Welcome to my little corner! I am a graphic designer by trade and a historical romance writer by desire.
Although an artist by profession, I traded my paintbrush for a pen about eight years ago. After writing and illustrating a mystical world of fairies, I began to explore the realm of romance novels.
Every day is a new beginning, as I discover a fascinating character in every person I meet. With every puckered brow or mischievous smile, there's a hero evolving and a heroine fast at his heels.
Castles Defined
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Quickly, without putting on your scholar's cap, what does the word CASTLE
call to mind? My first image is the Disney Castle but then I was raised on
Walt ...
so impatient…
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Look, I don’t understand why patience is a virtue - I really don’t. As
Larissa once said, I’m too impatient for instant gratification. I recently
bought 3...
Now I Know
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Why I put off updating the blog!! But I’m glad I did because I found three
or four cool themes for us to try out. To say I have eclectic tastes would
be an...
Greatest Hits: When Continents Meet
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By Michelle Styles
Iceland is one of the most geographically interesting places on the planet.
Besides, the thermal springs, the glaciers, and the volcanoe...
Hank Phillippi Ryan GuestBlog: Gettin' Jinxy Wit' It
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CONTEST TODAY!!! It’s “Prime Time” for a contest from Hank! Click the box
below to score the deets!
From Michelle: It’s great to be back “in the pink,” wit...
Me and My Twitter
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My name is Sarah, and I have a Twitter problem.
I actually think Twitter is freaking awesome, and love it and love using it
- to the point where someti...
To Serve or Not to Serve
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That is the question. This has also been a burning question for a lot of
people. There is quite a bit of talk going around on the loops regarding
some of t...
Everyone Should Have a Mary Jo Putney in Their Life
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Next Sunday our guest author is none other than NYT Bestseller and RITA
winner, Mary Jo Putney! What a treat!
I can credit Mary Jo Putney with helping me f...
Makes You Want to go "Huh?" -- Susanna Carr
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Last night Duran Duran was playing at the amphitheater at the park down the
hill from me. Usually I can hear the concerts in my backyard, but this time
I w...
Where My Ideas Come From…
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by Barbara Freethy Please welcome Barbara Freethy (the awesome woman
herself, says Anne) to the blog! Many people have asked me where my ideas
come from, a...
It’s a mistake
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The other day I did something I don’t usually do. I reread one of my books.
In a fit of writer’s block, I picked up ABOUT LAST NIGHT, a Harlequin
American ...
Amnesia for Beginners
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by Mary Jo As I mentioned in my Shameless Promotion blog for Loving a Lost Lord, I adore amnesia as a plot device, and have written three amnesia books. Nor ...
writing like a ninja
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Say you’re reading a particularly good book, and you stumble upon a
particularly excellent section, and you think, “That’s what I was trying to
do. How did...
RJ Blue Ribbon Favorites
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We asked our reviewers to tell us some of their favorite reads so far this
year…and this is the list they compiled. RJ Blue Ribbon Favorites Tails of
Lov...
Jayne: Calling Friends of Dust Bunnies
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Woo-hoo! It's that time of year again -- Dust Bunny Video Time! I know what
you're thinking, who cares about the next book in my Jayne Castle Harmony
...
Independence Day!
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In the USA, today is Independence Day, or the 233rd Anniversary of the
signing of the Declaration of Independence. Most of us are happy to have the
day of...
Saturday Hottie
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Enjoy the holiday if you're in the U.S., and have a great weekend to
everyone.
I don't know about you, but I really want to go back to bed.
And the books go to...
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Copies of *The Personal History of Rachel DuPree* will shortly be making
their way around the globe. The three winners of last Saturday's contest
are: Mich...
More Books to Celebrate
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One of the things non-romance readers never understand about the genre is
how great a variety romance readers enjoy. The releases of June 30 affirm
this fa...
Giving Your Characters a Past
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First, thank you so much for having me back! This is a very fun place for
writers to hang out. Creating a rich backstory for our characters is one of
the f...
Summertime and the Reading is Free
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Laura Vivanco
Since this is their 60th Anniversary, Harlequin have been giving away free
ebooks. When I first saw this offer, there were sixteen books avai...
Not Going to Conference?
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Not going to the RWA conference in DC this month? Let Romance Divas bring
the conference to you! Site registration is free – if you aren’t already a
member...
Everything that can go wrong…will…and a winner
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Sorry to disappear again, but the Internet has been down for the last week
or so… Anyway, the winner of the Red Sage giveaway is: Booklover1335 Please
e-m...
A View to a Kiss
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Another sexy, romantic tale from Caroline Linden. Available now. But don’t
take our word for it. Check out the 4 star review from Romantic Times
Magazine. ...
Ever wonder how those hot hunky cover models live? Well, Nathan Kamp has a new website. Check out "Nathan's Live to Eat" series at http://www.nathanlivestoeat.com/ Here's hoping they do a bit that lands Nathan in a kilt. Now that would go viral...
From YOUTUBE:
On a busy afternoon Ford Models' Nathan Kamp grabs a bite to eat at Shake Shack in Madison Square Park. Welcome to Nathan's New York.
A couple Saturday's past, I attended (and hosted) my local chapter, Missouri Romance Writers of America, 25th anniversary celebration. We gave away gobs of door prizes, baskets upon baskets of book and baubles. We dined, we laughed, we cried...
As the President, I was presented with a proclamation from the governor of Missouri. But what was the most heart-felt moment of the day was when I was surprised with an unexpected award: The Marga-RITA. My sister author, Karyn Witmer (also the recipient of the Silver Rose) presented me with the award shown in the picture. Imagine the look on my husband's face when he saw this award positioned in the middle of the mantle. And that's where it is going to stay because my Marga-RITA award represents not only my acheivements as an author, but it represents the bond I have with my sisters.
So I humbly thank the women of MORWA for their support, their friendship, and their encouragement.
Those are the words every author loves to say, but how long do you bask in the glory of "OMG! I'm finished"?
Well, I've been basking in it for about a half-day and I'm already looking at the calendar wondering when I can finish another one. Really, that's bad. I need to let my creative juices replenish the well that is bone dry. I need to play a little. Visit a few blogs. Socialize on my networking communities. Prepare for conference. Well, really what I need to do is get ready for the launch of my next book, but that's an entirely different blog...
I should probably go back through it. Right? I should consider writing an epilogue. Right? At what point can I let them go and accept that my characters really are living their HEA? This feeling of closure isn't comfortable to me right now. I don't want to let go. I like them. I like where they ended up and I want to stay and play a while. Let's face it, we went through Hell to get to the HEA, why can't we play there awhile?
As you can see from the brevity of this post...I'm all out of words...
So help me out here...At what point do you start brainstorming another book? Or are you one of those authors who has stacks of ideas filed away in your head?
To help spread the word about my Summer Sizzler contestRomanceNovelTV is helping us celebrate with a new guest author every 45 minutes from 9 am to 7 pm (EST) starting with me. The schedule is below and it includes tons of great new historical authors, including two RITA nominees as well as an RT nominee. Hope you can stop by...
Mistress of Pleasure Book 1 - N.O.R's Best Historical Romance of the Year award and RT Reviewer's Choice Award Nominee
"What a spectacular debut novel!" ~AEMELIA, NIGHT OWL ROMANCE, 5 out of 5 hearts
On Aug 4th my dear friend Delilah Marvelle's second book will be coming out = LORD OF PLEASURE. This is the second book in the School of Gallantry series. The first book MISTRESS OF PLEASURE got many great reviews and won contests. Including N.O.R's Best Historical Romance of the Year award and was a RT Reviewer's Choice Award Nominee.
MISTRESS OF PLEASURE has sold out its first run. Very good news for us all, but Kensington is citing that they are going to discontinue the series for lack of sales. Your probably going huhhhhh right now. How can something that's sold out be discontinued for lack of sales? Well I'm not sure...but I'm very sure I want this series to fully be published.
So let us readers speak. Let the publishing world know that we want this series to continue. We don't want to be left in the dark. We want more sensual lessons from the School of Gallantry.
To support our cause please PRE-ORDER LORD OF PLEASURE by DELILAH MARVELLE. In the fun of things Delilah is also giving away 3 - $50 Gift Cards via her website. To find out how you can enter visit: Delilah Marvelle
Pre-Order now via these links (and great news, it's only $4.99!):
If you want to learn more about me and my recent RITA nomination, hop over to DearAuthor.com. They are running a series of interviews with the nominees in the First Book category. Alyson conducted the interviews and did a great job, but asked some really off the wall questions.
HER ONE DESIRE made it into the top five in the Best First Book category of the HOLT Medallion contest!!!
The HOLT Medallion is presented annually by Virginia Chapter of RWA® as a mark of excellence in published romantic fiction. Winners will be announced June 13th.
Over the holiday weekend I attended the Greater St. Louis Renaissance Fair. I love these sort of people watching events. I’m always looking for facial expressions and subtleties, but at the Ren Fair I got to observe people in period costume. There was great food, e.i. kettle corn, cinnamon-sugar coated pecans, turkey legs, funnels cakes…oh yeah, but there was also lots of vendors selling their wares. The jewelry caught my fancy (several pieces) but I also picked up a new blade—a clawed scabbard with a griffin etched into the hilt.
Now there is more to the Ren Fair than fare and wares, there are “acts”. There’s a trio of trollops who sing these sweet little ditties with hidden lyrics. There are elves, fairies, and a guy who delivers the entire play of Hamlet in under fifteen minutes. What I enjoy the most about the Ren Fair is an all male singing group called the Musical Blades. Not only do these drunken seamen have the voices of angels, they really put on a show. The main rake of this production goes by the name of Capt Patch. He’s bald. But it’s a good bald, ya know. He’s not like balding. From the best I can tell this Capt Patch purposely shaves his head.
Now way back, men who sailed the seas shaved to prevent all manner of infestation and other such disease, but that’s not the case these days. I think something that helps the bald man with his look is that little tuft of hair he grows beneath his bottom lip. Now "my man", Capt Patch, didn’t have this from what I could tell, but if I were to model a character after him, he would. :) Another trait that I found interesting about Capt Patch was his veins. That’s right…his veins. You know when you are reading a story and the hero gets so angry a veins starts to pulse in his neck? Well I’d never really put a lot of thought into those lines until I saw Capt Patch hit an octave that might have been just out of his range. Those veins in his neck bulged I tell you—big, blue, thick, hulk-like veins.
Now I don’t want to diminish from the other blokes in this musical ensemble. There was another I watched with avid interest. I believe they called him Cookie. He was a real showman and the perfect secondary character—full beard, pronounced facial expression, loaded with humor. I love a man with wit and this guy was oozing with it. For me, Cookie stole the show from Capt Patch on more than one occasion.
Back to the topic at hand…I once wrote a hero with a full beard and my critique partner told me she wouldn’t read a romance with a bearded hero, so I shaved him immediately. My questions for you are…Do the beards bother you? Have you ever read a romance where the hero was bald?
I’m still up in the air on this one…
Regardless how you feel about that subject, you have to check out the Musical Blades' tunage:
Her One Desire is a finalist in both the Historical and Best First Book categories of the BOOKSELLERS BEST AWARD Showcasing the shining excellence of published authors in novel-length romantic fiction.
********************************** CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE FINALISTS!
The Greater Detroit RWA wishes to congratulate the finalists in the 2009 Booksellers Best Award Contest. The winners will be announced at the RWA National Conference Wednesday, July 15th at 8:00 p.m. in the Delaware Room of the Wardman Mariott. Patti Shenberger/BBA Chair
In no particular order… * up for Best First Book
Long Contemporary On My Terms – Shirley Hailstock A Perfect Stranger – Terry McLaughlin The Ranchers Surprise Marriage – Susan Crosby The Wedding Heiress – Pamela Ford Last Night’s Kiss – Shirley Hailstock
Paranormal/Time Travel/Futuristic Gone With The Witch – Annette Blair The House on Tradd Street – Karen White A Match Made In Hell – Terri Garey The Bleeding Dusk – Colleen Gleason All I Want For Christmas – Kerrelyn Sparks
Short Historical Maverick Wild – Stacey Kayne To Taste Temptation – Elizabeth Hoyt The Dragon Earl – Jade Lee What A Pirate Desires – Michelle Beattie * The Naked Gentleman – Sally MacKenzie
Inspirational Leaving November – Deborah Raney Courting Miss Adelaide – Janet Dean * Anathema – Colleen Coble Bayou Judgement – Robin Caroll Lonestar Sanctuary – Colleen Coble
Erotic She’s On Top – Susan Lyons Unleashed – Lori Borrill The Art of Desire – Cherie Feather Lyon, The Lords of Satyr – Elizabeth Amber Raine, The Lords of Satyr – Elizabeth Amber
Romantic Suspense Thread of Fear – Laura Griffin Trust Me – Brenda Novak Silent Guardian – Mallory Kane Wyoming Manhunt – Ann Voss Peterson Phantom in the Night – Diana Love Snell
Long Historical Mistress of Pleasure – Delilah Marvelle * The Legacy – TJ Bennett * His Woman – Diana Cosby Shadow Rider – Kathryn Dennis Her One Desire – Kimberly Killion *
Single Title The Memory of Water – Karen White Tall Tales and Wedding Veils – Jane Graves Sweet Talk – Susan Mallery Hot – Julia Harper Once Smitten, Twice Shy – Lori Wilde
Short Contemporary The Cowboy and the Angel – Marin Thomas The Surgeon Boss’s Bride – Melanie Milburne Their Secret Child – Mary J Forbes Do Not Disturb Until Christmas – Charlene Sands Once Upon A Christmas – Holly Jacobs
Traditional Christmas Wishes, Mistletoe Kisses – Fiona Harper Her Millionaire, His Miracle - Myrna Mackenzie The Italian’s Cinderella Bride – Lucy Gordon Newlyweds of Convenience – Jessica Hart The Convenient Groom – Denise Hunter
I just found out Her One Desire is a finalist in the Best First Book category of the 2009 Desert Rose Golden Quill Awards for Excellence in Romance Fiction. This contest is sponsored by the Phoenix Desert Rose Chapter of RWA® and is judged by romance readers. I'm completely stunned by the overwhelming success of this book. But I'm nonetheless pleased to be able to share Broc and Lizzy's story with so many people.