News? What news? #MFRWauthor

NespapersI have a confession to make. I am old enough to remember when most people received news through…what were those things? Oh yeah, Newspapers. Most also watched the evening news on television at six o’clock, but newspapers delivered national and local news in one place and in more depth. My parents used to read every page of the daily papers. I was more receptive to television. One thing is certain, where people get their news has changed dramatically over the years.

I still get my news mainly from TV on a cable station. I watch both the straight news programming and the pundit shows. But I have also started reading news on my phone.

Years ago, my best friend told me that she read The Wall Street Journal on Newspapers onlineher iPhone and I thought she was crazy. Who could enjoy reading anything in depth on that little screen? Well, I’ve found out. I was one of those people who said I’d never use a smart phone for anything. Now I pick it up all the time for one thing or another—including keeping up with news practically as it happens!

Where do you get your news?

Read the next blog in the blog hop by going here.

Dee
Burning Bridges by Anne Krist: old letters put the lie to Sara’s life. Now, mending her past mistakes while crossing burning bridges will be the hardest thing she’s ever done.

One Woman Only
Only a Good Man Will Do
Naval Maneuvers

Red Sails #MFRWauthor

Sunset sailingRemember that song, Red Sails in the Sunset? Probably not unless you’re as old as dirt, like me. I always liked it, though. So romantic, watching a sailing ship in the sunset as it sets out on the ocean. The sails are billowing and catching the last rays of the sun. There is adventure there. There is a dream. There is the wide sea and endless stars during the night. But there is NOT me.

I happen to believe in reincarnation. Somewhere in one of my past lives I must have drowned because I have a powerful fear of water. Many people see a cruise as a chance to get away, different shows every night, buffets any time you want to eat, sweet salt breezes, all kinds of games and people to meet. I see rogue waves, deep ocean, and living on a ship with the population of a small town and no place to go if I want to get off.

Essentially, after folks were trapped aboard ship and unable to disembark Cruise shipthanks to corona virus, no one can cruise right now. But even in the happiest of times, no way would you get me on a cruise ship. I’m happy for those who do enjoy the voyage. More power to you! I understand lots of people have already signed up for when ships set sail again. For me, I’ll happily wave goodbye from the shore!

How about you? Are you a happy sailor or a landlubber, like me?

Read the next blog in the blog hop by going here.

Dee
Burning Bridges by Anne Krist: old letters put the lie to Sara’s life. Now, mending her past mistakes while crossing burning bridges will be the hardest thing she’s ever done.

One Woman Only
Only a Good Man Will Do
Naval Maneuvers 

Cover Reveal! Invincible Dreams: Denise Devine

Invincible Dreams anthology: Denise Devine

Boxed set: Invincible Dreams
Participating Authors:
Tamara Ferguson
Jen Talty
Denise Devine
Natalie Ann
Stacy Eaton
Nancy Radke
Jennifer St. Giles
Suzanne Jenkins

INVINCIBLE DREAMS – 99 cents on Kindle and available on KU. Pre-order now!

EIGHT STORIES (3 new) From USA Today Bestselling, Award-Winning Authors!

Freedom has a price, and sometimes the past and present collide. Our heroines are determined to reach the goals they’ve set for themselves and fight for their dreams to come true. It might require them to start over, forge a new path, or even change directions along the way. Sometimes they might get more than they’ve bargained for…

RESTORATION (New): Tamara Ferguson, USA Today Bestselling Author
AFTER THE FIRE (New): Jen Talty, USA Today Bestselling Author
GUARDING THE BOOTLEGGER’S WIDOW (New): Denise Devine, USA Today Bestselling Author
ALL THE WAY: Natalie Ann, USA Today Bestselling Author
YOU’RE NOT ALONE: Stacy Eaton, USA Today Bestselling Author
THE SUNNIEST GAL FROM TENNESSEE: Nancy Radke, USA Today Bestselling Author
THE MISTRESS OF TREVELYAN: Jennifer St. Giles, USA Today Bestselling Author
FRIENDS TO LOVERS: Suzanne Jenkins, USA Today Bestselling Author

Blurb for Denise Devine’s story, Guarding the Bootlegger’s Widow:

It’s 1926 in St. Paul, Minnesota and Prohibition is in full swing. A woman can vote, work full time, show her legs in public and cut her hair but she can’t enter a speakeasy without a man by her side…

Charlotte LeDoux is struggling to pick up the pieces of her shattered life. Her late husband, Gus, has left her a lot to deal with—his sprawling business empire, his enemies and an ex-mistress who desperately needs a friend. It’s tough for a woman to compete in a man’s world and even though it’s a never-ending uphill battle, she is determined to succeed.

Char gets a new Model T and is excited when William Van Elsberg offers to give her a driving lesson. She’s attracted to the handsome private detective, who, in many ways, is the polar opposite of Gus. Will takes her out for a spin in the car and instructs her how to drive, but at the same time, teaches her how to love again. She’s never been so happy!

Meanwhile, Gus’ enemies are circling like vultures. An anonymous note threatening Char’s life forces Will to become her personal bodyguard. He’s highly qualified, but Char’s stubborn belief in her own independence makes it the most difficult job he’s ever taken. Can he keep her safe or will he lose her in the most dangerous fight of her life?

Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B088C3L5JD

Excerpt:
Prologue

According to the gossip on the streets of St. Paul, my late husband was a man of many secrets. One of the most widely spread stories I found intriguing, but also amusing, involved a secluded hideout where he supposedly had a wall literally lined with stacks of cash. If he did, Gus had taken this information to the grave because he’d never shared it with me.

Gus had been a bootlegger who’d made his fortune running “Minnesota 13,” the Dom Perignon of bootlegged whiskey from two Minnesota counties—Stearns and Morrison—to distributors in the Dakotas and Chicago. Ruthless and powerful, “Lucky” Gus LeDoux had earned an unfathomable amount of money and gained a notorious reputation, but made permanent enemies along the way. I always knew someday he’d die a violent death. I just never envisioned it would be by my hand.

I hadn’t planned to shoot my husband; I’d acted purely in self-defense. It did no good to dwell on it, but the memory of that horrific, life-altering day still haunted me…

Desperate to escape his life of crime, I’d run away from my husband and found refuge working as a domestic servant in the home of a private investigator. Gus eventually found out and stormed my place of work, forcing me to leave with him. As Federal agents surrounded the area, two men tried to apprehend him and he gunned them down—while I helplessly watched. My husband had a reputation for brutality, but to witness it firsthand horrified me and caused me to fear for not only my own safety, but also the well-being of my unborn child. I refused to go on and told Gus I wanted nothing more to do with him. He roared that if he couldn’t have me, no one would, and he tried to choke me.

Determined to save my baby, I grabbed his gun. We struggled. The gun went off. The memory of that deadly, piercing sound still left me numb; a stark reminder that my son, now three and a half months old, would never know his father. And I was to blame.

Only one other person saw what happened, but I knew Will Van Elsberg would never divulge my secret to anyone. To rescue me from the fray, he had lifted me in his arms and carried me to a secure place to keep me safe, proving himself to be the only true hero I’d ever known.

The events of that dark, rainy afternoon altered my life forever. As Gus’ widow, I inherited a fortune and became the sole parent to my newborn son. Though I was on my own for the first time in my life, I felt safe. I was free.

Then fate pulled me back to the dark side of Gus’ world, the most dangerous place I could be.

~*~

Author Questions:
NA; How did you come up with an idea for your book?
DD: I grew up listening to my grandmother talk about the 1920s. She was born in 1902 so she was eighteen at the time the Roaring Twenties began. She wore a flapper haircut with Marcel waves all her life and favored jewelry from the twenties. When the 20s trend started to become popular in the romance and mystery genres, I decided it was time to write my story.

NA; What sort of research did you do to write this book?
DD: The book takes place in Minnesota in the mid-twenties, so I wanted to write about Prohibition and the Roaring 20s from a local perspective. The Minnesota Historical Society had a number of really good books on the subject by local historians. Interestingly, I found that moonshiners in Minnesota made a high-grade bootlegged whiskey called “Minnesota 13” that was better quality than many of the commercial brands at the time!

NA; A fun fact about writing your book.
DD: The names of the two main characters—Charlotte Esther LeDoux and William Charles Van Elsberg are my grandparents’ names. LeDoux is Charlotte’s married name in the book (and her maiden name is Johnson). My grandmother’s correct maiden name was Charlotte Esther Smith before she married Will Van Elsberg. And if you’re wondering—the personalities of these characters are my own creation.

NA; What started you on the path to writing?
DD: As I indicated in my bio, I’ve had a passion for books since I learned to read. Little House in the Big Woods was the first book I read that I couldn’t put down. Growing up, I always thought you had to be rich and connected to publish books (got this impression from TV), but when I was thirteen, my family took a train trip out to Oregon and I found out that my cousin was writing a mystery with her friend. That gave me a new perspective on the idea and I wrote my first story in a notebook on the train on the way home. I still have that story locked away in my hope chest.

NA; What do your friends and family think about your being a writer?
DD: My non-writing friends think it’s fascinating. My family is so used to it, they pretty much ignore it. One of my brothers, however, reads every book I write and is always asking when the next one will be finished. I dedicated one of my books to him.

NA; The biggest surprise you had after becoming a writer.
DD: I had no idea there were so many people writing books—especially romance. I didn’t learn this until my husband showed me an article in the Sunday paper (back in the late 80s) about Romance Writers of America holding a conference in Minnesota at the Mall of America. Unfortunately, this was after the conference happened. The internet wasn’t available yet and the journalist who wrote the article didn’t give any contact information for how to join. I didn’t find a local chapter of RWA in Minnesota until 1991. I found so many new friends through that chapter that I still hang out with today.

NA; Do you outline books ahead of time or are you more of a by-the-seat-of-your-pants writer?
DD: Yes, I do! I need to know what my main characters want, why, and what’s keeping them from it otherwise I find myself in a corner eventually and don’t know how to get out of it. I start every book the old-fashioned way with a pencil and a cheap wire-bound notebook. I start scribbling pages of notes until I get so many I have to reorganize them in a Word doc. That’s when the outline starts to take shape and I can see what’s missing. I always know the beginning and end of every story before I start plotting.

NA; What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
DD: My husband is a travel agent so you know what I like to do best! I’ve been all over the world. When I’m home I love to garden, sew, read, go to movies and have lunch with writing friends.

NA; A pet peeve.
DD: People who think writing is easy. Everybody wants to write a book but very few people have a clue what that entails. My biggest pet peeve are self-published authors who don’t research the market at all and don’t have a single clue how to market their books because they don’t bother to find out.

NA; What errand/chore do you despise the most?
DD: Making supper every night! I hate having to stop what I’m doing and figure out what to cook.

NA; Strangest place you’ve brushed your teeth?
DD: Not really strange but totally fascinating. I stayed in a hotel in Egypt that was nearly walking distance of the pyramids at Giza and it used to be the hunting lodge of a former Arab prince. The architecture absolutely blew me away.

NA; What are you working on now?
DD: I’m starting a new small-town series called West Loon Bay and book one is called Small Town Girl. Growing up, I lived in small Minnesota towns for 5 years. My husband was born and raised in a small town and his family still lives there so I have a pretty good handle on the daily life of rural Minnesota. West Loon Bay is a tourist town on Lake Tremolo (resorts, golf and fishing) so there is always a lot going on.

NA; What question didn’t we ask that you’d like to answer?
DD: What I write specifically. I write sweet books, and by “sweet” I mean no profanity or onscreen sex, but there is plenty of conflict in the relationship. I also write romance, romantic comedy, romantic suspense, historical suspense and cozy mystery. I also have one inspirational romance. I have a private group on Facebook that I host with Raine English called Happily Ever After Stories – Sweet Romance. It’s a fun group with no controversial stuff ever, but we do have fun FB parties

About the Author
Denise DevineDenise Devine is a USA Today bestselling author who has had a passion for books since the second grade when she discovered Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder. She wrote her first book, a mystery, at age thirteen and has been writing ever since. She loves all animals, especially dogs, cats and horses, and they often find their way into her books.

She has written twelve books, including books in the Beach Brides Series, The Perfect Match Series and the Hawaiian Holiday Series. Her books have hit the Top 100 Bestseller list on Amazon and she has been listed on Amazon’s Top 100 Authors.

If you’d like to know more about her, visit her website at:
https://www.deniseannettedevine.com
or join her VIP list today to get the scoop on free books, new releases and lots of goodies at:
http://eepurl.com/csOJZL

Blondes and fun #MFRWauthor

Hair color--blondeClairol used to have a commercial asking if blondes really have more fun. Of course the answer was yes, and supposedly, sales at Clairol proved the point. But an article on Byrdie indicates that blondes do have more fun, get more attention, and even get high salaries. Wow! Where is that Clairol aisle at the drugstore again?

I’ve never done a survey on which hair color I give my heroines more, but IRed hair would guess it’s red. That’s because I’ve always loved red hair. My childhood hair color was pure blonde but by the time I entered my teens it was brown. Not a pretty brown with highlights of either auburn or gold, just…brown. Is it any wonder, then, that I always envied my cousin’s red hair that turned from a luscious strawberry blond to an even prettier bright red as she aged? My grandmother’s hair was a deep auburn, but she and Pamela are the only two in our family to boast red hair. Honestly, I’m not sure either of them appreciated the gift. Not more than I would have, surely. 😉

Ming has an interesting article on personality and hair color:

  • Blonde: You love being the center of attention; you love going out but also curling up on the sofa at home for a quiet evening—which you rarely do because—helloooo—you love going out
  • Black: You’re a coffee shop girl—but not the most famous, chain shop; you’re sort of laid back, but not to the point of watching silly reality TV—it’s news for you; your hair might be black but your heart isn’t!
  • Red: If your take-no-prisoners attitude is a no-go with some people, it’s their loss that they can’t handle you. Always on the go, you are one sassy, hot woman!
  • Brown (brunette): All business! You work hard and play hard and you love who you are. You love to stay busy and have the success to prove it.
  • Brightly colored: Two words that describe you are big and bold and you wear those labels as easily as you wear the bright colors in your hair. You like it loud and bright, and if others don’t, well too bad about them.

BrunetteSo my hair color now? Gray. And I won’t color it. I’ve earned each and every one of those gray hairs, and I’m proud of them! How about you? What color is your hair—in reality or in your dreams—and what does it say about you?

Read the next blog in the blog hop by going here.

Dee
Burning Bridges by Anne Krist: old letters put the lie to Sara’s life. Now, mending her past mistakes while crossing burning bridges will be the hardest thing she’s ever done.

One Woman Only
Only a Good Man Will Do
Naval Maneuvers

It’s a sweet thang–a Sweet Thang mystery, that is! Gloom, Doom, and Missing Groom by Emma Ames

Gloom, Doom, and Missing Groom, A Sweet Thangs Mystery, Book 2

Gloom, Doom, and Missing Groom by Emma Ames

Blurb:
Tizzy Donovan, widow, single mother, baker and part-time bartender, is getting married–if she can find the groom.
Join Tizzy and her ragtag team as they scour two counties, drag a lake, and enlist the help of a fortune teller to solve the mystery.

Excerpt:
A Hunter’s Moon hung high in the sky and lit up the night. The temperature hovered in the low forties, but the thirty-five mile per hour wind created a chill much colder. Tizzy wished she’d grabbed a coat before leaving the house. The low-cut, sleeveless, dress proved to be a poor selection.

Thanks to a text from Jinx, she knew where Ridge parked on Lide. Not that she would have any trouble locating the old Chevy. But at least she wouldn’t have to drive around to find him and risk him seeing her first. From a safe distance, she sat in her van and watched him. There wasn’t much activity. The cold wind must have been keeping the Johns at home and the girls off the street.

Tizzy adjusted her blonde wig and decided the time was right to make her move. She was almost to the car when Ridge noticed her. He rolled down the window, and she leaned in.

“Hey, cowboy, need a date?”

“Jeezus, Tizzy. Do you ever listen to anything I say?”

“The name’s Velvet, and are you sure you don’t want some company?”

“Cut the crap. What are you doing here?”

“If this is going to be a long conversation, may I please get inside? I have a full nipple alert.” She stuck out her chest and gave him a good view of the warning.

He gulped for air. “No. You need to leave, and we’ll talk about this at home.”

“If that’s the way you want it.” She rose to her full height, then ducked back down again. “Just one more question. Would you be less mad if I mentioned I’m not wearing panties?”

Buy links:
Book trailer: https://tinyurl.com/sl3uayy
Buy links: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07ZTT97XJ
Audio: https://tinyurl.com/sl3uayy

How I Start a Story
For me, a good story starts with a great first line, and I can’t begin to write until I have one. At least one I think is great. For the Sweet Thangs Mystery Series, each opening sentence needs to set the tone of the book—a blend of mystery, romance, and humor.

I love it when a first line grabs me. Here are a couple from my favorite authors.

One hot August Thursday afternoon, Maddie Faraday reached under the front seat of her husband’s Cadillac and pulled out a pair of black lace underpants—they weren’t hers. ~Tell Me Lies by Jennifer Crusie.

It wasn’t every day a guy saw a headless beaver marching down the side of the road, not even in Dean Robillard’s larger-than-life world. ~Natural Born Charmer by Susan Elizabeth Phillips.

Two from my alter-ego, Ann Everett.
Quinn Dorsey had kissed her share of toads, and now, just months before her thirty-fifth birthday, her efforts were about to pay off. ~Two Wrongs Make a Right

According to scientific studies, Maggie knew even good girls got aroused by bad boys.~Tell Me a Secret

And here’s the one from the book featured today, Book Two, Gloom, Doom, and Missing Groom: Twenty-four hours ago, Tizzy Donovan was naked in Ridge Cooper’s bed, screaming to get God’s attention.

When choosing a book, how important are opening lines to you? Let me know in the comments.

Emma’s bio:
Emma Ames/Ann EverettEmma Ames is an alter-ego of Ann Everett, who is an alter-ego of a real person. All three live in Texas.

Emma writes sweeter versions of Ann Everett’s steamy mysteries and romances. Although they contain no graphic love scenes or language, they are still rated 18+ due to sexual innuendo and adult themes. And, as always, a happily ever after is guaranteed.

Social media links:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EmmaAmes11
Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/author/emmaames
Find out more about Emma: https://www.anneverett.com/emma-ames-books/

A hard choice #MFRWauthor

BCity lifeecause of our nomadic lifestyle, hubby and I have had the luxury and privilege of living in both cities and the country. We spent 4 years in Richmond, Virginia—not huge, but still a decent sized city—and 12 years in a neighboring county with 13,000 people in the county. We lived just outside New York City and then moved to live in Appleton, Wisconsin, where 10 minutes would get you to the airport and about ten steps separated you from the baggage claim, loading gate, and car rental desk. We moved to the heart of San Francisco, across from City Hall and the ballet, and then moved to Greenwood, SC, where ten cars constituted a traffic jam. Our last move was from the urban Tidewater area (Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Portsmouth, Hampton and Newport News) to a tiny town in Idaho. I can honestly say I enjoyed each and every place we lived.

In San Francisco, we went to the ballet, numerous plays and museums and Small townsvisited the Wharf weekly. The restaurants are deservedly legendary. In Richmond, too, we had season tickets to the theater. New York offered Radio City Music Hall and a city throbbing with energy, and Tidewater, where I’d lived for nine years growing up, was home in a way. None of those things were true in the small towns/country where we lived. In our Virginia county, we were 35 miles from the nearest city, and 50 miles into Richmond, so shopping had to be planned. As I said, the airport in Appleton was close but everything else was pretty limited. Still, the people were amazingly friendly, and the town was fun to explore. I loved living in rural South Carolina! Anytime was a good time for a ride in the country and all kinds of interesting things presented themselves for exploration.

Cities have things to do and a variety of places to eat. Country/small towns have peace, the ability to get around easily, and a more relaxed lifestyle. I love them both.

Which lifestyle do you prefer?

Read the next blog in the blog hop by going here.

Dee
Burning Bridges by Anne Krist: old letters put the lie to Sara’s life. Now, mending her past mistakes while crossing burning bridges will be the hardest thing she’s ever done.

One Woman Only
Only a Good Man Will Do
Naval Maneuvers

Unsuitable for a Lord–but very suitable for us! Cathleen Ross

An Unsuitable Lady for a Lord by Cathleen Ross

An Unsuitable Lady for a Lord
Series: Scottish Lords and Ladies Series
Author: Cathleen Ross
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Release date: 13 April 2020
Genre: Regency
Pages: 192  52,000 words

Blurb:
Lord Aaron Lyle has one hell of a choice: a bankrupt dukedom, or marriage to some simpering society miss so his spendthrift father can get his hands on her huge dowry. He won’t do it. He has a reputation to maintain, and besides, he’d rather run naked through the streets of London than marry anyone at all. Surely, there must be a third option.

Then Lady Crystal Wilding walks into his life, a bluestocking, full of subversive thoughts, who hates the notion of marriage even more than he does. He is intrigued…and suddenly he has an idea. He invites the totally unsuitable lady home on the pretext of presenting her as a possible match…but in truth, Aaron has something far more pleasurable in mind. For her part, Lady Crystal has her own reasons for going along with his harebrained scheme.

Imagine their shock when his highly proper family loves her and starts planning the wedding. Good lord. Now what?

Excerpt: (Heat Rating) Medium

Buy links:
B&N
KOBO
Amazon

Excerpt:
Edinburgh, 1811 Friday evening

When the wild Scottish wind swept Lady Crystal Wilding’s straw bonnet from her head, she didn’t expect it to fly, complete with ostrich feathers, right into the hands of the most compelling gentleman she’d ever seen.

He leaped with masculine grace, snatched the offending black hat from the air, and, on seeing its owner, bowed deeply. His thick, dark hair and perfectly trimmed sideburns had not been mussed by the leap, and the first thing she noticed was the amusement in his midnight blue eyes. He was exquisitely attired in a double-breasted black tailcoat, tan breeches, and black leather shoes. His cream silk cravat was tied superbly in a complicated pattern only a highly paid servant could manage. A hint of his brocade waistcoat showed under his well-tailored tailcoat.

“Lord Lyle at your service, Miss…”

“Lady Crystal Wilding.”

She strode a few feet over to him, bobbed a curtsy, and caught his compelling blue-eyed gaze for a second too long. She usually regarded powerful lords with some contempt… but something about this man grabbed her attention and wouldn’t let go.

She deliberately shook it off. She really needed to refocus and not allow herself to be distracted. “Thank you for saving this miscreant of a hat, my lord. I dinnae ken how it came loose.”

He fluffed the elaborate plumed creation before placing it in her hands and giving her a wicked smile. “Perhaps it was trying to return to its former avian owner.”

A ripple of laughter left her lips, and he joined her, his stern, noble face softening with enjoyment. Up close, he smelled of fine wool and the delicious scent of lime.

Just then, Hilda, Crystal’s maid, approached her. “I’m sorry, my lady. I should have tied the hat better.”

“No matter. You may go, Hilda. Take the hackney cab back to Old Town. I can see Sir Walter Scott is waiting for me at his front door,” she said. She was looking forward to meeting the famous poet and author.

“Aye, my lady.” Hilda curtsied and left her.

“So, you’re attending Sir Walter’s soiree? I heard there is a right harridan of a speaker tonight,” Lord Lyle confided, leaning close to her. “Let me escort you to the door.” He held out his arm for her.

She took it and walked with him down North Castle Street, conscious of how well built he was, with broad shoulders, narrow hips, and long legs.

“A harridan, you say?” she mused, biding her time. “She sounds right frightening. Does she come with horns?” He laughed again, and she noticed how his intense blue eyes warmed to her humor. He had a dimple in one cheek when he smiled, which was rather appealing, despite his cutting words.

“She’s a bluestocking, I’m told. One of those dreadful mannish creatures, no doubt with a mustache, who’ll probably bore us. Certainly, she’ll not be a bonny lass like you.”

He found her beautiful? Well, her heart certainly beat faster when he was close, but it irritated her that he thought a woman should be comely if he was expected to listen to her. She turned to him, raised her eyebrows, and looked him up and down as they approached Sir Walter’s gate. “Why are you attending the salon if you’re not interested in this boring, frightening orator?”

“The whisky is excellent, and Sir Walter is a dear friend,” he said with a wink.

Sir Walter Scott held on to the rail and limped down his front stairs to greet them. “Lord Lyle, I see you’ve already met our charming presenter, Lady Crystal Wilding.”

Lord Lyle blanched, his handsome face becoming all angles and planes, making his blade of a nose appear sharper under his high cheekbones. “Our speaker, you say?”

Crystal calmly rubbed above her upper lip, where her mustache would be if she were the harridan he had expected. “Aye, the lord has made my acquaintance and entertained me with his views. I look forward to sharing some of mine, for I’m sure he’ll eat up my words.”

Or learn to eat his own.

Meet Cathleen Ross:

NA: How did you come up with the idea for your book?
CR: I said to my editor that I was going on a trip to Scotland and she asked would I like to write a Regency with a Blue Stocking heroine.

For my research, I read the Vindication of the Rights of Women by Mary Wollstonecraft because I wanted to understand how women thought and felt at that time. I also read The Last Highlander by Sarah Frazer so I could understand the history behind the rebellion. It gave me a feel for the mentality of the Highland people in 1745. The kicker was that when I was doing my research, I realized I was related to some of the main players – The Frazer lord and the Ross lord.

I’m descended from a Scottish Frazer Lady , the sister of the lord who married a Ross—that side fought for the Rebellion—and another Ross Lord, which I’m directly descended from, fought for the English. So, I’m writing about my ancestors.

A lot of little things I put in are about Ross lords. They were a wild lot. One of them cut off the king’s enemies’ heads and presented the heads to the king. That’s how he became an earl. Nice lot I come from.

I used my research to fashion my heroine. My heroine is very strong minded and refuses to accept her place in society. She also has a strong social conscience. From the reviews of Goodreads I can see my readers have enjoyed the humor and the heroine’s strength and ideas.

NA: What was your job before you started writing full time?
CR: I used to be an Assistant Principal of an Adult English College and later a writing teacher for another college but I always wanted to write romance.

NA: What do your family and friends think about your writing?
CR: My friends and family are used to me being a writer as I’ve been published for many years. The first book I sold was an erotic best seller and I sold it to Random House. No one in the family talked about it and some friends were shocked. I was happily married and my husband used to tell everyone I wrote all about him, which made everyone laugh.

NA: What has surprised you about being an author?
CR: One of my big surprises was for winning an award for my first and only science fiction romance about an apocalypse. Although my editor asked me for another, I didn’t want to go back into that world. It was too stressful and now we’re all living it anyway.

NA: Do you outline books ahead of time or are you more of a by-the-seat-of-your-pants writer?|
CR: I have to outline for my Entangled editor. She then sends the story idea up the chain for approval. I sign a contract and then start work on the book. For my other books, which I self-publish, when I’m not contracted, I write into the mist.

NA: What has been one of your most rewarding experiences as an author?
CR: Being able to earn money from a passion, having good reviews and emails from readers.

NA: What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
CR:  I like walking because I have to sit so much for my job.

NA: What are you working on now?
CR: I always have a few projects going. I’m writing a Scottish Highlander book set just after the Battle of Culloden. The hero, although he is Scottish, fights for the English side because he wants to get his confiscated Scottish estate back from a treacherous old lord.  He refuses to marry the heroine even though she begs him, so she is then forced to marry the old lord.  Her husband, the treacherous old lord, is killed at Culloden, so technically she owns the hero’s estate and she can’t forgive him for rejecting her and leaving her to make his fortune, or for his fighting for the English.

I’ve just finished a book set in 1920s about the Theosophists. They are far more fascinating than the name suggests. That’s with my agent at the moment.

Hello, Cathleen…

Cathleen RossCathleen Ross is a quirky writer who lives on Sydney Harbor with her husband, daughter and very loved dog, Denzel. As an English teacher and editor, she has always surrounded herself with books. When she’s not giving psychic predictions for her family and friends, she’s writing romances where her heroines always get their man. She’s a multi-award-winning author who regularly hits the Amazon best-seller lists.

You can find Cathleen here on https://www.facebook.com/cathleen.ross.3

In memoriam, in commemoration: Anzac Day 2020

Anzac Day 2020 and Jan Selbourne

Who would have thought, when we welcomed in 2020, that March would see the world as we know it, in the grip of a pandemic? It has affected all of us and a lot of things we have taken for granted are now cancelled, closed or declared out of bounds.

For Australia and New Zealand, our most important day of the year is one of those. Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand that commemorates all Australians and New Zealanders who served and died in all wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations.

Anzac Day 2020 and Jan SelbourneOn the 25th April 1915, the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps formed part of the allied expedition that set out to capture the Gallipoli peninsula—Turkey. These became known as Anzacs and the pride they took in that name continues to this day.

When war was declared in August 1914, Australia had a population of 4.9 million. New Zealand 1.1 million. We were a bit isolated down here in the Antipodes but that didn’t stop approximately 531,500 men and women (nurses) from putting up their hands to travel 10,000 miles to a war on the other side of the world. My grandfather was one of them, going first to Egypt for training and then on to the Western Front. The young man from the Aussie bush, who had never killed anything bigger than a snake or rabbit would never be the same again. However, he and his mates are not forgotten.

The first Anzac Day service was commemorated on 25th April,1916 in Anzac Day 2020 and Jan Selbourneboth Australia and England, where 2,000 Anzac troops marched through the streets of London. A memorial service was held at Westminster Abbey, attended by King George V and Queen Mary. Since then, on every 25th April except 1919 when the Spanish flu was rampant, services are held in every city and town in Australia and New Zealand, the Casey research station Antarctica, the very moving dawn service at Gallipoli in harmony with the Turkish people, Belgium and France and the UK. While checking my facts before writing this tribute I was surprised how many other countries acknowledge this day.

This year, Anzac Day services are cancelled due to the Corona virus. Instead, Australians and New Zealanders are asked to light candles and stand in our driveways or front doors at 6am for a dawn service with a difference.

And we did, in every town and city on both sides of the Tasman Sea.

Anzac Day 2020 and Jan Selbourne

Finally – the Ode of Remembrance
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

Savage Cinderella? YES! Novella series by P.J. Sharon

Savage Cinderella series

Series Blurb:

Eighteen-year-old Brinn Hathaway has survived on her own in the Northwest High Country of Georgia since she was left for dead in a shallow grave by the man who kidnapped her as a child. When a young nature photographer, Justin Spencer, catches the wild girl on film and the two form a tentative friendship, Brinn must decide if coming out of hiding is worth the hope—and the danger—that may await her.

The SAVAGE CINDERELLA Novella Series continues Brinn’s journey from kidnap victim to survivor. A year into her recovery she finds her life with Justin has become a safety net she relies on, but something is missing. After years of living wild in the mountains, taming her need for danger turns out to be her greatest challenge.

When Justin’s friend Cody—now in the FBI—asks for her help in solving a kidnapping case, it sparks new purpose for Brinn—as well as major complications in her relationship with both men.

Follow Brinn, Justin, Cody, and a cast of new characters through a series of novellas (30-40k word short novels). Each story will bring a new adventure, another crime to solve, and more danger for Brinn and company as she navigates her recovery and tries to find her place in the world.

Liberty's Promise by P.J. Sharon

Liberty’s Promise (A Savage Cinderella Novella-Book 5)

Short Blurb: Fresh out of the police academy, twenty-year-old Brinn Hathaway travels to New York City to help her friend, Dani, only to become embroiled in a dangerous mission to take on a corrupt NYC cop. When Sergeant Connor Trask—a superior officer and Dani’s former flame—threatens to destroy her career and her family’s legacy, Brinn vows to do whatever necessary to protect her friend. But taking down one of NYC’s finest could cost both women more than just their jobs.

Buy links:
Series link on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B079VXM7JH/
Amazon Print: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1710322268
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B081PK453X
Universal Link: https://books2read.com/u/brVAMk
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/libertys-promise-pj-sharon/1135082250

Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/libertys-promise/id1489049305
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/liberty-s-promise-1
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48921768-liberty-s-promise

Read First Chapter on Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/story/205301187-liberty%27s-promise-savage-cinderella-novella-5

Savage Cinderella by P.J. Sharon

Excerpt:

The truth was things weren’t fine. I was still no closer to deciding where my relationships with both Justin and Cody were going or whether I was even ready for a long-term relationship with anyone.

I dropped the phone on the table and headed for the best place I knew to forget my troubles, regroup, and get my game face on for what was ahead—the shower. I’d barely undressed and turned the water on when I heard something from the other room. The food couldn’t have arrived that quickly. My pulse shot up, and I came to full attention when I realized it was the front door closing and that I’d left my knife sitting on the coffee table.

It wasn’t Dani since she’d texted she was on her way to the hospital. I swore under my breath, wrapped a towel around me, grabbed the first thing I could find—a blow dryer hanging on the wall—and left the shower running as I positioned myself behind the door.

A second later, the doorknob began to turn. I held my breath and prepared for battle, wishing I was wearing more than a towel and my underwear. After a sharp knock, the door slowly opened, and waiting for it to reach the halfway point, I rammed it with my full weight, hitting the person on the other side with a force that made them stumble. Swearing loudly, a man stormed the bathroom with renewed fury and a “What the hell…?”

Unable to hold him back, I stepped away from the door, making him fall into the room. I turned the blow dryer on him at full heat. He yelped, shielded his face, and retreated.

With one hand covering his eyes and the other holding my knife loosely at his side, he started to say something, but I needed to take advantage or lose the upper hand.

I dove for the knife and tackled him to the floor.

Author info:
P.J. SharonIn addition to her day job as a Massage Therapist, PJ Sharon is an award-winning author of young adult books, including the contemporary novels PIECES of LOVE, HEAVEN is for HEROES, ON THIN ICE, and Holt Medallion winner SAVAGE CINDERELLA. Follow kidnap survivor turned rookie cop, Brinn Hathaway, in the Savage Cinderella Novella Series with FINDING HOPE, LOST BOYS, SACRED GROUND, BROKEN ANGEL, and her latest release, LIBERTY’S PROMISE.

If sci-fi/fantasy is more to your liking, WANING MOON, WESTERN DESERT, and HEALING WATERS completes her YA dystopian trilogy, The Chronicles of Lily Carmichael, which RT Book Reviews calls “An action-packed read with a strong female lead.”

On the road to publication, PJ decided indie publishing was the best fit for her books. Ms. Sharon’s aren’t your average high school stories. Instead, they are portraits of the real-life issues of older teens and their struggles with family, friends, and the guys they fall for as they navigate the transition to adulthood. Although the themes are mature, evoking plenty of drama and angst, PJ writes with a positive outlook and promises a hopefully-ever-after end to her stories. Because of this, readers of all ages will be captivated by the emotional and romantic journeys of her characters.

After a tumultuous youth and a challenging young adulthood that gave her plenty of personal experiences from which to draw, PJ has found her bliss in sharing her wisdom and stories with teens and adults alike. When she isn’t writing and publishing, she shares her 30+ years in the health and fitness industry with clients through ABSolute Fitness and Therapeutic Body Work, a private practice Massage Therapy and Personal Training business she founded in 2005. PJ lives with her husband in the Berkshire Hills of Western MA.

Social media links:
Website: http://www.pjsharon.com
Follow PJ on Twitter: @pjsharon      https://www.twitter.com/pjsharon
“Like” PJ on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pjsharonbooks
Find PJ on Amazon’s Author Central page: http://www.amazon.com/PJ-Sharon/e/B005ONR4IY/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/PJSharon
Read FREE chapters on Wattpad: http://www.wattpad.com/user/pjsharon
Book Trailers: http://www.youtube.com/pjsharon64
Signup for PJ’s Newsletter:  http://eepurl.com/bm7rj5

 

Writing topic no-nos #MFRWauthor

Creating storiesThis week’s blog question is whether there are any topics you won’t write about. Sure. I won’t write about politics, religion, or another person’s spouse. One of my earliest pieces of advice came from my dad who lived most of his adult life in close quarters with a bunch of other men on naval ships. He said those three things were topics no one should ever discuss. I assume because they were hot buttons that would cause fights. I’ll take that to mean I shouldn’t write about them, too. They’re nothing but trouble.

There are also topics I won’t address because I simply couldn’t do them justice. Same sex romances, for example. I read them, and there are some Don't travel with petsgreat romances in that genre. But I know my limitations and I would not be able to write a same sex romance that would be good enough for anyone to read. This is also a problem with stories that have strong animal characters. I love dogs and cats but I don’t have all that much experience with them, sadly. Would I be able to portray them as main assets in a book? I fear not.

Burning Bridges by Anne KristOther than those things I should never address in writing and those I don’t think I can do well enough, I don’t think there is anything else I avoid—other than the things stipulated in every publisher’s submission guidelines, and you know what they are. For the longest time, I refused to write about anything having to do with Vietnam. The period of the war was just too painful. But I’ve gotten past that—I made myself get past it with a novella (Coming Home) and using it as part of the background in my book, Burning Bridges (written as Anne Krist).

What won’t you write about? Or as a reader, what won’t you read?

Read the next blog in the blog hop by going here.

Dee
Burning Bridges by Anne Krist: old letters put the lie to Sara’s life. Now, mending her past mistakes while crossing burning bridges will be the hardest thing she’s ever done.

One Woman Only
Only a Good Man Will Do
Naval Maneuvers