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Tuesday, February 28, 2012

We have a cover!

It is here! The gorgeous cover for my debut book, More Than A Job, has just been finalized. Let me know if you love it as much as I do! Jenifer McConnell Ranieri, the cover artist, did a fabulous job.
Please join my blog, comment on this post, and follow. For the next month there will be a lot of excitement as we roll this one out!

Book will be available very soon!
  

Speculative Christian Fiction

I read an interview today with Jennifer Hartz, author of the Future Savior series. She labled her genre Speculative Christian Fiction. See the interview at http://abooklovingirl.blogspot.com/

That rang a bell for me immediately! Tami Dee and I are working on a series that is definately Speculative and we have struggled a little to keep a fantasy story line within our Christian values.

Fantasy has a tendency to go anywhere the imagination can go - so keeping it true to what we believe has become an ongoing conversation as we are finishing the first book of the series.

So tell me, what does Speculative Christian Fiction mean to you?  I think of some of my favorites, in the worlds of Narnia and Middle Earth, where good and evil are sketched out in detail that is true to our values and yet lets the imagination be pulled in.

What are your favorites?

Monday, February 27, 2012

Author Stephanie Burkhart

Stephanie, it has been great to learn about your books, both with Dessert Breeze and Lulu. Let's revisit some of your titles:

Katherine Archibald is in search of a grand adventure. A young woman in late Victorian England, she wants to open up a book store in London and travel Europe hunting down rare books. Love isn't on her map.

Enter Matthias Duma. The Hungarian count captures Katherine's attention like no other man before him with his unusual gold-malachite eyes, his exotic features, and his command of the night sky.

After a night of intrigue during Katherine's birthday, she discovers the map does include love in the legend, but will the map lead her to Budapest and the dark, brooding Hungarian she's just met?


Count Anton Varga is haunted by the curse of the moon. It tugs on his emotions, ravishing his soul. Anton abhors the beast he must learn to tame if he is to find peace.

Lady Amelia Andrássy is an accomplished pianist, but her life in Budapest had been filled with heartache. When Amelia faints in the Duma's bookstore, it's Anton's strong arms that cradle her fall. His unusual indigo eyes spark with hers, replacing their individual loneliness with the promise of feral passion.

After a two month separation, Anton is ready to walk into Amelia's life again, but is Amelia ready to fan the spark they shared into a flame?

Elise Goodwin finds herself faced with danger when she learns the Faberge egg she's bought belongs to a Russian mogul, Dimitri Romanov, but is Dimitri playing a game with Elise's heart to get his heirloom back?

Elise Goodwin runs a heritage museum in Brattleboro, Vermont. She travels to Boston to buy some items for her museum at Sotheby's auction. What she acquires is a delicious surprise that would excite any curator – a Faberge egg.

Enter Russian businessman Dimitri Romanov. He goes to the auction with the intent of buying the egg only to discover that Elise is in possession of it. His dilemma? He's attracted to the petite brunette with doe-like eyes and a trusting disposition.

Complicating matters is Dimitri's rival, Gustav Kelch, who wants the precious jeweled object for his own collection. Can Dimitri protect Elise from Kelch?

And there are more. Thanks for sharing the rich, interesting stories that you write.

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Across the Fickle Winds of History by S.G. Cardin aka Stephanie Burkhart



Lynette: How long have you been writing? What is your first writing/composing memory?

Steph: Believe it or not, I've been writing since I was 6. I remember I loved watching the Spiderman skits during a show called "The Electric Company." (shsh, I'm dating myself) After the show, I'd go to the kitchen table with my pencil, paper, and crayons and draw up a Spiderman comic based on the skit.

Lynette: Where do you find inspiration for your stories?

Steph: Not from dreams, surprisingly. I don't get much sleep, between 4-6 hours so I sleep very hard. Most of my inspiration comes from researching my topics.


Lynette: Who had the most positive influence on your life and why?

Steph: I did not have an idealistic childhood. I had people around me who inspired hope, but it wasn't until I met my husband did I find a positive influence that really grounded me. He's patient and kind and he helped me to grow on many levels.


Lynette: What is your favorite movie and why?

Steph: The Sound of Music. I love the music, Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer, plus I'm a sucker for a historical setting.


Lynette: If you had a time machine and could take one trip to any time in history, where would we find you?

Steph: Across the Fickle Winds of History alongside Paul and Ian as they meet Czar Nicholas II's daughters, Olga, Tatiana, Marie, and Anastasia.


Lynette: Tell us "Across The Fickle Winds of History".

Steph:  It's published under my pen name, SG Cardin through Lulu.com It's a 40K novella and is a "sensual/warm" time traveling romance.

It is set in 1913, which brought the tercentenary of the Romanov dynasty to Russia and the last glory days to Nicholas II and his family – but even as the Romanovs celebrated, the underpinnings of discontent and dissension began to make their way through Russian society.

It is in this world that Olga Nicolaievna Romanov finds herself coming of age. A young woman of seventeen, Olga and her sisters meet three strangers on the grounds of the Catherine Palace. Immediately, she's drawn to a handsome young man, Paul Kerensky. The girls take the strangers into their home – and their hearts.

 Soon, Olga begins to suspect the intriguing stranger she's come to know is not who he appears to be. Her head and heart wage war, as Paul leaves clues to his true identity and the reason as to why he's come into her life. When she discovers Paul's secret, she realizes her country is at a crossroads – and she must choose the path her country has to follow.

Lynnette: That is a heart-pounding summary. Let's leave our readers with some reviews of "Across the Fickle Winds of History".

REVIEWS:

"A creative and surprising theory that solved the murders of the Romanovs." – Aimee Merizon, ForeWord Magazine

4 Stars, Lulu Book Review

"Cardin breathes a certain life into her characters and setting that make this short novella quite intense. " – Shannon Yarbourgh

ENJOY THIS EXCERPT:
I took his hand and led him to the nearest balcony, wanting to be away from prying eyes. With the glass door shut behind us, I pulled him to the darkest corner of the balcony had to offer and put my hands on his waist, looking up into his eyes. My heart pounded in my chest as my breathing became deep and ragged.

"What spell have you woven over me, handsome stranger? You have been on my mind since the moment I saw you? And what will happen when this evening ends? Will you go home the way you came?"

"I…I can't go home. Not yet," he choked. His entire body shook, as if he was holding himself in rigid check.

"Will you stay at the palace?"

"I have no reason to."

"Are you looking for one?"

BUY LINKS:
LULU:  http://www.lulu.com/browse/search.php?fListingClass=0&fSearch=across+the+fickle+winds+of+history

FIND STEPH ON THE WEB AT:
WEBSITE: http://www.stephanieburkhart.com


FACEBOOK:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stephanie-Burkhart-Author/149938795021166

GOOD READS:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4031660.Stephanie_Burkhart

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Coming Soon: Stephanie Burkhart

 Join me tomorrow to welcome Stephanie and learn about her books and her writing experience!  
Stephanie Burkhart was born in Manchester, New Hampshire. She received a B.S. in Political Science from California Baptist University in 1995. She served in U.S. Army from 1986-1997, spending seven years in Germany. Her interests include exploring European history and watching Dancing with the Stars. Stephanie lives in California and works for LAPD's Communications Division as a 911 Dispatcher. She's married with two young sons.

When you check our publisher's site at http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-template/StephanieBurkhart/Page.bok you will find a DOZEN covers on her author page.  Wow,:Stephanie, can't wait to learn from you!  One of these is Book Two Borealis: A Space Anthology, a favorite of mine. Here are a few of them to whet your appetite!






Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Happy Birthday to me!

In honor of my 60th birthday my Dad sent me this photo from a 4th grade birthday party at my house. My brother David and sister Karen also share birthdays in the same week.

Front row, brother David, brother Michael, Carla Patton, Carolyn Stever, Janet Gum and off to the right my sister Karen.
Row two: Barbara Pilgrim, Jancie Smith, Mary Ann Richars, Linda Hill.
Top row: Mary Wait, me, Margaret Iberg, Kathy Moore and Mary Lou Imans. Even though I moved away after High School about half of us are still in touch.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Interview with Sadie and Sophie Cuffee

How long have you been writing? What is your first writing/composing memory?

Sadie: I've been writing since 1988 (and you'd think I'd be better at it by now, wouldn't you!) You know those authors who wrote honkin' stories and had them published in the newspapers by the time they were 6 years old? Not me (can you say late, late bloomer?). My first composing memory must be in 1988, I wrote some really bad poetry for awhile until my good friend (who is a gifted writer and poet) looked at one of my poems and, in true sisterhood fashion, said, "I think this would make a good story." So I ditched the rhyming dictionary (that speaks volumes, right there) and moved on to a better skill set match of farm & gardening articles (in my former life I was a commercial grower and landscaper), newspaper columns, and kids stories.

When I first saw this question, what came to mind for me as a composing memory was our dad. He used to write lyrics and poems, and composed some pretty cool stuff that I didn't fully appreciate as a kid; but now I see how gifted he was (and he'd say it wasn't him, it was all God, and he'd be right!)

Sophie: Technically speaking, I could write before Sadie was born (that never gets old for me - hahaha), but professionally speaking, she got me started.  She was writing for God's World Publications at the time and suggested I send in some samples.  The editor said he liked my work and wanted to use an article in the next publication, but could I revisit it and make a couple of changes. Unfortunately, my ancient-at-the-time Mac had eaten my homework.I couldn't find it anywhere. A call to the local computer gurus said yes, they could retrieve it from the netherworld of the hard drive, but it would probably cost around $35.  So I cowgirled up and rewrote the whole thing.  That was my first lesson in SAVE, SAVE, SAVE!

Where do you find inspiration for your stories?
S & S: Inspiration usually smacks us between the eyes in an experience we’ve had, (just last week we slid off the ice into the ditch and had to be towed out...ugh! But Sophie said, “We can use this in a book!”), or in dialog we hear, or in a million little observances of the oddities and wonders of 21st century life. It always takes awhile to sink in, and then we have to rummage for a piece of paper and write it down. We also find inspiration in asking, “What if?”

Who had the most positive influence on your life and how?
Sadie: That’s a tough one. As a Christian it’s really a two-fold answer. Obviously Jesus had, and continues to have, the best positive influence on my life by enabling me to grow to be more like Him. He’s taught me to think outside my small plans and have the courage and zeal to embrace His plan for my life, which is HUGE!

On the human side, there’re too many good people to pick just one. I've been truly blessed. (But I hate it when someone pulls the ethereal card, especially when it's me!) If I have to pick someone, I would say my sister. She’s my one-and-only. And as a big sister, there’s none better. She got up in the middle of the night and killed a spider on my bed with a well-aimed sneaker, then when I fussed (Hey, I was just a little kid!) that its crumpled body was still looking at me, she disposed of it without rancing on me. Greater love hath no sister than that, and it’s only gotten better with the passing of the years. Her example inspires me every day!

Sophie: I'm going to copy Sadie's first part, because Jesus Christ makes all the difference and is THE great influencer.

Our father was a huge influence on me. I never heard him swear, use the Lord’s name in vain, or lose his cool.  He was confident without being arrogant; fair without compromise; unconditional love personified, regardless of social status, educational status, economic status, race, religion, or creed.  But, as Sadie pointed out earlier, he'd have been the first to tell you it wasn't him, it was Jesus Christ in him that made him who he was. 

What is your favorite movie and why?
Sadie: I have a handful I really like, most of which are dated now. But at this moment I’d choose, “While You Were Sleeping.” Why? It’s got great dialog, classic lines, and perfectly-done family scenes (like the one around the supper table). I’m a sucker for ordinary blue-collar folks like us who dream big but enjoy the here and now on their own terms. It also has great characters and one of our goats is named Jo Jr., so it brings to mind the movie every day.

Sophie:  Hmmm, this is hard.  I'll go with "Sleepless in Seattle" (I'm noticing a pattern here!).  It's one of those movies where you just want them to get together, and they keep missing.  Plus it has one of my favorite lines, "It scares me what they aren't teaching you in school these days!"

If you had a time machine and could take one trip to any time in history, where would we find you?
Sadie: Back in the 1890’s traveling across the country from Maine to California so I could check out our great-grandparents on both coasts and do a little pioneering out west (and maybe even travel up to Alaska and strike it rich, or be one of the first women to write about it.)

Sophie: I'd like to go into the future and see my grandchildren as adults.

What are your hobbies?
S&S: Hiking, snowshoeing, skiing, ice skating, camping, backpacking, fitness, sewing, cooking, knitting, gardening, reading, crafts, music.

Tell us about your other occupations/jobs, besides writing.
S&S: At present we have a small dairy farm, so that keeps us busy caring for the goats and chickens year round, fixing fence in the spring (heavy early snow last fall did a number on some of our fence so we’ve got our work cut out for us in May), repairing the old tractor, planting the vegetable garden (and flower gardens, you gotta have some outdoor natural bling), clearing fields, and cutting hay in the summer, and splitting and stacking wood in fall and winter. We also work as worship team/administrative assistants in the church, and are involved in nursing home, youth, and musical ministries on a weekly basis.

http://www.amazon.com/Wainright-Trilogy-Book-One-ebook/dp/B0067D6N6E/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1321791291&sr=1-2

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Sadie & Sophie Cuffe visit tomorrow, February 17

The Cuffe sisters will be visiting for an interview tomorrow. Let's take a peek at their most recent release. Please put any questions in the comments.

FAITH IN THE SHADOWS
by Sadie & Sophie Cuffe

The purple splotched birthmark on her cheek brands Alice Wainwright a spinster. When a gentleman courts her, she jumps into a loveless engagement to Joshua, a braggart in desperate need of cash.

His groom, Hawk, knows Joshua's dirty secrets but, as a blind Civil War veteran, he has few choices. His employer's threats make it clear he'll be on the street if he breathes a word of the truth to Alice.

When Joshua bullies Alice at their engagement party, Hawk steps out of the dark and becomes her champion. Torn between honor and need, Hawk comes to work for the Wainwright family.

Alice and Hawk share the same vulnerability and pride. When friendship quickly turns to love, each is blinded by a dark secret. Joshua's interference plays on their insecurities and threatens their future together. Can they face the truth about themselves and each other before they're torn apart?

purchase links for FAITH IN THE SHADOWS:
http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-225/The-Wainright-Trilogy-Book/Detail.bok
http://www.amazon.com/Wainright-Trilogy-Book-One-ebook/dp/B0067D6N6E/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1321791291&sr=1-2

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Dangerous Ties by Debra Parmer released today

Lynette: Well, Debra, the day is here. Your second book, Dangerous Ties, was released today. Tell us a little about it.
Debra: How about a short exerpt? Here is how the book opens:
Nevada 1860
Pain erased all sense of time. Lillian didn't know how long she'd hung, her muscles exhausted from the strain, her mind full of warnings she was helpless to do anything about.
Her throat was raw from screaming before Grady had gagged her. Now the cloth gag stuck to her dry tongue. She squinted through tired eyes at the pail of water sitting by the edge of the mineshaft. She could look right down into it, the water taunting her with how good it looked, how it would taste cool and refreshing as it slid over her tongue, down her throat. It would soothe her throat if she could just reach it.
But there was no hope of that.
They'd tied her up and left her to die of thirst. Lillian closed her eyes.
No, don't look at it. Don't think of it. Think of something else.
Pain shot from her broken right toe up her ankle and leg. The scent of burnt flesh still filled her nostrils. He'd seared the brand across the top of her breast. Memory lodged in her body where pain radiated along with heat, echoes of his laughter still ringing in her ears.
A single tear slipped out and ran down her cheek.
It hadn't mattered what he did to her or how relentless they were. She still couldn't tell them where the money was. She couldn't tell because she didn't know. And no amount of torture could change that one fact.
Lillian squeezed her eyes tight and prayed her lie had bought enough time to get away. Though how she'd ever get out of this she didn't know.
She had to get away before he returned, angrier than ever because she'd lied.
Mr. Thomas Shelton, her former fiancé, was probably well to California by now, and rich as the cream Lillian used to pour into her tea every afternoon. He'd done more than abandon her along with the promises he'd made to her. He'd left her to face the anger of everyone in town who he had robbed.

Lynette: Oh, WOW,  now I have to go and read it as soon as we are finished today. Sounds very intense.
If you could bring one character to life, who would it be and why?
Debra: My characters feel very real to me, and I love them all.  I think it would be great fun to have a dinner party and have them all show up.  But if I have to choose just one, I’d say the hero in the novel I am working on now.  His dark hair of his is just so touchable and those deep brown eyes… not to mention the way his voice makes my toes want to curl, and that slow smile when he gets that look in his eyes, makes me want to ….Oh,dear. *blush* (Now what were we talking about?  It is so hard to concentrate once he enters the room.)

Lynette: Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?
Debra: I think if we do the things that bring us joy, those things can never be the wrong things to do.  For me, the act of writing brings great joy.  If you, as an aspiring writer, have that joy in your writing, it is one thing you can hold onto when the hurricane winds come. And those winds do come. Beyond that, it takes a certain amount of persistence and drive to be published, along with a belief in yourself.                                                                                  I collect quotes, some of which you can find on my website and this is one of my favorites: “Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions.  Small people always do that, but the really great make youfeel that you, too can become great.” – Mark Twain
I would add one thing.  Sometimes it is impossible to keep away from such small persons, and if so, you absolutely must ignore them.                       Lynette: Is there anything else that you would like to share with us?    Debra: Oh, yes! There are so many things I’m looking forward to!  My first novel, A Desperate Journey, is also available as an ebook   https://www.mybookstoreandmore.com/shop/product.da/a-desperate-journey
Please visit my website.

Valentine's Day! Check out the February Love Stories

Here are some of my publisher's new releases for February (a few of them tomorrow)! These would make GREAT Valentine's Day gifts for yourself or someone you love. Lots of variety in styles and the time period in which they appear. All are available as e-books. Two are now available in print. As an added bonus, Desert Breeze Publishing clearly indentifies how sweet or racy each book is. Check out their site at http://www.desertbreezepublishing.com  You can get in many electronic formats to fit your personal e-reader.

When Jess Colton stops drinking, he replaces alcohol with food, and nothing Holly Harrison does eases the pain of her past mistakes. Can their romance survive the obstacles from their former lives?



New Orleans Detectives Book One: Cherished Witness
Kelly Watson - aka Teresa Pastral - A beautiful protected witness is forced to trust her life to the man who betrayed her to the mob. Can she also trust him with her heart? Now also available in print.
Rich McConnell's past catches up with him when a sniper's bullet shatters the quiet morning... and with it, his illusion of second chance love with Ada Blaine.

Of course you will also want to pick up Book One: Deadly Reflection.

Granite Rose 
In a rare test of love and courage, enemies ignite each other's souls and learn that love really does conquer all.

The Roarin' Twenties Book Two: Mercies in Disguise
Abigail Madison finally finds a man who captures her affections – Ticonderoga's steamboat pilot, Stanley Fisher. But will the tender shoots of love have a chance bloom after a serious illness strikes and threatens their happiness?

No Other
Getting his high school diploma was a necessity if Jakob Wilheimer was going to reclaim his life after the war. The last thing he expected was for Meri Parker, an old schoolmate, to be his teacher – or that reclaiming his life, meant saving hers.  A Desert Breeze best seller, now available in print.


Dangerous Ties
Lillian is just as much a victim as the townsfolk when her fiance runs off with their gold, though none of the townsfolk believe her and the most dangerous man in town is determined to make her talk.



                                      Restored Dreams
In Restored Dreams a struggling homeowner abandons all hope of making further repairs to her Victorian home until she learns to trust and love the contractor who restores her dreams.


Death Cheater
She's always suspected she could somehow cheat death, but Athena Gray has never fully understood why, until now.





Daradawn Book Two: The Emerald Dagger
Kelsey Cafferty returns to Daradawn to again battle the dark mage Dirkk., but this time Dirkk's evil is aided by the emerald dagger and the demon that lives inside of it. Will the magic of the blue flame be powerful enough to conquer both?
And of course Book One is also available at the publisher's site.

Monday, February 13, 2012

Debra Parmley visits February 15

Here is a preview. Tune in February 15 for the rest of this interview with Debra.

Lynette: What is your perfect writing environment?


Debra: I used to write at my PC with my golden retriever, Trixie, by my side and we had a little routine. She would remindme when it was time to eat lunch and let her out. (I sometimes forget to eat, or even to drink the glass of water, which is sitting right next to me if I get wrapped up in the story.) After Trixie died, I was unable to write for almost six months. The environment only reminded me of her and I would get too choked up. So to break out of that grip of sadness and get back to writing again, I actually sat on my bed with a legal pad and told myself “I can write any time, anywhere, in the midst of anything.” And then I started to write that down on the legal pad and after a while I didn’t need to sit at that computer any more and eventually I was able to getback to writing my stories. 

Lynette: Wow, our pets can be a muse, but it sure hurts to lose them. My dog is about two feet from me right now.
Debra: My first book, A Desperate Journey, was dedicated to Trixie, in memory of, and it will always remind me of her.

Dangerous Ties, release Feb 15, 2012, Desert Breeze Publishing
A Desperate Journey, available now

Debra was born in Columbus, Ohio and raised in Springfield, OH but has lived in the Memphis, TN area since 1997. She attended Marywood University in Scranton, PA and was the first student to win first place in two categories of the Delta Epsilon Sigma Beta Epsilon Chapter writing competition, in creative prose and in informal expository. Her poetry was published in literary journals while attending college.  She holds a BA in English Literature.

Debra has traveled extensively and worked as an independent travel consultant for several years. She has visited thirteen countries. She has also worked in banking, newspaper advertising, as city recycling co-coordinator, as an office manager, and as a belly dance instructor.
Her first short story, published in the anthology More Monsters From Memphis, was a finalist in the Darrell Awards for best Mid-South short story.

Her first novel, A Desperate Journey, a western historical romance, was a finalist in the Bobbi Smith Creative Writing Challenge.  Not long afterward it was a finalist in the American Title II contest.  For those not familiar with the contest, she describes it as similar to the American Idol contest, but for authors. Readers voted online and the prize was a publishing contract. A Desperate Journey was published a year later by Samhain Publishing. Debra's second book, Dangerous Ties, will be published by Desert Breeze Publishing.
When not writing, Debra enjoys dancing, primitive archery and medieval reenactment, yoga, scrap booking, practicing Reiki, and traveling.

For Debra, writing is about joy. The joy of creation and the joy of connecting with her readers. It is one of her greatest pleasures to hear from her readers.

This Blog received the Liebster Award!

Jude Urbanski, a fellow author at Desert Breeze Publishing, bestowed this award. Thanks, Jude.  Be sure to visit her blog at http://judeurbanski.blogspot.com/

 In case, you've never heard of this nice award, it's for small blogs (less than 200 members) shouting out with love. Quite appropriate for a blog about Romance Novels.
Legend has it that The Liebster Blog Award originated in Germany. Liebster means dearest or beloved, and Liebe is love. The award is meant to encourage readership of small, lovable blogs with fewer than 200 followers.
In accepting the Liebster Blog Award, the recipient agrees to thank the person who gave them the award and link back to that person’s blog and must reveal five snippets about themselves that readers may not already know.


Hmm.  Five snippets you may not already know:
1. I am a preacher's kid.
2. Both my husband and I are ordained ministers.
3. My daughter's husband took her last name when they married, because she is the only child of an only son of and only son, and the name would otherwise end with her. Sweet guy, huh? Sometimes people aren't sure which one is our child, or even that they are married and not sibblings. We straighten them out as we can.
4. My real last name isn't Endicott. I borrowed that from my family's genealogy.
5. Before we moved to California we never had pets. (Even as a child there were no successful long-term pet experiences.) Now we have scads.

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Interview with Sharon Lathan

Lynette – What was your first job?
Sharon – As a youth it was babysitting and working in an antique store. Tax-free but quite lucrative! At least to a teenager. My first “real” job was in a grocery store as a checker. I actually loved that job. Met lots of nice people, including the really hot firemen from the station nearby. :-)

Lynette – Tell us about your hobby.
Sharon – When I have time to indulge in a hobby (and that is rare) I love to scrapbook. I have tons of supplies, both paper and digital.

Lynette – Who influenced your life in a positive way? What part of your character do you attribute to this person?
Sharon – Hands down, no debate, the one person who has most influenced my life in a 100% positive way is Jesus Christ. I came to know the Lord when I was 9 so can’t say for certain what my character would be if I had never known Him. I can imagine based on my family’s choices and my own stupid decisions now and again, and I don’t think it would be pretty! I owe everything to Jesus and am very glad He is still working on me.

Lynette – What’s your favorite movie and why?
Sharon – I have to say two. My all-time favorite movie is the original Star Wars series. I know that is 3 movies, but they go together so it counts as one! I was young when George Lucas released Star Wars, saw it on the big screen and was blown away by what was at that time a revolutionary cinematic creation. All these decades later, the original series holds up as a remarkable story by a true visionary.
Secondly, again lumping 3 movies as one, my favorite is The Lord of the Rings. I am a Tolkien fanatic and have been since I was 12 when my sister handed me The Hobbit. Peter Jackson and crew performed a miracle as far as I am concerned. If I had the chance to hang out with Mr. Jackson for a day I would be in heaven.
Lynette - I so agree. When I first read the Lord of the Rings I remember thinking it could never be made into a movie because there was no way Tolkien's images could be duplicated on film. With the advances in digital technology Jackson was able to do it, wasn't he?

Lynette – If you had a time machine and could take one trip to any time in history, where would we find you?
Sharon – I love all history so would have a hard time picking one place only, but considering what I write, the choice would have to be Regency Era England. Gotta see if we Regency romance novelists are truly getting it right! Personally I would be looking for the scandalous, just to prove people 200 years ago were just as human as we are!

Lynette:  Thanks again for joining me, Sharon. This has been fun. Any last remarks?
Sharon: Well, there you have it. Or at least as much as I can share in a small space. Gotta leave some mystery, right? Thanks for joining me . Feel free to ask more questions of me by posting comments here.

My current work-in-progress is a novel based on a Darcy character of my creating. Dr. George Darcy is the brother of James Darcy and thus the uncle of Fitzwilliam Darcy. You can read about him in all of my novels, beginning with his introduction in Loving Mr. Darcy. I am busily writing now with a deadline of May 2012 for a planned release in the Spring of 2013 by Sourcebooks, Inc.
This image is one I rather like for Dr. Darcy, although he isn’t exactly what I picture in my head. For now it will do until I have a book cover.

 Synopsis ~~
George Darcy is the second son of a wealthy landowner in Georgian Era England. At 22 he is one of the youngest medical doctorate graduates of Cambridge University and admitted licentiate from the London Royal College of Physicians, and thus considered a brilliant, rising star in England’s field of medicine. Yet Dr. Darcy refuses the easy, comfortable pathway and enlists as a physician with the British East India Company, embarking on a personal quest to broaden his education and practice his craft without the restraints imposed by British society.
Dr. George Darcy will cover roughly thirty-five years in the life of this incredible, eccentric man. Using vivid descriptions of the culture and atmosphere, the story will trace his early steps as a new doctor in a strange land on to his eventual return to England and his childhood home thirty years later. This is a story of India and the people as well as of the diseases and medical care available. Primarily, however, this is the story of one man who strived to change the face of medicine while yearning to fill the void left within his soul upon the death of his identical twin when they were 12. His search for family, enduring love, and lost companionship is a quest not wholly realized until returning to England and Pemberley. There a new generation of family and friends will heal the physician, and to his greatest surprise, the true love of his life awaits.

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Coming Soon: Interview with Austen Author Sharon Lathan

When I met Sharon Lathan at our local Yosemite Romance Writers chapter of Romance Writers of America, I was fascinated by the premise, that the characters of Jane Austen's Pride and Predjudice had a life after the end of Austen's work.  Taking the characters from their wedding day forward, Lathan gives us what we all wanted when we finished the original book - the rest of the story.
Sharon Lathan is a native Californian currently residing amid corn, cotton, and cows in the sunny San Joaquin Valley town of Hanford. She divides her time between being a homemaker, nurturing her own Mr. Darcy and two children, and working as a registered nurse in a Neonatal ICU while also trying to write!

Inspired by the 2005 movie adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice, Sharon has embarked upon a journey of happily-ever-after life for the Darcys amid the fascinating world of Regency Era England. Her sequel series consists of 6 novels and one novella as part of an anthology. Her work-in-progress is the saga of a physician in Georgian Era India with a contracted release for Summer 2013.


Authors/AABadge.gifMr. & Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy: Two Shall Become One
Loving Mr. Darcy: Journeys Beyond Pemberley
My Dearest Mr. Darcy
In The Arms of Mr. Darcy
A Darcy Christmas
The Trouble with Mr. Darcy
Miss Darcy Falls in Love
Dr. George Darcy - coming in 2013
https://www.facebook.com/SharonLathanNovelist?sk=wall 

Friday, February 10, 2012

Author KT Hall visits February 11

Lynette: How long have you been writing? What is your first writing/composing memory?
K.T.: I was in kindergarten and wrote a Tom-and-Jerry, cat-and-mouse kind of picture story. I don’t remember the circumstances, but I won some sort of award for it. I suppose my young mind made this connection with writing and reward, because I’ve had this drive to be a writer ever since.
Lynette: Where do you find inspiration for your stories?
Anywhere and everywhere. I used to be able to just look around, pick somebody, and “write”them in as a character in a fictional story. I haven’t done that as much recently, though. Usually, larger stories are the result of many different pieces and parts coming to together as they see fit. For example, in my upcoming story The Night Life, Richard Broozer (the main character) actually started out as being married to a woman named Peggy, who became an exotic dancer to pay off a debt. Now, Peggy is Tanya, who dances because of dreams lost, while Richard is somewhat of a lifelong bachelor.
Lynette: That sounds facinating. Can't wait to take a look at The Night Life.
Who had the most positive influence on your life and how?
K.T.: I’m not sure I can really pick one and only person to answer this question, since many people, including parents and teachers, managed to influence my life positively in some way over the years. Currently, my boyfriend is probably my most positive influence, not only because he’s my personal cheerleader, but also because he makes me eat when I’ve forgotten over the hours lost. :S
Lynette: What is your favorite movie and why?
K.T.: The Butterfly Effect is my favorite movie because of my love of time travel movies and the overarching question of “What would happen if [x] had/hadn’t occurred?” My books Family History: Part 1 and Family History: Part 2 both discuss the possibility of time travel and its consequences, though the outcome is far different then seen in The Butterfly Effect.
Lynette: If you had a time machine and could take one trip to any time in history, where would we find you?
K.T.: For some reason, I’m more fascinated with the changes that have occurred over the last century than any other century. Truthfully, I would love to have been born around the year 1900 just so I can grow up to watch the changes brought on by both World Wars, the rapid cultural changes during the 1960’s and ‘70’s, and of course, the emergence of so many technologies we take for granted today (radio, television, phone, etc.). However, if I had to choose one specific time to go back, I would probably travel back to about 1960 and seize every opportunity to see every famous rock band to emerge between then and about 1980.
Lynette: What are your hobbies?
K.T.: Writing, of course! Though if I’m not writing, there’s a decent possibility I’m running around somewhere with my camera on hand – I love photography.
Lynette: Tell us about your other occupations/jobs, besides writing.
Right now, I’m a blissfully unemployed student studying physiology.




http://predictedhindsight.blogspot.com/
Twitter: @KT_Hall_Author

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Coming soon, Author KT Hall Interview

With her love of words, photography, travel, and science, KT Hall is either en route to becoming the most interesting woman in the world or an unfulfilled starving artist. She has spent entire summers living in tents, devoted herself to a future career in Neuroscience, and has written and published three major novels, with a fourth novel, 'The Night Life', in the works."

Sounds interesting, huh?  I am sure her books are too. Check in tomorrow to learn more.

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Interview with June Foster, Author of Give us This Day

Lynette: Welcome, June. I know you are very excited about the release of Give Us This Day on February 1. Help us get to know you a little better. How long have you been writing? What is your first writing/composing memory?
June: Lynette, my story is probably different than anyone else's. I never wrote as a youth and still had no desire to do so even after I retired. I wrote academically when I got my BA and MA and that was all. After I retired from teaching, I noticed a story lurking in my head. I even knew what the characters looked like and what they were doing but never thought much of it. After about 5 years, I happened to tell my daughter the story, and she asked me why I didn't write it. That was the spark I needed. I got a Toshiba laptop, as many "how to" books as I could, and started pounding the keys. Now I've got so many stories in my head, I don't know if I'll live long enough to tell them all. (smile)

Lynette: Where do you find inspiration for your stories?
June: For my very first story, the one I told my daughter, I believe it had to be God who put it in my heart. Since then, I try to think of issues that Christians deal with, and many times we want to sweep under the carpet. In my stories, my hero and heroine find victory from their addictions, negative traits, and the sin that holds them captive.

Lynette: Who had the most positive influence on your life and how?
June: That's easy. It was the Lord. Like Jess Colton in Give Us This Day, I was raised in a dysfunctional family and looked to "things" to bring me comfort. After I gave my life to the Lord, my world was turned upside down. The things that mattered so much to me, no longer did, and I try to rely on God for my comfort.

Lynette: What is your favorite movie and why?
June: One you've probably never heard of because it came out in the 40's. Well, I'm not quite that old, but I saw it on a classic movie channel once. Because I grew up in a marginal Christian home, I wasn't even sure there was a God. One New Year's Eve, I stayed up late and watched And The Next Voice You Hear. It was about the people in a little town who believed God was going to speak on a radio broadcast. They gathered in a church for the program. For some reason, God used this, I have no idea how, but afterward, I knew that God was real. From there, I went on to learn about His Son, Jesus.
Lynette: If you had a time machine and could take one trip to any time in history, where would we find you?
June: Certainly it would be to the time of Christ to witness the all the events of the New Testament.

Lynette: What are your hobbies?
June: Now, writing is my sole hobby.  And really it's more than a hobby. Before I started writing, I scrapbooked and made cards. I enjoyed traveling with my husband in our RV and read.

Lynette: Tell us about your other occupations/jobs, besides writing.
June: I am a retired teacher with 34 years experience. I taught in the lower grades, but my last couple of years of teaching, I taught ESL in Seattle. It was so interesting as I taught English to children from 10 different language groups – among them Spanish, Vietnamese, Arabic, Mandarin Chinese, and Russian.

About Give Us This Day:
When Jess Colton walks away from his past, he leaves alcohol behind but replaces it with a food addiction, yet nothing Holly Harrison does will allow her to escape from her mistakes. Can their romance survive the obstacles from their former lives?
http://junefoster.blogspot.com 
http://infinitecharacters.com  (I share this one with 4 other writers)
http://www.desertbreezepublishingcompany.com  (my publishing company)
My ebooks can be downloaded at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Desert Breeze.