Monday, August 31, 2009

4 Cup Review!

Coffee Time Romance recently reviewed Dark Desires of the Druids IV: Temptations and Treachery and gave it 4 Cups of Coffee! You can read the entire review here, but this is what Delane had to say:

Passion, jealousy, greed, power and many more corruptible feelings are all present in this story. The bottom line of the story is that ultimate power corrupts and the author explored the idea that maybe no one person should hold the knowledge of such power. The storyline moves very well and drew me into the plot right away. Worth reading for someone who loves the mythical world of magic.

Thank you, Delane!

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Upcoming events

I've been lax in updating my blog lately, but I wanted to update where I'll be in the coming days.

Tonight: 6:00 pm-10:00 pm Paranormal/Fantasy Authors Chat LRMC http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LoveRomancesCafe/

I'll talk about my Druids series, a new idea for a contemporary paranormal, and world building in general. Along with my fellow Ravenous authors. Come join us!

Tomorrow I'll be over at a dear friend of mine's blog, Nicole McCaffrey, for her Friday Friends.
September's going to be a busy month blogging wise as well, so check back!

Kiss of Scandal, now available from Ravenous Romance.

In the wreckage of a friend’s death, Countess Katria Markova finds her perfectly ordered life, irrevocably altered. Russian politics proves more dangerous than the front lines of war, and when her fiancĂ©’s future is threatened by rumors of treason, their cat-and-mouse game ends. In its place, a political game, where their very lives are at stake, begins.

Count Nikolai Orlov will do anything to clear his brother’s name. Anything except put Katria in harm’s way. Attracted to her from the moment they met, he’s spent their time together breaking the wall that surrounds her heart. He wants the passionate woman beneath, wants to shatter her cool exterior.

With her life in danger, Nikolai’s only course of action is to exact revenge. From the snowy streets of St. Petersburg to the River Neva’s icy depths, they search for the answers to clear Nikolai. But in their search, will they lose each other?

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Scandalous Victorians


I'm over at Slip into Something Victorian today talking about some of my research for my Russian set story, Kiss of Scandal now available from Ravenous. Join me!

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Kiss of Scandal

Released today from Ravenous Romance, my 1855 Russian set historical, Kiss of Scandal!
Blurb: In the wreckage of a friend's death, Countess Katria Markova finds her perfectly ordered life, irrevocably altered. Russian politics proves more dangerous than the front lines of war, and when her fiancĂ©’s future is threatened by rumors of treason, their cat-and-mouse game ends. In its place, a political game, where their very lives are at stake, begins.


Count Nikolai Orlov will do anything to clear his brother’s name. Anything except put Katria in harm’s way. Attracted to her from the moment they met, he’s spent their time together breaking the wall that surrounds her heart. He wants the passionate woman beneath, wants to shatter her cool exterior.

With her life in danger, Nikolai’s only course of action is to exact revenge. From the snowy streets of St. Petersburg to the River Neva’s icy depths, they search for the answers to clear Nikolai. But in their search, will they lose each other?

Excerpt:

The fingers of her left hand twitched in her skirt, the only telltale sign she was anything other than completely composed.

He wanted to shatter that composure, watch her passion consume her. Needed to do so. Wanted to taste that passion, feel her around him as he took her. His own control close to breaking, he smiled wickedly at her. The blue-green of her eyes darkened, deepened. She took a step closer, the break in her pretense widening.

Katria wasn’t as immune to him as she pretended.

In two quick steps, he crossed the room and had her in his arms. Before she could react, he kissed her. Beneath him, she opened. Her mouth was hot on his, greedy. Taking all he doled out. A small mewl of pleasure vibrated along his lips.

With a growl, he deepened the kiss. Backing her to the wall, uncaring of the voluminous skirts she wore, Nikolai lifted her. Felt her sigh, her fingers in his hair.

Surrender was so close he could taste it in the sweetness of her kiss.

“Nikolai.”

Breathing hard, he pressed his forehead to hers. He wanted to have her now. Kissing down the delicious length of her neck, he knew another crack chipped open through the wall surrounding her.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Civil War Blog!

American Civil War, that is. Sorry for any confusion! I'm starting a new blog for writers, (published or WIP) readers, enthusiasts, and anyone else interested in the American Civil War, Reconstruction, and it's aftermath.



Interested? Email me! isabel@isabelroman.com

In a country torn asunder--from the Canadian border to Texas, from Maryland to Arkansas, from the battlefield of Antietam to the Red River Campaign--brave men and loyal women see their lives turned upside down.

Peril lurks behind every tree and near every homestead, but the hard-fought love of a man and a woman surpasses all.

Six talented writers provide stories of romance and danger centering on Union and Confederate soldiers, spies, blockade runners, renegades, and battlefield nurses during a period of corsets, hoopskirts, and gentlemen callers.

Print book...e-book

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Short stories only $0.99

All my short stories (OK, all Ravenous short stories) are only 99¢.

My historicals: Complicated Courtship from 1774, Wanton Woman from 1810, Starlet from 1934 and my contemporaries: Love Birds and Sex in the Springtime.

Tryst! I forgot the prequel to my Dark Desire of the Druids series, The Tryst.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Blog tour winner!

Congrats to our daily stop winners on the Scandalous Victorian's Northern Roses and Southern Belles Blog Tour! For a complete list go to our blog. And now, for the grand prize winner, a copy of the anthology signed by all 6 authors....

RachelG! Congrats to Rachel, I hope you enjoy all our stories. We'd love to hear back from you.

Monday, August 17, 2009

Another week, another story plotted

I've been a little busy the past week or so. There was the Northern Roses and Southern Belles blog tour, I wanted to write my zombie story, and plot out a new Regency set story. So this is where I stand today:

Northern Roses and Southern Belles is #8 on The Wild Rose Press Top 10! WOOT! It's been there for over a week, and I'm thrilled. My fellow Victorians and I worked hard on our stories and to bring interest to battles and events of the Civil War that aren't normally heard of. I hope you'll check it out and enjoy the stories.

Zombified. That's my zombie story title for Ravenous. I keep saying it's Night of the Living Dead meets Scooby Doo, and that's the best explanation I can come up with. It takes place on Martinique with 2 Americans trying to figure out what they want to do with a house they've inherited. It's a spicy story with romance, zombies, mystery, and sex. :) Ravenous hasn't accepted it for their anthology, but I'm hopeful!

Lastly, there's the vaguely plotted, not titled, but YES! named characters for my Regency. I don't have a lot of it outlined, it's a mystery/suspense/hunt spicy romance, but this is what it doesn't include:
  • Egypt, Greece, or Roman antiquities
  • A timid heroine wallflower
  • A hero mysteriously involved in the Napoleonic wars with no mention of what he does or why he's not on the continent and in England instead.

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Zombies, Chats and Historicals! Oh My!

Last Night I was at the Night Owl chat room over at their website Nightowlromance.com. I have to be honest - I COMPLETELY forgot about this scheduled chat. It must have been arranged a long time ago. However, I did get an email reminder and I was there. The moderator, Tammie was excellent and there were several readers who stopped in; I wasn't the only author featured, some of my Ravenous Romance comrades were there too - Lisa Lane and Sephera Giron. When our moderator got to me she asked me about a short story I wrote called Sex in the Springtime. I was like a deer caught in the headlights. Sex in the Springtime? I haven't even THOUGHT about that story in months - it was an Easter short story.
This must happen to everyone; pinned down to answer questions about something you did and you have no recollection of it! LOL. It eventually came back to me and I did manage to share the back of the story blurb but man was I caught. Sure - the avatar they had for me was from Sex in the Springtime but I thought they just picked a pretty cover LOL. However, the chat went swimminingly!
We managed to move away from Sex in the Springtime to my Druid series and some of my upcoming releases. But when I thought about "Springtime" I realized it's one of the few contemporaries I have out right now. Most of my stuff is a historical in some fashion.
The conversation them moved onto unusual settings after I shared the setting for my werewolf story Shadow State. 1934 Germany and everyone seemed to respond to the unusualness of it.
It was a great chat with alot of wonderful interactive chatters. So a big thank you to everyone over at Night Owl!
Now onto Zombies!
As I shared before, I'm working on a short story for Ravenous Romance that has to do with Zombies. I'm taking the tongue and cheek approach to the story. I'm not by any stretch of the imagintion a comedy writer so I have to take the long way around. I write the line then I go back and play with the dialogue. Try to twist it so its either sarcastic or some type of one liner. Can someone find me a great comedian's brain I can borrow for a few hours? ::giggle::

Saturday, August 8, 2009

Remakes

Some remakes should NEVER be done. Dukes of Hazzard? I didn't bother it looked so stupid and I loved that show. 12 Angry Men? Manchurian Candidate? Never captured the essence of the originals. Even High Society, which I like for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is Celeste Holm's (a hugely talented and under appreciated actress) song with Frank Sinatra WBulleted Listho Wants to be a Millionaire? and Frank's bit with Bing, Well did you Evah! but it doesn't compare with Philadelphia Story.

I just discovered they're remaking Captain Blood. IN SPACE! I'm shocked, appalled, and very uneasy about this. They'll never make it as good as Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland.

In space. Please.

Friday, August 7, 2009

Wow

The last 6 days have been absolutely wonderful. The Scandalous Victorian's Northern Roses and Southern Belles Blog Tour was so much fun. Thank you to everyone who hosted us, participated, commented, lurked, and read!

I learned stuff about my fellow writers I hadn't before, and this project has been in the works for a year. I learned things about readers and what they love/hate/expect from a Civil War romance. I hope this anthology blew away some of those conceptions. ;)

I'm taking today off from the internet, or as much as my recently admitted obsession will allow me to, and vegging. This weekend I plan to finish plotting the zombie story I somehow agreed to write for Ravenous. It's an anthology, a zombie anthology, but in my particular story, the hero/heroine are zombie killers. Think Night of the Living Dead meets Scooby Doo. Thankfully it's short, so the humor isn't a problem. I can write sarcasm, but sustained humor? Not so sure.

Will also begin plotting a Regency romantic suspense and a post-WWI romantic mystery. Am looking forward to both of those, for different reasons. The Regency for the idea I have to it and the post WWI for the sheer delight of the unusual time frame.

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Day 6 CHANGE OF LOCATION!

Due to unforseen circumstances, Jennifer Ross's Blog Stop will be here.

Not your mother’s Civil War Romance…

Originally, I didn't think the anthology was for me. After all, it is the American Civil War we're talking about, and as a Canadian I know virtually nothing about it. Also, since my writer’s theme is all about stories set in Canada, I did not see a way to work that into a story about the American Civil War!

But then Isabel, one of my Scandalous Victorian sisters, steered me to the St. Albans Raid, and didn't that have something to do with Canada? The story wrote itself while I learned about the St. Albans Raid and the other Canadian connections, so that by the time I'd finished learning this fascinating part of our shared history, I couldn't NOT be in the anthology.

Did captured soldiers escape from prison?

Jennifer Ross: According to the wonderful book “Dixie and the Dominion,” many captured southern soldiers escaped their POW camp and found refuge in Canada. Referring to the St. Albans raiders, the author Adam Mayers says, “None of the team had reached the age of twenty-five, yet all were veterans who had escaped from Yankee prisons and made their way north.”

Apparently, as on Johnson’s Island, Ohio, a successful tactic for southern soldiers escaping from northern POW camps was to simply wait for winter, then walk across the frozen lake to Canada. During the summer months, access to the island was prohibited, so the fencing around the POW camps was perhaps not up to snuff. After all, it was an ISLAND, where could they go? Of course, in winter once the ice was thick enough, the answer was pretty much anywhere.

But let’s face it. POW camps are expensive to run, take much-needed soldiers away from the field of battle to serve as guards, and it’s not as if your ‘guests’ thank you for it.

I found it hilarious that during the War of 1812, both sides couldn’t be bothered with constructing POW camps. The deal then was; you were captured. You pledged not to do it again, and were sent home. Both sides “exchanged” prisoners this way (although they weren’t necessarily exchanged one-for-one, or even at the same time). Naturally, everyone crossed their toes when making the pledge, and some people were captured numerous times! Ahh, back when wars were ‘civilized’.

But what other ways did Civil War soldiers find to escape? What about Northern soldiers held in Southern camps?


Excerpt The Colonial and the Cottontail:

“I’ve come to help. What shall I do?”

“Help me make a big ball for our snowman. I want it to be real tall. As tall as Uncle C!”

As Becca rolled the ball of snow, a light thud hit the back of her head. She turned to look and received a second thwack on her shoulder. Cole had come to join the fun, and he’d brought snowballs.

“Attack my mother, will you?” Thomas shouted. The glee in his voice, combined with the excited smile on his face, made Becca’s chest swell with pride and love. She watched her young man come to her defense, although the snowballs weren’t packed tight enough and his throws landed well short of the mark. Cole rectified the problem by moving closer.

Becca saw no reason not to defend herself along with Thomas, and after one, wild throw she landed a good one in the middle of Cole’s chest. Miss Sims offered to prepare the weaponry for Thomas so he might concentrate on the delivery.

Although outnumbered three to one, Cole was winning. Perhaps it was the amount of time Becca’s team spent doubled over in laughter or Cole’s superior aim, but he weaved and dodged and came ever closer. Then he was upon them.

He grasped Becca’s snowy, mittened hands. “Do you forfeit?”

“Never!” shouted Thomas, and threw a pile of snow in Cole’s direction.

Of course he missed, but the snow that rained down on their clasped hands must have been what caused the warm, electrifying sensation. Surely Becca couldn’t feel the heat of Cole’s hands through two layers of mittens?


Jennifer Ross remembers her mother saying, "Jennifer, put down that book! It's a beautiful day, go outside." Obedient girl that she was, she went outside--and found a nice shady tree to read under. She’s loved reading for as long as she can remember. And is now trying her hand at writing. Her main love is historical fiction, romantic fiction especially. “Our country has so many stories to be told. We are full of courageous heroines and dashing heroes!” She can be found here.


Isabel Roman: I’ve read many Civil War stories where this happened. I always assumed it was true, but based on my education thanks to this anthology, I might be wrong.  But no, in this I think I’m right. I can’t imagine a war where prisoners didn’t excape. I think it’s in the handbook: If taken prisoner, it is your honorbound duty to escape. (Unless you were an officer who gave his parole to his captors, and couldn’t honorably escape, but then I watched/read too many Sharpe movies/books.)

Jeanmarie Hamilton: I based the characters in "Are You Going to the Dance?" on the very independent ancestors of my Texas family. The character of my heroine, Lexie, was inspired by a family story my grandmother told me about my great great grandmother saving the life of a wounded Indian brave. The character for the hero, Clayton, was inspired by the Texas local militia units formed during the Civil War.

Susan Macatee: I would imagine with all the overcrowding toward the end of the war, soldiers would have found ways to escape prison. The trick would be traveling for long distances through hostile territory to get home.

Caroline Clemmons: There were some prisons, like the Union one near Chicago, where no known escapees survived. In my story, LONG ROAD HOME, the heroine’s brother escapes, but that’s taking fictional license. The guards there used dogs to hunt escaped prisoners and the most terrifying guards were the ones who went after the escaped man. All prisoners died “resisting recapture.” Other prisons on both sides were horrific. Supposedly Cole Younger had ten Union soldiers tied to one another against a tree in order to see how many men he could kill with a single bullet. Although our anthology deals with romanticized anecdotes of the War, it was not a pleasant time to live through. I have the autograph book one of my ancestors kept, something proper young ladies did in the mid 1800’s. In it, several young men wrote her notes while on visits home asking her to pray for their safety. One of those young men became her husband after the war.

Mary Ann Webber: Yes. However, most of them didn’t get very far. At Camp Ford, the huge Confederate prison near Tyler, Texas, where Yankees were sent if they were captured west of the Mississippi, guards set half-starved, vicious dogs loose to track and kill escapees. After that happened several times, few men attempted to escape.

Jennifer will give away to 1 lucky commenter: $10(USD) The Wild Rose Press gift certificate. Remember, everyone who leaves a comment on the day of the post for each of the six days will be entered into a drawing to win a copy of Northern Roses and Southern Belles signed by all six authors.

The Civil War as you've never read it! Northern Roses and Southern Belles now available from The Wild Rose Press!



This wraps up the Scandalous Victorians Civil War Anthology Blog Tour. I hope you all enjoyed blogging with us, I know we enjoyed it! The winner of the grand prize (I feel like that should be capitalized Grand Prize and said in a deep announcer’s voice) will be drawn and contacted no later than August 8. I hope everyone left their email!

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Hauntings

I love a good ghost story. Not a horror movie with gratuitous gore and mindless blood lust, a real ghost story. Something based on real events, or even local legends. The whole concept of an after life or of trying to cross over and failing for whatever reason fascinates me. And the viewing public if movies and televisions shows are to be believed.

I've (not too) recently discovered Patricia Martinelli's series, Haunted Delaware and Haunted New Jersey. I was hoping for a Haunted New York or Haunted Pennsylvania, but haven't heard anything yet. Am reading now Best Ghost Tales of North Carolina by Terrance Zepke, but he doesn't have the brief, to-the-point style as Martinelli. We'll see. (Martinelli also has a True Crime series, True Crime New Jersey and True Crime Pennsylvania that are very interesting. One must wonder how that research goes!)

I've also recently purchased all Alexandra Sokoloff's novels. I bought her first one last year at San Francisco's RWA and not only was she one of the nicest ladies I've ever met, The Harrowing was fantastic! I think they're my (rest of the) summer reading. She's a great writer. She's more along the psychological scary thriller, but I love her writing!

Day 5 Blog Tour

Today's stop is with Arkansas Diamonds! Mary Ann Webber will talk about her story, No Decorum, and the bloody Red River Campaign.

Prizes! Mary Ann will give away to 1 lucky commenter: a $15(USD) TWRP gift certificate. Remember, everyone who leaves a comment on the day of the post for each of the six days will be entered into a drawing to win a copy of Northern Roses and Southern Belles signed by all six authors.

Buy Northern Roses and Southern Belles in ebook and print!

Monday, August 3, 2009

Not Your Mother’s Civil War Romance…

Today's stop is with Keira and Love Romance Passion! Susan Macatee will talk about her story Angel of my Dreams and her family's involvement in Civil War reenactment.

Prizes! Susan will give away to 1 lucky commenter: A reproduction Victorian brooch, a scented hand fan and lavender bath bead. Remember, everyone who leaves a comment on the day of the post for each of the six days will be entered into a drawing to win a copy of Northern Roses and Southern Belles signed by all six authors.

Buy Northern Roses and Southern Belles in ebook and print!

Saturday, August 1, 2009

Best Book of the Week Poll

There's a lot more going on this weekend than I anticipated when I woke up. (Course that was a struggle!)

At Whipped Cream Reviews I received a 4.5 Cherry review for Dark Desires of the Druids I: Murder and Magick! This weekend, I'm in the running for their Best Book of the Week Poll! You can vote here today and tomorrow (August 1 & 2).

Also today starts the first day in the Scandalous Victorian's Civil War Anthology Tour!
6 Authors +6 Blogs=Mayhem and Madness! The Civil War as you've never read it! Northern Roses and Southern Belles now available from The Wild Rose Press!
Calendar:

Saturday August 1: Isabel Roman is at Night Owl Romance

Sunday August 2: Jeanmarie Hamilton is at Petticoats & Pistols

Monday August 3: Susan Macatee is at Love Romance Passion

Tuesday August 4: Caroline Clemmons is at Slip into Something Victorian

Wednesday August 5: Mary Ann Webber is at Arkansas Diamonds

Thursday August 6: Jennifer Ross is at Romantic Crush Junkies

Goddess Fish Blog Tour Partner

Goddess Fish Blog Tour Partner
Goddess Fish Blog Tour Partner