Spooky Cave with Eve Dew Crook

I love exploring caves (with a guide!) and the cave on the cover of PERIL, PASSION, PERU plays an important role in the story. But the first Paleolithic cave I visited gave me an experience I’ll never forget. Deep in the cave was a chamber covered with tiny drawings. I lingered there in fascination, not realizing my tour group was leaving. Suddenly, I was in total blackness—and the blackness deep in a cave is like no other blackness imaginable. My heart pounding madly, I cried out, “Hey, I’m still here!”  A German tourist in our group made his way back with a lantern. He lifted it to my face and must have been grinning as he said, “Ach, der Neandertaler…” ~ Eve Dew Crook

Peril, Passion, Peru - Available Today!

Peril, Passion, Peru - Get ready for adventure...

“I’d pick the

Amazon for romance…gliding silently in a canoe after dark, hunting for wildlife by flashlight.”

Of course, Machu Picchu is special, and as a ruin rat I love the desert, but there’s also the Amazon and the jungle, another exciting place to visit in this fantastic country. Here’s a local banana boat on the river. PERIL, PASSION, PERU. 

Pre-order Today - 

Releases Tomorrow!

 http://amzn.com/B011H4SMFM

What an Experience!

On my first visit to Peru, my family and I flew in an unpressurized plane from Lima at sea level to Cuzco at 11,000 ft., snaking between peaks of the Andes Mountains, sucking on oxygen tubes. My son (8 years old) sat beside me, my husband across the aisle. At one point hubby called out, “You’ve got to see this!”  I unbuckled my seat belt and took the tube from my mouth to walk across the aisle. I didn’t make it--started to pass out, but lurched back across and grabbed my tube to breathe again! ~ Eve Dew Crook

Peril, Passion and Peru - Coming Soon!

Interview with Serge Gervais from HIDING

Emcee: Welcome to "Meet the Character," a daily talk show where we interview heroes and heroines from Wild Rose Press releases. Today our guest character is Serge Gervais from the book HIDING.
Bienvenue, Serge.

Serge: Merci.

Emcee: I understand that you are from Paris.

Serge: Oui.

Emcee: Have you lived there all your life?

Serge: Non, I grew up with my grandparents in Breil sur Royal in the French Alps a very old, picturesque village.

Emcee: And what brought you to Paris?

Serge: I came to study business at the Sorbonne. At first, I though Paris was noisy and crowded. I was not used to traffic, but to long hikes through the mountains to crisp, clear, cold streams.
I really prefer Alpine mountain goats to double-decker buses, but there are so many interesting people in Paris, tourists from all over the world.

Emcee: And what do you do in Paris?

Serge: I am a concierge at a hotel where I enjoy meeting guests, but I have been saving to buy my own restaurant.

Emcee: What type of food to you plan to serve?

Serge: French traditional. Both of my grandparents were excellent cooks. My grandpere taught me the proper way to prepare escargot by having the snails kept in a terrarium where they are fed special savory herbs.

Emcee: And how did you meet Teresa Worthington?"

Serge: She was a guest at the hotel, so very petite and cute, but she looked lost, afraid.

Emcee: And what first attracted you to her?"

Serge: She had a beautiful smile that lit up her whole face when she talked about her artwork. And when I saw what she could do with a paintbrush I was amazed.

Emcee: You thought she had a lot of talent?

Serge: Absolumont!

Emcee: But you didn't know then that she was being pursued by an obsessive and abusive ex-boyfriend.

Serge: No.

Emcee: Would you have gotten involved with her, if you had known?

Serge: (long pause) Yes, looking back I don't think I could have resisted her. Finding her was like finding a missing part of myself. I would do anything to protect her.
I hate when men bully and mistreat women.

Emcee: So when does HIDING come out from hiding?

Serge: Aug. 7, 2015 is our release date.

Emcee: And what do you hope readers will take away from this book?

Serge: An appreciation for the beauty of France, the French people, and our culture. I hope they will grow to love Teresa the way that I have.

Pre-Order on Amazon!

Katherine McDermott, author
http://www.Facebook.com/KatherineMcDer4

The Wisdom of the Siesta

The wisdom of the siesta and the functional beauty of the hammock were lessons learned on my first trek through Maya country. Mayan hammocks bear little resemblance to those purchased in big box stores—I refer to the wide strip of fabric held open with a wooden or metal bar and attached to a metal frame. Little comfort there.

Rope varieties are better, but nothing offers the relaxation found in Yucatán’s traditional bed. Woven of yarn in colorful patterns, hammocks are sized for toddlers up to the matrimonial versions. A weaver in Cancun told me the latter style is more finely woven than the others, and those made for newlyweds are often quite fancy. Whether suspended between two trees, or from hooks in a bedroom or a thatch-roofed rural dwelling called a choza, the bed provides airy comfort in a tropical clime.

After our driver discharged his passengers at our first stop in Yucatán, he hung his hammock between a tree and the handle on his bus’s door and settled in for siesta while we over-stimulated Norté Americanos trekked through the jungle to Cobá’s principal ruins. He awoke refreshed and ready to drive several more hours before nightfall. Eleven days and three archaeological parks later a vendor near the Guatemalan border offered hammocks for sale while nearby her daughter slept in a mini-version of the woman’s handiwork. In a later post I’ll tell you a bit about the hammock’s history in the culture.

What I won’t reveal is what my hero and heroine in Two Hearts in Time did in their woven bed. You’ll have to read the book—it’s coming soon.

Raymona Anderson

On her website
On Facebook

Rehab for the Heart

The first book of my new Healing Hearts series, will be released today.

This book is dear to me because of its medical theme. Many of my compatriots, from all walks of the nursing profession, have similar histories of failed marriages or dysfunctional pairings.

I've given this a lot of thought over the years (having been there myself) and I think part of the cause for those broken relationships is the very reason we became nurses in the first place. We want to help people. We want to make things better. We look at those wonderful but flawed men who attract us like moths to a flame and just know that with enough love and understanding we can erase those flaws--or at least minimize them.

Naturally it's much easier to see the flaws in our partners than those in ourselves. I mean, theirs are always much worse than ours, right?

I once read--don't ask me where, it was too long ago--that men marry women expecting they will never change and women marry men expecting that they will. Both inevitably are disappointed.

Don't misunderstand me. I don't think it is the nurse who has no flaws and is always the heroic figure in any partnership. While he or she may be staying in what would be seen from the outside as an intolerable situation, they may be acting as an enabler and instead of helping their situation, they reinforce the very behavior they'd like to banish.

Of course there are lots of happy, healthy marriages in the medical field, and I salute those couples for the effort it took both partners to do the work and gain enough understanding of their mates to form a lasting bond.

For the rest of us, though...
Patients, especially those destined for a long hospital stay, have an easy 'in' to our hearts as care-givers. After all this is what we trained for, right? Hopefully we can fix them. Heal them. Send them back into the world all shiny and new. Of course it doesn't always work out that way, but that is the goal we strive for from the very first instant they become our patient.

If it turns out they have more than a simply grateful appreciation for our efforts, the professional distance we are expected to maintain becomes more difficult to achieve. And let's face it, if the patient is a male who's hotter than hell, and who pleads for continued visits, keeping that distance becomes an heroic struggle.

But I digress.

This book is about a woman who didn't get the chance to make her marriage work, although it's doubtful that more time might have made any difference. Initially Gwen sees herself as the cause of her marriage's catastrophic failure and so decides she's better off single. She resists her best friend's persistent attempts to push her back into the social scene and pours all her pent-up affection on the small menagerie she has somehow accumulated. But her resolve weakens when fate literally thrusts an attractive man into her path.

Thus, Nick becomes her patient following his serious auto accident.

Nick and Gwen both have trust issues burned into their hearts by former partners. Initially they are both wary, but their attraction continues to grow. Eventually Gwen succumbs to Nick's allure then finds out it is easy to fall for a man's charms but much more difficult to trust his motives.

Once discharged from the rehab facility, Nick is challenged to find a way to spend time with Gwen and replace his patient persona with a much more intimate one. Unfortunately his plan, developed on the spur of the moment, involves some subterfuge.

So the question for Gwen becomes: can caring for, wanting, and even loving a man be enough to bet your future on? Or is trust the key ingredient to a happy marriage?

What's your opinion?

Karen Ann Dell
@K_A_Dell

In the interest of avoiding all possibility of a HIPPA violation, I write under a pen name and all characters in my works are completely fictional.
--Not that I haven't used a character trait or two compiled from my thirty-plus years in the medical arena... ;)

Click here to read more about Rehab for the Heart

Karen Ann Dell
http://karenanndell.com/
(this post originally posted on http://karenanndell.com/)

Packing For Conference—My Three Top Tips...

I’ve just got back from the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s 2015 conference, held at Queen Mary’s University in London (you can read more about that here). I attended this annual event for the first time last year, but only on a day ticket. It was so good and I learned so much, I put my name down for this year’s conference the moment the list opened. It also gave me the chance to do my bit by helping fill the goody bags which each delegate receives with donations of paperbacks, bookmarks, sweets and chocolate. This year, those bags included advertising flyers for my titles with The Wild Rose Press, His Majesty’s Secret Passion and Her Royal Risk.

As a conference newbie, I had a lot to learn. Much of that was about packing my case. My OH has enough business miles under his belt to qualify for Club Class on Mars One. When he walked into our bedroom and saw what I intended to take with me to London, he laughed. My packing list was at least a yard too long, apparently, and I was taking all the wrong things.
If that news wasn’t bad enough, he turned out to be right—grr!

Now, with a whole week of conference experience behind me, here are my three top tips for the conference newbie. They’re handy whether you’re heading off to New York for the RWA meet, or some other far-flung destination.

THE 40% RULE
1.Lay everything you want to take out on your bed (or other large flat surface). Then...
2....put 40% of it straight back in the wardrobe.
Believe me, it’ll weigh you down for no purpose. You’ll never wear it. Not even your gym kit. Especially not your gym kit. At home I run nearly every day, but then I live in the middle of nowhere. I rarely meet anyone else when I’m out jogging. If I do, they’re bound to be much older and larger than I am. That’s just the demographic of this area. That’s why I ignored OH, and dragged my gym bag to London. Bad mistake. Everyone who runs in the city is twice my height, half my weight and barely a third my age.
Don’t worry—you’ll have so much fun at conference, even if you look like an Olympic champion you won’t be running. You won’t have the time. Vow to catch up with your exercise regime when
you get home.

FOOD AND DRINK—BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY...
My life runs on tea. I can get pretty mean when I’m deprived, so I took along a few tea bags, some dried milk and a small spoon so I could make the first and last drinks of the day. My flat had a kitchen, otherwise a travel mug and in-cup boiler would been on my packing list, too.
If tea and coffee aren’t your thing, pack a corkscrew with an integral bottle opener (unless your budget runs to champagne, or you can impress someone who has a bottomless expense account!). Protect its point with the last cork you drew.
I get terrible migraines if I don’t eat regularly. Just in case I was delayed on the long journey to London—always likely—I went prepared with a couple of crackers, a piece of cheese (which doesn’t give me migraines), and an apple. I took iced water and my tablets, too, and luckily didn’t need any of it. Yes, we do have shops in England, and buffet cars on trains, but you can’t rely on the opening times, or stock levels, of either.

AND BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW...
Take some soft ear-plugs! My room was great, and I never heard my neighbors once we’d said goodnight. Unfortunately, we were in student accommodation. Our flats overlooked the main pedestrian route through the campus. The university hosts hundreds of exchange students during the long vacation, as well as delegates. A run of hot weather sent endless streams of people milling past our block, from 7am straight through to 2 or 3am the following day. Even then there was no peace, as that was when the trash carts rumbled into action, and the university cleaning shifts changed. The surrounding high buildings acted like canyon w
alls, echoing every noise.
My window was double-glazed. When shut, it kept out virtually all sound. It also kept in all the heat my sunny room absorbed during the day, while I was sitting in one of the university’s air-conditioned lecture theaters. Each night, I could either keep the window closed and sleep in silence while gently stewing, or open it and try to nap between the bursts of party people passing below.
As I can remember racketing through the streets in the early hours of the morning with packs of other high spirited students, I could hardly complain about getting a taste of my own medicine!

When she isn't cooking, gardening or beekeeping, Christina Hollis writes contemporary fiction starring complex men and independent women.  Her books have been translated into more than a dozen languages, and she’s sold more than two million books worldwide. You can catch up with her at her blog, on Twitter, and Facebook and see a full list of her published books here.

 Her current release, Her Royal Risk, is part of her Princes Of Kharova series published by The Wild Rose Press, and is available here. To find out more about Christina, and the next book in her Princes Of Kharova series, Heart Of A Hostage, you can sign up for her newsletter

Her Royal Risk—Published by Wild Rose Press — http://bit.ly/1GQPIIq
His Majesty's Secret Passion—Published by Wild Rose Press — http://bit.ly/1ujX5zc

.
Christina Hollis
http://www.christinahollis.com

Sights and Sites with Eve Dew Crook

Peru is a country of thrilling views. Machu Picchu, perhaps the most famous, is awesome—a wonder on a clear day, mystical in the fog and rain, and heart-stoppingly magical under a starry sky. However, it has often been written about, so I set my story elsewhere. With so many fascinating sites along the coast, through the mountains, and on to the Amazon jungle, I had lots of great choices. Since I’m a ruin junkie, I chose the crumbling Moche fortress-pyramids built in the desert for PASSION, PERIL, PERU. The Sun and Moon pyramids exist, the Stars pyramid is the author’s imaginative addition.~ Eve Dew Crook

Peril Passion, Peru - Coming August 12!

Where McLaren Comes to Life

Like many other writers, I’ve had a bunch of jobs outside the home before I attained my goal of writing full time. My first job as a clerk in a music store was a lot of fun. I got to tune and polish guitars, play them for beginners so they could hear the instruments’ tone, chat with musicians, etc. But my “office” was the checkout counter, and offered no chance of reflecting my personality or letting me create a place -- however small – that was tranquil. The counter was cluttered with boxes of guitar strings and cassette tapes, a glass jar of guitar picks, a stand-up sign advertising the deal of the week, a small rack of sheet music, musicians’ business cards (under the glass countertop), and the cash register.

I love music, so the job contained elements of Heaven, but I felt as though I were an afterthought -- someone to stand there and bag the merchandise.

After a handful of years there I became a secretary for various businesses. Depending on the job, the size of my desk varied greatly, but at least a framed photo, my coffee mug, and a plant claimed one of the desk corners. Having a bit of a comfort zone definitely improved my morale, especially when a day didn’t go very well.

Now that I write full time, my work environment is Unashamedly Jo. I write the McLaren mystery series (In case you don’t know, Michael McLaren is a former police detective who quit his job and now investigates cold cases on his own). My office reflects not only my protagonist but also my love of Britain. This may not seem like anything to write home about, but I live in St Louis, so perhaps my British décor is something you might not expect of an American author.

I attach a photo of my cozy nook so you can get the idea.

There’s a small book shelf on the wall. On it are two of my most prized possessions: an English bobby helmet and an English police inspector’s hat. I got them from two friends who happened to be in the job at the time. A length of McLaren tartan, on which is pinned the Clan badge, hang down. (Yes, I may legally wear them; I belong to the Clan.) More inspiration for my guy. A small framed photo of rocks and exuberant ferns sits at the end of the shelf. The spot’s in Beresford Dale in Staffordshire, which hugs the western border of Derbyshire, and is one of my favorite places. The red phone booth tin to the photo’s right had candy in it (verb tense is correct).

The painting on the wall is of Bolton Castle. Well, it's the building’s ruins, actually. It’s a pen-and-ink watercolor done by a friend of mine, Alan Bamford (if you google his name, you’ll get the ‘wrong one’). Alan lives in Bedfordshire, England, but when I met him in the early 1970s he lived in Bolton, Lancashire. Which was where I vacationed for a month, staying with a college friend. I went to a street art festival and Alan was one of the artists exhibiting his paintings. I bought two of them – this one and a rendition of Hall i’th’ Wood, a 16th century manor house in Bolton. When I returned to Bolton the next year, I bought another of Alan’s paintings. Through our forty-year friendship I’ve purchased eleven pieces. They’re all different (a coastal fishing village, a thatched-roof cottage, a water mill in winter, etc), but I keep Bolton Castle on the wall above my computer monitor. I love castles, so that’s a good reminder of my time in England. Plus, it provides inspiration for some place McLaren might investigate. Bad guys lurk everywhere!

On the desk top (with is an eight-foot long kitchen countertop sitting on three 2-drawer filing cabinets – the counter gives great, uninterrupted space) are two McLaren mugs filled with markers, letter opener, paper clips, etc. My Clan coffee mug usually holds hot tea. To the right of the computer monitor is a mug I got in Buxton, Derbyshire. The town is the headquarters for the B Section of the Derbyshire Constabulary, and McLaren’s sidekick, Jamie Kydd, works out of that office. Again, it’s another three-dimensional memory that helps connect me to the town and to Derbyshire, where McLaren works most of his cases.

I’ve got a pillow covered in McLaren tartan for my chair. It’s not in this photo but I wanted you to know that he and I support each other. I also have an area rug, the design of which is the British Union Jack.

Of course the desk is just one component of my office. There are other things among the research books and maps that mean a lot to me: a letter from Ngaio Marsh’s cousin (Ngaio is my favorite mystery writer); various photos of British police friends, my folk singing group, and the Scottish folk group I managed for a while; mementoes of my trip to New Zealand (I have a sneaking suspicion that McLaren may go there one day and get involved in a cold case); a sprig of dried heather; yards of British police crime scene tape; and a Write Spite voodoo doll (I used to stick pins in it whenever a publisher rejected me, but I haven’t used it since The Wild Rose Press accepted my manuscripts!)...

It’s a soothing, soul-embracing space. It also inspires me, and reminds me of incidents and places I can use in my mysteries. I can’t ask much more than that.

Jo A. Hiestand
www.mclaren-mysteries.com

Interview with Lord Geoffrey Austen OF ONCE UPON A DUKE

Hello Readers and Writers: My story ONCE UPON A DUKE, has been ruminating since 2007. It is soon to be published by The Wild Rose Press in summer 2015. I am in love with the Regency period. To me, it is a Classic Romantic Elegant era with dashing Alpha heroes and strong, fiery, smart women, and clothing to die for.

Setting: Regency England 1817, Geoffrey Austen, Duke of Sutton--a handsome rake with raven black hair and piercing grotto blue eyes is betrayed by a false fiancé and is suspect of all women. He is an Alpha male, age thirty-four, tall, has a scar on his face and a tortured soul. He resolves never to marry for any reason. He does not expect his heart will become captive and his world turned upside down by the lovely Serena.

He meets the beautiful widow Lady Serena, an artist, who holds a sad secret, and has learned what a man can do in malice. She hides what she considers her inadequacies by flirting with Lord Geoffrey, daring him to fall in love with her. She doesn't expect the rake to accept her challenge nor for his kisses to make her eager to face his fears.
Sandra Masters, Author
http://www.sandramastersauthor.com

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS from the author to Lord Geoffrey:

Interviewer: What is your main fear, my lord Duke?
Answer: Getting leg shackled by a woman. I fear commitment and what love can do to a man. My interaction with Lady Serena started out as just another notch on my bedpost, but somehow it grew into something profound when she kissed my scar with tenderness and genuine concern. Even as I now speak, I can feel her nurturing lips. Later, quite by accident, I discovered Serena's story. My heart melted and I found a need to show her the gentleness of a man with a woman who share a real relationship. In a caring gesture, I gifted her a puppy, who she named Adonis, after me and the mythical God of Love.

Interviewer: What is the main conflict?
Answer: Serena wants a commitment of marriage. As a child, I did not see any love from my mother to my father. He adored her and she dismissed him. I have offered the position of mistress. She refused. I left without saying Goodbye. It was not a manly thing to do.

Interviewer: What has messed up your life?
Answer: When I arrived in sooty air defiled London, I found everything a bore. My thoughts were consumed with Serena whom I left behind. I did return and visited her surreptitiously one night at the lakeside manor and it was...comfortable. Her maid prepared a warm meal for me. Adonis, the pup I gave her, wagged his tail merrily and tried to bite my shoe as usual. Serena said, "WE missed you." I wondered how along the way I had acquired a family: woman, a maid and a puppy. Our lovemaking was unbelievable and this time I woke Sleepy Head up before I left.

Interviewer: If everything was so good, why didn't you propose?
Answer: I thought I had time to consider everything. Ours was a tempestuous relationship. Truthfully, I was frightened of what love could do. When I returned to London, all I could do was to think of her. The concept of a future serious relationship started to intrigue me. I returned to visit her the next week, but she was gone. I met with her brother and he informed me she was engaged to another man and she only toyed with me to make him jealous enough to propose marriage. He did. She accepted. Her brother approved. They were to be married in three weeks. Her brother also informed me she ordered the puppy drowned and my portrait burned because it only reminded her of her foolishness with me.

Interviewer: How did you react?
Answer: You can imagine hos outraged I was. I did not care about the portrait she burned, but to order Adonis killed--how could I have misjudged her? I drank myself into a stupor with a good friend and while I tried to find any woman who might east the pain of her loss, they all were found lacking.

Interviewer: Then what happened?
Answer: And just when I thought there was no other choice than to forget her, all she said, all she did and all she represented to me, visitors came to my London townhouse. It was Serena's maid and the groomsmen who returned the puppy to me unharmed. Her maid handed me a personal letter written hastily by her mistress. Serena advised she was held prisoner in an armed fortress and that the marriage was forced upon her, without her knowledge or consent. She reaffirmed her love for me and indicated she would throw herself from a parapet into the ocean rather than marry the monster of a man to whom she was betrothed.

Interviewer: Were you now convinced of her love for you?
Answer. Yes. When I was shown a sketch she had drawn of the three of us, as a family--Serena, myself and the pup, that her brother lied to me--about everything. To add o this, the maid brought the portrait she had painted of me, the one that was purportedly burned, that I knew her brother was guilty of lies for his own selfish purposes.

Serena's letter ended with the words that she would love me forever, in this world or the next. What else could I do but reply that the maid should return to her mistress and tell her that I loved her with all my heart, and that she would either attend our wedding--or my funeral.

I leave you to draw your conclusion how my author charted the ending of the novel.

Interviewer: Is there a working title to this novel."
Answer. Yes, it is ONCE UPON A DUKE, (That's me,) by Sandra Masters. She's the author and my friend. You can visit her website where there is an excerpt at sandramastersauthor.com and you are invited to leave a comment on the Guest page.

The Author: Your Grace, I have created you out of the figment of my imagination. Did I do you justice?
Answer: It is a difficult question and I can only say that you and I have been in each other's heart and soul for a long time. I've enjoyed the fantasy trips we have taken as I created the love scenes with Serena. I do believe readers should enjoy our fairy tale romance. After all, you showed me what love can do to redeem a man.

COMMENT FROM THE AUTHOR:
Interviewer: When do you think the book will be published, Madame Masters?"
Answer: The Wild Rose Press has contracted with me to publish this magnificent story. While release dates are not etched in stone, it does appear it will be published in summer of 2015.l Lord Geoffrey has waited a long time to connect with readers.

Update: Once Upon a Duke is available for Pre-Order now on Amazon.com, KoboBooks.com, Itunes, Nook.com, AllRomanceEbooks.com and Bookstrand.com. Available everywhere on July  24th!

Mine to Tell by Colleen L. Donnelly

 

Annabelle Crouse is determined to reopen her great-grandmother's boarded-up house--and her shunned life. Many years earlier, after an unexplained absence, Julianne was relegated to a separate home by a rigidly unforgiving husband, and the Crouse women have suffered the disgrace of her assumed guilt ever since.
Despite her family's strong disapproval, Annabelle is driven to pursue her mission through cobwebs and dust, finding the clues and the coded story left behind by her great-grandmother -- Why did she go? And why did she return? Annabelle has to know.
Only one person, a man she grew up with but never noticed, stands with Annabelle as she discovers the parallels between her story and her great-grandmother's--two women, generations apart, experiencing what love truly is.

Available at Online Retailers including Amazon

Excerpt

  “Mine to tell,” Kyle said suddenly. It was a jolt. I was yanked from my mental tumble into a pit of unredemption. Alex looked up too, a quizzical expression on his face. “Julianne left a story behind,” Kyle continued. “Some of it speculation and rumors by people who don’t know, and the rest of it by her own hand. It was a love story. One that was countered with suffering.”

We were all quiet. I looked at him, my heart melting as I heard his masculine voice speak of love and suffering. I wanted to lean across the table and hug him, but I was too afraid.

Alex leaned back in his chair. “What my father went through didn’t feel like love when we were little.”

“But maybe it was,” Kyle persisted, his tone smooth and even. “Does love always turn out the way we want it to?” Then he looked at me. “Julianne Crouse was a fine woman. We haven’t finished her story, but she suffered, and she was fine indeed.”

Tears came to my eyes. “Thank you,” I squeaked. Kyle stood and walked around the table to me. He helped me stand as he thanked them for their time. He retrieved Julianne’s picture, took my hand, and together we went to the door, Alex and his wife following us.


“I hope you’re right,” Alex said, running his hand through his thin, brittle hair as we stepped outside. “My father had some things to come to terms with, but he was a good man. A better man later in life, when he told us he was sorry. I never knew for what.”

Writing in Paris with Simone de Beauvoir by Gina Rossi

Paris in the spring – is there a more beautiful cliché? A few days before I receive the final edits for my brand new release 'The Sea Horse Door', my Real Life Hero gets sent to Paris on a three month contract. Eagerly, I gather writing paraphernalia and pack.

We arrive on the chilly tail of winter, in the heart-breaking aftermath of the January terrorist attacks on the Charlie Hebdo offices. We go to the rally, the Sunday after, in the Place de la Republique, alongside one million others, thousands of whom are armed with pens, pencils and paintbrushes, rising as one to defend the principle of freedom of speech. I shall never forget that.

I must work. It’s Monday, and Paris remains eerily empty and subdued. Head down I tackle edits. When the final galley goes off, I lift my head to see a mist of green in the treetop outside our fifth storey window. Outside, I don’t dash about for basic groceries like I’ve been doing, but rather take a deep breath of early spring air and marvel at the feeling of rebirth and restoration. Never mind air pollution – there’s only freshly baked baguette, excellent coffee, and chocolate, mingling their way to my nostrils from the market stalls on nearby Rue de Buci, beckoning. I follow, passing a spectacular greengrocer, and a shellfish counter, laden with jewels of the sea nestling in crushed ice not yet melted by the early spring sun.

Tables are set on the sidewalk, where tables haven’t been: wineglasses, yellow roses in pink vases, cutlery and crisp white napkins. Umbrellas and awnings appear, tentative, not tempting meteorological fate. I find the Rue de Seine, and walk a few blocks, coming out of the narrow street alongside the gilt tipped dome of L’Académie Français onto the Quai de Conti. Standing on the lovelock-burdened Pont des Arts, I gaze at the sparkling river − pink, gold and green, like a Renoir.
Walking along the river, going with the flow for a while, I turn south, through different narrow streets lined with interesting doorways, tiny antique shops, compact art galleries, a vintage chandelier store dripping with crystals, a handmade soap boutique, bespoke perfume shop (is there not enough ready-made perfume in France?) and many small, charming hotels. I emerge on the Boulevard Saint Germaine and go into the church, alone but for one elderly gentleman, praying in the chapel devoted to military veterans 'mort pour la France'. In the glow of ancient stained glass and candlelight, I visit the wooden statue of the saint himself, lighting a candle, to keep everything safe, for now, everyone, everywhere, please.

Coffee time, and where better than Les Deux Magots, a few steps across the road, since I’m a writer? I sit inside with the ghosts of the literary great; besides, it’s a little chilly, this first spring day to sit outside, overhung by the great grey shadow of the abbey.

If you come in through the door on Rue Bonaparte, you’ll see me in the far left corner, next to the window. Here, the best (and possibly the most expensive) coffee in Paris is served, but it arrives in a silver pot, with a jug of hot milk, sugar and a 'petit biscuit', and special little paper sleeves on the hot handles, so you don’t burn yourself.

There’s a photo behind me, on the wall, of Simone de Beauvoir. I’m sitting at her table when I have an idea. Out comes my notebook. I scribble a few lines, with her looking over my shoulder; it seems the very best thing for a writer to do at this moment.

Later, I wander home. What’s the next project? Something set – or partially set − in eternally beautiful Paris? Definitely. Did Simone steer me in this direction? I love that thought.

There’s a raindrop. I look up between the graceful, grey stone buildings adorned with curving black balustrades. Black clouds cover the sun, having their last moment. Nearly home I glance at the tree in the small square outside our front door. It’s greener than this morning, I’m absolutely sure of it.

LES DEUX MAGOTS: http://www.lesdeuxmagots.fr/en/ambiances.php#/ambiances.php

THE SEA HORSE DOOR: http://www.wildrosepublishing.com/maincatalog_v151/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=242_175_133&products_id=6165

This blog first appeared as part of the Long and Short Reviews Spring Blogfest on 3 April 2015

Interview with Christian Aguillard, Hero of Love for Sale

Hello everyone!

I am talking with Christian Aguillard, the hero in my upcoming fantasy romance, Love for Sale.

1. Christian, how did you meet our heroine, March Morgan, since she lives in Houston and you hail from England?
March saw Mayfair Electronic’s small classified ad in a women’s journal and booked an appointment to meet the others and me.

2. Tell us about your interesting secret.
I am a sentient android created by Mayfair Electronics, Ltd., Dover Street, London and called the Special Editions. My siblings and I are indistinguishable from human and are sold as companions. We’re programmed to love, honor and obey, more or less. With me, no programming was necessary. The first time I saw March, I was immediately in love. I’m very fortunate indeed that she chose me and signed on the dotted line to make her man payment, as she says. I could have been programmed for another but never with the simple feeling that struck my heart when I walked into that room, and March faced me. We both froze, gazing into each other’s eyes.

3. I take it then that you have emotions—feelings like the human being you replicate.
Yes, very much so. And those feelings can be hurt, just as your feelings can be hurt. For all intents and purposes, we are human.

4. Why isn’t Mayfair doing a high profile advertising campaign to promote and sell the Special Editions? I’m sure there are many—I for one—who’d love the opportunity to have such a companion.
We’re being placed in a process rather like adoption because the populace at large isn’t ready to accept another life form, as it were . If we were public knowledge, there’d be the usual hue and cry, doubtless to say more than the protests against cloning. Companions custom-programmed for love and devotion would threaten the tenuous relationships between men and women everywhere, don’t you think?

5. Yes, I do agree, but it’s such a crime that those who’d love that special someone are missing the opportunity because they don’t know that such a companion exists.
Sad for both our kind and yours. At birth, a distinct personality is instilled in each of us. When we go with our companion, intricate data from a personal questionnaire completed by the applicant is fed into our memory banks, then being incorporated into that personality.

6. You are fascinating and simply perfect. I’ll sign on the dotted line.
There are five female and five male models. One of us would probably suit you. The males are Trevor, Stuart, Marcus, Daniel and Christian. The females are Monica, Dawn, Georgia, Marguerite and Samantha. We range in height, coloring and other physical features—women’s breasts, etc. and the male’s equipment—which are customized for each purchaser.

7. Tell us a little about the story of March and Christian.
I expected Utopia. I was in love, and it was obvious the feeling was mutual. I wasn’t prepared for the real world, and far too soon internal and external forces threatened our happiness…indeed our lives.

8. Like Mayfair Electronics, The Wild Rose Press is offering Love for Sale. Watch for this story’s release soon. We don’t have a cover yet, but here’s a tantalizing picture of Christian.

Thanks to Christian! Looking forward to meeting you soon in Love for Sale!
Available June 10th!
www.thewildrosepress.com
Linda Nightingale
http://www.lindanightingale.com

Write. Dream. Dance. By Tammy L. Bailey

When I was in high school, I wanted to be a:

F-16 fighter pilot
Dancer on Fame (television show)
George Clooney’s girlfriend (when he was on The Facts of Life)

I didn’t think of becoming a published author until 2004, after watching the 1995 Jane Austen adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. I was inspired. So, I bought a laptop and began writing. A few books and over one hundred queries later, I received the awaited email from The Wild Rose Press regarding my contemporary romance, LORD BACHELOR. I was sitting in my happy writing space, working on my next round of queries when I read the good news. Strike that...unbelievable, wonderful, life-changing news! Of course, I made my husband read the message, just in case I was hallucinating.

He confirmed what I read, and I broke into the happy dance next to my chair. The ‘happy dance’ is what happens when a writer receives word their book is about to be published. I’m not sure if the moves are universal, however, I do believe all of them involve slipping into The Running Man at some point.

Since retiring out of the Ohio Air National Guard, I try to visit my chair several times a day. My typical writing week looks a little like this:

Monday-Friday
5:00 A.M. Wake up and hit snooze
5:15 A.M. Wake up, stumble, and zigzag to my writing chair
6:00 A.M. Save project and get ready for work
7:00 A.M. Commute 40 minutes to my job, hoping no one is filming me singing...and dancing to, “It’s Raining Men”
4:30 P.M. Drive home, make dinner, and Google school work because I have no idea how to do this new math
7:30 P.M. Escape to my writing chair
8:30 P.M. Spend time with boys and tuck them into bed
9:30 P.M. Stumble and zigzag to my own bed and try to fall asleep as my characters carry on a fascinating conversation in my head

Sat-Sun
A big blur

To say the least, I’m very excited about sharing LORD BACHELOR, and I’m so fortunate to have found a wonderful editor who was willing to take a chance on me and the book. She also did a great job of reminding me when to breathe.

Although I don’t have a release date, I’m learning the art of marketing and continuing to write in my writing space where there are plenty of ‘happy’ plants to keep me company. I’m also perfecting my dance moves for my next unbelievable, wonderful, life-changing email.

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog post. I look forward to hearing from you.

Tammy L. Bailey
http://www.tammylbailey.com

How Do YOU read? - an inquiry from author Cj Fosdick

Fifteen Minutes a day? An hour before bedtime? Weekends or Vacations? Print or eBook? Mystery, Romance, multi genre? Favorite authors? With music or silence?

Check out this ten question multiple choice survey! You may even learn something about your reading habits and how others select books!  https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/9VR7373

Many thanks from Cj Fosdick, author of
the multi-genre new Wild Rose Press novel,  "The Accidental Wife"

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

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

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/

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.

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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:

Website

Twitter –  @StanaleiFletch

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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