An Interview with Red L. Jameson + Giveaway!

As a military historian by day, sometimes Red does feel a bit clandestine when she writes romance at night. No one knows that while she researches heroes of the past and present, she uses everything for her characters in her books. Her secret's been safe . . . until now.

She lives in Montana with her family and far too many animals but never enough books.

She loves her readers, so please feel free to contact her at http://www.redljameson.com

Q: Welcome! Thank you for being our special guest today, Red! Please tell us about your upcoming release.

A: Duchess of Mine is available for preorder right now, and it will be released June 9!!! Squee! Here’s is the blurb:

**Book 4 of The Glimpse Time Travel Series, where mythical muses play naughty matchmakers**

Seventeenth century Highlander Michael Cameron should have been prepared for his journey to Philadelphia in 1895. After all, it wasn't the first time he'd been kidnapped by two mischievous muses, who delighted in taking him by surprise and shuffling him off to far-flung lands and eras. But nothing could have readied him for angelic Gabriella Murray, the Duchess of Northampton. She’s a beautiful, lovely, gorgeous—did he mention just how bonny Gabby is?—duchess, and he’s a lowly Scot. How is he going to solve the missing children case the muses have given him with such a distracting woman?

Becoming friends with a muse, Gabby feels her life has taken a turn for the fantastic, which suits her fine, since being a duchess is gray and depressing. So, when that muse asks her to go on an adventure imitating her idol, Sherlock Holmes, of course she says yes. However, Michael, who is to play her Dr. Watson, is quite possibly the most handsome and intriguing Highlander she’s ever encountered. Lord, Sherlock never had to contend with an overwhelming desire for Watson. How can she concentrate on the case when he’s more fun than she’s ever had before?

As Michael and Gabby hunt through the mean streets of cities such as Chicago and Detroit, they dive deeper into a world of danger and violence. Fighting against their growing attraction to each other, they race against time to find the children, knowing that with every corner they turn, they might be too late.

Q: Sounds awesome! What inspired this story?

A: Funny you should ask, because I write about muses and I did have a real muse for this story. I LOVE reading all genres, and sometimes I get on a nonfiction kick. I was on one such kick, years ago, when I found the author, Erik Larson. I have such a crush on this man’s writing! He writes historical books that I can’t put down, and the first book I read by him was The Devil in the White City.  It was while reading this book, while Larson follows one of America’s least known but most heroic detectives of all time, that I started to wonder about the detective being followed himself—followed by two characters who wanted to help him solve a mystery, help him because the detective was enduring overwhelming personal grief while a nation watched him do his job. Talk about pressure. Hence, I came up with my hero and heroine who do, indeed, follow Frank Geyer during an infamous case of his.

Q: Please tell us about your other books.

A: I have three other books in The Glimpse Time Travel Series: Enemy of Mine, Highlander of Mine, and Cowboy of Mine. They are available everywhere electronic books are sold!

Q: Why do you write romance?

A: It took me years to finally write romance. I have written since I could hold a crayon, and my poor brother was strapped into his highchair, so he couldn’t run when I told him my stories. However, for most of my life, I wrote in secret. I had one philosophy professor who, after reading some of my work, told me he hoped to find my books one day. I was flattered, but it took even more years to finally think about writing professionally. I started by trying my hand at more literary writing, to which I didn’t feel I fit. Then I wrote a cross-genre series under a different name that bombed. The thing is: I’d secretly been writing romance novels all along. It just took a lot of time, having my career blow up in my face, and finally getting the courage to do what I wanted to do all along. And I have to say, I’ve never been happier. I am probably one of the loudest advocates for romance now, and am a proud writer of the genre too! Go romance!

Q: What do you enjoy most about writing romance?

A: I love writing every single scene, but I especially love—at the risk of sounding like a pervert—the love scenes and the happy ending. (Teehee, is someone out there making a joke about a love scene and the happy ending being the same thing? Sorry. I’m horrible!) I do love building the tension between the hero and the heroine, but when they finally can express their love, then they can express how they want to love each other forever…gosh, that’s my favorite part.

Q: What inspires you? What motivates you?

A: There is so much to inspire me! Where do I start? I have an amazing family and friends, and I live in a little bit of heaven—although, it’s been raining nonstop for more than a week now, and I’m not too fond of that. Everyday I find inspiration in so many things. Even television shows, make me think about something I could write. And I am motivated to continue to write because it brings me such joy when I do. I’m not going to stop that! :)

Q: Would you like to ask readers a question?

A: I would! In my Glimpse Time Travel Series, it centers around four Highlander brothers. I’m curious about what you love the most about Highlanders? The kilt? The brogue? The brawn? The kilt? Hee-hee! Let me know your favorite thing about Highlanders and my son will randomly select a reader to giveaway an ecopy of soon to be released Duchess of Mine! 

You can find Red L. Jameson at . . .

Website

Blog

Facebook

AmazonAuthor Page

Pinterest

Twitter: @RedLJameson

You can preorder Duchess of Mine at . . .

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1bZ7MDS

And coming soon everywhere electronic books are sold!

Guest interview: Christine Bell & The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale

Christine Bell is one half of the happiest couple in the world. She and her handsome hubby currently reside in Pennsylvania with a four-pack of teenage boys and their two dogs, Gimli and Pug. If she gets time off from her duties as maid, chef, chauffeur, or therapist, she can be found reading just about anything she can get her hands on, from Young Adult novels to books on poker theory. She doesn’t like root beer, clowns or bugs (except ladybugs, on account of their cute outfits), but lurrves chocolate, going to the movies, the New York Giants and playing Texas Hold ‘Em. Writing is her passion, but if she had to pick another occupation, she would be a pirate…or, like, a ninja maybe. She loves writing fun and adventurous romance stories, but also hopes to one day publish something her dad can read without wanting to dig his eyes out with rusty spoons.

Welcome Christine! That is one of the best and most entertaining bios I've ever read! :) Please tell us about your upcoming release. Do you have a review you could share with us?

First, thanks so much for having me! I am really excited about my first time travel/romance/steampunk release, The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale. As a young girl in 19th century London, Stormy spent her time on the streets. Discarded by her family, she and the other Fenchurch Street urchins struggled every day just to get enough to eat. Then, Professor Gilly Green blew into town and swept Stormy and her brother Bacon away on a journey through time, to the 20th century where he raised them as his own. Sixteen years later, she is grown and has embraced a life of adventure. She's a time pirate, a modern day Robin Hood hell-bent on righting the wrongs in the world. When she embarks on yet another escapade through time, things don't go according to plan. She finds herself in 1836 New England running an ill-conceived con on a madman in order to get back what is rightfully hers. Her adventure lands her in hot water as she winds up shackled to a bed in The Loony Duke of Leister's torture chambers. Little does she know that the Loony Duke is someone from her past, who is going to turn her life upside down.

It comes out on April 25th, and I am so excited because I LOVE these characters.

And I do have some early reviews from Netgalley useres. My favorite is from Joyfully Reviewed.

Awesome! Congratulations! (By the way, I love your cover!) What inspired this story?

Gosh, I wish I knew, lol! It almost never really happens for me like that. It’s always the characters that come first. I’m usually just sitting around and a character comes to mind. The plots just sort of fill themselves in as I write. Secondary characters (Bacon, Gilly and Devlin-the Loony Duke of Leister) came to me first. Then Stormy’s voice rang in my head. She’s so funny and sharp and dry. Once I knew her, the story kind of flowed around her.

What is your writing process like?


I’m a total pantster, so my process is…well, I don’t have a process. I just have characters that start to sort of nag me, usually at inopportune moments, lol. Then I just start writing and it comes out. One time, my husband did say something to me that directly resulted in a book. It was an Ellora’s Cave release (by my erotic romance alter-ego Chloe Cole) called Naughty Godmother. Hubby and I were sitting around talking plots (because that’s what people who love writers have to do in their spare time, lol) and I told him I wanted to write about a fairy godmother who sort of helped nerdy guys get in touch with their cooler, sexy side etc. And he said “Ooh, cool. She can be a Naughty Godmother. Maybe she used to be in teeth.” And I was like “Wait, what?” and he said, “You know, she just got promoted. She used to be a Tooth Fairy and this is the next step up.” That’s all I needed. I got out my laptop and wrote it. It was a lot of fun. And I guess I’ll give him double the credit because the sequel, Tempting Trent is coming out on the 22nd.

Oh that sounds like fun! Congratulations on your other new releases! How do you choose names for your characters?

I love naming characters. It’s like my most favorite thing! I truly believe you can almost tell a story in a name. You can almost know a character just by reading a really well constructed name. I am a huge fan of Charles Dickens, and he is positively lethal at it. For instance, take Ebenezer Scrooge. What a great name, right? Without reading another word, you can almost visualize him. I am certainly no Dickens, but I try not to just slap a name on for the sake of it. I think of who my characters really are. So in this book, Stormy Gale is an adventurer, she’s unpredictable and sort of shakes things up wherever she goes. Her brother Bacon is lovable and simple and without guile. In Naughty Godmother I have a fairy named Holly Tucket. She’s clumsy and funny and cute at a button and it just fit.


I love the title of your book! Did you choose it and if so how did you do it?

I did! And I knew I wanted it to have Stormy’s name in the title. I had gotten as far as The ____ Tale of Stormy Gale, and during and impromptu brain storming session, my husband said “Twisted!” It was PERFECT, because there are a lot of nods to L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in this book, so I loved the play on the words twisted and twister (tornado). I was ecstatic that Carina Press loved it too.

Which element of story creation is your favorite?

Ooh, good question! I actually think plots are highly overrated. At the core of it, there isn’t a story that hasn’t been told a thousand times. A plot is secondary, maybe even tertiary (because I think voice is more important than plot too), when it comes to entertaining people. The story is in the characters.

Take the movie, The Matrix. A conceptually ambitious story about…err, I don’t know, whatever it was about. The fact is, I couldn’t care less. Why? Because Keanu Reeves was like a walking mannequin; totally lifeless and unappealing to me. I didn’t care whether they unplugged him or plugged him in, or whether he was The One, or Not The One or whether he saved humanity. They could have set him on fire and I would have been like, “Where’s the marshmallows?”

Then, take Ellie, the wife in the Pixar animated film Up. She’s in the movie for all of ten minutes and I wept when she found out she couldn’t have children and sobbed when she died. Because she was so full of life, so real, so nuanced and quirky. A CARTOON CHARACTER.

Don't get me wrong, you need a good hook. But it's your CHARACTERS that will keep them hooked. If your readers love them, they'll follow them anywhere. Or nowhere. I’ll meander along for seventeen books of Stephanie Plum doing the same stuff, book in and book out, because I love her. I love that she eats olives and peanut butter. I love that she blows up cars and eats more than one donut in a sitting. Do I remember what the plot of the last book was? Not really, because it was pretty much the same as the previous five. But do I care? Not really. Because when I’m reading, Stephanie Plum feels like an old friend and I’m just happy to enjoy the couple of hours we get to spend together. So, to my mind, it’s IMPERTATIVE that your audience can connect your characters. Because if not, who cares if they find the Wizard and get back to Kansas? Who cares if their ship sinks and there aren’t enough lifeboats? Not me.

I definitely agree with you on that. Can you share with us “the call” story?

My call story is actually kind of funny! Rather than recreate the wheel, I’ll just copy and paste my blog post from that day. Mainly because I think you can *hear* my excitement and lunacy just from reading it!

“They want to publish my steampunk romance novella, The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale! My whole body is shaking right now. They want it, Angela James just called me. From Carina Press. On the telephone. And she said it was her and I said “No it's not.” And she said yes it was. Then she laughed. Then I said, "Wait, you don't call with bad news do you?" and she said that no, she didn't. And then she told me that they want to publish my book. At which point I burst into tears. I wish I was kidding about that part, but I'm not. And then I babbled on and on about how I almost emailed her to get it back because of all the goofy dialogue tags and stupid adverbs and how I am taking her editing workshop. I came across very cool, suave, you know? Anyway, it's scheduled for release spring 2010. And I am STILL freaking out!!!”

LOL! I read that sometimes and laugh because I remember just how I felt at that moment. It was probably one of the top ten moments in my life.

Wow, that is wonderfully emotional! Do you have any advice for unpublished authors?

Probably nothing earth shattering that hasn’t been said, but these are a few of the things I think can’t be said enough:

Don’t quit.

Get a copy of On Writing by Stephen King

Find a crit group or at least two CP’s who are at the same level as you are as a writer.

Be willing to listen to constructive criticism.

Did I say don’t quit? DON’T QUIT!

Wonderful advice! What’s next for you?

Let’s see, well, I have Tempting Trent coming out on April 22nd with Ellora’s Cave. I also have an anthology project I am working on with three amazing authors that will come out in June on Amazon. And, as always, I’m writing my head off! I’m working on novellas for two of my e-publishers, and I’m also writing my first paranormal single title that I hope to pitch at RWA Nationals in July.

Would you like to ask readers a question?

Absolutely! Are you like me, where the characters make you come back for more? Or is it flowing prose, or maybe intricate world-building that sucks you in? What makes you all fall in love with a book?

I’d love to give an ARC of The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale to one commenter, and then anything off my backlist to another!

Thanks so much for your generosity, Christine! And thanks for being our guest today! Everyone, please visit Christine's websites:

Chapter One excerpt 

Website: http://www.christine-bell.com/

Blog: http://chrisbwritin.blogspot.com/

Twitter: @Christine_Bell

The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale is available at Carina Press and other online retailers. 

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

On the First Day of the Flu...

Hey Fierce Friends -- I've got the flu, or a reasonable facsimile, so the excerpt will have to wait. Here's the first of On the First Day of Christmas LOLcats -- Be safe, get your flu shots!



And don't forget, you can preorder your copy of HIGHLAND REBEL now on amazon or at any bookstore!

Melissa Mayhue shares her Highlanders

Hi, today I'm thrilled we have Melissa Mayhue here to tell us about her first two Scottish time-travel romances, out now.

Vonda Sinclair: Thanks so much for being a guest at Fierce Romance, Melissa. Welcome! Please tell us about your first book Thirty Nights With a Highland Husband. (What an interesting title and a magical cover!)

Melissa Mayhue: First of all, thank you so much for having me here! Thirty Nights with a Highland Husband was my first book and my first entry into the Faerie World. It’s a time travel romance with an insecure modern day woman traveling to Thirteenth Century Scotland – complete with intrigue, surprises and, of course, hunky Scottish Highlanders.

Here’s the book jacket blurb:

Scotland, 1272. Connor MacKiernan, a descendant of the Fae Prince, is a warrior who lives only for honor and duty. Though he’s vowed never to marry, that’s exactly what he must do to save his sister. Enter a little Faerie magic, and the search for a bride is on.

Denver, Present Day. Caitlyn Coryell is having a really bad day – she just discovered her fiancé with another woman! Imagine her surprise when she puts on some sexy lingerie and an antique pendant and Connor appears in her bedroom, begging for her help. He offers a simple yet outrageous adventure: travel to his time, marry him, and return home.

But nothing’s simple when Cate is trapped in the thirteenth century. The wedding’s delayed, someone’s trying to kill her, and in the middle of all this, she realizes she’s falling in love with a man who can only be her husband for thirty nights.

Vonda: Sounds yummy! I'm a big time-travel fan, and of course, hunky Highlander fan! :-) Do you have a review or two you could share with us?

Melissa: I’d love to! Here are a couple of my favorites:

4 Stars – Mayhue debuts with an enchanting time travel that follows the rules of the genre yet is infused with humor, engaging characters and a twist or two – Kathe Robin – Romantic Times Magazine

Thirty Nights with a Highland Husband is a wonderful time travel romance, even if time travel is not your preferred genre, it’s outrageously great! – Carolyn Crisher – Romance Reviews Today

4 ½ Roses - What a smasharoo debut! Newcomer Melissa Mayhue rocks the Scottish highlands with Thirty Nights with a Highland Husband... Fans of Janet Chapman and Karen Marie Moning will love Melissa Mayhue! – Bonnie – A Romance Review.com


Vonda: What wonderful reviews!! What did you find hardest about writing time travel?

Melissa: Writing time travel is really writing a historical, but coming in the back door! So the hardest part is making sure I stay true to the period as much as possible, double checking my facts so I don’t make errors like having my heroine eating some food that hadn’t been discovered yet or the hero interacting with a historical character who wasn’t on the scene!

Vonda: Please tell us about your second book, Highland Guardian and share any reviews you'd like.

Melissa: While my debut book was my first foray into the new Faerie world I’d created, Highland Guardian was the book that really fleshed that world out. This one was a departure from the series in that it wasn’t a time travel, but it introduced characters and concepts that will carry throughout the series. And I loved writing it!

Here’s the back cover blurb:

Sarah Douglas is a successful romance novelist who’s come to Scotland hoping to overcome her writer’s block and come to terms with her strange ability to sense the emotions of everyone she touches. But from the moment she arrives, her problems only intensify. From the stalker – who might be only a figment of her imagination – to her attraction to the darkly handsome owner of the cottage she’s rented, nothing goes as she had planned.

Ian McCullough is neck-deep in his own trouble. A half-mortal descendant of Faeries, he’s been a Guardian for more than six hundred years, but he’s never encountered a woman like Sarah. Assigned to protect her, he finds the job tougher than he could have imagined. Oh, he can handle the stalker, and even the renegade faeries trying to kidnap her. But falling in love means forsaking his role as Guardian – which is something he could never do.

But there is no denying the passion that exists between two souls fated to be together.

Reviews:
4 Stars – With her sophomore effort, Mayhue jumps into the magical world with a story of the power of love and bloodlines. She not only develops compelling protagonists, but her secondary characters are also rich and intriguing. An author with major potential! – Jill M. Smith – Romantic Times Magazine

Melissa Mayhue’s writing is magical. Unable to stop, I devoured Highland Guardian in one afternoon. Highland Guardian has dark suspense, wretched villains, and smoking hot romance. Highland Guardian is fantastic! - Annmarie – Joyfully Reviewed.com

5 Angels – Melissa Mayhue has an awesome story in Highland Guardian…This was a lovely getaway to fantasy land and I can be ready to go again in a moment. If you like Scotland and Highland Heroes and Faerie magic this is a must read for you. – Dana P. – Fallen Angel Reviews


Vonda: Sounds like another winner! What do you enjoy about writing books set in Scotland?

Melissa: There is a mystique to Scotland that few other places can claim. Whether it’s the turbulent history or the wild, untamed landscape, I can’t say. When I first visited there the first time, I just knew it was the perfect setting for my characters.

Vonda: I agree! What do you find most difficult and most rewarding about writing paranormal?

Melissa: I love paranormal…both reading it and writing it. Most rewarding is easiest, so I’ll start there. It gives me the freedom to suspend belief, to create my own world and really immerse myself in my characters and their lives.

Most difficult? Staying true to the world I’ve created. And reining my imagination in!!!

Vonda: Please describe your journey to publication?

Melissa: I really was one of the lucky ones. I wrote Thirty Nights having no idea how difficult it is breaking into the publishing world. Once I finished the book, I joined RWA and my local chapter [Colorado Romance Writers] and it was through that association that my book ended up in the right hands at the right time.

Vonda: Wow! What do you wish you'd known before becoming published?

Melissa: Good question! I wish I’d known how much time and effort would go into promoting my work and the importance of having begun that process long before that first book was even in an editor’s hands. For everyone out there on the road to publication – get your website, your blog, your MySpace, your contacts in place NOW. You’ll be so glad to have that platform under you later on, I promise!

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

Melissa: I was a reader long before I was a writer, so I’m always on the lookout for wonderful books I might have missed – especially now that I have so much less time for reading! Paranormal of all types, and especially time travel have long been my favorites – which is why I’ll always have a soft spot in my heart for the reviewers who’ve compared my work to Lynn Kurland, Janet Chapman and Karen Marie Moning!

So my question – would you share some of your favorite, must read paranormal romance books? AND [here’s the hard part] What did you like best about that book that makes it one of your favorites?

Thanks so much to you and to all your readers for having me here today! Please stop by my website [ www.MelissaMayhue.com ] for more information on my work and on my upcoming release, Soul of a Highlander, due out May 20.
Feel free to email me with any comments or questions – I absolutely love to hear from readers and I do my best to answer quickly. . . well, except when I’m writing to deadline. :-)

Vonda: Thanks again, Melissa! This has been fun!