Deborah Court's Blog

Back from the hiatus! Author Blog Hop!

Hiya,

woah, it's been so long since I posted anything here. However, a lot of serious stuff has been going on in my life, but I'm back in the saddle again, so to speak!



So my first entry will be part of a writers' blog hop - I was invited by my very kind and talented friend, romance author Lynette Sofras. You'll find her own blog here:

http://manicscribbler.blogspot.com

Be sure to check out her latest romantic suspense, "The Nightclub"! I can assure you, it's an excellent read, as all her work. (Click on the cover to be taken to the Amazon book page).

Trying to make a living for her teenage sister and herself, naïve Laura Hamilton accepts a job offer as a hostess at an infamous nightclub. As she struggles to survive in a world of sex, drugs and corruption, she certainly doesn't expect to find her own knight in shining armour in the club's owner, Julian. But will he really save her from a future as a fallen woman? And is he involved in the criminal organisation that threatens not only her sister's life, but will change her own fate forever?

*****  
Deborah's  Blog Hop Q&A


And here are the answers to my bloghop questions:


 1) What am I working on?
I am working on Bound by Magic, the second book in my Elven Warrior Series. I know that many readers have been waiting patiently for the release, and I'd like to take this occasion to apologize for the long wait. But you know that some things just can't be rushed, especially when it comes to creative work. There have been a lot of things - family and business matters - going on in my life which kept me from writing for some time. And when I write, I need to be able to concentrate on the project fully, to wrap myself up in that other universe and feel all my characters' experiences as if they were my own. But Calatin's story has been there all the time, kind of writing itself in my mind. His tale just needs to be told!

Well I'm back from my hiatus, and I can't wait to hear my readers' reactions to the book when it's finished. To all my readers who'd like to know the exact publishing date - I'll post it on my blog and FB pages as soon as it's confirmed. Your support and e-mails are much appreciated, they mean the world to me. This is what keeps me writing.
2) How does my work differ from others of its genre?
I really can't say, maybe my readers should answer that. All authors have their own voice. Some of them manage to move us, or excite us when we are reading a story - others just don't. I guess it's also a matter of personal taste. However, every book is different, even if it's about a topic we've read again and again. My personal favorites are haunted house stories. Basically, it's always the same plot, but I never seem to be able to tire of reading them - The Shining, The Lady in Black, Jonathan Stroud's Lockwood &Co. - The Screaming Staircase (which I think was last year's best book, definitely).


All I can say that I never try to simply construct a story. Yes, I work on the plot and do some of the usual planning, but if I don't feel it, I don't write it. I sincerely hope that my readers, too, feel that my writing comes from the heart.
3) Why do I write what I do?
I just write what I love to read myself. Romance, classic fantasy, fairytales, Celtic myths and legends, classy erotic stories. Add some action and gothic mystery into the mix, and I just can't resist.
4) How does my writing process work?

Sometimes it's hard to get into the right mood to write, but if I do, the words simply start to flow. The less I think, the better. I have a general idea about what will happen in the chapter, but I let the characters decide how exactly the story will work out. It's a bit like magic, actually. But when it works, it's the best feeling in the world. It's passion, it's excitement. It's like falling in love over and over again.


That's it for today - I'll leave you with some GIFs of my current favorite TV show, Penny Dreadful. Who wouldn't want to be seduced by Mr. Dorian Gray?










Wishing you a lovely day and happy reading,
xoxoxo
Deb

Author Lynette Sofras: Interview and Giveaway!

Welcome to my blog again, Lynette Sofras! Lyn is a very dear friend and my all-time favorite blogger ! I can highly recommend her witty and entertaining blog, ManicScribbler. You could also visit her author's website here to learn more about herself and her books.





But Lyn is also a very talented writer, whose books often remind me, humour-wise, of Jane Austen's. She has that clever, ironic and sometimes black British humour I adore so much. However, she has agreed to do an interview for my blog, along with a giveaway of her latest novel, "Killing Jenna Crane"! To win one of three e-book copies, please leave a comment who, in your opinion, incorporates the infamous English humour at its best (Monty Python,  maybe?).




















Welcome
to my blog (again), Lynette! A lot has happened since you've last been here -
you went from Indie to published, while you still release self-published books.
Knowing both worlds now, which way do you prefer (and why)?

Thank you, Deborah.  It's wonderful to be here again - I've always
had a special soft spot for your lovely blog.

     It's true I've now
dabbled in both worlds and while it's good to have the affirmation from a
publisher that your story is worth reading, I prefer self-publishing
hands-down.  I like being in control and
able to see trends when trying new avenues for promotion etc.  I also like the fact that I can make changes
to my stories to try to improve them whenever I have ideas or receive useful
suggestions from readers that I think will work - readers should never underestimate the value of their
opinions. 

     On the downside, it
is hard work and can be a lonely business, but then I think being a writer is quite
a lonely lifestyle anyway.  Sadly a lot
of readers are suspicious of self-published authors and many are
(understandably) wary of giving us a chance. 





You've
recently published a science fiction story, "Surveillance". How on
earth did you move from romances to sci-fi?

I used to enjoy
reading science fiction and one day my son and I were discussing how certain
aspects of the genre always seemed to be portrayed in one particular way.  It's difficult to explain this in detail
without giving our story away, but we simply thought it might be interesting to
explore a different side of this sci-fi sub-genre - and one I think everyone
ought to find fascinating.









Your
son, Alexander, co-authored "Surveillance" with you. Isn't it
difficult for mother and son to write a story together?

Not at all.  In fact it couldn't have been easier and it
was great fun working together and bouncing ideas back and forth.  I'd love to write more short stories with
him.




Please
tell us a bit about your other new book, "Killing Jenna Crane".

I'm very excited
about this because it's another genre-shift for me in that it contains far more
than simple romance.  It's quite a dark,
speculative fiction about a very successful but not very likeable author who
becomes torn between two women and starts to lose his grip on reality.  Here is the blurb:

    This is not a story
about a murder, but a dark journey inside a writer's mind.  Commitment-shy Ellis Crawford, creator of the
famous and highly successful Jenna Crane mystery series, finds his comfortable
life swept away when he meets Emily, his perfect woman. 

     Despite his deepening
love for Emily, Ellis finds himself haunted by painful memories of a previous
love whose heart he broke, and begins to regret his past behaviour.  On top of that, Emily wants him to kill off
his beloved heroine Jenna Crane - against fierce public opinion.

     But life is too short
for regrets and when his own rapidly spirals out of control, taking his
reputation as an author with it, where will Ellis turn for help?




Any
upcoming projects?

I'm almost ready to
release a story that's been many years in the making.  It's called 'Unworkers' and is a good old-fashioned
ghost story, though very much a story for women of today.




What
are you privately reading at the moment? Which TV show(s) do you watch?

I have a huge list of
unread books on my Kindle that I'm gradually working through.  These are mainly from indie writers of a
variety of genres.  I love discovering
talented new authors and doing whatever I can to help promote fellow indies.

TV programmes:  I'm thoroughly enjoying 'Mr Selfridge' - very
good TV drama which filled the gaping hole left when 'Downton' Abbey
finished.  I'm sure a great part of its
success is thanks to the lovely and talented Katherine Kelly.  I actually went into Selfridges this week for
the first time in many years and found it changed practically beyond
recognition.




Which
future release are you looking forward to?

Well this may end up
sounding like a nag, but like all your fans and friends, I'm very much looking
forward to the second instalment of your Bound trilogy.  It's long overdue…hint, hint.




Traditionally,
my "favorite bloggers of the month" share a personal recipe with my
readers. How about you?

Of course - though I
can claim absolutely no credit for this recipe myself.  I love experimenting with low-carb recipes
and am always excited when I find new non-sinful dessert ideas such as this one
from my friend Jacqueline Hopper.  It's a
Low Carb, Sugar Free Chocolate Pecan Torte and you can find the full recipe
here:  

http://jacquelinedhopper.blogspot.co.uk/search?q=chocolate+pecan+torte  

I have made it and it's quick, easy and
tastes every bit as good as it looks.  

The Prince's Secret, A Thorin Oakenshield Fanfic, Chapter 1

Every Iron Day,
she secretly watched Prince Thorin as he came down to the village to the
annual fair and market, strolling along the main street with his young
nephews, Fili and Kili. His manly beauty took her breath away, just like
every time she had seen him before. Not that she'd ever had a chance of
catching his eye. Even if the villagers tolerated her well enough,
every time a male dwarf directed his gaze to her, he quickly turned away
when he noticed her hideous appearance. Some managed to hide their
repulsion politely. Others stared at her with open disgust. They thought
her painstakingly thin, with long, ugly limbs, hands and feet that were
far too small for their taste. Her height didn't matter much, although
she was taller than most dwarves. Only very few, among them the prince,
towered over her. But the worst thing was that she didn't have a beard -
not even the tiniest wisp along her jawline.




Keyla Slatestone,
about twenty years old since she never learned the day of her birth, was
named after the place her dwarven parents had found her: A massive
block of slate near Erebor, where she had lain as a baby, left back to
die by her own kin. Eldur, a merchant who had been on his way back home,
had come across the tiny, wailing human that had been draped in dirty
rugs. He couldn't bear the thought that the child would be eaten by some
passing animal, or die of hunger and thirst. Deciding to bring it to
the next human settlement the next day, he took the little girl home to
his wife, who was childless and convinced her husband to raise her as
their own daughter. Sadly, her parents died only a few years later, both
lost to the same fever that took a third of the dwarves' population in a
matter of weeks.

Afterwards, she was sent from house to house,
raised by the whole village who felt obligated to her deceased father
and mother. However, no one seemed to care for Keyla, since she didn't
talk much and was deemed dumb. In fact, she wasn't talked about at all,
and no one ever dared to mention her to King Thrór, or to those close to
him. For who would want to bring shame on himself and his family by
raising a human in his household? As soon as Keyla was old enough to
live on her own, she was placed in an old, abandoned hut outside the
village, at the forest's edge. She went to the market once a week,
earning a meager income by selling vegetables she grew in her garden,
and eggs by some chicken he had managed to buy. Apart from that, she was
an outcast, and lived on her own.

Today, she had her own little
both at the market, neatly stocked with the goods from her small farm.
Many people had come to the village, dwarves and humans. She loved this
day - it was the only time of the year she didn't feel so awkward but
vanished in the crowd. Nevertheless she wore a wide cloak over her
dress, and had pulled her hood forward to cover her human features. It
was better for business anyway. One day, when she had saved enough
coins, she would leave this place for good and settle down in one of the
humans' cities, far enough to start anew. Maybe she could buy a little
shop in some market town. No one would miss her here. Her parents were
long dead, and the few friends she had made among the other children
were grown up now. Even they didn't dare to recognize her anymore, for
they feared their parents' disapproval.




When Prince Thorin drew
near her booth, she made sure to hide deeply in her overcoat, but
underneath watched him with wide eyes. Gods, he was a handsome man. She
was sure that no warrior, male or human, possessed the width of his
shoulders, or such strong arms. His whole being seemed to radiate power,
strength and integrity. But he also held himself with a quiet dignity
that made everyone accept his authority. People succumbed easily to his
will, even if he was just a young dwarf, his beard not even long enough
to touch his chest but cropped closely to his handsome chin.




His
clear blue eyes were constantly scanning the place as he walked, taking
in every detail he saw. There was a fierce intelligence in their depths,
and definitely a spark of humor. While his younger nephews constantly
chatted about, making jokes and flirting with the blushing women who
were selling their wares, the prince kept himself quiet, apart from
occasional remarks to his companions. It was a tradition that the royal
family went to the village that day, spending Iron Day with the
peasants. They even joined the famous dance around the fire at midnight,
since this late summer's day, shortly before the harvest, was a
celebration of fertility. Every year, the heir to the throne chose a
maiden among his subjects and opened the dance with her. Keyla had never
seen it herself, but quickly packed up her goods and went home before
the evening's festivities started. Without knowing why, she had never
wished to watch the prince dancing with one of the prettiest girls.
However, she'd heard that whomever he chose, this one dance would bestow
a great honor upon the girl and her family, and from that day, she
would be a prize to all the men who wished to marry. Usually, the woman
quickly found an eager, wealthy suitor who bid for her hand. The
villagers hoped the prince would choose his own bride among their
daughters one day. However, none of them had caught his attention for
longer than just this one dance.




When Thorin finally walked by her
stand, an unexpected crowd gathered around him and his nephews.
Everyone wanted to catch a glimpse of the young princes, maybe get the
chance to bow to them and present themselves. The two guards, who had
been subtly following Thorin, Kili and Fili in case they needed
protection, quickly stepped into the peasants' way, making the princes
step back. All at once, Thorin stood right at Keyla's booth. They were
only separated by the narrow table she had stacked her eggs upon, and
for a moment, their arms brushed. It was a hot day, and besides his
trousers, boots and sword belt, he wore just a deep-blue shirt that
hugged his strong shoulders and chest. It clung a bit to his wide back,
and she caught a sniff of moss, mingled with a hint of the clean, musky
essence of his fresh sweat. Keyla's arms beneath her cloak were bare,
and she felt the warmth of his skin all the way through the fine silk
that covered his arm. His face was averted, his attention drawn to the
gathering people who had suddenly began to push forward, all-too-eager
to see him. But he was close, so close.

His long, dark brown hair
fell openly over his shoulders. As usual, he wore it in a simple style,
with only two braids at his ears. She just couldn't help herself.
Everyone was looking elsewhere, especially the prince himself.
Cautiously, she stretched out her hand and touched his hair, very
lightly. It was surprisingly soft, and smelled heavenly, emanating the
fine, male scent she already recognized as his very own. With a small
sigh, she retrieved her hand, glad that he hadn't felt it caressing his
tresses. But he still didn't look her way. What if she …?




Before
she knew it, she leant slightly forward and placed a soft kiss into the
dark, silky mass, inhaling his wonderful, seductive smell. Smiling, she
closed her eyes, savoring the moment. This might be her only chance in
life ever to touch him, to come so close just once, and she had seized
it.

She had already begun to draw back when she opened her lids,
but was abruptly jerked back into reality by a sudden movement. The
heavenly mass of hair brushed over her arm as the prince moved his head …

… and directly stared into her eyes, his face close to hers. He had caught her.

She gasped, wanted to run, but felt herself unable to move at all. His eyes pierced her, looked right into her soul. He knew. She blushed to the roots of her hair when she became aware that he realized what she had been doing.

Gods,
what had she been thinking? It was forbidden to touch a member of the
royal family without their consent, or talk to them without being asked
to. She knew that it would be just a few moments before he'd call his
guards and have her arrested.




Instead, he just continued staring
at her, so close that their breath mingled. "Now, what have we here?" he
murmured in a deep, low voice that sent shivers down her spine. She
couldn't utter a single word, just held her breath while her heart was
racing, pumping her blood through her veins so hard it hurt inside her
chest. Surely he must hear the wild, frantic beating, too. It was the
only sound she heard, thundering in her ears.

His hand went up to
her hood, lifting it from her head. His sharp eyes were on her, taking
in her pale, fine-boned face, her beardless cheeks, her curly,
sun-streaked hair. She stared at him wordlessly, mesmerized by his
intense gaze. His eyes seemed to light up for a moment, but she couldn't
tell how he felt about her unexpectedly human appearance. But it wasn't
disgust what she saw, nor anger for her shocking behavior. She just
looked at her, looked into her.




Then, very slowly, his gaze
dropped to her mouth. Without knowing why, she quickly licked her lips
and opened them a bit. His eyes widened, and she realized that his
breathing had become fast and shallow, too. A sound escaped from his
chest, a deep, low rumble. She didn't know what it meant, but it made
her feel so weak that she grabbed the table in front of her, steadying
herself before she humiliated herself even more and dropped to the
ground right before him.




He opened his lips again to say
something, but right at this moment all hell broke loose. There seemed
to be some riot in the crowd as more and more people rushed down the
narrow street, forcing the guards and the prince's nephews to retrieve.
Suddenly, Thorin was pushed over the table, right into Keyla. She was so
surprised that she didn't even notice when he grabbed her, slung a
strong arm around her waist while they went down to the floor, landing
in a heap of broken eggs. During the fall, he had somehow managed to
turn around so he landed on his back, with Keyla lying right on top of
his body. Completely in shock, she just breathed deeply, trying to
recover for a while. She didn't have the faintest idea how this had
happened, but her face was buried in the crook of the prince's neck,
against his warm, heated skin while his arms were all around her,
protecting her. Only faintly she heard his voice asking if she was all
right, felt his hands touching her back as if he wanted to check if she
was hurt.




Seconds later, she was roughly grabbed from behind and
thrown to the ground. Two spears were pointed right at her throat, and
she stared up into the faces of two particularly furious palace guards.

"Damn," she murmured, hardly aware that this very word had escaped the prince's lips at exactly the same moment.




(To be continued …)







*****

All rights belong to their respective owners. No monetary gain for the author. This story is for entertainment purposes only; a hommage to Professor Tolkien's work and the awesome movies by Peter Jackson.

Guilty Indulgence: What inspired me to write a Thorin Oakenshield fanfic

Click on the pic to read "The Prince's Secret", my Hobbit fanfic story!













Dear Readers,




It's me, the humble writer of
"The Prince's Secret". Just wanted to thank you for all that awesome
support and reviews. I was amazed how many of you liked my first two chapters.
Since it's not professionally edited like my other books, you'll read what I
have spontaneously written, and I hope you'll forgive me the occasional small
flaws. Writing fanfic is my little guilty indulgence, but it comes directly
from the heart since I don't think much about plots. I just write what I feel,
the kind of tale that originates from day dreams and secret fantasies. This is
why I love fanfiction so much (I am also an avid reader, by the way) - it's
real, uncensored, raw and wild.




The foremost reason that I felt
like writing a Thorin fanfic was, of course, Richard Armitage's brilliant
portrayal of Thorin Oakenshield in "The Hobbit". The powerful,
dignified way this dwarf holds himself, the stunning blue eyes and dark
chocolate voice doesn't fail to impress the female audience. It's amazing how RA
nailed that role, despite wearing heavy make up and a prosthetic nose. However,
being the romance writer that I am, I'm always looking for a love story. So
after watching the movie, I decided to re-read the appendices of "The Lord
of the Rings". Tolkien definitely was a romantic soul. He dedicated whole
chapters to beautiful love stories (Aragorn and Arwen, Luthien and Beren), so I
was very hopeful to find out more about Thorin's amorous adventures.




My pulse rapidly quickening (if I
may use this highly used phrase), I opened my beloved illustrated (by Alan Lee)
edition of LOTR and started to read Appendix A, III: "Durin's Folk".
Very interesting, it's about the history of the dwarves, with a brief summary
of what happens in "The Hobbit" (I think I'll break down in tears at
the end). I even found two fascinating paragraphs about dwarf women, and I
particularly liked the fact that the men were very jealous and possessive if
they took a wife. It was also mentioned that many of them didn't want to marry
at all, because they were, according to Tolkien, "too engrossed in their
crafts" *wink, wink* (don't believe it for a second). Dis, Kili and Fili's
mother and Thorin's sister, was also shortly mentioned, but not what had
happened to her. I like to believe that she and her unknown husband died
(probably during Smaug's attack), and that Uncle Thorin looked after them,
taking their father's place.




However, this is what I finally
found about Thorin Oakenshield's love life. I'm glad I wore my contact lenses -
I found it in a tiny, tiny footnote after having scanned the text for the
second time.




Thorin had no wife.




Say what? Are you kidding,
Professor Tolkien?




I read it again, turned to the
next page to see if there was more. Maybe something like:




"Thorin had no wife, for he
had loved a girl in his youth, but she died under tragic circumstances.
Afterwards, his heart was broken and he never loved another."




This would have made sense, at
least. But simply "Thorin had no wife"? Well, let's admit that
Tolkien couldn't know that in later years, Thorin would be played by "Look back at
me"-Smoldering-Mr-Thornton-Shirtless-Guy-of-Gisborne Richard Armitage.
I am very sure that he didn't imagine his dwarf that attractive. 




Knowing the hard facts now, I
couldn't help but think about this very strange sentence, turning it around and
around in my mind. "Thorin had no wife." Why the heck didn't he?
Wouldn't a handsome prince, the heir to the throne, have found a woman who
wished to marry him? I mean, look at
him!




Reasons why Thorin should have a wife (or other love interest):




1. Thorin is the king's grandson. The most important thing that
dwarf must do (apart from defending his people, working as a lowly blacksmith
to feed them etc. etc.) is to make sure that the line of Durin won't be broken.
He must simply grab a woman, take her to his huge four-poster bed, take off
his clothes to reveal that strong, brawny, chest-dusted-with-dark-hair
warrior's body and cover her naked body with kisses while pleasuring her with
his skillful dwarf hands before rising over her to plunge deep into … 

Sorry, I got taken away. Heir. He
must produce an heir (and a spare, as they say) to secure his blood line, of
course.




2. He is effing handsome, intelligent, brave and loyal.




3. He has proven that he'll make a good father by caring for his
nephews, Fili and Kili (as stated above).




4. He can sing sad songs about lost treasure by the fire, and play
the harp.




5. He has great hair.






6. He might be a poor, homeless prince now, but will be filthy rich
once he has defeated Smaug and reclaimed Erebor. (Not that we really care - as
long as a dwarf looks so good while swinging his hammer over the anvil)




7. He can glower like no one else. Comes in handy to scare away unwelcome salesmen from your doorstep, or the neighbor's mean dog.












Reasons why Thorin should not have a wife (or love life, at all):




1.




2.




3. Well, he's busy. I mean, really
busy with fighting battles, saving his people from certain
death-by-incineration and leading them to the Blue Mountains to create a new
life for them. But surely he could spend one night or two a week for that
heir-producing I mentioned earlier? Besides, dwarves have a very long life. I
guess a hundred years or more will be sufficient to enjoy one's bachelorship
and settle down with wife and children, at last.




But seriously: Deep in my heart,
I believe that a great man, a warrior and king who lived his whole life with so
much passion, must also have had some love life. The only thing I could imagine
why he didn't marry is that




a) he has loved and tragically lost a woman he loved in younger
years.




b) he had a secret lady love and couldn't marry her for some
reason.




c) he secretly had a faible for halflings but simply wasn't lucky
enough to meet any for a very long time (this was for you Thilbo shippers out
there! ;) ).




By the way, I used one of these
possibilities as an inspiration for my story! But I won't tell which. ;-))




For now, farewell and thank you
for reading through all of my tiresome post!




xoxoxo

Deborah




*******






All rights to the movie, pictures, characters and books "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings" belong to their respective owners. No monetary gain for the author. This post and fanfiction was written for entertainment purposes only.

Favorite Blogger of the Month (January)

Dear Readers,



First, I'd like to wish you a very happy, successful new year ! ;)



My favorite bloggers of January - yes, they are two ladies this time! - are Amber and Amber, who created the indeed awesome and entertaining "AwesomeSauce Book Club". So if you like books, make sure to check out their site! (Click on the pic below)







Welcome, Amber and Amber! Tell us a little bit about yourself and your
blog. Why did you start your own book review blog, and which genres do
you feature?




Amber R: Amber I. started blogging before I did, so I'm going to let her take this question.

Amber I: I started blogging because I freaking
loved books. I am obsessed with books and I had no one to talk to about
all the books I read. I tried to get people I knew to read the books I
read but they just were not keeping up. So somehow I stumbled across
goodreads. Then when I was there I found out about blogging and decided
to give it a try. I thought maybe if I had an outlet for my obsession it
would be cool. I never ever thought it would be become what it has. Its
just so crazy!


Our blog mainly features books in the Paranormal genre whether its
just Paranormal Romance a YA Paranormal, Urban Fantasy or an Erotic
Paranormal. Of coarse a few others sneak in there.



What genres do you read in private? What are your most favorite books of all time?



Amber R: I basically read urban fantasy, paranormal romance, that kind
ofstuff. But I do read mysteries, contemporary, and sometimes historical
romance but that's very rare.

Amber I: I am not ashamed of any
books I read so there is really nothing I read in private. Maybe the
newspaper. lol. And to pick a favorite book is like asking a mother to
pick a favorite kid.  its just too hard.




With all those books being offered to you, you surely must be a bit picky
about what you read. What intrigues you most in a story? Are you
influenced by a good blurb or cover?



Amber R: You know I've never really paid too much attention to covers.
But since Amber I. and our friend Autum are really into them, I have
noticed myself paying more attention to them. I love a good blurb. A
little mystery and some laughs will get me every time.


Amber I: Really I need both a good cover and a good blurb. It seems
silly that a cover could make or break a book for me but it does. Covers
to me are important. This is what visually catches a reader. If I am in
a bookstore browsing would I go to a cover that looks amazing or one
that is cheaply done and looks like crap? Obviously the good cover. A
cover should really capture a reader. This is what they will first see
and it needs to be good, if I see a bad cover before I know what the
book is about I might skip it. But of coarse a blurb needs to be awesome
too. You could have an amazing cover but the blurb sucks so I wouldn't
read it.




How on earth do you find the time to manage such a busy blog besides your job and family life?



Amber R: Well, I think that there being two of us helps. We're reading
double the books and setting up double the posts. Honestly if it wasn't
for

Amber I: I'm certain I wouldn't be able to get this much done on my
own. Plus, it's fun for me to do it so it's still a hobby rather than
something I feel I HAVE to do.

Amber I: I notice the bigger the
blog gets the harder it is. I want to be social and I think its
important but sometimes its so hard. I try to keep up on my reading and
my posts then also try to comment on other blogs and be active on
twitter and facebook and all that stuff. But I also am working and have 3
kids. I am never totally put together. If I am ahead on reviews then I
am behind on emails or something like that. Its never perfect but I love
it!




Be honest: Is it easy or difficult to deal with us writers? I know that
we can be an unorganized, sensitive lot sometimes. (You don't need to
tell names …)



Amber R: Honestly, every author that I've personally dealt with so far
has been pretty great. Amber might have some horror stories though. Haha

Amber
I: I don't have really any horror stories. I have had some authors piss
me off for whatever reasons but I told them about it and we ended up
working it out. Of corse I have had last minute posts and all that and
its annoying but I am usually understanding. But I let authors know that
if you don't give me enough time then your post might not be posted or
it will be late. I try to be honest with authors so we all know where we
stand. I know authors are busy so usually no matter what I am
understanding. I know I get behind on things and that I may get
interview questions in late or something like that, I try not to but it
happens so I completely get it when that happens with an author.  But I
have seen so many author and bloggers fighting lately that I have
created some new policy's on my blog to try and avoid any of that (ex.
The No Douche Bag Clause).




You will be attending the first Indie Romance Convention next year! Please tell us what you've planned for the event.

Amber
I: You know I am as excited to meet some of the bloggers as I am the
writers. But I must say that I am going to be a total fan girl when I
meet Eve Langlais!! She is my rock star!




Just for fun - some quickies:



Favorite movie:
Amber R:Hm. Ever After with Drew Barrymore or the newest Batman saga.
Amber I: The Wizard of Oz


Favorite TV series:
Amber R: Veronica Mars, I want to be a p.i. so bad because of this show.
Amber
I: When I was little The Wonder Years then as a teenager Beverly Hills
90210 early Adult Friends older adult The Office and The Walking Dead.



Favorite singer/band:
Amber R: Sara Bareielles
Amber I: NEW KIDS
ON THE BLOCK! haha seriously they are awesome. But I guess you could
mark me down as a 90s alternative fan. I am stuck in my decade of music.




Most beautiful male celebrity:
Amber R: Hmm. Jason Mamoa
Amber I:
Oh gosh I don't know.. Lets think... James Franco keeps popping up in my
head so I will say him. This is in no way a final answer.


Sexiest fictional hero ever:
Amber R: Dorian from the Dark Swan series by Richelle Mead, I'm in love.
Amber
I: Oh this is so hard... I will go with Ian from The Night Huntress
series ( I have even made people call me poppet because of him.) Or
Dageus from Karen Marie Monings Highlander series (book 5) (which I took
another nickname Amber-Lass) Again though this is too hard of a
question as is in no way a final answer.



Best fictional villain ever:
Amber R: Voldemort for sure.
Amber I:
I must agree that he who must not be named is an awesome one! I mean he
made people fear him so much that they wouldn't even say his name! That
is pretty bad ass.



Best fictional heroine ever:
Amber R:There are so many great ones. I love Charley from the Charley Davidson series by Darynda Jones.
Amber
I: I agree Charley is an awesome one. Riley from Riley Jenson Series,
Elena from The Otherworld series, Cat from Night Huntress, Mercy from
Mercy Thompson. I know there are so many more but from where I am
sitting and what I can see on my shelf I will stick with these ones. But
I have more.



Your secret beauty tip:
Amber R: I'm a basic makeup lady but mascara is a go to.
Amber
I: hahahahaha!! I have never ever been asked this once. Never! Oh man
this is just funny. I am just not a girly girl. I don't even wear
makeup. I say my secret tip is just not caring. lol



Your secret favorite cooking/baking recipe: 

Amber
I: My husband's grandmother's homemade pasta and meatballs. I would share
the recipe but they might kill me. Seriously we just got it a year ago.
Its on a need to know basis. They are a big italian family and just
trust me that its amazing. But I think she has purposely left off some
info because it never tastes exactly the same as hers. We have been
making it a lot trying to perfect it! It was like Christmas the day we
got this recipe, I have been trying for years.

The Legend of the Christmas Pickle

Some years ago, a friend from America (hiya, Abby!!!) asked me something that left me totally baffled. It was a few weeks before Christmas, and she wanted to know if I followed the "well-known German tradition" of placing a pickle ornament on the Christmas tree. It was supposed to be hidden between the branches, and whoever found it would receive an extra present. I was truly baffled, since I had never even heard of it! But it seems that you can buy those ornaments in US shops - I never saw anything like that anywhere here.




But then I did some online research and asked friends from different parts of Germany if they used to hide pickles (or any other vegetables) in their trees, and no one knew of this "tradition". I thought that it probably was some cheap trick to sell those ornaments, which was very true, but then I found out more - the manufacturer of these ornaments is located in Germany! They ship the "pickles" to the USA and use a fake tradition to sell them. It's outrageous! Now at least half of America believes that we hit our heads or something because we hang cucumbers on our trees. Let me assure you that this isn't true. Well, at least it wasn't.




I was very delighted that back then, my friend actually sent me one of those pickle ornaments, and I proudly place it on my tree every year since then! So in the end, the rumor might be true, after all ...




Wishing you a very merry Christmas, and a happy new year!


Love,

Deborah

Favorite Blogger of the Month (December)

Hi folks,



aaand ... here's my favorite book blogger of December; it's Alicia Hall from Mortality Bites! Readers, make sure to check out Alicia's wonderful and entertaining blog. She'll also be an attending blogger at the First Indie Romance Convention 2013.
















Welcome, Alicia! Tell us a little bit about yourself and
your blog. Why did you start your own book review blog, and which genres do you
feature?




I'm just a small town country
girl.  I found a passion in reading at a
very young age.




My blog is called Mortality Bites
because I secretly wish that I was an immortal. 
Being mortal bites because I'm not going to live long enough to read all
the incredible books out there.




I started my blog because I wanted
to be more than just a reader.  I wanted
to get to know all of you amazing authors and I wanted to help promote your
books.  Being able to experience a little
bit of the action behind the scenes has been a blast.




I mostly feature paranormal romance
and urban fantasy but on my blog anything goes!    




What genres do you read in private? What are your most
favorite books of all time?




I read everything.  I find that I love a good contemporary
romance occasionally.




I have to say that to this day one
of my favorite books is still Kiss of Shadows by Laurel K. Hamilton.  I have read it a least ten times over the
past decade.  It was the first paranormal
romance book that I ever picked up and it holds a special place in my heart.




 With all those books being offered to you, you surely must
be a bit picky about what you read. What intrigues you most in a story? Are you
influenced by a good blurb or cover?




I get books offered to me?  What? 
Do you know something that I don't? 
Just Kidding.




My blog is still fairly new so no
one is breaking down my door for my opinion. 
I'm going to get there someday but right now if an author contacts me
and they have a book in the PNR or UF genre I usually accept them.




I am intrigued by a good
romance.  I want strong leads with
personality and I want the couples to have a hard time at first.  I hate when characters just fall in love
right off the bat and they have no trouble at all.  For me a good story has to be real. 




I will be honest I am the world's
worst about judging a book by its cover. 
If the cover doesn't catch my eye then the book never even gets a
chance.  I know I'm missing out on great
books but that's why I love the blogging community, they always let me know
when I have messed up because of a bad cover.




How on earth do you find the time to manage such a busy blog
besides your job and family life?




Let's see I work on a farm and we
have 15 cows and over 20,000 chickens. 
We work a lot around here but I am still working on a way get those hens
to stop laying eggs 7 days a week! I really could use a weekend off every now
and then.




I have a two year old little monster
running around but I have an amazing husband that understands my need to get
blogging done before bed most nights so we make it work. 




Most of my posts get typed and scheduled
ahead of time during nap time and all of my reading is done at night.  I gave up sleep a long time ago!




Be honest: Is it easy or difficult to deal with us writers?
I know that we can be an unorganized, sensitive lot sometimes. (You don't need
to tell names …)




Easy!




I have had nothing but good
experiences with all the authors I have worked with so far.  They have all been easy going and very quick
to answer questions.  It has been
wonderful!




You will be attending the first Indie Romance Convention
next year! Please tell us what you've planned for the event.




I am so excited about this
event!  I think it is going to be great
exposure for everyone, author and bloggers alike!

We have been tossing some ideas
around but not sure of all the details yet. 
I know we are going to put together a charity basket.







Just for fun - some quickies:




Favorite movie: Gattaca

Favorite TV series: Bones and The
Vampire Diaries

Favorite singer/band: I like it all!

Most beautiful male celebrity: Justin Hartley

Sexiest fictional hero ever: Zsadist
from the BDB series by JR Ward

Best fictional villain ever:  Lex Luthor

Best fictional heroine ever:  Princess Buttercup

Your secret beauty tip: Sunscreen
(I'm not planning to have wrinkles or skin cancer when I'm old!)




Your secret favorite cooking/baking recipe: (full recipe or
maybe online link)




My Cherry Cobbler is always a favorite at my house.  It's a quick one of everything recipe.













Cherry Cobbler:




1 Stick of Butter

1 Cup of Flour

1 Cup of Sugar

1 Cup of Milk

1 Can of Cherry Pie Filling




Melt butter in a 9"x11" dish

Mix flour and sugar in med bowl.  Add milk and mix well.  Pour mixture into pan.  Spoon in Cherries.  Bake at 350º for about 40 minutes or until
golden brown.

Favorite Blogger of the Month (November)

Here's my Favorite Blooger of November - Vanessa Romano, with her awesome blog The Jeep Diva! Welcome to my blog, Vanessa. It's wonderful to have you here.














Tell us a little bit about yourself and your blog. Why did
you decide to start reviewing books, and which genres do you feature?

I am a 34 year old domestic engineer. I am married to the
most awesome man ever. We have 7 furkids and live in the boonies.

The Jeep Diva (I drive 2 & I am one) I have 5 review
ninjas that help me out. Most are very specific as to what they enjoy reading.
One gal only wants m/m, another only wants the really dark and gritty erotics,
and one prefers the light romance and inspirational love stories. We review
romances, all the various sub genres. My love of horror and the recent zombie
obsession turns up in a post on occasion.

November 2010 I went to my first con, Readers N Ritas. There
was a panel about blogging reviews. At the time I was writing my reviews solely
for goodreads. I thought this might be something I could do with my spare time.
I have a freakish amount of spare time.




What genres do you read in private?

None. I proudly read my smut, horror, apocalypse, you name
it. I am never ashamed of my love for a good book!




What is your most favorite book(s) of all time?

Stephen King’s Dark Tower series




With all those books being offered to you, you surely must
be a bit picky about what you read. What intrigues you most in a story? Are you
influenced by a good blurb or cover?

I’m big on the pursuit. I love the chase that leads the hero
and heroine to their happily ever after. Covers may get me to notice a book,
but blurbs and reviews from people who share common reading interests that I do
will sell me a book.




How on earth do you find the time to manage such a busy blog
besides your job and family life?

LOL! The Hub works out of the country. He is gone for a
month at a time. I am home alone for a month at a time. I live like a hermit
when the Hub is gone. I seldom leave the house. I read, get the posts set up,
and basically do two months of stuff in those 30 days he is gone. The moment he
comes home we travel nonstop. It gets pretty crazy when he is home. I seldom even
have the chance to pick up a book when he is around.




Be honest: Is it easy or difficult to deal with us writers?
I know that we can be an unorganized, sensitive lot sometimes. (You don't need
to tell names …)

At conventions and signings I will approach. I’m not a shy
person. I seldom email authors. If authors open that door I have no problem
approaching them at a future date. Initial contact via the internet is a whole
other story.




You will be attending the first Indie Romance Convention
next year! Please tell us what you've planned for the event.

Nothing. Because of all the traveling I do with the Hub when
I get the opportunity to go on a trip by myself I do absolutely no planning. I
fly by the seat of my pants and just go with the flow. LOL He is such a taskmaster.
He plans every little detail weeks in advance and making lists. I totally rock
the no planning and hope for the best when I arrive.  




Just for fun - some quickies:




Favorite movie: Tombstone

Favorite TV series: Criminal Minds (Shemar Moore is the hawtness!)

Favorite singer/band: Volbeat

Most beautiful male celebrity: Shemar Moore (watch Criminal
Minds people)

Sexiest fictional hero ever: Devyn from Gena Showalter’s
Alien Huntress series

Best fictional villain ever: Devina from JR Ward’s Fallen
Angel series

Best fictional heroine ever: Sabina Kane

Your secret beauty tip: Clairsonic and sunscreen

Your secret favorite cooking/baking recipe:

Maw Maw Mac (my grandmother made this all the time)

2 cups uncooked elbow noodles

1 stick butter (the real stuff)

1 block Romano cheese (the good stuff, Kraft ain’t gonna
work)

Cook/boil the noodles, drain the noodles, shred the cheese,
combine cheese and noodles in a bowl, and mix. Burn the butter dark brown and
pour over noodles and cheese. Mix it all over again. YUM!




Thank you so much, Vanessa! It was a pleasure having you here. I'll definitely try this recipe *mjam mjam* And I love both your gorgeous car and this cute doggie threesome. ;-)

Deborah Court: My Next Big Thing

Last wednesday, I was tagged by my friend and talented author Lynette Sofras to answer 10 questions about my next release - "Bound by Magic", the second book in my Elven Warrior Trilogy and sequel to "Bound to the Prince".  To read about Lynette's own Next Big Thing, her upcoming romance "In Loving Hate", you can visit her blog - which is very entertaining and worth reading, anyway!





Now here's some info about my own "Next Big Thing" I'd like to share with you:





What is the working title of your book?

Bound by Magic. It's not a working title anymore. When I first thought about writing a story about elven sorcerer Calatin, a character from my debut novel "Bound to the Prince", there was just this one line in my mind. I like it short and simple when it comes to book titles.





Where did the idea come from for the book?

It was very unexpected. During writing my first story about an elf who fell in love with a human woman, I invented Calatin and fell in love with him right from the start. Originally I just wanted some kind of funny sidekick as a friend for my hero, Elathan, who is more the dark and brooding type.





Calatin is my idea of a typical elf. He loves to play dice with trolls, gets drunk and - since he is known for his male beauty in all of the elven realms - he loves to seduce any compelling female who happens to stumble into his arms. But he's also a loyal friend, brave and selfless when it comes to protecting his people. And he hides a hurt, vulnerable sould behind his handsome, smiling face.





What genre does your book fall under?

Although I like to call it H.E.R. (Hot Elven Romance), it's actually a Fantasy/Paranormal Romance.





Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?



Ok - I'm thinking big so let's choose actors for all my three elven heroes:





Alexander Skarsgard - he has the height, the Nordic features and most of all, the brooding quality I'd need for my elven prince, Elathan. Anyone who has seen him as Eric in True Blood knows what I mean.





Benedict Cumberbatch - he is an amazing actor (just watch him in Sherlock), and I can think of nobody who has more elven-looking features than him. He'd be my perfect Calatin.



  

Tom Hiddleston - this is just a teaser because I can't reveal anything about my third book in the Elven Trilogy yet but let's say that for my leading man, I need a type that's a bit more sinister and villaineous. Loved him as Loki in "Thor" and "The Avengers".









What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Elven sorcerer is cursed by furious ex-mistress and thrown into the human world, bereft of all his magic - right into the back yard of a human female who needs protection from lethal enemies since she knows too many secrets.





Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency? 
Self-published.




How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?  

Hard to say. I'm constantly writing and re-writing, adding new scenes. Maybe five or six months. It's still a work in progress.





What other books would you compare this story to within your genre? 

Since it's part of a trilogy, obviously to "Bound to the Prince". But this story will be very different from the first book.





Who or What inspired you to write this book?

Writing "Bound to the Prince" helped me through a very painful time in my life; it was pure escapism when I couldn't sleep at night. This is probably why the story has a certain darkness to it. Bound by Magic was inspired by my character, Calatin. He simply commanded me to write it.





What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?



In all of my elven books, I include elements of Celtic Irish and Scottish mythology, and the language I chose for my elves is real Gaelic. I believe that our whole culture is influenced by those ancient legends, more than we realize. We automatically respond to them, in an instinctive, emotional way.





A damsel in distress on a lonely island inmidst a lake, a brave, tragic knight coming to her on a silver elven vessel trough the wavering mist. Every woman secretly yearns for her very own warrior to save her. And yes, I'm talking about self-confident, modern women who successfully manage their careers and families. Deep inside, we are holding out for a hero. And I don't think that this contradicts feminism in any way. It doesn't hurt at all to be soft and a little bit weak at times. Life is hard enough, don't you think?










Next Wednesday (October 17th), five more writers will tell you about their "Next Big Thing" - to be announced here soon! 

Favorite Blogger of the Month (October)

Tadaa ... and here's my Favorite Blogger of October!

It's Danielle Schmidt from Romance Book Junkies. Welcome to my blog, Danielle! It's a pleasure to meet you.


















Tell us a little bit about yourself and your blog. Why did
you start your own book review blog, and which genres do you feature?

I am a 31 year old housewife. I love to blog, read and
paint. I also enjoy chatting with other romance junkies so email me anytime. I
started my blog because I had met very few people in my life that actually read
romance novels and I wanted that interaction with other romance lovers. I also
wanted to share all the books I read with others that might like to read a good
book that I could recommend. We spend all that time reading a book it seems
only natural to want to share that experience with someone else. I will talk
and post about any genre in romance on my blog. If there’s a romance going on
in the book then it has a spot on my blog that’s why I sometimes will even
venture into genres such as historical fiction.




What genres do you read in private? What are your most
favorite books of all time?

The genres I read normally are paranormal romance,
historical romance and erotica or at least those are the ones I love the most.
My favorite book of all time hmmm? That’s like asking a mother to pick her
favorite child. Off the top of my head two books come to mind “The Other Boleyn
Girl” and “Twilight” even though I normally don’t read YA.




With all those books being offered to you, you surely must
be a bit picky about what you read. What intrigues you most in a story? Are you
influenced by a good blurb or cover?

You really do have to be picky about what you read when
you’re a blogger because you get so many review requests and you just don’t
have time to read them all. I look for books in the genres I like most to read
and I hate to say it but I am extremely influenced by a cover. I just can’t
help it and I know its wrong.




How on earth do you find the time to manage such a busy blog
besides your job and family life?



Like I said I have no real job besides taking care of the
family so when everyone is off to school and work I get to blog and I do most
of my reading at night before I go to bed when everyone else is sleeping. I
have many late nights especially with good books sometimes I’ll be up until
2:00 in the morning then get up at 6:00 and start all over but it’s a labor of
love truly.




Be honest: Is it easy or difficult to deal with us writers?
I know that we can be an unorganized, sensitive lot sometimes. (You don't need
to tell names …)

Honestly, I find most writers to be very delightful,
corporative and generous.




You will be attending the first Indie Romance Convention
next year! Please tell us what you've planned for the event.

I am very much looking forward to the Indie Romance
Convention next year. Some of my favorite authors are attending. I don’t have a
lot planned besides taking pictures, getting books signed and meeting authors.
I may be planning to bring along some goodies to hand out from my blog but
we’ll have to wait and see. I am also planning to donate a gift basket for the
charity raffle that we’ll be having.







Just for fun - some quickies:




Favorite movie: The Wizard of Oz

Favorite TV series: I don’t watch TV ever so I don’t have a
favorite series.

Favorite singer/band: Fergie with the Black Eyed Peas

Most beautiful male celebrity: Brad Pitt

Sexiest fictional hero ever: Gladiator (Russell Crowe)

Best fictional villain ever: Snow Whites Stepmother in the
movie Snow White and the Huntsman

Best fictional heroine ever: The Queen in the movie 300 she
was kick ass

Your secret beauty tip: Wash your face everyday with Olay
Regenerist

Your secret favorite cooking/baking recipe: (full recipe or
maybe online link)




Dump Cake

1 can cherry pie filling

1 can chopped pineapple

1 box yellow cake mix

1 stick buttler

Grease your pan then pour in your cherries and pineapple
evenly. Top with yellow cake mix then cut butter into slices and layer on top
of cake mix totally. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes and your done. Yummy and
simple.




Thank you for your wonderful and interesting answers, Danielle! ;-)