Katherine Bone's Blog - Posts Tagged "ships"

Duke by Day, Rogue by Night is Here!!

Happy Halloween everybody!

Who doesn't love an alpha male, especially if he's dressed as a pirate? An aristocrat portraying himself as a fop to keep his enemies and the ton at bay? Or men willing to forsake their place in society as first sons in order to serve England without falling under suspicion? Most anyone would find a rogue like this wildly exciting. But not Lady Constance Danbury. Her previous experience with pirates left her motherless and fearful of the sea. But when her father's reputation is practically in tatters and he must wed her to a lecherous lord with a penchant for abuse in order to replenish his coffers, Constance boards a ship bound for Spain in order to escape and plead for her aunt's help. What happens on that ship catapaults Constance into a den of intrigue and danger. It also brings her face to face with a man who cannot compete with her wildest imaginings— a duke by day, rogue by night.

While you masquerade in costume today, I hope you'll give the first book in my Nelson's Tea trilogy a try. It debuted two days ago and I'm still over the moon.

Enjoy the adventure, but don't forget to love a rogue.

Katherine
www.katherinebone.com
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Published on October 31, 2012 10:02 Tags: adventure, dandies, dukes, espionage, officers, pirates, regency, rogues, romance, royal-navy, ships, smugglers

Life's An Adventure!

Life's an adventure, isn't it?

Twenty years ago, I decided I wanted to tell stories the muse put into my head. I began to research. I started writing, even though I practically had no idea what I was doing. Like a fish out of water, I struggled against the currents/percentages that foretold I was wasting my time, wouldn't finish my novel, and would probably quit before it ever got published. But I didn't quit. I read countless "how to" writing books, took online classes, and went to workshops and conferences. I joined writing groups and sought out people who had a compass that pointed to what they wanted most. (Success is all about how you view life, isn't it?)

During those twenty years, was my glass half-full or half-empty? If you asked me at various times, I might have said, half-empty. Why? When those rejections started pouring in, doubts came home to roost. Will I ever finish my novel? Will anyone ever like my stories? Will I ever get my novel published?

Being positive is hard work. It's in our belief that we achieve. It's in our belief that we receive. By accepting the stages of life we're in the process of living, we have the power to overcome any obstacle, to move past rejections, critics, contest judges, and internal editors striving to empty our glass, or whatever hurdles we face.

There's adventure in everything, isn't there? Including never giving up. Along adventure's path, you might have to recalibrate your heading a time or two, or maybe more, but as long as you steer toward that next horizon, you will rendezvous with success. It's only a matter of time.

"You have to send your ship out before you ship can come in."

The most wonderful thing about books is they give readers untold adventure. Some mirror the reality of daily living. Others manifest dreams stored in the human heart. Writers hope to deliver both by imagining readers's deepest longings and bringing them to life. So what has my compass been pointing to for twenty years? Bringing joy to readers. If I'm able to do that, every single year striving to get my stories published has produced an overflowing glass.

Life's an adventure! It's like a Tootsie Roll Pop. You never know what you're going to get. But as long as you see life as a glass half-full, gooey-centered goodness is guaranteed.

Don't ever give up on your goals, whatever they may be. Strive to thrive. Believe to receive. Meet doubt head on. Don't be afraid of crashing and burning. Pick yourself up and reach for that half-full glass. It just might overflow with rum. ;)

Blessings,
Katherine
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Published on February 03, 2013 13:49 Tags: adventure, believe, goals, half-empty-glass, half-full-glass, headings, horizons, life, readers, receive, ships, strive, success, thrive