What was then

I can't believe how much I've learned writing-wise in 3 years. (In other things, too, but let's stick with writing.)

Just recently I read over In the Shadows, my Civil War novella. Coming in at 10,838 words it's one of the shorter stories I've done. It's also one of the weakest. I know what happened, it fell into the category of the write until the end and be done with it.

Since then, I've learned 2 very valuable things: Plot out your stories to the finest scene. (If that isn't your way #2 is even more important). Know your characters.

The end of In the Shadows is much stronger than the beginning. Why? I know who Jack & Marion were by the end. In the beginning, not so much and it reflects my lack of knowledge.

I'll be spending the next 2 weeks adding to this story, both in content and character development. When it's finished, I know it'll read so much better!

Thursday Progress: rights reverted

The rights for my 2 stories with The Wild Rose Press have been reverted back to me. I'm pleased to have them, don't get me wrong, but I'm also sorry that two great anthologies are no longer in print as such. As a business decision, it's right for the company, but it's still sad.

Northern Roses & Southern Belles finaled in the EPIC awards this year. And while Taming of the Wolf didn't do as well award wise, it's still a great anthology.

So I'm taking my stories, In the Shadows (South Carolina 1861) and Shadow State (Germany 1933) and reformating them for self-publishing. I've downloaded the how-to and this is gonna take some time! Only because of my lack of knowledge when it comes to this types of converting and the fact that I really don't have the time anyway. I did manage to make some awesome new covers!

Hopefully within the next month all will be up and available.

Saturday Excerpt

This week at Slip into Something Victorian, I'm posting an excerpt Dark Desires of the Druids: Temptations and Treachery (only $2.49). I'll also be giving away a free PDF to one rendomally selected commentator.

Lady Isadore Harrington is a well-bred English lady. She's traveled the world in search of magickal artifacts to help her people and has seen the best and worst of humanity. But she's never taken time for herself-never done just for herself. Going to Philadelphia as the magicker emissary between England and the Americas, she intends to rectify that.

Then she meets James Blackthorne. Tall, handsome, witty, commanding, he brings out feelings in her she's always wanted to experience but never has. He makes her want him, makes her forget all else but him. Virginal, but far from naive, Isadore is tempted to experience everything James has to offer. Cautious by nature, she offers her body to him and discovers all her sexual desires fulfilled.

But the magicker world is far from safe, and Isadore is threatened from many who are jealous and distrustful. Temptations abound, but treachery is never far behind.

EPPIE

I'm still debating on whether to go to Colonial Williamsburg for the 2011 EPI-CON conference and awards. The Civil War anthology I'm in, Northern Roses & Southern Belles, is a finalist. All of which is very exciting, but the question is do I want to go down to Williamsburg in March?

Two years ago in May it was beautiful. Warm, a little rain, but perfect for walking around. March I'm not so sure. Must give this more thought I suppose.

Northern Roses and Southern Belles, available from The Wild Rose Press (e-book and print), Barnes & Noble (print only apparently), and Amazon (e-book and print).

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.

4 star review from Romantic Times

Just learned that the Civil War anthology Northern Roses and Southern Belles received 4 stars from Romantic Times! Specifically about my story In The Shadows the reviewer said:

Noble and brave men, relentlessly loyal women, scalawags and blockade runners all combine to highlight one of the most difficult times in our country's history. All the stories are good, but Ross and Roman deliver scalawags that will make readers swoon. Civil War buffs will love the well-written, well-researched stories in this must-have collection.

Roman sails us into Charleston Harbor with Jack Harrison "In the Shadows." A privateer, he's doing what he loves; he's also sailing toward the woman of his dreams. Marion Shelton is her name, but Jack must outsmart an angry aunt in order to win her.

Excerpt Monday: In the Shadows

I realized, as I wrapped up Northern Roses and Southern Bells reviews, I didn't do anything for my story. No, still no review--that really is beyond needed. But a short excerpt. Also, in the annual Predators and Editors awards, we placed in the Top Ten--#6!!


I loved writing this story, most especially working with my fellow Victorians. It was a lot of fun and I enjoyed the time period immensely! Hopefully one day I'll get back to the era. I have plans for Marion's sisters. *G*


In the Shadows Charleston, South Carolina, 1861

“Jack,” she murmured.

She warmed at the thought. Ned Calhoun looked at her as he would a meal. Jack looked at her as if she was life.

He’d be in the garden. Time slipped by while she stood trapped in the conversational circle. Taking only a moment to breathe the scented fall air, she hurried out of the crowded rooms and into the darkness of the gardens.

Jack slipped out of the shadows.

Yelping, she scowled at the runner.

“You take entirely too much pleasure in emerging from the shadows, Jack Harrison.” Marion placed her hand over her heart and glared at him.

“Only with you,” he offered. Taking her hand, he kissed the back of her glove. His touch tingled from her hand to her head, making her dizzy. “It’s the look in those big brown eyes when you realize who is surprising you.”

“You think quite highly of yourself don’t you, Mr. Harrison.” Marion lowered her eyelids and stared at his large, calloused hands, one still clasping hers.

“I have to. There’s this woman.” His English accent deepened somehow as he tilted her chin so she looked at him. “I want her. Her beauty would cause Byron to weep. So you see, I must think highly of myself so I may be worthy of her.”

Marion took Jack’s hand with the tips of her fingers. She ran them over the rough skin between his thumb and forefinger then turned his hand and traced his calluses. Simple and yet very provocative, the gesture felt intensely intimate and natural.

“I wondered if you’d forget about me,” she stated in a low whisper.

4.5 Books from Long and Short Reviews:
Excerpt:The plot and the scenery were great. I felt like I was in the story, which seems to be common with this anthology. Isabel Roman did a great job.


4.25 Hearts from Night Owl Romance:
Excerpt: Knowing you or your lover may not live to see the next day tends to throw decorum out the window. These were all entertaining, informative stories that I enjoyed reading.


4.5 Lips from Two Lips Review:
Excerpt: I liked Jack immediately for his ability to protect and pursue Marion without compromising her enthusiasm. I found Ms. Roman’s tale a fantastically enjoyable story.


From Reviews from Innisfree:
Excerpt: This well-written story was hot enough in spots, and it's more sexy not to reveal everything and allow the reader's imagination to take over.

Northern Roses and Southern Belles

Review! Long and Short Reviews gave the Civil War anthology 4.5 books!

Wild Plum said this about the anthology:

I think all of the authors did a great job with this anthology and so did the editors. I felt like I was involved in every story, I felt like I could smell the flowers and taste the crisp air. I felt the emotions the characters were feeling. It’s a great anthology that any historical fan will love.

About In the Shadows she said:

This was a different read for me from Isabel Roman. I have read a couple of her books and she’s more known for her erotic tales and her hot sex scenes. But this story was different. It was sensual but it was sweet and there was no sex. But Isabel Roman pulled it off. The characters were passionate and seemed like our next-door neighbors. The plot and the scenery were great. I felt like I was in the story, which seems to be common with this anthology. Isabel Roman did a great job. And I look forward to more sweet stories along with erotic stories from this author.

Northern Roses and Southern Belles is available from The Wild Rose Press in print and e-book. Also from Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

In the Shadows

This is the cover for our Scandalous Victorian's Civil War anthology, Northern Roses and Southern Belles. My short story is In the Shadows. It'll be available in eBook form and print form from The Wild Rose Press in June of this year. I'll post an excerpt from my story soon, but this is the blurb for the anthology:

In a country torn asunder--from the Canadian border to Texas, from Maryland to Arkansas, from the battlefield 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.

Book giveaway!

As part of the Civil War Anthology some fellow Scandalous Victorians and I are a part of, all today we'll be giving away a copy of the anthology, due out from The Wild Rose Press in July 2009. My story, In the Shadows is unusual for me: Absolutely no sex. I haven't a clue how it happened, I'm not sure I've ever written a story with no sex, but there you have it.

Check out the Coffee Time link and leave a comment!

Scars (3rd in the Wicked Seduction series) and the short story

I have recently discovered I love writing short stories. Until August, when I sent in In the Shadows my Civil War Anthology submission to Wild Rose Press, I would have told you my shortest story was 75,000 words. Until August, my shortest story was actually 22,500 words (my beloved wolfie story now with an actual title, Shadow State contracted with Wild Rose Press).


Now? Thanks to Ravenous' 2500-6250 word count limit on their short stories (they call it a Ravenous Rendezvous...whatever) I'm in love with the short story. No, in no way does this mean I don't want to do longer stories, I love those too - there's much more to say in them, you can have more conflict, more angst. More sex. But in the short story, it's almost a race against the bad guy (word limit) to reach the ending first.

It's a poor explanation but I can't explain it any better. You have plot, sex, beginning-middle-end, and conflict. Lots and lots of conflict. It's fun, what can I say.

So today I'm working on my 1918 Rendezvous, Scars. A returning English WWI vet goes to the local pharmacy to buy the ointment needed for the scars he received on the battlefields of Flanders. What's the beautiful pharmacist to do but seduce the poor man?

And yes. I did my research. There were female pharmacists as far back at the 1860s in England. Not a lot, but they were there and voicing their opinions. I'll look for the link if anyone's interested.

Edits

I've just finished the first round of edits for my Wild Rose Press short story, In the Shadows. This is part of the Civil War Anthology my fellow Victorians and I came up with and submitted. The changes were minimal, a comma here, a clarification of a sentence there. All in all nothing I couldn't live with.

Set in Charleston during the beginning of the war, with spies and blockade runners, it's got murder, love, dragon-like aunts, and an Englishman. Had to throw that in there, since England truly was instrumental in the war, and for both sides.

I'm thinking of doing a sequel with one of my heroine's sisters set around Christmastime. But other than that one sentence, have nothing more on it.

And don't forget, my first book, Dark Desire of the Druids: Tryst is available from Ravenous Romance. It's the prequel to Dark Desire of the Druids: Murder & Magicks available December 24.

In The Shadows

Thought I'd post a short blurb for my Civil War anthology story, In the Shadows. Have contract in hand ad am mailing it out tomorrow. That's all I know...no release date, no potential release date, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed for July 4th with all the implied connotations therein.

Jack Harrison is an Englishman running the Northern Blockades. He's in it for the money...that and the hand of the fair Marion Shelton. With nothing but his name, which counts for nothing in the American South, he needs hard currency - gold - to prove he's worthy of her hand.

Marion doesn't care about the money, but about her country. As a spy, she's tasked with learning what she can about troop movements and local gossip.

When she overhears a plan to kidnap high ranking politicians, she's forced to reveal the truth to Jack, and ask for his help. Will he turn her in as a spy, or will love win out?