What a treat. I’m excited to introduce a new historical author I met through the Marketing For Romance Writers loop, Christine Donovan. Christine will be giving one lucky respondent a $25.00 gift certificate to Amazon. So make sure to leave a comment to enter the drawing. In addition, I’ll be giving a copy of the The Wronged Princess – Book I.
Now!!! About Christine…
klw: What author had the most influence on your life?
cd: We are going back in time. As a teenager I hated to read and I did not read well, until I found historical romances. I read everything I could get my hands on. The one author who stays with me to this day is Kathleen E. Woodiwiss and her beloved “Shanna.” The book “Shanna” was the first romance I read and began my lifelong love affair with romance novels. Without that love of romance novels I would not be the author I am today. I still read “Shanna” once a year.
klw: When did you first consider yourself a writer?
cd: After I completed my first novel. It took me eight months to write and the only one I told was my husband. For Valentine’s Day that year he gave me “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Getting Your Romance Published.” It introduced me to RWA. I still say it was the best gift I ever received from him. It changed my life.
klw: I’m lucky like that as well, my husband is very supportive of my writing. How would you describe your writing space?
cd: I have a nice office/library with a cathedral ceiling and a large window with a round top. It is truly a pretty room. Too bad I seldom write in it. Most days I can be found at the kitchen table. I like to be where the action is. My stereo must be on and tuned into my favorite country station.
klw: What are you reading now?
cd: I hope I don’t disappoint. I’m not currently reading a romance. I’m reading Lee Child’s “The Affair” I love his Jack Reacher Novels. Give me a good ex-military man who solves mysteries singlehandedly any day.
klw: Oh nooooo….just kidding. I write Contemporary and Historical too. Do you have a preference?
cd: That is hard to say. Contemporary comes easy to me, so that is what I first wrote. Historical is difficult to write, but terribly fun. Although I must admit, now that I am writing my third Historical, it is getting easier mostly because I do not have to look up everything. My mind is retaining facts and the language.
klw: Research…the time suck! I totally understand. Do short stories come easy for you?
cd: Yes. I have written a few. Maybe someday I’ll compile them together. It would be a mishmash as the genres are all different.
klw: How many books have your written? Which is your favorite?
cd: I have written a total of nine. My favorite is “Sunset Beach.” Someday I hope to have it published. It holds a special place in my heart because it revolves around nine friends who spent their summers together at Sunset Beach. (fictitious place) I based it on my own memories of my summers spent at our family beach house. That is where the similarities end. This is a romantic suspense. It begins in 1979 as they are entering their senior year of high school and ends fifteen years later when they get together for a reunion. All my books, including my historicals, have a small amount of suspense in them.
klw: What comes first, plot or characters?
cd: I would have to say my characters. They introduce themselves first then let me know what plot they want to be a part of. My characters can be, at times, hard to control!
klw: Control is overrated, don’t you think? Do you ever suffer from writer’s block?
cd: I suppose I do. When I first started writing, characters and stories bogged down my every waking moment. Some nights I couldn’t sleep because my brain would not stop. One day it all vanished, like someone flipped a switch. I did not panic, well I did at first. To continue with my craft I polished up what I had written. Then one day I decided I needed to start something new. It made me become more of a plotter. I’m happy to say, while I’m not inundated with characters demanding my attention as before, they have come back to me.
klw: We sure seem to have a lot in common. Tell me, what do you like to do when you’re not writing?
cd: I have a busy home life with four sons and one granddaughter. However, I make time for myself. I spend time at the gym. I love to read. I was an artist long before I began writing, so I love to paint. During the spring and summer gardening is my passion. I love to attend concerts. I attend several each summer with my high school friends. We never miss Toby Keith!
klw: That’s very interesting, because I feel the same way about Chicago, the band. Tell us about The Reluctant Duke.
cd: “The Reluctant Duke,” Book One in “A Seabrook Family Saga” Is the first Regency I wrote. I had the most fun. It was a nice change and a challenge from writing contemporary.
klw: What’s next for you?
cd: The next book in the series, “The Lady and the Earl,” is at my editor and will be available come spring. I have started the third and hope to have that out in the fall. After that I would like to publish some of my previous contemporary works. I will continue to write in the historical genre.
Well, Christine, it was very nice to meet you. I hope we can meet up at Nationals, if not in Atlanta, perhaps San Antonio. Thank you for stopping by.
Now, let’s get to the good stuff and learn more about The Reluctant Duke.
Thomas Seabrook, the penniless Duke of Wentworth, walks into White’s for night cap. He leaves no longer in
need of coin. In fact, he has become a wealthy man and owner of Hamilton Whaling Industries of New Bedford, Massachusetts and guardian of a seventeen-year-old girl. Thomas travels to Boston intent of bring his ward back and marrying her off to the first eligible gentleman who requests her hand. Except the first gentleman to ask for her, is his own brother Sebastian. Thomas refuses, because bloody hell, he wants her for himself.
Emma Hamilton is not happy with her new situation. Her papa brought her up to be independent and assertive. How dare this stranger, this moody noble, dictate what she can do and not do? When she finds herself thrown into a London season, being introduced from one gentleman to another, looking for a husband, she realizes only the duke will do. How can she break through the duke’s hard exterior and find the loving, caring gentleman she knows he hides from everyone.
Archive for February, 2013
Join The Wild Rose Press for a spectacular series from the Oklahoma Romance Writers. All Scrimshaw Doll tales, from historical to contemporary to suspense to paranormal, on sale for .99.
Wild Rose Press —— Amazon ——- Barnes & Noble
And feel free to check out this week’s post by Alicia Dean. Scrimshaw Doll Blog
Happy reading!
Prepare to be amazed as I guess your favorite genre….
How incredibly astute!
February 15, 2013 by Kathy L Wheeler
When did gothic romances become unpopular? You know the ones I mean, the crumbling castles, the jagged cliffs where the ground can disintegrate beneath your very feet only to send you flying over the edge to a horrifying end.
Where the dead heroine’s portrait is bound to the sale of that monstrosity of a castle, where she roams the night, leaving behind scented jasmine in her wake. The faint sounds of a music box and long ago laughter.
**sigh**
Yes, where have those novels disappeared to?
Well, I can lead you to one that will keep you awake at night. If you read any of Teresa Mederios, you know that she delivers with outrageous wit and, in this case, intrigue. And, it works. How the hero and the heroine lecture each other, then insist on punishing themselves, depriving themselves of any words or actions of comforts of their own. Instead, its guilt in their respective lives, so deep, though each can see the nurturer in the other so clearly.
Ah, but this might all sound like the same old story, until—
He sees her at the edge of the cliff. He runs for her but he’s too late. . she’s thrown herself over. What does a real hero do? He throws himself after her, of course.
I really do miss gothic romance. Have fun with this one. You’ll love it. —Kathy L Wheeler
A new anthology the Oklahoma Outlaws have banded together to create.
You’ll love each new chapter by a different author beginning
February 5 through, you guessed it, Valentine’s Day.
Our theme is Chocolate, Flowers and …
Feb 5th, The Golden Band – Callie Hutten
Feb 6th, Be Mine – Mary Jo Springer
Feb 7th, The Outsider – Silver James
Feb 8th, Champagne – Anna Kittrell
Feb 9th, Twins – Tamrie Foxtail
Feb 10th, A Recipe for Love – Heidi VanLandingham
Feb 11th, Wild Stallions – Christy Gronlund
Feb 12th, Cupid’s Cabin – Debi Rogers
Feb 13th, Trust – Kathy L Wheeler
Feb 14th, Happily Ever After – Silver James
Enjoy! and Happy Valentine’s week!
Today we are pleased to welcome Charlie Rogers who brings The Color of Betrayal from an Artists Agent’s point of view, a new release from Wild Rose Press.
Hi, Charlie. Nice hat. Welcome, we’re excited to learn about you and your friends.
Tell us a little of The Color of Betrayal: Malia Kane, my very dear friend, is an artist. Frankly, she has no other skills and is on her last leg, financially speaking.
What did you think the first time you saw Luke: Mmm, delicious, I was actually jealous of my best friend, Malia. While I would never in a million years try to steal Luke away from her, I took a certain delight in his discomfort. He, obviously, had not been around many gay men. [maniacal chuckle)
What was your second thought? (sighs) That Luke was perfect for her.
Did you think it was love at first sight?
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So today I’m interviewing my good friend and critique partner Alicia Dean. While her quirky sense of humor is not for the thin-skinned and might not be so prevalant here, you can believe me when I tell you she’s crazy! In a good way, but that is one of the things I love most about her. Read for yourself, and tell me what you think.
BTW, this pic? She doesn’t normally smile for the camera—-but we caught her off guard. Can you guess which one she is?
[klw] Please tell us something about you the person not the writer.
[ad] I’m a legal assistant for a family law firm in Edmond, Oklahoma. I love MLB, NFL, Elvis Presley, and a ton of television shows. Probably too many.
[klw] Where do you write? Home, office? What type of setting do you like to write in? Quiet, noisy?
[ad] At home, QUIET PLEASE!
[klw] I happen to know that you watch a LOT of television. But I also happen to know how fabulous you are regarding time management. What kind of tips can you offer the average Josephine for managing her time?
[ad] Hmmmm. That’s tough since I just grab moments here and there as I can. I haven’t really figured out how I manage my time, I just do. I would say that one thing I do is, even if I only have a few minutes, I try to accomplish something. If I’m editing a manuscript, I will try to get at least 5 to 10 pages done each day. Also, I set deadlines for myself and if a deadline is close (or here), I set aside everything else, including television as much as it hurts, and I finish what I have to get done. I try to set aside Sundays as ‘me’ day, and that’s pretty much do or die as far as if I have a pressing deadline. I MUST use Sundays to my best advantage. How’s that for an odd hodgepodge of unhelpful tips? J
[klw] What are some of the challenges you face as a published writer?
[ad] Balancing promo with writing, and all my other projects/duties. Also, not getting stale and always trying to come up with something a bit different.
[klw] What genre do you write in and why?
[ad] Suspense and paranormal, because those are the ones I enjoy reading. I love being kept on the edge of my seat, and I would love it if I can give that to readers.
[klw] Give an example of where the idea came from for Liberty Awakened, Isle of Fangs Book 1.
[ad] While I love the modern vampire shows such as True Blood and Vampire Diaries, I’ve always thought that it would be cool to go back to some of the original vampire lore. I also thought it would be great to set a vampire story in an unusual location—for vampire stories. The idea of vampires on a tropical island who can’t walk in the sunlight and turn into bats just popped into my head.
[klw] Where can we buy your book? By the way, the cover is fabulous.
Amazon: http://amzn.com/B00B3N6PMA
Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/liberty-awakened-alicia-dean/1045658352?ean=2940016048529
[klw] We are dying for an excerpt from Liberty Awakened.
Blurb:
Evil lurks beneath the surface in the beauty of the tropics…
After graduation from her small, Oklahoma high school, Liberty Delacort is looking forward to a fun-filled summer before college. But when the people she trusts the most betray her, and a letter arrives claiming the father she thought was dead is still alive, she jumps at the chance to travel to an exotic island to meet him.
But her excitement is short-lived. Her father is dying, and he doesn’t want her around. In spite of its outward tranquility, the island is filled with danger and ominous secrets. Before long, the secrets begin to unravel. She learns she is a descendant of Van Helsing, the vampire hunter, and she must fulfill her destiny in order to save humans from a faction of vicious vampires. The only man who can help her learn the skills she needs is a volatile, hostile, vampire who wants her off the island.
Will her inexperience lead to her death—and the death of others—or will she rise to the challenge and realize her full potential as a Hunter?
Excerpt:
Eli moved closer until only a hint of space separated their bodies. “Liberty?” His raspy voice was like a caress over her flesh. A breeze wafted over her bare back, and she shivered. She waited breathlessly for his next words, his next move. “You find me irresistible,” he whispered, his gaze never leaving hers. “You’re helpless to deny me anything. Your knees are weak.” He stroked his finger over her shoulder, letting them trail down to the center of her chest, just above her breasts. “Your heart is pounding for me right now. All you can think about is what it would feel like to kiss me.”
She licked her lips, wishing her glass wasn’t empty. Her mouth was so dry, she couldn’t speak. But oh wow…was he ever right. She didn’t even mind his aggressive, unusual approach. Something about the atmosphere, about leaving behind the trappings of home. The memories of what Cam and Alyssa had done made her reckless. She took his glass from his hand without breaking eye contact. His eyebrows rose as he watched her take a sip of the strong liquor, whatever it was. It burned her throat and eyes, but she resisted the urge to cough. It had done the trick, and she was able to whisper, “Yes.”
The corner of his mouth quirked. He moved closer, brushed his lips along hers, just a tease. That was it? That was the kiss? She bit back a groan of frustration. Her body ached with disappointment. But he moved toward her again, his eyes searching, his lips a hairsbreadth from hers. He stroked a hand down the side of her neck. His touch sent a flash of fire through her veins. She nearly moaned in anticipation, in yearning to feel his mouth, firm and hot against hers. She braced herself. Something primitive deep within told her this would be the kiss to rival any other. She swayed, her lids drifting shut, every nerve in her body tingling…
A scream tore through the night, breaking the spell. Liberty’s eyes flew open, and she gasped.
Eli stepped back. “Dammit,” he bit out. He cupped her cheek in his hand. “Don’t forget where we were.”
Then he was gone. She could barely feel her legs. Were they still supporting her? What the hell had just happened?
She shook her head, then followed the sound of excited voices where the scream had originated.
A group of people had gathered around a gazebo at the back of the house.
Liberty pushed her way through the crowd. Ryan knelt in the center of the gazebo next to a bench where a girl lay still. Her skin was as white as the moon, blank eyes staring at the midnight sky.
Liberty was afraid to look, but somehow couldn’t help herself. She scanned the girl’s body from head to toe. No blood. Good, that was a good sign, right? But the girl looked so…dead.
“Son of a bitch,” a male voice shouted. “She’s been drained.”
[klw] pretty damn good! Now, what do you do when you’re not writing?
[ad] Work, edit, watch television, hang out with friends and family.
[klw] If you could have any wish you wanted granted, what would it be?
[ad] The gift of time. Oh yeah, and to be a national best-selling author, but that’s a given.
[klw] I can relate for certain. What are you currently working on and when can we expect your next book?
[ad] I am working on a sequel to Liberty Awakened that I hope to have out by the end of February
[klw] Can’t hardly wait for that! Lucky me, I’ll get to read it first! Where can our readers learn more about you and your books?
[ad] Feel free to visit my website:
Twitter: @Alicia_Dean_
One last peek into the fun part of Alicia Dean. It turns out that I had more than one picture of her smiling! Really, though, just join the Martini Club and you can see how exceptionally fun she truly is.
Cheers, everyone.
Kathy
Kathy L Wheeler - Author 
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