Like my page

Follow me on Twitter

Monday, May 31, 2010

Good news!

Okay, so I didn't manage to get back here more
frequently as promised, but I have all good
reasons for it.

I survived the long weekend chaos at work and
my daughter turning 13 since my last post.

I also signed a contract for Salvation with
Eternal Press!  It is to be released in October and
as this was one of my favorite stories to write
I can't wait!!

I'll have more updates soon.

Stop by on Wednesday for my interview
with Author Mysti Holiday.

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Where did I go?



Here I was doing so well at getting back here to post
somethingmore often and then I dropped the ball,
 again.

In addition to work (which I really do not want to
discuss oreven recall while I'm not there) I've been
re-writing the end of Heart.  This one has so many firsts
in it for me I won't stop until I'm completely happy with it.

A few things I am just waiting on confirmation with are:
Harvest Dreams - Book III in the Magic Seasons series,
and Salvation.

The release date for the first story in the Hidden Senses
Trilogy - Mystic Perceptions will be released at Class
Act Books on July 15th - I should have the cover shortly.

Other things to watch for are my Author Interviews.
June 2nd
Mysti Holiday


June 8th

Suzanne Brandyn


June 22nd

Cindy Jacks

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Interview with Jean Hart Stewart

It is my pleasure today to interview Jean Hart Stewart
while she's on tour for her her first book in her new
historical romance series - The Third Rose.

1. Who is Jean Hart Stewart?

Darned if I know. I’m one thing to my children, and another 
to my husband. To my readers I’m doubtless someone else 
entirely.  I do know my core values are honesty and integrity.  
Life is worth little if you lose those. Other than that, I’m a writer 
at heart who constantly stores bits and pieces in her mind for 
possible later use and one who can’t envision a life without writing. 
Is that what you meant with this ambiguous question?

That definitely covers it, Jean.

2. What genres do you choose to write? Why?

I don’t choose the genre. My ideas choose them. I write 
paranormal because it’s so much fun. You can let you characters 
do impossible deeds and get away with it. Love letting my 
imagination run free.  I write historical because I love to delve 
into a period and really concentrate on an era that intrigues me. 
I enjoy the tremendous amount of research required to write in a 
different era.

3. What is the hardest part of writing for you?

 This one’s easy. The rewriting and editing to get it just right 
drives me crazy. I’m a perfectionist and have a hard time letting 
a book go. I tend to be overly picky. Finally I get to the point 
I just throw up my hands and send it off.

4. Do you ever have problems with writers block?  
If so how do you get through it?

 No, I’ve never had it. Always have ideas churning around in 
my head. Sometimes I don’t feel I’m writing anything that makes 
sense, so maybe that qualifies.  When that happens I just keep 
going. If  I can save something from an unproductive session I do, 
otherwise I throw it out.  After a while I feel I’m writing well again. 
I do know you’ve got to keep writing, even when it seems lousy.

5. What do you do when you’re not writing/editing or 
thinking about writing/editing?

 Reading, taking care of an older husband, and shopping when I can. 
I love to shop. All the communications with family of course, as 
I’m blessed with loving children.

6. When did you realize you wanted to write?

 I wrote my first novel at the age of 12. Doubtless it was 
laughable, but the point it I feel like I’ve always written. Can’t 
remember anything but wanting to write.

7. While working on a story, do you directly onto the computer 
or are there notebooks and plot ideas jotted down in various places?

 Definitely I make notes, particularly when I wake in the morning 
with an idea that’s come into my head around two in the morning. 
I put thoughts down anyplace there’s a piece of paper. Can’t 
say that’s what I’d recommend. Sometime my night-time notes 
are so cryptic they baffle even me. I write everything directly into 
the computer when I’m working on a story. Couldn’t read my own 
handwriting, that’s for sure.

8. From your own writing, do you have a favourite story 
or character? Why?

 All of my heroes are hunks I’d love to know better. Much, 
much better!  I guess I’d say Wolf in The Third Rose, at least for 
now. He’s handsome, brave, and almost too honourable. The 
heroine helps get him over some of his qualms, though, as any 
heroine should.

9. What’s one thing about you that your readers may not know?

 Maybe that I learned to love reading because my suddenly 
widowed mother was forced to return to teach to support me and 
my sister. I was the younger and so had to stay in the house 
until she got home from school.  There was no television and I 
read and read. From the age of six  I learned  reading is one of 
life’s greatest pleasures.

10.  What other books do you have out and in what 
formats are they available?

I have twelve books out with Cerridwen press in e-book form. 
Eight in the Druid series, and four in the series on Mages. 
Mages are wizards, so they’re lots of fun to write about. I’ve 
got three print books on Amazon,  with Barnes and Nobel and 
other book stores,  and more to come in print. 
I’m polishing another historical romance like The Red Rose
and working on the seventh Mage book. This one is called 
Seducing Simon . It’s the seventeenth book I’ve written. 
All my books have excerpts and covers on my website, 
www.jeanhartstewart.com, so do go and look and them over. 
Would love to know which one you like the best! I’d be so 
pleased to hear from you readers


I can't wait to check those out, I love stories with Mages.
Thanks so much for stopping by today, Jean.

Here is a bit more about The Third Rose

Excerpt:
At last. The bastard had come home. 

He must have lit more candles, as the room 
became brighter. She could see a large man, 
elegantly dressed, stride across the room.
Double drat! He moved out of her vision, and she did not
dare part the draperies any further. She waited, breath
suspended, as he re-appeared and sat on the bed. 
He arched one long muscled leg, bending over to tug at 
his boot. His face was in shadow, but his build was 
powerful, that of a more than adequate sportsman. 
His size didn’t worry her. A gun was a great equalizer.

He meant to take his boots off himself? She was surprised
he didn’t require his valet to wait up for him. An unusual
bit of consideration for a servant, one she’d not expected.
She’d thought she’d have to stay hidden until the valet had
come and gone. Perhaps this was better, since at least he
was decently clothed. Not that she’d let any missish tendencies
deter her. Actually seeing a large nude male might be educational.

Now was the time.

She cocked the gun and stepped out in front of him,
the barrel pointed directly at him.
“You will please rise, my lord. I do not intend to shoot a 
seated villain.” She felt pride in the composure of her voice.
She’d worried a little about that.

Wolverton did not appear unduly upset, although his eyebrows
arched upward. He bent the long leg stretched on the bed
and clasped both hands around his knee.
“A woman. How interesting. I admit you make a very
fetching young man dressed in those breeches, but your voice
is definitely female. Might I inquire why you have your
gun pointed at me?”

She had to give him his due. His tone seemed as cool as hers,
and she certainly must have been a nasty surprise. Although
come to think of it, he probably often found women accosting
him in his bedchamber. But surely for more pleasurable
purposes, cad that he was.
“Stand up, my lord.”

Neither her voice nor the hand holding the gun on him
wavered, as Joshua Sinclair, Earl of Wolverton, slowly placed
both his boots on the luxurious Aubusson carpet and rose to his feet.
“Is there anything I can do for you, madam?” he inquired, as
politely as if he were asking her if she took milk with her tea.

She shook her head slowly, carefully lowering the gun a trifle.
What a shame he was such a handsome devil, but then she
should have expected no less from a despoiler of virgins.
She was pleased to see him blanch a little as he realized
where she aimed.

“Can I persuade you to raise your gun a little? I don’t mind
being shot in the chest nearly as much as if you hit the most
valued part of my anatomy.”


Jean will be giving away a The Third Rose T-shirt to 
one randomly 
drawn commenter from her blog tour. 

Monday, May 17, 2010

Join me tomorrow!

Join me tomorrow for my interview with author
Jean Hart Stewart on her tour for The Third Rose,
the first in book in her new historical romance
series.


Blurb:

When Sara Coverly hides in Lord Wolverton’s bedroom 
to avenge him for the rape of her friend, she is determined 
to shoot him so he can never ruin another female. Instead 
she finds herself wondering if she’s picked the wrong man! 
Wolf decides he needs a token fiancée to cover his tracks 
as he searches for a spy, and soon Sara finds herself helping 
him. And falling deeply in love.

Wolf’s espionage duties bring danger to them both. When he
decodes a message threatening the assassination of Wellington 
at Waterloo, they both set out for Brussels to catch the villain.

Can their growing love endure through war, a desperate 
villain who is out to stop them, and Wolf’s determination to 
save Wellington at any cost?


Saturday, May 15, 2010

A day off!

Today I had a real day off!  This was the first Saturday
in six months I've taken off.  I think I might have to do
it more often. 

I'm not sure if I accomplished enough to call it a productive
day, but there's always tomorrow to knuckle down again
and do some serious work.

Because I've had a good day and I'm in a good mood,
I thought I'd share a bit about Mystic Perceptions
to be released this summer.

Jacinda Brown keeps to her safe existence doing investigative
research, avoiding people and places with people.
To most, it appears she has a normal life; blending completely
undetected in her lonely continuation.



She doesn’t investigate people; she can’t get that close.
Through her hand she can feel emotions, thoughts.
With a touch she can see what has been.


Unfortunately fate tosses her into a situation where her
carefully guarded secret and her own conscience are at
war when she finds herself working with detectives to find a killer.

Jacinda clashes with the very strongly grounded detective,
destiny has forced her to work with.


At some point he begins to matter, making her decision harder.
Will he look at her with abhorrence, like she’s some sort of
freak when she’s through?


When the fifth murder happens, Jacinda makes the decision to
use her gift to find the killer. She doesn’t let herself think of how
she’s going to suffer afterward, the consequences that will curse
her again, the chance she’ll be giving up everything and starting
all over. She just thinks of finding some justice and stopping a killer.


What will be the price, this time, for the ability she doesn’t want?

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Interview with Allie Boniface

It is my pleasure to interview Allie Boniface 
author of  One Night in Memphis, a contemporary
romance.

Who is Allie Boniface?

Ooh boy...let's see...a writer, teacher, wife, musician, 
runner, reader, and Zumba-holic! (If you haven't heard 
of that last one, visit www.zumba.com - it's an awesome 
workout that's mostly just dancing to really, really cool music!)

What genres do you choose to write? Why?
I write both romance (because I'm a sucker for a love story) 
and YA (because teenagers and the way life totally consumes 
them - or maybe the other way around - fascinates me)

What is the hardest part of writing for you?
Finding the time!

Do you ever have problems with writers block?  
If so how do you get through it?
Sometimes. I tend to write through it. I'm pretty good at 
buckling down and doing what I need to do. Even if I write 
crap, the next day I can edit it!

What do you do when you’re not writing/editing or 
thinking about writing/editing?
I'm a full-time high school teacher, so that takes up the 
bulk of my time. My husband and I also like to travel a lot, 
and I play my baby grand piano for relaxation.

When did you realize you wanted to write?
Umm...is "sometime in the womb" an acceptable answer?

While working on a story, do you directly onto the computer 
or are there notebooks and plot ideas jotted down in various places?
Both. I do a lot of drafting on the computer, but I still like 
the physical manipulation of jotting down notes, scribbling 
them out, drawing arrows to connect plotlines, etc.

From your own writing, do you have a favourite story or 
character? Why?
 I think some of my favorites are Eddie, the hero in Lost in 
Paradise (also newly available in audio book!), because he's 
such a rough-and-tumble, sexy guy that all my readers seem 
to adore; Sean, the villain in One Night in Memphis, just 
because it was so much fun to write a bad guy; and Kira, 
the heroine in One Night in Napa (which just released in 
print last week!), because she's not the typical gorgeous, 
swooning female: she has super-short spiky red hair, facial 
piercings, and a sarcastic tongue that'll tell off anyone. 
She's awesome!

What’s one thing about you that your readers may not know?
I'm a huge baseball fan, and the Cleveland Indians are my fave team :)

What other books do you have out and in what formats are they available?
I currently have 4 contemporary romances out in both print 
and ebook, 2 out in audio book, and one out in ebook only 
(Summer's Song) that will release in print this November.

Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions, Allie.

Here's a bit about One Night in Memphis.
Blurb:

What if a woman, tired of broken hearts and bad choices, 
traveled a thousand miles to the heart of Memphis, Tennessee, 
and spent a night forgetting her past in the blues clubs of 
Beale Street? What if a man who lost his wife to cancer ventured 
to Beale Street's social scene for the first time in over a year? 
And what if they met and realized love was still possible for 
them both?

Dakota James and Ethan Meriweather have both given up 

on finding happiness in a relationship. When they meet in 
downtown Memphis, at a crowded nightclub, neither has romance 
on the brain. But as the evening unfolds, and small talk turns to 
the stuff of hopes, dreams, and shared loss, a kinship grows 
that surprises them.

Before the night is over, though, Dakota's past will catch 

up with her in the form of a violent ex-boyfriend. As dawn 
approaches, and tragedy threatens to tear Dakota and Ethan 
apart, both will have to make a decision that could change 
their lives forever. Is new love worth putting your life on the line 
for someone you've just met?



Make sure you leave Allie a comment, so you can be entered in 
her draw for an audio copy of either Lost in Paradise or 
One Night in Memphis!


Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Allie Boniface


Join me tomorrow for an interview with Allie Boniface
author of One Night in Memphis.

Blurb:

What if a woman, tired of broken hearts and bad choices, 
traveled a thousand miles to the heart of Memphis, 
Tennessee, and spent a night forgetting her past in the blues 
clubs of Beale Street? What if a man who lost his wife to 
cancer ventured to Beale Street's social scene for the first 
time in over a year? And what if they met and realized love 
was still possible for them both?

Dakota James and Ethan Meriweather have both given up 

on finding happiness in a relationship. When they meet in 
downtown Memphis, at a crowded nightclub, neither has 
romance on the brain. But as the evening unfolds, and 
small talk turns to the stuff of hopes, dreams, and shared 
loss, a kinship grows that surprises them.

Before the night is over, though, Dakota's past will catch up 

with her in the form of a violent ex-boyfriend. As dawn 
approaches, and tragedy threatens to tear Dakota and 
Ethan apart, both will have to make a decision that could 
change their lives forever. Is new love worth putting your 
life on the line for someone you've just met?


Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Interview with Kelly A. Harmon

Today I have the pleasure of interviewing Kelly A Harmon
Author of Blood Soup, a dark fantasy.
http://kellyaharmon.com/




  1. Who is Kelly A. Harmon?
Kelly A. Harmon is a scribbler. She jots on receipts, envelopes, 
and the ever-favored napkin...in the car, in elevators, and while 
waiting in line. She stays up nights to finish a scene, chapter,  fifty 
pages or so. She is late to events and often incinerates dinner 
while plotting. She has won awards for both fiction and non-fiction. 
While a reporter, she interviewed authors and thespians, senators 
and statesmen, movie stars and murderers (and all of that is 
interesting); but, really, she just wants to write fiction.
    
     2. What genres do you choose to write? Why?
I prefer to write science fiction and fantasy. 
Fantasy I like for the escapism…I like being transported to a 
different time and world.  There’s something appealing to me 
about the possibility of magic and the likelihood of meeting 
some fantastic creature, like a dragon or satyr. Fantasy is like 
bedtime stories for adults.
Science Fiction appeals to my curiosity. It’s about extremes...
I enjoy playing the “what if” game, taking a situation and 
extrapolating it to the nth degree.

    3. What is the hardest part of writing for you?
For me, the hardest part of writing is turning off the internal editor 
when I’m trying to get everything down on paper.   Things always 
change on the second draft, and again after my critique group gets 
through with it.  I know that I don’t have to be perfect, yet, I always 
strive for that. I could probably write twice as much if I could turn 
off the editor while I work.

   4. Do you ever have problems with writers block?  
If so how do you get through it?
I rarely suffer from writer’s block because I always know which 
direction my story is going.  I find that if I know what scenes are 
coming up next, than there’s little chance for me to get blocked. 
This isn’t to say that I plan out every detail before I write.  I like to 
have a broad, general idea of what I want to say, and go from there.  
I leave room for the characters to grow and for new ideas to sprout 
during the writing process.

  5. What do you do when you’re not writing/editing or 
thinking about writing/editing?
I like to read, of course...I’m never without a book, no matter 
where I am.  I enjoy taking pictures, and hiking or walking...occasionally 
I combine those two things.    Lately, I’ve been teaching myself to knit. 
I love working crossword puzzles. 
 
  6. When did you realize you wanted to write?
I’ve always wanted to be a writer.  I don’t remember ever wanting 
to do anything else.
In high school, I decided a journalism degree would be better than an 
English degree, so I gravitated toward non-fiction.  I found a job as a 
stringer – a freelance reporter – at my local newspaper and started 
publishing stories when I was 14. I enjoyed non-fiction more than I
thought I would, so I stuck with it for a lot of years. But my first love 
is fiction, so I’ve been concentrating on that for the last few years.

  7. While working on a story, do you directly onto the computer 
or are there notebooks and plot ideas jotted down in various places?
Because I work full time, I don’t have large chunks of time to devote to
writing.  Knowing that, I try to make the most of every minute of downtime.  
I carry a clipboard in the car with me now, so I can write while sitting at stoplights.
I have a little notebook in my purse that I scribble on during meetings, or at lunch.  
I’ve been known to use a napkin or a receipt if I’m out somewhere and don’t 
have anything with me. When I get back to the computer, I put all those 
notes into some kind of order either in one file, or several and go from there.

  8. From your own writing, do you have a favourite story or character? 
Why?
My current favourite is The Dragon’s Clause...and not because it’s gotten 
a couple of rave reviews.  It’s the first story I wrote with the intention of 
getting published in an anthology.  Ricasso Press had put out a call for 
dragon stories, and I wanted in.  What’s funny about that is although I like
to write fantasy, it’s never crossed my mind to write a dragon story.  
I had to think up a plot from scratch and create a believable dragon 
character. I looked at it as a challenge.
The Dragon’s Clause was originally published in the anthology Black Dragon, 
White Dragon under the name San Marino and the Dragon.  It’s a story 
about what happens when a city of people reneges on their deal with a dragon.  
Details and more info are available on my blog.

  9. What’s one thing about you that your readers may not know?
I prefer to make my pasta by hand...and never eat Italian out.  
At Christmas, I use my grandma’s “manual” pizzelle –iron, and make the 
cookies one at a time over an open flame.

Thanks so much for taking the time to answer my questions and 
giving everyone a chance to get to know you better!!!

Here's a sneak peak of Kelly's book "Blood Soup"
Excerpt:
    “Do you want to learn about your sister?” King Theodicar asked.
    “Go on.”
    “Salvagia had a set of runes, and she cast them over and over and over as Pia’s pregnancy advanced. Always, the answer was the same: ‘A girl child must rule or the kingdom will fall to ruin.’”
    “Do you believe that, Father?”
    “Your mother did. And so did Salvagia. They came from Omero, where the eldest born ruled, not just the eldest male. They believed your sister should rule.”
    “But, did you believe?”
    “I think your mother wasn’t meant to bear children. She was little and frail. Her labor arrived early—almost too early for you to survive. Your sister was born first. She was tiny, and just as delicate as your mother. Pia died the moment she was born, without even seeing her. Salvagia cut the girl’s cord and handed her to me. Then your mother’s belly contracted, and we realized there was another babe: you.”
    “So, you killed my sister so she wouldn’t take the throne.”
     “It wasn’t like that at the time.” Anguish washed across Theodicar’s face. “The girl was
frail, but you were worse. Salvagia could only save one of you. She was certain you wouldn’t last through the night, and she tried to convince me that your weakness fulfilled the prophecy. I wouldn’t listen to her. I told her to sacrifice the girl so you could live.”
    “The girl, the girl, the girl. Has my sister a name?”
    “Her life was given for yours before she was named. I’d asked Salvagia to remove the body afterward, so there would be no question about who would rule after me.” He looked down at his feet. “I’m fairly certain Salvagia named her, though she never told me so.”
    “How did my sister save me?”
    “Her blood, Amal. You drank of her blood to strengthen your own.”
    Amalric’s hand tightened on the glass in his lap. He swallowed hard, imagining he could taste the tinny flavor of blood on his tongue. It was worse than he first thought: not only was he winner by default, but he was beast—some variation of an incestuous cannibal—alive only because he drank his sister’s blood.


Be sure to leave Kelly a comment and  and you’re eligible to win a $25 Amazon or B&N gift card!


Monday, May 10, 2010

Kelly A Harmon tomorrow


Join me tomorrow for an interview with Kelly A Harmon
author of Blood soup, a dark fantasy, for a chance to win 
a $25 Amazon or B&N gift card.

Blurb:
A tale of murder, betrayal and comeuppance.

King Theodicar of Borgund needed an heir. When his

wife, Queen Piacenza, became pregnant, he’d hoped 
for a boy. His wife, along with her nurse, Salvagia, 
knew it wouldn’t be so: with each cast of the runes, 
Salvagia’s trusted divination tools yielded the same 
message: “A girl child must rule or the kingdom will 
fall to ruin.” The women were convinced that the 
child would be a girl.

When the queen finally gives birth, the nurse and the 

king are equally surprised. The king is faced with a 
terrible choice, and his decision will determine the fate 
of his kingdom. Will he choose wisely, or will he doom 
Borgund to ruin?