Interview with Wendy Vella, Author of The Reluctant Countess

Please help me welcome Wendy Vella, author of The Reluctant Countess, to Reviews by Martha’s Bookshelf.

M:  First, let me say "Congratulations" on your debut novel, The Reluctant Countess.
Wendy: Thanks so much and thank you for having me on your wonderful blog site.

Q1.  I'm always interested to discover the story behind the story. Where did the inspiration for The Reluctant Countess come from?
Wendy:  I was actually looking online for a competition to enter and found one that gave you a scenario for the opening scene; handsome Earl, mysterious Countess and they were both in a ballroom. I’ve never written a story from someone else’s idea before it was quite an interesting exercise and, ‘The Reluctant Countess’ grew from there. I never entered the competition but the book turned out well.

M: Yes, the book turned out well! I’m glad you expanded on the opening scene.
Q2.  What inspired you to write this genre??
Wendy:  The first book I read was Georgette Heyer, These Old Shades, and I was pretty much hooked from the opening page. I loved the idea of writing about an era that I knew so little about and that I or nobody I have ever known has lived in. You do get a certain amount of freedom too, because we know only what we’ve learnt in books not through our own experiences. It’s important that it’s historically correct of course but you can let your imagination run riot. 

M: Georgette Heyer is classic for Historical Romance, especially with that touch of mystery that you brought to The Reluctant Countess.
Q3.  Is there an ancillary character in this book that you had a lot or fun with? Might they appear in a future book?
Wendy:  Lord Sumner was great fun to write.  He’s Patrick, the hero’s, best friend and also finds love in ‘The Reluctant Countess.’ He’s the opposite of Patrick, he laughs often and jokes a lot and has some great one liners in the book. Unfortunately he won’t get his own book because his romance is tied up neatly in the end too. I love his relationship with Patrick, he’s probably the only one in the book who doesn’t give Patrick an inch, and he’s always challenging him.

M:  Yes. Stephen, Lord Sumner, was a great sidekick and provided lots of added color and fun.
Q4.  What would you say makes a romance novel a great love story?
Wendy:  I think a romance novel has to have several elements to make it great; humor is big for me and characters that are not quite perfect. I love sharp dialogue but most of all I love a bit of intrigue. I like stories where the hero and heroine finally get together despite the obstacles they had to hurdle to find each other.

M:  All of those are good elements and I like how you worked them together well in your story.
Q5. Would you please share a surprising thing about your experience writing this book, or about your research?
Wendy:  I didn’t end up using it in the book, but I was researching shops in London and came across the Cow Keepers Shop in Golden Lane in the city of London. The shop was the ground floor of his house where the cows were kept in well ventilated stalls.  People and the milk maids could come and purchase their milk, I thought this was ingenious!

M: Very interesting and thanks for the image!
Q6.  Is any of your writing from your own experiences or is it completely your imagination?
Wendy:  No it’s all my imagination. I do use some traits in my characters from people I know, but mostly it’s just inside my head. It can get a busy in there at times.

M: I appreciate a busy imagination especially when it gets shared in writing!
Q7.  Do your work career/hobbies/interests influence your writing?
Wendy:  Probably only in so far as they limit my ability to write as often as I would like. I work full time and write in the evenings but I’m also a road cyclist so that takes up a bit of time as sometimes my husband and I can be out on the roads for a few hours. I’ve always found the time to write each day and usually fit in 2 to 3 hours most nights.

M: I’m glad you fit the writing time in and share with readers like me.
Q8.  When you get time to read what authors do you read?
Wendy: I have my favorites; Eloisa James, Lisa Kleypas, Julia Quinn and Nora Roberts, but there are so many more who I enjoy, but these are the ones whose books I read as soon as they come out.

M: I agree with several of these… I just have been busy reading “new-to-me” authors like you. J
Q9.  What do you hope your readers get out of your book?
Wendy: I hope my readers enjoy Patrick and Sophie’s journey as much as I did writing it. I hope they laugh and cry and sigh, but most importantly I hope they can’t put it down.

M:  Success - As I noted in my review it does keep you glued and not wanting to put it down.
Q10.   If you could have readers finish a sentence what would it be?

***Wendy: She picked up her skirts and ran towards him as he came through the door, she was distraught and his blood ran cold as he heard her say…

M: Thank you for taking time to share.

Wendy Vella is a lover of all things romantic. She started reading her first Georgette Heyer book at a young age and instantly fell in love with the Regency era. Writing is something she has always found time for; she penned her first novel at eighteen though she says it will never make an appearance further than the closet in which it currently resides.

After having her two children Wendy then joined RWNZ and started honing her chosen craft by entering competitions with some success and attending conferences. Her Clendon and Readers Choice award-winning historical romance The Reluctant Countess will debut in Jan 2013 with Random House in their Loveswept line.

She has an addiction to reading and loves a wide range of genres while her first love will always be historical. She relishes novels steeped in Romance and excitement with feisty heroines and delicious heroes, especially when they are set amongst the treacherous waters of London society.

Wendy is a sucker for a happy ending having secured her own. She has been married to her own dark brooding hero for 28 years and shares her home with two wonderful children, two dogs and anyone else who happens to be visiting at the time. Born and raised in a rural area in the North Island of New Zealand, Wendy loves the beaches and lush green rolling hills of her homeland and is proud to call herself a very patriotic Kiwi!

Visit my website: http://www.wendyvella.com/
Facebook: http://facebook.com/AuthorWendyVella
Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/wendy_vella
Email: wendy@wendyvella.com

“THE RELUCTANT COUNTESS” can be purchased from Random House Inc. http://www.randomhouse.com/book/221633/the-reluctant-countess-by-wendy-vella

From Wendy Vella comes a Cinderella story of whirlwind passion between a dashing earl and a beautiful countess—and the secret that threatens to tear them apart.

Regal, poised, and elegant, Sophie, Countess of Monmouth, is everything that a highborn lady should be. But Sophie is hiding a past that is far from royal. When Patrick, Earl of Coulter, realizes that her story doesn’t add up, he resolves to find out the truth of what Sophie and her sister-in-law are concealing. Although Sophie has every reason to avoid him, the handsome and charismatic Patrick awakens something wicked deep within her soul . . . a powerful need that Sophie must stifle in order to protect her place in society.

Despite Sophie’s humble background, the raven-haired beauty has won Patrick’s heart. But what Sophie needs now is an ally. Viscount Myles Dumbly, the disgruntled former heir of Monmouth, is determined to expose Sophie as a fraud to recapture his lost inheritance. Soon Patrick is drawn into a fight for both their lives. Somehow he must find a way not only to rescue Sophie from poverty once and for all, but to keep her in his arms forever.

Scribd FREE Excerpt available:Vella ReluctantCountess Final

Thank you to Random House for allowing me to Host a 

GIVEAWAY

1 print book and 3 Net Galley Preview copies.

ENTRY FORM HERE

3 Extra Bonus entries: Comment with an answer to the question from author Vella in violet block and red text above (marked ***).
2 Extra Bonus entries: Comment on my Review - Previous Post.

* This contest is open: US ONLY for Print and 3 Net Galley copies open to ALL.
* This contest will close 10 PM (Central) on January 18, 2013.
The winner will be randomly selected from all entries.
WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED on January 19, 2013.
Winners will have 72 hours to respond by email or the winners form linked in the announcement.

Guest Post by Jade Kerrion Author of The Double Helix Series

When it’s no longer science fiction—A peek behind the Double Helix

For the past several years, our attention has been consumed by faltering economies, unstable governments, an epidemic of bullying, and an explosion of social media. In the meantime, largely ignored by mainstream media, the genetic revolution marches on quietly and inexorably.

Let’s test your knowledge of bioengineering. Which of the following is true?

1.    We used genetic engineering to create hybrid creatures, like the goat-sheep, and the camel-llama
2.    We used genetic engineering to transfer bioluminescent genes from coral and deep-sea jellyfish to create glow-in-the-dark mice, cats, dogs, pigs, and monkeys
3.    We cloned animals, including sheep, dogs, and horses
4.    We used genetic engineering to create animals that excrete pharmaceutical products in their milk and other bodily fluids
5.    We used genetic engineering to preserve endangered species, creating animals that possess the nuclear DNA of the endangered species, and the mitochondrial DNA of the host species…in effect, a genetic hybrid
6.    We created bug-bots by implanting wires in the central nervous system of insects, and we can now control their movements, including flight
7.    We created organic robots by implanting wires in the central nervous system of rats, and we can now control what they do
8.    We wired a monkey to control a third artificial arm entirely through its brain waves
9.    We genetically engineered rats with pliable skin in order to grow human organs (e.g., ear) under their skin for eventual transplant to a human
10.    We used organic computer chips made out of rat neurons to control a flight simulator
11.    We isolated a brain of a lamprey eel and placed it in a nutrient medium, surrounded by electrodes. The living, intact brain controls a machine that moves toward the light (in much the same way a lamprey eel moves toward the light)
12.    We used a DNA synthesizer to create an artificial organic cell. (Isn’t that an oxymoron?) The computer is its parent

If you answered “Yes” to all of these, you are right. All of these are true. Science fiction is now science fact. Today, we possess an unprecedented control over bioengineering, an area that remains largely unregulated by governments.  Our scientific advances raise many ethical questions, such as “Is it right to control the autonomy of another creature, even if it’s just a rat?” Other more pragmatic questions focus on timing, “When will we start applying directed evolution (i.e. design) to humans?”

I majored in Biology and Philosophy at the Johns Hopkins University, and the philosophical implications of genetic engineering naturally combined my two interests. I started by asking myself, “What would the world look like to the perfect, lab-created human being?” And then, I wondered, “How would the world change for the people whose genetic templates were used to create the perfect human being?” The Double Helix series sets out to answer both those questions from the point-of-view of Danyael Sabre, an alpha empath whose genetic code was used as the physical template for the perfect human being.

In the world of the Double Helix, directed evolution has become the norm, but is accessible only to those with financial resources. Historical personalities are reincarnated as clones. Genetically optimized in vitros abound, and they tend to succeed at the expense of normal humans who struggle to keep up. Nevertheless, normal humans still form the political majority, and thus, the world of the Double Helix is deeply stratified by genetics, wealth, and politics. Into this already chaotic mix, I added mutants and their dangerous variants of psychic powers, and finally Galahad, the lab-created, perfect human being.

The story explodes into a “highly-enjoyable, brainy guilty pleasure of a novel: a perfect mixture of non-stop action, gripping plot, thought-provoking philosophy, and beautiful visuals.” Set in Earth’s near-contemporary future and frequently compared to X-Men, Heroes, and Alphas, the Double Helix series is highly accessible, even for non-science fiction readers.

I invite you to check out a world that is closer to science fact than science fiction. Welcome to the Double Helix.

Author Bio:

Jade Kerrion unites cutting-edge science and bioethics with fast-paced action in her award-winning Double Helix series. Drawing rave reviews for its originality and vision, and described as “a breakout piece of science fiction,” Perfection Unleashed, and its sequels, Perfect Betrayal and Perfect Weapon, are available in print and e-book through Amazon and other major retailers.

About The Double Helix series: 

His genetic code sourced from the best that humanity offers, Galahad embodies the pinnacle of perfection. When Zara Itani, a mercenary whose abrasive arrogance exceeds her beauty, frees him from his laboratory prison, she offers him the chance to claim everything that had ever been denied him, beginning with his humanity.

Perfection cannot be unleashed without repercussions, and Galahad’s freedom shatters Danyael Sabre’s life.

An alpha empath, Danyael is rare and coveted, even among the alpha mutants who dominate the Genetic Revolution. He wields the power to heal or kill with a touch, but craves only privacy and solitude—both impossible dreams for the man who was used as Galahad’s physical template.

Galahad and Danyael, two men, one face. One man seeks to embrace destiny, and the other to escape it.

The award-winning Double Helix series, consisting of Perfection Unleashed, Perfect Betrayal, and Perfect Weapon, will challenge your notions of perfection and humanity, and lead you in a celebration of courage and compassion. Science fiction, urban fantasy, and action-adventure readers will enjoy this thrilling roller-coaster ride as it twists and turns through a world transformed by the Genetic Revolution.

Social media and buy links:
Connect with Jade Kerrion: Blog / Facebook / Twitter
Perfection Unleashed: Amazon / Amazon UK / Smashwords
Perfect Betrayal: Amazon / Amazon UK / Smashwords
Perfect Weapon: Amazon / Amazon UK / Smashwords

~*~*~
See Giveaway Link Here.

Author Guest Post: Kaylee Baldwin Author of All I Want

 Before I Was A Writer

by Kaylee Baldwin

Long before I was a writer, I was a reader.

Even as a child I read anything I could get my hands on, including: the free encyclopedia (A) that a door-to-door salesman gave my family to entice us to buy the series, my mom’s Reader’s Digest magazine (cover to cover every month), and some totally not age-appropriate books I sneaked out of my parents room.

I’ve always loved writing as well, but it wasn’t until about six years ago that I really started to wonder if I could write a book. My husband had just taken a new job and we had to move away from our family and friends. I only had one child and wasn’t working at the time, so while he napped, I wrote.

It was a lot of fun writing that first book. I was really lonely, and my characters really came alive for me. I could make them do whatever I wanted. If I was in the mood to read a certain type of scene, I would just write it. I have strong doubts that the first book I ever wrote (a young adult contemporary, btw) will ever see the light of day, but I learned so much from it.

It was eye opening to me to go from being a reader to a writer. I’d never thought about how much work went into word choice, making sure the story had good pacing, making sure it flowed, answering all the plot questions, giving the plot enough conflict without overloading my characters, and coming up with a satisfying conclusion.

Being a writer has changed me. Everywhere I look, I see story ideas. I make sure I have a notebook or pieces of paper that I can scratch my ideas down on at any given moment so that I won’t forget them. I also find myself reading other books with a more analytical mind. I ask myself questions like: What elements in this story are making me like it so much? Why does the pacing feel fast/slow and what could the author do to change it? I find myself editing the books like I would for a critique partner because I’ve trained my mind to think that way.

When I write, I create. When I read, I escape. I think that all good authors have to be readers as well. We have to make time for other people’s words as well as our own. And although I love writing, and it fills up a part of me that nothing else could, my first love will always be reading.



Author Kaylee Baldwin

I grew up in Mesa, Arizona, and graduated from Arizona State University
with a degree in English literature.

I currently live in southern Arizona with my husband, Jeremy, and our three children. When I am not writing, I enjoy reading, starting new craft projects, and spending time with my family.

Author Links:

Facebook * Website * Twitter

ALL I WANT

Pretty Near Perfect
by Jolene Perry

The last thing Norah needs is to be attracted to anyone – especially in her deceased fiancé's parents' home. Collin’s starting a new career, and has no business getting involved – especially while staying with his roommate’s family, who very kindly offered to take him in for the holidays. Unfortunately, you just don’t always pick the most convenient time and place to fall for someone.

Six Days of Christmas

by Kaylee Baldwin

When Natalie goes home with her best friend for Christmas, she expects plenty of quiet time to work on a winning ad so she can turn her dream internship into her dream job. Instead, she gets time-consuming Christmas festivities, a house full of children, and Jimmy, her best friend’s brother - someone who makes her question everything she’s always thought she wanted.

Twist of Fate
by Rachael Anderson

When a postcard meant for Kenzie winds up in Ty's mailbox, Ty's faced with a decision. Should he tell her that her fiancé is breaking up with her and let it ruin her favorite holiday, or should he do what he’s wanted to do since he met her - make a move and hope that he can win her over before she discovers there won’t be a wedding after all.

Purchase All I Want

Kindle Ebook * Paperback

Tour Schedule

See GIVEAWAY information at Book Blast Giveaway

Blog Tour Interview with Author Lisa Mondello

Please help me give a nice Holiday Welcome to Lisa Mondello author of All I Want for Christmas is You.

Book Available at:

Amazon   Barnes and Noble  iTunes  Smashwords

(Free at Amazon, iTunes and Smashwords; $.99 at B&N!)

Thank you, Lisa, for sharing with Reviews by Martha’s Bookshelf.

Q1. What inspired you to write this particular title?

LM:  I love Christmas stories.  Who doesn’t ?  Each year I would stock up on Christmas books and read them one after one during the holidays.  I was caring for an injured stray kitten who’d been hurt by a neighbor’s dog and I started singing All I Want for Christmas is You by Mariah Carey.  It was August, so yes, I was a little early for the holiday.  But from that moment, that stray kitten became a stray dog and a family of foster kids and a displaced single mom.

Q2. What was your favorite book when you were a child/teen?

LM:  A teen?  I remember reading the book Always, a reincarnation romance story.  I loved it!  I must have read it five times when I was in high school.  I lost the original book when I went to college, but I managed to track down a used copy a few years ago.

Q3. What are some of the best tips you’ve received on writing?

LM:  Keep writing.  And writing.  Then finish it.  There are a lot of writers who have parts of books on their hard drive but nothing complete.  You can always revise a manuscript that needs work.  So even if it doesn’t feel like it’s great when you’re writing it, keep writing and finish it.

Q4. Is there any one thing you struggle with in your writing?

LM:  Confidence.  I’m never confident I’m going to pull the story together until about 80% of the way through the story.  This comes from the fact that I’m a puzzle writer and I write in pieces.  I’ve always wished I was more linear in my writing, but I’m not.  My brain doesn’t work that way.

Q5. Do you have any strange habits when you write?

LM:  Strange?  No.  I’m just a coffee fiend.  I have to have a cup of coffee on my desk even if I’m not drinking it.  Okay, so maybe that’s strange.

Q6.  Which authors have influenced you most how?

LM:  There are way too many to even list.  I’d say that the type of author who influences me is the kind who can make me forget that I’m a writer.  If I’m critiquing the story, either good or bad, as I’m reading a story, then I’m not fully engaged.  But if I can get so wrapped up in a story that I forget about the craft of writing, I love it. 

Q7. Please share your most rewarding experience since being published.

LM:  There are steps and I don’t think any one of them is any less important than the last one.  Getting your first contract is always a rush.  Finally in your first contest, another rush.  Winning, even nicer.  It brings validation because writers are such insecure creatures.  Getting reader mail is awesome!  Getting paid is always nice, too!  I don’t think any writer ever sits back and says, “I’ve made it.”  Made what?  There is always something more to strive for, either in her career or creatively.  I’m always reaching for that next thing, which is why I write all over the place.  I don’t stick to one type of writing.  That keeps me fresh and I hope the readers see that in the stories I create.

Having just enjoyed All I Want for Christmas... I'd say that that story is fresh and wonderfully enjoyable.

About the Author:

Lisa Mondello (a.k.a. LA Mondello) has held many jobs in her life but being a published authors is the last job she'll ever have. She's not retiring! She blames the creation of the personal computer for her leap into writing novels. Otherwise, she'd still be penning stories with paper and pen.  Her first book, All I Want for Christmas is You, was the winner of the Golden Quill contest for Best First Book and to date has had over 400,000 downloads worldwide.
She is currently the author of 14 novels under the name Lisa Mondello and LA Mondello. You can find more information about Lisa Mondello at http://www.lisamondello.blogspot.com
www.LisaMondello.blogspot.com  
@LisaMondello
http://www.facebook.com/lisa.mondello.1

VISIT THE FULL BLOG TOUR TO CHECK OUT OTHER FEATURES AND GIVEAWAYS.



 

Q&A with Anita Clenney and Giveaway of Guardians of Stone!

 Please help me welcome Anita Clenney, Author of Guardians of Stone. 

Q1. When you do a series do you have each book plotted out before you start the first one or do the subsequent books flow from the first book?
AC: I have a general idea where the series is going, but things always change. I’m notorious for last minute changes. I suspect I drive my agent and editor crazy. And hubby. 

Q2.  Do your characters live with you or haunt your dreams as you write?
AC:  I’m not one of those writers whose characters tell her what to do, but they’re always there in the back of my mind. Plotting is my favorite part of writing, so it’s great to just call the characters up and plot as I’m driving or at the movies. And while I don’t dream about the stories after the fact—the warrior series started with a dream—I have really interesting dreams about related things. For instance, this week I’ve been dreaming about vampires. They’re really intense scenes. I have used some in stories. 

Recent release - Order: 
Amazon | Barnes&Noble

Q3.  What is one of the best tips you’ve received on writing?
AC:  Just write the damned book. Seriously, if you’re a procrastinator like me, you’ll find all kinds of excuses to write later. Later is sometimes too late.

Q4.  Do you have any strange habits when you write?
AC:  No, but I’m always a little strange.

Q5.  What is the single most important thing you've learned about managing your career?
AC:  I have a serious need for better priorities. It’s hard for me because I’m spontaneous. I want to do what I want when I want, but I’m trying to change that so that I do what needs to be done before it needs to be done.

Q6.  What is the craziest thing you've done to research a story idea?
AC:  I do most of my research online, so it’s interesting, but not much crazy action.

Q7.  What is your writing space like?
AC:  I have two spaces. My PC is, of all places, in my laundry room. Not very inspiring, but it’s quiet, and I can easily throw in a load of laundry as I write. I  have another desk in my dining/living room where I can be with the family and still write while they’re watching TV. This space has all my favorite things nearby (not laundry). I have a massive amount of candles in gorgeous candle holders, and my mirrors and topiary and moss balls, all the things that I’m obsessed with.  Did I mention that I’m obsessed with lots of things?

Q8.  What do you hope your readers get out of your books?
AC: Adventure, hope, and a fun ride.

Guardians of Stone is definitely a fun ride!  Thank you Anita for sharing your writing and sharing about yourself today!

Pre-order:
Amazon | Barnes&Noble| Books-A-Million | Turn The Page

 About Anita Clenney

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Anita Clenney writes mysteries and paranormal romantic suspense novels, including the bestselling Connor Clan series. Clenney grew up an avid reader, devouring Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys books before moving on to mysteries and romance. It was only after several successful but wildly different careers — including work as an executive assistant, a real estate agent, a teacher’s assistant, and a brief stint in a pickle factory — that she discovered her untapped passion for writing. Clenney’s first novel, Awaken the Highland Warrior, won the Single Titles Reviewers’ Choice Award. She lives with her husband and two children in suburban Virginia.

TO ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY for a Trade Paperback Copy:

ENTRY FORM HERE

For 3 Extra Bonus entries Visit the author's website and tell me something you find of interest.
For 2 Extra bonus entries comment on this Interview or my Review (See previous post)
* This contest is open US and Canada.
* This contest will close 10 PM (Central) on November 30, 2012.
The winner will be randomly selected from all entries.
WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED on December 1, 2012.
Winners will have 72 hours to respond by email or the winners form linked in the announcement.

Guest Post and Giveaway by Suzanne Barrett

I have read eight titles by Suzanne and I have been impressed by the unique plots in each. I asked her to share how she comes up with such different ideas.

 Coming Up With New Romance Plots: What Moves Me
by Suzanne Barrett

Why do I write the stories I do?  Each of my books is set in a different location with a protagonist engaged in an unusual activity.  My interest in England and Ireland fueled several stories:  TAMING ROWAN is set in England’s Cumbria; IN LOVE AND WAR is set in County Waterford.  SIERRA BRIDE is a historical with an Irish immigrant heroine, set in Eastern California near where I lived as a girl.

AN IRISH ROGUE is set in my home town of Santa Cruz, California.  LATE HARVEST explores the Mendocino wine country.  I’m currently working on another wine country story, INDECENT PROPOSAL, again set in my home town.  (Wine country, wine-making, and the Santa Cruz Mountains are of particular interest to me.)
 

I love the tortured hero.  It is satisfying to watch him stumble and pick himself up again and again until he finally has his light-bulb moment and realizes that what holds him back from achieving his goal is … himself.  I empathize with a heroine who also has baggage but is, underneath it all, an honorable person.
 
For me, reading fiction is an escape.  I want my protagonists to struggle to achieve their happy ending.  I want to see character growth that makes them worthy of their goals.
 
A character may have a less-than-honorable beginning, but to satisfy the romantic in me, he or she must have a moment of truth that changes everything once thought correct and sets him/her on a new path.  One of the ways I work to achieve reader empathy with a less-than-wholesome character is to show the mental push-pull going on.  If my heroine acts like a twit, she’d better have an inner voice questioning her behavior.  I think this helps a reader relate to someone who behaves badly because she then knows that character is acting “out of character.”

Settings and character traits do not make a story new, but if an author can fully engage her reader with likable protagonists and also create a unique setting, that story can be a classic and still feel fresh and exciting.
 
I used this technique in TAMING ROWAN, a story about a project engineer, an alpha male who lays down a “no women on site” rule, and a youthful, talented heroine who fights for acceptance.  Pretty standard fare?   However, I made it unique by making the heroine a structural engineer with just the right qualifications for the project.  Then I set the story at a remote antenna installation in northern England.  The dishy but rude British project officer is then forced by circumstances beyond his control to accept the young American.  Add the remote beauty of the Fells, cozy English pubs, wild storms, and an unwanted but undeniable attraction between the hero and heroine and you have the recipe for a romance that isn’t the norm.
 
In LOVING LUKE I have created a wounded warrior, a reclusive photographer who was badly burned in a car crash and now struggles to revive his career and heal emotionally, and a social worker with a tender heart.  Add a high-achieving family to whom she’s the square peg, a quirky gal pal, and a torrential storm that strands the heroine overnight at the hero’s cabin and… well, I’ll let you be the judge.
 
One reviewer said:  “This book hits all my love buttons!  I love the characters, from Jo, the conflicted heroine with the ritzy family, to the even more conflicted hero, Luke Falconer, who’s got demons and guilt and tremendous talent for photography and great heart, which he keeps hidden until it comes to Jo.”
 
I’d like to read your comments on what type of stories hit your love buttons.


About the Author:

Suzanne Barrett
Following a career in engineering, Suzanne has returned to her first love of writing and literature. Born in Southern California, Suzanne, along with her husband and an elderly cat make their home in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Suzanne is also a jewelry designer, and her wirework is shown at various arts and wine events throughout the county. (Visit her jewelry website at www.bellerustique.com.) In addition, she has an Irish travel website with articles, recipes and an extensive photo gallery. When she's not writing or designing jewelry, Suzanne loves to garden.

First published by Kensington Books, Suzanne's first novel for Turquoise Morning Press was Late Harvest a Mendocino California wine country story, followed by her two-time Golden Heart finalist book In Love and War a story set in County Waterford, Ireland.  Taming Rowan is set in England's Cumbria district and one borne of her work in aerospace. She has also released over the past year or so: Gift of the Heart, Sierra Bride, An Irish Rogue, Risking it All, Loving Luke and her most recent release, The Prodigal Lover

Visit Suzanne at:
www.irelandforvisitors.com
www.bellerustique.com
www.suzannebarrett.com
Twitter @suzanneb1441

Giveaway 

of Herringbone Green Jasper Earrings hand made by Suzanne 

and a digital copy of Loving Luke

TO ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY for earrings and digital copy:

1. MANDATORY FOR ENTRY: Leave a comment here for Suzanne answering "What type of stories hit your love buttons?"
2. For two additional entries visit the author's website or blog and tell me something you find of interest.
3. For an additional entry comment on my review of Loving Luke or one of my reviews of Suzanne's other titles found through this link. 

PLEASE LEAVE YOUR EMAIL OR WAY TO CONTACT YOU.
Four total entries possible; separate comments not required.

* This contest is open Worldwide.
* This contest will close 10 PM (Central) on November 2, 2012.
The winner will be randomly selected from all entries.
WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED on November 3, 2012.
Winners will have 72 hours to respond by email or the winners form linked in the announcement.  

Guest Post by Rachael Anderson and Giveaway Links

On Writing Humor

Whether a drama or a suspense or a romance, I'm the type who requires comedic relief in a story. Otherwise I come away more stressed than before, and books and movies are supposed to relieve stress (at least in my mind), not add to it. But when it comes to writing, injecting humor takes work. Your characters have to think humorous thoughts, say humorous things, and put themselves in humorous situations. And when you're not a natural-born comedian (like me), this isn't as easy as it sounds.

My books aren't slapstick humor. Nor are they the laugh out loud from start to finish type books either. They're just fun. They have funny moments, sad moments, tender moments, frustrating moments, and romantic moments. But I try to write so that the happy/funny moments outweigh all else. It all comes back to that comedic relief I mentioned before. Here's hoping I pulled it off.

Rachael
www.rachaelreneeanderson.com

About the Author:

Rachael Anderson is the author of four contemporary romances: Divinely Designed, Luck of the Draw, Minor Adjustments, and The Reluctant Bachelorette. She's the mother of four, can't sing, doesn't dance, and despises tragedies. But she recently figured out how yeast works and can now make homemade bread, which she is really good at eating.

Links:
FB fan page:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rachael-Anderson/174521852685105
Website:
http://rachaelreneeanderson.blogspot.com/
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/rachaelreneeand
Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3229576.Rachael_Renee_Anderson
Amazon author page:
http://www.amazon.com/Rachael-Renee-Anderson/e/B003357K70/

http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com/p/blog-tour.htm

Giveaway Details:

Tour Giveaway (shared rafflecopter for entry) - October 1st to 31st:
-Grand Prize
    Print copy of The Reluctant Bachelorette (Ebook for International winner)
    $15 Amazon Gift Card
    Copy of the DVD Sneakers (US only)
-Print copy of The Reluctant Bachelorette
-3 Kindle Ebook Copy of The Reluctant Bachelorette

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don't forget the Book Blast Giveaway too - see the post here.

$50 Amazon Gift Code compliments of Author Rachael Renee Anderson

OPEN WORLDWIDE.  Ends 10/31/12

You can see more guest posts and reviews along the full blog tour found here.

Giveaway + Q&A Interview with Rochelle Alers, Author of Angel's Landing

Please help me welcome National Bestselling Author Rochelle Alers.

“The lifestyle portrayed in these pages reveals snippets of the rich history of African-Americans, and the details of the island’s social structure from past eras are intriguing. It’s always a pleasure to discover little-known facts about racial history in America. Even better, the slow build to the love affair between the leads is believable and satisfying, on all levels. Sit back and enjoy!”

– RT Book Reviews, Top Pick

Q1.  I love series and I always am curious: When you do a series do you have each book plotted out before you start the first one or do the subsequent books flow from the first book?

RA:  I usually plot the first title very carefully. During that process I know whether there will be subsequent books. Spin-off characters seemingly whisper in my ear that they, too, want their stories told. This is what happened with Jeffrey Hamilton from Sanctuary Cove.

Q2.  What inspired you to write this genre?

RA: I wanted to connect with my Gullah culture, and the only way I could do that was to write about it. I’d grown listening to my mother and aunts talk about customs and superstitions that were frightening as well as fascinating. I’d believed many of the superstitions were archaic until I began researching their origins and finally understood why so many have survived countless generations spanning continents and centuries.
Q3.  If you could jump into a book, and live in that world, which would it be?

RA: I would love to live on Cavanaugh Island. Although I was born and raised in New York City – Manhattan to be exact – I’ve come to appreciate small town life where neighbors look out for one another and once the sun goes down a comforting quietness descend on the town.  There are disadvantages of living in a small town – gossip in particular, but the advantages definitely outweigh them.  Living on Cavanaugh Island is like being wrapped in a warm blanket on a cool night.  It’s nurturing and soothing.

Q4.  What is one thing you struggle with when you’re writing?

RA: There are times when I struggle with pacing.  I have to ask myself if I’m taking too long to set up the plot by bogging it down with too much detail, and if I am then I’ll definitely have to rush the ending.  There are also times when I reread what I’ve written, and then I have go back and cut, review or even tweak to even out the pacing.

Q5.  What are some of the best tips you’ve received on writing?

RA: Read in the genre in which you choose to write.  If you want to write romance, then it has to be romance.  The same can be said with mysteries or political thrillers.  I read more than 2,000 romance novels before I attempted to write one.  Many were very good and some were just okay, but they helped me to recognize the elements that identify it as a romance novel.

Q6.  Please share your most rewarding experience since being published.

RA:  I’m happy to say there are three:  The first is when I received the call from Veronica Mixon an editor for Doubleday’s Starlight Romance series that she was offering for my very first romance title.  The second was when I received the Vivian Stephens Career Achievement Award for Excellence in Romance Novel Writing.  And the third is when Latoya Smith from Hachette’s Forever line offered for the Cavanaugh Island series.  I’m certain there will be others in the future, but these are the rewarding experiences that stay with me.  

Thank you for sharing with Reviews by Martha’s Bookshelf.

Thanks also to Ms. Alers and the fine folks at Forever Romance, Hachette, for offering THREE Books for Giveaway!

TO ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY for THREE Print Copies

ENTRY FORM HERE

For 3 Extra Bonus entries Visit the author's website and tell me something you find of interest.
Extra bonus +2 for comment on Review and or Interview.

THERE WILL BE THREE WINNERS!

* This contest is only open to residents of US and Canada.

* No P.O. Boxes Please - for shipping reasons.

* Limit one win per household.

* This contest will close 10 PM (Central) on October 26, 2012.
The winner will be randomly selected from all entries.
WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED on October 27, 2012.
Winners will have 72 hours to respond by email or the winners form linked in the announcement.

Guest Post by Grace Brannigan, Author of Once Upon a Remembrance

Sharing Background on Once Upon a Remembrance

 From Grace's website:

Women of Strength trilogy, 6 members of one extended family bounding through time, encountering all kinds of  twists and turns ~ to finding love!

Back in the 1980's  and 1990's I began reading what for me was a new type of book, time travel romances. Constance O'Day-Flannery and Jude Devereaux. After reading A Knight in Shining Armor I found myself hooked on the genre. I absolutely loved the time travel idea in a romance story and decided to write my own unique time travel. The idea for Once Upon a Remembrance was born in small degrees. The original version was over 100,000 words and I decided to pare it down, edit certain scenes out, until I had the finished product of today. I enjoy placing my heroines in difficult situations that they must use their wits to figure out how to survive and flourish. Imagine being dropped in an earlier century. Imagine the confusion this would cause when everything familiar in your life is swept away!

Isabeau is a modern woman from the present time who is thrust into an earlier time. Hawk Morgan, a man from that past era, is in danger from an unknown killer. Complicating matters is his memory loss stemming from a brutal attack on him several months before Isabeau arrives. I love the South, so I placed them in the 1890's Virigina in the James River area.

Isabeau tries to unravel the mystery of how she ended up in the past, but all she knows for sure is that somehow she was summoned by means of a "devil board", a variation on a modern day Ouija Board. As Isabeau tries to help Hawk discover who is intent on killing him, she begins to care deeply for this man. What she doesn't know is that Hawk has secrets of his own, but they're locked inside his memory loss.

I love creating twists and turns in plots, internal angst and casting doubt on the character's motives. However, one thing my main characters try to do through the story is act with integrity. If you enjoy paranormal elements mixed with romance, a harkening back to manners and simpler times of the past, you just might enjoy Once Upon a Remembrance. Thank you.
Grace Brannigan

FIND GRACE:
Web: http://www.GraceBrannigan.com
Blog: http://www.GraceBrannigan.wordpress.com
Twitter: GBranniganWritr
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Grace-Brannigan-Author/276643815751843?ref=hl

Book Available:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Remembrance-Women-Strength-Travel-ebook/dp/B008WBSWY0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345064916&sr=8-1&keywords=once+upon+a+remembrance
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/213939

 Bio: Grace Brannigan lives in the Catskill Mountains. She has been writing in one format or another as long as she can remember. She has made her books in various genre available as an indie author since the 1990's. She's a swing dancer and artist, painting custom shoes or barn murals and loves to hike in the mountains where she lives.

Grace writes about strong women facing life altering issues and the men who love them. Her Women of Character series are 4 stand alone contemporary romances: Echoes from the Past, Once and Always, Heartstealer and Wishing on a Rodeo Moon, all available as ebook at Smashwords and Kindle.


The Women of Strength series is a paranormal/time travel trilogy, Once Upon a Remembrance, Book 1, out now! Book 2 Soulmates Through Time (coming late 2012) and Book 3 Treasure So Rare (coming in 2013).

Check out my Review Post and the Giveaway. Blog Tour through Lace and Lavender Book tour.

Q&A with Author, Debra Webb; Book Review: Power

Please help me welcome author Debra Webb and learn more about her new series, Faces of Evil!
{See Review below Author Interview.}

I really liked Power and actually want to go back to get the first two novels in the series! I am impressed with the character development and energy in the work.
Q1.  I love series and I like to this question:  When you do a series do you have each book plotted out before you start the first one or do the subsequent books flow from the first?

DW: Thank you so much, Martha! I wish I was such an organized planner/plotter. What I do have is an idea of the big showdown at the end and some of the points I want to hit along the way. With the Faces of Evil part of the journey is already in place. Each story will focus on a crime just a little more heinous than the last. The motive for the crime will escalate in urgency.

Q2.  Have you noted many changes in romance writing over your years of experience?

DW:  There are fewer taboos. Real life issues are explored on a much deeper level. Female characters continue to be stronger and more independent. It has been a truly interesting journey and I look forward to what’s to come!

Q3.  Can you share one of the things you found most difficult on your road to publication?

DW:  Allowing my voice to shine. There’s so much to learn when you jump into the fray of pursuing publication. You hear all these rules, all the do’s and don’t’s. Sometimes trying to color so closely inside the lines can hamper your unique voice. And fear, of course, there’s always the fear of failure which prompts striving for a more perfectly polished manuscript which can prove detrimental. Find what it is you write best. Know your genre. Know the industry. Write the book.  But remember that for every rule there is the exception. For all the do’s and don’t’s there are the did-it-anyway’s.

Q4.  In Power you touched on the topic of ‘bullies’.   Do you think that is that something you might explore more fully in another book?

DW:  I sincerely believe there’s a fine line between good old competitiveness and just being plain old mean. I don’t tolerate bullies very well. And I will be exploring the issue further in Revenge.

Q5.  If you could have a theme song for the Faces of Evil Series, what would it be? And/or do you have a dream cast for your books? 

DW:  Someone Like You by Adele!Kristen Bell would definitely be Jess!  John Cusack would be awesome as Dan!

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and good writing with readers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~:

Power
by Debra Webb

Mass Market Paperback
Publisher: Forever (March 26, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1455527564
ISBN-13: 978-1455527564

Genre: Thriller

My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0

Book Description
Release Date: March 26, 2013

Agent Jess Harris is back in another thrilling installment of Debra Webb's Faces of Evil series.

Jess is ready to start the next chapter in her life as the new deputy chief of Birmingham's major crimes division. But with her first love, Chief of Police Dan Burnett, acting as her new boss, it looks like Jess won't be able to put the past behind her that easily.

Jess has decided to focus all of her attention on work when a celebrated ballet instructor is found dead by one of her students. Though Jess's instincts tell her otherwise, the death is ruled an accident, and the case is assigned to another division. Still, Jess can't shake the feeling that there's more to the story, and her investigation leads her into the worlds of Birmingham's gang culture and its powerful elite.
Now Jess's investigation has dug a little too deep, and there's a target painted on her own forehead. Will she be able to solve the crime before her own life is in jeopardy?

Review:
Jess Harris is a tough minded female law officer.  A former FBI profiler, she has taken on a new position as the Deputy Chief of a Special Problems Unit (SPU) in Birmingham’s police department. She faces unique difficulties. Her boss is her first love and they need to walk a fine line so she isn’t shown favoritism. Jess is also  having difficulty gaining acceptance with other Deputy Chiefs who are looking for her to earn respect in their ranks. But Jess isn’t there to seek protection from Dan nor to make friends. Her goal is to solve the crime, even if it means stepping on the toes of the Homicide Division.

Jess is the first on the scene of a death of a celebrated ballet instructor. The case is pulled from her and although she wants to cooperate with the division of duties this is made difficult when outside influences and witnesses keep bringing arguments and facts to her that strengthen her belief that the death is murder, not suicide.

Jess’s division is assigned to locate a missing young black man. The boy has a good reputation and is set to go to college yet it appears there is a connection to a local gang that is becoming more of a community problem.  There is a lot of pressure to find the boy before the public or media claim the case isn’t being handled properly due to racial issues.

Jess has to juggle her unrequested leads and desire to investigate the death with her assignment to track down the missing young man. As her search gets closer she finds herself facing local gang leaders and potentially disrupting undercover operations of other law enforcement agencies. All in all, not safe places to be.

I was immediately impressed with the high level of energy that came across in the writing. Even though this is the third book in a series I was quickly drawn into the characters. It didn’t seem like a lot of backstory but there was good depth so that I felt like I understood the underlying dynamics and difficulties that were at play in the ‘office politics’ as well as several personal conflicts.  The conflicts and crime situations are real to life and touch current issues. There is a good line of suspects and clues and Jess has to hunt through the standard motives and push to find the source of evil.  The focus in this book is more mystery but it has some romantic tension as well. I enjoyed this book and I recommend it to fans of thrillers, mysteries and romantic suspense.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Part of Jess's description:

Unorthodox didn’t begin to describe her blunt, overbearing tactics. Location 359.

The investigation process:

If the motive was unearthed, all the rest fell into place. It was that simple and, at the same time, vastly complicated.  Location 1033.

I received this eBook from Forever/Hachette for an honest review.