Anabelle Bryant's Blog, page 2

Keys to Life ~ Unlock your Passion

  Keys. I’m fascinated by their possibilities. I’m interested in their symbolism. I’m writing about them now. A key is the next charm on the bracelet featured in my Regency Charms series. I’m all about “keys” at the moment.

Like all the charms, their shape depicts something greater and possesses a larger theme in the story. What is my character’s key weakness? Strength? How can my hero and heroine find love and at the same time find themselves?

In my own life, I struggle with balance. My first response to a key goal would be a quest for quiet. Lol. I’m often wishing to be left on a tropical island with good internet access. I just want to hear the waves on the shore and nothing else. Quiet is a beautiful sound.

But that’s me being flippant. I thrive on interaction with friends and family. I love being social. The key to my happiness lies in balance. I haven’t found that key yet or unlocked its power.

I hold myself to a high standard and rarely do anything half way. I embrace challenge and welcome new opportunities. I strive to be the best I can be. This key ethic creates the unbalance. I sabotage myself. Perhaps the key to my success lies in self-reflection. A little quiet time to sort out priorities. I need more hours in the day and another “me”.

What is the key to your happiness? Your family? Your spouse? Do you have a secret goal or are you like me, struggling to balance responsibility with desire?

This summer I plan to identify the keys to creating harmony. This summer I’d like to reinvent my life a bit. I wish you luck in your journey and please share your secret if you’ve managed to key in on the beauty of balance and happiness!

Love Letters…Your Days are Numbered

   Love Letters, a dying art and broken tradition…A long lost romantic gesture. Hardly anyone takes the time to write letters, never mind heartwrenching confessions of devotion and affection. Why put pen to paper when one can text, email or tweet?

Prosaic expressions of sentiment are gifts to be treasured. Who could ever resist the compelling adoration of someone who took time to express their most personal feelings on paper. Utterly romantic, and fast becoming a thing of the past. Scrolling through texts or choosing the right folder on your laptop to reread your beau’s confession of love just doesn’t have the same romantic impact. At least not for me.

I tend to cling to the past in some ways. I enjoy vintage, antique, and retro in all capacities. I still embrace a written card or note, although most of the world has moved on. Which do you prefer? Do you take the time to commit your words to the page or would you rather take advantage of technology?

Either way, don’t forget to share your most ardent feelings. That’s the truer message. Even if it looks a little like this:   **// 143 88 4eva

Summer ~ Time to Turn UP the Heat!

HOT SEXY GUYS! (Thank you, Mr. Gandy)

Now that I have your attention, let’s talk heroes and why they’re so delightful. Let’s explore the qualities your ideal man needs – the type of character you love to read about. That’s right, let’s be as shallow as possible. We can get to those deep emotional qualities another time. (wink wink)

My recipe for outstanding handsomeness includes thick brown hair, a fabulous smile and height. I like my heroes tall! He has an easy smile, because life is complicated and you need to laugh at most everything and keep your positive outlook. His eyes need to express what’s in his heart. No dark brooding stares – I don’t want a mystery to solve. I need to know his true feelings without consulting my secret decoder ring.

   Looking good, Gabriel.

So now let’s talk about you? What are your absolute necessities? Muscular build? Glasses? Mustache? Cleft in the chin devil within?

  Well hello, Jared.

How do you like your hero?

When writing book two in my Regency Charms series, Jasper (the hero) evolved as a very clever character. His outward appearance had to reflect the unique outlook he possessed and of course, still be as devastating handsome as we enjoy fictional males to be. It is escapism, after all. 

He’s also a progressive thinker for the Regency. He doesn’t follow society’s dictates as what’s expected from the brother of an Earl. I think he’s perfect, from his charming smile to his suspenders.

My inspiration for Jasper came from a photo of Todd Finley, an Australian model. Actually, I discovered the photo after three-fourths of the story was written, but I couldn’t believe how much my hero and this real life model resembled one another. And just so you know, I don’t spend my late night hours scrolling through male photos. (Not as often as you want to believe, anyway)

Happy to have found you, Todd.

Other heroes in my novels have also been inspired by celebrities and models. The photo serves as a starting point, but my characters personality takes over their appearance in the end. No matter how shallow I insist we consider this blog, the two qualities ultimately become one because in my novels, there is a reflection of the hero’s heart in his good looks.

Couldn’t leave you out, Colin.

I hope you enjoyed the eye candy today. Just trying to brighten the scenery around here and heat things up in preparation for summer. And don’t forget to tell me who you like to envision when you’re reading! I’d love to hear about your fictional heroes too!

Would You Rather with Liesel Schmidt ~ Life is all about choices…

Lucky me! Fabulous author Liesel Schmidt has agreed to a little game of Would You Rather. I tried to make the choices truly brain twisting…So read on for a fast, fun insight into Liesel’s psyche and then continue��reading to discover this hot author’s��amazing books!!

Grow wings or gills? I think I���d rather have wings. I���m not much of a waterbaby, plus I think wings are so much more attractive than gills. And flying? Come on, who wouldn���t love to be able to do that?
Have a squeaky cartoon voice or low villain voice? Both would be a challenge, but out of the two, I guess I���d have to say the squeaky cartoon voice.
Sightsee or relax on a beach? Sightsee, definitely. I���d feel too much like I was missing out on things by staying holed up on the beach. And again, I���m not much of a waterbaby, so the beach doesn���t quite hold the appeal for me that it does for some people. All that sand in questionable places…and I detest having to wear a bathing suit!
Visit the future or visit the past? That���s a tough one, because there are things that have happened that wouldn���t have happened without the past being the way that it was, so changing any detail might derail all of the good things that have happened…But visiting the future might scare the daylights out of me. Still, if I absolutely had to choose, I guess I���d want to visit the future. Maybe I could use what I saw there to actually avoid major mistakes!
Eat it or drink it? Eat it, I think. If I���m going to be consuming calories, I���d rather be more engaged in it than sucking it down a straw. Although, depending on what we���re actually talking about, that could be the wrong answer!
Read minds or have x-ray vision? I���d definitely rather have X ray vision. I���m having flashes of the movie What Women Want, and I just would hate to know what everyone is thinking all the time.
Have a bad relationship with great sex or a great relationship with bad sex? I���d rather have a great relationship with bad sex. Sex is something I can definitely live without������I speak from experience������but the relationship part is so very important. Plus I think that a great relationship can make even bad sex better…eventually…But that bad relationship could make even the best sex lose its luster after awhile.
Always have the hiccups or feel like you need to sneeze but it never happens? Definitely the unfulfilled sneeze. The constant hiccups would be sooo annoying������not only to me, but also everyone around me. And hiccups usually leave me feeling nauseated…
Find a snake in your bed or a spider in your shower? No question, the spider in the shower! You can squash them soooo much easier than a snake!

Liesel Schmidt is the author of:

The Secret of Us – When your other half leaves you, how do you know who you are? After her fianc�� breaks up with her in ���their restaurant���, leaving her with no explanation other than an apology scrawled on a napkin, Eira no longer feels at home in North Carolina. So she leaves for the Florida coast, hoping that rebuilding her life will be easier somewhere new. But while her new home may hold no trace of the past, life doesn���t always turn out the way you planned���and suddenly, a chance meeting turns Eira���s life upside down.

AND

Coming Home to You – When one door closes, another one opens…

Zo�� and her fianc�� Paul had everything ahead of them. So when Paul dies suddenly, Zo�� doesn���t recognise the life she���s left with. Helping a friend by housesitting for a stranger is the last thing she wants to do ��� but she can���t deny that she needs time away from the memories which crowd her flat. So, collecting the keys, Zo�� lets herself into her temporary home and a new life…

Find Liesel’s books here: http://amzn.to/1Qxchp0

Her blog here: http://fyoword.blogspot.com

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/liesel.Schmidt

Twitter: @laswrites

Thank You, Liesel, for stopping by for some fun!

Charmed, I’m Sure ~ Embrace Your Destiny

Do you believe in FATE? At times it’s easy to dismiss.��Human nature��dictates we strive��for control over our actions and decisions, but on the other side of the coin, we’ve all experienced unexpected circumstances or odd coincidences…sometimes of the life-altering type. Little happenstances that have no explanation or go against every personality trait yet lead to the best decisions of our lives.

How do we explain what happens when it’s least likely, or most importune? Aren’t bigger forces at work?��My best friend met her��husband by accident, sending an email to the wrong email address. He responded with a joke. She answered…a year later and they’re happily married. That sounds like DESTINY to me.

We’ve all heard extraordinary stories of circumstance that have kept people from danger.��Someone’s heel broke, another missed his train, a mother stayed a little longer at her daughter’s daycare; and��the incident saved their life. That’s PROVIDENCE at work.

In my new series, REGENCY CHARMS, each story is represented by a different charm on a bracelet. There is also a mysterious little��man and his cat who reoccur in different ways through the series perpetuating romance and guiding the lovers to each other. It’s a fun mix of KARMA and SERENDIPITY that has always fascinated me.

Yet in real life, its a little harder to relinquish control;��to trust in the stars or adopt an attitude of PREDESTINATION. How freeing it could be though, to let go of the��bindings that often wrap us tight.

Do you believe in KISMET? Have you had an unexplained��romantic situation that has led you to somewhere wonderful? Or do you have something to share that has nothing to do with romance and instead, focused your life, readjusted your goal or led you to a particular happiness? I’d love to hear about your brush with FATE.

Tasseography ~ Just My Cup of Tea

Do you believe in predictions or premonitions? Are you suspicious in the least? Tasseography is described as the divination of the patterns found in tea leaves; fortune telling through use of your cup of tea.

I’ve always been a little enamored with gypsy folklore. If you’ve read To Love A Wicked Scoundrel, you’ve met Gillie, Constantine’s gypsy friend. His appearance is brief, but I’m intrigued by the culture and feel a strong premonition I have a story waiting to be written especially for Gillie.

During the Regency, tea and the selection in one’s tea box, was a symbol of success and wealth. Reading tea leaves was reserved for the servants, if even they were suspicious enough to indulge the practice. Superstitions were thought to be only for the weak-minded.

Reading tea leaves in not difficult once you understand the symbolism, although modern day tea would not work well, the leaves cut too small. After one drinks the tea or it is drained away, the cup is swirled once to reveal the left over leaves.

The pattern left by the strained tea leaves is then interpreted by the diviner. Obvious shapes, that of a heart representing love or a spade representing misfortune are interpreted. More intricate patterns are also noted: a letter that holds significance, a snake representing deceit, or a mountain to symbolize a challenge to overcome.

Like palm reading or other forms of superstitious folklore, the power of the prediction lies in the belief of the custom. In the meantime, I continue to enjoy my tea and wonder what secrets the little lost tea leaves on the bottom of my tea cup wish to reveal to me, but I’m too busy cleaning house to notice.

Dressing and Undressing…Peeling Back the Layers

�� Recently, the New Jersey Romance Writer’s had a special guest at our monthly meeting.��Kandie Carle, known as The Victorian Lady, traveled from Connecticut to demonstrate the true manner in which ladies dressed and undressed in the 1800s. Her program was highly entertaining and her wit as an actress and performer��dazzled through her two hour presentation.

As she showed layer after layer of clothing from��drawers and corset��to��capelet and��handkerchief, she explained its purpose and meaning within society. I was��mesmerized with the history and authenticity of it all. Everything Ms. Carle uses is actual clothing or perfected reproduction with the same materials and available resources. Her knowledge is impressive!

I was also intrigued by the symbolism of each piece and how the layers of clothing represented so much more than��cloth and thread,��and how different it contrasted with our��disposable wardrobe today.

And in my stream of consciousness, that thought led me to think of another…about the layers of personality we all possess and how often we��show our hearts, our thoughts, our intellect to other people and why we might take the risk – that exposure –��which traits, and the why and when of it all.

And how its all about vulnerability. It’s what I strive for��within the characters I create. Something I admire in an individual who can put themselves out there,��reveal their emotions, bare their soul. It takes daring and courage and bravery, because so many times we’ve��heard words��that have wounded or scarred. And so many times we’ve been told to hold back, not wear your heart on your sleeve, be cautious.

I didn’t go to the meeting anticipating these thoughts, but as I watched��each layer of clothing with its specific meaning and purpose, it mirrored the attributes of my character development and spoke to me, encouraging me to take more risks and perhaps look a little more closely at the signs people offer when they think no one is looking. Sometimes clothing can communicate louder than words.

All this from a chemise and underskirt? Yes. And a promise to layer my characters with emotion and depth and maybe, take more chances along the way.

You can find out more about Kandie here: http://www.kandiecarle.com/

What would Scooby Doo? ~ Cartoon Inspired Life Lessons

Did you have a favorite cartoon when you were younger? Do you still enjoy watching it now? I remember Penelope Pitstop fondly. I never missed her program on Saturday mornings. Penelope Pitstop was set in the 1920s and involved Penelope (a damsel in distress) and her chic sports car avoiding peril throughout the entire episode. Riveting adventure. As I write this, I���m realizing my favorite cartoon was vintage! A self discovery! I was a history buff even as a child.

It wasn���t until I was a little older that Penelope was replaced by Scooby Doo and after that, there was no other. My love for Scooby triumphed over all other cartoons. I���m sure the problem solving and logic threaded through each episode had something to do with it, but it is only now as an adult that I recognize the truer appeal of a slightly inarticulate dog, his buffoonish best friend Shaggy, and how the show held steadfast, meaningful life lessons beneath the simple mystery and monster chase.

1) Be an individual, but work as a team.

Consider the unique characters: Fred, the strong muscular type, Thelma the brainy level-headed problem solver and Daphne, creative, pretty and petite. Of course Shaggy represented a little of everyone, honest, messy, goofy and loyal all rolled up into a goatee wearing, poor postured, golden-hearted bestie. His sidekick Scooby was pure fun. Yet in the end they solved the problem life presented and worked together for a safe resolution.

2) Face your fears and overcome them.

The team did just that every episode, proving every time cruel hearted people are not worthy of kindness. Despite Shaggy and Scooby hightailing it in a comedic misadventure, in the end the monster was caught, the villain unveiled and carted away by the authorities. Scooby and his friends pushed through their fear of the situation to end in victory.

3) Ask questions.

As a teacher, this quality comes naturally to me, yet so many people fear raising their hand, asking a question, and appearing at a loss. Questions��create strength. Great inventions, cultural masterpieces, and life-changing world events would never have occurred were it not for the individuals who asked questions. Inquiry improves intelligence. It reveals courage and determination to find the truth and solve the problem.

4) Never underestimate the power of a good snack.

Everyone needs a little caloric incentive now and then.��Biscotti, almonds, watermelon���I���m a snacker and I���m proud. Shaggy and Scooby?��Their snacks were ridiculously elaborate and enjoyed with relish. Who could resist Scooby as he rewarded his mystery solving hard work by eating a huge sandwich with a side portion of a huge sandwich?

Is it silly to look for logic inside a child���s cartoon? Perhaps. But I���m sure the programs you once adored helped define you as the person you are today. Were you a Scooby fan too? Which character depicts your personality best?

Maria K. Alexander ~ Authors 2 Love ~ Part 4

Well, February is almost over and what better way to end the most romantic month of the year than with a final installment of Authors��2 Love featuring Maria K. Alexander.

I met Maria through the NJ Romance Writers and we soon became friends.��Author of fast-paced contemporary romance, Maria stopped by to share some secrets about her��new release, Forever in My Heart.

Getting To Know You

What do you feel is your best and worst quality? My worst quality is that I���m a perfectionist. Sometimes it takes me longer to finish something (like my books) because I continue to edit. My best quality is that I���m detailed-oriented and a natural planner. I guess it���s a good thing project management is what I do in my day job!

Do you have a quirk you can share? I like closet doors closed. It drives me crazy when my husband or kids leave them open!

Tell me about something you take pride in outside of writing. I take pride in having two wonderful and (hopefully) well-grounded children.

If money wasn���t an issue, what would you do tomorrow? Write full time! But since that���s not going to happen, I���ll settle on the few hours I steal from the early morning and late evening.

Getting to Know Your Books

Did you always want to be a writer? Did you pursue a different career? Why?

I fell in love with computers when I was a freshman in high school. My dad was a data center manager and I remember going to work with him one time and seeing all the large mainframe computers and knowing that���s what I wanted to do. As a result, I have both a BS and MBA in Information Systems and work as a project manager in the Information Technology field during my day job. But I always LOVED to read romance and devoured books as a kid. I started writing poems in high school, pouring my feelings about the Danielle Steel books I read into my words. Once, I started a short story but never got very far. It wasn���t until ten years ago that I started thinking about writing but not until seven years ago that I actually decided to do something about it. I bought my own laptop, took online writing classes, joined organizations like Romance Writers of America, and never looked back!

How did you decide on a genre? What is it about this genre that inspires you?

As a kid I read Historical romance authors like Rosemary Rogers and Harlequin Contemporary romance authors like Janet Daily. Then I found Danielle Steel and Nora Roberts and completely got sucked into the world of Contemporary romance. I like that I can relate to the characters because we live in the same time period. They can be people I know or maybe they���ve gone through similar situations. For me, writing Contemporary comes naturally. I also like reading romantic suspense and found myself incorporating light suspense elements in my stories.

What authors do you admire? I think the work ethic of authors like Nora Roberts is admirable. She walks the walk and doesn���t let anything stand in the way of her writing. I also admire authors like Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Kristan Higgins, Jill Shalvis, Marie Force, and so many others who have raised families while writing multiple books a year.

What is happening with your writing now? What do we have to look forward to?

My current release, Forever in My Heart, is the second book in my Tangled Hearts series. Vicky DiFrancesco owns the hot new caf�� in town and is working hard to build her business. The last thing she needs is her high school boyfriend, now home from the army and causing her to remember feelings she thought she���d put behind her. But when her life is at risk, she must turn to her ex even if he���s the last person she thought she���d need. It���s a second chance at love story that integrates family traditions, friendship with a light overlay of suspense.

I am currently working on the third book in the Tangled Hearts series. This story, tentatively called Awaken My Heart, is about the oldest DiFrancesco sibling, Nick. He���s my favorite character. I���ve been weaving pieces of his storyline in both Untangle My Heart (Tangled Hearts Book 1) and Forever in My Heart (Tangled Hearts Book 2). He���s a detective and is recently divorced. He���ll get tangled in a web of deception that will rock his world and make him question his career and everything he stands for.

Thanks for hosting me on your blog, Anabelle!

Here���s a blurb and excerpt from Forever in My Heart.

Vicky DiFrancesco is ready to put the past behind her. After a humiliating divorce, she���s determined to make her new caf�� a success. The last thing she needs is her first love around, reminding her of what they���d lost. But when her life is threatened, could he be the very man she needs?

Jamie DiSilva���s homecoming after retiring from the army isn���t the one he���d been hoping for. Now, he���s trying to start a home improvement business in a town settled on holding him accountable for the sins of his late brothers. Redeeming himself to the girl he never stopped loving and her family is difficult when his brothers��� secrets come back to haunt him.

Untangling themselves from the past means righting several wrongs and deciding if their love is meant to last forever.

Excerpt from Forever in My Heart:

Without thinking what she was doing, she slid her hands along his chest, fascinated by the changes in his body from the eighteen-year-old boy she���d last seen. She���d thought him beautiful then, but now���hell, he was downright breathtaking. The warmth of his skin seeped through her fingers and into her. She could have sworn she felt him tremble beneath her hand���or was it her hand that shook?

He brushed a thumb across her cheek. ���Thanks for cleaning me up.���

Her heart pounded as she continued to touch him, her strokes getting surer as the seconds passed.

He took a step closer to her. ���Vicky,��� he whispered, his voice husky.

Nononono. God, no.

What had she started? This couldn���t be, she couldn���t want him���yet she did. He encircled her waist, pulling her against all six feet of hardness. His lips skimmed hers, the briefest of butterfly kisses.

Her nipples were tight against her bra, begging to be free���begging for his touch. She arched into him, wanting to press her chest against his hard skin.

Just as his hands slid up toward her breasts, her cell rang.

She jumped a mile and sprang away from him. ���That���s Lucy downstairs. She���s probably wondering what happened to me.���

Reaching into her pocket, she withdrew the phone. ���Hey, Luce,��� she said, her voice breathless.

Vicky pressed a hand to her flushed cheeks. ���I���ll be right down.���

She turned to Jamie, who also looked uncomfortable. Of course that could���ve been from the huge bulge between his legs.

���A group of senior citizens walked in. I gotta go,��� she said.

He reached for her arm. ���Vick���we���re not done with this.���

���We are for now.��� She shook free from his grasp and headed downstairs.

You can buy Forever in My Heart at:

Amazon: http://amzn.com/B00SEEN6OQ

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/forever-in-my-heart-maria-k-alexander/1121179082?ean=2940150185777

The Wild Rose Press: http://www.wildrosepublishing.com/maincatalog_v151/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=195&products_id=6075

iBookstore: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/forever-in-my-heart/id959305197?mt=11

Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/forever-in-my-heart-7

About Maria K. Alexander

Maria is an award-winning author of contemporary romance. When not writing, Maria loves to read, bake, downhill ski, visit the beach, and watch romantic comedies. Maria lives in New Jersey with her husband and children, and writes in her ���spare��� time between juggling a full-time job and her kids��� busy schedules.

You can connect with Maria at http://mariakalexander.com

Giveaway

From February 20th through March 8th, Maria is having a release giveaway. Stop by here for a chance to win a digital copy of Untangle My Heart, the first book in her award-winning Tangled Hearts series or a $5 Amazon GC.

 

Christy English ~ Authors 2 Love ~ Part 3

��Christy English, I’m honored to call her my friend. Multi-published, multi-talented, and fellow historical romance author ~ Christy’s novels provide the reader with the perfect amount of detail, ingenuity and of course, passion. Her covers are swoon-worthy and her writing refreshing. I’m so excited and know you will be too, so read on!

Getting To Know You

What do you feel is your best and worst quality?

I am a bit of a workaholic. When given the chance to go for a hike or to work on a book, I usually choose to work on a book. Of course, I think this is a quality that all writers share. We all want to be ready, pen and paper, or in my case, laptop in hand to get the story down, and then to re-write it until it shines.

Do you have a quirk you can share?

I love little pink pigs. Not enough to own one and not enough to give up bacon, much to my guilty chagrin, but I have stuffed pigs all over my apartment. Pigs with wings on my sheets and on my cookware, all of which make me laugh.

Tell me about something you take pride in outside of writing.

My ability to let go of the past, and to find joy in life. My capacity for joy is one of the things I love most about myself, and one of the things I most enjoy sharing with the people I love.

If money wasn���t an issue, what would you do tomorrow?

I would probably give up my day job, but other than that, I would do what I do now. Hike (when it���s warm), go to movies (all year round), enjoy my family and friends, and write the best novels I know how to write.�� I might travel more, but since I moved to Asheville, NC the travel bug has almost left me. There is nothing like living in heaven to make you love where you are.

Getting to Know Your Books

Did you always want to be a writer? Did you pursue a different career? Why?

I have always loved writing, even before I knew it was possible to sell novels so that someone other than my friends and family might read them. Like most writers, I have always worked a day job, too, either as an administrative assistant or some kind of banker to pay for my life. But my writing has always come from and has always been the source of my joy.

I also love to act, which comes from the same inner source as storytelling, but I find that for now at least, novels have happily taken over my creative life. And I love it.

How did you decide on a genre? What is it about this genre that inspires you?

I started out writing historical fiction, and if I ever find another character as compelling as Alais of France and Eleanor of Aquitaine, I will do more of it. But I have also always read and loved historical romance. While I was letting one draft of my first novel THE QUEEN���S PAWN cool, I wrote the first draft of HOW TO TAME A WILLFUL WIFE in six weeks, just watching Caroline and Anthony���s antics unfold on the page in front of me. I was hooked!

What I love best about historical romance is that it is life affirming. Two people who need each other find the best in each other and in themselves. They come together to make love last beyond the last page of the novel. Love in all its forms inspires me, and makes the world a better place.

What authors do you admire?

My favorite historical fiction author is and always will be the incomparable Mary Renault. I have a ton of favorite romance authors, among whom are Lisa Kleypas and Nicola Cornick.

What is happening with your writing now? What do we have to look forward to?

I am having the best time writing my latest Regency series, Broadswords and Ballrooms, the first of which TERROR OF THE TON is due out in December of this year, if we stay on schedule. In these novels, two Highland brothers bring their untamed, wayward sister South to London to marry her off, only to fall in love themselves. A culture clash ensues! Needless to say, these three novels are comedies.

Thank you so much for stopping by for this chat, Christy!

And readers, don’t miss a minute of what’s happening with Christy’s novels.

Author Bio

Ever since Christy English picked up a fake sword in stage combat class at the age of fourteen, she has lived vicariously through the sword-wielding women of her imagination. Sometimes an actor, always a storyteller, Christy works happily with Sourcebooks Casablanca to bring the knife-throwing women of her novels to life. A banker by day and a writer by night, she loves to eat chocolate, drink too many soft drinks, and walk the mountain trails of her home in North Carolina.

Join Christy on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ShakespeareInLoveSeries

On Twitter https://twitter.com/ChristyEnglish

And on her blog http://www.christyenglish.com/my-books/