Susan Hanniford Crowley's Blog: From Nights of Passion Blog, page 184
April 29, 2016
Giveaway & Visit with Historical Romance Author Elaine Violette
Nights of Passion is excited to have Romance Author Elaine Violette with us today.
Thank you for the kind invitation to tell your readers about my newest eBook, THE DIARY OF NARCISSA DUNN, to be released on May 1st and presently available for pre-sale on Amazon and KOBO. When I first began writing novels, they were strictly British romances, always my favorite to read. Perhaps because I love to travel, I sent my heroine in my third book, A KISS OF PROMISE, on a harrowing journey across the ocean to Boston. In THE DIARY OF NARCISSA DUNN, the setting is 1800s New England and deals with societal issues as two men vie for the same woman for different reasons. My inspiration for THE DIARY OF NARCISSA DUNN came from a morning walk in a cemetery. When I read a compelling and captivating epitaph on an old gravestone, I knew I had to write a novel based on the message. No spoilers! As the story develops, I think readers will be captivated as well.
Blurb
THE DIARY OF NARCISSA DUNN is a ghostly love story that combines historical
romance with paranormal elements. Set in New England, pre-Civil War, the story reveals the complex relationship between a father and daughter as he attempts to control her future. When Olivia’s father tries to force her into an unwanted marriage, mysterious events occur, leaving the family on edge.
Meanwhile, Benjamin Pratt, desperately in love with Olivia, discovers an old diary that exposes scandalous secrets. He becomes an unwilling messenger, torn between revealing truths that will shatter Olivia’s identity and destroy her family, or keep the secret and watch her marry another. Either way, he’s bound to lose her unless a mysterious woman intervenes.
Pre-order Buy Links:
The Diary of Narcissa Dunn for Kindle: http://amzn.com/B01EBA54T6
On KOBO: http://bit.ly/1SZn6Pz
Also available for Nook on May 1st
About the Author
Elaine writes British and American Historical Romances. Part of the fun of writing Historicals, she says, is doing research into the past and creating characters that live and love in those sometimes glorious and sometimes harrowing times. A veteran English teacher, Elaine holds a BS in English Education from the University of CT and an MS in Educational Leadership from Central CT State University. She presently teaches public speaking part time at a local community college. She is a member of Romance Writers of America and CT Romance Writers (CTRWA). Residing on the Connecticut shoreline with her golfing husband, Drew, she delights in being a wife, mother, and grandmother. Other favorite activities apart from reading and writing are nature walks, kayaking, and baking yummy desserts.
Author Links
Sign up for Elaine’s newsletter on her website: www.elaineviolette.com
“Like” her on Facebook: www.facebook.com/elaineviolette.author
Comment on her blog: http://elainevioletteblogs.blogspot.com/
Visit on Twitter: https://twitter.com/elaine_violette
Drawing for a Gift Card to Amazon!
We authors love to connect with our readers. I’m giving away a $10 Amazon Gift Card for one reader who comments on this blog and signs up for my newsletter on my website www.elaineviolette.com. The drawing closes on Monday, May 2nd at 5pm, Eastern Standard Time. Good Luck!
Thank you, Elaine.
-Susan
Susan Hanniford Crowley
http://www.susanhannifordcrowley.com
Filed under: Blog Party with Contests, contest, Elaine Violette, historical romance, Historical romance, Introduction, romance
April 28, 2016
Ever Glad in the Everglades by Stacy Hoff
Recently I guest-blogged in BTS eMag (Book & Trailer Showcase E-Magazine) about how writers tackle story location http://bit.ly/1HkpC3o & http://bit.ly/1Sx9tK7. I’m glad to say that just a few days ago I was able to re-visit one of the locations I spoke about in BTS—Florida’s Everglades. The last time I had traveled here I was a teenager. Back then, my parents took me, a New York City girl, on the adventure of a lifetime. The impact of that breath-taking experience stuck with me strongly enough that I set the scene for my very first published novel, DESIRE IN THE EVERGLADES, right there. A good portion of this book was based on my memories. Ones that, even thirty years later, never faded.
This year, my husband and I had a unexpected opportunity to take a family trip. My kids, who are raised in New England, had already ventured as far South as Florida, but only to Orlando (not too surprising a location, I’m sure). This time I was determined that we do something quite different during our Florida trip.
My kids are old enough now (ages fourteen and ten) that they don’t need to be dependent on a theme park to have fun. I wanted them to appreciate the raw (and sometimes intimidating) beauty of Florida itself. More importantly, I wanted them to live the same awe-inspiring experience in the Everglades that I had as a child. As an extra bonus prize, I would also get to watch my husband’s reaction, because he had never been to this area either.
The first thing we did in Florida was to book a tour company for an airboat ride. Airboats are really the best way to get around the Everglades. They are surprisingly fast for things that look like aluminum siding slapped together with a giant fan shoved on the back. Our airboats had headphones that allowed us to hear the tour guide over the sound of the boat’s movement and fan noise (which is really quite loud). The minute our boat took off I watched the faces of my family light up. This included my teenager who typically dons a “too-cool-for-you” attitude. I’ve got to say their awe-struck expressions left me feeling very gratified (if not outright triumphant).
The amount of animals we saw on the tour was as wondrous as all the breathtaking scenery. Some of the “residents” we saw were countless alligators (from tiny to frighteningly large), rare Great Blue Herons, cranes, red-winged blackbirds, and woodcocks. Everywhere we turned new animals were either popping up, submerging themselves, or flying off into a distant cluster of “cabbage palms.” We even saw an unexpected animal – a hog that was the pet of the tour company. Seeing this “pet” was remarkable to me, since hogs (albeit wild ones) play a very crucial role in my story. They are rare to find in Florida, but yes, they do live there.
I’ve included some of the pictures I took on this unexpected escapade. Including the one below of a dragonfly that landed on my husband during our airboat ride.
I hope you enjoy seeing them as much as I enjoyed taking them. I truly felt like I was living the life of Stephanie, the heroine in my book, instead of just Stacy—regular, plain ‘ol me.
What’s the most unusual place you ever visited?
WEBSITE & SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS FOR STACY HOFF:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authorStacyHoff
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/authorStacyHoff
AMAZON LINK FOR DESIRE IN THE EVERGLADES by Stacy Hoff:
AMAZON LINK FOR DESIRE IN THE ARCTIC by Stacy Hoff:
AMAZON LINK FOR LAWFULLY YOURS by Stacy Hoff:
AMAZON LINK FOR SEASON OF LOVE (Box set with Stacy Hoff):
AMAZON LINK FOR HOT SEDUCTION (box set with Stacy Hoff):
Filed under: A writer's life, romance, Romantic Places, Stacy Hoff
April 27, 2016
Romancing the Villain by Heather Novak
I love villains who tug at my heart strings and evoke my emotions. Loki from the Avengers? Perfect example (and I’m not just saying that because I’m in love with Tom Hiddleston.) I also love strong heroines who aren’t lovable until we’re forced to love them.
While I was recovering from a neck injury, I binge watched Jessica Jones on Netflix and it had everything I adore! …and a lot of blood. But I digress.
Jessica Jones’ character cocktail was enticing:
A damaged heroine who was just an a**hole who also did some terrible things in her life. Still, I adored her.
A fantastic hero who also kept me guessing. He’s got some good, some bad, and some edge. And he’s very pretty.
A villain who played with my heartstrings and my mind sockets (who is also my favorite Dr. Who! There. I said it.)
A twisted web of lies and love that kept me hitting play over and over again on each episode
Solid, 3-dimensional, supporting characters
Strong emotions interspersed with humor
Season one wrapped leaving me satisfied yet just a little hungry for more. Just the perfect amount of cliffhanger.
This is the recipe for a good story.
I am a strong supporter of the idea that you cannot write what you don’t understand. This is why it’s so important to study the genre you want to write, and then study everything around that genre. While Jessica Jones may not seem like the obvious choice for a budding YA/NA romance author, it was the perfect story to get my mind turning. I even drafted a proposal for my next book after.
What are you watching on Netflix these days?
On this day in 1930 – The first organized night baseball game was played in Independence, Kansas.
Wishing You Laughter & Good Books,
Heather Novak
Find me at:
Twitter: authorheathern
Instagram: authorheathern
Facebook: authorheathernovak
Hunting Witch Hazel: Spring 2016
Threat of Raine: Spring 2016
Rosemary for Remembrance: Spring 2016
Filed under: romance
April 26, 2016
Layers and layers
If aliens were to come down and visit our planet, I wonder what they would say? Would they find us a bunch of superficial creatures as we stress about our clothes or latest sports bracket or game. As we walk or uber around the streets, electronics in our face, would they determine any depth of character? My hypothesis is they would if they hung around long enough.
It can be misleading at times. As I’m in study mode for a financial exam, I spend every morning at Starbucks and occasionally, I get distracted. I find myself people watching. At first, I catch clips of conversation that make me feel like I’m on an alien planet. For clarification, this is in somewhat of a big college town so a lot of the technology referenced in daily concerns, isn’t something I have much exposure too or even want much exposure to. But after time, you see the same folks come in and get to learning a bit more about them day by day. In most cases, the glimpses improve the perceptions of our race as a whole. We ar made up of layers… Tons and tons of layers.
As I got to thinking about characters in a novel it really dawned on me how difficult it can be to convey all these characters and their depth of character. In many cases, we authors only get to know our characters through our writing–perhaps that first or second draft. Even more so, it may help to take a step back from writing to come back later and see if you’ve truly captured the essence of someone’s character.
An exercise to try this week. Describe yourself. What kind of character would you make and how would you introduce your many layers to readers? Try it, it might be fun and eye opening.
Good luck and happy writing!
Filed under: A writer's life, romance, Toni Kelly
Ordered Some Books! by Mandy Rosko
Okay, so this got put off a lot longer than it should have been. I finally ordered the last of the books I’ll be bringing to the RTC signing in early May
April 24, 2016
A Florida Paranormal-Scope
Love is in the air. Baby birds are chirping everywhere.
While I am not qualified in any way to read neither stars nor planets, I am intimately linked to the paranormal in the world in many ways. So are you.
The paranormal-scope is for entertainment purposes only and is not meant to guide your life by.
The week for:
Aries:
Gators love sleeping in the sun. Look after your health. Are you getting some sunshine?
Taurus:
Pixies are buzzing in the subtropical climate. So much to do. Slow down your schedule and enjoy what you do.
Gemini:
Snowy Egrets pose for the perfect picture. Add to your wardrobe and take photos with friends.
Cancer:
Tampa Bay is party town. Not only for paranormals but for humans too. Plan a party wherever you are.
Leo:
The Skunk Ape is roaming. Keep a lot profile and focus on work.
Virgo:
T-Rex was hitchhiking. Beware of strangers.
Libra:
Dolphins are playing in the surf. Hang out with friends and you’ll feel better.
Scorpio:
Mermaids are singing offshore. Time to plan a vacation.
Sagittarius:
A Komodo Dragon is following you. A new friend is coming into your life.
Capricorn:
The winds blow against the sand making art of sand and shells. Be creative. Start a new hobby or revive one that you loved.
Aquarius:
Turtles are wise beyond our years. Seek advice on an important matter from someone older who has lived.
Pisces:
Swamp elves know how to keep secrets. Keep your secrets well.
-Susan
Susan Hanniford Crowley, Amazon Kindle Bestselling Author of Vampire Romance
www.susanhannifordcrowley.com
Where love burns eternal and whispers in the dark!
Vampire King of New York, Arnhem Knights of New York, Book 1 available in Kindle and Print, Nook and Print, and Kobo.
Vampire in the Basement, Vampires in Manhattan, Book 4 available in Kindle.
Poseidon’s Catch (mythology romance) available in Kindle.
Mrs. Bright’s Tea Room (steampunk romance) available in Kindle.
A Vampire for Christmas,Vampires in Manhattan, Book 3 available in Kindle.
The Stormy Love Life of Laura Cordelais, Vampires in Manhattan, Book 2 available in Kindle and Print and Barnes and Noble Print
When Love , Vampires in Manhattan Book 1 available in Kindle and Print, Nook, Kobo and Smashwords.
Filed under: A Vampire for Christmas, Max Vander Meer, Norse, paranormal, paranormal romance, romance, romance novels, Susan Hanniford Crowley, The Stormy Love Life of Laura Cordelais, vampire books, Vampire David Hilliard, Vampire King of New York, Vampire King of New York In Print, Vampire Maximillion Vander Meer, vampires, Viking, Weekly Paranormal-Scope, Yule
April 23, 2016
Celebrating 400 Years of Shakespeare!
Yesterday was William Shakespeare’s 452nd birthday!
And the 400the anniversary of his death.
My school celebrated by selling cupcakes with candles and a Shakespearean insult.
Shakespeare was a marvel at writing insults. Here are some of my favorite examples:
“All the infections that the sun sucks up”
“Elvish-marked abortive, rooting hog”
“Veriest varlet that ever chewed with a tooth”
“I do desire we may be better strangers”
“You dwarf, you minimus”
“Hang off thou cat, thou burr! Vile thing”
“I’ll beat thee, but I should infect my hands”
and my personal favorite:
“Would thou were clean enough to spit on!”
Happy Birthday, Will! And many more!
Filed under: Jenna Jaxon
April 22, 2016
A Romantic Sunset for You!
In my adventures with my honey in the wilds of Florida, we found that we are really beach children. We’ve done a lot of fun things but always it’s the water that calls to us the most. My husband surprised me with a beautiful room in a glamorous hotel and this is the view from our balcony. Romantic greetings from Tampa Bay!
Only a few weeks ago I was talking to a friend and saying it’s important to our well-being to enjoy the sunsets in our lives. Now I look out over the bay at sunset and can’t stop smiling.
The gift of the sunset. A gift of love.
Do you pause for the sunset?
-Susan
Susan Hanniford Crowley, Amazon Kindle Bestselling Author of Vampire Romance
www.susanhannifordcrowley.com
Where love burns eternal and whispers in the dark!
Vampire King of New York, Arnhem Knights of New York, Book 1 available in Kindle and Print, Nook and Print, and Kobo.
Vampire in the Basement, Vampires in Manhattan, Book 4 available in Kindle.
Poseidon’s Catch (mythology romance) available in Kindle.
Mrs. Bright’s Tea Room (steampunk romance) available in Kindle.
A Vampire for Christmas,Vampires in Manhattan, Book 3 available in Kindle.
The Stormy Love Life of Laura Cordelais, Vampires in Manhattan, Book 2 available in Kindle and Print and Barnes and Noble Print
When Love , Vampires in Manhattan Book 1 available in Kindle and Print, Nook, Kobo and Smashwords.
Filed under: A Vampire for Christmas, Max Vander Meer, Norse, paranormal, paranormal romance, romance, romance novels, Sunset, Susan Hanniford Crowley, The Stormy Love Life of Laura Cordelais, vampire books, Vampire David Hilliard, Vampire King of New York, Vampire King of New York In Print, Vampire Maximillion Vander Meer, vampires, Viking, Weekly Paranormal-Scope, Yule
April 21, 2016
Ryan Jo Summers’ Novels are Inspired by Stacy Hoff
Hello Passionate readers! Today I have on a guest—author Ryan Jo Summers! She’s talking about what inspires her to write her novels. Read on to learn about the surprising things that trigger her imagination!
Writers are frequently asked where we get the ideas for our stories. I suspect most authors reply back like I do: it all depends on the story. Photographs, overheard comments, buried memories, random sights can all spark a creative wire and start a writer off on some literary tangent.
Take the case of my fifth book, “Chasing the Painted Skies”. In 1988 or 1989 I came upon a photo in a calendar that spoke to me. It was a rocky outcropping and a lake, with a grarled tree. Fog shrouded the scene and many might call it gloomy, gothic or depressing. I called it wonderful.
At the end of the year, I took the page from the calendar, had it matted and framed and it still hangs in my hallway to this day. In 2004 I left my Great Lake home and moved to the mountain locked region of the south. I miss my water of the north. The views here are spectacular and awe-inspiring, but the water is limited to shallow rivers and small ponds. I was homesick for the sweeping grandeur of the Great Lakes.
So on particularly bad days, when I longed to immerse myself in the cold waters of Lake Superior, I’d stand and stare at the calendar photo, reliving the cool breezes and howling wind and sharp bite—all depending on the time of the year. I recalled the spray from riding the bow on the boats and the many stately lighthouses dotting the area. What came out of all that reminiscing was a love story, mystery, treasure hunt and ghost story all wrapped inside the pages of “Chasing the Painted Skies”.
Another example was when I had a wonderful idea for a story. It would be a Christian romance with time travel. Brilliant. I had no clue where the notion came from but I loved it. So I wrote the story. It became ‘Shimmers of Stardust’, my second published novel. When I was nearly finished with the first draft, after a mere four months, I was cleaning out some old papers. One was a story idea that I had one night and scribbled down to write later, word for word of what “Shimmers of Stardust” was about. The paper had been lost and buried in a forgotten file for seventeen years before I wrote the story.
My release of a few weeks ago, “Glimpse Eternity”, was inspired by seeing a rose bouquet lying on the road while driving home Valentine’s evening. Pondering why it was discarded on what should be a romantic night birthed the idea for the novella.
So the answer of where ideas come from is as varied as the ideas themselves. And everyone has ideas. What may seem unimportant now or obscure might turn out to be the catalyst to create a story. My very first story, written at age ten, was my reaction to an event happening in the household and I needed some way to process it. It seemed natural for me to write it down, draw pictures and never realize until later I’d just written my first story. If only I still had that rough copy today.
Doubtlessly the endless sea of books I have read over the years also subconsciously provide fodder, lying dormant until needed. We are taught to write what we know, so it is logical many of our scribblings resemble what we ourselves like to read. As my reading tastes grow and evolve, so does my writing matter. Reading and writing are strongly connected.
We all experience things, hear things, want things. We all live. It’s when we take those pieces that surround us and blend them together with sheer imagination that we create stories. When we add discipline, ambition and invest energy and dare to dream, we might publish a story that people fall in love with. Or at the very least, have a manuscript we can hold in our hands and secretly tell ourselves, “I wrote this! For me.” It might be something of ourselves we can leave behind.
Book Blurb for Chasing the Painted Skies:
Raven Koynes is a woman in hiding. Years ago she escaped to remote Gull Island Light Station, nestled far away in Lake Superior. She has carved out a life of peace and solitude for herself. Until famed nature photographer Sebastian Knight arrives–in the height of a nor’easter storm–to document the beauty of Gull Island. Unsavory treasure hunters also blow in with the storm, determined to find missing cargo from a sunken ship. And they are positive Raven knows where it’s stashed. A power outage from the storm traps everyone at her keeper’s cottage, fellow prisoners of the storm.
Between her attraction to handsome Sebastian and the unwelcome advances and threats of the hunters, Raven is pushed to her limit. Help arrives in the form of a stray German Shepherd Dog, who takes an immediate protective interest in Raven. He becomes her constant shadow and listening ear as she sorts out her growing–and conflicting–feelings for Sebastian.
Meanwhile, Sebastian came to the island looking for treasure as well, in the form of photographs. While he isn’t so sure about missing cargo, he only needs to look at Raven Koynes to know he’s found his own valuable treasure. One he hopes he can hang on to if she learns about his mysterious secret.
Now that Madeline the resident ghost has found out, it’s probably just a matter of time until Raven does too. And with the storm and power outage, no one is going anywhere any time soon.
Buy link for Chasing the Painted Skies:
Book Blurb for Glimpse Eternity:
Kasey Griffin is determined a diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis isn’t going to define who she is or limit her. She is dedicated to her sister, pets and bookstore, the daily challenges of MS notwithstanding. Until hunky musician Ben Salem rolls into town and reminds Kasey she is more than a woman with a disease. She is a woman with a heart. And Ben wants it. But will he still want her once he learns the details of her chronic condition?
“Glimpse Eternity” is the very recent release, now available in paperback and ebook formats. Sweet contemporary romance novella.
Buy links for Glimpse Eternity:
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/615504
http://www.lulu.com/shop/ryan-jo-summers/glimpse-eternity/paperback/product-22651262.html
Author Bio for Ryan Jo Summers:
Ryan Jo Summers is a North Carolina author who specializes in writing romances with a twist. Love stories blended with inspirational, paranormal, suspense or time travel–or several at once. She also writes non-fiction for regional periodicals. Ryan’s dad is a songwriter and his aunt wrote poetry so she claims she came by her writing skill honestly. Apparently it’s in the genes.
Her hobbies include bird-watching, houseplants, poetry and yard work. She loves to gather with friends, hike in the forest with her dog, paint ceramics and canvas and work on wiggly word find puzzles. She lives in a 1920 cottage with a menagerie of pets. Living in the mountains, she dreams of the shore and frequently uses the water as scenes for her stories.
More about Ryan Jo can be discovered at her website, Home or her blog http://summersrye.wordpress.com
Extra: “Chasing the Painted Skies” has been nominated for The Romance Reviews Reader’s Choice Award Spring 2016. It has made it to the final round and voting ends April 30th.
Media links for Ryan Jo Summers:
website : http://www.ryanjosummers.com
blog: http://:summersrye.wordpress.com
FB: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ryan-Jo-Summers-author-page/312875648810797
WEBSITE & SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS FOR STACY HOFF:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authorStacyHoff
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/authorStacyHoff
AMAZON LINK FOR DESIRE IN THE ARCTIC by Stacy Hoff:
AMAZON LINK FOR DESIRE IN THE EVERGLADES by Stacy Hoff:
AMAZON LINK FOR LAWFULLY YOURS by Stacy Hoff:
AMAZON LINK FOR SEASON OF LOVE (Box set with Stacy Hoff):
AMAZON LINK FOR HOT SEDUCTION (box set with Stacy Hoff):
Filed under: A writer's life, inspiration, Interview, paranormal romance, romance, romance novels, Ryan Jo Summers, Stacy Hoff, time travel, What inspires you?, writer's inspiration, Writing
April 20, 2016
Write, Stretch, Repeat by Heather Novak
Friends,
I hurt myself this week. Why? Because I did NOT use good stretching techniques during hours of editing. Therefore, I ended up with a neck spasm and vertigo. So how do you avoid falling into the same trap? Do as I say, not as I do.
(This is not medical advice and is not intended to cure anything, including but not limited to: ice cream cravings, writer’s block, or book hangovers. Don’t start any exercise anything without talking to your doctor, etc, and so on.)
Make sure to get up every hour! Take a few minutes, stand up and get your blood flowing.
Stretch your neck! I mean, we’ll all pretend that we sit in the “appropriate sitting position” while typing. Even so, neck stretches are a must. Roll one way then the other. Add in a few forward/backward stretches and get those side-to-sides in too.
Roll those shoulders! Forward and back. Arms down.
Flail your arms! Stretch them out and roll them forward and back.
Touch your toes! Well…pretend you can touch your toes. Hold it for a few seconds and go down even a little more.
Arch your back a bit, run in place, play your anthem, then get back to work.
Remember to sit correctly. Or at least kind of correctly. STOP SLOUCHING.
There. Now you’re ready to change lives with your words.
On this day in 1989 – The Game Boy handheld video game device was released in Japan.
Wishing You Laughter & Good Books,
Heather Novak
Find me at:
Twitter: authorheathern
Instagram: authorheathern
Facebook: authorheathernovak
Hunting Witch Hazel: Spring 2016
Threat of Raine: Spring 2016
Rosemary for Remembrance: Spring 2016
Filed under: romance
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