Romance in the Backseat would like to welcome Jana Richards to the blog! She is touring with Goddessfish Promotions. She is here to promote her latest book, The Girl Most Likely. As part of the tour, randomly selected commenters can win a $20 Gift card to Wild Rose Press and a $20 Gift card to Amazon. For more opportunities to win, click HERE for the tour schedule.
She’s going to share some thoughts with us today. Please welcome Jana!
Retreating from the World
Every January, my writing group, the Saskatchewan Romance Writers, holds a Book-in-a-Week event. All participating members set goals and then kept in touch with each other through our private blog, cheering successes and commiserating when we fall down. It’s a fabulous way to get the new writing year off with a bang.
Some years I juggle participation in BIAW with my day job and other obligations. But occasionally the stars align and I’m able to take the week off work and have my own little retreat at home. I spend a lot of time in my writing cave (aka the spare bedroom), and seldom leave the house, emerging only for exercise classes and dog walking. I warn my family that I’m not cooking or cleaning during this time. I do my best to stay away from the TV. As a result, I’ve had good success with this home retreat and have been able to crank out a lot of words.
It’s not often that a writer can retreat from the world and devote so much time solely to writing. Members of SRW hold a writing retreat once a year at St. Peter’s Abbey that is a lifeline for many of us. But taking time off from work and responsibility, or actually going away on retreat are rare and precious occurrences. What can you do if you’re not in the position to go on an extended retreat?
In the February 2010 edition of Writer’s Digest Kathryn Haueisen Cashen talks about her secret weapon, the mini-retreat. Even though your life may be hectic and your monetary resources slim, you can still fit a mini writing retreat into your life. She gives some pointers in how to get started:
- Rethink your definition of a retreat. I’ve always thought of a retreat as several days of uninterrupted writing, far, far away from home. But I found it can be at home, as long as you have pre-warned everyone, including yourself, that this time will be exclusively devoted to writing. However, I know from experience that when I’m writing at home it’s easy to be distracted by the television, or by household duties. Maybe the answer is an afternoon retreat at a local coffee shop, where for the price of a cup of coffee, you can write without the distractions of home. Ms. Haueisen Cashen says that when her children were in preschool, she wrote for a few uninterrupted hours at a time in an empty classroom at her church. Retreats don’t have to be extended, or expensive. They simply have to provide focused writing time.
- Commit to yourself. Tell yourself you need and deserve to have a writing retreat. And mean it. Train your family to respect this time. Maybe you’ll start out with 20 minutes locked in the bathroom or at the parking lot of your local WalMart parked in the car. Eventually the habit of these short retreats will be established for both you and your family.
- Create a portable writing kit. Ms. Haueisen Cashen recommends gathering materials that will make any space feel like your own personal retreat. Such materials may include inspirational or instructional books like a thesaurus or dictionary, a favorite picture, an MP3 player with your favorite music to write by, pens and paper and a laptop. Keep them all together in a bag or backpack so you can pick up at a moment’s notice and go.
- Set a goal for each retreat. For my most recent home retreat my goal was to write 20,000 words in a week. If I were preparing a mini retreat for an afternoon I might set my goal as researching a topic, editing a chapter, researching agents or markets. Always go into a retreat with clear idea of what you want to accomplish. And then do it.
- Where should I go? Ms. Haueisen Cashen says that coffee shops are among her favorite places to write, but I think I would find the hustle and bustle and the conversations around me distracting. She offers this list of low-cost or no cost places to write:
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- Libraries
- Community parks and playgrounds with picnic tables
- The homes of friends and relatives who are away
- Unused rooms at community centers and places of worship
- Hotel lobbies
- Hospital chapels
- Quiet rooms at YMCSs or other health clubs
- Local bookstores with designated reading areas.
- Expanding my horizons. Once you see how well short term retreats work for you, you may want to create slightly longer term retreats. For example, a couple of years ago my writing group here in Winnipeg held a weekend retreat at a local convent. I googled “writing retreats” and found a plethora of information. Here is a Canadian example http://www.canauthors.org/links/courses.html and an international one http://www.writersretreat.com
- Other examples of low-cost weekend or overnight retreats that Ms. Haueisen Cashen cites are:
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- A hotel room
- A cabin at a park
- A rented RV with electrical hookups in a quiet park
Carving out time to write is essential for writers, and as important to our productivity and well-being as proper sleep and a healthy diet. I know longer writing retreats work well for me and in addition I’m going to make a conscious effort to create more short-term retreats this year.
Have you participated in writing retreat? Do you like to escape for a couple of hours with your laptop? Have you found the experience productive?
Jana Richards has tried her hand at many writing projects over the years, from magazine articles and short stories to full-length paranormal suspense and romantic comedy. She loves to create characters with a sense of humor, but also a serious side. She believes there’s nothing more interesting then peeling back the layers of a character to see what makes them tick.
When not writing up a storm, working at her day job as an Office Administrator, or dealing with ever present mountains of laundry, Jana can be found on the local golf course pursuing her newest hobby.
Jana lives in Western Canada with her husband Warren, along with two university aged daughters and a highly spoiled Pug/Terrier cross named Lou.
Website: http://www.janarichards.net
Blog: http://janarichards.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jana-Richards/157005711005866
* * * * *
Cara McLeod, the girl most likely to have the perfect marriage, is now divorced and, in her own 
words, “fat, frumpy, and over forty.” The thought of facing former classmates—and the ex-husband who dumped her—at her high school reunion terrifies her. Cajoled into attending by her kids and her best friend, Cara enlists help at the gym to lose weight and look great for the reunion. Personal Trainer Finn Cooper is more than willing to help—but does he have to be so to-die-for gorgeous?
Finn thinks Cara is perfect just the way she is. She’s everything he wants in a woman, except for one thing—she can’t get past the fact that he’s eight years younger. To Finn, age and weight are just numbers. But can he convince Cara the numbers she worries about add up to only one thing for him—love?
Excerpt:
“I think you’re beautiful. You know that, don’t you?”
No, she really didn’t know that, but she nodded anyway. What happened when he woke up one morning and realized that she had a few more lines on her face? Would he still think she was beautiful or would he tire of her, just as Peter had?
“Are you sorry about last night?”
Her head rose sharply. He looked away, not meeting her gaze. However mixed up she felt this morning, she couldn’t let Finn feel that he’d somehow failed her. Setting her mug on the night table on her side of the bed, she caressed his unshaven cheek.
“Of course I’m not sorry. I loved our night together. Don’t mind me, Finn. I’m in a mood this morning.”
He tugged at her sheet once more. “Then let go of the sheet and let me hold you before I have to go.”
Cara held her sheet tighter. It was one thing to get undressed in the dark and another to let him see her body in the cruel light of day. “No, please. I’d rather not.”
Would he look at her in the cold morning light and see all her imperfections, her scars, her forty-three years of living? Would he look at her and want to trade her in for a newer model?
Romance in the Backseat would like to welcome Shea McMaster to the blog today. She is touring with Goddessfish Promotions. Shae is giving away a custom totebag or a mug to one commenter from the tour. To find more blogs to comment on click HERE. Today I asked Shea to comment on how being a writer affects her as a reader.
How does being a writer affect you as a reader?
Welcome to Day 4 of the Shea McMaster “Rachel Dahlrumple” blog tour. Many thanks to Terry Kate for graciously hosting me.
The topic today is how being a writer has changed me as a reader. How could it not?
Lately I’ve been going back and reading old favorites. If you’re one of my friends on GoodReads feel free to check out my shelves. You’ll see the writers I’ve been revisiting have been around for 
years. They’ve hit the bestsellers’ lists, have tons of 5-star reviews, and fans galore. Me included. But I tell you, now that I’ve been writing seven years or so, been involved in critiquing and editing at least five of those years, I sometimes wonder how they reached the heights they did. The “old” style of writing romance has evolved so current day writers can’t write the way our favorite authors write and expect to get a contract. Some have evolved with the times. Some very notably haven’t.
Before you think I’m ragging on the classic romance writers of yore, many of whom are still writing, still popular today, I’m not. I remain a loyal fan. I’m enjoying the books I’m pulling off the shelves and I’m buying most of them in ebook format. The author is selling to me twice. Not the actions of a dissatisfied reader.
However, it doesn’t mean I’m not noticing head-hopping, excessive back story, predictable plot, shallow characters, weak or contrived conflict, and clichés. All things my critique partners call me on with each story I write. Fair is fair, I call them on it as well. All things the greater “they” are telling us make for poorly written stories.
So what do I get out of these books? Despite all the apparent complaining above, the stories reach beyond the style issues and grab me by the heart. Why? The characters. For all the technical foibles, the classic authors, the big girls of Romance, write characters who pop right off the pages. Characters who live on in the reader’s heart and mind long after the last page is read. And isn’t that what a story is all about? It can be the most technically perfect book, but if the characters are wooden, then all the beautiful, grammatically correct, perfectly plotted books in the world won’t sell. People can forgive a whole lot of technical issues if the characters rise above the author’s writing style.
Does that mean I can ignore all the writing flaws? No. I remember one book where the spell checker, or editor, didn’t catch barley used in place of barely. An otherwise captivating story became something of a running joke. It also launched my editing career. There were only so many times I could ignore the error.
But turn off the internal editor? Well, with concentration, I can. I’ve learned to mentally make a note, consciously suspend my critical eye, and read the story, and enjoy it as it was meant to be enjoyed. Of course, there are a few rare exceptions where, after many, many errors, it becomes impossible to remain in a state where reality is suspended. It’s possible my tolerance has dropped a bit. A smidge maybe. Okay, I toss more books at the wall than I used to. Still, the number isn’t high. I’d rather look for the things which work. What did the agent or editor see in this person’s writing? Where is that one kernel that makes it all worthwhile? I don’t always find it, but I can count on one hand the books I haven’t finished because I found them unreadable.
I love to read. Have since I learned to read. In fact, I’m on track, ahead of the curve really, to read 200 books this calendar year. I read a lot of Romance, but I also like Sci-Fi/Fantasy, mysteries, and some chick-lit. I’m less enthused about biographies, and political writings send me running the opposite direction. I’ll occasionally dig into a bit of “Literature” but frankly, I had enough of that when I got my degree in English Lit. Seriously, John Milton’s Paradise Lost truly lost me and I only understood Chaucer when I had a professor who served as interpreter. Granted, the brand new PhD who taught Modern American Lit was a cutie and a half, but he only lasted a year because he fell to the abundant temptations to be found on the campus of a women’s college. Sadly he didn’t fall from grace with me. Darn.
I did my time in the English Dept. These days I want to read for fun. It’s my escape, and from time to time, it means I forgo intellectualism and settle for pure fun. And there’s not a thing wrong with that. Unless of course, the story really sucks. Then I’ll toss it, make note on GoodReads, and move on.
If you want to see what I’m reading, check out GoodReads under my Morgan Q. O’Reilly pen name. It’s the most current of my online bookshelves. You can also see what else Shea has written and maybe become a fan. Shea would love some fans.
I’d love to hear what hits your attraction meter when reading. What causes you to fall in love with a book, more than anything else? Lyrical writing? Intense characters? Touching love scenes? Non-stop action? Historical accuracy? Snappy dialogue? If you’re a writer, how critical are you of other writers? Let’s compare notes!
Shea McMaster
Traditional Romance for Modern Women
A Novel of Romantic Suspense.
Her husband’s death is just the beginning of her marital woes.
Website: http://sheamcmaster.com
FaceBook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Shea-McMaster/240251469328338
Also Available From Shea
Borealis II: A Space Anthology – Bleu Lies ~ebook
Six Foot Hero ~ebook
LIVE CHAT & GIVEAWAY TODAY
Mystery Author Rhys Bowen
ON FACEBOOK
8:30 pm East Coast — 5:30 pm West Coast
Join Best Selling Author Rhys Bowen on her FaceBook Page where she will be discussing how she approaches writing a Mystery Novel and creating a strong Heroine in a Series. Come and leave your questions on her wall and she will respond live to all questions, or as many as she can.
If you can not make the Chat and Giveaway live make sure to drop in afterward and check out the discussion anytime. One lucky commenter between now and Sunday will win a copy of Royal Blood, A Royal Spyness Mystery. Fan Rhys’s FaceBook Page between now and November 15th and be entered to win the newest book in the Royal Spyness Series, Naughty in Nice.
Find out more about Rhys Bowen Online
Author Website – Twitter – Facebook
GIVEAWAY
Royal Blood
by Rhys Bowen
(A Royal Spyness Mystery #4)Penniless and thirty-fourth in line to the throne, Lady Georgiana Rannoch finds herself in a truly draining state of affairs. To escape her hateful brother, Georgie accepts an invitation from the Queen to represent the royals at a wedding in Transylvania. But at the macabre-looking castle, Georgie finds the bride with blood running down her chin, and a wedding guest is poisoned. Now it’s up to Georgie to save the nuptial festivities before the couple’s vows become “to love and to cherish, till ‘undeath’ do them part…”
Amazon Kindle* Paperback * Audio
Barnes & Noble Hardcover * Paperback * Nookbook
About Rhys Bowen
Rhys Bowen is the Bestselling Author of the Royal Spyness Series, Molly Murphy Mysteries, and Constable Evans. Awarded the Agatha Best Novel Award and nominated for the Edgar Best Novel Rhys’s titles have received rave reviews around the globe.Rhys Bowen is a transplanted Brit who now divides her time between California and Arizona. She currently writes two mystery series, the Molly Murphy novels, about an Irish immigrant in 1900s New York City and the lighter Royal Spyness mysteries about a penniless minor royal in 1930s Britain. Her books made bestseller lists, garnered many awards, nominations, and starred reviews.
Hellooo, Readers!
I’m Nancy Haddock, one of the eleven authors who contributed to Entangled, a Paranormal Anthology available exclusively in e-book formats. From the stories to the cover art to the Foreword written by Stacia Kane, every aspect of Entangled was lovingly donated, and 100% of the proceeds go to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF). My story is entitled “Medium Rare.”
I’m excited to have worked on this project because breast cancer and other cancers have touched my family and friends. My maternal grandmother’s fatal illness began with breast cancer and ended with colon cancer. My mother has survived bladder cancer. My sister-in-law and dear friends have also battled and are winning over breast cancer, but there is so much yet to do. I want cancer to go the way of polio in my life time, and I believe it can.
Another thrilling part of working on Entangled is getting to be in a book with Liz Kreger. Liz is a breast cancer survivor who inspires me with her strength and grace. She’s also a gifted writer, and her suspense-laden science fiction romances are outstanding! Promise For Tomorrow blew me away, and I can hardly wait for Dragon Magic to be published!
Hear from Liz Kreger tomorrow and get a taste of her magical short story “Feel the Magic” at On a Pale Star.
Want to know more about my short story in Entangled? Here’s the “Meduim Rare” blurb and the link to an excerpt!
MEDIUM RARE by Nancy Haddock (author of the Oldest City Vampire trilogy) What’s spooking the spirits of St. Augustine? As the witching hour of Halloween approaches, ghost seer Colleen Cotton must team with a by-the-book paranormal investigator to locate the one ghost who can save the city’s specters. If she fails, her own great grandfather’s spirit may be lost forever.
Read the excerpt! http://www.nancyhaddock.com/books/entangled.html#excerpt
You can find my social media and book buy links on my awesomely redesigned website – I can say that since I didn’t do the designing. J Come play at www.nancyhaddock.com. I’ll look forward to your visit, and I hope you’ll support the BCRF by purchasing Entangled!
Thanks so much for hosting me on this Author Tag blog tour! I’ve had a blast, and I wish Happy Reading to one and all!
Welcome to Romance in the Backseat!
Today we are welcoming Cherie Marks to the blog. She is the author of Into the Fire, and is being toured by Goddessfish Promotions. The author will be giving away two $10 GCs to The Wild Rose Press and one $10 GC to Amazon.com to randomly drawn commenters during the tour. To increase your chances of winning, visit other blogs where Cherie is touring to and comment there. For the list of blogs being visited, Click HERE.
Are You a Kitchen Wiz or a Kitchen “Watch-out?”
You can ask my family–cooking is not one of my strongest talents. On more than one occasion, I’ve had to put out a fire on my stovetop. Yet, every once in a while I manage to whip up something tasty
and somewhat nutritious (hey, I’m cutting back on the chicken nuggets). Some of my recipe raves are for black bean soup, chili, grilled chicken, and tacos. So, I pull it off sometimes and knock a meal right out of the park.
My hero and heroine in Into the Fire, are both professional chefs, and I had to make them think and talk like people who are more than passably familiar with the kitchen and all its ingredients and utensils. I thank cooking reality game shows like Top Chef and Iron Chef America for anything I got right. I should also probably thank my grandmother, mother, and home economics teacher for at least attempting to teach me some proper techniques. I did win one award in home ec–best Mother’s Day poem. I think Mrs. Grady was trying to tell me to stick to writing.
Honestly though, one of the things I haven’t been brave enough to do is pull random ingredients from the pantry and see what I can make from them. It’s all part of being a competitive chef like my main characters, and who knows what recipe rave I might be able to invent with a little creativity. One of the best dishes I ever made was a sautéed salsa chicken dish. It wasn’t my first choice, but after the jar of Campbell’s Cacciatore sauce busted on the ground, it was all I had left. I fed it to my then boyfriend, and he’s now my husband, so something must have been right.
How about it? What are your cooking strengths? Weaknesses? Any kitchen disasters?
I love to hear from readers, writers, and in-betweeners, so please e-mail me at authorcheriemarks@gmail.com or follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/cheriemarks or catch me on Facebook at http://on.fb.me/qRl1lD. Hop over to my website at http://www.cheriemarks.com or have a laugh and maybe learn something at my blog http://www.cheriemarks.blogspot.com
Author Bio
It all started with an old fashioned typewriter. When my family brought it home, all those stories and characters rolling around in my head could finally get out. The press and click of the keys satisfied in their own right, but when I pulled out a finished page, I knew this was for me. Since then, I’ve graduated to a laptop, but the stories still find a way out.
I’m a breast cancer survivor, a teacher, a wife, a mother, and from the very beginning—a storyteller. Always a hint humorous and honest to a fault, I love to make people laugh and smile. My goal in life is to achieve tact and stop procrastinating. The battle wages on.
http://www.cheriemarks.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pages/Cherie-Marks/112358508843288
http://twitter.com/cheriemarks
Months after he stole her affections—then her executive chef position—Shyann and Luke meet again under sizzling circumstances, competing head-to-head on a televised cooking show called Kitchen Twist.
Each arrives with a motive: Luke intends to win back Shyann’s heart, even as she wants closure on the not-so-tasty heartbreak he once served up.Luke knows culinary masterpieces require a delicate touch, but that knowledge is tossed out with the leftovers as he works to show Shyann he’s not such a bad guy.
Now he pushes his skills to the limit to win the competition and satisfy a bet. Can two top chefs resist each other as they move out of the pan and into the fire?
Excerpt:
Silence reigned for half a minute before he reached out a hand and touched hers like a breezy whisper. Her head went a little fuzzy at the warm contact. He shouldn’t still be able to affect her so strongly.
“I regret it went down the way it did, but why did you show me the exit before giving me a chance to explain, not to mention—dress? Enlighten me, sugar cheeks?”
With a jerk, she pulled her hand free. He was really asking for it. Sugar cheeks? Seriously? Now she knew he was only messing with her. She could give as well as she got.
“Tell you what. You win tonight, and I’ll give you your chance. You lose, we go our separate ways, and you walk out all by yourself, big boy.”
A crooked grin formed on his face as he reached a hand toward her hair. He fingered an escaping curl before she pulled away, leaving his hand hanging in midair.“You can call me big boy all you want, but I’ll do you one better. How about if I win, I take you to dinner, and you let me explain the whole situation?”
She felt her eyebrow rise and knew he’d read it as interest, but she didn’t care at the moment. “I honestly don’t want to hear any explanation from you now or ever, but if I win? Which I will, of course.”
“Then I’ll leave it up to you. If you want me to walk away, I will.” He took a step closer, placed his hand on her shoulder, and leaned down, his mouth right next to her ear. “But if you want me to call you darling, sweetheart, and sugar cheeks all night long, I’ll do that too.”
Dangerous to Her by Virna DePaul
ISBN: 037327744X
ASIN: B005DB8GCA
Release : Aug 23, 2011
Publisher: Harlequin Intrigue
For years, court reporter Mattie Nolan kept her child a secret. The man she once loved chose his dangerous job—undercover cop—over her. But now, Sacramento detective Dom Jeffries is all that’s standing between her and the drug kingpin set on revenge against everyone who put him away. Including Mattie.
Though teetering on the edge of burnout, Dom goes undercover as a bailiff in Mattie’s courtroom. While he pretends not to remember her, thoughts of her touch, her smell and the smile that had been his alone keep resurfacing. Then he uncovers the secret she’s protecting. To save the daughter he’s never known and the woman he’s never forgotten, Dom’s ready to sacrifice not just his job, but his life…
Dangerous to Her is a page turner that you won’t want to put down! Mattie and Dom have a history that comes back to haunt both of them. Can they correct the mistakes that they made in the past?
Mattie Nolan is a hardworking single mom. She works as a court reporter for Judge Butler and all her non-work time is spent with her growing daughter. Her brother has a history of drug abuse and while he seems to have his life on the right track, Mattie is hesitant to trust him. This makes working full time and raising Jordan a difficult job. Dom walked away from Mattie years ago to protect her. He knew that he couldn’t take the job he wanted and keep Mattie in his life. What he didn’t realize is exactly what he was leaving behind!
Years have passed since Dom and Mattie broke up and Dom is now burned out. One of his best friends is dead and he wants to figure out who murdered him. When he takes an undercover position to investigate the murder, he discovers the woman that he has always loved and could never forget. It seems that Mattie is in danger and he’ll do whatever is required to protect her.
Dangerous To Her is a wonderful read. There is enough action to keep the reader reading and flipping the pages as fast as they can! The chemistry between Mattie and Dom has never died out it seems. Although Dom pretends not to know Mattie when they meet, the attraction and the chemistry between them is as hot as ever. The characters of this story are very well written. As the story progresses, they are gradually revealed to the reader like putting pieces of a puzzle together. The reader gradually figures out who is a “good guy” and a “bad guy”. There are enough tidbits of legal information to ground the story and make it seem more real.
I have now read several stories that Virna DePaul has written. I enjoyed the first one and continue to enjoy each story that she releases, regardless of genre. Virna is definitely an author to watch and will be on my must buy list for the foreseeable future!
Romance in the Backseat would like to welcome Virna DePaul to the blog. She released her latest book, Dangerous to Her, exactly a month ago, and now she’s back sharing a guest post with us! If you are interested in a review of this book, we’ll be posting one tomorrow.
For now, we’ll learn a little bit more about Virna and I’ve included a short excerpt at the end so that you can read a snippet of the book!
Here’s Virna:
Super Mom, Super Writer, Super Hero?
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a superhero? Well, if you’re a working mother (or father) you’re probably closer than you think. Sure, you can’t fly or stop a speeding bullet, but you need to be in countless places at the same time, move at the speed of light, predict the future, heal all wounds, and still have time to cook dinner, pack lunches, and attend every school function known to man. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wished I could fly around the world backwards like Superman in order to turn back time. Since I haven’t yet mastered that trick, I try to utilize every second of time available to me.
As a working mother myself, I often wonder how I’m able to cover all of my responsibilities and still have time for the simple luxuries (like taking a daily shower and occasionally combing my hair). Then reality settles in—I don’t!
Yet, I’m one of the lucky ones. Unlike many working moms and dads, I get to dictate my own schedule. As a writer, I’m free to work morning, noon, or night. Generally, I work when my children are sleeping or out of the house. However, the muse doesn’t always pay attention to things like that. On many occasions I have sat in front of my computer, trying to eek out even one good sentence, only to be interrupted by the sounds of fighting, crying, crashing or other chaos. Worse yet are those instances when my spider senses start tingling, telling me it was far too quiet for the children to be doing anything good.
Despite how hard it is to juggle work and home, business and personal, being a parent is an amazing and exciting job. My kids will be the first to say I’m not a superhero, but they know I try my best—for them and myself. And I know that when they grow up, they’ll have had the example of a parent who followed her passion, and that will encourage them to follow their own.
In Dangerous To Her, my debut release with Harlequin Romantic Suspense, I got to write about a heroine who was a mother. It was so much fun weaving in baking pies and putting on band-aids along with a suspense plot and love scenes. Every book I write, whether it’s category or single title, contemporary or paranormal, deals with issues small and big, and characters who are both simple and complex. Life’s about contrasts and I love bringing that flavor to my stories.
Bio:
Virna DePaul is a former criminal prosecutor and now National Bestselling Author for Berkley (paranormal romantic suspense), HQN (single title romantic suspense) and HRS (category romantic suspense). Her upcoming release Chosen By Fate (Para-Ops Novel 2) comes out October 4, 2011. www.virnadepaul.com
Dangerous To Her (Harlequin Romantic Suspense)
Dangerous To Her: For years, court reporter Mattie Nolan kept her child a secret. The man she once loved chose his dangerous job—undercover cop—over her. But now, Sacramento detective Dom Jeffries is all that’s standing between her and the drug kingpin set on revenge against everyone who put him away. Including Mattie.
Though teetering on the edge of burnout, Dom goes undercover as a bailiff in Mattie’s courtroom. While he pretends not to remember her, thoughts of her touch, her smell and the smile that had been his alone keep resurfacing. Then he uncovers the secret she’s protecting. To save the daughter he’s never known and the woman he’s never forgotten, Dom’s ready to sacrifice not just his job, but his life…
Romance in the Backseat would like to welcome Lavina Kent to the blog. She is touring her new book, What a Duke Wants, with Goddessfish Promotions. She is giving away a $25.00 Amazon gift card to one commenter along the tour. To find more blogs to comment on and increase your chances of success click HERE.
Here’s what Lavinia has to say:
I am often asked why I chose to write historical romances, or why I chose the Regency as my favorite time period. The answer to the first question is easy. I love to place my heroines in challenging and perilous situations, and in many ways, that is easier to do in a historical romance. A Regency woman 
might truly have no choice but to become a rich man’s mistress or to starve (or let her family starve). In a modern setting, the reader would be thinking, “Just go get a job.” And it is certainly easier to write a convincing marriage of convenience in a historical setting.
It’s a little more difficult to explain why I write Regencies. I first wanted to write Medievals (even easier to create situations where the heroine is trapped), but I was daunted by the research and by not knowing anyone else who was writing Medievals. I had always loved reading Regencies and had several friends writing them, so I was very comfortable writing in the period. And, of course, Regencies simply sell the best. While I hate to admit to having such a mercenary motive, it was definitely part of the decision making process. Of course, I would never have decided to write Regencies if I hadn’t also loved them.
Which brings me to my main subject, the challenges of creating a strong heroine in the Regency. I have to admit, I never really saw it as a challenge. I love writing strong heroines who are capable of rescuing themselves – even though they never mind a little help from a gorgeous duke. I can’t imagine writing a different type of heroine.
So perhaps, for me, the challenge is not in writing strong, independent heroines, but in creating the circumstances that allow them to be this way. The easiest way to do this during the Regency is to make them widows. I did this in my first two books, A Talent for Sin and Bound by Temptation. A widow could have her own money and status, have a healthy libido, and even engage in a discreet affair. And, even more importantly, a widow had good reason not to want to marry again, as that would require her to give up control of everthing she owns.
My third book, Taken by Desire, had a strong heroine who, while a little older and much richer than the norm, had never been married, and so was much more worried by societal standards. This was much more challenging. I had to create circumstances that would have encouraged my heroine to become independent and, at the same time, show that she was at risk because she didn’t want a life dominated by a man. She was actually in danger of being locked in an asylum by her cousin, because no sane woman would want to live her life in such a fashion. And, even allowing for this, I know some readers complained that no woman would ever have behaved the way my heroine did in that period. (I love history books about the “wild women” of different eras and the unbelievable things they managed to accomplish.)
What a Duke Wants, my new release, was the most complicated of my books (although also my favorite) to write a strong heroine in. Because my heroine, Isabella, had appeared in previous books she had to be young and reasonably innocent, but at the same time I wanted her to be strong. Isabella has had a difficult life and has been forced by circumstance to act in ways at odds with her very proper upbringing. After having run away from her family, she has been in service as a nurse and governess for several years, and the experience of being on her own empowers her to make her own choices and take her own risks. She fully understands the potential consequences of her actions. She is willing to turn her back forever on society to gain what she wants – and, indeed, she might have lost all if her very handsome duke hadn’t also decided what he wanted . . .
Then there are my duchesses, the heroines of my e-novellas, The Real Duchesses of London, released this past summer. They were deliciously fun to write because I started out with a group of strong, powerful women who had great friends to turn to. While I enjoyed the different romantic relationships in these stories, I had the most fun with the friendships among the women. I enjoyed demonstrating how the support of friends allowed my duchesses to become even more powerful than if they had stood alone.
I can’t imagine not writing about strong women – who find equally strong men. It is the interaction of my couples as equals that makes writing a joy for me. I adore the fantasy of a strong, masterful alpha man, but I want my heroine to be able to keep him on his toes.
What books have your favorite strong heroines?
Thank you for having me at Romance in the Backseat. I look forward to chatting.
Romance in the Backseat would like to thank Lavinia For visiting! Be sure to leave a comment to be entered into the giveaway!
About Lavinia
Lavinia Kent never knew that most people don’t make up stories in their heads to pass the time. She still has a hard time understanding how those who don’t survive the doctor’s waiting room or a grocery store line without another world to escape into.
Growing up in New York state and Wisconsin, Lavinia graduated from Wellesley College and, for reasons that are still not quite clear, also holds an MBA from Washington, D.C.’s Georgetown University. Lavinia has remained in Washington ever since.
She lives under the gracious (and usually benign) rule of Erzsebet, the cat, along with her husband, three children, one cockatiel, two rats, and Erzsebet’s younger, subordinate tomcat, otherwise known as The Golden Snitch.
As the mother of three, Lavinia finds “leisure time” to be ever-elusive, but when she is not reading romance novels, she watches far too much HBO and reality television. It must also be noted that she has an encyclopedic knowledge of all things Buffy and Doctor Who.
Lavinia was a two-term president of the Washington Romance Writers and is proud to be a four-time Romance Writers of America Golden Heart nominee.
What woman would refuse a Duke’s kiss?
Running from a dark secret past, Isabella Masters craves peace and stability, a life far from the prying eyes of society.
She does not dream of landing a lord.
But in the arms of a stranger with magnificent eyes, she loses herself in one breath-stealing kiss— only to discover she has been misled by a reluctant Duke.
Angered but enthralled, she dares not submit . . . though her passionate heart begs her to. He cannot wed her . . . but he must not lose her.
Only one possibility remains— one too scandalous to consider . . . yet too tempting to resist.
Romance in the Backseat would like to welcome Reena Jacobs to the blog! She is currently touring her new book, I Loved You First.
Reena is sharing an excerpt from her book with us today. Have a read and see what you think!
I entertained the idea of dating Dink. My heart even sped up a bit, sending heat straight to my face. Oh yeah, I entertained the thought… all for about two seconds. One scene ended the short daydream: walking hand-in-hand next to the colossal. The size difference between the two of us was astronomical and put a damper on the whole fantasy. I supposed being with Dink would be okay if we never stood, never went anywhere, just sat in these seats for eternity.
Fleshy warmth landed on my leg, jolting me from my deep thoughts. I zeroed in on Dink’s hand caressing my knee. He was all around me, creating a jumble of feelings. I wanted to bolt from the unfamiliar intimacy, while the desire to nestle in the safety of his protective enclosure grew strong. My head became airy like a balloon on the verge of floating away.
I remembered to breathe, but there wasn’t enough air between us. Swept in the dizziness of it all, my eyes played tricks on me. Dink seemed closer than he’d been only a millisecond ago. No illusion. He was leaning toward me. Closer. Closer. His eyes focused on my mouth, making me self-conscious. I licked my lips, and he paused, his pupils dilating in the bright light.
My heart went into a panicked convulsion. Oh lord. He’s going to kiss me.
The soft fleshiness of his mouth brushed against mine, and a tingling started in my stomach. Was this what they meant by butterflies? His tongue skimmed my bottom lip.
“Alex Carmichael.”
I jumped to my feet at my name over the intercom.
“Please come to the front desk. Alex Carmichael, please come to the front desk.” A slight clatter and the mike went dead.
“That’s me!” My lungs worked overtime as if I’d run a marathon.
“Want me to go with you?” The sparkle in Dink’s eyes overshadowed the serious set of his lips.
“No. No. I’ll go.” I raced away.
I ran my tongue over the kiss which lingered on my lips and savored the soda sweetness which hadn’t been there before. A real kiss. As Seth’s invisible sidekick, I’d never experienced one before. It was like a triple shot of espresso, but unlike the bitter drink I hated, I wanted more.
The receptionist pasted on a mechanical smile as I approached. “May I help you?”
“I’m Alex Carmichael.”
I’d like to thank Reena for sharing with us today! Drop by Amazon and check out her book!
Romance in the Backseat would like to welcome Lindsey Brookes to the blog. She is here to talk about her latest book, Hero of Her Heart. I’ve asked her if she would mind answering a few questions so that we can learn more about her and her books!
Romance - Tell us a little about yourself.
My friends have written such great books, but I can’t chose between them. I can tell you that one of my favorite contemporary romance series is Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series. Love the humor in them. And for historical romance (if you like it hot), I’d recommend Monica McCarty’s Highland Guard series and Sara McCarty’s Hell’s Eight series. (I don’t think the authors are related)
Blurb for Hero Of Her Heart::
From the moment Bethany Warner was born, Sheriff Tanner Montgomery was on the run. And he was only four at the time. Their mothers’ matchmaking efforts finally ended when Bethany’s family moved away. Now, ten years later, she’s coming back to Ruby Creek and his mother is up to her old tricks again.
Tanner is happy with his life just the way it is. No emotional entanglements. No wife or child to worry about leaving behind if something should happen to him in the line of duty. Then Bethany returns, all grown up and sexier than sin. Now he’s on the run for a whole new reason.
Growing up, Bethany idolized Tanner. He was the HERO OF HER HEART. But to him she’d been nothing more than a tag-a-long little kid. Too tall, too thin, with unruly curls and teeth she could whistle through.
That was then. Now she’s coming back to Ruby Creek, a successful, confident businesswoman, and no longer the ugly duckling she had once been. Can Bethany convince Tanner to give love a chance? And if she does, will it be everything she had always dreamt it would be?
