Jenyfer Matthews

Award-winning author Amy Corwin is an insatiable reader and a compulsive writer. She joined the Romance Writers of America at its inception and began writing for publication six years ago. Amy’s books have received numerous writing awards including first place in the 2006 Dixie First Chapter and first place in the 2003 Golden Rose contests. Her first historical novel, SMUGGLED ROSE, was published by Cerridwen Press in 2007 and received excellent reviews, including a 4-star review by “The Romantic Times”. Her second book, a historical romantic mystery, I BID ONE AMERICAN, was published by The Wild Rose Press in May 2008, and has garnered excellent reviews, including a perfect score of 5 books from Long and Short Reviews. She is currently working on her next historical romantic mystery featuring the Regency “detective” agency: Second Sons, Discreet Inquires.

Smuggled Rose

A cynical earl and a rose smuggler are an unlikely pair, particularly when the smuggler is a supposedly fallen woman the earl owes for saving his feckless brother’s life.

Nonetheless, Michael, the earl of Ramsgate, is determined to repay his family’s debt by presenting Margaret at Court — an action calculated to repair even the worst reputation. But Margaret has been burned before and is suspicious that Michael’s intentions aren’t entirely honorable…despite the certainty in her heart that she can trust him.

As the tension between them flares and Michael’s feelings for Margaret strain his self-control, an old enemy bent on revenge returns to challenge Michael’s iron determination…and threatens to take Margaret away from him forever.

* * * * *

Amy’s Tips for Good Characterization

There are hundreds of ways characterization can go wrong. I can’t cover everything, but here are a few tips garnered from editing my own and others’ manuscripts.

Let’s start with some good news. Nothing, and I mean nothing, is terminal. You can fix anything. You would be amazed at what a difference it makes to add a single sentence revealing a character’s motivations. Sometimes, that’s all that is necessary.

Since this is such a huge subject, I’m only going to talk about one major complaint: “I can’t get into or sympathize with your characters”

COMMON MISTAKES
• You didn’t reveal the character’s motivation
• Your first introduction to the character is through the eyes (POV) of another character
• You introduce the character at a bad moment
• Dominance

HOW TO FIX THEM

• You didn’t reveal the character’s motivation

If the reader doesn’t know the character’s goal and motivation, they will not bond with the character. The reader must feel she understands the character so she can be “one with the heroine.” Without that feeling, the reader may drop the book.

Problem: You want to hide motivation to surprise the reader later.

That’s fine, but you must give the heroine a substitute goal and motivation. And don’t assume her goal/motivation should be obvious to the reader by the character’s actions.

If the reader doesn’t understand what is initially driving the character to do what she is doing, then you’ve created the classic “unsympathetic” character that makes the editor complain, “I couldn’t get into your character”.

So how do you reveal goals and yet keep the surprise?

You don’t have to reveal the character’s entire motivation/goals/conflict on page one. You do need to reveal the character’s initial goal, some motivation, and a bit of conflict. Her starter goal isn’t necessarily her main goal.

Let’s say your heroine needs to find her sister’s murder and her motivation is to save her brother, accused of the murder. That’s the major goal/motivation for her. But, what if you don’t want the reader to know that in the beginning?

Reveal a starter goal by defining what she’s after now. This is a technique used a lot in suspense novels where the author wants to keep some mystery around the heroine. The starter goal allows the author to reveal a goal/motivation that is important enough to establish the reader’s bond with the heroine.

Example: In scene one, the heroine is talking to a private investigator. She’s trying to get his help to investigate a theft. Her motivation: she believes she doesn’t know how to investigate on her own, and the theft was a vase that had been in her family for years. So her initial, starter goal is to enlist this man’s assistance to find a thief. That’s the goal and motivation you need to make clear on page one to hook the reader.

Then you can slowly reveal the theft occurred at the time of the murder, and she believes the two are related. And further, if she can find the thief, she can prove her brother is innocent. And she can irritate/conflict with the detective because she did not reveal all of this when she hired him.

One last thing: you should do this for your secondary characters, too, or creating stock or cardboard secondary characters. Every character has to have motivation and goals, even if the goal is only a paycheck. And the more important those motivations/goals are to the character, the more depth your characters will have.

• Your first introduction to the character is through the eyes or POV of another character

This may seem odd or counter-intuitive. For this example, let’s say the book is a romance and your target audience is mostly women. You’ve introduced the hero and you’re in his POV when you introduce him to the heroine. Sometimes this can work, but it almost never works if your heroine is gorgeous, he sees her without any flaws, and he lusts after her immediately.

Here is the problem. Most readers can’t relate to perfection. And if they meet the heroine only from the hero’s perspective of her as the “pink of perfection,” how can the reader relate? The heroine is a beautiful, perfect woman like a plastic Barbie doll with no soul.

That’s why so many romances start in the heroine’s POV, so the reader can understand her fears, anxieties, and flaws. The reader can bond with her before discovering the woman is gorgeous. Or, the author can introduce the hero and heroine separately so the reader bonds with both characters before the two meet.

My preferred method is simpler: don’t make the heroine (or hero) completely perfect. Give your characters flaws, both mental and physical. Flaws make humans more human, real, and therefore more sympathetic.

When the hero first sees the heroine, he should see some flaw in addition to her beauty. And give him a flaw, too. Make her notice a trait she really dislikes in the hero, but even though she sees it, she’s still unable to resist her attraction to him…

Jennifer Crusie uses this method frequently and it works for her, e.g. “Welcome to Temptation”.
If you can’t or won’t add flaws, introduce the characters separately. Show the hero’s starter goals and motivation. Introduce your heroine and do the same. THEN introduce the two of them to each other after the reader already knows them and sympathizes with them.

• You introduce the character at a bad moment

Books always start at crises or changing point. However, avoid portraying your hero or heroine acting out-of-control. Do not make the mistake of thinking that showing your heroine spitting-tacks angry portrays her as a feisty woman who sticks up for herself.

It simply portrays her as an out-of-control bitch. The same is true for the hero.

You want both of them to be the ones in control while those all around are losing their grip. And then, you can gradually make your hero and heroine lose it, too—because by then, your reader will be “one with the heroine.” The reader will feel the agony of the heroine’s slow descent into the maelstrom of your novel.

Think of it this way: what is your reaction when you are in public and stumble upon a scene where a woman is yelling at another person? Do you like the woman or does it make you uncomfortable and wish the woman would get a grip?

Same problem.

You can, however, get away with it if you are Jennifer Crusie and are showing the heroine has a fabulous reason for being angry, and she’s got a sense of humor and is funny. But I have never read a Crusie where the heroine is angry from sentence one. The heroine tries to control it—her action sucks the reader in—and then the heroine loses it in an amusing way. And the humor offsets the anger.

If it is not funny, you are much better off showing some other character haranguing the hero or heroine. That character will be hated by the reader while your heroine is loved for showing self-control. This is good.

• Dominance

This can be less important for heroine, but really, you have to consider it for both hero and heroine. You don’t want either character to appear to be spineless.

Fathers are bad for heroes. If your hero has problems with his father (or worse, his mother), do not place the hero in an initial scene where the parent has the upper hand. Your hero will be perceived as weak and undeserving of hero status.

And avoid downtrodden heroines, unless she is deciding to revolt in chapter one. Now, that doesn’t mean you can’t show someone being mean to her, and her taking it. However, in the heroine’s head, she must recognize what is going on and plot to put an end to it. She must make a decision to show some spine.

That decision is her saving grace and will hook the reader’s sympathy.

Conclusion: There is obviously much more to this, but what I tried to cover are some of the techniques you can use to create characters the reader cannot ignore.
Good luck!

* * * * *

Blurb from I Bid One American

An American heiress nobody wants; a duke every woman desires; and a murder no one expects.

When Nathaniel, Duke of Peckham, meets Charlotte, he’s suspicious of her indifference. Too many women have sought—and failed—to catch him. Happily, Charlotte is more interested in dead pharaohs than English dukes and laughs at both him and his suspicions.

Her resolve crumbles, however, when a debutante seeking to entrap Nathaniel gets murdered. All too soon, his reputation as a misogynist makes him a suspect, and Charlotte impulsively comes to his aide.

Unfortunately, both are unaware that a highwayman interested in rich heiresses is following Charlotte. And that another debutante lies dead in Nathaniel’s carriage.

Some nights just don’t go as planned.

Please welcome Jean Hart Stewart!

Even though a freak accident killed my father when I was six (hit by a golf ball, of all crazy things), I’ve always regarded myself as a very lucky person. My wonderful mother went back to work as a school teacher. Since her hours were longer than mine, after school I was confined to the house until she returned home. As a result, I began to read early and steadily. She saw to it I had plenty of books from the library, and I read through everything she brought home. I knew by the age of ten I wanted to be a writer, preferably exactly like Jane Austen who I discovered early and read over and over. At twelve I wrote my first romance. It was doubtless dreadful and is fortunately lost! Still, my early isolation turned out to bless the rest of my life.

I found a group of other semi-nerds in high school, and always loved school. Ohio State University School of Journalism was a natural, and when I dated the editor of the student magazine he featured me as Campus Queen of the Month. Goes to prove who you know definitely does count! I didn’t even recognize the picture the professional photographer took of me.

The only importance of this long forgotten fact is my future husband’s brother knew me from a class we took together, saw the picture and asked his older brother Hugh to come along to meet me and put in a good word for him. Hugh (the handsome brother) was then a graduate assistant in physics. Not interested in anybody’s brother, (not very bright of me!) I sloughed off the request for several weeks, until one night when we arranged to meet at the library. When I saw Hugh and his brother walking down the long stone steps to me I knew in my heart I’d found, the real thing, love at first sight. I told the girl with me that same night I’d met the man I was going to marry. Two years later the brother was best man at our wedding!

Don’t let anybody tell you instant love doesn’t exist. We’ve had two children, two grandchildren, and a wonderful life together as Hugh’s job sent him to Europe a lot and often I went along. After that came my 20 year career as a real estate broker, lots of fun but I wouldn’t want to be in that field today. Too many sharks circling the waters.

(I can tell some good stories, though, like the client who didn’t keep his appointment because his jealous brother murdered him that morning!)

Then I started writing, and here I am six years later, a senior citizen with seven books accepted by Cerridwen Press in my Garland of Druid series, and an eighth on the way. I LOVE my Druids, each and everyone. Druid Triumphant, book six came out in June, with Druid Disdained is to be released in Sept. For more information about me or my books, visit my website.

Druid Triumphant
by
Jean Hart Stewart

Blurb

Adam is the last bachelor of the handsome Dellafield brothers. He’s had no trouble attracting women until the beautiful ballerina, Slaide Rivendell, insults him and then walks away. Furious, he determines to make her pay, but when he pursues her, he finds she has secrets that are destroying her and threatening her small niece. And keeping her from him. Yet Becca and Slaide need him, even if Slaide refuses to accept his help.

The villain menaces Slaide and Becca, capturing them both in spite of Adam’s protective measures. Now Adam must call on all his own and his Druid power to try to save them. Will he be in time, and will his powers be enough? And will Slaide reveal her secrets so he can fulfill their dream of love?

Excerpt

In the proper evening attire, with his thick crop of hair slicked down and shining, Adam paid his respects to his host and hostess, effortlessly charming them both. Then he propped himself against a wall until enough time had elapsed so he could leave. Still, guests at such a stuffy affair were always amusing, and he liked to people-watch.

His eyes roamed around the room, noting the buzz of conversations going on, the obvious flirtations and the usual meaningless exchanges he disliked.

Then he spotted her.

A shiver went down his spine, and he straightened his stance a little. Something about this girl, the aura shimmering around her head, a distinct blue haze enveloping her like a cloud, called to him to come to her side. The aura wasn’t quite as clear as he’d like it to be, but it radiated a beautiful color. He’d like to know what caused the haziness in her aura, though.

The willowy girl, tall and slender, stood talking to a young man leaning close to her and whispering in her ear. He looked pleading, she appeared stiffly uninterested. She moved away from him, looking back over her shoulder with a slight smile. A polished dismissal, but as definite a dismissal as Adam could imagine.

Before he had time to ponder her identity his hostess appeared. Adam was always slightly amused at how any member of his family seemed to be viewed as a trophy when one of them appeared at social functions. Adam turned to her with a smile, wondering how soon he’d have been there long enough for his departure to be unremarkable.

“I saw you eyeing our beautiful ballerina, Adam,” she gushed, tapping him on the shoulder. “Would you like to meet her?”

Quite suddenly Adam thought he would. Better than leaning against the wall all night. Something about the blonde’s air of absolute disdain intrigued him.

“So she’s a ballerina, my lady. That explains the unusual poise. Yes, introducing us would be most kind of you, ma’am.”

Lady Erickson, wife of the Swedish ambassador, smiled with just a touch of malice. “The beauty has spurned conversation with almost every other man in the room. Let’s see if she can resist the last of the elusive and handsome Dellafield bachelors.”

She grabbed his hand and escorted him across the room. She cut ahead to cross in the path of the blonde girl. Adam caught his breath. Her pale golden hair shone in the lights from the chandelier. Her cobalt eyes were fringed with extraordinary thick lashes. Those arresting eyes stared at him from regular features which were without a flaw. She held her head proudly on her slender neck, her gorgeous hair, pulled back almost too tightly from her beautiful face formed a coil at the nape of her tilted head. Much more suitable to her than the current piling of hair in a bunch on top. The size of the confined mass begged a man to rip it loose and admire the flow of gold as her hair tumbled. She was perfection. An icy perfection, with no hint of warmth in the depths of those stunning eyes.

Adam took a step toward her, once again admiring the lovely blue of the aura floating round her head. To his surprise, it glowed in a shade similar to his mother’s. Morgan’s never showed this frosty edging but the colors of their hovering auras were much alike.

At this short range his interest flared anew. Her skin looked absurdly soft. What would she taste like if an amorous man kissed his way down every inch of that exquisite flesh?

Lady Erickson came to a halt, looking triumphant although Adam didn’t want to think why.
“Slaide, this is Adam Dellafield, probably the most eligible bachelor in London and doubtless the most handsome. Adam, Slaide Rivendell, the newest star of the Royal Ballet. I’ll leave you two to get acquainted.”

She hurried off, quite obviously satisfied with herself. Adam winced. Just the kind of introduction he didn’t want.

Before Adam could speak Slaide Rivendell did. She looked at him for one second, her eyes the most brilliant blue he’d ever seen. A much deeper blue than her aura. After glancing at him, she half-turned as if to leave. She spoke almost mechanically, her voice devoid of any feeling but annoyance.
“You’re indeed handsome, but you doubtless know it, Mr. Dellafield. You don’t require my adulation.”

She turned to walk away, but Adam caught her arm and held her back.

“Have I met you before and offended you, Miss Rivendell? If so I apologize. Otherwise I find it hard to understand your rather offensive attitude. And I seriously doubt I’d forget meeting you.”

He allowed his voice to be edged with his resentment. This girl was lovely, but no amount of beauty could excuse such blatant rudeness.

An inner elegance seemed to take over as she flushed with embarrassment.

“I was perhaps too curt. But I’m so very tired of being presented to so-called eligible men like some box of chewable candy. You caught me just as I started to leave. My apologies, Mr. Dellafield. Good evening.”

Her voice showed not a trace of regret, nor did her apology sound deep-felt. As she turned to leave, she looked down at his hand still on her arm. She frowned just a little, brushed off his fingers with light grace, and glided away.

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Please welcome author Marianne Stephens!

Born in Brooklyn, NY, I’ve lived in 6 different states, sometimes more than once. Married, I have 4 children and 4 grandsons. I taught school for a number of years (grades K-3, remedial reading and math for grades 1-6, and computers to preschoolers) but now write full-time.

As contemporary/paranormal romance author Marianne Stephens, I have 3 ebooks and one paperback available now. I run two monthly contests, one through my newsletter and one through The Romance Club. Check my website for details. I use another pen name, April Ash, for my upcoming erotic romance, Strip Poker For Two. Visit www.aprilash.net for details.

Gone to the Dogs
Blurb

KATIE O’HARA is a real-life version of Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. As a suddenly jobless and newly jilted fiancée, she moves from New York City to Kansas. Her new job is to help the financially struggling Yipsey Dipsey Company market their new drink, Whoopsie, or the company will go bankrupt. However, others would rather see the company sold immediately.

Handsome fireman MIKE MARINO is out to win her heart. She wants no ties to Kansas as she isn’t planning to stay there. But, Katie finds it impossible to escape the lust-filled mutual attraction pulling them together for passionate kisses and frenzied lovemaking trysts while the situation at Yipsey Dipsey becomes increasingly complicated.

Throw in some “witches” and “flying monkeys” and that makes Katie determined to solve the mystery of who’s trying to keep her from doing her job. “Mishaps” begin to happen to her…some are minor but some escalate to deadly as she realizes someone’s out to kill her. Can she forget trying to prove she can do everything on her own and find happiness with Mike, someone willing to help?

Gone to the Dogs
by
Marianne Stephens

Excerpt

“Besides me, how many other people have you pissed off here already?” Mike asked his obnoxious question after speaking to the tow guy.

“Excuse me? What are you talking about?” I answered in an irritated tone. After waiting for an hour as they went over my tire and tried to find a problem with it my patience had worn thin.

“Well Miss Pleasing Personality, your tire was deliberately cut. I’d say someone is madder than hell at you.”

I opened my mouth but no words materialized. Gears churned in my head and I could only come to one conclusion. That realization made me shiver.

Mike took off his jacket and threw it around my shoulders. “You’re wet and freezing. Why the hell did you stand out in the rain? Do you wanna get sick?”

A flush rampaged up my cheeks and I hoped it wasn’t the beginning of a fever thanks to my stupidity and pride-induced rain dance. Stubborn I was. Cold and wet too.

“No, I…” How could I explain myself out of this? “Look. You’re right. I was wrong. Can we talk about something more important? Why do you think someone’s out to get me?”

Mike ran a hand through his hair then grabbed my elbow and walked me back to the chairs in the towing company’s office. “Sit. You look wobbly. Are you cold or did you nip one too many at that party?”

His attempt at offering caring concern flew out the window as soon as he threw in that suspicion about me drinking. What? Did he think I watched TV soaps and ate bonbons all day except when boozing the hours away?

I gritted my teeth. It would have had more impact if I weren’t chattering from the cold. “I’m gonna forget that last comment only because you’ve been so nice to Aunt Phoebe. No, Mr. Inquisition. I didn’t have anything to drink but punch.”

Mike moved his face within inches of mine. “Was it spiked?”

I breathed out a huff of air into his face. “Does it seem like I’ve been drinking anything but fruit punch?” My voice escalated the more he annoyed me.

“I guess not. Aunt Phoebe wouldn’t have let you drive if she thought you’d been drinking.”
“Humph. Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

He took the seat next to me. “Look. Someone cut that tire on purpose. I’m guessing right before you left. The air escaped pretty quickly from the hole.”

“Why should I believe you? I just got those tires and maybe there was a defect in that one.”
Mike sighed. “You don’t have to believe me. Just ask Tom,” he nodded to tow guy, “and he’ll explain why it has to be a deliberate act.”

I already suspected Lanny, Danny Sr. or Manny. How could I tell Mike? I didn’t want to involve him in my work. I vowed to handle this myself. Uneasiness shoved the cold and shaking from my body. Trickles of fear took their places.

“Thanks for your opinion. If Tom would just put another tire on for me and throw that one in the trunk of my car I’ll pay him and be on my way.” I got to my feet as a show of confidence. My jellied knees threatened to wobble but a major dose of resolve kept me standing straight and tall.

Mike leaned back in his seat apparently speechless for the first time since I’d met him. Amazing. All I had to do was stop arguing with him while giving him ammunition to fight with me and he shut up. Full of assurance and buoyed by my getting the upper hand I rewarded myself with a mental slap on the back. I’d won this round.

“How come you didn’t call that boyfriend of yours? What’s his name? Lawrence?”

I aimed a deadly stare at Mike. “Lanny. And he’s not my boyfriend.”

Mike smirked. “Oh. Sorry. How come you called me instead of him? Wasn’t he at the party?”

“What are we doing? Playing twenty questions?”

“And here I thought I’d help you figure out who’s out to get you by sorting through all the suspects.”

I flung myself back into the chair with the grace and sophistication of a squatting rhino. “So far Marino you’re the only one who fights with me all the time. Maybe you followed me to the party and cut the tire figuring I’d have to call you and you’d become Mr. Rescue Guy again. You know. Get on my good side because I’d be undyingly grateful for your help.” This little speech started out as a lecture and gained momentum the angrier I got and higher pitched my voice sounded.

In a low seductive tone he whispered, “There’s that one time we didn’t fight. Or have you forgotten already? I haven’t.”

My cheeks flamed. No, I hadn’t forgotten our major smooch and it kept parading through my head anytime I thought about him. It popped up in my brain constantly.

“Oh.” I turned on the charm and sugar-coated my speech. “You mean when I barfed on you. You’re right. We didn’t fight then.”

He started laughing and that minimized the dig I was trying to jab him with. Men were definitely from Mars.

“You know that’s not what I meant. I mean when you grabbed and kissed me. Surprised the hell out of me but I’m not complaining.” He wiggled his eyebrows and gave me a charming smile.

“Marino let’s get one thing straight. I did not kiss you. You grabbed me and kissed me. Why would I want to kiss you? I don’t even like you.”

I just have the hots for you. I hoped he noticed my glare and wished my pulse would stop racing. Where was that damned off button to switch my body from “horny” mode?

“Oh yeah? Tell me you didn’t enjoy this before.”

I had no time to react. Mike swooped me into his arms and gave me one of the most passionate kisses I’ve ever experienced. My eyes closed instinctively and my body molded itself to his. I not only kissed back but I let my tongue do a little dancing inside his mouth.

No control. All systems go. I was ready and more than willing to launch.

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Please welcome author Sandra Cox!

A vegetarian and animal lover, Sandra lives with her husband, their dog and six cats in sunny North Carolina. Sandra is a member of Romance Writers of America and From the Heart Romance Writers. From The Heart Romance Writers has been the source of many treasured friendships.

Besides paranormal romance, Sandra also writes western romance, time-travel romance, young adult fantasy and non-fiction. When she’s not writing, you can probably find her out shopping!

Amulets – Boji Stones
By Sandra Cox

Maureen Sinclair, an independent kick ass woman, has a secret that could rock the modern world. More than just a charming antique set with unusual stones, the copper band she wears on her forearm is an ancient amulet forged by the gods with healing powers.

Her world is turned upside down by danger and betrayal when two men discover her secret, one a scholar, one a madman.

Now Maureen must fight for her very life and that of the man she loves while protecting the secret of the BOJI STONES.

Amulets – Rose Quartz
By Sandra Cox
The sequel to Boji Stones but may be read as a standalone story.

Isabella Tremaine’s credo is always look your best even when you’re running from the bad guys. Bella is the possessor of a primeval amulet empowered by the gods with creativity and beauty. And the spunky blonde has an abundance of both. Unfortunately a madman has discovered Bella’s secret and is determined to gain possession of the amulet, even if he must kill her to do so. It will take every wile in Bella’s formidable arsenal of tricks to outwit the megalomaniac who is after her.

At the same time as the madman is trying to steal her amulet, a ranch hand is trying to steal her heart. Bella is determined not only to stay alive but to keep her size-five stilettos footloose and fancy-free. Who will prove the great danger, the madman who wants her amulet or the ranch hand who wants her heart?

Amulets – Black Opal
By Sandra Cox
Book Three in the Amulets series but may be read as a standalone story.

Sabina Comte has two passions — singing and Adam Morelly. One has brought her fame and fortune. The other just might get her killed. Sabina possesses a power amulet given to her by the gods. Megalomaniac Victoria Price not only wants the amulet, she wants Adam as well. Killing Sabina would give her both.

If dealing with Victoria isn’t enough, Sabina discovers Adam’s uncle belongs to the mafia. She becomes increasingly suspicious of Adam when he keeps showing up right after someone’s tried to kill her. Sabina begins to wonder if Adam and his uncle know about her amulet and are after it too. But even doubt and suspicion cannot alter the growing attraction she has for Adam. When he is badly injured, Sabina puts her heart on the line and races to his side, determined to save him. She is about to find out if love will send her careening toward the celestial heavens or plant her six feet under.

Black Opal, the third in the Amulets series, was released May 22 by Cerridwen Press.
Here’s an excerpt.

Prologue

She stared intently at the computer screen. She’d broken the code and figured out her father’s password. It’d been easy. The warden said her father had written her name and the word amulets in his own blood before he died.

Scanning the screen, she read:

’Legend has it that out of all the mortals on earth five women found favor with the gods:
Sophia whose face was pitted and ravaged by pox,
Pelagia who had the body of a woman and the mind of a child,
Olympia a poor widow with children to feed,
Helen, who lost four of her children to the plague and begged the gods to spare her remaining child, and
Zoe, a young queen whose village was razed and plundered and, she herself taken as a slave.
Moved, the gods created five special amulets in the form of armbands for the women to wear on their forearms.
For Sophia an amulet forged with beauty and creativity.
For Pelagia an amulet forged with knowledge.
For Olympia an amulet forged with wealth.
For Helen an amulet forged with healing and
For Zoe a golden amulet, with a black opal at its center, forged with power.’

The air conditioning in the room was cold enough to leave goose bumps but Victoria Price didn’t notice. The black leather chair creaked in protest as she leaned back, her breath leaving her lungs in a hiss.

The pain in her hands made her glance down. They were fisted so tight the moon-shaped crescents in her palms, where her nails dug in, were filling with warm red blood.

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Barbara Millerteaches in the Writing Popular Fiction graduate program at Seton Hill University and is Reference Librarian at Mount Pleasant, PA. Public Library. She has published historical romances (one of which was nominated for a RITA), mysteries, and young adult books and is now writing Regencies for Cerridwen Press.
She lives in a creepy old farmhouse with her husband, a pack of unruly dogs and cats, and guppies too numerous to count. You may email Barb at scribe@zoominternet.net.

Regency Writer Masters Deep POV But Can’t Give up Her Historical Fix

After writing seven Regency-set historicals for Harlequin as Laurel Ames and four for Pocket Books as Barbara Miler, I was in despair at the shrinking Regency market — especially since I wanted to try my hand at traditional Regencies.

Was it me who had caused Regency sales to drop off? I went back and reread all my historicals, looking for reassurance that my career was not a fluke and that I am leading students in the right direction.

It was a relief to discover that I still love my characters and frequently I surprised myself with dialogue or a plot twist I’d forgotten. You really start to wonder about your memory when you are twenty pages from the end of one of your own published books and wondering how you are going to wrap everything up.

The only unpleasant surprise was that I had not mastered point of view until I had been writing for seven years. Since I started back through the books in reverse order the change was reassuring. The early books are still good stories, but I used to change POV too frequently, give POVs to not just secondary characters but minor characters as well, including a couple or horses. I had even slipped into the dreaded omniscient POV.

Noting when I did these things leads me to some conclusions. Mastering deep POV is linked to mastering showing rather than telling and avoiding back story. Any time I summarized past history I was tempted to tell it and get it out of the way, floating from one POV to another as needed. Now I treat back story like old wine. I don’t get it out often and serve it in small doses only to readers who have gotten to know the characters already. This has the added advantage of making each book a mystery. The reader has to wonder about the character’s internal conflict and try to guess until I show them what makes the character tick.

Although it’s sometimes necessary to present an opening in omniscient POV and zoom down to the characters, this camera-like opening is easy to avoid if you have mastered deep POV. It’s best to start the book deep in the POV of one of the main characters and with a line of dialogue even if they are talking to themselves. This is natural if you know the characters really well before you start writing the opening.

I take my heroines on walks with me and work out their personalities and quirks as the dogs and I explore the farm. The heroes I take to bed with me, usually after they have fallen off a horse or been shot. That’s when they introspect on their past the best. A good dose of regret can hint at a inner conflict and make the man more mysterious than labeling him.

By the time I start the book I know both characters and can write a scene with valid emotion to it. It may not reveal the deepest problem the character has but a longstanding one is good. I also give my characters enough family to be provoking. If a character is a orphan they still need secondary characters to aggravate them.

And finally I have figured out how to eliminate the minor POVs by having the POV character guess the thoughts or emotions of the minor characters for the reader. Of course the POV character can also read in the other main characters’ faces and actions any nuance not delivered by dialogue.

Mastering deep POV means knowing when to go shallow as well. During action scenes or when the character is hiding something, you stay in shallow POV. It provides a contrast to those plunges into deep POV when the reader can really empathize with your character. Cerridwen came to my rescue by publishing Music Master last October and now Two Hearts in April. Of course I publish in other genres, including a series of cozy mysteries, a middle grade series and a paranormal that still freaks me out. (Cerridwen will also publish Eye Walker, the paranormal detective series no one wanted to look at. But the Regency is my home. I don’t know if it’s the language, the clothes or the horses. I just feel like I fit in there.

E publishers both keep alive small niche markets and are willing to take chances on the bizarre or innovative. Most of the recent trends have come out of the e-publishing marketplace. The large publishing conglomerates are too ponderous to switch gears that fast.

Grace Montrose is a passionate auburn-haired beauty so in love with the theater that she does set design and costuming secretly at the Pantheon. Brandon White, Earl of Morewood, a bored aristocrat, writes plays he pays to produce at the Pantheon under the pen name William Marlowe. He is trying to create the perfect woman with words since he has never met her until he encounters Grace. Brand and Grace are both looking for friendship and intellectual stimulation but find far more in each other. Yet Brand is afraid to even mention marriage since Grace has been hurt in the past by managing men and unwanted offers. His heart has been bruised by fortune hunters as well. A murder at the Parthenon and a disaster backstage prompts them to sacrifice their reputations to save the play and bind their two broken hearts together forever.

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Sam Cheever writes fast paced romantic fiction with feisty characters who deal with life’s little challenges in unique and often hilarious ways. A long time writer of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry, Sam’s recent published work includes ‘Tween Heaven and Hell, a rip roaring fantasy adventure that will leave you panting for more. The fast-paced and highly entertaining sequel, entitled ‘Tween a Devil and His Hard Place, was released in April 2008. Her humorous romance, Dancing With Tad is coming out through Red Rose Publishing in 2008. To learn more about Sam and her work, visit her website at www.samcheever.com and her blog at http://tweenyouandme.blogspot.com/.

‘Tween Heaven and Hell By Sam Cheever

Astra Q Phelps is a Tweener, which means she’s part angel and part devil. She vaporizes devils and demons for a living. When Astra gets the call from the big Him to aid the good side in a battle between two rival devil courts, she finds herself battling not only the forces of evil but her own nature as she rubs up against the sexiest, most infuriatingly enticing devil prince and discovers he brings out her devil in the most delicious ways.

But Astra’s problems don’t end with a worrying jolt to her sexual nervous system. She is also discovering that she doesn’t really know herself all that well as she begins to uncover magic powers that she didn’t know she possessed. She might be entangled in a prophecy that links her to her delicious devil prince in more ways than one. Add to this spicy mix a few yummy secrets she learns about her longtime partner and friend, Emo, and you have a tantalizing stew of problems to solve, and only one small Tweener to unravel them all.

Sam wanted to share this interview that her heroine, Astra Q Phelps, recently did with a local news organization. It was quite enlightening.

Hello Astra, thank you for joining us today, we love your books and were hoping we could get to know you a little bit.

Hey! How’s it going? You got anything here that needs to be blown up or vanquished?

Uh, well, no, not really. I have an ex-husband… But no, forget I said that. I just wanted to chat with you for a few minutes.

You don’t want me to save the world?

Um, no, not right at this moment.

Oh good. Okay.

So, Astra, you certainly lead an exciting life. Vanquishing demons, fighting off devilishly handsome Royal Devil Princes, and saving the world, how does one get into this line of work?

One has to be born a Tweener, with a powerful Seraphim for a father and an equally powerful Royal Devil with witch powers as a mother. It’s not an easy gig you know.

I can imagine. Can you tell us what exactly a Tweener is?

Are you kidding me? Do you live in a cave? (shakes head) Tweeners are half angel and half devil. We’re a warrior race that helps the Big Guy out in the epic battle between good and evil. (shrugs) I thought everybody knew that.

Impressive. So how long have you been doing this? Vanquishing demons I mean?

Well, I vanquished my first one when I was five I think. He tried to steal my little red bucket in the sandbox. I loved that bucket. I’d have done anything to keep it.

You, um, (clears throat) you killed a demon for stealing a bucket?

Well yes and no. He tried to eat my sister, Darma too, but it was the bucket that really set me off.

I um, I see. Well, so you figured out you were good at vanquishing demons when you were five and decided that might be a good way to make a living?

Absolutely not! I mean, yeah, I was good at it. But saving the world is so hard…and exhausting. I probably would have just gotten a job throwing rowdy schmoes out of extra-terra nightclubs if it hadn’t been for that stupid prophesy.

Prophesy?

Yeah, the one that has me working with the great Unifer, that’s Devil Prince Dialle we think…we’re not absolutely sure at this point…to save the world.

Wow!

(Nods head) Yeah, wow! Except the world doesn’t stay saved. I can’t tell you how many meals and how much sleep I’ve missed over the last several months trying to keep this stupid world saved. It’s become a full time job.

(Reporter leers) Yes, but there are perks aren’t there. I mean, you get to lock lips with the gorgeous Dialle on a regular basis.

Oh yeah. I mean, he’s really yummy, and impossible to resist let me tell you…but there’s so much to do when saving the world, there just isn’t all that much time for extra-curricular activities if you know what I mean.

But I understand you manage, somehow.

(Astra grins) Yeah, we manage. Somehow.

So, what’s it like? Hanging out with the magical crowd? Are they nice?

(Astra snorts) Nice? Lady, what planet are you from? No really, what planet?

(Reporter shrugs) My ancestors came from Venus.

(Astra nods) That explains a lot. None of them are Nice. Even the angels have an agenda. They’re good, yes, but rarely nice. Demons are just plain skuzzy, with their pretty masks that fool humans every time, and you don’t want to get yourself in a room with a lot of them when the temperatures are very high…

Dangerous huh?

What? No, they smell like last week’s steak on the windowsill. And then there are the Royals…well, they’re beautiful and everything, but they’re just like sexy walking uber-agendas, you know. And their plans are never good for yours truly or the human race. (Astra sighs) My social circle just fizzes with conflict, intrigue, and dangerous agendas.

Well, you certainly have a difficult job.

Tell me about it.

But what’s this I hear about you going to the Big House to visit the Big Guy in ‘Tween a Devil and His Hard Place?

Cool place. All light and airy and stuff. He needed to fill me in on something…I’m still not sure what…talk about agendas… Something about getting my father back. He was at the right hand of God before he fell you know.

Your father? Really?

Yup. Took over the celestial army when Michael retired. The Big Guy needs him to help keep the humans safe against a really big plot to take over control of the dark world and humankind. The demons are in an uproar and the rumor is that the Angel City witch coven is pulling the strings behind the uprising. And to make things even worse, somebody from the Big House is involved and helping the witches. A dark angel with some power apparently. Some think it’s my father.

But you don’t believe it I’m sure.

Not for a minute. But the sticker is I’ve got to prove it. No easy task while saving the world.

So what’s on your plate for the next book. Are you saving the world again?

Of course. In the third book of the series, the ratio between magic and non-magic is being altered by the dropping of a veil of twisted magic. Humans can’t survive under the veil and as it descends they get increasingly crazy and start attacking everything in sight. I of course have to find the cause and put everything right again. Meanwhile, I’ve been marked by the Serpent as one of the conduits…

Serpent? Conduits?

(Astra smiles) I guess you’ll just have to read the book.

Sounds fascinating, I can’t wait. I want to thank you for visiting with me today, Astra. It’s been very…ah…illuminating.

Yeah, sure. Hey, you haven’t seen a really small dragon running around here have you?

(Reporter picks up her feet) A dragon? Why no, did you lose one?

(Astra shrugs) Maybe. Oh well, I’ll just follow the char marks…

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Please welcome romance author Anny Cook, winner of the Best New Author 2007 award from Love Romances Cafe. For more information about Anny and her books visit her website or her most excellent blog.

In the past few months several readers have asked me about how I created the worlds of Mystic Valley (for the Mystic Valley series) and Avalon (for the Flowers of Camelot series). World building is something I do before I begin writing the stories and I have a pretty specific order that works for me, though it might not work for other writers. After all, everyone has different working and creative styles.

Though I may be a “seat of the pants” writer, that doesn’t mean that I’m a “seat of the pants” planner. When a new story idea begins to prod at me, I begin by jotting down ideas about the background. The story might be the central focus of the picture, but the frame and background are at least as important.

When the ideas are written down and seem to fit together, then I draw a map. All right, don’t panic if you can’t draw, because this map is for the writer—not the public. I always draw a map, maybe even several maps, so that I remember where objects, houses, furniture, whatever might be important, are located. Maps clarify the surroundings for me. As I draw the maps, the “world” begins to take shape. What kind of flora and fauna exist on this world? What type of buildings are common and why?

The culture and society starts to take on some substance. That’s when I start a series of lists. One list answers the cultural questions—what is the monetary system, the system of government, the cultural norms? What are the positions of power? Is there a religion and if so what are the basic beliefs? What are the gender norms? What about education, military, and economic systems?

A second list has the answers regarding appearance for my characters—what type of clothing do they wear? How old are they? What are their physical characteristics? In the Mystic Valley series, the inhabitants of Mystic Valley are blue with pointed ears and small fangs. Long hair is culturally important, so with few exceptions everyone, both men and women, has long hair. Within the valley, status is based on lineage and warrior rank. Hair ornament colors are used to display the warrior’s rank. I have detailed descriptions of the ornaments, called chinkas, and also their weaponry.

The third list is the bare beginnings of a relationship chart. Who is related to whom? In the case of the Valley with a huge cast of minor characters who might someday have their own stories, it is particularly important that the relationship lines are kept straight. It would be exceedingly awkward for a sharp eyed reader to point out that Joe has inadvertently married his Aunt Sally. A corollary to this list is an alphabetical list of names used in the series so that I don’t use a name twice, and confuse my readers.

Beware inventing a new language for your new world. The glossary for Mystic Valley is four pages long and growing. If you’re going to have a new language, take a tip from me—begin your glossary list immediately and keep it up to date. In my case, my publisher chose to place the glossary in all of my Mystic Valley books. It’s far easier to provide this on request if it’s kept up to date. And your editor will thank you too when she or he is wading through a sea of new words. Just a quick word here about new words. It they’re too weird, your reader will find them distracting. I try to use them sparingly, just enough to give the flavor of the new world, but not enough to make reading the story such a chore that the reader finds something else to read. Of course, if the word is the name for an everyday object, such as the sharda that all the valley men wear, then it needs to be a very simple word to pronounce.

When the framework is in place, then I begin to write. Most of the information is pretty bare bones at this point. As I write, there will be numerous additions to each of the lists and possibly even quite a few changes as new events pop up. As the series progresses, more lists are added. For every occupation, there is a list of equipment and materials. The healers have “patient” records listing who they treated, when, where and what the diagnosis was. The justices have records listing the cases they presided over and what the final decisions were. Investigators have case files. Cooks have recipes. The barter keeper has the barter books.

This is a small glimpse of the ways I create a new world. There are other things to add to the lists—a time line, a birth/death registry, a building registry to keep track when new buildings are built and old ones are torn down. If all of this sounds complicated and a lot of work, just consider if you were building your town or village from scratch. What would need to be done? That’s what I do on paper and computer. And it also answers another question I get frequently…how do you keep everyone straight?

My goal is to provide a rich, lush background for my characters and stories. The lives and loves of the men and women of Mystic Valley and Avalon play out in the new worlds I created with a lot of thought and craft.

In this excerpt from Dancer’s Delight, Dancer has his first glimpse of Mystic Valley and its inhabitants. I thought perhaps you might enjoy picking out the different aspects of world building:

Dancer’s Delight
by
Anny Cook

The path that led to the village wandered through a new section of woods. Immediately, Dancer knew that he was in a fantasy forest. As they walked along the trail, he took note of the plants, both familiar and strange. Unlike the last stand of trees he’d encountered, most of these were very strange, indeed. There were huge trees with odd dark blue leaves. One lonely tree had smooth, glittery black bark. Back from the path, he saw a pair of trees with orange bark and triangular purple leaves. Occasionally, he spotted pine-like trees with shiny red needles. The undergrowth was a multi-colored riot of prolifically flowering shrubs and a bright blue runner vine. Suddenly, without warning, the path took a sharp jog to the right and they stood at the edge of a thriving village unlike anything he had ever seen.

Circular adobe homes with smooth, domed adobe roofs were arranged in concentric circles around a cluster of larger circular domed buildings. The domes ranged from small, one circle homes to a very large compound of multiple joined domes.

Without hesitation, Eppie headed for the compound. Following on her heels, he observed as much as he could, noting the neat yards and gardens enclosed with low stone walls. Some had blue or green birds similar to chickens pecking at the dirt. In a couple of yards, enormous long-haired creatures that vaguely resembled dogs, silently eyed them as they walked by.

On the front steps of the compound, two huge cat-like animals were curled up, sleeping in the sun. The long-haired orange one’s ears twitched as they went by and it opened one green eye before settling back into slumber. The chocolate and cream animal opened both eyes, yawned mightily, revealing a mouth full of sharp teeth and stretched before curling back up and snoring lightly. “Those are Tyger and Llyon’s packits,” Eppie commented briefly before opening the door and entering the cool darkness of a wide foyer.

Dancer merely nodded and followed her inside, completely resigned to the odd and amazing. It took his eyes a moment to adjust to the shadowy hallway, but when they did, he observed a entryway like he had never imagined. A huge exquisite woven tapestry covered the wall on the left. The deep jewel colors shone vividly, even in the dimness. On the right, three unframed landscapes were arranged above a long narrow carved table. There were no artist names on the paintings, but it was obvious the same individual—in a style reminiscent of Goya—had painted them all. Bold bright colors portrayed life in the valley. The table below them had elaborately carved legs and skirt. When he bent over to study it, he saw the carvings were leaves and flowers.

Eppie barely paused before leading him into a larger room with an empty fireplace and a large varied collection of chairs. Standing in the doorway, he stared around in amazement. Every chair was occupied. Near the center of the room, he picked out two people he thought must be her parents. After focusing for a moment, he realized the rest were probably her siblings…and there were a lot of them. Every single male, from the youngest through the eldest, was dressed in the skirt-like garments. Some had on loose over-wrapped shirts, but most were bare-chested. And all of them had their hair neatly arranged in the narrow braids ending with the tiny jeweled clasps.

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Please welcome author Chris Power !

Chris lives in the southwest of England, in the heart of what once was the ancient kingdom of Wessex, and close to Stonehenge. For more information about Chris or her books, please visit her website.

Trained all his life to serve the will of the Great Goddess, Kherin is her Chosen, her warrior, mage and priest. Betrayed by one he trusted, given as a slave to a barbarian lord, when he learns his goddess’s purpose, he finds it hard to obey.

Rythian, having challenged for the leadership of his tribe and won, is forced to put the future of his people before his beloved wife and family. He refuses to let his sacrifice be for nothing. With enemies on the borders of his land threatening invasion and enemies within the tribe working against him, Rythian fights his god’s intent every step of the way.

Aided by family and friends, two very different men must learn trust and friendship to combat their enemies and become weapons for their gods to wield.

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Life has been hellish busy for a while now. This is a good thing, generally. Apart from a visit to the dentist for a filling which was amazingly untraumatic until I had to pay the bill, it means I have been visiting other people’s blogs and pimping my two e-books recently released, and traveling around the UK visiting and sometimes cat-sitting for friends. It also means the various muses have been cooperating and I have been writing many many words, but only on my stand-by novel. This is the one I return to time and again whenever I am afflicted by the bloody writer’s block on the current project. In this case, FOX HUNT.

SEA-CHANGE [working title] is flowing so well, I’m actually on the brink of finishing it. Then I will *have* to get back to FOX HUNT. It has been sitting there patiently for a few months now – well, it was its own fault for deciding to inflict me with the dreaded block.

In any case, SEA-CHANGE will have to be put aside for a short while so I can come back to it with a fresh eye to do work on the next draft or two. Once I’m certain I have the plot and relationships solid, then I’ll make sure I have all the location details as right as I can get them without actually flying out to Honolulu.

‘Okay, why is she blathering on about what is any writer’s working status quo?’ I hear you mutter. Well, because of the genre. It’s a male/male love story. There’s a bit of mystery, a bit of jeopardy in the mix, but generally it’s the story of two men, one of whom is gay and the other thinks he’s straight but isn’t sure, and their deepening friendship that gradually becomes sexual awareness and HEA. The key word is ‘gradually’. It’s over 100 k words and the explicit sex doesn’t start until the last quarter. So it doesn’t fit in with Ellora’s Cave remit. Nor any of the other e-publishing sites I’ve looked at so far. Their homoerotic novels and novellas have a strong emphasis on the erotic, and a simple relationship story will be hard to place. There would be a multitude of other e-publishers to offer it to if Cerridwen Press didn’t want it, if Jon and Drew were Jack and Jill.

But they’re not. They are both uncompromisingly male.

So why write it in the first place? Because they were in my head and their story needed to be written. It doesn’t matter if the book is never taken up and just sits on my hard drive to be read occasionally, and maybe shown to any interested friends. The important thing is that it is written, and completed to be best of my ability.

Does this mean I am not professional in my approach to writing? Should I be working only on stories I know would have a good chance of finding an e-home, aiming at a specific market right from the start? Or do I write what I want to write and think about homing it when it’s done? Until SEA-CHANGE, the ones under that heading have fitted into either Cerridwen Press or Ellora’s Cave, and the ones I have waiting in the queue are also easily categorized under mainstream or erotica. But somewhere down the line I will almost certainly get bitten by another set of characters whose story won’t be so readily pigeon-holed. Then I’ll have another stand-by novel, I expect.

Who do you write for? Or are you in the same place I am, writing about characters that won’t let you go until you’ve got their lives spread out over many pages?

If it comes to that, what *is* a professional approach to writing?

I’m pleased to welcome author Heather Hiestand to my blog this weekend!

I’m Heather Hiestand, and my first Cerridwen Press novel was released in March 2007. I still feel like a newbie, but my fifth Cerridwen novel, In Flight, is going to be released on June 12^th. The novels are all contemporary romance, set in big cities like Seattle, Las Vegas and Detroit or fictional small towns.

There tends to be a mystery or suspense of some kind in my books and I’m thrilled when I make readers think. Just today I received a review for my second novel, One Juror Down, which commented, “And then the idea that it might not be that difficult for a determined criminal to find a way to threaten someone on a jury and affect the verdict didn’t make me comfortable. These kinds of stories where the author makes a distasteful idea, like jury tampering, very plausible always make me think and wonder if there could be some truth to it, even in a fiction tale.” The Romance Studio

We all tend to have ideas of what can or can’t happen, but the truth is that life is stranger than fiction and all kinds of crazy things do occur. With One Juror Down, while I won’t say that jury tampering is easy or even plausible, the initial setup of the book that allows my heroine Cass to land on the jury is possible.

The sequel, recently released Two on the Hunt, features Georgia, Cass’ sister. For this book, I carved my realistic mother-daughter relationship from conversations with a retired social worker long after I’d initially formed the characters. And who knows, maybe the vampire wannabes are out there somewhere too! You just never know…

I’m curious to know which authors out there make you think and why? I’ll start off the conversation by saying that Karen Marie Moning’s got me thinking right now with her DARKFEVER. Not that I think her story is plausible but what things are going on outside of the edge of our consciousness that we might notice if we paid just a little more attention?

Bonus: Leave a comment for Heather and you could win a .pdf copy of One Juror Down!

Two on the Hunt

by

Heather Hiestand

Blurb:

Moonlight-dappled water, a luxurious boat and a handsome man in the next slip. Life at the South Seattle Marina is heavenly. Georgia Bellair and her four-year-old daughter Abby have been reunited after a tough couple of years and it’s time for a few days’ relaxation before moving into their new home together. Georgia would never have gone there though if she’d realized a cult was operating on the calm waters of Puget Sound and the leader thinks drinking Abby’s innocent blood will make him a full chiang-shih, a Chinese vampire.Bounty hunter Yun MacCready is investigating a series of break-ins reportedly caused by a bail jumper at the marina. He doesn’t expect to get involved with a beautiful blonde, much less work to rescue her kidnapped daughter from a vampire cult. Nor could he have expected this family’s complicated past would come back to haunt them in the form of gang lord Oscar Nesell. Evil is storming the gates of heaven.

Excerpt:

Mike MacCready stood in his client’s boat, sipping his third diet cola of the day. He watched as the sexy, very slender blonde in the next slip argued with the ugly, but extremely muscular in a thick neck kind of way, marina handyman.

“Arrangements were made with the boat owner. You need to move the boat for a couple of hours,” the man said in a heavy accent.

“It’s not my boat and the owner didn’t inform me of any repairs,” the blonde said. She turned aft and Mike couldn’t see who she spoke to, but then a little girl darted behind the woman and went down the forward hatch.

A mother, Mike thought, intrigued.

“I need to fix the bumper strip,” the handyman announced stolidly as the blonde fidgeted, clearly wishing she could follow her daughter into the cabin.

“Think she’s got a husband?” Pete asked from behind Mike.

“She doesn’t look married.” He nodded to his gap-toothed and freckly employee. “She doesn’t have that settled look.”

The single mothers he attracted tended to be low maintenance—his kind of woman. Though interested in a sex life, they didn’t have time to waste thinking about “relationships” and all that crap. He didn’t have a life that left a lot for a woman. Right now, for instance, he had moved onto a boat to watch for a bail jumper who was reportedly hiding out around here, making a few bucks by stealing from the marina’s inhabitants. Bounty hunters didn’t make good boyfriends. Mike’s mouth curved. But he was a very good time when he was available.

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Please welcome multi-published romance author Shelley Munro!

When I was about twelve-years-old, my older cousin flew to India with friends for three months holiday. It was a topic of great discussion amongst my family, the conclusion universal. Why would my cousin want to go there? Surely there were more interesting places to visit?

Fast forward about twelve years to a discussion between my husband and I. I wanted to do an overland trip from London to Kathmandu. My husband wasn’t so sure. Why would we want to do that? he asked.

“Because it’s adventurous,” I said. “It will be interesting. Exciting. Just think about it.”

Finally, after much discussion, research about methods of travel and companies and careful budgeting, we booked our trip with an overland company. Thus started our adventurous streak, where we visited many countries the normal tourist never considers, including India.

These days if anyone asks me what my favorite country to visit is, my answer is instant and without hesitation.

India.

India is a country people either love or hate. It’s bright, bold and in-your-face. It’s full of history and wondrous sights, both man-made and natural. It’s full of rich contrasts, both good and bad. There are friendly people and lots of delicious food. India is full of smiles.

Since I enjoyed my visit so much, it was only a matter of time before I used India as a setting for one of my books. I added in a touch of intrigue, chucked in the odd body or two and Wanderlust was born. Wanderlust is about tour leader, Anna Tietjens who has taken her love of travel and made it into a job. Unfortunately things take a turn for the worse on tour OE68 and the passengers start dying…

Romance and travel—an exotic and deadly combination. Wanderlust is due for release from Cerridwen Press on 17 April 2008. That’s yesterday, so go and buy your copy now!

Do you like armchair travel? Do you like to read about exotic settings and if so, which are your favorites?

Bonus: Leave a comment for Shelley and you could win a pdf copy of her book Playing to Win!

by

Shelley Munro

BLURB:

Not many people live their dream, but I’ve been incredibly lucky. I’m Anna Tietjens, and I work as a tour leader for Wanderlust Adventures.

My current tour is through incredible India. It should be a breeze, except my younger sister is joining in New Delhi. Things are not exactly civil between us—a childhood full of upheaval didn’t help—and our parents have insisted she travel with me or not at all. I see fun times ahead. Now my boyfriend has turned up without warning. Don’t get me wrong. I really like Sebastian Brady. The sex is good, spectacular even, but meeting a few times a year is enough. I mean I’m not looking for love or happy ever after.

But worst of all is the bad luck I’ve been having recently. One of my passengers died in Syria, and now it looks like my co-driver might have to leave the tour. Despite the exotic location, it’s not exactly smooth sailing, and I’m starting to think someone is out to halt the tour…

A loud, terrified scream rent the air. The fine hairs at the back of my neck rose. And when the feminine scream sounded a second time, I grabbed my T-shirt and dragged it back over my head. I only paused to step into my jeans before sprinting from my cabin.

A group of my passengers milled together outside the cabins at the far end of the hotel grounds. Alarm seared through my gut, lending my feet wings. I covered the distance between my cabin and passengers in seconds flat, despite the gravel footpath beneath my bare feet.

“What’s wrong?” I squeezed out the words between adrenaline-fueled pants.

“Oh look. It’s An-An-Anna!” my sister warbled. “She’s dead. She’s dead, dead, dead!” Elizabeth was rotten drunk. She stood between Jack Donovan and Carmichael Jones and wobbled from side to side.

“You’re drunk.” My eyes narrowed to slits. “You’re all drunk.”

“Not too drunk to notice you’ve got your T-shirt inside out,” Jack said.

“And you’re not wearing a bra. Shouldn’t do that when it’s so cold in the mornings,” Elizabeth chided. She spoiled it by hiccupping loudly. The three of them laughed hysterically.

“Antonia’s been murdered,” AJ said.

It was then I noticed Antonia, another of my passengers lying on the ground. Unmoving. Fear and anger knotted inside me. Why weren’t they doing anything? I pushed past my passengers, elbowing Elizabeth and company aside when they didn’t move fast enough. “What’s wrong with her? Are you sure she’s dead? Have you called for a doctor?” Lord, Antonia wasn’t moving. She didn’t even appear to be breathing. Sheer black fright froze me for an instant before instinct kicked in and my first aid training came to the fore. I sank down on my knees and felt for a pulse. A strong, healthy pulse beat beneath my fingers. Confused, I glanced up to find every one of my passengers smirking at me. I looked back at Antonia. Her eyes were open now and she closed one green eye in a wink.

“Gotcha,” she said with a great deal of satisfaction. “We decided we’d award a prize for the best death. I think I might have a good chance of winning.”

Shock yielded swiftly to fury. I leapt to my feet, clenching my teeth together and glared at them all. “I thought there’d been an accident. I thought Antonia was really dead.” I hurled my words at them like stones, but it didn’t seem to puncture their alcohol-induced hilarity. They’d obviously spent most of the night drinking and partying, although some of them were worse for wear than others. A vein throbbed at my temple, and I felt my face grow hot. Damn, didn’t they see how irresponsible they’d been?

“We’ve started playing the murder game,” Sebastian said from behind me.

“You!” I whirled to face him, allowing every bit of my anger to show in my face. I literally shook with it. “You should know better.”

His brows rose a fraction while his face remained expressionless, but I just knew what he was thinking, what they were all thinking. They thought I was overreacting. Fine. They could think what they liked.

“The truck will leave at eight on the dot. Make sure you’re ready with all the packs and sleep gear stowed in the back locker.” My voice was harsh, my words letting them all know I meant business. Yep, bitch number one. Aware of the chill in the air and Sebastian giving my chest the once-over, I wrapped my arms across my breasts and stamped back to my cabin.

Adventure into Romance with Shelley Munro

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