Wednesday, May 20, 2015

View From My Window By Fran Mcnabb


You’re probably asking, “Who is this person? I’ve never seen her name on this blog.” Let me introduce myself. I’m Fran McNabb and I’m new to TWRP. I met Rhonda Penders at Moonlight and Magnolias last year. I had not planned to pitch, but after meeting her, I got an appointment, and enjoyed talking with her. On April 29 of this year SAVING THE CHILDREN came out. It's a romantic suspense in the Crimson Line. Lori Graham is my editor.

Instead of giving you a typical bio, I simply want to show you where I write. I think my writing space says a lot about me. I live on a quiet bayou harbor on the Gulf Coast, and I do most of my writing from a chase lounge in a sunroom that overlooks the harbor. From here I can watch the activity on the water as I find inspiration for my writing.

Except for the first three years of my married life, I’ve lived along this coastline. During those years my new husband and I lived in the Eifel region of Germany and then on the outskirts of the Mojave Desert. Did I feel landlocked? You bet I did. When we left the service, I was thrilled my husband wanted to move to my area of the world. Now, after living here for nearly all of the forty-five years of our marriage, we still love the water and spend a great deal of time boating and fishing.

It was only natural for me find inspiration with my writing where I can see the water, the wildlife living in the marshes, and the boating activity on the harbor. We all have our favorite spots where we put our thoughts onto paper (or should I say the computer screen). I do have a really nice office, but from those windows I can’t see the water. I prefer to sit on my chase where the calm harbor waters take away my life’s worries, and I can lose myself in my stories.

Visit me at http://www.FranMcNabb.com to see a few other pictures of my area.

Fran McNabb
http://www.FranMcNabb.com
To Read More Click Here

Friday, May 15, 2015

WHAT INSPIRED ME TO BE A WRITER

Roberta C.M. DeCaprio
http://www.robertadecaprio.com

In 1950 I was born with a birth injury, left to navigate through life using canes (and in recent years occasionally a wheelchair). Not being able to run and play as the other children could, I turned to books for fun and adventure. The words on each page swept me away, cultivating an imagination I would come to call upon in the years that followed. Reading begets writing, and even at a young age I was composing poems, writing short stories, and even plays . . . using paper dolls and sock puppets as characters to act out the story's scenes. Reading was the first factor that inspired me to be a writer.

My most favorite television show during the 50's was THE LONE RANGER. I loved watching westerns with my father, but many of the other shows portrayed Indians as ruthless heathens....except for THE LONE RANGER. Clayton Moore played the part of the masked hero, and Jay Silverheels was his trusted friend, Tonto. A different side of the Native Americans was brought into view, and it made a huge impression on me. I actually met Clayton Moore in 1958, and he gave me a silver bullet shell as a memento of our meeting. Thirty years later, in 1988 I had the opportunity to meet him again, showed him the silver bullet shell (which I still have), and he remembered me immediately. I also explained to him how his show inspired me to write my first novel, THE GOLDEN LADY (released in 2009 by The Wild Rose Press), which told the story of a white woman falling in love with and marrying an Apache Warrior in 1864. THE LONE RANGER & TONTO were the second factor that inspired me to be a writer.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU FALL IN LOVE WITH YOUR ENEMY? the tag line for THE GOLDEN LADY read. And indeed, during 1864 the white man and red man were at war with each other. Using factual accounts, my fictional characters struggled through all odds, true love prevailing. And here lies the third factor that inspired me to be a writer . . . the late, great, romance author, Kathleen E. Woodiwiss. After reading her novel, A ROSE IN WINTER, I knew exactly how to write the story of my heart's desire. But it would take 25 years for THE GOLDEN LADY to be available to the public. It just goes to show you what can happen when you never give up on something you believe in.


Click here For More On Roberta's Books

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

The Sheik’s Ruby by Jennifer Moore


I love the Middle East and the Romance of Lawrence of Arabia, women with dark eyes and hidden faces, Dark, handsome, crazy-rich men. I am fascinated with the culture and all of its secrets, and wanted to write a book that showed the beauty as well of the danger that is part of life in this corner of the world.

On a trip to Dubai, I was fascinated with the Sheiks and their extravagant lifestyle. They are devoutly religious, extremely private and their family is central to their lives. It’s such an interesting dynamic, as we so often, in America, associate wealth with scandals in the gossip columns.

In Dubai, one of my favorite places is the Gold Souqs. These winding streets with windows full of shining gold are beautiful and amazing, and I was fascinated to see men and women buying thick golden strands that cost thousands of dollars. They’d swipe a card, then just sticking them in a shopping bag and continue on with their day like they’d grabbed a coke at the gas station
Can you imagine a life where money is just not an issue? Private jets, palaces, even islands reclaimed from the sea to have a pristine beach are just part of life. I particularly loved the indoor ski-slopes. It was 125 degrees, and they’d somehow managed to keep it refrigerated enough to make snow.
 
The handsome princes who hunt with falcons and race horses at the Kentucky Derby seem like such interesting people, with their blend of old world and new. Plus, those dark eyes and thick black hair is seriously handsome.

I love Grace Kelly and Prince Ranier, and what girl wouldn’t love to be a princess?

So, that was the inspiration for The Sheik’s Ruby.  A Cinderella story where a small town cowgirl meets a Middle-Eastern prince.

Jennifer Moore
www.authorjmoore.com
I have some great pictures on my Pinterest board, too.
https://www.pinterest.com/jenniferlmoore9/the-sheiks-ruby/



Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Lightning Only Strikes Twice On Sale .99 cents!


I’m excited to be here to post a bit about my time-travel on sale for 0.99 – Lightning Only Strikes Twice.

Why Time-travel?

I typically write romantic suspense/thrillers, but this time-travel story came to me in a dream. Just a germ of an idea about two strangers who travel back in time and fall in love in an era that isn’t their own. It swirled in my head for a couple of years until I had the time-travel mechanism figured out, and a first line. From there, the book just took off. Many who don’t typically read time-travel have indicated they’ve enjoyed this particular story. I hope you will too. For only a few more days, Lightning Only Strikes Twice is available for 0.99.

Lightning Only Strikes Twice:
After her grandfather's death, mounting debts force Annie Crawford to sell her inheritance to uphold her family's honor and avoid bankruptcy. Financial stability comes with an even higher price: her heritage. She must rebuild her legacy from nothing.

Purchasing Annie's property means three things to Luke Maxwell: financial burden on Maxwell Development, opportunity to propel his career to the top by developing the old ghost town, and, ultimately, approval to take over his father's company. All of which take precedence over his attraction to the pretty seller.

While touring the property, Annie and Luke are whisked back in time to the 1891 mining community. Together, they endure antiquated hardships and turn to each other for familiarity. Comfort soon becomes passion. As they face a lifetime in the wrong century, Annie and Luke discover a predestined responsibility to the future. Can the love they've propagated in the past take root in the present?

Thank you for spending a few minutes of your valuable time with me today. For more information about any of my upcoming stories, you can check out the book’s website page here. Or sign up for my newsletter here.


Stanalei Fletcher’s love of writing romance stems from reading favorites such as Grimm’s Fairy Tales, Barbara Cartland, and Alistair MacLean. She has over twenty years of training in the martial arts and holds the rank of Sandan, a third-degree black belt, in Aikido.
After a taste of life on both U.S. coasts, she now resides in the beautiful Rocky Mountains with her hero, who is also her best friend and husband. Together they enjoy the open road astride a Harley, visiting museums and exploring ghost towns.

I’d love to hear from you. You can find me at any of the following locations:
Twitter –  @StanaleiFletch
Facebook        










Friday, May 01, 2015

My Writing Nest by Peggy Chambers

Like a lot of authors I use a laptop for my writing. Confined to a desk for years, I don’t want that when I am at home creating. A laptop can go anywhere. When I am alone – mostly on Sundays – I began to write on the love seat where I sit in the evenings and watch TV. It seemed the place to be because for some reason I gravitated to it as my husband gravitated to his chair. We are creatures of habit.

Then I inherited the old recliner that belonged to my father-in-law. It is well-worn burgundy leather that still smells like him when it warms up. It is cozy and comfy and it sits in the spare bedroom with my grandmother’s antique bedroom set. Recently I received a rare gift from an immensely talented artist, Pauline Jones. Pauline and I worked together at Atwoods. She is in charge of the pet department and knows all things pet related. She is the chick lady, the horse lady, and anything else that you need to know. I worked in the corporate office until my recent retirement. She loved my books and one day we traded our art. Her beautiful picture now hangs above my father-in-law’s recliner as a muse over my shoulder as I write.

I find this mostly unused bedroom suits me well. Here I am surrounded by my past, my family, and my friends. My mother-in-law’s roll top desk holds the computer when it is charging, the small table that my father loved to eat ice cream on as a child is in the corner. I have a bench and quilt rack that I created when I took some woodworking classes, and of course there is a bookcase for my grandson when he was young. It holds children’s books so Grandma could read him a story when he spent the weekend. These days he towers above me and is busy on the weekends so he seldom comes to visit. I go to his band concerts instead.

I love this room. My grandson claimed it when he was young and my sister thinks it is hers when she visits. But, it is my writing room. Stacked in the corner are three boxes representing the three published novels I have given birth to and they hold my precious cargo. Things I take to book signings.

I think the recliner and I are well fitted to each other and we have plans for many more books. All we need is time.

Peggy Chambers

click here for more from Peggy