Wednesday Reviews: The Wild One

Even though my fellow Victorians have written plenty of stories, all of which I've read, I think that to review all of their books would take me through April. And there are so many stories out there to read! This is Denise Eagan's 2nd novel, The Wild One, her sequel to Wicked Woman. Booklist reviewed it, and while I can't seem to find that review, I remember reading it. Not too shabby!

But what do I think of it? I think it's seeped in history, the research was utterly fantastic and believable. Makes me want to set a book along the Barbary Coast the red-light district in San Francisco that is, not Morocco though that does sound interesting now that I say it. :)

So Jessica is an everyday woman trying to make her way quietly through life when that track is derailed by Lee Montgomery. Lee is a sexy rogue, all darkly mysterious and aggressive. Yum. She resists, he advances, and it's a wonderful, sensuous dance between them.

Reformed (or reforming) rakes who finally fall in love are a favorite of mine. Do you think chocolate will bribe her to tell a couple supporting characters' stories? A girl can hope, right?

Tuesday Coming and Goings

Taking it easy blog hopping this week. Thursday I'll be over at Lana Griffin's blog talking about my Druids. A favorite topic. :) Stop by and check it out.

I'm focusing on updating my website, I have a graphic artist doing a banner for it, I think it'll come out really nice. Trying to simplify it and really work on the whole collapsible columns on the sidebar. I'm also toying with bookmark designs.

I was interviewed in Suspense Magazine's February issue! It's a great article about romantic suspense and the women who write it. OK, they really focus on best selling authors, but I'm listed as an new author. And that's the most exciting part.

I'm heading to the Bay to Ocean Writers Conference on Saturday with a friend who's tentatively delving into the screen writer's world. I'm there for moral support mostly, but I also plan on using my time to take a workshop or two. Am lugging my laptop there so I can write, too.

Then on Sunday I'm heading to Puerto Rico for a week. I look forward to sun and sleep. I mean uninterrupted time to write! Yes that's what I meant. And will probably accomplish much, but wow will it be nice to be warm and not snowed in! Can I tel you how tired I am of the snow? This is the snowman I made with a friend from work. We call him Dude. Actually his head looks a little like Darth Vader, but Dude is better. (Dude, Darth Dude...check out Eddie Izzard's Death Star Cantina for the reference.)

What's on your agenda for the week?

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.

Love Birds

Love is in the air! And it's FREE! My short story, Love Birds is free in time for Valentine's Day. It's the 2nd in my Birds stories, the first being the Christmas story, Four Calling Birds (I know it's not how the song goes, but just go with the title. *G*)

Lark Summers, Paige Nightingale, Megan Cardinal-Walsh, and Eva Robin are four best friends with a mission. To spend Valentine's Day with the men in their lives no matter what the day throws at them.

Lark has been in lust with her professor since she started her Ph.D. program. Now that she has her degree, she also has Professor Seth Turner as her lover. Unfortunately, he has to work on Valentine's Day leaving her alone. Or is that part of the surprise?

Nightingale seduced her downstairs neighbor right before Christmas, and now finds herself in what others might consider a relationship. She's not sure but when Adam Forrester surprises her on Valentine's Day, she's forced to admit there's more to their relationship than sex.

Cardinal's husband is full of surprises. In the past months, they've rekindled their sex life and have grown closer despite their super busy jobs. Ethan has planned a surprise weekend for her and she must follow the trail he's carefully laid out.

Robin's fiancé whisks her out of town to historic Gettysburg. Despite the coldness of the day, the antique show they attend is just what she loves. But it's later when she shows Alex just how much she enjoyed her weekend.

Friday Guest: Nicole McCaffrey

Hello Nicole! Thanks so much for stopping by today! What's that? There are people out there who don't know you? Shocking I say! They don't know what they're missing. :) And have you seen her cover for her newest release? *To Die For* Check it out here.

What made you decide to write The Model Man?

I couldn't not write it. The characters came to me so strong and insistent, and kept nagging me to tell their story. They just wouldn't leave me alone, LOL. Even though I knew nothing about cover models and had no real desire to write a contemporary story. Never mind the fact that an over-40 heroine with a younger guy—no way was that ever going to sell! But I had to write it—if only to find out what would happen next!

And ultimately, that’s what I did—I wrote it for my own pleasure, never dreaming anyone other than me or my critique partners would ever read it. Speaking of my CP’s, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the encouragement of my critique partners, who loved the story from day one. Darah, especially, was instrumental in that. She brainstormed with me in the wee hours of the morning until she had me convinced “I can write a contemporary!” LOL. And hearing Kat whoop out loud with laughter every week at our critique meetings was powerful motivation, too. A good CP truly is worth her weight in chocolate. Nah, twice her weight! *G*


What else are you working on?

There is a character in Wild Texas Wind (the historical western I recently contracted with TWRP) who made it very clear from his first few moments on the page that he wanted his own story. He’s a little different than most of my heroes, very beta, and in WTW, he really isn’t terribly heroic—he’s a con and a cheat. But in his own story, he’s trying to turn his life around and make up for some of the rotten things he’s done. He finds himself forced into the position of helping a plain-Jane spinster catch the man of her dreams. He just doesn’t realize it’s him. And there’s a certain sheriff in this story who is causing some drooling among my CP’s, LOL, so it’s quite possible he’ll get his own story as well.

And I would dearly love to pull my first historical western out from under the bed and re-work it. I loved those characters and it’s actually sort of a prequel to Wild Texas Wind—the hero from WTW was the hero’s best friend in that story. It had a strong Native American flavor to it, though, and so I tucked it away after hearing one too many times “it’ll never sell.” (Hmmm, where have I heard that before???) But I’d love to dust it off and re-work it. Someday, LOL. Someday.

What’s your dream story? The one that becomes a New York Times runaway bestseller, the one you hope to one day write?

LOL all of them. But of course once something becomes a runaway best seller, Hollywood comes calling and honestly, they haven't done a decent western since John Ford stopped making them, LOL. I'd hate to see what they'd do with my babies.

As for dream story, I don’t really know. I have a lot of things sort of flickering in the back of my mind—not really full fledged story ideas, but sort of the glimmer of an idea. I just need that little spark that turns one of them into a story.

For example, I love the show Burn Notice and would love to write a story about a spy, like Michael Weston, but I want it to be an historical setting. I touch on that a teeny bit in my upcoming Civil War time travel, This Moment in Time--the heroine is a spy. But I don’t delve into it nearly as deep as I’d like to. One thing I learned from my research for that story was that it was easier for women to be spies because men just didn’t believe women were capable of such deception (as in they couldn’t hold all that important information in their silly little heads!) and the constraints of the time kept them from truly searching a woman when they did suspect her, so female spies were able to easily hide things in their hair, their shoes, their bosom without being discovered.

Which means that Michael Weston-type spy would have to be a female, just to make it fun, LOL. So even though the research intimidates me a bit –breaking out of my comfort zone always does--when the idea hits, it will probably come at me so strong I’ll have to do it, LOL.

I also really like love triangles—love seeing a heroine have to decide between the man who is right for her and the man she wants. But I think it’s a difficult tightrope to walk because both love interests need to be heroic, but only one can be the hero. Hmmm. So those are things that go through my mind when I’m “what ifffing.”

Anything else you’d like to share?

Sure! As I mentioned above, I recently contracted a Civil War time travel This Moment in Time, with The Wild Rose Press as well as an historical western Wild Texas Wind. I'm hoping to see both released later this year. You can hop on over to my blog to read an excerpt from either one. I'm also very proud to say that The Model Man was chosen one of the top ten books of 2009 (even though it was released in 2008, LOL) by reviewer Faith V. Smith over at MyShelf.com. Not bad for a story that was never going to sell!

Thanks for stopping by, Nicole! I can't wait to read Wild Texas Wind, and hope you'll stop back when it's released.

Thursday Progress

However, I did have off last Friday because I worked Saturday. And then, because I do have a reputation at work for being an emergency closing magnet, we closed on Saturday when a state of emergency was declared before a flake of snow even fell. SWEET! Two days in a row to write, write, write.

It was lovely.

But then my laptop died Monday night. *panic* Immediately called IT guy from work/friend who is STILL working on it and thinks it may be on its last, er, lap. Breathing through the panic. But all day yesterday another snow day and I managed to keep the laptop running and enjoy my wood stove!

I got so much done. Another 8,000+ words on my current WIP, plus some marketing strategizing, which is always fun. (Though I'm no James Patterson I think I came up with some ideas, including a new banner for my website and some bookmark ideas.) And 4500 words for a short story I plan on posting for free on my website. I'll let you know when it goes up--it's not finished yet.

What did you do this last week? How are your goals progressing?

Wednesday Review: The Model Man

Let's face it. When confronted with the unbelievable in a totally believable situation you, too, will believe. Take one romance author single mother and the hot, younger male cover model and what do you get? Yumminess.

Kelly Michaels wants nothing to do with the hotness that is model Derek Calavicci, but when he sets out to seduce her, what's a woman to do? I'd "melt like ice cream on a hot sidewalk" every time he touched me, too. Yum....Age is no barrier, which I really dig about this story. Though I do have to say, I've never seen a sexy cover model at any romance conference I've been to. Maybe I'm going to the wrong ones.

Check out The Model Man, you won't be disappointed.