Thea Harrison's Blog, page 29

Blog Post: This week’s Writer Wednesday winner

The winner of this week’s Writer Wednesday, with guest author Carole Mortimer, is Alda!  I’ve emailed Alda separately–congratulations!

Next week will be guest author Lauren Dane!

Happy reading, everybody.

Thea

Blog Post: Writer Wednesday guest author Carole Mortimer and giveaway

From Thea:  I’m so delighted that author Carole Mortimer reached out to me in an email.  She had read DRAGON BOUND and enjoyed it.  We began corresponding, and then at the 2011 Romance Writers of America conference we were able to meet in person, and she’s just as delightful and warm as her emails were.

In her blog post here, she shares an extremely special experience with us, and a very great honor.  I’ve even got photos of how lovely she looked on her wonderful day!

Carole is offering a giveaway this week–details follow at the end of her post.

~~~

My story starts a couple of days before Christmas 2011 – hey, I’m a writer, and I don’t know how else to tell this story!

So, it’s a couple of days before Christmas, and half a dozen Christmas cards have arrived in the morning post, along with an innocuous-looking envelope addressed to me.  Assuming the latter was a bill, I naturally opened the Christmas cards first – I love everything about Christmas, and consider sending and receiving cards from family and friends, as being part of the joy of the season.  It finally came time to open the innocuous looking envelope, which I duly did, quickly read the contents of the letter inside, before throwing it down onto the table beside me in disgust, with muttered comments like ‘it’s disgusting the scams people get up to nowadays’, and ‘at Christmas time too!’.  My husband came into the room about fifteen minutes later, and I showed him the letter, expecting him to be outraged too, but instead he picked up the letter, said he would be back in five minutes or so, and duly disappeared.  As he had said, he did reappear five minutes later, gently placed the letter down on the table beside me, and said softly ‘it isn’t a scam, Carole, you really are being asked to accept an invitation to attend the Queen’s Garden Party at Buckingham Palace in May 2012,in recognition of your outstanding service to literature’.  I actually began writing in 1978, and have just completed my 180th novel for Harlequin Mills and Boon, but even so…!

Now in my own defense, in regard to thinking it was all a scam of some kind, I would just like to point out that the second paragraph of the letter asked me for details of my passport, and that of the guest who would be accompanying me.

Secondly, things like this do not happen to people like me.  I was born in a small village in Bedfordshire, more years ago than I care to think about, the youngest of three children, and the only time I have ever seen the Queen, or any of the royal family, has been when they were being driven past in a car, or on the television.

Thirdly, I had never heard of a Harlequin Mills and Boon author having received such an honour, and if there are some of them out there then they probably haven’t talked about it for the same reason I haven’t – they were in shock!

I believe, along with the rush and bustle that is Christmas, that I truly did go into shock for a few days, and then I learnt that a dear friend was very seriously ill – Penny Jordan – and the whole thing just faded into the background.  Unfortunately we lost Penny on New Year’s Eve, and it was just so sad, that everything else paled into insignificance, and I really didn’t give the garden party invitation another thought until much later that month, when I finally remembered I had to send my acceptance.

Being of bit of a worry wart, I was still reluctant to share the news of the Royal invitation with anyone – what if it turned out to be a mistake, and they had the wrong Carole Mortimer? Or the official invitation, which they told me would be sent out in mid April, never arrived?  How foolish I would look, for ever having believed they could really have meant me in the first place!  So I told very few people, just close family – my Mum and Dad were so proud! – and three dear friends.

But to my surprise a buff-coloured envelope duly arrived mid-April, bearing a Buckingham Palace postmark, inviting myself, and my husband, to the Queen’s Garden Party, at Buckingham Palace, on May 29th, 2012.  One of those three dear friends asked me if I had very carefully opened the envelope so that I might frame it, along with the official invitation – but I’m sorry to say, that in my haste to see if it really was THE invitation, I had ripped the envelope open (perhaps a bit of sticky tape…?).

So, I now had six weeks in which to find something to wear – being superstitious, and that worry-wart, I hadn’t so much as looked at what I would wear for such an occasion.  And I had to wear a hat.  The instructions for the day, which had arrived in the envelope with the official invitation – we were not allowed to take cameras into the Palace, or have mobile phones switched on, nor would the official photographers be allowed inside the grounds – definitely said I had to wear a hat.  I never wear hats!  Not even to the weddings of two of my sons.  The gold silk suit was easy – I love the silk clothes from a certain shop, and they very kindly made the suit I wanted in the appropriate time.  The hat?  I’m not telling where I found the hat, but I’m sure you will agree, it goes perfectly with the suit?  And my husband – who retired when our youngest son was born, and hates wearing suits after having to wear them to work for thirty years – actually went out and bought a new suit and shirt for the occasion.  I was most impressed!

So, we’re all set, suits bought, hat also bought, now all we have to do is go to London and attend the Queen’s Garden Party at Buckingham Palace on May 29th.  ATTEND THE QUEEN’S GARDEN PARTY AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE!!!!  I felt sick with nerves every time I thought about it – which was more and more often, the closer the date loomed.

My husband – he’s such a romantic on the quiet! – had arranged for a suite for us at The Savoy, overlooking the river, for two nights, with a lovely bottle of wine chilling in a bucket of ice when we were shown into our suite – which I have to admit, we very much enjoyed drinking.  That was followed by the two of us going downstairs, and enjoying one of The Savoy’s Afternoon Teas.  I’ve always loved Afternoon Tea.  So much so that I’ve been known to decide on whether a hotel is any good or not by the quality of their Afternoon Tea!  The Savoy’s Afternoon Tea is, I am happy to say, the best in London as far as I’m concerned.  Absolutely delicious.

The following morning – the morning of THE garden party – it all started to seem so very real, when before it had all seemed like a bit of a dream.

Again, my husband – how I do love that man! – had arranged a surprise for me, in that he had arranged for The Savoy’s chauffeur-driven Rolls Royce (number plate S8 VOY) to drive us to Buckingham Palace, and collect us again at the end of the afternoon.

It was wonderful being driven through London in that lovely Rolls Royce, arriving at the Palace, and ACTUALLY BEING ALLOWED TO GO IN THROUGH THOSE BEAUTIFUL ORNATE GATES.

The gardens at the back of the Palace are extremely lovely; rolling lawns and beautiful beds full of shrubs and flowers.  The sort of garden where you could imagine children playing hide and seek in the bushes, with tree-houses or hammocks amongst the trees.  I hope that they did, and still do!

At four o’clock a dozen Beefeaters appeared in the garden in full Regalia, announcing the arrival of the Queen and the royal family.  The Queen looked lovely in lilac, and Prince Phillips was his usual debonair self in his morning suit, and it seemed incredible to think that they were 86 and 90 years old.  Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall were also there.  And the Duchess of Cambridge looked lovely in pink – Prince William was, unfortunately, on duty, and so couldn’t accompany her.  Prince Harry was his usual friendly and handsome self.  The Princess Royal looked very regal.  Prince and Princess Michael of Kent were also present, and extremely charming.  Plus a number of other minor royals – I was so bedazzled by this time I honestly don’t know who else was there!

Afternoon tea was served all afternoon, a lovely selection of sandwiches and cakes, and hot tea or chilled coffee – and I can honestly say I have never eaten such delicious cucumber sandwiches.  They had put mint leaves in with the cucumber, and somehow turned a bland sandwich into a delight.  The newspapers the follow day stated that each guest at the garden party had eaten an average of thirteen sandwiches – thirteen! – and as I only ate three, and my husband six, I’m curious as to who ate the other seventeen…

It was an incredible, magical afternoon, and one I will never ever forget, along with the honour of the reason I had received the invitation – ‘in recognition of my outstanding service to literature’.

~~~

Carole is kindly offering a copy of her new Harlequin Presents book HIS REPUTATION PRECEDES HIM, which will be released in North America in July.

To enter her giveaway, please answer the following question:  have you ever had an English tea with cucumber sandwiches, scones and cakes?

The giveaway ends on Friday June 22nd, and the winner announced at 12 noon MDT.

Blog Post: part-time assistant position. Please RT

I am posting this on my blog just once, in order to see what kind of response I get.  If I don’t get the kind of applications I’m looking for, I may repost this in other places.

Job Description:  Writer’s assistant (5-10 hours a week)

Become a writer’s assistant for a very busy author.  The key role of this position is to act in a high functioning, supportive capacity in a variety of different areas.

This is a professional, part-time contract position, ideally suited to someone who is an ethical self-starter.  Confidentiality, completing assigned tasks, and meeting deadlines is an absolute must.

The assistant will:  provide piracy takedown notices, answer emails, arrange (perhaps also design) promotional materials as needed, compile a series bible, plan and coordinate blog tours and other scheduled events, provide support on website and social media maintenance, including updates, complete mailings, and other duties as mutually agreed upon.

Requirements



Knowledge of current publishing and social media trends and practices

Excellent spelling, punctuation and grammar, and proofreading skills

Ability to be flexible, not only in job duties but in hours worked—this is a small position starting out, but could lead to more stable and increased hours in the future.  We need to try it and see.

Research skills

Skill in eye-catching design for promotional materials

Courtesy and a positive attitude, ability to work collaboratively, and demonstrate enthusiasm, initiative and innovation

Ability to multi-task and creatively solve issues

Must be willing to sign a contract for services, submit invoices for work/hours completed (and be responsible for paying one’s own income taxes), and sign a confidentiality agreement

Required Education

Associate’s Degree

Preferred Education

Bachelor’s Degree (or higher)

Application Requirements

Apply for this position by sending a cover letter, resume, three references and hourly pay requirements to:  thea@theaharrison.com.  The deadline for applications is August 31st.

Resumes are not accepted on their own, nor will it do to just send me an email.  I will give local applicants in eastern Colorado strong consideration, for the additional value in tasks that can be completed here in person.

Since I am not an organization with an HR department, unfortunately I anticipate that I will be too busy to reply to every applicant (which is why I’m posting a job position for an assistant).  If you don’t hear from me, then I have chosen to interview other people.

Additional info

Other than the three professional references, I haven’t decided about a background check.  Maybe.

 

Blog Post: this week’s Writer Wednesday winner

The winner of this week’s Writer Wednesday, with guest author Susanna Kearsley, is Anna Beth!  I’ve emailed Anna Beth separately–congratulations!

Next week will be guest author Carole Mortimer!

Happy reading, everybody.

Thea

Writer Wednesday: guest Susanna Kearsley and giveaway

From Thea:  I was so happy when author Susanna Kearsley agreed to come visit my blog this week, and I love the subject of her post, which was very timely for me as I just finished up two projects of my own.  I completely identify with what she describes.

Here is Susanna’s bio: 

Susanna Kearsley was working as a museum curator when, after years of writing first chapters, she finally finished her first book on a dare from her sister. Her second novel, Mariana, won the U.K.’s Catherine Cookson Fiction Prize in 1993. Since then, her books have been published in twenty countries and optioned for film, and last year her book The Winter Sea spent five weeks on both the New York Times and USA Today Bestseller lists. Susanna lives in Ontario, Canada. where she balances her daily work schedule with being a stay-at-home mother of two.

Susanna is offering a giveaway with her visit, and details follow toward the end of her post.

~~~

I am bereft.

Last Tuesday, I hit “send” on my computer and the manuscript of my new book went sailing off to London, England, where it’s in the hands now of my editor.

I won’t lie—a large part of me was very, very happy to hit “send”, because this latest book, THE FIREBIRD, was written to a deadline, and having not had an actual deadline since 1997, I’d completely forgotten about the Stress. The entire month of May was a blur for me, writing nonstop, eating cold cereal out of the box, feeding my family cold cereal out of the box, and even resorting to locking myself in a hotel room for a long weekend to blast through some difficult chapters. And with all that, it still took a few extra days and an all-nighter pulled in New York to get down to “The End”.

So hitting the “send” button filled me with great satisfaction.

But now, as I wander around with my coffee, the house seems too quiet. I feel like I’ve had these incredible house guests, and now they’ve gone home and I miss them. For nearly two years, I’ve spent hours and hours each day with my characters, some of whom started their lives in an earlier book, THE WINTER SEA, so I’ve had them around even longer. It seems very strange now to not spend my days with them, sharing their lives and emotions.

This short time between books is when I’m supposed to enjoy having nothing to do—to catch up on my own pleasure reading, or sit and watch videos, because I’ll soon be beginning a new book, with new people in it.

But still, I’m bereft. Just as I always watch the door when I’m expecting guests, I find myself checking my email more often than usual, waiting for my editor to send my new book back to me to be revised, so I can have my characters alive again around me.

Are there characters you have a hard time letting go of, when you read (or write) them?

One winner will receive a signed copy of my book THE ROSE GARDEN, in which the heroine, Eva, finds herself missing the people she’s come to know, also—a bit of a problem, since they lived 300 years earlier.

Here’s an excerpt:

Following Claire through the door to the kitchen I heard a knife’s blade striking on the cutting board and thought at first, Oh, Fergal’s cooking something, and for that brief moment following, while my mind adjusted to the modern room instead, I felt a bit off-balance. Out of step.

It seemed so much harder this time to fit back in the slot I belonged in. Especially here in the kitchen, where I spent so much of my time in the past, I found things didn’t feel right. I missed seeing Fergal’s black scowl and quick smile, and Jack rocking his chair on two legs with his back to the wall and his eyes full of mischief, and Daniel…I really missed Daniel.

~~~

As with all of my Writer Wednesday guests, Susanna’s giveaway will end at 12 noon MDT on Friday, June 15th!

Blog Post: winners for Thea and Viv’s Big Adventure

From Thea:  I was so happy to create this blog tour with Vivian.  She is everything you might hope for in an author friend–funny, generous, kind, and talented, and she is a hard worker too, committed to her deadlines and proactive about getting things done.  It was a huge pleasure to do Thea and Viv’s Big Adventure with her, and I hope you all had fun as well.

Vivian has Big Things in store for her, including new opportunities and new projects.  She and I now have the same editor at Berkley, and her Samhain work continues to wow readers.  I can’t wait to see what wonderful thing she comes up with next!

You can keep up on the latest at Vivian’s blog, and also follow her at at Twitter (@VivianArend) and on Facebook (www.facebook.com|VivianArend).

~~~

Posted on Vivian’s blog this morning:

It’s been an amazing trip. I’m sad to see us come to the end of it, and yet that meant it was FINALLY release day for WOLF LINE. Happy and sad, all at the same time.

I had the most wonderful time putting this tour together with Thea. It was fun to get to know her better—special memories, and things she’s looking forward to in the future. I hope you’ll all be looking out with me for her upcoming releases of HUNTING SEASON, September 18 novella from Samhain and LORD’S FALL, the next full Novel in The Elder Races, from Berkley, November 6.

And now…

 BIG ADVENTURE PRIZES!

 Names were pulled from all the entries at all the blogs, shuffled through random.org and the winners are:

GRAND PRIZE:
 Winner’s choice of a Kindle or Nook

Dorothy H (Posted at Thea’s blog on day 1)

SECOND PRIZES:
 Two winners will receive a Relaxing Getaway Swag Pack: Homemade soap by Thea, hand-woven back scrubber imported from Ecuador by Viv, Thea and Viv’s first books in print, DRAGON BOUND and UNDER THE NORTHERN LIGHTS, and various other treats.

 Laurie (Tampa Bay) (posted at Red Hot Reds)

Elaing8 (posted at Wicked Lil Pixie)

Also- the winner at my blog of the daily prize (choice of one of Thea or Viv’s backlist Samhain ebooks from either the Elder Races or Granite Lake Wolves series):

Artemis

 Contact either Thea or myself and we’ll make sure you get those prizes.

Everyone else, I’d like to thank you so much for making this a memorable trip to release day. It’s always wonderful to celebrate with friends. Arwhooooooooooooooooooooo!

~~~

Back to Thea again here:

The winner at my blog of the daily prize (choice of one of Thea or Viv’s backlist Samhain ebooks from either the Elder Races or Granite Lake Wolves Series:

JenM

OTHER DAILY WINNERS:

The other daily winners at the various blog sites we have visited will be picked by their bloggers, and as soon as we get emailed those winners, we’ll be sure to get those prizes off to folks!

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS

HAPPY READING, EVERYONE!!

Win a signed copy of the UK Edition of DRAGON BOUND

I'm holding a Twitter giveaway right now.

Twitter followers have a chance to win one of three signed copies of the UK edition of DRAGON BOUND.

Tweet with the hashtag #UKDragonBound for a chance to win. Remember, if you don't have the hashtag, you haven't entered the contest.

The contest ends tonight (6/12/12) at 7 pm MDT, which is 9 pm EST. This giveaway is international.

Hurry on over to Twitter and enter!

Blog Post: This week’s Writer Wednesday winner with Eloisa James

The winner of this week’s Writer Wednesday, with guest author Eloisa James, is foreveramber!  I’ve emailed Amber separately–congratulations!

Next week will be guest author Susanna Kearsley, and the week after that will be Carole Mortimer!

Happy reading, everybody.

Thea

Blog Post: Writer Wednesday guest Eloisa James and giveaway

From Thea:  I’m delighted that romance author Eloisa James is visiting this week.  I knew Eloisa through her delicious historical romances, of course, but we actually connected personally through the magic of Twitter.

Today she talks about writing history, which is quite a world building challenge on its own, let alone writing historically based fairy tales.  Eloisa has graciously offered a giveaway, and as usual, details follow at the end of this post.

~~~

WRITING HISTORY

 Eloisa James

Today I got an email scolding me for putting a character at the Seige of Badajoz in 1812 because I was belittling the soldiers who died there, so could I please “leave our British history alone!”

Um… No. That’s what I do: mess up history.  The reader seems to have forgotten that historical romance is as much a product of the imagination as paranormal romance. What’s more, since The Duke is Mine is a rewriting of The Princess and the Pea, its claim to history is slim to non-existent.

Still, I’m guessing she doesn’t write to Thea and castigate her for putting a dragon lord in New York City where none exists (I live right here, so I can attest to the absence of winged warlords).

If I had made my heroine detect a pea under twenty mattresses, rather than a key, would the reader have twigged to the fact that the book was fantasy—without being paranormal?

Frankly, it’s always a juggling act to be imaginative in a historical overcoat.  Right now I’m working on a rewrite of Rapunzel. So what about all that hair, as in “Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your golden hair?”

Anyone have any bright ideas about how I can gesture toward the storyline without getting myself bawled out because—wait for it—there were no hair extensions in 1816?

One winner will get a signed copy of a historically inaccurate novel… The Duke is Mine!

Destiny will be decided between the sheets in this all-new tale of “The Princess and the Pea.”

For Olivia Lytton, betrothal to the Duke of Canterwick–hardly a Prince Charming–feels more like a curse than a happily-ever-after. At least his noble status will help her sister, Georgiana, secure an engagement with the brooding, handsome Tarquin, Duke of Sconce, a perfect match for her in every way . . . every way but one. Tarquin has fallen in love with Olivia.

Quin never puts passion before reason. And reason says that Georgiana is his ideal bride. But the sensual, fiery, strong-willed Olivia ignites an unknown longing in him– a desire they are both powerless to resist. When a scandalous affair begins, they risk losing everything–Olivia’s engagement, her sister’s friendship, and their own fragile love. Only one thing can save them–and it awaits in the bedroom, where a magnificent mattress holds life-changing answers to the greatest romantic riddle of all.

~~~

Giveaway ends at 12 noon MDT on Friday, June 8th!

 

Blog Post: A last DEVIL’S GATE snippet

Here is one last snippet from DEVIL’S GATE, just for fun:

He grasped her shoulders and looked deeply into her eyes. “Listen to me. I did not say I was falling in love with you, if only you would hide some part of yourself or change some aspect to try to please me. I said I was falling in love with you—all of you. I don’t want you to curb yourself, deny yourself, cover up your face or head or any part of your body. I don’t want you to lose or gain weight, or watch what you say, or deny how you feel, or try to be anything but who you are, because who you are is the most beautiful person in the world to me.”

Hope you enjoyed!

Thea