Christmas Blog Tour Continues with Rae Summers

Rae Summers
Author

The Christmas Blog Tour continues and our guest is the energetic Rae Summers. Rae lives in South Africa where she works in television advertising, a line of work that is not always as glamorous as it seems. When she isn’t working or being mom to two young daughters, Rae can be found with her nose in a book.


Rae’s first grade teacher was so seriously concerned by her day dreaming that she called her parents in for a conference. Fortunately, her parents staunchly defended Rae’s right to daydream and these days she’s able to prove their faith right by turning those day dreams into stories. She hopes her stories bring as much pleasure to her readers as they bring to her. Rae, I’ll turn the blog over to you.



Thanks for hosting me here today, Caroline. Today’s blog tour theme is our favourite Christmas movie or story.

Please don’t shoot me, but I’m going to make a confession. I’m not really big on Christmas-themed books or movies. I find most either lean towards being silly (like National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation) or overly sentimental (like It’s a Wonderful Life) or moralising (like Dickens’ Christmas Carol).

But there’s one Christmas film that stands out for me, and which I could happily watch every year: the 1947 version of Miracle on 34th Street. This movie starred Maureen O’Hara and John Payne, with 9-year old Natalie Wood as the child whose innocent belief changes the lives of all those around her.

I think what I liked best about this movie is its innocence. Unlike the 1994 version (starring the very gorgeous Dylan McDermott, alongside Elizabeth Perkins and Richard Attenborough) this one doesn’t ‘pour on the treacle’. It’s a fairy tale that doesn’t take itself too seriously.


Researching this blog post I also found out a few interesting bits of trivia about the original film that I thought I’d share with you:


 Studio bosses at 20th Century Fox weren’t particularly keen on this film, but they made it anyway so they could coerce director George Seaton into making his next film for them.

Maureen O'Hara hugging
Natalie Wood

 The film was released in June, not at Christmas, because the studio figured more people watch movies in summer, so it would earn more. They kept the Christmas aspect out of the original poster, and the trailer showed a studio executive talking to people on the film lot about the movie, rather than clips from the film itself.


 Parts of the film were shot in Macy’s department store, and the parade is the real Macy’s parade. By the 1990s this iconic store was replaced by a generic no-name brand version. A sad sign of our times.

Edmund Gwen (who still
epitomizes Santa for me)
and Natalie Wood

 This film spawned three remakes (1959, 1973 and 1994) and a Broadway musical. The most recent version might be beautifully filmed, but for me it’s the original that holds my heart.

What is your favourite Christmas movie?

Caroline: And now let's learn about Rae's book LET'S MISBEHAVE.

Let's Misbehave now available

Let’s Misbehave Blurb:



Gabrielle is the quintessential Flapper, a wild child who turns her back on home and a resentful and unloving mother to become a nightclub singer. She wants nothing more from life than freedom and pleasure.


Sebastian is a dutiful son, following in his father’s footsteps and on the verge of marrying a suitable bride. But as the Twenties roar to their conclusion, he finds himself torn between duty and the urge to indulge his adventurous streak.


From the moment Gabrielle and Sebastian meet, the tension between them simmers. When he rescues her from a boorish suitor, Gabrielle discovers a kindred spirit beneath Sebastian’s serious demeanour, and she sets out to seduce him into one last passionate fling before he settles for a loveless marriage.


But the fire that burns between them threatens to consume her. Will Gabrielle survive falling in love with the one man she cannot have?


Buy Links
TWRP: http://www.thewildrosepress.com/lets-misbehave-p-4119.html

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Lets-Misbehave-ebook/dp/B003V4B6AK/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&m=A7B2F8DUJ88VZ&s=digital-text&qid=1279057490&sr=8-7

All Romance Ebooks: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-letsmisbehave-443785-158.html


* * *
Rae's running a contest over on her blog at http://raesummers.wordpress.com/ where two winners will each win traditional Christmas tree ornaments. In order to enter you need to become a follower of her blog or her fan page, or re-tweet her posts. And you’ll need to leave her a comment letting her know you’ve entered!


Rae, thanks so much for sharing all the tidbits about "Miracle on 34th Street," which happens to be one of my three favorite Christmas movies. Like you, I don't like the goofy or saccherine movies. This one is perfect, and I loved the musical, too. This time of year I'm humming "That Man Over There Is Santa Claus" from the stage show.
 
Today, I'm over at P.L. Parker's blog talking about the same subject. What other two movies did I choose? Check out the answer at http://plparker.blogspot.com/
 
For more on the Christmas Blog Tour, check out the site http://rosestour.blogspot.com/

Life of the Toureio Equestre and Rejoneo by Bianca Swan

Spanish Rojoneo and horse in Capriole

The art of bullfighting on horseback, as currently practiced in Portugal where it is called toureio equestre, and in Spain and Mexico where it is called rejoneo, claims a direct origin to the Iberian Peninsula, having developed from Middle Ages war exercises, particularly the cavalry.

Coridas mixtas are also popular, where a rejoneador and two matadores (or a rejoneador, matador and novillero - the last of which is an apprentice matador) perform.

During a performance, rejoneadores often ride several horses. Bullfighting horses are highly trained to swerve instantly, yet remain calm when charged by a fierce, angry bull. They must possess an extreme bravura, agility, and obedience. The rejoneador often rides with his reins bound at the horse’s neck, working completely off his seat and legs.

A rejoneador's usual costume consists of a dark waistcoat (usually brown or grey), brown leather chaps and a broad, straight-brimmed hat.



Available Now
The Wild Rose Press
Wilder Catalog

   In Hot Spanish Nights, the hero is a famous dressage rider and a rejoneador, the mounted bullfighter. Damian is the son and heir to a sherry empire as well, and the Xeres are well-known for their fine Andalusian horses. Besides being talented for high school dressage, the Andalusian is renowned as the bullfighting horse of Spain.


Erica DeLongpre ventures to Spain in search of the perfect Andalusian stallion—and finds a two-legged stud much to her liking. In Damian’s arms, Erica finds her own sexuality and redefines herself—a self she thought she’d never meet.

Blurb:  Southern vixen Erica DeLongpre journeys to Spain to find the horse of her dreams, never expecting to find a man capable of stirring her sexual awareness. Damián Xeres, a renowned bullfighter is deliciously skilled on a horse–and in bed. But a woman from Damian’s past rattles Erica’s confidence and threatens the very essence of her trip. With Lucia waiting for the slightest chink in her armor, Erica can’t help wonder what lies ahead in those HOT SPANISH NIGHTS.


PG Excerpt:

Erica DeLongpre was living her fantasy.
At last, she was in Spain, in Andalusia.
And in lust.

She and tall, dark and handsome Damián Xérès rode the magnificent gray stallion bareback. This enticing man smelled of horses and leather, and he was all man, from the top of his head to the tips of his shiny riding boots—an enchanting journey of about six feet-two-inches. The horse’s silvery mane whipped in the breeze. Flowers spilled their scent into the morning. The sun on the white sand of the riding arena was blinding, like a dream.


She closed her eyes, pictured the man behind her. His brilliant white shirt, open at the neck, showed a sprinkling of dark hair on his chest. She leaned back pretending the strong arm lightly circling her waist hugged her tight against that muscled chest. As she rocked with the cadence of the horse’s canter, she imagined Damián’s firm, hot shaft pressed to her butt. When she visualized how his erection would look in the tight riding breeches, a pleasant shiver glided over her.

Mustn’t let my imagination run away like this.

“Sit deep,” he said, and her fantasy became a reality as he slid closer.

His long legs molded to hers, stroked ever so slightly to the three-beat thud of hooves. Sweat broke on her brow. Her heart pounded in her ears, reverberating in her core. She should inch away from the hard pressure on her ass, but he felt too damned good. Images of turning around and doing him on the horse scrolled through her mind. She lost the rhythm of the stallion’s smooth gait and slid to the side.

Damián’s arm closed around her waist, steadying her. “We must work on your seat, Erica. You look beautiful on a horse, but you must become one with him.”

Thinking of becoming one with him—the man not the horse—caused the problem.


To view Biana's video trailer, please click on the small arrow on the lower left corner of the video screen below. Warning, the video is PG18:

Buy Link: http://www.thewildrosepress.com/wilderroses/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=792&zenid=62fc11896c2d64b70489c2f61027e3f7

4 Cup Review from Coffee Time Romance:Bianca Swan gives her readers a feverishly fierce erotic romance. Damián is a strong and skilled hero who stole my heart with his dedication to his family and his animals. When he confesses his scholarly delectation, I believe he became the perfect man. … I highly recommend it (HOT SPANISH NIGHTS) to heat up a cold winter night.

Blog: http://biancaswanblog.wordpress.com/


Thank you, Bianca, for sharing your book and the research you dove into. That horse in the Capriole photo you provided is gorgeous. Congratulations on your 4 Cups Coffee Time Review, and best of luck with sales.

Review of STOLEN by Vivian Zabel

Vivian Gilbert Zabel

The tragedy of child abduction is the subject of Vivian Gilbert Zabel’s fiction novel STOLEN. But Vivian knows the personal heartache of her grandchildren’s abduction by their father. Only through her persistent efforts were her grandchildren discovered and returned from England where there father had hidden them. Vivian never gave up hope. She not only blogged, but she encouraged friends to help her. One day, her grandson Googled his name and discovered the blog references, each of which included Vivian’s contact information. He emailed her and her personal tragedy had a happy ending. Of sorts, at least. How does one recover the lost years? How does one undo the damage done by a vengeful parent?

Available Now From 4RV Publishing

In STOLEN, Tori Adamson learns of her cheating husband’s duplicitous life and takes her children from Dallas, Texas to Oklahoma to stay with her grandparents in their bed and breakfast, The Lighthouse. Through tragedy and happiness, she is surrounded with love and hope for a secure and happy future with a loving man, Jason. Until the terrible day when her children disappear. Who took them? Imagine the terror in a mother’s heart when she learns her children are missing. The diminishing hope as each day passes. As a mother, I can think of nothing worse! To learn about the search and whether or not there is a happy ending, read STOLEN, available now through the 4RV Publishing bookstore: http://4rvpublishingllc.com/Novels.html In two weeks, STOLEN will also be available on Amazon.


NOTE: Anyone not hosting a blog stop but who promotes the novel will have a chance to win an ARC. (ARC means Advance Reader Copy). Let Vivian know you've promoted at the email address below. Winners of hard copy ARCs must have a U.S. address. Two of the people who send Vivian by email a possible ending to the novel will win an ARC. Anyone outside the U.S. who wins will receive a PDF ARC. Email Vivian at vivian@viviangilbertzabel.com

STOLEN website – http://stolen.yolasite.com/
Vivian's blog tour continues tomorrow at Karen Coiffi-Ventrice's blog at http://karenandrobyn.blogspot.com/
 

Welcome Amber Polo, Author

Amber Polo, Author

Readers, please help me welcome Amber Polo today. A love of books drew Amber into a career as a librarian. A greater love turned her into a writer. Yoga teaching led her to the spiritual world. And the mystical side of Sedona, Arizona became the paranormal setting for her first novel, ROMANCING REBECCA. After living in seven states, she happily calls a small town in Arizona home.



Caroline: Amber, please tell us a little about yourself.

Amber: I spent most of my life as a librarian. (I think I helped in my grade school library.) Does that say it all? I worked in many types of libraries in a lot of states. Now I use all those places as settings in my stories. I like to say being a librarian (and an English major) held me back from writing my own fiction because I didn’t think I could compete with all those books already published. So I wrote bibliographies and computer manuals.


Caroline: Who are your favorite authors and favorite genres?


Amber: I like any author whose books grabs me. I read a lot of fantasy and mainstream fiction but romance that makes me laugh and I enjoy a scientific or anthropological plot. I love a good twist that holds me to the page.

Caroline: How many books do you read a month and what are you reading now?

Amber: I read/listen to about 2 audiobooks a week and maybe one in print. In audio I just finished THE PARTICULAR SADNESS OF LEMON CAKE by Amee Bender and THE JUNGLE by Upton Sinclair (Never read it in any of my Midwestern schools.) In print I’m into LINGER by Maggie Stiefvater and GRAB by Elise Blackwell (a great comic novel about writers and publishing).


Caroline: When you’re not writing, what’s your favorite way to relax and recharge?

Amber: I walk and as a yoga teacher, love to yoga. I live on an airpark in Arizona (the setting for my FLYING FREE) so watching the mountains and clouds works magic. I also work at transplanting cactus without mortal injuries.


Caroline: Mmm, seeing mountains is soothing. Would you like to share any guilty pleasures that feed your muse?

Amber: I bet I’m not the only author to answer chocolate. Really good chocolate! And don’t get me started about fruitcake. I even wrote a magic fruitcake in CHRISTMAS ON WHEREVER ISLAND so I could bake lots (as samples).

Caroline: I live fairly near the Collin Street Bakery, famous for their fruitcakes. You'd love their bakery. Describe yourself in three words.

Amber: Content, Smart, Flexible.

Caroline: How long have you been writing?


Amber: I fell into the fiction addiction about ten years ago.


Caroline: Where do you prefer to write?


Amber: I built the perfect office with a computer, quiet space, and a yoga mat. Plus I couldn’t write without my little Alphasmart.

Caroline: I love my office, too. Are you a plotter or a panzer?

Amber: Mostly a panzer trying to be a better plotter. Usually my scenes sort of flow from my brain to my fingers to my Alphasmart. It’s part of the magic, then comes the editing.

Caroline: Oh, yes, editing and editing and editing. Do you use real events or persons in your stories?

Amber: FLYING FREE “borrows” characteristics of some of my airpark neighbors. (Just promise not to tell them!)

Caroline: Your secret is safe. LOL Do you do your research before you begin a new project, or as you go along?


Amber: Both. I love research but it, too, can get addictive.


Caroline: Tell us about your writing schedule.

Amber: I try to set flexible goals. I work hard but take breaks in between projects unless I have deadlines.

Caroline: Do you write full time or do you have a day job.


Amber: Writing is now my job, plus I use my writing and computer skills to help with publicity and organization for non-profits in town. I also write press releases for my small town library (since I speak their language).

Caroline: How nice of you to share your talent! What do you hope your writing brings to readers?


Amber: Most important I like to make readers smile. Then I hope they painlessly learn something about a new place or a new way of looking at life.

Caroline: What advice would you give to pre-published authors?


Amber: Keep writing because you love it. Keep learning more about the craft. Don’t tie yourself to one genre. And never stop reading.


Caroline: Good advice. Tell us about your latest release.

Amber: I wrote FLYING FREE (Treble Heart Books) because I realized I lived in a very unusual neighborhood where most of my senior citizen neighbors flew airplanes out of hangers attached to their homes.


http://www.trebleheartbooks.com,%20contemporary/RomanceContemporary
Print and ebook


Caroline: Sounds interesting. Can you give us a blurb?

Amber: Here it is:


Can a meat eating Texas advertising woman find love with a vegetarian Buddhist and get her pilot's license despite interference from her wacky Arizona airpark neighbors?

Lia Bedford thinks she’s going to get her pilot’s license, sell her father’s Arizona airpark house, go back to helping beef producers sell meat, and probably find a guy just like the cheating husband who bankrupted her.

Seth Hartman thinks he’s come to Arizona to build a spiritual center, escape the community and wife that betrayed him, and create a new beginning much like the contemplative, vegetarian life he left.


While Lia tries to hide and Seth tries to fit in, their attraction, with a little help from their wacky senior citizen neighbors, pulls them together. All they have to do is conquer the fear of flying and their fear of love.

Caroline: That sounds like a fun book to read. I can’t wait to dig into it! Do you have other works out?


Amber: Yes, CHRISTMAS ON WHEREVER ISLAND (The Wild Rose Press) It's a paranormal contemporary with a sensual rating and is 67 pages long.

Link: http://www.thewildrosepress.com/christmas-on-wherever-island-p-1049.html?zenid=e6b6a05a6c40f90b6a65710a88807877

Caroline: I love Christmas books. Please give us a blurb for that one.

Amber: Of course, happy to.


A Magic Santa brings Caribbean Christmas Joy! Marti Bell is facing the prospect of a very unmerry Christmas. Reluctantly, leaving her married lover she travels toward ice, snow, and judgmental family until a magic Santa sends her to a surprise destination in the warm waters of the Caribbean.

Wherever Island would be a winter paradise except the only place to stay is the beachside cottage of romantic globetrotting photographer Cliff Holmes. Cliff wants to unwind and treat Marti to a little romantic Caribbean Christmas fun but she’s determined to stay in the warm ocean and out of hot water.

Caroline: Remind readers where they can find your books.


Amber: From my publishers The Wild Rose Press (for my paranormals – CHRISTMAS ON WHEREVER ISLAND and ROMANCING REBECCA) and Treble Heart (FLYING FREE), as well as Fictionwise, and Amazon.


Caroline: Each of your books sounds intriguing. Looks as if my TBR stack just grew. Where can readers learn more about you?

Amber: My website http://www.amberpolo.com/index.html
and WordShaping Blog http://amberpolo.blogspot.com/


Thank you so much for sharing with us today, Amber. While readers are at The Wild Rose Press, please remember to download the FREE Christmas recipe book there. And if you’re still looking for Christmas gifts for readers on your list, try Amber’s books at the above links and mine at http://www.thewildrosepress.com/caroline-clemmons-m-638.html

LILLY GAYLE SHARES A FAMILY HOLIDAY RECIPE

Lilly Gayle, Author

Please welcome my new friend and fellow The Wild Rose Press author, Lilly Gayle, lives in North Carolina with her husband of thirty years, her youngest daughter who's still in college, a dog, a cat, and various critters both dead and alive that the cat occasionally drags through the doggie door. When not writing or working as a mammogapher, she spends time with her husband at the beach. OUT OF THE DARKNESS, a paranormal romance is her first published novel. A historical, SLIGHTLY TARNISHED, should be released sometime next year. Lilly’s going to share part of her holiday tradition, including a family recipe.



Lilly: Hi Caroline. Thanks for having me on your blog today and for allowing me to “dish” about my favorite holiday foods and recipes.


I have to say, I eat a lot around the holidays. And I’m also big on tradition, even if it’s the tradition of creating a new tradition. You just can’t have Christmas without my father’s country cured ham, preferably from Virginia. There’s nothing like Virginia ham, aged to perfection and slow cooked. But boy, will it make you thirsty! And it’s probably not real good for your blood pressure either, but hey---It’s the holidays. Right?

I also have a great recipe for a candy my grandmother used to make. When I was little, my dad’s mom always made Frying Pan Balls. I don’t know where the original recipe came from, but she gave it to me when I got married and also published it in her church’s cookbook just before she died.


When my daughters were little, we’d make the Frying Pan Balls together and even my daughter who hates coconut loved them. The one year I forgot to make them, my children got upset. So, never a holiday season passes when I don’t make these sweet treats.

I even contributed the recipe to The Wild Rose Press’s holiday cookbook. And now, I’m going to share it with you and your readers.

    Ruth Winston's Frying Pan Balls


You'll need:


1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup chopped dates
2 eggs
2 cups Rice Krispie cereal™
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup candied cherries or mixed fruit used in
       fruit cakes
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Grated coconut


Cooking instructions:
*Best if cooked in an electric frying pan.*


Cream sugar and eggs together. Set aside.
Heat frying pan to 220 degrees or warm frying pan on top of stove.
Melt butter and dates together, stirring constantly.
Add sugar and egg mixture.
Cook until thick.
Add fruit and nuts.
Blend well.
Remove from heat and let cool.
Add Rice Krispies™.
Butter hands and form into balls.
Roll balls in coconut.
Put in cookie tins or Tupperware™. Keeps for weeks.


Caroline: That gives a new dimension to the Rice Krispie treats, doesn’t it? Sounds yummy and something which children can help prepare. Reminds me of the days when everyone used an electric skillet and I actually cooked. LOL Now let’s move on to Lilly’s latest release, OUT OF THE DARKNESS, a paranormal vampire romance.

Buy link for OUT OF THE DARKNESS: http://www.thewildrosepress.com/out-of-the-darkness-p-4039.html




Available from The Wild Rose Press

 Lilly: Blurb for OUT OF THE DARKNESS:


Her research could cure his dark hunger if a covert government agent doesn't get to her first.

Vincent Maxwell is a vampire with a conscience seeking a cure to his dark hunger. But when a scientist looking to create vampire soldiers captures and kills a fellow vampire, Vincent seeks out Dr. Megan Harper, a research scientist who discovered a link between a genetic light sensitivity disorder and vampirism. Dr. Harper could hold a key to a cure and the answers to Gerard’s death. But getting close to the beautiful scientist could endanger both their lives.

When Megan meets Vincent she believes he suffers from xeroderma pigmentosum, the genetic disease that killed her sister. Sensing a deep loneliness within the handsome man, she offers friendship and access to her research files. But she and Vincent soon become more than friends and Megan learns the horrifying truth. She's entered the dark and unseen world of vampires and Vincent is her only hope of survival.


Caroline: Oooohhh, intriguing. Great premise for a vampire novel. How about an excerpt to chill us more?

Lilly: Certainly, here's an excerpt for OUT OF THE DARKNESS:

Vincent didn’t spare her a second glance as he opened the basement door and stepped down. The sound of his boot heel striking wood echoed up the steps as he disappeared into the darkness.


“But—” Megan switched on the light and hurried after him.


“The first thing you need down here is a table and some chairs,” he said when he saw the stacks of unorganized data and reams of paper scattered across the floor. “Do you mind if I bring the ones down from the kitchen?”


“No.” She turned back toward the stairs. “I’ll help you bring them down.” It would give her something to do while she sorted through the confused thoughts and emotions tumbling around inside her head.


Vincent touched her arm and heat shot straight to her belly, turning her insides all warm and fuzzy.


Warm and fuzzy was not good.


Warm and fuzzy made her think of more than just heated sex. It made her think of cozy evenings snuggled up under a blanket and shared feelings. It made her long for an emotional connection she couldn’t risk. Not with Vincent. Not with a man who could potentially die a slow, lingering death.


“I’ll get it.” He let go of her arm and stepped back. “You start going through those papers and find that report you wrote comparing XP to vampire myths and legends. I’d be interested in
seeing if you still have it.”


He turned to go back up the stairs and Megan shivered. Why had Steve mentioned the vampire report to Vincent? And why was Vincent so interested in seeing it?


Vincent the Vampire.


Caroline: Whoa, Lilly, this sounds like a vampire novel I could love. Give us your other links.

Lilly: My website is www.lillygayle.com and my blog http://lillygayleromance.blogspot.com

Christmas Blog Tour and Prizes!

Caroline: Thank you, Lilly, for sharing with us. Please check our Christmas blog tour for author dates and prizes. After today, the blog dates are December 8 and December 15. Leavc a comment to be entered in the drawing. The list of blogs is at the Christmas blog link above. The more you comment, the greater your chance to win!

Readers, please return on the 3rd to learn about the fascinating Amber Polo.

Isabel Roman, Author Interview

Marisa Velez (left) and Christine Koehler,
Isabel Roman

Readers, today our guest is Isabel Roman, although she is actually they. Christine Koehler and Marissa Velez write together as Isabel Roman, and have been very successful in cowriting romance novels. For this post, Christine is answering for the duo about their novella IN THE SHADOWS, which appears in the Civil War anthology NORTHERN ROSES AND SOUTHERN BELLES from The Wild Rose Press.



Caroline: Isabel, how did you come up with that idea for your novella, IN THE SHADOWS?


Isabel: I’m not sure how the concept came about, but I do know I researched both the Pinkertons and those who smuggled goods into the South during the blockade. As it turns out, Allen Pinkerton did hire one woman agent, Kate Warne. After the Civil War, Kate was responsible for a small number of female Pinkerton agents.

I based Marion off Kate, even briefly mentioned Kate Warne, and Allen Pinkerton is an old friend of Marion’s father. As for Jack, I based him off Rhett Butler. Except English. And not with the romantic background of Rhett, but with a poor vicarage background. Hey, a man’s gotta make something of himself, right?


In the classic, Gone With the Wind, Margaret Mitchell based Rhett Butler on George Trenholm, (who may or may not have been a distant relation of hers). I read Dr. E. Lee Spence’s Treasures of the Confederate Coast: The "Real Rhett Butler" & Other Revelations, A look at South Carolina's underwater heritage, and Shipwrecks of Charleston Harbor. Granted, I didn’t need to read all those for the story, but they really were fascinating. And I may have skimmed some parts.

From The Wild Rose Press

Caroline: We get lost in research, don’t we? I was especially interested to learn from you that Rhett Butler was based on a real  person. Tell us about your writing schedule. Do you write full time?

Isabel: I wish I could write full time! But no, I have a fulltime job, family, puppy, and friends. In every single other moment of free time, I write. Nights, after work and walking the dog, I try to write 2000 words. On weekends and other days off, I try to do between 5,000 and 10,000…it all depends on the flow of the story, interruptions, and naps.


Caroline: LOL Naps are important at my house. Is there a reason you’re drawn to the Civil War era?

Isabel: When I was in high school, I read a lot of Civil War romances. I took several classes as an undergrad, and watched all those epic Civil War movies popular in the 90s. But then I realized they all sounded the same. Hero from the North has to rescue the poor misguided Southern Heroine from something and they fall in love. Pft. Scarlett O’Hara was a bitch, but she was much stronger than that.


So what if the woman was from the north, and the man was English? Very different there, considering England only had a very general interest in our war. Got me thinking about a lot of things I’d forgotten over the years about the Civil War and how it truly did change our country.

Caroline: Good for you! I always thought that--even though she was not sweet as Melanie--without Scarlett O'Hara, the people around her would have starved. What are the other works you have out?

Desert and Destiny 

Isabel: I have a Druids series published with Red Silk Editions now available in book stores, a story in the only zombie romance anthology you’ll probably ever find, about a dozen short stories, and a werewolf novella in The Wild Rose Press’s GOT WOLF? anthology.

Caroline: And your Red Silk Editions have such gorgeous covers. What do you have in the works for us:


Isabel: I’m currently working on a couple things: editing a 1920s prohibition story and a very dark alternate history Regency. I also have maybe ¼ of two stories finished, one is a contemporary Egyptian reincarnation story, the other is a 1797 spy story set in Switzerland.


Caroline: Quite an eclectic mix. I love 1920’s stories, so I hope you release that one soon! Would you give us a blurb from IN THE SHADOWS?

Sex and Subterfuge

Isabel: Marion Shelton only wanted to help her country during The War, so she traveled to Charleston, South Carolina in order to learn what she could about the Confederates. She hadn’t planned on falling in love with an English smuggler, or in risking both her heart and her life for her country.


Jack Harrison’s single goal was to make money smuggling goods into the American South. He didn’t care about their war, but when he met Marion, all that changed. The problem is, can he keep her safe and still help her protect her?


Caroline: How about an excerpt:

Murder and Magick

Isabel: Here it is:


He would not shame his wife. First he had to convince her to marry him. And then, he supposed, he had to convince himself class didn’t matter. Not a simple task. In England, class defined one. Only here, in America, could one define oneself.


Jack turned to the house and could just see Gloriana through the windows, laughing with Edmund Calhoun. In cahoots, no doubt, over Marion’s marriage with Ned.


Jealously speared through him, and he wanted to march inside and challenge Major Calhoun.


But Marion was nowhere in sight. Frowning, he moved through the shadows in search of her.


“Damn woman never does what I expect,” he muttered. Circling the premise, careful not to run across a slave on guard duty, he searched for her.


One of the many things that intrigued him, her ability to do the unexpected, worried him as well. He never knew what she’d do next. And her secrets. She hid something from him. Until this latest conversation, he wouldn’t have guessed she lied about her love for him.


No, her sobs had been real enough. The surprised hurt on her face cut through him as much as her rejection of his proposal. What prompted her rejection?


“What are you hiding, Marion?” he wondered as he spotted her in Mrs. Whitaker’s morning room.


He stepped toward the room to confront her, surprise her through the French doors, when she slipped through the connecting door to Mr. Whitaker’s study.


“What are you hiding, my dear?”


Caroline: Yours was a fascinating story. Is there any other news you’d like to share us? Any links?


My website is http://www.isabelroman.com/ and my blog is on that site.

The buy link for NORTHERN ROSES AND SOUTHERN BELLES, which includes Isabel’s novella IN THE SHADOWS is:


http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=advanced_search_result&search_in_description=1&zenid=162b14522c4e59f049d6bf658f403c27&keyword=Northern+Roses+and+Southern+Be&x=28&y=5 The anthology set around the Civil War is available in both print and e-book format and is also available on Amazon for Kindle, B&N for Nook, etc.

2011 Epic Finalist

Caroline: Isabel, thank you for sharing your experiences with us.

Please allow me once again to mention that the anthology NORTHERN ROSES AND SOUTHERN BELLES is a 2011 EPIC Finaltist. In addition, may I recommend one of my books for the readers on your gift list? They're found at www.thewildrosepress.com/caroline-clemmons-m-638.html 
 
 
Join me tomorrow to hear from Lilly Gayle and the Roses Christmas blog tour.
 

Susan Macatee, Author Interview

From The Wild Rose Press
2011 EPIC Finalist

Continuing with authors whose work appeared in the award-winning anthology NORTHERN ROSES AND SOUTHERN BELLES, today my guest is Susan Macatee. Although she's been writing as long as she can remember, she started writing for publication after her youngest started kindergarten. After success with short stories, she decided to try a novel. She considers that novel, LAURA, her practice novel. Success came with the publication of her second novel, a YA titled UNDER THE GUNS, but it is now out of print. Once she decided she wanted to write romantic fiction, she joined Romance Writers of America and their Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal chapter. Susan is also a member of Scandalous Victorians, a small writing group that specializes in Victorian set romance in both America and England. They also have a group blog, http://slipintosomethingvictorian.wordpress.com/.

Caroline: Susan, your novella’s hero is a Civil War re-enactor. How did you come up with that idea?

Susan and her husband with
the 28th Pennsylvania Regiment

Susan: The idea came directly from my own experiences as a Civil War reenactor. I chose civilian, but my husband and sons did the military side and I also witnessed many staged battles, so could accurately describe the sights, sounds, smells and action involved in a reenactment. Reenacting is sort of playacting the past, so I thought it would be fun to have a reenactor hero experience a past life, where he actually was the Civil War soldier that he portrayed.

As a reenactor, myself, I had to learn how to dress, what to eat and how to behave as a Victorian lady. My husband learned not only how to drill and how soldiers fought, but he also had to learn how a Victorian man acted in camp and toward women. Our youngest son was 10 at the time we started reenacting and we also had to learn how to appropriately dress him and what types of games and toys he would have played with. It was a fun learning experience.

Caroline: It’s sounds like a nice family hobby for those who love history as you and I do. What attracts you to time travel?


Susan: That goes way back to when I was a kid. I loved TV shows like "The Twilight Zone," "The Outer Limits," "Star Trek," "The Time Tunnel," and the daytime soap, "Dark Shadows." All these shows featured episodes where people traveled back in time and I loved the interaction of people from different eras. It was fun and a subject I longed to write about.

Caroline: I agree that it’s fun to write a time travel. Tell us about your writing schedule. Do you have another job or write full time?

Susan: I don’t have an outside job, so writing is my first priority, but I do type manuscripts for other writers. I started that business when my youngest son started school as a way to earn a little cash while learning the ropes of writing stories of my own. I still type for others, but only keep a few clients, so I’ll have enough time for my own writing.


I generally use my mornings to take care of household things, like feeding and dog and taking him to the park, starting the laundry, running errands, housecleaning. I also try to get in at least an email check in the morning, plus I take an hour for my workout.

Afternoons are reserved for writing and typing projects. When a typing project is in, I usually give that top priority, unless I have something under contract. Otherwise, I make sure I get in at least an hour a day for writing. But I also have to make time for blogging, updating my website and book promo.


Sometimes it can be a real balancing act.


Caroline: Isn’t that the truth? Writers are like those old performers with twirling plates in the air. I must compliment you for making time to comment on the blogs of friends. You have other books out. What are they and are they also time travels?

From The Wild Rose Press

Susan: I have one other time travel, ERIN'S REBEL. This is the story of a modern day reporter who crashes her car and wakes up in a Confederate Army camp. And that’s where she finds the man of her dreams. My other stories are all straight historicals, with the exception of two vampire stories both set during the Civil War.


ERIN'S REBELwas a finalist in the 2010 Ancient City Romance Authors Heart of Excellence Reader’s Choice in the paranormal category.

Available from The Wild Rose Press

CONFEDERATE ROSE is the story of an Irish immigrant who disguises herself as a male to join the Confederate army. She meets a Southerner, who she later learns is a Yankee spy, but not until after they fall in love.

CONFEDERATE ROSE took first place in the 2010 Beacon Contest Published Division and second place in the 2010 New England Reader’s Choice Bean Pot Award in the historical category.

I have four other stories. The novella, THE CHRISTMAS BALL, is part of the anthology, AN AMERICAN ROSE  CHRISTMAS; my two vampire stories, SWEET REDEMPTION, and ETERNITY WAITS, are available as stand-alone e-books and my short story, "A Kiss Under the Mistletoe," is available for FREE! A link to the download is on my website.

Caroline: You’re a very productive lady! Is there a reason you’re drawn to the Civil War era?

Susan: I love the clothing, the intrigue and excitement of setting stories during wartime. Something about the Victorian era also captures my imagination. And the fact that I spent a lot of weekends living in that time period, also makes it easier to write about the things that add realism to any story.


Caroline: Your stories pull readers into the world you’ve created. What do you have in the works for us:

Susan: I’m currently revising a post Civil War novel that I’ve titled CASSIDY'S WAR. The story’s based on characters from an out of print novel I had published about nine years ago.


Here’s the blurb: The Civil War is over, but CASSIDY'S WAR is just beginning.


Cassidy Stuart longs to attend medical school. Her training under her physician father and her time serving as a nurse during the war, have only increased her desire to be a real physician with a practice of her own. When the man who’d left her at the altar five years before, returns, she’s determined not to let him upset the plans she’s set for herself.

Unknown to his former fiancée and her family, George Masters is now a Pinkerton agent sent to investigate a physician now living in George’s former hometown. When he finds Cassidy hasn’t married, he hopes he can have another chance with her, but can’t reveal his real reason for returning, at least not until his mission is accomplished.

Can love be rekindled with a doctor bent on revenge against them both?


Caroline: CASSIDY'S WAR sounds as irresistible as your other novels. Anything else?


Susan: I’m also working on a time travel novella set after the war. This one’s based on my time travel novel, ERIN'S REBEL. I’m haven’t settled on a title yet and it’s still in first draft stage.


Caroline: Back to the anthology—would you give us a blurb from ANGEL OF MY DREAMS?

Susan: When Civil War reenactor, Kyle Dalton, keeps seeing a beautiful woman on the battlefield tending to soldiers, he thinks she’s another reenactor. But when she disappears into thin air, he starts to believe he’s seen a ghost. Did he have a past life with this woman?

Caroline: I remember that from your story. Poor Kyle. How about an excerpt:

Susan: Of course.

“Corporal, what are you...?”

He took her mouth, silencing her question. Her lips held tightly firm for a moment, then yielded to him. His tongue slid inside to taste her thoroughly. Sweet, soft and amazing. When he released her, he read the unleashed passion in her half-closed eyes.

She blushed a deep red, glancing around the tent. “Corporal ...Kyle...you mustn’t take such liberties. What will the others think?”


He looked around and shrugged. “No one’s paying us any attention.”

She lifted the pan. “I have to go.”


Before he could stop her, she hurried past him moving to the front of the tent.

“Josie.”

Something blared beside his cot. He turned his head and woke in his own bed to the blast of rock music from his alarm clock.

He shut it off and sat up. What a vivid dream! The ones he’d had before had been fragmented and fuzzy. He’d barely remembered them afterward. But that kiss. He touched his lips, swearing he could still feel her softness, smell her lavender scent.


He had truly lost it.


Caroline: The confusion for our characters is part of the fun of a time travel, isn’t it? Susan, do you have anything else you’d care to share? Any links?


Susan: My website, www.susanmacatee.com, contains info on all my stories, reviews and other news. I also post regularly on the blog, http://www.slipintosomethingvictorian.wordpress.com/ about subjects related to the Civil War. And I post about my writing projects at my blog http://www.susanmacatee.blogspot.com/


The buy link for NORTHERN ROSES AND SOUTHERN BELLES, which includes Susan’s novella ANGEL OF MY DREAMS is:


http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=advanced_search_result&search_in_description=1&zenid=162b14522c4e59f049d6bf658f403c27&keyword=Northern+Roses+and+Southern+Be&x=28&y=5 The anthology set around the Civil War is available in both print and e-book format and is also available on Amazon for Kindle, B&N for Nook, etc.


Susan, thank you for sharing your experiences with us. I look forward to reading your future novels. I know they’ll be as wonderful as those I’ve already read.


Readers, please return on the 30th for an interview with Isabel Roman.

Mary Ann Webber, Author Interview

Mary Ann Webber

Like many authors, Mary Ann Webber began writing fiction in elementary school. Writing took a backseat as life became her biggest challenge. She wanted it all—marriage, home, children, grandchildren, teaching career in Virginia and Arkansas. Her early life experiences now add depth to her current characters. During the years her writing was on hold, she collected history books related to periods she found fascinating. As a result, she often spends more time researching than writing. After early retirement, she moved to Dallas to be near her children and grandchild and immersed herself in writing.



NO DECORUM, in the anthology NORTHERN ROSES AND SOUTHERN BELLES, is Mary Ann’s first novella for The Wild Rose Press.

Caroline: Mary Ann, how did you come up with the idea for NO DECORUM?



Mary Ann: I’ve spent time in Camden, Arkansas, and I’ve visited the grounds of the Chidester House, where the yearly Civil War reenactments take place, so I have a real feel for the area.

McCollum-Chidester House,
now a museum

A few years ago, I was surprised to learn the Union forces under General Steele occupied Camden for only eleven days. While the bloody Red River Campaign of 1864 raged through Arkansas and Louisiana, the Confederate and Union forces jockeyed in and out of position in Camden.

What can happen in the span of eleven days? I decided to pack as much life into this time as I could, and the story wrote itself while I continued my research.

This is unlike anything I’ve ever put on paper. The heroine is an innocent - but headstrong - teenage girl. Unlike my usual heroines, she seems to call the shots with everyone around her. Only a heroine like Juliet could make so much happen in such a short time.


2011 EPIC Finalist
2009 Preditors and Editors Top Ten
at Number 6


Caroline:  Tell us about your writing schedule. Do you write full time?

Mary Ann: My stories pop into my conscious mind as full blown movies, in living color, complete with soaring music, sound effects, and the highest paid actors. I have no idea how it happens. The characters arrive and do their jobs. I scramble to find the right words and put it all down on paper. This never happens on any sort of schedule.

I write full time in the sense that I have no longer have an outside job, such as the twenty-two years I spent teaching in public schools.

Some writers switch on their writing muse when they turn on their computers, but I have a muse who thinks she’s a prima donna. “Dahling, must we do this every morning?” she groans. Then I remind her how many camera crews and actors are waiting for us and how we need some royalty checks. She usually sighs and crawls out of bed.

Caroline: LOL Love your attitude, Mary Ann. Your muse's sister must be my muse.  Is there a reason you’re drawn to the Civil War era?

Mary Ann: My ancestors fought on both sides in the War Between the States, but probably the real reason is because my sister and I spent years sitting in dark movie houses watching GONE WITH THE WIND. It left us permanently warped. My sister says her husband has no idea how much he owes to his resemblance to Rhett Butler.

Caroline: Perhaps it's best he doesn't know. :-) What else do you have in the works for us?

Mary Ann: I’m working again on my “epic” novel, A MAN AT THE DOOR.

Also, I’m plugging away on five novellas. They’re all historical – except for one, DAKOTA WINDOW. It features time travel inside a Manhattan apartment.

Caroline: Five novellas? Wow! I remember reading part of A MAN AT THE DOOR and loved it! I hope you finish and submit it soon so I can read the rest of the story. Now, though, how about sharing a blurb for NO DECORUM for readers?

Photo of The City of Camden 
paddlewheeler with cotton bales 
headed for New Orleans

Mary Ann: Here’s the blurb:

What can happen in eleven days? In the Civil War, towns could be occupied and reoccupied by opposing armies. And just as quickly, young enemies Juliet and Randolph could fall in love, marry, and be torn apart. This fast moving tale carries a story of sudden infatuation and unending love. It happens when decorum is cast aside.

Caroline: How about an excerpt?

Mary Ann: I have two, one long and one short. Let’s start with the short one:

Ouachita Court House
Confederate Women's
Memorial

Juliet’s voice betrayed her alarm. “What’s wrong? What are you seeing?”


He slowly circled her. “Turn so your back is to the lamp. That’s it. Now I see what it is. Stand very still and lift your arms straight over your head. Right. Now look up at your fingertips.”


In a twinkling, Randolph grabbed the nightgown and whisked it over her head. Juliet stood naked in the middle of the room and Randolph swallowed at the vision. “Now, everything is just as it should be.”


Here’s a longer excerpt:


Randolph lifted the curtain and gazed out the bedroom window. “It’s almost dark. Let’s go have some fun.”


“I thought we were having fun.” Juliet rolled over and looked at him.


He grabbed her hands and pulled her to her feet. “Take off that dress and put on the one you wore to church.” He grinned at her. “Don’t wear anything under it.”


“I don’t think it’ll fit without a corset. What do you have in mind?”


Randolph emerged from the wardrobe with the church dress and tossed it to her. He also threw her a blue shawl. “Here, you’ll need this, too. It’s cool outside.”


“Where do you think we’re going?”


He held a forefinger to his lips. “It’s a secret. We’re going to the church. Wear old shoes. The grass will be wet.”


Juliet was intrigued. She never imagined marriage would be such fun. When Randolph came up with new games or funny roles to assume, she knew his Dolphie side was ready to play. She slipped into the dress and her husband fastened the bodice.


Leaving by the front door so they wouldn’t be seen, they held hands and ran to the unlighted church. Once inside, Randolph whispered, “We don’t know each other’s names.”


Juliet was breathless with excitement. “Yes, Sergeant.” She crept to the back of the church as Randolph moved across the front, bumping into pews.


Reaching the aisle, she moved slowly and deliberately toward the front. If her eyes hadn’t adjusted, she would still have found Randolph, seated as before in the aisle seat of the first pew.


She dropped onto his lap.


He moaned deeper than she’d ever heard him. Recovering, he whispered into her hair, “Young lady, this seat is taken.”


Caroline: LOL I remember that scene. Precious! Mary Ann, thank you so much for visiting with us today.

NORTHERN ROSES AND SOUTHERN BELLES is available from The Wild Rose Press in both print and e-download and is also available from Amazon and other online stores. Please return on Sunday to learn about Susan Macatee.