The randomly selected winner of THE ROGUE PIRATE’S BRIDE is Laurie G. Laurie, check your inbox in the morning. I’m blogging here again on February 6 (the dreaded Jaunty Quills porcupine interview)  and giving away more copies of THE ROGUE PIRATE’S BRIDE, so check back.

Most writers will tell you the most oft-asked question they receive is where do you get your ideas? Most of us hate this question because we don’t know what to respond. Consequently, we say something like, Sears because it sounds a heck of a lot better than, I don’t know where I get my ideas.

It sounds kind of crazy, but it’s absolutely true. Every idea comes to me differently. Some I manufacture and some just spring to life from some inspiration or other–an article I read, a movie I see, even a TV commercial.

The idea for my new book, The Rogue Pirate’s Bride, had been percolating in my head for several years before I ever set down to write it. I’ve always wanted to write a pirate book. I think the desire started years and years ago when I read the definitive pirate book, The Wind and the Sea by Marsha Canham. I adored that book and read it several times. I wanted to write a book that was that exciting, that sexy, and that much fun.

But it wasn’t until recently that I had the opportunity to do something with my idea. I needed a third book for my Sons of the Revolution series, and when I began it, I had in the back of my mind that the third book would be about a brother who’s a pirate. Then, of course, I got to the third book and realized I actually had to write this book about a pirate brother. I couldn’t even change my mind because both previous books had mentioned Captain Cutlass, and they were both in production.

The problem was that I didn’t know anything about pirates. I didn’t even know anything about ships and sailing. And that was only one problem. The other problem was that when I began the book I had a three-month old newborn. I didn’t exactly have time to do research.

No problem, I thought. I’ll just write what I can and put XX when I get to a place where I need to look something up. You know what happened next, right? The story read like this.

Bastien walked down the XX to the XX. He lifted the XX and peered out at the XX.

I needed help and quickly. So what did I do? I did what every girl does–I called my dad. It just so happens I have a dad who knows how to sail. And it just so happens I have a dad who loves to know all there is about sailing. He’s read all the Patrick O’ Brien books and does his own research on sailing. (Just FYI, I read one Patrick O’ Brien book, but it didn’t have any kissing.) Yes, I also got a stack on books on ships from the library, and those helped me fill in some of those XXes, but what really helped was sitting with my father and reading passages of the book to him. He would tell me the right term or correct an error or ask me a question I hadn’t thought of (like what kind of ship was my pirate on). Of course, he also pointed out other things I didn’t ask about. He told me repeatedly no woman would ever be on a British naval ship-of-the-line. I told him we were going to have to leave that part in there since we needed the woman for the romance (too much Patrick O’Brien, I think).

So, here’s to my dad for all his help and support. To tell you the truth, the book isn’t even dedicated to him. It’s dedicated to my mom and my mother-in-law. but that’s another blog.

Tell me about your dad.  Has he ever gotten you out of a scrape? I’ll randomly choose one person who comments today to win a copy of The Rogue Pirate’s Bride.

NEW RELEASE! Shana Galen‘s The Rogue Pirate’s Bride will be in stores February 7.

Happy 2012, Jaunty Readers! I hope your holiday was as wonderful as mine. I spent last week in sunny, warm Key West with Ultimate Sportsfan and Baby Galen. Baby G’s favorite part was petting a dolphin. I enjoyed learning some pirate history.

Speaking of pirates, The Rogue Pirate’s Bride releases next month and I’m really excited!

Would you like an advance copy? Join my mailing list! I’m sending a newsletter out tomorrow and one lucky subscriber will be randomly chosen Friday to win an advance copy of The Rogue Pirate’s Bride. You can still win it if you join soon!

The Rogue Pirate’s Bride is the last in my Sons of the Revolution series. It’s undergone a couple of title and cover changes, but the story has remained the same. Bastien, the youngest brother of the three Harcourt brothers, is a pirate—I mean, privateer—whose often at odds with the British Navy. He has no idea his brothers Julien and Armand are alive and living in England. He’s too busy seeking revenge on the Barbary pirate who murdered his friend and mentor.

Until he meets Raeven Russell.

Well, he doesn’t so much meet her as he is challenged to a sword fight by our heroine Raeven. She’s the daughter of a British Admiral, and she hates Captain Cutlass because he killed her fiancé in a naval battle.

If you like spunky, fearless heroines and charming roguish heroes…If you like adventure on the high seas and fast-paced sword fights…If you like passion and romance and poignancy, you’re going to like this book!

And one more bit of news for you. My publisher Sourcebooks is hosting an e-book promotion celebrating the “First in Series.” My own The Making of a Duchess, the book that began my Sons of the Revolution series, is available digitally for $1.99 via participating e-retailers (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes/Books, etc.) until January 8, 2012. If you received an e-reader for Christmas, this is a great time to add The Making of a Duchess to your e-collection.

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Congrats to RebeLovesBooks! You won the copy of A Summons from the Duke. I’ll forward your email to Samantha so she can get the digital copy of the book to you. Thanks to everyone who stopped by.

Writing has always been like therapy for me. Any time I’ve had a problem, I’ve turned to journaling to help sort through my thoughts. As a teen, I wrote poems to express the things I grappled with on the road to figuring out where I belonged in the world. So I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that I returned to writing during a difficult time in my life.

At first it was a means of escape from the stress, but then it became something so much more. It became a way for me to sort through what really mattered and revealed a new road I needed to follow. Here I am three years later with four books written—book one never to see the light of day—a fifth book in the works, several short stories published in a magazine, and a novella recently released as part of an anthology, A Summons from the Duke (Regency Christmas Summons Collection 2).

Have you ever been drawn to a project but you had a thousand reasons why you couldn’t participate? That was me a few months ago. The writers in my critique group had an idea to create a collection of novellas that were connected while still being able to stand alone. The premise is the Duke of Danby has summoned his wayward grandchildren to Yorkshire for Christmas, and he has matchmaking on his mind. Each writer took a grandchild and told his or her story of falling in love.

The idea appealed to me, but I didn’t think I could pull it off. I was in the middle of revising my second book for Sourcebooks and finishing up a third book for a December deadline. I told my group I would love to be part of the anthology, but there just wasn’t time. But like an annoying tickle at the back of the throat, I couldn’t ignore the pull to be involved. As their ideas flew back and forth through email, one took root in my mind. I wrote the first scene in thirty minutes and I was hooked.

It’s interesting that this small project was what helped me define what I believe deep down is important. You’ll often hear authors talk about theme. Each book may have a separate idea, but over several books recurring themes will emerge. It wasn’t until I wrote my story “Twice Upon a Time” that I realized what my recurring themes are: Love me, love my family (which may or may not be connected by blood). Nothing is ever what it seems on the surface, so withhold judgment until you know the real person. And of course, love will prevail.

I think this may be the reason we as readers are drawn to certain authors or stories. Deep down we hold similar values and the stories tap into that fountain of meaning for us. My favorite stories seem to suggest this: I Know this Much is True by Wally Lamb, Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. All three stories are about imperfect families the protagonist loves anyway, discovering the truth about another, and love prevailing in the end.

What are your favorite stories, and do they have any common themes? (Today one commenter will win a copy of A Summons from the Duke, and everyone who leaves a comment will be entered into the Regency Christmas Summons Prize Extravaganza for a chance to win books, gift cards, and a Kindle. Please remember to include your email address to enter the drawing. Winners will be announced December 15th.)

Excerpt set up:
Julian Beckford, grandson to Duke of Danby, is up to his top-boots in one of his cousin’s mad schemes only days after his return to England. Baron Penlow wants to engage an actress to play his wife over the holidays at Danby Castle, and he has asked for Julian’s assistance in casting the role. Here’s a sneak peek at their evening…

Excerpt:
Julian nodded. “She’s the one.”

He would never trust his judgment again. He’d chosen a wildcat.

Samantha loves to hear from readers. You can find her on Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads. To learn more about Samantha’s books and appearances, you may visit her website.

So I know it’s December, and I’m supposed to blog about holiday-ish things. Something about shopping or materialism or traditions or new traditions or decorations or austerity. But I can’t stop thinking about pirates.

Pirates have nothing to do with Christmas, but they have a lot to do with my next book, The Rogue Pirate’s Bride, which will be in stores on February 7. I thought I might tell you a little about this book in case you get everything you want for Christmas and are looking for things to put on your Valentine’s Day list.

Revenge should be sweet, but it may cost him everything…
The Marquis de Valère escaped certain death in the French Revolution and is now an infamous privateer. Out to avenge the death of his mentor, Bastien discovers himself astonishingly out of his depth when confronted with a beautiful, daring young woman who is out for his blood…

Forgiveness is unthinkable, but it may be her only hope…
British Admiral’s daughter Raeven Russell believes Bastien responsible for her fiancé’s death. But once the fiery beauty crosses swords with Bastien, she’s not so sure she really wants him to change his wicked ways…

Interested yet? Okay, how about some early reviews?

“Readers seeking wildly exciting escapades, nonstop action, rapier-sharp repartee and a heated romance need look no further.”
—Kathe Robin, RT Book Reviews, 4 1/2 stars, Top Pick!

“The highborn swashbuckling hero and the resourceful, fearless admiral’s daughter make an unusual, intriguing couple, and steamy romance heats up the pages.”
—Publishers Weekly

“…a fast-paced, swashbuckling tale of piracy, dangerous scheming, and intrigue. You’ll love the predicaments Raeven gets into and her inventive ways of getting out of them. Don’t miss this historic treat. It’s one you can’t put down.”
—Viki Ferrell, Fresh Fiction

Still on the fence? Maybe you’d like to win an advance copy. I’m giving one away to one lucky member of my mailing list the first week of January, so if you haven’t joined my list join today.

Oh, and happy holidays!

At this time of year, we’re all thinking about how thankful we are for good health, family, friends, financial security, good food, and more. I am thankful for all of those things, but most of all, I am thankful my parents instilled in me a love of learning.

The other day Baby Galen and I were looking at a book and talking about the different shapes. By which I mean, she was pointing to a picture of a shape, and I was telling her the name. She would get so excited to learn a new shape. When she learned oval, she ran around the house looking for anything oval she could point to an practice her new word.

I know Baby Galen is not the only kid like this. I see toddlers and pre-schoolers act like this all the time. They are so excited to learn and incredibly enthusiastic about gaining new knowledge. Their brains really do seem to be endless sponges that just soak and soak and soak up everything they see and hear.

But, as a former teacher of middle and high school, I can tell you this love of learning does not last. Most seventh graders do not rush into class excited to learn about pronouns. Most high schoolers do not pick up The Taming of the Shrew and exclaim joyfully.

So what happens? When does learning become something to be dreaded instead of something fun? I know teachers try to make it fun. I know I did, and I often succeeded. And I know I also had to say, “School isn’t always fun. Sometimes it’s work.” But I didn’t do anything to make learning shapes fun for Baby Galen besides introduce the book and spend time looking at it with her.

I won’t say I always enjoyed every class. I certainly never found the Pythagorean Theorem or the laws of physics exciting. But I did have a basic love of learning all through school, and I still do. The other day I was writing a new proposal and used the word castrati. I needed to look it up to make sure I was being historically accurate, and of course, that meant I had to read lots of articles unrelated to my tiny mention of the word and even listen to a castrati sing.

I didn’t need to do any of this research. One click would have answered my question. But I love learning. I wanted to know more. And I want to thank my parents for spending time teaching me new things, answering all my questions, and helping me find the answers when they couldn’t. I know the subjects dear to my heart weren’t always the ones they would have chosen for me, but they always supported them.

And for that I’m thankful.

This might be a little heavy for the day after Thanksgiving, but what are your thoughts on learning? Why do kids start to dislike it? Why do those who retain their love of learning keep it?

The winner of Nicola Cornick’s book, Desired, is Alie. Congrats! Check your email inbox.

Firstly I’d like to say what a great pleasure it is to have been invited to blog at the Sisterhood of the Jaunty Quills today and thank you very much to the wonderful Shana Galen for inviting me.

A reader pointed out to me recently that a lot of my books feature an instantaneous attraction between the hero and heroine. Sometimes they act on it pretty quickly, other times they don’t, but in almost all cases they set eyes on each other and it’s a case of lust if not love at first sight.

Desired, my new book, out next week, is slightly different because it is a marriage of convenience story or perhaps more accurately, a betrothal of convenience story. Tess, the heroine, has been unhappily married before and has absolutely no desire to wed for anything other than mutual benefit. In contrast Owen, the hero, is very attracted to a fantasy version of Tess, the beautiful, scandalous widow with the bad reputation. Despite this attraction he woos her slowly and it is only as he gets to know her properly that Owen discovers that the real Tess is completely different from his somewhat heated imaginings.

Tess is not accustomed to feeling physical attraction. In fact she has never felt it in her life. Her feelings for Owen disturb her because she is drawn to him but it is his protectiveness, his intelligence and his chivalry that she falls in love with first. On her wedding night she runs from him but what she has not yet realised is that she has already started to trust him. Owen has courted her with such patience and sincerity that she knows he would never hurt her. She then has to take the step of deciding if she can trust him enough to confront her fears and give herself to him. She is committed emotionally to him even though she doesn’t yet realise it. The question is whether she can commit to him physically too.

I haven’t written a marriage of convenience story for years and it was a great pleasure to revisit the idea for Desired. There’s something very appealing about the idea of a couple who are thrown together through need or circumstance getting to know each other and then finding a love that can be as powerful as it is unexpected. The marriage of convenience story is said to be a favourite with historical romance readers but what do you think? Do you enjoy the slow burn as characters get to know each other and fall in love or do you prefer the instant attraction as eyes meet across a crowded ballroom? Or both? I have a copy of Desired to give away to one commenter.