DESERT BREEZE PUBLISHING

Author Spotlight - Excepts from "Burning Bridges" and "Land of Misfit Teens"

2012-02-17T06:00:00.000-08:00

Thanks so much for supporting Kassandra and Katie's time in the spotlight. Enjoy these excerpts from their releases.
Smiles
Moderator Steph

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

EXCERPT FROM BURNING BRIDGES:

"It wasn't that easy, Kirin."

He knew her better than anyone with the exception of Mackenzie. She was strong enough to handle just about anything so there was no way she would allow her uncle to do this without a reason. She slid her hand across the bed to him and he took it, pulling her to him and wrapping his arms around her until their foreheads were leaning against each other. Rose took a deep breath before looking into his eyes and starting what he assumed would clear the air of confusion.

"I had to keep Josie safe..."

"Rose--"

"Just listen. I don't pretend to understand their sick minds, but Jonathan and Shawn got off on my rebellion, I guess you could call it. I figured that out quick, and I knew if I could keep them coming at me they'd leave her alone."

"So you took the brunt of it for her?"

Rose tipped her head to look him in the eyes. "Wouldn't you? To protect Evan or Lauren, wouldn't you." He wished he could argue with her logic, but he knew she was absolutely right. If there was a chance one of his siblings could be hurt, and he had any way to stop it, he'd do it.

"But, when your Nana reported the abuse, why didn't both Jonathan and Shawn go to prison? Didn't she tell the authorities both of them were involved?"

"My mother," she answered simply, and Kirin arched an eyebrow. She chuckled, just a little. "She threw him under the bus more than the media ever could. She wasn't going to let him damage the perfect family image she had worked so hard to form. Shawn tried to turn state's evidence against Jonathan, take him down with him, so he could strike a deal with the D.A. But with the amount of money Jonathan could throw at a team of lawyers, and the control he had over media and various other connections, Shawn didn't stand a chance."

Kirin looked into her eyes as she spoke, wondering how she ended up so amazing when she had this kind of childhood. She paused long enough to catch her breath and look at him. Did she think he would judge her?

"Keep going," he said gently, touching her cheek. "I'm listening. I want to hear, but understand this, nothing will change how I feel about you. I just need to know."

REVIEWS FOR BURNING BRIDGES:

From Barnesandnoble.com :

“Sometimes love means you go above and beyond...and Emmaline Rose certainly does that in this novel by Kassandra Cooper. And she finds that same depth of love with her boyfriend Kirin, and Mack, her best friend. I was so into the story I found myself wanting to jump right into the book and help Emmaline Rose too.

Everything about this story showed Kassandra Cooper clearly understands sometimes you have to burn a bridge in your life if it will stop you getting dragged back into your past, but can Emmaline really do that?

I believe this novel has a message for us all, teens to seniors, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.....and I will be "electronically" in line for the next novel by this new young author.”

From Amazon:

“Everyone should have someone in their life who loves them to the degree Emmaline Rose loves and protects her sister Josie in Kassandra Cooper's novel. The story line grabbed me as I followed Emmaline Rose's journey. I found myself pulling for her and Kirin, and loved the depth of friendship between Rose and Mack, her BFF. Kassandra certainly seems to have amazing insight for such a young author to the ups and downs of overcoming a trauma in your life, and that each positive step Rose made also gave a possible opportunity for Jonathan to drag her back into her past. There was quite a cast of interesting characters in this book, and just a few of their "stories" still left to tell, so I hope Kassandra is going to bring us some of their stories in the future. Although I am not a young adult anymore :( I completely lost myself in Rose's story. Awesome first novel.....”

BUYING LINKS:

BN.com :
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/burning-bridges-kassandra-cooper/1105070466?ean=2940013522398&itm=1&usri=kassandra+cooper

Amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006G5F0QC/ref=s9_simh_gw_p351_d0_g351_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=0EYDSKDM3TNPJVZW7HBD&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938631&pf_rd_i=507846

DesertBreezePublishing.com:
http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-231/Burning-Bridges-Kassandra-Cooper/Detail.bok

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

EXCERPT FROM LAND OF MISFIT TEENS:

They walked to the gate and handed the man one of the tickets. He smiled and opened the gate and they walked into the pen. Baby deer, not even big enough to have antlers, where jumping around and playing with each other, then scampering back to the people inside the pen to nuzzle and beg for nibbles of the pieces of fruit and vegetables available to feed them. Drake let go of Amelia's hand and dropped to his knees to pet one of the baby deer. Amelia smiled watching him make of the little animal, then looked around the pen. One deer lingered on the other side of the pen against the wall, away from the others, lying on the hay-littered ground with his legs curled under him. No one pet him or fed him, and he didn't play with the other deer.

Something tugged at her, and she brushed her way through the prancing deer to where the lonely deer kept himself separate from all the others. She spoke softly, making little cooing sounds as she approached, and lowered to her knees in front of the wide eyed deer. She stuck out her hand for the deer to smell.

"What are you doing?" Drake asked behind her.

"Petting the deer. He's all alone," she said softly so she didn't frighten him. The deer shoved its head in her hand and she pet it.

"Why this one?"

"Because it's alone," she said again, looking up at him. "He reminds me of Rudolph, minus the red nose."

Drake came beside her and crouched. "How do you figure?"

"Rudolph was alone. He was made fun of and left out. Like this guy," Drake reached out his hand to pet the deer as well. Amelia smiled, watching him. "He's the misfit."

"So he's the weird one?" Drake said. Amelia nodded. "But weird is such a harsh word. Think of the deer as us." "How are we like Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer?"

"Goodness, Drake. It's a metaphor. The deer is left out because he is not like the others. Like us. I'm not saying we're left out, but we don't fit in. I'm fine with that, I personally would rather be who I am and not fit in than change who I am and fit in, but the deer here isn't."

Review from Amazon:
This is an amazing book that perfectly captures the teenage condition. The characters are highly believable with all the insecurities and angst that is a reality of the high school experience. I read the book straight through and couldn't put it down. Ms. Charles' main character Amelia not only has to deal with losing her mother, but also the upheaval of moving to a new school and basically a new life. Her new friends help her adjust but the horror of going to the worst school in the state along with the gang trouble that seems to dominate their school doesn't make it easy.

Review from B&N:
Before I read this book, I heard Katie Charles was a teenager herself and that both interested me and made me wonder what I'd read. I can't express enough how impressed I was with Ms. Charles. Her book packs a punch from the beginning, and hit me on an emotional level that drew me in immediately. Her entire message comes down to four words "Be who you are." When she finds herself the 'new kid' in school, add to that she's the daughter of the geeky, quirky English teacher, she could have tried to fit in and be like everyone else. But that's not who Amelia's parents raised her to be. By the end of the story, she's found a group of friends -- the misfits -- who would be her friends forever and a great boyfriend, too. :-) I loved the dialogue between Amelia and her friends. Overall, a quick but emotionally satisfying book. I found Katie Charles has a short story in an anthology and I'm going to go hunt that one down next.

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/land-of-misfit-toys-katie-charles/1107819010?ean=2940013522442&itm=1&usri=katie+charles

(Barnes and noble)

http://www.amazon.com/Land-of-Misfit-Teens-ebook/dp/B006G5N7WQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1328819794&sr=8-1

(Amazon)

http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-253/Land-of-Misfit-Teens/Detail.bok

(Desert Breeze Publishing)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdVTwKjbPgU

(Video trailer)

Author Spotlight - Q&A with Kassandra Cooper

2012-02-16T06:00:00.000-08:00

STEPH: I don't know much about "Burning Bridges." What's it about?

KASSANDRA: Emmaline Rose Jones has protected people her whole life; whether it was her sister from her family or her boyfriend from her life, she did all she could to keep them separate. But when the live she’s tried to keep secret from everyone cross under some unfortunate circumstances she has no choice but to fuse her lives together and explain. But when Rose’s life gets more complicated than even she can handle she has no choice but to run and hide, seeing no way to get away from the twisted life her parents have created. She finally decides to cut all connections with her previous life and its numerous trap doors.

STEPH: How long did it take you to write?

KASSANDRA: All together the final drafts took about six months including edits but I started with the very first draft about two and a half years ago.

STEPH: What's your writing space like?

KASSANDRA: I normally block everything out around me and plug into my music, that way it doesn’t matter where I am.

STEPH: Where did you find the inspiration for the story?

KASSANDRA: I was working on a trauma unit in my English class and going through many of my own trauma’s I figured I would be able to draw on personal feelings.

STEPH: How did you come up with the title?

KASSANDRA: Some of the experience’s I was going through at the time of writing the very original ended with someone asking if they could rebuild bridges with me. My response was always that they had burnt their bridges with me.

STEPH: Emmaline is the main character. What's her strengths?

KASSANDRA: I would say Emmaline’s strengths are her ability to stay calm under distress, the strength she held up for the sake of her sister and her extreme protectiveness for her loved ones.

STEPH: Hollywood is calling! Cast the novel.

KASSANDRA: Emmaline Rose/ Josie: Emma Stone
Kirin Matthews: Zac Efron
Mackenzie: Emma Watson
Evan Matthews: William Mosely
Lauren Matthews: Julianne Hough
Jonathon: Matthew LeBlanc
Abigail: Julianne Moore

STEPH: Do you have an ebook reader? If so, which one. What was the last novel you bought for your book reader?

KASSANDRA: I don’t own an actual ebook reader but I have the nook, kindle and ibookstore between my ipod and smartphone.

STEPH: Do you listen to music while you write?

KASSANDRA: Don’t write without it.

STEPH: Fun Question: Do you have a favorite reality show? If so, which one? What's the appeal?

KASSANDRA: I don’t really watch reality tv, I’m more into shows with a story line instead of just random stuff being thrown at contestants. They hold my attention better.

BUY LINKS:

BN.com :

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/burning-bridges-kassandra-cooper/1105070466?ean=2940013522398&itm=1&usri=kassandra+cooper

Amazon.com:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006G5F0QC/ref=s9_simh_gw_p351_d0_g351_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=0EYDSKDM3TNPJVZW7HBD&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938631&pf_rd_i=507846

DesertBreezePublishing.com:

http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-231/Burning-Bridges-Kassandra-Cooper/Detail.bok

Author Spotlight - Q&A with Katie Charles

2012-02-15T06:00:00.000-08:00

What is Land of Misfit Teens?

KATIE: Land of Misfit Teens is about a girl name Amelia MacDonald who is dealing with the recent lost of her mother, and to make matters worse the local university her father taught at closed down without enough students to keep it open. He finds a new job, but they are forced to move to the gang-ridden projects of Chicago. Amelia does her best to keep true to herself in a school where you are either part of the cool crowd or your not. She finds that being a ‘misfit’ is better than being part of the majority of the school. They are misfits for a reason, right? They have to have something cool about them. And that is what attracts Amelia to the group, and more so, to Drake.

How long did it take to write it?

KATIE: It started as an idea for the longest time without any real substance. I think I restarted it at least three times. But once I got to the point where everything clicked and I liked I was doing, it took me about a month to write the book.

Writing space.

KATIE: My writing space is everywhere. My messy desk, my bed, the grass outside my window at college. I even wrote 7,000 words on an airplane. I don’t have a consistent writing place. It all depends on what I am writing and how I am feeling.

Inspiration for Land of Misfit Teens

KATIE: It was pointed out to me that my book is similar to my own life experience. I moved across the country after my freshmen year of high school, and Amelia moved during her senior year. I found myself in a spot where I was demanded to change. And I refused to. Amelia in the book does the same thing, staying true to herself. I hope that this book provides inspiration to those teenagers that are asked to change, so stay true to you.

Title.

KATIE: I came up with the title as I was writing. There is one part of the book where Amelia references the movie Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Island of Misfit Toys, and how she and her new friends were kind of like all those misfit toys. It worked.

Amelia’s Strengths.

KATIE: Her strength is her strong sense of self-awareness and confidence in who she is and where she comes from. She's strong enough in who she is not to conform to the ideas of others and what they think she should be. She knows who she is and she is not going to let anyone change that; a trait I think is lacking in teenagers these days.

Hollywood.

For the three main people . . .
KATIE: Amelia – Emily Browning. I see her most as Violet in “The Series of Unfortunate Events.” Clearly the eye color and hairstyle needs to be different to fit Amelia.

Drake - Nolan Gerard Funk. I had never casted Drake for inspiration before, and let me tell you, looking for someone who had Drake qualities was a challenge! Out of everyone I looked at, he fit the best.

Liam MacDonald – David Tennant. I had him planed from the start. I had no problem with this one. In fact if I need inspiration I looked at his photo or watched a few minutes of Doctor Who -- I am a huge Doctor Who fan. David Tennant is quirky and eccentric and 'out there'... a bit like Da.

E-reader.

KATIE: Yes I have an E-reader. I love it! I have the Nook. It has been a while since I have bought a book because I am wicked busy with school. I'm a BioChem major, and the workload is pretty heavy. But I have recently been reading Mistaken Identity written by Desert Breeze Author, K. Dawn Byrd, and I really like it.

Music?

KATIE: Yes, I love music when I write. In fact, I have different play list on YouTube for what I am writing. Fanfiction, Land of Misfit Teens, anything else. Music is key to my writing, and I have a wide range of likes, from Lighthouse to Nightwish to my grandfather singing outlaw country.

Reality TV.

KATIE: Well, I don’t watch TV all that much, but when I have nothing to do in the middle of the day I like watching Jerry Springer, just so I can watch how messed up people can be and be thankful it's not me and my family. HA HA HA. Not sure if Jerry Springer can really qualify as 'reality TV', but that's about as close as I get.

BUY LINKS:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/land-of-misfit-toys-katie-charles/1107819010?ean=2940013522442&itm=1&usri=katie+charles

(Barnes and noble)

http://www.amazon.com/Land-of-Misfit-Teens-ebook/dp/B006G5N7WQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1328819794&sr=8-1

(Amazon)

http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-253/Land-of-Misfit-Teens/Detail.bok

(Desert Breeze Publishing)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdVTwKjbPgU

(Video trailer)

Author Spotlight - Young Adult authors Kassandra Cooper and Katie Charles share their thoughts on Valentines Day

2012-02-14T06:00:00.000-08:00

Kassandra Cooper:

I don’t know if I have an ultimate Valentine’s Day or any idea of what it would consist of if I wanted one but I do know what I’ve experienced. I can’t date until I’m 18 which leaves me about 4 months shy of that these days. However last year’s Valentine’s day was pretty spectacular. No huge romantic gesture’s happened but the guy that asked me to prom last year, this year, is waiting to date me and who I made my last dedication to in my book did make it memorable. He had hockey practice so as always I went to watch and support him the same way he supported me in my writing and everything else. See I’ve known and had a crush on this guy since 7th grade and he simply wouldn’t admit to liking me back. So I went to practice with no expectation, just to support him and hang out. His team gave him a hard time about me as always, of course amping it up since it was in fact Valentine’s Day.

After practice we talked, something it would seem is rare between teenagers now a day. Face to face communication, it’s so obsolete. But what I didn’t know what that he got me a box of See’s Candies and a teddy bear, which to be honest I’m still smiling about a year later. Even as I’m writing this I have a ridiculous smile on my face.

Anyway, I don’t have any traditions but if seeing him every Valentine’s Day – or even better, seeing him everyday – became a tradition I would be one extremely happy young lady.

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

Katie Charles

Single Awareness Day! That being said from a single girl in college, I can move on. I think all the sappy romance stories happen on the 14th of February, that and Christmas Eve. Don’t get me wrong, I like the concept of Valentines Day: Saint Valentine writing a love letter to his loved one right before he was going to be killed. Well, maybe not the getting killed part, but the love letter.

When I think of this day I think of The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks. Is that weird? It kind of has the feel of it. He was telling his wife their love story she couldn't not remember. Yes, in the end they died but they loved each other to the end. Well, in the movie version anyway.

That is what I think of when I think of Valentines Day. Loving someone until you die. That is what Saint Valentine did… so, yeah.

Author Spotlight - Young Adult authors Kassandra Cooper and Katie Charles talk about finding inspiration

2012-02-13T06:00:00.000-08:00

Kassandra Cooper
Personally I don’t think I’m old enough to write adult romance, seeing how I don’t have any experience being an adult just yet. However, adding that small detail to the passion I have for youth, the fact that I want to reach youth in the future with my words and being a young adult myself it made my decision easier. Now this all started when I was a freshman and went to a church winter camp and felt the Lord pressing on my passion for helping young adults/youth.

I’m sure writing for high school would seem like the best way to reach them, being on their level and all that but I haven’t had a ‘normal’ high school experience and frankly high school can be overly dramatic and frustrating. I know that might sound terrible but taking into account that I attend high school on a college campus I spend most of my time around young adults/college level people. So in short, for me writing for young adults was not only easier for me but it was also the best fit for who I am.

Kassandra's book is: Burning Bridges with Desert Breeze Publishing.
Link:http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-231/Burning-Bridges-Kassandra-Cooper/Detail.bok

******

Katie Charles

Mainly what inspired me to write for young adult was the fact that I was sick of what was out there for YAs. Don’t get me wrong, Twilight was good at first, but then it became so overplayed, and you can only read Harry Potter so many times. I wanted to write something teenagers could relate to. Life is hard and it sucks sometimes, and too many of the young adult books now are too perfect. The people in it are described as perfect, and everything always turns out perfect, and that is not true to life.

People have faults and sometimes they don’t deal with things the right way. In my book Land of Misfit Teens, that theme was one of the main things I wanted to get across. It shows how things just get worse when not acted upon the right way. And as much as youth want to blame it on someone you have to look at yourself and see your own faults.

I also read a lot growing up, and before I was a "young adult", I was reading books with that label. As I kept reading I saw that they where turning into the same book, but with different names for the main characters. So I wanted to write with a different voice, one that I hope will ring true to teenagers today, and one that is not just lost in the swamp of similar books.

**Katie's book is Land of Misfit Teens with Desert Breeze Publishing.
Link:http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-253/Land-of-Misfit-Teens/Detail.bok

Author Spotlight - Excerpt from "The Emerald Dagger"

2012-02-10T06:00:00.000-08:00

Thank you to everyone who supported Barbara this week. She's giving out two prizes this weekend. Her local writers group did a anthology of Valentine stories that Desert Breeze published called "Scattered Hearts." (Wednesday's post) Barbara is giving away a copy of a CD of the book. She also have a talented friend who makes greeting cards, and she's giving away six of her friend's Valentine cards as a gift also. Remember to leave a comment today, Saturday, and Sunday on this post. On Monday I'll pick out the two winners. Leave your email address when you comment. It will make it easier to get in touch with you.

Smiles,
Moderator Steph

***********

Like a silver shadow, Da'kar slipped before Rourk and Kelsey. No, not a shadow, Kelsey thought, a spirit. They followed no path, but wove in and among the trees.

She ran her hand through her dripping hair. A sudden storm had drenched them, and the returned sun did not penetrate the thickened canopy of leaves. All around them was an ever darkening dimness. A chill wind gusted into her face, goose bumps rose. A sudden sneeze exploded from her. Just ahead, Da'kar stopped and turned to stare at her. Feeling her face heat, Kelsey looked a silent apology in his direction. The unicorn dipped his horn in acknowledgment and continued onward.

Queen's-Commander, hell. She couldn't believe she hadn't blocked the sneeze. Maybe she didn't belong here anymore. She glanced behind her. If Rourk looked angry or, worse yet, amused, she'd throttle him. But he only nodded and urged Cloud forward.

The trees thinned and then opened into a small, flower-dotted meadow, awash in sunlight. Kelsey reined in Freya and waited for her eyes to adjust to the new brightness. When she could see clearly, she shaded her eyes with her hand and surveyed the area before her. She saw nothing but patches of rain-flattened grass and flowers. At its edge, Da'kar waited. As Kelsey came alongside, she saw the unicorn's nostrils flare and his ears twitch.

He stared into her eyes. "They come."

"Who? What comes?" Kelsey turned in her saddle and swept a gaze over the peaceful meadow again.

"Wolf things. We must flee before them."

She reached for the sword upon her back. "No, we'll fight."

"What's going on?" Rourk said, reining in beside them.

"Da'kar says we're going to have company."

Rourk freed his own sword. "Do we face them astride or afoot?"

Kelsey eyed the open square of grass and flowers. Which would give them the biggest advantage?

"No," Da'kar sent. "There are too many of them. We flee."

"To where?" Kelsey said. "Where can we go out here in the middle of the woods?"

"We go to Zara." The unicorn reeled to the left and dashed into the trees once more.

Kelsey sheathed her sword. "Damn."

"What?" Rourk said, copying her action.

"Too many of them. We're going to Zara." She nudged Freya in the side and raced after Da'kar.

Running full out, the unicorn zigzagged through the trees. Behind them, a full-throated howl filled the air. Another answered it ahead of them, and then more from their right.

Da'kar wheeled to the left. Kelsey leaned close against Freya's neck and gave the mare her head. Trees flashed by. She ducked first left and then right to avoid the low-hanging branches. The blood-crazed howling rose in volume as the wolves gained ground. A dark shape sprang from the left, straight into her path. Kelsey sawed back on Freya's reins. The mare reared, and then came down on her front feet only yards from the snarling wolf.

Its silver eyes stared at Kelsey in naked hunger. Saliva sprayed from the corners of its mouth as it snapped at the air. Then it sprang toward the mare's legs.

A white blur streaked between them. Da'kar kicked out with his back legs. His hooves struck the wolf's shaggy head. It dropped and writhed on the ground, shrieking its pain. Kelsey felt the mare gather herself and, with a forward lunge, Freya sprang over the wounded wolf.

They raced from the trees onto a twisting mountain trail she'd never seen before. She pulled back on the reins, but Freya's speed did not alter as she ran up the path.

"Slow down," Kelsey panted, but Freya did not respond to her tightening hold. With a quick prayer, Kelsey gave Freya her head again and trusted the elven-bred mare. The path widened and ahead Kelsey saw Zara's cave. Da'kar screamed an alert and a low rumble answered from within the cave. Da'kar raced into the opening.

Kelsey risked a glance over her shoulder. A wall of shaggy bodies charged at Rourk's heels. She leaned over Freya's neck. "Run, girl, run."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a shaggy head. With a hoarse cry she kicked out, catching the wolf on the shoulder. It stumbled and went down. Ahead, the dark entrance beckoned. "Come on, Freya, come on."

She felt a jolt through her body as Freya sprinted into the cave. Kelsey pulled back on the reins and swung the mare around. Not waiting for the mare to stop, she vaulted from Freya's back and sprinted toward the mouth of the cave. She whipped her sword from its sheath as she ran. Rourk and Cloud charged by her. She watched Rourk spring from Cloud's back. With his sword in his left hand and his fighting blade in the other, he rushed to stand beside her.

The wolves came up short at the front of the cave. Snarling and howling, they paced with stiff legs and twitching ears.
Kelsey cut the air in front of her with her sword. Dragon spoor must be keeping them out.

Somewhere inside their deformed minds there's still a lick of natural fear. But it was a respite, nothing more, and she knew it. Whatever had shaped them would not let the game stop here. They would attack. But how long would they wait? She got her answer as a wolf leapt. Rourk met it with a sweep of his sword. Its head went sailing with the teeth still snapping.

Kelsey risked a glance to the side. Where was Da'kar and Zara? Had she dreamed the rumble she'd heard earlier?

Another wolf charged. She stepped forward, waited until the beast started its snarling leap, then thrust her sword out with both hands. The wolf impaled itself three-quarters down the length of the blade. Blood gushed from the body and coated her hands with slippery warmth. A coppery scent, thick with the reek of wet fur, filled her nostrils. She kicked out, catching the wolf against the side of its head. It crashed to the ground, taking her and her sword with it. White-hot pain arced into her shoulder. Her fingers went numb and the sword slipped from them. She rolled to the side and her forehead came up hard against a wall of rock. Black spots danced before her eyes and warm blood trickled down her cheek. Swiping at her temples, she scrambled to her feet, then leaned against the wall as the world dipped in front of her. She dug her fingernails into her palms and blinked her eyes, willing the dizziness away.

Through a curtain of haze, she saw Rourk. He stood in the middle of the cave, surrounded by five wolves. They circled, snarling and snapping. One, braver than the rest, darted in. Rourk swung his sword and caught the wolf full across its muzzle. It slunk back, its moment of courage gone.

Kelsey heard a growl and whirled. Two wolves crept toward her. Heart drumming, she crouched and waited. Out of the darkness beside her, a pale form charged. Da'kar's horn sank deep into the chest of the nearest wolf. With a swing of his head, the unicorn sent the wolf sailing. Kelsey sprang for her sword. She screamed as the pain in her shoulder knifed deeply into her body. Da'kar reared and struck with his hooves. The second wolf howled and dropped.

"To the side," Da'kar sent. "Zara and Lilith come."

"Hug the wall," Kelsey screamed to Rourk. "The dragons are coming."

Rourk lunged with his sword and slashed with his knife. A wolf crumpled, and he leapt to the side of the cave. From behind them, a dragon issued a trumpeting challenge, the walls trembling with the force of the rage within it.

For a moment, the wolves were a frozen tableau. The one nearest Kelsey whined and ducked its tail between its legs. Then its silver eyes changed, became a flaring red. The fangs parted and a voice shouted from within. "Attack. I want them all dead. You may feed, but bring me the unicorn's horn."

Dirkk, Kelsey's mind screamed. Rourk's gaze sought hers, and she saw the same recognition in his eyes.

As the wolves gave full vent to another howl of rage, Zara emerged from the darkness of the cave. Her golden body filled the cavernous space. She lashed out with a taloned foot and dismembered a wolf from throat to tail. Like an open-sea barge, she surged forward, pushing the wolves like flotsam before her. Those who did not move fast enough were crushed beneath her. Behind her came a smaller russet-hued dragon.

That must be Lilith, Kelsey thought. The smaller dragon eyed the wolves as she passed and, when one still twitched, trampled it into death.

Da'kar, Kelsey and Rourk fell in behind Lilith. At the cave's entrance Zara hesitated and swung her massive head from left to right. Then she bugled her victory and exited the cave.

Lilith rumbled low in her throat and followed.

Outside, there was only silence. Zara's head swung their way and Kelsey and Rourk pressed back against the mountain of rock. Huge golden eyes surveyed them as her tail swished, like an irate cat's. Lilith pressed against the side of her mother and growled softly. Zara looked at her daughter. An answering growl came from her throat, but there was nothing soft about it. Kelsey felt her knees begin to shake. She felt Rourk tense beside her. The unicorn stepped in front of them and looked into Zara's eyes.

"You need not speak for this one of Thea's blood," Zara sent.

The words lashed across Kelsey's mind. Gasping, she pressed her palms against the sides of her head. "I don't understand."

"Call and I will come, but once only."

Zara turned, walked to the mountain's drop-off, and launched skyward.

The russet dragon rumbled a sigh. "Human, the saving of your life will be at high cost."

"You are Lilith," Kelsey said.

The dragon nodded. "We fly to the land of fairies."

"But it's Dirkk who formed the fairy demons. It has to be him. The fairies--"

"It makes no difference. The fairies are used. They must be destroyed so no more can be made. Tell this to Thea at once." Lilith followed her mother into the sky.

Kelsey sank to the ground. "Oh, my God. I broke the spell holding them inside." She reached inside the neckline of her shirt and grasped the pendant. "Regan. Regan, answer me." But no voice responded in her head.

Kelsey scrambled to her feet as Da'kar led Freya and Cloud from Zara's cave. "Come, we must ride," the unicorn sent.
"No, I've got to get back to Raya and warn Regan."

"We go to find Daniel. It is Regan's wish," Rourk said.

"But the dragons. They're going to the fairy land. They'll kill them all. And it's my fault."

Rourk swung up onto Cloud's back. "You do as you wish. I will find Daniel." He turned to Da'kar. "If you will show me the way."

The unicorn dipped his horn in acquiescence.

"Dirkk has Daniel," Rourk added.

Kelsey looked from the man to the unicorn. "Damn." She mounted Freya and then glanced at Da'kar. "How far?"

"We are close." ." The unicorn turned and headed downward toward the trees.

Amazon.com buy link

http://www.amazon.com/Daradawn-Book-Two-Emerald-ebook/dp/B0073NV36M/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1328145110&sr=1-1

Desert Breeze buy link

http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-258/Daradawn-Book-Two-The/Detail.bok

My Website

http://barbaramhodges.com

My Facebook Page

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Follow me on Twitter

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Author Spotlight - Character Interview with Dirkk from "The Emerald Dagger"

2012-02-09T06:00:00.000-08:00

STEPH: So, Mr. Dirkk, tell us a little bit more about yourself. Where were you born and what kind of education do you have?

DIRKK: I came from my mother's womb in Castle Crag in the kingdom of Daradawn. My education? I was born the son of a Baron. My tutor taught me mathematics and how to dance. My father schooled me in sword work, hunting and how to woo the ladies. He bought me my first women when I was eleven. At twelve I became engaged to Tessa De'Amberville, the future queen of Daradawn.

STEPH: Where did you find this emerald dagger?

DIRKK: The dagger found me, or should I say Darodah, the demon that dwells in the emerald dagger, drew me to him. I had to prove myself with an offering of blood, not mine of course, but once accepted I became one with the dagger.

STEPH: Who's your best friend in Daradawn?

DIRKK: Friends, surly you jest. I have no need of friends. I have those who do my bidding. Once upon a time when I was young and stupid I had friends, Tessa and Peter, but they turned against me, now they are enemies and must die.

STEPH: What's your spell-casting room like? Messy or Neat?

DIRKK: You make me laugh. I don't cast spells. I am a blood mage. I summon. I conjure. I do not cast spells like an herb witch.

STEPH: Is it true you're secretly attracted to the High Mage's wife, Regan?

DIRKK: You insult me. I have killed for less. Regan desires me. She has the power of the blue flame. I will take her, use her, when I am finished she will die…but attracted to, I think not.

STEPH: What evil plan do you have find for the fairies? I won't tell. Promise.

DIRKK: Of course you will not tell, not if you wish to continue breathing. The fairies are flesh for my forming. They will become only a small part of my legions.

STEPH: Have you ever traveled? Left Daradawn and come back?

DIRKK: The bastard mage has closed all of the rifts, but one, and that he has made poison to me, but with the emerald dagger and Regan's power, all will change.

STEPH: Any parting words for us curious minds?

DIRKK: Remember my words to you and remember my face. For soon I will be ripping the fabric between our worlds apart. When I come calling, remind me of our time together, and perhaps I will make your death less slow and less painful.

*********

Amazon.com buy link

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Desert Breeze buy link

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My Website

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My Facebook Page

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Follow me on Twitter

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Author Spotlight - Barbara Hodges talks about Scattered Hearts and Valentines

2012-02-08T06:00:00.000-08:00

February and Valentine's Day, you can't seem to think of one without the other. One of the contest giveaways I am offering is a c.d. of Scattered Hearts, an anthology of valentine stories, The Word Wizards, my local writers group wrote, oh, and it's published by Desert Breeze. I thought I'd tell you how it came about.

It was my idea to showcase the great writers in our group. When I first offered it, an anthology of Valentine's Day stories, the response wasn't great…ugh, hearts and flowers. No, I wanted something beyond the usual fare, just somewhere in the story you had to mention February 14th. Skepticism was still the reigning emotion.

Randolph Tower, who is one of my co-authors, came to the rescue. At our next meeting he came in with a story for Scattered Hearts. His story, Baby Bottles, told of a young pilot during the Viet Nam war. The pilot used small baby bottles, filled with water and frozen to take with him on his missions, the bottles kept him cool and provided water when they melted. The young pilot's wife gives them to him on Valentine's Day, pink ones with a red heart drawn on each.

It was all we needed. The stories in Scattered Hearts involve a senior lady dealing with dementia, a young widow needing to know why her husband went on a tragic Valentine's Day cruise without her, and a bi-racial couple fighting prejudice in the 1950's. If you are the lucky winner, you are going to love the stories and poems in Scattered Hearts; they are all a different way of looking at love. Happy Valentine's Day!

Amazon.com buy link:

The Emerald Dagger
http://www.amazon.com/Daradawn-Book-Two-Emerald-ebook/dp/B0073NV36M/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1328145110&sr=1-1

Desert Breeze buy link

http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-258/Daradawn-Book-Two-The/Detail.bok

My Website

http://barbaramhodges.com

My Facebook Page

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Follow me on Twitter

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Author Spotlight - Barbara Hodges talks about her favorite movie

2012-02-07T06:00:00.000-08:00

I'm fighting a head cold. My husband is out of town on a business trip and I'm feeling abandoned. So the first thing I do is call my mommy, and then I dive into my stack of feel good movies, they're almost like chicken soup for me when I need cheering up.

I choose Gidget with Sandra Dee and James Darren. Gidget wins out by just a hair over The Incredible Journey. Gidget does the trick, has me smiling, but if she hadn't worked I'd given into a good cry by popping in Old Yeller or maybe Dumbo.

What's in your stack of feel good movies? I seem to have favorites for every mood, and then there are some I can watch over and over no matter the mood I'm in. Dirty Dancing is one of them, and Chicago and Grease.

So what makes a movie speak to us? I think it's the same thing that makes a book one we read over and over and never get tired off; involvement with the characters, the plots, the need to be taken somewhere else.

I've watched Gidget at least fifty times since I first saw it when I was sixteen, but still I get caught up in it. And even now that I'm a few years past 16 I still identify with her struggle and determination to get what she wants. Good messages huh? Give me a happily ever ending any time and that's whether I'm feeling bad or not.

Amazon.com buy link

http://www.amazon.com/Daradawn-Book-Two-Emerald-ebook/dp/B0073NV36M/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1328145110&sr=1-1

Desert Breeze buy link

http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-258/Daradawn-Book-Two-The/Detail.bok

My Website

http://barbaramhodges.com

My Facebook Page

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Follow me on Twitter

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Author Spotlight - Q&A with Barbara Hodges

2012-02-06T06:00:00.000-08:00

STEPH: I don't know much about "The Emerald Dagger." What's it about?

BARBARA: The Emerald Dagger is the second book in my Daradawn Fantasy series. It is high fantasy and a classic good versus evil storyline. In the tale, Dirkk, the dark mage has formed demonic creatures from fairies and mountain wolves. His plan is to use them to destroy Queen Tessa and subjugate all of the kingdom of Daradawn. To do so he must either master or kill the four dragons that live in Daradawn. Aiding Dirkk is Darodah, the demon that lives inside the emerald dagger.

The only thing that stands in the way of Dirkk's desires is Regan Canterville. Regan is a chosen of the Power and the avatar of the Goddess. Marked with a small blue flame upon her shoulder, she is able to speak to all animals in Daradawn, both mortal and magical and has formed a bond with Zara the golden dragon.

But that does her little good when Dirkk's creatures attack and kill one of Zara's children. The dragon will not settle for less than complete destruction of all of the fairies, an act that the others of Daradawn cannot let happen.

The Emerald Dagger has magic, suspense, and a touch of romance, what more does a great read need?

STEPH: Where did you get the inspiration for the story?

BARBARA: I love a great fantasy. I love basset hounds. I wanted both.

STEPH: I understand "The Emerald Dagger" is book 2 in your YA fantasy series, "The Daradawn Series." What was the inspiration for the series?

BARBARA: The series came about because I couldn't find a story out there that had everything I wanted. I wanted magic, romance, dragons and a basset hound. So I wrote my own.

STEPH: How long did it take you to write the story?

BARBARA: The Emerald Dagger appeared quickly, compared to The Blue Flame which I re-wrote five times. Since The Emerald Dagger is part of a series, I already had my created world and my main characters, so I was able to write the book in a year.

STEPH: Did you have to do any research for the story? If so, what kind?

BARBARA: Since I see the time and setting as being medieval I did do some research in castle structure and outlying buildings.

STEPH: Kelsey is one of the heroines of the story. What are her strengths? Weaknesses?

BARBARA: Kelsey loves deep, she also hates deep. She is loyal, but head strong, and will push forward when her emotions are in control, even though her head says to do so is crazy. She is compassionate and caring. With her you are a friend for life, or an enemy until your death.

STEPH: What does Rourk find appealing about Kelsey?

BARBARA: Kelsey is his soul mate. She completes him. The very things she feels are weaknesses in her are the things he loves. Rourk loves her strength, both in body and heart. He loves that she loves so completely. Kelsey does nothing halfway.

STEPH: Do you cast your characters? If so who are Kelsy? Rourk? Peter? Regan?

BARBARA: No I don't cast my characters. I've tried, but could not come up with any out there now to fit the bill.

STEPH: Do you have an ebook reader? If so, which one?

BARBARA: Right now I have a Kindle and a Sony tablet that I read on. Before that it was a Sony Reader and before that it was a Rocket. I've been a fan of ebooks for at least 15 years.

STEPH: Fun question: Valentines are in the air. Chocolate, Roses, Cards, or Flowers?

BARBARA: An easy choice, chocolate and a card. I prefer my roses growing on a bush in the back yard.

Amazon.com buy link

http://www.amazon.com/Daradawn-Book-Two-Emerald-ebook/dp/B0073NV36M/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1328145110&sr=1-1

Desert Breeze buy link

http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-258/Daradawn-Book-Two-The/Detail.bok

My Website

http://barbaramhodges.com

My Facebook Page

http://www.facebook.com/barbara.m.hodges

Follow me on Twitter

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Author Spotlight - Except from "Deadly Revenge"

2012-02-03T06:00:00.000-08:00

Thanks so much for supporting Nancy during her spotlight week. Leave a comment on this post today, Saturday, and Sunday and I'll pick a winner on Monday to receive a PDF copy of Nancy's novel, Deadly Revenge. Don't forget to leave your email and contact info. Enjoy this excerpt. Moderator Steph

***********

BLURB:
After Culinary Herb Gardener Ada Blaine loses the love of her life, she avoids men and spends years turning a beloved hobby into a thriving business. Former Marine Rich McConnell left behind a nasty divorce and traded a promising military career for a hardware store with no complications. He discovers he can't keep his hands off the elusive gardener, and her determination to remain independent falters when the ever-charming Rich weakens the wall Ada's built around her heart. Then just as late-in-life second-chance love seems possible, Ada is threatened by a sniper's bullet, and Rich's past comes back to haunt him.

Find me on the web at www.nancykayauthor.com

EXCERPT – Deadly Revenge

"What's on your mind today, Rich? You seem fidgety. On second thought, we'll both have tea. Coffee might just make you jump out of your boots." The storm door bounced shut behind her.

Rich squinted into the sun topping the trees along the lakeshore. Best to quit thinking about what he'd like to jump out of, and it sure as hell wasn't his boots.

Months ago the bottom dropped out of his comfortable, predictable world when Ada strolled into Tom and Mary McGraw's annual Christmas Eve gathering. Damn. He'd known Ada for years and always pictured her as trim, and... well, sturdy.

That night she'd looked sleek, all curvy in some kind of clingy getup. Not her usual chinos and denim. Plus, she'd done something to her eyes that made her look drop dead gorgeous. Hell, he'd never noticed her eyes before. Nor had he gawked at her extremely attractive backside. This morning while watching her pull weeds his gawking had gotten him in deep shit.

The door creaked open. Ada returned, carrying a tray. "Here." She moved forward. "I'll set our tea on the table against the wall and--"

The tray flew apart like an exploding grenade!

Scalding hot liquid stung his face, and thick cream arced like a fireworks display. Cups, saucers, and teapot crashed to the floor. In one fluid move, Rich pushed off the steps.

Frozen, Ada was staring at what remained of the tray in her hands when he slammed into her. He twisted, taking the impact as they hit the floor. Together they rolled across the porch and crashed into the wall of the cottage. Pinned beneath him, she lay motionless.

"Are you hit?" Rich scanned the woods north of the cabin. He ran a quick assessing hand over her body.

"No... I mean, hit? What are you talking about? You hit me," she accused in a tense whisper, and began to struggle.

"Lie still." He ordered, blood pounding in his ears. His words halted her frantic efforts. He laid a hand on her cheek and turned her head, forcing her to look at him. "That was rifle fire."

Like a snared rabbit, her eyes grew wide.

"Don't move, Ada," he repeated, softening his tone. "We're protected here, and I've got to find out what the hell is going on before we stand up like targets."

Author Spotlight - Nancy Kay talks about why she writes romantic suspense

2012-02-02T06:00:00.000-08:00

I write Romantic Suspense because I’ve lived Romantic Suspense...so to speak. Of all the ‘writing rules’ we face as authors from the day we select writing as a career, write what you know ranks high on the ‘pay attention’ scale.

Who doesn’t like Romance? One of the first Romance books I ever read was one entitled ‘I’ll Find My Love’ circa 1957, published by Berkley Highland Books. The story was simple, sweet, and had conflict plus all the other elements we strive for in the genre.
However, the story lacked suspense, something which didn’t enter my life until years later when I fell in love and married a Marine who went on to become a policeman.

Suspense with a capitol ‘S.’ His position in the Corps had day to day tension, not to mention it was the mid sixty’s and Viet Nam was an issue. He’s my go to source when I need to get into the head a character with a military background, but most of the suspense and danger elements in my stories relates to his 28 years on the job as a Pennsylvania State Policeman.

I can attest to how lines of fatigue etched into his face at the end of a shift affected me. I saw and felt his frustration, his fears and sometimes anger. We celebrated when justice prevailed, or a family walked away from a horrific accident. And there’s a sense of humor amongst policeman that serves to diffuse tension and helps men and women on the job cope with what they must face every day.

So when I create a character, be it military, law enforcement or even the despised villain, I have a built in consultant. I write what I know, and being there first hand so close to the mystery and suspense, all that was needed was Romance.

After 46 years as man and wife, we’ve got that covered!

PUBLISHER'S BUY LINK: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-254/Deadly-Triad-Book-Two/Detail.bok

Author Spotlight - Nancy Kay dishes up a recipe for a cover

2012-02-01T06:00:00.001-08:00

When I type ‘The End’, it means words floating around in my head have come together to create a story. Doing so is equivalent to the oven timer signaling ‘done’ for a carefully crafted dish. Suspense, a touch of mystery, and a generous dash of romance combined for readers to enjoy. Previously I mentioned the where of cover images, but what about the how?

Upon completing ‘Deadly Revenge’ - the second in my Deadly Triad series - I wanted my cover to entice readers, to send a message, to provide that subtle hint. So, I sent Jenifer Ranieri, a multi talented lady who designs covers at Desert Breeze Publishing, several turbulent lake photos taken by my husband, a better than average photographer. I thought a male silhouette holding an M14 rifle beside the crashing lake would send a strong message about my story.

Jenifer tweaked the lake scene, admirably so, but the man holding the gun just wasn’t working. The M14 is a sleek-barreled weapon with a gracefully curved wooden stock. The inserted silhouette grasped a heavy, scope laden weapon with a super large ammunition clip and looked like he had on a helmet. I shot off a stock photo of an M14 which resulted in a passable weapon, but the shooter image still lacked conviction to me.

A hurried call and a quick trip across town to Bob’s Gunshop and Indoor Range followed. Former Marine, now photo bug husband, was thrilled to get his hands on an authentic M14. The gun shop owner, another former Marine, was ready and willing to help. He switched out the ammo clip for one I preferred and provided the perfect spot by an open window to take pictures. The lighting was just right to catch the image, and after a few adjustments to his digital camera, my husband handed the camera to me and became a Romance Novel Model!

A couple of pictures and a great cover artist. A recipe I’ll share for a fantastic romance novel cover!

PUBLISHER'S BUY LINK: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-254/Deadly-Triad-Book-Two/Detail.bok

Author Spotlight - Nancy Kay talks about Romance Novel Covers

2012-01-31T06:00:00.000-08:00

When I write there are pictures in my head, vivid pictures of characters, locations or scenes. Upon completion, I must provide information for a vital document used to help create a cover to match the story - The Cover Art Input Sheet. I want my covers to reflect what readers will find inside, a hint of what they’ll discover between the pages. Covers help readers match their personal taste to a story, or, an intriguing visual will entice them to try something new and different.

My stories take place in and around the Great Lakes, a perfect ever-changing backdrop for mystery, suspense and, most important, love and romance. A turbulent lake can evoke fear and drama, or wild passion. The setting sun creates an atmosphere of intriguing romance, or the coming of darkness.

Since I live amidst rolling grape vineyards within walking distance of Lake Erie, I find it natural to transfer my love of these surroundings onto pages, while creating characters that come to love the beauty or fear the threat I create around them.

Using the lake to provide a background on my covers puts the reader into the scene, the location where the story will take place. Then add that subtle hint, a reflection on the water coupled with a shadowy figure for Deadly Reflection, and a turbulent lake behind the outline of a weapon for Deadly Revenge.

The final book in the series, Deadly Encounter, takes place in winter. Mother Nature’s wrath will play an important role as waves crashing on the shore become ice dunes. Sculptures that are breathtakingly beautiful, while at the same time, Deadly.

PUBLISHER'S BUY LINK: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-254/Deadly-Triad-Book-Two/Detail.bok

Author Spotlight - Q&A with Nancy Kay

2012-01-30T06:00:00.000-08:00

STEPH: I don't know much about "Deadly Revenge." What's it about?

NANCY: In a few words; Rich McConnell's past catches up with him when a sniper's bullet shatters the quiet morning... and with it, his illusion of second chance love with Ada Blaine.

Rich is the laid back owner and manager of an Ace Hardware store in Pine Bluffs, Pennsylvania. Sound dull? Not so, the charming Rich is known as the “Ace Hotware Man”. Although Rich is a touch past the half century mark, the former Marine is a handsome, fit, confident man.

Ada is a successful Culinary Herb Gardener. She moved to Pine Bluffs as a young woman after losing her husband in a fiery car crash. Like Rich, Ada’s now past the Five-O threshold, yet beneath her practical, denim work clothes lies a head turning, sensuous woman.

Ada and Rich have known one another for years, a casual “hi, how are relationship.” Rich sees Ada as a respectable, hard working, lady who shops for garden supplies at his store, until the night she strolls into a mutual friend’s party looking drop dead gorgeous.

Interest spikes, prompting Rich to get better acquainted and, seizing opportunity, delivers supplies to Ada for her garden and lingers to visit. But a burst of gunfire interrupts and has Rich diving to save Ada’s life from a snipers bullet. That single shot is only the beginning. Rich left the Marine Corp years ago, but while serving his country, his unbending sense of duty led to a fellow Marine’s arrest, and the end of Rich’s marriage. He now fears his past may be responsible as threats to Ada’s life escalate.

Deadly Revenge tells how unleashed passion and desire keep Rich and Ada together as twists and turns fraught with danger threaten to drive them apart.

STEPH: "Deadly Revenge is in the Deadly Triad Series. Can you give us an overview of the series? Where it's set? The time frame?

NANCY: The series is set in and around the fictitious town of Pine Bluffs, Pennsylvania. Pine Bluffs does not exist, but all other locations close to Lake Erie – such as Erie, Pa. and North East, Pa. – provide intriguing, beautiful settings. Each story takes place in present day, approximately 2009 thru 2012.

The Deadly Triad Series is linked by location and characters. Beginning with the first book, all characters throughout the series are introduced and somehow connected to one another and to Pine Bluffs.

Cassi Burke and Nick McGraw meet and fall in love in the first book, Deadly Reflection. Cassi’s long lost aunt, Ada Blaine, and long time resident of the sleepy little town, Rich McConnell, discover one another in the second book, Deadly Revenge. Coming in September, lifelong resident TJ McGraw, Nick’s cousin, meets his match in Elaine Delocor, a close friend of Cassi’s in Deadly Encounter.

I’ve created three common threads. One, they all met in Pine Bluffs or have some connection to the town. Two, they all know, love and respect one another. Three, throughout the series each couple faces situations that are potentially Deadly.

STEPH: How long did it take you to write?

NANCY: Deadly Revenge took about a year, including revisions.

STEPH: What was the inspiration for this story?

NANCY: I wanted to do a story about, shall we say, more mature characters. Desire and passion don’t end at 50, or even 60. Sometimes they take a thrilling new direction! I wanted to spin out life’s way of unveiling unexpected gifts, while at the same time, adding a touch of suspense and danger to heighten the excitement.

STEPH: Ada is the heroine. What are her strengths? Weaknesses?

NANCY: Ada had a perfect marriage, until an accident claimed her beloved husband’s life, and changed the course of hers. Following the accident, a love of gardening, instilled in Ada by her deceased grandmother, sustains her. She moves to Pine Bluffs and finds peace in her gardening. In turn, her efforts transpire into a flourishing business, a tribute to her strength and perseverance. Yet Ada keeps to herself, getting close to only a chosen few. She loves her friends, but dismisses the idea of ever falling in love again. Ada is a strong woman outwardly, but inside, she harbors fear. She resists letting anyone capture her heart again, afraid she’d not survive another painful loss.

Rich McConnell touches her, body and soul, and unleashes unbending courage to overcome her fears, and survive the threats she faces with Rich at her side.

STEPH: What does Rich find attractive about Ada?

NANCY: Rich admires her ability to stand on her own two feet, and the life she’s built after losing so much. He likes the feisty determination she exhibits when faced with life threatening danger. But it’s the sensual, uninhibited side of Ada that takes his breath away.

STEPH: How did you come up with the title, “Deadly Revenge?”

NANCY: The definition of “revenge” is: To retaliate or get even. Rich has a checkered past, and from the onset of threats to Ada, he believes that past has come back to haunt him by harming someone he cares about. Ergo: to get revenge.

STEPH: What's your writing space like?

NANCY: The room I use was once my daughter’s bedroom. It overlooks our back yard. I love the changing seasons. The room is not large, about 10 by 12, but allows for my PC, a work table, desk and file. Nothing spurs me to write more than a cold, winter day. I can sip hot tea and let my mind create as snow drifts down, or, drives against the window panes. I like summer, too. Early mornings are best for writing in the summer. Then I can get out, go for walks or putter in our herb gardens.

STEPH: How important is setting to the story?

NANCY: Top of the list! I grew up in a small town, and I didn’t want to write about big cities where so often the stories and movies today are set. My romantic suspense is more the hearth and home variety, yet I write of threats and danger that spill over from cities and into small towns.

On my website I hint at this scenario by reminding readers.....Sometimes bad things happen in small towns. I write about are real places, beautiful places. I want readers to picture rolling vineyards, and breathtaking sunsets on the lake. I feel these settings are the key to making the stories come alive. My brand is Great Lakes Romance...where love runs deep and sometimes dangerous!

STEPH: Fun Question: Who are you rooting to win the Superbowl?

NANCY: Don’t hate me Steph, but until tonight I didn’t even know who was playing! I’ll enjoy high school, even college teams, but when it comes to pro sports....well, let’s just say I’d rather read a good book!

PUBLISHER'S BUY LINK:http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-254/Deadly-Triad-Book-Two/Detail.bok

Author Spotlight - BJ Robinson talks about her love of Romance

2012-01-27T06:00:00.000-08:00

Thanks so much for supporting BJ during her spotlight week. Leave a comment today, Saturday, or Sunday here and be entered to win a PDF copy of BJ's latest release, "Southern Superstitions." I'll pick the winner randomly and announce who it is here and on the Connections Loop.

Enjoy the weekend!
Moderator Steph

********

I grew up loving romance novels, perhaps because there never seemed to be enough romance in real life. Danielle Steel was one of my favorite romance authors. I went from fairytales to romance novels like a runaway roller coaster, getting what little romance I could out of life from the characters in my books. In years to come, a country music singer would come up with a song about a Louisiana woman and a Mississippi man, and I would always tell Mother that each and every time I heard that song, I would think about my parents. Father never got to hear that song, but Mother loved it. She was a country music lover too. I like other types of music too, but country is my favorite because I was raised on it. Conway Twitty sang Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man and Mom was a Louisiana woman and Daddy was a Mississippi man.

I loved to listen to Mom's stories about Daddy. Her stories were all I had left after his death. She had a way of making him come back to life for me, with her eyes sparkling as she told me stories about their happy times and happy life together.

She told me how Daddy always showed up loaded down with surprises for the both of us. He'd come laughing inside, glad to be home with us once again and say, "How's my two favorite girls?" He'd grab Mother and hug her until she thought he'd surely break her small bones in two, and he'd pick me up out of my crib or playpen and head for the rocking chair with me. "Got to make up for lost time and sing to my baby girl," he'd tell Mom.

He had a job at a shipyard in New Orleans, and he worked there until he became disabled. At first, we lived in a very small white house in Springfield, and I remember Daddy taking me fishing with him when we lived there. I could watch the ducks swim on the water, and the chickens followed us to the river. Daddy showed me how to bait my cane pole with a real-live worm and took me fishing at four years old.

From there, we moved to the white apartment house on South Third Street , where I would be living when I lost my daddy on Christmas Day.

The last week Daddy stayed in the city, Mom and I went to New Orleans to surprise him. I was too little to remember the trip, but I was all ears when Mom told me all about it after Daddy had passed away, and she was reminiscing about happier times.
"When we got to your daddy's room in that boarding house, I knocked on the door, but he didn't answer at first. I pounded and pounded and finally I heard him coming to open the door. He had been sleeping and had the gas heater on in that room, without a crack in the window. Landsakes child, it is a good thing we went to visit your daddy when we did, or we might have lost him sooner. I had to raise that window and let the fumes air out of the room. He was so surprised and glad to see us. There, by the side of his bed, was a big, walking doll he had bought for you. He already had his gifts for us, but he thought he'd be bringing them home and surprising us as usual. This time, we surprised him though, because we didn't wait for him. We caught a Greyhound bus and went to him."

How I loved to listen to Mother's reminiscing about the olden days, what she called the good-old days, when she was growing up as a little girl on my grandfather's strawberry farm in Springfield, Louisiana. I loved those strawberry tales about how hard my Grandma and Grandpa Threeton worked on their strawberry farm. Most of all though, I loved to listen to her tales about Daddy and how good he was to us and how happy the four of us had been, once upon a time. Just like a fairytale, there was a once upon a time, but unlike a fairytale, we had no happy ending. All we had were our happy memories.

You see, it took many years before I realized sweet Jesus was no fairytale. When Mom first quoted all those Bible verses, I often wondered why she didn't just speak in plain English, and I had no idea they came from the Good Book. Meanwhile, I read and wrote out my heart that Mom always said I wore on my sleeve. I traveled many places and explored other worlds through many a good book. Now, I write my own, and I'm happy to say God has placed some incredible people in my life to assist me with my writing journey for Him. Eva Marie Everson, my Christian Writing Guild mentor, Karen O'Connor, my Long Ridge Writing instructor, and Tim Gauthreaux, my college creative-writing teacher among them. But, I'll never forget my third grade teacher who actually started my writing journey when she submitted my pet story to the local newspaper. I've been reading and writing ever since. She gave me something to hold onto, a love for the written word, an escape from real life when it became too much, and hope to last me until years later when I found true hope and salvation through Jesus Christ.

Now, I promised to share more Desert Breeze favorite authors whom I've read:

Author Anne Patrick wrote Fire and Ash, and I loved it. Check out her other titles. I have several others on my reading list. She's an excellent author. http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/Categories.bok

Author Michelle Sutton has many books under her belt. My favorites of hers were Danger at the Door and its sequel. She has a new one I also enjoyed, When Love Collides. Check it out. http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-238/When-Love-Collides-Michelle/Detail.bok

Author Lynette Hall Hampton has several title out, and I've read and reviewed her first in this series. Loved it. Check them out. http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-188/Lynette-Hall-Hampton-US/Detail.bok

Author Melanie Atkins has a series, and I've read and reviewed one set in Louisiana/Mississippi and really enjoyed it. Check her out.

http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-203/Melanie-Atkins-Shield-of/Detail.bok

Author Jayne Lee wrote August in Montana, and I reviewed it on my blog. Check it out. It's a delightful read.
http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-166/Jayne-Lee-August-in/Detail.bok

I've read so many DB authors and titles I'm sure I've missed some, and I do apologize if I missed you. As I said earlier, they're too many great authors at Desert Breeze to name them all. Browse the DB catalog and discover new ones for yourself. I'm sure you have a great idea about my reading tastes after checking out my favorites. Be blessed and enjoy relaxing reads with us.

Author Shawna K. Williams endorses Southern Superstitions and says, " Southern Superstitions is an inspirational story that’s full of personality, as well as intricacy in the way it explores the complexities of family and the conflict between faith and luck. Barbara does a great job at pulling together the deeply rooted superstitions of the South and entwining them into a suspenseful tale of faith, romance and endurance. I especially enjoyed the setting and culture of the deep South."

Read the first two chapters free at Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Southern-Superstitions-ebook/dp/B006X8GAWA/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326620592&sr=1-6

Author and book reviewer Dolores Ayotte says, "BJ Robinson has done it again! Her novel Southern Superstitions hits home and shows her devotion to God, her love for strawberry farming, and her appreciation for life's simple pleasures." Read the first interview for my new release here and see what else Dolores has to say about Southern Superstitions.

http://www.amazon.com/review/RTXVLYH2JV0H3 My first review for Southern Superstitions.

Read a free excerpt at my publisher's, Desert Breeze Publishing, Inc. and if you need a PDF file to read on your laptop or computer, here's the place to snag one. Epub files are also available here.

http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-249/Southern-Superstition-BJ-Robinson/Detail.bok

Visit my author page for updates, new releases, and what's coming:
http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-template/BJRobinson/Page.bok

Visit my blog and sign to follow for an opportunity to win free novels. and discover new writers through book reviews. http://barbarajrobinson.blogspot.com

Visit another interview at: http://cuffesisters.com/2012/complimentary-cuffes/visiting-with-barbara-j-robinson/

Book trailer for Southern Superstitions: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNoo962DbF0&feature=share

Reviewer Kathy Boswell says, "Very good! She never gives up hope that Andy will return to her someday. She puts it all in God's hands like she'd done every crisis in her life. She knows He will take care of this for her."

B. J. Robinson makes her home in Florida with her husband, a cocker spaniel named Sunflower, a character in her romantic suspense novel Last Resort, an adopted shelter cat named Frankie, and a golden retriever named Honi. She's been writing since the third grade when her story about her pet dog was published in a local newspaper and hopes people have as much fun reading her novels as she did writing them. As an animal lover and for all pet lovers, her novels contain pets, usually dogs, but sometimes cats. Visit her at http://barbarajrobinson.blogspot.com.

Author Spotlight - BJ Robinson talks about destiny

2012-01-26T06:00:00.000-08:00

I've always loved the beautiful white magnolia blossom that smells so sweet because Mom and Dad got married in the pretty little Mississippi town of Magnolia. I often asked her to tell me about how she met Daddy. Her hazel eyes would take on a faraway look, and she'd describ how she met him on a Greyhound bus. She was from the small town of Springfield, Louisiana, and he was from Brookhaven, Mississippi. Momma always told me it was fate that they met that day.

Momma was a strawberry farmer's daughter and Daddy was the son of a cotton planter. Destiny brought them together. They had so much in common. They both loved pretty sunshiny days, the country, and watching flowers or plants grow. Before Daddy grew sick and became disabled, he worked in New Orleans at a shipyard. He would stay in the city during the week while he worked and come home on the weekends. This was when I was a tiny baby, and we were living in Mississippi beside my Grandmother Russell, my father's mother. My father's brother, Uncle Ernie, took over the cotton farm in Mississippi. When I was only four years old, we visited his farm before Daddy died that year. He let me use a smaller sack than the other cotton pickers and told me I could help pick the cotton. I was tickled, and I was proud because I had a job and could earn my own spending money. I carefully filled my sack, and he paid me twenty-five cents for each sack I filled. I didn't make very much money because I soon played out, and I didn't fill very many sacks. I think I ended up with a dollar.

Grandma Russell let me play with whatever I wanted. I remember Mom telling me about how I got into her kitchen cabinets and tore all of the labels off from all of her canned goods. She just laughed about it and said that we would be having a surprise every time we ate for a while. Mom fussed at me and threatened to whip me, but grandma just said, "Oh Myrtle, kids will be kids. She'd done no real harm." I was spared a whipping, but Mom said, "You should be ashamed of yourself, young lady. Now grandma won't know what she's opening."

Another time I was at grandmother's house rocking in my little red rocking chair that Daddy had surprised me with on his last weekend trip home. I was rocking away as hard as I could. The next thing I knew, my rocker turned over, and my head hit the floor. Mom and grandma both came running when they heard my cries. "You're okay," Mom said. "Lucky for you, you've got a hard head." Funny, but I was to be called hardheaded many times after that, but I didn't know it yet. One day my own husband would tell me that I was one hard-headed woman.

The last thing I remember about my early Mississippi days was the way I loved to play outside in grandma's front yard with the little doodlebugs that looked liked little Volkswagon cars. I was fascinated by the way they rolled their little bodies up. Mom thought I should be lady-like and play with dolls and keep clean all of the time, but I loved the dirt and the mud, and my favorite pastime was making mud pies. If you read my novels, you'll discover how I've used my young experiences in my work. Writers draw from personal experience to create realistic fiction, and I draw from mine to create characters with a blend and mixture of qualities and traits.

Now, you probably realize why I write about strawberries so much, but Whispering Cypress that releases August 15, 2012, is not about strawberries. Last Resort and Southern Superstitions were.

Now, I promised to share more of my favorite authors with you. My writing mentor is Eva Marie Everson, and she's written wonderful novels about Cedar Key, Florida. One of her books will be made into a movie. If you're not familiar with her, be sure to check out her work. She wrote Things Left Unspoken and This Fine Life, two novels I've read and reviewed on my blog as well as her first Cedar Key novel, Chasing Sunsets. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=eva+marie+everson

Tim Gautreaux was my creative-writing teacher in college when I penned my prize-winning short story. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Gautreaux.

Last, but certainly not least, I'll share more of my favorite Desert Breeze authors. Michelle Levigne wrote a novel that has stayed with me. She has a series, and you'll love her work. I loved Forgiven, read, and reviewed it on my blog.

http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-162/Michelle-Levigne-A-Tabor/Detail.bok.

Sadie and Sophie Cuffe have written a beautiful book, and I'm in the process of reading and reviewing it.
http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-225/The-Wainright-Trilogy-Book/Detail.bok. I love the title Faith in the Shadows.

Danielle Thorne has several titles. I love her vivid descriptions of the sea, ocean, and the way she relates those colors to her character's eyes. http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/Categories.bok. I'm presently reading By Heart and Compass, and I'm about half finished and loving those descriptions.

Desert Breeze's Editor in Chief, Gail Delaney, has many wonderful novels.
http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/Categories.bok Precious Things and Lighting Strikes Twice were among my favorites.

As you can see, I've read and reviewed many Desert Breeze titles, and there are more to come. So stay tuned and join us tomorrow to discover other Desert Breeze titles and authors B. J. Robinson has read and loved.

View the book trailer for Southern Superstitions here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNoo962DbF0&feature=share

Author Shawna K. Williams endorses Southern Superstitions by B. J. Robinson. She says, " Southern Superstitions is an inspirational story that’s full of personality, as well as intricacy in the way it explores the complexities of family and the conflict between faith and luck. Barbara does a great job at pulling together the deeply rooted superstitions of the South and entwining them into a suspenseful tale of faith, romance and endurance. I especially enjoyed the setting and culture of the deep South."

Read the first review here: http://www.amazon.com/review/RTXVLYH2JV0H3

Get a PDF file that may be read on your laptop or computer here, or ePub file. http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-249/Southern-Superstition-BJ-Robinson/Detail.bok

http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/StoreFront.bok Get the free companion book to Southern Superstitions here. They're side-by-side on the homepage of the publisher's.

http://www.acfw.com/blog/?p=2222 Enjoy an article on crafting a villain here.

Read the first two chapters free here and purchase for your Amazon Kindle. http://www.amazon.com/Southern-Superstitions-ebook/dp/B006X8GAWA/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326620592&sr=1-6

Southern Superstitions will be available at Barnes and Noble.com, Sony, Kobo, etc. but Amazon is the first to offer it.
B. J. Robinson is a member of the Christian Writers Guild (CWG), a graduate of Long Ridge Writing Institute, a friend of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), and belongs to several critique groups along with Nike Chillemi, author of Burning Hearts and Goodbye Noel. Her writing mentor at CWG was Eva Marie Everson during both courses. Karen O'Connor was her writing instructor with Long Ridge, and Tim Gautreaux was her creative-writing instructor in college. Visit her at http://barbarajrobinson.blogspot.com.

Author Spotlight - BJ Robinson shares some of her favorites from Desert Breeze

2012-01-25T06:00:00.000-08:00

Mother raised me on Cinderella and fairytales. She read to me at an early age on a daily basis, and I developed a love for reading and books before I ever started first grade at five years old. I always loved the school and the town libraries. I'd look forward to library day at school. Over the summer months, I practically lived in the library and would always join the Summer Reading Program. Three important people in my life led me to my love of reading and writing. My mom gave me my start on fairytales; my third-grade teacher submitted my short story about my pet dog to the local newspaper, and my fifth-grade teacher read me the Little House series, which is what I most looked forward to during my fifth-grade days at school. She knew how to leave off and keep us suspended, like a soap opera, so we couldn't wait to hear what happened next.

Growing up on Fairy Tales
(an excerpt from a memoir of the author’s
childhood and schooldays)

Before I was even old enough to read, Momma had me hooked on fairytales. She bought a new one for me each month out of the small social-security check she received after my father's death. She would rock me to sleep reading my favorite fairytales each night. I loved The Glass Mountain, Cinderella, and Snow White.

I was only four years old when my father died one cold Christmas Day in a charity hospital. Four years earlier, I'd been born in a charity hospital in New Orleans, Louisiana. We never had much, but I had not realized that. To me, before Daddy died, we had everything.

We lived in a small town on South Third Street in a rambling, white-apartment house. We only rented, but I didn't realize what that meant at the time. To me, we were rich; for, I was rich living in my make-believe world of fairy tales, rich in sunshine and fresh air, swinging in my board-and-rope swing underneath the giant-pecan tree in our front yard.

I was a happy little girl who had everything she could possibly want. I had a doting daddy, a loving mom, and a precious little sister, who was only four months old when our daddy died. Daddy would rock us and sing us to sleep, singing about our beautiful blue eyes, or Mother would read and rock us to sleep with fairytales. My world was rich, happy, and content. I wanted for nothing. Happy endings were all I knew then and now I write my own.

I was an outdoor's child who bounced up early to run outside into the sunshine yelling for Daddy to push me in the swing he had made for me underneath the old pecan. It didn't matter to me that it was not a store-bought swing, like Shelly across the road had. For, my daddy pushed me so high that my tiny feet nearly touched the low-hanging branches. I'd squeal with delight and scream, "Push me to the sky, Daddy!"

Daddy would laugh and say, "That's my girl. She already knows the sky is her limit."

Now, that you know how I developed my love for both reading and writing, I'll share some of my favorite authors with you. Since joining Desert Breeze Publishing, I've discovered some I'll keep on my reading list. If you haven't read any books by these DB colleagues, check them out.

Regina Andrews has a new release in her series. http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-244/Sterling-Lakes-Book-Three/Detail.bok

How do I know she's good? I read and reviewed her first one on my blog and loved it. Check it out here and be sure not to miss her second one either. http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-146/Regina-Andrews-Light-of/Detail.bok

Shawna K. Williams has several great books under her belt. Check them out so you can read them in order. I loved them all because they are deep. Here's a link to The Good Fight: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-223/The-Good-Fight-Shawna/Detail.bok

You simply can't miss Naomi Musch's The Green Veil and The Red Fury. I've read and reviewed both these novels on my blog, and loved them both because they are what I deem deep novels. I love the author's vivid description and details, her characterization, and the fact that the characters in these two novels remain with me long after closing the book. She'll rip your heart out. That's what I call evoking reader emotions, my type of book. Here's the link to her second novel, but by no means skip or forget the first. You really don't want to miss out on either. http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-217/Empire-in-Pines-Book/Detail.bok

Nike Chillemi has two wonderful novels. I've read and reviewed Burning Hearts on my blog and loved it. Her newest is Goodbye Noel, and I'll share the link here: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-234/Sanctuary-Point-Book-Two/Detail.bok

I've read so many great Desert Breeze authors, and I don't have room to list them all here. These are my favorite and most recent reads. Check back tomorrow, and I'll key you in on a few more. I'm a Nicholas Sparks fan. Love his writing style. Love his books because they touch the heart and soul, told like true love stories Chris Fabry's Dogwood is another novel I'll always remember, as is Lynn Austin's All She Ever Wanted. I read both of these novels a few summers ago, but they remain with me and stand out in my mind. I'll always remember them. A book that stays with you after you close the covers is my goal as a writer. I don't want to write easily forgotten fluff. There's enough of it already on the market. I aspire to write more like my favorite authors and with each new book I pen, I strive to reach that goal. I want to write books like the ones I enjoy reading.

Try our Desert Breeze authors. You'll discover we also have novels that stay with you after you close the cover and characters you won't soon forget. You can't beat DB covers, and I've discovered the formatting is much better than other lines of eBooks I've read on the market. I hope you'll remember Faith and Matt from Last Resort and June and Andy from Southern Superstitions. You can look forward to meeting Hackett and Spring in Whispering Cypress, which releases August 15, 2012. Live other worlds through great novels. Adventure with Faith and Matt, June and Andy, and Spring and Hackett. Visit me at http://barbarajrobinson.blogspot.com for an opportunity to win a free PDF of my newest release, Southern Superstitions and meet Andy and June! Be sure to check back tomorrow for a few words about other DB authors.

Book trailer for Southern Superstitions: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNoo962DbF0&feature=share

Book trailer for Last Resort: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juwF0dLLX6M&feature=youtu.be

Read a free excerpt for Last Resort: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-184/B-J-Robinson-Last/Detail.bok.

Free excerpt for Southern Superstitions: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-249/Southern-Superstition-BJ-Robinson/Detail.bok

Check my author page with my publisher for updates and new releases: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-template/BJRobinson/Page.bok

Author Shawna K. Williams endorses Southern Superstitions and says, " Southern Superstitions is an inspirational story that’s full of personality, as well as intricacy in the way it explores the complexities of family and the conflict between faith and luck. Barbara does a great job at pulling together the deeply rooted superstitions of the South and entwining them into a suspenseful tale of faith, romance and endurance. I especially enjoyed the setting and culture of the deep South."

Read the first two chapters free at Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Southern-Superstitions-ebook/dp/B006X8GAWA/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326620592&sr=1-6

Author and book reviewer Dolores Ayotte says, "BJ Robinson has done it again! Her novel Southern Superstitions hits home and shows her devotion to God, her love for strawberry farming, and her appreciation for life's simple pleasures." Read the first interview for my new release here and see what else Dolores has to say about Southern Superstitions.

http://www.amazon.com/review/RTXVLYH2JV0H3

Read a free excerpt at my publisher's, Desert Breeze Publishing, Inc. and if you need a PDF file to read on your laptop or computer, here's the place to snag one. Epub files are also available here.

http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-249/Southern-Superstition-BJ-Robinson/Detail.bok
Visit my author page for updates, new releases, and what's coming:

http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-template/BJRobinson/Page.bok

Visit my blog and sign to follow for an opportunity to win free novels. and discover new writers through book reviews. http://barbarajrobinson.blogspot.com

Visit another interview at: http://cuffesisters.com/2012/complimentary-cuffes/visiting-with-barbara-j-robinson/

B. J. Robinson makes her home in Florida with her husband, a cocker spaniel named Sunflower, a character in her romantic suspense novel Last Resort, an adopted shelter cat named Frankie, and a golden retriever named Honi. She's been writing since the third grade when her story about her pet dog was published in a local newspaper and hopes people have as much fun reading her novels as she did writing them. As an animal lover and for all pet lovers, her novels contain pets, usually dogs, but sometimes cats. Visit her at http://barbarajrobinson.blogspot.com.

Author Spotlight - Excerpt from "Southern Superstitions"

2012-01-24T06:00:00.000-08:00

Rod joined the search party to help investigate his dad's disappearance. It'd disbanded at nightfall and picked up the search again at daybreak, but they'd found no sign of his dad. Rod guided a canoe deep into the marshes and swamps. He'd hunted with his father many times in these wetlands so he knew where to check. No word or sign of his father made the cold, Christmas season stab like an ice pick, and his heart ached for his mother, left alone.

He slid the canoe through a wall of cypress trees, deeper and deeper into the heart of the swamp. He figured his father headed for the hills. White cranes flew from the cypress limbs. The canoe hit a cypress knee, and Rod gently eased it around a few more. The way they stuck out of the shallow water, like protruding nubs, they reminded him of his grandmother's warning finger wagging in his face. They could tear a hole in the bottom of a boat. Thank God my boat survived the lick. Maybe that's what happened to Dad.

Finally, after twelve hours of searching, Rod spotted his dad's pirogue on the side of the hill, where they'd hunted the previous year. He tied his canoe to a tree limb. "Dad!" He raced to the dome tent and unzipped the door. "Dad?" The tent looked as if his dad made camp, but hadn't yet used it. The sleeping bag was still rolled up in a corner. The butt of his dad's 30-30 stuck out from under a sleeping bag. The supplies were still there. Outside, there was no sign of a campfire. It looked as though he never got to hunt. There was no sign of him. Where was he?

Rod picked up the rifle and carried it back to his canoe. He left the other items in case his dad returned looking for them.
They searched until dark. Rod dreaded giving his mother the disappointing news. She'd worry even more, because the pirogue was in perfect condition and so was the tent. No leaking pirogue kept him from coming home. The campsite looked peaceful and serene, not like anything bad had happened, but still there was no sign of his father.

Mom's on pins and needles, yet she clings to her faith and trust in God. I hear her faithfully pray for Dad's safe return. Maybe she won't fall apart when she hears the news but oh, how I dread having to tell her.

A Favorite Line: It was faith in God that would bring her husband home. Even a lucky penny or a dime declared, In God we trust.

B. J. Robinson writes inspirational Christian fiction in the romantic suspense genre from Florida, where she lives with her husband, a cat named Frankie, a cocker spaniel named Sunflower, and a golden retriever named Honi. Sunflower is a character in her first romantic suspense, Last Resort. Her children are grown and have made her a grandmother multiple times. She won first prize for her short story in college, the one from which she developed Southern Superstitions, and it was published in the university's literary magazine. She developed her love for mystery through Nancy Drew books, her love for reading from her mother, who read fairytales to her before she began school, and her fifth grade teacher, who read the entire Laura Ingalls Wilder Little House series to the class. Her love for writing came from God and her third grade teacher who submitted her first published story about her dog to a local newspaper. She's been writing ever since, and her first college essay was published. Her prize-winning short story has been published multiple times. She promises to take her readers on a continuous journey to another world. Reading and writing are her passions, and Jesus is her best friend. Visit her at http://barbarajrobinson.blogspot.com.

View the book trailer for Southern Superstitions here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNoo962DbF0&feature=share

Author Shawna K. Williams endorses Southern Superstitions by B. J. Robinson. She says, " Southern Superstitions is an inspirational story that’s full of personality, as well as intricacy in the way it explores the complexities of family and the conflict between faith and luck. Barbara does a great job at pulling together the deeply rooted superstitions of the South and entwining them into a suspenseful tale of faith, romance and endurance. I especially enjoyed the setting and culture of the deep South."

Read the first review here: http://www.amazon.com/review/RTXVLYH2JV0H3

Get a PDF file that may be read on your laptop or computer here, or ePub file. http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-249/Southern-Superstition-BJ-Robinson/Detail.bok

http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/StoreFront.bok Get the free companion book to Southern Superstitions here. They're side-by-side on the homepage of the publisher's.

http://www.acfw.com/blog/?p=2222 Enjoy an article on crafting a villain here.

Read the first two chapters free here and purchase for your Amazon Kindle. http://www.amazon.com/Southern-Superstitions-ebook/dp/B006X8GAWA/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326620592&sr=1-6

Southern Superstitions will be available at Barnes and Noble.com, Sony, Kobo, etc. but Amazon is the first to offer it.

Author Spotlight - Q&A with BJ Robinson

2012-01-23T06:00:00.000-08:00

STEPH: I don't know much about "Southern Superstitions." What's it about?

BJ: Prayer versus Southern superstitions when a woman's husband mysteriously disappears in the swamp on a deer-hunting trip. As steamy as the hot, thick, sticky heat of Louisiana, this page-turner will keep readers in suspense, as the author spins a tale of love, loss, superstition, pain, heartache, and faith in God. God and the power of prayer versus Southern superstitions.

Reviewer Kathy Boswell says, "Very good! She never gives up hope that Andy will return to her someday. She puts it all in God's hands like she's done every crisis in her life. She knows He will take care of this for her." Through belief, faith, hard work, the power of prayer, and God's help, this powerful, moving story is a thought-provoking Christian romantic suspense about a young couple who fall in love, but have to change her mother's mind in more ways than one, if their relationship is to survive. Can Andy convince June there's more to their relationship than friends? Will he win the approval of Myrtle, her mother, and can love survive strawberry season and an April flood? Will June be able to give Andy a child?

The Lord Has Something Better in Mind is the free companion to Southern Superstitions, and they are side-by-side on the publisher's homepage. I developed my new release from the short story that is the freebie. It was a first-prize winning one in fiction-writing competition in college. I had to alter the story some from its original version to develop the novel but June, Andy, and Myrtle are still the main character. The original short story was published in Southeastern Louisiana University's literary magazine and ran as a three-part serial on the front page of my hometown newspaper along with my picture for three weeks in a row. It was later published in St. Cloud in the News and an online magazine.

STEPH: How long did it take you to write?

BJ: It took nine months to write, and I spent another six months reworking and rewriting it. I had fun writing this novel about the South where I grew up, and I feel I grew as a writer by reworking and rewriting it.

STEPH: Did you have to do a lot of research for the novel?

BJ: I didn't have much research for this one since I lived in the area and was reared with strawberries, God's Word, and southern superstitions. I picked berries before school in the morning for a local schoolteacher and worked in them on the weekends for my aunt to earn extra spending money.

STEPH: Where did you get the inspiration for the story?

BJ: I grew up listening to Mom harp on superstitions and quote Bible verses. I thought the conflict between superstitions vs. faith and prayer would make an interesting novel, and Mom loved the idea and the rough draft that my youngest sister read to her over and over before her death. I felt like I captured part of my mother in Myrtle's character, and mother's middle name was Myrtle. As I said she had the book read to her before her death and loved it, even the character's name. Other inspiration came from watching the hard life of strawberry farmers and their plight when the season and weather didn't make earning a living easy. I wanted to illustrate the power of prayer and pen a novel that would showcase it.

STEPH:What do you hope will resonate with readers after they read the story?

BJ: Devotion to God, faith, hope, and appreciation for life's simple pleasures and nature. Our creative God gifted us with so many free gifts to make life enjoyable and worth living. People don't have to spend a lot of money on a date to have one worth remembering. The simple things in life matter most and will be remembered more. Place your trust in God, faith, and prayer instead of superstitions.

STEPH: Hollywood is calling. Cast the lead characters.

BJ: Carrie Underwood is June because she has faith, loves country music, and is hard working. Brad Paisley could be Andy, but he has the wrong coloring. I picture him more as a Kenny Chesney type as far as looks.

STEPH: June is the heroine. What are her strengths? Weakness?

BJ: June is a hard-working woman who doesn't give up easily, and her faith is much stronger than a mustard seed. It's what keeps her going. She's determined and uses her time productively. Those are her strengths. Her weaknesses are letting Myrtle bring her spirits down, and worrying about giving Andy a child. Even though she has great faith, she still worries about certain things. Her love for Andy is so strong she feels lost without him by her side, but she doesn't give up hope.

STEPH: What does Andy find attractive about June?

BJ: He loves the fact that she appreciates nature as he does, and she's not afraid of getting dirty to follow him on excursions through the woods. She's down-to-earth, honest, hardworking, and doesn't put on airs, all qualities he likes. He's also attracted to her outward beauty, but he's more interested in her interior qualities.

STEPH: Do you have an ebook reader? If so, which one?

BJ: I have a Nook, but I got an iPad for my birthday/Christmas present and use it now instead. I love the iPad because it has a built-in light that allows me to read after dark, unlike my Nook. I could use the Nook with a lamp though. I love eReading and no longer like to read paperbacks or hardbacks because I can read so much better and faster, and it's much easier on my eyes. I also travel much lighter with 200 books instead of a tote bag heavy with a few.

STEPH: Fun question: Do you make New Year's resolutions? Any you care to share?

BJ:I used to make them, but I don't anymore. I wonder if I ever kept them. If I had made any, they would have been to exercise more, lose weight, and write more.

Watch the book trailer for Southern Superstitions created by Michelle Sutton:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNoo962DbF0&feature=share

Author Shawna K. Williams endorses Southern Superstitions and says, " Southern Superstitions is an inspirational story that’s full of personality, as well as intricacy in the way it explores the complexities of family and the conflict between faith and luck. Barbara does a great job at pulling together the deeply rooted superstitions of the South and entwining them into a suspenseful tale of faith, romance and endurance. I especially enjoyed the setting and culture of the deep South."

Read the first two chapters free at Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Southern-Superstitions-ebook/dp/B006X8GAWA/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326620592&sr=1-6

Author and book reviewer Dolores Ayotte says, "BJ Robinson has done it again! Her novel Southern Superstitions hits home and shows her devotion to God, her love for strawberry farming, and her appreciation for life's simple pleasures." Read the first interview for my new release here and see what else Dolores has to say about Southern Superstitions.

http://www.amazon.com/review/RTXVLYH2JV0H3

Read a free excerpt at my publisher's, Desert Breeze Publishing, Inc. and if you need a PDF file to read on your laptop or computer, here's the place to snag one. Epub files are also available here.

http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-249/Southern-Superstition-BJ-Robinson/Detail.bok

Visit my author page for updates, new releases, and what's coming:
http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-template/BJRobinson/Page.bok

Visit my blog and sign to follow for an opportunity to win free novels. and discover new writers through book reviews.
http://barbarajrobinson.blogspot.com

Visit another interview at: http://cuffesisters.com/2012/complimentary-cuffes/visiting-with-barbara-j-robinson/

The "Sweet" Blogger Award

2012-01-21T06:00:00.000-08:00

Doesn't this strawberry chantilly pie look yummy? The Desert Breeze blog was nominated by author Vijaya Schartz, who writes in a wide range of science fiction romance. Visit her blog, Romancing Sci-Fi at: http://romancingscifi.blogspot.com/ I've read Vijaya's Chronicles of Kassouk series and I love how creative and imaginative it is. I highly recomment it for all romance readers.

Since the rules for this award say that I have to nominate ten other blogs, and tell you seven things you may not know about Desert Breeze. Here goes:

I nominate the following blogs:
AR NORRIS, Adventures of a Sci-Fi Writer: http://sci-fiadventures.blogspot.com/

DANIELLE THORNE, The Balanced Writer:http://thebalancedwriter.blogspot.com

DIANE CRAVER, Diane's Blog:http://www.dianecraver.com/blog/

K DAWN BYRD: http://kdawnbyrd.blogspot.com/

MELANIE ATKINS: http://melanieatkins.wordpress.com/

NICOLE ZOLTACK, Where Fantasy and Love Take Flight: http://nicolezoltack.blogspot.com/

SUSANNE MARIE KNIGHT: http://romancewritingwithatwist.blogspot.com/

THE CUFFE SISTERS, Off the Cuffe, http://cuffesisters.com/off-the-cuffe/

BJ ROBINSON' BLOG: http://barbarajrobinson.blogspot.com/

CELIA YEARY: http://celiayeary.blogspot.com/

7 Things about Desert Breeze:

#1 - Opened in April 2009.

#2 - Cover Artist Jenifer Ranieri won EPIC's Quasar Award for her cover of "White Tiger" by Vijaya Schartz.

#3 - Gail Delaney's novel, "Something Better" was nominated for an EPIC award.

#4 - Cover Model Jimmy Thomas is on Anne Patrick's "Renegade Hearts."

#5 - Desert Breeze will offer print books of several titles in the summer of 2012.

#6 - Celia Yeary's "The Stars at Night" is a 5 Hearts Sweethearts of the Week" winner at The Romance Studio.

#7 - Stephanie Burkhart's "The Count's Lair" is a 2011 Silver Award Winner in the Romance: Sci-Fi/Fantasy category from Reader's Favorites.

Author Spotlight - Excerpt from "Opposites Attract"

2012-01-20T06:00:00.000-08:00

Thanks so much for supporting Angela during her spotlight week featuring "Opposites Attract." Leave a comment on the excerpt post today, Saturday, and Sunday, and on Monday I'll pick a winner out of a hat to receive a PDF copy of Angela's story, "Opposites Attract."

Enjoy the excerpt!
Smiles
Moderator Steph

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

THE SET UP: Holly and Brett are in Paris for the weekend courtesy of the 'Opposites Attract' agency. They've just spent the evening touring the city with their parents and are about to return to their hotel.

Brett's hand grasped her arm and pulled her back in the shadows as their parents walked towards the waiting taxi. "You're not tired, are you? I thought we might walk back to the hotel. Maybe grab a coffee on the way."

She couldn't make the excuse of having on unsuitable shoes and didn't think she could convincingly claim the awareness zinging through her was fatigue. Before she could deny him. Brett shouted over to his father.

"We'll catch you later. Don't wait for us. We're going to walk a while and see some more sights."

There was no protest from her mother. What a surprise. Good old Mum might as well have handed her to Brett on a plate.

The black car drove away, leaving them alone on the street. Brett grabbed Holly's hand and strode off, dragging her along at his fast pace.

What was with the man?

After several minutes he slowed down, stared around and headed off again in front of the Trocadero fountains. Out of the blue, he stopped at one of the pavement cafés.

"Sit."

Holly resented being dragged around like a mongrel, and she hated taking orders. She opened her mouth to complain, but something in his no-nonsense tone made her obey. She stayed quiet as he ordered two coffees in perfect French. Well, at least she couldn't tell the difference between his accent and the waiter's.

She sipped her drink while he stared down at the table and didn't speak. Finally, Holly couldn't stand it any more. "So what's your problem now? You dragged me here and now you're glaring at the coffee cup as if it contains arsenic. If you can't be better company, I'll get a taxi and leave you to your sulk."

Brett flung his head up. "You're dense, aren't you?"

She didn't answer because he plainly didn't mean her to.

"Come on. I'll walk you home." He growled the words, making her wonder if there was some kind of latent madness in him she should worry about.

He jerked her to her feet, spilling his untouched cup. Holly watched the liquid spread over the glass table and drip off the edge to the pavement beneath.

"Why? You wanted to walk and see some more of the city..."

"No, I didn't." He fixed her with an angry stare.

"Well, that's what you said. What do you really want?"

Brett gave an exasperated sigh. "You must be the most obtuse woman on the planet. This is what I want."

He seized her face with his strong hands and pulled her close. Brett's fingers pressed into her skin and his mouth covered her lips.

At first, his kisses were hard and demanding. Just when she would have pulled away, he changed tactics and nipped gently at her lips with his teeth. The wild sensations about drove Holly out of her mind and she moaned with pleasure. His tongue teased her lips until she gave way and allowed him in. She tasted whisky and passion, and she couldn't get enough. Her skin tingled everywhere Brett touched as one large hand moved down her spine.

PUBLISHER'S BUY LINK:http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-248/Opposites-Attract-Angela-Britnell/Detail.bok

Author Spotlight - Angela Britnell talks about using theme in Opposites Attract

2012-01-19T06:00:00.000-08:00

I was thinking about why I write a certain kind of stories and it struck me that the title of my new book sums it up perfectly. At their core my novels all involve some kind of attraction of opposites from geographical to personality or lifestyle.

In 'Opposites Attract' Holly is a very correct, neatly dressed Englishwoman with an organized life. To make things interesting she had to be unwillingly matched with Brett, her complete antithesis. He's Southern to the core, relaxed in his appearance and laid-back way of life. It's fun to play around with the culture differences and I don't need to look any further for research than my own marriage! Brett's dislike of English hamburgers and Holly's revulsion of okra are easy outward signs of the much deeper differences they need to overcome. The main characters in my next book, 'It's Complicated', are both English but are still about as opposite as possible. Emily is a quietly spoken math professor with a limited social life and content to stay that way. And then there's Ash - a tattooed professional poker player with a playboy lifestyle. When they meet it's another huge clash.

But underneath that surface oppositeness deep down my characters have to have the same desires and values. They all want to love and be loved in return, to live a good productive life and raise a family together.

The getting there can't be too easy for them because after all who wants to read about two perfectly compatible people with no obstacles to their Happy Ever After.

PUBLISHER'S BUY LINK: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-248/Opposites-Attract-Angela-Britnell/Detail.bok

Author Spotlight - Angela Britnell talks about characters & her favorites

2012-01-18T06:00:00.000-08:00

There are always discussions about which is more important - character or plot? When I think about my favorite books and authors it's the characters I remember most. I have to care about what happens to them as the story evolves or in all probability I won't finish the book.

One of my all time favorite books is 'The Rector's Wife' by English author Joanna Trollope. Anna Bouverie is the rector's wife, a woman struggling to be what her husband needs until she realizes she's losing herself and has to make difficult choices. Joanna makes you care deeply about Anna from the very first page and I would love to possess just a small amount of her skill. I'm a big fan of good detective novels and particularly Colin Dexter's Inspector Morse - irascible, highly intelligent, and loaded with bad habits. And then there's Jamie Fraser - Diana Gabaldon's 'Outlander' hero. A 6' 4" Scotsman with flaming red hair - what's not to remember?

In 'Opposites Attract' Holly presents a stern façade to the world to protect herself from being hurt. I wanted to see her break down those barriers and realize how much richer her life would be if she became true to herself. Brett appears to have everything but I enjoyed watching him face up to how lonely a 'successful' life can be.

Do you think an intriguing plot makes up for less than fascinating characters or are you on the same wavelength as me? Which characters have stuck with you and why? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

PUBLISHER'S BUY LINK: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-248/Opposites-Attract-Angela-Britnell/Detail.bok

Author Spotlight -Character Interview with Brett & Holly from Opposites Attract

2012-01-17T06:00:00.000-08:00

Sally Fowke, owner of the 'Opposites Attract' dating agency, is interviewing Holly and Brett in London after their return from a weekend in Paris.

So Holly, did you enjoy Paris with the man we chose specially for you?

HOLLY. Paris was lovely and it was a pleasure to spend time with my mother.

Brett, I think the lady's being coy. How would you say the weekend went?

BRETT. Being a gentleman I'm not about to do a kiss and tell. Let's just say we had us a pretty good time didn't we sweetheart?

HOLLY. That's one way of phrasing it but how many times have I asked you to use my proper name? You wouldn't want me to revert to calling you a ..."

You two certainly have a little spark going. Are you both glad you signed up for my wonderful agency?

BRETT. It's sure been an experience. Y'all certainly know what you're doin.'

HOLLY. Oh for goodness sake -- when are you going to stop laying on the syrupy charm?

BRETT. When it stops workin' honey.

HOLLY. I've had enough I'm off.

But I haven't finished. I need a photo of you together for the newspaper.

HOLLY. I hope you're joking.

BRETT. What is it you Brits say? Don't be a spoilsport? Come here and snuggle into me.

HOLLY. Not in this lifetime.

I think we'll leave it for now. You're probably both tired.

BRETT. I sure am. She about wore me out.

HOLLY. That's it I've had quite enough. Miss. Fowke I'd appreciate you taking me off the agency's books. One weekend was more than enough.

Some women don't know when they're lucky, do they Mister Adair?

BRETT. They sure don't. But she will soon. I can promise you that.

PUBLISHER'S BUY LINK: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-248/Opposites-Attract-Angela-Britnell/Detail.bok

Author Spotlight - Q&A with Angela Britnell

2012-01-16T06:00:00.000-08:00

STEPH: I don't know much about "Opposites Attract." What's it about?

ANGELA: The 'Opposites Attract' dating agency has the theory if normal matchmaking hasn't worked for you then try it their way. They turn things around and purposely mismatch people. Holly and Brett are content with their single lives but their parents aren't and give them subscriptions to the agency. Holly, an uptight British policewoman and Brett, a laid-back Southern writer couldn't be more opposite. They're thrown together on a weekend in Paris. It turns magical but secrets, lies and sheer stubbornness threaten the romance before it hardly gets off the ground. Holly and Brett will fight love all the way and it’s a question of who’ll give in first.

STEPH: Where did you find the inspiration for the story?

ANGELA: So many people these days find love in what would’ve been considered unconventional ways. I kept reading about on-line dating sites and agencies and they all stress how carefully they try to match people. It got me thinking about what would happen if they purposely did the opposite. Also I’ve been married for nearly 30 years to a wonderful man and we're opposite in many ways. I’m pretty sure no dating agency would ever have matched us.

STEPH: How long did it take to write?

ANGELA: I think about four months – it was one of those stories which flowed pretty quickly.

STEPH: Did you have to do a lot of research for the story?

ANGELA: Not too much. The three settings for the story are all places I’ve been. Plymouth in England was very familiar as it’s not that far from where I grew up and I lived near there while in the Royal Navy many years ago. I’ve been to Paris several times so just needed to do some online research to refresh my memory about certain places. As for the Smokey Mountains I’ve visited there multiple times. On one visit there I photographed a log cabin which a year later was the inspiration for Brett’s favorite home.

STEPH: Holly is the heroine. What are her strengths? Weaknesses?

ANGELA: Her strengths are that she’s very smart, determined and completely focused on her job. She’s also very loyal to the mother who’s essentially brought her up alone. The problem is that the same determination and focus are also her weaknesses at times. She doesn’t believe it’s possible to have a private life and do her job well. Holly’s seen a lot of police marriages fail because of those conflicts. Also she is wary of loving a man ‘too much’ because she saw how hard it was for her own mother to keep going after her father’s tragic death.

STEPH: What does Brett find appealing about Holly?

ANGELA: Physically he’s very attracted to her and enjoys the fact she’s intelligent and he can talk to her both in and out of the bedroom. He appreciates her witty sense of humor when she relaxes enough to show him that side of her.

STEPH: Hollywood is calling. Cast the main characters.

ANGELA: I’d try to persuade Dierks Bentley the country singer to take the part of Brett – he just looks so much like the Brett of my imagination. Emily Blunt could do Holly well – she’d just need a little time in the tanning salon to mimic Holly’s Mediterranean coloring better!

STEPH: Do you have a eBook reader? If so, which one? What do you like about it?

ANGELA: I got a Kindle about three years ago and love it although I still read plenty of print books as well. I travel back to England frequently and it saves me carrying five or six books in my carry on bag. Another bonus is the fact I can watch TV and read at the same time without my hated bi-focal glasses by adjusting the Kindle’s font size.

STEPH: What's your writing space like?

When my oldest son moved out several years ago I commandeered his bedroom and turned it into my office. I painted it peach and put up lace curtains to guarantee he wouldn’t want it back! I’ve got a lovely oak desk which belonged to my father-law, a sofa, bookcase and most important of all a tea table. Without regular doses of hot tea this writing brain doesn’t function!

STEPH: Fun question: Do you make new year's resolutions? Did you make one this year?

ANGELA: I have done in the past but not this year – it’s one less thing to fail at!

Author Spotlight - Excerpt from "Twilight Over Moldavia"

2012-01-13T06:00:00.000-08:00

Thank you for supporting me during my spotlight week. Leave a comment on today's excerpt post today, Saturday and Sunday and on Monday I'll choose a winner to recieve a PDF copy of "Twilight Over Moldavia." Hope your new year is off to a great start.

Smiles
Moderator Steph

*********

Stefan gestured toward the door, and Caroline followed him down an empty hall. Stefan came to a secret door and opened it. It led out into the gardens near the gardenias. Gas lamps lit the walking path. He directed Caroline away from the lights of the ballroom to a small bench next to the roses and sat beside her. He took both of her hands in his and gazed into her eyes.

"I saw a man in town several days ago. He accosted me."

Concern grew on her face. "What did he want?"

"He scratched me and licked my blood."

"How awful."

"He told me I was 'pure.' The same man confronted me two years ago when we were promised to each other in Ploesti."

She crossed her arms. "What did he look like?"

"He had yellow eyes. I described his appearance to my father. He said the man is a werewolf."

"A werewolf is after you?" Her voice broke with apprehension.

"I hate to believe it, but I cannot ignore the evidence."

"What did your father say when you told him?"

"He needs more information, but he's convinced the man who attacked me is a wolf." Caroline stood and turned her face toward the sky. Stefan stepped up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "I sense worry and fear in you."

"Of course I'm worried."
"For me?"

She turned to face him. "Yes. I wasn't quite expecting this upon our engagement. I thought my intended would tell me how he looked forward to seeing me in person, how absence had made his heart grow fonder, not that he might be hunted by a werewolf."

He curved his fingers around her chin and met her gaze, praying he could drive away her apprehension. "I'm sorry. I wanted to be honest with you. Absence has made my heart grow fonder."

She bit her lower lip and grew silent. Stefan sensed her conflicted emotions. She truly did care for him, but concern tumbled next to her happiness at seeing him again. And he had to talk about werewolves first and not how glad he was to see her again. How clumsy of him.

"Forgive me. I am delighted to see you in person again. You're wearing my necklace."

"I am." Her cheeks reddened. "Do you still have my scarf?"

"It's in my vest pocket. I keep it close to me at all times."

"That warms my heart."

He trailed his fingers down her neck and rested them on her shoulder. Oh, how he could get lost in her sparkling blue eyes. "I'm sorry, but we must speak of the creature."

She nodded.

"He poses a real danger to me. Do you want to postpone our engagement? I can talk to our fathers."

She drew in a deep breath, turned away, and stared at the moon.

"Caroline?" he prompted.

Author Spotlight - Character Interview with Princess Caroline of Carpathia

2012-01-12T06:00:00.000-08:00

Anna Hathaway inspiration for "Caroline"

GAEL: Hi, I'm Gael, the owner of "MUSEum" the bar where all muses hang out from the Desert Breeze Anthology, "Be Mused." The bar is a place to come and unwind and take a break. On occasion I get a celebrity in. How can I resist an interview?

With us today is Princess Caroline Moldoneavu from "Twilight Over Moldavia." It's great to have you here today, Your Highness. Tell us, how did you meet Prince Stefan?

CAROLINE: We met in the woods outside of Dragon's Keep, my ancestral home. I shot the prince with an arrow.

GAEL: Oh, you cupid! Or should I say Aphrodite?

CAROLINE: Aphrodite, I'm not. I'm much more skilled with a bow and arrow. It was an accident – how embarrassing! My father would be so disappointed. Thankfully, Stefan wasn't hurt.

GAEL: That's good he wasn't. How did he react to being shot with an arrow?

CAROLINE: He just stared at me. I'd never had a man look at me like he did. Then I noticed he had a flesh wound so I wrapped my scarf around his leg to stop the bleeding.

GAEL: Oh, I'm sure he appreciated the gesture.

CAROLINE: I did get a small smile out of him. I'd never touched a man before, but when I placed my hand on his thigh, I grew warm all over. I knew right then and there he was special.

GAEL: Did he know who you were when you shot him?

CAROLINE: No! Our parents had just formally arranged our marriage and I was too embarrassed to admit I was the Crown Princess of Carpathia and his betrothed so I lied and told him my name was Aurora. And it is – just my middle name.

GAEL: That's not very noble.

CAROLINE: He lied, too. He told me his name was Sebastian. I thought I'd never see him again. When he left, he took my scarf I'd wrapped around his leg. It was a family heirloom my mother knitted for me. She was disappointed that I'd lost it.

GAEL: When did you see Stefan next?

CAROLINE: I was waiting in the great hall with my family to be introduced to the Sigmaringens from Moldavia and meet my betrothed. Sebastian walked in wearing the uniform of Moldavian's Crown Prince. I almost fainted.

GAEL: I'm sure he was surprised as well.

CAROLINE: Both of us were stunned. My mother had to nudge me to curtsey with one of her scowls.

GAEL: I'm sure your mother was polite. She's a queen, after all.

CAROLINE: My mother is always disappointed with me and if it isn't one thing, it's another. Thankfully, Stefan saved the moment by producing my scarf, she thought I'd lost.

GAEL: I heard the prince was a real gentleman. How did the rest of your night go?

CAROLINE: Not like I expected, I assure you. If you don’t mind, I'm late meeting my grandmother. She's giving me a lesson in witchcraft.

GAEL: You're a witch, too?

CAROLINE: It's a long story.

GAEL: Congratulations on your engagement.

CAROLINE: Thank you. (dashes off)

GAEL: Sounds like their romance is off to an interesting start. I just might have to have the prince over to MUSEum some time soon. –wink--

BLURB: Would you marry a man cursed to become a werewolf?

4 Stars, Vijaya Schartz, author
In this novel full of danger and intrigue, sexy scenes, and unspeakable secrets, the werewolves are the villains, and oh how dangerous they are, and unwashed, and uncivilized. The kind of villains you love to hate.

5 Stars, Mona Risk, Author "No More Lies"
Burkhart's writing style grabs the reader from the first page. She keeps you breathless with her suspense as she transports you to exotic areas you will enjoy discovering.

Barbara Hodges, Author, "The Blue Flame"
Twilight Over Moldavia whisked me into a part of the world I knew nothing about, and gave me a wonderful love story filled with suspense too. What more could a reader desire? I will be reading the first book in this series and will be looking for the third, I can’t hardly wait.

BUY LINKS:

ALL ROMANCE EBOOKS:
http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-moldavianmoonbooktwotwilightovermoldavia-667833-139.html

AMAZON KINDLE:
http://www.amazon.com/Moldavian-Moon-Book-Two-ebook/dp/B006RQ7LU8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1325479348&sr=8-1

PUBLISHER'S BUY LINK:
http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-247/Moldavian-Moon-Book-Two/Detail.bok

WEBSITE:
http://www.stephanieburkhart.com

TWITTER:
http://twitter.com/StephBurkhart

FACEBOOK:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stephanie-Burkhart-Author/149938795021166

GOOD READS:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4031660.Stephanie_Burkhart

Author Spotlight - The Inspiration behind "Twilight Over Moldavia"

2012-01-11T06:00:00.000-08:00

When I was a young girl, I used to watch "Creature Double Feature" on Saturdays and became convinced that there were beings who went bump in the night like vampires, werewolves, witches, and zombies. Silly me – I thought if I covered my neck with my sheets the vampires couldn't get me. Oh, and I never did figure out what happened to all the lint under the bed so I think there was merit to my theory.

All those creatures of the night resonated with that young girl so when I grew up, I wanted to write about them. Being the optimist I am, I gravitated toward romance writing. When I discovered paranormal writing, I'd knew I'd found my niche.

In 2005, I wanted to write a paranormal romance about a werewolf. Vampires were pretty popular back then and I wanted to explore the wolf. My idea? I wanted to write a fairytale in reverse where the princess had to save the prince. Inspiration had taken root.

I threw a dash of gothic and a pinch of moonlight into the plot and wrote "Twilight Over Moldavia." Prince Stefan had been cursed to become a werewolf on his 18th birthday. Can Caroline's love save him? I wrote the first draft then tackled "The Wolf's Torment," explaining how Stefan came to be cursed. I went through several drafts of each and my self-published "The Wolf's Torment" in 2007 had more horror elements than romantic ones. In 2009, I signed contracts with Desert Breeze for the Moldavian Moon Series. The published version of "Twilight Over Moldavia" is draft #4. It's a story close to my heart because I love how Caroline and Stefan come together to face adversity. I usually don't draw inspiration from music, but for their story, I drew a lot from "Astronomy" by Blue Oyster Cult. Inspiration comes from the willingness to explore - and Blue Oyster Cult.

BLURB: Would you marry a man cursed to become a werewolf?

4 Stars, Vijaya Schartz, author
In this novel full of danger and intrigue, sexy scenes, and unspeakable secrets, the werewolves are the villains, and oh how dangerous they are, and unwashed, and uncivilized. The kind of villains you love to hate.

5 Stars, Mona Risk, Author "No More Lies"
Burkhart's writing style grabs the reader from the first page. She keeps you breathless with her suspense as she transports you to exotic areas you will enjoy discovering.

Barbara Hodges, Author, "The Blue Flame"
Twilight Over Moldavia whisked me into a part of the world I knew nothing about, and gave me a wonderful love story filled with suspense too. What more could a reader desire? I will be reading the first book in this series and will be looking for the third, I can’t hardly wait.

BOOK TRAILER: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSAhxv0lTIM

BUY LINKS:

ALL ROMANCE EBOOKS:
http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-moldavianmoonbooktwotwilightovermoldavia-667833-139.html

AMAZON KINDLE:
http://www.amazon.com/Moldavian-Moon-Book-Two-ebook/dp/B006RQ7LU8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1325479348&sr=8-1

PUBLISHER'S BUY LINK:
http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-247/Moldavian-Moon-Book-Two/Detail.bok

WEBSITE:
http://www.stephanieburkhart.com

TWITTER:
http://twitter.com/StephBurkhart

FACEBOOK:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stephanie-Burkhart-Author/149938795021166

GOOD READS:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4031660.Stephanie_Burkhart

Author Spotlight - Meet the Cast of "Twilight Over Moldavia"

2012-01-10T06:00:00.000-08:00

Agim Kaba circa 2005

I enjoy casting my characters. For me, it helps to give my character bios added depth. I hope you enjoy my choices:

Prince Stefan Sigmaringen: Agim Kaba

I saw Agim on "As The World Turns" and I enjoyed his acting. I thought he'd be perfect for the young cursed prince.

Princess Caroline Moldoveanu: Anne Hathaway

When I started writing this story back in 2005, I think Anne's biggest role at the time was "The Princess Diaries" and I loved her as the long lost princess. She captures nobility well.

Prince Michael Bacau: Dax Griffin

Michael has gone through various casting changes, but when I saw Dax, I knew I had my Michael. He's got that fierce, intense look to him combined with rugged handsomeness.

Lady Rosa Getzi: Jessica Alba

Jessica has a very exotic look which is perfect for Rosa.

Queen Theresa Sigmaringen: Julianne Moore

Young Theresa in The Wolf's Torment was Jennifer Ferrin and I think Julianne Moore is perfect to play the older, tortured Moldavian Queen as her dynamic acting can take Theresa from pride to despair in seconds.

Countess Alina Getzi: Selma Hayek

Selma has the exotic look at Alina requires and also captures that air of mysticism that the character embodies as well.

King Mihai Sigmaringen: Jon Hensley

Hensley's aged well and so has King Mihai.

Lady Elyse Corvinus: Julie Andrews

I didn't realize it at the time of my casting selection, but Andrews played Hathaway's grandmother in "The Princess Dairies." These two are perfect to play a granddaughter/grandmother relationship.

Timon:

I'm embarrased, I can't remember his name. Help me out. Richard, I believe? He's British and a well known character actor. He's got the look for Timon, the bad wolf in the series.

BLURB: Would you marry a man cursed to become a werewolf?

4 Stars, Vijaya Schartz, author
In this novel full of danger and intrigue, sexy scenes, and unspeakable secrets, the werewolves are the villains, and oh how dangerous they are, and unwashed, and uncivilized. The kind of villains you love to hate.

5 Stars, Mona Risk, Author "No More Lies"
Burkhart's writing style grabs the reader from the first page. She keeps you breathless with her suspense as she transports you to exotic areas you will enjoy discovering.

Barbara Hodges, Author, "The Blue Flame"
Twilight Over Moldavia whisked me into a part of the world I knew nothing about, and gave me a wonderful love story filled with suspense too. What more could a reader desire? I will be reading the first book in this series and will be looking for the third, I can’t hardly wait.

BOOK TRAILER: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSAhxv0lTIM

BUY LINKS:

ALL ROMANCE EBOOKS:
http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-moldavianmoonbooktwotwilightovermoldavia-667833-139.html

AMAZON KINDLE:
http://www.amazon.com/Moldavian-Moon-Book-Two-ebook/dp/B006RQ7LU8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1325479348&sr=8-1

PUBLISHER'S BUY LINK:
http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-247/Moldavian-Moon-Book-Two/Detail.bok

WEBSITE:
http://www.stephanieburkhart.com

TWITTER:
http://twitter.com/StephBurkhart

FACEBOOK:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stephanie-Burkhart-Author/149938795021166

GOOD READS:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4031660.Stephanie_Burkhart

Author Spotlight - Q&A with Stephanie Burkhart

2012-01-09T06:00:00.000-08:00

Question: I don't know much about "Twilight Over Moldavia." What's it about?

Steph: "Twilight Over Moldavia" is a paranormal romance set in the 1880's in Romania. Prince Stefan is cursed to become a werewolf on his 18th birthday. He learns this just as he's getting engaged to Caroline. She must make a choice to go ahead with the engagement or not. Timon, the werewolf who cursed him, hunts Stefan throughout the Romanian principalities, determined to claim Stefan for his pack.

Question: How long did it take you to write?

Steph: I wrote the first draft in 2005 and it was very different from this version. I put the draft aside and focused on other projects. From 2006-2009, I started a 2nd and 3rd draft, but didn't settle upon this draft until last summer. It took about eight weeks to write this version.

Question: Where did the inspiration for the story come from?

Steph: I love supernatural creatures, but decided I'd focus on werewolves instead of vampires because the basic premise of the wolf has a living, breathing man behind the beast. I wanted to focus on how the wolf struggles to retain his humanity. For me, witches are a natural fit for the wolf, an organic companion. Witches also have struggles, like learning to fit into the human world.

For "Twilight Over Moldavia" the premise was simple. I wanted to write a fairytale in reverse where the princess had to save the prince. The plot and characters grew from that.

Question: How did you come up with the title, "Twilight Over Moldavia?"

Steph: For Stefan's principality, Moldavia, it's truly twilight when the promise of the nation, the crown prince, is cursed to become a werewolf. By using "twilight" in the title, I hope to provide a small amount of hope that Stefan can be saved and find "happily ever after."

Question: How much research did you do?

Steph: Tons! I researched werewolf myths, witches, Romania, Romanian customs, Orthodoxy, Romanian names, Transylvania, Wallachia, Dracula, the Black Sea, and Bran Castle just to name a few.

Question: Tell us a little about the heroine, Caroline. What are her strengths?

Steph: When the story opens, Caroline has just been name the Crown Princess of Carpathia. She did not expect to have the title since she was her parents' second daughter, but her older sister, Edwina, died in a riding accident.

Caroline knows her own mind. She's the best horsewoman in Carpathia and she's skilled in archery, very non-princess traits her dancing is passable and her embroidery is abysmal. She knows she disappoints her mother, yet it's her understanding of duty that her father teaches her which drives her choices. Caroline hopes that ultimately she can make her mother proud of her.

Question: How did Stefan come to be cursed?

Steph: For that, you'll have to read "The Wolf's Torment," book 1 in the series.

Question: Do you have to read "The Wolf's Torment" before reading "Twilight Over Moldavia?"

Steph: No. I believe "Twilight Over Moldavia" can stand alone, but "The Wolf's Torment" will help the reader better understand how Stefan came to be cursed.

Question: Do you have an ebook reader?

Steph: I have a Kindle 2nd generation and a Kindle Fire. I love them both.

Question: Did you make any new year's resolutions?

Steph: To lose weight. I'm back at Weight Watchers and joined the weight loss challenge at work. If you want to follow my journey, I'm blogging about my experiences every Saturday on my blog, "Romance Under The Moonlight."

BLURB: Would you marry a man cursed to become a werewolf?

4 Stars, Vijaya Schartz, author
In this novel full of danger and intrigue, sexy scenes, and unspeakable secrets, the werewolves are the villains, and oh how dangerous they are, and unwashed, and uncivilized. The kind of villains you love to hate.

5 Stars, Mona Risk, Author "No More Lies"
Burkhart's writing style grabs the reader from the first page. She keeps you breathless with her suspense as she transports you to exotic areas you will enjoy discovering.

Barbara Hodges, Author, "The Blue Flame"
Twilight Over Moldavia whisked me into a part of the world I knew nothing about, and gave me a wonderful love story filled with suspense too. What more could a reader desire? I will be reading the first book in this series and will be looking for the third, I can’t hardly wait.

BOOK TRAILER: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSAhxv0lTIM

BUY LINKS:

ALL ROMANCE EBOOKS:
http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-moldavianmoonbooktwotwilightovermoldavia-667833-139.html

AMAZON KINDLE:
http://www.amazon.com/Moldavian-Moon-Book-Two-ebook/dp/B006RQ7LU8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1325479348&sr=8-1

PUBLISHER'S BUY LINK:
http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-247/Moldavian-Moon-Book-Two/Detail.bok

WEBSITE:
http://www.stephanieburkhart.com

TWITTER:
http://twitter.com/StephBurkhart

FACEBOOK:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stephanie-Burkhart-Author/149938795021166

GOOD READS:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4031660.Stephanie_Burkhart

Author Spotlight - Excerpt from Dragon Flame

2012-01-06T06:00:00.000-08:00

Thank you so much for supporting Sue during her spotlight week. Enjoy this excerpt from "Dragon Flame." Leave a comment on today's post today, tomorrow and Sunday and on Monday I'll pick a winner randomly to receive a PDF copy of Sue's "Dragon Flame.

Smiles
Moderator Steph

***********

Blurb
Fire breathing dragons destroy Talei's home but when she links telepathically with a dragon, he explains goblins are holding their females hostage. Talei and her friend Adri lead a group of teenagers to free the beasts. Failure means both dragons and humans will be destroyed.

Excerpt

The bedraggled group trudged beside the flowing water until the ground became rocky, rising steeply on either side of the river. The pure force of the water cut deep into the ground forming cliffs rising high above them. Below them the river tumbled and frothed, throwing up a misty spray which hung over everything.

"We can't stop here," Simone stated emphatically. "We'll never survive the cold and damp."

"The caves are higher up." Zack led the way to a narrow path. "Above the spray. They're quite dry. We go this way."

Gradually the path rose above the constant dampness thrown up by the river, and they arrived at a rocky plateau with several large caves opening into the cliff. The younger children were tired out by the day's events so the teenagers made them comfortable in the nearest cave where they immediately fell asleep. Talei protested they should first check the caves were safe, but Zack's hand on her arm stopped her.

"They'll be fine," he assured her. "I've played up here for years, and nothing's ever hurt me."

Talei sat down with her back against the cliff enjoying the late afternoon sunshine and the temporary relief from caring for the children.

"How long do you think it will take Cam and Liam to get to Frame?"

"It takes three days by cart and a day on horseback." Zack wrote numbers with a stick in the dusty floor to work out the best time the boys could make. "I'd say they'll get there some time the day after tomorrow. They won't have to wait for heavy carts, but they won't have the speed of a horse."

"So we can hope for some response in four or five days?" Talei asked. "In that case we'd better make these caves habitable. First we need to gather food and firewood." Zack shivered at the mention of fire. "I know it will bring back memories, but bad dreams have to be better than freezing to death. It can get cold at night, even in spring."

Zack called some of the older children and explained what he wanted them to do. He led them on a foraging expedition while Talei examined the caves, leaving the one with the sleeping children until last. In total she counted seven caves, each of them clean and dry. Stacks of ferns and grasses stored at the back of each space would make good bedding. She assumed Zack and his friends had left the dried stuff there when they used the caves for camping. She entered the last cave, hoping she wouldn't be inundated with questions. Silence greeted her. All the younger children slept soundly.

Website: http://www.sueperkinsauthor.com
Blog: http://sueperkinsauthor.blogspot.com

MuseItUp Publishing (M/G)- Spirit Stealer; Reva's Quest
Desert Breeze Publishing - Blitz; Dragon Flame
www.sueperkinsauthor.com
http://sueperkinsauthor.blogspot.com

Author Spotlight - Characte Interview with Talei

2012-01-05T06:00:00.000-08:00

Keira Knightly, inspiration for "Talei"

Talei has taken time out from her busy life to answer a few questions about helping the dragons.

Q: Thank you Talei for agreeing to speak to us.

TALEI: You're welcome, but this won't take long will it? I've got a lot to do today.

Q: I'll try and make it brief. What was your life like before the dragons came?

TALEI: Maass, our settlement, was rural. We farmed and everyone helped each other. Kids learnt the basics in the school in the community hall. We were quiet and peaceful. Boring really.

Q: How did you meet the dragons?

TALEI: The first time I saw them they were burning Maass. Only the ones younger than me survived, so I had to take charge and lead them to Deen where we set up home in some caves.

Q: Did you manage to speak to them?

TALEI: Some time later a dying dragon spoke to me telepathically and asked me to help free his kind from the Pundra. Of course we didn't take his word for it. I contacted another dragon who agreed to meet us without his rider. He confirmed the dragons needed help to beat the Pundra.

Q: Who or what are the Pundra?

TALEI: Nasty, horrible little creatures with evil looking faces. They reminded me of the goblins in my mother's stories.

Q: Didn't it feel weird trying to help creatures who had killed your parents?

TALEI: I admit I had to do some soul searching before I tried to convince others to help the dragons. I couldn't bring my parents back, but by helping the dragons I might save other humans.

Q: The dragons were on the other continent, how did you cross the water?
TALEI: Adri had some experience with boats. Mind you we hadn't bargained on the huge storm that blew up when we were at sea.

Q: You obviously survived the storm. How did you do that?

TALEI: With difficulty. We worked together to survive. We encountered danger and hard times on the journey but looking back I knew we had no choice.

Q: So did you succeed?

TALEI: We... Adri don't put that there! Sorry I have to go.

Q: Thanks for talking to us. Oh she's gone.
Website: http://www.sueperkinsauthor.com
Blog: http://sueperkinsauthor.blogspot.com

MuseItUp Publishing (M/G)- Spirit Stealer; Reva's Quest
Desert Breeze Publishing - Blitz; Dragon Flame
www.sueperkinsauthor.com
http://sueperkinsauthor.blogspot.com

Author Spotlight - Sue Perkins & Dragons

2012-01-04T06:00:00.000-08:00

Ever since I read Anne McCaffrey's "Moreta - Dragon Lady of Pern" I have been hooked on dragon stories. "Dragon Flame" is my first book with dragons as main characters and it will be closely followed by "Dragon Clans" in August of 2012.

So what are dragons? This depends on who you ask.

Wikipedia states "A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures."

That leaves a very broad spectrum for dragon visionaries to work with. Over the years I have read books with dragons that fly; don't fly; live in the water; talk telepathically; talk normally; change from humans to dragon and back again. To me dragons are magnificent, huge flying creatures. Dark blue, golden, russet and black are the colors in my mind.

There are many creatures of mythology we are familiar with, but dragons come closest to being real. Ever since George and the Dragon people half-believe dragons exist. Chinese dragons counterparts in Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese folklore. They are typically seen as long, scaled, serpentine creatures with four legs and symbolize potent powers, particularly control over water, rainfall, hurricane and floods. The dragon is a symbol of power, strength, and good luck. No wonder the Chinese use the dragon so much in their culture.

I have my own dragon, obviously not a real one. He's really a garden ornament but I keep him inside as I feel this is where he belongs. He doesn't have a name, he's just the dragon.

Website: http://www.sueperkinsauthor.com
Blog: http://sueperkinsauthor.blogspot.com

MuseItUp Publishing (M/G)- Spirit Stealer; Reva's Quest
Desert Breeze Publishing - Blitz; Dragon Flame
www.sueperkinsauthor.com
http://sueperkinsauthor.blogspot.com

Author Spotlight - Sue Perkins talks about why she likes to write fantasy

2012-01-03T06:00:00.000-08:00

I love writing fantasy. I start off with an idea and stew it over in my mind for some time, then write the first paragraph, page or chapter. Then I leave it for a bit longer. This is usually because I have other irons in the fire to finish before I can start giving the new manuscript my full attention.

I'm very much a pantser writer. I do not always plot or build my world at the beginning. Yes I have a rough idea what the world is - for example "Dragon Flame" had colonists who crash landed and settled on Nuer - an earth type world - without knowing there were dragons on the other continent. Once my fingers start hitting the keys the world and plot develop as the story unfolds and by the last page I have a manuscript to make into a publishable novel. The next part I love. Self-editing to take out all the little hiccups that occur when I concentrate on the content not the grammar. I find self-editing prior to submission gives my books more depth both in character and overall storyline.

Fantasy writing is only inhibited by the imagination and believe me I haven't found my boundaries yet. The wings of my mind take me on a journey when I'm writing. I see the scene, not clearly but as a blurry image and my fingers make it flow onto my computer screen. I always make sure I stop at an exciting part of the story where I know what is going to happen next. That way I can get straight back into it again without any trouble.

So why do I love writing fantasy. Two reasons, it lets my imagination run free and to be quite honest once I have the idea the story tends to write itself.

Website: http://www.sueperkinsauthor.com
Blog: http://sueperkinsauthor.blogspot.com

MuseItUp Publishing (M/G)- Spirit Stealer; Reva's Quest
Desert Breeze Publishing - Blitz; Dragon Flame
www.sueperkinsauthor.com
http://sueperkinsauthor.blogspot.com

Author Spotlight - Q&A with Sue Perkins

2012-01-01T23:00:00.000-08:00

STEPH: I don't know much about "Dragon Flame." What's it about?

SUE: Humans have lived on Nuer for eighteen peaceful years. Peace is shattered when dragons burn their settlements. A dragon telepathically contacts eighteen year old Talei and asks for her help to free his kind. The Pundra are holding the female and young dragons hostage, forcing the males to obey them. Talei, Adri and a small group of friends set out for the other continent to help the dragons.

STEPH: How long did it take you to write?

SUE: Good question but difficult to answer. I wrote the first draft several years ago then put it to one side. After several rewrites and a change of name, plus several disappointments, I submitted the manuscript to Desert Breeze Publishing and they offered me a contract. I felt my baby had found a home at last. I knew I was right when I got my final cover. I believe it is absolutely gorgeous.

STEPH: Where did you find the inspiration for it?

SUE: I have been reading Ann McCaffrey's books for decades. I decided there were more ways of portraying dragons. I wanted to write a book where the dragons had their own lives and ways of living, not dependent on humans. Talei's name came from a friend of my daughter. Once I had the heroine's name and the basis of the dragon lives, the story developed into a dragon rescue.

STEPH: How did you develop the title "Dragon Flame" for the story.

SUE: The book originally had another title - "Dragon Savior". I'd had so many disappointments with it under that name when Desert Breeze accepted it I decided to change the title. I made a list of suitable titles and searched Amazon to see which ones were used a lot. "Dragon Flame" seemed to reflect the story in the book and not too many others shared the title.

STEPH: Talei is the heroine. What's her strengths? Weaknesses?

SUE: Her strengths are definitely not to give up when all seems hopeless. Left with a group of young children to care for, she shepherds them all to safety, then goes to help the dragons free themselves.

Weaknesses, she doesn't like to see any living creature hurt, She would have preferred to shoo the Pundra away and got very upset at the way the dragons treated them.

STEPH: What draws Adri to Talei?

SUE: Adri has lived in a town all his life. He wants a different future for himself. He is drawn to Talei first by her looks and personality, but also he sees her as a woman who thinks the same way he does. Plus she has a sense of adventure which he shares. In his heart he knows he and Talei could be happy together.

STEPH: Hollywood is calling. Cast the lead characters.

SUE: I think maybe Keira Knightley for Talei. I loved her in "Bend It Like Beckham" and in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" she's exactly the right personality for Talei.

For the male lead I would suggest Zac Efron. He fits the way I imagine Adri to look. I think he and Keira would work well as Talei and Adri.

STEPH: What do you want to resonate with readers once they finish the story?

SUE: Apart from hoping they enjoyed it? I hope readers will love the characters and find "Dragon Flame" to be a different way of looking at dragons (my favorite mythical creatures). I would love them to think of dragons as individuals with feelings and ways of life developed over centuries. Dragons may be mythical but they are wonderful no matter which school of dragon belief you follow. If readers like "Dragon Flame" there is a sequel being released by Desert Breeze on 1st August 2011. The title is "Dragon Clans"

STEPH: What was the last movie you saw?

SUE: The last movie I saw in the movie theater was "One Day" with Ann Hathaway and Jim Sturgess. I didn't find it that intriguing, it appeared very disjointed, difficult to follow. The ending was the best bit - totally unexpected (I won't say why as would spoil the film for anyone who intends to see it). The only thing I can say about the ending is everyone in the theater reacted.

STEPH: Fun Questions: Any New Years customs or traditions you'd like to share with us?

SUE: I make the usual resolutions such as - give up work and write full time, lose weight. I never seem to manage to keep to them though. The only one I did keep to was my 1995 resolution to give up smoking. I did and haven't smoked since. Feel much better for it too. Traditions, well as there's only my husband and I at home now and the rest of the family lives on the other side of the world, our tradition is really just relaxing and taking things easy.

Dragon Flame's Book Trailer:

You can find Sue at:
Website: http://www.sueperkinsauthor.com
Blog: http://sueperkinsauthor.blogspot.com

MuseItUp Publishing (M/G)- Spirit Stealer; Reva's Quest
Desert Breeze Publishing - Blitz; Dragon Flame
www.sueperkinsauthor.com
http://sueperkinsauthor.blogspot.com

Author Spotlight - Excerpt from "When Love Collides"

2011-12-30T06:00:00.000-08:00

Thank you so much for supporting Michelle this week during the spotlight for "When Love Collides." We hope you enjoy this excerpt. Leave a comment, today, Saturday, and Sunday, on the excerpt post and I'll pick one winner out of the hat to receive a PDF copy of Michelle's story, "When Love Collides."

Smiles
Moderator

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

From the corner of her eye she saw him make a fist. The sight of his tension made her breath catch. "I know you cared about me as a good friend should. You were always so kind to me and I hurt you. I regret that."

"Lot of good it did me," he muttered, his stare holding fast to something behind her.

She couldn't keep her chin from quivering. Biting the inside of her cheek, she attempted to hold back more tears. This appointment wasn't going well at all. The more she said, the angrier he seemed to get. A scowl from anyone these days reduced her to a puddle of sopping tears. She hated that, but couldn't seem to control her emotions.

Blinking, he swiped his hand over his face. "I have people waiting. Let's get back to the exam, okay?" He sighed. "I shouldn't have allowed my feelings to get involved."

Her throat swelled further and she could barely speak. His feelings? What did he mean? She covered her face with her hands and tried her best to regain control.

"Here," Scott muttered.

She glanced up. He handed her a tissue and their hands bumped.

"Thank you," she rasped, stretching the tissue as she blew her nose.

His voice softened. "You're welcome."

She sniffled, wiping her face and grabbing some fresh tissues.

"It might not seem like it, Rocky, but I forgave you a long time ago." He shifted his gaze to the wall. "Don't worry about it."

Her throat squeezed when he'd used his pet name for her. She didn't believe him, but held on to a shred of hope that he really would forgive her someday and they could be friends again. At least he said he'd forgiven her. It was a start.

"Can, um, we... talk later?" While staring at Scott, she wiped her nose.

He cleared his throat, something she remembered him doing whenever he got nervous. "First let's see if we can identify the cause of your symptoms so they can be treated. Can you please lift your hair?"

Scott removed a gadget from his pocket and turned on the light with the flick of his thumb. He slid his stool closer and leaned forward to check inside her ears for fluid. A shiver raced up her spine when his breath encountered her neck.

Author Spotlight - Michelle Sutton talks about "setting"

2011-12-29T06:00:00.000-08:00

When I wrote When Love Collides years ago, I had it set in another state. I ended up pulling it off that series and making it a stand-alone book. Part of that required a change of location, so I decided to switch it to the county where I live. There is a lot of unpredictable weather in Arizona during the summer monsoons in the high desert, so I thought that would fit the mood of the story. Sometimes Raquel gets in a mood and it's because she can't control her symptoms. You can't control monsoons either. You just work around them.

There is the opening scene where Raquel is shivering on the table and feeling like a drowned rat. She's just glad she doesn't know anyone at the clinic. So what does a good writer do? I make sure that the one person she doesn't want to see her looking like a drowned rat is the person she runs into. Then when they meet again the next day and Scott is waiting for her, he's a nervous wreck. I toss in some thunder when he's already jumpy and moody and it works very well for the setting. There are other times when things start to look hopeful and bright. That's when the clouds go away, the sun starts beaming, and a rainbow appears in the sky.

Once I started making the weather as unpredictable as their emotions each day, I think it added to the tension between them and the fear of not knowing what to expect. It fits the story well, which is why I love the cover. In it the hero is holding an umbrella over the heroine in a protective gesture, which is very symbolic of their relationship. So that is how I use the setting to compliment or add to the emotion in the story.

Author Spotlight - Character Interview with Raquel from "When Love Collides"

2011-12-28T06:00:00.000-08:00

Natalie Portman inspiration
for "Raquel"

Welcome to Desert Breeze Publishing's blog today for your interview. Tell us a little bit about your nickname.

Raquel: You mean Rocky? That's a nickname Scott gave me years ago. It's kind of ironic because lately I haven't felt strong at all. Not only is my body weak, but it's easy for me to get depressed about it.

Chronic illness can cause depression. So what do you do when you're depressed?

Raquel: Sometimes I cry for no reason. I really hate that. I don't want to be perceived as weak, but it's hard when everything looks sad and bleak, you know?

I hear you there. Tell us about what you love about Scott?

Raquel: He's a faithful guy and an amazing kisser. I've never met anyone I can trust like I trust him. He doesn't say one thing and mean another. He's always there for me. I know he's human, but in some ways he seems perfect, and I know I'm not, so sometimes that makes me depressed.

What about the fact that he loves you? Doesn't that help cheer you up?

Raquel: As long as I don't focus on my illness, yes. I would love to be cured, but there is no cure. Sometimes I worry that Scott will get tired of having to take care of me. He says not to worry about tomorrow, for it has enough worries of its own.

Yes, I recall Jesus saying that to his disciples. So are you going to trust God in this? That if He wants you and Scott to be together for the rest of your lives then He'll work things out?

Raquel: If there is one thing I've learned from these crazy, unpredictable symptoms is that I can't make it a day without God. So while it's aggravating, it does keep me dependent on Jesus. That's not a bad thing. Now if He would just heal me… But even if he doesn't, I've committed my life to serving God.

That's a great attitude to have. Thanks for joining us today, Raquel.

Author Spotlight - Character Interview with Scott from "When Love Collides"

2011-12-27T06:00:00.000-08:00

Tom Hardy, Inspiration for "Scott"

It's good to have you here today on Desert Breeze Publishing's blog. Are you nervous?

Scott: Not at all. I've gotten past my initial fear of talking about my past with Raquel. I no longer get a lump in my throat or tearful now that I've settled in my heart that we're meant to be.

Are you normally an emotional guy?

Scott: That's the crazy thing. I hadn't gotten tearful in almost ten years. Then Raquel returns to my world and I'm almost a basket case at first. The upside of this is once I sorted through things and forgave her for hurting me, I was thrilled at how alive I felt around her. I really do think God has a mate picked out for us. Sometimes it just takes a while for us to figure that out.

So are you two getting married?

Scott: That's the kicker. I want to, but she's putting up a bit of a fuss about it. She's worried that I will be straddled with a woman who needs to be taken care of and can't do anything for me. She's wrong, of course. I'm working on helping her to see she is lovable regardless of what she can do for me.

That must be a bit challenging at times. Do you think she'll come around and finally get past the fear?

Scott: I do. I think she has been beaten down so much by her ex that she has a hard time seeing herself as worthy of me even though it's been a long time since he died. She says I don't need her and that I've got it all. Well, she's wrong. Without her it feels like I've got nothing.

How sweet! Thanks for joining us today, Scott.

Author Spotlight - Q&A with Michelle Sutton

2011-12-26T08:50:00.000-08:00

STEPH: I don't know much about "When Loves Collides." Can you tell us about it?

MICHELLE: It's a story about a young woman who has a history of poor choices she has made, one of which was marrying a man who turned out to be abusive. The story begins ten years later after the husband has been dead seven years, but the lingering issues from his abuse remain. Complicate that with the fact that she has weird health issues and a good man from her past steps in to provide support and encouragement (and he happens to have always loved her, but she didn't know it) you have a love story with some powerful emotional content.

STEPH: How long did it take you to write?

MICHELLE: Goodness, I wrote this story back in 2005, or maybe 2006. I don't remember, but I'd say about four to six months.

STEPH: Where did you find the inspiration for the novel?

MICHELLE: Much of it came from my own life. My mother had MS. I did dump a nice guy for a jerk (and found out later the nice guy had been in love with me.) Who knew? I missed that somehow. I thought it would be fun to write a story about what might have happened if I ran into him again. That was the skeleton structure for the plot. Most of the story is pure fiction.

STEPH: Did you have to do a lot of research for the story?

MICHELLE: Not really. I lived with someone who had MS. I have lots of friends that are PAs (physician assistants) and I lived with my grandmother when I was younger and in college (like the story about her living with her aunt when Raquel first knew Scott.)

STEPH: Raquel has been hurt. What are her strengths as the story opens?

MICHELLE: She is determined to keep her aunt at home and out of a care facility. She is also determined to make things right with her past and talk to Scott about why she left and ask for his forgiveness.

STEPH: How is the hero, Scott, attracted to Raquel? What pulls him toward her? What do they share?

MICHELLE: There was always something Scott found attractive about Raquel, mainly her personality. She was tender and sweet and though a bit skittish, she was a very loyal friend (up to the point when she left town anyway.) He found her vulnerability a powerful draw and he wanted to be there for her. What he didn't know (at the time) was that being raped by a man before she'd met him had a lot to do with that "sad look in her eyes" that made him want to hold her and put a smile on her face.

STEPH: What do you hope resonates with readers when they finish the novel?

MICHELLE: That love is about your commitment to the other person's well-being and you can't earn love. It's about how a person feels when they are with you. It can't be earned by being the perfect woman despite what the media depicts. It's either there, or it isn't. But love isn't very strong without trust backing the relationship. To truly love someone, there must be trust.

STEPH: How important was the setting to the story?

MICHELLE: It rained quite a few times (heavy monsoon rains) in the story, and as with those unpredictable storms, sometimes in life emotional pain hits us just as hard and unexpectedly.

STEPH: Hollywood is calling. Cast the lead characters.

MICHELLE: I wish! Okay, well, hmm... I suppose that Scott would be Tom Hardy (Inception) and Raquel would be Natalie Portman (V is for Vendetta)

STEPH: Fun Question: Do you make New Year's Resolutions?

MICHELLE: Nah, I don't keep them, so why bother?

Author Spotlight - Excerpt from "Joy Restored"

2011-12-23T06:00:00.000-08:00

Thanks to everyone who supported Jude this week in the Desert Breeze Spotlight. She's sharing an excerpt from "Joy Restored." See the end of the post for a GIVEAWAY that Jude is offering. Happy Holidays to all!

Smiles
Moderator Steph

**********

Kate's heart beat in sync with the slow-moving hearse crawling along the rutted lane. The image of a tiny ant heaving a giant burden seared her mind, but the ache in her heart rested with the body in the hearse.

The Davidson Family Cemetery soon came into sight, looking as neglected and abandoned as Kate felt. The driver of the hearse hurried to Kate's car as soon as the procession stopped.

"Mrs. Davidson, please step over here."

Undertaker Shirley Brown ushered her closer to the fresh, mounded dirt after Kate and her children climbed from the car. She could do with an extra dose of strength right now, but how could she muster it given the pain and anger she felt in her heart?
Her arms tightened around her three small children, who huddled close, the cold wind whipping hard against their legs. Her children were Clayton's legacy. His only legacy.

If only she could get through this. She, her children, and a meager band of mourners stood like sentinels beside the open grave as the body of her husband, Lieutenant Clayton Patrick Davidson, was lowered to its final resting place. He would join his Scottish forefathers in this rural Tennessee countryside. The Vietnam nightmares could rest, too.

Father O'Connell's words of intended comfort cut through the cold mountain air. Kate looked at the priest. He radiated kindness from the top of his balding head to the tip of his black robe blowing in the harsh wind. It certainly wasn't required of him to conduct the funeral, for she and Clayton hadn't been God's most faithful of St. Francis' Parish. Father O'Connell had wanted to do Clayton's service.

Why?

In closing, Father invited all to join in the Lord's Prayer. Heads bowed.

Kate extended her hand to him at the last 'amen.'

"Thank you, Father. I appreciate your doing the service."

"You're welcome, my child. You're also welcome at God's house."

She felt him squeeze her hand. She nodded. God's house? She didn't think so. She hadn't been able to help Clayton, and God certainly hadn't helped him either.

God is supposed to help those in need. Could she ever believe that again?

*****

Reviews of Joy Restored

I was thrilled at the Amazon reviews and have included a couple.

5.0 out of 5 stars A Charming Debut!, November 14, 2011
By Christian Romance Reader This review is from: The Chronicles of Chanute Crossing Book One: Joy Restored (Kindle Edition)

This wonderful debut novel from Ms. Urbanski (previously published as a non-fiction author) will completely charm you! How I longed to visit the lovely Chanute Crossing while reading this book, but the author does the next best thing by painting such a vivid portrait of the setting and absorbing the reader into the world of her characters. The children of heroine Kate captured my heart immediately, and Seth is the old-fashioned, strong and honorable (yet vulnerable in some ways) romance hero of my dreams. A cast of colorful secondary characters round out this heartwarming novel. It's a sweet and worthwhile journey of faith and love for both Kate and Seth as they each resolve loss from the past, and endure a number of trials along the way. How wonderful to know we'll enjoy a revisit with these characters in the next installment of the series! Grab a blanket and your favorite beverage and settle in for a truly great read.

I was given an advance copy of this novel by the author for purposes of writing this review, and I thank her for it. The thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.

5.0 out of 5 stars A treasure of joy., November 21, 2011
By Doug Spurling - This review is from: The Chronicles of Chanute Crossing Book One: Joy Restored (Kindle Edition)

I loved this book! I felt like I was reading Karen Kingsbury. I couldn't wait to read the next page and now I can't wait to read the next book.

From the beautiful scene on the front cover to the depth of detail from being raised in the area, Jude paints a picture of beauty from scene to scene.

However, the beauty is carved from the rugged terrain of life. The opening scene is an open grave and a wounded soul. The uplifting story does not gloss over the raw winds of life that tear at the heart and attempt to rip away the soul. But tragedy-proof peace is woven into the peaceful setting of Chanute Crossing and the strength of joy overcomes and restores.

Thanks to all for dropping by and thanks, Steph, for the spotlight.

GIVEAWAY: Leave a comment and your address for drawing of a PDF copy of Joy Restored.

Jude Urbanski

Desert Breeze http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-226/Joy-Restored-Jude-Urbanski/Detail.bok

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Chronicles-Chanute-Crossing-Book-ebook/dp/B0067DDZ8S/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1322667736&sr=1-1-spell

Author Spotlight - Jude Urbanski talks about inspiration for Faith Restored

2011-12-22T06:00:00.000-08:00

"It is Better to Light a Candle than to Curse the Darkness"

This is an old Chinese proverb. But what does it really mean?

Just for a theoretical exercise, I asked Kate Davidson, my heroine in Joy Restored, if she could apply this proverb to her situation. I was surprised at her initial anger. She wasn't about to light a candle at her husband's needless death. Nothing could light the dark, at least in the beginning of her trial. She cursed the darkness.

I told Kate another way to look at this proverb was to ask "Where was God in all this? Where was He on this journey of yours?" That, too, proved hard for Kate. She said God doesn't hear her anymore, much less journey with her.

Kate is so like many of us isn't she? Our darkness obscures all the good surrounding us. We can't see blessings right in our pathway. Sometimes we even want to persist in our night.

She's challenged by my hero, Seth Orbin, to accept the peace that is hers in God. She still doesn't get it and thinks poor Seth is delusional. It takes a few trials on both of their parts to pull them together and for Kate to learn it is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.

Now that's mercy.

I didn't realize how much this story resonated with my own soul until I had completed it. At low points in my life, some similar to Kate's, I have felt sorely disconnected with my Source of Power. I've asked 'Where is God?' I found in the darkest of night, if I looked up, I could see the stars, all shinny and bright. In our deepest winter there is an invertible spring.

Author Spotlight - Jude Urbanski talks about Max Lucado

2011-12-21T06:00:00.000-08:00

Here's my theory about Max. Max Lucado, that is. To meet him was on my list of impossible dreams and while I did not get to shake his hand or really meet him, I did get within six feet of him at a Make a Difference concert. I'll take that as a fulfilled dream.

My theory is… Max, with his writings, has been called to minister to the masses. And minister he does. Colleen Coble says she would read Stephen King's laundry list and I would do the same with Max. In sum, I am so uplifted by his words, which are always geared to help deepen our journey of faith that I would read anything he wrote. Can say I've noticed Max is not too different than many of us--he has honed his writing skill with experience. I still love his beginnings works though, and his middle works and his today works!

Like priest, writer and speaker, Henri Nouwen, Max makes the simplest truth profound. His best trick is to make profound truths understandable. So easy, you shake your head and begin to apply what you've read to your own life and are surprised at the fit.

I collect Max's books and highly recommend one, especially for this Christmas season. His One Incredible Moment celebrates the majesty of the manager. Lucado said God took the ordinary night of Jesus' birth and hooked an "extra" in front of the ordinary. The night was ordinary no more. The photos alone are worth reading the book.

Though Max's subject material is ordinary, his words are far from clichés, his metaphors fresh and Texan like. Did I mention he is pastor of Oak Hills Church in San Antonio,Texas? Visiting there is also on my list of to dos.

Sometimes, reading his books is like taking a mini writing course! Make at least one of Max's books a 'must' read.

FIND ME OR MY BOOK AT:

Desert Breeze http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-226/Joy-Restored-Jude-Urbanski/Detail.bok

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Chronicles-Chanute-Crossing-Book-ebook/dp/B0067DDZ8S/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1322667736&sr=1-1-spell

good reads http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13063251-the-chronicles-of-chanute-crossing-book-one

Web site www.judeurbanski.com

Author Spotlight - Jude Urbanski shares her Christmas Fudge

2011-12-20T06:00:00.000-08:00

Author Jude Urbanski

Christmas always meant Grandma Glady's Karo Fudge!

She usually made it and brought it, but if she made it at our house, we knew we were in for a lot of hand stirring! If she made it ahead, she'd appear with about six pounds of caramel nut fudge. All in beautiful boxes or tins.

It takes a long time to make this fudge, but is certainly worth the effort. Enlist the kids for stirring, by all means.

We always looked forward to this treat. The fact it may not be the best for us nutritionally was happily forgotten when we tasted the delicious fudge.

Grandma Glady's Karo Fudge
Ingredients:

6 cups sugar
1 pint white Karo
1 large can Carnation Milk
1 small can Carnation Milk
1 pound butter
2 cups English walnuts, cut up

MIX all ingredients in very large saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil and stir constantly. Cook until candy forms a firm ball in a glass of cold water. May need to reduce heat some.

REMOVE from heat after firm ball forms and stir until candy 'snaps' and has sheen on top. Candy will be 'stiff'. Usually an hour or more of stirring is needed.

POUR into a buttered 9 x 13 dish. Cut before completely hardened. Enjoy. It is good!

Gladys Martin
10/12/1963

FIND ME OR MY BOOK AT:

Desert Breeze http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-226/Joy-Restored-Jude-Urbanski/Detail.bok
Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Chronicles-Chanute-Crossing-Book-ebook/dp/B0067DDZ8S/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1322667736&sr=1-1-spell

good reads http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13063251-the-chronicles-of-chanute-crossing-book-one

LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/pub/judy-martin-urban-pen-name-jude-urbanski/1b/967/130

Face Book www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1627189130

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

Web site www.judeurbanski.com blog http://judeurbanski.blogspot.com

Author Spotlight - Q&A with Jude Urbanski

2011-12-19T06:00:00.000-08:00

STEPH: I don't know much about "Joy Restored." What's it about?

JUDE: Joy Restored is about a young, widowed mother wrestling with the eons-old question of "where is God when we're going through dark nights?" Her troubled, Vietnam vet husband is accidentally killed and in her anger at God she almost misses the incredible love offered by a wonderful Christian widower.

STEPH: How long did it take you to write?

JUDE: I worked on the novel, which is my first, off and on for over a year and had put it 'away' when the opportunity with Desert Breeze came along.

STEPH: Did you do a lot of research for the novel?

JUDE: I find it a hoot that the era of my novel, the late 1970 and into the 80s, is now called Modern Historical. That makes me feel akin to the dinosaurs! I had to reread about the Vietnam War as well as refresh about cars, clothing and music of that period. I had to think typewriters and not computers for the work environment. I learned all I could about the setting of Pickett County, Tennessee and made trips back. I was born in this county, moved away, so had to refresh myself on the dialect of southerners. My mother's short novella, My Little Cabin Home, is also set in Pickett County and is a free companion download to my book.

STEPH: What attracts you to Inspirational writing?

JUDE: Most my non-fiction writing is inspirational, which blends with my life as a Christian. When I decided to move into fiction, I made a deliberate decision to continue in the Christian inspirational arena. I'm aware writing can be inspirational, yet not Christian, but to me the two easily mesh.

STEPH: How much input did you have on the cover?

JUDE: Well, like other DB authors, I did all the cover art input. At one point, though, I asked if they would consider this marvelous (at least I thought so) photo I had taken. The cover is Mallard Point on Dale Hollow Lake in Pickett County, Tennessee which is my setting. It was a bit of a hard sale, but I so appreciate DB's willingness to work with me on this and I think the cover will help marketing in the area.

STEPH: Kate is the heroine. What are her strengths? Weaknesses?

JUDE: Kate is strong enough to manage a household, job and kids as a single mom, but her faith is weak, she's afraid to love and trust again and she puts blame in the wrong places.

STEPH: What does Seth find attractive about Kate?

JUDE: He's initially sweep off his feet with her beauty, loves her adorable children, but knows he and Kate are worlds apart spiritually. In spite of this, he loves her strength and is able to see her faith is there-just buried, way deep.

STEPH: What do you want readers to resonate with them after they've read the story?

JUDE: I'd like readers to know God is always walking with us, even in the darkest night. He's there in myriads of ways, if we but look for Him. I want them to enjoy and appreciate the incredible gift of love between a man and a woman.

STEPH: Hollywood is calling! Cast the main characters.

JUDE: Oh, me. I am so un-Hollywood! Ask my kids who live at Hollywood's doorsteps and they will know precisely! A tall, dark and handsome man and a beautiful, red-headed woman is all I can say, Steph. I can say though I readily see my story as a Hallmark Presents! Go film rights.

Here's Seth:

Here's Kate:

STEPH: Fun question: What's your favorite Christmas carol?

JUDE: I can answer this one so much better even though it is also hard because I have so many favorites, but 'Silent Night' is high on the list. I love the melody, words and story of the song.

FIND ME OR MY BOOK AT:

Desert Breeze http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-226/Joy-Restored-Jude-Urbanski/Detail.bok
Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Chronicles-Chanute-Crossing-Book-ebook/dp/B0067DDZ8S/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1322667736&sr=1-1-spell

good reads http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13063251-the-chronicles-of-chanute-crossing-book-one

LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/pub/judy-martin-urban-pen-name-jude-urbanski/1b/967/130

Face Book www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1627189130

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

Web site www.judeurbanski.com

blog http://judeurbanski.blogspot.com

Author Spotlight - Excerpt from "Faith in the Shadows"

2011-12-16T06:00:00.000-08:00

Thanks you so much for supporting Sophie & Sadie during their spotlight week. Leave a comment on the excerpt post today, Saturday, and Sunday and we'll pick a winner on Monday to received a PDF copy of their story, Faith in the Shadows.

Smiles
Moderator Steph

***********

Hawk angrily dashed away the moisture on his cheeks. He had made it through the past year without family, he would do it this Christmas as well. He marched out into the weather and quashed the tempting thoughts of life with those he loved and those he longed to love. He fixed his mind on the future. Regardless of the hardships ahead of him, someday he would come home.

Hawk made it to the far edge of the paddock before he whirled around and trudged back to the barn. What ailed him? To forget his pack only showed the state of his addled brain. He must leave now, before Alice returned. It would be kinder for her this way. She would be hurt, but she would heal. Some day soon, he would walk up to this house, or maybe even ride up on a horse as fine as Thunder. He would take the stairs two at a time, no falling and stumbling ever again. Alice would be waiting in the doorway for him. He'd lift her off her feet and just stare at her face until he got his fill. Then they would walk together in the woods. He'd pick her wildflowers and properly ask her to be his wife.

"Soon," he muttered. "Please, God. Soon." In the dim winter light, he felt around at the foot of the cot for his errant pack. He snagged it with his searching fingers just as footsteps ran lightly into the barn.

"Hawk!" her voice trapped him. "Mama sent me to--" Alice's words halted, but only for an indrawn breath. "Mother said you were to help me cut the Christmas tree before the snow came. Will you?"

She knew. Hawk could tell by the disappointment in her voice. He slowly released his grip on his belongings and turned to face her. "I don't believe you need me to help you choose a Christmas tree," he protested, but he'd already broken her heart. He yearned to gather her close and mend it, but he clenched his fist tighter around his walking stick. "You don't need me," he muttered.

"I believe I do," Alice said. Her voice trilled and Hawk recognized the note of forced gaiety. She had used the same false tone at Pinehurst when extolling Joshua's virtues. The memory rankled and he waited for her to berate him for playing the coward once more. When she spoke again her voice strengthened with each word. "If I don't have help, I usually wander in the woods over into the next county. I'm gone for a fortnight. I love looking at trees. I can't help myself."

The soft confession melted his angry resolve. She took his hand and it trembled in his. He gripped it tightly.

"Come along." She gave him an insistent tug. "You can be back here and resume your business within the hour, if it's so important to you."

Hawk offered no resistance. Surely he could give them both this one memory. They moved as one out of the barn, through the gate, and into the upper pasture. The snow hit his face and melted like tears on his cheeks. He blinked away the moisture and his steps dragged. She slowed their pace but never stopped. "Alice," he finally said.

"Watch your step," she said.

Hawk stood stalk still and resisted her gentle pull. The sheep mobbed them, bumping at their knees. The stink of wet wool and the infernal baaing surrounded them. "Move along, Anna. I don't have a treat for you today, Dolly." Alice's scolding turned to laughter. The press of the woolly bodies squeezed closer; the volume of cries rose and deafened him. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "Dolly knows I always have some crackers or biscuit crumbles in my pocket and she won't let me go until I give them all a little something."

"She sounds spoiled to me." The normalcy of the moment broke through his pain but rubbed his emotions raw.

Alice burst into laughter again. "You're quite right. But just wait until spring lambing and see if you can resist the newborns."
"I don't know," Hawk began, but Alice continued on in a rush.

"Lawrence and I can teach you about lambing," she said. "Every year a few orphaned or weak lambs spend some time in a box by the kitchen stove. Dolly was one of my orphans." Her hand guided his down and a wet questing nose thrust between their hands. "That's Dolly," she said.

His lips curved up as she caressed the pet without letting go of his hand.

"Go on now," she said and clasped his hand tighter. Alice slowly towed him through the press of bodies. "We need to sneak out," she directed. He heard the clack of the latch and followed as they sidled through the north gate. The sheep snuffled and hooves scraped on the frozen ground, then their cries receded and nearly stopped. "We're headed up," Alice said. She tugged on his hand but he balked. "Alice," he said gruffly. "I won't be here for the spring lambing."

"I know," she said softly. "But won't you stay for Christmas?"

"I can't."

purchase links for FAITH IN THE SHADOWS:

http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-225/The-Wainright-Trilogy-Book/Detail.bok
http://www.amazon.com/Wainright-Trilogy-Book-One-ebook/dp/B0067D6N6E/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1321791291&sr=1-2

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-wainright-trilogy-book-one-sadie-cuffe/1107396596?ean=2940013446342&itm=2&usri=faith%252bin%252bthe%252bshadows

We hope everyone will stop by www.cuffesisters.com every now and then to keep in touch. Thanks for hosting us, Stephanie - it's been wicked fun!

Author Spotlight - On Writing by Sadie Cuffe

2011-12-15T06:00:00.000-08:00

In our high school English class we read, "The Sun Also Rises" (Hemingway). I don't remember many details about the book, but I can't forget the exchange I had with the teacher over one of the lead characters. I thought the heroine gave in too easily and gave away her self respect. Mrs. Perry responded, "Remember, you can't judge characters by your standards." Then she added, "But I agree with you."

After all these years, I realize the wisdom of that statement in my writing and my life. It helps us work together well (mostly) because I let Sophie be Sophie and she lets me be me. I think it's slightly more difficult for Soph, because, well I'm me, and she's type AA (but she always tolerates my upside-down notes and around-the-corner arrows with grace!)

But in the world of writing, this English teacher gem opens up a blank page of possibilities beyond personal reserves and even past our imaginations. It helps us create villains, saints and sinners who aren't cookie cutters of Cuffes (say that three times fast!). And, in the creation of heroes and heroines, particularly in historical settings like FITS, it motivates us to get outside our heads and into theirs. Hawk and Alice aren't exactly how we thought they'd be after we typed the first sentence.

We thought Hawk would be tougher, but in his toughness on himself, he emerged a more sensitive and conflicted human being. And Alice, fortunately, refused to let herself be eclipsed beneath our whimpering mental and emotional block. Characters take us on a journey of the mind and soul if we let them be who they are and not who we are. Sure they're just a bunch of letters pushed together on a screen, but they're individuals.

Author Spotlight - Sophie Cuffe talks about Sisters and Christmas

2011-12-14T06:00:00.000-08:00

When my daughter was still living at home, she, Sadie, and I would rent "White Christmas" from the video store, then eat our way through it, making fun of the characters, and repeating the dialog along with them. Our favorite song was "Sisters" and Annie and I used it to audition for one of the local theatre's musical productions. Sadie and I have always been "disgustingly close" (as we've been told a time or two) despite the six-year age difference (yes, I'm older...RHIP [rank has its privilege]), so maybe that's why the song is so special. Our sisterhood reaches beyond our blood bond to include daughter, daughter-in-law, and all the girls who "get" what being a true sister is all about. They're the ones who love you when you're most unloveable and give you metal slap-upside-the-head when you question why they even like you. "Sisters, sisters, there were never such devoted sisters..."

Author Spotlight - Christmas Memories by Sadie

2011-12-13T06:00:00.000-08:00

What is it about Christmas that brings out such intense memories? As a kid, I'd always wanted to have a farm of my own when I grew up. I realized that dream and for me there's always something special about being in the barn and feeding the animals on Christmas Eve. One year my parents were up visiting on Christmas Eve. I was going back to their home for a family get together the next day.

Before I left home on Christmas morning, I went out to feed the livestock. When I opened the grain bin, inside was a smooth metal scoop with a red ribbon tied to the handle. The note with it proclaimed it was from the animals, but the strong bold printing was my dad's.

Dad grew up in California during the depression. He was the youngest of a large family and, as far as I can figure, they never had a tree or the stockings and presents we loved and took for granted during our growing-up years. He was a generous man, but wasn't that much into trimming the tree or gift buying, relying on us and our mom to buy gifts for him to give.

Mom told me the scoop was his idea and he did his own shopping.

Our dad is no longer with us, but we still use his scoop every day. And, as I stand in the barn on Christmas Eve this year, surrounded by the animals contentedly chomping hay, releasing the scents of green fields drenched in drowsy summer sun, I won't feel the early winter darkness or the sharp cold creeping in under the door -- I'll feel the rough calloused warmth of his big hand in mine and know he's still holding my hand watching over us. Thanks, Dad. Merry Christmas.

Author Spotlight - Q&A with Sadie & Sophie Cuffe

2011-12-12T06:00:00.000-08:00

STEPH: I don't know much about "Faith in the Shadows." What's it about?

SOPHIE & SADIE: Set in the period right after the American Civil War, the story is about Alice, an independent woman of faith, and Hawk, a man who feels he lost not only his vision but his self-respect on the battlefield. The world around them is changed, and their lives are changing, too. Alice's brother will soon marry, and she feels the pressure to move out of the family home. Hawk feels the stress of providing for himself and not being a burden on anyone.

In 1866 society circles, the purple splotched birthmark on her cheek brands Alice a spinster. When a gentleman courts her, she jumps into a loveless engagement to Joshua, a braggart in desperate need of cash.

His groom, Hawk, knows Joshua's dirty secrets, but as a blind war veteran he has few choices. His employer's threats make it clear he'll be on the street if he breathes a word of the truth to Alice.

But when Joshua bullies Alice at their engagement party, Hawk steps out of the dark and becomes her champion. Torn between honor and need, Hawk comes to work for the Wainwright family. Alice and Hawk share the same vulnerability and pride. When friendship quickly turns to love, each is blinded by a dark secret. Joshua's interference plays on their insecurities and threatens their future together. Can they face the truth about themselves and each other before they're torn apart?

STEPH: How long did it take you to write?

SOPHIE & SADIE: Probably about three months. FITS was written in-between our real life of family, farming, freelance jobs, and work, so it wasn't completed all at once. It's also been sitting in the shadows for awhile and has undergone several changes over the years, which amounts to another three months of tweaking.

STEPH: What was the inspiration behind the story?

SOPHIE & SADIE: Sadie loves the Civil War and post-war era and has always wanted to write about it, and Sophie finally agreed. Originally, we wanted the story to be of a Yankee girl caught in a spy scenario. Alice didn't turn out to be a spy, and wasn't involved in the war, her life and passions are more like we imagine we would've been in that time period. Since FITS is the centerpiece in the trilogy, the spy story will be coming up next in the tale of Alice's brother and Hawk's sister. (The Seekers- release date 7/11/12)

STEPH: Alice is the main character. What are her strengths? Weaknesses?

SOPHIE & SADIE: She's intelligent and kind, has a quick wit and a good sense of humor. She possesses undying family loyalty and isn't afraid to try her hand at any kind of work or dare. Her weaknesses spring from her strengths. Alice is so independent she won't accept others' help or advice. Her stubborn streak causes her to doubt her strengths and question the love of her family and friends. She sets impossibly high standards for herself. Alice believes beauty is only skin deep for the entire human race, with the exception of one person -- herself.

STEPH: What does Hawk find attractive about Alice.

SOPHIE & SADIE: He loves her honesty, her sense of humor, her warmth, generosity, kindness, her courage, and friendship.

STEPH: What do you want readers to take home after reading the novel?

SOPHIE & SADIE: FITS and the Wainwright trilogy carry a theme of being deceived by appearances. This novel, in particular, shows us how often we project what we feel and think on others. We'd like the reader to come away from FITS with a realization of the dangers of trying to read other's minds, and a determination to be all God designed them to be, embrace the gifts He gave them, and not spend their lives keeping a low profile and living in the shadows.

STEPH: Hollywood is calling. Cast the lead characters.

SOPHIE & SADIE: As you can probably tell, we're way past our twenties and thirties and…so we aren't that in tune with the latest move stars. Our casting would be a blast from the past with Stephanie Zimbalist as our heroine and John Schneider as our hero.

STEPH: Do you have an ebook reader? If so, which one.

SOPHIE & SADIE: No, not yet, but maybe someday.

STEPH: What's your writing space like?

SADIE: At this time of year, it's more of a mess than usual, if that's possible. I have snippets of dialog and notes everywhere. My favorite Thesaurus is buried under a bunch of research booklets, but I can still see my favorite photo of my grandparents for inspiration. On my desk, I have a couple of heart rocks from the nearby beach, a wooden acorn to remind me "Even a blind pig (and a struggling writer) finds an acorn one day," and an old Babba Louie figurine from my childhood so I won't forget my roots. I also have a leather giraffe and a fake miniature Jack-a-lope sitting on my tower that help hold up a piece of poster board as a makeshift shield because the sun is at such a low angle right now it hits me in the eyes in the afternoon.

SOPHIE: I'm ashamed of my side of the office. The stack of papers on my desk was so high I moved it to the kitchen table to weed it out. It's still there, with even more on top, and I've got another pile on my desk that's steadily growing. grrrr. But the wall behind my monitor is plastered with photos, one of me and big brother beside the old family Nash when I was 5 (I still have the same bangs!). My favorite photo, though, is my daughter with her sleeping baby in the fleece baby sling I made for them. Kiwi looks like a little pea in a blue pod.

STEPH: Fun question: What are your favorite Christmas foods that you like to bake.

SOPHIE & SADIE: Christmas bread – our Aunt Mert used to make it for the entire family every year and we hope we do her justice in trying to carry on the tradition. This doesn't exactly qualify as baking, but our Aunt Shirley used to make her own hand-dipped candies and fudge, and Sophie's inherited the ability to make that same great fudge. We also love to make Chex party mix, our own beef jerky, and caramel popcorn balls. That's why we'll always be BMWs (Big Maine Women) and proud of it! For a copy of the Christmas Bread recipe, visit our website at www.cuffesisters.com under Cuffe Stuff.

Author Spotlight - Excerpt from "Nina's Niche"

2011-12-09T06:00:00.000-08:00

Thanks so much for supporting Jackie during her week in the spotlight. Leave a comment on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday's blog and you'll be entered to win a gift certificate from Amazon from Jackie. Remember to leave your email contact information. Jackie and I hope you've enjoyed your time with "Nina's Niche."

Smiles
Moderator Steph

**********

Jake hopped out of his Jeep and waded through the snow to the passenger side. When he lifted Nina, she immediately put her arms around his neck. The touch of her soft hands against his skin sent his thermometer raging.

Inside, he placed her on the rug in front of the fire and kneeled beside her. "Where do you hurt?"

"My head. Front and back. Got any aspirin?"

"I don't think you'd better take any drugs yet."

Nina giggled. "Aspirin's not a real drug."

And what would she know about drugs? "I'll get you something to drink after I call your folks." The lights went out.
"Damn." At least he kept emergency supplies -- flashlights, batteries, candles always on hand.

"Naughty, naughty."

"It's good to see you haven't changed. I'm glad you're still a nice girl."

"No way." She ran her hand over his stubble.

He hadn't shaved this morning figuring he wouldn't see anyone. He hoped his bristles didn't hurt her soft little hand. "What do you mean?"

She put her fingers on his lips and he automatically kissed them.

"I'm through being nice." She pressed his fingers against her lips and smiled.

"What the hell do you mean?" He jumped up. He didn't know how to treat this woman if she wasn't his old friend, Nice Nina. Having a friend like her had been the one good thing in his life -- until she didn't go to the prom with him.

He picked up the phone. "Dead. Damn it to hell. And my cell doesn't work here. What am I going to do?"

"Sit beside me." She patted the rug."

Jake dropped next to her. He couldn't go out in the storm and leave Nina alone. He didn't think he could make it to Julian anyway until the roads were cleared.

"Why didn't you stay down in San Diego?"

"Wanted to have an adventure and I am." She turned on her side. "Lie down next to me."

Jake hesitated for one moment, but there was only so much temptation a guy could take when she was offering him what he'd dreamed of. He stretched out facing her and the fire. The flames made a halo around her head, reminding him she was still a nice girl even if she didn't think so. Nothing much would happen. This would only go as far as a few kisses, and they'd done that before.

Nina put her hand behind his neck and pulled his face down to hers.

In an instant he was lost in the taste and feel of Nina.

Visit my website: Jackieleighallen.com and enter my contest for a chance to win a gift certificate to Romano's Restaurant where Nina and Jake have a romantic dinner.

Author Spotlight - Jake from Nina's Niche visits the blog.

2011-12-08T06:00:00.000-08:00

Hi, readers, my name is Jake Anderson and yes, I am, or was a bad boy. I cut school, broke the speed limit on my bike—but never when Nina was riding behind me—and got drunk one night like my dad. Once was enough. I fell in love with Nina Jones in high school. She was as opposite from me as you could get. Nice Nina always came to school on time with her homework done, was a cheerleader and taught Sunday School. But Nina was also one of the few people in town that didn’t think I was a loser. She stood up for me when people made fun of my shabby clothes. She studied with me—when I studied—and she loved to ride on the back of my bike. Those were the best times of my teenage years with Nina’s arms around my waist, her front pressed to my back and the wind blowing away all the bad stuff. Of course, as a randy teen I wanted to get into Nina’s pants, but I never got farther than a few fabulous kisses. Fast forward ten years. Nina’s gone through a traumatic engagement and I’ve dated a few women. Now Nina’s sexy and ready to roll, but hey, I’ve had enough of being the bad boy. I want the respect of the town, of Nina’s father and most of all of Nina. So-o-o, even though Jackie likes to write sex scenes, I wouldn’t let her. That’s the secret of why Jackie had to let us wait for the wedding night. Come back tomorrow to see how close we got to making love.

Visit my website: Jackieleighallen.com and enter my contest for a chance to win a gift certificate to Romano's Restaurant where Nina and Jake have a romantic dinner.

Author Spotlight - Jackie Leigh Allen talks about the inspiration behind Nina's Niche

2011-12-07T06:00:00.000-08:00

I had always wanted to write a novel with a bad boy hero. Well, don’t we all love bad boys—as long as we don’t have to live with them? So Jake was the starting point for Nina’s Niche. I’ve spent many enjoyable hours in Julian, California, but I’ve also lived in a small town where everyone knows everyone else’s business. It can be a wonderful atmosphere full of friends and helpers, but it can also be a place where no one forgets any mistake you’ve ever made. That’s Jakes’ situation and they weren’t even his mistakes. No one expected much from the son of the town drunk, so he decided to live down to their expectations. After he left town, he didn’t have the same pressures. He went to college and aced his studies. Of course, he couldn’t entirely leave his bad boy persona behind because he did like to ride bikes. He eventually upgraded to a Harley and had a ball riding with the wind blowing past his leathers. Traveling all over the western states, he saw a lot of beautiful places but no place felt like home to him. So he came back to Julian where he’s a proper, well enthusiastic, business man running a Harley agency. Come back tomorrow and Jake will tell you a secret about Nina’s Niche.

Visit my website: Jackieleighallen.com and enter my contest for a chance to win a gift certificate to Romano's Restaurant where Nina and Jake have a romantic dinner.

Author Spotlight - Jackie Leigh Allen talks about the setting in Nina's Niche

2011-12-06T06:00:00.000-08:00

In 1869 people found gold in Julian, California.

Today they find treasures of the heart.

That’s the setting for my new trilogy and NINA’S NICHE is the first book. I want to welcome you to the world of Julian, California, or at least the Julian where my stories take place. I’ve changed the main street a little so Carol and Nina can run the Julian Junque Shoppe the way I want them to. I put Jake's Harley Agency on Main Street, too. That’s one reason being an author is so much fun. If I want Carol to sell Double Dutch Chocolate ice cream, she sells it alongside the antiques Carol views as treasures and the flowers Nina loves to arrange.

Every town’s flavor really depends on the people who live there and Julian is no exception. The daughter and nephew of the Julian Hotel’s proprietor were raising money for a trip to Washington, D. C. when I visited. Two walkers took pity on a lowlander and helped me find the elementary school after I mistook the library for a school.

In my Julian, the people shape the town, too. Nina’s father, the pastor of a church I’ve placed in the middle of the town, starts out more concerned for his flock than his family, but learns to bend like we all do in real life. That’s what I like to do in my stories—combine fiction and real life. I hope you will enjoy learning about the hidden gem of Julian where the snow piles up in winter, the daffodils burst with color in spring, the sun brings lazy days in summer and the apples ripen in the fall.
Come back tomorrow and learn more about bad boy Jake.

Visit my website: Jackieleighallen.com and enter my contest for a chance to win a gift certificate to Romano's Restaurant where Nina and Jake have a romantic dinner.

Author Spotlight - Q&A wth Jackie Allen

2011-12-05T06:00:00.000-08:00

STEPH: I don't know much about Nina's Niche. What's it about?

JACKIE: Nina’s Niche is the story of a good girl who wants to become a bad girl (she doesn’t really succeed) and Jake, the bad boy who reforms so he’s worthy of the good girl.

STEPH: How long did it take you to write?

JACKIE: I wrote it in about four months, put it aside and wrote An Officer and a Gigolo then went back and did about two months of rewrite on Nina's Niche.

STEPH: Did you have to do a lot of research for it?

JACKIE: I had fun researching the town of Julian, California. I also learned a little about Harleys because Jake runs a Harley agency.

STEPH: How did you come to settle on the title, Nina's Niche?

JACKIE: Since Nina didn’t like being Nice Nina, she had to find out where she did belong. With Jake’s help she learns her niche is Nice and Sexy Nina.

STEPH: What are Nina's strengths? Her weaknesses?

JACKIE: Nina is concerned about others, a hard worker and good at her job as an accountant until her world falls apart. On the other hand she does try some things she could have thought about a little longer when she’s trying to shed her Nice Nina label.

STEPH: How long have Jake and Nina known each other. What does Jake find attractive about her?

JACKIE: They were sweethearts in high school but she tried to keep it quiet because her father didn’t approve. Jake thinks she’s beautiful, sweet and sexy.

STEPH: Hollywood is calling. Cast the characters.

JACKIE: I haven't been going to many movies lately, but I think Anne Hathaway would make a perfect Nina if we could afford her. As for Jake, well of course I think of Jake Gyllenhaal if he'd dye his hair blond or maybe Matthew McConaughey.

STEPH: Do you have an ebook reader? if so, which one.

JACKIE: I have a Nook and just got an Ipad.

STEPH: Fun question: What's your favorite holiday treat?

JACKIE: Over the long haul it’s been going to A Christmas Carol on stage, but this year I know the best holiday treat will be seeing my three year old grandson.

Visit my website: Jackieleighallen.com and enter my contest for a chance to win a gift certificate to Romano's Restaurant where Nina and Jake have a romantic dinner.

Author Spotlight - Excerpt from "That Syncing Feeling"

2011-12-02T06:00:00.000-08:00

Enjoy this excerpt from "That Syncing Feeling" by Michelle Levigne.
Moderator Steph

*****

The airlock signaled all clear, pressure equalized, and something small and dark stepped into the shadows of the airlock. Nureen watched all the sensor readouts, both displayed in front of her and what came through her ship link, straight into her brain. Everything looked good -- at least, nothing had been detected that would endanger her life. That meant nothing, because Rovers knew, better than anyone else, that there were weird and wonderful and terrifying things out there beyond the range of the most modern technology and sensors. Just because the equipment couldn't see or sense something didn't mean it wasn't there.

Okay, I give in, she silently groused. I need some shore leave badly.

In response, the airlock pinged, signaling it was ready to open. She made one more check of the readouts, took a deep breath, and sent through the mental signal to open the airlock.

Two seconds later she nearly went to her knees. Nureen managed to hold back the automatic "awwwww" as she stared down at her visitor.

It was less than a meter tall, with enormous emerald eyes and big tufted ears. Its fur was silver shading toward lavender, and its four arms and four legs were short and chubby and sported four fingers or toes with blunt silver nails.

It was all she could do not to go to her knees and scoop up the creature in her arms to cuddle it.

"Hey, wait a minute." Nureen took two steps back from the goomibah. For good measure, she held her breath, in case the totally mythical, appears-only-in-children's-entertainment-vids-creature gave off mind-altering substances that registered as totally natural. They wouldn't set off red flags in her sensors, even as her brain melted and she lost three-quarters of her intelligence rating.

Oh, I'm so sorry, that buzzing voice said into her brain, without the creature's lips moving. I thought this form would make it easier for you to accept me.

This form? Nureen definitely needed shore leave. Metamorphic creatures were the stuff of legend, just like the goomibah.
We don't have time to discuss history and fable. The Synch is going to catch up with us. Those horrid hive creatures damaged my ship, and I certainly can't leave you out here unprepared. You'll have to trust me.

"Trust you for what?" Nureen dodged sideways, guided by instinct before her conscious mind registered that the goomibah was ... flying, straight at her. Without wings.

She shrieked, biting back a string of curses, when it flattened and wrapped around her neck and shoulders. All right, it was warm and soft and smelled of vanilla and ambrosia apples -- but it shouldn't have been able to do that. And wasn't there a parasitic flying plant on Congress IV that smelled like paradise when it wrapped around its victims' heads, rendering them unconscious before digesting them?

I'm protecting you! that voice insisted. Look outside your ship!

Nureen listened to her gut instinct more than the warm, soft sheet enfolding her, and braced herself for the worst as she looked.

It was worse than the worst. Mostly because she usually only imagined one thing at a time as "the worst." The "worst" she could imagine right now was to see the Talroqi ship bearing down on her.

She was wrong.

The vortex had expanded and was reaching out greedy fingers for her.

It had already grabbed hold of the Talroqi ship and was tearing it apart.

She figured if the vortex had the Talroqi for dinner, she was dessert.

********

REVIEWS FOR: THAT SYNCING FEELING:

Many thanks to Candy at Single Titles for a great review of my Borealis novella, "That Syncing Feeling." 

 Star Rating: 4.5 Stars
  Rover Pilot Nureen Keala’s joy ride comes to an end when she receives an SOS from an alien running away from a Talroqi queen ship. Nureen rescues the telepathic shapeshifting creature named Tessur. The anomaly that captured Tessur suddenly grabs Nureen’s ship and tosses her into an unknown dimension ruled by a dictatorship called the Trans Planetary Protectorate (TTP). The TTP is a corrupt government out to rule their entire universe. Nureen’s appearance lets them know that there are new and unexplored areas of space left to conquer. To keep the TTP from her homeland, Nureen depends on Tessur and a dead hero from her own dimension. Can a simple pilot stop an invasion?  Five years earlier, Tedrin Creed fell into the same anomaly that captured Nureen. Creed hopes Nureen can help him get home. First he must convince her that he is really Tedrin Creed. According to Nureen, Tedrin Creed died fifty years ago during a space battle. Creed must convince Nureen that the anomaly captured him and that he did not die. Creed is a hero to Nureen. He was her grandfather’s best friend. Will Creed convince Nureen of the truth before the TTP can invade their universe?  Michelle Levigne takes a young pilot and tosses her into a situation that will change her life forever. Nureen had a crush on Tedrin Creed and dreamed of fighting aliens at his side. The anomaly presents Nureen with her fondest wish, but she does not trust Creed. He is too young to be the hero of the Talroqi war. The Trans Planetary Protectorate rules most of the known universe and is a brutal dictatorship. Ms. Levigne presents a story with lots of action and a forbidden love that should not be possible. Will Nureen help Creed return home and prevent the TTP from learning how to navigate the anomaly?  

Major thanks to Long and Short of it and Night Owl review sites for their very kind words about my SF books.

  First off: Borealis: THAT SYNCING FEELING New from Desert Breeze Publishing 

  Here are some snippets from the review: Rating: 4.5 Books
 Reviewed by Foxglove  
That Syncing Feeling is a sweet and delightful love story, filled with adventure and humor, and unusual creatures.   Michelle Levigne has added to the Borealis family with a romantic story of finding love where you least expect it, and with the most unlikely couple. I found this to be a fun filled and action packed adventure, with tongue in cheek humor, sweet first love and lots of danger along the way.   Nureen Keala is smart, courageous and a bit of a dreamer. She is following in her grandfather’s footsteps, and trying not to disappoint those in command of the Fleet. ... I loved Nureen, with her daring attitude and her sassy remarks. I liked that she didn’t instantly believe Creed was the real deal, but made him prove his identity. ... I like Creed’s determination and his tenacity, and the way he finally was able to come to terms with his feelings for his best friend’s granddaughter.  The secondary characters in this are few but interesting. Tessur is a morphing shape changer, able to become anything that is even remotely organic, and this talent saves the day more than once in this adventure. My favorite comic relief was the addition of three TPP scientists assigned to keep watch over Tedrin Creed, Drs. Moek, Kerli and Lairy. They were clueless as to Creed’s intentions, and his ability to trick them was priceless.  There is a bit of adventure and danger as the trio of Nureen, Tedrin and Tessur make their escape from Borealis, and I was on the edge of my seat through most of the story. Do they make it back to their dimension and find a life together? You’ll just have to read That Syncing Feeling to find out.

Author Spotlight - Michelle Levigne talks about the inspiration behind "That Syncing Feeling"

2011-12-01T06:00:00.000-08:00

Like I said on Monday, there were certain elements I wanted to play with. I wanted to have fun and be silly. I wanted a "merry chaos" story, where the main character kept muttering, "Why ME?" as one weird, inexplicable thing after another happened, and no matter how hard she tried, it just all kept going downhill.

I had this shapeshifting character named Tessur that I had created for a series of Star Trek fan fiction stories for the club I used to belong to. Essentially, my character, Lt. Mikara (animal telepath, cultural anthropologist) meets up with Cyrano Jones on her way to join her ship. Yes, that Cyrano Jones, of "Trouble with Tribbles" fame. Poor Cyrano, trying to get rid of this little three-legged stool that could walk ... and Mikara meets Tessur. They torment her captain with things that he's sure he shouldn't see, and Tessur gets Mikara out of trouble when she's temporarily assigned to the Enterprise (she's positive it's a death sentence) and "loses" her landing party team to a planet-wide mental "reprogramming" field.

In "Syncing," Tessur takes on various faces/bodies to get Nureen and Creed out of tight spots, and acts as a translator for her when she lands in an alien dimension. And he drives her crazy the first time she sees him "melt" into new shapes that shouldn't exist.

I torture my characters. It's fun!

Author Spotlight - Michelle Levigne talks about her favorite Science Fiction Show

2011-11-30T06:00:00.000-08:00

Right now, it's Warehouse 13.

Essentially: Secret Service agents travel the world, looking for weird, magical, sometimes malevolent gizmos that are wreaking havoc in people's lives. Like Edgar Allen Poe's pen, that makes the things it writes happen. Or Marilyn Monroe's hairbrush, that turns a woman's hair platinum and makes her act like ... well, a dizzy blonde bimbo! Or stones from the Tower of Babel, that scrambles languages. On and on. The agents neutralize the gizmos and take them to Warehouse 13, where they're controlled and kept from hurting people.

All the weird gizmos are great. The challenge of short-circuiting the dangerous gizmo that is either malfunctioning or has fallen into the wrong hands. Or identifying what crazy things is suddenly creating havoc.

But more important is the cast of characters. They're all unique, they're all individuals, and they care about each other, even as they're sniping at each other and teasing and griping and being totally frustrated with each other. I love the ensemble, the family feel -- don't we often want to just strangulate our family, despite how much we love them? Pete and Mica are so different, but such a perfect team. Pete is the big, goofy little brother who enjoys all the weirdness. Mica is the smart, anal-retentive, analytical big sister trying to get Pete to be serious for more than two seconds in a row. Then there's Claudia, the super-geek rocker, so smart she scares herself. Like she said one time to Artie, "I'm not even my own age." There's Gina, who certainly deserves more screen time, who cares, who looks after them. Artie, the overburdened, frustrated, "can we get serious now?" father of this brood. And scary Mrs. Fredric! Love her. I sure hope that watch that McPherson left for Artie has what it takes to fix things. The last we saw of Mrs. Fredric, she was a pile of dust and bones on Gina's living room floor!

Warehouse 13 has humor and snarky fun. It's clean. It saves the world at least twice every season. And there just aren't enough episodes.

Author Spotight - Michelle Levigne talks about her passion for writing Science Fiction Romance

2011-11-29T06:00:00.000-08:00

I just like the flexibility, the extra possibilities available in the whole SF genre. I guess I write romance because relationships are important in the stories. One of my friends pointed out that my stories were very "domestic," meaning the relationships were a large partof the story.

There are more "toys" to play with, writing SF. More things to do, more places to go. But the important thing is to make sure that the "toys" and the otherworldly settings and situations are integral to the plot -- if you took them out of the story, the story would fall apart, it couldn't be written without them. If you can take away the ray guns and the spaceships and have the same story without a hitch, then maybe it really isn't an SF story, you know? I'm working on a series of short stories where I take faerie tales and turn them into SF romances. This is possible, maybe even necessary, because of the "unearthly" elements in faerie tales -- the magic, the creatures, the strange landscapes, the curses, the quests, the characters -- it translates well into SF settings and characters. The genie can turn into a sentient computer. Goblins turn into aliens. The Beast turns into a hero infected with a mutating disease. Beauty is the intrepid doctor who works to cure him. On and on.

A classic example is a story idea I had, where a rich, powerful, ruthless man, kidnaps a young woman who turns out to be his daughter. He couldn't get away with it for long in our modern world. However, put the story in a star-spanning civilization, where every planet has its own laws, and communication and tracking people isn't easy between worlds, suddenly it's very possible. And the daughter he kidnaps was originally bred for him for a specific purpose, for possible genetic gifts that will make him even more powerful. If he can get her to think like him.

So the possibilities are broader and more convoluted in SF, and you can have all sorts of tools and toys and settings and sidekicks that you can't find in our modern world that has become so very small and familiar.

Author Spotlight - Q&A with Michelle Levigne

2011-11-28T06:00:00.000-08:00

STEPH: I don't know much about "That Syncing Feeling." What's it about?

MICHELLE: It's a tie-in to my full-length novel SF romance, "Blue Fire." Nureen, the heroine of "Syncing" is childhood military brat friend with Rhianni, the heroine of "Blue," and even shows up several times.

Nureen is a hot-shot pilot, out having a snit-fit in a scout craft, because she's stuck patrolling dead space instead of being in on the action, supporting Rhianni. She gets a distress call, and ends up falling through a vortex into another dimension -- the Borealis universe -- with a shapeshifting creature named Tessur. On the Borealis, she runs into Tedrin Creed. He's been there 5 years, after falling through a similar space anomaly. Problem: Nureed knows who Creed is, her grandfather's best friend, a war hero, who is presumed dead after a massive space battle 50 years ago. Naturally, she doesn't believe he is who he says. Creed has bigger problems: they only have so much time to get to the space anomaly and get home before it closes. Maybe permanently.

STEPH: How did you become involved in writing for the Borealis Science Fiction Series?

MICHELLE: Gail asked for more victims -- err -- intrepid writers willing to try to play in her playground. I got my start writing fan fiction, playing in someone else's playground, and it sounded like it might be fun!

STEPH: What inspired your story?

MICHELLE: I wanted to give Nureen an adventure. I had to figure out how to get from the "Blue Fire" universe to the Borealis universe. Answer: Space anomaly. Then I thought about all the trouble you can get in if it's not only distance, but time that's messed with. Then I had this shapeshifting critter I created for a bunch of Star Trek stories years ago, that I wanted to take out of retirement. And I wanted to have some fun.

STEPH: How long did it take you to write?

MICHELLE: Maybe 1 week for the first draft, then maybe 2 days each for each revision. When you're having fun, the stories just flow.

STEPH: How did you come up with the title "That Syncing Feeling?"

MICHELLE: Tessur, the shapeshifter, refers to the space anomaly/vortex as the Sync -- as in "synchronizing" as well as "sinking." And I wanted to get a little silly -- play on words, "Sinking Feeling."

STEPH: Have you read other Borealis stories?

MICHELLE: Yes! Fun. I read them for research before I got started. Big shoes to fill!

STEPH: Did you grow up with a passion for Science Fiction?

MICHELLE: I think so -- I can remember playing Star Trek on the elementary playground. The climbing tower was our spaceship. We slid down the poles for our "transporter." I always got to play Spock because I was the only one who could do the Vulcan salute.

There's always been SF around. I loved it when they started publishing the Star Trek novels. Then the original Star Wars came out when I was in high schoo. I can remember going to the SAME theater to see Star Wars for my 16th and 17th birthdays.

STEPH: What's your writing space like?

MICHELLE: Right now it's a mess. Lots of bookshelves at one end of the room. computer desk and worktable at the other end of the room. Papers everywhere, notebooks on the floor, where I'm organizing/sorting/ridding notes for upcoming books. Don't even look in my closet, where it's always a jumble of promo materials and packing boxes and projects I haven't finished yet. But it's all MY mess, and it's a comfortable place with a big chair that's good for sitting and typing for a looooong time. I have my music to shut out the rest of the world, a window that looks out on the back yard with a creek and trees and bluejays and deer walking through.

STEPH: How long have you been writing?

MICHELLE: Feels like forever! I can remember scribbling stories in junior high, daydreaming and rewriting TV shows that didn't satisfy me, or continuing the storyline of movies and books that really caught my attention. I started seriously writing books, actually FINISHING them, in 10th grade. So yeah ... forever!

Author Spotlight - Excerpt from Renovations

2011-11-25T06:00:00.000-08:00

Thanks so much for visiting the Desert Breeze Blog this week. We hope you have a memorable Thanksgiving. Theresa thanks you for visiting as well. Leave a comment here on the excerpt post today, Saturday and Sunday and I'll pick a winner on Monday to receive a PDF Copy of Theresa's Renovations.

Smiles
Moderator Steph

******

Blurb for Renovations --

Was she making a big mistake?

Megan Callaway now owned Green Oaks Plantation, with all of its outbuildings and forest of trees and grass – and problems. She planned on changing it into a bed and breakfast. Yet she didn’t have complete control. She would have to agree on everything with Andy Perry, the president of the local historical group.

The man didn’t want to see anything change on the property.

Megan wanted to demolish all the outer buildings except an old-fashion outdoor kitchen.

Sparks fly every time the two get together.

But it’s not until her past starts catching up to her, things get interesting.

Would Megan really be able to let go?

Excerpt --

A slight grin lifted his lips as if saying, Why are you hiding from me? She fisted her hands together, forcing her fingers away from her glasses.

His grin faded. "Look, I'm trying to tell you I'm sorry for how I acted the other day."

"I accept your apology."

He stepped past her on the stairs, stopping her halfway down them. Eye to eye, she was forced to look directly in to his astonishing brown ones. She'd never seen eyes the color of this man's before, brown with little hints of caramel coloring reflecting brilliant in the harsh light of the stairwell. A woman could never be safe with a man with eyes like his. Mysterious, full of promises. She suddenly wanted to agree to those promises.

No, no, no.

"You're not acting like a woman who has just accepted a man's apology."

Pulling her gaze from his, she slid past him and raced down the stairs.

"Hey?"

Oh, how foolish could one woman be? Part of the reason she'd driven eight hundred miles was to get away from a man who'd promised her the world. She definitely didn't plan to get involved in any way with another one for the same reasons.

She heard him calling her name, but she ignored him. The front entrance came into view as she swallowed bitter tears. Before she reached it, a hard hand stopped her. She jerked out of his grip and turned toward him.

"Are you okay?"

Megan couldn't talk as she fought her tears.

He dropped his hands and backed away from her. "Now I've made you cry."

"No."

His eyes widened at her negative answer. "Then why are you?"

"I don't..." She didn't know what to tell him because she wasn't sure why. "Sometimes women just... need to cry." What the hell is wrong with me anyway? "I'm overwhelmed by all that's happening now."

He looked chastised. "My attitude certainly isn't helping you, is it?"

"No." She blew out a relieving breath. "But I'll be all right."

His steady glance told her he didn't quite believe her.
Buy link

http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-228/The-Sisters-Calloway-Book/Detail.bok

http://www.amazon.com/Sisters-Callaway-Book-Two-ebook/dp/B0067DE6L8/ref=sr_1_4?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1321562080&sr=1-4

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-sisters-callaway-book-two-theresa-stillwagon/1107396598

Author Spotlight - Theresa Stillwagon gives thanks

2011-11-24T06:00:00.000-08:00

Today is Thanksgiving.

What am I thankful for?

The past few years have been hard for me and my husband. We've lost so much during this time, but we've also gained. Right now we're living in a partially furnished apartment, living from his paycheck to paycheck until I can find a job. We've no television, or internet access now. We have no bed, not even a mattress and box spring to set on the floor.

Yet --
We have a place to stay.

We have one income.

We live in an apartment close to many businesses, with a library nearby.

We have a comfortable love seat to sleep on for now as well as a bunch of free chairs and a table.

But more importantly, after almost thirty years, we have each other.

May God bless you all this Thanksgiving season.

Author Spotlight - Theresa Stillwagon talks about 2nd Guessing

2011-11-23T06:00:00.000-08:00

The hardest part about writing Renovations was getting past my uneasiness about the past.

During a time of repression and sorrow, the wife and youngest daughter of the owner showed unrelenting courage and wisdom. Many enslaved men and women were given a chance at freedom by their actions.

As I started writing about the Richardson ladies' courageous action, I stopped and wondered if I should write it at all. Would it be proper? Would it be right? Would I offend someone by being up the issue of slavery.

That's when Grandmother Ruby's grandmother first spoke to me. Just like Andy said, "You can't pick and chose what parts of history you want to remember. You need to remember it all, good and bad." Grandmother Ruby's grandmother said the same thing.

I fell in love with Grandmother Ruby the moment she stepped onto the page. She -- and her church family -- were the ones tackling the rebuilding of the slave cabins at the back end of Green Oaks.

If Grandmother Ruby was okay with it, so was I.

Author Spotlight - Theresa Stillwagons talks about the inspiration behind her Calloway Sisters Series

2011-11-22T06:00:00.000-08:00

The Callaway sisters have been a part of my life since 1995. When I finished the first book about Allie (now in the virtual trash bin), the other three sisters were screaming at me to write stories for them. I'd never even attempted to write a series before so I pushed them away and wrote a few other stand-alone books.

Yet Jessie wouldn't shut up, so I decided to write Saving Pale Moon.

Then Megan started pleading with me, so I had to write her story.

Now it's the oldest sister Liz. She's being patience with me right now, but I feel her gently poking at my back to get on with it already.

A second story for Allie is forming inside my head, using some of the older book. I'm so glad I didn't delete it permanently. There are some good scenes in that one I can rewrite and use in the new story.

Kelly, the fifth sister, was a surprise. When I wrote Jessie's story, I found out her birth father had a daughter. The whole clan took her in as one of their own.

But I think the real inspiration for the series are my sisters. I have five of them, and they're all younger than me. And, no, none of the Callaway's were based on them.

Author Spotlight - Q&A with Theresa Stillwagon

2011-11-21T06:00:00.000-08:00

STEPH: I don't know much about Renovations. What's it about?

THERESA: Renovations is the second book in the Callaway series. It's Megan's, the youngest sister. She's tired of her old life, tired of the way everyone treats her, so she decides to buy an old plantation called Green Oaks and renovate it into a bed and breakfast. It takes her a year to finally make her decision to do it, though. She's happy until Andy shows up with his reaction. He thinks she's going to mess up the 'historical value' of the place.

STEPH: What was the inspiration behind the story?

THERESA: I was going to set all the stories in Texas, on the ranch, but I couldn't fit Megan's story there. Right now I live in Georgia, near Savannah, and I'd always been interested in Civil War history. These two things just brought the book together. I had them eat lunch at Cracker Barrel where I used to work a few years ago and I'm familiar with the area. The small town the story is set in is a fictional one.

STEPH: How long did it take you to write?

THERESA: Actually the first draft only took about two and a half months. (Book 3 of the series is taking much, much longer.)

STEPH: Did you have to do a lot of research for the novel?

THERESA: Not really. I used a lot of places I was familiar with like the hotel off Interstate 95 and Cracker Barrel. I did do some research on small towns in Georgia and searched for pictures and information about antebellum plantation.

STEPH: Andy doesn't want anything to change on the plantation. Why?

THERESA: Andy is the president of the local Historical Society, and also a history teacher. He's trying to find proof that the original females who lived on the plantation were teaching their slaves how to read. (The owner of the plantation was considered one of the cruelest men around at the time.) He's afraid Megan will destroy that proof during her renovations if he's not involved with it from the beginning.

STEPH: What do you want the reader to take away after reading the story?

THERESA: I think it's that you can always find good people in even the most depressive situations. And, if you look deep into yourself, you can find the strength to change your life.

STEPH: Why does Megan have a strong desire to change the plantation into a bed & breakfast?

THERESA: Everyone thinks she's just a pretty face, with nothing much else going for her. No one believes she can renovate the plantation, and make it profitable. She plans on proving them all wrong.

STEPH: Do you have an ebook reader? If so, which one?

THERESA: Yes, I have a Kindle. My husband got it for me on my birthday, and I love it. Truthfully, I don't know how I lived without it for all these years.

STEPH: Are you a plotter or a panster?

THERESA: I'm an in-betweener. I think about a story for a long while before I actually sit down and start making notes. I need to know the characters well, and I need to have some structure or the book ends up going off in the wrong direction. I usually have a general idea of how the book will end and a bit about how I'm going to get there. Usually in the middle somewhere I need to stop and rethink my plot.

STEPH: Fun question: What's your favorite Thanksgiving pie?

THERESA: I like Apple Pie. I remember growing up my mom and dad would both make pies, and we had to say which one we liked best. (My father was a cook, in Africa, during World War Two. He loved making pies.)
It was all in fun though.

Author Spotlight - Excerpt from Lost Then Found

2011-11-18T06:00:00.000-08:00

Thanks so much for supporting Christina this week while she's been in the spotlight. She's offering a giveaway = a PDF copy of "Lost then Found." Post a comment on the blog today, Saturday, and Sunday and I'll pick one lucky winner out of a hat to win a copy of Christina's novel. The winner will be announced on Monday here on the blog and on the Connections Loop.

Smiles
Moderator Steph

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

She entered into the small room and Jonas followed, stepping into the dark office. The room had one small window near the top of the wall. A coat of dust blocked out most of the sunshine.

"Thanks for talking to me."

"Hold the thanks." Renee pressed the door closed then turned to face him. Renee jabbed a finger toward a plush chair across the room. "Sit."

Without a word, Jonas complied.

Sweat coated her hands and her stomach clenched. Give her a screaming, profanity-spewing ex-husband of one of her clients instead of an indifferent and calm Jonas Knight. To hide the tremble wanting to buckle her knees, she slid onto the desk and thumped her heels against the marred wooden legs of the hand-me-down furniture.

"All I want to do is help you." Jonas leaned forward, decreasing their distance.

"I can handle a man like Howard." She scooted back a few inches. "And I did. I don't need you showing up here putting my staff and my clients in danger. What if he followed you again? I thought you were better than that." The baiting words flowed from her before thought stopped the spitefulness.

Blankness filled his gray eyes. Jonas steepled his fingers and pressed them against his lips. Renee had always assumed the lack of readable emotions came from being a top-notch skip tracer, not an ingrained personality trait. She learned otherwise, discovering love couldn't...and wouldn't...change it.

She pressed her hands onto the wooden top to stave off the tremor building in her body. "I have no information for you. I want you to stop harassing me. Leading people to me."

His brows rose. "Little dramatic, aren't you? This is not harassment. This is one professional coming to talk to another professional about a common case."

"We have nothing in common."

A hint of an unreadable emotion jumped in his eyes. "We have a lot in common. Denying it doesn't change the fact."

Something fluttered in her heart, and she refused to acknowledge it enough to define it. "We're not here to talk about us."

Jonas settled into the chair and rested one jean-clad leg on top of the other. "Aren't we? Isn't this whole issue about us?"

Renee clenched her hands, knuckles jamming into the desk. Pinpricks of pain traveled up her arms. Why did Jonas turn everything into a battle? "Not on my end. Is it on yours?"

A smile inched up the corners of Jonas' mouth. Her heart fluttered. His smile always affected her. The first time she saw it, he stood in front of the classroom listing his credentials. The grin grabbed her and reeled her in. She focused on the shape of his mouth rather than the words coming out of it. The paper in front of her remained blank, and she had to take that particular seminar again. The next time, she chose a different instructor as the handsome, renegade Jonas Knight distracted her attention and captured her heart.

In three months, he swept her off her feet and to the altar. Her heart had never known such happiness. A memory of her sister's funeral trickled into her mind. Or pain. Jonas had stood beside her, arms crossed, staring into the distance without a flicker of emotion on his face or in his eyes. Renee had needed the feel of his arms around her, to lean on him and gather strength, but Jonas denied her comfort that day. He closed himself off to her, to her parents, to Alex. Her husband turned himself into a stranger the day she needed him most.

Author Spotlight - Christina Freeburn talks about Christmas stories & writing

2011-11-17T06:00:00.000-08:00

It's getting to be that time of year again. Turkey. Present shopping. Putting up the Christmas tree. Present shopping. House decorating. Present shopping. Cookie baking. Putting a limit on the present shopping.

And along with all that fun, comes my favorite and most anticipated activities of the year. That window of time available to listen to Christmas music, watch Christmas movies, and the reading holiday themed books. Usually, I start collecting --hoarding-- the books around October so I have plenty to read. I have a few favorites but am always on the search to add to my collection. My favorite topics for holiday books are rekindled romances, the loner finding those who want to make him or her a part of their family, and the ones centered around 'holiday drama'.

I'll admit right now that I like my holiday angst to be have a light and humorous tone. I don't mind some heavy hitting issues, but nothing to deep and heart-breaking. There is one Christmas song where I can't turn the radio over fast enough when it comes on. If I'm going to cry at the holiday, I want it to because my heart was touched by kindness and generosity. During the rest of the year, give me the heavy themes, the life-altering, heart-wrenching books but from the week of Thanksgiving through January 1, I want 'holiday drama'. It's a weird quirk of mine.

'Holiday Drama' books are based on those perplexing and aggravating issues which only come up around the happiest time of the year--the time of joy, love, and getting together with family members. The angst over not being invited, or being invited, to 'the' cookie exchange party of the year, deciding to pare down the holiday spending and activities only to be confronting by those not agreeing with your choice, or the holiday planner/baker/shopper/decorater having enough and going on strike. Throw in the neighborhood war of banning blow up yard decorations, greedy shopper buying the entire stock of the hot item to sell for a fortune on an auction and there's enough drama to last the whole season long.

And with that time sneaking up on me pretty fast, I'd love to hear some recommendations. I've been real busy this year with writing books, volunteering, driving teens around, and helping plan a wedding this summer, so I haven't conducted my 'intense' search for those holiday drama stories and would love to hear what you enjoy.

Author Spotlight - Christina Freeburn talks about her influences

2011-11-16T06:00:00.000-08:00

I always thought I didn't have a 'true' influence on my writing because I've always wrote different types of stories. How could any one writer, book, or even style of story, have influenced my writing when I create stories that use voices and techniques that are the opposite of each other.

One day, I saw a poll someone was doing regarding the influence Nancy Drew had on female mystery author's writing...and I realized how wrong I was. I enjoyed reading about Nancy Drew and her adventures but my true love was the Hardy Boys. Frank. Joe. Fenton and Laura. Aunt Gertrude. Even now, I still sometimes pick up a Hardy Boy book and read it. There's something about the stories that tug at my heart and are a comfort to me.

I was more drawn to the Hardy Boys because I yearned to be in their family. I loved to experience the warm and loving family of the Hardy Boys. Reading those books allowed me to spend time with siblings who loved and cared about each other, where parents supported their children (though I'd never be that supportive if my teens wanted to hunt down criminals), filled a longing in me. Those books brought joy to my life and allowed me to experience the type of family I dreamed about as a child.

Without having known it, the Hardy Boys played a key role in the type of stories I wrote. Whether I write mysteries or romantic suspense, there is a strong family unit that is the backbone of the book. The family members don't always get along in harmony. They have their moments of arguments and saying just that 'perfect' thing to irritate their sibling but in the end ... they stand up and by each. When one is threatened, they close ranks as no issue between them is ever more important than each other's well-being. Disagreements and personality clashes become non-existent. Family is first.

Author Spotlight - Christina Freeburn talks about writing the self rescue princess

2011-11-15T06:00:00.000-08:00

I first heard this term when I was complaining to a friend about a rejection I received. The letter mentioned great characters and plot, original idea but ... the Christian heroine wasn't woman-in-jeopardy enough for a romantic suspense.

"What do I do next?" I started talking about the changes I could possibly make for the heroine to fit into the mold.

My friend stopped me by commenting that I didn't write damsels-in-distress, I wrote the self-rescuing princesses. She was right. That was the whole point --the heart--of the stories I wanted to write. It might be because I have daughters, but there was a need for me to write heroines who are an equal to the heroes. I wanted to write Christian romantic suspense stories which featured strong heroines. I wanted to show that Christian women were strong, tough, and could stand on their own and fight against evil. They could be the 'heroes' in their lives.

Christian heroines --and real, life Christian women-- were capable of slaying their own dragons, so to speak, and stepping up to help others when needed. A woman didn't have to wait around for a man to rescue them, they could do it themselves.

Eventually, the right man comes along who they can share their life with but until then ... they'll do what needs to be done to make their life better and fulfilling.

Fortunately, I found Desert Breeze Publishing who published books with the type of heroine I needed to write. I am blessed to have the opportunity to share my self-rescuing princess heroines with readers.

The self-rescue princess isn't a woman who places herself above others but one who doesn't place herself below others. She isn't waiting to be rescued, but laying the ground work and doing the work necessary to change her circumstance. The self-rescue princess is not only able to see her strengths and positives but also her weaknesses and flaws. She takes control of her life and accepts responsibility for her decisions, good and bad.

Author Spotlight - Q&A with Christina Freeburn

2011-11-14T06:00:00.000-08:00

STEPH: I don't know about "Lost then Found." What's it about?

CHRISTINA: Lost Then Found is about skip-tracers Renee and Jonas Knight, ex-spouses and former business partners, who find themselves on opposite sides of a case. Renee lost her sister to domestic violence and decides to her skills as a skip-tracer to relocate and hide abused women who are trying to start their lives over. She's starting to feel whole again when her ex-husband shows back up in her life demanding to know the whereabouts of one of Renee's clients. Jonas knows the young woman couldn't have vanished by herself and suspects Renee helped her. When his client starts acting suspicious, Jonas decides to team up with Renee to protect her and also to discover the truth about the young woman in hiding.

STEPH: How long did it take you to write?

CHRISTINA: The first draft of Lost Then Found took me about 3 months to write.

STEPH: Where did you find the inspiration for the novel?

CHRISTINA: I attended a writer's workshop that had a skip-tracer speaking. I signed up for the newsletter and a few months later the newsletter talked about how paparazzis use skip tracers to find out the secret locations of celebrity weddings and vacations. I started thinking about what would happen if a skip tracer was hired to find a person who had a very, good reason to have gone off the grid. What would cause a person to make that choice? How would a person know how to hide themselves? More and more what and how questions developed and as I answered them, the New Beginnings series took shape in my mind.

STEPH: How important is setting to the novel?

CHRISTINA: As the story starting forming, the setting became more important. Not so much the area where the heroine’s office is located in Maryland, but the town two women she relocated call home. This town, Mourning, took on a life of its own and became, in a way, a character with its own personality and plays a key role in other books in the series.

STEPH: Did you have to do a lot of research for the story?

CHRISTINA: I did research into skip tracing, wills and estates, and also checking to make sure the choices Renee made never crossed the line between right and wrong legally. Or is a decision will have her crossing that line, it’s a conscious choice where she's willing to accept the consequences.

STEPH: Hollywood is calling. Cast the lead characters of the story.

CHRISTINA: This question took me a little while to answer as I hadn't really thought about it. But, I think Josh Lucas and Emma Stone would be great to play Jonas and Renee Knight.

STEPH: What's the theme of the novel? What do you want to resonate with readers?

CHRISTINA: The theme of the novel is forgiveness and responsibility. What do I want to resonate with the reader ... that's a tough question. The main thing is that there is always hope for a better life no matter the circumstance and no matter your past. And sometimes to fulfill dreams and move past pain, we have to come term with wrongs we’ve committed and set out to make them right.

STEPH: Do you have an ebook reader? If so, which one?

CHRISTINA: I have a Kindle and am being tempted by the Kindle Fire.

STEPH: How long have you been writing?

CHRISTINA: I have been writing since I was in the ninth grade. I just did the math and realize that’s about 27 years. Wow! Though, I didn’t start taking it seriously, as in trying to get published, until 15 years ago.

STEPH: FUN question: What's your favorite Thanksgiving day pie?

CHRISTINA: Apple pie with crumb topping.

STEPH: My son, Andrew, (he's 9) absolutely LOVES Apple pie like this!

Author Spotlight - Excerpt from Danube in Candlelight

2011-11-11T06:00:00.000-08:00

Enjoy this "spine-tingling" post from Danube in Candelight. Leave a comment today, Saturday, and Sunday and Monday I'll pick a winner to receive my giveaway goodie bag: A GC to Panera, a bag of chocolate, a decorative autumn pumpkin hand crafted by my friend, Lori Powell, and MacIntosh Apples Yankee Candles.

Thanks so much for supporting me during this week.
Smiles
Moderator Steph

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

Zoltan stood in the middle of a patch of red roses. His eyes were closed, and he breathed deeply. Should she approach him? He furrowed his brow, fisted one of his hands, and brought it up to his chin. Her heart went out to him.

"Zoltan?"

His eyes snapped open. "Morgan? You shouldn't have followed me. Go away."

"You look awful. Can I help?"

He glanced at the moon and raked a hand through his hair. "I can't manage anymore. I must leave. Now."

"Then let's do so with dignity. Take my hand, and we'll walk back in there and leave through the front door."

His expression betrayed his struggle.

"I don't think I can. Even now I feel the tug of the moon. Its wicked light is draining the rest of my strength."

Morgan pursed her lips, knowing he had grown progressively weaker throughout the evening. Still, she offered him her hand. She wanted him to know she trusted him.

"Be strong just a little bit longer."

His eyes darkened dangerously. A look of warning crossed his features, but she ignored it. She could handle this. Her father could. Why couldn't he?

"Take my hand, Zoltan."

With a suddenness she didn't expect, he lunged for her hand, pushing it against the roses. The thorns on the rose stem pricked her flesh, making her bleed.

"Oh!" She brought her hand to her chest, but Zoltan pounced on her and grabbed her wrist. For a moment he studied her intently, then he opened his mouth. Long, white, pristine incisors hung past his lower lip.

Morgan's heart spiked with fear. He couldn't handle this. By God, the man was gone and had been replaced with a beast.
"Let me go, Zoltan."

He refused, pulling her hand toward him. She tried to tug it free, but he was incredibly strong. She couldn't break his grasp.
He brought her blood-stained hand to his nose and took a long breath.

"Sweet and coppery..." he said, his voice dropping to a husky whisper as he let the words trail away.

"Zoltan, let me go." Fear and panic laced her voice.

He flicked out his tongue and licked the blood off her hand. She tried to pull away. Instead of letting her go, he jerked her toward him, wrapped his powerful arm around her waist, and continued to lap up her blood. His sharp incisors brushed her hand. Fear thrummed through her veins. She couldn't break his hold. A glance at his eyes revealed all common sense had left him. Venom dripped off his elongated teeth.

"No, Zoltan, no..."

His teeth sliced into her flesh at the wrist. Her head spun. She pushed feebly against his chest and grew weak in his grip.

The pleasure was heady -- like that of a narcotic. Zoltan became one with her, his heart beating in time with hers. His life in Miskolc before the war came to life inside her head. She experienced his heartbreak and sadness, becoming one with him as she experienced his turning.

"No more killing. I won't kill again, ever. I swear it."

"Zoltan..." Her life force ebbed.

"Forgive me, Morgan."

He had satisfied his need to take, and her narcotic high drained away. She must take now if she wanted to live.

He offered her his wrist.

"Bite me. Take from me so you will live."

Morgan snapped her mouth open and sank her teeth into his flesh. The high returned, and she greedily took from him. In the back of her mind a man shouted her name, but she couldn't pull her attention away from Zoltan, or she would die.

*****

REVIEWS:
5 Stars, Reader's Favorite:
This story is the closest I have ever come to reading a book that feels like a movie!

5 Hearts, Sizzling Hot Book Reviews:
Once again, Stephanie Burkhart has touched my imagination and with her writing brings 1922 Hungary to life. Danube in Candlelight is a very romantic, yet spicy read. This is a must read if you enjoy the paranormal werewolf stories or even if you merely enjoy a great romance.

Book Trailer on You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgzUIHCRN0I

BLURB:
Set in Budapest 1922, The Hungarians are recovering from the war. Adam Varga is Hungarian to the bone and becomes an architect to help rebuild his nation. Morgan Duma returns from England also intent on helping to rebuild her country.

After a tragedy happens to her mother, Morgan discovers her father is a werewolf. She begins to question who she is, becoming more reckless, more daring, and her choices more bold. When Zoltan Kristos, a known werewolf, requests Morgan accompany him to the summer ball, Morgan has to decide which man will best fit her life.
PUBLISHER'S BUY LINK: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-219/Budapest-Moon-Book-III/Detail.bok

AMAZON KINDLE BUY LINK: http://www.amazon.com/Hungarian-Moon-Book-Three-ebook/dp/B0061XJFG0/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1320188529&sr=1-1
BARNES & NOBLE NOOK BUY LINK: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hungarian-moon-book-three-stephanie-burkhart/1107039692?ean=2940013659148&itm=1&usri=danube%2bin%2bcandlelight

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http://www.stephanieburkhart.com

TWITTER:
http://twitter.com/StephBurkhart

FACEBOOK:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stephanie-Burkhart-Author/149938795021166

GOOD READS:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4031660.Stephanie_Burkhart

10 NOV

Author Spotlight - Hungarian Cuisine - Tokaji & Goulash

2011-11-10T11:55:00.000-08:00

As you read "Danube in Candlelight" you discover Morgan and Adam like to drink Tokaji. So… what is it? You might be surprised.

Tokaji is a sweet, topaz colored wine frequently known as a Hungarian dessert wine.

"Tokaji" is a name of wines from the "Tokaj-Hegyalja" region in Hungary and Slovakia and is used to label wine from the area. The wine region is known for producing sweet wines and Tokaji is made from grapes that have been affected by noble rot.

Cool fact: Tokaji is mentioned in the Hungarian national anthem!

Interestingly, Tokaj-Hegyaja used to be in the Kingdom of Hungary but was given to Slovakia when the nation was separated by the Treaty of Trianon. (The treaty is mentioned often in "Danube in Candlelight.")

In 1920, following the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, a small part of the Tokaj wine region (approx. 1.75 km²) became part of Czechoslovakia due to the Treaty of Trianon, while the rest remained part of Hungary.

Louis XIV loved Tokaji. His grandson, Louis XV did too and often shared it with mistress, Madame dePompadour. Louis XV coined the phrase: Wine of Kings, King of Wines which is used on tokaji labels today.

Emperor Franz Josef (who was also King of Hungary) had a tradition of sending Queen Victoria Tokaji Aszú wine, as a gift, every year on her birthday, one bottle for every month she had lived, twelve for each year. On her eighty-first and final birthday (1900), this totaled an impressive 972 bottles.

If you want to try tokaji you can find it in BevMo.

Hungarian Goulash is a stew of meat that is generally seasoned with paprika, a spice abundantly found in Hungary. It's a sweet pepper and doesn't burn.

Here's a recipe for Goulash that I enjoy and late autumn is a great time in the US to give it a try.
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons caraway seeds
• 1 pound beef shoulder, fat trimmed, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 3 tablespoons Hungarian sweet paprika
• 10 cups canned beef broth
• 1 12-ounce russet potato, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 parsnip, peeled, chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, cut into matchstick-size strips
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 6 tablespoons sour cream

How to prepare:

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onion and caraway seeds and sauté until onion begins to soften, about 8 minutes. Add beef and paprika; sauté until meat is brown on all sides, about 15 minutes. Add broth. Bring to boil, scraping up browned bits at bottom of pot. Reduce heat to low; simmer until meat is just tender, about 40 minutes.

Stir potato, parsnip, carrot, and garlic into soup. Simmer until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, celery, and bell pepper. Simmer until vegetables and meat are very tender, about 15 minutes longer. Cool slightly.

Transfer 3 1/2 cups soup to blender. Blend until smooth. Add to soup in pot. Stir in parsley. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cool slightly; chill uncovered until cold, then cover and refrigerate. Bring to simmer before serving.)

Ladle soup into 6 bowls. Top each with 1 tablespoon sour cream.

(Personally, I lay off the sour cream. When I was stationed in Hungary, I never had goulash with sour cream. Other than that, I enjoy this recipe and find it very authentic.

REVIEWS:
5 Stars, Reader's Favorite:
This story is the closest I have ever come to reading a book that feels like a movie!

5 Hearts, Sizzling Hot Book Reviews:
Once again, Stephanie Burkhart has touched my imagination and with her writing brings 1922 Hungary to life. Danube in Candlelight is a very romantic, yet spicy read. This is a must read if you enjoy the paranormal werewolf stories or even if you merely enjoy a great romance.

Book Trailer on You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgzUIHCRN0I

BLURB:
Set in Budapest 1922, The Hungarians are recovering from the war. Adam Varga is Hungarian to the bone and becomes an architect to help rebuild his nation. Morgan Duma returns from England also intent on helping to rebuild her country.

After a tragedy happens to her mother, Morgan discovers her father is a werewolf. She begins to question who she is, becoming more reckless, more daring, and her choices more bold. When Zoltan Kristos, a known werewolf, requests Morgan accompany him to the summer ball, Morgan has to decide which man will best fit her life.
PUBLISHER'S BUY LINK: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-219/Budapest-Moon-Book-III/Detail.bok

AMAZON KINDLE BUY LINK: http://www.amazon.com/Hungarian-Moon-Book-Three-ebook/dp/B0061XJFG0/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1320188529&sr=1-1
BARNES & NOBLE NOOK BUY LINK: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hungarian-moon-book-three-stephanie-burkhart/1107039692?ean=2940013659148&itm=1&usri=danube%2bin%2bcandlelight

FIND ME ON THE WEB AT:
WEBSITE:
http://www.stephanieburkhart.com

TWITTER:
http://twitter.com/StephBurkhart

FACEBOOK:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stephanie-Burkhart-Author/149938795021166

GOOD READS:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4031660.Stephanie_Burkhart

10 NOV

Info for today's post was taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokaji

Author Spotlight - The Characters in "Danube in Candlelight"

2011-11-09T11:40:00.000-08:00

Our stories are all about characters, but creating characters can be a chore. I've got some ideas that will make creating characters fun and I'll share with you my casting choices for my latest paranormal release, "Danube in Candlelight."

It's all in the faults…and strengths.

What makes a character rich and complex is how "human" they are and how you show their strengths and weaknesses.

None of us are perfect. Don't expect your characters to be. To present 3D characters, they need to strong…and weak. Morgan's strength in "Danube in Candlelight" is her loyalty and her nursing. She's confident in her abilities. Her weaknesses? She makes reckless choices that put her in danger. Haven't we all made poor choices? Morgan's restlessness stems from learning her father's secret – he's a werewolf.

Adam Varga is an all around good guy. His strength? He's loyal, steadfast and confident in who he is. His weakness? He's too trusting and that can get him into trouble.

I like to create characters bios with the basics about my characters – a physical description and 3 likes and 3 dislikes. Then I like to list strengths and weaknesses. Writing a short scene or short story helps me to flesh out the push/pull of a character's emotions.

When it comes to painting a physical description, I like to cast my characters. For me, it brings them to life and gives them a face.

"Morgan Duma"

For Morgan I cast: Abir Timani. She's got that exotic look I'm striving for in the character with rich dark hair and haunting dark eyes.

"Adam Varga"

For Adam, I picked Jacob Young. He's got those blonde hair, blue-eyed looks that embody the character's mother, Amelia. He possess a stiff lip that speaks to the determination that Adam needs and eyes that speak to the passion inside the character's heart.

"Max Foldi"

For Max Foldi, Adam's best friend, I selected James McAvoy. He's got the look that says "best friend," to me. His acting taps into a sense of honesty and genuineness the character embodies.

"Emily Duma"

For Emily Duma, I picked Liv Tyler. Emily is Morgan's half-sister and big sister, and Liv has such a way about her, she brings out Emily's kindness, toughness, and talents, qualities many "oldest" children usually have.

"Zoltan Kristos"

For Zoltan Kristos, I selected Joseph Fiennes. He's got that arrogant, cocky look needed to embody Zoltan's feral nature.

I hope you enjoy my character choices for "Danube in Candlelight."

REVIEWS:
5 Stars, Reader's Favorite:
This story is the closest I have ever come to reading a book that feels like a movie!

5 Hearts, Sizzling Hot Book Reviews:
Once again, Stephanie Burkhart has touched my imagination and with her writing brings 1922 Hungary to life. Danube in Candlelight is a very romantic, yet spicy read. This is a must read if you enjoy the paranormal werewolf stories or even if you merely enjoy a great romance.

Book Trailer on You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgzUIHCRN0I

BLURB:
Set in Budapest 1922, The Hungarians are recovering from the war. Adam Varga is Hungarian to the bone and becomes an architect to help rebuild his nation. Morgan Duma returns from England also intent on helping to rebuild her country.

After a tragedy happens to her mother, Morgan discovers her father is a werewolf. She begins to question who she is, becoming more reckless, more daring, and her choices more bold. When Zoltan Kristos, a known werewolf, requests Morgan accompany him to the summer ball, Morgan has to decide which man will best fit her life.
PUBLISHER'S BUY LINK: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-219/Budapest-Moon-Book-III/Detail.bok

AMAZON KINDLE BUY LINK: http://www.amazon.com/Hungarian-Moon-Book-Three-ebook/dp/B0061XJFG0/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1320188529&sr=1-1
BARNES & NOBLE NOOK BUY LINK: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hungarian-moon-book-three-stephanie-burkhart/1107039692?ean=2940013659148&itm=1&usri=danube%2bin%2bcandlelight

FIND ME ON THE WEB AT:
WEBSITE:
http://www.stephanieburkhart.com

TWITTER:
http://twitter.com/StephBurkhart

FACEBOOK:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stephanie-Burkhart-Author/149938795021166

GOOD READS:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4031660.Stephanie_Burkhart