Kay Springsteen's Blog, page 19
April 22, 2011
Spirituality and Writing
O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!
When I was a child in Sunday School, I remember being taught the song How Great Thou Art. This is a Christian hymn, based on poem written by Carl Gustav Boberg and set to a Swedish folk song. The words still often flow through my brain today, when I look around and see the Creation of our Maker.
Since I'm a Christian and today is Good Friday, I thought I would take a moment to acknowledge my Lord and Savior. The stories that emanate from within me are there, I am convinced, because He puts them there. I am able to write them, I am certain, because His hand guides me. I've made some side trips in my journey to writing, am likely still making them. But the journey will end the way He has determined it should, and the road will be much more easily traveled if I follow the map He has handed me. That's not always easy. In a world where sex sells more than sweet, where graphic and vulgar language is acceptable for children to speak on the streets, not only to each other, but to adults, it's hard to find a writing niche. I do my best, and try to stay true to my values but it does become a temptation to see if my sales would increase if I included a hot sex scene or or two, or if I portrayed my heroes as rugged, cursing alpha males with attitude. I actually did try that with the initial version of Lifeline Echoes, and with the encouragement of a great childhood friend, Jeanne, and my editor, Stephanie Taylor, I cleaned that story up into something I would have been happy for my very conservative mother to read. And so far, this novel hasn't been out a month but the reviews are terrific. It seems people are reading the novel and seeing the story.
Thanks to the vision of Stephanie Taylor, driving force behind Astraea Press, with her recognition of the need for sweeter, cleaner reads, I was able to get back on the road I believe God intended for me to travel all the time. Feel free to stop by and check out the many offerings by Astraea Press. Stephanie has found a wonderful collection of authors, who feel the same way about romantic fiction as she does.
Post a comment below for a chance to win your choice of either Heartsight or Lifeline Echoes in PDF.
Excerpt from Heartsight
"We're not too late, Dan! We can't be!"
He understood. Failure wasn't an option on this mission. But
even though he'd only been here a couple of days ago, he hadn't explored much with Bella. Even if things hadn't changed much since his own childhood, those memories were long dim.
They needed a miracle.
An edgy feeling started in between his shoulder blades. It
moved up to the back of his head and drilled its way into his brain. It was exactly the feeling he used to get on recon missions in-country, the feeling that told him he'd missed something and needed to take a second look.
He turned around, placing his back against the base of the
lighthouse, trying to conjure the picture in his mind based on long
ago memories. Nothing filtered into his awareness.
"God, if You're there, this would be the time for a miracle," he
whispered.
Purchases of Heartsight made through the Astraea Press website generate a $2 per copy donation to the USO Wounded Warrior
program until June 1, 2011.
*****
And now, I hope you will enjoy an excerpt from my latest release, Lifeline Echoes
"You're awfully quiet." Sandy struggled to keep her voice casual.
"Tired."
"Umm, yeah." She watched him set the brake and turn off the engine, moving as if in slow motion. Not just tired. Drained. Ryan walked her up the steps to her apartment. After she unlocked the 
door she turned into his arms. His kiss went from soft to heated then back to gentle.
She leaned into the kiss, enjoying the feel of his muscular arms beneath her hands. She hated having to let him go.
"I wanted to watch the stars come out with you, Chicory," he whispered.
She looked up. Even with the ambient light from town, the sky was overflowing with visible stars. "I love the stars. There are so many they almost. . ."
". . . blend together."
Electrical current raced along her spine. "Yes," she whispered, wishing she could see his face.
Ryan turned Sandy so her back was to him and slid his arm around her waist while they enjoyed the view from her tiny balcony. "My mom used to tell us stories about the sky and the stars," he murmured, his breath warm against her neck. "She said the night sky was one of God's favorite old blankets, keeping everyone here on Earth safe and warm. And the blanket has these tiny pinholes worn in, like some comfortable blankets do. The lights we see are little glimpses of heaven on the other side of the blanket."
"Ryan, that's beautiful."
"Next time, we'll get it right." He turned her back to face him, kissing her with slow, sweet longing. "I'll see you tomorrow,Sandy."
Available now: Lifeline Echoes at Astraea Press.
And watch for Sean's story, coming soon from Astraea Press.
April 16, 2011
Six Sentence Sunday More Lifeline
More Six Sentence Sunday offerings.
Surprise catapulted him backward a few inches. "You're pushing me away because you're afraid of losing me?" Ryan scrubbed his 
face with one hand. Temper edged into his voice. "Do you have any idea how freaking ridiculous that sounds?"
"I didn't say it made sense!"
From n, currently available from Astraea Press.
Also at Amazon and Barnes and Noble
A glowing review! for Lifeline Echoes
Voices form a powerful connection. The day the earth rocked LA, Sandy Wheaton became a voice lifeline over the radio for trapped firefighter, "Mick." Less than twenty four hours later, she had fallen in love with him. Shattered when she learned that rescue came too late, she sought solace Wyoming, the home state he had loved. Now, seven years later, she's made a life there as the owner of a popular local bar. But her wounds are still fresh, and she longs to let go of the past and her lost love so she can begin living again. That opportunity presents itself when the local prodigal son returns home. The attraction between them is instant. It feels like she's known him far longer than just a few days.
Sixteen years ago, Ryan McGee left home in the midst of controversy. After living through a harrowing trauma, he finally returns home when his family needs his help through some troubling times. All he wants to do is make amends with those he hurt most and to get back to the life he'd never wanted to leave in the first place. When he meets the sexy bartender, he starts thinking in terms of forever. But there's still someone out there he wants to find, someone who once believed in him and gave him hope.
Also available from Astraea Press. 
Check out the 5-star reviews on Amazon.
Rumor has it, you're all going to be invited to Trish and Dan's wedding as soon as they set the date.
Thank you for stopping by–y'all come back now!
April 13, 2011
Spring Cleaning Reading
Today in our continuation of the clean reading series, I want to welcome Jasmine Aherne to talk about sweet reads. Jasmine can give us a unique perspective because she writes both sweet and not as sweet romances.
Sweet Stuff & Bygone Eras
Hi there! Thank you to Katherine for hosting today, so that I can talk (or type) your ears off!
My name is Jasmine and I write sweet romance. I write a bit of the steamier stuff, too, but I'm here to talk about sweet today, because I love it. I don't mean closed doors, climatic music and steam trains through tunnels (nudge nudge wink wink) but I mean sweet. Non erotic. Lightly sensual.
While I do love a good erotic read – and my God don't we all – I don't always reach for the erotic. Why, you ask? Why indeed.
Have you ever seen the film Brief Encounter? If you haven't, I urge you to talk, no, run! – to your nearest DVD store and rent or buy a copy. It is a beautiful film, and the love story within is told without almost any contact or nudity of any kind. It's all emotional, cleverly told, beautifully acted, with the leads so expressionate in voice and face that it makes me cry. I won't spoil it for you, but check it out. You won't be sorry.
Another reason I like, and write, sweet, is that I'm part of an amateur dramatic society here in Wales, where I live. We have, on occasional, told love stories, and because we're on stage, of course no kissing and very little touching is allowed. It must all be done through slight touches. Brushes of hands. Long, lingering looks so hot it would steam up the theatre windows. I love that. I love that chivalrous, bygone romantic era where love was a disallowed thing, a thing to be secretly hoarded.
What I guess I'm saying is that I like not knowing what goes on after the curtain falls sometimes. As a little girl I loved happy ever after with the white horse and the prince and princess. Of course, I was too young for sex scenes then, but I still hang on to the nostalgia of that fairy-tale like time. It explains why I love to read Claire Delacroix and her "Bride Quest" series, full of charming heroes and breathless heroines, and long, horseback rides through the sunset.
I would also like to direct you to the film The Young Victoria. This is a wonderful film about Queen Victoria's romance with Prince Albert. They were young, and their every move was scrutinized until they married. Kisses had to be stolen. They had to make do with not making love. And that – the waiting, the wanting, somehow made it more exciting to watch. Sweeter, because their courtship was gentle, like the slow lap of the tide on the sand.
Of course, this all being said, every so often – and quite often I might add! – I reach for an erotic read rather than a sweet, and boy do I enjoy it! I love a bodice ripper, and reading erotic helps me to improve my own sex scenes no end. But I can see why there's still a market for sweet. Some readers like the mystery after the curtain falls. Others just like to pen their own sex scenes in their head! And maybe some are just dreaming of the perfect happy ever after, ending with no more than a kiss in the sunset and a horseback ride off the screen…
If you enjoyed reading my blog today, you may want to take a look at my website www.jasmineaherne.com. You can find all my releases there, both sweet and light erotic! My first novel, arguably the sweetest, is titled Stranded, and is released by Pink Petal Books – even the name is sweet!
You can read more about Stranded at www.pinkpetalbooks.com, but below is an excerpt to whet your appetite…
Stranded
Blurb:
When Rachel Coles flew to New York to surprise the man she thought was her fiancé, coming face to face with his wife broke her heart. She needed a shoulder. So, she turned to a man she met by chance–handsome carpenter Will Norton. Together they turn her disaster into a short but magical holiday.
Will was attracted to the pretty brunette he met on the plane, and the fun sightseeing day they share only deepens his feelings for her. He's just starting to regret never seeing her again when he learns Rachel's had all her suitcases and purse stolen.
Now, as he offers her his guest room while she waits for a new passport, Will and Rachel find themselves struggling against a deep-rooted attraction that shows every sign of making itself permanent. The only trouble is, Rachel's stay in New York will be anything but…
Excerpt:
Rachel slid her card from her jeans pocket and followed his example. They started towards the escalator that would take them to the underground train. "I've travelled a little."
Even through the throng of passengers, he smelled her perfume. It curled around him, as sweet and tempting as candy. "Really? Whereabouts?"
"Not far," she replied as they found a space to stand on the crowded platform. "Certainly nowhere as far as this. Ireland, Scotland, France,Germany…. Coming all this way is a little scary for me, but the excitement outweighed that."
The subway car pulled up. People spilled out and others pushed on. Will and Rachel stepped on two seconds before the huge automatic doors beeped and slid together, and then they started on their way. Inside the car, stale air hung from ceiling to floor. The press of bodies made it uncomfortably warm. Will found himself pressed up against Rachel. Her breasts brushed his chest, and he felt the heat of her body even through their clothes.
"If we lose each other," he said as a precautionary measure, "You want to go to 81st Street or Central Park."
She nodded.
Someone moved behind them, abruptly forcing them to move up close to each other. If I just move another inch, maybe even less, we'd be kissing.
Rachel lifted her chin and their gazes collided. From the expression on her face, part confusion, part denial, part desire, he knew without asking that she felt exactly the same.
The subway car jarred to a stop. People piled in and out in mere seconds. He heard a muffled announcement in a strong Bronx accent, and then the car creaked, moving to life again. Someone swigged from a bottle in a brown-bagged bottle. Another man ate a Danish wrapped in a napkin. Even though it was still early, the smell made Will hungry. They'd make a stop for lunch later.
Two stops later, he gently nudged Rachel. "We're next."
"Okay."
Even in the throng of everyday smells, he ferreted out the delicate scent of her perfume. It wafted to him all on a current of its own and his body reacted accordingly.
Don't get attached. She is a fleeting visitor in New York and a fleeting visitor in your life.
They arrived at the next stop. Will looked behind him to make sure Rachel was still there. He spotted her, stuck behind a slow moving couple, and, on impulse, held back a moment and grabbed her hand. A bolt of awareness shot through him as she curled her fingers around his. It's been so long since I held a woman's hand.
April 12, 2011
What's Your Idea of the Most Romantic Story Ever?
Recently Astraea Press author, Jean Joachim, asked other authors and then her readers to discuss their opinions of the most romantic movie. See her blog post here.
Following her lead, I'm opening my blog for discussion about the most romantic story ever. I want to know what other writers and readers think. What's the most romantic story you've read? Seen on TV? In the movies? Or maybe it's more personal…something that happened to you or someone you know?
This author's mind wants to know! Comment for a chance to win a PDF copy of Lifeline Echoes.
Lifeline Echoes
Voices form a powerful connection. The day the earth rocked LA, Sandy Wheaton became a voice lifeline over the radio for trapped firefighter, "Mick." Less than twenty four hours later, she had fallen in love with him. Shattered when she learned that rescue came too late, she sought solace Wyoming, the home state he had loved. Now, seven years later, she's made a life there as the owner of a popular local bar. But her wounds are still fresh, and she longs to let go of the past and her lost love so she can begin living again. That opportunity presents itself when the local prodigal son returns home. The attraction between them is instant. It feels like she's known him far longer than just a few days.
Sixteen years ago, Ryan McGee left home in the midst of controversy. After living through a harrowing trauma, he finally returns home when his family needs his help through some troubling times. All he wants to do is make amends with those he hurt most and to get back to the life he'd never wanted to leave in the first place. When he meets the sexy bartender, he starts thinking in terms of forever. But there's still someone out there he wants to find, someone who once believed in him and gave him hope.
EXCERPT:
"You're awfully quiet." Sandy struggled to keep her voice casual.
"Tired."
"Umm, yeah." She watched him set the brake and turn off the engine, moving as if in slow motion. Not just tired. Drained. Ryan walked her up the steps to her apartment. After she unlocked the door she turned into his arms. His kiss went from soft to heated then back to gentle.
She leaned into the kiss, enjoying the feel of his muscular arms beneath her hands. She hated having to let him go.
"I wanted to watch the stars come out with you, Chicory," he whispered.
She looked up. Even with the ambient light from town, the sky was overflowing with visible stars. "I love the stars. There are so many they almost. . ."
". . . blend together."
Electrical current raced along her spine. "Yes," she whispered, wishing she could see his face.
Ryan turned Sandy so her back was to him and slid his arm around her waist while they enjoyed the view from her tiny balcony. "My mom used to tell us stories about the sky and the stars," he murmured, his breath warm against her neck. "She said the night sky was one of God's favorite old blankets, keeping everyone here on Earth safe and warm. And the blanket has these tiny pinholes worn in, like some comfortable blankets do. The lights we see are little glimpses of heaven on the other side of the blanket."
"Ryan, that's beautiful."
"Next time, we'll get it right." He turned her back to face him, kissing her with slow, sweet longing. "I'll see you tomorrow,Sandy."
See the Lifeline Echoes trailer here.
Available at:
as well as Amazon and Barnes & Noble
