Thursday, February 24, 2011

Free For All Friday - Meet Author Taryn Kincaid!

Welcome everyone! Today I'm thrilled to have the talented Taryn Kincaid visiting! Especially since we're both celebrating our releases!
Thanks so much for being here, Taryn. I LOVE your cover for HEALING HEARTS. It's gorgeous:)

All of Taryn's books are listed on her website/blog http://dreamvoyagers.blogspot.com/

but come on back and get to know Taryn a little better:)

Hi, everyone!  I'm so thrilled to be here this week to help Jennifer celebrate the release of RAFE'S REDEMPTION! 
As for me, my Regency novella, HEALING HEARTS, releases Monday from Carina Press!  Almost to excited about that to answer Jennifer's Q&A.
Q. Where is your favorite place to write?
A. I think that depends on time, place and season and where am I in the story. Often, bits of dialogue come to me in the shower (although it is pretty impossible to jot anything down then).  When I was working on one of my paranormals, and couldn't quite work out where it was going, I started taking loooooong walks in a park near my house...with a little notepad tucked into my back pocket. Sure enough, I'd stop dead in my tracks to scribble. The joggers and bikers were not to happy about that!
Q. What is most difficult for you to write: Characters, conflict, emotions?
A. For me this has to be conflict, conflict, conflict. I generally start with the characters, falling in love with the hero, of course. As I write, their emotions begin to take hold. Often it is the internal conflict that rips me apart, far more than the hero and heroine! Sometimes, even in my favorite reads, the internal conflict seems contrived to me. Yes, we get it. The heroine has trust issues. The hero can't commit. I worry about coming up with issues that go beyond that. Always a struggle.
Q. If you were going to cast the hero of your book, what actor would you get?
A. Hmm. This is a puzzler. I want him gorgeous, with a great British accent, and tall, dark and handsome. All the actors I can think of who are springing to mind -- Colin Firth, Clive Owen, Rupert Everett, are already a little too old to play Adam, I think! Perhaps Christian Bale! 
Q. Do you believe in love at first sight? 
A. Oh, most definitely. Doesn't everyone? No, seriously, I think very often that is the stuff of romance novels and why we love them. That first sizzle of awareness between the hero and the heroine...when everything else fades away. Ah. Swoon.
Q. Why did you pick your genre to write -- OR did it pick you?
A. Oh, the genres pick me. My release from The Wild Rose Press, SLEEPY HOLLOW DREAMS, was an erotica paranormal. HEALING HEARTS is a sweeter (though still hot!) Regency. I'm currently working on a romantic suspense. I go where the characters take me!
HEALING HEARTS is available for pre-order now at Carina Press and Amazon.
Blurb:
As a girl, Emma Whiteside asked Adam Caldwell, Viscount Riverton, to wait for her to be of marriageable age. Now, twelve years later, Emma hates Adam as much as she once loved him, holding the former army major responsible for the death of her brother on the battlefield.
Adam already blames himself for the loss of the men under his command. But the fiery young woman Emma's become sparks his arousal, as well as emotions Adam thought long dead. The passion between them makes him want to reclaim the man he was before the war.
Though she tries to hold on to her hatred, Emma's longing for Adam is undeniable, especially after the two share a smoldering kiss. Still, Adam is certain no woman would want a man so damaged. Can Emma prove him wrong?
Excerpt:

The wind blew off the sea, moaning and wild, buffeting the man pacing the cliffs.
Hidden by a wall of rock, Emma Whiteside shielded her eyes against the bite of salt spray and continued to watch him, as she did every dawn.
Today, she thought. Today she would approach him at last. Confront him. Give him the royal tongue-lashing he deserved. She had nothing left to lose, after all. And she might not have the opportunity tomorrow. Or ever again.
The things I will say to you, Riverton, will peel the skin from your bones and lay you lower than anything Napoleon's Grande Armée had to offer.
A small voice nagged Emma from within, the advice reasonable considering her current dire circumstances. Better to seek the man's aid than chide him. But she snapped her mind closed against the unwanted counsel. The viscount was the last man on earth she'd ever ask for help.
Grief chilled her, numbed her heart, deadened the tender feelings she'd once had for him. Only her need for vengeance broke through her frozen emotions now. She longed to set Riverton in his place, however little effect her words might have on a man so impervious to remorse.
But once again Emma could neither confront him nor beseech him. The evidence of his stiff-necked pride—and her own—continued to hold her back with as much force as if an unseen hand pressed down upon her shoulder. She glared in the man's direction, as if it were his hand oppressing her.
Fierce gusts punished him, impeding his tortured progress. Pain twisted his handsome features but he confronted the gale without flinching. A tiny chip splintered off from the ice sheath encasing Emma's heart.
Damn him.
How do you bear it, Riverton? Are you made of stone?
She knew he was not. She saw the agony against which he fought, the stalwart way he pushed himself onward, despite the uneven gait that hampered his progress.
A cold blast of wind whistled past, ripping the hood of Emma's cloak aside, whipping her hair against her neck. The frigid current stung her eyes, wringing reluctant tears. She blinked the moisture away and rubbed the damp trail from her cheeks.
No tears, she instructed herself. Not for him. Never for him.
Riverton wore no coat or cravat. His linen flapped about him, white shirttails torn from his trousers—an unlikely flag of surrender when he refused to give quarter.
Did you stand so against the French?
Emma could think of no oath dark enough to curse a man so remarkably stoic. She envisioned him in her mind's eye, saber raised, hastening up and down the lines, shouting at his men to hold: Major Adam Caldwell, Viscount Riverton, at his most courageous.
She shuddered, conjuring the brutal attack that haunted her grimmest moments, the scene clouded by smoke and thunder, blurred by the limits of her grief and imagination. The battle where her twin had fallen, belly pierced by an enemy bayonet.
Michael admired you so, Riverton. I will never stop blaming you. 'Tis time you knew it.
Anger burned within her breast, bright as her love for the viscount once had.
And yet...her gaze swept him again, lingering on the trousers that molded his muscular thighs, the loose shirt that emphasized the breadth of his shoulders. 'Twas but the vicious wind that stole her breath, she told herself. 
***
Taryn Kincaid
Healing Hearts, Carina Press, February 28, 2011

Available for pre-order at CarinaPress.com
and Amazon.com
Sleepy Hollow Dreams,  The Wild Rose Press

http://www.dreamvoyagers.blogspot.com

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

The Wild Rose Press Valentine Tour - Final Week!


Hi everyone! Well, it doesn't seem possible, but this is our last week of TWRP Valentine Tour.  The prize this time is worth $40 and then we will have a Grand Prize drawing for a $50 prize!

My guest today is the fabulous Lynne Roberts! Her lasted novel, CREATIVE LICENSE is available now. You can find the info here : http://lynneroberts.net/

 
Today we're talking about Developing Unique Characters. I've listed all the other blog links at the bottom of this page so feel free to hop around;) The more you comment, the more times your name is entered in our drawings!
So without further delay, Heeeeeeeeeeeeere's Lynne!
 ******
 Developing Unique Characters:
The greatest idea, the most sweeping setting, or even passionate love story won’t carry a story if the characters are one dimensional or shallow.
So how do you develop a unique character?
As a writer, it’s not enough to ask yourself what you would do in a given situation…unless you’re writing an autobiography, or rather, it might work for one character but all of them? No.
First, I think, you have to view each character as an individual, build them from the ground up. I know many writers start with an image. I usually start with motivation. What does this character want? And then, as I think our fears define us, what is this character afraid of? As I detail these fears, I define the character’s strengths and weaknesses.
Next, I decide on mannerisms. Everyone has certain habits: wrinkling his or her nose, running hands through hair, biting a lip, etc. Mannerisms extend to speech patterns or accents. By the time I reach this point, I can ‘see’ the character; they’ve taken a breath, become distinct, alive.
My goal is to be able to identify which character is speaking without using tags.
For me as a writer, when the characters are unique, I can’t wait to write the book simply to spend time with them. Oddly enough, it’s not a given that the writer will like every character we develop. In my new release, CREATIVE LICENSE, I didn’t like the heroine very much at first. Our personalities clashed. As I spent more time with her, I grew to understand her a little better and why Caleb loved her. Okay, it didn’t help that I was half in love with Caleb myself.
Unique, memorable characters stick with you long after you’ve finished the book. They’re what make readers demand sequels.
*******
CREATIVE LICENSE BLURB:
Loose ends have a way of tripping you up…
Years ago, a law school graduation weekend in Vegas had been part of Lily MacPherson’s plan. Waking up next to a naked Adonis with a ring on her finger was not. After a quick annulment, she relegated Caleb Anderson to her late-night fantasies—and very short list of mistakes—until his voice on the other end of the phone asks a favor that could shake the foundations of her neat and tidy future.
Caleb is still haunted by Lily’s horrified expression that morning in Vegas. At least it had made it easy to set her free…except they aren’t. The papers were never filed. And when the nosy patroness who could launch his painting career insists on meeting his “wife”, does he confess, or call Lily? He calls Lily.
When she steps off the plane, Caleb’s determination to play tour guide disappears in the San Francisco fog. Lily thought she could keep up the pretense for one weekend, cut the last tie to her past, and move on. But their chemistry still pops and sizzles, finally exploding into passion at Caleb’s studio.
It’s everything they remember…but so is the yawning chasm of differences that, in the end, could once again drive them apart.
*******
Excerpt: 
  The computer screen blurred. Lily blinked to refocus her tired eyes on the deposition and sighed in relief when the phone rang. She loved her job, loved working for a law firm, but staring at a computer screen for hours took its toll.
Blowing a strand of dark hair out of her eyes, she reached over a stack of law books. “McPherson.” Lily glanced at the clock as her stomach rumbled. She’d worked through lunch again. Damn.
The other end of the line was silent for so long, she thought the caller had changed his or her mind. “Hello?”
“Yes, hi.”
The rich, masculine voice sent chills down her spine and knotted her stomach. Eyes closed, she gripped the phone so hard it hurt. Even after all these years, she knew that voice. “Caleb?”
A low, sexy chuckle rumbled through the line. “You remember me.”
Oh shit, why was he calling her now? Memories of the most erotic night of her life flashed through her mind. Lily opened her eyes, reminding herself the most embarrassing morning of her life had followed. “How did you get this number? Never mind.”
Despite the deep breath, the receiver trembled in her hand. “Can I do something for you?”
An intake of breath and then a pause. “We have a slight problem.”
Lily’s stomach churned acid. None of their problems had been small, not for the twelve hours and twenty-two minutes they’d been married. “Yes?”
Caleb cleared his throat. “It seems the annulment didn’t go through.”

*******
Meet author AJ Nuest at http://amielouellen.wordpress.com/
Meet author Lynne Roberts at http://authorjenniferjakes.blogspot.com/
Meet paranormal romance author Maeve Greyson at
http://www.ajbooks.blogspot.com/
Meet contemporary and paranormal romance author Jill James at
http://maevegreyson.blogspot.com/
Meet romantic suspense author Kat Duncan at http://amycorwin.blogspot.com
Meet contemporary YA an adult romance author Linda Kage at
www.jilljameswrites.com
Meet paranormal, and historical romance author Caroline Clemmons at
http://www.katduncan.net/writeabout
Meet historical and paranormal romance writer Lilly Gayle at
http://lindakage.blogspot.com/
Meet Amie Louellen, author of fun and whimsical contemporary romance at http://carolineclemmons.blogspot.com
Meet erotic western historical author Jennifer Jakes at
www.lillygayleromance.blogspot.com

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Free For All Friday - Meet Author Lynne Roberts!

Hello!! Today I've got the fabulous Lynne Roberts visiting! Her new book, CREATIVE LICENSE is just out and if you haven't read it......why not?? LOL
You can finds links to this and more of her wonderful stories on her website http://www.lynneroberts.net/
But be sure to come back and get to know Lynne better! 

Thanks so much for being my guest, Lynne! Take it away........

1- Was your road to publication a delightful stroll in the park or a tiring jog over hot coals? 
A little of both? I’ve been writing since 2005. I’ve finished 3 full-length fantasy books and although I’ve gotten closer every time, ultimately is was a no go. It wasn’t until 2009 when a friend of mine—Jennifer Leeland, I love you—convinced me to try my hand at erotic romance that things started moving along. I submitted my first story, FIRST DATE, to The Wilder Rose Press under Lynne Roberts and was asked to revise and resubmit. I did and they accepted it. I currently have one of my fantasy manuscripts with a publisher; my fingers are crossed. 
2- Do you have critique partners?
  I do! I don’t think I could write without them. A good critique partner is worth his or her weight in gold—unafraid to tell you when something stinks, reminding you that sometimes you have to kill your darlings and cheering as loud as you do when something goes right. I also have some wonderful beta readers that catch things I would totally miss.
3- Tell us about your real life romance.

My real life romance. Okay, I’m grinning! You see, I enrolled my youngest daughter in soccer and the coach was this gorgeous guy who was really good with the kids—they all loved him. One day I heard him playing classical music in is car as he drove away and I thought it’s too bad guys like that are always taken… well, to make a long story short, he wasn’t, but he is now. ; ) It seems he had a crush on me too. When soccer season was over, he asked me on a date and we’ve been together since. He is so much like me we finish each other's sentences. He loves that I'm a writer and doesn't mind taking care of the kids so I can run off with my  characters. 
4 -  If you were going to cast the hero of your book, what actor would get the part? 
Oh that’s so easy! Josh Holloway.  I could ‘see’ him every time I wrote Caleb. In fact, Caleb started out with dark hair and I just had to change it.
5 -  How likely are people you meet to end up in your next book?

  LOL Wouldn’t you like to know? Just kidding. My characters are pretty much original but mannerisms and quirks, those are fair game. For instance, my sisters took me out to dinner for my birthday a few years ago. There was a man sitting at the bar, staring into his drink as though the amber liquid contained the answers to life. The image stayed with me and became part of the hero’s character in my soon-to-be-released book, Hooking Up. 
6- If you could switch places with one of your characters would you? 
Although I love all my heroes, nope, I wouldn’t trade places with any of my heroines. My real life partner is just too good to trade.
 7- What is your favorite dessert/food? 
Chocolate… oh and chocolate, maybe with some chocolate on the side. ; ) Cookies or brownies with ice cream and hot fudge sounds really good right now. : ) I love to bake and do so whenever I can.
*****
CREATIVE LICENSE BLURB:
Loose ends have a way of tripping you up…

Years ago, a law school graduation weekend in Vegas had been part of Lily MacPherson’s plan. Waking up next to a naked Adonis with a ring on her finger was not. After a quick annulment, she relegated Caleb Anderson to her late-night fantasies—and very short list of mistakes—until his voice on the other end of the phone asks a favor that could shake the foundations of her neat and tidy future.

Caleb is still haunted by Lily’s horrified expression that morning in Vegas. At least it had made it easy to set her free…except they aren’t. The papers were never filed. And when the nosy patroness who could launch his painting career insists on meeting his “wife”, does he confess, or call Lily? He calls Lily.

When she steps off the plane, Caleb’s determination to play tour guide disappears in the San Francisco fog. Lily thought she could keep up the pretense for one weekend, cut the last tie to her past, and move on. But their chemistry still pops and sizzles, finally exploding into passion at Caleb’s studio.

It’s everything they remember…but so is the yawning chasm of differences that, in the end, could once again drive them apart.
****
It’s everything they remember…but so is the yawning chasm of differences that, in the end, could once again drive them apart.
---
CREATIVE LICENSE EXCERPT:
Product Warnings:
Contains balmy ocean breezes, coffee as seduction, the creative use of melted chocolate, and naughty shower lovin’ that gives new meanings to the term “shower head”.




The computer screen blurred. Lily blinked to refocus her tired eyes on the deposition and sighed in relief when the phone rang. She loved her job, loved working for a law firm, but staring at a computer screen for hours took its toll. Blowing a strand of dark hair out of her eyes, she reached over a stack of law books.

“McPherson.” Lily glanced at the clock as her stomach rumbled. She’d worked through lunch again. Damn. The other end of the line was silent for so long, she thought the caller had changed his or her mind. “Hello?”

“Yes, hi.”

The rich, masculine voice sent chills down her spine and knotted her stomach. Eyes closed, she gripped the phone so hard it hurt. Even after all these years, she knew that voice. “Caleb?”

A low, sexy chuckle rumbled through the line. “You remember me.”

Oh shit, why was he calling her now? Memories of the most erotic night of her life flashed through her mind. Lily opened her eyes, reminding herself the most embarrassing morning of her life had followed. “How did you get this number? Never mind.”

Despite the deep breath, the receiver trembled in her hand. “Can I do something for you?” An intake of breath and then a pause.

“We have a slight problem.”

Lily’s stomach churned acid. None of their problems had been small, not for the twelve hours and twenty-two minutes they’d been married. “Yes?”

Caleb cleared his throat. “It seems the annulment didn’t go through.” “

Oh, shit.” I’m in a bad movie. This has got to be a joke. She leaned against the back of her chair. “What do you mean it didn’t go through?”

“We’re still married, sweetie. The annulment was never processed.”

Married? “Why?” Lily rubbed the ache growing between her eyes. “No. I don’t care. Just get it processed.”

“It’s too late now. We’ve been married too long.”

“We are not married.” Lily tried to swallow past the tide of rising panic.

“The state of Nevada would disagree, sweetheart.”

She could almost see that sexy grin, those sparkling green eyes. She definitely remembered what they did to her. She’d been chocolate under the heat of his sun. “I am not your sweetheart.” She reached for a notepad. Who to call? Certainly no one in the firm. Though they were all professional and talented, people talked. She couldn’t let it get back to her family or… Oh, God. Stewart. “I’ll file for divorce in the morning.”

“Um, about that.”
****
Thanks again for joining us today, Lynne.

And be sure to check out Lynne's other novels.
http://www.lynneroberts.net/

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

The Wild Rose Press Valentine Tour - Week 3!!



Welcome! It's WEEK 3 Already????  How did that happen??? I hope you've had as much fun as we have so far. We have one Rose missing this week? Can you figure out who it is??? Leave me a comment if you know. Heck, leave me a comment even if you don't;) Each comment enters you in our drawing. A list with links to all our blogs is listed at the bottom, so sit back with some coffee and enjoy:)

Today my guest is the fabulous Jill James and we're talking about MEETING OUR SIGNIFICANT OTHER. Jill writes Contemporary and Paranormal romance. And if you haven't had the pleasure of reading her work, you should;) Here's her website, then come on back and find out about her real life romance.  http://www.jilljameswrites.com 


Meeting Your Significant Other  

First meets in romance novels have types. The cute first meet – like bumping into each other and dropping everything. The mistaken first meet – the whole ‘I thought you were someone else” scenario. Or in my case with my husband, the total “I’ll ignore you because you are a geek” meeting in junior high. We went through junior high, high school, and graduated together.
My husband and I lived in a small town. In junior high and high school we knew all our classmates, at least by name. Who we were back then, we would never have gone out with each other in a million years.
Fast forward a few years. I was just out of the wrong guy, wrong time situation. I had a young daughter and a crappy, low-paying job. My supervisor knew I was divorced so he asked if I would go out with his son if he asked me. I took a moment to think – hmm, lonely, no dates in 14 months, and a date with someone I already semi-knew. Okay.
He is a cop. He came to my work to ask me out—in uniform! I was lost in those deep brown eyes from the moment he leaned over my desk and asked me out to dinner. We dated for 8 months when he asked me to marry him. Six months later was the wedding. This year will be 23 years.
Not sure what kind of meet that would be, but it’s mine.

What is your favorite meet for a hero and heroine in a book or movie?
****
BLURB: TEMPTING ADAM
They both want the same thing – St. Eden Studios.
Corporate raider Yvette Giardino intends to bring St. Eden Studios to its knees. It’s a job. One her grandmother’s health depends on. That Adam St. Eden will suffer isn’t personal. Until he awakens her sympathy and stirs her body in ways she can’t explain. 
Adam wants one thing and one thing only – to protect the dream his grandfather began. But when the board demands he work with stunning Yvette, a woman he’d mistakenly indulged with in a little after-hours play, his world turns upside down. Missed meetings, unhappy clients, and nights of intense pleasure – he can blame one person.  Yvette. 
With his corporation crumbling around him, can Adam rise above the fallout and see his sexy temptress for what she really is – a victim of manipulation and a woman who desperately needs his love?  
EXCERPT: TEMPTING ADAM

Yvette pulled herself together with a jolt.

It’s a job. It’s a job.

She repeated the mantra in her head in an endless loop, gazing into deep, blue eyes. This close, she noticed the subtle lines near his eyes from his outdoor living. If he had grown up in Hollywood, he would have had a facelift or two by now, instead of the natural look he pulled off quite well.

Adam helped her rise, his warm hand cupping her elbow. A tingle shot from her arm, to her chest, and to regions much farther south. A sexual moan almost escaped her lips. Yvette shook her head to clear the mental images of her and him and the hotel room. It didn’t help. Memories of that night still had the power to stir her senses. They hit Yvette in a place she didn’t think existed—her emotions.

His eyes darkened to indigo, and he leaned nearer. His fresh, evergreen scent enveloped her. Her head swam, and she tilted on the heels of her shoes. She berated herself for her juvenile behavior, unable to believe the She-shark of business might have met her match. At least in the sexual arena.

Adam wrapped an arm around her shoulders, led her to the bench outside the door, and sat beside her. “I hope you’re doing okay. I would’ve found you a seat inside, but they were getting back to work. I didn’t want anything else to delay the work schedule.”

Disbelief flooded Yvette while she replayed what had just happened. She needed to get a grip on herself and this job. Adam was nice enough overall, and was great—make that fantastic—in bed.

However, he was no ruthless businessman and knew next to nothing about Hollywood. He wasn’t the first
CEO she’d taken down, and he wouldn’t be the last.
****
****
THANKS JILL :)
****
Wednesday, February 16th – Blog Topic – Meeting Your Significant Other
Meet author Amy Corwin at http://amielouellen.wordpress.com/
Meet contemporary and paranormal romance author Jill James at http://authorjenniferjakes.blogspot.com/
Meet romantic suspense author Kat Duncan at http://www.ajbooks.blogspot.com/
Meet contemporary YA an adult romance author Linda Kage at http://lynneroberts.blogspot.com/
Meet paranormal, and historical romance author Caroline Clemmons at http://amycorwin.blogspot.com/
Meet historical and paranormal romance writer Lilly Gayle at http://www.jilljameswrites.com/blog
Meet Amie Louellen, author of fun and whimsical contemporary romance at http://www.katduncan.net/writeabout
Meet erotic western historical author Jennifer Jakes at http://lindakage.blogspot.com/
Meet author AJ Nuest at http://carolineclemmons.blogspot.com/
Meet author Lynne Roberts at http://www.lillygayleromance.blogspot.com