I’m interviewed today over on A Splash of Romance in You Life: http://violettarand.wordpress.com/2013/04/26/interview-with-author-s-c-mitchell/
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Monthly Archives: April 2013
Lauren Linwood stops by A Writers Haven
Today I’m just going to kick back a bit and let author Lauren Linwood take over A writer’s Haven with a special guest blog about herself and her upcoming release, Music For My Soul.
Lauren, welcome.
Good morning, everyone! A huge thanks to Steven, my fellow Soul Mate Publishing author, for offering me an opportunity to guest blog on his site today.
I’m like so many of you out there. I fell in love with words and books at an early age, able to read before I started school. I went from Little Golden Books to Superman comic books to solving mysteries with Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys. I traveled the world from England to Greece to China, meeting everyone from Atticus Finch to Hannibal Lecter throughout the years as my reading tastes branched out to a variety of genres.
Biographies drew me in from the start. Reading about the lives of real people led to a passion for history and the people who created it. As an adult, I became a history teacher and tried to bring history to life for my students.
I have a passion for two eras – medieval times and the American West – and these eras are where I place my characters in extraordinary circumstances, allowing their intense desire and yearning for one another to grow into a deep, abiding love against the backdrop of history.
My medieval historical romance, Music For My Soul, will debut in May. Here’s a short description:
As the third wife of an abusive French vineyard owner, Madeleine Bouchard hasn’t produced the expected heir after three years of marriage. Fearing he plans to kill her, she flees during a trip to England. Unable to make her way home, she joins a troupe of traveling mummers and reinvents herself as the only woman troubadour in the land, captivating audiences with both song and story.
Nobleman Garrett Montayne’s fascination with Madeleine causes him to pay the troupe to bypass their next stop in order to journey to his estate. Though he suspects Madeleine of being a thief with dark secrets, love blossoms between them under the magical moon of summer solstice.
But Madeleine’s past is about to catch up with her, as her husband is set to arrive to conduct business with Garrett. Madeleine determines to free herself from her loveless marriage and make a new life with Garrett, no matter what the cost.
It’s always fun to retreat into my writing world, which is far different from the Dallas suburb I live in now. I’m like a lot of people you meet – an avid reader, moviegoer, sports fan, and yoga enthusiast. The difference? I listen to those voices in my head and capture their stories on paper.
I’d love for you to follow me through social media. You can keep in contact with me through:
http://laurenlinwood.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/laurenlinwood
https://twitter.com/LaurenLinwood
Lauren, thank you so much for stopping by and guest blogging today. I know we’re all looking forward to the May release of Music for my Soul.
Spending some time with Collette Cameron and Highlander’s Hope.
Today we’re visiting with Collette Cameron, author of Highlander’s Hope, which is scheduled for release next month from Soul Mate Publishing. Collette, thank you for stopping by A Writer’s Haven.
First, I want to thank you, Steve, for hosting me!
Tell us, Collette, when did you know you wanted to be a writer?
Okay, can I be totally honest? I didn’t know I wanted to be a writer. Of course, I didn’t know I wanted to be a teacher until I was in my forties either. Maybe I’m a late bloomer…a very late bloomer.
I’ve always been able to write, or maybe I should say, writing has always come easily to me, but there was never an “aha” moment where I decided to become a writer. Now that’s not to say I hadn’t toyed with the idea of writing a book. I had—for years. But, I never thought I’d write a romance novel.
So what did I start writing when I sat in front of my computer one day in February 2011? A historical romance—Highlander’s Hope.
Well, I can certainly identify with starting a little later in life. How long did it take you to write your first novel?
Highlander’s Hope took me 6 months to write the first draft, while still teaching full-time. It was a monstrosity—156,000 words. I cut over half of it and changed the title twice, before I was finally satisfied with the manuscript. Well, as satisfied as an author ever gets.
Tell us a little about your writing style. Are you a plotter, a pantser, or something in between?
A good friend of mine calls me a linear panster. It’s an oxymoron but it works for me, because I do write from beginning to end—I just don’t know exactly where I’m going along the way. Sometimes that’s great. I’ll write something that astounds me. Other times I write something that doesn’t move the story forward, and I end up cutting it. Even those cut scenes have value though. I’ve used phrases, ideas, or parts of them for some of my other work. I like to post them on my blog for my readers to enjoy too.
All my books start with a single scene or idea, and the book develops around it. I do have ideas or plot points that I want to include in my books, but I also love seeing where my characters and the story take me. I couldn’t possibly come up with some of the things in advance that emerge as the story progresses. I often wonder, “Where did that come from?”
So tell us something about Collette Cameron the person. What do you do when you’re not writing?
I’m an elementary teacher and an editor for a small ebook publisher. I also am an avid gardener, and I dabble in interior decorating. Spending time with my 5 doxies, three adult children, and hubby of 30 years are also at the top of my list. And I love to travel. I’m scheming about how to finagle a trip to Scotland to do “research” for my 6 book Ferguson Saga. All the history, and castles, and the highlanders… Oh my!
A six book saga? That sounds like quite project, and speaking of projects, tell us what inspired you to write Highlander’s Hope?
The timing was finally right for me. My children are grown and substitute teaching left me with time on my hands. I had an idea for a cross genre novel, and it wasn’t going to write itself. For me, once I actually made the commitment to write Highlander’s Hope, there was no alternative but to plow forward until I finished it.
I’m a bit obsessive compulsive about finishing things…okay, maybe more than a bit.
Well, you’ve brought along a beautiful cover, the book blurb, and you’ve even offered to share a scene from Highlander’s Hope. So let’s get to it:
Shipping heiress Yvette Stapleton is wary of fortune hunting men and their false declarations of love. She’d rather become a spinster than imprisoned in the bonds of marriage. At first, she doesn’t recognize the dangerously handsome man who rescues her from assailants on London’s docks, but her reaction to Lord Sethwick’s passionate kisses soon have her reconsidering her cynical views on matrimony.
He was the nobleman who vowed to make her his own.
Not a day has gone by that Ewan McTavish, Lord Sethwick and Laird of Craiglocky, hasn’t dreamed of the sensual beauty he danced with two years ago; he’s determined to win her heart. On a mission to stop a War Office traitor, he unwittingly draws Yvette into deadly international intrigue. To protect her, he exploits Scottish Canon law to declare her his lawful wife—without benefit of a ceremony. Yvette is furious upon discovering the irregular marriage is legally binding, though she never said, “I do.”
Amidst murder and betrayal, Ewan attempts to win Yvette’s forgiveness. But is it too late? Has his manipulation cost him her love?
And now, a provocative scene from Highlander’s Hope:
Yvette stepped back as Ewan pushed his way into the room, leaving the door ajar. His hair was damp, no doubt from bathing, and the stubble darkening his face earlier was gone. Feet bare, wearing only buckskin breeches and a shirt unbuttoned to the waist, he resembled a pirate—a dangerous, rakish, sinfully handsome pirate.
She sucked in her breath. He oughtn’t to be here, but he’d said he wanted to talk to her, and he had promised to behave.
Yvette’s gaze traveled the path of silky hair from his chest until it disappeared into his waistband. Her stomach flip-flopped. Sweet Lord above. She pressed her hands to her frolicking middle. Why doesn’t he say something?
A distraction, that’s what she needed.
She escaped to the lumpy bed where she’d flung her clothing before bathing. She folded, then packed the garments into her valise and set it on the floor beside her trunk. Bending to retrieve her towel, she peeked sideways at him from the corner of her eye. He hasn’t moved an inch. What’s he about?
Grabbing the towel, she glanced down and froze. The candles to her left bathed her in a stream of light. She could clearly see the outline of her legs. Her nightwear was almost translucent in the candlelight and gave him a shadowy view of— dear God—nearly everything.
No wonder he hadn’t moved, the lout.
Standing upright, she held the towel before her and faced him. “Enjoying the view, your lordship?” she snapped.
Ewan lounged against the doorframe, watching her. A slow smile tilted the corners of his mouth. “Immeasurably.”
Well, I have to say I enjoyed that ‘immeasurably’ as well. The book comes out in May, and we’d love to have you back to help launch it, but before you go, tell us a little bit about what’s coming up next.
I just sold the second book in the Blue Rose Trilogy to Soul Mate Publishing. Highlander’s Hope is the first and The Viscount’s Vow is the second. I’m plugging away on the third novel, The Earl’s Enticement. I hope to have it done in May. Then I have a stand-alone novel that’s insisting I write it next. After that, I’ll either do the Ferguson Saga or a pair of stand-alone books but the characters are related. Actually, the entire Ferguson Saga and another five books I have plots for all center around secondary characters from Highlander’s Hope and other characters in my Blue Rose Trilogy.
I have an idea for a contemporary romance as well as a paranormal historical. I’d like to try my hand at writing a medieval romance and maybe something in the Georgian or Victorian era too. The Blue Rose Trilogy is set in the Regency period.
You’ve given us a lot to look forward to, Collette. Thank you once again for joining us today at A Writer’s Haven.
Collette Cameron Bio
A life-long Oregonian, Collette Cameron was born and raised in a small town along the northern Oregon coast. Today she makes her home in a rural community, 30 minutes west of Portland. Her Victorian farmhouse sits on a one-acre certified wildlife habit, interspersed with a plethora of gardens: English, rose, butterfly, rock, water, and of course, vegetable.
A voracious reader of romance since her teens, she even named her daughter after a heroine in her favorite romance novel. An enthusiast of times gone by, and anything related to romance, she writes Historical Romance, with a dash of inspiration, a pinch of humor, and a liberal portion of suspense.
Having dabbled in interior decorating in her youth, Collette returned to school, graduating summa cum laude from Oregon State University, and went on to obtain her Master’s Degree in Teaching. She is member of Romance Writers of America, Rose City Romance Writers, The Beau Monde, and Love Faith and Hope, Inc., and a whole slew of other author/writer groups.
Some of Collette’s favorite things include unique blends of coffees and teas, trivia, Cadbury Milk Chocolate, inspirational quotes, and scented candles. Her Christian faith, husband, three adult children, and five miniature dachshunds round out her life quite nicely! When she’s not teaching or writing, she is a content and copy/line editor for an Ebook publisher, enjoys amateur photography, bird watching, gardening, interior decorating, rock-hunting, boating or fishing on the Columbia River, and reading of course.
Connect with Collette Cameron:
Web site: http://collettecameron.com/
Blog: http://www.blueroseromance.com/
Facebook Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/collettecameronauthor
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/collette.cameron.5
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Collette_Author
Google+: https://plus.google.com/s/collette%20cameron
Linked In: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/collette-cameron
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/colletteauthor/
Soul Mate Publishing Author’s Blog: http://smpauthors.wordpress.com/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/13595899-collette-cameron
Facebook Thinks I’m Gay
I’m blogging today over on the Soul Mate Author Site. Stop by and find out why Facebook thinks I’m gay: http://smpauthors.wordpress.com/2013/04/14/facebook-thinks-im-gay/
Nights of Passion
Today I’m talking about Son of Thunder on the Nights of Passion blog.
Stop by and say hi: http://nightsofpassion.wordpress.com/2013/04/11/author-s-c-mitchell-is-with-us-by-gerri-brousseau/
A Visit with Violetta Rand
Today we’re visiting with Soul Mate author, Violetta Rand, Author of Blind Allegiance. Violetta, welcome to A Writer’s Haven. Please tell us a little about yourself and your writing. When did you know you wanted to be a writer?
I started writing short stories at the age of 5 and sold them in my neighborhood. I think the writer bug really hit me at a young age because I would copy books (word for word) by hand and present them to my mother as a gift (perhaps this meant I should of been an editor/publisher?). As any good mother would, she accepted these rare volumes (written with crayons) and praised me for my dedication.
Wow, you did start early. How long did it take you to write your first novel?
Six months.
Are you a plotter, a pantser, or something in between?
Definitely a pantser. There is no way I could plot characters or make outlines (I’m not patient enough). I don’t think, I just type.
I’m right with you there. So tell us, what do you do when you’re not writing?
I’m an environmental scientist in, Alaska. I travel to remote sites around the state and conduct assessments or soil and water remediation projects. I also enjoy hiking, riding motorcycles, fishing, and reading.
I have to say, I love your cover. What inspired you to write Blind Allegiance?
Simple. I love Vikings. I enjoy the warrior’s tale–everything that made them brutal and legendary, to the sense of honor and dedication they felt for family and friends.
Here’s the cover and a blurb from Blind Allegiance (set for release in June 2013)
It’s a risk of a lifetime loving a man you’re supposed to hate…
Betrayed by a brother she hardly trusted before the bloodthirsty Viking, Jarl Randvior Sigurdsson, attacks her home, Noelle Sinclair is conveniently bartered as a means to save her cowardly sibling’s skin. Forced to leave her homeland and accompany the petulant Viking to the untamed wilderness of central Norway, Noelle is ever-aware of the burgeoning dangers around her—including her weakening resolve to resist Randvior.
Should Noelle surrender to his resplendent charms and seduction, or fight with every ounce of strength she possesses to get home?
Violetta, thank you so much for visiting with us today. One last question before you leave: What’s next?
Blind Allegiance is the first book in the Blind Series for Soul Mate Publishing. The second book, Blind Mercy, is finished. I am currently writing Book 3, Blind Vengeance. Additionally, I’m working on a contemporary romance set in the 1980s.
Bio:
Violetta Rand holds a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Policy and a master’s degree in Environmental Management. Serving as an environmental scientist in the state of Alaska for over seven years, she enjoys the privilege of traveling to remote places few people have the opportunity to see.
Violetta has been “in love” with writing since childhood. Struck with an entrepreneurial spirit at a young age, she wrote short stories illustrated by her best friend and sold them in her neighborhood. The only thing she loves more than writing is her wonderful relationship with her husband, Jeff. She enjoys outdoor activities, reading whatever she can get her hands on, music, and losing herself in the ancient worlds she enjoys bringing to life in the pages of her stories.
Find her at:
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6952559.Violetta_Rand
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/violetta.rand?fref=ts
Twitter @ViolettaRand: https://twitter.com/ViolettaRand
It’s baaaaack!
Yup, it’s time once again for our popular Adopt a Werewolf campaign. Here at A writer’s Haven we’re dedicated to finding homes for these adorable growling, fanged demons from another dimension. I mean, can you look in these eyes and say no?
So many of you have commented to me about the joys of having a werewolf to cuddle up with around the house, and it has warmed my heart. I’ve even heard of people passing around their werewolves just so others can know the joy of spending quality time a vicious, fanged creature. Well, we won’t be happy until everyone has a werewolf of their very own.
Remember, Werewolves, with their big, glowing red eyes, razor sharp fangs, and blood drenched talons, slice, dice and make wonderful Julianne fries. They are something you can take with you on your Kindle or Kindle app device, wherever you go.
Yup, now through Tuesday you can get your very own Kindle copy of There’s No Such Thing As Werewolves…FREE! Join the thousands of werewolf owners, cowering under the covers at night reading the Demons Rising series, while their cuddly pet snarls and scratches at the bedroom door.
Adopt a Werewolf today. It’s Free! (Click here to start your adventure)
A visit with author Gerri Brousseau
Today I’d like to welcome my fellow Soul Mate author, Gerri Brousseau. Gerri, it’s great to have you with us today on A Writer’s Haven.
Hi Steve, thank you so much for visiting with me today. I’m looking forward to meeting your readers and hope they will not be timid in asking questions.
Gerri, when did you know you wanted to be a writer?
Well Steve, I’ve been writing ever since I was a kid, but I only began to have serious thoughts of becoming a published author in 2009. It seems that throughout my entire life my friends would always be saying, “Gerri, you should write a book,” and I finally took their advice.
Steve: How long did it take you to write your first novel?
Gerri: I had never attempted to write a novel before and had no idea what I was doing. I didn’t know there were “rules” to writing, such as point-of-view, I simply knew I had a story burning in me to be told. It took me 3 months to complete the first draft of According to Legend, but then I put it aside and kept writing. After I had written my third novel, I started submitting. As it turned out, the third book I wrote, A Pirate’s Ransom, got published first and my first one released second. The second book is being revised and edited right now. I’m really happy I wrote a few novels before I started to submit because it has enabled me to have three releases within one year.
Steve: Are you a plotter, a pantser, or something in between?
Gerri: I’m something in between. When I get an idea for a story I ask myself a lot of “what if” type of questions. Once I have a solid idea of how I want the story to go I jot down a few key points and then start writing. I am not one to do an outline. I find if I over think it I feel as if the story has been told and I lose interest in writing it. I like to let my characters tell me their story. I’m merely the instrument they use to do the typing.
Steve: What do you do when you’re not writing?
Gerri: I work full time, take care of my home, spend time with my two pugs, Mimi and Milo, and get tolerated by my two cats, Harry and Louise. But the activity I love the most is spending time with my 8-month old grand-daughter. I like to take quiet walks, which is where I twist story lines around and give lots of thought to how many ways I can torture my hero and heroine before I allow them to finally have their happily ever after. Another passion in my life is cooking. I enjoy creating delicious meals to share with my family.
Steve: What inspired you to write this novel?
Gerri: According to Legend came to me in a dream. I wish all my novels could be like that. Once I had the incredible dream and started writing it seemed as if the story just poured out of me. It was such a thrilling experience. I’ll tell you this, when I typed the words, “The End,” I cried. It was at that moment I knew I had found my purpose and passion in life.
Steve: So what’s next?
Gerri: My third novel, To Kill a Monarch, will be released by Soul Mate Publishing over the summer of 2013. It’s an intrigue romance. Let me give you a glimpse to whet your appetite.
Whispers in dark allies say Napoleon’s best assassin, The Falcon, has been sent to London to kill the Monarch. The problem – The Falcon’s identity is known only to the French Emperor. Sir Walter Tinsdale’s new partner, Philip Hamilton, arrives to discover their mission is to find the elusive bird of prey before he strikes. But their nemesis is like a phantom and always one step ahead of them. Enter the lovely Miss Charlotte Winston, the object of Sir Tinsdale’s affections, as well as those of Philip Hamilton. Unlikely alliances, deception, murder, and suicide will keep you turning the pages until the identity of The Falcon is finally revealed. With all the seduction and action of a James Bond movie, To Kill a Monarch is like 007 in 1811.
While I await the start of the editing process on that book I will begin writing my next book. And if that’s not enough, there is also the re-writing and editing that is going on with my Civil War family saga, Plantation Hill. Writing has always been such a part of my life that I simply can’t imagine what my life would be like if I wasn’t writing. I do have to say, when that alarm clock goes off in the morning, I’m on the go. Between work, writing, editing, and promoting existing releases, life can be crazy busy, but busy is good.
Thanks again for inviting me here today. It was a lot of fun. I hope your readers enjoyed our visit. If they would like to find out more about me and my writing, here is the link to my website: http://www.gerribrousseau.com
BLURB FOR ACCORDING TO LEGEND
According to Legend, when the spirit of the Tribal Princess is born again and she holds the enchanted stone in her hand, the lovers will be reunited . . . even through time.
Pam Hastings, an advertising agent, lives a boring life until she comes into possession of an enchanted dream catcher, which through her dreams, draws her back in time and into the arms of the handsome Warrior Chief, Moheeladeck.
Pam discovers the stones entwined within the dream catcher hold special powers and are also the key to a secret cave, rumored to contain untold riches. When Pam is followed and her house broken into she realizes she needs protection. That is when she meets the handsome and charming dog breeder, David Conner, who gives her Half-Breed. But Half-Breed is no ordinary dog, and has secrets of his own.
With the village burning and the tribe under attack, Moheeladeck is torn between his duty to protect his tribe in his time and his desire to protect the woman he loves in hers. David is torn between his love for the same woman and the destiny he was born to fulfill . . . her destruction. Pam finds herself caught in a love triangle between these two men; a love triangle that spans into both realms of time. With rivals in both the past and present pursuing her to control the power of the stones and the treasures in the cave, who is really behind it all? Who can she trust? With two warriors who profess their love for her, who will capture her heart? We find out only in her dreams.
Gerri Brousseau
Gerri was born and raised in Connecticut. She attended Central Connecticut State University, majoring in English Literature. Although she lived on the west coast for several years, she relocated back to her roots and birth place of Connecticut, where she presently resides with her two pugs, Mimi and Milo and her cats, Louise and Harry.
As a young girl growing up in Waterbury, Gerri spent her summers writing stories and often times, together with neighboring girls her age, would present original plays for an audience of their parents. When she moved back to Connecticut, Gerri took a job that required her to commute 4 hours a day by train to and from work. After a year of reading a book a week, she decided to make the time work for her, when one night after a strange dream about a dream catcher, she was inspired to write her first book.
Lest you think all of her time is spent in contemplative pursuits, freefalling out of airplanes gave a whole new meaning to the word “adventure”. Yes, a former skydiver who chose to retire from the sport, Gerri assures us that freefall is totally exhilarating and one of the most amazing and thrilling experiences anyone can have. Her energy and zest for life is found in the imaginative and page turning adventures she writes.
A Pirate’s Ransom is her debut novel with a release date of August 22, 2012
According to Legend released March 6, 2013.
To Kill a Monarch summer of 2013
Purchase Links for A Pirate’s Ransom
Soul Mate Publishing: http://www.soulmatepublishing.com
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/kindle/dp/B0091PRUTO/ref=rdr_kindle_ext_eos_detail
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-pirtes-ransom-gerri-brousseau/1112651492?ean=2940015206692
Purchase Link for According to Legend
A new direction.
It’s time to take this blog in a new direction, and I’m going to do it with the help of the talented authors of Soul Mate Publishing some of my other author friends.
The party Starts Wednesday, right here.
Stay tuned.
A Writer's Haven 