The Chatelaines

quicksilver

2011-07-26T12:40:00.000-07:00

Quicksilver, a short story orginally published in the Mammoth Book Of Irish Romance is now available on Kindle and Nook. This is my first venture into self publishing and I'm thrilled with the results. Heres the link to smashwords,and to kindle,and Nook, I hope you enjoy. I'll have another short story, Time Trails up soon.

an exciting new venture

2011-07-14T12:26:00.000-07:00

I'm excited to announce that I will be self publishing my back list to Kindle,Nook and all e-reader formats. The first story available is Quicksilver, a story based in Irish Mythology about a warrior and a mysterious woman he finds in the surf. Quicksilver was originally published in the Mammoth Book of Irish Romance which came out last year. Quicksilver will be available next week at any on line book store.

I adore this cover. The model is Scott Nova, who I met in LA at the RT convention this past April.

Hello its me!

2011-03-21T09:29:00.001-07:00

Its been a while. Actually since last year since I posted. That's because of a horrible thing we authors like to call deadline hell. Its what happens when you have a book due and everything else in your life has to take a backseat to the writing. My deadline hell is especially bad this year. I'm contracted to write five books in twenty months and my son's marriage is right in the middle of it. Oh well, life does move on, even when there are books to be written.

The first bookI turned in, and yes I met my deadline, Woot! is Godsend. Godsend is the first book in my new Angels End series that I'm writing for Berkley. My editor there asked me to come up with a new and totally different series that was reminiscent of Little House On The Prairie and LyVyrle Spencer. She wanted an imaginary town set in the west that was populated with endearing characters. And my answer was Angels End, named so because of an Angel Statue left there by some travelers headed west, who suddenly realized that their great stone statue was too heavy to haul across the Rockies. Angels End has a saloon called the Heaven's Gate, operated by Ward Phillips, a man with a secret past who plays the piano and a diner called The Devil's Table, which is owned by a cranky ex cowboy named Dusty. There's also a general store, the assayers office as there are a lot of mines around, a stage office, and several ranchers. As the series moves on I will introduce more and more of the town.

In the first book, Godsend, I introduced the character of Jake Reece, who fancied himself in love with Leah Findley, the sheriff's widow. But that was until Cade Gentry showed up and put a wrench in the works. The town thinks Cade is the new preacher when he shows up wounded in the middle of a blizzard with a Bible in his pocket. Jake isn't happy when Leah falls for the new preacher and well....you have to wait until May of 2012 to find out what happens.

As its such a long way until the release, (over a year...sigh) I came up with the above to promote it until I get a cover. The picture is one I took many years ago of Maroon Bells in Colorado which I think is one of the most beautiful places on earth.

And now its back to the next deadline, which is June 15th! Send chocolate!

Double Book Giveaway

2011-03-08T03:17:00.000-08:00

from Emily Bryan/Mia Marlowe ...

In addition to my books from Kensington, I'm also working on two collaborative novels with New York Times bestseller Connie Mason for Sourcebooks. I'm blogging for the first time at Casablanca Authors about the joy of pampering yourself, and sharing an exclusive excerpt from our first joint title Sins of the Highlander. I'm also offering a double prize for one lucky commenter there. Someone is going to win a copy of Connie's Lord of Devil Isle and an ARC of my Touch of a Thief.

Hope to see you over at CasaBabes.

Cyber-House Warming

2011-02-04T04:59:00.000-08:00

from Emily Bryan ...

I've been working with the talented pros at Waxcreative since last summer and the wait is finally over! From now on, you can find me at the cyber-home of my new pen name: MiaMarlowe.com I hope you'll bookmark the site and drop by to visit me often.

My blog is now beautifully integrated into my new website, but don't worry. You'll still have the regular features you've come to expect from me--lots of guest bloggers and giveaways, Red Pencil Thursday, and updates on my Bucket List! In addition to my blog, you'll have access to all the latest about my books, events and contests. In fact, I'm unveiling a secret on my Coming Next page about my collaboration with a NY Times bestseller!

See you there,
Mia

The End is Near...

2010-11-28T04:05:00.000-08:00

from Emily Bryan...There are two more days for my Moving Party--Monday and Tuesday. Be sure to pop by MiaMarlowe's Blog to leave a comment both days so you'll also be entered in the daily drawing! The winners will receive a copy of one of my backlist titles written as Emily Bryan. ;-)

In addition there are three more chances to win in 3 monthly drawings:
1. Click "like" on my Facebook Author Page.
2. Follow me on Twitter.
3. Sign up to receive my Newsletter! (You can do it on my website or on the right margin of Mia Marlowe's blog.)

Good luck! I'll be drawing winners from Facebook, Twitter and my Newsletter list on December 1st!

Be sure to check Mia's Blog to see if you're one of the daily winners! And please tell your reading friends about my Moving Party. Thanks!

Number 1 Romance for 2010

2010-11-19T03:48:00.000-08:00

from Mia Marlowe

Our own Jennifer Ashley's Lady Isabella's Scandalous Marriage has been named the #1 Romance of 2010 by Amazon! Of course, we all knew Jenn's latest title was a keeper, but it's wonderful to see her work recognized by others as well!

You probably remember the splash she made with her Madness of Lord Ian MacKenzie last year. We all loved and cheered her unusual hero. Lady Isabella is Book 2 in her MacKenzie series, but don't worry. If you missed Lord Ian, you will still enjoy Isabella on her own.

Congrats to Jennifer on this honor.

I'm always fascinated by favorite lists. What's your #1 Romance pick of 2010?

FIREWALKER releases today!

2010-11-02T06:19:00.000-07:00

Firewalker by Allyson James releases today! Woot! Mick is one hot dragon!

Mick must face the dragon council for breaking their laws, and while he doesn't seem too worried about his upcoming trial, but Janet will do anything to keep him safe. She'll need a little help from her friends, old and new: Nash and Coyote; Cassandra, a powerful witch turned hotel manager; Colby a sort-of-trustworthy dragon. But now a new, dark power is stirring in Magellan that Janet must face, but even more frightening, one is stirring within herself.

Book Two of the Stormwalker series.

Click here to order from Barnes and Noble.

Click here to order from Amazon.

Click here to order from Borders.

Watch the video for FIREWALKER! CLICK HERE!

Undressing a Victorian Man

2010-11-01T05:12:00.000-07:00

from Emily Bryan ...

I'm blogging under my new pen name Mia Marlowe and the topic is Undressing a Victorian Man at Brava Authors today. We're taking a peek inside a masculine 1850's wardrobe. What has he got in his pockets anyway? Join me to discover the answer to that burning question and have some fun with the Brava authors!

C.L. Wilson's The Crown of Crystal Flame is here!

2010-10-26T06:55:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to C.L. Wilson for her new release, The Crown of Crystal Flame! (I love this cover!) This is the first release of hers by Avon.

Here's the Amazon link.

A Song of Love won her heart.
A Song of Darkness haunted her soul.
A Song in the Dance would seal her fate.

Seers had long foreseen an extraordinary destiny for Ellysetta Baristani. Already she had won the heart of the Fey King—the magnificent Rain, ever her ally, eternally her love. She had saved the offspring of the magical tairen and fought beside her legendary mate against the armies of Eld. But the most powerful—and dangerous—Verse of her Song had yet to be sung. As the final battle draws nigh and evil tightens its grip upon her soul—will Ellysetta secure the world for Light or plunge it into Darkness for all eternity? As she and Rain fight for each other, side by side, will they find a way to complete their truemate bond and defeat the evil High Mage of Eld before it's too late, or must they make the ultimate sacrifice to save their world?

Here's a little of what people are saying about CROWN OF CRYSTAL FLAME...

“The highly anticipated conclusion to Wilson’s impressive Tairen [Soul] series is everything fans could wish for ... A truly stellar achievement!” ~RT Book Reviews, 4 ½ Stars, Top Pick

“Great way to end a war and a series!” ~ Night Owl Reviews, 5 Stars, Top Pick

“A phenomenal ending to one of the best series I’ve ever read!” ~ Bitten By Paranormal Romance

“…a fantastic ending to an epic and sweeping fantasy romance” ~ The Book Pushers

“One of the best books I have read this year and more than a worthy ending for this terrific series.” ~SmexyBooks.com

"With CROWN OF CRYSTAL FLAME C.L. Wilson has cemented herself among the greatest authors on my shelves ... I will love reading this series for the rest of my life!" ~ Leontine's Book Realm

“...a superb climax…” ~ Harriet Klausner, Genre Go Round Reviews

Chatelaines Happenings!

2010-10-25T07:41:00.000-07:00

Wow, things are really happening with the Chatelaines. C.L. Wilson has her countdown to the release of Crown Of Crystal Flame going on. The release day is Oct 26. Hey that's tomorrow! Can't wait. Jennifer Ashley has Firewalker coming in November. Emily Bryan is making the move to Mia Marlowe in 2011 with her first release, A Touch Of A Thief. And I just sold a new western series to Berkley publishing. My series is called Angels End and the first book, Godsend, will be out in early 2012.

And I'm not the only one with a new contract. I'll let the other Chatelaines spill the beans on their news, just wanted to let you know that we are all working hard to continue to bring you great stories, in several different formats for your reading pleasure. And if we don't post that often, its because we're deep in deadline mode, which barely allows time for eating and sleeping.

Happy writing and reading!

Beautiful book covers I'm giving away

2010-10-21T09:20:00.001-07:00

A reader reviewer made these gorgeous book covers to go with the Stormwalker series. I'm giving one away (with the book inside!) on my Firewalker countdown giveaway over at http://www.allysonjames.blogspot.com These are so beautiful!

I'm having fun with the giveaway thing, profiling a character from Firewalker each day. Drawing a winner for every post, then putting everyone in a pool for the grand prize.

Today's character profile: The Magic Mirror

Janet: "You're a mirror. You don't have body parts"
Mirror: "Hey, honey, I can dream."

He's a snarky, bisexual mirror with a drag queen drawl, but he's mega-powerful and plays an important role in each book. Janet couldn't do it without him (though she wishes she could).

Firewalker officially releases on November 2. I'm getting excited!

FIREWALKER Countdown--Contest Begins Tomorrow!

2010-10-14T10:28:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow (October 15) kicks off the FIREWALKER countdown giveaway! Every other day, until FIREWALKER’s release on November 2, I’ll post a snippet about the cast of FIREWALKER, by Allyson James (Stormwalker #2). All you have to do is comment to win! I’ll pick a winner every other day, and at the end of the countdown (Nov 1, Day after Halloween!) I’ll pick a grand prize winner.

What do you win?
Daily giveaway: A signed copy of Stormwalker (or backlist book of your choice if you’ve already read it and want something different).

Grand Prize: A signed copy of Stormwalker, a signed, hardback copy of PRIDE MATES by Jennifer Ashley, one backlist book of your choice (signed), and I’ll throw in a pen and other goodies.

Starting Tomorrow (Friday) Visit my blogs: http://www.allysonjames.blogspot.com or http://www.jennifersromances.blogspot.com or "like" me on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jennifer-AshleyAllyson-James/94603953921) or Twitter (http://twitter.com/JennAllyson) to post to win!

Free Download of DISTRACTING THE DUCHESS

2010-10-06T03:35:00.001-07:00

from Emily Bryan...

As you may know, I've moved to Kensington Publishing and a new pen name, MIA MARLOWE, but I'm still the same writer. If you haven't tried any of my books, here's your chance to sample one for FREE!

I love giving back to my readers. I'm tickled to share my debut Emily Bryan title. You can download the book from Kobo. For FREE!

Here's the link: DISTRACTING THE DUCHESS

The widowed Duchess of Southwycke mistakes Her Majesty’s agent for her next figure model. Trevelyn Deveridge never expected to pose naked to serve Queen and country, but he's left with little choice.

As long as he's there, he may as well drive the duchess . . . to distraction!

I love this story. Fortunately, reviewers did too. AllAboutRomance called it "a keeper!" It was nominated for an RT Reviewer's Choice Best K.I.S.S. and was a Colorado RWA Award of Excellence Finalist.

If you haven't read it, here's your chance. Kobo provides free ereader software for your laptop, ereader, tablet or phone!

If you've already read and enjoyed DISTRACTING THE DUCHESS, I hope you'll send a link for this post to your friends. Thanks so much!

Excerpt to my upcoming Bite

2010-09-28T06:01:00.000-07:00

Been a busy summer. I've been catching up on several projects, including doing edits for Courage of the Wolf, my Nocturne Bite out in December. That story is about a powerful immortal justice guardian who must convince a traumatized Draicon werewolf to find the courage to fight the demon that killed her family.

Also out in December is Christmas with a Vampire. Hmmm, if you spend Christmas with a vampire, does that mean your holidays will suck?

Heh.

This weekend I'll be at Moonlight and Magnolias, attending a workshop given by the amazing Michael Hauge. My Nocturne Immortal Wolf is also a finalist in the Maggie awards.

In the meantime, here's an excerpt from Courage of the Wolf. Hope you enjoy!

Courage of the Wolf, copyright 2010 by Bonnie Vanak

Courage of the Wolf by Bonnie Vanak

Chapter 1

Just another day in a tropical paradise filled with demons.

Right.

If only it was just a typical day and not the very one he’d been dreading..

Ambling backwards on the roadside, Michael Anderson scanned Florida’s Alligator Alley for a silver Lexus. As always, Sabrina Kelly was late. The Draicon werewolf would be late for her own funeral.

The thought sobered him.

Minutes later, Michael pushed a hand through his long, ragged hair as Sabrina’s car pulled off the road. He breathed in her scent of fresh lavender as the Draicon werewolf hurried toward him.

Dressed in a pink sweater set and a floral skirt, she looked like spring. Cut razor straight, her black hair swung just below her jawline. Wide, sea-green eyes shone with intelligence.

When she threw herself into his arms, he hugged back, feeling a lump rise in his throat. The vision came to him again. Blood. Death. Sorrow.

Michael set her back down on her feet. As much as he wanted to use his powers as an Immortal Justice Guardian to direct destiny, he could not. Punishment would be severe if he broke Guardian laws. He’d already broken a big one to buy Sabrina time.

Years ago, when he was still a Draicon werewolf, he’d made a promise to keep her safe. The burning need to protect her had never stopped. It wasn’t love, but a fierce admiration of her strong spirit and honoring the deep friendship they’d shared in the past.

“Why did you want me to pick you up on this road? Forget how to dematerialize?” she asked.

He shrugged. “I like walking. And I thought it would be nice to ride with you in the Lexus to your grandparents’ anniversary party.”

“You knew I was taking the Lexus and not the Expedition? Oh, of course, you know everything.” She shook her head. “Even what type of underwear I have on.”

“I don’t know everything.”

When she turned, he flicked his fingers. A microburst of air sent the fabric swirling upward.

“White lace,” he noted with a grin. “Very nice.”

“Michael!” she scolded him with a smile.

A faint blush raced across her cheeks. It was like watching the sun chase away the night. Enchanted, he watched her moisten her pink lips. What would her petal-soft mouth feel like beneath his as he took her, hard and fast?

He swallowed hard at the startling, sexual thought. Sabrina was off-limits.

He was a Phoenix, an Immortal Justice Guardian who’d died and been reborn to his powers. Michael patrolled the earth, doling out justice and destroying predators of paranormal creatures.

He’d succeeded at his job until a year ago, when the Hellfire demon Ambrosis slaughtered Sabrina’s parents and five siblings as Sabrina tried to save them. Her family had been heading to visit her grandparents when the demon attacked them as they took a brief respite from driving.

If he could, he’d die to keep her safe. But he couldn’t die again. Sabrina had to face her own demon. Guardian laws demanded he must not interfere.

“Let’s go,” he muttered.

The sun sinking toward the horizon warned they were running out of time.

Inside the car, his senses drank in her scent as if he were still a Draicon werewolf. Trees, palms and scrub brush passed in a blur as the car sped toward Florida’s west coast.

“Michael, you’re the only friend who still bothers with me. Thank you,” Sabrina told him.

“I’m not just your friend, Brie. I’ve watched over you since I became a Justice Guardian. You’ve shut yourself off from the world.”

She blinked hard. “If not for you, I’d never have done this. I can’t bear the memories.”

White showed on her knuckles as her fingers tightened on the steering wheel. “All I can recall is fighting. Pain, and then nothing. Nothing except waking up to see my family was dead.”

“You still don’t remember what happened to you?”

“It’s a blur, except I have the scar to remind me. I have nightmares about Ambrosis, and this voice keeps telling me I must have the courage to face him again. But ever since I lost my family, I’m terrified of something else happening.”

Michael looked away. “You should pay attention to your dreams. Often, they contain messages.”

She inhaled deeply. “Dreams are just dreams. Let’s not talk about it. It’s hard enough for me to drive on this road again. I haven’t been this way since Ambrosis killed my family.”

A fist of guilt slammed into his guts. He stared out the passenger’s side window.

I’m sorry, Brie, but I must do this. It’s my duty as a Justice Guardian.

Familiar landmarks appeared on the roadside. Sabrina’s hands shook. “This is the place. If I’d never insisted on Dad stopping so we could hunt in the swamp, they’d still be alive. I’m going to speed up .…”

“Pull over,” he told her.

“Here?”

“Now.”

Blood drained from her face, but she steered the Lexus onto the narrow shoulder.

“Stay here,” he ordered, hating her fear, smelling it like burnt wood.

He got out. Clouds the color of lead hung low in the gathering dusk. He breathed in the fertile scent of dank earth. The task before him lay on his wide shoulders like twin weights. A haunting loneliness gripped him.

He hated this part of the job.

In the canal paralleling the Alley, an alligator swam by in silence, its eyes peeking through the dark brown water in cool indifference.

Michael vaulted over the chain link fence, and walked a path through cypress and pine trees until he reached a tree island surrounded by shallow swamp water. At the northwest side, he touched the earth where a great battle had raged. Sorrow squeezed his insides.

From his backpack, he withdrew a single white gardenia, the blossom fresh and preserved by magick. He laid it on the ground where the blood of Sabrina’s family had been spilled.

A mocking crow cackled overhead. Michael fisted his hands as he walked to a small pool. No animals ever drank from this vile water — the home of Ambrosis. Michael had imprisoned him here after the battle that claimed Sabrina’s family.

Hellfire demons were attracted to paranormal beings possessing enormous integrity, strength and courage. They siphoned off those qualities for energy then killed the victim.

Beneath his palm, the dark water rippled. His immortal senses “saw” Ambrosis. With his index finger, Michael traced a sacred pattern in the muck below the shallow water. The ground vibrated.

An eerie, haunting scream rent the air. Disturbed by the sound, a great blue heron resting in a nearby cypress tree flew off.

The face of Sabrina’s nightmares appeared in the pool. Nasty laughter echoed through the swamp. The demon vanished below the water.

It was done, consequences be as they may. His duty as a Guardian was fulfilled.

“Forgive me, Brie,” Michael whispered.

He stood, dusting off his hands on his jeans. Shouldering his pack, he headed toward Sabrina’s car, but not before the earth gave a mighty shudder and the demon’s triumphant roar echoed through the silent clearing.

Next . . .

2010-09-24T03:44:00.000-07:00

from Emily Bryan . . .

A writer, like any type of performer, is only as good as her last offering. Which is why as soon as we write "the end" on one project, we're brainstorming the next one. Writing is like a muscle. The more you do it, the stronger you become. So I thought it might be interesting to kick off a series of posts about what all the Chatelaines are working on right now.

When we started this blog, we were all Dorchester authors. Now we represent other publishers as well. I'm writing for Kensington now under a new pen name, Mia Marlowe. My debut title, TOUCH OF A THIEF, will hit the shelves next May. (Blowing kisses to Jennifer Ashley for her fabulous cover quote for it!)

After Thief, I'll be in an anthology in July 2011 with Diane Whiteside and Maggie Robinson called IMPROPER GENTLEMEN, which was incredibly fun to write! Once you give your hero license to be outrageous, tons of naughty fun ensues.

Now, I'm brainstorming the second book in a 3-book contract, TOUCH OF A ROGUE. The reason the word 'touch' recurrs in my title is that at least one of my characters possesses a psychometric gift. In TOUCH OF A THIEF, my heroine receives visions when she handles gems. It's a bit of an occupational hazard for her since she's a jewel thief. In Rogue, my hero will have the ability to glean information from innanimate objects, in his case, tempered or worked metal. While my heroine in Thief avoided her gift when she could, my hero will grasp his with both hands.

A man takes power where it is offered.

I'm having a great time getting to know my new hero, figuring out what drives him, what he cares passionately about, and what he'll have to give up in order to win the heroine. She's also percolating in the background now and she's going to have to be an incredibly strong woman to challenge and inspire my new Alpha.

This part of writing is playtime. The world of the story is fluid, the characters unformed. Anything can happen.

And I'll make sure it does.

My Mia Marlowe historicals include a sparkle of magic. How do you feel about mixing genres, stirring in a bit of paranormal along with a sense of history in your romances? If you're a writer, what are you working on now?

Happy Talk Like a Pirate Day!

2010-09-17T03:08:00.000-07:00

TALK LIKE A PIRATE DAY is September 19th! What? You've never heard of it? Never mind. There's still time for you to bone up on some pirate lingo so you'll fit right in.

Ahoy! ~ "Hello!"

Avast! ~ "Hey!" "Stop!" "No way!"

Aye ~ "Yes, I most heartily agree."

Aye aye! ~ "Absolutely, I'll see to it as soon as I finish my nap."

Arrr ~ Can mean "yes," "I'm happy." or "Great beer!" Not to be confused with "Aarg!" (which is the sound you make when you accidentally sit on the sharp pointy end of an anchor!)

Beauty ~ Pirate word for a wench, always preceded by 'me,' as in "Why are ye walkin' away, me beauty?"

Bilge rat ~ A first rate insult, as in "Belay that racket, ye smarmy bilge rat." The bilge is the lowest deck of the ship, usually filled with slimy water. Of course, if someone made me stay in the bilge, I'd make a racket too!

Grog ~ Watered rum. Since water onboard was stored in slimy wooden barrels, it was usually anything but fresh. Grog helped kill the rancid taste. And several thousand brain cells.

Hornpipe ~ A single reed flute and the wild dance usually done to its music. Not to be confused with the pirate pick up line, "No, me beauty, that's not a hornpipe in me pocket. I really am happy to see ye!"

Keelhaul ~ A really horrible way to spend an afternoon. Pirates who violated one of the articles (rules they all voted on and agreed to before the voyage began) might be punished by being tied to a rope that ran under the keel of the ship. The offender was shoved into the water on one side of the ship, dragged against the barnacled-covered hull and hauled out on the other. Rinse, and repeat.

Lubber ~ An insulting word for a landsman. No one wants to be a lubber.

Smartly ~ To do something quickly. As in "Nip over to the bookstore smartly and claim your copy of PLEASURING THE PIRATE before they're all gone!"

FREE on Kindle--Two Chatelaines Books

2010-09-16T06:52:00.001-07:00

For a limited time, one of my older books, Penelope & Prince Charming is free on Kindle from Amazon. It begins the Nvengaria series (historical with paranormal touches). If you or anyone you know has wanted to try this series, you can now for FREE! I think this runs until the end of the month.

Also up this week, FREE, is one of the Immortals books by JOY NASH: Immortals: The Crossing This is the sixth book of the series, but is a standalone about the character Mac.

Full URLs: http://www.amazon.com/Penelope-Prince-Charming-ebook/dp/B002L4F49K/ref=pd_ts_kinc-f_4?ie=UTF8&s=digital-text
and
http://www.amazon.com/Immortals-The-Crossing-ebook/dp/B001HL0F60/ref=pd_ts_kinc-f_9?ie=UTF8&s=digital-text

Enjoy!

Dragon*Con 2010

2010-09-15T03:00:00.000-07:00

Some pics from Dragon*Con 2010 - what a blast it was!!

Enjoy!!

Spartan Warriors from 300 - hot hot HOT!
Where can I get me one of those???

This Sirius Black was definitely one of the best costumes I saw!

Dr. Who

Kingdom Hearts villains

Netherworld float in the D*Con parade

Not sure what these characters are from, but they were awesome!

Straight from Nowhere, Kansas - Courage the Cowardly Dog!
I miss that cartoon!

Total Fan Girl

2010-09-13T09:38:00.001-07:00

One of the best things that can happen to a writer is having fans come up to you and tell you how much they love your work and that it touched their heart. Especially when they get breathless and flustered because they soo wanted to meet you in person and tell you themselves. It always inspires me.

However this weekend I got to be the total fan girl when Diana Gabaldon came to my home town for our annual Bookmarks festival. The great thing about Diana is she's very approachable. When I first started writing, (after being inspired my her first three books in the Outlander series) I emailed her for advice on getting published. And she emailed me back (something I always do with my fans) She was very encouraging and congratulated me when I told her I got a contract. When I discovered she was coming to town I emailed her again. I got to meet her at a talk she gave and she remember me. Woot! And notice how she's holding up my bookmark.

So I had a total fan girl, you inspired me, I love your books moment. And got an autographed bookplate to boot.

A Hunk by Any Other Name...

2010-08-30T05:52:00.001-07:00

Happy Monday! Hope you all had a fabulous weekend. Today I have a treat for you. Barbara Monajem is my guest and she's talking about a subject we've had lots of fun with on my blog--naming characters. Drop by www.emilybryan.blogspot.com and leave a comment for a chance to win SUNRISE IN A GARDEN OF LOVE AND EVIL!

Hope to see you there.

Anti-Marketing Tactics

2010-08-27T03:34:00.000-07:00

from Emily Bryan...

Sometimes, you don't have to be the best. Being the worst will also get you attention on the web. That happened this week with the new website of Carina Press author Susanna Fraser.

It's a tongue-in-cheek site, purportedly thrown together by her long-suffering husband. It's lack of design is stunning. The content is hilarious for its very awfulness (for example: Here's her email. You should spam it.)

But it's not enough just to be terrible. You have to be conspicuously terrible. The site went viral on Twitter. It was bad enough to garner the attention of Barbara Vey--the PW Blogger, who posted about it (like I just did) and invited her readers to laugh along with her. And subsequently drove tons of traffic to Ms. Fraser's website.

Will this non-website sell books? Probably. Any publicity is good publicity and the site's sorry appearance does draw people to it, sort of like a traffic accident causes lookie-loo slowdowns. It works, after a fashion.

And makes me feel really silly for obsessing over updating my website, though I did appreciate the help I received from readers in deciding on the final color scheme. And don't get me started about the money I'm getting ready to spend on having pros redesign the site for my new pen name Mia Marlowe (I have a homegrown site now, though it's not as stunningly awful as Susanna Fraser's and therefore, probably not as effective! I'll let you be the judge.)

But websites aren't the be all and end all of marketing. Word of mouth is still the gold standard. A couple weekends ago, my DH and I visited Hammond Castle in Gloucester, MA. The collection of medieval artifacts includes an impressive armory and a claymore as long as my DH is tall. While we were looking at the display, I fell into conversation with a lovely lady from Pennsylvania. The claymore reminded her of Jamie Fraser and she launched into raptures over Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series.

An author pens a story so engrossing, her readers feel compelled to talk about it to total strangers. Forget about websites. That's powerful marketing.

Have you ever recommended a book to a friend? A stranger? What was it and what about the story that made you feel the need to share it?

The future of publishing

2010-08-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago Dorchester Publishing announced that it will be going all digital with its releases. Trade issues will follow in the coming months but for all practical purposes, mass market paperback books are dead. They also have let two wonderful editors go in an attempt to cut expenses.
Pretty much everyone in the romance publishing world knows that Dorchester has had financial problems for the past couple of years. Several things have led to this. Some writers got large advances that didn't earn out, Anderson News went under, retail outlets such as Walmart cut the shelf space for books which pretty much eliminated the midlisters, and publishers have a return for life policy for the retailers. Its cheaper to throw away perfectly good books, once the cover has been removed and print new ones than to ship books back and out again.

Thus lies the problem. Mass Market as a money maker is no longer viable. All publishers are losing money on them, it just showed up in Dorchester sooner because they are a small house with private investors, not a large corporation, such as Harlequin or Putnam Penquin. With the economy the way it is, they can no longer afford to operate at a loss. These are the facts of life, we as writers have to learn to deal with them. Digital is the wave of the future. I predict that within 20 years, the majority of books put out will be digital and the basic book, whether hard copy, trade, or mass market will be collectors items. E-readers are suppposed to be down under $100 by Christmas and with the advances in technology, they will be even lighter and more portable in just a few years. (Maybe an e-reader that opens like an actual book?)

So here's my rub, or what this post is all about. Most of all the things that have happened with Dorchester lately has come to its writers via Twitter. Alicia Condon leaving, announced on Twitter. Dorchester going all digital, announced on Twitter, Leah and Don let go, announced on Twitter. We are the last ones to find out what is going on with our publisher. Especially frustrating is the part where we don't get paid. They don't inform us, the check just never shows up, month after month after month and we have to beg by ourselves, or through our agents to get money that we have earned. If you owe us money its because we made you money and we've waited long enough for our share. We have been kept in the dark about everything.

So I am issuing a challenge to Dorchester and all other publishers out there. We are partners in this business. Without the writers, you have no product. Without the publisher we have no way to get out product out. Consider us an equal partner, not a side note. Let us know up front what is going on. We are creative and intelligent people with varied backgrounds. We are attorneys and accountants and teachers and artists. We live all over the world. Our careers and our livelihoods are at stake. Give us the consideration that you would give your investors and the employees that work in your offices.
We love books. We love the smell of them and the feel of them. We love getting lost in the pages. We love telling the stories and reading the stories that other tell. We write because we can't stop writing. Some of us make a pretty good living at it and some of us don't. But all of us will never stop telling the stories we love. So please, big publisher, remember who writes the stories when you are making your decisions and let us be part of the process, instead of victims of it.

Updates/Cover/Blog Giveaway

2010-08-19T09:49:00.000-07:00

Oh, so many things going on with us Chatelaines! So many changes so fast, but you know, a writer's life is a many-changing one, and we're called upon to constantly reinvent ourselves.

In the middle of all this, I'm writing books like crazy (all for Berkley now); blogging here, there, and yon; and cover conferencing, synopsizing, marketing, etc.

Today, I'm at the Borders True Romance blog, celebrating The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie, which WON the "Reader's Crown" award from Borders' first romance conference, RomCon. I'm giving a way a copy of Lord Ian (or, if you've already read it, anything else from my backlist, including Lady Isabella).

http://bordersblog.com/trueromance/2010/08/19/guest-post-from-readers-crown-winner-jennifer-ashley-giveaway/

The lovely trophy is pictured above, with a closeup of the plaque.

Also going on for me is--turning in book after book, which means covers! My editor and I are talking about the covers for SHADOWWALKER by Allyson James (Stormwalker Book 3), and THE MANY SINS OF LORD CAMERON, by Jennifer (Mackenzies, or Highland Pleasures, Book 3).

The title of the next Shifters Unbound book is now PRIMAL BONDS, and yesterday, I got the gorgeous cover for it:

Out March 1. And more to come.

So things go. I have much more to write, which will mean ongoing blogging, marketing, cover conferencing . . .

Cheer on us Chatelaines as we navigate the wild waters of publishing.

Emily Bryan Romance: Color Therapy

2010-08-11T07:15:00.000-07:00

Emily Bryan Romance: Color Therapy: "That's what my beta reader, Marcy W, tells me I need to break through my fear of changing my white walls. Consider my website facelift a bab..."

The Fire in Fiction by Donald Maass

2010-08-10T06:13:00.000-07:00

I partially fulfilled #1 on the professional side of the 9 Month Bucket List on my Mia Marlowe blog with The Fire in Fiction by Donald Maass . If you're a writer, you'll want to check it out. If you're a reader, come wonder with me why it's easier to finish the professional goals than the personal ones . . . The Fire in Fiction by Donald Maass

2010-07-30T04:27:00.000-07:00

From Emily Bryan . . .

You can't copyright a title. Good thing. Otherwise two of my Chatelaine buddies would have to duke it out right here. Both Joy Nash and Jennifer Ashley (writing as Alyson James) are up for Rita's at RWA Nationals.

And though you can't see it from the cover at right, the title for Jennifer's novella is A Little Night Magic. Very close, but not identical to Joy's contemporary offering A Little Light Magic.

I love both these titles because they sing to me. And maybe because they remind me of Mozart's Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (A Little Night Music). It's a charming minuet and trio for two violins, viola and cello. Every note is exactly as it should be (sort of like every well-chosen word in Joy and Jenn's writing!) and when I listen to Mozart I am reminded that there is truth and beauty in the world.

I'm a music major, in case you couldn't guess. Not everyone would make that connection with these titles. But obviously readers respond to them. Other than the obvious observation that both Joy and Jenn are excellent writers, I think the reason these titles work is because of the rhythm inherent in the syllables themselves. Long-short-short-long-short-short.

The strength of Hemingway's writing isn't in his word choices. It's in the rhythm his words create, separate from their meaning. Jenn and Joy have discovered the power of words as percussion in these award winning titles.

Good luck, girlfriends. I hope you both win on Saturday!

A Little Light Magic is a Fresh Fiction Pick of the Day!

2010-07-28T05:00:00.000-07:00

Those of you who subscribe to Fresh Fiction's "Fresh Pick of the Day" newsletter saw my Jersey Shore romance A Little Light Magic come into your inbox this past Monday morning. The Fresh Pick is chosen completely by reader vote, so this is quite an honor!

Here's a snip from Fresh Fiction's review of ALLM :-)

"A moving story that will bring tears to your eyes and make you laugh out loud. Joy Nash is an absolutely brilliant genius. I laughed out loud, cried crocodile tears and had butterflies in my stomach while reading this beautiful story. I recommend it to everyone." For more, click here!

Okay, so no one has ever called me an "absolutely brilliant genius" before, and I have to confess I think that's just a wee bit exaggerated, but hey, it feels good!

Thanks to all of you who voted for my book at Fresh Fiction!

Joy

RWA2010

2010-07-26T09:22:00.000-07:00

At the moment thousands of published writers, unpublished writers, editors, agents, reviewers, booksellers and librarians are descending upon Disney World for the 2010 Romance Writers of America conference. We'll be at the Dolphin conference center at the Swan and Dolphin resort. We'll be attending workshops, luncheons, dinners, and parties. The week will be full of writer talk, which inspires us to get home and get back to work. Where else can you hang out with people who share the same type of crazy?

Most of the Chatelaines will be there. Jennifer, Bonnie, Cheryl, Gerri and I will be signing for literacy on Wed. eve so come see us! We'll be missing Joy and Emily who are under deadlines and have to stay home and write. ;(

So I've got to get packing, figure out what I'm going to wear, how many shoes I can logically take, and how many power bars and 5 hour energy drinks I'll need to get me through the week.

Also hope to see Mickey Mouse. ;p

Making Memories

2010-07-23T03:52:00.000-07:00

from Emily Bryan . . .

I hate to admit it, but summer is half gone already. I'm head down on my current WIP, but we try to work in some special pleasures during these halcyon days.

In June, I was back in the midwest for a family reunion, boating on the Lake of the Ozarks. Lovely.

Then closer to home, we made it out to Revere Beach for their annual sand sculpture competition. These were not your usual sand castles.

The sculptures soared 15-18 ft tall. Some of the designs were downright Dali-esque. And the detail was phenomenal.

First Place was captured by a huge breeching fish. Further down its scaly body, there were a series of porthole-like openings with a Jonah figure peering sadly out.

Next week, we plan to head for the Esplanade and listen to the Boston Landmark Orchestra on the banks of the Charles River.

I'm seeing a pattern here. All my summer fun seems to be on or near a body of water. How about yours? I hope you've done some special fun things with your fam. Why not share them here? Might give someone else an idea of how to make a memory with the ones they care for.

(BTW, all the pics in this post are courtesy of my daughters' cellphones. When they were little we took them to Disney World and gave them a disposable camera a piece to shoot pics of whatever they liked. We ended up developing a couple rolls of pictures of other people's bottoms and had a fresh appreciation of what the world looks like from a kid's level! Think their photography skills have improved over the years . . . )

How will you make a memory this summer?

I love you, I adore you, now I must kill you

2010-07-20T05:49:00.000-07:00

Great news! Immortal Wolf has finaled in the 2010 Maggie Awards in the paranormal category! This is my Nocturne in which Raphael, the immortal Draicon Kallan, is charged with killing his destined mate in order to prevent the destruction of the entire Draicon race.

I think of this book as, "I love you, I adore you, now I must kill you." Of course it has a happy ending. It is a romance, after all!

I'm in Honduras right now for the day job. We are staying in San Pedro Sula and then moving south to the capital. This is the view from my hotel room. SPS is a very modern city. I think we are stopping for Dunkin Donuts before we trek out for our visits today. Ah, coffee!!

Next week I'll be at RWA. Look for Jennifer Ashley and myself at a workshop titled, "Put on your shorts" on Thursday from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.

Have a great week!

Swept Away by a new release

2010-07-11T10:14:00.000-07:00

I'm very excited to have my dear friend Katharine Ashe visiting the Chatelaines. Katharine is celebrating the release of her first historical romance, Swept Away By A Kiss. And here's an interesting fact about Katharine. She's a history professor at one of the most prestigious universities in the nation. Katharine's first signing with her book will be in Orlando at the RWA national conference so I hope everyone will seek her out, buy her book, and congratulate her on this most special occasion in a writers life. Katharine's post is titled the gift. To celebrate her release I will gift one lucky poster with a copy of my latest release, Breath Of Heaven.

The Gift

Here’s a question: How much should a writer give to her readers? I raise it in complete sincerity. You see, I have given this matter A Great Deal Of Thought.

Allow me to explain how I came to this question.

Are you familiar with those sparkly wrapped Lindt chocolate balls you can only get at cafes (and now apparently at Michaels craft stores—who knew)? Well, years ago before Starbucks speckled the landscape, I was grinding espresso and inventing Cappuccinos Of The Day at the corner coffee shop not far from my apartment. I was in graduate school and struggling to make ends meet. To pay for tuition, books, and the heating bill, I spent loads of time at that cafe.

So did my friends, although not behind the bar. One of my buddies—an Anthropology student working on the next great American novel when he was supposed to be reading cultural theory—would bring in his laptop around mid-morning, tuck himself into his favorite window table, and write. And write, and write, and write.

This friend—David, we’ll call him, because, well, that was actually his name—was constitutionally pockets-to-let. (A little Regency parlance there for atmosphere.) He never had a dime. His roommate told me how once David and a few friends set off from New Jersey on a weekend car trip to Washington DC. About two hours into the drive David revealed that he had $10 in his jeans pocket. And no credit card.

In some matters, David depended upon his friends quite a bit.

At the café, he depended upon me. I had the keys to the storage room and David had an insatiable desire for—you guessed it—chocolate Lindt balls. You can see where this is going. He bought a coffee, I gave him a chocolate—for free. The thing is, they weren’t really free. I paid for them. I loved those chocolates, and each shift I purchased a handful for myself. From this private store, I supplied David.

He never knew this. Why didn’t I tell him? Because I liked having that secret. David didn’t care where the chocolates came from as long as he got them. More to the point, I absolutely delighted in giving. (I would make a lousy shop owner, always giving stuff away. “Here, take this dress for free. It looks soo good on you!” And for that we have another useful Regency term: debtor’s prison.)

Some writers are like Santa Claus. They give because they love it and they don’t make a big deal out of it. But it’s a big deal to the people they give to. I appreciate it more than words can say when a fellow author passes on my name to an avid reader, or helps me work out a tough scene in one of my books, or invites me to guest on her blog (Thank you, Cindy!). Givers in the professional realm deserve a special spot in heaven.

So do writers who give to their readers. What I mean by this is writers who give everything inside themselves to write a beautiful story, a story that moves, a story that enthralls, touches the heart, and carries a reader away to a spectacular place. A writer who wants to give much more than she wants to get.

People who give like that—from the depths of the soul—amaze me.

In my debut Regency historical romance, SWEPT AWAY BY A KISS, Lord Steven Ashford is one of those people. Dedicated to a noble mission, he has given his entire life to helping others in danger upon the high seas and in foreign lands. When beautiful, headstrong Lady Valerie Monroe tumbles into that life, she turns it upside down. How can he continue his work when he longs to give everything he is and has to her now?

Love gives him the answer.

Love is, after all, the ultimate giver, the best Santa Claus, the chocolate-dispenser of eternal proportions. True love gives, and it gives everything.

When you are a romance author, you’re just giving back.

(By the way, David is now a successful author of award-winning novels and a professor at a distinguished university. But in my memory he’s still got $10 in his pocket and a pile of sparkly wrappers by his laptop.)

Let’s celebrate Christmas in July today. If you could give someone you love the perfect gift—any gift at all!—what would it be?

Katharine Ashe lives in the wonderfully warm Southeast with her husband, son, two dogs, and a garden she likes to call romantic rather than unkempt. A professor of European history, she has made her home in California, Italy, France, and the northern U.S. RT Book Reviews awarded her debut historical romance, SWEPT AWAY BY A KISS, a “Top Pick!” review. Please visit her at www.katharineashe.com.

Historical Beginnings: A Few of My Favorite Things

2010-07-03T00:01:00.000-07:00

Anyone who writes historical fiction knows the amount of research you must put into some of the simplest things. There can be no assumptions about anything that was said or used or thought. It requires authors to spend hours and hours looking up little facts, but it's not as painstaking as you think. For those of us who love history, it can be hours of sublime happiness, especially when you find that one little fact that makes you say..."Wow! I never knew that."

In my research over the years, I've compiled a list of some of my favorite modern world discoveries. Though the nature of many of these items has changed significantly over the years, let's take a peek at where they came from...

Dark Chocolate: The first people known to make chocolate were the ancient Mayan and Aztecs of Mexico and Central America. The original recipe mixed ground cacao seeds with various seasonings to make a spicy, frothy drink. Spanish conquistadors eventually brought the drink back to Spain, where new recipes were developed and spread throughout Europe. New technologies have changed the texture and taste of chocolate, but it remains one of the world’s favorite flavors.

Purses: Louis Vuitton started as a luggage company in nineteenth century Paris, right around the time travel became popular in the modern world. When Vuitton’s son took over the company in 1892, he introduced the power and popularity of the handbag. Today, these posh purses attract a cult like following from celebrities, socialites, and fashionistas alike.

Lipstick: History tells us that 5,000 years ago, in the ancient city of Ur near Babylon, semi-precious stones were crushed and smeared on the lips. Ancient Egyptian women squeezed out purple-red color from iodine and bromine, which, due its dangerous nature, came to be known as “the kiss of death.” It is also said that Cleopatra’s lipstick was made from carmine beetles, which gave a red color pigment, and was mixed with a base of ant eggs. Henna was also one of the preferred substances among Egyptians, and fish scales were used to provide the shimmer to the lipstick.

Mascara: Ancient Egyptians play a large role in mascara’s history. Dating as far back as 3400 B.C., Egyptians used bone and ivory as mascara applicators, and blended kohl with crocodile dung, water and honey to create the first mascara. Because eyes were believed to be the windows of the soul, they used mascara and lined their eyes with kohl to protect them from evil spirits. It wasn’t until the Victorian era in the 1830’s that the practice of enhancing lashes was revived. In 1872, petroleum jelly was patented and eventually became the most prominent ingredient in modern mascara. In 1917, the founder of Maybelline Cosmetics created the first packaged cosmetic mascara.

Perfume: Though France is often considered the birthplace of perfume, it actually originated in Egypt, where it was used for a wide variety of reasons, such as cosmetics, medicinal, as toiletries, and even aphrodisiacs. The use of perfume spread to other countries across Europe and the Middle East, but it wasn’t until the reign of Louis XV in France that perfume became more popular and accessible to the masses.

Face Cream: Thank you, ancient Rome! When archaeologists unearthed a metal container - with the lid still on - researchers learned the ingredients, duplicated the recipe, and then rubbed it on. What it produced was a white layer with a smooth, powdery texture - thanks to the starch - and this is still used in modern cosmetics.
Nail Polish: Around 3000 B.C. in ancient China, the early mixture of nail polish included beeswax, gelatin, gum Arabic (found in African trees) and egg whites. They also often added rose petals and orchids for color. Around the same time, upper class Egyptians wore nail polish similar to lacquer paint as a symbol of money and prosperity.

Do any of these things surprise you? What have you discovered in your own research or even reading that has surprised you?

Thoughts on True Blood and Color

2010-07-01T11:33:00.000-07:00

I've faithfully watched all episodes of all seasons of TB thus far, and as I watched the latest episode, I got to thinking about color. It might just be HBO's broadcast, or my television, but TB has a black-and-white feel, with touches of color to emphasize certain characters or to play with viewer emotion.

For example, the vampires mostly wear black, white, silver, and shades of gray, with the few touches of color in their clothes or settings being red. See the pic of Eric here (with Pam? or the queen? behind him) to see what I mean. Likewise Fangtasia has a black, white, and red theme. "Behind the scenes" of Fangtasia everything is gray, beige--bland industrial colors, which contrasts "reality" with the image Eric wants to project in the bar itself.

Bill's house is mostly shades of faded gray and cream (I so long to go in there with a paint roller) and always dim, night or day.

The richest colors in the whole show are in Merlotte's bar. There you get warmth mostly from wood, plus the oranges and yellows of the decor. Sam always wears soft clothes--paid shirts and jeans. In fact, everything about Sam is soft and warm (mmm hmm).

Sookie's house is full of creams and light colors, almost like sweetness and light. The most colorful abode of all is Lafayette's, and it's no accident that he is a colorful, vibrant character (and gets the best lines).

Anyone else notice things like this? (Or care, LOL?)

Color and tone can make us perceive emotion when it's not there (or enhance emotion that is). Cold, fearful, angry, tense, warm, happy. I like that the creators of the show took the time on such detail.

(And I enjoy the excuse to post pictures of Eric and Sam.)

I’ve never been to Climax

2010-06-29T13:08:00.000-07:00

But I’ve stopped by Intercourse. Even stayed there a while. Happened when I was only 10. Great place to visit, lots of country charm.

I’m talking about towns and cities, of course. Both Climax and Intercourse are in Pennsylvania.

I started thinking about names recently because a friend is writing a book for the first time. She doesn’t know what to name her protagonist. I told her, “A name is very important in your story. Take your time to consider what her name is.”

Certain names evoke particular imagery. A hero named “Wally” is seldom associated with a bad boy warrior. Likewise, if you’re writing a story with a mild-mannered reporter who happens to be a super hero, do you really want to name your reporter “Brutus?”

Names can provide instant conflict. I’m writing a werewolf/zombie short story where the heroine’s name is Beth, but her nickname is Bunny. Bunny as a nickname isn’t a big deal, but in this case, the heroine is a werewolf.

I had proposed the name as a joke, but Jennifer said, “Instant conflict.” And thanks to her, I had my story. Teased and tormented by her pack, Bunny the werewolf goes off to prove she’s more than her cute and cuddly nickname and tangles with a mean posse of zombies.

“Jabari” was the name of my first Egyptian hero in The Falcon and the Dove. The name means “brave.”

“Homer” would not be an acceptable name for an Egyptian warrior.

The book I’m reading now, Eve Silver’s Demon's Hunger, has a sorcerer named Dain. Great name for a powerful hero.

It’s fun to play around with names. Here are the names of actual towns and cities in the United States and abroad. Oh and for those attending the annual Romance Writers of America convention in Orlando, there’s a nearby city perfect for romance writers — Kissimmee, Florida

.

HooHoo, WV

Ding Dong, TX

Possum Kingdom
, TX

Truth or Consequences, NM

Beer Bottle Crossing, Idaho

Normal, IL

Whiskey Dick Mountain, WA

Okay, OK (I love this one!)

Middelfart, Denmark (Makes me think of Middle Earth with flatulence.)

Boring, OR

Wagga Wagga, Australia
(Another great name. “I took a walkabout in Wagga Wagga”)

Hygiene, CO

Looneyville, TX (Sometimes I think I live there, even though I’m in FL)

French Lick, ID (I first heard of this town in a wonderful book, Blue Highways by William Least Heat Moon)

Hell, IN

Wetwang, England (Care for a cuppa tea in Wetwang?)

My Summer Reading List

2010-06-23T05:00:00.000-07:00

So I've just finished up the edits for my February 2011 book The Unforgiven! It's the first book in my new urban fantasy series about the modern descendants of a tribe of fallen Biblical angels known as The Watchers.

With hardly a breath to spare, I'm now deep into Watchers book 2, The Unholy, which is set for a summer 2011 release. In the coming weeks, I'll begin talking about the series here on the blog and on my website, www.joynash.com.

But for the next couple of weeks - a break where I get to be a READER!!!! So what do writers read when they're not writing? Here's my summer reading list...

Of course, the latest releases from my friends at The Chatelaines! :-) That means Emily Bryan's Stroke of Genius, Allyson James' (aka Jennifer Ashley)'s Stormwalker, Cindy Holby's Breath of Heaven, and Gerri Russell's Seducing the Knight.

And then, to feed my Regency England addiction, Sally MacKenzie's The Naked Viscount and Mary Balogh's A Secret Affair.

And one oldie on the list - I've been wanting to read M.M. Kaye's The Far Pavilions for a while now. I have a growing fascination with India, a country which I know very little about. At nearly 1000 pages, it's been a little hard to grab this classic for a quick read in between everything else in my busy (insane) schedule! But with some down time from the job coming up, I've decided this is the summer to tackle it.

Oh, yeah, and that's my son's old Charmander on top of the stack. :-)

What's on everyone else's summer reading list??

Joy

Hiring it Done

2010-06-13T13:04:00.000-07:00

from Emily Bryan ...

I'm in a quandry. I'm the sort who likes to paint my own house, mow my own lawn (when I had a lawn to mow!) and generally do things myself. I've laid tile, torn out walls and moved myself across the country multiple times. If I had time to cross-stitch, I'd do a pillow with DYI on it in big red letters. I cringe when I have to pay someone to do something I ought to be able to do.

I know what you're thinking. Cheap, cheap, cheap.

I prefer to think of myself as frugal (though my husband has complained that I squeeze a tube of toothpaste till it squeals!) That's why I've resisted hiring someone to design a website for me. I'm a reasonably intelligent person. I ought to be able to buy a template, customize it to suit my needs and slap it on the internet for a teeny fraction of the cost of a professional design.

Which is what I've done up till now. So far, my homegrown design at http://www.emilybryan.com/ has served as a good web presence for me. The way it's set up, I can alter the pages whenever I want and add pages (which means the website grows like kudzu. Even I don't know how many pages there actually are!) Aspiring writers enjoy my Write Stuff pages and readers have let me know they enjoy the bonus pages associated with each book.

But now I'm getting ready for a pen name change with multiple titles coming out next year as Mia Marlowe. I'm writing for two publishing houses. I'm adding a pinch of magic to many of my new stories, a fresh element for my work. In many ways, this next year is going to be a sea change for me.

Which has me thinking that it may be time to call in the cavalry in the website department. If I want a vibrant cohesive site that's easy to use and presents my work in a way that readers find engaging, I think I need to hire someone to build a site for me.

So I've been surfing around the internet looking for the most innovative, fun author websites. I know who my favorites are. I hope you'll share the ones you return to time and again and why. What sorts of things do you like to see on author websites? What irritates you about them? I'd appreciate your input!

Reviewers Speak . . .

"Georgette Heyer with ripped bodices! Emily's latest story is simply charming - Crispin Hawke is awkward, dashing, self-assured, rude, everything you'd expect from Georgette Heyer, or even Jane Austen.
Emily Bryan is the mistress of saucy historical romances, and as ever, STROKE OF GENIUS is pure delight." BooksMonthly!

Visit http://www.emilybryan.com/Stroke%20of%20Genius%20Quiz.htm to take the Stroke of Genius Quiz! What kind of Genius are YOU?

Drawing a Breath and Trivia Contest

2010-06-10T10:33:00.001-07:00

I'm wiping my brow, even as I type, because I just now emailed revisions of a ms. back to my editor. Whew! I'm always glad when something's off my plate.

Over on my own Facebook and blogger pages I'm having a contest for ARCs of LADY ISABELLA'S SCANDALOUS MARRIAGE! I was thrilled that this book got a 4.5 Top Pick! review from Romantic Times, plus Mac Mackenzie earned a KISS award from the same reviewer (basically the terrific historical hero award).

So, for the next three weeks, I'm giving away an ARC a week. The first leg is already going, so either comment here or pop over to my blog http://www.jennifersromances.blogspot.com/ or my FB page (http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Jennifer-AshleyAllyson-James/94603953921) and leave me an answer to the question. (I also have posted a link to the first chapter of Lady Isabella on the FB page.)

Week #1: What was the title of Jennifer Ashley's first published romance novel? (Hint, it was a Dorchester/Leisure book, and it's easily found on my website: http://www.jennifersromances.com).

The winner will be drawn Saturday, and I'll post another question Sunday. Three chances to win!

Other cool news about Lady Iz: It will be offered by Rhapsody in hardback. It's preorderable at the Rhapsody site (I've already bought a copy for my mother).

It's getting exciting during the LISM countdown (release date: July 6!) Please join in and have fun!

Breath Of Heaven Release Party.

2010-06-07T12:01:00.001-07:00

Having a new book come out is a reason to celebrate. I was thrilled to have family, fans, and friends show up at New Beginnings in Rural Hall last Thursday to help me celebrate!
I signed a ton of books and was thrilled at the turnout!
Meet Pam, my beta reader who got to read Breath Of Heaven first! A big thank you to everyone who came for making it a fabulous event.

Aliteracy

2010-06-04T04:53:00.000-07:00

from Emily Bryan...

Last night on the news they showed a remote Afghan village where the iliteracy rate was 95%. By anyone's measure, that's a tragedy. But here in America we have a different problem--aliteracy. We have a growing body of people who can read, but choose not to.

In 2007, the National Endowment for the Arts issued a report outlining improvement in literacy in children, but found actual reading dropping off sharply among teens and adults. In an instant society, we'd rather watch a movie than devote the time needed to read the same story.

I know I'm preaching to the choir here, but this is troubling on a couple levels. Watching a movie is not the same experience as reading the book. When we read, we must bring something to experience--our imaginations. The words on the page are only the jumping off place. The reader must collaborate with the author to create the fictive world of the story.

A movie or TV simply washes over us fully formed. It's a totally passive activity. We don't have to think about it. We just let it in without examination.

I'd like to propose a return to an old practice. Reading aloud. It was a common activity in the Regency era. Whole families enjoyed the same story, creating a bond and even a private language during the shared experience. We did a lot of reading aloud when our kids were little. To this day when one of my daughters says something about "scope for the imagination" I know we owe that idea to Ann of Green Gables.

Well, that's fine for kids, I hear you saying. But it's really fine for adults as well. A good friend of mine reads aloud to her husband every night. What a great way to bond with the one you love! I've read my work aloud to my DH as part of the final review, but usually my DH and I engage in "tandem reading." He's got his techno-thriller. I have my romance. But now I'm wondering what would happen if we started reading together for pleasure.

Any suggestions for the first book we should try?

Here's a suggestion for you. If you're looking for a read aloud to share with the one you love, I just have to remind you my latest offering should be in bookstores now! RT BookReviews calls STROKE OF GENIUS "Wickedly enjoyable!" And guys will like it because my hero Crispin Hawke is so flawed, such a rude knuckle-dragging alpha in the beginning, he'll make them look good!

Special guest Marie Claude Bourque

2010-06-01T06:39:00.000-07:00

Room for Improvement.

Have you ever sat there after a major accomplishment and thought, okay, what next? How can I improve?
It’s not that I’m a perfectionist (I wish) but I always have this sense that things could be better. I do know that perfection is impossible, especially with anything related to art endeavors, but I am one of those “7 habits”, “Good to great” type person who love to sit and ponder how I can do better just about everything in my life.

Naturally I tend to fail miserably because my nice little “perfect” schedule never really work in practice, but I do try.
So with writing, I do feel I accomplished something major in my life by writing my first novel, submitting it and competing in the American Title which saw me published for the first time. But as soon as the book hit the shelves last week, my first thought was, how can I do this better? Not the publishing journey of course because we have no control over that, but the writing.

So I started to brainstorm. I do hate to practice writing through writing prompt and I have been forever postponing doing the exercises at the end of John Gardner’s book The Art of Fiction, because they are so far away from the kind of world I usually dream about. But besides writing another book, then another, then another, which I am already doing how else can I learn?

I’ve noticed that I stopped reading recently. I’m not sure why. Maybe, I’ve spent too much time on the web. But reading, really, is where we learn from others, isn’t it? Either by absorbing the prose, getting through enough similar stories to get a feel for the plot, or by blatantly studying our favorite writers. Bob Mayer does a scene analysis; James Scott Bell copies the prose of his favorite writers to get a feel for the writing.
Myself, I decided to just read more of what I like regardless of genre (I am currently reading one of Eloisa James’ Desperate Duchesses novel) and start to study the latest RITA nominees debut book (I just ordered Kelly Gay debut paranormal The Better Part of Darkness) All this of course, while I attack my next project!

I would like to giveaway to a lucky commenter a signed copy of ANCIENT WHISPERS, so please tell me, which writer inspires you most to be a better person? Strangely perhaps, I would say that for me, it’s been the late Robert B. Parker. Now how about you?
------------------------------------------------
Marie-Claude Bourque is the American Title V winner and author of ANCIENT WHISPERS, a sensual gothic paranormal romance filled with sorcerers and Celtic priestesses in search for eternal love in modern time. She worked as a climate research scientist, a scientific translator and a fitness expert until she turned to fiction writing. She draws her inspiration from the French legends of her childhood and a fascination for dark fantasy.
ANCIENT WHISPERS, a Dorchester –Love Spell release is available now wherever books are sold. Find more at www.mcbourque.com and don’t forget to enter the contest for her month-long virtual release party at www.mcbourque.com/launchparty

A medieval history lesson

2010-05-25T07:45:00.000-07:00

When I told one of my writer friends that I was working on a medieval she said..."Eww, gross, those people did not bathe!" My response was the characters in my book will not stink so I made sure to include a bathing scene in the story. And I also did some research.

The English did bathe during medieval times. They also enjoyed it. The Romans left behind many baths after their reign and the people of the age made good use of them. Until Richard came along. Richard broke the country with his crusades. He taxed his subjects into the poorhouse and left a bankrupt country behind for his brother, John. The landowners and their people had nothing. The king, however, had his forests and all that lay within. The penalty for stealing from the king was death. So the people were starving while there was food aplenty to be had. What has this to do with bathing? Not only were the people prohibited from hunting in the king's forest, they were also kept from gathering firewood and cutting down trees. So after they had exhausted their supply, they had no where else to go, unless they wanted to die. No firewood meant no hot baths, because who wants to take a cold bath in a hovel during the middle of winter?

Just a tidbit I found out while researching Breath Of Heaven. I was also interested to see it refered too in Robin Hood (a most excellent movie!) Just for fun I've included a bathing scene from Breath Of Heaven.

He had no more than wrapped a fur about his naked hips when the door burst open and a line of servants came in with a tray of food, steaming buckets of water and a tub made of hammered copper.
Mathias brought up the rear with a wide grin on his face. “Just as you requested Milord,” he said.
Rhys cocked a questioning eyebrow at the servants. There was one somewhat dusky wench who carried the tray of food but the rest were men. Unfortunately the wench placed the tray upon a table, dipped a quick curtsey, and left while the men arranged the tub in front of the fireplace and poured the steaming buckets of water into it.
“Is this not as you requested Milord?” Mathias asked innocently. He stuck his tongue sideways in his cheek to keep from laughing out loud. “Were your words not someone other than me?”
“I will beat you eventually,” Rhys said.
“Do you make a habit of beating your squire Milord?” A voice called out. Rhys turned to find a tall woman standing in the doorway holding a basket with soap, oils and towels. She seemed older than he yet her face was remarkably smooth except for a few lines around her mouth and her strikingly blue eyes. Her head was complete covered with a thick veil and a long blonde braid shot with silver hung down her back. Her clothing was simple, yet rich, a dark blue bliaut of velvet with an intricate silver embroidery on the sleeves that flared at her elbows to reveal a lighter blue sheath beneath. The sleeves of the sheath tightly hugged her arms, past her wrists and hooked in the opening between her thumbs and fingers. A wide silver chain belt with a small dagger rode low on her hips. The artistry of both was exquisite. The dagger held a large blue sapphire much like the ruby that rode in the hilt of his short sword.
The woman carried the basket past him, across to the tub and sat it on a small stool. She turned to look at Rhys with her hands on her hips. The look she gave him was appraising, as her eyes swept from the top of his head, down his chest, over his hips to slide down his legs where his toes curled into the thick pile of the rug beneath his feet.
“Which do you require first?” she asked as the serving men left the room. “To break your fast or bathe?”
Rhys dropped the fur. “A bath,” he said and strode casually to the tub.
She quirked an eyebrow as her sharp eyes took in every thing about him and Rhys graced her with a smile as he stepped into the tub and sat down in the warm water. He could not help but flinch as the heat seared his skin, especially the tender region between his thighs but he kept his gaze upon the face above him. She might be older but she was beautiful and he had found in the past that older women were most generous and ingenious in the art of lovemaking.
“Are you the lady of the castle?” he asked. He knew that Edward’s wife had died many years ago but had not heard if he had ever remarried.
“No,” she said. “I am but a simple servant.” She held out a bar of soap for his approval. He sniffed it. Sandalwood of course, with a hint of something else…pine possibly? He nodded his approval and she dipped it in the water along with a cloth and lathered them together. “My name is Madwyn,” she continued as she picked up his arm and began the process of scrubbing the days of travel and weather from his body. “My lord and lady both bid me to apologize for their lack of hospitality this past eve. My lord is not well and my lady and I were not present when you arrived.”
“Is your lady at home now?” His curiosity was once more piqued about Edward’s mysterious daughter. Mayhap she was hidden away in a convent where no one would see her.
“Yes,” Madwyn replied as she moved around the tub and scrubbed started on his other side. “My Lady Eliane and I returned early this morning. She is attending to the needs of Aubregate and her father. She will send word when he is ready to meet with you.”
Rhys reclined against the back of the tub with his eyes closed while Madwyn went about the business of washing his body. The heat from the water spread into his muscles and relieved much of the tension he’d carried with him through out his journey. The feel of the cloth sliding across the planes of his chest was pleasurable and Madwyn’s touch was firm, yet gentle. All in all it was quite an enjoyable bath and he had high hopes of it leading to more pleasure before he met Lord Edward. Still he was curious about the missing daughter. “Will the Lady Eliane be present when I meet with Lord Edward?” he asked.
The answer he got was a hot towel draped across the lower half of his face. He opened one eye to find Madwyn standing over his with a blade in her hand. “Shall I shave you?” she asked. The glint in her eye gave him pause and he heard Mathias smother a snort from across the room.
Rhys was not one to back down from a challenge. He nodded his agreement and laid his head back against the rim of the tub to allow her blade access to his neck. Her hands were deft and sure and he could not help but admire the closeness of the shave when she finished.
“Mathias,” he said after she wiped the remnants of the soap from his face. “Did you lay out my best clothes?”
“Yes Milord,” he replied.
“Then go attend to Yorath,” he instructed. “Make sure he is content.”
“Milord?” Mathias questioned. The squire knew full well that his master’s horse was well cared for in the Aubregate stables. Yet he needed to learn prudence, especially when his master wanted to be alone with a woman.
“Go,” Rhys barked. “Now.” He heard the door close firmly albeit somewhat loudly behind the squire as he left the room. “I shall surely beat him before the day it out,” Rhys sighed as he once more closed his eyes. Madwyn had given him a thorough cleaning from the waist up. He was now ready for her to proceed with the rest. More than ready. So ready that the tip of his shaft poked up through the water. His entire body tingled in anticipation as he imagined her hand, slick with soap, moving around it, grasping, squeezing, and pulling. Maybe she would even take him in her mouth.
His fantasy was quickly doused when she poured a bucket of icy water over his head and into his face then her hands grabbed his hair by the roots and pulled.
“I beg your pardon Milord,” she said in a somewhat innocent and breathless voice. ‘I fear I used the wrong bucket.”
Rhys shivered, coughed and sputtered and sat up, certain that he had lost more than a few hairs when she wrenched him back into place with her fingers firmly entrenched in his scalp.
“Did you not wish for me to wash your hair Milord?” she asked as he looked at her face, which was upside down above him. “Or should I take my leave now?”
He touched his head gingerly and was relieved to see that his hair was still attached although a bit soapy. “I can finish up on my own,” he said. “You may go now.” He watched her warily as she dried her hands and left room without a backward glance. He heard the tinkle of her laughter as she closed the door behind her.
“Wench,” he said as he leaned forward and finished lathering his hair. He slid beneath the surface of the water to rinse it. Luckily for him, his most pressing problem had gone away with the blast of icy water.

Its here!

2010-05-24T06:31:00.000-07:00

Finally, after what seems like forever, Breath Of Heaven is here. You might think its strange that I'm so excited about a release after having fouteen books published. The thing is, Breath Of Heaven has been years, no, its been decades in the making.

I had the idea for the story right after I was married (and way before I had children) after reading the Roselynde Chronicles by Roberta Gellis. I just knew I could write an amazing story that would capture the readers imagination the same way Roberta Gellis had captured mine. I was working an extremely boring job at the time, one where all I had to do was answer the phone when the calls came in and set up appoitments. So I went to work every day with a spiral notebook and pen and tried to write. Notice I said try. Even though I was putting words down on paper they were horrible. After about five pages I realized that it was not going to happen so I tossed the entire thing in the trash. I still remember some of the lines and I cringe whenever I think of them.

It turns out I had a lot of growing to do. And much more reading. I read and read and read, more books than I can count. I didn't realize while I was reading that I was also learning the craft. The story never left me and after writing the Wind Series I was given the opportunity to try something different so I told my editor about Rhys and Eliane and she said lets do it. This time it was much much easier and the characters finally came to life.

I've been waiting a long time to share Breath Of Heaven with the world. I hope you enjoy it. And if you happen to see it on the shelves, let me know!

2010-05-20T09:49:00.000-07:00

I can't resist sharing the very cool video I just received for Lady Isabella's Scandalous Marriage (done by Kendra at Creations by Kendra). Nice! Thank you, Kendra!

One week and counting

2010-05-17T10:08:00.000-07:00

Breath of Heaven will be released next Tuesday. I can't believe its almost here. To get you ready for the big day I've posted another exerpt that was cut from the book. Enjoy!

Edward’s hand shook as he dipped the quill into the ink. Was it nerves or the advanced stages of his disease? Whatever the cause, it did not matter. What did matter was the fact that even though his hand shook, his strokes upon the parchment showed sure and strong as he began his letter.
January 1, 1170. Fourteen and one half years passed since the day he pulled Rhys de Remy from the mud. Five months passed since he last heard from the now Lord de Remy upon the anniversary of their meeting as he had every year since. Finally, the time had come for Edward to call upon the debt owed to him.
Edward’s gazed wandered from the parchment before him to the woods beyond the outer wall of the castle. Even though his eyes were not as sharp as they once were, he caught a movement at the edge of the wood, a flash of dark green amongst the drab browns and grays of the winter day. Eliane, off to see Madwyn, with the huge beast of a dog at her side as usual. She held no fear for the forest, or the beasts that roamed there. Nor did she fear the strange tales of magic that always surrounded the place. Luckily the people of the keep and the town below held a great love for her, despite her strange behavior and her strange appearance. Just as they had for her mother before her. Was he too late to save her? The good Lord above knew he had done his best to prepare her for what was to come but…
Edward ran a trembling hand over his brow. So much time had passed since the day Han came to him in France with the news. Yet the time passed was not enough to prepare his daughter for what was to come. The problem was he had thought at one time that he would live a long and happy life with Arden at his side. That was the promise given to him when he took Arden as his wife. He was her choice for a husband and that meant the rest would come with it.
She was not supposed to die of an arrow wound to the heart as she defended the walls of Aubregate from Ragnor Vannoy. Ragnor had never given up his desire to be master of Aubregate. Not after Arden refused him time and time again as her mother refused his father before her. Nor would Arden agree to betroth Eliane to Renauld when Ragnor discovered that there was another daughter in a long line of daughters born to the Mistress of Aubregate. Even when Ragnor declared that Eliane’s strange deformity would not affect the terms or her worth as a bride for his son at all. Of course it wouldn’t. It was not Eliane that he desired. It was the land and the riches that came with it. Riches that would not last with Ragnor’s sorry rule.
The bastard knew Edward and his men were with the king so he attacked a castle defended by a few men of arms and a woman. The walls did not fall but Arden did. Luckily Madwyn spirited Eliane away and kept her hidden in the deep wood that separated the two estates. It was rumored that she used magic to keep Eliane safe. Many of the men who were tempted by Ragnor with great reward for the safe capture of the missing daughter ended up dead, as did their master when Edward finally came home and sought his revenge.
Ragnor’s death, quickly endorsed by the king who held Edward in high esteem, did nothing to restore Arden to him. Nor did it enrich his coffers. Renauld was the heir and remained so because of the King’s benevolence towards those who supported him at a time when it was not sure if he would wear the crown. Never mind that Renauld was a squire at the time. He’d sworn his allegiance to Allan who served the king faithfully and therefore would not be punished for the sins of his father. Even now he was at court, or so the men who were still friendly with Edward said. Peter was one of these men. Peter was well related and had proven to be honorable time and time again. He was also indebted to Edward and looked after his interests at court since Edward was no longer able to do so himself.
If only Peter had not been betrothed at a young age else he could solve Edward’s problem for him. He was now well married with sons and daughters of his own. Now there was no time for Eliane to choose, nor would she, as she told him time and time again. He was her father and he would choose for her as was his right. If Edward died before the matter was taken care of and Renauld was there to plead his case it would be the end of her and of all of Aubregate. That was the one thing Edward was certain of. He should not have waited so long to resolve it.
The deep wood swallowed Eliane and the beast at her side just as the earth had swallowed Arden after her death. Just as it would, one day soon, swallow his faltering body and return it to the dust from whence he came. He could only hope that he still had enough time. Edward turned once more to his parchment and picked up his quill.
Han was waiting.

Some BSP for me and Gerri Russell

2010-05-13T08:24:00.000-07:00

So, you've all heard me screaming about STORMWALKER (which I am relieved to say is getting some wonderful reviews all over the place seems to be holding its own), but another Chatelaine has a book out this month!

Gerri Russell's SEDUCING THE KNIGHT came out on April 27 from Leisure.

Winess: The beautiful cover. I have not read this book yet, but the tagline reads: "A Templar knight and a woman he saves from an arranged marriage go on a hunt for the legendary Ark of the Covenant that takes them from the scorching desert of Jerusalem to the heathered highlands of Scotland."

Gerri can let us know whether that tagline is accurate (they aren't always!), but it sounds good! And it's another in her Brotherhood of the Scottish Templars, a series I'm enjoying. Sold me!

I'm always happier promo-ing someone else than myself, because we (especially women) were taught at an early age to always defer to others and be a little self-deprecating (you're a brat if you talk about yourself too much--and I admit, my eyes roll when I'm at a party with someone who talks only about themselves and their success and nothing else...go away now, I really need to get to those nachos.)

However, as authors, it often falls to us to tell the world we have a book out, because no one else will.

I said I was relieved that Stormwalker was getting good reviews and was in the top 25 in romance at B&N and Borders, because STORMWALKER was a shot in the dark for me. It was a little different direction, is nowhere near as erotic as other Allyson James books, Allyson James has nowhere near the "name" as Jennifer Ashley, it has a very small print run, and is a midlist book (not a lead).

So the fact that people are posting about it, and it seems to be selling well in the bookstores is a good thing for my blood pressure. :-)

It really is getting some fantastic reviews (as well as a 4.5 Top Pick from Romantic Times). I won't link to the reviews here, but if you look up Stormwalker by Allyson James on Goodreads, most of them are cross-posted there.

I will also be blogging at the RT blogs as soon as I get my act together and get them the post!!

There you have it: Two Chatelaines books out for the month of May.

And more to come: in JUNE: CINDY HOLBY and EMILY BRYAN have new releases!!

Two weeks till release day!

2010-05-10T11:53:00.001-07:00

Two weeks from tomorrow is May 25th, which is the release day for Breath Of Heaven. Wow, its almost here. Since my last release was in February 2009 with Fallen, to say I'm looking forward to this release is an understatement. I'm also getting nervous. Have I done everything possible to alert people to its coming? Just to make sure I'm flashing my awesome cover once again. (isn't it pretty?) I'm working on posts for my upcoming blogtour. I'm preparing my newsletter. You can sign up for it on my website Also preparing for my big launch part on June 3 at New Beginnings in Rural Hall. I will also post an exerpt next week just to get you in the mood to read it.

Wow.(insert deep breath here) I'm getting tired just thinking about it. As you can see there is more to being a writer than just writing. So what do you think? Is there anything else I can do to get the word out about Breath Of Heaven?

RomCon Reader's Crown Finalists!

2010-05-07T04:01:00.000-07:00

from Emily Bryan . . .

When it comes to romance fan conferences, there's a new kid on the block. It's the RomCon sponsored by Borders Books and the conference will be coming to Denver July 9-11th. It's all about meeting your favorite authors and the guest list reads like a Who's Who of Romance.

The Reader's Crown Finalists have been named. You just might recognize a couple of these!

Best First
◦Anne Marsh ~ The Hunt ~ Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Time Travel
◦Margaret Mallory ~ Knight of Desire ~ Long Historical
◦Mary Sullivan ~ No Ordinary Cowboy ~ Short Contemporary
◦Susan Gee Heino ~ Mistress by Mistake ~ Long Historical
◦Vanessa Kelly ~ Mastering the Marquess ~ Long Historical

Erotica
◦Joey W. Hill ~ Beloved Vampire
◦Livia Dare ~ In the Flesh
◦Maya Banks ~ Into the Lair
◦Maya Banks ~ Sweet Persuasion
◦Sunny ~ Mona Lisa Darkening

Long Contemporary
◦Carly Phillips ~ Lucky Break
◦Erin McCarthy ~ Hard and Fast
◦Jill Shalvis ~ Double Play
◦Julie James ~ Practice Makes Perfect
◦Susan Mallery ~ Sunset Bay

Long Historical
◦Anna Campbell ~ Captive of Sin
◦Deeanne Gist ~ A Bride in the Bargain
◦Elizabeth Hoyt ~ To Desire a Devil
◦Jennifer Ashley ~ The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie
◦Jodi Thomas ~ The Lone Texan

Long Romantic Suspense
◦Bella Andre ~ Wild Heat
◦Catherine Mann ~ Defender
◦Cindy Gerard ~ Whisper No Lies
◦Julia Harper ~ For the Love of Pete
◦Susan Crandall ~ Seeing Red

Novella
◦Courtney Milan ~ This Wicked Gift in The Heart of Christmas anthology
◦Emily Bryan ~ My Lady Below Stairs in A Christmas Ball anthology
◦Erin McCarthy ~ Undead Man’s Hand in Out of the Light, Into the Shadows
◦Jade Lee ~ Weekend Tigress in the Winter Heat anthology
◦Sophia Nash ~ Catch of the Century in the Four Dukes and Devil anthology
(Whew! I'm in fast company!)

Paranormal
Carolyn Jewel ~ My Forbidden Desire
◦Jory Strong ~ Ghostland
◦Keena Kincaid ~ Ties That Bind
◦Shannon K. Butcher ~ Burning Alive
◦Shannon K. Butcher ~ Finding the Lost

Sci-fi/Fantasy/Futuristic/Time-Travel
Anne Marsh ~ The Hunt
Jess Granger ~ Beyond the Rain
Melissa Mayhue ~ A Highlander of Her Own
Sandra Hill ~ Viking Heat
Veronica Wolff ~ Lord of the Highlands

Short Contemporary
Abby Gaines ~ Her So-Called Fiance
Abby Gaines ~ The Groom Came Back
Holly Jacobs ~ Unexpected Gifts
Linda Warren ~ The Sheriff of Horseshoe, Texas
Mary Sullivan ~ No Ordinary Cowboy

Short Historical
Blythe Gifford ~ In the Master’s Bed
Bronwyn Scott ~ The Viscount Claims His Bride
Robyn DeHart ~ Seduce Me
Terri Brisbin ~ A Storm of Passion
Terri Brisbin ~ The Conqueror’s Lady

Short Romantic Suspense
Carol Snow ~ Here Today, Gone to Maui
Delores Fossen ~ Christmas Guardian
Kay Thomas ~ Better Than Bulletproof
K.M. Daughters ~ Beyond the Code of Conduct
Sheri Whitefeather ~ Protecting Their Baby

Urban Fantasy with Romantic Elements
Anya Bast ~ Witch Fury
Jenna Maclaine ~ Bound by Sin
Julie Kenner ~ Tainted
Lori Devoti ~ Amazon Ink
S. J. Day ~ Eve of Darkness

Needless to say, I'm tickled to pieces to see Jennifer's Lord Ian and my My Lady Below Stairs on this list. And I'm seriously thinking about heading to Denver just to cheer on my other friends who made the cut as well.

Anybody else going to RomCon?

Up For Auction

2010-05-06T05:00:00.000-07:00

I so admire author Brenda Novak for her yearly auction to benefit diabetes research. She raises tons of money, and so many authors, publishers, agents, etc. give generously.

This year, I'm giving away a tote bag filled with hardback books, ARCs and bath/body products. I WILL THROW IN AN ARC OF LADY ISABELLA'S SCANDALOUS MARRIAGE. (I didn't have one/wasn't sure I'd have one when I sent in the picture). Bidding is here and runs to May 31:

http://brendanovak.auctionanything.com/Bidding.taf?_function=detail&Auction_uid1=1732397

If you're not interested in my offering, browse around! Some great stuff there!

I had SEX in a dressing room at Target!

2010-05-04T12:44:00.000-07:00

Heh.

Now that I have your attention...

Ahem. I would like to announce a grand event today. Today, Tuesday, May 4, is the RELEASE DAY for Jennifer Ashley's alter ego, Allyson James' new UF, STORMWALKER.

Isn't that a great cover??!!

I have a copy (yay!) Plan to read it when I go to Honduras for the day job later this month.

STORMWALKER is about Janet, a Native American woman who has raw power over nature. She teams with Mick, her lover, to find an Arizona police chief's missing daughter.

Hmmm. Idea. Wonder if I could enlist Janet to keep away hurricanes from the US coastline this year?

You can buy STORMWALKER here at Amazon.

AND... edited to add this news, which I just found out. GERRI RUSSELL also has a new release! Her historical, SEDUCING THE KNIGHT is out in stores!

Yummy cover! Wonder if he'd have sex in a dressing room?

A Templar knight and a woman he saves from an arranged marriage go on a hunt for the legendary Ark of the Covenant that takes them from the scorching desert of Jerusalem to the heathered highlands of Scotland.

Mmmmm, sounds wonderful Gerri!

Here's the link to buy SEDUCING THE KNIGHT.

As for the sex in the dressing room, well, wasn't me, but the Nocturne I'm almost done with writing has a scene where the characters do have sex in a dressing room. Just not Target. But a retail store.

Those sale prices sure do have an effect on the libido, yah know? :-)

RT10 and 3 weeks til release day

2010-05-03T11:16:00.000-07:00

Made it safely home from RT10 late last night. Had the most marvelous time. I think this was my most relaxing experience, even though I had stuff going on everyday.

Wednesday was the Intergalactic Bar and Grill. Wow what a crowd! We stuffed 200 bags and they were gone in just a few minutes. I hope everyone enjoyed all the blink y stuff, including the blinky unicorns I gave out in honor of the coming release of Breath O Heaven. I also participated in a great panel on writing SciFi romance.

Thursday was Bad Boy Bingo with Alyssa Day, Victoria Dahl and the imaginative and hilarious Sarah Reyes as out bingo caller. How was it that she kept drawing O69? If you missed it then try to make it next year because it will be an absolute riot!

Friday I was on an outstanding panel on Genre Jumping and met up with one of my college roomies, Nancy, who wanted to see what my exciting life was like. She got an afternoon of RT experience, then we met up with other roomies, Lana and Sue for dinner. We laughed and we cried. It was so amazing to see old friends again after 20 years.

Saturday I was privileged to be a judge in the Mr. Romance pageant. I must say the winner, Jamie Ungaro is the most amazing young men I have ever met. I have to give kudos to Andy and Antonio who were thrown into the mix at the last minute and handles it all with both grace and humor.

I made lots of new friends and deepened other friendships. I realized that the RT group is like a large family and we get to have a reunion every year.

And I got to promote my next release, Breath Of Heaven. Since I forgot to get my camera out at RT I will once more flash my beautiful cover and mention that its only three weeks until release day. Now its time for a nap. RT is exhausting!

Four weeks and RT

2010-04-26T06:32:00.000-07:00

I'm leaving tomorrow for the Romantic Times convention in Columbus Ohio. I can't wait to get there and see my fans, my writer friends and on Friday night, a special reunion with my college room-mates. I am so excited to see Shelley, Lana, Nancy and Sue. Its been 20 years since we've seen each other.

I'm not signing on Saturday but I will be visible. I'll be talking about writing kick-ass heroines with Ann Aguirre, about Genre Jumping with Alyssa Day, will be loud and proud with Linnea Sinclair and Jade Lee at the Intergalactic Bar and Grill and playing some Bad Boy Bingo with Alyssa Day and Toni McGee Causey.

Hoping I can dance (if my foot doesn't give me trouble) at the awesome parties every night. I'll also be passing out Blinky Unicorns at the Intergalactic Bar and Grill.

Just for fun I'm flashing my lovely cover again, because its only four weeks until release day. Plus I'm going to be snatching up the new releases of my favorite authors. Find me at the book signing to see who they are.

RT Convention or Online Mini-Con

2010-04-25T05:13:00.001-07:00

from Emily Bryan . . .

Hi Everybody,

I'm going to be at the Romantic Times Convention all next week. Leaving this afternoon for Columbus to work with the Aspiring Writers program on Monday and Tuesday. It's always fun! Who else will be in Columbus? I hope to see you there.

If you're not going to RT, I've arranged a little online mini-conference for you on my blog with giveaways, craft workshops and some exciting news. Here's the schedule for www.emilybryan.blogspot.com :

Monday--Barbara Monajem and her SUNRISE IN THE GARDEN OF LOVE AND EVIL. Leave a comment for a chance to win!

Tuesday--Romance Legend Connie Mason and her first new title in two years LORD OF DEVIL ISLE! Leave a comment for a chance to win!

Wednesday--My Husband Married A Hooker, Part 1--I'm giving the Reader's Digest version of my writing hooks workshop.--Leave a comment for a chance to win!

Thursday--Red Pencil Thursday all the way from Cyprus. One of my regular commenters shares her WIP for a public scrubbing.

Friday--A New Direction for my Career--I've got some thrilling and terrifying news to share and hope you'll drop by.

I may not be able to comment through the week. You never know what the internet connection will be like when you travel, but I'll catch up with all the comments and questions when I return home on May 2nd.

Have a great week and
Happy Reading and Writing,
Emily

www.emilybryan.com
STROKE OF GENIUS, coming May 25th!

Count Down to Release Day

2010-04-19T11:47:00.000-07:00

I've got a book coming out in five weeks. Ack! Its crunch time! What do I do? Do I flash the beautiful cover again? Do I mention the release date one more time?

MAY 25TH.

Should I tell you to go to my website and sign up for my newsletter?

How about giveaways and prizes?

How about I give you a blurb?

An Elusive Huntress She appeared out of nowhere, clad in form fitting leathers and looking as magical as the mysterious woods she roamed. With flashing emerald eyes, she taunted the intruder, daring him to come deeper into her enchanted realm.

An Arranged Marriage Rhys De Remy owed his life to her father, just as he owed unswering obedience to his king. If he took the heiress of Abugrgate to wife, he could clear the debts of the tormented boy he had been as well as the battle-hardened warrior he'd become. But it was Eliane herself who called out to the man in him, whose fierce pride cast a spell on him, whose silken bed promised a...Breath of Heaven

Should I post exerpts? Links to reviews (while I nervously wait for them to come in) Tell me readers, what do you want to see? What builds up your anticipation for a new book and makes you rush out to the store on release day to pick it up? As an author, I'd love to know what puts a book on your TBR pile (To Be Read) Let the Chatelaines know what works for you and we'll to our best to make it happen when we have a new release.

Mixing Business with Pleasure

2010-04-16T04:09:00.000-07:00

from Emily Bryan . . .

Today, after I finish my pagecount for the current WIP, I'll load up the car, stop by the bank for a quick infusion of cash and go steal the DH away from work early. (It's ok. He went on a trip to Chicago this week and worked an uber-long day. They got their pound of flesh already this week.) And we want to beat the traffic out of Boston.

You see, we're running away with each other.

I'm speaking for the Maine RWA on Saturday in Brunswick, so we decided to find a little B&B and make a weekend of it. We found a charming place on the coast with a little cupola on the roof that offers a 360 degree view.

Even though the weather is expected to be rainy and cold, I doubt we'll notice. They tell me it rained the day of our wedding. I had to see the pictures before I believed them. Those sorts of things don't matter as long as we're together. We're both committed to keeping the romance alive.

Have you done anything romantic with your sweetie lately?

mean amazon reviews...even God isn't immune!

2010-04-14T05:00:00.000-07:00

All authors, myself included, have stressed over a less-than-flattering review. But hey, it seems not even the authors on the Great Books reading list are immune to one-star amazon reviews.

My husband forwarded me an alternatively amusing and horrifying article about mean Amazon reviews, posted on salon.com earlier this month. Here's a sample of what some Amazon reviewers have to say about...

The Grapes of Wrath: "trite, contrived"

To Kill a Mockingbird: "more degrading than a harlequin romance" (say WHAT???)

Jane Eyre (one of my all-time faves): "the entire book is written in pointless metaphors"

Charlotte's Web: "I felt no feelings toward any of the characters."
(this reviewer obviously has no qualms eating bacon)

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn: "This book is 3 words over and over again: MY LIFE IS BAD." (apparently, this reviewer isn't so good at math)

Where the Wild Things Are: "[the kid] talks back to his mother. Save your money."

1984: "DO NOT READ ANY GEORGE ORWELL. Your [sic] just wasting your time. "

Anne Frank's Diary of a Young Girl: "very very very very very very very very very very very boring. If you have to read this book, shoot yourself first." (This book had me in tears as a teenager. Can you even imagine being as heartless as this reviewer?)

and, last but definitely not least...even the Almighty is not immune...

The BIBLE: "Boring...harder to get into than Lord of the Rings. James Patterson could do better." (I'm picturing God and JRR Tolkien sharing a chuckle over this one.)

For full texts of the reviews above, see the original article at salon.com

See ya!

Joy

RED PENCIL THURSDAY!

2010-04-08T04:30:00.000-07:00

from Emily Bryan
It's time for another online critique group. Today on my blog, I'm hosting Donna Labbe, a pre-published thriller writer. We're been having a great time with RED PENCIL THURSDAY. Please come add your sharp eye and writing expertise to the mix! www.emilybryan.blogspot.com

Happy Writing,
Emily
www.emilybryan.com
STROKE OF GENIUS, coming May 25th
What kind of Genius are YOU? Take the Quiz!

RITA anyone?

2010-03-25T12:20:00.001-07:00

The RITA finalists have been announced. Sadly, The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie did not final, though I hoped it would.

However--woo hoo! My novella in Hot for the Holidays ("A Little Night Magic") did final in the novella category. Score one for ALLYSON JAMES!!

AND for our own JOY NASH! A Little Light Magic, an awesome book, finalled in the novel with romantic elements category.

Also my friend Carolyn Jewel finalled in Regency for Scandal (another awesome book).

I see other friends on the list: Marjorie Liu, Alissa Johnson, and many more.

Yay us!

The whole list is posted here: http://www.rwanational.org/cs/2010_rita_finalists So, readers, do you agree? Are there books not there you think should be? (Keep in mind that the books had to be pubbed in 2009; also that not every author enters--some choose not to).

Travel Season Begins!

2010-03-19T05:24:00.001-07:00

from Emily Bryan. . .

In February of 2007, I wrapped my car around a lightpole on the way to a speaking engagement for the Iowa Romance Novelists. (I want to send a shout out to them today since Des Moines is flooding. Stay dry, girls!) Since then, I don't schedule any writing gigs that involve winter travel. But with each spring, my travel season begins. I love connecting with readers and writers, so here's my speaking and signing itinerary for the coming months:

March 26-27: NECRWA's Let Your Imagination Take Flight
Sheraton Tara, Framingham, MA

April 17, 2010 ~ Maine RWA Chapter
Curtis Memorial Library, 23 Pleasant Street, Brunswick

April 24, 2010 ~ Connecticut Fiction Fest
Sheraton Four Points, Meriden, CT
I'll share my new "My Husband married a Hooker" workshop on adding writing hooks to your prose.

April 26-May 1, 2010 ~ Romantic Times Convention
Columbus, Ohio
I'll be part of the HOW TO BE A BLOG QUEEN panel, help host a Mad Hatter Tea Party and have a ball with readers and writing buddies all week in Columbus, Ohio! Plan now to join me! The parties and workshops are great during the convention, but if you want more hands-on writing craft help, sign up for the pre-conference, Aspiring Writers Workshops. For two extra days, I'll teach along with New York Times Bestseller, Bobbi Smith and Judi McCoy.

How to be a Blog Queen Thursday, April 29th from 11:15 - 12:15
The Internet is a treasure chest of promo opportunities — and a potential minefield. Learn how to negotiate cyberspace for maximum exposure for minimal dollars, while avoiding shooting yourself in the cyber-foot! With John Scalzi and JA Konrath onboard, this panel is destined to be lively and entertaining!

July 28-31,2010 ~ RWA National Conference, Nashville, Tennessee
I'll be part of a panel discussing "Writing as:The Trials of a Schitzophrenic Author." More and more writers use multiple pen names. Come learn when it makes good business sense.

I'll also join 400+ authors who are participating in the charity Literacy signing. Good time guaranteed!

So will I be coming to a town near you? Are you attending any of these conferences? If you're attending a different conference, when and where will you be?

Beware of dog!

2010-03-16T06:16:00.000-07:00

I've been back from Haiti for a couple of weeks now. The trip was very productive, very sad and a little scary when I was awakened to a 4.7 aftershock in my hotel room.

Now I'm home on a "working" vacation, meaning it's a vacation from the day job, but I'm writing the book due in May.

Today I'm headed for a cottage by the lake my neighbors are kindly loaning me so I can concentrate on writing.

In the meantime, we put in a new rug in the bedroom, and have a new quilt for our bed. Cookie fully approves. Beware of this dog, everyone. She is the queen of comfort and will steal away all your soft places to sleep and sit before you can blink.

Dogs are great. They offer unconditional loyalty, affection and ask for so little in return, like laps to curl up on when the computer is on your lap...

Have a great week, everyone!

Cyber-friendship

2010-03-12T04:19:00.000-08:00

from Emily Bryan . . .

I read an article this week pooh-poohing Facebook, MySpace, blogs and the like as being a counterfeit brand of friendship. Real friendship, the author argued, means facetime. It means disrupting your day for a friend, taking care of someone's kids on short notice, keeping vigil at a hospital. Friendship is too messy to fit neatly onto a cyber-page.

Perhaps.

But I have been able to reconnect with people I've lost touch with over the years through Facebook and MySpace. One was my Ecuadorian "son," a young man who spent his senior year with us when we lived in Wyoming. Granted, we don't exchange notes every day or even every week, but I'm glad to know where he is and what he's been up to for the past 12 years.

If you move around as often as I have, you become accustomed to people slipping in and out of your life. The internet is a way to bridge that gap. I may not be able to sit down and have coffee with my friend from Seattle, but we can pick up the phone or send an email and step right back into the conversation we left.

For full time writers like me, my blog may be the only interaction I have with another person all day (other than family members, of course.) And where else am I going to meet someone from the Netherlands? Cyprus? Australia? Thailand? Canada? Japan? (I could go on. My blog has had visitors from 49 different countries.) I love it when my regular commenters sometimes leave comments for each other. It's as though I'm hosting a cyber-coffee clatch.

But the sharing is so superficial on the internet, the author of the article I read complained. Maybe. A lot of our conversations are. All I know is, through my blog I have wept with someone half a world away over the enduring pain of losing a child. I've rejoiced with newbie authors celebrating their "call." A cyber-friendship, like one IRL, is as real as we make it.

What do you think? Are we corrupting the notion of friendship by transferring it to the Internet? Do you have friends you've only met online? Would you care to join me sometime at www.emilybryan.blogspot.com for a cup of cyber-latte? I can offer no-calorie cyber-cookies too!

Winner of In For a Penny!

2010-03-11T15:25:00.001-08:00

Thanks so much everyone for welcoming Rose Lerner to the Chatelaines and helping to celebrate her debut release. I'm happy to announce that Virginia is the winner of a signed copy of In For a Penny.

Virginia, please email me at gerri.russell@gmail.com to claim your prize.

Rose Lerner Talks About Her Debut Regency

2010-03-06T00:01:00.000-08:00

I'm thrilled Rose Lerner has come to blog with us today at the Chatelaines and celebrate her new release, In for a Penny, which hit bookstore shelves February 23rd.

Welcome, Rose!

GR: Tell us a little bit about your debut title, In for a Penny.

RL: It's a marriage of convenience story. After his father's death, a young lord marries a pretty, practical merchant's daughter so he can support his family, but money turns out to be the least of their problems. Faced with scandal, rioting tenants, and a menacing neighbor, they have nowhere to turn but to each other--and to their surprise, that just might be enough.

Inspiration for this book came from a lot of sources--Prince Hal in Shakespeare's Henry plays, my frustration with Georgette Heyer's A Civil Contract, and my research into England's agricultural depression, to name three.

GR: Can you share your “call moment” with us?

RL: I was at work. I checked my voicemail at the very end of my lunch break and realized I had a message from Leah Hultenschmidt (my now-editor)--and then had to wait four agonizing hours until the end of my shift to call her back! When she made me the offer, I was sitting in the front seat of my car with my coat on. After I hung up the phone, I went back into work and told my friends and jumped up and down and squealed a lot.

GR: What influenced you to write about Regency England?

RL: I've always been a fan of romance in the comedy of manners tradition. Which mostly translates to "I love banter," and Regency romance usually has plenty of that. I imprinted on the era early: my mother read me the complete works of Jane Austen in fifth grade, and a friend loaned me my first Georgette Heyer when I was thirteen. We made dozens of trips to the bookstore to buy Regency romances together over the next four years and even exchanged in-character letters between Regency debutante friends like the ones in Sorcery and Cecelia. (I'm sure they were mostly awful, but we thought they were brilliant and hilarious. I remember in one of our favorite scenes, her character's hero opened his snuffbox with a delicate flick of his wrist--very common in old-skool Regencies--and accidentally spilled snuff all over her dress.) So it's probably not surprising that it's what I started writing. Plus, I think the clothes are sexy.

GR: How long was your road to publication?

RL: Well, I wrote my first full romance manuscript at seventeen, but I only seriously started submitting to agents and editors five years ago. In for a Penny is the third book I've written.

GR: What’s one thing that you know now that you wished you knew when you started your journey as a writer?

RL: Writing sex scenes is fun once you get over the initial embarrassment! I was intimidated by them for a long time.

GR: Is there anything special to your writing process? Pictures? Music? Any tricks of the trade?

RL: To be honest, no. I've tried all kinds of things--index cards, charts--but nothing stuck. I'm a pantser and I get a lot of my ideas from research, so my usual process is: research, write the first six chapters or so, pause for more research while I figure out where the story is going, and then write the rest of the book. The only thing I do that might qualify as a trick is that I back up my manuscript every few days by e-mailing it to myself, and I sometimes keep notes for future scenes as draft e-mails in Gmail.

GR: When you’re not Rose Lerner the author, who are you? What do you do in your down time?

RL: I work full-time as a cook in a local natural foods store, and I cook and bake at home. I hang out with my friends and roommates. I'm a big geek and spend a fair amount of time on the internet, mostly following blogs and journals and keeping in touch with the friends I've made that way. I love TV and movies, too--recently a friend and I watched all three seasons of Kyle XY. That show is adorable, and all the romances are so well done! And of course I love to read, but there's not as much time left over for that as I wish there were.

GR: What do Rose Lerner fans have to look forward to in the future?

RL: My next book, Lily Among Thorns, will be out from Dorchester in January 2011. It's about a young woman innkeeper who has worked hard to bury her past, but finds herself facing the man who long ago helped her escape her life as a prostitute. He's now turning to her for her help; she believes the biggest threat to her independence are the sparks that fly between them until disaster threatens and she finds they must work together to fight for their freedom and their lives...

GR: And anything else you’d like to add.

RL: Just that I'm running a contest on my website and giving away five signed copies of In for a Penny and a package of ten of my favorite Regency-set novels (by Georgette Heyer, Naomi Novik, and Loretta Chase, among others)! You can see the list of books and enter the contest here.

Rose, thanks for stopping by today! We've so enjoyed having you. Wishing you all the best with your new release, In for a Penny! To celebrate her new release, Rose will be giving away a signed copy of her book to one randomly drawn commenter. Good luck to all!

Em Recommends

2010-03-05T05:20:00.001-08:00

There's a feature on my website called Em Recommends. Every month or so, I update the page to spotlight another author's work I've enjoyed. I just posted an interview and excerpt from romance legend, Connie Mason I'd love to share with you.

After she lost her husband a couple years ago, this New York Times Bestseller quietly hung up her pen. But she's back now with a brand new, never-before-in-print novel, LORD OF DEVIL ILSE. (And yes, that is Charles Paz, Mr. Romance 2009 on her beautiful cover!)

I've felt a special connection to Ms. Mason since she gave me a cover quote for my debut novel. I'm delighted to help trumpet her return to the romance world! Please check out Em Recommends.

What's your favorite Connie Mason title?

A sneak peek at Breath Of Heaven

2010-03-01T05:59:00.000-08:00

The priests said in hushed tones that Hell was fire and brimstone and never ending torment for those who did not confess their every sin. Lord Edward Chandler of Aubregate supposed it easily could be the other way around. Hell could be ceaseless rain, a cold dampness that settled into one’s bones and an endless sea of mud up to one’s ankles that made every step a battle.

That particular version of Hell lay all around him. Edward removed his helm and sat it before him upon the saddle, pushed back his coif and yanked his gauntlet off with his teeth before he rubbed his hand through his close cropped gray tinged hair. His hair in his youth had been a fiery red which led to his being called the Flaming Sword in battle, much to his amusement. Now his hair, just like the world, was faded and gray.

Edward felt each one of his years. His arms and shoulders ached from an acute overuse of his sword and shield. His head pounded from the dispensation of his many prisoners. His back reminded him that he had spent far too many hours in the saddle. He wanted nothing more than a bath, a meal, and a bed, all of it to be had in exactly that order as he had no desire to eat or sleep covered in sweat, blood and dirt.

Somewhere among the mud and the muck and the mess before him was King Henry. His liege’s messenger had requested his presence posthaste after the recent battle. Edward just wanted to go home. He had been too long on the King’s business and he sorely missed the peace and tranquility of Aubregate, the lands he called his own. He longed to see the face of his beloved wife, Arden. Once he saw her he knew he would no longer see the many faces of the men he’d killed. Once he heard the childish laughter of his darling daughter, Eliane, his ears would no longer ring with the cries of battle. Once he was home, the smell of fresh grass and deep wood would cleanse the putrid smells of death, decay and rot from his nostrils. He longed for the hidden magic of the land that came to him through Arden to cleanse his soul. He needed it as if it were the air he breathed or the water he drank. It was a part of him, a part that was too long missing from his life.

“Please God, let him release me,” Edward said in a quick prayer as he tried to decide his best course to find the king. His prospects were dim at best. The sight of a wagon buried up to its axle in the mud did nothing to encourage him.

“Milord?”

Edward turned to his squire, Peter. The boy’s face was pale and there were great circles beneath his brown eyes. He was exhausted and at fourteen, much too young to have been bloodied. Yet given the alternative, he came through it well enough. He was alive and he was whole which was more that could be said for many who had broken their fast with them this morning

“It seems that someone had the forethought to create a bridge,” Peter pointed to the left. The boy’s eyes were as sharp as his mind. Edward had no reason to doubt him as his eyes followed his line and saw a neat bit of engineering. A large oak had been felled and split, the two halves laid side by side over a ditch that most likely at one time held running water. Now it was a morass of mud and waste, both animal and human from the smell that assaulted his nostrils as they rode in that direction. It also contained the wreckage of war machines. The debris was so thick that it was not beyond reasoning that bodies could be present beneath. If it were in fact true then they faced the prospect of the outbreak of disease. Surely someone would see to the cleansing of this area.

“Please God, let that task pass me by,” he muttered. He would do his duty if asked, but he was most anxious to be home. It chaffed at him more of late, as if there was some urgent need he should attend too.It was way past the time to leave this place. Edward pulled a linen scarf from beneath his hauberk and held it across the lower half of his face as his well seasoned destrier Hector, delicately picked his way amongst the scattered remnants of discarded weaponry and armor to the bridge.
It was a busy place. Men and boys scurried back and forth bearing messages and supplies from one side to the other. In the distance he saw the standards of the king weakly fluttering in the puny breeze. Gray clouds hung heavily above, holding with them the promise of more rain.

“Tell Cedric to bring my things across,” Edward instructed Peter as they waited for the bridge to clear. “And please pray that we can set up in as dry a place as he can find if any such place still exists in this world.” He trusted Peter and Cedric, his manservant, to do just so. His young squire was smart enough to impart the things Edward need not say and Cedric wise enough to do what needed to be done.
Without a word Peter turned his horse to make his way back to where Edward’s troops waited for their orders. The men at arms would have to find their own place as Edward was certain the area around the king was full of those whose rank declared such privilege. Edward was assured of a place close by, not that he wanted it. But duty and honor required that he take it no matter what his personal feelings on the matter.

Two young squires stood in line awaiting their turn in front of him. His rank was such that he could delay them for his own crossing, no matter who they served. The colors beneath the dirt on their tunics indicated they served Lord Allan Barclay. Edward knew the man well enough to know that his talents were more inclined towards fighting than diplomacy. Edward recalled his wife, the Lady Giselle, who was of a most sweet nature and pleasant company to sit next to at the infrequent court dinners he was forced, by necessity, to attend. In sharp contrast to his wife, Allan was quite a bore, unless one was inclined to talk endlessly about the proper way to hold a lance during a joust and which way you should strike at a man in battle. A boy who was anxious to learn such things could do much worse than to squire for Lord Allan.

Edward decided to let the two squires go on their way. The largest of the pair who was the same size and near the age of Peter, turned and gave him a sullen look. Edward was surprised to recognize the face of Ragnor Vannoy, who held an estate on the other side of the wood that bordered his. Vannoy was not one he would not call a friend or ally under any circumstances. The resemblance was so striking that Edward surmised the boy must be the son, Renauld.
Renauld wore a surly expression on his face and held a small chest in his arms. Edward made no indication that he knew who he was and the boy responded in kind. Instead Renauld snapped at his companion, a dark haired child of eight or nine, who stood precariously beneath the weight of several pieces of armor. He seemed a bit young to be a squire but sometimes circumstances sent them off at a young age.

“You better not drop it,” he snapped. “I will make sure Lord Allan beats you if you do.”The smaller boy did not respond, instead he hoisted his load up more securely and raised his chin.

Good spirit, that one. Here’s hoping that Ragnor’s get will not bully him to his death.

The way became clear and the two before him took their turn. Edward made to follow and urged Hector forward. The horse tossed his head and his huge hooves made a thunking noise as they hit the green wood of the makeshift bridge. At that moment a man stepped on from the other side and declared to those waiting that he was on urgent King’s business. The man hustled across and Edward quickly backed Hector off as there was no way the man could pass by the wide girth of his war horse.

The two squires stopped in their tracks to allow the messenger to pass. Edward frowned at the puffed up importance of the messenger who brushed by as if the boys were causing him a great delay. To his astonishment, Renauld used a well placed elbow to shove the younger boy off the bridge as the messenger passed them. The boy toppled backwards into the ooze below and quickly sunk beneath the weight of the armor.

“Damn!” The curse rang forth from his mouth without thought as Renauld looked down with an appearance of horror and despair upon his face. Those waiting on both sides stood and watched helplessly. None wished to go into the muck to save a mere boy.
Edward quickly dismounted. He still wore his armor and knew it would weigh him down but he had no choice. The boy must be saved. He waded into the stink and filth that sucked upwards to his thighs. The mass bubbled where the boy went under and Edward stuck his hand down and felt around for anything soft. He came up with a helm and a deep gash on his hand. He cursed at the cut, flung the helm aside and reached down again. This time he came against something soft and yanked the child forth. The mud let go with a sucking sound as he lifted the boy by the cloth of his tunic. The boy’s features were lost beneath the muck that clung to his face like a second skin. Edward turned him over his arm and pounded on his back three times.
The boy gagged and spewed and desperately fought against Edward’s arm as if he was the one holding him under. Edward turned him about and held him before him with both arms. The boy dangled in the air like a puppet but managed to wipe the mess from his eyes and peered at him with eyes as dark as night.

“Than…thank you sir…” he gasped out before his eyes fluttered and closed. Edward shook him and the boy sighed deeply. He was alive. That was enough for the moment. Getting out of the ditch was the next step. He could feel it sucking at his calves as if it were a live thing and he its prisoner.

It appeared that having a Lord of the Realm in the ditch was a much more serious matter than having a mere boy fall in. Suddenly there were helping hands all about. Edward kept the boy balanced on his hip with one arm and allowed two men to pull him forth by grasping onto the other. He scanned the gathered crowd for any sign of Renauld but he was suspiciously missing.

Peter appeared at his side. “Cedric was not that far behind,” he explained as he took a step back from the offensive smell.

“Good,” Edward said. “The first order of business is a bath for both of us.” He looked closely at the cut on his hand. “Find me something to wash this with, and make sure it’s clean.”

“Do we know who he belongs to my Lord?” Peter asked as Edward shifted the boy up into his arms.

“We do,” Edward said. “However circumstances dictate that we keep him for a bit as I feel my saving his life would have been in vain.” He pulled his piece of linen forth to wipe his face and instead pitched it down when he saw it would only make matters worse. “Send word to the King that I am indisposed to meet him at the moment and I humbly beg permission to come as soon as I rid myself of this vile smell.”

Edward had no worry of the King’s response as Peter took off to do his bidding. Peter was the son of one of the King’s closest advisors so he would be well received. As Peter left, Cedric rode up with several men at arms and a wagon holding his supplies. Cedric took one look at his Lord and quickly sprang into action, relieving Edward of his burden in the process.

Within an hour Edward was as clean as he could be under the circumstances, his hand bandaged, and he was enjoying the first meal he’d had since the night before. He did not know how Cedric did it, but bless him; he always managed to find a way to do what Edward thought impossible. Who would have thought that there was a decent place left for him to set up his tent? Much less, someplace that was high enough to have good drainage yet still close enough that he could reach the King in a brisk walk. The coals in the brazier gave off enough warmth that he did not need his cloak and wearing clean clothes felt like a sinful indulgence.
He was a lucky man, luckier than most. He’d survived this day and the days before it, he was clean, he was fed and most gratifying of all, he was dry. He had a feeling the boy lying beneath the furs upon his bed would not wake with the same blessings foremost in his mind.

Edward studied the boy. It was exhaustion that took him, more so than the near death he’d come close too. Shock at his experience could have added to it. From his appearances he was close to starvation also. His bones jutted painfully beneath his skin and his eyes were rimmed with dark circles. A healing bruise marred one cheek, most likely put there by Renauld, if Edward’s memory of the boy served him correctly. If he was anything like his father. Vileness such as what Ragnor possessed tended to expand with each generation.
As if he knew he was the object of attention, the boy stirred slightly, then sat up quickly. His dark eyes blinked owlishly at Edward, then darted about the tent as if looking for an escape route.

“I will not harm you,” Edward assured him.

“Where are my clothes?” the boy asked suspiciously.

“Here,” Edward replied. He tilted his head at a rope that hung over the brazier where several pieces of clothing hung, with the boys things among them. A pair of leather shoes curled on the floor beneath the cheery fireplace. “Do you not have a cloak?”

“No sir,” the boy replied. He pulled the fur around his thin shoulders and clutched it to his chest with long and elegantly tapered fingers. There was good blood running in his veins. It was obvious in the cheekbones and line of his jaw along with his hands.

“Who are you?” Edward asked.

“I am Rhys de Remy of Myrddin sir,” he said. Second Squire to Lord Allan Barclay.”

“Yes, I surmised that much from the colors of your tunic,” Edward said. “Rhys de Remy…” he pondered the name in his mind. “Was your father Roger de Remy? And your mother…”

“Yes sir,” Rhys said quickly. His dark eyes lowered to stare at the furs.

That certainly put an interesting light on the subject. Edward knew the story quite well. The mother was Welsh, one of the daughters of a troublesome Welsh Lord given as a hostage to guarantee his cooperation. Edward had been present for the giving of hostages. He recalled the Lady Branwynn well, even down to the meaning of her name. Fair raven. It suited her. Her skin was porcelain white and her eyes and hair both dark as coal.

It was not surprising when Roger de Remy, who was assigned to be her guardian, as his property had been the most threatened during the skirmishes with the Welsh, became quite enamored with her. Even Edward, with his own marriage well content although childless at the time, was tempted for a brief moment when he first beheld the enchanting and mysterious face of the Lady Branwynn. It was not a secret that the other men in the party, including the past king who was long dead now, felt the same way.

It was soon told that she was expecting Roger’s child. Whether she wanted his attentions or not was ever discussed. What was discussed was the fact that she was tied to the altar during their marriage ceremony. It was also told that immediately after the child was born, she cursed its father before jumping to her death from the battlements of Myrddin. She told the women present at the birth that the babe was to be called Rhys. The naming of the child was such a contradiction to her actions as Rhys meant passion in her native tongue.

After that it was said that Roger went insane with grief due to Branwynn’s parting curse. No matter what the cause, he joined her in death soon after and in much the same manner as the lady. The boy was sent to his mother’s father by his grandmother, the only surviving de Remy. The Welsh Lord was too overcome with grief at his daughter’s death and sent the child back so he would not be reminded of her.
The young Rhys de Remy was the heir to a large estate and would be Lord once he was knighted. What ever was he doing with Lord Allan? He should be in custody of the King until he came of age. Of course the recent uncertainty of who actually was the King could have played a part. It would not have done the boy any good to send him to the wrong court. Edward was one of the few Lords who supported the rightful heir as he owed much to Henry’s mother Matilda.

The rumors of the curse could have followed the boy in any case. Edward looked at him speculatively. If he remembered correctly, the grandmother was very devout. She had wanted to go to a nunnery but as she was the only child of some Lord whose name he could not remember, she was betrothed at an early age to Rhys’s grandfather. Lord Allan was a cousin or some such relation. It was all so complicated and he spent as little time at court as he could get away with yet this tale had managed to spread the width and breadth of the country.

“Where is your grandmother?” Edward asked.

“She went to the nuns sir,” Rhys responded. “As soon as she was rid of me.”

That explained it, Edward surmised. She gave custody to the only living male. It was a good choice. Allan was not greedy and he only had daughters. Mayhap he even had betrothed one to the boy. Still, he should take better care of the child.
Unless…Edward rubbed his chin. The boy had character. He was not one to complain of his lot. He must have learned that early from his grandmother.

“What happened to your cloak? Certainly you had one when you came to be with Lord Allan.”

“Does my Lord have need of it?” Rhys asked.

Edward shook his head. “Nay son. I am well cared for as you can see.” He smiled at the boy. The child had spirit as evidenced earlier when he struggled with his load. “Does Lord Allan beat you?” he asked.

“Only if I deserve it,” he replied.

“Have you deserved it much?”

The boy’s eyes were upon him, clear and steady. “Deserved sir?” he replied. “No.”
Edward had to laugh at that. It spoke volumes about the boy and his situation. Edward had heard many tales of Renauld’s tendencies.
“
This meal would taste much better if I had someone to share it with,” Edward said, phrasing his words carefully. Even though the years were long gone, he recalled his own years of service and bouts of pride that carried him through. If he asked the boy if he was hungry he would say no because it would reflect poorly upon his Lord to say otherwise. “Please join me.”

“Yes sir.”

Rhys ate with great care for his food and his manners. The boy seemed intelligent yet acted in a reserved manner which was a rare combination and surprising in one so young. If his memory served him correctly the boy could be no more than ten years of age. Now that the boy sat up and the light from the candles shone upon him, Edward saw the resemblance to the mother. He had the same pale skin, the same dark hair and the same fathomless dark eyes. Edward recalled well thinking there were mysteries hiding behind the ladies dark eyes. Mysteries that even he, one who was well seasoned and well married, had been tempted to solve. Mayhap the mother was the one who was cursed.

The boy stopped eating and studied him. “I have yet to thank you for saving my life,” he said solemnly. Such a big statement for one so young. Edward thought it possible that the boy more than likely was never allowed to be simply a child with his grandmother. Instead he was taught piety and responsibility and not allowed the luxury of playing with pretend swords and lurking about the stables as he had been inclined to do as a lad.

“Oh I assure you, you did,” Edward replied. “It was the first and only thing you said when we came out of that mess.”

The boy flushed and Edward regretted reminding him of his faint. But then again, pride would only get you so far when you were in need. Mayhap he should have a word with Allan and remind him that not all boys were created equal. Some learned evil and cruelty at an early age and were not beyond the use of such tactics on those around them. There was no doubt in his mind that Rhys’s lack of food and adequate clothing was because of Renauld’s mistreatment, not Allan’s.

It would also not do any good to further incite Renauld to do mischief to Rhys. Still, Allan must be told of Renauld’s crime. Edward had personally seen the boy’s cruelty years before and had often heard his vassals speak of the things they’d seen. Fortunately, or mayhap unfortunately, none had happened on Edward’s lands that he could prove. Therefore the matter was not one that he could control. Apparently absence from his father had not softened the boy’s heart at all, not that Edward expected it too. Ragnor Vannoy had no thought to anyone but himself and his personal advancement of riches and title and was not one to forgive any slight whether real or imagined. Edward knew that well enough from personal experience. He did not expect the son to be any different.

‘You must have a care to yourself,” Edward instructed the boy. “Even when dealing with those who act without honor.”

The boy looked questioningly at him with his dark eyes. “I would not think to dishonor my name or my Lord should such an occasion arise.” He said it quickly, as if it were something he’d memorized. It was a statement of the grandmother’s teachings.

Edward shook his head. If he were a younger man he’d think of taking the boy on himself. It was rare one came across one with such quick understanding. At his advanced age, Peter would be his last squire. “Nor would I expect you too,” he continued. “What I am saying that there is no dishonor in fighting for your rights. The right to food and shelter as promised to your grandmother by Lord Allan.”

The boy nodded.

“And the right to learn all there is to know about being a knight so that you may protect your own lands if they are ever under attack.”

“Lord Allan instructs me when he has time,” Rhys assured him.How much time Lord Allan had of late was not discussed. Edward knew the man well enough to know that once this war was over and they returned home that Allan would see to his duties. Allan took great pride in his fighting skills and would take it personally if one of his squires did not live up to his reputation.

Peter entered the tent and with a quick bow to Edward informed him. “The king awaits you at your leisure, Milord.”

“Tis good to know Peter,” Edward responded. “Sit and eat.”

“Thank you sir.” Peter wasted no time in reaching for a hefty portion of venison and placing it between two thick slices of crusty bread.

“Sir?” Rhys asked. His voice still held the innocence of childhood in its timbre. Edward could not help but smile indulgently as the boy seemed hesitant to go on with his inquiry. His dark eyes darted towards Peter who had already finished a goblet of watered wine and was in the process of refilling his empty vessel.

“Sir,” the boy continued. “Since you saved my life I would like to serve you as your squire,” he said in a rush. “My grandmother taught me that the scriptures said that you must repay in kind for a deed well done.” His dark eyes were filled with hope as he looked up at Edward.

Peter looked at the boy. “Do you mean an eye for an eye?” he asked. “A life for a life?”

Rhys nodded solemnly. Edward cast a warning eye to Peter. It would not do to injure his pride by having Peter laugh at the boys offer. Peter quickly grabbed his goblet and sucked down his wine as if he were choking.

“So it does,” Edward agreed. “However I am not sure how we can achieve that end, and to be truthful, my days of training squires will come to an end when Peter is knighted in four short years.” He looked pointedly at Peter as if to remind him that his knighting was not necessarily guaranteed. “You have much to learn and it would serve you well to listen and learn from Lord Allan.”

“Yes sir.” The boy’s face remained impassive. But the eyes….the eyes showed his deep disappointment. He had hoped for a way out of his misery. It would serve him well in his later years if he could come through this with an understanding of how the world worked. Edward could only hope that the great depth of character the boy showed now would see him through. “If I can not serve you Milord, how am I to repay you for saving my life?”

Such responsibility for one so young. Was it a good thing or not? There did not seem to be any joy about the boy, if such a thing was even possible in his life. Edward could not brush aside his intent, no matter how impetuous or impractical it seemed.

“Do you know what day this is?” Edward asked.

“Yes sir,” Rhys replied. “Tis the day we took Anjou back for the king.”
Peter smiled into his goblet while Edward managed to keep his face solemn.

“On this day a year hence, and every year here after I want you to write a letter to me, informing me of your progress until such a time comes that you are able to repay your debt to me. I will be sure to let you know when and if I require such payment.”
The boy seemed disappointed but also relieved if that was possible. His dark eyes looked upon Edward without guile. “Thank you milord,” he said. “I will be sure to do so each and every year.”

“Good,” Edward said with a smile. “I look forward to your letters.” He rose then; the king had awaited his leisure long enough. “Peter will see you back to Lord Allan.”

“Yes sir,” Rhys replied.

Peter followed Edward out of the tent. He was lucky in the fact that Peter watched him well enough to realize his Lord wanted a private word with him.
“If the young Lord inside does not have a care to defend himself against the others he will not survive the year,” Edward explained. “See if you can offer him some encouragement in that direction,” he instructed.

“I know of whom you speak sir,” Peter said with a wry grin on his face. “I am certain I can arrange something that will insure that someone will think twice before harming young Master Rhys.”

Edward placed a hand on Peter’s shoulder. His squire showed a promise of great size when he achieved maturity. His shoulders were broad and his limbs long and straight, although his youth still showed in his face and in the softness around his girth. He would do well enough in a fight. “It will not do any good for Rhys to have others fight his battles for him,” Edward instructed. “But I also see no harm in reminding someone what its like to be on the receiving end.”
Peter’s grin widened and his eyes sparked at the prospect. “I will do my best to make sure Rhys is delivered safely sir,” he promised.
Edward nodded. “I just hope we can have the same guarantee of the boy being delivered safely to knighthood.” He ruffled Peter’s hair. “I am off to see to the king’s business,” he said. “Have a care that nothing else disturbs my day.”

“Yes sir.” Peter bowed his way back into the tent with his face still split in a grin.

“One more thing,” Edward said. “Find a cloak for the boy. Surely not all the bodies have been stripped. See if Cedric has one among our supplies. It would not due me any good if the boy froze to death before he can repay his debt to me.”
Peter’s laughter followed him as Edward started off towards the King’s tent. He had not gone far when he was stopped by a familiar face rushing toward him. One he had not seen since he’d left his lands over three years ago.

“Han,” he said to the young huntsman when he came before him and bowed low. “What brings you hence?”

Han swallowed hard. His youthful face was etched with weariness, either from the travel or the news he bore, Edward could not tell. Edward feared it was the latter.

“I bear a message Milord,” Han said. “One that I fear will trouble you greatly.”

Edward placed a comforting hand on his man’s shoulder even though fear curled around his heart and clenched it within its fist. “Fear not Han,” he said. “Whatever it is, I am grateful it is a kind and familiar face that delivers it.”

To the Netherlands . . . with Love!

2010-02-26T03:29:00.000-08:00

from Emily Bryan . . .

One of the really fun things about seeing my words in print has been seeing them in print I can't read. I'm talking about foreign translations. So far, my books have been published in German, Dutch, Italian, Russian and Spanish. You can see all my international covers at Going Global.

This is the Dutch cover for VEXING THE VISCOUNT. The title has been changed to "When He Kissed Her." Authors have no say about titles, even in English, so I was pleased with this one.

On the same website, I found one of Gerri Russell's books as well. The Dutch title is "Forbidden Fruit." Since none of Gerri's English titles remotely resembles that, I'm not sure which of her books this is. (Can you help me out, Gerri?)

And once I found one other Chatelaine, I had to go looking for others. There were three Jennifer Ashley titles on the Candlelight Romans site. Which book of Jenn's do you think this is?

I know the other Chatelaines are published internationally as well. Maybe I can get them to post some of their favorite (or not so favorite) foreign covers this week! It's always fascinating to see how different markets use cover art to sell the stories.

Has a cover ever leaped off the shelf at you so that you had to buy the book?

Love in the Land of Yankee Practicality

2010-02-19T05:39:00.000-08:00

from Emily Bryan . . .

I've lived in New England since June 2007 and I'm beginning to understand how people think here. New Englanders see themselves as hardy, frugal, and pragmatic. They don't tend to think of themselves as romantic. In fact, in a recent survey only 12% of folk in the northeast will admit to ever having read a romance novel (compared to 29% in the southeast, 28% for the midwest and a close 27% in the Pacific northwest!)

That's why I was a little trepidacious about speaking at the Duxbury Free Library on Valentines Day with my friends, Marie Force and Dalton Diaz. Especially when I learned Henry Winsor (1803-1898) one of the founders of the library, placed this single restriction on his bequest: “No novels, and no romance!”

I write historical romance for Leisure Books, Marie writes contemporary for Source Books and Dalton writes erotic romance for Ellora's Cave. Old Henry Winsor must have been spinning in his grave last Sunday afternoon!

But if he was unhappy, he was the only one. We were pleasantly surprised by the appearance of New York Times Bestseller Hannah Howell, a former Duxbury resident, who came to support us. (We all belong to the New England Chapter of RWA!) The readers who attended were friendly, interested and attentive. Their questions sparked a great discussion and we had a successful book signing after the talk. The library staff was so supportive. We even garnered some terrific press. Here's the link to the Duxbury Clipper article.

It just goes to show that romance can bloom anywhere--even in the practical, rocky soil of New England.

Have you ever discovered an interest in romance novels in an unexpected place?

A smile from Haiti

2010-02-16T16:27:00.000-08:00

By the time you read this, I’ll be heading back to Haiti for the day job.

This time, I’m touring tent cities and areas where my organization will be building houses and latrines. With about 1 million people homeless, the need for housing is critical, especially as hurricane season looms on the horizon.

I posted this photo of me with girls at our younger girls orphanage, who swarmed me like ants on my last visit. I hope you remember this smile, and the smiles of so many others, because there is much good work being done by many in Haiti to help those struggling after the earthquake.

When I return, I have a book to write. Right now, it’s hard for me to return to writing my next Nocturne, which is Gabriel’s story. I can’t get the images of Haiti out of my mind.

I think about writing Gabriel, a powerful Draicon werewolf, and see the crushed Hotel Montana that killed several. I think of Darkness of the Wolf, the Bite that recently won the CataRomance Reviewer’s Choice award. I wrote part of it while staying at the hotel, and one hotel in the short story is modeled after the Montana. The stone sculpture that fascinates the little girl once sat by the Montana’s entrance.

I try to write Gabriel’s story and remember seeing the dead bodies lying at the Cathedral doorway, people who were in church and were killed by falling concrete.

I see the haunted, numb expressions on the mothers I talked with, those who don’t know what tomorrow will bring for their children.

I hear the plaintive cry of a four-year-old who was buried beneath his house for five days, his little cousin dying besides him. When he was found, his father walked for 15 miles with his son in his arms to find a doctor. Eventually he found one and his son’s hand was amputated. As I talked with his father, the boy began to cry for his mother.

“He is crying for his mother, but his mother is dead,” the father told me.

I have faith I can return to writing Gabriel’s story.

I keep telling myself that writing romance is important because romance novels are important to readers needing an escape. My Haitian friends had one request for my return. They told me, “Bring romance novels to Haiti.”

I packed a bunch in my suitcase, including Jennifer Ashley’s (NY TIMES BESTSELLING!!! WOOT!) Pride Mates.

Haiti has always been dear to my heart. Haiti’s people are resilient and courageous, and filled with a determination to survive. When I return to writing Gabriel’s story, I’ll remember the people of Haiti and embody my characters with their strength, determination and heart.

And I know I’ll dedicate the book to the people of Haiti.

They deserve their own happy ending.

My Valentines Surprise

2010-02-15T06:54:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago my husband told me to be ready to go at 5:00 on Valentine's Day and that the rest was a surprise. Since I love surprises I said okay and didn't think anymore beyond that since we've been together several years and he knows what I like. Yesterday we're leave and I immediately know that we're on our way to our friends house. As we come in from one direction a big white stretch limo is arriving from the other. Squeee. I go into the house where the two other wives have been told to stay.

"Do you know where we're going?"
"Nop, but there's a big limo out there that's taking us."
"Nooo way." They look out the window and bust into laughter.

The limo has champagne and the works. Our husbands played mysterious the entire hour trip. We finally arrived at a winery where we were greeted with dinner, dancing and roses. We ate and laughed and danced and had a most wonderful time.

Well done guys!

How about you? Have you ever been pleasantly surprised? Tell us about it.

Armchair Traveler

2010-02-12T04:21:00.000-08:00

from Emily Bryan . . .

I love to travel! And I've been blessed to see a number of fabulous places, but there are still lots of trips I'd love to take. Like to Scotland, for example.

But wouldn't it be grand fun to be able to add an additional element to travel? Like time? As much as I'd love to visit the lochs and the highlands, I doubt they'd live up to Gerri Russell's Scotland.

Invariably when I travel, I have a preconcieved notion of what the area will be like, mostly because of the books I've read. I've been to England several times, but I've never found Arthur's England. All that's left of Roman Britain is a few ruins, but it lives large in Joy Nash's Druids of Avalon series.

I'd love to visit medieval times, to see a noble knight in full armor and feel the ground tremble under my feet before a charge of 'heavy horse.' But since cholera and plague aren't high on my "to do" list, I'll be better off visiting that era in Cindy Holby's BREATH OF HEAVEN (June 2010)

Then there are those places on the globe, like Egypt, that hold a real fascination for me. But because it's not a very salubrious place to be a Christian these days, I can get my desert fix with one of Bonnie Vanak's Egyptian love stories.

And since we're armchair traveling, why confine ourselves to this world? Why not visit Jennifer Ashley's Nvengaria where magic drips from every leaf, or CL Wilson's richly imagined Eloran, home to the Fey of the Fading Lands?

How about you? Where would you like to go? What book will take you there?

More on the USA Today List

2010-02-11T08:36:00.000-08:00

This morning, I was thrilled to see that PRIDE MATES, my Feb. release, not only stayed on the USA Today bestseller list, but moved up!!

Not only that, but I noticed that category romances are now being reported to USA Today. Hooray! If you look at the PDF of the list:

http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/usatodaybooks.pdf

you'll see four Harlequin Presents on it. Last week (ending 1/31/2010) there were eight from Harlequin. And a couple of Silhouettes. Until recently, USA Today did not report category sales (and NYT still doesn't), so I'm very glad to see this. Category romance has a huge audience and sells as well as big-name hardback single-title authors of all genres. I'm pleased to see category authors get some recognition!

In other news: RWA National accepted two of my proposals for workshops (one is Bonnie Vanak and me; one is on my own). I've already registered and looking forward to Nashville!

My trip to Haiti

2010-02-08T15:30:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone. It's hard for me to talk about what I saw in Haiti, and every time I write about it or talk about it, I keep envisioning what happened, so I'm just posting photos.

I'll be back in Haiti next week.

Here are the photos. Everywhere you go, there is destruction. For me the worst part wasn't seeing the dead bodies, but the suffering on the faces of people who are still living in fear with aftershocks, and trying to make it from one day to the next. Thanks to everyone who is helping, and everyone who donated, either to my organization or another that is helping Haiti.

Mammoth Book of Irish Romance

2010-02-08T06:38:00.000-08:00

First of all....Yay Saints. While I adore Peyton Manning I was thrilled to watch the Saints get their first victory. Drew Brees is a hero in my book

And nope that isn't Drew Brees, nor is this story about him. Fellow Chatelaine Jennifer Ashley and I were invited to participate in the Mammoth Book of Irish Romance. I was thrilled to contribute a story to the mix because my ancestry is mostly Irish (with some Cherokee and English mixed in) I have a picture of my Dad's grandfather and mother that was taken after their family came here after the great Irish famine during the 1800's. Ireland is one of the places I would love to visit. I know that when I go I will feel the magic that is part of the land.

While researching the story I found that the tradition of Irish story telling goes back several hundred years. While most of the history of the world was lost during the dark ages, the Irish have several tales that tell the story of their history. I incorporated one of these legends into my story about a lost warrior and a mysterious woman he finds in the surf one night. Its called Quicksilver and I hope you enjoy it.

The Mammoth Book of Irish Romance is available at any of your favorite bookstores.

The Wonderful World of Jane Austen

2010-02-06T00:01:00.000-08:00

Over the last two Sundays, I’ve been watching the PBS broadcast of Emma starring Romola Garai as Emma and Jonny Lee Miller as Mr. Knightly. It’s a wonderful adaptation. If you missed it, fear not. It will run through February and March on PBS, or you can watch it on the web at the PBS website.

I always make room in my life for Jane Austen features, films, biographies, etc. It’s a yearly pilgrimage in the Russell household to watch The Complete Jane Austen series as we call it, in all its adaptations. I’m a faithful follower of Jane Austen, and my husband is very accommodating.

And I started to wonder, is it just me who has this closet obsession for Jane?

A quick web search of the words “Jane Austen” revealed the truth. The world is in love with Jane Austen and her books two hundred years after her death.

So I started thinking, what is it about her writing that touches a world so deeply? Is it her wit? Is it the way she slowly builds a romance between her characters? Or is it her way of describing and accurately pinpointing human nature and events of everyday life?

I tend to believe all the above are true. Jane Austen just had a way of observing society and communicating what she saw in a highly entertaining fashion.

But it’s more than that. As much as I love her stories, I also truly respect the woman she was. She never knew true love outside of her books. She struggled to find her own place in society. She didn’t receive instant success for her writing in her own lifetime, in fact quite the opposite. I am certain she had doubts about her chosen career, as any writer does. I am positive she shed a few tears. And I respect her all the more because of it. She was a woman in a man’s world following her dreams.

One last notable area that Austen mastered was her creation of the romantic hero. Maybe it was the fact she never found her own true love that made her heroes so appealing. To this day I cannot read one of her books without her heroes lingering in my mind for days afterwards. Austen’s heroes are legendary even in today’s world—Mr. Darcy, Colonel Brandon, Frank Churchill, Mr. Knightly, Captain Wentworth—to name a few.

What is your favorite moment in Austen's novels or the film adaptations of her work?

Filling the Well

2010-02-05T05:53:00.000-08:00

from Emily Bryan . . .

When I'm in the middle of a project, I generally don't read for pleasure within the romance genre (my way of making sure someone else's words don't accidentally flow out my fingers) but I do watch movies to fill up the creative well. I'm looking for a visual experience, a sense of place, costume and architecture details that are more compelling in a moving picture than a static one. I love "costume dramas" so when I saw that The Libertine was available On Demand, I sat down to watch it.

First let me say this is not a film for those who wish to guard the innocence of their eyes. I don't know how it escaped an X rating in places. But the draw for me was Johnny Depp's portrayal of the sad, debauched life of the brilliant 17th century poet, John Wilmot.

I'm not a raving Depp fan in the sense that I think he's "oh-so-hot." I don't. He's a little too androgenous for my taste. And his recent support of Roman Polanski, the film director being deported back to the US to face pedophilia charges, is disgusting, IMO. Sex with a 13 year old is wrong no matter how many years have passed.

But I cannot deny Depp's talent. He's a deeply disturbing actor. He makes me think. Makes me feel. Hence, he's compulsively watchable. There is always a subtext running behind his eyes that reaches past the flat screen's surface. His Wilmot is played like a Greek tragedy. He carries the seeds of his own destruction within himself and his sense of pointlessness is heartbreaking. He sought meaning in life and found none.

I know I've seen a good movie, read a good book, visited a good museum when the experience stays with me, when I ponder elements of it for days afterward. By that standard, The Libertine was a good movie.

So how about you? Has a movie, book or experience haunted you for days recently? What was it and what about it captivated you?

Congratulations Jennifer Ashley!

2010-02-04T09:56:00.000-08:00

The Chatelaines want to congratulate Jennifer Ashley on her most recent success! She made the New York Times Bestsellers list and the USA Today Bestsellers list for her January 26th release of Pride Mates!

Jennifer, we couldn't be happier for you!

The Joy of Being Properly Tied Up

2010-01-29T05:30:00.001-08:00

from Emily Bryan . . .

I did a post on Regency men's fashions at www.emilybryan.blogspot.com this week that my readers seemed to enjoy. Thought I'd carry on the theme here with cravats. They were the precursers of the modern necktie, but were tied in more unique configurations than an origami master can imagine to fold a square of paper.

How a man chose to tie his cravat revealed a good deal about his taste and sense of self. (And, one might argue, the nimbleness of his valet's fingers!)

In case you are unable to read names of the styles pictured here they are, left to right-
Top row - Oriental, Mathematical, Osbaldston
Second row - Napolean, American, Mailcoach
Third row - Trone d'amour, Irish, Ballroom
Fourth Row - Horse collar, Hunting, Maharata
Botttom Row - Gordion knot, Barrel knot

Cravats were always of white linen, and heavily starched to hold their shape (part of what made the cravat such an effective weapon for my heroine in A CHRISTMAS BALL, when she ripped the scratchy, stiff cloth off my hero's neck!). Later, the flowing "Waterfall" style was popularized by the poet Byron and less starch was required. When Beau Brummell, the arbiter of Regency sartorial splendor, fled to France (after alienating the Prince Regent with his infamous "Who's your fat friend?" remark) other colors besides white were introduced.

So what was the appeal of the cravat?

As with all fashion, the point is to be more attractive to the opposite sex. IMO, the lure of the elegantly tied cravat is in imagining how much fun it would be to untie it!

What do you think? Sometimes fashion goes to ridiculous lengths. What male fashion, past or present, do you think crosses the line into obsession or just plain weirdness?

Release week! And Deadline week!

2010-01-28T09:06:00.000-08:00

Having a book come out the same week I'm frantically finishing another book (due Monday) makes for some major stress! I'm running around like a hysterical thing, papers flying, phones ringing, cats shedding. It's a crazy mess.

So for my post today, I'm going to do BSP. My new release, Pride Mates is selling very well, from what I've been hearing, and readers are loving it! So thank you, readers, who have already contacted me to say you want more Shifters. I so much appreciate the feedback!

THE BSP:

I am very excited to announce the release of PRIDE MATES (Jan. 26), which introduces a brand new series of shape shifter novels.

If you enjoyed my alter-ego Allyson James’s Dragon or Shareem series, or Jennifer Ashley’s Immortals series, I think you’ll enjoy this one too.

THE BLURB:

Twenty years ago, shape shifters of all kinds banded together and announced themselves to the world, only to be shunted to areas no human wanted ("Shiftertowns"). They are forced to wear Collars that control their hunting and fighting instincts (referred to by Shifters as "Taking the Collar").

Liam Morrissey is currently liaison between the Shifters of Austin, Texas, and the humans of the city. Kim Fraser, attorney, finds herself in the unique position of having to defend a Shifter on a murder charge.

She ventures to Shiftertown to seek out Liam's help, and there stumbles across too many secrets the Shifters want kept secret. The un-mated Liam is forced to protect Kim against the wrath of his clan leader and his own father, and to his surprise he discovers a powerful attraction to the sassy, sexy lady.

I have a website devoted to the series: http://www.jennifersromances.com/NewSite/shifters/SU_main.html
where you can learn all about Shifters and the books, read excerpts and blurbs, and other good stuff. I have a contract with Berkley to continue the series, which I am working on right now.

CHANGES:

As some of you may know, PRIDE MATES will be the last book I do at Dorchester Publishing. I’ve pretty much moved lock, stock, and barrel to Berkley, and they will now publish both my Allyson James and Jennifer Ashley novels. Dorchester will still publish my backlist, most of which is still in print and available at bookstores or from online booksellers (Amazon, B&N, Borders, etc.).

COMING UP:

More Mackenzies! LADY ISABELLA’S SCANDALOUS MARRIAGE will be out in July 2010, followed by Cam’s and Hart’s stories. Please see my website for the beautiful cover of LADY ISABELLA (www.jennifersromances.com), plus the Mackenzies site for details on the series:

http://www.jennifersromances.com/NewSite/Mackenzies/mackenzie_main.html

Also, if you enjoy sexy urban fantasy, check out my new Allyson James series, STORMWALKER, featuring a young Navajo woman who can channel the power of storms to work great magic. (I say “urban” fantasy, but it’s set in a small town near Navajo country in the Southwest, and there is plenty of romance in it.)

STORMWALKER debuts from Berkley Sensation in May 2010.
That series also has a site: http://www.allysonjames.com/stormwalker.html

SERIES LIST

Because I have so many books published now, I created a page on my website that lists all series, under all pseudonyms, with the books of each, in order. I’ve projected out as far as I can with upcoming books. I hope you find the page helpful!

http://www.jennifersromances.com/NewSite/seriesorder.html

END BSP. Everyone have a great day!!

The Great Escape

2010-01-22T06:41:00.000-08:00

from Emily Bryan . . .

I've been following Bonnie Vanak's blog since she left for Haiti. So far she doesn't seem to have access to the internet, which is hardly surprising. Please keep her uplifted in your thoughts and prayers as she helps deliver aid to the people ravaged by 2 devastating earthquakes.

Bonnie's been on my mind a lot and something she told me once has been rolling around my head. She said she started writing romance as a way to escape the harsh realities of her day job.

I don't have the kind of pressures Bonnie deals with, but I can relate. I read romance for the "take-me-away" quality of the genre. In an uncertain world, I want a guarantee that no matter how bleak things are, there will be a happy ending. A romance story can get you through things.

When I was first diagnosed with colon cancer, Christie Craig sent me her DIVORCED, DESPERATE & DATING to cheer me up. I took it to the hospital with me. (That maybe wasn't the wisest decision since I had a fresh 6 inch incision and Christie's stuff is gut-bustingly funny even in normal times!)

Now I'm the first to credit the prayers of my friends and family for my recovery. But the humor, the freshness, the delight of falling in love vicariously through Christie's story lifted my spirits. It saw me through a time when I was in pain, weak and feeling pretty low. (Thanks again, Christie! You're a doll!)

Has a romance book done that for you? What was the title/author? What was happening in your life?

Leaving for Haiti tomorrow

2010-01-19T10:06:00.000-08:00

I was going to post something else, but suddenly I find myself leaving the country tomorrow to go to Haiti and our operations in Port au Prince.

One thing I will bring with me are some books for Karen, a woman in our office who reads romance to escape. I think she really will need these books now...

Helping Haiti

2010-01-17T14:12:00.000-08:00

As most of you know The Chatelaines own Bonnie Vanak is a constant visitor to Haiti where she works for Food For the Poor. As there are so many charities out there and so many people telling you who to donate too, we at the Chatelaines thought we'd take this opportunity to tell you how you can help and who will do the most good. Bonnie's organization, Food For The Poor have offices and a huge warehouse in Haiti and a feeding program and orphanages and elderly home. They are accredited by the Better Business Bureau and here is the link to the FAQ page about us for those who want to know about what we do and who endorses us.

The big concern with organizations right now will be those who are legit and those who are not. For those wanting to donate to other organizations, here is a link to Charity Navigator, which rates charities and you can check out if the charity is "official" or a scam and where they deliver aid.

Charity Navigator said about Food For The Poor, "We are proud to announce that Food For The Poor has earned our eighth consecutive four-star rating for its ability to efficiently manage and grow its finances. Less than 1% of the charities we rate have received at least 8 consecutive 4-star evaluations, indicating that Food For The Poor consistently executes its mission in a fiscally responsible way, and outperforms most other charities in America.”

Bonnie also recommends CARE, UNICEF, World vision, Doctors without borders (love that one, they are out there doing triage and they lost their three centers) and Partners in Health (Paul Farmer) are all very good as well, just a few I can think of.

Bonnie finally heard from their team on the ground in Haiti. It's "chaos" there with tens of thousands of people camping out in the parks because of the aftershocks. People are afraid to go back inside, even if their homes are intact. Even the team slept at a staff member's house out in the hallway b/c of the fear of aftershocks.

Bonnie is posting news as she gets it on her blog She is at work and buried in trying to deal with the fundraising and information arm of the operation.

Bonnie asks pleas to think good thoughts for Haiti and send prayers. They need all the positive mental energy they can get.

We at the Chatelaines are very proud of Bonnie and the work she does and we encourage all of you to help out in whatever way you can. In the spirit of helping we're going to discuss volunteering and our favorite charities this week and would love to hear from our readers and what your favorite charities are and how you pay it forward.

The Blind Side of the Creative Mind

2010-01-15T06:30:00.000-08:00

from Emily Bryan . . .

I've so enjoyed hearing from the other Chatelaines about how they start a new manuscript this past week! Hope you did too.

Right now, I'm head down on a story, about 100 pages in, so I'm not reading for pleasure much (my way of ensuring someone else's words don't wander around my subconscious and accidently flow out my fingers). But I am watching movies when I get a chance to take a break from writing.

Two nights ago, I watched Julie & Julia with my fam. What a delight! I'll have words with anyone who says Meryl Streep isn't this country's best living actress.

I didn't expect to enjoy this story so much. I am, quite possibly, the world's worst cook. I have indeed been known to burn water. My mother recognized this deficiency early and put me to work setting the table, something for which I showed aptitude. (Do not tangle with me about which fork goes where!) On occasion, I was allowed to toss the salad.

But cook? Believe me when I tell you the phrase "burnt offering" means something to my DH.

This movie made me wish I could cook. There is something splendid and sensual and nurturing in fabulous food being painstakingly prepared. The recipes were works of art.

Any work of art requires undivided attention, and perhaps obsession, from its creator. Both Julia and Julie became so wrapped up in their cooking, they failed to see how their singlemindedness was affecting those around them. Julia's husband's career was taking a downturn and she barely noticed, even when they kept being shuffled from one less impressive post to another. Julie was too caught up in the success of her blog to realize she was neglecting her relationship with husband.

And I recognized myself.

When we lived in Seattle, I was learning the writer's craft, penning the Norse love story that became MAIDENSONG, my Diana Groe debut. I should have noticed my DH was troubled, but I was too busy playing with my Vikings. When he finally told me the company he worked for was floundering and he expected to lose his job any day, he'd been carrying that burden around for months. By himself.

Creative people are by nature a little closed off. What's going on in our heads is so vivid, so exciting, it's tempting to live there instead of in the real world of laundry and paying bills and "what's for dinner?" (Well, if you're Julia Childs I guess that last one's covered!)

And writing is something that doesn't confine itself to time spent in front of a keyboard. I've been known to go suddenly quiet, get a glazed expression on my face and my DH will say, "You're writing, aren't you?" And I have to admit he's busted me. He's a good sport about it. He lets me bounce ideas off him and he's the ultimate arbiter of un-guy-like behavior that sometimes creeps into my heroes.

But there is time to write and time to be in this century instead of the one in my head. So tonight, because my masochistic DH has convinced himself he adores one of the few things I can fix, I am going to cook.

It's not Beef Bourguignon. It's not Lobster Thermador. I'm going to make . . . meatloaf.

I'll grind up the fresh veggies (in the new food processor my DH asked me to give HIM for Christmas so he could have meatloaf more often!) and crush the breadcrumbs and slop my arms up to the elbows mixing the ingredients in a bowl so big it barely fits into my cupboard.

Because my meatloaf, unremarkable as it is, says things to my DH. Things like "I notice you've worked hard all week." "Of course, you're worth the trouble of dirtying every pot and pan in the kitchen." and most especially, "I love you."

So before I disappear into another century for a day of writing, I'll set an alarm for 3 PM. That'll give me enough time to prepare the meatloaf. I want the aroma (please God, don't let me burn it!) to waft down the hall and tickle his nostrils when he steps off the elevator tonight.

What do you do to show the ones you love how you feel about them?

How A New Character Comes to Life

2010-01-14T11:06:00.000-08:00

The trouble with me starting a new book is that I end up doing it the day after I turned in the previous book.

I wake up, my eyes blurred, my tongue thick, my head aching. No, I didn't drink too many martinis (tempting, but no). This is my usual Day-After-I-Turned-in-the-Manuscript hangover. My brain is complete fog, and I want to lie there and sleep the day away.

Then I remember that I have another book due in two months. And I don't have a page written. Plus, my editor is going to a cover meeting soon and needs a chapters and a solid synopsis she can use for the blurb. Plus she wants any ideas I have for the cover.

My brain says "Ungh."

Of course, I "started" the book long ago, in theory, when I wrote the proposal and sold it. However, this might be Book 2 of a three-book contract of which I've not written one word.

Of course number 2: If it's part of a series I already know who the characters are and basically what it is about.

If I'm lucky.

I love the MACKENZIE series in particular because I plotted out the entire series before I started book one. This is unusual for me, but so far has been wonderful.

EXCEPTION: Cameron's book, which completely threw me for a loop. In other words, the heroine I'd picked out for him and the plot she came with ended up not being right for Cam. They didn't click, mesh, or otherwise engage. Plus the woman was just too...well, wrong. I think she'd work in another story, but not with Cam.

So I fired her.

I auditioned quite a few more heroines, each with their own backstory and unique plot. Every day I had a different and better idea. Every day I threw yesterday's idea out the window. I did this for a month or so (while finishing previous manuscript--a month between books is a luxury I do not have).

Finally, she appears. The heroine who will challenge Cameron but love him, who will be strong enough to take him but not be an angry b*tch.

She is a childhood friend of Lady Isabella (heroine of Book 2), and is now one of Queen Victoria's ladies. And therein comes the plot.

Next I bring this woman into my life and think about every aspect of her. Where was she born? What were her parents like? What strata of society is she in? Was her childhood happy? Unhappy? Who are her brothers/sisters or is she an only child? How did having siblings or not affect her? Good relationship or bad with her siblings? What gender are they? All brothers? All sisters? A mix?

Has she been married or in a serious relationship before? (This is Victorian times, so an intimate relationship without marriage or engagement will be scandalous or secret.) Or is she single? Widowed? How does this affect her? How old is she? Is she wealthy or have to make a living? Is her family still alive?

What is her outlook on life and why does she have this outlook? What does she think about marriage and men in general? About families and children? About men like the hero? About the hero? What is her relationship with other characters from previous stories?

And more.

I rarely write this out; I simply brainstorm it, picturing my heroine in various situations and gradually coming to know who she is.

Then I search for a name.

Some writers can't begin to flesh out a character until they have a name, but I do it the other way around. I see this person, hear them speak, watch them interact, etc., before I can find the right name for her.

(And I always, always picture the heroine in bed with the hero. That's a VERY important scene and it's one of the first ones I think of. I need to think about that one many, many times. Right? *g*)

Once I have my character and get how my hero feels about her, I search for a name.

I look at my list of names I've accumulated over the years, listen to people talking about other people, look at credits on TV shows and movies (all those names--one will jump out). I have to be careful when I'm writing a historical as to whether the name I think is exactly right for my heroine was around in the time period or not.

I also look up names for their particular nationality. (I had great fun finding all the Irish names for my new release, PRIDE MATES, and the Chinese names in THE DRAGON MASTER.)

So, now I know my heroine, her name, how she's going to interact with the hero, her current situation, her problem that's going to involve her with the hero, and other things (like her hair and eye color, which may jump at me right away, or may be the last thing I consider).

I do the same thing with the hero, but in this case--Lord Cameron Mackenzie--I have fleshed him out in my brain pretty well already (that's not to say he doesn't have some surprises for me).

That's enough for me to sit down and write the first hundred pages. After that, I can give my editor a decent synopsis of the whole book, plus a polished first chapter, plus a good idea of who my hero and heroine are.

I email that off to her, and then go back to bed.

How do I start a book? Well, it's like this...

2010-01-13T05:00:00.000-08:00

Pretend I went to the movies and came home and wanted to tell my husband or kids all about it. The conversation would go something like this:

So there was this teenage girl from Arizona, right? And she'd never been special or popular or anything. Her parents were divorced and she hadn't seen her dad in forever. So the story starts when her mom wants to go off somewhere with her new boyfriend. So the mom ships the girl off to a beyond-nowhere named-after-cutlery small town in Washington state to live with her father, the most unobservant policeman since Barney Fife. And it's all really awkward because she and her dad are practically strangers and have no idea how to deal with each other.

So the girl goes to school, and even though she's never been popular, this tiny town is so starved for new blood (heh heh) that she's instantly the most popular girl in school. All the guys are hitting on her, except, of course, the hottest guy of all, her mysterious chemistry lab partner, who seems to hate her for no good reason. So of course, since she's more than a touch masochistic, she's attracted to him like crazy even though he's the strangest guy. He broods all the time, never talks to anyone but his brothers and sisters, and none of the family ever comes to school on sunny days. Then she pricks her finger, and the sight of her blood makes him go all weird...

So what does chatting about Twilight have to do with starting a book? Well, the way I start a book is pretty much like telling someone about a movie. I sit down at my computer, open a file and start typing as though the story was done and I was telling someone about it. The idea has been kicking around in my head for a while, but it's very much unformed. Mostly, I know about the characters, and maybe the opening hook. Probably, I have an idea about the ending. The middle is a fog.

So I start typing a few pages of background about my main character, and eventually get to the phrase "the story starts when..." Then I just sort of free flow the story, concentrating on goals, motivation and conflict, typing whatever comes to mind as the main character responds to each new dilemma at hand. I throw in new characters, their backstories, their subplots, etc. Whatever seems to work.

When I'm done this exercise, I'll have up to twenty pages single spaced of character study, plot and action. This jumbled up gold mine is the working outline that no one ever sees, except my dog, who likes to sit next to me on the couch while I work, but since she can't read, I figure I'm safe.

Next step? I take the working outline, separate out the background and character stuff, and turn the rest into a scene-by-scene synopsis. I use this to start writing.

Does the finished book follow the outline exactly? No. A lot of stuff gets changed along the way, but I don't worry about that at the beginning. A starting point is just that - a starting point.

The canine plot to stop Bonnie from starting her book

2010-01-12T10:30:00.000-08:00

Cookie: "So Dolce, how are we going to do this? Stop Bonnie from starting her new book?"

Dolce: "I dunno. I'm too busy thinking how nice and warm this bed is. My paws are still cold, though. Think we can steal that extra blanket?"

Cookie: "Pay attention. We have to plan. You know what happens when Bonnie starts a new book. She gets like that look in her eyes and everything else takes second place. Even us! This time, we're not gonna let it happen."

Dolce: "Yeah, she'll forget to give me dog biscuits. Then I'll have to rely on Frank for dog biscuits and man, it's cold on my paws at 5:30 in the morning when I chase him into the kitchen when he's leaving for work, just for a lousy dog biscuit. Maybe we can kill the computer. I hate that laptop. BTW, good move last night on crawling into her lap and stepping all over the keyboard."

Cookie: "Thanks. No way am I letting a stupid computer take over my favorite spot. I don't know about killing the computer. The thing is gasping its last anyway. Last night when I stepped on the keyboard, the 'T' and 'F' keys stuck. She bought a new computer to replace it."

Dolce: "But I heard her telling Frank she has to wait for some device to upload her software. I think it's coming in the mail this week. Can we attack the mail carrier? Or just growl fiercely at her?"

Cookie: "It's an option, but we'd have to figure out how to escape the house first and honestly, I'm too comfy to brave the weather. Plus, you growl too cute. You need to deepen it, like a Rottie."

Dolce: "You know, we may not have to do anything. She keeps saying she's starting the book, but she hasn't written anything yet. It's like the Christmas tree. They say they're taking it down and they don't."

Cookie: "But sooner or later that book will get started, and that tree will come down. And when the tree comes down, the stuffed Coca Cola bear ornament is mine. I'm staking my claim."

Dolce: "Don't get your puppy pads in a wad, you can have it, just stay away from my squeaky toys. Now, about the book, I've seen this happen before. She hasn't displayed any of the signs yet."

Cookie: "Like what?"

Dolce: "She's not talking to us about her characters. You know how she'll tell us stuff about the hero when she's folding laundry? Or how she'll play this music she thinks reflects the mood of the book? Or how she'll make notes all over the place about stuff and go around muttering, 'The hero needs more internal conflict.' Whatever that is."

Cookie: "You're right. I remember the last book. That vampire book? Remember how she looked through magazines for photos of the setting? She hasn't done that yet, either. She is going to Haiti in two weeks, maybe she's waiting until she comes back?"

Dolce: "I think it's this weather. This is Florida and it's been 37 degrees night after night. It's frozen her brain cells and I can't unthaw my paws. So why don't we just forget about trying to stop her from starting the book, there's no danger of that now, and settle down in their bed and snooze? We'll think of a plan tomorrow."

Cookie: "Good point. Things always look better in the morning."

Dolce: "Especially after a nice dog biscuit."

New Year, New start.

2010-01-10T18:34:00.000-08:00

As you can see we're discussing beginnings here on the Chatelaines this week. I actually had to laugh when we settled on this topic because it was my turn to take part in a progressive story and I was coming in at the middle. I wasn't a part of the beginning, all I could do was take the characters and run with them. I have no control over where they've been or where they're going, all I can do is control my little part of the story.
So one project down and I'm ready to start another one. Except I'm not starting a new project. I'm revamping one. So I guess you can say I'm starting it over. For the fourth time. What I realized with this project was I was listening to everyone else where it was concerned and not myself. So this time I'm going to do it my way and we'll see what happens.

As you can see I'm not beginning anything. I'm just middling. But I am coming into these projects with a fresh perspective and without a lot of the baggage I've been carrying the past few years. I've made some changes in the past few months that have refreshed my mind and my spirit. So I'm beginning anew. I'm excited about the projects I've got lined up to work on. And then it will be time to start something new.

I've often been asked, as Gerri said, about where I come up with my ideas. Little things trigger them. Sometimes its just a glimpse of something that gets my mind to turning. I usually say my head is full of characters and whoever screams the loudest gets out. They all have their beginnings. Then its up to me to find out where they end up.

In the beginning . . . There was an idea!

2010-01-09T14:55:00.000-08:00

Writers are often asked where they get their ideas. The answer is easy: Everywhere! Newspapers, magazines, books, television, the Internet, any medium at all can offer thousands upon thousands of ideas for a story. And it doesn’t matter what genre you’re writing. Writers will often come upon the kernel of a story and not have a clue what to do with it, not at first. Then they’ll mentally ask themselves “What if?” And sometimes it’s just a matter of putting two separate thoughts together to come up with an idea.

For example, say you’re reading the morning paper with a cup of tea and you read an article in the travel section about a castle in Scotland. Visitors to the castle report that strange things happen when they stay there. Not bad things, just curious movements, lights, and sounds.

Hmm. You say to yourself, where’s the story idea there? Well, what if the happenings could be linked to a female ghost? You do a bit of research and find out that in 1291 a daughter of a lord was locked in her chamber by her overbearing father because he suspected her of having an affair with one of the local gentlemen who was socially beneath her. The girl, desperate to escape her prison, tried to escape out the chamber’s one window and fell to her death.

What could you do with that information? Does she truly haunt the castle? Is she seeking revenge against her male ancestors? There’s the start of a story...perhaps a work of horror. Does she haunt the castle halls seeking the love she once lost…perhaps you have a romance. There’s a hundred ways to spin the tale and a hundred authors would come up with a hundred different storylines.

See? It’s really an easy thing. All you have to do is ask yourself “What if?” What if someone took control of all the United States' electric grid? What if a knight from the Middle Ages fell in love with a Muslim princess? That’s the question I asked myself when I started work on my upcoming May 2010 book Seducing the Knight.

What ideas have you had recently by asking yourself “What if?”

Beginning a New Story

2010-01-08T09:15:00.000-08:00

from Emily Bryan . . .

The Chatelaines have put our heads together and come up with some topics we think might interest our readers, many of whom are also aspiring writers. And the first one is How to Begin Writing a New Story.

Now, I've been writing seriously since 2001. My 8th book, STROKE OF GENIUS, will come out May 25th this year. You'd think I'd have this process down to a science, but no. Each cast of characters seems to take a different path to the forefront of my consciousness.

I can tell you one thing that definitely doesn't work for me--NaNoWriMo. I just tossed out 100 pages that were totally unusable. I'm not an organization freak, but I need a bit more structure that just shooting for a word count.

So I'm back to square one, looking for my next hero. Romance is character-driven fiction. I have to start with either the hero or the heroine because it's their story. I need to learn who they are and what they want more than their next breath before I can begin to tell you what happens. I can always devise ways for them not to get what they want for a while which pretty much takes care of plotting. But delivering a fully-actualized, robust character who breathes on his own . . . that has to happen on page one.

So here are the things I need to know about my H/h, even if no one else ever does.

Name ~ That seems like a no-brainer, but a name really sets a tone for a character. Cyril or Jake, which do you think will be the hero?

Physical Characteristics ~ This includes more than rippling muscles, hair and eye color. I furnish my character's closets with weapons and wardrobe as well. Someone said (wish I could tell you who) "It is well that there are no perfect people, for they would not have a friend in the world." Give your characters a few flaws and blind spots.

Family ~ Face it, we are all shaped by those people who first took care of us and taught us the world was a safe place. Or not. Same for a fictional character. A brief family tree, complete with branches for a few weird uncles is not a waste of time for an author. Where your character has come from influences where he's going.

World View ~ We all have a set of filters through which we view the world. They are our religious beliefs, political views, code of ethics, or sense of "ought-ness." Some of the most powerful stories ever written involve characters who've had to totally re-shape their pre-conceived ideas of how the world works.

Defining moment ~ We've all had them. They are forks in the road. Most of our decisions don't carry such weight but there are a few choices in every life that makes us who we are. Know what mile posts have come before for your character and make sure we see at least one defining moment between the pages of your story.

Driving need ~ If I've done all the rest of my homework, this is where the story actually begins. I need to identify the imbalance in my character's life, the whole in his soul that needs filling. This will give me his goal and the premise that will propel me 400 pages. It doesn't matter what the goal is, only that my character cares passionately about it. For example: I've never owned or wanted a BB gun, but I'm pulling for Ralphie all the way in A CHRISTMAS STORY because he wants it with such fervor.

For an example of a beginning, may I humbly suggest you give my FREE online novella a try? I just started this serial adventure January 1st and plan to add to it each month with help from my readers. Enjoy!

I'm always searching for new ways to improve my writing process, so I'm really looking forward to what the other Chatelaines have to share on this topic!

If you're a writer, how do you start your new stories? If you're a reader, can you think of a beginning that really reached out and grabbed your interest?

A Human's Guide to Shifters

2010-01-07T08:55:00.000-08:00

As I count down to Jan. 26, and my release of Pride Mates, I give you a peek into the world of Shifters:

A Human's Guide to Shifters

Shifters: Shape shifters of all species, mostly predatory: Most commonly Feline and Lupine. The Fae bred Shifters millennia ago from the best of each species to be hunters and fighters for the Fae. Shifters rebelled during the human Middle Ages, fought the Shifter/Fae war, and thereafter lived independently of the Fae.

Fae: Sometime called the Sidhe or Fair Folk, they retreated to the Faery Realm after the Shifter/Fae war, which may be entered through stone circles after certain rituals are performed. Most Fae can fly, they fight with bronze swords and bows, they abhor iron.

Collars: Developed by a half-Fae, Collars are both magical and technological. Tied to the adrenal system, they send shocks and pain through the Shifter's body when he or she starts to get violent.

Mates: Pairings recognized by the pride leader or clan leader in two rituals, one under sun, one under the full moon. Shifters are not allowed to be legally married under human law, but the sun and moon rituals are recognized by Shifter law as a marriage.

Pride: Mates and cubs plus closely tied family members living with them (e.g., parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, first cousins). (Lupines=Packs)

Clan: A collection of prides or packs that are related, though the relationships may be very distant (e.g., cousins to the 12th degree). The clan leader supersedes the pride or pack leader, although no clan leader can interfere with issues between mates or between parents and cubs. Females and cubs are protected from the clan or pride leader by the male mate.

Shiftertowns: Enclaves in inner-cities or remote rural areas cordoned off by humans where Shifters must live. Shifters are not allowed to live outside Shiftertowns.

More from A Human's Guide to Shifters here: http://www.jennifersromances.com/NewSite/shifters/SU_details.html

The Twelve Steps of Writers Anonymous

2010-01-05T07:52:00.000-08:00

This is something I wrote a few years ago, but it's worth repeating. I call it The Twelve Steps of Writers Anonymous. The steps, like the famous 12 step programs for Alcoholics Anonymous, are guidelines toward a goal.

In this case, the goal of the steps is to focus on the process and creativity of writing, and to set aside the worries, fears, concerns regarding the business of writing. In this crazy business, sometimes the only control we have is over the art of writing itself.

Oh, and a great book I recommend if you need inspiration about writing in general, is Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg. I keep a copy on my desk at work.

The Twelve Steps of Writers Anonymous

1. We admitted we were powerless over publishing.

2. Came to believe that a force greater than ourselves, the publishers, editors, agents and the reading public, held the power.

3. Made a decision to turn our will over to the joy of writing for writing in itself as a pure creative expression of our inner selves.

4. Made a determination to write fearlessly without the restraints of the inner critic.

5. Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another fellow writer that this business truly sucks some days.

6. Gave ourselves the freedom of expressing ourselves through our writing, no matter how politically uncorrect or unmarketable the writing was.

7. Humbly acknowledged there will always be a writer better than us, more popular, with better sales, more contracts.

8. Acknowledged there will always be writers worse than us as well, and all we can do is become the best writer we are meant to be instead of comparing ourselves to others.

9. Resolved to read outside our comfort zone to expand our creative consciousness.

10. Continued to balance our writing with our personal lives and to treat other writers with the same respect we ourselves desire.

11. Sought the advice of more experienced writers, writing manuals and workshops to improve our writing, but while acknowledging these methods may not work for us and that’s okay.

12. Having had an awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to practice these principles each time we begin a new writing project.

Just another post about resolutions

2010-01-03T18:08:00.000-08:00

I'm a big fan of the Mutts comic strip. Right before new years Mooch said his resolution was to eat more pancakes with whipped cream. He made the resolution because he knew it was an easy one to keep. So here I am with a shiny new year and a boatload of good intentions and resolutions that I probably won't be able to keep. You know the usual, the diet, the organizing, the cleaning, the volunteering, all those things that you swear you are going to do once the new year starts, or on Monday, which ever one comes last. New Years Day was on a Friday. Who wants to start anything new on the weekend?

However, I am going to try. I'm going to continue to exersise, even though it seems to have no impact on my weight. I just feel better so I will keep it up. I am going to get all the boxes stuffed in my attic unpacked. I just have to take them one at a time. I now have shelves and places to put things so my excuses are gone.

Most important, I am going to make better use of my time. I'm going to quit wasting it. I'm going to make every minute count, even if its enjoying a peaceful Sunday afternoon snooze. Time is my most precious commidity right now,(especially if the world ends on 12/21/12.) And occasionally, I will eat pancakes with whipped cream.

So here's wishing everyone a Happy Whipped Cream covered 2010 and much success with your resolutions.

"First Foot"

2010-01-01T07:48:00.000-08:00

from Emily Bryan . . .

In Regency times and even earlier, part of the 12 days of Christmas celebration was the custom of the "First Foot." It was considered particularly auspicious if the first person to cross your threshold on January 1st was a tall, well-favored dark-haired man. (Of course, I would argue that a handsome dark-haired man at the door is good luck on any day of the year!)

In smaller villages, a fellow who fit the qualifications was designated the "first footer." He'd visit every home, being treated to wassail and food, and often he distributed symbolic gifts of salt for wealth, coal for warmth and bread for abundant food for the coming year.

So, this morning when Mack the Wonder Dog needed to go outside at oh:dark-thirty, I convinced my own well-favored, dark-haired man that he should take Mack out so my DH could fulfill the "first foot" requirements when he came back in. (Hey, girls, whatever works!)

I've got lots of plans for 2010 and a couple of fun things happening on my website right now. As a "thank you" to my readers, I've started a new FREE online novella called A DUKE FOR ALL SEASONS. I'll post a new chapter each month and I'm asking my readers to help me decide how the story will go. Each month, you can vote for one of two paths, or suggest something totally different, and not only will you help determine how the novella goes, but you'll also be entered each month in my quarterly contest. (The prize is a $100 Borders, B & N or indie books store gift card!).

After you pop over to read A DUKE FOR ALL SEASONS, I'd love it if you come back here to leave comments or questions. Hope 2010 brings you all the best life offers!

Looking Back...and Forward

2009-12-31T05:38:00.000-08:00

What are you grateful for from 2009? I decided instead of making a bunch of overly optimistic resolutions, I'd review my blessings from 2009.

1. Good friends who grow closer each year.

2. Discovering FB as a fun way to keep in touch with distant friends and family members.

3. Crazed cats that make me laugh and laugh.

4. A loving and supportive family.

5. Working my dream job.

6. Losing weight and getting into better shape than I've seen in years.

Bad things happened to me in 2009 as well--few people go through a year without some kind of upheaval, major or minor. But the things I list above helped in the bad times, in a big way, trust me.

I do have a couple of resolutions (can't help those bubbling to the surface).

1. To better organize my time (streamline things a bit).

2. To stay in even better touch with people who matter most to me.

3. To read many, many more books! (I think that one will be fun *g*)

Feel free to post your gratitude or your resolutions! What do you look forward to? Or fondly back on?

(image from http://graphicleftovers.com/blog/free-2010-new-year-images/)

And the winner is...

2009-12-29T01:25:00.000-08:00

The winner of Immortal Wolf is Virginia!

Virginia, please email me at bonnie@bonnievanak.com with your snail mail. Congratulations, and thanks to all who entered.

Happy New Year, everyone!

Home for Christmas

2009-12-25T03:10:00.000-08:00

from Emily Bryan ...

For most of my adult life, I've lived farther away from my parents than a 12 hour drive. As a result, we've spent plenty of Christmases in airports or driving all night on icy highways. Somehow, we always managed to make the trip and Christmas didn't start till we got there.

Today, my DH and I boarded a plane at 6 AM, headed for the Missouri Ozarks. It's a beautiful part of the country--rolling hills, thick forests and infrequent snows (though flurries are expected for today!)--but more importantly, one of our daughters, my parents, two of my sisters and their families will be there. When I see those well-loved faces around the table, I won't need any presents to open, though I'm sure there will be some.

Later on, my dad will read the Christmas story from the second chapter of Luke. He does it every year. I can't read that passage from the Bible without hearing his voice in my head. We'll play board games and cards and Guitar Hero. We'll go to the movies and exchange gifts that don't fit and eat more than we should.

And after a few days, we'll make the trip back to our regular homes. But we'll still be together, still with each other in the home of our hearts.

I hope you're home for Christmas, too.