Love Makes the World Go Around and More

Never have hearts and the air been filled with more love than when in anticipation of Valentine’s Day. Love for a significant other or spouse. Love for friends and family. Love of life. These are some of the many things we cherish and which make our hearts beat faster. Earlier this morning, I mulled some of the songs and quotes I find most magical during this time when love is capable of melting the deepest snow and warming the body from head to heels.

Love Theme From Romeo and Juliet – Henry Mancini



Dedicated to the One I Love – Mamas and the Papas


Dedicated To the One I Love


World Without Love – Peter and Gordon




All You Need is Love – Beatles

"A kiss is a lovely trick designed by nature to stop speech when words become superfluous."
-Ingrid Bergman


"There is no remedy for love but to love more."
-Thoreau

"Some love lasts a lifetime. True love lasts forever."
-Unknown

"If I could reach up and hold a star for every time you've made me smile, the entire evening sky would be in the palm of my hand."
-Unknown


But let there be spaces in your togetherness and let the winds of the heavens dance between you. Love one another but make not a bond of love: let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.
-Kahlil Gibran

Wishing you all love and many happy reading moments,

Shawna Moore
TO HELLE AND BACK AGAIN -- Ellora's Cave
TORMENTED (Recommended Read) -- Ellora's Cave
ROUGHRIDER -- Ellora's Cave
HELLE IN HEELS -- Ellora's Cave
Shawna's Myspace
Helle's Myspace

A HIghlander Comes Riding . . . March 3rd!!

Hi Fierce Friends!
It’s the last week before my new time travel romance, HIGHLAND REBEL, comes out on March 3rd and I am really getting excited! I’ve had some really great reviews this week on different romance websites, and my preorders seem to be going well. I’m at #28 on the amazon fiction Books list for time travels. Since I’m up against every single one of Diana Gabaldon’s books and each of their separate printings, I feel pretty good about being #28.

There’s still time to sign up to be one of my Troubadours – just saunter over to my MySpace and read the last few blogs there, and then email me @ tessmallory@yahoo.com if you have any questions. The prizes range from a free book to a $25 Barnes and Noble gift card, and a Celtic spiral necklace! It’s easy to enter, just read the details at myspace!

Since I've gotten some good reviews, I thought I’d share them with all of you, in the hope that some of you who are reading will think, “Hmm, that Tess Mallory got some good reviews; I think I just might take a chance and buy her new book, HIGHLAND REBEL.” (in the background the song, Take a Chance on Me begins to play).

You see, Fierce Friends, I would really like to be, no, I would LOVE to be on a Best Seller’s list. Wouldn’t that be cool ? Wouldn’t that just really be a terrific thing? “Sure,” you say, “that’s fine for you, but what’s in it for me?” Well, that’s why you need to read my blog over at myspace! Yes, I’m going to be mysterious. That’s just how I roll.

Meanwhile, here are some of the reviews:

From Harriet Klausner :
“The Queen of Highlander time travel romance (see HIGHLAND MAGIC, HIGHLAND DREAM, HIGHLAND FLING and HIGHLAND ROGUE), Tess Mallory writes another whimsical tale as the roguish hero follows his love back to the era he left behind. Part of the pleasure in this delightful entry is the reaction of Ian’s brother Angus to his siblings’ return after his being away over two decades from home . . .”

From Chris at Night Owl Romance:
“Full of historical information, jaunts about the countryside, a few explosions and some rocking romance, Highland Rebel was an enjoyable read. With the secondary romance between Davey and Katie, the story moved along smoothly. With a happily ever after, including a surprising one for Ian and his family, I enjoyed the story very much.”

From Maura at Coffee Time Romance:
“I am not usually a big fan of time travel romances, but Ms. Mallory’s are always an exception. Her characters are realistic despite their situation, and she manages to go from the present to the past with no loss of that realistic feel. Ian and Ellie are wonderful characters, each with flaws and virtues. Ian’s career as a Celtic Rocker is a masterstroke, and Ellie really comes out of her shell in the 1700’s. I also liked the subplot of Katie and Davy’s romance and the secret Jacobites.”

From Kathe Robin at Romantic Times Magazine:
(Sorry, I can’t find the magazine right now, but the gist of it was that she liked it and said it would receive . . . “A warm welcome . . . “ and then gave it 4 Stars!

So, okay, whaddaya say, Fierce Friends? Ready to give Time Travel Romance a shot? After all, don’t we all wish we could somehow be swept back in history to a more romantic place and time, where we could meet a hunky warrior, find true love and save the world? Well, our world as we know it? That’s what my characters always strive to do! It’s adventure, romance, history, humor, fun and a rollicking ride, I promise!

If everyone who reads this blog bought a copy of HIGHLAND REBEL on March 3rd . . . well, hey, maybe one of my dreams would come true and I would be deeply grateful to you, my faithful readers! But even if I don't make any of the lists, I still think you’ll enjoy the read, and I'll still be honored that you chose to read it!

Remember, Love is Timeless . . .
Keep Writing . . . Keep Reading . . . Keep Loving !
Hugs, Tess

More LOLcats, You Lucky Dogs

Well, Fierce Friends, It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, and I'm sick with my usual December allergies, so I thought I'd share some LOLChristmasCats with you! Enjoy! Next week, I will have an excerpt from my new book, HIGHLAND REBEL!

Oh No! Not More LOLcats from Tess!!

Hello Fierce Friends!

Forgive me for not being here lately, but once again duty calls. First I had my rewrites for my new book, HIGHLAND REBEL (out next March) and now I have my copyedits for the same book. I would love to explain what that means, but I am too tired. :)) So instead of entertaining you with my pithy wit today, I will fall back upon my tried and true LOLcats to do it for me. I hope you all have a wonderful day and when I come back again, perhaps I can share something about my new book with all of you. Have a great day and Keep Writing! And Laughing!

hugs, Tess




















ENJOY!!

In Praise of Persistence

Recently hubby and I had the honor and pleasure of attending a concert featuring Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band. In my opinion, those gentlemen are solid examples of musical talent. From the first round of thunderous applause when they walked across the stage and took up their respective instruments and places, to the final standing ovation, I admired each musician for his talent and ability to withstand the test of time. Ringo Starr, Edgar Winter, Hamish Stuart, Billy Squier, Colin Hay, Gary Wright and Gregg Bissonette have each carved a lucrative career as a performing artist for three decades or more. Difficult and praise-worthy feats. I’ve many of the albums those guys released in past decades, and they sounded every bit as good live now as they did when recorded twenty or more years ago. How many persons involved in the creative arts can claim the same and continue earning a consistent living despite sagging economic times, various changing demographics and consumer-driven marketplace fluctuations?


When you get to the creative core, authors are no different than the folks who command a concert stage. We are faced with many of our own challenges including reader demands, the loss of independent bookstores, increased competition with our peers, market changes and so many other issues beyond our control. All we can do is write the best books we know how at any given point and keep honing our craft every day. By regularly flexing our writing muscles, we have a better chance of completing manuscripts, for without those manuscripts, we won’t have careers. Despite the popularity of a certain genre at a given time, one thing is certain—readers remain loyal to their favorite authors. The trick is consistently delivering the creative product for reader demand, but talented and tenacious authors do this time and again. And unlike coaxing notes from an instrument, we authors must coax ideas from our brains. Quite a daunting task.

From the moment I first sat down at my desk with the goal of writing toward publication, I vowed I’d learn something new and something writing-related every day. And I have. While I had no guarantee editors would embrace every story I wrote, I was determined I’d never allow rejections to hamper my course along the publication path. No creative person, no genius or prodigy, can claim they’ve achieved success with every endeavor. While there have been drastic changes in my life over the past year and a half, changes which could easily cause me to surrender my goals and dreams, I won’t let them. From this day forth, whenever life and the self-doubt demon threaten my writing schedules, or do their best at crippling my creativity, I’ll recall Ringo and his All-Starrs. The going is never easy for anyone—and if anyone ever tells me otherwise, I’ll not believe them for a nanosecond. Along with their successes, each of those All-Starrs—including their mega-famous headliner—was a part of a group that disbanded or endured a career that experienced a temporary lull. But each remained true to his love of craft and his desire to continue practicing the same. Creative passion emanated from every musician and filled the arena. Along with some of the authors who’ve been on my auto-buy list for a couple decades, those musicians are living testaments that tenacity and talent rock and rule. I’ll agree talent is subjective. What I deem talent someone else deems otherwise. Regardless, let’s give credit where credit is due. Anyone who can remain gainfully engaged in a career for twenty, thirty or more years is highly deserving of praise and serves as an inspiration. Long live Classic Rock and everyone’s creativity!

May your fondest dreams and goals become reality,

Shawna Moore
ROUGHRIDER -- Ellora's Cave
HELLE IN HEELS -- Ellora's Cave
TORMENTED -- Coming soon to Ellora's Cave
Shawna's Myspace
Helle's Myspace

Reunited

During the summer months, there are few things I look forward to as much as reunions. Whether those reunions are with friends or family, the happy moments surrounding these events result in some of my fondest memories. Last night I attended my high-school class reunion. Reconnecting with old friends is something I consider priceless and precious. My anticipation built each day closer to the reunion. I wondered if the common bonds, backgrounds and topics that once found me friends with others would still remain or have disappeared. But those concerns were for naught once the evening got into full swing. Though years had passed since we tossed those graduation caps into the air, time hadn’t touched the friendships we easily rekindled. And before the last goodbyes were said, we promised to remain in closer contact and forbid distance from interfering with our friendships.

As a reader and writer of romance fiction, I really enjoy stories where a man and woman who were friends when younger reunite and either rekindle a romance or take their friendship from platonic to passionate. How they don’t let distance become an issue. When they dare exploring their desires, despite the possibility that the first stirrings of a romance could crash and burn and jeopardize the friendship they hold near and dear. The conflict inherent in reunion stories keeps me turning pages and pulling for the hero and heroine to overcome those obstacles and become best friends and emotionally-committed lovers.

One of my reunion stories has been published by Ellora’s Cave—ROUGHRIDER.




Blurb:

Rabid curiosity clashes with criminal minds and escalates the drama in a small Texas town where love and loyalties are harder won than any rodeo trophy.

Click here for more information about ROUGHRIDER

Much as Peaches and Herb once sang, these characters are reunited, and for them it feels so good.

Wishing you all many happy reading moments,

Shawna Moore
ROUGHRIDER -- Ellora's Cave
HELLE IN HEELS -- Ellora's Cave
TORMENTED -- Coming soon to Ellora's Cave
Shawna's Myspace
Helle's Myspace

A Protagonist Out of the Pond

In fiction, we’ve all read the theme based on “a fish out of water”. This has always been one of my favorites. Whether Gulliver or Dorothy, or any hero thrust into new world in a quest for justice or self-preservation, we enjoy turning the pages to see how these characters fare. We cheer them toward victory and a positive and/or romantic ending. Instead of a fish out of water, my theme will be a protagonist out of the pond. My upcoming novel with Ellora’s Cave, TORMENTED, deals with such a heroine and her dilemma.

Blurb:

A winsome Boston socialite—Eve Morneau—falls victim to a venomous beetle’s bite. Her healing and sexual awakening are placed in the hands of a New Orleans physician, Charles Galletiére, whose unconventional means of curing her malady lend themselves to unbridled passion and abandonment of her former ways of life. Immortality comes at a cost to the innocent woman, and her Christian soul might be left hanging in the balance.

Eve is left no choice in her new-world matter. Charles claims he is the only one who can save her from death. Time is of essence. If she leaves New Orleans and returns to Boston, her body will not bear the brunt of her injury. But her trust in Charles comes with a price. While she is an educated woman, the lessons she’s taught many are far different than the ones she will learn from the handsome doctor. She is soon dealt the harsh reality that society life as she once knew it might cease to exist. Eve is propelled toward a point of no return. Fascination battles with fear. Temptation spars with timidity. Which will win?

As a writer and reader, I enjoy following the central characters into these uncharted waters. Seeing how they remain afloat. Sharing their emotions as they are thrust into settings and situations beyond their control.

What about you, readers? What is your favorite literary theme?

Wishing you many happy reading moments,

Shawna Moore
ROUGHRIDER – Ellora’s Cave
HELLE IN HEELS – Ellora’s Cave
TORMENTED – Coming soon to Ellora’s Cae
Shawna’s Myspace
Helle’s Myspace

Paranormal and the Passionate Romance

One of my favorite ways of passing time as a child was writing stories and creating fictional characters, many of whom possessed otherworldly powers. As I got older, I focused more on reading women’s fiction, literary fiction and historical romances, but I never forgot the thrill of creating my own worlds and characters.

My first published paranormal erotica romance, HELLE IN HEELS, came to fictional life thanks to the family coffeemaker. One Saturday morning as I stood in the kitchen, the coffeemaker emitted these strange guttural noises. Almost as though a hellcat dwelled somewhere in the brew basket. When the sequence of sounds repeated themselves, I wished the demon back to where it belonged. No sooner did I vocalize this wish and the idea for a spitfire hero who is banished from Hell by her father, Sir Satan, sprang to mind. Once the travel mug filled with java, I grabbed it and my laptop and headed to the master bedroom for a plotting and writing session that lasted over five hours. That same weekend I finished the story’s first draft and tucked it away for proofing months later. Imagine, a writer’s creativity sparked by a coffeemaker’s satanic rumblings.

Helle Hawthorn is the heroine of HELLE IN HEELS, my first Exotika release at Ellora’s Cave. She is the daughter of the Devil and a mortal woman. She was gifted with her father’s good looks and charm, but she has her mother’s kind nature and conscience. Of course, this makes for the perfect conflict between her and her father. Women will relate to HELLE IN HEELS because this erotic tale explores the feminine tendencies of self-sacrifice and nurturing. Helle shows readers how women can dare slaying their sexual demons and finding fulfillment in more ways than one. But her bloodline doesn’t save her from being dealt the ultimate blow. She is banished from Hell and forced to leave behind her otherworldly powers and true love in order to save Earth from Satan’s destruction. She uses her intelligence and demonstrates unflagging determination when escaping a hellish situation that's getting hotter with each passing moment. Helle is quite adventurous and a sexual being, but she doesn't hesitate putting another's needs before her own when a situation warrants. Quite a candid woman, she tells one lover she's, "Your mother's worst nightmare and your daddy's wettest dream." Despite her sassiness and sex appeal, she never forgets the handsome Greek who brought her love and orgasms below ground. Menlikus, the story's hero, shows how far he will go and how much he will risk for the woman of his wildest and most romantic dreams. HELLE IN HEELS is a tale of personal loss for the gain of the masses. Taking chances to bring peace and betterment to your own life and the lives of others.

The Devil isn't above defeat. Helle and her Greek lover, Menlikus, never surrender their goals despite the fact they’re faced with a dismal situation. They might be otherworldly characters, but they are able to differentiate between love and lust and recognize which means more to them overall. Circumstances drive them apart, but one is often thinking about the other. Helle was such fun to create because I gifted her with a level of intelligence that enables her to outsmart her despot daddy. On reaching Earth, she faces the ultimate sexual obstacles and learns more than one valuable lesson in the process. When I characterized Helle, I wanted to make her multi-faced and enable her to rise above the stereotype that those who dwell in Hades are inherently evil. I also created a world where the Devil isn’t such an all-seeing, all-knowing entity. That he has his limitations and intellectual superiors. I also didn’t want Helle suffering immediate defeat at the hands of the Devil. HELLE IN HEELS keeps the hellfires burning with explicit sexual content. The paranormal is blended with an edgy, sassy tone in this Ellora's Cave Exotika tale. If you think you really know what happens in Hell, Helle Hawthorn might change your mind.

Click here for more information and an excerpt from HELLE IN HEELS

Click here to read more excerpts and reviews

Click here to watch the book video for HELLE IN HEELS


Feel the heat in erotic fiction,

Shawna Moore
HELLE IN HEELS – Ellora’s Cave
ROUGHRIDER – Ellora’s Cave
TORMENTED – Coming soon from Ellora’s Cave
Shawna’s Myspace
Helle’s Myspace

Tess Mallory joins Fierce Romance Blog

Hi, everyone, We are excited to report we have a new member here at Fierce Romance blog, Tess Mallory! Welcome to the blog, Tess. We're thrilled to have you! Please tell us about yourself.

Tess: Thanks! So glad to be here! A little about me, eh? Well, I was born and raised in Texas and live in the Hill Country with my husband of thirty-odd years (and believe me, there have been some pretty odd years-ha) and our three children and their families. I've recently started writing for Berkley's Sensation line and I'm so excited about that! I love all things Irish and Scottish, my favorite music is that of my son, Jordan Mallory (www.myspace.com/jordanthomasmallory) along with Blue October, the Dresden Dolls, Tom Petty, Joni Mitchell, and Mary Black. My favorite authors include Jennifer Crusie, Kim Harrison, and Margaret Weis. I can't wait to see the new Indiana Jones movie, and I love watching LOST, Boston Legal, and the Big Bang Theory, because, after all, I'm a geek at heart!

Vonda: I'm a major LOST fan too! What do you write?

Tess: I've been writing romance novels for the last fifteen years, most of them time travel, but all containing elements of fantasy or science fiction. My newest time travel romance, HIGHLAND ROGUE, is due out May 6th! Other titles are HIGHLAND DREAM, HIGHLAND FLING, HIGHLAND MAGIC, JEWELS OF TIME, CIRCLES IN TIME, MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S MAGIC (The Fairy Bride), and TO TOUCH THE STARS. In the unpublished realm of my life, I write plays, songs, and poetry.

Vonda: Naturally, I love Highland books and time travels! I can't wait to add yours to my TBR stack. Please tell us about your latest release, Highland Rogue. (What a hunky and gorgeous cover, by the way!)

Tess: I'm very excited about the release of HIGHLAND ROGUE. It's the first in a new time travel series from Berkley Sensation unofficially titled "Timeless Highlanders". The series is about three sisters in Texas who end up in Scotland, and are each sent back in time (in three different books) to the past where they fall in love with hunky Scotsmen in kilts! HIGHLAND ROGUE is about the eldest sister, Maggie, who has taken care of her younger twin sisters since their parents died when she was 23. Now she's 33 and feels life has sort of passed her by. Her sisters, Allie and Ellie, surprise her with her heart's desire--a trip to Scotland to work on an archaeological dig! There, in an ancient cairn, Maggie discovers a tri-spiral (triskele) carving on the floor of the cairn, and it sends her back to the year 1711. There she stumbles into the path of a highwayman's horse, and her adventure with handsome outlaw Quinn MacIntyre begins!

Vonda: Sounds like my kind of story. I can't wait to read it! You've had several books published over the years. Please tell us about some of them.

Tess: HIGHLAND ROGUE is my eighth romance novel. I recently learned that my former publisher, Dorchester, is re-releasing the Highland time travel series I wrote for them which includes HIGHLAND DREAM, HIGHLAND FLING, and HIGHLAND MAGIC. These books centered around three women who are best friends, who find their true loves with the help of a mysterious, magical green crystal! They are humorous and were a lot of fun. They should be re-released some time in May, and can be special ordered through bookstores or places online like amazon.com. My other books are very near and dear to my heart and I hope they will be re-released soon as well. My favorite books of all the ones I've written is Circles in Time, which unfortunately, can only be bought used online at the moment! :-)

Vonda: I hope Circles in Time will be re-released too. What do you love most about writing time-travel romance? What do you find hardest?

Tess: What I love the most about writing time travel romance is that it allows me to take an element of science fiction or fantasy (I love both), blend it with history, (which I also love) and center all of it around the conflicts and romance of a man and woman madly and passionately in love with each other-which of course I love! :-) Writing time travel is just great adventurous fun, and writing one always makes me stretch my brainpower, because there are always plotting details I have to double check, and paradoxes to be explained!

Vonda: Absolutely! Time-travel is one of my favorite elements. What do you enjoy most about writing stories set in Scotland?

Tess: I've loved Scotland since I was a little girl-the amazing landscapes, the incredible history, the ancient mysteries, the powerful sense of honor and loyalty inherent in the Scots. Later I grew to appreciate another facet of that beautiful country - those hunky Scotsmen in kilts! :-) The honor and courage and strength of a Scotsman makes him the perfect hero of a romance novel, and I have had a blast hooking my 'girls' up with some of the most heroic!

Vonda: Now you're talking! I'm in love with Scotland and those men in kilts. :-) What are your hobbies?

Tess: I'm a frustrated artist at heart, and have tried my hand at any number of mediums. My favorites, at least right now, are mosaic tiling-which I find extremely soothing and therapeutic, collages, and painting furniture! :-) I also write songs and sing very, very occasionally.

Vonda: I'm learning we have several things in common, Tess. :-) When did you know you wanted to be an author?

Tess: From the time that my father taught me how to read, sitting on his knee on Sunday mornings, reading the Sunday comics, he influenced my life and my love of words. He was a true storyteller and wordsmith in his own right, and he taught me more about the essence of creating worlds and characters than anyone I've ever known. But I think I first thought seriously about becoming a writer when I was in the seventh grade. That was when I tried to write my first book--a western--and I remember the wonder and amazement that I felt when I started actually creating characters on paper! I think I got 4 chapters done before I fizzled out, but I still have my original folder with those pages inside, and I know it was the beginning of my love for writing books. Over the years after that initial attempt, I wrote so many stories and poems, never worrying about the publishing side of things until I was well into my twenties. I remember I "got serious" at the same time that I got pregnant with my first child. My timing was a little off! It would be another ten years before I was able to tackle writing as a career and sell my first children's story to Highlights for Children. Others followed, along with stints spent working for newspapers and also writing plays for community and church theatre. Nine years and three kids later, I sold my first time travel romance to Leisure/Lovespell books.

Vonda: Fantastic story! How did that first sale come about for you? And what was the most important thing you learned (the thing that made all the difference) just before you made your first sale?

Tess: My first book sale to Leisure/Lovespell (Dorchester) came about because I was in the right place at the right time, so to speak. I had read Jude Devereaux's A Knight In Shining Armor and loved it! As soon as I finished it, my mind was whirling with possibilities for a time travel romance of my own! I was so excited about the story of a woman who inherits a necklace, which turns out to be a time travel device from the future! Right after I finished that story--JEWELS OF TIME--I picked up a copy of Romantic Times Magazine and read in a Market report that Lovespell was "looking for time travel romances". Hey! I had a time travel romance! I sent in a query, got a quick response asking for three chapters, and a month later, got a request for the rest of the book! After I sent in the rest--to my shock and amazement--they bought it! It was the thrill of a lifetime! :-)

What made all the difference before the sale, I think, was several things: First, I finished a project, second, I kept abreast of market trends, and third, I took a chance. A first time writer will have a hard time selling an uncompleted book. It's important to have a product in hand, to market. So first, I completed a book. Then, as a reader of romance, I had begun to read magazines geared toward romance writers and readers. I scoured RT and Affaire de Coure, looking for opportunities for my writing. When I "happened" upon the blurb in RT (if anything "just" happens, which I don't believe!) I had all the usual fears that any writer would have--what if my book wasn't what they were looking for? Why should they buy my book? Did I really know what the heck I was doing?--I took a deep breath and mailed off my query, never really imagining that they would buy my book! But as my dad used to say "Faint heart ne'er won fair maiden". I had to be willing to put myself out there, risk rejection, take a chance! Boy, was I glad that I did!

Vonda: Wow that was a fast sale! Please tell us a fun, unusual or quirky fact about yourself. :-)

Tess: Oh, gosh, probably most of my friends would be hard pressed to tell you something about me that wasn't quirky! I'm a quirky kind of girl! Ummm... let's see. Okay, here are a few of my quirkier things: I secretly long to be an actress on a soap opera, I'd love to be a comedian, I have a phobia about mushrooms, I want to get a tattoo of the Totoro "ghosts" really bad, but I'm too chicken, I am obsessed with creating LOLcats, and, oh yeah, I write a humorous column about my long time favorite soap opera, All My Children, for an AMC MySpace site at www.myspace.com/superposteroftheyear.

Vonda: Very cool! Those are quirky things. I've enjoyed getting to know you so much! Anything else you'd like to add?

Tess: Just that I love to hear from romance readers and aspiring romance writers, and that I'm always happy to answer questions about the publishing business, or my books, or writing in general!

Vonda: Would you like to ask blog readers a question?

Tess: Yes! What makes a romance novel a "keeper", in your opinion? What would you like to see more of in romances? What's your all time favorite romance novel and why?

Vonda: Great questions! I want to thank you again, Tess, for joining our blog! We'll very much look forward to your entertaining posts. :-) Everyone please visit Tess Mallory's beautiful website at: http://www.tessmallorybooks.com/ By the way, I love your slideshow header of Scottish scenery!

Please click here to buy Highland Rogue.