Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Much Ado About Madams #freepartay Dec 12-13

Yuletide 
Free Par-Tay!

Yep, it's here, and that means you get free books from best-selling authors and while you're at it, you can enter to win a new Kindle!

Just go to 
Dec 12-13 
and you're in luck. :)

Check out these books, and believe me, your TBR pile will grow.


The Last Honest Seamstress
When sparks fly, love ignites. 
By Gina Robinson

The Grandmasters Legacy 
Christmas Special Box Set 
Hot Men and Hotter Women Kicking Up a Storm. 
By Taylor Lee
The Handsomest Man in the Country 
Life usually doesn't work out like we think it should.  
By Nancy Radke

Dance of the Winnebagos 
Laugh-out-loud dialogue, unforgettable characters, and pulse-pounding suspense! 
By Ann Charles 

If Love Dares Enough 
He risks all to save the woman he loves. 
By Anna Markland

Much Ado About Madams
A romantic romp in the Old West.
By Jacquie Rogers

And Dozens More!
Subscribe to the Free Par-Tay newsletter
and you’ll be entered to win 
$25 in Amazon Gift Cards
and a drawing for a 
new Kindle!

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Thanksgiving Party at TRS: A Romance Reader's Feast!

Are you ready to party?  Do you love to read romance novels?  Yes to both?  We have the bash for you.  It's . . .


Yes, party time at The Romance Studio.  November 17 to 20.  All day, every day, so it doesn't matter what time zone you're in.
♫ Prizes galore! ♫
TRS is giving away a $100 gift card!

Win your choice of any one of the
Hearts of Owyhee books
In fact--maybe more than one. :)

I'll let you know when my posts are published, so stay tuned!
Much Ado About Marshals
Much Ado About Madams
Much Ado About Mavericks



Monday, October 22, 2012

A Visit with Melia Alexander


Please welcome 
writer and all-around fun gal.  

I met her at a Rose City Romance Writers workshop and I'm telling you, she's a force!  So I was happy she agreed to be on my blog today. :)

JR: First of all, introduce yourself.  What specific subgenres do you love to read the most?  Who do you want to be when you grow up?  

MA: Hello Jacquie!  Thanks for having me on your blog.  I write contemporary romance novels - sassy, sexy, FUN contemporary romance novels.  Life's too intense as it is, so I love to be entertained by a fun read.  Given my day-job schedule (where I get to work with intelligent, hunky, construction guys -- complete with matching egos), short contemps are what I prefer.  

Oh, and I'm not growing up.  I'll be the eighty-year-old at a dance club wearing a leopard print skirt and sparkly top.  Orthopedic shoes?  Pfft.  Not me.  (Be warned family!)

JR: Melia, you have an interesting background.  Guam!  I love Guam.  Tell us how you ended up living in the Pacific Northwest, and how you survived your mother.

MA: Ah, Guam.  I got voted off the island.  :-)  Seriously, I come from a family that values education so strongly, I got shipped off to the Mainland to finish high school and then college.  What Mom hadn't counted on: I wasn't going back.  I think she might have forgiven me by now.

All in all, my mom is amazing!  Not that I'd thought so when I was growing up, of course.  She was a cigar-smoking, mahjong-playing, mother of five who never baked a cake but led us on hikes through the jungle -- wielding a machete, no less.  (Yeah, the combo exists.)  Thankfully, she's toned down a bit -- no more tromps through the jungle.

"Surviving" Mom meant reading.  A lot.  With books I lived a lot of adventures - far more than the land mass of a South Pacific island afforded me.  Come to think of it, Daddy loved to read, too  Hmmm. . ..

JR:  We’d love to know about your current manuscript in progress.  Tell us all about it, please!

MA:  My current manuscript is the second book in a series.  When a guy thinks he's in love with his female BFF, but she marries someone else, how does he bounce back?  A successful businessman, the hero thinks he can move on by dating as many women as possible.  After all, they're practically lined up outside his door.  Until he meets the heroine.

She's not playing his game.  A confirmed bachelorette, she recognizes trouble when she sees him - she's not going on one date with him, let alone breaking her own no-more-than-two-dates rule.  At least, that's her plan.  (Ha!)

This manuscript has been an eye opener for me.  As a plotter, I want the story to flow a certain way.  Turns out this heroine isn't paying any attention, and she flat out doesn't care about the hours I'd spent carefully crafting her future.  (Inconsiderate of her, I know!)  I'm learning to trust my muse.  Sort of.

JR: You’re going to the Emerald City Writers’ Conference (so am I!) .  Are you a planner?  If so, which workshops intrigue you the most, and what sort of topics do you avoid (for right now)?  And when will you be at the bar?

MA: Am I ever a planner!  I spend at least four weeks plotting out the story.  That's about as much time as I take writing the first draft.  Edits take much longer.

I'm so excited about the Emerald City Writers' Conference!  The speakers are always excellent.  I don't avoid topics, but I do tend to gravitate toward craft workshops. . .. as well as the informal ones at the bar.  :-)  There's so much to be learned, and this conference is one that I've attended almost every year since I've started writing (I've only missed one).  The energy of agents, editors and other writers is AMAZING.  I always leave the conference feeling refreshed and ready to tackle a manuscript. 

JR: The landscape of publishing has changed drastically in the last two years.  In light of that, how do you plan to negotiate the waters to publication?

MA: The best road to publication, I think, is to write a good story, AND to submit, submit, submit!  Traditional print, e-pub, small press, self-pub -- do it all.  I think this is the best advice I've heard (at a workshop you and Ann Charles gave).  These days, a writer shouldn't limit herself to any one method of publishing.  Makes sense to me.  

JR: Thanks for visiting my blog today.  Anything you’d like to add? 

MA:  This has been a lot of fun, Jacquie.  Thanks for the invitation!  

$10 Amazon Gift Card

To celebrate fall ('cause, why not?), I'd like to offer a contest drawing.  Between now and October 31st, stop by my blog and leave a comment.  Each one will be entered in a random drawing for a $10 Amazon gift card.  See you there!  

Thanks so much to Melia for stopping by today.  Be sure to leave a comment on her blog so you'll be eligible to win her prize!

Friday, October 19, 2012

Tender Touch by Charlene Raddon #historicalromance



Tender Touch
by Charlene Raddon

Congratulations to Charlene Raddon, whose latest is Tender Touch, released Oct 11 2012, by Tirgearr Publishing.  It was originally published by Kensington in 1994 in paperback.

Here's what it's about:

They had lost everything that mattered...

Three nightmarish years of marriage had shattered Brianna Wight's sheltered world. Faking her own murder, she fled St. Louis... harboring terrible secrets that could mean her death.

The tragic loss of his Indian wife left Columbus Nigh a wanderer; necessity made him a wilderness guide. But now he found himself drawn to the enigmatic woman who'd hired him to lead her westward. Her gentle strength stirred his lonely heart... her tender beauty aroused his deepest passions.

Would they find love again on a western journey?

But the perils of the Oregon Trail paled beside the murderous wrath of the man who tracked them across the harsh frontier. Brianna knew the only way to save herself and Columbus was to risk their tender love. Only then could she free herself from the horrors of the past--and embrace a rapturous future...



Charlene Raddon is author of Taming Jenna, Tender Touch, Forever Mine, To Have and to Hold, and writing as Rachel Summers, Scent of Roses.

Sunday, October 14, 2012

Antiheroes: The Bad Boys of Fiction by @mattpizzolato

Matthew Pizzolato,
author
Antiheroes: 
The Bad Boys of Fiction
by Matthew Pizzolato

Perhaps the biggest draw that both reading and writing fiction has for me is the escapism that it provides. There are a lot of reasons to tell stories, but for the most part, people want characters with whom they can identify.

White Hats
The traditional hero and the villain portray the extremes of storytelling of good versus evil, and there are a lot of stories told using those character types that provide clear examples of how we should or shouldn't live.

Everyone needs heroes for the examples they provide because as human beings we should all strive toward bettering ourselves. However, not all of us can identify with heroes because while they may have flaws, they generally overcome them over the course of a story.

Gray Hats
Yet, there is a character that is somewhere in the middle, the antihero. This character type can portray elements of both heroes and villains, yet it is firmly entrenched in the heroic elements because no matter how bad an antihero is, there is always a line this character will not cross.

An example of this can be seen in the popular television series, Hell on Wheels. The main character, Cullen Bohanon is a classic example of the antihero. In one recent episode, Bohanon joined a gang and resorted to robbing trains. He had no problem with this until one of his cohorts threatened a child during the robbery. Bohanon defended the child and was knocked unconscious by another gang member. That is the line and Bohanon did not cross it.

Wesley Quaid
Wesley Quaid is the antihero that is the protagonist of my most recent release, Outlaw, and he is featured in several of my short stories. He's a lot of fun to write because he doesn't adhere to any particular moral code. He has his own sense of honor and lives by his own rules.

Because Wesley is an antihero, he allows me to explore the gray area of morality in my writing as opposed to the moral absolutes of black and white that I would normally be limited to if I stuck to heroes and villains. He has opened entirely new realms of storytelling for me as a writer, and I hope that he is as much fun to read about as he is for me to write.

Excerpt from Outlaw by Matthew Pizzolato

"I said, I'm faster than you are, Mister."

I took a deep breath, wiped the spilt whiskey from the back of my hand on the front of my shirt and turned to face the snot-nosed kid who'd bumped my elbow.

His hand hung over the butt of his gun and he waggled his fingers. As if that would make his draw faster, or maybe it was suppose to scare me.

"You just gonna stand there with piss running down your leg?" the Kid asked.

The last thing I needed right now was trouble, especially gun trouble. It would blow my cover and put me on the outs with Boyd Carlyle. "All right, Kid."

"All right, what?" His eyes widened and I noticed that he barely breathed.

"You said you're faster than me. Fine. You're faster than me." I started to turn away.

"But..."

"Go home and shoot up some cans."

Several of the men standing nearby laughed out loud. Blood rushed to the Kid's pale face when I closed the distance between us. He took a step back.

When he wrapped his fingers around the butt of his Colt, I stepped closer, jammed his half-drawn gun back into leather and slugged him square on the chin.

His gun belched flame from the bottom of his holster, and the Kid dropped as if he'd been pole-axed.

I bellied up to the bar. "Bartender, another whiskey."

The place erupted into cheers and laughter. Several men clapped me on the back. I heard scraping sounds and turned to see two men dragging the Kid toward the batwings.

"You should have just killed him. He'll make another try," a heavily whiskered man to my right said.

I shrugged. "Maybe he will." Recalling that tomorrow morning I would be sworn in as Deputy Marshal, I smiled. "Then again, maybe he won't."

The scent of lilac perfume assailed my nostrils as a body tucked in close to mine next to the bar.

"Howdy, Sugah." The voice oozed of Southern refinement.

I glanced at her and stared for a moment at her cleavage. "Well, hello there."

"Buy a lady a drink?"

Her low-cut dark green dress left little to the imagination, and the color enhanced the green of her eyes. Long golden hair hung to her waist.

"I figure it's you who should buy me one."

She raised an eyebrow. "Is that a fact?"

"Yes ma'am." I tossed back a drink and grinned at her. "I could have shot the place up a few minutes ago, gotten blood all over your floor, and made quite a mess."

Her eyes crinkled at the corners while she waved for the bartender. "How'd you know I owned the place?"

"The name of the front is The Southern Magnolia; and then there's that Yankee accent you have."

A saucy smile lit her features. "You're different than most men."

"So I've been told."

"Most men would have killed that boy."

On any other occasion, I would have too. Instead of elaborating, I shrugged. "There was no need to."

She eyed me for a moment and seemed on the verge of speaking again when the bartender arrived with a special bottle and a couple of glasses.

"Sam. This man's drinks are on the house."

"Yes ma'am." Another customer called for him and he scurried away.

She filled both glasses and handed me one.

"Here's how," I said and banged our glasses together.

She tossed back her whiskey like she'd done it a few times.

I downed my shot and replaced the glass on the bar.

She looked me over for a moment. "You know, I kind of like you and-"

"I don't blame you."

Her lips twitched upward slightly. "And I don't even know your name."

"Wesley Quaid. What's yours?"

"Folks call me Dixie."

I laughed. "I should have known."

"Yes. You should have." Crowfeet appeared at the corner of her eyes as she refilled our glasses. "There's a room at the top of the stairs."

"Really?"

She handed me the glass and ran her finger down my chest and over my stomach. "Yep. Something up there I want to show you."

"Is that a fact?"

"Yes sir. Lead the way."

I stepped back and offered her my arm. "Ladies first."

"But of course." She placed her hand in the crook of my elbow and led me toward the stairs.  More than a few envious glares were cast in my direction, but who was I to argue with a beautiful woman?


My thanks to Matthew Pizzolato for stopping by my blog.  I hope his new release, Outlaw is a huge success!  Also, check out his collection of Wesley Quaid short stories: The Wanted Man.

Want to learn more about Matthew or contact him?  Sure you do!  

Saturday, September 15, 2012

Mimi Barbour: Release for hot, new "Vegas" Series -- Are you feeling lucky?


Mimi Barbour, author
I'm happy to host talented author Mimi Barbour today.  Mimi is lucky to live on the beautiful Vancouver Island in British Columbia and writes riveting (and fun) paranormal romances.  Besides being a gifted author, she's also a genuinely nice person.

Where can you find Mimi? Website, Twitter, BlogFacebook


Thank you Jacquie for letting me visit your blog today and for your support in helping me spread the news about my new series called "Vegas"

~Welcome~


This is release day for the new romantic suspense
Vegas Series by Mimi Barbour



Book One in the new Romantic Suspense 
Vegas Series

Riveting and fast-paced, this short blockbuster will introduce you to Aurora Morelli and Kai Lawson, the characters who are the stars of the Vegas Series.

In this novel, Aurora is forced to accept one very difficult fact—she's lonesome for her partner Debbie. An attack by a maniac put paid to their working together and Aurora is pissed. She's out to get the madman who hurt her friend and God help anyone who gets in her way.  Therefore when a new partner is forced on her, a bloody hotshot no less, the kind of dude she always stays as far away from as possible, she's even more pissed.
This action–packed short is humorous and will sweep you into the lives of these Las Vegas Detectives.

Short Excerpt – Chapter One

So this is what missing someone feels like. Kind of sad and lonely mashed together, eating away at you all day long. Aurora had never felt this way before; wouldn’t have given herself permission. This time the annoying ache refused to stop.
She seldom allowed gloomy thoughts to grab hold and mess with her head. But looking around the small office assigned to her and another, seeing the empty desk, sorrow gnawed away until she gave in. Her old partner Deb left behind a hollow emptiness, a sensation she wouldn’t ever admit to anyone else. What did you expect? She chastised herself. Not having the person you trust more than anyone else in the world backing you up sucked big time.
Two weeks ago, life had been normal. She’d gone to get a cup of the sludge they called coffee and left Debbie working on their backlog of case files. Returning to their office, Lieutenant Cory Ashton had caught up with her and they’d stepped into the room together, both coming to a dead stop. Debbie, who’d lately taken to the layered look with sloppy clothes, had bent over to pick something up from the floor and everything had draped open— her pregnant belly had been revealed for all to see.



Book Two in the romantic suspense 
Vegas Series

“You shot me!” Aurora is incensed. Her new partner shrugs and answers. “I saved your life.” From the very first page of this riveting story, these two battle for supremacy in trying to catch the serial rapist who ripped both their lives apart. With all her might, she fights the attraction to his baby blues that tease and start her internal warning devices humming. After all, her job is her life and determination has always been her lifeline.

Kai has a mission of honor to undertake. The man who’d raped his sister can’t be allowed to live. After all, she hadn’t! Revenge fills his soul while visions of his new partner fills his heart. The sassy woman rattles his calm, and he can’t keep his hands to himself. Doesn’t mean she has the power to stop him from doing what has to be done.

Short Excerpt – Chapter One

“You shot me!”
“You told me to.”
“Dumb shit!” Aurora pushed her new partner from hovering over her so she could sit up. “I didn't mean it. I just wanted you to scare Rhondo.” She felt blood poring from the wound on her arm and purposely kept her head turned away.
“Shooting you did scare him. He let you go, didn't he?”
Aurora frowned at him. Why did his voice have to sound so damn reasonable?
“What-ever!” She hoped her scorn would get to him.
“Hey! I saw his eyes, you didn’t.  He had every intention of using that knife. You know, the sharp one he had pressed against your throat. If I’d shot him instead of you…” He shrugged.
Aurora shuddered, fighting off nausea. She didn’t want to listen to reason. Being angry made the situation a whole lot easier to deal with. Sarcasm, the best weapon she had in a macho man's environment, replaced whining.
She glared at him and saw his shapely eyebrows rise. The light of the bulb hanging from the ceiling of the cruddy apartment haloed his head making the bare skin shine.  “Just my frigging luck to end up with a partner who thinks and looks like Bruce Willis."
Kai chuckled. Her glower put a quick end to his merriment. He tried changing the subject with sweet talk. "I've been told I have a nicely shaped head for being bald."
"Sure and it goes swell with your baby-blue eyes." She sneered on purpose. No way would she admit he did look good.
His response was a grunt of displeasure. “Are you always this crabby?”
Disbelief shone in her amazed expression. “Not at all…” She said, disdain evident. “…only when I’ve been shot.”

"Vegas" Contest Rules
(Sept 15 – Sept 30th)

1. Read the book called "Roll the Dice."
2. Write an honest review for Amazon.
3. Send a copy of Amazon's notice to
mimibarbour@hotmail.com

Then…
you'll have a chance at being the lucky winner of a
$50 Amazon Gift Certificate

I've purposely set the price of the book down to $.99 for this contest and on Sept 19 & 20 it will be promoted in the


and will be …

…you guessed it!

FREE!!!

Good Luck!!!

Monday, September 3, 2012

RttA Western Winner: Much Ado About Marshals


Daisy and Cole 
win again!

I'm thrilled that Much Ado About Marshals ( Hearts of Owyhee #1) has won the Romance Through the Ages contest for Best Colonial, Civil War, or Western Romance. Happy dance!  I don't have the web graphic yet but the contest coordinator assures me it's on its way.  

This contest is sponsored by Hearts Through History, a chapter of Romance Writers of America®.  I'm deeply grateful to the HHRW Board, especially Denise Pattison, who spearheaded the whole thing.  Anyone who's ever run a contest knows how much work she put into it.  So a big bunny kiss to you, Denise.  And a margarita.

Congratulations to Barbara Scott and Lyn Horner, who also placed.  Here are the winners of the category:
1st—Much Ado About Marshals by Jacquie Rogers
2nd—West of Heaven by Barbara Scott
3rd—Dashing Druid by Lyn Horner
I've featured all these books on Romancing The West, so you know they're good. :)

Here's the blurb for Much Ado About Marshals:

*** NOR Top Pick *** Buy a copy and see for yourself what everyone is talking about. Once you read just one of Ms. Rogers' books, I can assure you that you'll be a fan...  Diana Coyle, NOR Reviewer 

*** CTRR Award *** Jacquie Rogers creates a witty, delightful, and downright amusing book with impressive charming players. Cherokee, Coffee Time Romance and More Reviewer

Like romance? Love stories about the old west? Want a dreamy cowboy to cuddle up and read about? Then this is the book for you.~~My Eclectic Bookshelf, 5 dragonflies

Overview:

In the sleepy western town:
  • A wannabe woman sleuth is determined to marry the recently-hired town marshal
  • But the man sworn in is wanted for bank robbery!
  • Then there's a real bank robber and the actual new marshal who both claim the job...
Alas, affairs of the heart mess up everything!

Take a look at the video:
Available in Kindle or Print.

Other books in the  Hearts of Owyhee  series:
#2 Much Ado About Madams
#3 Much Ado About Mavericks
and in Spring of 2013
#4 Much Ado About Miners

Want a quick read and a little magic in your western romance?  Try Willow, Wish For Me (Merlin's Destiny #1)

Thanks again to the Hearts Through History chapter and Denise Pattison!

Monday, August 27, 2012

ATLANTIS (The Atlantis Series) by Lisa Graves

Atlantis
(The Atlantis Series)

Welcome to author Lisa Graves. She hails from Salt Lake City, Utah, and dabbles in many worlds. Check out her bio on her website and you'll see why her books are so intriguing. Let's talk about the first book in The Atlantis Series, Atlantis.

JR: Would you please post the back cover copy to Atlantis?

LG: Elliott is a mystery.

For Lilly, he is an obsession.

Lilly's life starts to change dramatically when Elliott moves in next door. Weird things start to happen, and Lilly finds herself questioning her reality. But things aren't what they seem. Packed with hidden codes, Atlantis is a paranormal romance worth getting lost in.

Do you believe in Atlantis?

JR: Hidden codes are almost as fun as secret doors and caves. Could you tell us about the setting for this book?

LG: The setting of Atlantis is a little peculiar. Much of the book is set in the mind of the main character, Lilly. With the help of her boyfriend, Elliott, she learns how to project astrally using her mind. The adventures and world that is uncovered within is amazing.

Excerpt of Atlantis
by Lisa Graves
Available at Amazon, B&N, Smashwords, and in print

“Still sitting and shaken, I looked around, trying to see where my subconscious had taken me. The bowing trees swayed around me. A familiar but more intense scent of lavender filled the air. Of course. I was in my meadow. This is where I always came to get my perspective back, or try to at least. But it was different.

There was an energy in the air that wasn’t usually there. It was as if I could feel the life force that emitted from the grass, the trees, the leaves. The sensation lightly pricked my skin like goosebumps. I shivered in reaction to it. Even the air seemed to be alive as it swirled playfully around me, making the wildflowers dance.

Significant as that was, it wasn’t the only difference.

I looked up and fell on my back in astonishment at the beauty of the sky above me. Normally, on a clear night, I would find the starry sky amazing. But this was spectacular.

It was as if my eyes were looking through a high-powered telescope. The clarity was awe inspiring. And that was before adding all of the colors. Above my head, different parts of the universe glowed. My eyes gazed at a red cloud sprinkled with bright white stars, several blue clouds with a few definite starry planets residing within them, and there was even a planet close enough that it took up a large portion of the horizon with its pearly white and purple swirling clouds. I had just discovered what could only be another galaxy, with its bicycle spoke shape spinning in midair, when I felt another energy enter the meadow.”
# # #

The first book in the Atlantis Series, Atlantis, takes place in three settings: a small suburban neighborhood, flashbacks to Lilly’s Italian past, and on the astral plane in her mind. Atlantis focuses on Lilly learning how to project and take control of her mind’s potential. Stonehenge, book two, delves even further into the possibilities of projection but utilizes ancient Stonehenge as it’s energy epicenter.

Take a trip down the rabbit hole of Lilly’s mind and check out Atlantis today!

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

The Next Big Thing: Much Ado About Miners

The 3rd book in the Hearts of Owyhee
series, Much Ado About Mavericks


The Next Big Thing -
week 9
by Jacquie Rogers

Here we go, blogging about The Next Big Thing, which, in my case is the fourth book in the Hearts of Owyhee  series, Much Ado About Miners. This book is a long way from the market—I'm only on chapter 2, so 320 pages to write!  Yes, writing a book is daunting and don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise.

How this works is there are ten interview questions.  I'll answer those for Much Ado About Miners and then tag five more authors.  They'll each tag five more, and off we go.  So here are the interview questions as applied to my book. Special thanks to Candy Ann Little who tagged me—check out her blog to see her Next Big Thing. :)

Ten Questions for
Much Ado About Miners

1. What is the working title of your book?

Much Ado About Miners ( Hearts of Owyhee #4)


The 2nd book in the Hearts of Owyhee
series, Much Ado About Madams
 2. Where did the idea come from for the book?

Readers have been asking for Iris Gardner's story since the first book in the series, Much Ado About Marshals.  The problem is that Iris is pretty unique, so it has taken quite a bit of thought to come up with a story (and hero) worthy of her.

3. What genre does your book fall under?

Western Historical Romance.  My books are fast-paced and also have humor besides some good old-fashioned shoot-outs.  Not to mention drool-worthy cowboys. :)

4. Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

Iris could be played by a twenty-something Reese Witherspoon because she can play just about any character.  Iris is 24 and independent.  The year is 1885 so that puts a a bit of a damper on her options, but not her spirit.  She has a head for business but that same head is also attractive, so businessmen tend to not take her seriously, which annoys her to no end.

Kade McKinnon is an adrenalin junkie.  He owns a business of guarding bullion transport, mostly wagons, and dozens of men work for him.  But the most dangerous jobs are his own — he has the skills of a killer, but he's also an animal-lover. 

5. What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

I'm still plotting the story so not this sentence may or may not have anything to do with the final version, but here goes:

Someone is wreaking havoc with the McKinnon silver mine and it's up to Iris and Kade to bring the villain to justice—without wreaking havoc to their hearts.

First book in the Hearts of Owyhee
series, Much Ado About Marshals
6. Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

Neither.  This book will be published through Mélange Publishing, an independent publisher owned by Norman W. Wilson, PhD.

7. How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

It's not written yet, but it has taken me two months to get chapter one in the bag, mostly because I do a lot of pre-writing work. 

Before I start a book, my characters are fully formed, so even though I might not know what's going to happen with the plot, my characters are solid.  Then I also work out the bones of the story so I have destinations — the first turning point, midpoint, dark moment — all those are planned.  They might change along the way, but as long as I have a destination, I can put words on the page.

8. What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
.
Don't know.  The pacing and humor is similar to Maggie Osborne's books but I can't think of any recently published books that are comparable.
.
9. Who or What inspired you to write this book?

Let's go with "what."  And let's talk about the whole Hearts of Owyhee series.  Nearly every western historical romance novel I'd read was set either in Texas or Wyoming, with a few in Montana or Colorado.  Those states are east.  There's a whole lot of west past those states and a whole lot of history, too.  I've always been fascinated by local history and since I grew up in southwest Idaho, Silver City has drawn me like a marshmallow to the fire. 

Given that, I thought why not write a series set in Owyhee County?  It's home of Kitty Wilkins, the most successful horsetrader in US history, and Little Joe Monaghan, who pulled off a gender switch for forty years.  Then there's the cavalry, silver and gold mining, the cattle business — so much to write about and many stories waiting to be told.
.
10. What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

I always have great fun with secondary characters, and in Much Ado About Miners, Kade's sidekick is a Shakespearean scholar who had been a prospector for forty years.  He has a mule named Verges and a burro named Juliet, and often expresses himself by quoting one of Shakespeare's characters.  He enjoys fine rotgut and slow women.  Every scene he's in makes me laugh, and I hope he makes you laugh, too.

Tag, You're It!

Peggy L Henderson
Paty Jager
Caroline Clemmons
Celia Yeary
Sarah McNeal

Rules

***Answer the ten questions about your current WIP (Work In Progress) ***
Tag five other writers/bloggers and add their links so we can hop over and meet them. It’s that simple.

Ten Interview Questions for The Next Big Thing
  1. What is the working title of your book?
  2. Where did the idea come from for the book?
  3. What genre does your book fall under?
  4. Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
  5. What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
  6. Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
  7. How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
  8. What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
  9. Who or What inspired you to write this book?
  10. What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

Monday, August 20, 2012

Judith Laik Takes a Sentimental Journey on a Blue Moon

Thanks to Judith Laik (pronounced "Like") for visiting today. Judith has been published by Kensington and small press, writes Regency historical romance, young adult novels, and children's stories. She also co-authored a book of quotes, Around the Circle Gently, with Lynn Moen. Judith lives in the Seattle area on a cozy little farm with a bunch of dogs, sundry other animals, her husband (not an animal, usually), and her daughter.

Blue Moon
by Judith Laik
Copyright © 2012 Judith Laik

A blue moon, according one interpretation, is the occurrence of a second full moon in any month. A second definition is the third of four full months in a season (winter, spring, etc.). Normally each season has three full moons. When it has four, the third one is called a blue moon.

Because the lunar cycle is shorter than most months, the dates of the various phases change throughout a year. There can only be a second full moon when the first one falls on the 1st, 2nd, or, for 31-day months, 3rd. Thus, a blue moon happens only – once in a blue moon!

Perhaps because of their relative rarity, legends grew up about the specialness of a blue moon. One of these legends is that there is special power in wishing on a blue moon.


Judith Laik, author

When my friend Jacquie told me she was asked to contribute a story to an anthology built around this bit of folklore, I thought that was a pretty cool idea. I didn’t give it another thought. I don’t write short stories. At least I didn’t think so.

But the concept kept working on my under my conscious thought level. I frequently have a “sound track” playing in my head. It’s entirely random. Could be a song I’ve heard on the radio, even sometimes a stupid jingle from a commercial. But sometimes out of that amorphous mass of buried memories, a song will suddenly pop up that I haven’t heard for years.

In this case, though, I’m sure it arose from Jacquie’s anthology story. The lovely song “Blue Moon” started playing in my head. Written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart in 1935, it’s been sung over the years by many of the greats. When the line “And then there suddenly appeared before me the only one my arms will ever hold,” I got a clear image of the sudden appearance of a man in front of a woman, and I knew I had the germ of a story. From there, it practically wrote itself.

And now, my story, Sentimental Journey, is on Amazon.

Oh, yes. On blue moons. There’s one this month, on August 31. Be prepared to make a wish and have it come true!

More info on blue moons:
Infoplease®
Wikipedia
Sky and Telescope
Moon Connection
RedBubble (Discusses various folkloric stories about the power of the blue moon.)
RedBubble (song lyrics)

Contact Judith: Website, Facebook, Twitter
Please "like" Sentimental Journey on Amazon!

Win a FREE book!
One lucky commenter will win a Kindle copy of Sentimental Journey!  Please include your email address or we won't be able to contact you and we'll have to draw another winner.  Drawing will be held August 25 at 9pm Pacific Time.

Friday, August 3, 2012

The LOOK Challenge from @AKMorgen - tag @megmims @mattpizzolato @cathiedunn @mimibarbour

I've been tagged.

According to the rules, you're supposed to do a search in your work in progress for the word "look" and then paste the surrounding paragraph(s) and tag as many people as possible.  

Since the fourth Hearts of Owyhee  book is still in the plotting stage, I'm posting paragraphs from my new release, Much Ado About Mavericks.

The heroine in this book is quite a gal--she really kept me on my toes.  Her name is Janelle Kathryn O'Keefe but they call her "Jake."  And she's a handful!  You can read about how she came into being: Western Women Wranglers at Romancing the West.  Her name is Janelle Kathryn O'Keefe but they call her "Jake."  And she's a handful!  Here's the snippet:

“Howdy, Ben.” Marshal Hiatt didn’t even look up from his paperwork. “I thought you’d show up in a hurry.” He smirked, put down his pencil, and picked up his keys. “You probably want to see the prisoner.”

“Go to hell!” Jake called from the second cell, her hands on the bars. “The prisoner don’t want to see him.”

She had the beginnings of a shiner. Ben suppressed a smile. He’d never seen a woman with a black eye before, but from the looks of things, the poor fellow who picked a fight with her ended up in a lot worse shape. “So who threw the first punch?”

“Grady, from the Lazy B.” She cocked her head and grinned. “Didn’t do him no good, though. I busted his ugly nose and gave him a gut-ache he’ll remember for a day or two.”

The marshal chuckled. “His nose wouldn’t be so ugly if you hadn’t broke it twice before.”
♥ ♥ ♥
Do you think a Boston lawyer can keep up with her?

I'm tagging:
Meg Mims, @megmims
Matthew Pizzolato, @mattpizzolato
Cathie Dunn, @cathiedunn
Mimi Barbour, @MimiBarbour
Kathleen Rice Adams, @DisorderlyWords
Stephanie Berget, @StephanieBerget
Linda LaRoque, @LindaLaRoque
Karen Michelle Nutt, @KMNbooks

Monday, July 30, 2012

Western Round-up: Three Readers' Lucky Day!

We Have Winners!

Thanks to MK McClintock for rustling up the Western Round-up Giveaway Hop!

I gave away three sets of the Hearts of Owyhee series -- yes, all three books in the series -- to three lucky winners! 

This was a fun blog hop and many thanks to all the readers who took the time to read our blogs and leave comments.  Of course, with all those men in chaps, I'm not sure how much of a sacrifice it was. LOL!

And the winners of the Hearts of Owyhee series are ...


From
weceno

From
Erika

From
Danielle B

Hearts of Owyhee
#1 Much Ado About Marshals 
#2 Much Ado About Madams
#3 Much Ado About Mavericks
Visit with Jacquie Rogers: Website * Twitter * Facebook * Romancing The West * Blog