Start the week the MARY ALICE PRITCHARD

“Look, I’m not going to Casper with you. I’ll email you every single detail from the dreams as soon as I can write them down.” Rhi waited, but all he did was smile and shake his head. “Then you’re going to have to arrest me.” She schooled her face to hide the panic that washed over her and jerked the two ends of the towel tighter across her legs.

“Can’t,” was all he said. His eyes never left her, kicking her anxiety level up a notch or two.

“What do you mean you can’t? Can’t what?” Rhi had a bad feeling she wasn’t going to like this answer.

“I’m not an officer of any type of law, so I can’t arrest you.” His dark eyes still held their promise of danger, his face void of any expression. Finally, he moved off the bed, stretching to his full height before slowly approaching her.

Rhi’s breath caught in her throat as she watched him draw nearer. Caught in the chair with a towel barely covering her, she had nowhere to run. Her only choice would be to drop the towel and break for the door, but she wouldn’t even consider that option. When he leaned over her, snagging her panties with two fingers from the back of the chair, she sank deeper. His face never registered the first hint of emotion, but his eyes grew impossibly darker as he slowly lowered the silky scrap of cloth into her lap.

“You’re going to Casper.” He caught her eyes with his and she couldn’t look away no matter how much she tried. “Unless you’d rather stay here with me as your roommate.” Leaning forward, he placed a hand on both arms of the chair, smiling with that predator smile, more teeth than lips.

It wasn’t a particularly friendly smile, but one holding the promise of something deliciously wicked. Rhi nervously moistened her lips, still unable to tear her eyes from his, and tried to keep from sinking any deeper into the chair.

“At least in Casper you’ll have a room all to yourself.”

Dear God, she groaned to herself. That smile was a dangerous thing. When it wasn’t all teeth, being dangerous, it turned his dark eyes into fiery pits promising every exquisite torture a woman’s body could ever crave. Everything inside her wanted to find out what just one of those delicious tortures would feel like, but she knew better. The crackling energy around him seemed alive with a mind of its own, telling her even though a taste would be worth it, she’d likely get burned in the end. ********************
You just read an excerpt from:
See How They Die
by
Mary Alice Pritchard
DCL Publications
********************
Today, we’re here with published author, Mary Alice Pritchard.

Linda Kage: Tell us a little about you and what you write please.

Mary: I’m a forty-something nurse from Mississippi. I love reading, writing, animals and gardening. I have seven cats and one dog.

I write mostly romantic suspense and paranormal romance but also write under another pen name some erotica.

Kage: What happened to the first book you ever wrote?

Mary: Believe it or not both of my first books are published.:)

Kage: You people that sell your first book have me totally jealous. What’s your backlist and coming soon bookshelf look like?

Mary: I have a total of four books out:
-See How They Die,
-Ghostly Mistakes,
-Jaguar Nights, and
-Leopard Dreams.
I have three short stories with The Dark Castle Lords and another book on the way in January.

Kage: So, what story are we going to talk about today?

Mary: See How They Die is with The Dark Castle Lords and can be found at FictionWise.com It is about a woman who dreams about people’s violent deaths and is powerless to stop the events that happen. She finally decides to try and stop a ruthless killer preying on teenagers. She teams up with the local Sheriff and his best friend to find the killer before he strikes again.

********************BLURB********************
See How They Die
by
Mary Alice Pritchard
Most dreams don’t come true but Rhiannon knows her nightmares do. They haunt her until it’s too late for the victims. Rhi can’t hide anymore when the latest victims are found close by. Determined to help the local sheriff stop a madman before he kills again, Rhi has to set aside her own fears placing her trust and just maybe her life into the hands of another lost soul.
*********************************************

Kage: What would the story be rated if it were a movie?

Mary: It would definitely be rated R.

Kage: Oooh, I'm picturing lots of blood and gore. Which makes me wonder...If you HAD to fit this story into a cliché, which one would it be?

Mary:Hmmm it is a cross between whodunit and beauty and the beast.

Kage:Okay, now that we have a general idea which class to fit See How They Die under, what makes your story so unique from every other book out there?

Mary: Maybe the fact that there are three main characters in the book. The sheriff is one as he is very important to the theme in the book and then the hero and heroine are the central characters in the book. You also get an inside view of what goes on in the villan’s mind.

Kage:What was the easiest part to write?

Mary: Oh, I can’t choose on that at all. This book wrote itself from start to finish. The characters bloomed on the page and the plot twined all around them.

Kage:What do you like most about the main character(s) and what do you like least? Did you learn anything from them?

Mary: I loved their ability to learn to trust again. Their strength in doing what they knew was right.

They ticked me off more than once in changing the direction of the book from where I wanted it to go to where they wanted it to go.

Kage:I can relate. One of my heroes could be such a jerk, I just wanted to slap him a few times. But his lines were so "HIM," and his being "HIM" was one of the things I loved about him, so he pretty much had to say those chauvinistic, arrogant things!

Anyway, Mary, thank you so much for stopping by today and gracing us with your presence.

Now that Ms. Pritchard has totally made us want to buy See How They Die, she was kind enough to provide us with a a buy link From : DCL Publications

If you're still curious about Mary, here are other places to find her on the web:

Website: http://www.maryalicepritchard.com/

Blog: http://www.maryalicepritchard.com/blog

End the Week with JACKIE BANNON

Today, we’re here with author Jackie Bannon.

Linda Kage: Hi, Jackie, and welcome. Tell us a little about you and what you write please.

Jackie: I write under the name of Jackie Bannon and my fingers write whatever I'm feeling. Mostly I work on paranormal or science fiction romance. There are a few contemporaries running though my head as well. But at the beginning of 2010 I branched out into women's fiction and everything has clicked. I love this genre. It's almost like the window into a woman's mind and the research I've done has really opened my eyes.

Kage: What happened to the first book you ever wrote?

Jackie:It's on a file on my computer and I haven't looked at it in years!

Kage:What is your favorite part of writing?

Jackie: My favorite part of writing is learning my characters. As they appear on my computer screen, they come to life for me. And as to what keeps me going after the multitude of rejections...I'd have to say other writers. The local chapters of RWA seem to know when you need pushed and when you need support and provide it all. Not only that, but several of my favorite authors have suffered rejections and aren't shy about admitting it. Sherrilyn Kenyon wrote an authors note in one of her recent science fiction publications about the beginning of her writing career. I strongly suggest to anyone who is thinking of giving up to read it. Considering how many books she has published - if that happened to her, we all have a chance.

Kage: So, what story are we going to talk about today?

Jackie: Every woman knows this story. Girl meets boy. Girl falls in love with boy. Boy disappears without a word, making said girl feel like a disposable razor. Set in Kansas City, my heroine runs into her boyfriend while he's out on a date with another woman. Sick of dating jerks, she decides her jerk meter is broken (why else would she fall for their B.S. every time?), so she decides to conduct a research assignment. With the help of her quirky girlfriends, she starts mending her broken heart. She also starts a list of jerk traits – The Jerk List. The plan is to expose herself to as many jerks as possible so that when she is ready to date again, she doesn’t waste time on men who can’t give her what she wants - a functional relationship. She gets into a lot of situations – some women normally get into, some not – but in the end, she finds out a lot about herself and the dating world she didn’t know.

Kage: What would the story be rated if it were a movie?

Jackie: That would all depend on Hollywood, lol. I think it would be a PG-17 movie. While the sex scenes are steamy, there aren’t a lot of them and no doubt they would cut several out. But since this is a story about how real women react, there aren’t any rose colored glasses.

Kage:If you HAD to fit this story into a cliché, which one would it go.

Jackie: This one is hard. Maybe an America Bridget Jones tries to turn herself into Dr. Phil? Does that work? Lol!

Kage: Works for me!! Okay, now that we have a general idea which class to fit this story under, what makes this book so unique from every other Bridget Jones story out there?

Jackie: Since women’s fiction is based on women, the only thing different is how my heroine deals with the plot. The truth is that this book really started more as a way to help me get through my own dating crisis. I never planned on trying to publish it, never thought that far ahead. I just needed to sort out my thoughts on paper and since I write, I decided to do it this way. Since then, I’ve talked to a lot of women, and I realized that all the pain and thoughts I was afraid to show – every single one of my friends has had them too. They were normal – not psycho like society would like us to believe. After that, my fingers flew over the keyboard. More situations surfaced and it just developed into something every woman can relate to. Now, I would love to see it on the bookshelves.

Let’s face it - women are funny and quirky and all around fun. We do nutty things we don’t even understand sometimes. We have doubts and don’t always do the ‘right’ thing – but have a justification for it. It may not be logical to anyone else, but it makes sense to the woman doing it and that is all that matters.

Kage:What was the easiest part to write?

Jackie: The easiest part to write was the interaction between my heroine and her friends. Women have an amazing dynamic a lot of men don’t understand. We don’t always need to finish a sentence because our friend knows exactly what we are going to say. We don’t shy away from each other and can be so blunt that from the outside looking in – it’s hilarious.

Kage:What do you like most about the main character and what do you like least? Did you learn anything from her?

Jackie: My heroine is like a lot of women out there, only she’s not afraid to show who she is. I love the fact that what she thinks comes out of her mouth, that she doesn’t hide who she is. So many people do that now. They try to fit into society’s ideal of ‘the norm’. Normal is boring. So is perfection. We’re individuals – stand out! Be yourself!

And yes, I’ve learned a lot from her. The main thing I’ve learned from her is that we usually only regret the things we DIDN’T do, not the things we DID do. Life is about living, not existing. And laughter is priceless. As we get older, we forget that. Life gets in the way of…life basically. So don’t be afraid to laugh so hard your stomach hurts. Don’t be afraid to cry or get hurt. But mostly, don’t be afraid to be alive!

Kage: Jackie, that's about the best advice I've ever heard. Thank you so much for stopping by today and gracing us with your presence. Before we go, is there anything else you’d like to say to wrap things up?

Jackie: I’m not published yet – but I will be! There is always another way around the wall stopping you from what you want – you just have to find it. Take a detour, build a bridge, just don’t give up! The harder you work for something, the more you appreciate it!

Very well said!!! Good luck to Jackie on her writing journey to publication. Personally, I can't wait to buy her first book.

If you're still curious about Jackie, here are other places to find her on the web:

Website: http://www.jackiebannon.com/

Blog: Chaotic thoughts from Ms. Quirky

Facebook: Jackie Bannon

Lessons Learned...the Acceptance Way #2

I hate to brag, but...I so know how to pick 'em.

Back in May, I wrote my first "Lessons Learned the Acceptance Way" post, raving on and on about the book One Scream Away by Kate Brady and how reading an except on Brady's website told me exactly why she sold her first book.

Well, it turns out, I actually knew what I was talking about (I know, for once, huh!). One Scream Away went on to win RWA's Rita for Best First Book in July. So, I figure I might actually have a knack for this picking out the winners.

And that knack's done bit me again. I've been following Beth Revis's blog, Writing it Out, on and off for probably over a year now. I remember reading her post announcing she sold her first book and commenting my congratulations.

But last month I finally got to read the first chapter of her story, Across the Universe, which according to Amazon is coming out January 11, 2011 from Razorbill. (You can check out CHAPTER ONE HERE!)

And, wow. I mean, seriously. W...O...W. I think we have the next Lois Lowery on our hands, people. She's amazing. If you like young adult futuristic sci fi with possibly some social and political injustice issues and what-looks-like maybe at least a little romance (hope so, anyway!), then preporder your copy today. In fact, you don't even have to like those things. Just go ahead of buy a copy anyway. Like, right now. She's that good.

And why is she THAT good? What made her an "acceptance" story? Like I said in my last "lessons learned the acceptance way" post, I think it was a mixture of things.

First of all: She pulled the reader's emotions into the story. She described Amy's panic as she was going through that first chapter so clearly I began to feel it too. I think I actually rubbed at my throat in that anxious breathe-Linda-breathe way because I could just FEEL the freezing stuff clogging up over her and trapping her in. Ugg, I'm doing it again. (Breathe, Linda, breathe, Just...calm...down).

Whew, vivid imagery.

Second of all: She showed each character perfectly. They all had their own agenda, and we didn't even have to leave Amy's point of view to tell what her mom or dad or even the the two techie's were thinking and what goals they already had.

Third of all: That chapter ending hook. I mean, come on. How could the excerpt end there? MORE, I need more. This is going to be tough waiting all the way until January for this book to come out.

And finally (actually, there's so much more I could gush about, but I'm trying--really--to keep this blog as short as I can): Her words. The flow of the sentences, the way she describes every little detail, about how it all feels. It was perfect, absolutely perfect.

So, there's some more clues about how to become an acceptance story:
-Emotional connection with readers,
-individual characters with their own agenda while still managing to tie into the single story line,
-nice attention-grabbing hooks,
-and detailed descriptions written in a smooth, flowing way.

Sounds simple, huh? Snort. Maybe for Beth, but I'm still working on all that.

Anyway, congrats again to Beth Revis. She is going to go far in her writing career. I just know it; I have a knack, remember!

The Stillburrw Crush Featured at TeensReadToo

Okay, this was supposed to post on Sunday, but problems ensued. It REALLY is up today though. I checked.

TRT Book Club is talking about The Stillburrow Crush. So, that's where I'm at. Hope to see you over there. If you comment on the TRT blog, you just might win a copy of my book!!!

Start the week with DEBRA DOGGETT

Oderean closed his fingers around the stone as Cardis reluctantly gave Stellan her hand. The stone began to glow, the soft yellow light gleaming through Oderean’s fingers. Oderean cupped his other hand around it, eyes closed, as his lips moved in the ancient chant. When he opened his eyes and spread his fingers, a small golden cup stood in his hand.

“Each of you will drink from the golden cup as your acceptance of the challenge. Once you drink, the time for the challenge has started and there is no going back.” He looked again at Stellan. “For once done, the magic cannot be undone. In three days, the decision will have been made. Cardis.”

She took the cup from her father’s hand and lifted it to her lips. Stellan licked his own lips as he watched her mouth slide along the rim of the cup. When she lowered it, her lips were red and moist and he nearly groaned thinking of what the next three days held. Without taking his gaze off her, he lifted the cup to his own mouth, surprised at the cool thick taste that spread across his lips. It gave him a kind of buzz, like really good alcohol, only quicker. As he lowered the cup, he stared at Cardis. She gave him an evil grin.

“Well, lowlife, the clock’s ticking.”

Stellan swore he heard the sound of it in his own head. Let the games begin.
********************
You just read an excerpt from:
THE PRIZE
by
Debra Doggett
http://www.thewildrosepress.com/
********************
Today, we’re here with published author, Debra Doggett.

Linda Kage: Hi, Debra! Tell us a little about you and what you write please.

DEBRA: I've been writing a bit of everything for as long as I can remember but have been writing seriously for the last ten years. My favorite genre is fantasy, both light and dark. I feel sometimes we need humor, sometimes we need to remember the shadows so both come out of me.

Kage: I love fantasy and humor in a romance story. So you definitley have my attention. What happened to the first book you ever wrote?

DEBRA: The first book I wrote was actually a children's book that I wrote for my grandson when he was small. I sent it out once but didn't really try hard to find a publisher. The first romance I wrote is finished and in need of some editing but I hope to send it off soon.

Kage:What’s your backlist and coming soon bookshelf look like?

DEBRA: I have only published the one book, The Prize, but I'm working on another that I hope to have out soon. For the last couple of years I've been focusing on screenplays and just finished filming a short movie I wrote. I always thought writing novels was time-consuming (or maybe it's just that I'm still working the day job!) but film is so involved it takes even longer.

The Prize is a fun look at the convention of marriage and what really draws us to each other. It's sort of a space western, with a very engaging hero who has a side to him that surprises the lady who finds herself stranded with him due to a strange and irritating custom of her people. It is out now in print and in ebook from The Wild Rose Press.

********************BLURB********************
The Prize
by
Debra Doggett

Stellan was the last thing Cardis expected to deal with when she fled her home on Adena to avoid another unwanted challenge. Safely stowed away on her father's freighter, she thought she'd escaped those who wished to invoke Adena's ancient tradition of the Virgin Challenge and attempt to win her in marriage. Now she finds herself in the hands of the most unlikely challenger of all. And in spite of all her resolve never to be trapped into marriage, trying to keep herself from melting when Stellan's hands touch her may be the hardest challenge Cardis has ever faced.
*********************************************

Kage: What would the story be rated if it were a movie?

DEBRA: It would be rated R, but please remember I am only the author. Stellan and Cardis had way more to do with the heat level in their story. I was only there to write it down and that was fun too!

Kage: LOL! That's what I usually tell my mom: It wasn't ME saying that, mother. It was the characters! Anyway, if you HAD to fit this story into a cliché, which one would it be?

DEBRA:Probably Beauty and the Beast would fit it best.

Kage:Okay, now that we have a general idea which class to fit The Prize under, what makes this book so unique from every other book out there?

DEBRA: What makes The Prize unique, in my opinion, are the characters themselves. The plot is a pretty standard one, a la Beauty and the Beast, but Stellan and Cardis are quite different than even they think they are. Their exploration of what they believe about each other and what turns out to be the truth about each other is where the true gem of the story lies.

Kage:What was the easiest part to write?

DEBRA: The dialogue is always easiest for me. I started out as a playwright and dialogue is the main part of a play. When I wrote my first novel I had a friend who kept telling me I didn't give enough detail. She kept saying, "You have to tell them her hair color or what her dress looks like!" I'm better at it now but my best is still my dialogue.

Kage: What do you like most about the main character(s) and what do you like least? Did you learn anything from them?

DEBRA: What I like best about Stellan is his sense of humor. I think that's one of the most important strengths a person or a character can have. There's not a whole lot about him I dislike, which made him fun to write. The only real drawback to him is he's never totally stood up to his brothers but that is largely because there has never been a good reason to until Cardis came along. As for Cardis, both her best and her worst trait is her prickliness. It keeps other's at arm's length but it also makes for some real sparks between her and Stellan.

Kage: Debra, Thank you so much for stopping by today and gracing us with your presence. Before we go, is there anything else you’d like to say to wrap things up?

DEBRA:I think if you pick up The Prize you'll find yourself surprised and engaged.

I'm sure we will!! Now that Debra has totally made us want to buy her book, she was kind enough to provide us with a a buy link to The Prize: Ebook or Paperback

If you're still curious about Debra Doggett, here are other places to find her on the web:

Website: http://debradoggett.com/excerpt.html

End the week with ALLISON KNIGHT

Laren raced up the stairs and through the central passage of the keep to the small alcove that held her cot and her clothing. The man hadn't even flinched when the cleric read her name. Did he not know the name of the lass to whom he should have wed? She herself read aloud the initial letter of acceptance to her king's proposal of marriage and it clearly stated the bride was named Nairna. Had this Arthur even seen the letter? Perhaps, he couldna read or write.

Ach, it could not be true. Edward's orders said the man to marry her sister was his trusted knight. Everyone knew the King of England suffered no poorly trained knights in his service, especially not one he named as favored.

She tore off the offending heavy veiling, trying to forget the suffocating sensation and how she stumbled because she couldna see. How could her father think to fool the King of England? Surely, this would bring forth Edward's wrath.

Perhaps the knight himself would be the one to destroy everyone in the keep. And how could she have said the vows, knowing it was all a trick?

She rubbed her upper arm, aware her father's bruises would mar her skin for days. However, his threat to hurt Edyth was more than she could bear. Would he truly have beaten her to death? Laren didna know. What she did know was that her father was a cruel man.

But to kill a faithful servant? He just might. She remembered the bruises she had witnessed on her mother. There was the time her mother claimed her broken arm had come from a fall from a horse, but her mother seldom rode.

Aye, her father could kill, she had no doubt. She clenched her jaw so lightly her jaw hurt.

Her father's plan for this wedding was diabolical. She had no idea how he intended to convince this Arthur ap Brynn Ffryd to leave her here in Scotland, where she could carry on her work. It was the only thing that made sense because no one else here was capable of caring for the keep.

Mayhap, her father knew this Arthur would not want her, for she appeared to be a bairn. She had no curves like Nairna, nor had her courses started yet. Aye, that had to be the scheme. All of this so her father could marry Nairna off to the Laird of the Crawford clan and together fight the English. Ha!

When Edward heard of this deception, there would be nothing left of this keep to fight for and her father's severed head would grace a pike at the gatehouse.

Of course, when the Sassenach below learned of the deceit, she had no idea what his reaction might be. If he had already discovered what transpired in the chapel, mayhap her father's life blood already stained the hall.

This Arthur was not unpleasant to look upon, even though he was big. He was huge compared to her laird, or any of the men of the Blair clan. He arrived yesterday with his friend and he looked capable of inflicting any amount of damage on her person, or on any man of the clan, especially her father. Nay, she would not think about her father after he threatened to beat Edyth.
********************
You just read an excerpt from:
Battlesong
by
Allison Knight
http://www.champagnebooks.com/
********************
Today, we’re here with published author, Allison Knight.

Linda Kage: Hi, Allison! Tell us a little about you and what you write please.

Allison: I only write under Allison Knight. A happy ending to a book is essential to me, so of course, I write romance. I also love history, so the logical progression is historical romance. (smiling)

I'm a retired school teacher and no, I didn't teach English. In fact I used to challenge my students. If they caught me misspelling a word when I wrote on the black board, (and in my day they were black and you wrote with white chalk) they got an 'A' for the day. I can't spell well at all. I have four kids, 6 grandchildren, only one of them a boy and all five girls were born either at the end of January, or in February. Okay, not in the same years. Fortunately, my grandson was born in August. Thank goodness. Oh, and I'm a great grandmother. That makes me sound old, but I believe you are as old as you feel, and usually I feel like a spring chicken. (An expression from my Hoosier background)

Kage: What happened to the first book you ever wrote?

Allison: Oh boy, did I make a couple of mistakes with that one, I sent the whole, six hundred pages to the president of Pocket books. He was wonderful. Of course he returned it, but told me to keep writing. I learned how to submit and how to write a romance and it was published three years later by Kensington for their Heartfire series. It was the first of a three book contract. I couldn't believe it when my husband agent called to say they wanted three. That's unheard of for a first time author.

Kage: What’s your backlist and coming soon bookshelf look like?

Allison: I've been busy lately,

Heartsong, a medieval romance,

A Treasure For Sara, a historical set in Alaska just before the gold rush,

The Haunting At Hastings Hall, a short gothic romance, and

Battlesong, the second 'song' book.

In February I have a Valentine novella coming, Roses For My Lady,

and I'm just finishing a romance set in the 1600's during the great fire of London.

Kage: Wow, you have been busy. What story are we going to talk about today?

Allison: Battlesong was released in August from Champagne Books. It's the second of the 'song' books and is a medieval romance based on the youngest brother, who is one of the main characters in Heartsong.

This is what happens when you like the characters so much you can't let go. It's about Arthur, the brother, and his Scots bride. They do not like each other - at first - or it wouldn't be a romance. He thinks she's trying to take over, and she thinks he's a horrible lord and perhaps as cruel as her father. They finally settle their differences, but I sure had fun with them.

********************BLURB********************
Battlesong
by
Allison Knight

Their marriage begins with a lie. Tricked into wedding young Laren Blair, the daughter of a Scottish laird, Arthur ap Brynn Ffrydd, an English baron, abandons her at his keep. When he finally returns six years later she has won the affection of his people but all he sees are the changes she has made. Their battles begin.

She fears her life will be as miserable with Arthur as it was with her cruel father. He envisions losing his property to her Scottish clan. As they learn to tolerate each other, desire draws them together. When Laren is kidnaped and Arthur is wounded in battle they realize they love each other. Reunited, can their love withstand the strain of another lie?

*********************************************

Kage: What would the story be rated if it were a movie?

Allison: With today's rating system, probably PG 13, There's graphic sex, but more emotional than descriptive..

Kage: If you HAD to fit this story into a cliché, which one would it be?

Allison: A fight to the finish!

Kage: Okay, now that we have a general idea which class to fit Battlesong under, what makes this book so unique from every other book out there?

Allison: Definitely the characters. Arthur is the perfect typical male, or so I've been told, and Laren, my heroine is extremely independent for a medieval wife.

A bit about the writing. I had to tear up the last two chapters because I didn't like Arthur's attitude. I sat him down, had a talk with him and made him see the error of his ways. He straightened up and I now love the end. (Isn't it awful when they become almost real people to you? My friends of course, think I'm nuts.)

Kage: I think all writer's must be nuts then; I know I've have to scold a few misbehaving characters before! For you, what's the easiest part of a story to write?

Allison: I love the first parts, putting the plot together, letting the characters be discovered, how they talk, live, and interact with each other. It's the editing I can't stand. I'm so lucky, because I have a supportive husband, who reads everything, edits, discusses, critiques. He's a tremendous help.

Kage: Wow, what an awesome, supportive husband. What do you like most about the main characters and what do you like least? Did you learn anything from them?

Allison: I love Laren's independence. She's a modern lady - most of the time. Arthur is a typical male - never wrong and a lousy patient. As I said, I didn't like Arthur's attitude toward the end of the book. We had to change that. And yes I learn from each book I write. In this case, it was how I take from my own experiences and superimpose them on my characters.

Kage: Allison, Thank you so much for stopping by today and gracing us with your presence. Before we go, is there anything else you’d like to say to wrap things up?

Allison: Oh, yes. Thank you so much Linda, for having me today. I love to talk about writing, my books and how lucky I am with my absolutely fabulous husband. It's really no wonder I write romance. We been married for fifty years now, and he's still my best friend. How's that for a romance.

Sounds like a perfect romance to me!!

Now that Allison has totally made us want to buy her book, she was kind enough to provide us with a a buy link to Battlesong : LINK HERE

If you're still curious about Allison, here are other places to find ******** on the web: http://www.allisonknight.com/index.html

Blog: www.AllisonKnight.blogspot.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorAllisonKnight

Twitter: www.twitter.com/historicalAllie

Bebo: www.bebo.com/aboutromance

Publisher: www.champagnebooks.com

New Sooner Blogger!

My niece Katie has started a blog! A University of Oklahoma student, she writes some pretty entertaining stuff if I do say so myself (just ignore the fact that I'm a bit biased)!

Some of my favorite posts so far are:

-70% Organic
-Week Two (Especially the moral of this story) and
-Happy Friday

But she needs some followers, so please hop over to KATIE'S RANT and give this journalism major (or possibly psych major--it's too soon to tell yet!) some support. PUL-LEASE!

Thank you.

Start the week with JM STEWART

Frustration sang through her. The only way to get rid of these unwanted feelings was to put them out there. Right? Though a small part of her hoped he’d deny it all, that he’d tell her they had been caught in some Twilight Zone moment.

The question was how to convince a stubborn man.

Like a flash of lightning, the answer presented itself. She bit her lip. God, could she do that?

She stiffened her spine. She had to, or she’d never get the answers she needed.

Before she lost the nerve, she closed the distance between them and pressed along his length. Every inch of her trembled, from nerves this time, and warning bells rang in her head, telling her she played in dangerous territory.

His body stiffened with his surprise. “Ceci, what—”

In one swift move, she snaked her hand around the back of his neck, lifted onto her toes, and seized his mouth, effectively silencing him. She kissed him hard, determined to get her answer.

A quiet, almost reluctant groan erupted from deep within his chest, and his large hands seized her shoulders. He wrenched his mouth from hers and set her away from him, holding her at arm’s length. His chest rose and fell at a rapid pace, matching the fierce pounding of her heart.

“Why did you do that?” he asked.

She shook her head, willed him to understand. “I had to know…”

He remained frozen in front of her, the muscle in his jaw beginning to tic. A fraction of a second later, his hands dropped from her shoulders and seized her waist, tugging her flush against him again. The same eyes that had searched hers in confusion only moments before took on a heated, wild look.
Every ounce of breath left her lungs.

“You want the truth, Ceci?” he asked, his frustrated tone mocking her. “You really want to know how I feel about you, what you do to me?”

He slid his hands down her back, slowly, then cupped her bottom and ground his hips against hers. The hard length of his arousal pressed into her belly, showing her exactly how she affected him.

A soft gasp escaped her as intense, undeniable desire snaked through her.

“I don’t know how to be any more honest than this.” He dipped his head and brushed his lips over hers, whispering against her mouth. “You drive me crazy, Ceci. Every time you look at me, touch me. Do you have any idea how hard it was to lie in bed with you the other night? To hold you so close I could feel your heartbeat but not be able to touch you like this?”

********************
You just read an excerpt from:
Staking His Claim
by
JM Stewart
The Wild Rose Press
********************
Today, we’re here with published author, JM Stewart.
Linda Kage: Hi, JM! Tell us a little about you and what you write please.

JM: A little about me… I’m a stay-at-home mom of two boys, so I write full time. I live in the Great Northwest, the Seattle area to be exact (I don’t mind the rain so much). I’ve been writing for over ten years now, and I write contemporary romance.

Kage: Ten years! That sounds like me. What happened to the first book you ever wrote?

JM: hehe. It’s gotten lost over the years. Changing from one computer to a newer one, it somehow got lost. I went looking recently and found that it is no more. *sniff* Heh. It’s better off where nobody can see it. lol

Kage: What’s your backlist and coming soon bookshelf look like?

JM: So far I only have one book out. Just Staking His Claim. Though with any luck and god willing, many more will follow. It came out in June of this year from The Wild Rose Press. It’s a best friends story. What happens when two people who have known each other all their lives realize their feelings for each other have changed.

Here’s the blurb:

********************BLURB********************
Staking His Claim
by
JM Stewart
Kyle Morgan’s in love with his best friend. Unfortunately, he’s honor bound to keep a secret from her that not only prevents him from confessing his feelings, but also has the power to destroy their relationship.

Cecelia Anton has only ever wanted one thing—to find the answers to her mysterious past. But the search leads her into the arms of her best friend. While the attraction frightens her, she can’t deny the way he makes her feel.

The deep connection they share as friends only heightens the passion, forcing them to reevaluate their relationship. Are they willing to risk their lifelong friendship for the promise of love?

*********************************************

Kage: What would the story be rated if it were a movie?

JM: Probably somewhere between PG-13 and R, depending. The movie ratings are a bit confusing these days. I see some that are rated R that don’t appear to have anything R-rated in them at all, and some that are rated PG 13 that ought to be R. So it’s hard to tell WHAT they’d rate my book as these days. But probably an R for explicit love scenes..

Kage: If you HAD to fit this story into a cliché, which one would it be?

JM: Best Friends. It sort of IS a cliché, in that it’s a storyline people have done over and over. I’ve just put own spin on it.

Kage: Best Friends falling in love can certainly be a cliché. But now I want to hear your spin. What makes this story so unique from every other best friend romance out there?

JM: I’d like to think the characters are what set this apart. I like to create unique characters and I put a lot of effort into making them jump-off-the-page real. I think I’m good at it, judging from the way people have reacted to them. You couldn’t take my characters and put them into a different story, because this is THEIR story, it belongs to them and them alone. It’s how I write. They tell me their story, I write it down. ;)

Kage: What was the easiest part to write?

JM: For me, the emotion and the characters. Emotion is just something I do well. I’m an emotional person. I find it very easy to empathize with people. As for the characters... I tend to see them as people. They’re real to me. Writing them that way has always been easy for me, because I treat them as if they are. Heh. And only to another writer does that NOT sound like a mental disorder. Lol

Kage: Gosh, I hope it's not a mental disorder, otherwise I'd need to be treated too! What do you like most about the main characters and what do you like least?

JM: Kyle is the all around good guy. He’s not an alpha. He’s a beta. He’s dependable, trustworthy, keeps his promises, and he’s not afraid to face his emotions, but he’s also not afraid to take charge when he needs to. I like him because he feels fear but does it anyway.

Cecelia is a lot like me. She’s soft around the edges, has a good heart, but she’s a bit wary of life. She’s got scars that run deep that have made her afraid to trust herself, afraid to trust change, of the repercussions that change will force on her. IOW, she has fears. I learned the most from her. I got to watch her face her fears and learn to jump into life anyway, which is also something I’m learning to do at the moment.

Kage: JM, Thank you so much for stopping by today and gracing us with your presence. Before we go, is there anything else you’d like to say to wrap things up?

JM: Just thanks for having me, and that I love to hear from my readers. My email is on my website and I welcome contact.

Now that JM has totally made us want to buy her work, she was kind enough to provide us with a buy link for Staking His Claim from: The Wild Rose Press

If you're still curious about JM Stewart, here are other places to find her on the web :

Website: http://jmstewart.webs.com/

Blog: http://jm-stewart.blogspot.com/

and Othe Places: Facebook, MySpace, Amazon Author Page, WPR Author Page.

Twelfth Guest Posting

Have you noticed that the twelfth seems to come around every month? If I'd been smarter, I would've picked the 31st to do all my guest posting. But nope, I'm at it again.

Today, I'm :

HERE at Climbing Roses of the Wild Rose Press talking about Banned Book Week

and I'm also

HERE at Romance Books R Us, talking about September 11th heroes (might want to bring a water hose to view some of these pictures. HOT!).

In the INTERVIEW corner of my blog, all my Mondays are full with guest authors visiting until May 2011, and plenty of Fridays are filled with authors too. So, come back on Mondays and Fridays to meet someone new!

Blondie Update

Guess who's seven months old today?

It's been a while since I shared any information about my baby girl on my blog. I couldn't seem to shut up about her when I was pregnant, but now that's she's born I've been too busy chasing after the crawling maniac to spend much time gushing. I still don't have a whole lot of time to brag, so I'll just show you a video. That way you can see for yourself how much she's grown in the past few months and how mobile she's become.

So, here's what my little blondie's been up to lately!

Start the week with RACHEL BRIMBLE

Belatedly coming to her senses, Lily dropped her gaze and curtsied. “My lord.”

Lord Westrop coughed and cleared his throat. She watched him place his drink on a small side-table from beneath lowered lashes.

“You must be the new housemaid.” He turned and came towards her. “Lily, isn’t it?”

“Yes, sir.” Lifting her head, she met eyes as blue as a crisp winter sky.

He continued to study her. His eyes brushed over her hair, her neck, her breasts. Lily flicked a glance left and right as her body traitorously heated beneath his gaze. The other gentlemen watched, amusement twitching their lips.

“Are you ready to be seated in the dining room, my lord?” Lily said, standing a little straighter.

“I’m sorry?”

“Your meal, sir?”

Lord Westrop blinked and the tension broke. Lily held his gaze. She noticed the curiosity when he looked at her not a moment before had vanished, only to be replaced with mischief—or was it guilt?

His smile turned wolverine. “Oh, I’m more than ready to eat, Lily. I’m positively salivating.”

Lily smarted as his friends burst into a flurry of mocking laughter, but kept her eyes locked on his. The tone of Lord Westrop’s voice disguised neither the implication nor his obvious enjoyment at her expense. A flame of indignation ignited inside of her.

Her smile was slow and intentionally provocative. “I am so pleased, sir. For I would hate for you to have to endure cold soup.” Her gaze lingered down to his crotch. “After all, you are quite obviously still chilled from an afternoon of riding.”

********************
You just read an excerpt from:
The Arrival of Lily Curtis
by
Rachel Brimble
The Wild Rose Press
********************
Today, we’re here with published author, Rachel Brimble.


Linda Kage: Hi, Rachel! Tell us a little about you and what you write please.

Rachel: I live in the UK with my husband, two young daughters, a Labrador, two hamsters and a goldfish. We are happy…most of the time. When I’m not working part-time, or taking my girls here, there and everywhere or doing the housework, I find time to write romance. I am published in contemporary romance, historical romance, romantic comedy and romantic suspense. And soon, erotic romance under the pen name Rachel Leigh.

Kage: That's quite a repertoire of sub genres. What happened to the first book you ever wrote?

Rachel: I am fortunate enough to be able to say, it was published! Searching For Sophie was my very first novel and The Wild Rose Press accepted it in 2007. Up until ‘Sophie’ I had only written short stories for ezines and women’s weekly magazines as well as every contest going!

Kage: Wow, I'm jealous. So, along with Searching For Sophie, What’s your backlist and coming soon bookshelf look like?

Rachel: My published books are:
-Searching For Sophie (suspense) – The Wild Rose Press
-Reluctant Witness (suspense) – The Wild Rose Press
-The Sharp Points of a Triangle (comedy) – Eternal Press
-The Arrival of Lily Curtis (historical) – The Wild Rose Press
Coming Soon
-Transatlantic Loving (contemporary novella) coming September 29th 2010 – The Wild Rose Press
- Getting It Right This Time (contemporary) coming January 2011 – Lyrical Press

Kage: So, what story are we going to talk about today?

Rachel: My latest release is my first historical, The Arrival of Lily Curtis which was published in July by The Wild Rose Press. Here’s the blurb:

********************BLURB********************
The Arrival of Lily Curtis
by
Rachel Brimble
At the mention of an arranged marriage, Elizabeth Caughley feels her life is over at the age of three and twenty….so she hatches an escape plan. She will reinvent herself as a housemaid. Overnight, Elizabeth becomes Lily…

Viscount Westrop wants nothing more than his legacy to be passed to his own son one day. Even though he feels insurmountable pity for the unborn child already, he knows how much pain a broken promise can cause and will do what is right. But with the arrival of his new housemaid, his plans are thrown into disarray. Lily is funny, feisty and the most beautiful creature on earth – Andrew is thunderstruck. But if anyone suspects how much he wants to ravish her and endlessly love her, Andrew’s lineage will be in peril. And he cannot let that happen…
*********************************************

Kage: What would the story be rated if it were a movie?

Rachel: PG-13 (I think - I hail from the UK, our ratings are different – it would be a 15 here!).

Kage: I had no idea there were different rating systems. I apologize; I'm so Americanized. Don't leave the farm much! But on with the interview. If you HAD to fit this story into a cliché, which one would it be?

Rachel: Voyage to discovery

Kage: Okay, now that we have a general idea which class to fit Lily Curtis under, what makes this story so unique from every other book out there?

Rachel: For me, what makes this story different than other Victorian historicals because I wanted to put a huge dose of fun and laughter as well as everything else in there. I think this quote from one of its reviews sums things up!

Ms Brimble has crafted a tale about a woman who wants independence and is willing to live a sham life to get it. I laughed, I had tummy tugs and flutters, I gasped and almost cried. Together this work was wrapped into a very pleasant package that I will be reading many times over the next several years :)
Seriously Reviewed – August 2010

Kage:Great review! What was the easiest part to write?

Rachel: Definitely the dialogue – both Lily (heroine) and Andrew (hero) spoke to me constantly. The connection is so palpable between them, their conversations ran from my fingers with very little trouble. I was sorry to say goodbye to them if I’m honest! This book ended up being at least 10,000 words longer than I planned.

Kage:What do you like most about the main character(s) and what do you like least? Did you learn anything from them?

Rachel: With Lily, the best thing is her gumption, her resolve that anything is possible – the worst? Her inability to give up her idea of independence and realize Andrew is perfect for her!

Andrew – Best is his naughty sense of humor and broody sexiness. Worst – his self-loathing before Lily opens his eyes and makes him see that past mistakes need to be learned from and forgotten.

Kage: Rachel, Thank you so much for stopping by today and gracing us with your presence. Before we go, is there anything else you’d like to say to wrap things up?

Rachel: Yes! One more thing is I’d love more readers to drop by my blog on Tuesdays and Thursdays. On these days, I have a guest authors visiting with me and it’s a great way to discover new writers and find out more about them.
Thank you so much for this opportunity, Linda – hope to meet again soon!

Now that Rachel has totally made us want to buy her work, she was kind enough to provide us with buy links for : The Arrival of Lily Curtis and The Sharp Points of a Triangle

If you're still curious about Rachel, here are other places to find her on the web :

Website: Rahcel Brimble , Rachel Leigh

Blog: http://www.rachelbrimble.blogspot.com/ and http://www.rachelleighromance.blogspot.com/

End the week with Suzannah Safi

A door squeaked open, and booted footsteps clapping against the hard floor reached her ears. She turned her head to the left and saw a shadow of a man coming closer into the light.

“Well hello.” The stranger’s voice, thick and full of are-you-ready-to-play teasing, was music to her ears. “My name is Antwan.” He smiled and stepped forward. His long blond hair hid half of his face. This stranger was not the normal type of men they played games with. Hot damn, Aden chose a man as beautiful as he was—the difference being Aden had black short hair and less muscles, while this one looked like he just jumped out of a wrestling magazine. Still both were the same height six feet tall. She moaned her hello since she couldn't speak.

“Yeah…you can scream my name while I…do you.” Antwan winked at her as he advanced toward the bed.


********************
You just read an excerpt from:
Adrenaline Rush – Rule Breaker
by
Suzannah Safi
********************


Today, we’re here with published author, Suzannah Safi.

Linda Kage: Tell us a little about you and what you write please.

Suzannah: I’m a romance author, a promoter, and a graphic designer. I have novels and short stories that are published with different publishers. I write a mix of sub-genres within the romance genre under one name Suzannah Safi. You can find contemporary, paranormal, a hint of historical, thriller, suspense and horror. I mix everything in my romances. One of my editors described my writing as a roller coaster ride; you don’t know when a surprise will pop up, or what you will find next :).

I am a promoter; the owner of ‘Romance Alley’ http://www.romancealley.suzannahsafi.com/ a place for authors and readers to benefit and have fun. On September 2010 in coordination with Writers Cecile we will have something new called ‘Treasure Maze Contest’. Hope to see you there as well. I’m also a graphic designer and the owner of ‘Book Trailer Design’ wwwdesign.suzannahsafi.com I create book trailers/movie trailers for authors/companies, book covers, and promo materials.

Kage: What happened to the first book you ever wrote?

Suzannah: I can’t get to it right now ‘cause I have it under the pile of ten stories that I’m working on LOL.

Kage: What’s your backlist and coming soon bookshelf look like?

Suzannah: The latest three short stories I published are under the name I call ‘Forbidden Fantasies’ the three are ‘My Sun…Your Shadow’-Vampire theme-thriller-dark fantasy, ‘Sway me With Lust’ erotic romance, ‘Beyond a Planned Fantasy’ erotic romance. My up-coming short story is actually a new line I invented called ‘Adrenaline Shots’ and the first short story under that line is called “Adrenaline Rush- Rule Breaker’ will be sold exclusively through my website http://www.suzannahsafi.com/ starting from October 2010.

Kage: So, what story are we going to talk about today?

Suzannah: Oh, 'Adrenaline Rush – Rule Breaker’ is a short story that I’m offering for free through Treasure Maze contest only for the month of September 2010, you can participate in the contest if you like at http://romancealley.suzannahsafi.com/TreasureMaze.html
Starting from October 2010, ‘Adrenaline Rush – Rule Breaker’ will be available to buy only from my website for $1.00 in PDF format.

This story is published by me the author, I wanted to have this baby in house lol. You wanna know what the story is about watch the trailer I created (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnjVRnHwav0).

Kage: What would the story be rated if it were a movie?

Suzannah: Rated R, very much R LOL..

Kage: If you HAD to fit this story into a cliché, which one would it go?

Suzannah: LOL…nice question! I would say Forbidden Love, only because Celia the heroine in ‘Adrenaline Rush – Rule Breaker’ is going for the forbidden type of lifestyle. She thought that experimenting with other couples is the ultimate, yet she was introduced to something more than the vanilla style she is used too.

Kage: Okay, now that we have a general idea which class to fit this story under, what makes this book so unique from every other book out
there?

Suzannah: Well, what I have not revealed to anyone about this story is that the hero Antwan has something else in mind for Celia, and Celia has something else in mind for Antwan and Aden. And ‘Adrenaline Rush – Rule Breaker’ is just the beginning. I would say this story is like a whisky shot, it will bring your body temperature to a boiling point, then the sizzling sensation will smoothly lick your nerves inside out.

Kage:What was the easiest part to write?

Suzannah: Dialog, I love the fact that my heroes talk to each other and my fingers can’t keep up with them LOL.

Sometimes I wish I can travel to the future and see if we have invented a devise to plug into our brain and the devise starts typing the story, and no, not talking through a devise, we already have that one, which I don’t like using LOL. To me stories flow in front of my eyes like a movie, I can see them talk, fight, make love, move, all the nine yards. But I can’t keep up with them, so I end up writing an outline for a story, and it stays there until my fingers ache and burn enough to write their stories.

Kage:What do you like most about the main character(s) and what do you like least? Did you learn anything from them?

Suzannah:What I like about my characters that each one of them is not perfect, even the delicate heroine, nice, and loving, has a flaw. I always learn from my characters, they are fun to be with especially when they get loose and I have to leash them lol. They are real to me and I love them when they argue a point LOL, crazy yes, but fun!

Kage:Suzannah, Thank you so much for stopping by today and gracing us with your presence. Before we go, is there anything else you’d like to say to wrap things up?

Suzannah: I would like to thank you, Linda for inviting me, and asking all those amazing questions, and I would like to thank all the readers here for coming by. If you would like to get to know my stories better, please visit my website and blog.

If you're still curious about Suzannah, here are other places to find her on the web:
-Facebook: Just find Suzannah Safi
-Twitter: http://twitter.com/suzannahsafi
-Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Suzannah-Safi/e/B002C4P494/ref=sr_tc_img_2_0?qid=1282508923&sr=1-2-ent

And here’s her publication info:
-Worth Every Breath A- vailable e-book & print from http://www.thewildrosepress.com/
-This Time You Are Mine - Available e-book & print from http://www.champagnebooks.com/
-Behind a Closed Heart-a free short story
-Sway Me with Lust- Available e-book from http://www.extasybooks.com/
-Beyond a Planned Fantasy-Available e-book from http://www.pinkpetalbooks.com/
-My Sun Your Shadow - Available e-book from http://www.extasybooks.com/

Adrenaline Rush - Rule Breaker - Available e-book, only at my website http://www.suzannahsafi.com/

Thank you so much for visit, Suzannah. It's been a pleasure to meet you!