Regency-Seductions

Regency Seductions has moved....

2012-01-08T22:10:00.000-08:00

If you're looking for Bronwen's blog, I've started 2012 with a new website www.bronwenevans.com and my blog is now within the website.

Thanks for stopping by Regency Seductions Blog. I hope you will join me over at http://www.bronwenevans.com/bronwen-blog.html

Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers
Bron

Happy New Year! Roll on 2012...

2011-12-30T12:29:00.000-08:00

It's already New Year's Eve here in New Zealand. Unfortunately, even though it's summer, we are experiencing bucketing-down rain, with flooding around much of the country, including my backyard, which is under about a foot of water. But all and all, 2011 was a great year for me professionally, not quite as much on the personal front. I'm looking forward to a better 2012 for New Zealand and the world.

2011 was significant because it was the year in which my debut book, INVITATION TO RUIN was released. In March 2011, my world changed. I don't know what I was expecting, but when I read the wonderful reviews from Publishers Weekly and RT Book Review, I think I finally believed that I could deliver a great story.

I kept pinching myself. I was suddenly a published author. I'm still pinching myself. I have had fun learning all about social media - twitter, facebook, blogging and updating my website. I have made some really fabulous friends and contacts. It still humbles me how helpful and giving the romance community is.

I only managed to write two new books in 2011 due to illness. In the middle of the year, finally all the doctors worked out what was wrong with me, and an operation in late August saw me well on the road to recovery. I intend to fix my output level in 2012.

2012 will be an even bigger year for me. Here are my plans for the first half of 2012:

January - launch of my new website and blog www.bronwenevans.com with have a new face.

February - release of my first Novella, To Dare the Duke of Dangerfield. A two-hundred page Regency romp.

March - I shall be participating in Ashley March's, March Madness Event

April - Look out for the release of INVITATION TO SCANDAL and the accompanying blog tour with amazing prizes...

May - the release of my second novella, To Wager the Marquis of Wolverstone

June - the release of my first contemporary, The Reluctant Wife.

The advent and rise of the eBook has been as fast as I'd predicted. If music went digital then it was obvious other forms of entertainment would too. And that is what an author's job is - to entertain. We compete for people's valuable time. Everyone has so much choice now, with downloadable music, TV and film, and obviously books.

As you can probably tell by my list of releases, this is unlikely to be solely through traditional publishers. I've researched what I want out of my career and I'm happy to work with traditional publishers, but I also want to fill the gaps in their schedules with my own releases. I want to write as a career, and one book a year won't do that, nor will it build me a robust fan base. I would like more control over my writing output - control on distribution, price and promotion.

For other authors, I hope 2012 fulfills your dreams and your creative juices flow. For my readers, I hope you'll stick with me as I straddle both traditional and self-publishing worlds.

And finally, Good Bye 2011. I hope you have a safe and happy New Year and that 2012 sees all your dreams come true. Remember - The future is what we wish to make it....

Let me know your plans for 2012 and be in to win a signed copy of INVITATION TO RUIN.
(Open internationally)

Happy Holiday Stories from Faye Robertson...

2011-12-17T17:24:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas...Giveaway of White-Hot Christmas contemporary romance...

I hope you're in the mood for Christmas romance, because this week I have fellow kiwi author, Faye Robertson (aka Serenity Woods), visiting to tell you about her recently released Christmas contemporary romances.

I met Faye through a friend of mine I'd been at university with. Chris and I live at opposite ends of the North Island, and I usually only see him once a year. When I told Chris I was writing romance, he said, 'I know someone else who writes romance' - and that's how I met Faye. Her books are wonderful and I thoroughly recommend them if you are after fabulous, humorous and sensual, Christmas themed reads.

Hi Bronwen! Thank you so much for having me on your blog. It’s been a busy festive season for me with two new releases, and I look forward to sharing them with you.

Okay, first tell us about your new books.

WHITE-HOT CHRISTMAS, is a light-hearted romance set in the Northland of New Zealand during a hot summer. It features Merle Cameron, a university lecturer from England who’s come to New Zealand to be with her sister, and what happens when she meets her brother-in-law’s cousin Neon (short for Napoleon), a rugby-playing, surfing firefighter. They only mean to have a brief affair, but when it’s time for Merle to go home, they both realise they’re in deeper than they thought.

Get it on Kindle for only $4.24 (Read the excerpt below...)

In contrast, HOLLY'S FIRST NOEL, is a Christmas tale set on the snowy shores of Loch Ness in Scotland. Holly and Noel are two schoolteachers who find themselves alone during the festive period (Holly’s boyfriend dumped her the week before and Noel’s wife died three years ago). They decide to go on retreat and be miserable together, but end up finding romance—and some Christmas magic—in the snow.

Get it on Kindle for only $2.99

Why are the books released under different names?

I publish with Samhain Publishing and Noble Romance under the pseudonym Serenity Woods, but Entangled wanted me to use a name more suitable for their Harlequin-style Indulgence line, which I will hopefully be writing for next year, hence the use of my own name, Faye Robertson for Holly’s First Noel.

Do you have any other books scheduled for release?

Yes, I have AN UNCOMMON SENSE, which is the first in a series called Sensual Healing, and this comes out with Samhain Publishing on April 3rd. This trilogy features heroes with distinctly unusual talents—in this case, Ash Rutherford is a medium, and the heroine, Grace, is very much a sceptic. Ash has to persuade her that he’s not delusional and not out to deceive her, but suspicious Grace takes some convincing!

Also on April 3rd Samhain are releasing a paperback anthology called Come Rain or Come Shine featuring my sweet novella Something Blue that was published in May. At last, I’ll have a “real” book!

Next, I have SEVEN SEXY SINS coming out with Samhain in August. This story is about Faith Hillman, a journalist who’s been commissioned to write a series of articles based on the seven deadly sins, each relating to a Sexy Sin, to encourage bored housewives to experiment in the bedroom. There’s only one problem—Faith’s never done any of the sins on the list! Luckily her brother’s best mate, Rusty, is on hand to help out ;)

I have another four category-length books in the pipeline with Samhain and Entangled, as well as a paranormal under consideration with the YA imprint of Harlequin MIRA in the UK. Fingers crossed for all of those!

What are you working on at the moment?

A novella for Avon Romance for their Yellow Ribbon call about soldiers returning from war. I’m also two-thirds of the way through another full-length category romance (I’m notorious for writing two stories at a time.) After that, I have to write the third in the Sensual Healing trilogy, and then, who knows?

Can you give us a snippet?

Sure! Here’s a taster from White-Hot Christmas. And thanks for having me on here, Bronwen. And congratulations on your successes – I loved Invitation to Ruin and gave it 5 stars on Amazon and Goodreads – highly recommended!

White-Hot Christmas snippet

Merle’s mouth had gone dry. She’d expected him to jump at the offer of sex with no strings attached, but his frown made her realise there was more to him than she’d thought.

Oh great, I’ve picked a hot guy with principles. It had taken an immense amount of courage for her to say what she’d said, and now he was going to turn her down. She would have to walk back to the group rejected and excruciatingly embarrassed. What on earth must he think of her?

Panic overwhelming her, she opened her mouth to blurt out she’d been joking when his frown lifted, his lips curving in a smile. Relief flooded over her.

Standing, he moved closer to her and took her hands in his, pulling her toward him. She stood, toes sinking in the sand, heart thudding as he stroked her palms with his thumbs.

“You want to play with me?” he asked mischievously.

What a great way to put it. “Yes please,” she said breathlessly.

He gave a little laugh, his eyes crinkling with affection and amusement. “How British! So polite.”

She didn’t know what she expected him to do next. She’d practically given him carte blanche to do anything he wanted, and wondered if he would grab her butt, or her breasts, and try to tune her in like Phil used to do, thinking it turned her on to have her nipples squeezed until she winced.

She didn’t expect him to link her fingers with his, still by their sides, fix her with a gentle smile and lower his mouth to hers.

He kissed her softly, just a brush of lips, but it made her zing all over, an ice-cube running down her spine, her breasts and thighs tightening. Her heart pounded, but she made herself remain calm, though she knew her breath was coming quickly, and her nipples were standing through her dress like buttons.

He pulled back and looked at her. His brown eyes were warm as melted chocolate, full of smiles. “You know what a hongi is?”

“Is that the Māori greeting?”

He nodded. Leaning forward, he pressed his nose gently against hers. “When we hongi, we share the breath of life. You’re not a manuhiri anymore—a visitor. You’re tangata whenua. One of the people of this land.”

“Oh.” She blushed. “What a nice thing to say.”

He chuckled. “A gift from me to you.” He released her fingers and stepped a bit closer, resting his hands on her hips. “And here’s the same thing in pakeha—that’s non-Māori.” He lowered his lips again.

Merle rested her palms on his bare chest as they kissed. His skin was warm, dusted with a light coating of sand. He slid one hand onto the small of her back, pulling her gently toward him, pressing their hips together. She felt him against the flat of her stomach, hard as a rock, and sighed, her mouth opening under his. He inhaled in response and his tongue brushed hers, warm and soft. It was an incredibly erotic, slow kiss, with the sun warm on their skin and the rush of the waves in the background. She raised her arms around his neck, slipping a hand into his damp hair, pressing fully along him, her breasts touching his chest. He ran his hands up her rib cage, then slipped them around her back, tightening his arms around her. It was the nicest kiss she’d ever had, and she wanted it to go on forever, trying to capture the moment so she could replay it in the future when she returned to cold, wintry England.

Tell Faye who'd you'd like to unwrap for Christmas and be in the draw to win a copy of WHITE-HOT CHRISTMAS.

Website: http://www.serenitywoodsromance.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/serenitywoodsromance

Twitter: @Serenity_Woods and @FayeRobertsonNZ

Regency Christmas –Who wants a sexy rake!

2011-12-14T17:15:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!

I won't be having a white Christmas here in New Zealand. It'ssummer here. I miss the snowy Christmases I had in England. Summer doesn’t havethe same festive feeling. You can't snuggle up before a roaring fire, or eat a huge, roast meal on a hot day.

I write sensual Regency romances, with gorgeous rakes and sensualheroines. My soon to be released INVITATION TO SCANDAL is set in Deal, Kent, England,where it did not snow very often. In fact, my heroine, Rheda Kerrich, enjoyedthe festive winter months, because the bad weather often made it difficultfor the Revenuer’s to catch smugglers. Read the book to find out why thatis so important to her…

In Rheda’s household, there isn’t much money to spend on presents,but she has a younger brother, Baron de Winter, and a very close friend, Meg,who want to see her happy. Both of them are sure the dashing and handsome ViscountStrathmore, who Rheda talks about far too much, should be top of their giftgiving list. Here’s why:

1) He’s a Viscount. Yes, Rufus Knight, Viscount Strathmore’sfamily name is tainted, but then Rheda was embroiled in a scandal of her own.

2) He’s Wealthy.Rheda risks too much in order to help her brother restore their family estateand aid the destitute villager’s of DEAL. She needs money.

3) He’s as Handsome as Sin. What woman doesn’tdeserve a handsome man to share her bed? Especially for her first time.

4) He’s a bit Wicked. Rheda needs a man whois not too straight laced. A man you can see areas of grey rather than blackand white. Fine, it is illegal to smuggle, but surely it’s morally bankrupt tolet people starve…

5) He knows how toPleasure a Woman. The mostimportant for last. For a twenty-five year old virgin, Rheda is more than readyto experience passion. Why did her body have to awaken just when the annoying,yet gorgeous, Lord Strathmore arrived in Deal. He’s here to capture a smuggler,but Rheda is petrified he’ll capture her heart.

Her secrets are coming undone...

Plagued by scandalous rumors, Rheda Kerrich will stop at nothing to restore her reputation and make an honest living for herself-and she's determined to do it without a husband. But times are hard, and smuggling is a risky though profitable trade. So when a dashing agent for the English government catches her in the act, she desperately resists his charms and conceals her illicit profession. Until she realizes he may be the key to her ultimate freedom-and unbridled passion…

Rufus Knight, Viscount Strathmore, has never had trouble beguiling the ladies of Kent. When his search for "Dark Shadow," a cunningly elusive smuggler, leads him to alluring and headstrong Rhe, her objections to his amorous advances merely incite a tantalizing game of cat and mouse. Soon, they'll find the very secrets driving them apart could ensnare them in a love they can't escape…

INVITATION TO SCANDAL is released April 2012. Pre-order at Amazon and B&N and Book Depository

Monday Bookitis - What I've Been Reading...

2011-12-12T10:50:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas

It's the busy season with Christmas fast approaching. I had so much on over the weekend that I only managed to start one book, but it was a good one.

On Saturday morning I cleaned up my garden as it was a mess and, with summer upon us, I needed it looking nice. There is nothing worse than sitting outside in a messy garden.

Saturday afternoon was my RWNZ local chapter's Christmas lunch. We had to bring a back cover blurb of our latest WIP, mine is a novella I'm putting out in February - To Dare the Duke of Dangerfield.

Caitlin Southall’s temper has finally got the better of her. She’s challenged Harlow Telford, the Duke of Dangerfield, the most notorious rake in all of England, to a wager. She wants her house back. The one her destitute father lost to Dangerfield in a card game. But if she doesn’t win their bet, she not only loses her home, she loses her dignity and pride and damn it all, maybe her heart... For the handsome Duke has decreed, when he wins, she must spend the night in his bed.

Harlow Telford is amused by his hellion neighbor, Caitlin, or Cate to her friends, who seem to encompass everyone on earth except him. When she bursts into one of his private gatherings, he mistakes her for the entertainment. Her slap across his face sets him straight and raises the absurd desire to seduce the unconventional beauty into his bed. When she issues her daft challenge to win back her father’s pile of rubble, the terms are set. And he’ll do anything to win—except fall in love...

What do you think - would that tempt you to a read?

We also went over our goal sheets - at the beginning of the year we write down what we want to achieve for the year. I managed three of my five.

On Sunday I had to go over all the emails from my Blog Hop - which was so much fun. Then Saturday afternoon I took my niece to her Jazz recital at the Town Hall - all three hours of it! The music was great, the dancing inspiring, but a tad too long.

So, the book I started was Heiress in Love by Christina Brooke (who used to write as Christina Wells and is one of my favourite authors). So far I'm loving her characters and the plot. The hero is to lust for - a bad boy who is perfect for redemption.

Jane, Lady Roxdale, never expected to inherit an obscenely large fortune from her late husband, but it seems that’s not all he’s bequeathed her.

To save the estate and keep the small boy who has won her heart, Jane must marry that infuriating scoundrel, Constantine Black, her late husband’s cousin and heir.
Read more…

What have you been reading or are you too busy with the holiday season?

Jingle Bell Blog Hop - On the Twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...

2011-12-08T20:12:00.000-08:00

AND the WINNER from my Blog is....

Thank you to everyone who waltzed by over the last two days. It was great fun meeting you all, and seeing who you'd love to dance with. Because there were so many comments, I drew two winner's names out of my trusty hat (really that is how I do my prize draw).

Jennifer Mathis and Tamara Gill - I've contacted you directly.
Merry Christmas everyone and a safe New Year!

Just Romance Me Jingle Bell Blog Hop 9th to 11th December

Nine Ladies Dancing…

Merry Christmas and welcome to mywebsite! I’m Bronwen Evans, and I write sensual Regency historicalromances. The theme for this blogis The Twelve Days of Christmas – my day is Nine Ladies Dancing. Leave a comment below and be in to win a signed copy of my book INVITATION TO RUIN or IN e-book format. Don't forget to go to the end of the hop to complete the form to win a Kindle Fire.

If you’re just happening along thispost, click HERE tosee all of the blog posts in the JustRomance Jingle Bell Blog Hop where you can win a Kindle Fire...

In a Regency romance, there is nothinglike having a woman dance the waltz with her hero to set the pulses climbing,and the blood rushing to various parts of the body best left unmentioned in politesociety.

The waltz became fashionable in Britainduring the Regency period, though the entry in the Oxford English Dictionaryshows that it was considered "riotous and indecent" as late as 1825. Theclose body contact was frowned upon. The young men and woman, of course, lovedit.

Here is a scene from my debut Regency romance, INVITATION TO RUIN (which has just been nominated for a RT Reviewer’sChoice Award – Best First Historical 2011), where my heroine, Melissa, has herfirst dance with her hero, Anthony.

"May I have the pleasure of this dance, Miss Goodly? That is, if yourdance card is not already full."

His deep, rich, voice,--rough with a bite, yet thoroughly intoxicating--madeher giddier than the cheap champagne she was drinking. She swung towards thetower of masculinity encapsulating her in his shadow, sending the bubblessplashing over the side of her glass.

The Lord of Wicked wished to dance with her. With her!

It was hard to remain composed with champagne dripping from her gloved fingers."I don't believe we have been formally introduced, my lord." Shetried to shake the drops off her gloves before she had to give him her hand.

Anthony's wolfish smile made her grip the glass harder. "My brother,mother and I, are Lady Sudbury's house guests, as you well know. You were herewhen we arrived this afternoon. She's kindly taken us in while my house isuninhabitable." He raised a dark eyebrow. "You have heard about thefire?"

All she could do was nod. Her tongue felt like dried bread.

"I saw you peering down over the banister when we arrived. No one butourselves will know we have not been properly introduced." His wickedsmile widened. "It shall be our little secret."

Melissa's face heated as she stared at the large hand he held out to her. Shegripped the champagne glass, looking around for somewhere to put her drink. Shewouldn't miss this dance for the world.

"Shall I take that for you?" Without waiting for a reply he pried theglass from her hand and beckoned a servant. Glass dispensed with, he turned hisfull attention on her. "Shall we?" and he offered his arm.

The crowd of guests turned to vapor. All Melissa could see, feel, hear andsense was him.

She was blind to the glittering candles and immune to the music filling theballroom. She simply let him guide her, his arms holding her gently in thewaltz. His scent filled her being -- sandalwood, whiskey and masculinity.Masculinity. He oozed it from every pore.

Theytwirled around the floor, unrespectable in their closeness. Melissa didn'tcare. His lean hardness thrilled her. The cut of his evening coat accentuatedhis broad shoulders. His breeches fitted like a second skin, leaving nothing tothe imagination.

Melissa had a wonderful imagination.

If you enjoyed the excerpt, visit my website for more.

PLUS one winner will receive a signedcopy of INVITATION TO RUIN – leave a comment below, telling me who’d you’d mostlike to dance with, and in what particular type of dance.

Thanks for waltzing by, everyone. Ihope you all have a Merry Christmas and see you in the New Year. Good luck inthe draw!

Every Girls Dream....What is it?

2011-12-06T16:16:00.000-08:00

A friend sent me a poster that said:

Every guy thinks every girl's dream is to find the perfect guy - nah! Every girl's dream is to eat without getting fat!

I love that in the Regency period, thin woman were considered less attractive. The plumper, more fuller figure, was desired. It would seem that some old traditions should be brought back - I was born in the wrong era (thank goodness I wasn't, actually, given health and hygiene issues).

In my soon to be released, INVITATION TO SCANDAL, my heroine, Rheda Kerrich, is certinly curveous. The hero, Rufus Knight, is pretty appreicative of her full figure.

His dark brown eyes disquietingly familiar did noteven start at the sight of her lying naked in the copper bathtub. So much forthe idea that her bodily charms might disarm him; after her actions earlierthis evening, he was impervious to her nudity.

His broad shoulders filled the doorway,subtly reminding her there would be no escape. She allowed her gaze to travelup the hard lean length of him. His presence dominated her bedchamber. Hermouth went dry. She briefly closed her eyes and offered up a silent prayer. “Whereis he?” Rufus’s voice was as cold and imposing as the rest of him. Although sheknew what was coming, this Rufus frightened her.

Rhedasteeled herself against his dark insolent beauty and snapped, “Lord Strathmore,what is the meaning of this intrusion? I am bathing. Kindly remove yourself,sir, or with one scream I’ll summon help and have you removed.”

Cold and arrogant, Viscount Strathmoreraised a sardonic brow. “Not a very convincing performance, Miss Kerrich. Theonly help a scream will likely summon is my men, and I’m sure they’d love towitness Miss Rheda Kerrich in all her natural beauty.”

He moved farther into her bedchamber with surprisinggrace for a man thrumming with tension, then stood before the fireplace,surveying her with a cool, raking glance.

Rheda shivered under his slow, deliberate stare; hemade her feel tarnished, unworthy, but she lifted her chin and studied him withthe same cool insolence as he was giving her.

He was worth the attention. His hair that had flowed freely over hisshoulders in the ballroom just hours earlier was now plastered to his head; waterdripped onto his collar below. The threads of copper that ran through the rich,chocolate-colored hair glinted in the firelight, flashing danger.

“I won’t ask again.” The timbre of his voice, low and cultured, flowed like velvet but withan edge of steel. “Where is your brother?”

Rheda felt herself flush, but she kept her gazesteady, gesturing with one wet arm, around the room. “You can see my chamber isempty. I have no idea where he is.” She paused, raised an eyebrow, andcontinued, “Do you think he’s hiding in the bathwater?”

As soon as the rash words were out of her mouth shewished she could take them back, for he moved deliberately toward her until hestood towering over her at the tub’s edge. His scathing perusal swept thewater, searching its dark depths before moving over her half-exposed breastsand up farther until their eyes met.

“Youdo not even seem surprised I am looking for him. Why is that, I wonder?” Hisquestions held an edge of wryness.

Rheda dreaded having to respond. Whatever she saidwould only deepen the trap he was setting for her. Feigning indignation, shecountered, “I am flustered, my lord. I have never before had a gentlemanbarge into my chamber while I was bathing.”

He dropped to a crouch next to the tub, his blackbreeches pulling tight across the powerful muscles of his thighs. With elbowsresting on the tub, he leaned his chin on clasped hands. “Ah, but then mybeautiful Rheda, earlier tonight you didn’t want me to be a gentleman.”

She swallowed, her traitorous body reacting to hishusky murmur, the scent of sandalwood and masculinity surrounding him.

Thewicked rogue slowly reached out and with one finger traced a droplet of waterfrom her right shoulder diagonally across her exposed breasts until his fingerrested on her now hardened left nipple hidden just below the waterline.

Herbreath quickened. She desperately tried to ignore his touch, but her body grewhot with desire at the feel of his finger slowly circling her aureole. His smile widened ather body’s obvious response.

His head turned and his seductive smilefroze. Straightening, he moved to the corner of the room. A towel lay crumpledthere, a scarlet stain visible on one small corner.

Rheda’sstomach knotted.

Heswiveled to face her, no amusement or softness in his steely gaze. He steppedcloser, grim anger scoring his mouth, but then he visibly repressed it. “Notseen him? Then where did this blood come from? I know I wounded him. If you arecut, show me. He has been here, hasn’t he? Where are you hiding him?”

“You misunderstand, my lord.” Rheda lowered her head, allowing her embarrassmentto flame into her cheeks. “It’s myblood. My monthly courses have juststarted.”

Men, she knew, did not discuss such topics.She held her breath, hoping that wouldunsettle him. But his next statement made her choke on her own words.

“Stand up. We’ll see how truthful youare.”

Her head came up. “I beg your pardon?”

“I said stand up. If what you say istrue it shouldn’t take long for the evidence to appear.”

Rheda’s fear was replaced with sparks ofanger. Her teeth set and her voice changed. All pretense of softness andfemininity gone. She snapped, “How dare you? Get out of my chambers, now!”

With arms folded across his chest, hecommanded, “Either stand up or I will call my men to help you out of the tub.Your choice.”

Rheda closed hereyes, feeling a spell of dizziness. Lord Strathmore had her trapped by her ownlies. She chewed her bottom lip, trying to decide what to do. She had to delaythe excise men as long as possible. Long enough for Daniel to escape. Liftingher head, she squared her shoulders and, with great dignity, complied. Shegracefully stood up, naked, proud and tall in the tub, water streaming downover her curves.

There was a bleak satisfaction at thereaction her emergence from the water provoked. Longing flared across the finelychiseled features.

He swore softly under his breath beforeflashing a mocking smile. “Rheda means goddess in ancient Anglo-Saxon—did youknow that? You are aptly named, for you truly are a goddess among women.”

I bet most men apprieciate curves too? What do you think?

INVITATION TO RUIN is available for pre-order. Or read more on my website.

Monday Bookitis - I need suggestions for a great read...

2011-12-04T11:24:00.001-08:00

Hi everyone

I had a wonderfully busy weekend. A friend's 50th birthday, a colleague’s retirement function, watching Rory McIlroy win the Hong Kong Golf Open, and I played in a bridge tournament with my mum - we came 7th which was pretty pleasing considering I hadn't played in months.

But I did find time to read a book. My trusty kindle never left my side. This weekend's read was, Engaged in Sin, by Sharon Page. It was a fun read. I like a bit of steamy sex in my books, and the premise was good.

I'm about to start Anita Clenney's, Awaken the Highland Warrior.

What have you read this weekend? Care to share? I'm really keen to find some great new books to read when I go on holiday in January.

Please leave a comment with your suggestions.

Sandra Hyatt, HMB Desire Author, - posthumous book Lessons In Seduction

2011-11-30T16:14:00.001-08:00

As you all know, author Sandra Hyatt passed away suddenly earlier this year. However, Sandra left a wonderful legacy in her stories - her book, Lessons in Seduction, which received an awesome 4.5 star review from Romantic Times, is out December 1st, and her friends are all banding together to spread the world.

Here's the blurb:

A prince on a quest to find the perfect wife doesn't have time to trifle with a commoner. But Adam Marconi's longtime friend and sometime driver, Danielle St. Claire, has him contemplating a change in plans. Why can't the royal have a little fun before finally settling down? Then their supposedly quick affair suddenly turns serious.

And Prince Adam finds himself in a quandary. Say goodbye to the one woman who sets his heart and body on fire, or defy all the rules and cause the scandal of the century.

You can read a full excerpt here, but here's one of my favorite bits (I am already loving this heroine.)

His gaze didn't pause; it swept over hers as if she was invisible, or of no more importance than the back of her headrest. That was good. If only she could trust in it.

Because she wasn't supposed to be driving for him.

Because he'd banned her. Actually, it wasn't an official ban. He'd only intimated that he no longer wanted her to drive for him. But in palace circles an intimation by Adam was as good as a ban. Nothing official was necessary.

Though, honestly, no reasonable person would blame her for the coffee incident. The pothole had been unavoidable.

~ from Lessons in Seduction by Sandra Hyatt

Barnes& Noble, Amazon, Harlequin, Book Depository, Barbara's Books(NZ)

Kindle, Nook, eHarlequin

If you have a blog, Facebook page, Twitter account etc, and would like to help spread the word about Lessons in Seduction, please go ahead. The more the merrier. Here's to Sandy!

Will Romance Authors have to Change Their HEA Endings?

2011-11-29T12:11:00.001-08:00

IsMarriage on the way out – why then are romance books so popular?

There was an interesting article in the Daily MailUK today.

More than half of adults in the UK are unmarried, statistics revealedtoday.

The increasing numbers of the single population, as well as growth ofcohabitation by unmarried couples, has led to the decline, according toexperts.

I find this quite interesting given that 100%of romance books, when they get to the happy ever after, show the couple are goingto get married, have got married, or were already married. Do you think we will have to change our HEA endings?

I write Regency romances, and of course, youbasically had to get married. There was no concept of living in sin being remotely‘acceptable’. If you ‘dishonored' a woman, you married them, sometimes pressurizedat the point of a sword.

A large increase in divorces was noted in the 70s, as the newly-introducedDivorce Reform Act in 1969 came into effect and made it easier for couples todivorce upon separation.

Do you think it is too easy for people to getdivorced? Perhaps the increase in the divorce rate is because people don’t takemarriage, a commitment, seriously? Look at Kim Kardashian – a classic example.Dated for a year, and then separated 72 days after getting married. Is that a commitment– perhaps to the money?

I love the idea of a committed partnership –does that require marriage? Probably not. You don’t need a piece of paper toprove your love and commitment, your actions demonstrate that.

However, there is something so very specialabout two people living their lives together as man and wife . My grandmother,who will be 101 years old in January 2012, was married to my Grandfather forover 50 years. It was very special to see.

What’s your take on the decline in marriage? Is it a trend that is likelyto continue? And does it matter?

Monday Bookitis - What have you read this weekend?

2011-11-27T11:51:00.001-08:00

I know the Americans have just celebrated Thanks Giving, so I'm sure loads of eating and drinking went on coupled with relaxing activities with friends and family, perhaps a good book.

This weekend in New Zealand saw us all go to the polls for our three yearly Government Elections. Yes, we got to vote for the leader of our NZ parliament for the next three years. So quite a few election parties on Saturday night.

I did mange to read over the weekend, but I have to admit it is the first weekend in a while where I did not finish a book (I am busy editing my WIP too). But I am half way through Stephanie Lauren's In Pursuit of Eliza Cynster. And of course I'm loving it.

Stephanie's Cynster series is still one of my all time favourites, and she is delivering the same quality read and story.

Let's face it - who doesn't love a damsel in distress kidnap story...

Brazenly kidnapped from her sister Heather's engagement ball, Eliza Cynster is spirited north from London to Edinburgh. Desperate and determined to escape, she seizes upon the first possible champion who happens along - gentleman scholar Jeremy Carling. Villains and rescues are a far cry from Jeremy's area of expertise, yet he cannot abandon a damsel in distress. But danger lurks and hurdles abound in their race to elude the mysterious laird, until a final confrontation on a rugged, windswept cliff reveals what their future life could hold - if both are bold enough to seize and submit to their passionate desires ...

What did you read over the weekend and can you recommend your favorite romance book of 2011 for me to read?

Technology and Romantic Story Themes...

2011-11-23T20:04:00.001-08:00

Many romance novels base their theme around hidden babies or contested paternity. A company in USA has made it easy for the lies to be exposed. Romance writers will have a new tool to use in their books - except of course those of us who write historical romances.

Identigene by Sorenson Genomics of Salt Lake City, have developed a do-it-yourself DNA paternity test.

I have always found the idea of DNA testing interesting, but then I can see the human implications of such a test. It already has my mind buzzing with story ideas.

Amazon

I write Regency romances, and it was almost impossible to prove paternity unless the child mirrored the father in looks.They didn't understand about genetics in the early 1800's. To ascertain paternity, they had nothing to go on but a man's conscience or the looks of the child.

This led to vast inequalities regarding who was, and who wasn't, a man's child. I've several friends whose children look very much like their father, while others that look like their mother. It was a very unfair system. Often boys would be claimed in order to ensure the continuation of the family line regardless of who their father truly was. While others were denied their true birth right to avoid disgrace or having to financially care for the child.

All of this has led to the writing of many wonderful romance stories. I'm not sure how romantic, buying a DNA test kit can become, but I'm sure romance authors will turn it into something wonderful. No longer will the hero be shocked at finding a pregnancy test in the trash, it would have far more impact to have him find a DNA test kit. I can just see the 'black moment' and turning point now!

Monday Bookitis - What I've Read Over the Weekend

2011-11-20T15:34:00.001-08:00

I actually finished my current WIP on Sunday. I managed to get to 93,000 words, yippee! It's a new Regency starting in London, travelling to Canada, on to Jamaica and home to England.

So to celebrate my hard work I relaxed with my Kindle and read Tessa Dare's Once Upon a Winter's Eve: A Spindle Cove Novella.

At only 79cents this was tremendous value. I thoroughly enjoyed the story. It's a charming tale set in Tessa Dare's fanciful seaside village of Spindle Cove. Spindle Cove is a unique haven for ladies who have something about them that sets them apart from society. Now I'll have to buy the rest of the Spindle Cove story - very clever of you Tessa!

What has everyone else been reading?

Model Agency Says 16 is Too Old - Hidden Agenda?

2011-11-19T11:48:00.001-08:00

I was horrified to read this article in the NZ Herald this week. This is the headline...

Model agency says 16 is too old

An Australian modeling agency is under fire for suggesting thatgirls aged 16 are too old for the catwalk - but 13-year-olds are welcome. Read more...

I write Regency romances and in the early 19th century, if you were a woman,and unmarried at twenty-one, you were almost considered a spinster.

My heroine in INVITATION TO SCANDAL, due for release early next year istwenty-five and considered unmarriageable due to her age.

Over the last 150 plus years, women have worked hard to show that ageis largely irrelevant in marriage, childbearing and just about any profession.

So to read drivel like this really annoys me. How can a thirteen year oldrepresent clothing for a grown woman? Some-one please tell me that?

Is there something more sinister behind this statement? It use to bethat anorexia was the modeling worlds big problem, and now that they can't be seento allow curvaceous women to starve themselves to fit their look, it would appear they will get around this byusing pre-pubescent girls!

I hope any clothing store refuses to use this model agency until they get inthe real world. Or women refuse to buy clothes from brand using young women like this. It's not healthy for anyone.

Are Kick Arse Heroines Making Teen Girls More Violent?

2011-11-15T11:01:00.001-08:00

There is an interesting article in the NZ Herald this morning about young girls and their rising aggression.

"Nationally, police apprehensions of girls for "acts intended to cause injury" have almost doubled in the past 16 years, from seven to 12.3 per 1000 girls in the 14-16 age group, while apprehensions of boys have been stable at between 18 and 20 per 1000 boys.

Dr Swift said this was partly because girls' violence may have been ignored in the past, but she believed girls were also becoming genuinely more violent.

"Look at the media," she said. "The sexualised kick-ass girl is is highlighted as a girl who can throw her own weight around and attract male attention and be aggressive, not deal with emotion. She lacks empathy. She is there for herself."

Skylight Trust deputy head Tricia Hendry, co-author of a new book called The Anger Toolbox, launched yesterday, said young people were becoming angry because of growing stress in modern society.

Dr Swift also found effects of family breakdown in 100 intensive interviews with girls who had been involved in violent behaviour. One girl told her: "The majority of me and my friends don't have father figures."

But Dr Swift found that the main reason for most girls' fighting was "competition over boys' attention".
She said many girls adopted a "tough girl" self-identity as a way of feeling good about themselves because they didn't get approval from their parents or teachers.

"It was commented that boys found girl fighting entertaining and sexually stimulating," she said.
Dr Swift said her research showed that girls' violence was caused by quite different factors than boys' violence and needed gender-specific interventions."

I write Regency romances and in the 19th century women were not taught how to stand up for themselves. I'd hate to see women go back to those days. What's wrong with a girl with a little spunk? Would we be having this debate if it were boys fighting?

In both my books, INVITATION TO RUIN and INVITATION TO SCANDAL, I refused to make my heroine's think they could not look after themselves or others.

Well - what do you think? Do your kick arse heroines cause young teens to violence or is it the stress and pressures of life? Is life copying art? If so, is it a bad thing?

Monday Bookitis - What I've Read Over the Weekend

2011-11-13T10:59:00.001-08:00

I'm actually on deadline for my latest Regency WIP and so I shouldn't have been reading at all but I had to read Joanna Bourne's The Black Hawk. I have read The Spymaster.

What can I say? What a perfectly crafted book. The writing was superb, the character's finely crafted. A tremendous book. However, not one I can say I really enjoyed. I admired the writing and the craft, but I don't appear to like my heroine's so abused for some reason. It makes me sad and angry that they wasted 16 plus years over war.

I admire the book and would read anything Joanna Bourne ever wrote, but it just didn't do it for me. I didn't feel uplifted at the end, in fact all I felt was sad that they had lived such terrible lives.

Come on. I bet hundreds of you are going to disagree with me. So let me have it. If you've read The Black Hawk, let me know what you thought.

Giving Away a Copy of INVITATION TO RUIN

2011-11-13T10:53:00.001-08:00

Hi everyone

I'm really excited today to be guest blogging on my good friend, Kylie Griffin's blog. Kylie won the GH for Best Paranormal in 2010 and her debut paranormal, VENGEANCE BORN: A Novel of the Light Blade, comes out on 7th February 2012.

I'm talking about my debut book, INVITATION TO RUIN, and giving away a copy to one lucky commenter.

Pop by and say hello!

Want to get your book in film....

2011-11-11T11:32:00.001-08:00

In New Zealand it could be a reality. I'd love to see some of the books I have read made into a film.

In conjunction with the New Zealand Film Commission, NZ On Air and the NZ Herald, your dream could come true with Make My Movie - MMM. I think it's a fabulous idea to help get stories told. Stories the public actually want to watch. We get to choose.

Here's how it works:

'All they need to do is upload their movie idea with thefollowing; a title, a logline, a poster and a synopsis. The entriesthen get culled down to a top 12 with some help from social networking and apanel of industry types. When we are down to the final 12, then the publicreally gets involved and backs the film they want to see made.'

Check out the final twelve, and vote. I would have liked a bit more variety, but hey, perhaps next year a romance will be there. (Ever hopeful).

http://www.makemymovie.co.nz/about/

I hope this becomes an annual event. I'm sure it will become more popular with time and more writers could see there project on the big screen.

Amazon

I wonder if they'd like INVITATION TO SCANDAL on the big screen? What do you think?

A Reason to Exercise...

2011-11-09T12:19:00.000-08:00

I hate exercising but I might give it a go just for this...

I hope the ladies enjoy!

Apparently Being a Beauty has it's Benefits

2011-11-08T17:07:00.000-08:00

There is an article in the NZ Herald today regarding a new book written by an economics professor, Daniel S Hamermesh, at the University of Texas-Austin, who concludes that beauty brings many real benefits.

As a writer of Regency historical romances, where the hero is usually dashing and the heroine exceedingly beautiful, I always bought into the belief that those who were of the more attractive persuasion had advantages.

The herald article says, “Daniel S Hamermesh has studied the economics of beauty for about 20 years. In the book, Beauty Pays, he writes that attractive people enjoy many advantages while those who are less attractive often face discrimination.

Hamermesh finds beautiful people are likely to be happier, earn more money, get a bank loan with a lower interest rate and marry a good-looking and highly educated spouse.”

If this is indeed true, then this is where authors have an obvious advantage. Romance readers don’t buy a book because of the way the author looks. In fact, very rarely do they even know what the author looks like when trying to decide what book to buy. They are influenced by the book’s cover, back cover blurb and first few pages.

For example. I bought and read several romance books by Bertrice Small. Very tense, very sensual and highly entertaining. I got the shock of my life when I learned she’s about 70 + years old and is what I’d term, ‘a little old lady’. Did learning how old she was and what she looked like, change my opinion of her books and make me not want to read them? NO! In fact, I admired her more. She’s a pretty hip and with it ‘little old lady’.

Writing is probably the one true profession not affected by this sort of shallow judgment based on looks (thank goodness). The only thing a reader is likely to judge is the book's cover, but as the old saying goes and we authors know (we don't often get much of a say re: our covers) – don’t judge a book by it’s cover!

Speaking of covers. Here is the cover of INVITATION TO SCANDAL (April 2012). I happen to love my covers. This one is very beautiful. I hope the cover makes you want to pick up the book, and then perhaps buy it. Let me know what you think.

Click here to read an excerpt or chapter one of Invitation to Scandal.

Monday Bookitis - What I've Read Over the Weekend

2011-11-06T11:25:00.000-08:00

April 2012

It's Monday morning in New Zealand and time for me to divulge what I read this weekend. As it turns out, not a lot. Usually I read three or four books as I find it a great way to relax, but unfortunately I'm on deadline, and I have my copy-edits for INVITATION TO SCANDAL to complete.

It was also the monthly RWNZ Wellington Chapter meeting and I couldn't miss that! Our homework was to write a scene from a male POV, and then re-write the same scene from the female POV. Needless to say, there were at lot of laughs.

But I did manage to read Touch of a Thief by my fellow Brava author Mia Marlowe. I absolutely adored this book. Strong characters, loads of sensuality and a little bit of the paranormal about it.

Now it's your turn. I'd love to hear from other readers. What have you read and what books have really taken your fancy, or have landed on your KEEPER's shelf this past week?

Come on - share!

Invitation to Scandal - Cover and Blurb

2011-11-03T15:29:00.000-07:00

Yippee! I can share the cover of my next Regency historical, Invitation to Scandal.

PLUS - my debut book Invitation to Ruin has been nominated in the RT Reviewer's Choice Awards in Best First Historical.

Invitation to Scandal is due out in April 2012 (available for pre-order book only at the moment).

Plagued by scandalous rumors, Rheda Kerrich will stop at nothing to restore her reputation and make an honest living for herself—and she’s determined to do it without a husband. But times are hard, and smuggling is a risky though profitable trade. So when a dashing agent for the English government catches her in the act, she desperately resists his charms and conceals her illicit profession. Until she realizes he may be the key to her ultimate freedom—and unbridled passion…

Rufus Knight, Viscount Strathmore, has never had trouble beguiling the ladies of Kent. When his search for “Dark Shadow,” a cunningly elusive smuggler, leads him to alluring and headstrong Rhe, her objections to his amorous advances merely incite a tantalizing game of cat and mouse. Soon, they’ll find the very secrets driving them apart could ensnare them in a love they can’t escape…

Click here to read an excerpt

The Happy Ever After... Or Not?

2011-11-01T13:44:00.000-07:00

I love reading romance because I'm a sucker for the HEA. I like my entertainment (and that includes books, movies and TV) to be uplifting. There is so much stress in our everyday lives that I like a little bit of light, happy relief. to get that warm, fuzzy feeling inside.

What I don't like, is being sucked into a HEA. I'll admit now that I'm a Kardashian fan. I like their example (okay it might not be a perfect example) of a close family unit, that obviously love one another and support each other.

So to see Kim's second marriage last only twelve months, is a joke. It’s irrelevant whether it’s a hoax or not. To me it looks as if they have not taken their vows seriously, or worked at their marriage. It really diminishes the seriousness of marriage vows and makes ME, the viewer, who oohed and arrrhed over the wedding, feel stupid.

Was it all a con and a way to make millions of dollars? It appears to look that way. It's insulting to her fans and worse insulting to those who are desperate to wed but are denied the right to marry.

As far as I can tell, the only person to get a HEA here is the one who made all the money.

I hate to see love become so mercenary. So much for HEA, but perhaps Kim finds money preferrable to true love. How sad.

Monday Bookitis - What I've Read Over the Weekend

2011-10-30T13:07:00.000-07:00

Hello from a spring, turning to summer, morning in New Zealand. I've heard the East Coast of the USA has had a cold start to winter, with loads of snow! Great time to be indoors reading.

I've been reading some truly wonderful books the last few weeks, and I thought it would be great if I could share some of my favourites. I'd also love to hear from other readers. What have you read and what books have really taken your fancy, or have landed on your KEEPER's shelf.

Starting this week, every Monday will be 'What I've Read Over the Weekend' blog. I'll share the book or books I've read over the previous week that impressed me the most and you guys can do the same.

So, my first favourite book of the week is, The Devil in Disguise, by Stefanie Sloane. I was actually given the book as a giveaway at the Romance Writer's of New Zealand conference. I missed the conference due to illness but a friend gave me her Regency freebies from her goodies bag, knowing that I'm a Regency nut.

I had never come across Stefanie but from the VERY first page of this book I was hooked. The hero was absolutely delicious. Pretending to court a beautiful woman to save her from a deadly assassin. It could only end in - love!

Now, over to you. What's been your favourite book from last week and why?

And remember if you are in need of a passionate Regency romance, I can thoroughly recommend my debut historical, Invitation to Ruin.

Have a great week everyone.

What does commitment mean in this day and age?

2011-10-20T13:10:00.000-07:00

I live in New Zealand and we can sometimes feel cut off from the world, so I try to read the international newspapers online each morning over breakfast.

Today I found myself thinking about the meaning of commitment because of two headlines in the UK Daily Mail.

Headline One:

Extraordinary love story of couple married for 72 years who died holding hands just an hour apart - and how wife's heartbeat kept her dead husband's heart monitor going

After 72 years of marriage Gordon and Norma had only an hour's separation between them in their passing, yet their locked hands never let go.

The family of the Iowa couple says their life together was a real-life love story, never separated, even after their tragic car accident which sent them both to the hospital.

Click here for the full story

Headline Two:

On the rocks? Newlyweds Kim Kardashian and husband Kris put on united front amid divorce claims

They have been married just eight short weeks but their marriage is said to be crumbling.

And despite newlyweds Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries stepping out for a double date last night, sources claim the couple is already heading for divorce.

A source close to the couple has told MailOnline: ‘I don’t know when they’ll announce the split or why they got married in the first place but they are done.’

Now I know that rumours are just that, and this story may not be true, but it is not farfetched when you see so many celebrity couplings come and as if it’s as easy as changing their coat depending on rain or shine.

Gordon and Norma’s son summed it up:

'They believed in marriage,' Dennis Yeager, the youngest son of Gordon Yeager, 94, and wife Norma, 90, told MailOnline. 'They chose each other and once they had committed, that was it.'

I know it’s definitely not good to stay in a bad marriage, but how hard do couples work at their relationship or better yet, how well do couples know each other before they marry? Do they want the same things out of life? Are they prepared to put the hard work in? Are they going into marriage with realistic expectations? And finally, are they prepared to ‘forsake all others’.

Sometimes I think, like everything else in this consumer driven world, we want our cake and to eat it too. Marriage is about COMPROMISE – do we know what that word actually means today?

I loved Gordon and Norma’s story. It made me think about what the word Marriage and the word Commitment mean. Both deserve to be taken seriously before, during and when entering a marriage.

Dennis finishes with, 'I don't believe there was a big secret to their marriage. Sometimes one or the other would get mad but they worked everything out.

They say dying can be a lonely business – not for Gordon and Norma it wasn’t. RIP.

Has the lot of woman improved – maybe for only some of us...

2011-10-11T14:19:00.000-07:00

In England a 21 year old Pakistani woman who was forced into an arranged marriage, refused to sleep with her husband. His response - he chloroformed her, tied her to the bed and raped her over a six week period. Sounds like something from a historical novel – but no it has happened in 2011! I open the Daily Mail newspaper (online) in the UK today and read about the case.
Here’s the judgement:

Judge Timothy King said the rapist had regarded his wife as a 'chattel' he could use as he wanted.

He said: 'The victim was a vulnerable young woman, she had made her unwillingness abundantly clear and you would not take no for an answer.

'Her views were of no consequence as far as you were concerned.

'Given that you used chloroform to rape her, this was very much a contrived and premeditated act in which you subdued her capacity to resist.'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2047806/Horrific-ordeal-bride-knocked-chloroform-raped-husband-just-met.html#ixzz1aVO8l8Eh

In modern western society woman have fought hard for their rights and unlike the Regency period, the period I write about, woman are not OWNED by their husbands. I find it abhorrent that this sort of thing still goes on in the western world or indeed anywhere in the world.

In historical romances, often you will see the theme of arranged marriages, where daughters are used like bartered chattel. That’s because they were. Using daughters to form alliances, save family finances or merge two powerful families, has been going on for centuries. In many cultures it still goes on today.

I’m not saying arranged marriages are wrong. My sister’s friend has an arranged marriage and it is very successful, just as some of my friends who formed love marriages are not successful.

However, I have read more and more in the news about FORCED arranged marriages, where the woman does not want the arrangement. This I cannot condone. Nobody, man or woman, in this day and age, should be forced into marriage.

There have been two cases of this in Australia recently. The latest case was centred on a 16 year old Lebanese girl whose parents wanted her to be sent to Lebanon to marry an older man. She did not want to go and feared for her life. She was strong enough and intelligent enough to go to the police and ask for protection. The court ordered her parents to stay away from her and to surrender her passport to the police. But how many girls are not as strong?

In England a father is up on murder charges for murdering his daughter because she did not obey him. ‘OBEY’ are we still in the dark ages?

I’m not sure what the answer to this problem is. Many cultures still demand arranged marriages and as more of our cultures merge, the younger generations often don’t wish to follow the old ways. This leads to conflict.

All I know is, women have fought too hard and for too long to let go of the freedoms we have won. Tolerance and understanding is needed, but most of all support for anyone facing such a difficult situation. It takes a strong woman to stand up to family and culture. Bravo to the young girl in Australia.

Let me know what you think?

It's All About the Rugby Heroes

2011-10-08T22:20:00.000-07:00

I’ve have three lovely South African’s staying at my house for the weekend. A lovely couple and their friend. They have come to New Zealand for the Rugby World Cup (go the All Blacks). Like New Zealander’s, the South African’s are very passionate about rugby. We have great rivalry between our countries. With SA and NZ battling each year in the rugby tri-nations tournament – Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

I have just dropped them down at the Wellington stadium for tonight’s quarter final match, South Africa versus Australia. I really hope Springboks (SA) wins because otherwise my guests will be very unhappy. Although I'm not sure NZ will want to face them in the final.

So not much writing being done this weekend. I'm all about the rugby. At least I get to look at fit, sexy men and picture my next hero! Speaking of pictures. I’m currently waiting with bated breath for the cover for my next book, INVITATION TO SCANDAL. I’ve dedicated the book to my BETA Readers.

When I submitted my first book, INVITATION TO RUIN, I didn’t even know what a Beta reader was. It wasn’t until after my first sale that I was let into the secret world of the published author. That's when the word Beta reader came up. I was pretty quick to realize the value of READERS feeding back on my work.

My lovely Beta readers have given me fabulous feedback and have indicated that they’d like more details of Anthony and Melissa, my heroine and hero from INVITATION TO RUIN in the epilogue of Invitation to Scandal.

Here’s some of the fabulous detail I got from my Beta Readers:

Did you find the ending satisfying? Again, I would have LOVED!! LOVED!! LOVED to have read that Anthony and Melissa were at the wedding and are living happily ever after that she is expecting or has had a baby or two and that Melissa and Rhea are just as good friends as Rufus and Anthony. I’m a hopeless romantic. Made me wonder if Samuel and Maggie will have a story? Will they????? Something like Anthony and Melissa? What about Stephen? Will he have a story? What about Alex? Will his story be coming? What about Stephen? Daniel too? OMG!!!! I CANT wait for this book to come out. I am crossing all my fingers that Alex and Stephen will have books coming out. Do you have any ideas when this Rufus' book will be released? Is there any chance the other characters will have books. I’m very sorry to pester you.

If that isn’t the best pep talk I’ve ever received I don’t know what is?

Did you find anything confusing about the story?

No, I understood the plot and the storyline. Two people trying to prove themselves in this world. One to become independent and the other to redeem his family name. And the both of them would do whatever it took to do to make it happened. My only problem with this book was the number of times that Rhea moaned about her parents’ marriage and that she wasn't going to be dependent on any man and Rufus being betrayed and how he will never love again and that he would never trust a woman.

The last comment was a flashing red ALERT – things need to be tightened. So I have tightened them and it’s made the book much better.

Needless to say, I’ve found the experience of Beta readers, invaluable and I really thank them for offering their services. My Beta readers take their job very seriously and really, really think about the book and the series. I can’t thank them enough!

If you want to be added to my Beta reader list, please email me on

romance at bronwenevans dot com

I’ve got thick skin (as most writers do in this business) and I’m open to any constructive feedback that helps me make my books better.

So thank you to the readers. For not only spending their money to buy and read our books, but also for selfishly helping us make them even better. Way better...

Go the All Blacks Rugby Team...

2011-09-21T18:17:00.000-07:00

At the moment New Zealand is hosting the Rugby World Cup. We were the first team to win the Webb Ellis Trophy back in 1987. Since then the All Blacks are still named the best rugby team in the world, yet we haven't won a rugby world cup ever since.

So, all Kiwis have high hopes for this year, since we are the hosts. Some ingenious kiwi's have put a song together about the All Blacks rugby world cup history and how we hope this year we will get our hands on the Webb Ellis Trophy.

It will be a sorry day if we do not!

Regency Romance - When is a Hero NOT a Hero

2011-09-20T15:43:00.000-07:00

I read a fabulous Regency novel recently, where the hero was a very unlikeable character. He was not from the peerage, instead he was a man brought up on the streets. The hero set his sights on the heroine, a Duke's daughter. I was instantly intrigued. How would the author let them have the HEA when in reality she would have been disowned and shunned for marry beneath her? I assumed the author would find him a lost peerage from his orphaned past, but no, he remained a man of the streets. Would their marriage have realistically occurred in this period?

I loved the risk the author took with this story, and the mixed reviews show it didn't sit well with everyone. However, the writing was superb and I loved the story.

The hero was a vicious thug, intent on making money any way he could, legal or illegal, and also not opposed to cheating when required - very ungentlemanly. Plus, he saw woman as disposal pleasures to be toyed with. Everyone and everything was available for his amusement. He originally sets out to seduce the heroine merely for his own amusement. That in itself is not uncommon behavior in a Regency, be it somewhat ungentlemanly, but he seemed proud of that fact, which turned me off.

It got me thinking about what I admire in my heroes. The above characteristics of a hero are fine as long as the motivation for the behavior is there. The hero had had a hard life and some of his experiences would have shaped him. BUT, what was interesting was, other than falling in love with the heroine, which was a given for a romance, the hero didn't really change. I don't know if I liked that. He seemed to not think he had to apologise for anything.

I don't mind a bad, bad rake; in fact I love the dark, tortured soul who at the beginning of the book is mean and unapproachable. However, I want to see that behavior grow and change. I want to see him become a likable person, a loveable person, or why would my heroine fall for him?

What do you think? Should a bad boy always be reformed? Have you read a book where he isn't? And did you like it?

The Regency Heroine in the Modern Era...

2011-09-10T17:14:00.000-07:00

I write Regency romance and I’m an avid reader of the genre. I have just spent a couple of weeks recuperating from an operation and I’ve had the pleasure of being able to read loads of books without feeling guilty about the fact I should be writing. Not being able to sit up for any length of time in order to use a keyboard is a fabulous excuse.

The books I read are all listed in my Goodreads account. I usually only list those books that I love and would recommend others to read. I have found some fabulous new favourite writers (not necessarily new authors but new to me). Jennifer Ashley, Elizabeth Boyle, Kasey Michaels, Emily May, Anne Mallory and Tracy Anne Warren to name a few. Also some of my regular favourites, Emma Wildes, Nicola Cornick, Eloisa James, Mary Jo Putney, Anna Campbell, Gaelen Foley, Nicole Jordan. And most importantly the stories were all unique.

The one thing I did note was that there seems to be an almost 50:50 split between the virginal heroine versus the experienced heroine, one who has been previously married or has lost her innocence in scandalous circumstances.

In the Regency era, an unmarried lady’s chase state was paramount, while men were encouraged and admired for sowing as many wild oats as they liked. Of course pregnancy was one major factor. With inheritance such an issue, one needed to know that the first born son was in fact the true heir. I suspect virginity was prized by men for ego reasons – knowing they were the first. Men!

Affairs and adultery, along with mistresses, were common in the Regency era. Married woman had more freedom to pursue extramarital affairs once the required sons were born. It would appear that adultery was rife. Probably because many marriages within the ton were arranged for political and financial reasons. Love was not part of the alliance. Human nature being what it is it’s more than likely that anyone in a loveless, unfulfilled marriage, would look elsewhere for affection.

I must admit to liking the heroine’s I read to be virginal. I find the whole seduction and falling in love is heightened when the heroine is equal parts curious about the physical act of love, and yet also scared of the unknown and forbidden. Nicole Jordan writes this type of heroine superbly. Then again, a more experienced heroine usually has something more profound to lose than her virginity. She has the scars of her past to overcome.

In my first two books, INVITATION TO RUIN released 1 March 2011, and INVITATION TO SCANDAL, due for release in early 2012, both my heroine’s are virgins. However, in my latest WIP, working title, A KISS OF LIES, my heroine is a widow. So you can see I’m not restricting my stories to one or the other. It’s what suits the story. Read more about my books on my website.

Hmmmm. Having read copious books over these last two weeks, I have decided that the sexual experience of the heroine or lack of as the case may be, is not important. It 's only relevant in the context of the story and how the character’s journey to the HEA is developed.

That being said, I’d love to know what you, the reader, like in terms of sexual experience in a heroine. Does the virginal Regency heroine still appeal? If so, what do you think it brings to the story?

Offline for a couple of weeks

2011-08-20T17:12:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone.

Sorry I've been a bit quiet lately but I haven't been well. I even had to miss the RWNZ conference this weekend!

A small operation on August 26th should see me back to my bouncing self.

I've got loads of great books to read, mum lined up to look after me, and I'm still trying to do some writing on my new Regency, A Kiss of Lies. Here's the first few pages...

Prologue
London, England, November 1815

“Get up.”

If not for the fact the rage-filled voice bellowing in his ear was English, Christian Trent, the Earl of Markham, might have thought he was back in France.
Certainly the press of cold steel at his throat flooded his brain with memories of the war. Nightmarish memories. Pain filled memories. Memories he fervently tried, but hopelessly failed to forget.

Experience had taught him that when one was in such a precarious position, a sword at one’s windpipe, the identity of the attacker, and the reason for the attack unknown, one was wise to act cautiously.

Without moving a muscle he pried an eye open and tried to focus. The slight movement of his eyeball sent pain stabbing through his head. Christ, he must have drunk more than he thought last night.

“I repeat, get up.”

To emphasize his request, the attacker’s sword point pierced Christian’s skin. A small trail of warmth trickled down his neck.

In a ghost like voice, so as not to disturb the pounding in his head, Christian answered. “How can I get up with that sword at my neck? I might still be half-foxed, but I have enough wits not to push myself upon your weapon,” and he swung his hand and batted the sword's hilt, pushing it aside.

The sword immediately swung back into place.

As lethal as the rapier, the voice uttered, “That would save me the bother of killing you.”

For a split second he welcomed the idea of death before he dowsed it with an exhaled breath.

Christian ignored the cannon balls rioting in his head as he twisted and turned, desperate to untangle his limbs from the satin sheets wrapped around his naked body. The headache made him dizzy and he willed the contents of his stomach to stay down.

Where was he? A brothel? He recalled he’d paid for a woman. He knew she’d shared his bed. He could smell her lingering scent.

He drew a deep breath and calmed his mind. In order to get out of any predicament, he prided himself on his ability to use his brain better than any weapon.

“You’re a perverted reprobate,” his attacker sneered.

He tried once more to rise. Through the degrading sickness his body prickled with stark unease. It was like a second sense and it had saved his life many a time.

A movement in the shadows alerted him to the second man’s presence. The silent enemy moved across the floor to throw the curtains wide. The sunlight bounced off mirrors positioned strategically around the room, slashing Christian’s eyes like a sharp hunting knife. Christian put his hand up to ward off the sunlight’s blows.

The sound of his pounding heart filled his ears. Clutching the sheet to his body, he swung his legs over the side of the bed and clamped down on panic. Panic did not serve anyone. Fear was the enemy. He’d learned that many times on the battlefield.

You’ll pay for what you have done.” The second man’s voice indicated he liked to smoke – it was thick and gravelly. Like smoke, his anger was barely contained.

His throat constricted as the proverbial noose tightened around his neck. These men were serious.

His mind quickly evaluated likely avenues of escape. The windows were the closest options. Although the room was on the second story, he could land safely. Alternatively, the bed-chamber door was wide open, so if he could slip passed both men, he could make it down the servants stairs...

I'd love any feedback you'd like to give. Would you read more?

Speak to you all next week. Have fun.

Welcome Mia Marlowe my Guest Blogger

2011-08-10T00:30:00.000-07:00

Hi Mia - waving from New Zealand.

Welcome to Regency Seductions. I’m so chuffed to have you here, being you’re one of my fellow BRAVA historical authors.

Tell my readers a little bit about yourself. Where do you live? What do you write? How long have you been writing etc?

Mia: First of all, thanks for having me here, Bronwen. Wish I was actually visiting your lovely country but for now, cyber-travel will have to do. I live in Boston, Massachusetts in the USA with my real life hero, my DH of many happy years. (BTW, one of my sister-in-laws once asked if DH meant "damn husband." I assured her it means "dear husband." ;-)) I write sensual, adventurous and hopefully witty historical romance with a sparkle of magic tossed in for good measure. Since I was first published in 2006, my work was featured in the Best of 2010 edition of PEOPLE magazine and I've heard through the grapevine that one of my books is now on display in the Museum of London Docklands. Between now and next summer, I have 4 more print titles due out plus a number of ebooks. I hope your readers will visit my website for all the latest!

Bron: Touch a Thief was released late April 2011. Give us a quick overview or back cover blurb for the book.

Mia: Touch of a Thief is the first in the Touch of Seduction series—a trio of stories featuring characters with the “gift of touch,” the ability to glean information from inanimate objects. Here’s the back cover blurb for Touch of a Thief:

Lady Viola Preston can relieve a gentleman of the studs at his wrists without his being any the wiser and pick any lock devised by man in less than a minute. But she's careful to wear gloves when she steals jewels. Because when Viola touches a gemstone, it "speaks" to her, sending disturbing visions--visions almost as unsettling as the sight of the cool-eyed stranger who catches her red handed.

Now Viola will only be stealing at Greydon Quinn's behest. And even more daunting than the violent history of the red diamond he's after is the prospect of a night in the devastatingly handsome lieutenant's arms. Touch has always been Viola's weakness and the full body-to-body contact Quinn has in mind is about to shatter her defenses and set her senses reeling.

Bron: I don’t know any woman who isn’t fascinated by beautiful jewels. How did you come up with the premise for this story – a female jewel thief?

Mia: To be honest, Viola sprang into my mind after I saw a Pinot painting called The Gathering.

Some of you may recognize this Italian artist's style because back in the 1980's he painted covers for romance novels. I was captivated by the implied relationships in this painting. The older woman in the background is the mother of the other women, grandmother to the little girl. Their eyes are downcast and I imagined they found themselves in reduced circumstances. They seem resigned to their fate.

All except the one gazing boldly out of the canvas with a knowing, determined look. At the time, I said to myself, "That's my heroine. And even though they haven't got much, she's the reason they're keeping body and soul together." I knew she was providing for her family in a wholly unorthodox way.

Viola is the daughter of an earl, but since her father died without a direct male heir, his title, and all the income attached to it, devolved to her weasle of a cousin Jerome, who allowed Viola and her little family to languish in threadbare gentility. But she has the breeding to move in the best of circles, which makes targeting the victims of her jewel heists all the easier.

Bron: You have very interesting characters in Touch a Thief. Tell us why we should fall in love with your hero, Quinn and heroine, Viola – what makes them special, different, loveable?

Mia: I've already told you about Viola. If her moral compass is a bubble off plumb, Quinn's is riveted to true North. Greydon Quinn is a stickler for fairplay and when his friend Prince Sanjay is stripped of his Indian principality, Quinn is determined to right at least part of the wrong done him and his people by seeing that the red diamond called The Blood of the Tiger is returned to the temple from which it was stolen. Quinn is determined, some might say ruthless, and willing to use any means to accomplish his goals--including joining forces with London's most notorious jewel thief. Oh! And he's also an accomplished student of that little Indian treatise called The Kama Sutra!

Bron: You have obviously put a lot of work into creating a thrilling and gripping plot. I love the idea of a Prince who is adopted. Where do you get your inspiration from?

Mia: From history. Adoption was practiced in India for ages but adoption laws weren't codified in England until the 20th century. Since the ruling Brits didn't recognized adopted heirs, they used this excuse to "annex" Indian principalities that didn't have a male heir to inherit from the existing ruler.

Bron: Your hero, Quinn is a hero sticking up for the underdog against the might of the East India Trading Company. So does he feel any qualms about making Viola steal for him? About putting her in danger?

Mia: That does give him major fits of conscience. Quinn would have no trouble bending a man to his will. The fact that he's using Viola bothers him a lot, but even though she insists she works best alone, he refuses to put her into danger by herself. He accompanies her on her larcenous treks.

Bron: Did you have to make Viola, your heroine, different from other heroines because of your hero’s background? Did she have to learn any particular skills, such as climbing, lock picking, in order to be such a successful thief.

Mia: She had nimble fingers and learned to lift small jewels from others without their notice. She's also able to work the newfangled tumbler locks by listening for the minute clicks and acquiring the combination by touch. We first meet her climbing through Quinn's window.

Bron: What is your favorite scene in the book and why?

Mia: Probably the scene where Quinn ends their argument by kissing Viola senseless. She looks up and him and accuses him of not fighting like a gentleman. "That makes us even," Quinn says, "because you sure don't kiss like a lady."

Bron: Who’s your favorite secondary character and why?

Mia: Undoubtedly Prince Sanjay! He poses as Quinn's servant and after mistrusting Viola at first, becomes her greatest supporter.

Bron: What’s coming next for you?

Mia: Actually, I just had a new release! My novella A Knack for Trouble is in the IMPROPER GENTLEMEN anthology along with stories from Diane Whiteside and Maggie Robinson.

Lord Aidan Stonemere didn’t go from prison to a title by playing by society’s rules. If he wants something, he takes it. Rosalinde Burke didn’t object to being taken. Once. To keep her from marrying a proper viscount, Aidan will do whatever it takes to remind her how deliciously good being improper feels…

Bron: Have you got a question you’d like to ask my readers?

Mia: Sure. This is a debate I regularly have with my critique partner. She likes beta heroes and I'm all about the alpha. I'd love to know how your readers feel about it. Do you long for the sensitive type or the strong silent type who feels every bit as deeply as his "in-touch-with-his-feminine-side" counterpart, but may not be able to verbalize it?

Leave a comment or question for me and you'll be entered in my random drawing for a copy of DISTRACTING THE DUCHESS, an award winning book from my backlist.

Mia loves to connect with readers. You can find her on Twitter, Facebook and her very active blog!

A Debut Authors take on Self-Publishing...

2011-07-26T14:41:00.000-07:00

I’ve been following the Self-publishing debate with huge interest, because I’m a debut author. I have just had my first book, a Regency romance called INVITATION TO RUIN, published by a traditional publishing house in March 2011 (Kensington Brava), and I have an agent, Melissa Jeglinski at The Knight Agency.

I sold my own book to Kensington by submitting directly to my editor, Megan Records. However, Melissa negotiated the deal. I see Melissa as an investment in my career and still do. I could have self-published and below I will tell you why I chose the traditional route. It may not be right for you but for an UNPUBLISHED and UNKNOWN writer it has opened many doors for me.

So when I hear my UNPUBLISHED critique partner saying she is going to drop her agent and simply self-publish warning bells clanged in my head. There is such a lot of hype out in the market from WELL KNOWN authors about how great self-publishing is, inferring that it’s as simple as putting a book out there. For them it is, because they have a BRAND name. Then there are the likes of Amanda Hocking etc who were early adopters and probably didn't face the same huge volume of self-publishing that is now in the market and growing exponentially every day. Want to be scared?

On Amazon today there are 32.2 million books! 14.5 million Paper back, of which 164k are romance books. 76k were loaded in the last 30 days. There are only 500k kindle books. As an unknown romance author, how can I get people to - 1.Find my book within these huge websites and 2. Buy it?

I have been reading a lot of posts by Bob Mayer (who I hope to meet and talk to at the RWNZ Conference in August in Auckland, New Zealand), and of course Courtney Milan, a fellow historical romance author whose first self-published book hit number 6 on the NY Times Best Sellers list.

However, I’m also a marketing graduate and have worked most of my life in marketing roles at a senior level.

When I first heard about e-books, and with my marketing hat on, I went straight to some high profile music bands, admittedly in NZ, who had been through the musical digital revolution. The NZ market is a great place to study the digital phenomenon, because we have always had to think outside the box to get our music heard. NZ is so far from all the markets, and no one cares about a little band from NZ (similarities with the publishing industry, and there are valid reasons why). I was fascinated to understand what the launch of digital music did to these bands because the music industry is similar to the book industry. Record companies are not signing big contracts and offering large advances, so how does a band make money?

The music digital revolution opened doors for the NZ bands and made a level playing field. BUT they had to MARKET themselves and build a BRAND.

As I expected we are seeing the same problems in e-books that we saw in the music industry. Piracy (no self-published author has told me how they are going to handle the cost of piracy, and if they don’t think it’s an issue it certainly will be - ask the music industry), big music publishers are unable to make as much money so advances have diminished to almost nothing, and NEW bands are unsure of how to get noticed, how to get a sale, make money and grow their profile. The NZ bands said it was all about SOCIAL MARKETING (Facebook,You Tube, Twitter and concerts and touring to get them known). Hmmm – how does an author tour? Virtually? But it raises the issue, now that everyone who owns a PC is self-publishing (slight exaggeration but not far off), the market is flooding, how do you, as an unknown author, get your book noticed enough to make a living or indeed any money? Not easily.

Anyone who says self-publishing has nothing to do with marketing is deluding themselves. And when I say marketing I refer to the four P’s – Product, Price, Place (Distribution), Promotion. The important mix that if you get it right, can earn you the maximum profit.

For example, would Courtney Milan’s first self-published book have made it to #6 on the NY Times if it had been her first book and she was an unknown writer? Maybe, as she is an excellent writer. But I bet not as quickly, not nearly as quickly. Would she have known how to edit, book cover and been invited to blog, had the book reviewed by RT Book Review or PW? Unlikely, although this is slowly changing.

On Amazon last month there were 76,000 NEW RELEASES. As a NEW author with no BRAND name how do you get people to notice your book and want to buy it within this mass of books? MARKETING?

How and what can I do to market my book – hmmm – very little. Blog, reviews on book sites, send ARC copies out to all and sundry and hope you've priced the book correctly – probably 99cents, and it is a quality product. Good strategy. Most people will take a punt on a new author and a book if it’s only 99cents – who cares if it’s rubbish. But that won’t get you the next sale if the book is not very good. It's the next book and the next book that will grow your BRAND and revenue.

As a new author think how hard and slow it is to get facebook fans, twitter followers, blog followers, then think how hard it will be to get someone to buy your book...

When my debut book was released by the traditional publishers, it went into buying catalogues – libraries (who are also going digital and will be a big distribution channel), book chains and indie book stores, online here and around the world (both book and e-published), I had adverts in magazines, two big brand names promoting it – Kensington and TKA, and was reviewed by RT and PW. A fellow writer in New Zealand who self-published got none of that and her sales are miniscule compared to mine.

As I see it there are two camps for self-publishing. Authors who have been around for a while and have a following and backlist they can now republish themselves. They have a BRAND name that people recognise as quality and are prepared to pay for, because they know and love the product the author produces. Self-publishing is like discovering a treasure chest to these authors.

Then there are the unpublished authors who have no idea of what marketing mix will work the best for them. Self-publishing is like a mine field. Self-publish on Smashword – what market is that targeting, how do I get that market to find me, what price will they pay for my unknown brand, and what volume will I sell. How long will it take to make a living selling this way versus the traditional model which now also encompasses e-books? How long will it take me to build my brand to the point that I can successfully self-publish and what will that cost me? Traditional publishing has one cost model (and I’m talking cost to the author i.e. lower percentage commission versus higher sales) and self-publishing another. It’s a trade off.

For an unknown author, self-publishing will take time and time is money. Someone pointed out to me that it also takes a huge amount of time to get an agent and traditional contract. That is true for most authors, so that also has to be built into the equation. But I don’t think any unpublished writer should deliberately turn their back on traditional publishing and agents, believing that they will make big money self-publishing. In this crowded and ever growing market of self-published writers, it’s going to be even harder to stand out. Yes, a quality product will sell and sell well, but how do I get readers to take that initial step and learn it’s a quality product?

If your goal is to make a living from writing – not simply to be able to say ‘I’m a published writer’ – then I feel any unpublished author who turns away from the traditional publishing model is cutting their nose off to spite their face.

There will always be exceptions to the rule, but I still think the self-publishing phenomenon has a lot of settling down to do. I still feel the model is not finalised. Agents are now talking about helping their clients self-publish – I for one do not see any conflict in that. It is simply another channel with a cost associated with it, and for some authors, depending where they are in their career, it will be a very valid one. They may well become a huge channel to market given their big brand names and that’s what this game is all about – BRAND (in terms of recognition, value and consistency).

For an unknown author you must look at building your BRAND as quickly as possible, because once you have a BRAND that’s in demand – you’ll be able to do almost anything.

Whatever channel to market you chose to publish through, it will extract a cost. You must work out what channel to market has the best cost to sales ratio, both now and in the immediate future, because this market will continue to change and continue to surprise us all.

It's very cold here in Wellington, New Zealand this week...

2011-07-25T22:13:00.000-07:00

Climate change has a lot to answer for.

Yesterday, here in Wellington, New Zealand, we had the coldest day ever recorded. We actually had sleeting snow down at sea level - we never get snow!

Mostly, in New Zealand, the snow falls only on the mountain ranges that run the length of the country, through both islands. In fact, each year the skiers hold their breath and pray that we get enough snow for the season, if at all.

So, as you can imagine the country was not ready for the Arctic blast that hit us from the Antarctic. Roads were closed, schools were closed, and airports were no longer open to flights.

I was at home with the heaters on full blast (thank goodness we didn't lose power like some homes did) and I was busy writing my latest book, A Kiss of Lies.

I grumbled about my cold toes and the likely power bill, along with everyone else, until one of my critique partners from Christchurch told me about the earthquake families who are still living without indoor plumbing and hot water.

Loads of houses are still in a state of disrepair, with cracks and holes. They have to go outside to the frozen port-a-loos as they still have no running water. And they cannot light fires in their chimney's as they are too damaged, so they also had no heating.

That's when I shut up and stopped moaning. It's almost a year since the first big quake in September 2010, and six months since the February quakes but still the homes are not repaired. There was just too much damage, to too many houses. Buildings in the CDB are still left hanging open and are now filling with snow. It's fun for those of us still warm but my heart went out to the families having to live like this.

Of course there is also the funny side. The students seem to be oblivious to the cold. While the skiers of course think it's fabulous.

Oh, to be young again. I find my joints no longer like being cold.

You probably think us kiwi's need to toughen up. My Dad lives in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada so I know about cold. But you North Americans are set up for it. Most New Zealand homes don't have central heating of any kind - it's not normally cold enough. And we do not have heaters to plug our cars into, or massive snow mobiles for clearing roads. So snow really disrupts our lives. Thank goodness the blast swept through and the sun came out today.

There better not be another one of these blizzards in August, as I'm supposed to drive the 9 hour trip from Wellington to Auckland for the Romance Writers of New Zealand conference. Speakers are Bob Mayer, Tess Gerritson, Maria V.Synder, Sue Grimshaw, Jessica Faust and Angela James and of course our own Nalini Singh.

I shall sign off with my favourite picture of Lyttleton Harbour in Christchurch.

I hope you're feeling smug and warm in the Northern Hemisphere and enjoying your summer!

Treasure Quest: Discovery Lies Between the Covers...

2011-07-15T14:17:00.000-07:00

Congratulations the winners are:

Margaret and Rhonda - I decided to give two books away. I've contacted you via email so let me know you're addresses and I'll send a signed copy of INVITATION TO RUIN your way.

TREASURE QUEST: DISCOVERY LIES BETWEEN THE COVERS: MEGA AUTHOR BLOG HOP TOUR (JULY 18-25)

Thanks for stopping by. I assume you've just joined me from Rachel Van Dyke's blog - Fairy Tale Treasures. And once you've commented, so that you can go in the draw to win a copy of my book, you'll head over to Lisa Vaughn's blog - but don't leave yet. Read on....

A small tremor of thrillness hits you whenever you hear the word Treasure! Images of pirates, treasure chests and damsels in distress fill your head. - Well they do mine. For me, it's Johnny Depp's character in Pirates of the Caribbean, Captain Jack Sparrow. For one thing he's gorgeous, and he's just a little bit bad. There is something enticing about a wicked male who needs to be redeemed.

Of course, when watching Pirates of the Caribbean you had the traditional hero as well, Will Turner. No wonder the movie was so well received. You had Orlando Bloom as eye candy, equally gorgeous, but noble. His goal fixed firmly in his sight - saving his true love. There is nothing like a rescue to thrill you. A man sacrificing everything to save the woman he loves - now that's a romance.

How is it then, that Captain Jack was able to steal the film? Why did we love such an unworthy rogue of a character, who seemed to have little or no redeeming characteristics?

The reason, I think, is that you give the character a redeeming trait or flaw. One that we can all relate to. Captain Jack's true love was his ship - The Pearl - and he would do anything to get it back - well, almost anything. When push came to shove he would, in his own unique way, do the right thing, or what he perceives is the right thing - often there was a big difference. We can relate to his need to retrieve what he believes is his. We can believe in his obsession.

In a story, you can make the audience bond with any character - the audience may hate them, love them, feel pity for them, understand them - with the right motivation.

In my book INVITATION TO RUIN my very alpha hero, Anthony James Craven, the Earl of Wickham, is, at the beginning, hard to like. He's simply all about pleasure. About losing himself in pleasure to block out the terrible memories of his childhood. THAT'S what makes you UNDERSTAND him.

As the book unfolds, and you learn that his father was England's cruelest and largest SLAVE trader, who made his son do something so wicked, Anthony can't forgive himself. That's when you begin to empathise with him.

Then finally when you see the heroine, Miss Melissa Goodly open his heart, and then he faces losing her (yes there is a rescue), you fall in love with him too. You are desperate for Anthony to get his Happy Ever After.

Here's an excerpt from the book when he realises he has nothing to fear and that in fact he'd be a great father.

Freddie Dorrington, the Marquis of Skye, stood before the fire, cradling his newborn son in his arms. The silliest smile plastered across his handsome face. “Samantha and I would like you to be Philip’s godfather, and Melissa to be his godmother.”

At the mention of his wife, Anthony’s stomach churned. He missed her. He still wanted her. He feared her and what she made him feel.

However, his greatest fear was currently sleeping in his bestfriend's arms. The thought of being this tiny infant's godfather gripped his innards. He broke out into a cold sweat. “No. Absolutely not.”

Freddie held out his precious bundle. “Hold him.” Freddie smiled. “Go on, he won’t bite. He might throw up on you but I’m sure the mighty Earl of Wickham can survive a bit of vomit.” He tenderly laid Philip in his arms.

Anthony became a statue. He was too scared to move. What if he dropped him? He looked down at the babe lying peacefully in his arms and something tugged in his chest. Lord Philip Dorrington was so small. So vulnerable.

Protective feelings reared inside him. He’d never let anything hurt something so tiny, something so precious.

Anthony couldn’t tear his eyes away from the baby in his arms. Philip lay content, gripping Anthony’s finger, kicking his legs and blowing bubbles of saliva out of his mouth.

Anthony’s eyes lifted to Freddie. “You know me. You know what I am capable of. You know what I did when I was young.”

Freddie looked at his son then back at Anthony. “The boy, heavily under the influence of his father, is nothing like the man you have become. You should be proud. You survived.” Freddie stood and moved back to lean against the mantelpiece. “Would you let anyone hurt him? Would you protect Philip?”

Anthony swore. “With my life.”

Freddie nodded. “I need to know that if something should happen to me; my son would be raised by someone I trust. Someone who would not only protect him but teach him right from wrong, show him how to be a man, and most of all love him.”

His eyes pierced Anthony. “You are that man. You know what is important to a child. You know how a child should be treated. If your father’s cruelty taught you anything, he taught you how a child needs to be loved, should be loved.”

His voice a ghost of a whisper, asked Freddie, “How do you know? How do you know I’m not like my father? Love is only a word to me. Am I even capable of love?”

“Look at you. You’re holding my son as if he were the most precious thing in the world to you. I can see the emotion in your face. Fierce and proud.”

Anthony raised his head startled. Freddie was right.

“Now imagine what you’d feel if you were holding your own son.”

The words sent a blinding image crashing through his head. A picture of a little girl laughing up at him. She had large hazel eyes, flowing black hair and the face of an angel. Melissa’s face.

A floodgate opened and his heart filled with emotion, until he thought it would explode from his chest. Tenderness and something deep, too deep for words, swam through his body, touching every part of him.

His child. Their child.

There are more excerpts and the first chapter of INVITATION TO RUIN on my website.

I'm OFFERING a signed copy of INVITATION TOR RUIN to one lucky commenter (AND I will send it world wide). Simply tell me who, if they were a pirate, you'd love to be captured by and why.

LIKE ME on facebook too! Give's you another entry. If you're already a fan, leave a comment for another entry.

Don't forget to visit all the other Treasure Hop blog sites for more great prizes. The contest is open until 25th July.

HERE'S the link to the next stop in your tour - Lisa Vaughn's blog http://thegiftedonesmemoir.blogspot.com/2011/07/treasure-quest-discovery-lies-between.html

TOUR RULES:

1) HAVE FUN!!!
2) INVITE ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS!!! SPREAD THE WORD!!!
3) THIS TOUR STARTS: Monday, July 18, at Midnight (Arizona Time)
THIS TOUR ENDS: Monday, July 25, at Midnight (Arizona Time)
Winners will be drawn and posted July 26th! ***
4) MEET AND MINGLE WITH ALL THE AUTHORS! EXPERIENCE A NEW PARTY DESTINATION AT EVERY STOP! PARTICIPATE IN EVERY BLOG CONTEST AND BE ENTERED FOR CHANCES TO WIN MULTIPLE PRIZES! EVERY BLOG VISITED IS ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO WIN!!
5) PARTICIPATION AT ALL BLOGS IS RECOMMENDED, BUT NOT REQUIRED. REMEMBER, THE MORE BLOGS YOU HOP, THE BETTER YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING PRIZES. EVERY AUTHOR IS WAITING TO MEET AND INTERACT WITH YOU, SO PLEASE BE SURE TO SHOW EVERY AUTHOR SOME LOVE!
6) DID I MENTION TO HAVE FUN? WHOO! HOO!! HERE WE GOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Contest Advice -PLUS Win a 30 Page Critique of Your Next Contest Entry

2011-06-29T20:55:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone for participating in the contest. I'm going to offer another 30-page critique in September, so book-mark my blog and keep an eye out for it.

DRUM ROLL PLEASE - The winner of the 30 page critique is Tracey Alvrez. Tracey, please email me on romance at bronwenevans dot com and we can discuss your pages.

Happy writing everyone.

I’ve had a lot of support and help from fellow writers since I got up the courage to write. What thrills me about the romance industry is just how supportive it is. Because other writers and authors have helped me, I never hesitate to offer advice, support or other constructive feedback when asked.

I know in the RWA Chapters, RW Australia or RWNZ contests, they always struggle to find published authors as judges. Normally that’s because we’re so busy writing, while holding down another job! So whenever I’m asked to judge a contest I try to say yes. It’s my way of giving back.

I’ve judged in six contests so far this year, and I’ve learned to approach each and every entry with the context of – how can I give this story the highest mark possible. How can I help this entrant get in front of agents and editors? How can I offer constructive criticism that they can learn from?

HOW CAN I HELP?

As soon as I start to read an entry I know whether it’s well written. The sentences flow and the read is smooth. Now I understand what agents like Kristin Nelson think when reading submissions. I love being at her COLD READS – where your first two pages are read out anonymously, and she’d stop reading where she would have, if the pages had been submitted. She’s brutal but honest. If you're ever at a conference where Kristin is completing a cold read –submit your pages, or at least sit in and listen. You’ll learn a lot.

The skill of recognizing strong writing only comes with time and practice. Practice writing and do plenty of reading. No - -not just reading—analyzing. How has the author strung her words together? Her Scene together? Her Sequel? Look at their work. Can you see what they do?

As it’s contest season, I thought I’d help my fellow writers by detailing some of the mistakes I see time and time again in contest entries. A lot of them stem from not TAKING THE TIME to learn the craft. Like any artist, honing your craft is a must. Okay, there are always exceptions to the rule, those authors who can write their first novel with little effort and sell. But, most artists have to study and practice. Painters learn about light and structure. Pianists play until their fingers bleed.

What should writers do? Here’s my top five…

1. Learn how to make a great beginning – avoid info dumping, set-up and back-story.

If you know everything about a character right up front, what reason is there to want to get to know that character? A character should be someone who tweaks our interest. Someone we want to learn more about, and therefore spend time with. Don’t tell me their whole life story at once. When you first meet a stranger, you get to know them slowly. So should it be in a book. Only tell the reader what they need to know to BOND with the character and story. Drip the rest in through the book.

One entry I read recently was very well written, but the whole first chapter was a conversation between two really good friends. The conversation was delivering information that, if they were such good friends, would already have been known. It was purely a conversation to info dump – boring.

Another example is a HMB category entry which had a first chapter where I saw more of her dogs than the hero. The whole first chapter was about her move to a new town – back-story and set up! The hero hadn’t even been introduced by page 17, showing me the author didn’t understand the Category market.

2. Realize the best place to start the story – the moment of change

An exciting beginning has, according to Nicole Jordan, ‘emotional action’ – usually right where everything goes wrong for the main character(s). The best stories have an emotional beginning that raises questions the reader will want to have answered if they continue to read the story. It COMPELS them to keep reading. Exactly what an author’s job is. Truly – if you want great examples of ‘emotional action’ read Nicole’s first chapters. They are on her website. http://www.nicolejordanauthor.com/

3. Learn how to structure a novel – scenes and sequels

Too often I have read contest entries where the entrant doesn’t understand how a scene should be constructed and worse, there are no sequels to let me see into the characters head. What are they thinking and feeling inside - what are they not showing externally.

Every scene should contain GOAL – CONFLICT – DISASTER

The following sequel should contain REACTION – DILEMMA – DECISION

It’s this DECISION that propels the story forward into the next scene, which, once again should have a goal – conflict – disaster. Books are made up of a continual series of scenes and sequels. Read Jack Binkham’s Scene and Structure book or better, if you can, take Patricia Kay’s Scene and Sequel course.
http://www.patriciakay.com/classes/index.php

Read your scenes-- if they don’t have a clear goal then there is unlikely to be any conflict. No conflict --you have a weak story.

4. Create compelling characters – justification, justification, justification…

You can make a character behave in many different ways – good and bad – yet still make me care about them. How? By justifying their behavior.

Ensure I’m going to be rooting for someone from the start of the story. MAKE ME CARE. I want to be able to empathize right away. Make the hero too hard or too cold and I won’t care about him. Make him hard and cold and give me a compelling and plausible reason as to why he behaves like this, and I’ll want to see him grow and change as he faces his moment of change.

5. Learn how to write a chapter cliff hanger – make me turn the page

If I want to read more about your characters, or your story, by the time I reach the end of your entry, then you’ve finished the entry in the correct place. A chapter ending is the ‘teaser’ for the next chapter. The TV series, The Vampire Diaries, does this exceedingly well. Each program finishes with a sensational cliff hanger that has me desperate for next week's installment. Your chapter endings should do the same thing. I know I’m reading a fabulous book when I’m still reading at 3am – I can’t put it down. Think about the place to finish a chapter – is it in the middle of conflict and tension? Or is it once everything is resolved. It’s in the middle – make me have to read the next chapter to have my curiosity or tense moment resolved.

These are the main skills to master to help me give you a perfect score. I hope you find this information useful. As always leave a comment and let me know. One commenter will win a 30 page critique from me. You can use my feedback for your next contest. And maybe win…

The post and contest will be up until 15th July 2011. If you FRIEND me on Facebook, or you’re already a Friend, you’ll get a second entry. http://www.facebook.com/bronwenevansauthor

Regency and Paranormal - that's my kind of story. Alix Rickloff is my guest today...

2011-06-22T01:37:00.000-07:00

Drum roll please - the winner of the signed copy of Lord of Shadows is Gracie O'Neil. I'll pass on your deails to Alix and she'll be in touch.

Thanks for visiting Regency Seductions today, Alix. She has kindly agreed to spend some time telling us about her latest work and YES there is a GIVEAWAY of a signed copy of Lord of Shadows for one lucky commenter.

Here are what reviewers are saying about LORD OF SHADOWS...

“A super delightful paranormal, historical romance.” — Romance Junkies

“Gripping and suspenseful!” — Reader To Reader Reviews

“An engrossing story of good and evil.” — Romantic Times

LORD OF SHADOWS is the second book in the Heirs of Kilronan series. Can you give us a little background on the series and then tell us about this latest story?

This is the second book in my latest regency paranormal series—The Heirs of Kilronan which follows one family’s struggle to stop a madman from resurrecting King Arthur as part of a plot to instigate a war between Other and Mortal.

LORD OF SHADOWS features Lady Sabrina Douglas. Since her father’s murder, she’s hidden herself and her healing powers away from the world. But when she saves a half-drowned man, she’s unwillingly drawn back into her family’s dark legacy. A man with no memory, Daigh MacLir seeks his past. But what he discovers is more chilling than anyone could possibly imagine. Defying death was only the first step in the task he’s been given, and Sabrina is his last hope.

What came first when you originally plotted Lord of Shadows—creating the characters or building the story line?

I tend to begin my writing process with a very basic idea of my characters and a premise. In this case, Daigh had been introduced in the first book, EARL OF DARKNESS, so I had a base from which to build. This became a double-edged sword in that I started off knowing him pretty well, but it also meant I had to work with constraints placed on me by the previous work. Sabrina’s characterization gave me a little more freedom as she’d been mentioned, but never introduced in the first book. As the second book in a trilogy, the overarching plot was set in EARL OF DARKNESS. This presented its own difficulties as I navigated the boundaries set up in the previous book while keeping Daigh and Sabrina’s story as self-contained as possible.

Not to give too much away, but Daigh was introduced in the first book, and not exactly as a heroic figure. Then in this story, he’s given some monumental challenges to overcome before he can gain his happy ending. Did you find that transformation hard to pull off?

Daigh is an honorable man compelled to do horrible things against his will. He makes no excuses for his sins, but he struggles every step of the way for his freedom. To me, that always made him a hero. I did think for a little while I’d thrown too many obstacles in his path, dooming him to a tragic end. But as usually happens, the characters take their destinies into their own hands. Daigh was no exception. He fought hard for his happy ending with Sabrina.

Sabrina is a very shy and introverted woman, cloistered away not only figuratively but literally since she begins the story living within the walls of a convent. How did you ever think she would be a suitable heroine for someone with as troubled a past as Daigh?

Sabrina hid herself with the sisters after her father’s murder, unable to deal with the tragedy and her family’s disintegration. But she stayed because within that community she found not only personal healing but a calling to heal others. Daigh is a man who needs someone to mend him body and soul. It’s Sabrina’s innocence, her forgiving heart, and more importantly her belief in him that allows him to eventually forgive and believe in himself..

Daigh began as a secondary character in an earlier book. Will any of the secondary characters in this story gain a story of their own someday?

At this point, no story has jumped out at me dying to be told. But I never say never. If inspiration strikes, I may return to pick up the threads and see where they lead.

If you were to cast the book for Hollywood, who would be your ideals for Daigh and Sabrina?

Just after I began writing LORD OF SHADOWS, I stumbled on a great picture of Gerard Butler that was just how I imagined Daigh. I even sent the picture to Pocket when they were designing the cover. Unfortunately, I never seem to have the same success with imagining my heroines. They always remain a little fuzzy in my head.

What gave you the idea to link the villain's quest to the King Arthur tale?

I’ve always been fascinated with the King Arthur mythology in all its variations through the ages. It’s that very history of adaptability that makes it a wonderful jumping-off point. You can go in so many directions, depending on the parts of the legend you choose to highlight. I envision Arthur as Other—a mortal bearing the blood of the Fey—who will return someday to recreate that lost golden magical age. I loved the idea of turning that legend on its head and offering it as a fate to be avoided at all costs.

You mention the Other and the magical aspect of this story. How did you arrive at this blend of fantasy and Regency?

Historical fiction and sci-fi/fantasy have always been my twin loves when it came to reading. My bookshelves are crammed with authors ranging from Austen, Dunnett, Balogh, and Jeffries to Vinge, McMaster Bujold, McCaffrey, and Bradley. I dipped my paranormal toe in the water by infusing light magical elements into a Regency that went on to final in RWA’s Golden Heart competition. I had such fun writing that book, I chose to let my imagination run rampant, creating a Regency world peopled by a whole race of men and women with magical powers. The Other and my unusual historical paranormal universe was born.

What’s next for you?

The last book in the Heirs of Kilronan trilogy HEIR OF DANGER featuring the last sibling Brendan Douglas releases in January 2012. Brendan’s been on the run for seven years, but with the looming threat of King Arthur’s return, he’ll have to confront his past—including the woman he left at the altar.

I’m also excitedly anticipating the Halloween e-book release of DANGEROUS MAGIC from Carina Press. This Golden Heart finaling historical-paranormal was my first try at adding a dash of Fey magic to the Regency period, and I couldn’t be happier to see it finally find a place in the sun.

And finally, I’m working on a new project I hope to unveil soon—a spin-off of the Heirs of Kilronan stories set in Regency London, although there may be visits to Scotland, Cornwall, and perhaps a return to Ireland before I’m through.

Want to know more - here's the back cover blurb

Who is working the demon arts . . .

Was it her murdered father? Her fugitive brother? It has been seven years since Lady Sabrina Douglas cloistered herself with the Sisters of High Danu, but the questions remain. She is Other—a mixture of Fey and mortal—quietly using her powers to heal. That is, until she saves a half-drowned man, his soldier’s body a roadmap of scars, his fathomless eyes filled with heartbreaking loneliness. The inexplicable connection overwhelms her defenses, touching her heart, mind . . . and body.

. . . and to what end?

A man with no memory, Daigh MacLir seeks his past, even as unknown threats fill him with monstrous rage and inhuman abilities. But as a desperate game of hunter and hunted is played out from ballrooms to bedrooms, what Daigh discovers is more chilling than anyone could possibly imagine. Defying death was only the first step in the task he has been set, and Sabrina his last hope. But dare he risk involving her? Daigh has been summoned to find an ancient king, and even the powers of love may not be enough to win the battle against the powers of darkness.

To be in with a chance to win LORD OF SHADOWS, answer the following

Whose father was murdered?

Leave a comment and on Friday I'll draw one lucky winner who will win a copy of Lord of Shadows.

You can visit Alix at her website http://www.alixrickloff.com/ or on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Alix-Rickloff/101434889914147?v=wall&ref=ts

Characters - Should we love them all?

2011-06-19T18:20:00.000-07:00

I've been reading quite a lot of romance books lately while waiting for Melissa (my wonderful agent) to sign off my new Regency WIP, A Kiss of Lies. Melissa likes to read the synopsis and my first three chapters before I get too far into writing the story. Luckily she loved it and she wished I'd written more, but I digress.

Reading all these books made me think about CHARACTERS and how a reader bonds with them, because in some of the books I read, I didn't, and I wondered if that was a bad thing.

I've had some fabulous reviews for my book, INVITATION TO RUIN, but I've also had those who absolutely hate it. Hated the hero or hated the heroine. As a debut author it's hard not to feel disappointed when you read those sorts of comments. After all, it took a lot of work to write, and you hope readers will like it. But everyone likes different things and they are entitled to an opinion. It simply makes me want to try harder.

However, having just finished reading all these great books I learnt something. I've just finished reading one of my favorite author's new release (hit the NY Times top ten) and I couldn't get into the story. Why? Because I didn't like the heroine, nor did I think she was right for the hero. I did however love a romance between secondary characters in this book - so much so, I would have liked to see them have their own book.

That lead to a light bulb moment - like the people you meet in your everyday life, you're not going to like everyone or every character. It's impossible. Some people you instantly dislike, some you are happy to have as an acquaintance, and other's become instant best friends. If you look at those people around you, close friends and those who are really acquaintances, there is usually a reason why you didn't bond with them to the point of a deep and meaningful relationship -- yet everyone usually has a BEST FRIEND. We are all likable and lovable.

So should I expect every reader to fall in love with my hero and heroine? I'm not sure that's possible. What do you think?

I have given myself permission not to love every hero and every heroine. Sometimes that still means I love the story. For instance, the fact I didn't like the heroine, didn't at all detract from the skill of the writer, nor would it put me off reading another one of her books. It just meant I wouldn't pick the heroine to be my best friend (a drawback only if that character continues through a series of books as the lead character).

What do you think of my take on characters and whether we have to bond with every single one of them to enjoy the story? Should we always love both the hero and heroine or like people in real life do we have the right to be picky?

Plotting – a necessary evil or just plain evil?

2011-06-04T21:35:00.000-07:00

In my professional career as an author, I’m constantly looking for ways to not only write the best story possible, but also to do it in the least stressful, and the quickest way. A finished book is a saleable book, something both I and my agent require to make a living. An unfinished book is nothing more than words with potential.

As an unpublished author the only timetable you need to adhere to, in order to write your book, is your own. Your personal motivataton, how demanding your money earning job or family situation is, often dictates your pace. For a published author, wishing to have a full time writing career, many other things can dictate your required output and timeframes.

I found having to write two to three quality stories a year is tough going. I immediately knew gone were the days of taking my time, re-writing chapter after chapter, and changing my character’s journey’s as I went. If I had all the time in the world then maybe I could write that way.

But I don’t. I have deadlines to meet and career obligations to fulfil. Therefore, I started asking those authors who are able to pop out copious numbers of books within a twelve month period (Nalini Singh for one) how they increased their output.

Answer: Good Planning, Plotting and undisturbed writing - write, write, write

I pretty quickly realised that, for me, PLOTTING would help with my output – both amount and quality.

But what is plotting? I set out to ascertain what worked for me. It DOESN’T work for everyone! My definition of plotting is any road map that keeps you on track and delivers an emotional ride. For instance, this is my process

1. What would make an interesting conflict?

2. What’s the premise/theme of the story?

3. What character traits in the hero and heroine would make this conflict even worse?

4. I write a character by character background and bio

5. I bullet point the full story – treat them mean and keep the reader keen is my motto (i.e. How can I make it worse for my H and h?)

6. Then I write the synopsis

7. I use Michael Hauge’s 6 Act Structure to document the inner and outer H and h journey and the story’s main turning points

8. Then I write a chapter by chapter scene and sequel overview

9. Complete any research needed for the book

Crikey, I hear you say. That’s a lot of work BUT I can still get a book finished quickly because my first draft needs hardly any additional work, certainly no major re-writes. Karen Weisner’s, First Draft in 30 Days book is very useful if you're considering investigating your plotting and planning journey.

I’ve found that plotting does several things for me as a writer

1. It gives me confidence in my story’s premise. If I plot the full book I KNOW the story has enough teeth and conflict to make a 95k novel

2. It allows me the creative time to really think about what would make my hero and heroine’s journey the worst possible i.e. Deepen the conflict and the disasters

3. It makes the first draft quicker to write

4. It ensures the first draft is of a reasonable quality so revisions and re-writes are not extensive and time wasting

5. It ensures I don’t over write i.e. I don’t end up writing almost 200k words for a 95k book

6. It still allows me go off plan yet have that safety net of knowing how to pull the story back together in the best way

7. It allows me to finish a book quicker as I am writing what I already know.

There you go – plotting – for me is a necessary evil. But it also makes my job a great deal more enjoyable and much easier. My take on writing 40% plotting (research), 40% writing and 20% editing.

What works for you as a writer - plotting or pantser or a bit of both?

Guest Emma Wildes talks about her latest book... with GIVEAWAY

2011-06-01T02:32:00.000-07:00

THANKS Emma, for popping by and sharing your books with us. The winner of the GIVEAWAY is lucky last, June. I've contacted you via email.

I'm thrilled to have Emma Wildes as my guest today. Emma is one of my favorite Regency writers. I only found Emma's books this year and now I have bought her full back list and I can't praise them enough. Emma has kindly agreed to GIVEAWAY a signed copy of One Whisper Away to one lucky commenter.

Award-winning author Emma Wildes writes for NAL's Signet Eclipse line but she started in e-publishing where she has garnered an Eppie, a Lories Best Published, and a WisRWA Reader's Choice Award. She has been a # 1 bestselling author at Fictionwise, Capa nominee, and received several gold star awards from JERR. Recently, Publisher's Weekly said of An Indecent Proposition (Signet, April 2009) that it provides a spectacular and skillfully handled story that stands head and shoulders above the average historical.

Hi Emma

Welcome to Regency Seductions. Tell my readers a little bit about yourself. Where do you live? What do you write? How long have you been writing etc?

Thanks for having me here! I live in the Midwest of the US, in a rural area, with a house on a lovely lake. It is nice to watch the sun rise through the window in my office over the trees and water, a cup of coffee in my hand. I write mainly historical romance, with a focus on Regency. I just love that time period, when everyone was so polite…but not, of course, in the bedroom. My first novel was published about seven years ago and I haven’t looked back. I love what I do.

Bron: One Whisper Away was released last month. Give us a quick overview or back cover blurb for the book.

The hero was a lot of fun because he’s an American who has come into his British father’s title. Jonathan is part-Iroquois, part French, and only half aristocrat, not to mention he has always lived in America, but suddenly he is the Earl of Augustine. To his dismay he also inherits the responsibility for three half-sisters. All he wants is to settle his financial affairs and get back to his native country, but alas, it isn’t meant to be. The situation is a bit complicated already, and when he meets the beautiful Lady Cecily, he finds himself contemplating a longer stay in England that has nothing to do with duty and everything to do with desire…

Bron: This book is the first in the Ladies in Waiting Series. Have you plotted the whole series? How many books will there be and how do the books fit together?

The second book, Twice Fallen, will be out in January of 2012. I can’t wait! It features Damien Northfield from Lessons from a Scarlet Lady and readers have been asking me for his story. He meets his match in Lady Lillian Bourne, Jonathan’s half-sister who has a bit of a disgraceful past, but Damien is the last man to be daunted by a scandal. There are also two shorts in the series released in ebook only, A Growing Passion (May, 2011), and Spanish Lullaby will be out in December.

Bron: I'm one of the fans who MUST read Damien's story. I can't wait!
Tell us why we should fall in love with your hero and heroine – what makes them special?

Jonathan is not at all concerned with convention—as a matter of fact, he finds it all superficial, but then when he meets the delectable Cecily, he is willing to curb his free spirit to conform a little more to win the lady of his heart. I also found he had a touching dedication to his family, because of his close relationship with his father. He also has an illegitimate daughter, Addie, who he is completely devoted to, and good for him in an age when it was considered completely disgraceful to have a child out of wedlock…even though we all know it still happened.

Cecily shares that same quality of intense loyalty and when she realizes her sister is in love with a man who is courting her instead, she quickly forms a plan to try to bring them together. When her romance with Jonathan blossoms as a result of their concern for others, well, that seemed only fair to me

Bron: The premise sounds like fun? What inspired the plot? Do you have a sister? Was there ever jealousy between you?

I do have a sister, but she is eight years younger, so no jealousy (I was married by the time she was thirteen). In this first book in the series, Eleanor is really the lady in waiting, as she was the one who opted to decline offers for her hand because she is very free-minded and unwilling to settle for less. So, of course, I had to give her Lord Drury at the end of it all, but how to do it…that was the tricky part. Luckily, Jonathan and Cecily took care of that for me.

Bron: Your hero, Augustine, is part Iroquois Indian. That sounds very intriguing. How did you come up with the idea? What research did you have to do?

I liked that he was a man torn between several cultures and yet very confident and secure within himself. Why shouldn’t he be? His parents had truly loved each other otherwise an English earl would never have married a woman from another country of mixed descent. What a lovely romance. I naturally did some research but didn’t focus too much on the Native American aspect of it because the book is set in England. I did find it interesting to learn that the Iroquois are a matriarchal society and inheritance is passed down through the mother. Quite the opposite from the English line of succession, so in his mind, Jonathan was actually more aristocratic through his mother than his father.

Bron: Did you have to make Cecily, your heroine, different from other heroines because of your hero’s background?

I think she has a delightful sense of adventure and he is exactly the exotic hero that satisfies it.

Bron: Does Augustine face discrimination and how do you deal with it?

He does, but in such a structured society, of course he would. He isn’t completely accepted in America either because of his mixed heritage, but I tried to portray a man who has his own sense of self-worth so it doesn’t concern him. It also doesn’t concern Cecily at all, which I found very endearing. She is fascinated by the man, not the trappings of bloodlines, titles, and fortune. Had she been materialistic and snobbish, she would have just married Lord Drury.

Bron: I’m a twin and the thought of having to marry the man my sister was in love with sends shivers down my spine. I hope Cecily’s sister gets her happy ever after?

Well, here’s a hint: The extremely conservative Lord Drury starts to realize that the adventurous Lady Cecily might not be for him after all and her bluestocking sister maybe a bit more his cup of tea.

Bron: What is your favorite scene in the book and why?:

I really like the first love scene with Jonathan and Cecily because they’d both by then made up their minds, therefore it is truly a love scene (though I’d like to think it very sexy too).

Bron: What’s coming next for you?

I’m delighted to have just signed a new contract for a Regency romance mystery series. The first book is tentatively titled Ruined by Moonlight, and features Benjamin Wallace, Earl of Heathton. Newly married, he is finding his beautiful wife has a mind of her own, and he can’t decide if he is exasperated, or intrigued. Then he is burdened with the task of finding a young lady who disappeared on the same day as London’s most notorious rake suddenly is also inexplicably missing…and well, let’s just say his well-ordered life is turned upside down.

Ben (along with his unpredictable wife, Alicia) will be the arcing character for all the books in the series, with a special hero and heroine for each one. I am having a delightful time making him pit his wits against a villain who deliberately plots to socially ruin certain young ladies…

Bron: Have you got a question you’d like to ask my readers?

I do! I would love to know what you all, when you read a novel, Regency or otherwise, enjoy the most: rich description, the dialogue, the action, or knowing what is going on behind the scenes in the hero and heroine’s head? I do realize a good balance of each is what makes a great read, but if you had to pick one, which is it?

Can’t wait to hear what you all have to say!

Emma
http://www.emmawildes.com/

Answer Emma's question and go in the draw to WIN A SIGNED COPY OF ONE WHISPER AWAY.

To follow your dreams...

2011-05-27T16:57:00.000-07:00

The American Idol, long awaited final, only screened in New Zealand last night .

I must admit I haven't been a big fan of this year's American idol. I thought Pia was an amazing singer and was disappointed at her early exit. I felt there was some underlying reason for her leaving before other contestants that clearly were her inferiors in terms of voice- jealousy perhaps. She was very beautiful and slightly older than most contestants. I don't think it's any surprise that the two youngest contestants were first and second - the demographics of voters is likely geared towards the younger fans.

However, by the time the final aired I was a complete Scotty fan. What an amazing voice. He'll make such a fabulous country singer. I suspect he could be one of the most successful Idol winners ever.

Listening to him being interviewed, it struck me how much his life is going to, or has already, changed.

Before Idol he was 17, at school and working part-time in a grocery store. BUT did that stop him following his dream - no! He went for it and look what he has, or will reap.

For would be authors, the same can be said. You have to chase your dream and never give up. Finding publishing success, rewards the persistent and determined. There are so many things against you - finding the right story, for the right editor, in the right voice which they know they can sell. That's the crux of it - sell. You can write the most fabulous story but if there is no market for it - an editor is less likely to take a risk and buy it.

Success goes hand in hand with passion, commitment and as always a little bit of luck! Scotty, you're luck shone the other night.

Good luck on your new career, Scotty. I can't wait to buy your first album.

Who was your favourite contestant?

Email and Internet - A Writers Dream or Nightmare?

2011-05-23T14:40:00.000-07:00

I used to think writing was a solitary occupation. Before the internet and email it must have been. Now however, technology allows us to write BUT also keep in touch with a worldwide writing community from the comfort of your office, or in fact, anywhere!

I can’t tell you the number of amazing people I have met through my writing. The community of romance writers and READERS is one of the strongest and most supportive I have ever had the privilege to be a member of.

I sit in my home-office in Wellington, New Zealand and I can ‘chat’ with other authors and readers all over the world. I’ve made some lovely friends and read some authors I would never have found without the internet.

However, there is a drawback. Sometimes it’s difficult to turn the email or the internet off! Facebook, Twitter and Blogs. I love reading other peoples blogs.

You have to be disciplined and ruthless about your time, especially when on deadline. I’m the first to admit I suck at ignoring email or the internet. Microsoft Outlook is always open and I just have to read that new email – it might be something really important – yeah right. I distract myself by reading Facebook pages, Kristin Nelson's blog is always a favorite, as is my fellow BRAVA blogs. But worst of all I love watching YouTube clips for inspiration for my heroes ie. Cristiano Ronaldo or Hugh Jackman, the Sexiest Man Alive. Or the funny little clips that friends send you like - Flights for 50p - watch it. It's hilarious.

One of my fellow writers in my Book in 50 Days Yahoo writing group even got her husband (a computer expert) to set up her internet so it was turned off from 8am to 1pm each day – her writing time – and then it would turn back on. There was no way she could override it. He even fixed her phone too. Now that is extreme.

I like what my friend and fellow kiwi writer Natalie Anderson does. She shoots off to a hideaway with no internet access to get the book finished when she's close to her deadline.

My mentor, Gracie Stanners, (if you are a writer check out her fabulous blog on writing http://www.romanceshewrote.com/) takes herself off to the local coffee shop and writes. Unfortunately, most coffee houses now have free wireless internet but not in the little town of Waihi.

Me – well personally I simply close Microsoft Office and Firefox down and allow myself the treat of opening my email at break times. Morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea. Then at night when I'm relaxing I might read a few blogs adn Facebook and Twitter.

I’m about to go no email today as I’ve promised Melissa, my agent, that I’ll have the synopsis of my new Regency, working title, A Kiss of Lies, to her by next Monday and I struggle when writing a synopsis.

What are some of the tricks you use when trying not to let email or the internet distracts you?

Trip Around the World: Mega Author Blog Hop: Ticket to Paradise!

2011-05-14T15:12:00.000-07:00

DRUM ROLL please - the lucky winner of my prizes is

Katrina W - I've emailed you separately. So look out for my email or contact me on romance at bronwenevans dot com.

Thank you to everyone who participated. I hope you had fun and met some new authors. Look out for another Hop later in the year.

Welcome to Wellington, New Zealand in the Trip Around the World Blog Hop - I assume you've just jetted in from Brenda Pandos's Blog Site

Read down the page and the following excerpt and learn what wonderful prizes are up for grabs - I've listed them below.

I hope you brought your coats with you as the temperature will be a tiny bit cooler than Santa Cruz, CA in the USA. It's late autumn here in Wellington, New Zealand and a chill is in the air. Now, don't worry, we don't get snow, but we get gale force winds off the Antarctic and it can feel almost as cold.

The funny thing is, Wellington hadn't even been populated by the English in the time period that I write, which is early Regency era. In fact, in 1807, the setting for my dark, gritty and extremely sensual, Regency historical called INVITATION TO RUIN, New Zealand was home to the native Maori, no European inhabitants.

My hero, Anthony James Craven, Earl of Wickham aka Lord of Wicked, owned merchant sailing ships, but he would not have even known New Zealand existed. His late father might have, as he was a slave trader and would probably have captured the local Maori's to sell as slaves. Thank goodness Anthony closed his father's horrid business down.

The only thing Anthony would probably have in common with NZ was his love of rugby. NZ is hosting the Rugby World Cup in September of this year. Everyone in NZ is talking nothing but rugby. I suspect my heroine, Melissa Goodly would be as thoroughly sick of it, like me, except of course for being able to ogle the hot bods. Daniel Carter is still my favorite and was, at one time, the number one brand in NZ. But Melissa is too enamoured of Anthony to even bat an eyelash at Daniel Carter, shirt off or not... Read for yourself...

"May I have the pleasure of this dance, Miss Goodly? That is, if your dance card is not already full."

His deep, rich, voice,--rough with a bite, yet thoroughly intoxicating--made her giddier than the cheap champagne she was drinking. She swung towards the tower of masculinity encapsulating her in his shadow, sending the bubbles splashing over the side of her glass.

The Lord of Wicked wished to dance with her. With her!

It was hard to remain composed with champagne dripping from her gloved fingers. "I don't believe we have been formally introduced, my lord." She tried to shake the drops off her gloves before she had to give him her hand.

Anthony's wolfish smile made her grip the glass harder. "My brother, mother and I, are Lady Sudbury's house guests, as you well know. You were here when we arrived this afternoon. She's kindly taken us in while my house is uninhabitable." He raised a dark eyebrow. "You have heard about the fire?"

All she could do was nod. Her tongue felt like dried bread.

"I saw you peering down over the banister when we arrived. No one but ourselves will know we have not been properly introduced." His wicked smile widened. "It shall be our little secret."

Melissa's face heated as she stared at the large hand he held out to her. She gripped the champagne glass, looking around for somewhere to put her drink. She wouldn't miss this dance for the world.

"Shall I take that for you?" Without waiting for a reply he pried the glass from her hand and beckoned a servant. Glass dispensed with, he turned his full attention on her. "Shall we?" and he offered his arm.

The crowd of guests turned to vapor. All Melissa could see, feel, hear and sense was him. She was blind to the glittering candles and immune to the music filling the ballroom. She simply let him guide her, his arms holding her gently in the waltz. His scent filled her being -- sandalwood, whiskey and masculinity. Masculinity. He oozed it from every pore.

They twirled around the floor, unrespectable in their closeness. Melissa didn't care. His lean hardness thrilled her. The cut of his evening coat accentuated his broad shoulders. His breeches fitted like a second skin, leaving nothing to the imagination.

Melissa had a wonderful imagination...

Read Chapter One of INVITATION TO RUIN

I thought I'd give readers a chance to win some wonderful prizes.

INVITATION TO RUIN was released on the first of March 2011, and one lucky commenter will win a signed copy. In addition, I'll allow the winner to select the first name of my heroine in my new Regency - A Kiss of Lies. PLUS you win a $25 Gift Card from Amazon.

FABULOUS! I hear you say. What do you have to do to win?

Easy... do one, all, or some of the following:

1) Leave a comment on my facebook page telling me the name of Anthony's twin brother - hint it's in the first chapter excerpt on my website

2) Add me, or my book, to your Goodreads

3) Comment on this blog post mentioning which tasks you did. Be sure to include links and/or usernames so I can confirm which tasks you have completed.

4) Subscribe to this site via Google Follow

5) Follow me on Twitter: @authorbevans

Each of the five tasks gives you an entry into the draw.

Do one task = one entry. Do all five = five entries.

Last but not least, make sure you Visit ALL posts in the blog hop,
TOUR RULES:

1) HAVE FUN!!!
2) INVITE ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS!!! SPREAD THE WORD!!!
3) THIS TOUR STARTS: Monday, May 16, at Midnight (Arizona Time)
THIS TOUR ENDS: Monday, May 23, at Midnight (Arizona Time)
4) MEET AND MINGLE WITH ALL THE AUTHORS! EXPERIENCE A NEW DESTINATION AT EVERY STOP!
5)PARTICIPATION AT ALL BLOGS IS RECOMMENDED, BUT REMEMBER, THE MORE BLOGS YOU HOP, THE BETTER YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING PRIZES. EVERY AUTHOR IS WAITING TO MEET AND INTERACT WITH YOU, SO PLEASE BE SURE TO SHOW EVERY AUTHOR SOME LOVE!

(All winners will be verified to have visited AND participated at EVERY blog, so please make sure you participated at ALL blogs on the tour!)
6) DID I MENTION TO HAVE FUN? WHOO! HOO!! HERE WE GOOOOOOOOOOOO!

YOUR NEXT STOP IS.. LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND! Joanne Kenrick's blog....

Hope you had fun! And good luck, to each and every one of you. There are some majorly awesome prizes up for grabs from each blog site -- be sure to leave some way for me to contact you if you should win my prize -- like a twitter, blogger account, or email.

CONTEST OPEN 16TH TIL 23RD MAY

And the tour starts here:Kristine Cheney

Anna Campbell - All's Well that Ends Well

2011-05-08T12:19:00.000-07:00

AND THE WINNER IS - Keely!
Keely, can you email Anna on anna@annacampbell.info and privide her with your snail mail address.
Thanks Anna. It's been fun.

Today I have the pleasure of introducing one of my favorite Regency authors, Anna Campbell. Anna lives in Australia and writes sensuous historicals. Anna has won numerous awards for her historical romances including Romantic Times Reviewers Choice, the Booksellers Best, the Golden Quill, the Heart of Excellence, the Aspen Gold and the Australian Romance Readers Association’s most popular historical romance (three times). She has twice been nominated for Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA Award and twice for Australia’s Romantic Book of the Year. The Australian Romance Readers Association voted Anna their favorite Australian romance author of 2009 and 2010.

So, when I read her latest book, Midnight's Wild Passion, (a RT Top Pick 4.5 Stars) I asked her to blog on Regency Seductions and give away an autographed copy. Today she's here to discuss - All's Well that Ends Well - Epilogues.

My debut Regency romance, the dark, gritty Regency debut, Invitation to Ruin has an epilogue. Why? Because I love them. If you're anything like me, you too love epilogues. That last sentence that makes your heart settle it's flutter and the big sighing ahhhh escaping on a smiling breath. I want to see the HEA.

I also like using an epilogue to hint at the next story. In Invitation to Ruin's epilogue, I set up Rufus Knight, Viscount Strathmore, aka Lord of Danger. Rufus's story will be released early 2012 in Invitation to Scandal.

But Anna has a view of her own...

Are you a fan of epilogues? by Anna Campbell

I must say I am and I’m not, if that doesn’t sound too much like sitting on the fence. All right, it IS sitting on the fence, I’ll admit it. But whether I love those last few pages of wedded bliss depends on the story for me, as with so much else when it comes to romance reading.

This ambivalent attitude is reflected in my books. My first four didn’t have an epilogue. I thought both CLAIMING THE COURTESAN and UNTOUCHED didn’t need one – both books were already writing long and while it might have been nice to see Verity and Kylemore or Grace and Matthew sharing a happy life together, I doubt there was much doubt that they’d still be passionate about each other into the indeterminate future. In each case, there were no major plot elements left to tie up.

I had originally planned an epilogue for TEMPT THE DEVIL but every time I tried to write one, it threw up looming plot problems rather than resolutions which is definitely NOT what you want. Then I took another look at the final chapter and realised I didn’t need an epilogue after all. Actually one nice thing about TEMPT THE DEVIL is that I got to give Verity and Kylemore from CLAIMING THE COURTESAN a cameo appearance. This meant the people who had emailed asking about what happened got their epilogue anyway!

Again, CAPTIVE OF SIN didn’t really need an epilogue – it was pretty clear Gideon and Charis would weather anything life threw at them after they’d been through the mills of the story. Those two really did suffer on the way to their happy ending!

Which brings me to MY RECKLESS SURRENDER which, as you’ll know if you’ve read it, has a very complicated plot based on my heroine’s pregnancy. By the end of the last chapter, I hadn’t tied up that particular important thread of the story. So finally an epilogue made its debut in an Anna Campbell. And you know, I really enjoyed writing it! It was lovely finding out how Tarquin and Diana were faring a year after the tumultuous events of the novel.

Which brings me to my latest release MIDNIGHT’S WILD PASSION which came out from Avon at the end of April. This is a story of revenge and redemption in Regency London and I had a wonderful time writing the sparky dialogue between the rakish Marquess of Ranelaw and my heroine Antonia Smith, a mysterious and spirited chaperone. Again, like MY RECKLESS SURRENDER, there’s a complicated backstory that I couldn’t tie up in the final “I love you” scene of the book (hey, this doesn’t count as a spoiler – the happy ending is the promise in a historical romance). And here I really went to town – this epilogue is longer than a lot of the chapters! I have an awful feeling that I’m now hooked on writing epilogues!

You can read an excerpt from MIDNIGHT’S WILD PASSION (not the epilogue!) here: http://www.annacampbell.info/wildpassion.html

So do you like epilogues? Do you have any favourite epilogues that really just put the cherry on top of the sundae of the book?

There’s a signed copy of MIDNIGHT’S WILD PASSION (including epilogue at no extra cost, LOL!) for one lucky commenter. Good luck!

I've got a GIVEAWAY over on Goodreads...

2011-05-06T17:04:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone

I'm giving three signed copies of my debut novel, Invitation to Ruin, away to three lucky people over at Goodreads.

Offer ends 31 May, 2011. Pop by and enter. It's open Internaionally although it says only a few countries.

One Good Lady is About to Go Bad...

The only thing Miss Melissa Goodly has ever wanted out of a marriage is love. But any hope of that dissolves one wild night, when she loses herself in the arms of the most irresistible-and unobtainable-man in all of England. For when they are discovered in a position as compromising as it is pleasurable, she has no choice but to accept his proposal.

Avowed bachelor Anthony Craven, Earl of Wickham, never meant to seduce an innocent like Melissa. Yet now that the damage is done, it does seem like she'd make a very convenient wife. After all, she is so naive he won't have to worry about ever being tempted. Or so he thinks, until the vows are spoken and they are left alone-and his new bride reveals a streak just as brazen and unrestrained as his own... Read an excerpt

Romance Sales Bloom

2011-05-04T14:47:00.000-07:00

There have been so many terrible natural disasters both in New Zealand and around the world this year. New Zealand has had terrible earthquakes in Christchurch (and still going – some of the aftershocks have caused further damage to orginally safe buildings.) Now we have extensive flooding in the Hawke’s Bay and a tornado in Auckland that took a life.

Don’t get me started on Japan and the absolutely tragedy there. And the earthquakes in China too.

Then there has been the terrible tornadoes that ripped across the United States.

Coupled with the world economic situation is there any wonder that doctors have noticed an increase in depression and anxiety – surprise, surprise.

So, I’m not shocked to hear that ROMANCE book sales have increased during this period. Most of us love to escape from reality for a few hours – days – depending on how fast you can read. A fabulous plot, great charaters and the happy ever after is addictive. I’ve been trying to read as I have a huge TBR pile but I’ve also been very busy writing.

I’ve just finished writing a Harlequin Presents book, about an Italian Conte and his estranged wife. It’s with my agent for review. Plus I’ve started planning out my next Regency series called The Disgraced Lords. It’s a six book series about a group of Libertine Scholars who are set up, framed for various crimes, and forced to leave England. It’s about their journey to clear their names and return to the bosom of Society, helped of course by women who also win their hearts.

I’m so excited to be starting a new series; the planning stage for me is the greatest fun. I’m a plotter and I love formulating the books before I start writing. I love having a plan and working to complete the goal.

Other writers prefer to evolve the story as they write. Not me. I love to know where the book is going before I write it.

If you are a writer – what sets your bells ringing – plotting or evolving – or a mixture of both?

If you are a reader – have you ever loved a book so much you had to take sneak peak at the end?

Character's - Are You Hooked?

2011-04-15T17:50:00.000-07:00

I watch a bit of TV – I admit it. I’ve found that having MySky (like TBO boxes in the USA) where I can record loads of programs, allows me to watch more TV, yet still have time for everything else.

Like skimming when reading a bad book, the fast forward button allows me to be VERY selective about what I watch and makes watching without adverts so much quicker.

I was looking at my recordings and asked myself why I record these programs in particular. I’ve analyzed why certain programs hold my interest. For instance, on TV in New Zealand at the moment, is a reality program called Pineapple Dance Studios. Not hard to understand what the program is about. It’s about a successful dance studio based in London.

It interested me to start with because, when I lived in London, I used to go to the Pineapple Dance Studio for my aerobic classes that my fellow New Zealander, Marina, used to take. Twice a week, at least, I’d go for a class and then often stay to watch the dancers practicing.

But when I watched the first episode, something happened. I got drawn into the program and now I record each episode. Why? I hear you ask. Surely once my nostalgia was satisfied I’d not need to watch more. Not need, no. But want, yes.

I’m hooked.

Because of the CHARACTERS involved. Louie Spence, the Studio manager, is fabulous darling!!! Because of this program he’s become an overnight celebrity in the UK. He’s not physically handsome in any major way, but his personality and love of life shines through. He’s fascinating to watch and interesting.

I also love the program, the Mentalist – not necessarily each story line, but I still always watch the show. BECAUSE of Patrick Jane’s character. He’s interesting. I connect to his character’s darker side and struggle for justice.

There is a lesson in here for all writers; its characters that make a story stand out, not necessarily the story itself.

If you can make a reader fall in love, lust, interest, with your characters, you’ll hook the reader and ensure no skimming takes place, not one chapter is missed, and the reader won’t be able to put the book down. And when they do finish the book they’ll be disappointed the story is over.

At the moment I’d have to say I’m completely infatuated with Patrick Jane (Simon Baker). Who is your favorite character, and why?

Winner of Mary Jo Putney's books is....

2011-04-14T20:36:00.000-07:00

Congratulations Tracey T!

You have won copies of The Bargain and Nowhere Near Respectable. Contact me on romance at bronwenevans dot com to organise claiming your prize.

Thanks go to Mary Jo Putney for being such a generous guest and to those of you who left a comment.

Win a copy of Mary Jo Putney's TWO latest Books...

2011-04-11T00:10:00.000-07:00

I’m so excited to have as my guest blogger today, one of my favorite historical authors, the wonderful, Mary Jo Putney. She’s agreed to give away a copy of her two latest books (that’s two books) The Bargain and Nowhere Near Respectable, to one lucky reader who leaves a comment answering the question at the end of this post.

I had the pleasure of meeting Mary Jo at the RWNZ conference in 2009. Mary Jo is one of the nicest, kindest people I have met. When I was recovering from a small operation, before we had met in person, she emailed me copies of her books to read so I wouldn’t go stir crazy, and she has been very supportive of my dream to become a published writer ever since then. She was one of the first authors to congratulate me on my debut sale of Invitation to Ruin, and more thrilling is we now share the same editor – the wonderful Megan Records.

Mary Jo Putney is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USAToday bestselling author. She was born in Upstate New York with a reading addiction, a condition for which there is no known cure. Her entire writing career is an accidental byproduct of buying a computer for other purposes. Her novels are known for psychological depth and intensity. Over the years, she has evolved from Jane Austen-ish Regency romances to historical romance, fantasy, and young adult historical fantasy. Releases in 2011 include the historical romances Nowhere Near Respectable, and the reissue of The Bargain, and YA novels: Dark Mirror, and Dark Passage.

She’s a very busy lady!

Bron: Can you tell us a little about yourself?

Mary Jo: I grew up in farm country with lots of cows and wheat fields, which is good training for a future author of historical romances set in agrarian times. No writers around, though, so it never occurred to me that I could become one. I was an addicted reader who always had stories in my head, but getting the words down in a form that could be sent to a publisher wasn’t doable. Then computers came along, and if I fixed a mistake, it stayed fixed! I was finally able to get the stories in my head down on a page, and I’ve never looked back.

Bron: Tell us a little about your latest release/s and why we should fall in love with your Hero and Heroine?

Mary Jo: I actually have two books coming out back to back:

The Bargain is a reissue and out now in April. My heroine, Lady Jocelyn Kendal, who needs to marry by her 25th birthday in order to receive her inheritance. Impulsively she strikes a bargain with a mortally wounded officer, Major David Lancaster, but what happens when you marry a dying man, and then the blasted fellow hasn't the grace to die?

(available at Book Depository)

Read an excerpt

My third Lost Lords book, Nowhere Near Respectable, will be out in May 2011. The hero, Damian Mackenzie, aka “Mad Mac,” is the illegitimate son of a lord and an actress. After being educated with his legitimate half brother, he’s cashiered from the army and ends up as owner of the most fashionable gambling club in London. He’s a lovable rogue, so naturally I had to give him the most socially opposite heroine I could find.

Lady Kiri Lawford is the daughter of an English duke and a Hindu princess, and she’s rich, beautiful, and confident as a golden retriever. She knows that Mackenzie is the only man for her—but how can she convince him of that when he’s being all honorable??? Luckily, the suspense subplot throws them together so she can work her wiles, and Kiri has a lot of wiles!

Mac is a charming rogue who may not be respectable, but he’s honorable. (Darn it!) And Kiri is the hellion who is his match. (available from Book Depository) Read an excerpt

Click here to view the trailer of Nowhere Near Respectable

Bron: What inspired the plot of your latest novel?

Mary Jo: For The Bargain, I really don’t know. I just thought it was a cool idea for the heroine to face a deadline to be married if she wants her inheritance, find herself a dying man—and then he doesn’t die, and they’re stuck with each other since divorce is almost impossible in Regency England. The details came later, but the basic plot device sprang pretty much fully formed in my head. The book was originally written as a Signet Regency called The Would Be Widow, and then later revised and lengthened to a historical romance. It still has a lot of that Regency bounce, though.

For Nowhere Near Respectable, I’d been wanting to do a heroine who made perfumes, and Kiri was just right for that. Since she has perfect pitch for scent, that led to the royal rescue plot. But honestly, I never really know exactly where these things come from! I think the ability to come up with a story is inherent, and is the one trait a novelist has to have. Craft and business and the rest can be learned, but a novelist has to have a storyteller’s brain.

Bron: I thoroughly agree with your views on story-telling, Mary Jo. What research do you do for each book?

Mary Jo: The amount of research varies enormously. For Regency historicals set in England, I have a good foundation of knowledge, though every book has certain topics that need researching. For The Bargain, I researched military hospitals, laudanum, and annulment law, among other things. For the May book, Nowhere Near Respectable, I researched perfumery, gambling clubs, and the State Opening of Parliament. For my books with Asian settings, of which I’ve done several, the research-o-meter goes through the roof!

Bron: Give us a twitter based teaser of your latest book?

The Bargain: An independent young lady marries a dying man in order retain an inheritance, and then he hasn’t the grace to die.

Nowhere Near Respectable: He’s a rogue, she’s a “high holy handful,” so of course they find each other irresistible!

Bron: When did you start to write and how long did it take you to be published?

Mary Jo: You don’t want to know. Three months after I bought my first computer, I started writing and three months later I was offered a three book contract for Regencies. It was easier then! And traditional Regencies involved so little money that it wasn’t much of a risk for the acquiring editor.

Bron: Don’t you hate stories like that. I might have sold off my first submission but it took a few years to get a book completed in good enough shape to sell!

Bron: What’s the most unusual place you have visited?

Mary Jo: “Unusual” is hard to define, but I can say that the place that felt most remote was Milford Sound on New Zealand’s South Island. Hauntingly beautiful, and it felt like the end of the world. This was before Lord of the Rings was filmed in New Zealand, but it was definitely life visiting Middle Earth!

Bron: Which book that you’ve read has made a lasting impression on you? And why?

Mary Jo: Perhaps The Game of Kings, the first of Dorothy Dunnett’s Lymond Chronicles. I read it in high school (and many times since) and it was riveting. The characters, the intense emotions, the richness of the settings and language, the sweeping plot—it imprinted me for life.

Bron: Do you have a pet that keeps you company when you write?

Mary Jo: Three cats, no waiting. At the moment, the Elusive Lacey is lying along the back of my office sofa and Grady the Gray Guy is curled up in the armchair. Every now and then, the Fluffster will appear, jump on the desk, and stand in front of the monitor until I’ve given her sufficient attention and brushing. They’re all rescues, all very different.

Bron: If you weren’t doing what you do today, what other job would you have?

Mary Jo: Well, I used to be a freelance designer, which was great preparation for writing, since there was erratic cash flow and no benefits. But computers have changed the design business so much that I’m no essentially unemployable.

Bron: What’s next for you? What are you working on?

Mary Jo: I’m working on my fourth Lost Lords historical romance for Kensington, and then I have to write my third young adult fantasy for St. Martin’s Press, and I’m already behind on both!

Bron: And I thought I was busy - Good luck with that! NOW – the Question you MUST answer?

You’re on a remote island with a handsome man, a computer, and a “mysterious” source of electricity to power your computer. What do you do?

Mary Jo: Check my e-mail, of course. Then, when I have that out of the way….

Bron: What question to you want the readers to answer?

Mary Jo: In The Bargain what birthday is Lady Jocelyn Kendal fast approaching?

Bron: Thanks, Mary Jo, for taking the time out of your busy schedule to visit with us today. It’s been an absolute pleasure having you guest blog on Regency Seductions. I can’t wait to read both of your new books - The Bargain re-release and the third Lost Lord’s book, Nowhere Near Respectable.

Leave the answer in your comment and go in the draw to win both books. Winner will be drawn on Thursday 14th April.

Winner of .38 Caliber Cover Up is...

2011-04-10T14:43:00.000-07:00

.... Rhea!

Rhea, I'll email you and organise for .38 Caliber Cover Up to head your way.

Thanks to Angi for being my guest. I hope the book sells well.

Thanks to those of you who posted.

Now back to my novel, only 10,000 words to go to get it finished.

Bron

Win a copy of .38 Caliber Cover Up by Angi Morgan

2011-04-06T21:09:00.000-07:00

I'd like to introduce my friend Angi Morgan who writes for the Harlequin Mills and Boon INTRIGUE line. I made friends with Angi while entering, and then judging, over the last few years, RWA North Texas Great Expectations contests. I was thrilled when Angi won the RWA Golden Heart in 2010 and now she's published!

An 11th generation Texan, Angi Morgan utilizes her strong heritage to create passionate characters willing to risk everything. She writes Intrigues where danger and honor collide with love. When the house is quiet, she plots ways to engage her readers with complex story lines, throwing her characters into situations they’ll never overcome...until they find their one and only.

.38 CALIBER COVER-UP

AN UNDERCOVER AGENT, A BEAUTIFUL COP…AND THE BULLET THAT BROUGHT THEM TOGETHER

Undercover DEA agent Erren Rhodes was used to working alone. So the very idea of teaming up with Officer Darby O’Malley to ferret out a killer wasn’t exactly how he thought this critical mission would go. But thanks to information only the beautiful cop possessed, finding whoever was responsible for shooting Erren’s friend made Darby a valuable—and irresistible—partner. Digging into the case, though, revealed a far-reaching conspiracy…and angered all the wrong people. Now, trying to bring a killer to justice while keeping Darby safe was making Erren remember why he was better off on his own. Especially when Darby made him long to hole up together in the safe house and never let her out of his sight.

Excerpt available on my website: AngiMorgan.com

What inspired the plot of your latest novel?

Erren, my hero, drove into Hill Country Hold-Up several years ago, grew up while his story percolated in my head and then bounded onto the page. It took several years though, for his story to develop and find the heroine perfectly suited for him. The plot line is actually inspired by a drug bust in Dallas in 2001. Long story-short version: drywall dust had either been substituted for the confiscated drugs or it had replaced the confiscated drugs. Big scandal.

What research do you do for each book?

I have friends who are police officers…so most of the reactions are based on real-life. The locations are all real. In Hill Country Holdup, my daughter and I actually drove everywhere on a road trip and took plenty of pictures. The weather…well, remember that 11th generation Texan part of me…I’ve never lived anywhere else. And then for .38 Caliber, I attended the balloon fest AND visited the Dallas County Morgue.

Give us a twitter based teaser of your latest book?

.38 Caliber Cover-Up AN ACTION-packed non-stop thrill ride you won’t want to end.

What was the easiest and hardest parts about writing the book?

Other than writing the book? LOL Storytelling comes naturally to me. Writing for money, perfecting an art into a business…that’s the hard part.

Which book that you’ve read has made a lasting impression on you? And why?

Storylines don’t make lasting impressions as much as characters do. I tend to write “in jeopardy” or “on the run” books. And there’s not too too much that changes in a scene that takes place in a car/on the road. But the characters change, their emotions. That’s what’s important. So ANY book that has strong character development and is LOGICAL…well, you got me.

Do you have a pet that keeps you company when you write?

Pepper actually reminds me when it’s time to take a break. I have a keyboard drawer and she’s learned if she nudges it closed with her nose…I stop writing. LOL So I almost always get up and take a break which just encourages her to do it again. She’s an 11 ½ year old Pitbull that I’ve had since she was three weeks old. My first dog, Logan, raised her just like a Lab/Retriever. She’s loyal and extremely dedicated to making me happy.

What’s next for you? What are you working on?

I have a three book proposal almost ready to submit to Intrigue: San Antonio Showdown, Ambush at the Alamo, and River Walk Rescue. Each book is anchored to San Antonio, Texas but the titles also relate to the hero/heroine relationship: a showdown, an ambush, and a rescue. Funny how the titles influenced the emotional plotline of the stories. And spending more time in one of my favorite cities is always a plus.

Question you MUST answer?
You’re on a remote island with a handsome man, a computer, and a “mysterious” source of electricity to power your computer. What do you do?

Well… I’d get in trouble if that handsome man was anyone other than my hubby. And since he IS handsome, I luck out in that department. He’s pretty handy too, so if we didn’t have electricity, he’d find some potatoes or some other root to conduct an electrical current. LOL But honestly, even if there were electricity, I wouldn’t waste a minute doing anything that would take me away from the beach and sun and Tim in the shade. I’d be gracious and let him nap as often as he wanted…and THEN I’d sneak away to the computer and write. And fortunately, Tim wouldn’t mind reading any three or four or hundred words I strung together. (that's Tim with her when she received her Golden Heart last year.)

What question do you want the readers to answer?

When you read about another country, does slang bother you or enhance the reading?

Leave an answer and go into the draw to win a copy of .38 Caliber Cover Up.

Where to find Angi:

Website: AngiMorgan.com

Facebook: Angi Morgan (friend me & Like my fan page)

Twitter: AngiMorganAuthr

Email: Angi@AngiMorgan.com

Book trailers available on my website or YouTube.com

.38 Caliber Cover-Up is on sale in Australia/New Zealand on April 1st.

Winner of Never Cry Wolf ARC copy from Cynthia Eden

2011-04-06T14:53:00.000-07:00

Good morning from New Zealand.

Thanks to everyone who popped by and left a comment. Cynthia's book is due out in July (some releases in late June). I have drawn the winner who will receive a copy of Cynthia Eden's yet to be released paranormal - Never Cry Wolf and it is .....

Kylie Griffin!!!!

Kylie, I shall email you and give you Cynthia's email address to contact her about receiving your prize.

Thanks for posting Cynthia, I look forward to reading Never Cry Wolf.

Never Cry Wolf

RUNNING WITH A DANGEROUS CROWD

Lucas Simone is not the kind of guy you mess with. He’s big, he’s strong, and his eyes hint at a wilder side most women can’t handle. Of course, that’s because his predatory instincts are no metaphor—he’s a genuine Grade-A top-quality werewolf, tough enough to fight his way to dominance over the scariest pack on the West Coast. There’s only one chink in his armor. Unlike most alpha dogs, Lucas has a reputation for protecting the weak and innocent.

Sarah King is counting on that protective impulse—it’s the only thing standing between her and certain death. There are only two problems: one, she’s not quite as innocent as she’d like Lucas to believe. And two, if he doesn’t stop stoking Sarah’s animal lust, it’s only a matter of time before her own wild side gets unleashed…

Win an ARC copy of Cynthia Eden's yet to be released Never Cry Wolf

2011-04-03T22:44:00.000-07:00

My guest today is Cynthia Eden, a fellow Brava author.

Award-winning author Cynthia Eden writes sexy tales of paranormal romance and dark stories of romantic suspense. She lives in the Deep South, USA and loves horror movies, and is addicted to happy endings.

Cynthia has always wanted to write (don’t most authors say that?), and particularly enjoys creating stories about monsters–vampires, werewolves, and even the real-life monsters that populate her romantic suspense stories.

Can you tell us a little about yourself?

Hi, Bronwen! Thanks so much for having me over today! I’m an author of paranormal romance and romantic suspense, and a woman who is seriously addicted to happy endings.

Tell us a little about your latest release/s and why we should fall in love with your Hero and Heroine?

What inspired the plot of your latest novel? My July Brava, NEVER CRY WOLF, was inspired by the old Little Red Riding Hood tale. I always thought the poor wolf deserved a better ending. So, this time, I gave him one.

What research do you do for each book?

It varies. For my Deadly romantic suspense series (DEADLY FEAR, DEADLY HEAT, and DEADLY LIES), I did a lot of intensive research on profiling, serial killers, and arson investigations. For my paranormal books, I research old lore. I also take time (when I can) to visit the cities that my books are set in so that I can get a real feel for those areas.

What can a reader expect when they read a Cynthia Eden book?

What can a reader expect when they read a Cynthia Eden book? I hope readers can expect a high intensity, sexy read. I love to throw in twists and turns with my plot, and I like to create strong characters with multiple layers.

Do you have a pet that keeps you company when you write?

I do! My dog Yogi (a shelter pet who is awesome) likes to hang out with me while I write.

What’s next for you? What are you working on?

I am currently working on a Fallen Angel series for Kensington Brava. These guys are Fallen Angels of Death. The books are very dark, and the heroes are very sexy.  The first book, ANGEL OF DARKNESS, will be out in December.

Do you have any advice/handy tips/craft skills you’d like to share with unpublished authors?

Don’t be afraid to go dark with your stories. Every character has a bit of darkness inside (just like every real life person does). Show that darkness and show the hidden depths of your characters.

To be in the draw to win an ARC copy of NEVER CRY WOLF simply leave a comment telling me what month Never Cry Wold will be released.

You can find Cynthia at

Website: www.cynthiaeden.com

Blog: www.cynthiaeden.com/blog

Newsletter: www.cynthiaeden.com/newsletter/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/cynthiaeden

Twitter: www.twitter.com/cynthiaeden

Myspace: www.myspace.com/cynthiaeden

Contact: info@cynthiaeden.com

Her books are available at in New Zealand and Austraila from http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/ or try Barbara's Books.

Face Book Fan Page - how to go crazy

2011-03-19T15:15:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone

This morning I tried to swap my FaceBook page to a FanPage. What a mess I made of it. I'm still not sure it has worked. I need at least 25 people to 'LIKE' me before it can go live. So, if you're reading this, that's my favour of the day!

http://on.fb.me/goYuQO

The worst bit is that I lost all my friends. I can't find out how to find them to tell them to come to my new page! Does anyone know of a very BASIC - FanPage for Dummies blog or video I could watch.

Right at this minute I wish I had a gene who could instantly come and sort all my twitter, facebook and website out.

Right at this moment what would you wish for?

Have a nice day! (from a very agitated Bron)

Introducing Kylie Griffin 2010 Golden Heart® for Best Paranormal Romance

2011-03-08T09:00:00.000-08:00

It's my pleasure to introduce one of my fellow Book in 50 Day loop members, Australian, Kylie Griffin. When I first started to write romance, Kylie was the first friendly face I met at the 2006 RWNZ (Romance Writers of New Zealand) conference and she has been a writing buddy ever since.

She is the winner of a 2010 Golden Heart® for Best Paranormal Romance for her manuscript, BLOODBORN, Kylie’s addiction to all things paranormal started at an early age when she imagined the jacaranda tree in her front yard was a spaceship or castle tower used to defend the world from hordes of invading enemies. Writing stories seemed like a natural extension.

By day she’s a primary school teacher but at night she writes paranormal romances for the Berkley Sensation line. In her “spare” time she’s a volunteer library helper, fire fighter, ambulance officer and member of the NSW State Emergency Service (accredited in road crash rescue, search & rescue, assisting in floods & storms).

Represented by Elaine Spencer of The Knight Agency, her debut book was picked up by Leis Pederson from Berkley through the 2010 West Houston RWA Emily competition for unpublished authors.

She’s credits two wonderful English high school teachers, three writing organizations (RWAustralia, RWNew Zealand and RWAmerica), one supportive writing group (the BI50D ladies) and the unlimited consumption of chocolate for her growth and success as a writer.

With Bloodborn? release date coming up soon, I thought I'd start the interview off with questions about your soon to be published book.

Bron: Kylie, what genre do you write in and what appeals to you about that genre?

My heart belongs to the paranormal romance genre, specifically fantasy romance and science fiction romance – I love, live and breathe it. I swear I was born in another universe or my DNA was genetically geared for these genres because I can’t remember a time I wasn’t fascinated by other-worldly elements.

My earliest exposure to this genre was as an impressionable 6y.o.watching a rather scary episode of Dr.Who (a British SF TV series), being terrified but at the same time fascinated by the whole concept of the strange blob-like creature stalking its victims.

I grew up devouring every book, comic, TV show and movie in this genre and as a kid spending hours outside role-playing. Writing my own stories was just a natural extension.

What appeals to me about the genre…gosh, where do I start? The pure escapism of writing about characters who exist in an entirely imaginary world…the vast scope of story-lines…the human to non-human range of characters possible…the development of a romance or the challenge of making everything so real as to suspend a reader’s disbelief.

Bron: You've got an exciting new series set to launch with Berkley -will you tell readers what they can expect from the series? What is the release date?

I’m really excited about the Light Blade series. The first three books in this series feature a hero and heroine from different races. There are three races – humans, NaReish demons and the Na’Chi (a hybrid human/demon race thought to be a myth by the humans, and killed on site by the demons for their mixed heritage).

Annika is the main character in Book 1 (working title is BLOODBORN). She’s Na’Chi, a half-blood demon and daughter of the Na’Reish King, gifted with rare powers from the human deity known of as the Lady. She longs for more than her tormented life among the Na’Reish, and yearns for acceptance and knowledge about her human origins.

In Book 2 we learn the story of Varian, another Na’Chi. He’s the warrior leader of a small group of Na’Chi who’ve asked for sanctuary in human territory. He finds it difficult to trust anyone outside his Na’Chi family and struggles with his own sense of worth as a leader and a man when it comes to questioning whether he’s a suitable lover for Kymora, the heroine.

Book 3 is Arek’s story. Renowned for his savage skills as a Light Blade warrior and for his furious hatred for all things demon, he’s spent all his life seeking vengeance for the death of his parents at the hands of his avowed enemies.

When he’s captured during a raid for human slaves along the border, he’s taken into the heart of demon territory, destined for the auction block. When a mysterious Na’Reishi female claims him he prepares himself for death rather than serve as her Blood-slave.

BLOODBORN (working title) is set for a February 2012 release date. The other release dates have yet to be confirmed but there’s a chance they may also be released sometime in 2012.

Bron: How exciting - my second book Invitation to Scandal is due out at the same time early 2012. How many more books will there be in the series? And are the books inter-related or stand alone?

At the moment I’m contracted for three books in this series. These three have over-arching external plot lines, so chronologically the events within them run from Book #1 through to Book #3 but I’m working to make each of them a stand-alone so that if someone picks a book up mid-series it will make sense.

Of course, I’m hoping readers will then want to go back and catch up on the books they’ve missed! The other two books feature characters mentioned in the first.

Assuming my editor expresses an interest in continuing the series, I have another three characters with stories that need to be told.

Bron: What inspired your upcoming release? Where did you find your inspiration for this world you have created?

BLOODBORN (working title) and another I wrote actually started out as the same book – a fantasy romance involving demons, warriors and magic. I wrote three chapters for BLOODBORN, stopped and wrote the other one (which ended up a completely different book in the end), then came back to it.

Simply put, I like putting a hero and heroine driven by opposing desires together and watching the story unfold, usually helped along by an epic-style external plot.

I suppose you could say my fantasy book reading as a teen and young adult led me to writing a romance based in a fantasy world. I read books written by Anne McCaffrey, Andre Norton, David Eddings and Mercedes Lackey and they had powerful character driven stories set in epic-fantasy worlds.

As for the world-building in BLOODBORN, well, that’s just a product of my imagination. Pure fantasy!

Bron: What do you enjoy most about writing?

Other than reaching THE END? Disappearing into my own little world and creating a story that entertains me. Now I can add…creating a story that entertains me and anyone else who picks up my books!

Bron: What appealing features does your hero have?

Besides being tall, dark and handsome with the most compelling dark green gaze? LOL

Well, if you were to meet Kalan in the flesh there’s no getting past the fact he’s a warrior (black leather armor, sword and dagger belted around his lean waist, strong, confident aura), so honor and duty are a significant part of his personality.

If you spoke to any of his fellow warriors they’d tell you he’s a strong leader who listens to and values their opinions and is willing to fight beside them rather than direct from the sidelines. So he’s open-minded, decisive and loyal.

His sister would mention his faith and dedication to serving the Lady (their Goddess) and how he relies on Her guidance in every aspect of his life. So, he’s a man of strong convictions.

Bron: Kalan sounds scrummy I love tall dark and handsome! Why is your hero attracted to your heroine?

The romance between Kalan and Annika is a Romeo and Juliette like scenario. They belong to warring “houses” – he’s human, she’s a half-blood demon and humans and Na’Reish demons have been at war for almost five hundred years.

For Kalan the initial attraction is Annika’s voice. He’s a prisoner in a Na’Reish dungeon, and is expecting to die. He hears Annika’s voice and believes she’s one of his Goddess’ handmaidens come to guide him in his final journey to death.

Later, as he gets to know Annika, he’s drawn to her passionate nature, and inner strength in the face of prejudice and courage to follow her dreams of learning about her human heritage and desire to find a place to call home despite enormous opposition.

Bron: Annika sounds like a heroine I'd like. She's strong enought to take on a warrior. What can readers expect next from you?

I’m about halfway through writing Book 2 in the Light Blade series (no working title as of yet). This one is Kymora and Varian’s story, two secondary characters from Book 1. Here’s the blurb I submitted to my editor:

BOUND BY FAITH

Kymora Tayn is driven to serve her deity (the Lady) and her people, often at the expense of her own personal desires. But her attraction to Varian, the brooding, aloof leader-warrior of the half-breed Na’Chi, proves a challenge and a distraction to her plans for their two peoples to unite against their common enemy, the ruthless Na’Reish demon Horde.

BOUND BY DUTY

After being hunted and marked for death by the Na’Reish and human-slaves for his half-cast heritage, Varian finds it difficult to trust anyone outside his Na’Chi family. Fascinated that the humans would place their faith in Kymora, a blind priestess, he finds himself drawn to her strength and passionate nature but marked with terrible facial scars after a battle for his life against a Na’Reish warrior, his people’s perceptions that he is flawed leaves him struggling with his own sense of worth and questioning whether he’s a suitable lover for the beautiful human woman.

BOUND BY LOVE

Varian wants the alliance with the humans and Light Blades to work but Kymora’s insistence that he take a more active part in the socialization and integration of their two cultures challenges his reticence and inherent need for anonymity.

With the threat of a Na’Reish invasion into human territory growing stronger, Kymora and Varian must overcome the problem of two races divided by ingrained prejudices. When both realise the attraction between them might be the solution, that they must lead by example and show that through their love this alliance will work, they must decide which is more important to them – their own personal demons/desires or the survival of their peoples.

Thanks for taking time out to visit with me today, Kylie. Everyone, book mark Kylie's site and mark your calenders for Feb 2012. I've read some of Bloodborn and it's fantastic!

Bronwen, thanks for asking me such great questions and for the chance to visit your blog! It’s been a lot of fun.

My Guest - Rebecca Zanetti FATED

2011-03-03T01:00:00.000-08:00

Today I’d like to introduce my guest blogger, Rebecca Zanetti, who is published by Kensington under their Brava line. Her debut book, FATED is a paranormal sexy romance. It was released the same day as my debut novel, Invitation to Ruin, 1 March , 2011.

Today I'm blogging over on her website, while she tells us a little about her book on Regency Seductions...

Hi Bronwen, thanks for inviting me to blog with you today. FATED is now out…and we had a heck of a launching party!

Here is the back cover blurb…

MARRY ME

Cara Paulsen does not give up easily. A scientist and a single mother, she’s used to doing whatever it takes to protect her daughter. But “Whatever it takes” has never before included a shotgun wedding to a dangerous stranger with an attitude problem…

OR ELSE

Sure, the mysterious Talen says that he’s there to protect Cara and her daughter. He also says that he’s a three-hundred-year-old vampire. Of course, the way he touches her, Cara might actually believe he’s had that long to practice…

We like to grill our guest bloggers. Are you ready? Yep. Hit me.

1. What’s the first thing you did when you received word you’d sold a book?
Well, I dropped the groceries and splatted tomatoes all over the floor. My husband, Tony, came home for lunch and I told him. Then I drove to my sister’s house and we went to Borders and bought all the Brava books we could get our hands on. Then later that night, Big Tone had a meeting, and my sisters all showed up with champagne. Tony sent me flowers the next day. It was awesome.

2. Who is your favorite character in your book and why?
That’s a tough one! I guess I’d have to say the hero, Talen. Such an alpha male who unexpectedly shows a sweet side once in a while. Before he goes off to rip the heads off the bad guys.

3. If one of your books became a movie, which celebrity would you like to star as one of your heroines? Tell us about your heroine. Cara is gentle and incredibly smart with a core strength. She’s a single mother and a scientist, who very subtly fights for what she wants in life. She reminds me so much of my sister Debbie, that it’s hard to choose a movie star to play her.

4. If one of your books became a movie, which celebrity would you like to star as one of your heroes?
Tell us about your hero. Talen is a vampire prince who’s on the front lines of any war. He’s a true protector, way too arrogant, yet has a veiled sweet side. I think Jason Momoa would be a good actor to play him.

5. Do you eat comfort food when writing? If so, what food inspires your imagination?
Well, I more have vices than comfort food. I drink way too much diet coke and coffee. I’m also known to have a glass of Shiraz while writing.

6. What hobby do you enjoy when not writing? Fun question, Bronwen!
It depends on the season. During the summer we go to the lake or river and play...and golf once in a while. Then in winter we snowmobile. I’d like to say I snow ski…but I’d rather hang in the lodge with a warm drink and my laptop.

7. What is your favorite romance book that you’ve read?
Oh my goodness – I can’t answer this! I love romances, have tons of them and always keep reading. If I could choose one hero to bring to life and kidnap (other than mine, of course  ) it’d be Roarke. There’s no explanation needed as to who Roarke is, I think.

8. You’re on a remote island with a handsome man, a computer, and a “mysterious” source of electricity to power your computer. What do you do?
The man. Then I’d buckle down and write. HAHA

Leave a question here for Rebecca and be in to win a copy of FATED.

Leave a question on Rebecca's blog for Bronwen and be in to win a copy of both books.

Rebecca's book is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Book Depository.

BIO: Rebecca Zanetti has worked as an art curator, Senate aide, lawyer, college professor and a hearing examiner - only to culminate it all in stories about vampires and science. She is a member of RWA and several of its chapters and has won awards for her works throughout the industry. She currently writes the Dark Protector series from Kensington Publishing and is represented by Caitlin Blasdell at Liza Dawson Associates.

Links:

http://rebeccazanetti.com/

http://twitter.com/RebeccaZanetti

http://www.facebook.com/RebeccaZanetti.Author.FanPage?ref=ts

I'm blogging with book Giveaways over...

2011-02-25T18:34:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone

I'm lucky to be on two, fun, book lover blogs today.

Has and Stella have interviewed me on Book Loves Inc. They are also reviewing Invitation to Ruin, I'm not sure when, but soon. They have a book giveaway on the blog - a signed copy of Invitation to Ruin.

Then Marissa from Sizzling Hot Books has also interviewed me. Marissa also has a signed copy of Invitation to Ruin to give away. You can also read her 5 star review of Invitation to Ruin on her blog.

Also - don't forget to vote for the Best Love Scene in the Brava Writing with the Stars contest. The contest closes on 27th February, 2011. My mentee, Meredith Simmons, Indentured Hearts is a finalist.

I'm on countdown mode - 1 March 2011 is the official launch date. It's getting very real...

Also, don't forget to vote for the Best Love Scene in the Brava Writing with the Stars contest. My mentee, Meredith Simmons has finaled with Indentured Hearts. Entries close 27th February, 2011.

My thoughts are with

2011-02-23T17:36:00.000-08:00

I'm sorry I haven't posted in a few days but I have been caught up in the Christchurch, NZ earthquake - not actually in it, but I run one of the surgeon associations in New Zealand, and I have been working with our members to ensure adequate coverage in Christchurch and the rest of the country. The doctors and nurses and all other hospital staff have been working around the clock, not yet able to ascertain their own loss of property. The horror stories of injuries coming from the hospital is heart-wrenching.

The loss of property has been significant, but not as important as the loss of life. My two critique partners have lost their homes BUT thank god, not their loved ones, as many other families in Christchurch are having to face.

I'm at a loss to express with words my sadness at the situation in Christchruch. You feel so hopeless at times like this being so far away. It is a small comfort to know that, not only the rest of NZ, but the rest of the world is praying for you all.

The messages of kindness from Australia, USA, Cananda, England and elsewhere, as this event unfolded is touching and means so much to us all.

Thanks for thinking of me - puts the book release into persepctive. Nothing is more important than friends and family and keeping safe.

Take care
Bron

Brava Contest - Writing With the Stars

2011-02-14T12:15:00.000-08:00

Yippee - this morning I get to anounce that my mentee, Meredith Simmons, has made it through to the final round of the Brava Writing with the Stars contest for her entry Indentured Hearts. - FABULOUS!

The lucky winning author will receive the grand prize — the publication of her novel by Brava.

The voting for round four has been counted and for the first time ever there is a tie for second place! That means they are advancing three people to the final round, as opposed to the usual two. So every vote counts.

For the final three it’s time for round five as they show their best love scene. So I need everyone to go to the website and help Meredith win her dream of getting her book, Indentured Hearts, published!

Voting for round four runs today until February 27th. As with the previous rounds, you can only vote once but are welcome to post as many comments as you’d like on the page below. The winner will be announced in the May issue of RT Book Reviews and at the RT Booklovers Convention in Los Angeles, from April 6th -10th.

Here is the love scene excerpt from Meredith's book, Indentured Hearts

Cassy jerked open the door and dashed into the shed. The dim interior smelled faintly of rotting vegetation, pungent but not offensive. It was, at least, dry.

Anders followed her in from the sluicing rain, leading the still harnessed mare.

She drifted toward the shadows at the back of the building, taking off her sodden hat and shaking it. The poor, limp thing wiggled in her hand. She wanted to hide in the darkness, she felt such a wreck.

“I’m sorry about your hat,” Anders said softly. “I know it was new.”

Unexpectedly, tears rose to her eyes. “I should have known better than to wear straw on a day like today.” Her skin prickled and she sensed his nearness. Turning slightly, she looked up into his dark eyes. “I wanted to make you proud.” Her lower lip quivered and she caught it in her teeth.

“You always make me proud,” he murmured, his voice husky. He ran a thumb over her bottom lip. Her breath caught when he brought his mouth to hers. His touch was soft, tentative. Heat raced through her, warming her damp skin. She put her hands on his wet waistcoat for balance. How had she ever thought his lips were thin and stern?

He deepened the kiss. His tongue stroked her lower lip. It seemed natural to relax her lips and allow his tongue to slip in to tickle the sides and roof of her mouth. Cassy had been kissed a few times before, but this was like nothing she’d experienced. The kiss was wondrous, intoxicating. She hadn’t known a kiss could be like this.

Anders straightened, moving his warmth away. “Sorceress,” he muttered.

The loss of his lips was like pain. Sliding her hands up to his neck, Cassy pulled him back down toward her and reclaimed his mouth. She kissed him with enthusiasm, caressing his lips and the velvety texture of his mouth with her tongue. He groaned softly, tightening his arms around her, pulling her flush against his body.

Breathing became difficult. The solid wall of his chest pressed against her tingling breasts. She remembered what he’d looked like sitting naked near the pond, the symphony of his sculpted muscles. She longed to play her fingers across every polished inch. She rose, rubbing her aching breasts against him. It felt incredible.

Without breaking the kiss, Anders lifted her and settled her back against some burlap sacks leaning against the wall behind them. The bags crackled as he lowered his massive frame to hers. He moved to one side, his weight pinning her, the sensation both frightening and exhilarating.

His lips left hers, moving to kiss the side of her jaw, her ear, and slowly down the column of her neck. Simultaneously, his hands moved over her body, sending tendrils of heat to lodge between her thighs. Her hands copied his movements, roaming, stroking along the broad plain of his shoulders, feeling the muscles bunch and quiver. He trembled at her touch and her hunger grew. She realized, at this moment, she was just as powerful as the man above her.

He brought his head lower, running his warm, silken lips along the tops of her breasts. His hand encircled one of them, his thumb slowly stroking the sensitive tip through her dress. She pressed up into his hand, enjoying the friction, feeling her nipple tighten into a nub. Her soft gasps echoed in the stillness. Her skin burned.

When he worked one breast free of her bodice, her heart stilled in anticipation. She quivered in his embrace, impatient to feel his mouth on her bare skin. As if responding to her unvoiced request, Anders gently kissed her breast, running his tongue across the throbbing tip before taking her fully into his warm mouth. It was heaven.

She arched wantonly against him, making strange mewing sounds.

She wanted. Dear God, she wanted something, she wasn’t sure what.

The horse stomped and snorted near the door, rattling the harnesses, the sound rising above the pounding rain. Anders came to his feet in one smooth movement, his expression stunned. His heated gaze swept every inch of her. “Sweet Jesus,” he said.

Valentine's Day - Who's the most romantic man in the world?

2011-02-13T11:55:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day - well it is in NZ, the northern hemisphere aren't quite there yet.

The romantic in us loves Valentine’s Day, while the sensible side spouts on about commercialism and lack of meaning in the date.

I often think the most romantic things a partner can do for you, doesn’t necessarily mean spending loads of cash.

A simple breakfast in bed, or a picnic under the stars (remember its summer in NZ for Valentine’s Day), I find more romantic than a man giving me a box with a ring, earrings or necklace in it. Chocolates and flowers are lovely too, but spending time with someone I love leaves a much larger glow (and doesn’t make me fat or give me hayfever – wow - I’m so not romantic!).

What’s the most romantic thing your partner has ever done for you and what made it so special?

Bron (romantic at heart)

PS: It’s Feb 14th Vaughan – you might be gone but you’re never forgotten. Miss you.

To Sex or Not to Sex...

2011-02-10T13:23:00.000-08:00

As it's Valentine's day soon and the supposed month of love, I thought I'd ask about the growing sensuality of romance books.

Sex. How much is too much in a romance novel? For an author the balance is often hard to judge. Readers know what they like. Some don't like too much, others like a large amount of sensual sex. For the author it's often not that easy.

Authors have to let the characters speak through the pages. For instance, in my debut novel, Invitation to Ruin, (released 1 March , 2011) Anthony's childhood was so horrid, he used pleasure as a means to forget. The premise therefore calls for a very sensual book.

Sex for the sake of sex, sex to fill pages, is not fulfilling in a romance. My rule of thumb - any sex that is filled with true emotion is good, especially if it suits the premise and characters. But that's just me.

What are your views on sex scenes in romance books? Tell me what you think about the following:

Is sex (other than a kiss) to early in a book wrong?
Is full descriptions of the sex necessary or would you prefer it to be alluded to?
Is leaving the consummation until near the end disappointing?
What are your likes and dislikes when reading sex in romance novels?
Do you tend to stick to authors whose sensuality levels match you likes, or are you prepared to read all levels?

Whatever your preference, the good thing about the romance market is there will be books to fit your taste.
Remember this is not a R18 site, keep your comments to the level that won't get me in trouble!

Don't forget that I'm giving away copies of Invitation to Ruin on my 24th January 2011 blog - click here to view and leave a comment on my heroine's flaw.

Happy reading.

Help for the Newbie Writer

2011-02-06T13:31:00.000-08:00

Today I’d like to focus on helping ‘writers’ of romance. I had such a lot of help from other romance writers when I first started out, that I feel a need to give back. One of the people who helped me immensely was Gracie Stanners, aka Gracie O’Neil. Without her guidance, support and most of all knowledge I would not be published today.

I decided to be selfless and share the wonderfulness that is Gracie.

Gracie ‘s agent is Nephele Tempest at The Knight Agency and she currently has a series being shopped. Her fabulous teaching blog, aptly entitled Romance She Wrote - is a must for all budding writers. The blog is a tremendous reference site of ‘How To’ for romance, or indeed any writer.

She has won numerous romance writing competitions, including Reader’s Choice in the RWNZ full book contest, The Clendon. You can see her list of awards on her website.

Without further ado, I’ll let her blog introduction say it all:

Gracie -I've spent more than a decade learning my craft by trial, error, and study. Now I'm writing this blog to help you accelerate your own learning, avoid some basic mistakes, and jump-start your career.

1. Tell us a little about Gracie O’Neil

Gracie O’Neil was born when I went to my first Romance Writers of New Zealand (RWNZ) conference (five? six? years ago—time flies).

My doctor had just told me I had eighteen months to live if I didn’t do something drastic about my weight (not surprising as I tipped the scales at 180 kilos--that’s around 400lbs). I was also medicated up to the eyeballs on anti-depressants and, quite frankly, didn’t give a damn whether I lived or died because I felt completely useless as a human being anyway.

I’d never even heard of RWNZ, but my husband, bless him, heard about it somewhere and encouraged me to go to the conference because he thought it might give me some kind of lift. I don’t think either of us expected much from it but he was pretty desperate at that point. So he took time off work, drove me the eight hours to the conference (I couldn’t fit into a plane seat) and stayed with me at the hotel. I could only walk with the aid of two crutches and the hotel was quite spread out. I didn’t know that until I got there, and I was terrified people were going to look at me and think I was as disgusting as I thought myself to be if I couldn’t walk the distance.

But once I was at the conference I discovered people who’d walk with me, who’d sit with me, and who’d look past my appearance to focus on my writing. I discovered friends. Interesting seminars. And I did my first ever pitch of my first ever book--to Donald Maass, who happened to be the keynote speaker that year.

I have to tell you Donald was fabulous. He listened, he asked questions, he was positive about my book, and he gave suggestions to make it stronger. I could not believe that someone like him would take an interest in my work. I waddled my way out of that pitch session feeling like someone had just handed me the keys to the secret of the time travel, eternal youth, longevity, and where the left socks disappear to when you put them in the dryer.

So--thanks to Donald and RWNZ--during that weekend I found the anchor I never thought I’d find, the motivation to go on. I wanted to write. Not only write, but also to live long enough to see my hundredth novel on the shelves. Which meant a phenomenal change in my lifestyle. Short version is, we came home, refinanced our property, I had weight loss surgery, and am now less than half the woman I was. Say it fast and it sounds easy. Sigh. I wish.

2. Why did you feel it was important to start a blog focused on writers? Is RomanceSheWrote.com an outlet for the inner teacher in you?

I guess you could say it’s an outlet for my inner teacher, yes. When I first started writing—seriously writing, I mean—I sort-of knew the mechanics. I’d taught at the primary school level (kids aged five through twelve) and had always been involved in academic life in one form or another. But I discovered there’s a massive difference between writing an academic or technical paper and writing a novel. There’s the whole “emotion” aspect, for one thing. I mean, you don’t write emotionally about the internal workings of a selective soldering machine. Well, actually, you can--especially if it’s thrown a hissy-fit—but it’s not going to get you a Top Pick review in RT.

I also realized how important it was for people to find help and understanding, to get positive reinforcement, encouragement and the occasional kick up the backside. I knew I could help, but I didn’t know how to do it without making myself out to be some kind of guru, which anyone with half a brain knows I’m not. RomanceSheWrote.com is an outworking of my desire to give something back to the writing community and to help other writers make it to publication and beyond.

3. How do you research the articles for RomanceSheWrote?

Research is something I’ve always enjoyed, but it was only when I did some work in the area of competitive intelligence (finding out what other companies in my company’s field were doing) that I realized how much of a blast it was, and how much information is freely available on the Internet. It’s a bit like Alice In Wonderland’s rabbit hole. You can dive into it and end up in another world. A really weird world—people think the damnedest things! Not like you and me, of course... :-) So I use the Internet. I also read pretty much anything from Psychology to Quantum Physics and have a wonderful relationship with my local librarians who magically source stuff for me from all over the country.

4. How do you balance your writing with your blog work?

I’m not sure that I do. I certainly don’t balance it well enough, regularly enough. Thanks to Darren Rowse at “Problogger” http://www.problogger.net/ I’ve instituted a calendar of topics three months ahead. I’m also trying to give myself a cut off point when it comes to writing a blog. One hour and I’m done. Hasn’t worked yet, but it’s something to aim for--I’m trying to anesthetize my inner perfectionist.

5. Which do you enjoy more –the blog or your book writing? And why?

Oooh! Oooh! I can answer this one! When I’m writing a blog I feel conflicted that I should be writing my WIP. When I’m writing my WIP there’s this little pot of bubbling guilt inside me that I should be writing something useful—useful being defined as “that which makes money”. So, as I’m screwed either way, I try and enjoy both the blogging and the booking.

Is this normal?? Please say yes. :-)

6. Does researching these topics help you become a better writer?

I’d like to think it does. Researching has also made me realize how many of us struggle with the same problems. That there are solutions. That not every solution works for everybody. That the old “suck it and see” principle works on more than just lemons, and just because the first five things you try don’t work it doesn’t mean there isn’t a solution. Or help. Or a shoulder to pummel in frustration.

7. What are your plans for RomanceSheWrote in 2011?

I’d love to see RSW become a community of writers who help each other, but I believe that will take longer than one year to achieve. In the short term I’m looking at three months or so on the topic of Creativity. I’ve also promised a series on mapping the plot/romance/emotional journey. I’m open to any suggestions or requests so don’t be shy, people.

8. What are your plans for your writing career in 2011?

Grins. Well a three book contract would be nice. I have a series with my agent at the moment, and I’d love to see that go somewhere. I have another (seven book) series under development. Right now, I want to get the current book (the first of that series) done and get on to something new.

9. Anything else you’d like to share?

Yes, as a matter of fact. I’m rapt to bits about your first book!!!! You’re such an inspiration, and this whole journey into publication has been so incredibly exciting to share with you. May “Invitation To Ruin” sell its little socks off!

Blush – thanks, Gracie. I look forward to your first publication!

As a special treat, Gracie has a special offer - On her website is a FREE lecture package 'How to Write a Snynopsis Without Turning Homicidal'.

Win a Signed copy of Invitation to Ruin

2011-02-01T18:05:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited. I've received the first of my reviews for Invitation to Ruin, released date 1 March, 2011.

To celebrate, I'm giving away two signed copies of Invitation to Ruin. Simply post a comment naming of one of the characters in the book (read excerpts) I'll draw the winner on Sunday 6th Febraury - Waitangi Day (New Zealand's anniversary day).

RT Book Review - 4.5 Star rating
INVITATION TO RUIN
by Bronwen Evans

Genre: England, Historical Romance
Sensuality: HHHHH HOT
Setting: 1808 London

RT Rating 4.5 Stars
Here’s a fast-paced story filled with snappy dialogue, action and a tortured hero that will delight the reader as much as he delights the heroine. A strong heroine, some wonderful secondary characters and a villain who is truly evil help move the story forward. Readers will laugh and cry as they and the protagonists learn that your past does not necessarily dictate your future and that love heals all wounds.

Anthony Craven, the Earl of Wickham, aka The Lord of Wicked, is about to pursue his favorite pastimes, sin and vice. On his way to his assignation he winds up in the wrong room, that of Miss Melissa Goodly, a 21-year-old virgin. When they’re caught, Anthony has no choice but to marry Melissa. Many hope that this is just what Anthony needs to turn him from his current path of self-destruction. Anthony leaves Melissa on their wedding night. Each time they are in the same room Anthony’s attraction for his wife grows, but he has vowed to never father a child in order to end what he believes is the evil in the family bloodline. The only thing Melissa hopes for out of this marriage is a child. She is determined to break through Anthony’s icy reserve. When a dark shadow from Anthony’s past kidnaps Melissa, he might lose her before he has a chance to tell her that he has fallen in love with her. (BRAVA, Mar., 336 pp. $14.00)

Reviewed By: Jill Brager

Publishers Weekly
INVITATION TO RUIN
Bronwen Evans, Kensington/Brava, $14 trade paper (320p) ISBN 978-0-7582-5919-6

Evans's debut Regency is filled with sizzling romance. Anthony Craven, the fifth earl of Wickham, wants Lady Cassandra Sudbury as his next mistress. Then his brother's deception results in him bedding Cassie's innocent cousin, Melissa Goodly, whom he is then forced to wed. Melissa tries to seduce her husband and eventually win his love, but Anthony's cruel father has made him believe that he is unlovable and left him unwilling to have children. Melissa is an anachronistically but appealingly independent and stubborn lady who isn't afraid to complain that women of her era are often treated little better than slaves, and a subplot involving England's 19th-century abolitionist movement adds depth to this enticing read. Strong characterizations, smooth plotting, and plenty of explicit sex will appeal to fans of modern Regencies. (Mar.)

In addition, I've signed copies of Invitation to Ruin to give away on my upcoming Guest Blog Appearances. So pop these dates in your calendar and drop by. I'll be updating my blog schedule on the homepage of my

12th February 2011 - Cynthia Eden's Blog
16th February 2011 - Get Lost in a Story
1st March 2011 - Eye on Romance
2nd March 2011 - Tote Bags 'N' Blogs
2nd March 2011 - The Enchanted Book
3rd March 2011 - Borders True Romance Blog
13th March 2011 - Rebecca Zanetti's Blog

PLUS - don't forget to enter my 24th January 2011 blog competition to pick my latest heroine's flaw - look at the post to see the full details. The contest closes the 31st March 2011. The winning flaw will be used in my currernt work in progress - A Kiss of Lies.
website.

Win an SIGNED copy of Invitation to Ruin

2011-01-24T11:42:00.000-08:00

I was watching the re-runs of the TV program, Friends, last night as I was eating dinner, and loved how in the early versions, when we are getting to know the characters, the writers made their flaws very obvious. You can tell a good writer when the character's flaw doesn't become annoying.

Last night’s episode focused on Monica's obsession with tidiness and cleanliness. The Friends confronted her about her quirk and made sure she knew they still loved her despite her obsession. They teased her about leaving a pair of shoes in the sitting room. She told them she could easily leave them there and went to bed. The next shot is of her lying in bed trying to work out how she could go and get the shoes without them knowing. Her solution was to wait until they had all left, then she’d sneak out and put them away, and then wake really early in the morning and put them back out. Her final thoughts were, “I need help.”

This made me think about what most writing craft books talk about when you are developing your characters. They say to make the hero or heroine have a flaw or idiosyncrasy.

I have a heroine in the first book of my new series, the Disgraced Lords, who needs an idiosyncrasy, to make her more human, but it can’t be too annoying. Serena’s strong in a very quiet, dignified way. She has had a rich upbringing but her immediate past is traumatic. She is also hiding a secret about her past.

As a reader, what little flaw would you find endearing for a strong heroine like Serena? I’d love some ideas.

Let me know and go into the draw to win an signed copy of Invitation to Ruin. You can post until the 31st March, 2011. The flaw I choose to use will win the free signed copy of Invitation to Ruin. Put the thinking caps on.