Jan Scarbrough's Blog, page 9

Charming the Professor by Donna MacMeans is a winner

Welcome Donna! Tell us about your new novel.

Many years ago I attended the RWA convention in New Orleans.  My roommate and I played hooky from the workshops by heading to the French Quarter for lunch.  We were on Royal St. and saw the shingle for the famous Court of Two Sisters restaurant, but when we opened the door, we were faced with a bare hallway with brick and plaster walls with graffiti. We weren’t sure this was the sort of place any sane person should be, but the maitre’d waved us forward.  At the end of that hallway stood a pair of fancy iron gates with a wooden sign that said:

 These Charm Gates were wrought in Spain especially for the Court of Two Sisters. According to legend, Queen Isabella had them blessed so that their charm would pass onto anyone who touched them.  

I thought I could write a book about Queen Isabella channeling her charm into an unsuspecting tourist, but in my research, I found that  Queen Isabella II was anything but charming.  She was a beotch!  So much for that plan.  Then I thought the vindictive, jealous Queen might have a sweet, and kind charm teacher that she hated.  The queen rids herself of the charm teacher by having her imprisoned in iron gates destined for New Orleans.  The inscription on the wood plaque is tongue-in-cheek. And it all would have gone unnoticed – if not for the touch of Physics Professor in modern day New Orleans.

Charming the Professor is a finalist in both the 2015 National Readers Choice Awards contest and 2015  Prism award for time-travel/steampunk.

Charming the Professor Blurb

The Charm Gates have stood at The Court of Two Sisters for more than a century with no one guessing the secret they hold. A jealous vindictive Spanish queen and a blackmailed alchemist have encased French “charm teacher” Madeline Charlebois’s essence inside the gates, at least until a grieving professor touches them during a storm and Madeline tumbles out, not in her own 19th century Spain, but in 21st century New Orleans.

Quantum physics Professor Grant Stewart has mourned his wife’s death for the last three years. But he must move on for his young daughter’s sake, the child who delights in terrorizing babysitters. Grant needs adequate childcare to pursue tenure at Tulane. What he doesn’t need is a French beauty believing nonsense like time-travel and voodoo, and whose very being is melting his heart.

Maddie may be without resources but she’s good at making new friends, even if they are on the quirky side. She believes Professor Stewart can return her home, but first she must earn his trust to win his cooperation. Babysitting his daughter gives her both proximity, and love for the child. Will Grant be the key to returning to her time? Or will she, in turn, unlock his frozen heart? All they need is time and maybe a little voodoo…

Visit Donna’s website to learn about her books.

I found nine books on my keeper shelf written by Roberta Gellis

 

This week someone in a published writers’ group email list mentioned that multi-published author Roberta Gellis is ailing. The sad report sent me to my basement bookshelf where I discovered nine copies of Gellis’ books.

Back in the day, before I wrote novels, I read all the time. And back in the day, the big historical romances were my favorite. That’s why I have nine of Roberta Gellis’ books on my keeper shelf!

Yes, these books are old AND long. The paperback of Roselynde, Book One of the Roselynde Chronicles, cost me $1.95. Its 490 pages were filled with historical characters like Richard, Couer de Lion, and Prince John. Back then we could immerse ourselves in history, the lives of the fictional characters and read to our hearts content. For some reason, I had more time, even with two small children. I found more time to sit and fanaticize with no cable TV, video games and iPads to distract me.

It was in her honor that I named a character in Tangled Memories Gellis. Once at a large book signing, I forget where it was, I made a point of stopping by her table and telling her how much I loved her books. It’s safe to say, Roberta Gellis’ writing made an impact on many people.

From the biography of Robert Gellis:

Roberta Gellis has a varied educational background—a master’s degree in biochemistry and another in medieval literature—and working history—10 years as a research chemist, many years as a free-lance editor of scientific manuscripts, and more than 40 years as a writer. She is married—to the same man for over 60 years (no mean feat in these days) and lives in Lafayette, Indiana, with her husband Charles and a lively Scottish terrier called Zoe. She has one child, Mark, who teaches Rhetoric (a fancy name for expository writing) at Kettering University in Michigan. Mark is married to Sandra and they have a lovely daughter, Elizabeth.

Gellis has been a successful writer of historical fiction, publishing over 25 meticulously researched historical novels since 1964. The best known of these are The Roselynde Chronicles (ROSELYNDE, ALINOR, JOANNA, GILLIANE, RHIANNON, and SYBELLE). The series has been reprinted many times since its first appearance in 1979, most recently in 2006. Gellis has also been the recipient of many awards, including the Silver and Gold Medal Porgy for historical novels from West Coast Review of Books, the Golden Certificate and Golden Pen from Affaire de Coeur, The Romantic Times Award for Best Novel in the Medieval Period (more than once) and Lifetime Achievement Award for Historical Fantasy, as well as Romance Writers of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

Welcome Constance Walker, Gothic Mystery Writer

Do you love old-fashioned Gothics? I’ve recently discovered an author new to me and would like to share her with you.

***

I think most people play the “what if?” game at one time or another no matter whether it’s a do-over from the past – “what if I had said…?”  or fantasizing into the future — “What if I had a million dollars…?”  And, sometimes those reveries can change the whole course of your life. 

For me, those “what if’s” can turn into sentences and paragraphs and chapters and finally … a novel.   

A few years ago I drove over a bridge and saw an old stone mansion on a cliff and I thought, “What if that house was in Victorian England and what if a mysterious family lived in it? And what if it was haunted and had a ghost? And those “what if?” questions became the beginnings of my latest Gothic mystery, LOST ROSES OF GANYMEDE HOUSE.

Maybe you won’t write a book, maybe you won’t get a chance to redo your words or ever have a million dollars in the bank, but it’s still fun to play the “what if?” game even when you have a cart full of groceries and you’re standing in the check-out line. “What if I could rule the world?”

Biography

Constance Walker is the author of two Gothic mysteries, LOST ROSES OF GANYMEDE HOUSE and THE SHIMMERING STONES OF WINTER’S LIGHT.  She is also the author of IN TIME, a modern-WW2 time travel romance and WARM WINTER LOVE, a contemporary romance.

Liz: The Long Road Home

The Montana McKenna’s
Release April 30. Preorder 99 cents!

Amazon Kindle | iBooks | Kobo | B&N Nook

She’d had the great love of her life. Was she foolish to want another one?

 

 

“Fans of cowboy romance will enjoy this series.” Night Owl Romance

The Montana McKennas: Prequel  by Jan Scarbrough and Maddie James (free)
Brody  by Jan Scarbrough
Callie  by Maddie James
Parker  by Maddie James
Mercer  by Jan Scarbrough

Excerpt

Prologue

Malibu, California

Charles Martin Kingston pulled off the main road into the parking space beside his half-brother’s twenty-five million dollar beach house. Fronted by the Pacific Ocean with views of the mountains beyond the highway, the six-thousand-square-foot luxury home had been his brother’s peace offering to his second wife.

Even six bedrooms, seven baths, a chef’s kitchen, infinity pool, and spa hadn’t worked. The ungrateful bitch had divorced Dalton Kingston anyway, throwing his baby brother into the deepest, darkest depression Chaz had yet seen. Women.

His own track record wasn’t much better. He’d married once and divorced once, vowing never to get tied up with a crazy woman like Adrianne again. From the first, he should have been wary of her because she came with baggage from one failed marriage—twin daughters Alena and Amalee. God, he still couldn’t tell those girls apart, even though they’d turned twenty-one and he’d known them for fifteen years.

The only good to come of his marriage was his daughter Ashleigh. Fifteen—going on forty—she was the light of his life. But she was her mother’s daughter more than his. Hooked on glamor and fashion, she knew every pop trend that, of course, she tweeted, blogged, or whatever kids today did to call attention to themselves. Chaz had kept her out of her mother’s reality TV show so far, but it was getting harder to do.

Alena, Amalee, and Adrianne Wade (she’d taken back her first husband’s name) were big stars in the celebrity world. Famous for being famous. No real talent except for making themselves the objects of curiosity for paparazzi and gossip magazines. Chaz didn’t want that for his daughter.

That’s why he needed to see Ashleigh more often. Make time. Not skip his visitation. But it was all so complicated. His life. His job. This business he was in, trying to make it in the ruthlessly competitive world of Hollywood. He was constantly trying to keep ahead of the sharks that would eat him alive if he didn’t remain current. Find the next trend two years before others knew it existed. Be the first with the best script. The best ideas.

Chaz sat a moment in front of his brother’s dual garage entrances. He expelled a breath, opened the car door, and stepped out onto the pavement. California sunshine struck him with its familiar fierceness. He squinted into the glare, wishing he’d brought his sunglasses. The roar of the ocean almost drowned out the rumble of cars driving past the beachfront house.

Except for Ashleigh, Dalton Kingston was his only family. Ten years his junior, Chaz had always felt close to his brother. But even that closeness had frayed lately.

Chaz worried about him. About the anger and despondency that ate away at his brother’s life. About the fact that he hadn’t answered his cell phone in two days.

Why did it seem as if he’d lost control of everything? If he wasn’t careful, he’d end up as miserable as his brother.

His cell phone rang. Finally. If Dalton had called sooner, he could have saved himself the trip. Chaz pushed the button to answer the call without checking caller ID.

“Mr. Kingston, this is Elayne from the Morrison Agency. We spoke two days ago.”

Chaz’s shoulders slumped with disappointment. “Yes, I remember.” Regardless of who was on the other end of the line, he was always polite. Professional. One never knew when a bit of kindness and consideration would pay off.

“Did you receive the ebook I emailed you?”

Had he? Chaz couldn’t remember. “Yes, I did.”

“Great! I wanted to make sure you’d received it and that it was in the right format. I guess you haven’t had time to read it yet.”

“No. Not yet.”

“I understand.”

There was a pause. Chaz shifted his weight to his other foot.

“Mr. Kingston,” the agent began then hesitated again. “The thing is, I have another candidate for the book, but I’d really like to see you turn it into a TV script. You do such wonderful work. My client enjoys your shows on the Sweet Romance Network. She’d really love it if you’d take a chance on her book.”

Yes, wouldn’t they all? Most eager novelists with a bestseller wanted him to write their movie script or produce their books for cable television. There just wasn’t enough time in the day for every one of them.

“Remind me again the name of this novel and why it is so special?”

“Under Montana Stars is a family novel. Set in Montana. It’s a USA Today bestseller as a self-published ebook. My agency has gotten involved to produce a trade paperback and handle the other rights—foreign, movie, audio book, you know.”

Yes, he knew. “As I asked, what’s so special about it?”

The agent drew in a breath and then launched. “Under Montana Stars is a fabulous book about a blended family and how they coped with the loss of the patriarch, their father and stepfather. It expresses family values—love, loyalty—things that are so hard to find in much of today’s society. It is a feel-good book. One that will give the viewers a sense of hope.”

One book can do all that?

Chaz rolled his eyes. “Sounds fabulous.”

“It really is.” The agent must not understand sarcasm because of her enthusiastic reply. “It’s written by Stephanie Caldera, wife of the famous bull rider Brody Caldera. In fact, it’s semi-autobiographical in many respects.”

Chaz had never heard of Brody Caldera or this wonderful book that had somehow had broken through all the millions of other self-published ebooks to hit the bestseller list. That didn’t mean it wasn’t worth checking into, but at the moment his mind was elsewhere.

“Give me time to read the ebook, and I’ll get back to you,” he said to put off the agent.

“Oh, thank you, Mr. Kingston. You won’t be sorry!”

The call ended and so had Chaz’s patience. He was tired. Sick of people poking at him from all angles, wanting this or that. He was no magician. Hell, he couldn’t even control his own daughter or make his brother respond to a phone call.

Chaz stuffed the cell phone back in his pocket and strode to the metal gate that shut Dalton’s home from the world. He punched in the security code and pushed open the gate. Walking across the courtyard, he rang the doorbell. No answer. He twisted the doorknob. The heavy, ornate front door was unlocked.

Chaz entered and glanced around. The house was eerily quiet. No light jazz provided background music through the all-house sound system. Only the whir of air conditioning and the tick-tock of a distant clock broke the silence.

The décor was pristine white with an occasional beach scene watercolor on a wall. The Pacific Ocean was meant to be the house’s main design element and its tall picture windows exposed ocean views from every direction. Dalton’s home was built into a hillside with four stories. The top floor was the entrance and contained a few bedrooms. Chaz knew his brother never used them. He descended a staircase built into the right-hand corner of the house that would take him from the entry hall to the family area on the bottom floor.

“Dalton!” he called when he reached the second-floor chef’s kitchen.

The sink was filled with dirty dishes and legal papers were scattered on the table. Housekeeping wasn’t Dalton’s strong suit. Folding doors stood wide open to the massive outdoor entertaining deck. Chaz crossed the deck and gazed at the ocean.

Something was wrong. He’d known it all week, but he’d tried to ignore the gut feeling. Now it punched him hard in his stomach. What would he do if anything happened to his baby brother?

The expansive master suite on the third floor was empty—the bedclothes rumpled and a pair of blue jeans cast off on the bathroom floor. Chaz opened the door to the private deck and went outside. He saw the blue water of the infinity pool below. It seemingly cascaded into ocean, located one level above the sand.

But he didn’t see his brother.

Heart in his throat, Chaz went down the stairs one more time and came into the family room. As in the kitchen above, the folding doors stood open. Someone was stretched out in a wicker chaise lounge facing the pool and ocean. The chair was situated under the deck, obstructing Chaz’s view from above.

“Dalton?”

No response. Chaz walked closer and paused behind the chair.

He knew what he’d find, but he had to force himself to take the last step.

Facing the rolling ocean and the brilliant orange sunset, Dalton Kingston sat with a needle sticking into his outstretched, bare arm.

He was as dead as Chaz knew he would be.

Tangled Memories update still enjoyed by readers

I wrote Tangled Memories many years ago. It was one of the first books I wrote. When I released it again in January, I’d refreshed it with an eye to my current writing style. My editor Karen Block also gave it a polish. What do you know? It’s still a good read!

And now it has a new cover. It is in ebook, and as of two days ago, Tangled Memories has a paperback version, much cheaper than other paperback versions.

Here are some 2016 Amazon reviews of Tangled Memories.

What a wonderful well written gothic romance read! Once started, I could not put it down.
This is known as a gothic romance, but there is a touch of the paranormal to it because of past lives becoming a reality in the present time…I loved this mysterious romance!
I loved this book!
I loved this story it was suspenseful and romantic at the same time!
OK; interesting premise, well written, great imagination; and whose to claim it couldn’t happen? I’ve been around a long time and seen things that shouldn’t have been true.

Holding your own paperback book is a treat

Ebooks are great. In fact, that’s how I buy most of my books today. I download them onto my Kindle app on my iPad. After all, Amazon makes it so easy to buy with one click.

But there’s something about holding a book you wrote in your own hands—turning the pages, glancing at the text, marveling that you actually wrote it.

That’s the way I felt with Kentucky Blue Bloods popped up on Amazon in paperback. I immediately “bought with one click” and a couple days later my package arrived. The book’s cover was just as lovely as it is online. The font size was big enough to read easily. I loved it!

There’s so much you can do with a paperback. I immediately ran a contest for my newsletter subscribers giving away four books (first come first serve). Many readers still love paperbacks, you know. I gifted one to my mother-in-law. I ordered a bunch from the publisher, hoping to submit a couple to a major book-signing event.

And paperback books just look pretty on bookshelves, don’t you think? They add to the atmosphere of a room. I’ve been collecting paperbacks novels (and now ebooks) ever since the ninth grade teacher Mrs. Neff told us it would be a good thing for us to do.

How about you? Paperback or ebook? Or does it matter?

Why do your readers buy Tangled Memories?

On sale for 99 cents for a few more days!

Tangled Memories is different from my normal contemporary romances. In a way, it defies classification. It’s a contemporary romance set in Kentucky.

At the same time, it is a typical Gothic romance with the young heroine, mysterious hero, and threatening mansion.

From Infoplease.com: During the 1960s so-called Gothic novels became enormously popular in England and the United States. Seemingly modeled on Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre and Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca, these novels usually concern spirited young women, either governesses or new brides, who go to live in large gloomy mansions populated by peculiar servants and precocious children and presided over by darkly handsome men with mysterious pasts. Popular practitioners of this genre are Mary Stewart, Victoria Holt, Catherine Cookson, and Dorothy Eden.

Tangled Memories is a paranormal because of the flashbacks to medieval England. These flashbacks are not dreams, but remembrances of past lives. At a state fair many years ago, I was introduced to the concept of reincarnation. My daughter wanted her palm read by a “gypsy” at a medieval faire. I had my palm read too and was surprised when the palm-reader told me I had known my ex-husband in a “former life.” The potential of using reincarnation in a book was apparent to me from that first introduction.

The book is written in first and third person. Readers who miss old-fashioned Gothic romances buy this book. I like to think it’s a good story and an enjoyable read with a happily-ever-after ending.

4 Star Review from Romantic Times

“I am thrilled to see a revival of the gothic romance. Not only does it have effective gothic elements but also flashbacks to the earlier time made it seem as if I were reading two different stories that paralleled each other.”

Amazon | iBooks | B&N Nook | Kobo | Amazon UK

 

 

The Annual Christmas Letter: A Family Tradition

With the advent of email, FaceTime, Facebook and other social media—the practice of mailing Christmas cards to family and friends has slowed. Or stopped. I can keep in touch with folks I haven’t seen in years simply by clicking my Facebook Timeline.

But it doesn’t matter. I continue to write and send an annual newsletter to about fifty friends and family.

Traditions are longstanding customs and practices. Sending the family newsletter is part of my tradition. Started by my father, I continue to do it. Our production schedule involves writing the letter; then my husband combines photos into a file and prints it; then I will print labels (a time saver), fold, lick, stamp and mail.

The older relatives, the ones confused by computers and cell phones, are gone for the most part. I could probably get by without going to all the effort. But I don’t. I’m a creature of habit.

For one thing, writing a letter is a way to keep track of the past. What happened years ago is a far off memory, often blurred and fuzzy. With a glance at the paper Christmas letter, I can go back in time and sharpen those memories.

For example—here’s what my father wrote almost 30 years ago in 1986: “The years continue to roll by, faster each year, it seems . . . We have lost contact with many of our college friends and buddies; the many special friends that we made during our World War II travels, and the many more friends that we made during our teaching careers. Christmas is an excellent time to renew some of these acquaintances.”

My father typed his letter using one of those portable electric typewriters.

My newsletter for 1986 is interesting because, for some reason, I mentioned all the pets. Maybe it was because I spent so much time taking care of them!

Here’s what I wrote:

“We’ve had a busy year, and I thought you might like to hear about it. First of all, Flops and Fluffy continue to dig in the back yard, bark at sirens and scratch at the back door. For thirteen-year-old Flops, this is no mean accomplishment.”

“Poker, Fred, Boogie and Spotty continue to swim and glug happily in their tank. When we bought the four goldfish in March, I did not expect such longevity.”

Then I mention Brownie, the hamster—one of many in our future. “Brownie is a golden hamster who lives in a cage vacated by two gerbils. She is very sweet and tame. She’s only bitten once!”

I go on to mention the activities of my two children: church choir, clarinet lessons, tap and jazz lessons, tennis, basketball, swimming, and church day camp. My son starred in T-ball and flag football. He also endured weekly horseback riding lessons “where he gets to play with the stable cats.” Having seen my grandson at his sister’s horseback riding lessons, playing with stable cats must be a little boy pastime.

Looking back, I must echo my father: “The years continue to roll by….” Time flies. My children are grown up. They have children. They are going through the busyness and stress I went through—work a full day and drive children to activities at night or on weekends. Hopefully, they will survive—and some day they will look back on this busy time as fondly as I look back on mine—thanks to the annual Christmas letter.

Bible Verses Read as US Crew Orbited the Moon

Christmas 1968 & 1969

Did you know?

On December 24, 1968, in what was the most watched television broadcast at the time, the crew of Apollo 8 read in turn from the Book of Genesis as they orbited the moon. Bill Anders, Jim Lovell, and Frank Borman recited verses 1 through 10, using the King James Version text.

Afterward, Madalyn Murray O’Hair, founder of American Atheists, responded by suing the United States government, alleging violations of the First Amendment. The Supreme Court dismissed the suit due to lack of jurisdiction.

And so the craziness began.

Yet, for those of us who lived through the moon flights, this was an awe-inspiring occurrence. I used it in my book A Groovy Christmas when Kate and Grant watched the television broadcast.

Christmas Eve 1968

Legend, Tennessee

At 9:30 in the evening, Walter Cronkite came on TV, anchoring the broadcast featuring live video images from outer space. Apollo 8, the first manned mission to the moon, had entered lunar orbit with its crew of Frank Borman, James Lovell, and William Anders.

“This is amazing,” Kate said breathlessly. She sat forward and the little calico cat hopped off her lap.

Pictures of the lunar surface appeared on the screen. Captivated immediately, Grant stared at the grainy, poor-quality video while each astronaut talked about his impression of the moon and what it was like to be in orbit above lifeless gray craters and mountains. One astronaut described it as “a vast, lonely, forbidding expanse of nothing.”

Kate’s eyes were full of wonderment. “Imagine going to the moon!”

Grant couldn’t find his voice. His throat clogged with a sublime sense of awe. Why was this mission moving him so much? He regarded those fearless men, who had little chance of returning home, with respect. They were doing something important and making a difference.

“We’re now approaching the lunar sunrise,” said the scratchy voice of William Anders.

A full view of earth appeared on the TV rising over the gray horizon of the moon. The orb seemed suspended in an empty blackness, but swirled with the color of life.

“For all the people on Earth, the crew of Apollo 8 has a message we would like to send you,” Anders continued.

“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

“And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.

“And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

“And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.”

In a deeper voice, Jim Lovell picked up the Biblical reading:

“And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

“And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.

“And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.

“And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.”

Frank Borman finished reading:

“And God said, Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.

“And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.”

Then Borman added, “And from the crew of Apollo 8, we close with good night, good luck, a Merry Christmas, and God bless all of you—all of you on the good Earth.”

“That was from Genesis,” Kate murmured, her voice hushed and awed. “We are so blessed.”

Grant nodded, still absorbing all he had seen and heard. The universe was so vast. In the context of space, the Viet Nam war and his family feud with the Fields family seemed petty and senseless. His heart warmed with a profound sense of wonder. It was almost as if he needed this broadcast to cheer him up after a year fraught with death and disillusionment.

He glanced at Kate. She wiped a tear from her eye. He reached out and fingered a strand of hair that touched her shoulder. She turned and smiled.

At that moment, his world altered and arranged itself differently like scatterings of puzzle pieces dropping into place. He sensed he belonged here with Kate, and his life suddenly didn’t feel so unsettled.

What I’ve Learned at Zumba®

When Jamal challenged me to take a Zumba class, I was skeptical, but I went. Here’s what I learned.

The main qualification for a Zumba instructor is to smile during the whole one-hour class.
It helps if you have rhythm.
Like dancing, Zumba is hard work.
Sometimes guys come to Zumba class and the ladies love them.
You don’t have to hop (high impact) like the young women.
Low impact (stepping) is fine.
The older women (like me) hug the back wall.
There’s great camaraderie among the classmates. You get to know folks and enjoy friendships.
It doesn’t matter what you do as long as you “do.”
No one looks great the first…or second time you take a class.
No one cares what you look like.
You can really change your body makeup—lose fat and gain muscle—no matter what your age.
Exercising, being active, can become part of your life.
Horseback riding is still more fun.

What is Zumba?

Wikipedia says that Zumba involves dance and aerobic elements. The choreography incorporates hip-hop, soca, samba, salsa, merengue and mambo.

The Zumba website claims: “We take the ‘work’ out of workout, by mixing low-intensity and high-intensity moves for an interval-style, calorie-burning dance fitness party. Once the Latin and World rhythms take over, you’ll see why Zumba® Fitness classes are often called exercise in disguise.”