Meet multi-award winning historical author, Anna Campbell

Hi  Anna, thank you for joining us today and for sharng your writing adventure

Hi Jean! Thank you for having me as your guest here today. Really interesting questions!

    When did you first consider yourself a writer?

It was VERY early. My mother kept a composition I wrote in grade two where I claim I’m going to be the next Enid Blyton. Clearly my interest in popular fiction started early! I loved books from the moment I heard my first story so I think it was inevitable that I should want to write them.

   What books have most influenced your life most?

           

Oh, that’s a hard question to ask a voracious reader. How long have you got? I’ll stick to the early stuff. Enid Blyton taught me the power of story and that urge to turn the pages to find out what happens next, no matter how late it is at night. I started to read romances when I was about eight – my mum gave me a Mills and Boon (Harlequin) to shut me up. Romance novels have been shutting me up ever since! And finally I think I’ll mention THE WOLF AND THE DOVE by Kathleen Woodiwiss. I was about fourteen when I read this and I was absolutely entranced. I promised myself then that I’d grow up to write historical romance.

  Do you see writing as a career?

I write full time which is a dream come true for me.

   Can you give us some details about your upcoming release/s?

My latest release is SEVEN NIGHTS IN A ROGUE’S BED from Grand Central Publishing in North America (25^th September) and HarperCollins in Australia and New Zealand (1^st October). It’s the first book of my first series, Sons of Sin, and it’s a very gothic take on Beauty and the Beast. Here’s the blurb:

Will a week of seduction...

Desperate to save her sister's life, Sidonie Forsythe has agreed to submit herself to a terrible fate: Beyond the foreboding walls of Castle Craven, a notorious, hideously scarred scoundrel will take her virtue over the course of seven sinful nights. Yet instead of a monster, she encounters a man like no other. And during this week, she comes to care for Jonas Merrick in ways that defy all logic-even as a dark secret she carries threatens them both.

...Spark a lifetime of passionate surrender?

Ruthless loner Jonas knows exactly who he is. Should he forget, even for a moment, the curse he bears, a mere glance in the mirror serves as an agonizing reminder. So when the lovely Sidonie turns up on his doorstep, her seduction is an even more delicious prospect than he originally planned. But the hardened outcast is soon moved by her innocent beauty, sharp wit, and surprising courage. Now as dangerous enemies gather at the gate to destroy them, can their new, fragile love survive?

You can read another excerpt here: http://annacampbell.info/rogue.html

 In which genre do you prefer to write and why?

I love writing historical romance. It’s always been my favourite genre to read too. I love the larger-than-life quality of a great historical romance, the way it sweeps you away to a different, more dramatic world.

 When you are not writing, what are your hobbies, passions, etc?

Well, reading is a no-brainer answer for that question. I’ve always got at least one book on the go, usually more than one. I love romance but lately I’ve been on a crime binge. I read a lot of nonfiction too. I love music and travel and I’m a recent convert to digital photography so if you stand still, I’m likely to take your picture!

    Do you have any advice for new writers beginning their adventure?

There’s so many distractions now, especially on the internet. If you want to be a writer, you need to write. That means sitting down at your computer and getting words on the page. You’ll find as you write each manuscript that you hit a danger zone when you’re tempted to give up because you’ve got a better idea. Don’t! This is just your mind playing tricks on you to save you the hard work of slogging through the middle to the end. Write that book to the end – finishing a book will teach you lots of stuff that nothing else will. Including persisting through the doldrums that strike every manuscript. Then once you’ve finished that manuscript, put it away for as long as you can – six months is a good idea – and write something else. When you come back to edit the first one, you’ll have some distance from it and it’s MUCH easier to see mistakes. Not only that, you’ll have learnt additional skills from tackling your next project that you can then use to improve your previous project.

Excerpt from Seven Nights In A Rogue’s Bed

Devon Coast, November 1826

In the cavernous hall, Sidonie Forsythe stood tall and straight in a pool of pale sunshine. She wore her heavy cloak and she clutched her valise at her side.

“What the hell are you doing?” Jonas strode across the flagstones and stopped a few paces short of her. Thank God he was an early riser or he’d be too late. He’d been flicking through the prospectus for a canal scheme when Mrs. Bevan lumbered into the library to announce the young lady requested use of his carriage.

At his furious question, Miss Forsythe whipped around. She stared dismayed into his face and he knew they both revisited those blazing moments in his bed. The memory thundered through him like the blast of a thousand cannons. Her lovely eyes darkened with what he could only interpret as humiliation before anger rescued her. “Don’t you ever dress like a Christian?”

Again, she surprised him. He liked that. He liked it almost as much as he’d liked seeing her unclothed body last night. And he’d liked that very much indeed.

He released a derisive grunt of laughter. “This is my house. If I want to run around in my shirtsleeves, I will. If I tour the estate stark naked, I daresay it’s my privilege.”

Delicate color tinged her cheeks at the mention of nakedness. This morning she looked brighter. She must have managed some sleep after he’d stormed from her room.

He wished to Hades he had.

“It’s nothing to me what you wear.” Calm determination masked any disquiet. He’d lay money that composure was as false as the canal scheme’s projected profits. “We’ll never see each other again after all.”

“I wouldn’t place too much store in that particular prediction,” he said drily. “It’s a devilish shabby trick to sneak away without a by-your-leave.”

“We have nothing to say to one another.”

“You think not?” He turned to Mrs. Bevan. “Tell Hobbs the carriage isn’t required.”

“Mr. Merrick—” Miss Forsythe began in a repressive voice.

He’d be damned if he was squabbling with her out here while his housekeeper stood around with flapping ears. “Perhaps you’d rather continue this discussion in the library.”

“I’d rather leave your house and pretend these lamentable twenty-four hours never occurred.”

“So vehement for daybreak.” He weighted his tone with completely spurious boredom. “It’s a trifle fatiguing.”

“Only for a man of your advanced years,” she snapped back.

Brava ancora. He could guess how awkward she felt in his presence after what had happened—and not happened—last night. Still she came back fighting. “At least let me rest my ageing bones on a cushion while you harangue me.”

No answering humor. She continued to eye him warily. “I’d prefer to go.”

“I’m sure you would. But I’ve still got Roberta’s vowels. Or had you forgotten?”

Her magnificent eyes flashed hatred. “I hadn’t forgotten. I paid you last night.”

He gave her a nasty smile. “That’s a matter of opinion.” He gestured toward the library. “Miss Forsythe?”

She glowered at him, then glanced at Mrs. Bevan who watched with avid interest. The girl’s color deepened and she nodded abruptly. “Five minutes.”

Jonas knew not to push his advantage. Or at least to wait until they were alone before he did. He opened the door and ushered her into the book-lined room.

About Anna

 
Aussie ANNA CAMPBELL has written six multi award-winning historical romances for Avon HarperCollins and her work is published in eleven languages. Always a voracious reader, Anna decided when she was a child that she wanted to be a writer. Once she discovered the wonderful world of romance novels, she knew exactly what she wanted to write. Anna has won numerous awards for her Regency-set romances including Romantic Times Reviewers Choice, the Booksellers Best, the Golden Quill (three times), the Heart of Excellence, the Aspen Gold (twice) and the Australian Romance Readers Association's favourite historical romance (four times). Her books have twice been nominated for Romance Writers of America's prestigious RITA Award and three times for Australia's Romantic Book of the Year. In 2012, Anna launches an exciting new publishing venture with Grand Central Publishing and her first series, "Sons of Sin", with SEVEN NIGHTS IN A ROGUE’S BED in October 2012.

Thank you for sharing with us, Anna. Best of luck with your new series.

Meet fellow Highland Press author, Amy Blizzard

Who are some of your favourite authors?

There are so many wonderful talents out there that it is hard to narrow the field. But I have a great deal of respect and admiration for: S.E. Hinton, Debbie Macomber, J.K. Rowling, Hannah Alexander, Tess Gerritsen, Lurlene McDaniel, Marianne Forkin and Janet Evanovich. If I have even a mere ounce of the talent any of them possess I will consider myself lucky.

If you could time travel back, or forward, for one day, where would it be and why?

If given the opportunity to travel back in time, I would want to be a little girl again and spend time with my grandfather. As a child, I was often his shadow: accompanying him to the grocery store, sitting beside him on the front porch while he completed a crossword puzzle, etc.

It would not necessarily matter where we went or what we did. I would just want to hear his voice again and hold his hand.

How many books have you written? Which is your favourite?

I have written three books. The first published was a young adult novel titled A Home on the Other Side, followed by the historical romance The Doctor's Daughter and A Season for Romance, which is a collection of holiday-themed novelettes.

My favorite is probably The Doctor's Daughter. It was the first novel I wrote after leaving my teen years behind and entering my twenties. Looking back, I think there is a maturity in that piece which was lacking in my earlier work.

I also loved all of the leading and supporting characters and enjoyed creating individual backgrounds which were fitting  for the time period. Writers are often plagued with self-doubt, and while I don't believe The Doctor's Daughter is a masterpiece, I  do feel confident that it was a reflection of the best I was capable of at the time.

In which genre do  you prefer to write and why?

I have always loved the young adult genre and have a soft spot for it. But I have found a niche in both historical and contemporary sweet romance. I am drawn to that category of romance because I think it allows a novelist to not only create memorable leading characters but supporting roles as well. Overall, you can expand beyond a romance between two people and create a sense of community.

I also have a fondness for incorporating an aspect of the medical field into my stories. I find medicine fascinating, but I know I could never succeed as a doctor or nurse in the real world. I suppose writing about fictional medical professionals is my way of occasionally living vicariously.

Can you give us some details about your upcoming release/s?

Yes. I have two novelettes coming out with Highland Press in the near future. The first will be a holiday-themed sweet romance A Christmas Vow in the anthology All Wrapped Up, which will be released later this year. The second will be the inspirational historical Lessons to Learn, it will be featured in the anthology The Miracle of Love.

When you are not writing, what are your hobbies, passions, etc?

I have a passion for the creative arts in general. I love music, art, theater and literature. Though I love it all, I am especially fond of musicals. One of my favorite ways to perk up on a gloomy day is watching concert footage from The Phantom of the Opera or Les Miserables anniversary specials.  

But more importantly, I cherish spending time with my canine kid, Angel.

  

Bio:

Amy Blizzard is a freelance writer and Indiana native. Her passion for the creative arts began at an early age and is still actively thriving.

In addition to writing fiction, she has worked as a music journalist. For three years, she was a staff member for the music publication and online radio station 'Dixie Streams', where she eventually earned the title of associate editor.

She has published three novels: A Home on the Other Side, The Doctor's Daughter and A Season for Romance and appeared in six Highland Press anthologies: Recipe for Love, Flames of Gold, On a Cold Winter's Night,  Hot Cocoa for the Heart, Love Under the Mistletoe and Comfort and Joy.

Excerpt: The Snowflake Ball, one of the novelettes featured in A Season for Romance

           Woody Larson whistled happily to himself as he wandered through the halls of Indianapolis Medical, wishing a Happy Holiday to all of the patients and employees who passed him. When he reached the door that read ‘ER Lounge’ he strolled inside, greeted by the frazzled voice he had been unable to forget since he first heard it yesterday afternoon.

“There has to be someone who can do it!” Dr. Chloe Miller practically yelled into the telephone as she paced the floor. “Can’t you spare an intern? Or a nurse? How about a janitor?” She paused and gave a defeated sighed. “All right, I understand. Thanks.”

“Sounds like you’re in a bit of a bind.”

Chloe quickly spun around, startled when she saw him standing in the doorway. “You-you, you’re the patient from last night. What are you doing in here, Woody?”

He smiled back at her as intrigued by the hazel eyes sparkling behind her glasses as he had been yesterday. “I asked one of the staff members up front where I could find you and they sent me back here. You look a little different than I remember, Chloe,” he commented, glancing at the baggy red jumper that drug the floor and unruly white wig hiding the soft strawberry-blonde curls he was hoping to touch again.

She crossed her arms and emitted a low groan. “Don’t remind me. You still haven’t answered my question. What are you doing here?”

“I had to come back to see you. That’s what you told me to do if I had any problems.”

“Oh, no, I didn’t mean that you had to come back to literally see me. You need to go back to the ER. You obviously can’t have your hand treated in the employee lounge.”

“That’s all right. My hand isn’t the reason why I’m here.”

“Excuse me?”

“The problem has nothing to do with my hand; you did a fine job stitching it up. It’s another problem I need your help with.”

“Is this some kind of joke? Because I really don’t have time for it.”

Woody shook his head. “No joke. Ya’ see I’m in a bit of a dilemma. Tonight is the Snowfall Ball, the annual holiday gala that all the firefighters in the city attend each winter down at the Community Center outside Circle City Park. And I am without a date.”

“Dilemma,” Chloe muttered as fire began to dance in her eyes. “That’s what you call a dilemma?”

“I realize it may sound unimportant. And in the grand scheme of things a ball definitely isn’t a priority in life. But if you saw how my buds at Ladder 48 would mock me until the next Snowflake Ball, you may find it in your heart to take pity on me and join me tonight at seven.”

“We discussed this yesterday. You’re a patient! Any involvement I had with you began and ended yesterday.”

“I was a patient,” Woody clarified. “And now I’m not.”

Chloe released a ragged breath. “Why are you so persistent?”

“Because I’m interested, and if I may be so bold, I think you are, too.”

“What? Why on earth would you think that?”

He smiled easily. “Because you called me ‘Woody’, you remembered my name.”

“I have a very good memory,” Chloe retorted, turning away from him when her cheeks began to flame with color. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have my own dilemma to deal with.”

“Maybe I can help. What’s your problem?”

“Santa.”

“Really? He always seemed like such a jolly, generous guy, it seems hard to believe he’d be going around causing problems at this time of year with Mrs. Claus.”

“Santa isn’t causing the problem, he is the problem. There is a unit full of kids upstairs expecting to see the big guy in the red suit in fifteen minutes and all I have is a red suit. Dr. Ross came down with a sudden stomach virus, I’ve spent two hours trying to find someone else and-”

Wide-eyed, she stopped speaking and turned back to face Woody. “Are you busy today?”

“Other than trying to talk a reluctant pretty lady into being my date tonight, I’m free.”

“You just got plans,” Chloe informed him as she walked up, stood on her tiptoes and slipped a traditional floppy red and white Santa hat over his wavy brown hair, “and a date. "

 I'd like to thank Jean for having me and helping her fellow authors with this great blog.

It's a pleasure, Amy. Great to meet you.

 

Meet Secret Cravings author Jan Graham

Hi Jan, and welcome. Please tell us something about your writing adventure

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I think it was when I was offered my first publishing contract. Up until then, I wrote but didn’t really know if I was just fooling myself or not. Once I got offered a contract I thought, Okay, someone in the book world thinks I’m good enough to do this. Now I’m a writer.

What inspired you to write your first book?

I was at home recuperating from an illness and decided it was a good time to start writing again. I’d had the idea for Finding Angel roaming around my head for a while but it was only when I found myself with free time that I decided to write it and see if I could get it published.

In which genre do you prefer to write and why?

I prefer to write contemporary romances. I find there is so much flexibility within that genre, it allows me to add lots of different themes to the story like BDSM, suspense, and I also like to make reference to current popular culture which I think helps readers relate to the story and characters.

Can you give us some details about your upcoming release/s?

I’m currently working on two new books, Switching Mercedes is the third book in my

Wylde Shore Series which fans have been asking me about, so I’m trying to get that finished as soon as possible. The second book is my first paranormal romance called Garden of Stone. I’m hoping to have both of them ready for release early 2013.

Who are some of your favorite authors?

I love paranormal books so most of my favorite authors come from that genre, I really enjoy reading JR Ward, Nalini Singh, Gena Showalter…there just too many to name.

If you could have any super hero power, what would it be?

I’m torn between wanting to have super human strength and being able to fly, I think I’d like both. J

 Excerpt from Playing Jax

Steve watched Rhia thoughtfully. This was the penguin? Surely not. She was too shapely, too young, and too pretty. Hell, she was too damn sexy to have ever been a nun. He couldn’t decide if the fact he was growing hard under his jeans meant he was destined to go to hell. A smile edged at his lips as Rhia adjusted her top so he couldn’t see her stomach, the downward pull of the shirt revealing tightly budded nipples beneath the fabric. Maybe he wasn’t the only one in this conversation having impure thoughts. His cock pulsed harder as he thought of a befitting punishment for a nun with impure thoughts.

His black, heavy-weighted leather flogger sprang to mind. He imagined her cuffed to the St. Andrew’s cross he kept stored in his garage, him behind her, wielding the first lash of leather tails against her skin.

His cock stiffened and pressed uncomfortably against his tight denims. Steve needed to get his mind under control. If he didn’t, Rhia would be in all sorts of trouble. Besides, he got the distinct impression she was a little uncomfortable being this close to him. She fidgeted with her clothing some more. Maybe she simply felt a little exposed in that snug little PJ set…that damn-fine, hug-her-body-like-a-glove, little PJ set.

Stop it, you Neanderthal, she used to be a nun.

Steve cleared his throat and addressed the issue at hand. Well, one of them. There was nothing he could do about his erection at this moment in time.

“So…did you bring a key out with you, or do you need help to get back inside?” Steve removed his leather jacket and handed it to her. “So you don’t feel as exposed.”

He watched as she took his jacket and quickly shrugged it on, wrapping it firmly around her body. Well that did nothing to ease the throb in his pants. Now she looked even sexier. The jacket completely covered her. The arms were way too long, and the leather kissed against her bare thighs as she tried to adjust the sleeves so her hands were exposed. Jesus, now she looked like she had nothing on, except the jacket. The sound of her voice snapped him back to reality.

“Thank you, Steve, and yes, I do need help to get back in.”

He dipped his hand into his jean pocket and pulled out a set of keys. He could feel her watching him but knew he couldn’t afford to look at her. If he got any harder, he might bust the zip in his pants. Then there’d be no hiding what he felt about her. His beast of lust was trying to break its leash, and he was not going to let that happen. Well, not tonight anyway.

Not any night, you idiot. She’s Meg and Barry’s sister…and she used to be a nun.

He moved to the front door and sensed her step up behind him. He didn’t expect her to be so close when he turned around. Oh, dear God in heaven, she smelt too delicious. Hints of fresh citrus invaded his nostrils, a summer scent that he adored. She looked innocent and sexy at the same time. How could that be, innocently sexy? His cock pulsed. She was nothing like he expected. He nearly groaned at the realization she was going to drive him insane. Living across the road from her would test his control more than it had ever been tested before. She looked up at him curiously as he flicked through the keys. The sweet innocence reflected in her eyes convinced him that she had no idea the effect being this close to her was having on him.

“I helped the owners renovate the interior, and I haven’t given Angel the key back yet.” He unlocked the door, held it ajar and ushered her back inside. When she brushed against him, a jolt of arousal rushed through his body. He was a dead man. Steve made a mental note to return the key to Angel on his way to work in the morning. Despite what his body was telling him, he didn’t need easy access to Rhia or her home.

“Angel must really trust you if she gave you a key to one of her houses.” Steve heard relief in Rhia’s voice. He wasn’t sure if it stemmed from being back inside, or the fact that Angel had given him a key. Whatever the reason, it appeared to calm her. Her expression no longer held a wary edge. “Would you like a coffee, or do you need to go home?”

Steve needed to go home. He needed to leave before he tried to kiss his new neighbor and drag her off to bed.

“Sure, coffee sounds great, black and five.”

You idiot! Talk about being a glutton for punishment.

I have enjoyed writing throughout different periods of my life, but it is only now that I have the ability to work on it in a full time capacity. I love the imagery the written word creates in one’s mind and therefore I am an avid reader as well as an author.

At the end of 2010, after many years of working in the “real” world, I finally decided to make writing my career. I currently have books under contract with Siren Publishing and Secret Cravings Publishing.

Even though all of my writing falls under the erotic romance banner I write a variety of genres including BDSM, contemporary romance, romantic suspense and paranormal romance. Something for everyone.

I am pleased that I’m finally able to give the characters that swirl around my head on a constant basis the opportunity to put themselves down on paper, and hopefully entertain others as much as they amuse me. More information about what I’m up to, competitions and general nonsense can be uncovered if you visit my website http://www.jangraham.com.au or my blog at http://jangraham.blogspot.com

You can buy Playing Jax at http://www.bookstrand.com/playing-jax

Thank for visiting us, Jan. Wishing you many sales for Playing Jax.

Meet Babs Mountjoy - mullti-published author

Hi Babs and welcome to Adventures in Authorland.

Tell us a little about your personal adventure.  When did you first consider yourself a writer?

When I was about eight, I sat at our living room window and wrote down, word for bloody word, the story of how my cat killed and ate a rabbit. My mother was so impressed, she shared it with my principal, who read it to the whole school. The response I got from that was really inspiring, and probably led to my work as a journalist later on. I wrote my first full novel when I was fourteen, and I’ve been writing ever since.

Do you see writing as a career?

 

I’ve had a couple of periods in my life where I’ve thought that was possible. When I was in my mid-twenties, I worked as a newspaper reporter and editor at The South Dade News Leader, a daily paper in south Florida, so I actually earned my daily bread by the written word.

Then there was that pesky middle period where I went to law school and then I had a day job as a lawyer and raising a couple of families, and I had to squeeze writing in around the edges. But now I’ve got a comfy part-time salaried legal gig, which has really given me permission to open up the writing box and let my imagination out. Which is kind of a dangerous thing. J

How many books have you written? Which is your favourite?

I’ve written twenty-two novels. Nine are currently in print, including the urban fantasy Clan Elves of the Bitterroot series set in western Montana—THE ELF QUEEN, THE ELF CHILD, THE ELF MAGE, and 2013’s THE ELF GUARDIAN. I have a science fiction/space opera TRIAD that’s out, and a contract for the HORIZON trilogy with Dragonfly Publishing, beginning in 2013, HORIZON SHIFT, HORIZON STRIFE and HORIZON DYNASTY.  In August, my supernatural mystery book LOVE ME, KISS ME, KILL ME was released by Hydra Publications.

On the romance end, The Wild Rose Press has released SECRETS IN THE SAND, CONVICTION OF THE HEART and THAT GIRL’S THE ONE I LOVE; the first two are romantic suspense (my favourite as I was growing up) and the last a contemporary.  CONVICTION OF THE HEART is the first book in the Pittsburgh Lady Lawyer series, which was followed by Zumaya Publications’ SECOND CHANCES. I’m currently working on the third in that series.

So far for next year I have scheduled/contracted for publication the romance BY ANY OTHER NAME, the two books listed above, the science fiction romance A SMALL DEGREE OF HOPE, and finally THE COLOR OF FEAR—PLAGUE , the first in a young adult post-apocalyptic trilogy that has always been my very favorite story that I’ve written. I can’t wait to see it in print. The story explores what happens after a terrorist bioattack takes out most of the world’s Caucasian population (among others) and changes the political situation and the infrastructure of America, seen through the eyes of  some young people of color who’ve managed to survive.

In which genre do you prefer to write and why?

I guess I don’t really have a preference. As you can see, I’ve written in a lot of different genres, the women’s fiction/romances as Alana Lorens and the fantasy/sci-fi/supernatural stories as Lyndi Alexander.

The pen names are important to me, because the elf stories were the first to get published, and as a lawyer I thought people wouldn’t take me seriously in my day job if I was writing elf stories, you know? When I started having romances published, though, I thought my elf readers wouldn’t necessarily expect the kind of stories I was writing now, so I created a second pseudonym.  Hopefully I won’t start writing literary fiction or cozies, because I’ll have to think of a new name!!

When you are not writing, what are your hobbies, passions, etc?

For the last twelve years I’ve spent an awful lot of time dealing with the special needs of my husband’s children, who I adopted when they were very young. All three have an autism spectrum diagnosis. At one point there were several years where we had as much as 70 hours of therapies a week among the three—speech, occupational, physical, ABA, all kinds of stuff. Fortunately, our early intervention for at least two of the three has really paid off, in that they attend school with their peers and function reasonably well, if a little differently, every day. The third is still a work in progress, but we really hold on to that term “progress.”

When I have extra time, which isn’t often, I also like to quilt and make doll clothes for the many grandchildren, and we try to put in a garden and can fresh vegetables each summer to stay as healthy as possible.

If you could time travel back, or forward, for one day, where would it be and why?

My mother and I were estranged for a long time, and she became ill with a mystery disease, that was finally diagnosed as hepatitis C, back in the early days of that disease’s discovery. She made up with all of her daughters before she passed away, and when I went out to visit her, she asked me to take care of her final arrangements, disposing of her furnishings and so on.

When she went into the hospital for the final time, her friends called me and asked me to come to Arizona to close up her apartment, as she would not be able to return home, because she was very ill.  I dropped everything and went out, handling the distribution part without a lot of emotion, just getting through it. I went to the hospital with her friends to pick up some final papers, but I couldn’t bring myself to go in and see my mother, because I knew she’d know I was closing up her place and that meant she wasn’t going to make it.

I’ve regretted that missed opportunity to say goodbye so many times over the years. If I could do that over, it would really put my conscience to rest.

(As a postscript, I received a call from the hospital just as we finished cleaning the apartment that my mother had passed. It was almost as if she knew she could let go because her affairs were handled. So I believe she forgave me. But I’d rather it had been different.)

 EXCERPT from LOVE ME, KISS ME, KILL ME:

Of all the corpses I’d seen in six years as a news reporter, Lily Kimball’s hit me the hardest. Found in a drainage ditch along Route 24, two inches deep in snow, she wore only a shabby pair of Banana Republic jeans and a red jersey shirt, a dried clot of blood on her forehead where she’d taken a header into a discarded bottle.

            In the half-light before dawn, two CSI-types crouched in front of the body taking pictures and samples, thick parka vests protecting them against the thirty degree early March chill. Each breath left their cold lips as a mist of water vapor.

            “Damnedest thing I ever saw,” the lead investigator said to the waiting medic from the volunteer ambulance service, “Why the hell would some girl be out here in the middle of a snowstorm without shoes, without a coat?”

            Good question as far as I was concerned. I was freezing my butt off, despite a hoodie under my jacket, black sweat pants and fur-lined boots. I couldn’t return to the office until I had some answers. So far, all I had was her name, thanks to the CSI techs.

                They hadn’t disturbed the body much, other than to rule out major trauma. Lily’s skin was icy white, her black hair patchy, so thin it lay atop the snow. Bony stick fingers and toes were dark red, almost violet, from frostbite at the bare tips. It seemed like she’d just fallen over into the ditch. Just let go, dead.

            Satisfied with their photos, the techs turned over the stiff body. The girl’s pale, sightless eyes stared into the gray miasma of the late winter sky. Nausea crept from my stomach toward my throat. She had to be about my age, twenty-something; about my size too, although those fingers were wickedly thin. What would have compelled me to leave home in a blizzard, half-dressed, ending in a frozen ditch with my life sucked out?

            I didn’t know what could cause such desperation.

            But the goosebumps that rippled across my skin told me it was still out there, lurking.  

Babs Mountjoy dreamed for many years  of being a spaceship captain, but settled instead for inspired excursions  into fictional places with fascinating companions from her imagination that  she likes to share with others. She has been a published writer for over  thirty years, including seven years as a reporter and editor at a newspaper  in Homestead, Florida. Her list of publications is eclectic, from science  fiction to romance to horror, from tech reporting to television reviews.  Babs is married to an absent-minded computer geek. Together, they have a  dozen computers, seven children and a full house in northwestern  Pennsylvania.

Babs Mountjoy writer site: http://barbaramountjoy.blogspot.com

Alana Lorens site:  http://alanalorens.com

Lyndi Alexander site: http://lyndialexander.wordpress.com

for buy links and more on LOVE ME, KISS ME, KILL ME, see http://lyndialexander.wordpress.com/love-me-kiss-me-kill-me/

Thanks for sharing with us today, Babs. Looks like you're having a full on adventure.

Jean

Meet Andrea Downing, Wild Rose Press author

Today I’d like to introduce Andrea Downing, a fellow Wild Rose Press author.

Hello Andrea, and welcome. Tell us a little about your writing adventure

Do you see writing as a career?

Absolutely.  I may have come late to it, but I am positively dedicated to it.  You can’t take writing as a hobby; there is too much involved, too many people relying on your keeping your deadlines to play around with this.  I had to laugh at my brother, a lawyer.  I was discussing with him whether the IRS would consider my writing a hobby, as Loveland is my first published book, and I told him about the various items I had to have to show it as a profession. He said, “who the hell sits down and writes a book as a hobby?”  You may have to do it part-time, you may have things that get in the way—and believe me, if you work at home, they do get in the way—but you still have to be dedicated to it.  I certainly am.

Introducing Loveland

When Lady Alexandra Calthorpe returns to the Loveland, Colorado, ranch owned by her father, the Duke, she has little idea of how the experience will alter her future. Headstrong and willful, Alex tries to overcome a disastrous marriage in England and be free of the strictures of Victorian society --and become independent of men. That is, until Jesse Makepeace saunters back into her life...

Hot-tempered and hot-blooded cowpuncher Jesse Makepeace can’t seem to accept that the child he once knew is now the ravishing yet determined woman before him. Fighting rustlers proves a whole lot easier than fighting Alex when he’s got to keep more than his temper under control.

Arguments abound as Alex pursues her career as an artist and Jesse faces the prejudice of the English social order. The question is, will Loveland live up to its name?

Loveland excerpt

     As the round-up wound down, the Reps took their stock back to their outfits, and soon the men were back at headquarters or at the camps.

     Alex knew word had more or less got out and found the punchers were gentler now around her, had a sort of quiet respect for her, and she hated it. She tried to bully them a bit to show them she was still the same girl, jolly them into joshing with her as they had before. It was slow work. At the same time, she yearned to see Jesse, to speak with him, to try to get life back to the way it was before the argument at the corral, and before he saw the scars.

     The opportunity didn’t present itself. She would see him from a distance some days, riding with the herd, sitting his horse with that peculiar grace he had, throwing his lariat out with an ease that reminded her of people on a dock waving their hankies in farewell. Hoping to just be near him, she slid into one of the corrals one evening to practice her roping.

     The light was failing and the birds were settling with their evening calls. Somewhere in the pasture a horse nickered. She sensed Jesse was there, watching, but she never turned as he stood at the fence. She heard him climb over and ease up behind her. He took the coiled rope from her in his left hand and slid his right hand over hers on the swing end, almost forcing her backward into his arms.

     She thought of paintings and statues she had seen, imagining his naked arms now, how the muscles would form them into long oblique curves, how he probably had soft downy fair hair on his forearms, how his muscle would slightly bulge as he bent his arm. His voice was soft in her ear, and she could feel his breath on her neck like a whispered

secret.

     “Gentle-like, right to left, right to left to widen the noose, keep your eye on the post—are you watchin’ where we’re goin’?” He made the throw and pulled in the rope to

tighten the noose.

     Alex stood there, his hand still entwined with hers and, for a moment, she wished they could stand like that forever. Then she took her hand away and faced him. For a second he rested his chin on the top of her head, then straightened again and went to get the noose off the post while coiling in the rope. She looked up at him in the fading light and saw nothing but kindness in his face, simplicity and gentleness that was most inviting.

     A smile spread across her face as he handed her the coiled rope and sauntered away, turning once to look back at her before he opened the gate. Emptiness filled her like a poisoned vapor seeking every corner of her being, and she stood with the rope in her hand listening to the ring of his spurs as his footsteps retreated.

****

When you are not writing, what are your hobbies, passions, etc?

I love traveling.  My parents were great travellers and I guess I’ve inherited it from them, and I’ve been lucky enough to be able to do that.  Living in Europe for so long was a privilege because you have all those different countries, those different cultures, within such easy reach.  But I also lived in Africa for a bit, and then I am originally from the states so travel here a great deal.  I think at last count I’ve done 30 states.  My daughter is very involved with Latin America so I’ve also been down there to several countries either to visit her or traveling with her.  Aside from that, I’m absolutely passionate about the American west and its culture.  Horses, rodeo, native American arts, you name it, I love it. 

As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up? Writing, or something else?

Actually, I was torn between acting and writing.  I had voice lessons and attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts summer school and, of course, took part in every school play I could. At the same time I was also taking every creative writing class available. I wanted to go on to RADA in London but got side tracked for various reasons and went back to the writing, ended up co-editing a poetry magazine and working in publishing. 

What historical person would you want to meet and why?

I would love to meet Elizabeth, or Libby, Custer.  The daughter of a doting father who was a judge, she came from a very privileged background and married George Armstrong Custer who was basically a nobody at the time.  She followed him all over, during the American Civil War, and later on his assignments out west, giving up the luxuries to which she was accustomed for quite a hard life.  They had a very passionate relationship—apparently their letters are really sexually charged—and Libby spent her life as a widow writing and lecturing about her husband, trying to revive his reputation after he had been blamed for the Little Big Horn massacre by President Grant.  She proved very successful at this and actually died a wealthy woman on the proceeds of her books and lectures.  But I wonder how she would see Custer’s pursuit of the Native Americans with the benefit of hindsight, and I wonder what fuelled such passion in her.

If you could time travel back, or forward, for one day, where would it be and why?

Wow, is that a difficult one!  You know, someone once told me that I’d been born in the wrong century, and I love the idea of going back to the 19^th century and living during the golden age of the cowboy between the end of the Civil War and 1887.  But lately, I’ve thought I would really like to see what the world will be like in the 22^nd Century.  I fear for this planet tremendously.  The weather the last few years has proven to me that we are headed for real disaster and all the forest fires we’ve had in the US this summer might just be the start of something really big—and bad!  I’d love to know what happens, whether all our technology finally comes in to save the day or whether we’re beyond repair.  Sorry to be so morose but you did ask!

If you could have any super hero power, what would it be?

Considering what I’ve just said it has to be something that will change life for all of us for the better.  Can I have the power to change the weather?  I’d bring rain to Texas and the southwest, put out those forest fires, stop hurricanes, lessen wind which seems to be increasing, get the snowfalls right (I love snow but there has to be a point at which it stops!) and make bright, sunny days without too high temperatures!  For the most part, we need more water in some places and less in others.

Have you ever cried during a movie? If yes, which one and why?

Oh, please:  I cry at the end of just about every film I’ve ever watched.  I’m the biggest cry-baby ever.  Name a film, I’ve cried—I’ll leave you with that!

Thanks so much for having me, Jean.  New Zealand was on my list to visit and this has been a great visit with you.  Thanks so much for letting me stop by here!

Andrea Downing has spent most of her life in the UK where she developed a penchant for tea drinking, a tolerance for rainy days, and a deep knowledge of the London Underground system.  In 2008 she returned to live in the city of her birth, NYC, but frequently exchanges the canyons of city streets for the wide-open spaces of the West.  Her love of horses, ranches, rodeo and just about anything else western is reflected in her writing.  Loveland, a western historical romance published by The Wild Rose Press, is her first book.  She is a member of Romance Writers of America and Women Writing the West.

Visit Andrea at

http://andreadowning.com

Loveland is available at

http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=index&manufacturers_id=991 

 http://www.amazon.com/Loveland-Andrea-Downing/dp/1612173233/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1347071783&sr=8-2&keywords=Loveland 

Thank you for joining me today Andrea. Wishing LOVELAND many sales.

Jean

Meet Harlequin author Barbara White Daille

Hi Barbara, thank you for joining me today and for sharing your Adventure with us.

Hi, Jean.  Thanks so much for inviting me to chat with your readers!

 

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

 

Almost since the time I learned how to print.  Officially, though, I say it's when I was in fourth grade and wrote my first short story.  On lined binder paper, it spanned three pages in longhand.  Along with it, I included a paper cover with an illustration, the title in bold print, and my byline.  It was a mystery starring my two best friends and me.  I don't remember much about it, but I know we were in great danger—and at the end, we triumphed over the bad guys!

What inspired you to write your first book?

 

I'd always loved reading and writing short stories, mostly mysteries, so I decided to find out if I had what it took to write a novel.  My first book featured two female teenaged amateur sleuths, one of them an only child (and probably related to Nancy Drew) and the other from a family of four kids.  It was an awesome mystery with many twists and turns.  At least, I thought so!  LOL  (And it had a romance in it.  One of the sleuth's brothers fell for the other sleuth.)  When I wrote this one, I was in eighth grade.

 

Do you see writing as a career?

 

Definitely!  I've always juggled writing and days jobs, so in essence, I have two careers.  While it would be nice to devote all my attention to writing, I don't know if that will ever happen.  But I am positive I'll always be a writer.

Do you hear from readers much? What kinds of things do they say?

 

It's difficult to answer this question without sounding like I'm blowing my own horn.  I'll try not to.  Here goes... 

 

Most of my readers tell me they love the characters, which is awesome, since I'm a character-driven writer.  They feel joy when the characters do and cry with them over their disappointments.  They worry about whether or not—and how—the hero and heroine will get together.  And they get a big kick out of the quirky secondary characters. 

 

To be honest, those are all things I put in my books because they're what I love to read about.  So I'm always grateful, thrilled, and humbled when readers tell me I've hit those marks for them.

 

As  a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?

 

Write.  I know, short answer.  But there's not much more I can add.  Writing has always been with me.

 

Can you give us some details about your latest release?

 

I would love to!  Thanks for asking. 

 

My latest book from Harlequin just released last week.  HONORABLE RANCHER tells the story of Ben Sawyer, who long ago lost the woman he loved from afar to his own best friend.  When that friend dies a military hero, Ben has to keep the promise he's made to watch over the man's family—and to keep his hands off his best friend's wife.

 

Dana Wright, a widow with three small children, will do anything to protect them and to safeguard her secrets.  Of all the folks in town, Ben would be the person most devastated by what she's trying to hide.  Unfortunately, he's also the one determined to make her reveal what she knows.

 

I love this story!  And I wanted so much for the hero and heroine to get together because...  Let me show you.  (FYI, Dana and Ben are matron of honor and groomsman at their friends' wedding.  They've just been talking out in the garden of the reception hall.)

 

~~

 

Before he could get to his feet, she left, running away like that princess in the fairytale his niece asked him to read to her over and over again.

 

No, not a princess.  The one who took off without her glass slipper—Cinderella. 

Dana was no Cinderella.  She hadn't left a shoe behind.  Hadn't even dropped a button from that pink dress as something for him to remember her by.  As if he could ever forget her.

 

She'd been the heroine of a story he'd once created long ago, a story he'd had to write in his head because he hadn't yet known how to spell all the words.

 

How did it go?  Like in his niece's storybook...

 

Once upon a time, that was it.

 

Once upon a time, in the Land of Enchantment—otherwise known as the state of New Mexico—Benjamin Franklin Sawyer had high hopes and a huge crush on the girl who sat one desk over from him in their classroom every day.

 

No other girl in town, Ben felt sure, could beat Dana Smith, and most likely no other woman in the world could compare to her, either.  In any case, without a doubt, she was the cutest of all his female friends in their kindergarten classroom.

 

Unfortunately, when the teacher moved his best friend, Paul Wright, to the desk on the other side of Dana's, Ben saw his hopes dashed.

 

The crush, however, continued.  For a good long while.

 

As for Benjamin Franklin Sawyer's hopes...

 

Well, not every story had a happy ending.

 

~~

 

Originally from the East Coast, award-winning author Barbara White Daille now lives with her husband in the warm, sunny Southwest, where they love the lizards in the front yard but could do without the scorpions in the bathroom.

 

From the time she was a toddler, Barbara found herself fascinated by those things her mom called "books."  Once she learned the words between the covers held the magic of storytelling, she wanted to see her words in print so she could weave that spell for others.

 

Barbara hopes you will enjoy reading her stories and will find your own storytelling magic in them!

 

She would love to have you drop by her website:  www.barbarawhitedaille.com and look for her on Facebook and Twitter:  http://www.facebook.com/barbarawhitedaille  and

https://twitter.com/BarbaraWDaille

 

Thanks for joining me today, Barbara. Here's to your next Adventure in Authorland