Guest blog – Kathryn Barrett and Losing Her Voice

Posted on by August 27, 2013

KathrynBarrettPlease help me welcome author Kathryn Barrett to my blog today to tell us about her novel, Temptation, and also about losing her voice.

Bio:
Kathryn Barrett reluctantly put aside childhood dreams of becoming an author and took a more practical approach, majoring in Business Administration in college. But after marrying an Air Force officer, she realized a career in high finance didn’t suit an itinerant lifestyle. She happily returned to her first love, writing stories that feature larger-than-life characters, family relationships, and of course, a happy ending.

Having lived all over the United States, Kathryn and her family now live in England, just outside London. She enjoys walking her dog in the Chiltern hills and exploring crumbling castles, and only occasionally reads the Financial Times.

Losing my Voice

By Kathryn Barrett

I still remember the day I arrived in the UK. I thought I was prepared for an overseas move, but suddenly there I was, in a foreign country, where no one spoke English. American English, I mean.

I sort of figured everyone would sound like Tony Blair, a rinsed version of a BBC anchor. (I also thought that whole driving on the left side was just for show, but I soon realized that not only did they really drive like that, but the cars all had steering wheels on the right side too. They weren’t joking around!)

By the time I got to our flat in London, I feared I was in real danger of losing my voice. Not physically, but my mental “voice”, the sound inside my head that I use for writing. The voices of my characters—both their internal and external dialogue.

I realized I would be surrounded by British voices, on the radio, on the television, in the shops, at the classes I took—everywhere except in my home, where my American family still speaks with an increasingly foreign-sounding American accent. What if this new way of talking crept into my US-set novels?

I was afraid I’d never write again. Or I’d be limited to writing only about ex-pats like myself, who balk at saying the word “pants” and use strange subject-verb agreements like “the government are”. The lingo of the Midwest, the Valley Girl cadence, the Southern drawl I’d been born with—would these dialects disappear from my memory?

Thankfully, that hasn’t happened, not completely.

After years of living amongst a British-speaking population, I’m as bilingual as a child raised by parents of different nationalities. My language adapts to the occasion.

Today I told a lady at the carpark (not the American “parking lot”) that “I was meant to move to America”. If I’d been speaking to my husband, I’d have said “I was supposed to move to the US.” See the difference? It slips out without my thinking it, depending on the audience. Another time, in the same carpark, I remotely raised my trunk and when it was about to hit an unsuspecting passerby, I blurted, “Watch out—the boot!” knowing she would have been unlikely to know what I meant if I used the American “trunk”.

I did notice that when editing my novel Temptation, about an Amish furniture maker and a Hollywood actress, I couldn’t bear to have my characters wearing “pants”. But the word “trousers” fit better when describing an Amish man’s attire anyway. And I found I liked dressing my Barbie…err, my heroine—in vintage dresses, skin tight jeans, and other, more specific outfits than “pants”.

Which makes for better writing, doesn’t it?

My vocabulary is enriched now, since I’ve been exposed to daily onslaughts of British English. I am often gobsmacked, occasionally chuffed, and collect bits and bobs. (I’m still not quite sure what a “bob” is but I collect ’em anyway.) I can be either pissed (meaning angry in the US, or drunk in the UK) or I can be cross, which sounds so twee (but is actually meant to be angry).

I can make my subjects and verbs agree with any old thing. I can discuss football on two continents and still not know a single rule of the game. I know where to go to buy knickers, and want to be sure to wear clean ones if I go to hospital, especially the ER, or rather, A&E.

I love having two words to call most things (and doesn’t “rubbish” sound better than “garbage”?). I love hearing the many different accents of the British Isles. But I still retain my essential American-ness, thanks to family and friends who keep me grounded in my home country’s speech patterns.

You say “to-may-to”; I may or may not say “to-mah-to”.

Although, I will insist on saying “water” instead of “wadder”. Not because I want to sound posh; I just want to be served proper H2O.

Here’s a bit (or is it a bob?) of my novel Temptation, a heated scene between my Amish furniture maker hero and the Hollywood heroine, Laura, where Pennsylvania Dutch meets SoCal Gal:

She looked up from the tabletop she was inspecting, her smile like an electric light. “Hi. I didn’t want to disturb you.”

Didn’t she know she was disturbing him just by existing? By walking into his shop and interrupting his mortise and tenon construction?

She hopped up on the table beside him. “I have an emergency.”

“You should try the hospital. There’s a good one in Lancaster.”

She laughed. “It’s a decorating emergency. I need furniture, and I need it fast. My mother’s coming on Friday, and if she sees an empty stretch of baseboard she’ll call her decorator.” She lowered her voice. “Trust me, it wouldn’t be a pretty sight. Roger isn’t known for subtlety.”

Jacob hung his measuring tape on the pegboard, in the wrong place, but he was grateful for any excuse to move away from her.

“Can you just see French Provincial, down-stuffed Louis Quatorze chairs in my cute little farmhouse?” Laura shuddered. “Honestly, I need help. And you’re the only one who can help me.”

Jacob shook his head. “I cannot help you this time. I have a shipment of chairs due in Lancaster this week.”

“Surely you’ve got something here?” She looked around the workshop. “Anything. I don’t care if it’s half finished. I’ll take it unstained, unglued, whatever. Anything to keep my mother from terrorizing me with Louis Quatorze.”

“I can make you a guillotine. It worked pretty well in France.”

Laura groaned. “You don’t understand. My mother—”

“It would work for that, too.”

She laughed, then gave a melodramatic sigh. “You don’t know what she’s like…she comes in and takes over. She’s like Mommy Dearest without the personality. She always knows how best to run my life, how to decorate my house, how to pick my boyfriends…don’t laugh! She tried to set me up with her podiatrist once.”

He nodded, as if he understood perfectly. “Mothers are supposed to do that. It’s in their nature.”

“Mothers.” She sighed. “Can’t live with ’em, can’t guillotine ’em.”

“She sounds like mine. Maybe we should introduce them.”

“Hmmm… I’m sure your mother would tell her where to put her overstuffed chairs.”

Jacob nodded. “Ja. And my chairs, too, if I don’t get busy on them.”

“Oh, Jacob, you have to help me out. I’ll take anything you’ve got.”

He looked away, hardening his heart to her pleas. She didn’t need his chairs, or his heart. “I cannot help you.”

She slid closer, until there was no further room for him to move away. “I’ll pay you. Whatever you want—”

He glared at her, his feelings for once close to the surface. She wanted something he couldn’t give her—wouldn’t give her. Jacob was only flesh and blood, and his control snapped, snagged by a trace of perfume in the air surrounding her. “I do not want your money!”

She swallowed. “What is it? Did I do something? Say something?”

He didn’t reply.

“What?” she repeated, a demanding child who’d too rarely been denied. “You’re angry with me.”

He kept his gaze lowered, not answering. Of course he was angry, but not with her.

“It’s the kiss, isn’t it? You’re angry about that.”

“I shouldn’t have done that.”

“I’m the one who started it, remember?” She waited a beat. “But I didn’t see you protesting then.”

“It is not right. This…attraction. It cannot continue.”

About Temptation:
Laura Hayes has been acting since she was in diapers, and acting up almost as long. When she moves to Pennsylvania’s Amish country to film her next movie, she discovers there’s more to life than a pair of Jimmy Choos and a Marie Claire cover.
Intrigued by the Amish simplicity, she’s soon putting in a garden, dodging earthworms and garter snakes. And when her neighbor turns out to be the local heartthrob as well as a talented furniture maker, she realizes that what’s missing from her life might be the love of a good man—not to mention the perfect heirloom tomato.

Jacob is trying hard not to question the teachings of his Amish faith, despite a desire to create furniture that looks like it belongs in a museum rather than the local tourist shop. As his attraction for his neighbor grows, so do his doubts, until he’s forced to face Temptation.

Book trailer:
http://bit.ly/TemptationYouTube

How to find Kathryn:
http://kathrynbarrett.com
@KathrynSBarrett
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKathrynBarrett

Buy Temptation:
http://www.amazon.com/Temptation-ebook/dp/B00BMKOPMQ/

Guest blog – Elizabeth Bailey (and a giveaway)

Posted on by August 22, 2013

I’m thrilled to have author Elizabeth Bailey on my blog today.

Welcome Elizabeth. First, can you tell us a little about yourself?

I grew up in Africa on a diet of unconventional parents, theatre and Georgette Heyer. Eventually I went into acting and trod the boards in England until the writing bug got me, when I changed to teaching and directing while penning historical romances and women’s fiction. My 8 year apprenticeship ended with publication by Mills & Boon, for whom I wrote 18 historicals. Latterly I’ve had two historical mysteries published by Berkley (Penguin US) and I’m hoping to release more Lady Fan novels soon. Meanwhile, it’s wonderful to be able to return to my first love and put out new and old releases in ebook.

Me: Ah, theatre and historical romance. Two of my loves as well. The blog is yours, Elizabeth. Take it away.

MY RESEARCH LIBRARY

I’m a glutton for research. I have a very large bookcase full of material covering all aspects of life, mostly from the 18th Century with a smattering of books on other periods along with my crime library concerning investigations and murder.

The most used is Cunnington’s Handbook of English Costume in the Eighteenth Century, without which I couldn’t function, although I usually leave these descriptions to the editing stage. The great thing about Cunnington is the detail, from fabrics to accessories, with year on year changes for both men and women.

One book on antiques has a useful set of images depicting the way rooms actually looked, as well as individual items of furniture – for which I’ve also got Chippendale’s workbook. Ackermann helps with scenes of London, such as Brooks’s, Astley’s Amphitheatre, Covent Garden and the Pantheon. The Romance of the Road gives two whole journeys from London to Bath and London to Portsmouth in drawings, so you get distances, inns and the likely traffic. I can’t do without my books on Georgian cookery, and those with satirical drawings are wonderfully evocative of the period.

Setting is vital and I’m in love with my book of maps from the late 18th century covering the entire country. I’ve also got London and greater London A-Z style maps, and a whole raft of detailed Victorian books about London and surrounding districts with interesting snippets, like who lived where, what’s there and the history behind it, plus sketches.

I like images best because they help me picture the scene, and I can garner textual stuff to furnish detail. It’s amazing how it puts me into the period in my head, which in turn enables me to write it for the reader to imagine.

This is what I love about books, and why research is vital. You can’t detail everything you’ve read. Instead you draw the scene in brush strokes of words, letting the reader fill in the gaps. I have to immerse myself in the data, even if only about 10% ends up in the book.

To be honest, I’m far too apt to lose myself in the books and forget what I’m actually looking for. One piece of research leads to another, besides throwing up new plot points I hadn’t thought of. Research for me is as much part of the process of writing as it is exploration of the period.

Can you tell us about your latest release?

Angels Touch reduced (700 x 500)

AN ANGEL’S TOUCH

Outspoken Verity Lambourn berates the mentor of two lost children, having no idea that the lame young man with the vibrant black eyes is the widowed Henry, Marquis of Salmesbury. When she knocks him flying in Tunbridge Wells, Verity realises she has not been able to get him out of her mind.

Tumbling towards a promising future, Verity must confront the shadows of Henry’s tragic past. Matters come to a head when the children are kidnapped, but it takes a threat to Henry himself to test the strength of Verity’s love and the truth of a gypsy’s prophecy.

EXCERPT:

His features were good, though marked, young as he was, with lines of suffering that ran down to a well-shaped mouth, tight-lipped at this moment, and a resolute chin. It was his eyes, so dark as to be almost black, that were his most striking attribute, attractive even as they burned with the anger that he turned back on the boy.

‘Well, Braxted?’ he repeated, in a voice that was not the less threatening for its quiet control. ‘Your pranks are one thing, and to be discussed between us at some more convenient time. But to be involving your little sister in them goes beyond the line of what may be tolerated.’

He paused, but the boy, though he raised his blue orbs to stare defiantly up into that smouldering gaze, had nothing to say.

‘I trust,’ continued the man softly, ‘I make myself plain?’

‘Yes, sir,’ the boy asserted gruffly.

‘Upon my word!’ Verity exclaimed, entering the lists as the implications of this speech burst in upon her. ‘And I trust, sir,’ she said, rounding on the young man in righteous indignation, ‘that you will take the trouble to enquire more particularly into this affair before you inflict the dreadful punishment that I suspect to be in your mind.’

Taken aback, the young man jerked round to face her. He almost tripped up in his clumsy haste and had to support himself with his cane.

‘And what, ma’am,’ he demanded icily, ‘has this affair in any way to do with you?’

‘I will tell you,’ Verity declared at once, not in the least deterred by his manner. ‘I happen to be in possession of the true facts of the matter, having come upon the scene a few moments before yourself. I would have supposed, sir, that anyone with the least degree of common sense must perceive at once that the boy is far too protective of his sister to be likely to implicate her in any pranks he might play. And in this instance, as you would have known had you troubled yourself to ask the child before flinging accusations at his head in that—that brutish fashion, there was no prank in the case.’

Then, without giving her astonished auditor an opportunity to open his mouth, Miss Lambourn dropped down to the boy’s level and grasped him urgently by the shoulders.

‘My dear young friend, do, I beg of you, think for a moment. I dare say it is all very brave and manly for you to take the blame for something which is in no way your fault, but you cannot have thought the question through. Only consider. Another time you may not be at hand to see the danger, and what if the nurse should be so careless when you are not by to dash so gallantly to the rescue? Then you would have cause to blame yourself indeed. For by your keeping silent, you know, the nurse will never be corrected, for I cannot think that she will confess her fault.’

The boy Braxted looked much struck by this, and, grasping his hands and smiling coaxingly at him, Verity added, ‘What good can it possibly do for you meekly to accept a punishment which you have done nothing to deserve? Indeed, only misery can come from such a gross injustice. To you, perhaps to your sister and the nurse. And indeed—’ with a fleeting glance up at the stern countenance above her ‘—to your mentor himself. I wish, dear friend, you will think better of it and tell him everything.’

Braxted now also cast a quick look up at the young man standing silently by. He noted that the features had relaxed, and the dark eyes had lost their fire. His stiffness melted and he grinned suddenly.

‘Well, I will, then. I like to have a friend like you.’

Verity smiled and pressed his hands before releasing them. ‘I am glad. I hope we may meet again.’

She rose and turned to look again at the young man. Like Braxted, she saw that the anger had vanished from his eyes, to be replaced by a gleam which she strongly suspected to be of amusement. An amusement she deprecated, for his conduct had been disgraceful. Then he spoke, and his words disarmed her.

‘It is apparent that I owe you both apology and thanks,’ he said, adding with an ironic little bow, ‘I have certainly been put very firmly in my place.’

An Angel’s Touch is available on Amazon and and Smashwords.

Elizabeth has generously offered to give away a digital copy of An Angel’s Touch to one lucky commentor. Please leave your email address in the body of the comment.

Thanks so much for spending this time with us, Elizabeth.

Guest post – Barbara Wallace

Posted on by August 19, 2013

Photo by Joan Sutton PhotographyPlease help me welcome Harlequin Romance author Barbara Wallace to my blog today. Here’s a short bio:

Award-winning author Barbara Wallace first sold to Harlequin Romance in 2009. Since then her books have appeared throughout the world. She’s the winner of RWA’s Golden Heart Award, a two-time Romantic Times’ finalist for Best Harlequin Romance, and winner of the New England Beanpot Award. She currently lives in Massachusetts with her family

Welcome to my blog, Barbara. Take it away.

In my latest book, The Courage to Say Yes, the heroine, Abby Gray, cooks the hero, Hunter Smith spaghetti. Later on, she learns it’s the first home cooked meal Hunter has had since he was a young boy. It’s a pivotal piece of information as she – and the reader – begin to learn why he prefers photographing life from the sidelines.

Naturally, when I wrote the scene, I imagined Abby using my mother’s spaghetti sauce recipe. That’s because my mother made the best spaghetti sauce in the world. I know this to be true because my brother agrees.

Anyway, because my mother made such awesome spaghetti sauce (or gravy as they say where my son goes to college) and because it played a role in my book, I thought it would be fun to share the recipe with you all.

One small problem. I don’t know the measurements.

Correction. I know them, but having made it for fifteen years, I’ve taken to eyeballing and fudging with the amounts. Making matters worse, the written copy I got from my mother disappeared years ago.

Since I wanted to give you an accurate recipe, I called my brother to see if he had a copy forgetting another key point: His wife uses her own recipe, which while I’m sure is delicious, isn’t the best in the world. (Since my mother holds said title.)

And so, feeling a little sheepish, I called my 81-year-old mother to tell her I lost the recipe. By the time I finished explaining my dilemma, I felt a little like a kid bringing home a bad report card. But, she had the recipe! I was saved.
And so, without further ado, the recipe for Abby Gray’s (aka Mamma Tanner’s) World’s Best Spaghetti Sauce Recipe:

1 large can of whole tomatoes (squashed)
2 14 oz cans of tomato sauce
2 small cans tomato paste
Garlic
Onion
Bay leaves
Whole cloves
Oregano
Salt
Pepper
Sugar
Sweet Italian Sausage Patties

Notice anything? There are no ingredient amounts! Turns out the recipe never had ingredient amounts. My mother did everything by taste. (Which explains why, on days she had a cold, we got extra spicy sauce.)

The moral of the story? When it comes to ingredients, the exact amount doesn’t matter, so long as the end result is satisfying. Interestingly, that’s how I approach writing as well.

Hopefully, you’ll like how the ingredients come together in The Courage to Say Yes. I like to think I’ve put together a pretty satisfying combination. (And, to show how confident I am you’ll like what you read, I’m offering up a free copy to one lucky commenter.)

By the way, if anyone does have a spaghetti sauce recipe they want to share – with our without ingredients, pass it along! We’ll see if it’s as good as Mama’s.

I’m still searching for the perfect spaghetti sauce recipe. I’ll definitely try this one. Now, please tell us about your latest release.

courage to say yes smallerA reluctant knight in shining armor; a down-on-her-luck waitress
Photojournalist Hunter Smith likes to keep the world on the other side of the camera lens. But when he sees Abby Gray in trouble, he can’t help stepping up to the rescue.

Love betrayed Abby Gray in the worst possible way. Working as Hunter’s assistant might be exactly what she needs to put the scars of the past behind her. When the sparks begin to fly, will these two people, who’ve sworn to keep the world at arm’s length, find the courage to accept the love that’s right under their noses?

The Courage to Say Yes is an August release from Harlequin Romance. The book is available online through Harlequin.com, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.

Thanks so much for visiting with me today, Barbara. I’ll let you know how the sauce turns out, although I don’t guarantee anything. My taste buds aren’t overly reliable. 🙂

You can read more of Barb’s musings by visiting her website, www.barbarawallace.com

Guest blog – USA Today best-selling author Karen Rose Smith

Posted on by August 13, 2013

c310927a2f660ac1d18814_L__V375329296_SX200_I’m seriously in awe of my guest today, author of 80+ books, USA Today, Borders and Amazon best-selling author Karen Rose Smith.

Karen, thank you so much for visiting with me today. I’m a fan, but for those who aren’t familiar with you and your books, can you tell us a little about yourself?

An only child, I delved into books at an early age. I learned about kindred spirits from Anne of Green Gables, solved mysteries with Nancy Drew, and wished I could have been the rider on The Black Stallion. Yet even though I escaped often into story worlds, I had many aunts, uncles and cousins around me on weekends. My sense of family and relationships began there. Maybe that’s why families are a strong theme in my novels, whether romances or mysteries, along with couples finding true love.

I like to use different settings to give books a unique sparkle. Many of my first releases were set around my home town in Pennsylvania. Over 80 books later, I now enjoy settings like Northern Arizona, New Mexico and Wyoming where the landscape can become as integral to the plot as another character. There is something about canyons, mountains and the ocean that give me a sense of awe and I like to bring that to my romances as well as mysteries.

Readers often ask me about my pastimes. I have herb, flower and vegetable gardens that help me relax. In the winter, I cook rather than garden! And year round I spend most of my time with my husband, as well as my three cats who are my constant companions. They chase rainbows from sun catchers, reminding me life isn’t all about work, awards and Bestseller lists. Everyone needs that rainbow to chase.

I love to interact with readers. My website is the portal to my latest news, releases and social media feeds at www.karenrosesmith.com. It’s like a treasure map with new surprises to reveal at each click. For day to day chatting, search Karen Rose Smith Author on Facebook and tweet with me on Twitter @karenrosesmith. My blog discusses whatever is uppermost in my mind at http://karenrosesmith.blogspot.com. I hope each and every one of my books brings you reading pleasure and warm feelings to surround your heart.

I like to use different settings in my books, too. AZ, NM and WY are on my bucket list. Now, the blog is yours, Karen. Take it away.

FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS AND WRITING FROM THE HEART

Her Sister Latest ThumbnailWhen I wrote HER SISTER, I knew it was a departure from the type of book I usually write. It’s women’s fiction with romance and mystery. But is it really so different? One element that has always characterized my romances is family relationships. Whether I’m writing the ultimate romance or adding a mystery or suspense plot, family trumps all.

There are many reasons for that. Although I was an only child, my extended family was large. My parents and I lived with my grandfather and aunt until I was five and then my parents built a house next door. I ran between the houses as if they were both “home.” On summer mornings I can remember my aunt singing while she made breakfast. When I was home sick from school, I stayed with my aunt and my grandfather until my parents returned home.

My paternal grandfather’s house was located on a corner lot. My neighborhood friends and I had the run of both properties to skate around, to ride bikes around, to pretend and imagine and create scenarios that we brought to life, whether it was a western script or simply a family one. Sundays were usually spent with relatives at my grandfather’s house next door. Decades-old elms cascaded over park benches where my aunts and uncles would sit and talk. My dad had nine brothers and sisters, so someone was always coming and going, bringing food, cooking food, laughing and enjoying a glass of wine. My favorite cousin became a confidante as we grew older into teenage crushes, discussed favorite music and even wrote a script together.

On my mom’s side of the family, I had seven aunts and uncles. They were scattered a bit more so I didn’t see them as often. But every Friday evening my parents and I would drive to my maternal grandparents’ house to pick up fresh food my grandmother had purchased for my mom at the farmers’ market. They lived in a row house across the alley from the market. My grandfather’s barber shop was on the first floor. The living room was on the second floor but we hardly ever used it because around the huge dining room table was where all the conversation swirled. On those Sundays we weren’t visiting with family next door, we drove to my maternal grandparents’ house for supper. This was life. Everyone was connected.

I’ve lost my parents and all of my aunts and uncles. With those losses, memories become even more precious. In HER SISTER, I drew on memories of my uncle’s farm where my dad and another uncle worked, too, raising tobacco. I remember going out into the tobacco field with them on a flatbed trailer being pulled by a tractor. I helped push the tobacco leaves onto lathes before they were hung in the barn. I can still remember the sun on my face, the smells of harvesting, the enjoyment of feeling free on that farm. In HER SISTER, this was Amanda’s background. One summer she shared it with Max when they fell in love.

So to write this book, I analyzed what happened when a family fell apart because their three-year-old was abducted. Then I imagined what could happen as they found their way back to each other in the midst of another crisis.

After writing for twenty years, last year I sold a mystery series. I found the genre fit perfectly and I love the challenge of devising puzzle pieces that fit together to weave a story. So in HER SISTER, I decided to combine everything I like best about writing–an emotional plot with romance and mystery.

I hope you enjoy it, too.

Buy links:

HER SISTER Paperback on Amazon

HER SISTER Kindle Edition on Amazon

HER SISTER Audiobook on Amazon

HER SISTER on Barnes and Noble

To learn more about Karen and her books:

IN TOUCH with KAREN ROSE SMITH ezine

Karen Rose Smith’s romance website

Karen Rose Smith’s mystery website

Karen’s Facebook Author Page

Karen’s Twitter Page

Karen, I’ve been a fan for many years. Thanks again for spending this time with me and my readers. I can’t wait to read Her Sister.

Stephanie Burkhart – guest post and giveaway

Posted on by August 7, 2013

steph7Please help me welcome author Stephanie Burkhart to tell us about her books and her love of exploring (travelling).

Thanks for being here, Stephanie. First, can you tell us a little about yourself?
I was born and raised in Manchester, New Hampshire. I was stationed overseas in Germany in the 1980-90’s, and visited the Netherlands, Hungary, France, Belgium, Poland, and was married in Denmark. Currently, I work for LAPD as a 911 dispatcher. I’m published with Desert Breeze Publishing, 4RV Publishing, and Victory Tales Press. My story, “Victorian Scoundrel” won Romance of the Year at Deep in the Heart of Romance in 2012.

There’s a bit of an explorer in every writer
Who doesn’t enjoy a good adventure? Adventure could be anything, but I remember growing up as a young girl in New Hampshire, I always yearned to explore, and find some adventurous task to undertake. I could get lost for hours in the woods behind my grandmother’s house. One day I was a pirate searching for treasure, the next, Nancy Drew looking for a long lost puzzle piece. I loved crawling on the rocks at Hampton Beach hunting for lobsters, and picking blueberries while hiking in Bear Brook State park. When I turned 18, I joined the Army and began a journey full of worldwide adventures.

I traveled to Germany, and visited states in the USA I would have never had an opportunity to. I discovered I loved German cuisine, and visited the Eiffel Tower. When I moved to California, one of my favorite adventures involved visiting Napa and Sonoma counties, the heart of California’s wine country.

yos3Just recently, my family and I went to Yosemite. It was my first time, but I immediately fell in love with the rich beauty of the area. We hiked around Bridelveil and Yosemite falls. We explored Mirror Lake. I saw El Capitan, Half Dome and 3 brothers, and the amazing view is on my license plate. We camped in Wawona, in the southern part of Yosemite and visited the giant sequoia trees in the Mariposa Grove.

yos16What is so special about exploring? For me, it’s about learning new things. I’m never too old to learn. Heck, my 11-year-old son and me became Yosemite Jr. Rangers. That’s why when I write, I like to use to settings that are prone to touch the “explorer” in us. My latest novel, “Sunrise Over Brasov,” is set in the 1880’s in Romania – near the city of Brasov. For those who enjoy exotic locations, Brasov is a city that stirs the explorer in all of us.

SunriseoverBrasovCoverArt72dpiMy latest novel is “Sunrise Over Brasov,” Book 3 in the award winning Moldavian Moon Series.

BLURB:
Prince Michael Sigmaringen joins his sister-in-law, Caroline, and the vampire prince, Darius, in a daring rescue of his beloved at Poiana Brasov. However things aren’t what they appear. Upon freeing Rosa from the werewolf, Clement, another wolf, Rickard follows them.

Michael soon discovers Rickard is a new breed of werewolf – one who can control his lupine nature and his transformations. Michael and his companions arrive at the vampire fortress, Rasnov, but can go no further when Clement attacks wanting Rosa and Rickard back.

Michael’s courage, strength, and convictions are challenged beyond his limits, but his love for Rosa proves his guiding force. Can Michael finally rid his family of their lupine haunting and win Rosa’s heart?

EXCERPT:
He raised his hand and lowered his hood. An inherent strength filled his profile. Confidence. Concern. Relief.

Rosa’s breath jammed in her throat. He looked familiar. He smelled familiar.

“Rosa, it’s Michael. Let’s go.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you.”

A frown set against his rugged features. “I don’t have time to argue — now put on a warm dress and cloak.”

“No.” She was not going anywhere with him despite the relief in his voice.

He sighed and shut the door. Moving with fluid grace, he crossed the room, jerked the door to her closet open and threw the items he wanted her to wear on her bed. “Get. Dressed.”

“No.” She was determined not to budge, despite the danger outside.

“Rosa, we’re leaving.”

“I’m staying.”

“Why would you want to stay? Clement kidnapped you.”

Disconcerted, she pointedly glanced away from his hard stare. What did he mean by kidnapped? Clement didn’t keep her behind bars and feed her only bread and water. Rosa could even go into Brasov to shop as long as Lucien or one of the bodyguards went with her.

“I’m going to take you back to your mother.”

Her head snapped toward his direction. Mother? Of course she had a mother — a family, even — only she had no recollection of them. So why did her body fill with warmth at the mention of her mother by a man she hadn’t seen before, but was hauntingly familiar? She pursed her lips, torn by conflicting emotions.

“Caroline and Darius can’t keep this up. Now get dressed or I’ll dress you myself.”

“You’ll find me an unwilling subject.”

He drew in a deep breath and raked a hand through his thick ebony hair. “You are exasperating.”

“So I’ve been told.”

TheWolfsTormentCoverArt 2GIVEAWAY: Leave a comment about your favorite adventure along with your email and I’ll pick one winner to receive a PDF copy of Book 1 in the Moldavian Moon series, “The Wolf Torment,” which one GOLD in the 2013 Reader’s Favorite Contest in the Fiction: Supernatural category.

Thanks so much for visiting with me today.

To learn more about Stephanie and her books, check out the links below.

BUY LINKS:

AMAZON:http://amzn.com/B00DVLRJOU

BARNES & NOBLE:http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/moldavian-moon-book-three-stephanie-burkhart/1116009842?ean=2940148123552

DESERT BREEZE PUBLISHING:http://www.desertbreezepublishing.com/moldavian-moon-book-three-sunrise-over-brasov-epub/

ALL ROMANCE EBOOKS:https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-moldavianmoonbookthreesunriseoverbrasov-1230728-162.html

FIND ME ON THE WEB AT:
WEBSITE:
http://www.stephanieburkhart.com
TWITTER:
http://twitter.com/StephBurkhart
FACEBOOK:
https://www.facebook.com/StephanieBurkhartAuthor
GOOD READS:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4031660.Stephanie_Burkhart
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http://www.youtube.com/user/botrina?feature=mhee
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Written in the Stars – Sherill Bodine/Patricia Rosemoor (and a giveaway)

Posted on by August 7, 2013

Sherrill Bodine Author Photo NEWI’m excited to welcome Sherill Bodine to my blog today to tell us a little about herself and her book, Written in the Stars, a reincarnation romance co-authored with Patricia Rosemoor. Here’s Sherill’s bio:

Sherrill Bodine is an author, fashionista, and world traveler. She has published over a dozen romance novels, co-wrote a comic book, and was a contributing columnist to the Chicago Sun-Times. She currently resides in Chicago where she frequents fashion shows and charity galas with her longtime Prince Charming. For more, visit www.SherrillBodine.com or follow @SherrillBodine on twitter.

The blog is yours, Sherill. Take it away.

WHERE DO YOU GET ALL YOUR IDEAS FOR BOOKS? ……….When asked this question (usually by non-writers) I always smile and reply, “You’d be surprised at the idea running through my mind right now about this place and everyone here. But please don’t worry, I always change the names in my books to protect the guilty. The innocent don’t need protecting.”

This is all true of course – life inspires me – but I confess my travels around the world are a wonderful stimulant to my creativity! A trip to Egypt and a cruise on the Nile River brought to life, NIGHT OF THE NILE – the South China Sea beckoned and I started writing SINGAPORE FLING while visiting there.

Certainly my many visits to London and the English countryside inspired my six Regency novels for Fawcett and it very definitely colored every page of my newest book for Entangled Publishing, WRITTEN IN THE STARS. Although set in Elizabethan England, not the Regency period, Elizabeth and Will’s epic love story brings the reader the sights, sounds and smells of my years of traveling through enchanting England – exploring ruins and castles alike – spending countless days at museums from Land’s End to the Isle of Skye – and generally soaking up the sense of history which permeates the air for me.

Written-In-The-StarsIn WRITTEN IN THE STARS, I bring to life the historical portion of the story – a love so powerful one lifetime was not enough – and my co-author, Patricia Rosemoor, wrote the contemporary portion with my Elizabethan journal entries connecting this tale of reincarnation, danger and destiny.

To keep the ideas coming, I continue to travel whenever I can make it happen. Next: a quick two day visit to London and then on to Romania for a wedding. I can’t wait to discover what story the dark and mysterious Carpathian Mountains will whisper to me. Please stay tuned!

Thanks so much for spending this time with me today.

Sherill is also generously offering a piece of vintage jewelry to one lucky commenter. Be sure to leave your email address in the comment to be included in the drawing.

Written in the Stars is available for pre-order now on Amazon

 

 

Margay Leah Justice – Guest post

Posted on by August 6, 2013

authorphotoPlease help me welcome Margay Leah Justice, author of Sloane Wolf, to my blog today. She’s going to share with us a letter the hero writes to the heroine.

Shiloh,

I’m not sure how I should start this. I’m not one for spilling my feelings, even on paper, so I don’t even know if I started it right. Should I have said ‘Dear Shiloh’ instead of just ‘Shiloh’ or is that okay? Does it make it sound like just a note? Is it too informal? I don’t know, I don’t usually do this – any of this. I’m not the heart and posies kind of guy, I don’t make the outlandish gestures to tell my woman how I feel, so this is really awkward for me. So I guess you’re kind of wondering why I’m even doing this, then, huh? Well, Raven told me to. Now before you get all huffy about why I’d let my sister talk me into something like this, just listen – or read, in this case. Raven knows me – sometimes too well – and she knows how I have a hard time expressing things (I know you’re laughing right now, so don’t), so she thought this might help. If I could just write it down, I could figure out the best way to tell you how I feel. So this is it, this is how I feel. About you.

Before I met you, I was just going through the motions of life, but never really living. But I didn’t know that until I met you. When you first came riding into my life in that flashy Hummer, it’s like it kick-started something inside me – something I didn’t even know was lying dormant – and I really began to live. I became aware of you in a way I was never aware of any other person and I didn’t know how to deal with that, especially when all that stuff went down with Haines and Ava. But then, when I thought I lost you, none of it mattered. That night in the woods, trying to find you – it was the worst time of my life and I never want to go through anything like that again.

You are the first breath I take every morning, the lifeblood I need to survive. You are every beat of my heart. Without you, my life would cease to have meaning and I’d be back to just going through the motions like I did before I met you. It was a lonely existence then – it’d be a hellish one now. I know we haven’t known each other very long and it seems impossible that I could feel this strong about you so soon, but there it is. Without you, there is no me so, please, say you’ll stay with me. Say you’ll take a chance and stick around and see where this might take us. I won’t force you but know this, if you decide this is all too much for you – if you decide to go – you’ll be taking the better parts of me with you. No matter where you are or what you do, I will always love you.

Micah

Sloane_Wolf_200x300 (1)Sloane Wolf is available now on Amazon.