmas. In the process, Kala and Rex discover the greatest gift—love.

Excerpt:

Refusing the offer of a ride, Rex put on his coat, preparing for the grueling trek back to his hotel. Kala walked him to the front door and stepped out onto the dark porch, already covered in a fine layer of white from the blowing snow.

"Come for pancakes and sausage in the morning." She shivered in spite of her bulky knit sweater. "About eight or anytime after."

Without thinking, Rex opened his jacket and wrapped her up inside, folding her into his embrace. Instinctively, Kala lifted her face and his mouth covered hers. The kiss, which began as a friendly goodbye, took on momentum as he deepened it into a hungry tangling of tongues when she responded. The effect left them both breathless when they finally pulled apart.

"Maybe," Rex whispered, before he plunged into the drifts and disappeared in darkness.

Kala stood there for a moment, touching her lips with her fingertips, wanting to call after him, "Don't go. I need you. I...I love you." Love? Stunned by the unexpected realization, she hurried inside. Thank goodness, she had guests to feed. She didn't have time to worry over Rex now; her feelings would have to wait until later.

Although his feet were numb with cold, Rex plowed with dogged determination toward his apartment, wishing his mind were as frozen as his limbs. He could have stayed. So why did he invent an excuse not to? Because being with Kala Vandergriff, even with a houseful of people, would be too tempting. She made him lose control, forget his resolve. Like kissing her just now, the taste of her lingered on his lips. He wanted her, he admitted to himself with candor, in a way he never intended to want anyone again. And wanting her scared the hell out of him. She wasn't the kind of woman to have a casual fling, and he wasn't sure he was willing or capable of offering anything more. He saw the lights of the Ritz ahead and quickened his pace. He'd make a stiff drink and think about his feelings later.

Welcome, Marianne Arkins

2009-01-13T04:11:00.000-08:00

Welcome, Marianne! I'm so glad to have you here at From the Pages. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to visit with us. I have read One Love for Liv--and loved it!--so I am especially excited to hear more about the author behind such a wonderful story. I've also read most of your Wild Rose Press short stories, and enjoyed them all. You have a fabulous way of pulling a reader right into the lives of your characters. I love being able to escape real life, even if only for a few hours.

Anyhow, if it's all right with you, I'd like to get right to the questions.

How long does it typically take you to finish a writing project?

Depends. I finished the first draft of “One Love for Liv” during NaNoWriMo - in 27 days. The editing took a little longer (just over a year!). I have a novel I've been working on for several years that still isn't done. I wrote a story I just submitted to Womans World in about 20 minutes. Another short story took me months.

I think it matters whether I'm working on achieving a specific goal (like NaNoWriMo) or not. I work better under pressure... which is why I'm participating in a smaller writing challenge with a dozen friends that we call JaNoWriMo (http://www.janowrimo.blogspot.com/).

I'm arriving late to JaNoWriMo but it is a lot of fun!

What kind of food do you like best?

There are few foods I don't like ( which accounts for my perpetual need to lose weight), but I'm especially fond of pizza. I had a white pizza with tomatoes and garlic the other day that was out of this world.

I'm a big pizza fan, too. I had one a few weeks ago that totally bowled me over.

Can you tell us anything about what you're working on now?

A fantasy that was my 2007 (failed) NaNoWriMo novel, and two sequels: one for “Kitchen Matches” and one for “One Love for Liv”, as well as a few short stories. And, it's true: I never work on only one project at a time.

If you had the choice of being stranded on a desert island or lost in a huge city, which would you prefer and why?

Absolutely a desert island. I'm a complete loner - though I suppose I'd miss the luxury of the city. How about I'm stranded in my own house in the middle of the city? *G*

The question most readers want to know but never get the chance to ask, do you ever write in your pajamas?

Every day! I'm up around 4 a.m. and don't want to wake the rest of the house, as that is my only true “alone” time. So, I slither quietly downstairs, brew coffee and write.

This is something I've wanted to ask you for a long time... How do you juggle all of life's other demands with your writing career?

Very, very carefully. My friends often wonder how I manage to do what I do - which includes homeschooling my daughter and co-running the very busy reviews site, The Long and the Short of It (http://www.longandshortreviews.com/). I often wonder, too. I'm big on multi-tasking, I don't sleep much and I thrive on pressure. So, it works for me.

You manage to squash everything in so well, and make it all look effortless!

Any advice for an author just starting out on the writer's journey?

Study, learn and find a talented mentor. Most importantly - LEARN TO TAKE ADVICE. The rules are rules for a reason, and unless you're Stephen King or Nora Roberts, I'd advise not breaking them. Finish your work, polish it and submit it. You'll never be published if you don't submit. Be prepared for rejection, learn from your mistakes and keep on keeping on.

I don't imagine you've got lots of spare time, but when you do get a chance to relax, how do you spend your time? What are your hobbies?

Scrapbooking. Gardening. Bird watching. And, I've just recently started agility training with my dog. I suspect it could become very, very addicting for both of us.

You've just won a million dollars. What would you do with it?

Invest most of it, lol. Yeah, practical, but I can't help it. I'd buy a house with a library and built in shelves and proceed to stock them. I've often toyed with running my own publishing house, but that would require more time than I have. Of course, one of the conveniences of money is being able to hire help. Oh, and I'd have laser removal of all the hair on my legs. Seriously... can you imagine NEVER having to shave your legs again? *sigh*

What a glorious idea! Never having to shave legs again? Sheer heaven, I'd say!

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you choose?

Somewhere warm and sunny. I'd prefer somewhere warm and sunny without all the drawbacks like flying cockroaches, water moccasins and alligators... so, my choices are limited to, yanno... nowhere. Can I just be wealthy and fly places all the time instead? I could follow the sun that way, but not have to bug bomb my home.

In the house--shoes or bare feet?

Bare feet. If I lived in the tropics, I'd never wear shoes.

When did you know you'd “made it” as an author?

I'll tell you when I do. Cuz, right now I'm still a work in progress.

How many books have you written? Do you have a favorite?

Written or published? I only have one novel published, but I have several written. They need some, er... assistance in order to face the light of day. They will eventually. And, I have to say that my favorite always tends to be the one I'm working on (unless it's giving me trouble).

What is your favorite kind of cake?

Chocolate. Seriously, is there any other kind?

What frightens you?

Truthfully? That my daughter will die before I do. That my mom won't live forever. And that I'll never move back out west... I really don't like the northeast. I'm not fond of maggots, either.

Have you ever laughed so hard something has flown out of your face?

You mean like an eyeball? No. But I have been known to end up with various liquids up my nose.

Do you collect anything?

Frogs. I love them. I keep the artificial ones inside my house, and the live ones in my garden.

Your life is about to hit the big screen. What's the title, and who plays you?

I've often been told I resemble Natalie Wood ... but since she's been dead for a decade or two, she probably wouldn't be the best choice. How about Sandra Bullock? I adore her.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us today?

I'd love to have you visit my blog occasionally: http://www.reading-writing.blogspot.com/ and remember to floss, be kind to animals and, if you're in the mood, check out my novel, “One Love for Liv”. You won't be sorry!

Marianne, I've loved chatting with you today! Thank you so much for visiting with us. I sincerely hope you'll come back in the future and talk with us again. I have a feeling we could just chat and chat and chat...

Readers, I hope you'll check out Marianne's work. As I said, I loved One Love for Liv and can heartily recommend it. It's a story that shows that the heart knows no boundaries--even when society's boundaries seem very well defined! It's a heartwarming story that makes me want to urge Marianne to write the sequel quickly! *G*

website: http://www.mariannearkins.com/
blog: http://www.reading-writing.blogspot.com/
buy link for Liv: http://samhainpublishing.com/authors/marianne-arkins

Blurb forne Love for Liv:

Liv is out to prove her high society fiancé is cheating on her. Can she do it without breaking a nail—or falling in love with Mike the mechanic?

Olivia “Liv” Leigh, wealthy socialite and spa owner, suspects her fiancé of cheating on her. Drastic steps are required to discover whether appearances are deceiving. And if those steps require a bit of stalking, a change of appearance, a hippo-sized dog named Spike, and sacrificing her manicure to clean house for a sexy-but-sloppy man whose neighbor is determined to break several of the strangest Guinness world records, why should that be a problem?

Mike, a happily single auto mechanic, is more than content sharing his bachelor pad with piles of laundry, dirty dishes, and a sneaky ferret. But when a half-crazed woman in a bad wig shows up on his doorstep, what’s a nice guy to do?

Why, invite her in, unknowingly help her in her search for the truth and, in the process, fall head over heels for a woman who’s never been less his type.

And an excerpt:

Liv drove past the VW and parked around the corner. Nervous in these strange surroundings, she stepped out of the car. First one foot cautiously touched the pavement, then the other.

Litter dotted the sidewalk, and she sidled around a huge wad of pink chewing gum that glistened on the cement to her right, practically pulsating in the sunshine. The wooden fence beside her was covered in graffiti, mostly silly scrawls of people’s names and the objects of their affections.

With a glance over her shoulder at the beat-up sedan, she gave thanks she wasn’t driving the Miata after all. This neighborhood made her terribly uneasy, and her sweet car probably wouldn’t last an hour parked on this street.

She hurried up the sidewalk to the corner, grateful for the first time she was wearing sneakers instead of her usual pumps, and peered around to make sure Daisy wasn’t looking. Of course, she probably wouldn’t recognize Liv, but it was still good to be careful.

She trailed Daisy until the redhead turned up the walk toward the complex and moved behind some thick evergreen bushes. Liv broke into a trot, not wanting to lose her.

As Liv turned the corner, she nearly ran Daisy over. The woman had stopped to check her mail at the wall of mailboxes just outside the complex.

Liv leaped back and slipped between two parked cars, squatting down to hide for a moment until she realized she couldn’t see anything. She duck-walked up a few cars until she could lean down to peek underneath and watch Daisy’s feet to note when she moved on.

Utterly focused on the sight before her, she had no warning before the driver’s door beside her swung open, clipping her sharply on the head. She flew backward, sprawling into the street and thumping her skull on the pavement. Tires squealed nearby as a moving car whipped around her flattened body.

“What the—?” From a million miles away, a man shouted in surprise. She heard the thump of footsteps but couldn’t seem to open her eyes. “Hey, lady.” A huge, heavy hand shook her shoulder. “Are you okay?”

Something warm and wet swiped her face, both reviving and disgusting her. She kept her eyes closed and limply swatted at it. Her hand hit fur. “Ugh.”

“Spike, back off.”

Spike? What was going on? She gave a low moan and tried again to force her eyelids to obey her will, finally succeeding after a Herculean effort. A tanned face covered in five o’clock shadow and smears of black grease swam in front of her. Next to him, its neck surrounded by a studded black leather collar, sat the biggest brown dog she’d ever seen. The creature had drool suspended from its mouth and it looked as if it had swallowed a sneaker with the laces hanging out. Dear heavens, was that what had licked her?

The voice spoke again, and this time she saw the man’s lips move, though they seemed oddly out of sync with his words. The last time that had happened was when she’d seen Shoot the Piano Player in French with English subtitles.

“You don’t look so good. Maybe I should call for an ambulance or something. I whacked you pretty hard.” He touched her forehead and she tried to move away from those greasy hands. Did she have a smear on her skin?

“No, don’t call an ambulance.” Liv was dismayed at how feeble she sounded, but the last thing she needed was to draw more attention to herself. How would she explain that to Geoff or her father? “I’ll be okay. Just help me up.”

“If you’re sure.” Strong, firm hands slipped under her arms and pulled her easily to her feet. The dog leaned against her and shoved its head under her hand. She flinched at the feel of its bony, fur-covered skull even though she appreciated the support. It wasn’t enough, though, and her legs wobbled beneath her.

“Whoa there, Nelly.” The man tightened his hold and steadied her. “Maybe you should come inside and sit down for a couple of minutes. I could give you an ice pack for your head.”

Liv drew herself up to her full height, all five feet, two inches of it—damn, now she missed her three-inch heels—and declared, “I would no more go into a strange man’s house than…than…”

She hated that the man only grinned and watched her sputter. She lost the little bit of strength she’d summoned and sank down onto the sidewalk. “I’ll sit on the curb. Just get your ugly dog away from me.”

“Spike? C’mon, he’s gorgeous.” He gave the monster a vigorous scratch all up and down its body.

“And he’s not my dog, but don’t worry, he’s a marshmallow.”

“I don’t like dogs.” She dropped her aching head into her hands and peeked through her fingers to watch as the man dragged the dog a few feet away. Spike stared at Liv with droopy brown eyes for a couple moments before he turned and trotted into the apartment complex. Thank heavens.

“Look, you can’t sit out here by yourself. What if you have a concussion and pass out?” The man squatted beside her. “Do you live nearby? I could take you home.”

“I don’t live anywhere around here.” Heaven forbid. Liv waved off his offer with a flip of her hand. “I just need a few minutes to gather my wits.”

“I don’t feel right just leaving you here. Maybe you could go to my neighbor’s? Daisy is a pretty harmless woman—at least if you’re not a man—and from where I’m sitting, it’s obvious you’re no man.”

“Daisy?” That was impossible. What were the odds?

“Yeah.” He grasped her elbow and helped her stand again. Despite the grease and calluses, his hand was oddly gentle and comforting. “I bet you’re seeing double, and you can’t drive in that condition.”

Annoyed he was right, and interested in checking out where the competition lived, she reluctantly agreed. They walked side-by-side into the complex, each step making her head throb more.

“I’m Mike, by the way. Mike Peck.”

She looked up at him, really seeing him for the first time. He was unbelievably tall, well over six feet, and wore some kind of gray coverall that had his name embroidered on the patch affixed to the front.

She squinted at the smaller lettering above his name. Doug’s Import Auto Shop. Saved by a grease monkey. How exactly right for her day.

Stolen Birthright winner

2009-01-10T09:45:00.000-08:00

I'm sorry it has taken me so long to get back here to select a winner. Life has been nuts this past week; please forgive me.

Without further ado, the randomly-chosen winner of a copy of Margaret's Stolen Birthright is Mary!

Congratulations, Mary! Please email me your address and I'll get that right out to you.

Thanks to everyone who visited this week!