Nancy Gideon's Blog, page 58
February 4, 2014
IWSG: My Favorite “F” Words
One of my mottos is The Only Constant is Change. Flexibility (and I don’t mean the ability to touch your toes, which I’m proud to say I CAN still do!), Focus and Fearlessness are the most productive F-words you can have in your vocabulary. Go with the flow. Know what you want and what you have to do to get it. Don’t be afraid to reach, struggle . . . or Fail (that other less popular F-word) if it ultimately moves you Forward, Forward being the main goal, even when it means taking a step back to get a new running start.
Let’s recap . . .
“F-words, learn to use them!”
1. Flexibility. Don’t get stuck in a repetitive rut especially when it holds you back. Instead of whining over market changes, learn how to adapt. I never thought I’d see the day when I’d write in 1st person. Guess what both of my next projects are written in? Don’t let a lack of knowledge hold you back from trying something new, be it in your own writing or when it comes to keeping up with technology. Make “Yes, I can!” you’re new buzz word.
2. Focus. Set goals. Think of them as those turn-by-turn helpers that come with Mapquest directions to get you where you need to go so you don’t get lost or detoured. Recalculate when necessary (If you like, you can do it in a snotty English accent!)
3. Fearlessness. From sending out that first manuscript to approaching an agent/editor to reinventing a career, fear is what stands in your way – not lack of name recognition, not your competition, not your bad sales figures. What have you got to lose? Success, if fear keeps you from trying. Go boldly! Ask for a push if you need one!
4. Failure. What fuels most of our fear? Failure. We’re terrified of having that big “Epic Fail” stamped upon our forehead. It’s paralyzing. We need to change our pattern of thinking. Failure doesn’t mean you can’t or won’t succeed. It means that particular route wasn’t the right one. Recalulating . . . Sometimes the highway isn’t the best way or the only way.
5. Forward. Forward motion builds speed and momentum. Write every day and those paragraphs become a novel. Tiptoe into social media with Facebook or a blog and soon you’ll be dropping in embedded code. Speak to fellow writers. Join groups and loops. Ask questions. Take classes. Each bit of ongoing exposure is a step toward finding that agent, solving that plot problem, cleaning up that manuscript, discovering who is buying what you’re writing. Be that big snowball that gathers mass as it rolls (not hard to do here in Michigan at the moment!)
And remember . . . Sam Jackson has his eye on you!
How do you define these invaluable F-words and apply them to your own writing? Which gives you the most trouble?
What is the Insecure Writers Support Group?
Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds! See #5 above!
Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time.
IWSG rocks! That’s why I’m “Sharing the Love” in my 2-1-14 blog post below as part of the Share the Love Giveaway Hop. Help spread the warm fuzzies and earn more chances to win my $10 Amazon gift card. Another warm fuzzy – BETRAYED BY SHADOWS and PRINCE OF SHADOWS (links are below too), part of my dark paranormal Shape-shifter series with Pocket Star are STILL only $1.99 at Amazon and Barnes & Noble for Kindle and Nook. Hurry! Don’t know how long that price will remain.
Let’s recap . . .
“F-words, learn to use them!”
1. Flexibility. Don’t get stuck in a repetitive rut especially when it holds you back. Instead of whining over market changes, learn how to adapt. I never thought I’d see the day when I’d write in 1st person. Guess what both of my next projects are written in? Don’t let a lack of knowledge hold you back from trying something new, be it in your own writing or when it comes to keeping up with technology. Make “Yes, I can!” you’re new buzz word.
2. Focus. Set goals. Think of them as those turn-by-turn helpers that come with Mapquest directions to get you where you need to go so you don’t get lost or detoured. Recalculate when necessary (If you like, you can do it in a snotty English accent!)
3. Fearlessness. From sending out that first manuscript to approaching an agent/editor to reinventing a career, fear is what stands in your way – not lack of name recognition, not your competition, not your bad sales figures. What have you got to lose? Success, if fear keeps you from trying. Go boldly! Ask for a push if you need one!
4. Failure. What fuels most of our fear? Failure. We’re terrified of having that big “Epic Fail” stamped upon our forehead. It’s paralyzing. We need to change our pattern of thinking. Failure doesn’t mean you can’t or won’t succeed. It means that particular route wasn’t the right one. Recalulating . . . Sometimes the highway isn’t the best way or the only way.
5. Forward. Forward motion builds speed and momentum. Write every day and those paragraphs become a novel. Tiptoe into social media with Facebook or a blog and soon you’ll be dropping in embedded code. Speak to fellow writers. Join groups and loops. Ask questions. Take classes. Each bit of ongoing exposure is a step toward finding that agent, solving that plot problem, cleaning up that manuscript, discovering who is buying what you’re writing. Be that big snowball that gathers mass as it rolls (not hard to do here in Michigan at the moment!)
And remember . . . Sam Jackson has his eye on you!
How do you define these invaluable F-words and apply them to your own writing? Which gives you the most trouble?
What is the Insecure Writers Support Group?
Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds! See #5 above!
Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time.
IWSG rocks! That’s why I’m “Sharing the Love” in my 2-1-14 blog post below as part of the Share the Love Giveaway Hop. Help spread the warm fuzzies and earn more chances to win my $10 Amazon gift card. Another warm fuzzy – BETRAYED BY SHADOWS and PRINCE OF SHADOWS (links are below too), part of my dark paranormal Shape-shifter series with Pocket Star are STILL only $1.99 at Amazon and Barnes & Noble for Kindle and Nook. Hurry! Don’t know how long that price will remain.
January 31, 2014
Share the Love Giveaway Hop
Holidays are for giving and for this Valentine’s Day I’m joining with over 70 other sites to “Share the Love” (in a non-caloric way!). The purpose of the Hop is to show a little love to some of my favorite Bloggers/Authors with a Surprise Bomb of LIKES (Think virtual Valentines!). You can help with this Big Group Hug - and earn extra chances to win my personal Valentine of a $10 Amazon gift card – by visiting my Hearted friends below and Liking or Following their pages. Then follow the Hop links for more chances to win and more chances to spread that Warm Fuzzy to those who’ve made our lives a happier place to be.
Decisions, decisions! It was SO difficult to pick from the many, many, many who’ve meant so much to me. I finally had to Enie Meanie Minie Moe to randomly narrow it down to just five (so if you’re not on it, don’t assume I don’t LOVE you, because I DO!)
Share the Love by surprising these fabulous friends of mine:
♥ My Girl Friday – Why I love her? She does all my techie stuff to make me look creative and stylish (What’s not to love about that!) and comes up with great ideas to get me ‘out there.’ She’s also part of Buy the Book Tours where authors can pick from wonderful promo packages and bloggers can sign up to host author events.
♥ Jennifer Lowery – Why I love her? Aside from being a wonderful author ( Hard Core kept me up waaay past my bedtime!), she’s also generous in providing promo to other writers with her blog ops “Meet the Characters” and “Romance Recipes” which are loads of fun. Like her pages.
♥ ReMaryd Originals – Why I love her? Besides being my daughter-in-law, she makes me look GOOD! I’m a blingaholic and a lot of my “Oh Shiny”s were born on her work table where she repurposes old or broken pieces of jewelry into amazing new creations (one of my favorites was made from a drawer pull!). Covet her projects and Follow her fun blog.
♥ Elizabeth Alsobrooks – Why I love her? She’s been my critique partner, intrepid travel buddy, and supporter since it seems like forever! Her debut novel Illuminati: The Book of Life is Urban Fantasy Reinvented pulling in tons of my favorite things: mythology, adventure, romance, and intrigue into a great non-stop read. She also features authors on her guest blog, Book Bling. Follow her Blog or on Twitter.
♥ Insecure Writers Support Group – Why I love them? I stumbled upon this group almost by accident and now they’re my monthly go to for encouragement and inspiration with their writers’ Hop. (Look for my post as part of the February 5 Hop) They’ve also just launched a brand new website with loads of information on it. So if you’re a writer in any stage of the game, this is the place to go!! Follow them and join in the Hop!
Also earn a little “extra love” from me by joining my Goodreads Nancy Gideon by Moonlight Group where three hard-working readers/booklovers/fans have set up a fabulous spot for like-minded readers to share their passion for book boyfriends, authors and fun. They’ve got a special Valentine’s giveaway event going on, too, so be sure to check it out!!
For an additional sweet treat, BETRAYED BY SHADOWS and PRINCE OF SHADOWS, part of my dark paranormal “By Moonlight” shape-shifter series are still available at the low price of $1.99 as part of the Kindle Big Deal event ending February 2. Prices are good for downloads at both Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
♥Amazon♥Barnes & Noble♥
♥Amazon♥Barnes & Noble♥Entry-Form
Quick! Get those Valentine “Likes” out and Share the Love!!
January 16, 2014
Winter Wonder Man Blog Hop . . .
What warms you up faster on a cold wintery night than a deliciously hot romance hero? Believe me, when temperatures here in my home state of Michigan dip down to a -40 wind chill (Baby, that’s COLD outside!) there’s nothing I’d rather do than stay inside with a warm cat and a sizzling book boyfriend.
Just in time to save you from frostbite, join me and 57 author friends in the Winter Wonder Man Blog Hop!
What is it about a hero that makes your pulse race and your toes curl? What is it about him that heats you up like a roaring fire? My go-to Rx for those plunging temperatures has always been Shapeshifter Max Savoie, the mysterious and dangerously desirable hero of my “By Moonlight” dark paranormal romances. Readers couldn’t get enough of his irresistibly unexpected combination of deadly power and heart-breaking vulnerability. So much so, that he and his tough-as-nails NOPD detective girlfriend romped and roared through the first four of this eight book series. And reader’s still wanted MORE MAX - especially those insatiable ladies in my Nancy Gideon By Moonlight Goodreads group (Bless them!) They’ve been restless and demanding ever since I announced I was working on Remembered by Moonlight, the newest book in the series devoted once again to Max and Charlotte.
So here to get those temperatures rising is a new Sneak Peek at my work-in-progress Remembered by Moonlight:
Excerpt:
The room was dark but Max had no trouble spotting the figure moving anxiously beneath silky sheets. She was asleep, her dream twisting about her like those tangled covers. There was no apparent danger, yet he didn’t withdraw. Her plaintive cries held him in a tight fist, shaking him into intuitive action. To guard. To comfort.He slid across the acre of empty space to find her knotted and trembling on the far edge of the mattress. Trying not to wake her, he bent close enough to see the frantic movement beneath her shuttered eyelids, to hear the hurried snatches of breath that fluttered softly against his skin.
“Shhhhh. It’s all right, sha. I’m here. I won’t let anything harm you.”
The sound of his voice brought her up against him like a gravitational pull. Her arms snagged about his middle, her damp face burrowed into the hollow of his throat. There, she clung with a desperate entreaty until his own embrace circled her and pressed her closer still. The transfer was immediate, her absorbing his calm, him tense with her panic.
Despite the urge to pull back from this unexpected intimacy, Max found himself sinking into a deep sense of . . . belonging. The scent of her, the thick mat of her dark hair beneath his chin, the surprising strength of her curvy body beneath the sweat dampened tee shirt and gym shorts, the unquestioning way she sought him out, all of it so familiar, so . . . right.
He let himself relax into the moment, cautiously testing the complexities the feel of her inspired. Contentment. A fierce, spirit-shaking protectiveness. And more. Sensations wound about his heart, settled low to burn and ache in his loins as he brushed his knuckles along the hard line of her jaw.
My warrior woman.
Max smiled at that encapsulation of who and what she was as he let his eyes close and let himself simply enjoy the sense of connecting to someplace, to someone. And as he drifted off into a deep and untroubled sleep, one truth solidified.
He’d been wrong before.
Here in his arms was the key to everything.
Is it hot in here, or is it just me?
Because it’s just too cruel to hint at unavailable hotness, to warm up your e-readers, Amazon is featuring both Betrayed by Shadows and Prince of Shadows in their Kindle Big Deal event. These “By Moonlight” books are just $1.99 (that’s right, $1.99!!!!) from January 17 through February 2! What can be steamier than a good man buried in bad deeds with a bad girl denying a good heart or a swaggering, dangerous, tattooed rock-n-roll prince trying to woo a gentle virgin in order to win a throne . . . and her heart? Here’s a graphic to explain it better . . .
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To help you find that warm cozy to cuddle up with, I’m offering a $10 Amazon gift card to a lucky reader chosen at random.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Don’t let the fire die down! Follow the linky links to more tantalizing Winter Wonder Men and, in addition to the giveaway at each blog, one commenter from the tour will win the Hop’s BIG grand prize of a $50 Barnes & Noble or Amazon gift card (winner’s choice).
See you at Amazon from 1-17 to 2-2 for your $1.99 One Clicks of Betrayed by Shadows and Prince of Shadows!
Stay warm and Happy Reading!
January 8, 2014
IWSG: I Resolve to Evolve
As the clock strikes midnight and ticks toward a New Year (or now more realistically 10:00 p.m.) I start making resolutions for the upcoming 12 months. Years go by. The categories on that list remain the same. Health, finances, personal, spiritual, family, and professional. I’m embarrassed to say, many of the expectations are carried over, unmet. Still haven’t lost those stubborn pounds (actually, they’ve been lost and found again!). No condo or flush 401K. Haven’t retired to live off my writing income yet. The time I wanted to spend with my family, friends and beliefs has trickled away. Okay, I knew going in those were looooooong term plans (In my lifetime, please!). What has changed over time aren’t the end results I’m shooting for. They’re the specific and ever changing steps I need to take to get there, especially in the professional category.
Success for 2014, please, Alex.
In my November IWSG “Are We There Yet?” post I hashed over the meaning of success and the way we, as writers define it. Since my first professional goals were made back in the 1980s with the publication of my first book, many of those then dream destinations have been reached. Multi-published, multi-genres, awards, hard cover, book club selection, glossy full page ad, five figure advances. Some of them are still carrots dangling out of reach. Who would have thought back in the early ‘90s, my biggest fear of learning how to use a computer and post on that scary new venue called Prodigy would grow into my 2010 benchmark of conquering Social Media with a website, FB, Twitter, Goodreads and a blog. Or that in 2014, that mountain to climb would be self-publishing? My goals have grown up from vague dreams to targeted destinations and the person in charge of the direction . . . is me.
Call them what you like: resolutions, dreams, To Dos, goals, but if you’re making a plan for your career, don’t let yourself off the hook with generalities. Define what it is that you’re looking to accomplish before the end of 2014. Be specific! Run a 5K (NOT my goal, but it may be yours). Self-publish your backlist. Send proposals to publishers X, Y and Z. Break them up into manageable segments: Daily (write 8 pages, post on FB and Twitter), Weekly (write blog post, add FB friends), Monthly (sort tax receipts, query x-number of agents), By year end (set up accounting system, clean up your contact database), per book (schedule guest blogs, request reviews, write or update long and short bios, find excerpts). Taking smaller steps keeps you on top of what you intend to attain over the course of the year AND gives you that feeling of achievement to fuel the continued momentum toward your dream of success. Don’t look behind you. That’s not where you’re going. Don’t get stuck on what could have beens and what should have happened and didn’ts.
Go boldly where this writer (and you as a writer) has never gone before. And make it so.
Check out the other participants in the Insecure Writer's Support Group Blog Hop!
January 7, 2014
20 Questions for Alyssa Alexander: Getting to Know Your Favorite (or soon to be Favorite!) Writer
Few books have had me pacing with anticipation.
The Smuggler Wore Silk
is one of them. I LOVE historicals and regencies and adventure and pull you right in and never let you go sneak peeks. And if that isn’t enough, there’s the book trailer teasing me into a One Click frenzy. My only regret is that the book wasn’t released until today. If it had come out yesterday while blowing snow and -30 wind chill gave me the day off work, I would have been finished with it by now and I would have had a review for you. Instead, I’ll let debuting author Alyssa Alexander coax you between the pages with her answers to my 20 Questions and tempting glimpses of the book in question.
The Smuggler Wore Silk is available now, today, this very minute. Don’t bother me. I’m busy reading!
Getting to know you:
First, thank you so much for hosting me, Nancy! I’m excited to be here, especially as it’s release day for THE SMUGGLER WORE SILK!
1. Party dress or blue jeans?
Are yoga pants an option?
2. Night owl or early bird?
I used to be an early bird, getting up to write at 4:30 am. Turns out that’s not my natural habitat, so to speak. After repeatedly falling asleep at the keyboard and waking up to twenty-some pages of kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk, I decided to become a night owl. I write between 8pm and 11pm (sometimes midnight!). I still occasionally fall asleep at the computer, but not as often.
3. TV at home or movie theatre?
Definitely TV at home, because then I can wear my jammies and slippers!
4. Things that make you want to go “EEEEEEK!”
Bats, mice, snakes. The usual. I also find geese rather frightening. Something about their beaks, I think.
5. Gourmet cook or take out?
Well, I don’t know about the gourmet part, but cook! I’m an amateur foodie, which means I watch a lot of cooking shows, buy a lot of cookbooks, and make a lot of messes in my kitchen. Sometimes I even get it right.
6. Something quirky about you that no one knows (we won’t tell anyone!)
I’m a list-maker. Grocery lists, to do lists, packing lists. Lists for Christmas presents and Saturday morning chores. Lists of reminders and lists to remind me to check the reminder list. Occasionally I even add times to my list: “4:30 pm write blog post; 5:00 drive to gas station; 5:05 get gas; 5:10 buy coffee; 5:25 pick up child; 5:35 arrive home; 5:45 chop onions; 5:50 brown beef…” You get the idea. These lists are all on paper, too, so I can satisfactorily cross items off when completed. No electronic lists for me!
7. Favorite comfort food.
Pizza. Absolutely, unequivocally, pizza with ham, pepperoni and bacon.
The Written word:
8. Favorite type of hero - Type A bad boy or Type B good guy? Which would you rather live with?
If I’m writing him, Type A bad boy. If I’m living with him, Type B good guy. I’m a little bit of a control freak sometimes (see list-making above), so I’d spend too much time being irritated by the take charge bad boy. Luckily for me, Mr. Alexander is a little of each and recognizes my control issues when I have them, so he can metaphorically step away quickly with his hands in the air. Hero material!
9. What type of fiction heroine would you be? Jane Eyre or Lara Croft?
Jane Eyre, dreaming about being Lara Croft. I’m a homebody, but I dream about adventure. (Which is what led me to a career in writing—dreaming of adventure!)
10. What would you love to write that you haven’t?
Action-adventure paranormal. I’m not sure that’s a genre, but I’d like to try it.
11. Paperback or e-book?
Paperback. I don’t even own an e-reader! But it’s on my ‘to buy’ list…which I wrote on paper.
A Writer’s Life:
12. OCD plotter or free range pantser?
Free range pantser. I write out of order and fit it all together when I’m done! It’s messy, but it’s my process. Sometimes I don’t even know who my villain is until partway through the book.
13. Which is easier, the synopsis or the book?
Um. Neither.
14. Do you have a set writing schedule?
I have a full time day job, a kindergartener and a household to run, so writing usually happens between 8pm and 11pm. Sometimes I can squeeze in an hour at a coffee shop between the day job and the kindergartener. And, if I’m really under a time crunch, I can always get up at 4:30 am. I don’t recommend talking to me before coffee though.
15. Solo muse or critique partner(s)?
Critique partners!!! I couldn’t manage without them! They are my daily dose of laughter and fun, and I rely on them to find all the giant holes in my manuscript.
16. What’s on your desk?
On my home writing desk (which has no drawers and is thus always messy), I have my computer screen, a laughing Buddha for good luck, a pen holder full of pens, a secondary basket for the pen overflow, a half dozen sticky notes (see list making), a spiral notebook (see list making, again), various receipts I need to log in to my expenses, a reminder to stop writing and do a few rounds of yoga, random bits of paper with plot notes on them, and a teetering stack of “important papers.” I try not to put anything important in that stack. Papers go in there, but they never come out.
17. When can we get your next book and what’s it all about?
My very first book, THE SMUGGLER WORE SILK, releases today!!! It’s about Grace Hannah, a poor relation turned smuggler who comes under suspicion of treason. The spy stalking her, Julian Travers, Earl of Langford, is being forced into retirement because his identity has been revealed to the enemy and he believes she’s part of it. But she’s innocent, and when he compromises her, they must marry. Still, there’s a traitor on the loose and my heroine is a smuggler. Loyalties are divided and secrets abound. The question is, can they get past those secrets long enough to fall in love?
Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Blurb:
After he is betrayed by one of his own, British spy Julian Travers, Earl of Langford, refuses to retire without a fight, vowing to find the traitor. But when the trail leads to his childhood home, Julian is forced to return to a place he swore he’d never see again, and meet a woman who may be his quarry—in more ways than one.
Though she may appear a poor young woman dependent on charity, Grace Hannah’s private life is far more interesting. By night, she finds friendship and freedom as a member of a smuggling ring. But when the handsome Julian arrives, she finds her façade slipping, and she is soon compromised, as well as intrigued.
As she and Julian continue the hunt, Grace finds herself falling in love with the man behind the spy. Yet Julian’s past holds a dark secret. And when he must make a choice between love and espionage, that secret may tear them apart.
The Smuggler Wore Silk - Book Trailer
Excerpt:
Inches. Only inches between them. His heat, his scent, enveloped her. Desire filled her, a low thrum that echoed the beat of the rain.
She could hear his ragged breath in the darkness, could sense the rigid control of his muscles. Some force passed between them, powerful, sexual and as elemental as the storm outside.
“Only two weeks, Grace, until the banns are complete and we’re married.” He reached out, drew a finger across her cheek. His touch was as gentle as the flutter of butterfly wings.
“Yes.” She turned into his hand, let her lips drift across his palm. Her lips tingled as the rough skin of his palm sensitized them. “The smuggler and the spy.”
“Husband and wife.” His palm lay against her cheek, his fingers delving into the hair bound back at her temples. “Take your hair down,” he rasped.
Lightning flashed and illuminated the sharp angles of his face. He looked fierce, nearly grim, his eyes intense. Unable to do anything else, she lifted her hands to the pins holding up her hair. His hand fell away from her face, but his gaze never left hers. She could see his chest rising and falling, hear his breathing quicken.
Power coursed through her. Beneath the charming aristocrat, beneath the spy, was a man that wanted her. Desperately. It was heady knowledge that for all his silver-tongued seduction, he wanted her.
She smiled at him, one slow, knowing siren’s smile. And let her hair tumble around her.
Bio:
Despite being a native Michigander, Alyssa Alexander is pretty certain she belongs somewhere sunny. And tropical. Where drinks are served with little paper umbrellas. But until she moves to those white sandy beaches, she survives the cold Michigan winters by penning romance novels that always include a bit of adventure. She lives with her own set of heroes, aka an ever-patient husband who doesn't mind using a laundry basket for a closet, and a small boy who wears a knight in a shining armor costume for such tasks as scrubbing potatoes.
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Follow @AlexanderAlyssa
The Smuggler Wore Silk is available now, today, this very minute. Don’t bother me. I’m busy reading!
Getting to know you:
First, thank you so much for hosting me, Nancy! I’m excited to be here, especially as it’s release day for THE SMUGGLER WORE SILK!
1. Party dress or blue jeans?
Are yoga pants an option?
2. Night owl or early bird?
I used to be an early bird, getting up to write at 4:30 am. Turns out that’s not my natural habitat, so to speak. After repeatedly falling asleep at the keyboard and waking up to twenty-some pages of kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk, I decided to become a night owl. I write between 8pm and 11pm (sometimes midnight!). I still occasionally fall asleep at the computer, but not as often.
3. TV at home or movie theatre?
Definitely TV at home, because then I can wear my jammies and slippers!
4. Things that make you want to go “EEEEEEK!”
Bats, mice, snakes. The usual. I also find geese rather frightening. Something about their beaks, I think.
5. Gourmet cook or take out?
Well, I don’t know about the gourmet part, but cook! I’m an amateur foodie, which means I watch a lot of cooking shows, buy a lot of cookbooks, and make a lot of messes in my kitchen. Sometimes I even get it right.
6. Something quirky about you that no one knows (we won’t tell anyone!)
I’m a list-maker. Grocery lists, to do lists, packing lists. Lists for Christmas presents and Saturday morning chores. Lists of reminders and lists to remind me to check the reminder list. Occasionally I even add times to my list: “4:30 pm write blog post; 5:00 drive to gas station; 5:05 get gas; 5:10 buy coffee; 5:25 pick up child; 5:35 arrive home; 5:45 chop onions; 5:50 brown beef…” You get the idea. These lists are all on paper, too, so I can satisfactorily cross items off when completed. No electronic lists for me!
7. Favorite comfort food.
Pizza. Absolutely, unequivocally, pizza with ham, pepperoni and bacon.
The Written word:
8. Favorite type of hero - Type A bad boy or Type B good guy? Which would you rather live with?
If I’m writing him, Type A bad boy. If I’m living with him, Type B good guy. I’m a little bit of a control freak sometimes (see list-making above), so I’d spend too much time being irritated by the take charge bad boy. Luckily for me, Mr. Alexander is a little of each and recognizes my control issues when I have them, so he can metaphorically step away quickly with his hands in the air. Hero material!
9. What type of fiction heroine would you be? Jane Eyre or Lara Croft?
Jane Eyre, dreaming about being Lara Croft. I’m a homebody, but I dream about adventure. (Which is what led me to a career in writing—dreaming of adventure!)
10. What would you love to write that you haven’t?
Action-adventure paranormal. I’m not sure that’s a genre, but I’d like to try it.
11. Paperback or e-book?
Paperback. I don’t even own an e-reader! But it’s on my ‘to buy’ list…which I wrote on paper.
A Writer’s Life:
12. OCD plotter or free range pantser?
Free range pantser. I write out of order and fit it all together when I’m done! It’s messy, but it’s my process. Sometimes I don’t even know who my villain is until partway through the book.
13. Which is easier, the synopsis or the book?
Um. Neither.
14. Do you have a set writing schedule?
I have a full time day job, a kindergartener and a household to run, so writing usually happens between 8pm and 11pm. Sometimes I can squeeze in an hour at a coffee shop between the day job and the kindergartener. And, if I’m really under a time crunch, I can always get up at 4:30 am. I don’t recommend talking to me before coffee though.
15. Solo muse or critique partner(s)?
Critique partners!!! I couldn’t manage without them! They are my daily dose of laughter and fun, and I rely on them to find all the giant holes in my manuscript.
16. What’s on your desk?
On my home writing desk (which has no drawers and is thus always messy), I have my computer screen, a laughing Buddha for good luck, a pen holder full of pens, a secondary basket for the pen overflow, a half dozen sticky notes (see list making), a spiral notebook (see list making, again), various receipts I need to log in to my expenses, a reminder to stop writing and do a few rounds of yoga, random bits of paper with plot notes on them, and a teetering stack of “important papers.” I try not to put anything important in that stack. Papers go in there, but they never come out.
17. When can we get your next book and what’s it all about?
My very first book, THE SMUGGLER WORE SILK, releases today!!! It’s about Grace Hannah, a poor relation turned smuggler who comes under suspicion of treason. The spy stalking her, Julian Travers, Earl of Langford, is being forced into retirement because his identity has been revealed to the enemy and he believes she’s part of it. But she’s innocent, and when he compromises her, they must marry. Still, there’s a traitor on the loose and my heroine is a smuggler. Loyalties are divided and secrets abound. The question is, can they get past those secrets long enough to fall in love?
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Blurb:
After he is betrayed by one of his own, British spy Julian Travers, Earl of Langford, refuses to retire without a fight, vowing to find the traitor. But when the trail leads to his childhood home, Julian is forced to return to a place he swore he’d never see again, and meet a woman who may be his quarry—in more ways than one.
Though she may appear a poor young woman dependent on charity, Grace Hannah’s private life is far more interesting. By night, she finds friendship and freedom as a member of a smuggling ring. But when the handsome Julian arrives, she finds her façade slipping, and she is soon compromised, as well as intrigued.
As she and Julian continue the hunt, Grace finds herself falling in love with the man behind the spy. Yet Julian’s past holds a dark secret. And when he must make a choice between love and espionage, that secret may tear them apart.
The Smuggler Wore Silk - Book Trailer
Excerpt:
Inches. Only inches between them. His heat, his scent, enveloped her. Desire filled her, a low thrum that echoed the beat of the rain.
She could hear his ragged breath in the darkness, could sense the rigid control of his muscles. Some force passed between them, powerful, sexual and as elemental as the storm outside.
“Only two weeks, Grace, until the banns are complete and we’re married.” He reached out, drew a finger across her cheek. His touch was as gentle as the flutter of butterfly wings.
“Yes.” She turned into his hand, let her lips drift across his palm. Her lips tingled as the rough skin of his palm sensitized them. “The smuggler and the spy.”
“Husband and wife.” His palm lay against her cheek, his fingers delving into the hair bound back at her temples. “Take your hair down,” he rasped.
Lightning flashed and illuminated the sharp angles of his face. He looked fierce, nearly grim, his eyes intense. Unable to do anything else, she lifted her hands to the pins holding up her hair. His hand fell away from her face, but his gaze never left hers. She could see his chest rising and falling, hear his breathing quicken.
Power coursed through her. Beneath the charming aristocrat, beneath the spy, was a man that wanted her. Desperately. It was heady knowledge that for all his silver-tongued seduction, he wanted her.
She smiled at him, one slow, knowing siren’s smile. And let her hair tumble around her.
Bio:
Despite being a native Michigander, Alyssa Alexander is pretty certain she belongs somewhere sunny. And tropical. Where drinks are served with little paper umbrellas. But until she moves to those white sandy beaches, she survives the cold Michigan winters by penning romance novels that always include a bit of adventure. She lives with her own set of heroes, aka an ever-patient husband who doesn't mind using a laundry basket for a closet, and a small boy who wears a knight in a shining armor costume for such tasks as scrubbing potatoes.Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Follow @AlexanderAlyssa
December 17, 2013
20 Questions for Mara Jacobs: Getting to Know Your Favorite (or soon to be Favorite!) Writer. . .
One of the best things about the holidays are anthologies – those short reads that accommodate the reduced amount time available for reading while still infusing the joy and magic of the season. Even so, I rarely have time to get through all the different stories before it’s time to pack things up until next year. That’s what drew me to Mara Jacobs’
Totally Worth Christmas
novella (other than the fact that it’s set in my home state!). The Worth Series Book 4.5 of her Copper Country titles is just right for a one night read with all the holiday feel goods of family, togetherness topped with a nice hint of spice.
The author warns that this shouldn’t be the first book you read of the series because it contains previous couples you haven’t met. I had no trouble following the story and actually felt their inclusion gave this holiday tale a warm sense of past and permanence to the characters which added depth to the shorter length and more satisfaction to the ending. And it did what any good author’s book should do – it had me One Clicking Book One of the series so I can get in on the ground floor to get to know them better.
So first, let me introduce you to New York Times and USA Today bestseller Mara Jacobs with my 20 Questions and then, let her entice you with a tasty slice of Totally Worth Christmas!
Getting to know you:
1. Party dress or blue jeans? Blue jeans. No question.
2. Spa day or gym workout? Spa day. In fact, that’s always my reward for finishing a book – a 90 minute massage.
3. Things that make you want to go “EEEEEEK!” Bats. Bats. And Bats.
4. If I had a free afternoon, I’d . . . Curl up with a book and drift off into a nap. Then feel guilty that I didn’t spend it writing. (but not so guilty that I wouldn’t do it again if given the chance.)
5. What music are you listening to? (While you write?) I do a different playlist for each book – totally mood based. For the latest holiday release I had some great Christmas tunes – Louis and Ella doing “Baby it’s Cold Outside”, stuff like that.
6. What’s on your Bucket List? Florence, Italy has been #1 on my bucket list forever. Gotta get there and cross that sucker off!
7. Gourmet cook or take out? Take out. Definitely. I can go months without turning my oven on.
8. Your first kiss . . . Was at summer camp. (Church camp, no less!)
The Written word:
9. Favorite genre to read? Romance for sure. Within that, I fluctuate back and forth between contemporary and historical.
10. What would you love to write that you haven’t? I’d love to write historical romance, but my voice doesn’t lend itself well to it. Not formal enough, I guess. Plus, too lazy to make sure I have all the details right with clothes and such.
11. What are you reading right now? The latest in the Maiden Lane series by Elizabeth Hoyt.
12. Paperback or e-book? E-book. Love my Kindle. (and I thought I wouldn’t)
A Writer’s Life:
13. OCD plotter or free range pantser? Plotter. Not quite to OCD level, but I work from a loose outline. I usually write the first couple of scenes, and then write the last scene because I know how it’s going to end. The middle part takes a few pantser turns.
14. Do you have a set writing schedule? I still have the day job, so I do stretches where I write from 5-7 am, and then, when that exhausts me, I try to switch it up and write later in the evening.
15. First publishing rejection (and getting back on that horse). Can’t even remember what was the first, but I have a kind of philosophy of wallow for one day, then get into that “I’ll show them!” mentality.
16. Solo muse or critique partner(s)? Having great critique partners has made me confident enough to pretty solo muse it now. They still read finished manuscripts, and give great feedback, but we don’t do chapter by chapter like we did when we started our critique group. We’ve morphed into a great group that does everything from critique to discussing the business of publishing and self publishing.
17. Biggest hurdle to getting words on the page and how you overcome it? Keeping my butt in the chair. I find if I stay in the chair, hands poised over the keyboard long enough the words will flow. It’s getting in the chair in the first place, then staying there, that’s the challenge.
18. How do you get in the mood to write ‘those’ scenes? Music. Relaxing. Then just try to get “in the mood.”
19. What’s on your desk? I’ve gone deskless! I write on a laptop and last year got a zero gravity recliner, which has been really good for my back. I do, however have a work station with my printer and such in it, and on that are matted and framed printouts of when I made the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists this year—a gift from those aforementioned awesome critique partners.
20. When can we get your next book and what’s it all about? Totally Worth Christmas just came out. It’s a holiday novella featuring a new romance, but also showcasing the couples from the first 4 Worth books. Next up I’m going to try the New Adult subgenre. Then back to my Worth series peeps.
Totally Worth Christmas
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo Books
(The Worth Series Book 4.5: A Copper Country Novella)
Charlie Simpson was nursing a broken heart. Phoebe Robbins was just waiting tables. Fate brought them together for one night.
Now, amidst the original Worth couples (Lizzie and Finn, Katie and Darío, Alison and Petey, and Deni and Sawyer), and a holiday party with lots of surprises, can Charlie and Phoebe find each other again?
A holiday novella, featuring the Copper Country couples of the Worth Series.
Excerpt:
The people at the table next to him cleared out, and there was only one other booth on Charlie's side of the diner with customers. He couldn’t see around the corner of the L-shaped counter to know if there were other people still left or not. He sipped from his coffee cup, taking only the smallest amount, willing the cute waitress to come out from behind the swinging kitchen doors and notice him.
As if the gods had heard him, the door swung in Charlie's direction. He held his breath, praying it was the young waitress. It was. And she was heading in his direction. But then she stopped when she saw him sitting in the booth. She turned around and headed away from him and Charlie almost screamed in frustration. But no, she was only going to the coffee maker and grabbing a pot of the blessed brew and bringing it…yes, she was…bringing it to him.
“Care for a refill?” she asked as she reached him.
“Hmm-mmm,” he mumbled, holding his cup out to her. God, had the words “care for a refill” ever sounded so sexy? Her voice was light, airy and had a familiarity to it that went right to his gut. Up close she was even more angelic looking. Her face was heart-shaped, and her eyes were a deep brown that seemed a stark contrast to her light blonde hair.
“There you go,” she said, filling his cup. She turned to walk away, to leave him, and he blurted out, “I didn't go with them.”
She turned back to face him. “Excuse me?”
He put his cup on the table and motioned to the empty seats in his booth. “My friends. I didn't go with them.”
“Oh-kaaay,” she said in a be-nice-to-the-mental-patient kind of way.
“I know you heard them talking about going to a strip club.”
She shrugged noncommittally, and he wondered if maybe she hadn't caught as much of their conversation as he thought. And, more importantly, why did he care one way or another?
But he did. Suddenly it seemed so…
“Important,” he said. “It's important to me that you know I didn't go with them.”
“Listen, it's none of my business if you—”
“But I didn't. Not that I haven't ever gone to one. And I might have even gone tonight, just…because… But then I saw you.”
“Me?”
“Yes. I saw you, and it was much more important that I stay right here and hope you walked by than to go out with my buddies.”
The coffee pot in her hand dipped a couple of inches, but she didn't drop it. She did, however, take a much closer look at Charlie. Her scrutiny should have made him squirm, but he held her gaze, didn't look away.
“You would have had better luck at the strip club,” she finally said, then turned and walked away. When she reached the counter, she put the coffee pot back on the burner and went through the swinging doors.
What the hell had he just done? Totally uncool. She was probably hustling out the back door. Or getting a big, beefy short-order cook to come out and kick Charlie's ass.
The door swung again and Charlie braced his hands on the edge of the table, fearing the worst. But no burly cook came out with the waitress. She was alone, carrying a tray. She made her way over to the only other table with diners—a couple in their twenties who sat on the same side of the booth together. She took the bill and cash that they held out to her, and she said something Charlie didn't hear. She made her way over to him as the couple left the booth, put on their jackets and left the diner.
Leaving Charlie alone with his dream girl. And potentially a kitchen full of people.
She made her way to Charlie, putting the money the couple had left her in her apron pocket, still balancing the smallish tray on the open palm of her right hand.
“Hey, I didn't mean to freak you out or anything,” he said to her as she stopped in front of him. “I just…” He couldn't finish. She'd turned those rich brown eyes on him, and he lost all thought.
“You didn't freak me out,” she said, as she pulled a plate from her tray and set it in front of him.
He stared down at the plate, which was covered with a very generous helping of pie.
“Banana cream,” she said. “Gladdie makes the most amazing banana cream pie you've ever tasted.”
He took his eyes from the enormous confection and looked up at her. She was so close to him that if he moved his elbow, it would graze her nicely-curved hip. Much as he wanted to, he didn't move his elbow, but instead picked up his fork and took a bite of pie.
Rich, creamy and yet light-as-air taste exploded in his mouth. “Oh my God,” he said, his mouth still full.
A bright smile crossed her face. It was sweeter than the pie. “I know, right? To die for isn't it?”
He nodded, stunned by her thousand-watt smile. She left him again, but this time she didn't return to the kitchen, but instead, locked the front door, turning the “open” sign around. Then she flipped a switch, turning the outside sign light off.
“Are you closing?” he said.
Idiot. Of course she was closing. “I mean, do you need me—”
She held up a hand as she walked to the wall at the far side of the room and turned off some of the lights. Most of them, really, except for the one nearest Charlie and the ones over the counter.
“You're fine. I've got lots more to do yet. It’s my night to do all the post-close stuff. Enjoy your pie.”
He enjoyed the view more. Watching her turn off things, and cleaning others. Charlie had never eaten more slowly in his life. His forkfuls barely held any of the voluminous pie, trying to make it last as long as possible, while she finished the business of closing up.
Finally, he’d finished the pie and it seemed she’d finished her tasks. She made her way over to his booth. “So, was the pie better than going to a strip club?”
“Definitely,” he said, smiling at her, waving at his empty plate. “Thanks.”
“No problem,” she said. He expected her to walk away, or hand him his coat, but she just stood there, watching him.
“You’re probably in a rush to get out of here, to get home.” He tried to put some questioning in his voice, and tried not to look too pathetic… or too hopeful.
She shrugged, leaning her hip against the back of the booth facing him. “Umm, well, I have finished up all the stuff I’m supposed to…” He sat quietly, not moving a muscle, hoping there was a “but” at the end of that trail off. “But,” (Thank you, God!) “there are always more things that can be done.”
“Before you start those, do you want to sit down? Would you like to talk a little? I’m Charlie, by the way.” He looked at her nametag pinned above the pocket on her uniform. “Phee,” he said.
Phee. Short for Fiona? Not that it mattered to him, he liked the sound “Phee” made as it rolled off his tongue.
She looked closely at him. Charlie tried to look as harmless as possible. Just someone to share a cup of coffee with at the end of a long day. Certainly not some guy who believes you just may be the cutest thing he’s ever seen.
She took a deep breath and let it out, like she’d just made a big decision. To Charlie it felt like it may very well be one of life’s turning points, but he didn’t want to put that pressure on her.
She slid into the seat across from him and said, “Yes, I’d like that.” She smiled brightly at him and then put her head down as if shy. “I think I’d really like that,” she said so quietly Charlie almost didn’t hear her.
But he did.
And he knew that somehow his life had totally changed in this retro diner, nearing midnight, as he sat alone with a waitress.
*Although Totally Worth Christmas has its own start-to-finish romance, about 40% of the story is revisiting the couples of the first 4 Worth books. If you haven’t read those books, this one may not be the best place to start. (Note from Nancy: Yes, it is!)
Bio:
Mara Jacobs is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Worth Series.
After graduating from Michigan State University with a degree in advertising, Mara spent several years working at daily newspapers in advertising sales and production. This certainly prepared her for the world of deadlines!
Most authors say they’ve been writing forever. Not so with Mara. She always had the stories, but they played like movies in her head. A few years ago she began transferring the movies to pages. She writes mysteries with romance, thrillers with romance, and romances with…well, you get it.
Forever a Yooper (someone who hails from Michigan's glorious Upper Peninsula), Mara now resides in the East Lansing, Michigan, area where she is better able to root on her beloved Spartans.
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
The author warns that this shouldn’t be the first book you read of the series because it contains previous couples you haven’t met. I had no trouble following the story and actually felt their inclusion gave this holiday tale a warm sense of past and permanence to the characters which added depth to the shorter length and more satisfaction to the ending. And it did what any good author’s book should do – it had me One Clicking Book One of the series so I can get in on the ground floor to get to know them better.
So first, let me introduce you to New York Times and USA Today bestseller Mara Jacobs with my 20 Questions and then, let her entice you with a tasty slice of Totally Worth Christmas!
Getting to know you:
1. Party dress or blue jeans? Blue jeans. No question.
2. Spa day or gym workout? Spa day. In fact, that’s always my reward for finishing a book – a 90 minute massage.
3. Things that make you want to go “EEEEEEK!” Bats. Bats. And Bats.
4. If I had a free afternoon, I’d . . . Curl up with a book and drift off into a nap. Then feel guilty that I didn’t spend it writing. (but not so guilty that I wouldn’t do it again if given the chance.)
5. What music are you listening to? (While you write?) I do a different playlist for each book – totally mood based. For the latest holiday release I had some great Christmas tunes – Louis and Ella doing “Baby it’s Cold Outside”, stuff like that.
6. What’s on your Bucket List? Florence, Italy has been #1 on my bucket list forever. Gotta get there and cross that sucker off!
7. Gourmet cook or take out? Take out. Definitely. I can go months without turning my oven on.
8. Your first kiss . . . Was at summer camp. (Church camp, no less!)
The Written word:
9. Favorite genre to read? Romance for sure. Within that, I fluctuate back and forth between contemporary and historical.
10. What would you love to write that you haven’t? I’d love to write historical romance, but my voice doesn’t lend itself well to it. Not formal enough, I guess. Plus, too lazy to make sure I have all the details right with clothes and such.
11. What are you reading right now? The latest in the Maiden Lane series by Elizabeth Hoyt.
12. Paperback or e-book? E-book. Love my Kindle. (and I thought I wouldn’t)
A Writer’s Life:
13. OCD plotter or free range pantser? Plotter. Not quite to OCD level, but I work from a loose outline. I usually write the first couple of scenes, and then write the last scene because I know how it’s going to end. The middle part takes a few pantser turns.
14. Do you have a set writing schedule? I still have the day job, so I do stretches where I write from 5-7 am, and then, when that exhausts me, I try to switch it up and write later in the evening.
15. First publishing rejection (and getting back on that horse). Can’t even remember what was the first, but I have a kind of philosophy of wallow for one day, then get into that “I’ll show them!” mentality.
16. Solo muse or critique partner(s)? Having great critique partners has made me confident enough to pretty solo muse it now. They still read finished manuscripts, and give great feedback, but we don’t do chapter by chapter like we did when we started our critique group. We’ve morphed into a great group that does everything from critique to discussing the business of publishing and self publishing.
17. Biggest hurdle to getting words on the page and how you overcome it? Keeping my butt in the chair. I find if I stay in the chair, hands poised over the keyboard long enough the words will flow. It’s getting in the chair in the first place, then staying there, that’s the challenge.
18. How do you get in the mood to write ‘those’ scenes? Music. Relaxing. Then just try to get “in the mood.”
19. What’s on your desk? I’ve gone deskless! I write on a laptop and last year got a zero gravity recliner, which has been really good for my back. I do, however have a work station with my printer and such in it, and on that are matted and framed printouts of when I made the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists this year—a gift from those aforementioned awesome critique partners.
20. When can we get your next book and what’s it all about? Totally Worth Christmas just came out. It’s a holiday novella featuring a new romance, but also showcasing the couples from the first 4 Worth books. Next up I’m going to try the New Adult subgenre. Then back to my Worth series peeps.
Totally Worth Christmas
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo Books
(The Worth Series Book 4.5: A Copper Country Novella)
Charlie Simpson was nursing a broken heart. Phoebe Robbins was just waiting tables. Fate brought them together for one night.
Now, amidst the original Worth couples (Lizzie and Finn, Katie and Darío, Alison and Petey, and Deni and Sawyer), and a holiday party with lots of surprises, can Charlie and Phoebe find each other again?
A holiday novella, featuring the Copper Country couples of the Worth Series.
Excerpt:
The people at the table next to him cleared out, and there was only one other booth on Charlie's side of the diner with customers. He couldn’t see around the corner of the L-shaped counter to know if there were other people still left or not. He sipped from his coffee cup, taking only the smallest amount, willing the cute waitress to come out from behind the swinging kitchen doors and notice him.
As if the gods had heard him, the door swung in Charlie's direction. He held his breath, praying it was the young waitress. It was. And she was heading in his direction. But then she stopped when she saw him sitting in the booth. She turned around and headed away from him and Charlie almost screamed in frustration. But no, she was only going to the coffee maker and grabbing a pot of the blessed brew and bringing it…yes, she was…bringing it to him.
“Care for a refill?” she asked as she reached him.
“Hmm-mmm,” he mumbled, holding his cup out to her. God, had the words “care for a refill” ever sounded so sexy? Her voice was light, airy and had a familiarity to it that went right to his gut. Up close she was even more angelic looking. Her face was heart-shaped, and her eyes were a deep brown that seemed a stark contrast to her light blonde hair.
“There you go,” she said, filling his cup. She turned to walk away, to leave him, and he blurted out, “I didn't go with them.”
She turned back to face him. “Excuse me?”
He put his cup on the table and motioned to the empty seats in his booth. “My friends. I didn't go with them.”
“Oh-kaaay,” she said in a be-nice-to-the-mental-patient kind of way.
“I know you heard them talking about going to a strip club.”
She shrugged noncommittally, and he wondered if maybe she hadn't caught as much of their conversation as he thought. And, more importantly, why did he care one way or another?
But he did. Suddenly it seemed so…
“Important,” he said. “It's important to me that you know I didn't go with them.”
“Listen, it's none of my business if you—”
“But I didn't. Not that I haven't ever gone to one. And I might have even gone tonight, just…because… But then I saw you.”
“Me?”
“Yes. I saw you, and it was much more important that I stay right here and hope you walked by than to go out with my buddies.”
The coffee pot in her hand dipped a couple of inches, but she didn't drop it. She did, however, take a much closer look at Charlie. Her scrutiny should have made him squirm, but he held her gaze, didn't look away.
“You would have had better luck at the strip club,” she finally said, then turned and walked away. When she reached the counter, she put the coffee pot back on the burner and went through the swinging doors.
What the hell had he just done? Totally uncool. She was probably hustling out the back door. Or getting a big, beefy short-order cook to come out and kick Charlie's ass.
The door swung again and Charlie braced his hands on the edge of the table, fearing the worst. But no burly cook came out with the waitress. She was alone, carrying a tray. She made her way over to the only other table with diners—a couple in their twenties who sat on the same side of the booth together. She took the bill and cash that they held out to her, and she said something Charlie didn't hear. She made her way over to him as the couple left the booth, put on their jackets and left the diner.
Leaving Charlie alone with his dream girl. And potentially a kitchen full of people.
She made her way to Charlie, putting the money the couple had left her in her apron pocket, still balancing the smallish tray on the open palm of her right hand.
“Hey, I didn't mean to freak you out or anything,” he said to her as she stopped in front of him. “I just…” He couldn't finish. She'd turned those rich brown eyes on him, and he lost all thought.
“You didn't freak me out,” she said, as she pulled a plate from her tray and set it in front of him.
He stared down at the plate, which was covered with a very generous helping of pie.
“Banana cream,” she said. “Gladdie makes the most amazing banana cream pie you've ever tasted.”
He took his eyes from the enormous confection and looked up at her. She was so close to him that if he moved his elbow, it would graze her nicely-curved hip. Much as he wanted to, he didn't move his elbow, but instead picked up his fork and took a bite of pie.
Rich, creamy and yet light-as-air taste exploded in his mouth. “Oh my God,” he said, his mouth still full.
A bright smile crossed her face. It was sweeter than the pie. “I know, right? To die for isn't it?”
He nodded, stunned by her thousand-watt smile. She left him again, but this time she didn't return to the kitchen, but instead, locked the front door, turning the “open” sign around. Then she flipped a switch, turning the outside sign light off.
“Are you closing?” he said.
Idiot. Of course she was closing. “I mean, do you need me—”
She held up a hand as she walked to the wall at the far side of the room and turned off some of the lights. Most of them, really, except for the one nearest Charlie and the ones over the counter.
“You're fine. I've got lots more to do yet. It’s my night to do all the post-close stuff. Enjoy your pie.”
He enjoyed the view more. Watching her turn off things, and cleaning others. Charlie had never eaten more slowly in his life. His forkfuls barely held any of the voluminous pie, trying to make it last as long as possible, while she finished the business of closing up.
Finally, he’d finished the pie and it seemed she’d finished her tasks. She made her way over to his booth. “So, was the pie better than going to a strip club?”
“Definitely,” he said, smiling at her, waving at his empty plate. “Thanks.”
“No problem,” she said. He expected her to walk away, or hand him his coat, but she just stood there, watching him.
“You’re probably in a rush to get out of here, to get home.” He tried to put some questioning in his voice, and tried not to look too pathetic… or too hopeful.
She shrugged, leaning her hip against the back of the booth facing him. “Umm, well, I have finished up all the stuff I’m supposed to…” He sat quietly, not moving a muscle, hoping there was a “but” at the end of that trail off. “But,” (Thank you, God!) “there are always more things that can be done.”
“Before you start those, do you want to sit down? Would you like to talk a little? I’m Charlie, by the way.” He looked at her nametag pinned above the pocket on her uniform. “Phee,” he said.
Phee. Short for Fiona? Not that it mattered to him, he liked the sound “Phee” made as it rolled off his tongue.
She looked closely at him. Charlie tried to look as harmless as possible. Just someone to share a cup of coffee with at the end of a long day. Certainly not some guy who believes you just may be the cutest thing he’s ever seen.
She took a deep breath and let it out, like she’d just made a big decision. To Charlie it felt like it may very well be one of life’s turning points, but he didn’t want to put that pressure on her.
She slid into the seat across from him and said, “Yes, I’d like that.” She smiled brightly at him and then put her head down as if shy. “I think I’d really like that,” she said so quietly Charlie almost didn’t hear her.
But he did.
And he knew that somehow his life had totally changed in this retro diner, nearing midnight, as he sat alone with a waitress.
*Although Totally Worth Christmas has its own start-to-finish romance, about 40% of the story is revisiting the couples of the first 4 Worth books. If you haven’t read those books, this one may not be the best place to start. (Note from Nancy: Yes, it is!)
Bio:
Mara Jacobs is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Worth Series.After graduating from Michigan State University with a degree in advertising, Mara spent several years working at daily newspapers in advertising sales and production. This certainly prepared her for the world of deadlines!
Most authors say they’ve been writing forever. Not so with Mara. She always had the stories, but they played like movies in her head. A few years ago she began transferring the movies to pages. She writes mysteries with romance, thrillers with romance, and romances with…well, you get it.
Forever a Yooper (someone who hails from Michigan's glorious Upper Peninsula), Mara now resides in the East Lansing, Michigan, area where she is better able to root on her beloved Spartans.
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
December 10, 2013
In The Name of Love Character Quiz: Sophie and Mitch from Christmas Wishes by Patricia Kiyono
I’m happy to have Patricia Kiyono back! The reason is mainly selfish. It gives me an excuse to dive into her latest book. When I pick up one of her romances, whether it’s historical, regency, or contemporary, like this one, I know I’ll bond with her characters. The minute I meet them, I feel like I know them, like they’ve been my best friends forever. I immediately care about their hopes and fears and their desire to find love. Patty has the gift of making her books real. They embrace you with relatable emotions, with circumstances that trigger your own memories and dreams.
Anyone who’s ever dealt with children will laugh out loud with Sophie’s cat herding efforts as she tries to whip a Christmas program into shape. Anyone who’s known heartache will want to hug Mitch up (he’s the perfect dad – you’ve got to adore that about him!) and take him home for the holidays . . . or maybe longer. And Angie is pure angelic gold with all the endearing and frustrating trimmings that go with being a child. This is the perfect holiday read about family, togetherness and love. I’ll let Mitch and Sohpie show you themselves as they take my In the Name of Love quiz:
© What song title best describes your relationship track record: “Nothing but a Good Time,” “Turn Me Loose,” “Shot Through the Heart (You Give Love a Bad Name)”, “Money Talks/Material Girl”, “Looking for Love in All The Wrong Places”?
Both (in unison): "Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places."
Mitch: Angie's mother was a stunning woman, but she represented the things I want to keep my daughter away from – preoccupation with looks, wealth and success. And at first I was afraid Sophie would be the wrong choice because she wanted to move to the big city and become a screenwriter.
Sophie: Nate, my high school boyfriend, promised we'd pursue our careers together but he left without me. Mitch seems to be the perfect father, but then I started to wonder if he would treat me as a daughter rather than a partner.
© What do you find the most appealing about a committed relationship?
Mitch: I want someone to be a partner, someone who will not only help me raise my daughter, but be there for me to share my ups and downs at the end of the day. And it would be icing on the cake if that person could cook, too.
Sophie: I need someone who will support my dreams and desires, and will allow me to help him achieve his, too.
© Why are you still single?
Sophie: I dated a guy all through high school, and we made plans to go to Hollywood together. He's an actor, and I'm a writer. But he left without me, and I've never been able to get close to any man since then.
© What’s an absolute deal breaker in a relationship?
Mitch: If anyone is going to get close to me, she's got to love my daughter Angie. I moved from Chicago to Zutphen, MI to get her away from the materialistic, career-driven influence of my in-laws.
© What first attracted you to each other?
Sophie: I was attracted to the way he interacted with his daughter. He's so protective and caring.
Mitch: I was attracted to the way she interacted with my daughter. She looks out for her, and she really listens to Angie.
© What kept you from acting on that attraction?
Mitch: She's young – and she had plans to leave this wonderful small town and move away to California – to everything I want to get away from.
© What are you most looking forward to as a couple?
Sophie: I'm looking forward to having a partnership, like my sister has with her husband Dave.
Mitch: I'm looking forward to making this house a home. And maybe filling it with more kids.
Buy links: Christmas Wishes can be purchased at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other ebook outlets.
Blurb:
Photographer Mitch Carson is tired of big city life. He just wants to settle down in a quiet town with his daughter, Angie. Even that doesn't quell his fear of losing his daughter to his scheming mother-in-law.
Sophie Gardner wants to be a screenwriter. She's ready to leave small town Zutphen, Michigan and go to Hollywood. With a theater degree under her belt, she's busy writing scripts while helping out her sister Joanie, who's bedridden with a difficult pregnancy. Unfortunately, Joanie has somehow coerced Sophie into directing the Christmas pageant at Zutphen Community Church.
When Sophie and Mitch meet, the attraction is instant and mutual. But each wants what the other is trying to get away from. Can they deny their feelings and pursue their dreams? Or will the holiday prove to them that their true wishes might not be what they'd thought?
Excerpt:
Mitch looked up into a pair of wide green eyes. Exotic and enticing, yet capable and compassionate. The eyes were set in a small heart-shaped face and surrounded by a cloud of honey blonde hair. He closed his mouth before he embarrassed himself by drooling. And he tried very hard to keep his voice from squeaking as he answered.
“Thanks, but I can take her home.”
“Daddy, I need to go!” Angie continued her hopping, clearly uncomfortable.
“It’s a nice bathroom, and they keep it very clean,” the blonde told him. She disappeared into the doorway she’d indicated and then came right back. “No one’s using it now, so you can go in and help her if you want.”
“Daddy? Please?” Angie’s face was starting to turn red. “I can do it myself.”
Mitch swallowed. If the restroom was empty and he stood outside the door, nothing bad could happen to her, right? “Okay, sweetness. I’ll be right here.”
Angie dashed into the restroom, and the blonde started to take off.
“Uh, thanks for your help,” he called after her.
The blonde curls tossed as she turned back to him with a grin. “No problem at all. I’m Sophie Gardner, by the way. Are you just passing through Zutphen, or are you new here?”
“New, I guess. We moved here in August. Mitch Carson.” He held out his hand.
She placed a tiny hand in his. “You’ve been here over two months and I haven’t met you until now? The small-town grapevine must be rusty. Welcome to Zutphen. You have an adorable daughter.”
“Thanks. I can’t argue with that.” He’d been welcomed by other residents, but for some reason, the words from this particular woman made him feel almost giddy with pleasure. He turned when the bathroom door opened, and Angie came out, much happier than when she’d gone in. Her gap-tooth grin made his heart swell with pride.
Strange, but his usual apprehension when his daughter was out of his sight hadn’t seemed so intense with this lady by his side. It would be so nice to share the parenting responsibilities with someone. No, he reminded himself, I’ve got to do this myself. At least, I’ve got to try.
Bio:
In a previous life, Patricia Kiyono taught elementary school students by day and changed diapers at night. Now she teaches college students part time and changes diapers only when she's taking care of grandkids. She loves to do anything that doesn't involve exercise. Right now her favorite activities, other than writing, include scrapbooking, sewing, and making music. She and her husband live in southwest Michigan, near their five children and nine grandchildren. Author links: Patricia Kiyono can be found at her website, blog, facebook, Amazon, and twitter @PatriciaKiyono
Anyone who’s ever dealt with children will laugh out loud with Sophie’s cat herding efforts as she tries to whip a Christmas program into shape. Anyone who’s known heartache will want to hug Mitch up (he’s the perfect dad – you’ve got to adore that about him!) and take him home for the holidays . . . or maybe longer. And Angie is pure angelic gold with all the endearing and frustrating trimmings that go with being a child. This is the perfect holiday read about family, togetherness and love. I’ll let Mitch and Sohpie show you themselves as they take my In the Name of Love quiz:
© What song title best describes your relationship track record: “Nothing but a Good Time,” “Turn Me Loose,” “Shot Through the Heart (You Give Love a Bad Name)”, “Money Talks/Material Girl”, “Looking for Love in All The Wrong Places”?
Both (in unison): "Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places."
Mitch: Angie's mother was a stunning woman, but she represented the things I want to keep my daughter away from – preoccupation with looks, wealth and success. And at first I was afraid Sophie would be the wrong choice because she wanted to move to the big city and become a screenwriter.
Sophie: Nate, my high school boyfriend, promised we'd pursue our careers together but he left without me. Mitch seems to be the perfect father, but then I started to wonder if he would treat me as a daughter rather than a partner.
© What do you find the most appealing about a committed relationship?
Mitch: I want someone to be a partner, someone who will not only help me raise my daughter, but be there for me to share my ups and downs at the end of the day. And it would be icing on the cake if that person could cook, too.
Sophie: I need someone who will support my dreams and desires, and will allow me to help him achieve his, too.
© Why are you still single?
Sophie: I dated a guy all through high school, and we made plans to go to Hollywood together. He's an actor, and I'm a writer. But he left without me, and I've never been able to get close to any man since then.
© What’s an absolute deal breaker in a relationship?
Mitch: If anyone is going to get close to me, she's got to love my daughter Angie. I moved from Chicago to Zutphen, MI to get her away from the materialistic, career-driven influence of my in-laws.
© What first attracted you to each other?
Sophie: I was attracted to the way he interacted with his daughter. He's so protective and caring.
Mitch: I was attracted to the way she interacted with my daughter. She looks out for her, and she really listens to Angie.
© What kept you from acting on that attraction?
Mitch: She's young – and she had plans to leave this wonderful small town and move away to California – to everything I want to get away from.
© What are you most looking forward to as a couple?
Sophie: I'm looking forward to having a partnership, like my sister has with her husband Dave.
Mitch: I'm looking forward to making this house a home. And maybe filling it with more kids.
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Buy links: Christmas Wishes can be purchased at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other ebook outlets.
Blurb:
Photographer Mitch Carson is tired of big city life. He just wants to settle down in a quiet town with his daughter, Angie. Even that doesn't quell his fear of losing his daughter to his scheming mother-in-law.
Sophie Gardner wants to be a screenwriter. She's ready to leave small town Zutphen, Michigan and go to Hollywood. With a theater degree under her belt, she's busy writing scripts while helping out her sister Joanie, who's bedridden with a difficult pregnancy. Unfortunately, Joanie has somehow coerced Sophie into directing the Christmas pageant at Zutphen Community Church.
When Sophie and Mitch meet, the attraction is instant and mutual. But each wants what the other is trying to get away from. Can they deny their feelings and pursue their dreams? Or will the holiday prove to them that their true wishes might not be what they'd thought?
Excerpt:
Mitch looked up into a pair of wide green eyes. Exotic and enticing, yet capable and compassionate. The eyes were set in a small heart-shaped face and surrounded by a cloud of honey blonde hair. He closed his mouth before he embarrassed himself by drooling. And he tried very hard to keep his voice from squeaking as he answered.
“Thanks, but I can take her home.”
“Daddy, I need to go!” Angie continued her hopping, clearly uncomfortable.
“It’s a nice bathroom, and they keep it very clean,” the blonde told him. She disappeared into the doorway she’d indicated and then came right back. “No one’s using it now, so you can go in and help her if you want.”
“Daddy? Please?” Angie’s face was starting to turn red. “I can do it myself.”
Mitch swallowed. If the restroom was empty and he stood outside the door, nothing bad could happen to her, right? “Okay, sweetness. I’ll be right here.”
Angie dashed into the restroom, and the blonde started to take off.
“Uh, thanks for your help,” he called after her.
The blonde curls tossed as she turned back to him with a grin. “No problem at all. I’m Sophie Gardner, by the way. Are you just passing through Zutphen, or are you new here?”
“New, I guess. We moved here in August. Mitch Carson.” He held out his hand.
She placed a tiny hand in his. “You’ve been here over two months and I haven’t met you until now? The small-town grapevine must be rusty. Welcome to Zutphen. You have an adorable daughter.”
“Thanks. I can’t argue with that.” He’d been welcomed by other residents, but for some reason, the words from this particular woman made him feel almost giddy with pleasure. He turned when the bathroom door opened, and Angie came out, much happier than when she’d gone in. Her gap-tooth grin made his heart swell with pride.
Strange, but his usual apprehension when his daughter was out of his sight hadn’t seemed so intense with this lady by his side. It would be so nice to share the parenting responsibilities with someone. No, he reminded himself, I’ve got to do this myself. At least, I’ve got to try.
Bio:
In a previous life, Patricia Kiyono taught elementary school students by day and changed diapers at night. Now she teaches college students part time and changes diapers only when she's taking care of grandkids. She loves to do anything that doesn't involve exercise. Right now her favorite activities, other than writing, include scrapbooking, sewing, and making music. She and her husband live in southwest Michigan, near their five children and nine grandchildren. Author links: Patricia Kiyono can be found at her website, blog, facebook, Amazon, and twitter @PatriciaKiyono
December 3, 2013
Twenty Questions with Ami Weaver, Your Favorite (or soon to be favorite!) Author . . .
I don’t read a lot of series contemporary romance so I’m very particular when I curl up with my cat and Kindle. I picked up Ami Weaver’s debut romance An Accidental Family because she’s in my Mid-Michigan RWA group and I always read at least one book from each of our authors. But once I got started on Lainey and Ben’s tender and heart-tugging story, I knew it would be the last.
I’m also a sucker for Christmas books, so when I saw The Nanny’s Christmas Wish , I was quick to snatch it up. Only a frozen turkey and boxes of glittery decorations could pull me away over the weekend. Josh and Maggie have won me over! I expected the touchingly real characterizations and emotional twists and turns, but their chemistry was the hook that has me anxious to get back between the pages. You’ll see what I mean in the excerpt below.
But first, let me introduce you to Ami as she takes my Twenty Questions gauntlet . . .
1. If I had a free afternoon . . . I’d READ! Or learn to knit. Or do something crafty with my kids.
2. Favorite books from childhood: Laura Ingalls Wilder , of course. I’m getting my 8-year-old daughter a set of them for Christmas this year. Anne of Green Gables are another fave, and all the Marguerite Henry books (The Misty books, Justin Morgan had a Horse, etc.), the Black Stallion series by Walter Farley and the Trixie Belden books! I read a LOT. My not-so-fave book: Stephen King’s The Shining . I was ten, and it was a little over my head.
3. What music are you listening to? (While you write?) It depends on the book, but I rely heavily on Muse, Sarah McLachlan, some country (odd, because I don’t listen to it in my real life), Collective Soul, Linkin Park, whatever catches my attention for the book at the moment. Then I’ll put the song on repeat. Right now, it’s P!nk’s Try.
4. Three favorite movies: The Princess Bride, of course (and my kids love it too--I’m so proud to hear them quote it randomly and extensively!) Disney’s Little Mermaid. The Sound Of Music. Another one my kids can quote and sing all the songs.
5. Gourmet cook or take out? Take out! My husband is the cook. He’s an excellent one, too. I can bake. But apparently we can’t live on cookies alone. Bummer.
6. Favorite comfort food: Mashed potatoes. And cake with really good frosting.
7. Favorite type of hero: Hmmm. Well, I’m not a huge fan of full-on alphas. I write more beta heroes myself. That said, I love nearly all of Nora Roberts’ heroes--she writes a great mix now of alpha and beta. Calm and protective but not caveman overbearing. Jill Shalvis writes great heroes too. And both of them write a good heroine, too.
8. Favorite genre to read? I read romance pretty consistently and it is what I write. But of course romance is a huge genre, and I only write contemporary but I read all of it. I read mystery and thrillers, too, not really horror, and lots of YA. Literary fiction, too. Nonfiction.
9. Favorite books you can read over and over: I’m not a huge re-reader. Generally, if I’ve read it, I’m done. But there are a few. All the Harry Potter, all the Anne of Green Gables books, Jane Eyre, Little Women, Bittersweet by LaVyrle Spencer, Winterdance by Gary Paulson and a handful of other books including The Language of Flowers (this is a new one).
10. Paperback or e-book? Paperback. I have an ereader, I use it, I totally get why people love them, but I’m just a book girl.
11. What are you reading right now? J.K Rowling’s The Cuckoo’s Calling and an assortment of Christmas romances.
12. What would you love to write that you haven’t? A huge, sweeping paranormal.
13. OCD plotter or free range pantser? Hoo, boy. I am a pantser all the way. I really wish I were more of a plotter, of a structured writer, but alas, my process is a hot mess. I’ve tried to plot, but it simply doesn’t work for me.
14. Which is easier, the synopsis or the book? Oddly enough, the book. I think it’s because I am a pantser. I can write a synopsis--but it’s not going to match the actual book! I’ve been working on that.
15. Which was easier to get, agent or editor? Agent, I guess in this case, even though I’ve only had her a couple months. A mutual author friend helped me out there. She was only the third one I’d tried. As far as the editor went, it was a lot of querying and entering of Harlequin-based contests, which is what did the trick.
16. Do you have a set writing schedule? In a way. I do write everyday, but the time can vary. When the kids are in school, I do it during the day at a nearby coffee shop or at home. I set a word count (lately it’s been 3k, but that can vary depending on where I’m at) and go from there.
17. First publishing rejection (and getting back on that horse). Ahh, rejection. I had a few. My first one I was SO SHOCKED she didn’t want the book. Ha. She was lovely and had requested the whole thing off a partial, so that was good. I’ve never had any trouble picking myself back up. I guess I learned at some point to separate myself from my work--they weren’t rejecting me, just my book. It’s a tough thing to take sometimes.
18. Solo muse or critique partner(s)? I’ve got a great group of crit partners, and I do a lot on my own, too. I think the support of other writers (be they crit partners or buddies) is critical to the whole thing.
19. Biggest hurdle to getting words on the page and how you overcome it? Being a pantser, I don’t always know where I’m going. So when I write myself into the corner, I stop and try to figure out where I went wrong--and that usually means I end up skipping ahead and writing scenes out of order. This keeps me writing and usually these later scenes shed light on where I went wrong in the first place. Then I go back and knit it all together.
20. When can we get your next book and what’s it all about? Well, my next releases won’t be out until later next year, but my most recent book is THE NANNY’S CHRISTMAS WISH from Harlequin Special Edition, and it’s still available on Harlequin’s site as well as Amazon and B&N. Here’s the blurb: Josh Tanner and Maggie Thelan share one unbreakable rule: No romantic entanglements. Period. So the lonely doctor hiring the former teacher as a live-in nanny for his little boy shouldn't be any kind of threat to their creed. Especially since Josh won't let go of the past—and Maggie can't tell Josh who she really is…. But rules are made to be broken, and while Maggie only wants to know the nephew she never knew she had, deeper feelings keep getting in the way! As the holiday season creeps closer, his rules collide with her secret. Can their unexpected love survive the truth?
Maggie Thelan double-checked the address on the big blue Victorian with the sticky note on the steering wheel. Her pulse kicked up a bit as she eased the car to the curb. She drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to calm the butterflies in her belly. Cody, her nephew, lived here. Her half sister, Lucy, had lived here until her death. It would be Maggie's home during her stint as Cody's nanny.
If she got the job.
No way am I missing this chance. She grabbed her purse and keys and checked her reflection in the rearview mirror. Hair behaving, mascara not smeared, all good. She did a quick application of lip gloss and wondered for the millionth time if she shared her Black Irish coloring—dark hair, blue eyes, pale skin—with her half sister.
With any luck there'd be a photo out for Maggie to see. Anticipation quivered through her as she threw open the car door.
She'd gotten through the first interview just fine. Cody's grandmother, Ellen Tanner, was a lovely woman, warm and friendly and concerned about her grandson's welfare. This time, she'd meet Cody and his father and hopefully walk away with the job.
She'd staked everything on it.
Not wanting to think about that, Maggie hurried up the walk, her ponytail blowing over her shoulder in the wind. Being October in northern Michigan, the breeze had a bite to it but the sun still held some warmth. The maple trees on the front lawn blazed gold and flame.
A couple of squat pumpkins sat on the front porch. Maggie stepped around them and up to the heavy front door.
She pressed the doorbell and the door opened almost instantly, causing her to take a big step back and stumble over one of the pumpkins behind her. "Whoa," said a deep voice, and he grabbed her elbow before she ended up smashing the pumpkin under her rear. She pitched forward and felt a firm, broad chest under her cheek. He smelled of clean laundry and soap. Warmth seeped through his blue oxford dress shirt.
Or maybe that was her face, burning with embarrassment.
Smooth, Maggie, real smooth. She stepped back, carefully this time, cleared her throat and promptly forgot what she'd been about to say as her gaze traveled up.
Oh, he was tall, north of six feet and broad, with light brown hair that curled slightly at the nape. And his eyes. Damn if she hadn't just lost her voice in those whiskey-colored eyes.
"You all right?" His voice, laced with amusement and concern, snapped Maggie out of her trance.
"Yes. Thanks for the help." She thrust out her hand as she tried to recover her scattered wits. "Maggie Thelan. I'm here for a second interview for the nanny position."
He raised his eyebrows, arched over those incredible eyes. They weren't the color of just any whiskey, but the good Scotch stuff her father had favored. Her heart pinged. The man grasped her hand, his palm warm and slightly rough on hers. She sucked in a breath at the unwelcome little shiver that zipped up her arm. "Dr. Josh Tanner. Nice to meet you," he said as he released his grip.
"You, too," she replied. Dread seized her. This man was Cody's dad. What if he thought she'd be a klutzy danger to his son? Good one, Maggie.
He stepped back. "Come on in. Have a seat over there." He indicated the sofa in a comfortable living room. Photos. Her pulse picked up a bit as she made her way to sit down.
She cleared her throat and smiled as he sat down opposite her. She peeked around him at the pictures on the mantel. Shoot. Some of them were too small to see the subjects clearly. She snapped her focus back to find him studying her with a crease between his eyebrows.
Her stomach clenched. "Is there a problem?"
He hesitated a spilt second. "I have to say I was expecting someone older. I told my mom—" He broke off and the frown deepened.
"What?" Her stomach tightened. "Why do you need someone older?"
"I just thought, well, more experience, maybe." He had the grace to look slightly embarrassed.
Maggie's eyebrows shot up and she straightened her spine, spearing him with the look that had sent plenty of fourth-graders scurrying back in line. "I've been a teacher for ten years, Dr. Tanner. I assure you, I have plenty of experience with kids."
He nodded, reluctance still etched on his face. "I saw that on your resume. You are by far the most highly qualified candidate. My mom thinks highly of you and I trust her judgment. Your background check is clean and the references are excellent, so as long as Cody likes you we'll consider this a done deal."
Relief flooded Maggie even as she noted he didn't look pleased about the whole thing. "Thank you. I hope he does, Doctor. I'm looking forward to meeting him." More than you'll ever know. The chance to know Cody, hopefully learn something about her half sister, meant everything to her. Her heart squeezed. Since her father's death and learning he had kept his older daughter a secret, Maggie's world had been in a tailspin.
He glanced at his watch. "While we're waiting, do you want to see where you'll be staying?" he asked.
"I'd love to," she said.
A quick perusal of the mantel on her way past revealed photos of Cody, either alone or with his dad or Grandma. Nothing of Lucy. She climbed the creaking stairs behind Dr. Tanner and since it felt wrong to look at the view of his rear she kept her eyes at his waist. His pants were frayed at the belt loops, a little detail at odds with the crisp pleats in the front.
Upstairs, he walked past three rooms to the end of the hall and pushed open a door. "This be okay for you?"
Maggie stepped around him, catching a whiff of his scent as she did so. The little jolt of awareness was almost drowned out by the pleasure that flooded her at the room.
"This is beautiful!"
The room was huge and she could see a balcony through French doors. A four-poster bed sat across from the fireplace, where a cozy little grouping of furniture had been arranged. She could picture herself reading to Cody there, snuggling by the fire on a cold and snowy night.
A little shiver of joy ran through her. She couldn't ask for a more perfect setting to get to know her nephew.
"There are plenty of extra sheets if you want to use them, and comforters, too. Not sure what you'd like, but if you don't find something that works just buy what you want and I'll cover it. Bathroom's in here." Dr. Tanner stepped around her and pointed to the first of two doors. "Closet's the next one."
Maggie pulled open the door and peeked in at the bathroom. Double sinks, oversize tub, separate shower. Fresh towels, no doubt his mother's touch, on the towel rack.
A master bedroom. Why didn't he use the master? Too many memories?
"Dr. Tanner, really, this is amazing. I love it." She moved over the plush carpeting to the four-poster and ran her hand over the smooth wood of the footboard. Unless she missed her guess, this bed was an antique.
When she looked up, she caught him watching her with caution and something else, a something that made her skin get hot and reminded her she was alone with a gorgeous man. In a room with a bed.
The one man she couldn't have and wouldn't want anyway.
So why had her mouth just gone dry?
"Josh," he said, and Maggie blinked, her thoughts thankfully derailed. "Call me Josh, please. You're not my patient."
"Josh, then," she murmured.
A banging from downstairs made them both jump, shattering the awkward moment.
"That'd be Cody and my mother," he said, relief clear in his voice. "Let's go meet them."
Cody Tanner, age four, looked up at Maggie with serious blue eyes ringed with long, dark lashes. Light brown curls haloed around his head. Her heart melted, and emotion crashed over her in a fierce wave. She ached to pull him in her arms. This little boy was the only link to the half sister she'd never have the chance to know. He dropped his gaze to her feet and she swallowed hard.
"Hi, Cody." Maggie stuck out her hand, but Cody ignored it, instead pressing against his grandmother's leg. She tried to ignore the sharp sting his rejection produced.
"Code," his father said in a gentle voice, "you can do better than that."
Cody looked up at Maggie, his big blue eyes swimming with tears, and shook his head.
Maggie's heart cracked. "It's okay—" she began but Josh shook his head.
"Cody, we talked about this. Remember?"
"Don't want her," Cody cried and Maggie sucked in her breath, each word almost a physical blow. "I wanna have Mrs. Herman!"
Josh knelt down in front of his son. He tugged Cody into his arms. "I know it's hard on you. But she had to leave, Code," he said. "You know that. She had to go help her daughter out. She'll miss you and she loves you. She'll call and send you letters. Remember?"
Cody dipped his chin. "I know," he mumbled, and his father hugged him.
"Now, let's try this again. What do you say to Ms. Thelan?"
Cody slid a sideways glance her way. "Hi," he muttered and Maggie smiled.
"Nice to meet you, Cody." Oh, if he only knew.
Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Two-time Golden Heart Finalist Ami Weaver has always been a writer, but once she started penning 'romances' in middle school she never looked back. She's come a long way since then--and learned what romance really is. Now she is an award-winning author of warm contemporary romances for Harlequin Romance and Harlequin Special Edition. Ami's manuscripts have won the Maggie, the Marlene, and been finalists in Harlequin's SYTYCW and Mills and Boon's New Voices contests, among others. Ami lives in Michigan and balances writing around four great kids, three crazy cats, and one very supportive husband. You can visit her on the web at www.amiweaver.com or find her on Twitter at @writerlygirl.
November 26, 2013
20 Questions: Rue Allyn, Getting to Know Your Favorite (or soon to be Favorite!) Writer
I’ve known Rue Allyn since she was her writing alter ego Susan Charnley, back when we were both new and starry-eyed authors doing Great Lakes Bookseller Association trade shows together. So long ago, in fact, that I have her newly reissued
A True and Perfect Knight
on my author signed BFF shelf from back in 2001! I realized how much I’d missed her books when I curled up to read her latest release
One Day’s Loving
and immediately lost myself in the story. Now I’m going to have to One Click the books for the other two sisters in the
Wildfire Love
series from Crimson Romance (Don’t you hate it when that happens!)
I LOVE historicals, especially when they’re accurate portrayals of their times. From page one, I was back in 1870s Boston, experiencing the heroine Mae’s quiet courage and resourcefulness as life hands her another unpleasant curve (along with an unwanted proposal and attempted abduction!). Oh, how I like her! She just doesn’t realize what great heroine material she is yet. The hero, her awful grandfather’s attorney (my boss thinks ALL heroes should be attorneys!), James is caught between the terms of his client’s cruel-hearted will and his admiration for the gently composed female in his office. His solution to better both their circumstances promises some entertaining reading ahead. I haven’t gotten as far into their story as I’d like to be, but considering to my eagerness to get back to it, I’ve no doubt I’m in for a delightful ride. I hope you’ll take it with me!
Since some of you are meeting her for the first time, Rue/Sue has graciously agreed to introduce herself and her two brand new (well, technically one brand new and one newly returned to the shelves) historical romances via my 20 Questions.
Nancy, thank you very much for inviting me to share with your followers.
Getting to know Rue Allyn:
1. Party dress or blue jeans?
Can I do both? Guess if I’m forced to choose, I want blue jeans, but that Party dress is fun every now and then.
2. Spa day or gym workout?
Spa day without question. I love being pampered.
3. Favorite books from childhood.
The Black Stallion series by Walter Farley
4. Three favorite movies.
Only three? Casablanca, An Affair to Remember, Gone with the Wind.
5. What’s on your Bucket List?
Australia!
6. Your first kiss . . .
You don’t want to know, but think Frat boy at a college mixer—was also my first date.
7. Favorite comfort food.
Raspberry & Peach Jelly Bellies.
The Written word:
8. Favorite type of hero (Type A bad boy or Type B good guy) Examples. (Which would you rather live with?)
I want bad boys in my fiction but I live with the best good guy ever.
9. Favorite genre to read? (Is it what you write?)
Romance, yes.
10. What would you love to write that you haven’t?
A paranormal romance without vampires or shapeshifters.
11. Fiction hero you would run off with.
Not gonna happen.
12. What are you reading right now?
Galleys for the re-release of my medieval romance A True and Perfect Knight
13. Paperback or e-book?
E-all the way. Paper is soooo inconvenient.
A Writer’s Life:
14. OCD plotter or free range pantser?
Pantser for the most part.
15. Which is easier, the synopsis or the book?
The book.
16. Which was easier to get, agent or editor?
Editor
17. First publishing rejection (and getting back on that horse).
I don’t recall my first but I’ve learned to allow myself 24 hours to deal with the emotions then put the rejection behind me.
18. First person you call when you get a sale.
My sweetheart.
19. Solo muse or critique partner(s)?
Solo muse, but I do share reciprocal coaching efforts with a good writer friend.
20. When can we get your next book and what’s it all about?
I have two books releasing in November. One Day’s Loving comes out November 18, 2013. A True and Perfect Knight is re-released from a new publisher in e-only format on November 19, 2013. You can get info about A True and Perfect Knight here. Since One Day’s Loving technically arrives first, I’ll tell you about it now:
Persephone Mae Alden is the invisible Alden sister, quiet, industrious, generous, kind-hearted, loyal and reliable. The words used to describe Mae remind her of a well-trained dog. She’s not happy about it, but what can she do? She likes her quiet life and would be seriously upset if she had to defy convention like Edith or act on instinct like Kiera. But everything changes when necessity forces her to bravery and she must choose between love and family.
A horrifying bequest convinces Boston attorney James W. Collins V that Mae Alden needs a husband, and she’s just the type of wife he wants. The two of them will be a perfect match. Refusing his offer makes no sense, so why won’t the woman accept?
You may find out more about One Day’s Loving at my website or order through Amazon.com
Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon
Author of historical, contemporary, and erotic romances, Rue Allyn fell in love with happily ever after the day she heard her first story. She is deliriously married to her sweetheart of many years and loves to hear from readers about their favorite books and real life adventures. Learn more about Rue at http://RueAllyn.com
I LOVE historicals, especially when they’re accurate portrayals of their times. From page one, I was back in 1870s Boston, experiencing the heroine Mae’s quiet courage and resourcefulness as life hands her another unpleasant curve (along with an unwanted proposal and attempted abduction!). Oh, how I like her! She just doesn’t realize what great heroine material she is yet. The hero, her awful grandfather’s attorney (my boss thinks ALL heroes should be attorneys!), James is caught between the terms of his client’s cruel-hearted will and his admiration for the gently composed female in his office. His solution to better both their circumstances promises some entertaining reading ahead. I haven’t gotten as far into their story as I’d like to be, but considering to my eagerness to get back to it, I’ve no doubt I’m in for a delightful ride. I hope you’ll take it with me!
Since some of you are meeting her for the first time, Rue/Sue has graciously agreed to introduce herself and her two brand new (well, technically one brand new and one newly returned to the shelves) historical romances via my 20 Questions.
Nancy, thank you very much for inviting me to share with your followers.
Getting to know Rue Allyn:
1. Party dress or blue jeans?
Can I do both? Guess if I’m forced to choose, I want blue jeans, but that Party dress is fun every now and then.
2. Spa day or gym workout?
Spa day without question. I love being pampered.
3. Favorite books from childhood.
The Black Stallion series by Walter Farley
4. Three favorite movies.
Only three? Casablanca, An Affair to Remember, Gone with the Wind.
5. What’s on your Bucket List?
Australia!
6. Your first kiss . . .
You don’t want to know, but think Frat boy at a college mixer—was also my first date.
7. Favorite comfort food.
Raspberry & Peach Jelly Bellies.
The Written word:
8. Favorite type of hero (Type A bad boy or Type B good guy) Examples. (Which would you rather live with?)
I want bad boys in my fiction but I live with the best good guy ever.
9. Favorite genre to read? (Is it what you write?)
Romance, yes.
10. What would you love to write that you haven’t?
A paranormal romance without vampires or shapeshifters.
11. Fiction hero you would run off with.
Not gonna happen.
12. What are you reading right now?
Galleys for the re-release of my medieval romance A True and Perfect Knight
13. Paperback or e-book?
E-all the way. Paper is soooo inconvenient.
A Writer’s Life:
14. OCD plotter or free range pantser?
Pantser for the most part.
15. Which is easier, the synopsis or the book?
The book.
16. Which was easier to get, agent or editor?
Editor
17. First publishing rejection (and getting back on that horse).
I don’t recall my first but I’ve learned to allow myself 24 hours to deal with the emotions then put the rejection behind me.
18. First person you call when you get a sale.
My sweetheart.
19. Solo muse or critique partner(s)?
Solo muse, but I do share reciprocal coaching efforts with a good writer friend.
20. When can we get your next book and what’s it all about?
I have two books releasing in November. One Day’s Loving comes out November 18, 2013. A True and Perfect Knight is re-released from a new publisher in e-only format on November 19, 2013. You can get info about A True and Perfect Knight here. Since One Day’s Loving technically arrives first, I’ll tell you about it now:
Persephone Mae Alden is the invisible Alden sister, quiet, industrious, generous, kind-hearted, loyal and reliable. The words used to describe Mae remind her of a well-trained dog. She’s not happy about it, but what can she do? She likes her quiet life and would be seriously upset if she had to defy convention like Edith or act on instinct like Kiera. But everything changes when necessity forces her to bravery and she must choose between love and family.
A horrifying bequest convinces Boston attorney James W. Collins V that Mae Alden needs a husband, and she’s just the type of wife he wants. The two of them will be a perfect match. Refusing his offer makes no sense, so why won’t the woman accept?
You may find out more about One Day’s Loving at my website or order through Amazon.com
Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon
Author of historical, contemporary, and erotic romances, Rue Allyn fell in love with happily ever after the day she heard her first story. She is deliriously married to her sweetheart of many years and loves to hear from readers about their favorite books and real life adventures. Learn more about Rue at http://RueAllyn.com
November 19, 2013
In The Name of Love Character Quiz: From Diane Burton’s One Red Shoe
Can you guess why Diane Burton is one of my favorite guests? Just like her characters, she’s funny, smart, and passionate about what she does. Oh, and because we’re both more than a little bit OCD. I feel like a doting godmother when it comes to One Red Shoe’s Daria and Sam, having been there almost at their inception. They took their first breath during a writing exercise, and over the years I’ve gotten to watch them struggle, grow and finally step out on their own (kind of like Daria!). And I couldn’t be more proud to introduce you to their story.
My best laid plan to have a full review ready was curtailed by a power outage. I read as far as I could by the flickering battery of my iPad (Darn you, Mother Nature!) . . . far enough to remember just how much I loved these characters. Daria could easily have been just a caricature of the naïve tourist in over her head. Sam might have become the cookie cutter spy on the run, reluctant to seek her assistance. But they’re so much more . . . delightfully so! One Red Shoe channels an inner Romancing the Stone adventure, with untested but always ready Daria as the heroine, resourcefully albeit it reluctantly, living the life she’s only written about, and hero Sam, the jaded, world-weary man with a mission who rediscovers his heart of gold while trying to shield the woman who repeatedly saves his butt (in more than one way). Their dialog is witty and engaging, the twists of plot clever and often laugh-out-loud (in a very good way!), and their romance fresh, genuine, and one you’ll root for. I guess that was a review after all! Maybe I should just let Sam and Daria convince you that you’ll adore One Red Shoe as much as I do by interrogating them about their outlooks on love . . . (shining that bright light in their eyes)
©Why are you still single?
Daria: In two words—my brothers. Talk about overprotective. They still treat me like I’m 13 instead of almost 30. Okay, you want the truth. I never loved anyone enough to be willing to fight for them.
Sam: In two words—my job. I never want my wife to worry about where I am or who I’m with. On top of that, bad guys don’t hold off their nefarious deeds for dance recitals and T-ball games. How could I tell my children that my job is more important than they are?
©What was your first opinion of each other?
Sam: I thought she was a wide-eyed innocent who didn’t have a lick of sense. She didn’t know me from Adam yet she took care of me when I was shot in the butt. I felt like a fool.
Daria: I thought he was playing copycat with that guy in the movie who wore one red shoe until I realized the red was blood. I’m a sucker for wounded animals so I couldn’t leave a wounded man to fend for himself, could I? Especially when he couldn’t even stand without help.
©What first attracted you to each other?
Sam: her optimism and enjoyment of life. And her sheer guts. Not much sense but real guts to get me away from assassins.
Daria: I wasn’t at first. He scared me until I realized he kept trying to protect me. But he trusted my instincts and when his plans didn’t work out, he went along with mine. Of course, he was out cold when I made them.
©Who made the first move and what was it?
Daria: I did. We’d just escaped from the assassins and we were both high on adrenaline. I kissed him. Then we almost had wild monkey sex on the bench seat of my Grandpa-mobile (a boring brown Buick). He broke it off.
Sam: Of course I broke off that kiss. She deserved better than sex with a broken down wreck of a man on the run from the Russian Mafia. She’s the kind of woman that has happy-ever-after written all over her. And that was something I couldn’t give her.
©What would you be willing to change to make this relationship succeed?
Sam: Give up the work I love in Washington and move to her farm in Iowa.
Daria: Leave my home and join him in Washington.
©What’s the best thing about the two of you together?
Sam: She brings joy into my life and reminds me why I became an agent—to protect my country from those who would destroy it.
Daria: We’re stronger together than apart. That and the fact that he’s a great kisser. J
Wannabe writer rescues wounded spy while risking her heart.
Daria Mason’s life is too predictable. Nothing ever happens in her small Iowa town where everybody knows everybody else. But when she travels to New York City looking for a little excitement, she never expects to bring home a wounded spy.
From the moment agent Sam Jozwiak steals intel vital to US security from a Russian Mafia kingpin, Murphy’s Law takes over. No matter how he covers his tracks, the kingpin’s assassins find him. What’s worse than getting shot in the butt? Accepting help from an Iowa tourist.
Sam and Daria flee cross country with the assassins right behind them. Sharing danger and excitement—and a few kisses—with Sam soon has Daria convinced he’s the man for her. He thinks she’ll be better off once he’s out of her life for good. With their lives on the line, can she convince him they belong together?
For the second time in her life, Daria Mason came face-to-face with a man pointing a weapon at her. A pervert, with unzipped jeans, wielded a green box knife. Because she’d raced into the restroom without checking out the situation, he now stood between her and the exit.
She was at the end of the proverbial rope. After walking in circles, she finally found a restroom and nobody was stopping her from using it. Especially not someone playing copycat with that guy in the movie who wore one red shoe.
“I am having a really bad day,” she declared in the don’t cross me voice she used on her brothers. As soon as her words echoed off the hideous pink and black tiled walls and floor, she lowered her voice. “You are in the wrong place, mister. Now zip up and get out.” She pointed straight-armed toward the door.
The man shook his head and set the flimsy knife on the counter. “Lady, you have more guts than sense. You are in the wrong place, at the wrong time.” His voice was even softer as hers. He eyed her with a look so dark and intense it paralyzed her like a hawk froze its prey.
One Red Shoe is available at Amazon
Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest
Diane Burton combines her love of mystery, adventure, science fiction and romance into writing romantic fiction. Besides the science fiction romance Switched series, she is the author of The Pilot, the first book in a series about strong women on the frontier of space. One Red Shoe is her first romantic suspense. She is also a contributor to the anthology How I Met My Husband. Diane and her husband live in Michigan. They have two children and two grandchildren.
For more info and excerpts from her books, visit Diane’s Website.
My best laid plan to have a full review ready was curtailed by a power outage. I read as far as I could by the flickering battery of my iPad (Darn you, Mother Nature!) . . . far enough to remember just how much I loved these characters. Daria could easily have been just a caricature of the naïve tourist in over her head. Sam might have become the cookie cutter spy on the run, reluctant to seek her assistance. But they’re so much more . . . delightfully so! One Red Shoe channels an inner Romancing the Stone adventure, with untested but always ready Daria as the heroine, resourcefully albeit it reluctantly, living the life she’s only written about, and hero Sam, the jaded, world-weary man with a mission who rediscovers his heart of gold while trying to shield the woman who repeatedly saves his butt (in more than one way). Their dialog is witty and engaging, the twists of plot clever and often laugh-out-loud (in a very good way!), and their romance fresh, genuine, and one you’ll root for. I guess that was a review after all! Maybe I should just let Sam and Daria convince you that you’ll adore One Red Shoe as much as I do by interrogating them about their outlooks on love . . . (shining that bright light in their eyes)
©Why are you still single?
Daria: In two words—my brothers. Talk about overprotective. They still treat me like I’m 13 instead of almost 30. Okay, you want the truth. I never loved anyone enough to be willing to fight for them.
Sam: In two words—my job. I never want my wife to worry about where I am or who I’m with. On top of that, bad guys don’t hold off their nefarious deeds for dance recitals and T-ball games. How could I tell my children that my job is more important than they are?
©What was your first opinion of each other?
Sam: I thought she was a wide-eyed innocent who didn’t have a lick of sense. She didn’t know me from Adam yet she took care of me when I was shot in the butt. I felt like a fool.
Daria: I thought he was playing copycat with that guy in the movie who wore one red shoe until I realized the red was blood. I’m a sucker for wounded animals so I couldn’t leave a wounded man to fend for himself, could I? Especially when he couldn’t even stand without help.
©What first attracted you to each other?
Sam: her optimism and enjoyment of life. And her sheer guts. Not much sense but real guts to get me away from assassins.
Daria: I wasn’t at first. He scared me until I realized he kept trying to protect me. But he trusted my instincts and when his plans didn’t work out, he went along with mine. Of course, he was out cold when I made them.
©Who made the first move and what was it?
Daria: I did. We’d just escaped from the assassins and we were both high on adrenaline. I kissed him. Then we almost had wild monkey sex on the bench seat of my Grandpa-mobile (a boring brown Buick). He broke it off.
Sam: Of course I broke off that kiss. She deserved better than sex with a broken down wreck of a man on the run from the Russian Mafia. She’s the kind of woman that has happy-ever-after written all over her. And that was something I couldn’t give her.
©What would you be willing to change to make this relationship succeed?
Sam: Give up the work I love in Washington and move to her farm in Iowa.
Daria: Leave my home and join him in Washington.
©What’s the best thing about the two of you together?
Sam: She brings joy into my life and reminds me why I became an agent—to protect my country from those who would destroy it.
Daria: We’re stronger together than apart. That and the fact that he’s a great kisser. J
Wannabe writer rescues wounded spy while risking her heart.
Daria Mason’s life is too predictable. Nothing ever happens in her small Iowa town where everybody knows everybody else. But when she travels to New York City looking for a little excitement, she never expects to bring home a wounded spy.
From the moment agent Sam Jozwiak steals intel vital to US security from a Russian Mafia kingpin, Murphy’s Law takes over. No matter how he covers his tracks, the kingpin’s assassins find him. What’s worse than getting shot in the butt? Accepting help from an Iowa tourist.
Sam and Daria flee cross country with the assassins right behind them. Sharing danger and excitement—and a few kisses—with Sam soon has Daria convinced he’s the man for her. He thinks she’ll be better off once he’s out of her life for good. With their lives on the line, can she convince him they belong together?
For the second time in her life, Daria Mason came face-to-face with a man pointing a weapon at her. A pervert, with unzipped jeans, wielded a green box knife. Because she’d raced into the restroom without checking out the situation, he now stood between her and the exit.She was at the end of the proverbial rope. After walking in circles, she finally found a restroom and nobody was stopping her from using it. Especially not someone playing copycat with that guy in the movie who wore one red shoe.
“I am having a really bad day,” she declared in the don’t cross me voice she used on her brothers. As soon as her words echoed off the hideous pink and black tiled walls and floor, she lowered her voice. “You are in the wrong place, mister. Now zip up and get out.” She pointed straight-armed toward the door.
The man shook his head and set the flimsy knife on the counter. “Lady, you have more guts than sense. You are in the wrong place, at the wrong time.” His voice was even softer as hers. He eyed her with a look so dark and intense it paralyzed her like a hawk froze its prey.
One Red Shoe is available at Amazon
Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest
Diane Burton combines her love of mystery, adventure, science fiction and romance into writing romantic fiction. Besides the science fiction romance Switched series, she is the author of The Pilot, the first book in a series about strong women on the frontier of space. One Red Shoe is her first romantic suspense. She is also a contributor to the anthology How I Met My Husband. Diane and her husband live in Michigan. They have two children and two grandchildren. For more info and excerpts from her books, visit Diane’s Website.
