A Renegade and a Wild Woman

Happy Tuesday!

What is it about rebellious men and wild women?  Why do we love them?  From Cleopatra and Mark Antony to Bonnie and Clyde to Natalie Wood and James Dean, we have a fascination with them that stands the test of time and that fascination seems to continue with each new generation.  It's astounding.  Why are we so fascinated with them?

Because they are some of the true-to-life love stories, even though they didn't have their happily ever after.

Don't believe me?  Let's look at the opening lyrics of a popular country song from a couple of years ago:

I Wanna be Loved Like That by Shanendoah

Natalie Wood gave her heart to James Dean

The high school rebel and the teenage queen

Standin' together at an angry world

One boy fightin' for one girl

I wanna be loved like that, I wanna be loved like that

A promise you can't take back

If you're gonna love me

I wanna be loved like that

 

Sure, the song goes on, but it really nails it on the head right there, in those lyrics.  I want a promise you can't take back.  In fact, I'd almost have to say that this would be the song I would use to advertise the book Renegade by Sarah Parr. 

Why?

Well, throughout this book, I noticed that the heroine, Jaline, hesitated for quite some time from telling the hero, Jonathon, one thing: that she loved him.  To her the words were permanent, everlasting.  If she said them, she couldn't take it back.  She wanted to be sure that he knew the words were real to her and not just said out of a sense of obligation or lust and she seemed to struggle with finding the right time.  Of course, the inner demons she carried with her sure didn't help, and he had demons of his own that got in the way. 

Jonathon would be a Duke if he managed to regain the title that his father lost, and Jaline was anything but a proper lady and she certainly didn't have the breeding necessary for society's requirements of a Duchess and she knew the King would never approve of her.  How can you let someone care about you when you know they'll be forced to leave you in the end?  How can you tell someone that you love them knowing that your love can ruin the life they worked so hard to get back?

You'll have to read the book to find that out!  All and all, I found Renegade to be a pleasant story, especially for a debut novel.  I have had the pleasure to interview Sarah Parr.  She is a delightful person and a very talented author.  Be sure to stay tuned because there is a surprise for you at the end. I hope you enjoy the interview!

Q. Why historical over other romance novel genres? What’s the draw for you? What influenced your decision to choose historical?

A. I’m a history buff, have traveled and studied history all my life, so it is dear to me.

Q. Is this the beginning of a career in historical novels or do you plan on branching out into other genres? If so, which genres? If not, do you plan on expanding into other historical time periods?

A. Anything is possible.

Q. What authors have you read since you were a child and did any of them influence life choices that you’ve made?

A. I’ve read so many books, it is hard to say if any one has influenced me.

Q. At what age did you start reading romance novels?

A. Do fairy tales count? J, if so, then I was three.

Q. Here’s a question just for fun, do you now or have you ever had a pet of some sort? If so, what kinds were they and what are (were) their names? (It seems that many authors have pets, specifically cats and I’m just curious.)

A. I have many pets and live on a small horse farm. My horse is a Morgan named Tahoma, then there is Piper – a half blind rescue Paint, and Hermione – a tiny Welsh B pony. In the barn is a cat named Saffron who tends to pest control. In the house lives my Collie (Erin), Sheltie (Skye) and Pomeranian (Stitch), a Tonkinese (Mushu) and another rescue cat (Kisses).

Q. Why Kensington Press? Why Zebra Books?

A. It was a great match!

Q. Were you lucky enough to have your first manuscript accepted? If so, what’s your secret? If not, how many different manuscripts have you sent out? How many times were you rejected before you found that acceptance letter?

A. Yes – my first and second manuscripts are being published as RENEGADE and, well the second title hasn’t been released yet. My secret? I’m not sure there is a secret. What I would say to anyone is to write the best story you can and try to get it in the right hands. That is the best way for things to happen.

Q. With this being your first book, you must be on pins and needles constantly wondering what the outcome will be. What do you do, other than write, to keep your mind off of the current progress of Renegade?

A. What a great question! I am a big believer in living in the present – although it isn’t easy. Animals are one way I help that happen. Horses live in the moment. When riding, there is no hour from now, only this moment, this place. Tahoma and I have spent many hours meandering. In search of nothing, we find peace.

Q. In terms of promoting your book, what percentage would you say is up to you and how much is up to Kensington?

A. It is a partnership. Among other things Kensington created the package for my book including title and cover, gave it to their sales force, marketed it, placed it on their website. My contributions have included bookmarks, mailings, individual booksellers and the Internet.

Q. In terms of success, what measuring stick do you use? In other words, how will you determine the overall success of your book, or is it enough for you to be in print right now?

A. I view success when I have done best, pushed myself further, and worked as hard as I could.

Now let’s switch the focus to your book:

Q. Why did you pick the year 1762? Is there something special about the Georgian Era or the Ottoman time periods for you?

A. 1762 was just prior to the end of the Seven Year War in Europe (the French-Indian War in the US). Often thought of as the first world war because it encircled the entire globe, this war changed power everywhere, eras were ended and fortunes made. Rules and borders were in flux. As always happens at the end of the war, there are great shifts, making Jonathon and Jaline’s situation even more precarious. For the Ottomans, it is almost the end of an era. Russia is poised to invade – Catherine’s attempt to secure Russia a warm water port.

Q. Why did you decide to begin with Jaline already being a slave to Jonathon rather than starting with the situation of him in the position to win her or leave her?

A. Because once he had met her, there was no doubt he would own her. The story began from there.

Q. What elements of Jaline or Jonathon can you relate to and why? What, if any, aspects of either character were taken from personal experience? Please elaborate as best you can.

A. I can relate to their needs to prove themselves and yet be true to themselves, to want to fit in and yet remain apart.

Q. In your book, the hero and the heroine seem to get along well with each other and don’t really seem to have any actual friction. What made you decide to focus on personal demons over external forces to create the drama? What experiences or ideas inspired their creation?

A. It wasn’t a conscious decision. Jaline and Jonathon’s true story was about two people who are both quite capable, quite wonderful and yet more so when together. But being together brought forth much of what neither wanted to address. In other words to find their strength they had to fight for it, and much of that was fighting the walls they had constructed themselves.

Q. How much research did you have to do for this book? How long did the research take? Who was the inspiration for Comte? Was he a historical figure? Where did you get the idea for the alchemy goblets that seem to be causing Jonathon so much trouble? Why alchemy and not simply religious or ancient relics?

A. I did/do a lot of research and have traveled all around the Mediterranean and Europe, living there for a year. Comte was crafted from many bits of history and imagination. The alchemy goblet was based on an actual goblet from the Hapsburgs treasury in Vienna on display at the old palaces (now museums). I created the stories around the pieces. Why alchemy and not religious or ancient relics… I found the figure of Rudolph II fascinating. He believed it morally imperative he divide his resources equally amongst Science, Nature and Art. Alchemists were the scientists at the time and he commissioned many of them to work in Prague. What was interesting was the amount of money given to incredible works that that advanced scientific knowledge both forwards (with accurate planetary clocks) and backwards (clockwork movement automotons). Naturalia was also reviewed in detail (ie plants, animals, geography, etc). I took the leap and imagined some of these alchemists and their discoveries taking a logical path of study towards plants, their properties and eventually Soma.

Q. Will Jonathon’s brother, Edmond, get his own story in the future? He would make an interesting lead character…

A. It’s possible!!

Q. What can you tell us about your next manuscript (status, etc.)? (yeah, everyone's always wondering what you've got up your sleeve!)

A. My next manuscript is at Kensington. It will be released in July 2010 and is the story of Jonathon and Jaline’s son – Warrick. They do make a cameo!

Okay, sound interesting? Want the book? You have a chance to win a copy here! That's right, leave a comment here and you are entered into the drawing for a free copy of Renegade!

Third Book Review of The White Queen - Part 1

Happy Sunday!

The bulky nature and the fact that I am so far behind on my reading demand that I break my review into two parts.  I read, but I don't read as fast as I used to, and when you add poorly made glasses into the mix, things get even slower.  I'm really nearsighted to begin with, so my glasses are like magnifying glasses in the first place.  If I read without my glasses, everything has to be right in front of my face.  It's quite a nuisance, but it's just another fact of my life that I need to accept.

In reading the book jacket for The White Queen by Philippa Gregory, and the websites, you'll discover the main topic of the book: Elizabeth Woodville - aka, The White Queen (from the movies, I believe it was due to the white powder she would put on her face, but that is a guess at this point). This book has everything a good story needs, romance, marriage, children, scandal and intrigue. What makes it fascinating is that the intrigue and mystery are taken right out of the history books.

Yep, you heard me, a good old fashioned intrigue that came right from the pages of English History. This mystery has to do with the two sons of Queen Elizabeth Woodville. Her sons get embroiled in some sort of scandal and find themselves in the Tower of London. The problem is, no one knows what happened to them after they got there. That's right, not one, but two missing princes of England and heirs to the throne.

So, what happened to them? No one knows, and I mean no one knows. There is no written record to explain what actually happened to them after they were put into the Tower - which is where all criminals were placed to await trial and/or execution. Was it all a rouse to protect them and the crown? Were they disowned by their mother? Were they left in the Tower dungeons so long that others forgot their names and so did they? Who's to say. Without actual records, everything is at best just educated speculation.

Which is what Philippa Gregory is a master of, educated speculation. I listened to both The Other Boleyn Girl and The Boleyn Inheritance and found education as well as entertainment between the pages. She wove such great tales here, that it seemed so easy to see life in those times. It was as if she actually lived in those times and in those places. William Makepeace Thackeray wrote Vanity Fair as a living testament to the times he lived in. So, one could almost call Philippa the Thackeray of London's royalty!

I've babbled on enough for today. Please join me next week when I pick through some of the details a bit more thoroughly. I promise not to give anything crucial away!!!

Have I managed to intrigue you? Would you like to win a copy of this book? Well, to enter your name in the drawing, leave a comment at the post found by clicking here! Be sure to select the link that says, "Post a Comment" - Thanks!

YA Author Spotlight Saturday Presents... Carl Deuker!!!

Carl Deuker has been writing YA Sports Fiction for quite some time, with his first book having an initial printing date of 1989. Heart of a Champion was reprinted in 2007. For more on Carl Deuker [and he has a very thorough bio], check out his website.

Q. Why YA Fiction? What’s the draw for you?


A. For years I tried to write adult fiction with poor results. Then one day it struck me that, as a teacher, I spend my time with young adults. It also struck me that I constantly tell them to write about what they know. So, what did I know—teenagers and sports.

Q. Currently, I’ve listened to Heart of a Champion and enjoyed it very much and have just started Night Hoops and I’m already hooked. What is your target age range for your books and are you specifically targeting the male gender? If so, why?

A. I wrote On the Devil’s Court because I love the Faust legend and I thought it would be fun to do a sports twist on it. After that, I wrote a book geared toward girls—and it was rejected by the publisher. I returned to sports for Heart of a Champion, and it was accepted for publication. So, I guess I’d say that I’m a good writer with a limited range. I don’t specifically target boys, and many of my readers are girls, but I do seem to have more success with the reluctant male readers in middle school and in the early HS years than other authors.

[There's that term again, the reluctant reader. Hmmm. Maybe book content could be an issue....]

Q. Why sports?

A. I love sports; there is built in drama; people reveal themselves in games. As a boy, I ate up all sports books, so perhaps I’m writing for myself at 14.

Q. I just have to ask: In On the Devil’s Court, the main character is named Joe Faust. Why the name Faust? Was the novel Dante’s Inferno, by Faust, influential to your writing this particular book?

A. That comes from Marlowe’s Dr. Faustus and from Goethe’s Faust. The publisher thought it might be too obvious a reference at first—I assured them that 8th graders in general aren’t up on their Christopher Marlowe.

Q. In Heart of a Champion, Seth’s father was a golfer, and I see that you golf. Do you plan on ever having golf as the main “driving” force of a story? Why or why not?

A. My golfing friend and I joke about it all the time. “John looked into his bag and then looked at the lake. Should he use his five iron or his six?” Not quite as compelling as basketball, though I do think there’s a golf/cheating story or book in me . . . somewhere.

Q. Extending the above question, are there any sports that you won’t use as a backdrop for a story? Why or why not?

A. I’d like to be able to use soccer, but I’ve never played the game. When I try to write the game scenes, I fumble around. I’ve read books where the author is clearly not comfortable with the game and they make me cringe. I don’t want to make the same mistake. So if I never played or coached the game, I won’t write about it.

Q. I realize that, like all of your other books, the name has an internal connection with the sport being played as well as the overall story conveyed. For those of us non-baseball players, can you please explain the connection of the title, Painting the Black, to baseball?

A. Home plate is white, but the rubber edge of the plate is black. “Painting the black” refers to throwing pitches over the black part of home plate and hoping the umpire calls the pitch a strike. In the book, one of the characters is always right there on the edge, hoping to get the call in his direction both on the baseball field and off. He’s “painting the black.”

Q. In Night Hoops, I noticed that the themes of a missing father (Trent Dawson) and divorce (Seth’s parents) resurface [I can’t vouch for On the Devil’s Court or Painting the Black]. Why have you chosen to make these characters suffer these kinds of problems? Do you feel that broken home situations are more prevalent than situations with both the mother and father in the home and happily married, and thus more relatable to today’s youth?

A. Definitely. As a teacher for nearly 30 years, the “absent father” is depressingly common. Consider, for example, the increase in prison population. Those men have children, and those children are in our schools. How must it feel when they are asked: What's your dad do?

Q. With Runner, you appear to leave the baseball diamond and the basketball court behind and delve more into the crime/thriller genre. Was this an intentional shift in focus, or did it just sort of happen?

A. Definitely intentional. I like writing sports novels, but I wanted to have another genre to work in as well. Runner was a self challenge==break out of the mold. The book I’m working on right now is also more thriller than sports.

Q. With the novel Gym Candy, you continue your hiatus from the baseball diamond and the basketball court but stroll onto the football field. Is there any particular reason that you chose football over baseball or basketball as the backdrop for this story?

A. Basically the same answer as for the previous question. I played football, but not with the passion or love that I played basketball and baseball. So writing a football book was a challenge.

Q. I know that alcohol, drugs, abuse and death can add depth to any story and/or character, but why do you use these themes so heavily in your writing?

A. Tolstoy said something like: All happy families are alike, all unhappy families are unique. The unhappy teenager is most likely to be facing problems with drugs, alcohol, a parent (father, usually) or pregnancy/fatherhood. All teenagers know kids facing these problems even if they themselves are not.

Q. Do you have any plans to write about female characters? Why or why not? If not, are there any current authors of sports fiction for girls that you could recommend to our readers?

A. There’s that line: Everybody has a postage stamp on which they don’t make a fool of themselves. Get off the postage stamp and you will make a fool of yourself. I’ll let female writers delve into the minds of female athletes. As far as recommending authors—I avoid reading YA sports books. I have my voice and when I read other people’s books, I invariably start thinking: “So that’s how you do it.” Then, I copy them and lose my own voice.

Q. On your site, you put up the first couple of sentences to your latest work. How is that coming? Is there a name to go with it yet? Where are you in the writing process with it?

A. Close to publishing I hope! What else are you working on? Details, details, we want details! Hopefully, the new book is finished and will be published pretty close to as is. It is with the editor, Ann Rider, right now. Titles: Fourth and Forever or Chasing Angel. I’ve started another book which I’m calling Swagger. It deals with a charismatic head coach and his relationship with his high school team.

Q. Would you be willing to provide with a bit on a longer excerpt than you currently have on your website? I know I’m curious!

A. The contract with the publisher specifically forbids any but the most limited publication of a new work. [bummer!]

Reluctant Reader Home

Guilty Pleasures....

Hi, everyone! I hope your week has been awesome. Mine has been filled with football, family chaos of seismic proportions I never want to repeat—ever…ever…ever again!—2nd and 6th grade homework, and family visiting from out of town…again!

So, my topic for the week…guilty pleasures, which is defined as: “A guilty pleasure is something one considers pleasurable despite feeling guilt for enjoying it. Often, the ‘guilt’ involved is simply fear of others discovering one’s lowbrow or otherwise embarrassing tastes, rather than actual moral guilt. Fashion, music, and food (especially unhealthier foods high in sugar and/or fat) can be examples of guilty pleasures.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guilty_pleasure


Song: Guilty Pleasures by Cobra Starship


I thought I’d do a countdown of my ten guilty pleasures:


10. Eating an entire box of chocolate glazed Krispy Kreme donuts. The thought is almost orgasmic! If only I wouldn’t gain an ounce. I gain at least five pounds when I drive by Krispy Kreme and by chance get a wisp of the sweet smell. I’m kind of like a blowfish that way. It’s so not fair.

9. Silky/lacy undergarments. I am a sucker for pretty panties and bras. If only I enjoyed actually wearing them. Strange, I know, but I wish I enjoyed wearing them as much as I enjoyed looking at them.

8. Starbucks Iced Mocha. Not decaf, not non-fat, but the real deal! I want all the sugar, carbs and fat! Mmmm….mmmm….lip-smacking good! Some sins are worth gaining a pound or two over.


7. Reading a romance book that turns me on. I believe that guilty pleasure needs no further comments.

6. Papa Roach’s song I Almost Told You That I Loved You. *hangs head in shame* I admit the first time I heard it on the Octane channel I laughed. It’s not an appropriate song for my children, but I so love this song and all its rude crudeness!

I Almost Told You That I Loved You by PapaRoach (Warning: Explicit)

5. Buying something I do not need, like a new garment, or make up, or new nail polish. *big grin* My newest nail color is blue. I love it and my husband hates it! LOL My sons like it though, so proof my husband *cough-Stick-In-The-Mud-cough* doesn’t have taste!

4. Singing at the top of my lungs to my Bon Jovi CD! Oh, Lord, the shame of that admission and how telling it is of my age! LOL That man makes my heart pitter-patter. *sighs*

3. When karma becomes a bitch for someone who deserves it. Does that make me mean or spiteful? Probably, but I don’t care. Some people just deserve to be bitch-slapped with karma.

2. Watching Nip/Tuck and Sons of Anarchy with my husband.

1. Lusting after Dean Winchester…er…Jensen Ackles…oh, whatever the hell his name is. He’s Dean Winchester on the television show Supernatural and that’s all I need to hear to thrust my mind into an unending erotic fantasy! I'm almost certain God wants me to have Dean Winchester for being such a good little girl. ;-) Hey, it's my fantasy, don't ruin it! :D



Tag! You're it!! Don’t be shy, we all have them, and now it's your turn to confess all your secrets…ahem…I mean guilty pleasures. ;-)


Have a great weekend!

Aspiring Author Joan Kayse!!!

Happy Thursday Everyone!

Are you thinking, "Hey, that name sounds familiar!"  Well, it just might!  If you consider yourself a Romance Bandit, or have visited their site once, you will recognize her name.  That's where I found her in my search for historical romance authors.  Yes, no one corrected me then, but last week's guest, Christine Wells, is also a Romance Bandit.  

Why Joan Kayse, she's not published?  Well, that doesn't matter here because someday, she will be.  How do I know?  Read the excerpt on her website for The Barbarian's Soul and tell me she doesn't have talent and a future as a romance writer.  Personally, I don't think that you will.  She already knows how to get you hot and bothered and then, leave you hanging!  I can't wait to read the rest of it!   

Okay, okay, I'm getting to it.  I know, you want to meet her and see what she has to say, so without keeping you in suspense any longer, here's Joan Kayse!  Take it away Joan!  

First, I would like to thank Carrie for inviting me to visit the Moonlighters today.

Rome wasn’t built in a day.

That, my friends has been my motto since the day I decided to get serious about all these stories flying around in my head. I’ve even considered having it tattooed somewhere on, er…my person.


My name is Joan and I write Roman historicals.

Kind of sounds like a 12 step program, doesn’t it? Well, it felt like it in 2001 when I began to explore the alternately astounding, energizing, frustrating, beat your head against the wall, raise your fist with fervor world of romance writing. That was the year I attended my first RWA conference in New Orleans. It was there that I met my first challenge in writing a non-Regency, non-Scottish historical. “I write Roman historicals” I stuttered, still not quite used to actually SAYING I was a writer. Oh, the looks of pity, the soothing “Oh, sweetie…really. Look at the market” responses. Would have withered some. Me? Just made me all the more determined to do just that.

Understand I was a baby writer then, having only been focusing on publication for a little over a year, after my mother passed away and I hit that “evaluate your life” phase of grieving. After all, she bestowed on me my creative mind and passion for the things I love. I grew up reading and loving romance, especially historical romance. Why not write one?

While I adore all types of history, Rome in all of its infamous, magnificent, decadent glory is my favorite period of all. I have no logical explanation for it. I mean the closest I got to studying it was taking two years of high school Latin. Substituting Latin words in the refrain of “Willie Go Round in Circles” was about all I took away from that. Oh, and a major crush on Mr. Powell the teacher J

But I KNEW from the first day I sat down to flesh out THE PATRICIAN’S DESIRE that I would be telling three heroes stories and they really, only could take place in Rome. Take a little bit of alpha, a touch of wounded (or in Bran’s case…a LOT of wounded) and a smidgen of an all consuming Empire that threatens their very existence. Throw in vibrant heroines that meet them toe to toe and voila….a series was born.

My fellow Banditas over at The Romance Bandits have created an elite contingent of gladiators. Demetrius, Lucien and Marcus are great guys (and mix a mean margharita) but there were more than gladiators and tribunes living and loving in 52 CE.

Jared. A merchant prince from Alexandria born of a Roman patrician father and a Hebrew merchant’s daughter whose very heritage damned him in both worlds. His salvation lies with the woman who betrayed him into slavery. (THE PATRICIAN’S DESIRE).

Damon. A Senatorial spy, subject to the will of others, betrayed and used his entire life from the moment his father sells him to pay a debt into adulthood when the machinations of a powerful government official leads to his near crucifixion. A woman with the face of a goddess stays the executioner’s hand only to throw him back into the intrigue and conspiracy ridden patrician world where he fights to keep her alive. (THE PATRICIAN’S FORTUNE)

Bran. Ex-gladiator fighting to retain his very soul after being forced to kill for the perverse pleasure of the Roman mob. He does not trust. He does not hope. He does not live. He only hates and endures and despises the Roman world until a raven haired beauty shatters the wall he’s built around his heart. (THE BARBARIAN’S SOUL)

Damon described my passion for the time period best:

They reached the bottom of the affluent Palatine neighborhood and turned toward the center of the city. Damon set a quick pace, navigating the twisting thoroughfares with ease. He knew this city like a man knows a lover. A boiling cauldron of arrogance, greed, and excess, Rome was the focal point of the civilized world, though Damon was certain a majority of the Empire’s conquered regions would hotly argue the point.

The crowds began to thicken as they continued down the Via Sacra and approached the two enormous pillars marking the entrance to the city center. Damon eyed the carved statues of Rome’s legendary founders, Romulus and Remus, circling their circumference. There were dozens of similar statues scattered around Rome, adorning public buildings, heralding a general’s successful campaign, an emperor’s benevolence, but this one had always been his favorite.

The famous twins faced each other, swords tightly clutched, expressions reflecting the stoicism of a conquering race, prepared to defend the nation they’d founded. Romulus’ free hand rested on the head of the legendary she-wolf who had suckled the abandoned infants. An omen the ill fated Remus, murdered by the brother who named an Empire, should have heeded. Take care who you trust. A lesson Damon had learned good and well. With Kaj flanking him, Damon stepped through the stone arch into the Forum.

The market was well designed. A large open area provided ample room for pedestrians and shoppers to go about their business. Weavers, jewelers, bakers, oil merchants, and pottery makers vied with tavernas and wine shops for their share of the citizens’ coin.

Street philosophers chalked their thoughts on the sides of buildings, some accompanied by unflattering drawings. Candidates for political offices spouted grand promises from stone block perches while those who had already been elected bustled about the business of government. Temples dedicated to one god or another stood wall to wall with brothels where, Damon mused, you were more likely to get your prayers answered than kneeling at an altar.

The city pulsed with life and Damon reveled in it. This was where he’d first experienced life after Jared had granted him his freedom. He closed his eyes for a moment, savored the sounds of bartering and badgering, inhaled the scent of spices and perfumes and—he cocked one eye open and looked at the painting of a pork hind gracing the side of a building—the butcher’s shop. The Patrician’s Fortune.
***
My manuscripts are making strides, finaling and winning many prestigious contests. THE PATRICIAN’S DESIRE was a 2006 Golden Heart finalist. Yes, you heard correctly. A Roman historical finaled in the Golden Heart. Jared also placed well in PASIC’S Book of Your Heart where booksellers and librarians granted him perfect scores. Damon has also done well winning the grand prize of the 2007 Suzannah against mixed sub-genres, pubbed and non. Most recently he won first place in Chicago North’s Fire & Ice. Bran, determined NOT to let those Romans get ahead just finaled in Georgia Romance Writer’s The Maggie. Not too shabby for a barbarian.

I don’t quote all these wins to brag though I am proud of every achievement…steps, tools, validation…but to reflect that there is room for variety in time periods in historical romance fiction. Yes, yes I still hear the “market” cliché, I hear that readers only buy the two popular time periods. Yes, the do…if that is all the selection offered to them. And hey, I don’t disagree. There are marvelous, new Regency historicals out there, among them my own fellow Banditas, Christine Wells and Anna Campbell. But variety IS the spice of life.

So, my fellow countrymen. Give me your rakes, your Scots, your dukes and marquis.

Give me a Roman.

So, what about you? What are your favorite time periods? Are you open to exploring new ones?

www.joankayse.com
www.romancebandits.blogspot.com

Happy About An Extra Hour a Day, by Nicolas Soergel

In lieu of my own blog today, I am going to use this post to highlight something so many of us could use: Time management skills. I don't know about you, but I never seem to have enough time to do everything I want to. Without further ado, here is our special guest:

About Happy About An Extra Hour a Day

Every day has exactly 1,440 minutes in it. Whether you work for a Fortune 500 company, run your own small business or are an independent freelancer, the way you spend those minutes helps or hinders the goals you want to achieve.

Nicolas Soergel, author of the new book Happy About An Extra Hour Everyday(Happy About, 2009) says anyone can create extra time in their life by increasing their efficiency. “If you can save one minute, 60 times a day, you can gain the extra hour needed to make your dreams happen,” says Soergel.

Throughout Happy About An Extra Hour Everyday the author offers easy to implement, time saving tips that he terms "quick wins".

About the Author -

Nicolas Soergel, was born in Germany in 1969. After completing his studies in business administration at the University of Cologne, he began his career in finance with Sony. Soergel later played a major role in setting up the German, Austrian and Swiss operations of the British vacuum cleaner manufacturer Dyson.

In 2000, Nicolas moved to Japan where at the age of 34 he became CEO of the Japanese subsidiary of T-Systems – a Deutsche Telekom group company. 3 years later he took over responsibility for the APAC region.

Throughout his professional career Nicolas has had the opportunity to meet and interview executives from around the world on the practical ideas they use to save time and get organized. You can read more at Nicolas’s blog: http://www.anextrahoureveryday.com/

Endorsements for the Book -

"Millions of people around the world are starving for one thing . . . TIME. Imagine what it would be like if right now you had one more hour each day to do just what you wanted. In this amazing book Nicolas Soergel provides an actionable blueprint for adding more time to your day. If you are among those who starve for more time you MUST read this book."

Jeb Blount, CEO of SalesGravy.com; Author of "Power Principles and 7 Rules For Outselling the Recession"

"'Happy About An Extra Hour Every Day' is an essential resource for all road warriors. As a 100,000 mile per year traveler, I am always looking for tips to make my trips easier and save some time. This book overflows with simple, easily adaptable ways to do just that. For me, just applying a couple of the tips makes my life easier. Well worth the price of admission!"

Rich Goldman, VP, Corporate Marketing & Strategic Alliances, Synopsys

"A global road warrior for many years, I thought I already was good at time management - but Nico made me think twice! Great reading, straight to the point."

Michael Hofmann, VP, Nokia Corporation

"Don't Procrastinate! Pay attention to the tips in the book that are relevant to you and make them work to save the time you need to get more done."

Vish Mishra, President, TiE [The Indus Entrepreneurs Network] Silicon Valley and Venture Director, Clearstone Venture Partners

"Easy to find - easy to read - Quick Wins for almost every situation. Winning an extra hour can be so easy."

Heinz Fischer, Managing Director, Loewe

"A must read for every assistant who needs to manage her own and other people's time."

Holger C. Johnson, CEO, ebuero.de

"A great guide to the little everyday things you can do at home, work and on the road to save both time and sanity."

Karen Leland, Bestselling Author of "Time Management In An Instant"

Samantha James Q&A!!!!!

Happy Tuesday Everyone!
 I am so happy to bring to you our Open Forum Q&A
with historical romance author

Samantha James!

If you haven't visited her website yet, please do, because not only is it fun, but you can learn how books influenced her throughout her life. Very cool stuff!

For a bit, I was at a loss as to what to write.  Sure, I could write a little blurb about her books, which she does have some new ones out, by the way - 

       

but I somehow felt that it wasn't quite enough, so I kept searching and searching and I managed to find something very interesting.

Do you ever wonder where Samantha comes up with all those titles? Well, this following document might give you a clue:

My Cherished Enemy,

My Rebellious Heart, no, my Outlaw Heart, won’t let me be Gabriel’s Bride. Even though My Lord Conqueror wants Just One Kiss, the town would classify me as “Scandal’s Bride” to be Married at Midnight.

I write this with Every Wish Fulfilled and A Promise Given on One Moonlit Night. His Wicked Ways and His Wicked Promise have revealed The Truest Heart to A Perfect Bride from A Perfect Groom. He is my Perfect Hero.

No longer will I be The Secret Passion of Simon Blackwell whose Seduction of an Unknown Lady caused me to become the Bride of a Wicked Scotsman!

Rest assured, I will not hold The Sins of Viscount Sutherland against him.

Your Victorian Lady

Okay, at this time, I would like to open up the floor to our readers.  What questions do you have for Samantha? 

Those who are daring enough to ask a question and/or leave a comment will be entered into a drawing to win a set of her Perfect Series!

       

Happy Labor Day!

What are you up to today?  Me? I'll be disc golfing, somewhere!

The White Queen - Margay's Review

Let me just start off by saying that I don't think I can give an appropriate review because I couldn't even make it through the book. I am disappointed, for myself, because I had never read a Philippa Gregory book before and I was excited to get the chance to do so. But it was kind of like reading a history book that was written in first person. Now I don't have anything against details and descriptions, but sometimes, the story is weighed down by them and never really gets started. For me, that is what happened with this book. It was so rich in detail, I felt that I was living this woman's life right along with her. Unfortunately, I never got beyond the first few chapters, so I never reached the point where the story actually began.

I am not going to rate this book or give an opinion one way or the other because, since I couldn't finish it, I don't believe that I am in a position to do so. Instead, I would rather leave that to Miss Gregory's fans and followers who can better sum up this book than I ever could. For me, I will wait for the movie version to come out.

For more information on Miss Gregory and her books, please check out this link:

http://www.philippagregory.com/

YA Author Spotlight Saturday Presents... Jay Asher's Book!!!

Hi everyone!

I had hoped to have an interview from Jay Asher today, but he must be on vacation or something  because I did send him my interview questions, but I haven't heard from him since I sent him the questions.  I do, however, have an image of him and his book that he sent me, which I am using today.  I apologize for the lack of the author's presence here, but that doesn't mean that I cannot talk about his book.

I will discuss this book, Thirteen Reasons Why.  I am warning you right now, this review will contain a minimum amount of spoilers.  It's up to you if you choose to read on.  When I do reviews, I tend to focus more on the overall picture of the book and the characters.  I do my best to not give away key details of the book.  If I did, why would you read it?

The point of this review is not to retell you what happens, but to tell you what I feel works, what doesn't work and why.  In the end, whether you read this book should be ultimately your decision based on a few key facts.

Fact 1 - This book is about the suicide of Hannah Baker
Fact 2 - Hannah Baker is dead throughout the entire book
Fact 3 - Clay Jensen receives a box of cassette tapes from an anonymous someone with Hannah Baker's voice on them 
Fact 4 - The journey of the book takes you through Clay's time listening to the book
Fact 5 - The book was written for teens
Fact 6 - The book was written by a man (Sounds sexist, right?  Well, there's a reason you need to consider this and I'll get to that, eventually.)

The facts I've given you so far will not alter how you see this book, because it's pretty much given to you on the cover/jacket flap.

On Goodreads, I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars.  I gave this book 4 stars because what he wrote, he wrote well.  It may not all work for me, but it was well written, and I could not deny the author this.  Plus, I thought the audio version was done well.  However, there were some things that just didn't work too well for me.  To be honest, I think that my own personal experience with suicide and the people that I have met who have tried or succeeded in committing suicide has shaped the way I look at the events in this book, particularly Hannah Baker herself.

Lets start with what works in this book. 

Clay Jensen. 

I don't know why, but he works for me.  Some see him painted as being "perfect," but that's not quite right.  He is given 13 tapes (one for each reason) that he needs to listen to, to find out why Hannah Baker killed herself and why he was receiving the tapes to begin with.  Clay is a teenage boy who is, I have to say somewhat weak.  He sees people doing things that he doesn't like, but never says anything to these people, never gets involved, he just worries about himself and his own actions, the way most teenage boys would be.  He tries to be good, and in doing so, just doesn't interact much with other people. 

Why does he work for me? 

Well, Asher did a really great job of conveying Clay's confusion at being on this list and his need to continue to listen, his need to learn the part he played in all of it.  The way I see it, it's his overwhelming desire to be good that drives him to continue to listen, to learn how he failed someone, to learn from it and not do it again.  That's how I saw Clay Jensen.  Excellent character and is the sole reason I kept listening.  I began to want to know why this kid was on the list.     

Listening to it in audio format over reading the book worked for me, but I also think it hurt my take on this book too. 

What doesn't work for me?  

Honestly, I thought it was 13 sides and never realized, until now, that it was 13 cassettes.  That really confuses things even further and makes the driving force even less idealistic.  Let's look at things logically.  Each cassette is at least 30 minutes per side which equates to 1 hour per tape.  The book itself isn't even 13 hours, but half of that, which equates to roughly 1 reason per side, and 7 tapes overall.  Having used cassettes myself, and the fact they are expensive these days because the format is so antiquated, it doesn't make logical, economical sense.  Besides, with all of today's current media, why would anyone want to use cassettes when digital is easier to use and way more accessible?  Not only that, it's a lot cheaper to make two discs than to use tapes.  I don't see the cuteness in that.  It's just not logical.  Asher didn't really do a good job in covering that aspect of why Hannah used tapes and not digital means.  So, that part didn't really fly with me.

What else doesn't work for me?

Hannah Baker herself.

Why?

Well, I just couldn't wrap my head around this character or her reactions to her situations.  This is where I wonder how well a man can really get into the head of a woman, much less a teenage girl.  Okay, this girl has 13 things happen to her that humiliate her to the point where she "knowingly" does things to humiliate herself.  Okay, that I get.  I can buy that.  What I can't buy into is that, with as suicidal and hanging by a thread that the author tries to portray her to be, she is aware enough to go through each incident one by one and blame all the people responsible for it.

Huh?  I'm sorry, but I've been there and I've talked to people who have been there and read stories from people who have been there and not once did anyone ever say that they were killing themselves for the reason Hannah picked nor were they even thinking beyond how miserable they felt and they didn't know if they could handle the pain.  My lists of people follow, but for the sake of those involved, I am leaving their names off.

Person 1 - was a friend in high school.  She had a really bad, humiliating incident happen when she was in school.  She was so devastated that she just ran blindly away from the group of kids humiliating her right into oncoming traffic.  Because it was a school zone, the cars were driving slower by nature, so she was lucky that the car stopped as she ran into it and no real damage was done.  She told me she wasn't thinking about anything other than how hurt and humiliated she felt and her reaction was instantaneous.  After she had some time to think about it, she realized what it would have done to her mom and she still couldn't believe that she'd done it.

Person 2 - was someone in my family.  No one saw it coming.  His wife had just ended what seemed to be a very "positive" telephone conversation.  Even his brother, who he was staying with, didn't hear or see any reason to worry, until he hung up the telephone.  In that flick of an instant, he changed.  He slammed down the phone (yeah, this was back before cellphones and cordless phones were a regular feature in homes) and from what I was told, he left saying he needed to go for a drive, to get some air or something of that nature.  It wasn't until after he had left did it click with anyone that something might be wrong.  They were too late.  After it happened, it came out the he had always been depressed and had been talked down from suicide on more than one occasion but was never treated by a psychologist or psychiatrist or meds of any kind.  And, for some reason, as he grew older, he must have seen therapy as something negative and not helpful.   

Of course, because I was the "youngest" person in the family, no one thought fit to tell me about his problem, even though just about everyone close to him knew.  I was as close to him as they were, I should have been told before this.  Now, some of may say why should they, but I say, why couldn't they?  Yes, this is survivors guilt talking, and I'll be dealing with it until the day I die, but here it is - if I had known how he felt, if my family members had thought enough of me to tell me, I could have helped him.  We could have helped each other.   He could still be alive.

Why?

Because, the eventual reasons that lead to his depression his attempts and him eventually committing suicide were some of the same reasons I almost did two years later.  Where nothing could stay his hand, stop him from, well, let's just leave it at that, something stayed mine.  I don't know what or who, but I expect that it was Mark.  Mark was there to give me strength when I needed it the most.  Which leads me to

Person 3 - Me.  I had been the kid everyone picked on for years, I grew up feeling like crap and I remember crying at the age of 5 for what I said was "no reason" but was really because I felt completely miserable with myself.  Things didn't get any better either because it got worse for awhile in grade school, up until I finally stood up for myself.  I don't know why I had done it.  Even to this day I still can't believe I did it.  One of my habitual taunters was riding his bike by me and taunting me.  I don't know what came over me, but I pulled him right off of that bike and threw him to the ground.  Then, he got up and kicked me in my private area.  Boy did that hurt, but I didn't start crying or rolling on the ground, I just stood there and looked at him.  He and the rest of them left me alone after that.  It didn't make me feel any better about myself, it just made the taunting stop.

Well, eventually, I got to high school, which I can honestly say sucked!  But I endured it.  I also endured losing several people in my life.  From the time I was 17 until I was 19, I attended 17 out of 20 funerals/wakes.  The first was my grandmother, my rock, my roots, without her, I was lost.  Then I lost my cousin (who was my age but by the cruel twist of fate, the vaccine that made me safe, turned her into a lifelong infant), my best friend and my grandfather - all within the span of 6 months, but the loss didn't stop there.  When all was said and done, I had gone to 17 of 20 funerals and I can't remember if I even went to the wakes of those.  Not sure.  One of the wakes was a double - two people killed in the same accident.  It still hurts thinking about it.  But I survived all of that, somehow.

Then one day, after I had dropped out of MSOE, worked, played D&D, made a lot of friends and then met the man who is now my husband - all positive things, right - completely out of the blue and unexpected because I hadn't had a suicidal thought in years, so I thought I was clear.  Then it happened.  I was doing a simple thing.  Slicing cheese to put on my sandwich and the thought struck me.  I put the serrated steak knife to my wrist and thought, "Hey this knife wouldn't work because it was too dull, but there are sharper ones in the other drawer...."   Huh? Where they hell did that come from and why was it all I could think about?  Why did I want to do this?  Why did I feel so awful?

I didn't know until some time later, after I had finished all of the therapy.  But what happened?  Well, I had something hold my hand and I remembered Mark.  I didn't want that, but I didn't know how to stop my self.  I called my mother and asked for help,

but she said, "when I get home, I'll look in the book."

to which I said, "I need help now!  It can't wait!"

Obviously, I got the help I needed because I am here with you today. 

Not once did any of us have forethought to "tape" the reasons why we wanted to kill ourselves.  Hell, if we could have done that, they would have been paying us the big bucks by now! 
    
Talking about your problems is cathartic, writing about your problems is cathartic, which is why therapists make you do it, or suggest really strongly anyway.  So, how could this "troubled girl" feel so lost that she'd want to kill herself, yet be strong enough to tell it all to tapes and at the same time, analytical enough to realize that she only had herself to blame for some of the situations she got herself into and still go on and kill herself? 

It just doesn't fit with me.  It doesn't make any sense to me.  In fact, the way Asher paints her, Hannah Baker is cold and vindictive because she basically she says to these people, I killed myself and your the reason why, how do you like that? and how does that make you feel to know that? (or some variation of these questions, but they're close) she asks at one point on the tapes that Clay is listening to.  Okay, how does that make her a victim?  How does that justify or explain any of it?  It doesn't.  It also isn't logical.

People who are depressed and hate themselves, commit suicide.  People who are depressed and hate the way they were treated by specific people, commit murder - columbine and other high school shootings have taught us that. Depressed people who are given lifelines, a light at the end of the tunnel, take them. 

As I read it, the author does nothing to truly establish Hannah Baker as a person with low self-esteem with no way out, no lifelines.  That's why Hannah and the method do not work for me.  I gave 4/5 stars because of Clay and that, with a few minor tweaks to the story, it could rock and stand the test of time and experience.  

But don't take my word for it, read the book and draw your own conclusions, just keep in mind those list of facts I gave you earlier. 

Note: Yes, I do believe that teen suicide is an issue that needs to be talked about, which is why I wanted to interview this author.  If you have your own story, or views of this book, that you would like to share, please do and know that you are not alone in your suffering!  Yes, drugs and doctors can help you through the rough patch, but then it's up to you to use the tools they give you to finish the job. 

Selkies...Myth or Fact?

TGIF! I survived the week of football practice from hell! *bangs head against the wall* Now Thursday night rolls around and I realize a few things:

One, a biggie… it is actually Thursday. Where the hell did the week go? Did I blink and it time warp in that short amount of time? It sure feels like it did.

Two, I haven’t even thought about my blog today.

Worse…Three, my muse has vanished. Gone on an extended hiatus again! Seriously, I’m too busy to think clearly or stay focused on one topic long enough to actually write.

So, I gave a mega sigh and broke out my handy dandy book, The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures, by John and Caitlin Matthews, and the first magical creature I turned to was Selkie. So, I did a Google search of Selkie to see what the internet had to say about them.

According to Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selkie), a Selkie is a seal like creature with the ability to shed its seal shape and take human form when it comes to land. They are typically depicted in romantic stories where the human isn’t aware that their lover is a Selkie, but when they wake their lover is gone. There is also the legend of a human hiding the Selkie’s skin so that the Selkie cannot return to the sea and turn back into seal form. To further complicate things, Selkies can have contact with one person for only a short period of time before it becomes necessary for them to return to the sea. After that, they cannot have human contact for seven years. With one exception, a human may betray them by stealing their Selkie skin and hiding or burning it (this just seems exceptionally cruel to me), thereby forcing the Selkie to remain here on earth since they cannot return to the sea without their skin.

Call me crazy, but I immediately thought of the Charmed episode, A Witch’s Tail, where the Mermaid was given one month by the sea hag, an evil witch, to find true love. Of course, the sea hag had ulterior motives. Don’t they always! LOL If the Mermaid couldn’t get her lover to admit his true love for her within one month, then she would have to give the sea hag her immortality. Maybe that’s a little farfetched in the comparison between Selkies and the Charmed episode, but both have a short period of time unless: 1) the Selkie’s skin is hidden from them; or 2) the Mermaid is able to find true love and her lover admits it. My opinion, the Selkie version isn’t all that romantic. Sounds a little too much like kidnapping to me.

Selkies also brought to mind the 1984 movie, Splash, with Tom Hanks and Daryl Hannah. Daryl Hannah plays a mermaid in this movie, but she’s also able to shed her tail for various periods of time while on land. And in Splash, the Mermaid and human fell in love, so it had its romantic theme. Kind of like a Selkie, right? ;-) Okay, maybe another long stretch, but my brain saw the similarity with the way she was able to take human form on land. Seeing this movie as an impressionable kid, I loved the romantic mermaid aspect of it.

I didn’t forget Ariel and Prince Eric from The Little Mermaid, just chose not to discuss it since it was so similar to the Charmed version in The Witch’s Tail.

Okay, none of these movies/shows have anything do with Selkies really, but rather Mermaids, right? Or, maybe…well, let’s see what The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures has to say about Mermaid. In folklore, Mermaids have a dark side and were kind of scary actually, nothing at all like the above romantic elements. Mermaids were responsible for luring young men to their death. The appearance of a Mermaid presaged storms and disasters, not only bringing about misfortunes, but also provoking them. Legend has them enthusiastically seeking human lives by either drowning or consuming men. Yowza! Talk about a black widows death ala Mermaid style. Suddenly, instead of having the beautiful Ariel image in my head, I'm picturing a sea monster with piranha teeth. It was said, Mermaids were born without a soul and the only way they could obtain a soul was by marrying a human. Does this remind anyone other than me of the sirens from the Odyssey that lured men to their deaths by singing?

These aspects of Mermaid folklore had very little deviations from The Celts, Irish, Scotts, British, Dutch, and Asian regions. In fact, the character of a Mermaid differs very little between the nations of the world, signifying that belief in these odd creatures has been around for an extremely long time. And to tie in Mermaids with Selkies, one of the many regional names of a Mermaid is Selkie.

So, what is your opinion of the selkie/mermaid folklore? Fact, fiction, or over active imaginations?

I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!

Note: All images were found on either Bing.com or Photobucket and no copyright infrigement was intended.

Giggles, Daughters, Dukes and Wickedness with Christine Wells!!

Happy Titillating Thursday Everyone!

Today is the first offering in our appreciation for the historical genre.  It is here where some of us here at this blog find our roots, whether they lie with Jane Austen or Amanda Quick or the like, historical novels have been tantalizing us for centuries.   

What's the draw?  For me it was a fascination with a more decadent time and a time some of us can't even fathom existing in from wearing corsets to getting married at a very young age to never being able to actually hold a title.  The women I like are always headstrong, independent, or just plain smart and capable!  Scandal's Daughter is a perfect example of a smart and capable female.  

Which leads me to our first historical guest, Christine Wells! 

Reading her bio on her website, you'll find that, like many authors today, had spent years pursuing a career other than writing only to eventually discover that listening to the voices in her head does not make her crazy.

To think, if she studied art instead of law, she might just be an artist, a paranormal author or maybe even a mistress of crime uh, and punishment novels…oh wait, I think that’s what she’s evolved into from the sounds of Wicked Little Game.

Now, you’ll also find out that she makes a habit to be “out of pyjamas by 10am.” 

[Huh?  May I suggest getting some more comfortable clothes that look like regular clothes and feel like pyjamas so that you can get up and still look like you’re dressed to tackle the day?  It can work wonders.  

No? 

Oh well, whatever works!]

I know that you're not here to listen to me ramble, but to check out my interview with Christine. So, here it is:

Q: Of all the historical time periods, why The Regency? What is it that draws you? How did this time period come to be your favorite?

A: I grew up loving Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer. When I started writing, I read the advice: Write what you love to read. I tried crime fiction, which I also love, but Regency seemed a better fit for my voice.

Q: How do you choose your settings?  In Scandal's Daughter, you chose Ware. Why Ware? Why London for The Dangerous Duke?  (Is London the setting for Wicked Little Game as implied by the excerpt for Indecent Proposal at the end of The Dangerous Duke? If so, why?)

A: Ware is a fictional estate in Sussex. Scandal's Daughter was about a heroine who has been brought up as the country squire and didn’t want to give up her home and a rake who needed to find home again. It made sense to set the book in rural England.

In The Dangerous Duke, Lyle and Kate meet in London at a ball, but much of the rest of the book is spent hiding out in the country. Max kidnaps Kate to protect her from his fellow operatives, who want to find out what she knows and silence her.

Wicked Little Game is set almost entirely in London, which was necessary because the murder mystery/suspense subplot played out against a background of gentlemen’s clubs and London slums.

Q:  The nickname Scovy.  How did you come up with that nickname?  I know on page 30 you mention that it had something to do with the Muscovy Duck, but how did you choose that particular duck?  (Here in Wisconsin, we mostly see mallard ducks, Canadian geese and peacocks.) 

A:  I wanted to write about a rakish hero and a heroine who met him before he became a rake, who knew the true man underneath the façade. That she gave him a silly nickname brought him back to earth. I have no idea why I chose that particular duck! Maybe it was on a menu somewhere…*g*

Q:  Names, how is it you choose the names you use in your books? The names need to be time-appropriate, right, so how do you know that they are?  What’s your resource?

A:  I think the most important thing is that the name must suit the character.  I have a good general knowledge of the period and the names that were in use at the time.  Sometimes I use the peerage to check that a particular title didn’t actually exist.  Also, a map of England is handy when I’m trying to come up with a title, because those were usually place names.  My mother-in-law has dared me to use Buckfastleigh (which I haven’t yet) and I do love Ashby-de-la-Zouche.  Maybe one day…

Q: I notice that The Dangerous Duke have Fanny and Lord Romney, from Scandal’s Daughter. Is this something you planned, or did it just happen as you sat down to write The Dangerous Duke?

A: Very little about my books is planned! The Dangerous Duke was supposed to be about Alistair Brooke, Gemma’s unsuccessful suitor in Scandal’s Daughter, but he refused to do what I wanted when he walked on the page. He kept turning into a far more forceful, physical man than I’d imagined Alistair to be. So I created a brother, Max, for Alistair and went from there. Alistair and Max were Romney’s cousins so it made sense to include Romney and Fanny in The Dangerous Duke when I needed somewhere for Kate and Max to hide. Romney and Fanny are such an outrageous, tempestuous couple, I enjoyed bringing them back.

Q: After having read comments from Goodreads, I discovered that the supporting characters in The Dangerous Duke have some fans and they want to know: Will Louisa and Lord Jardine get their own story? If not, why not?

A: Yes, I’ve had a LOT of mail asking for Louisa and Jardine’s story so it gives me great pleasure to say that Sweetest Little Sin has been scheduled for May 2010. There’s a first chapter teaser in the back of Wicked Little Game.

Q: In reference to The Dangerous Duke, why did you choose kidnapping of a sister and the contents of her diary as the catalyst to the storyline?

A: It was actually the heroine who was kidnapped—by the hero, of course, but only for her own protection! I thought the diary was a delicious hook—here is a virtuous married lady who only lives out her private fantasies in a diary… and the hero gets hold of it. The diary was a metaphor for… something. I’ll let the readers work out what.

Q: Why the name-change from Indecent Proposal to Wicked Little Game? Whose idea was it?

A: I believe there was a romance from NAL called An Indecent Proposition, or something like that and the publisher thought the titles were too close. Yes, it has caused a bit of confusion among readers who loved the teaser for Indecent Proposal in the back of The Dangerous Duke and then couldn’t find that book in the stores.

Switching gears temporarily:

Q: How did your blog, “A Dangerous Diary,” evolve?

A: It evolved from the kidnapping theme of The Dangerous Duke. I thought it would be fun to give my hero, Max, a dose of his own medicine and kidnap him to do some promotional work for me. He and Kate came along with me to blog interviews and he had a guest spot on Romance Bandits, where I blog regularly. The blog became a bit of an ‘in’ joke for the Romance Bandits. And of course, The Dangerous Duke revolves around a stolen diary, so that’s why I made the blog a diary.

Q: Why the evolution from light and humorous to dark and sexy?

A: I started writing Scandal’s Daughter in my mid twenties, having mainly read what is known in the industry as ‘traditional’ Regency romance—Heyer and Austen. Then I discovered historicals by authors like Kinsale and Mary Jo Putney and Liz Carlyle and found that dark intensity utterly compelling. It became the kind of book I loved to read. I think I’ve also matured in the intervening years. Having children does that to you! The voice is the same, but the dark, sexy tone of Wicked Little Game is where I’m heading now.

Speaking of dark and sexy,

Q: After reading the excerpts for Wicked Little Game, I just have to ask, why have Vane pay 10,000 to have Lady Sarah watch him take a bath? That’s not really all that dark and seems kind of silly really, so I am truly curious on this one (sorry, but high giggle factor for me! Of course, it could still be the Founder’s Breakfast Stout talking…).

A: Hmm, maybe you should read the whole story for the answer to your question. It doesn’t quite happen that way!  [ooh, sneaky diversionary tactics!]  If anyone wants to read the excerpt, you can find it on my website.

Q: Okay, now that I got that goofy question out of my system, what can you tell us about Wicked Little Game that readers won’t find on your site or other blog posts? (If no dark secrets to share, now would be a good time to talk some more about the book. I’d have more specific questions here, but I wasn’t able to get the book before creating these questions.)

A: Basically, Wicked Little Game is about two people who have longed for one another for years, except that one of them is married and they can’t act on that longing. Then the heroine’s blackguard husband offers the hero one night with her for ₤10,000. The temptation is very hard to resist.

The book was inspired by the premise of the movie Indecent Proposal, which I’ve always thought far more suited to the Regency era than present day. However, as you can see, I tweaked the premise quite a lot! Ultimately, I was glad that the title changed from Indecent Proposal because this is not a book about infidelity. It’s about forbidden longing, forgiveness and taking the ultimate risk on love.

One secret—this was one of the easiest books I’ve ever written. The conflict was so meaty and the characters so real to me that the words flowed better than they ever had before. Other writers will know how rare an experience that is! It’s another reason I decided to stick with the darker, sexier books. I love writing them.

Q: One last question. I realize that you are promoting Wicked Little Game right now, but readers are always curious to know: Do you have anything in the works that they can look forward to seeing in the future? If so, can you tell us a little about it?

A: Sweetest Little Sin is in the editing stage now, so that’s in the pipeline for May 2010. It’s early days but I’m working on a concept for a series that I’m very excited about. It’s not sold yet, so I can’t say any more about it, but I’m jumping out of my skin to write it, which is always a good sign. 

[Got me jumping too!]

Thank you Christine for joining us today and for your delightful and insightful answers!

Hey everyone!  Do you want a signed copy of Wicked Little Game?  Then answer this question:  What's the most outrageous thing you would do for $10,000? Christine will give the best answer a signed copy of Wicked Little Game!!!  So be sure and leave your answer in a comment! 

A Little Mayhem with Randall Lang, Author of Magnificent Man

PUMP UP YOUR BOOK PROMOTION

A PLACE TO DIE FOR?

by

Randall Lang

Thank you Moonlighters for inviting me here today.

Have you ever been to a place that completely absorbs you? A place of striking beauty that is unlike anything that you’ve experienced and is different from what you had expected. And how about if everything that lives there is designed to injure, or kill & eat you? I found that place.

I’m sure it surprises no one that I’ve written a book. The book I wrote is an erotic romance entitled Magnificent Man, published in May of 2009 by Midnight Showcase. http://www.midnightshowcase.com/MagniMan.htm. I greatly appreciate anyone who decides to immediately download or order my book, but that is not the gist of today’s rambling. The story follows the travels of Cassandra Taylor, a working single mom from Shreveport, Louisiana, and Coyote, the man who rescues her and agrees to take her home after he completes his tasks. These travels take them through the desert country of Arizona and New Mexico in the American southwest. I had a problem writing that journey since I had never actually been there. I had seen the old Randolph Scott and John Wayne western movies, but I can tell you now, it just ain’t the same.

Like most Americans, I travel the Interstate Highways and my only purpose is to get from one point to another as quickly as possible. When I went to the desert southwest, I found that getting away from the ‘big highway’ and onto the real dirt roads actually allows you experience what it must have been like on horseback hundreds of years ago. Once out of a car, there are unexpected sensory experiences. There are subtle smells ranging from sweet flowers to dry clay dust that randomly drift. The wind makes sounds, sometimes with a rhythm that makes you swear that you are hearing distant drums or chanting. There are sights such as plants and rock formations ranging from hostile and dangerous to the most soft and inviting. The heat and the wind combine to alternate between caressing your skin, and assaulting you with scorching blasts. The dry air saps the moisture from your nostrils and your brain experiences different scents depending upon how dry are your sinus. It becomes easy to see how Native Americans could find spirits in the land, the animals, and the sky. I cannot say that I had a spiritual epiphany during my time in the desert, but I gained a new appreciation and respect for those who do find spirituality in that place. The other thing I learned is, when you ain’t from there, beware! Your death is in the details.

As I wandered from location to location, I wondered what it would have been like to travel the desert on horseback. As I looked around, through cowboy eyes, it scared hell out of me. Miles and miles of desperately dry terrain with no water and no shelter from the blazing sun. Animals including mountain lions, coyotes, wolves, and rattlesnakes await your first misstep. Venomous spiders and scorpions invite you to sit or lay down to rest. Hawks, vultures, and eagles watch for you to stop moving. Even the plants are spiked and venomous, or poisonous to touch. As I considered what I was facing, it occurred to me that everything there had been designed to kill me and consume my carcass. Sure, the only way to really experience the magnificent desert country today is on a motorcycle, but make sure your gas tank is full.

Thanks again Moonlighters,

Randall Lang

www.randalllang.com

www.randalllang.blogspot.com

Randall Lang grew up in the tough coalfields of southwestern Pennsylvania where nothing comes easily. It is a world of limited opportunity and few roles to follow. Dreams are quickly vanquished in the shadows of necessity and creativity is usually buried beneath an avalanche of cynicism. However, epiphanies come in all shapes, sizes, and in a wide range of locations. In the dark and quiet world of the underground worksite, the stories within him began to take form. Years later, Randall Lang is the author of eight books of erotic stories published by Renaissance E Books, has contributed to two erotic anthologies, and the recently released Magnificent Man, an erotic romance published by Midnight Showcase. Randall’s erotic works include the five volume Trailer Park Nights series and three books of erotic short stories. These are available at http://shop.renebooks.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=120. His newest release, Magnificent Man, is available from Midnight Showcase at http://www.midnightshowcase.com/MagniMan.htm.

Visit Randall’s website, The Worlds of Randall Lang, www.randalllang.com.

Or his blog, The Mind of Randall Lang, www.randalllang.blogspot.com. It’s a strange place to be.

Randall now lives historically on an historic island in Wheeling, West Virginia.