CrystalGB!  Congratulations!  Please check your email for a note from me regarding your prize.   Thanks to everyone who visited with the JQs and Jennifer Bernard on Friday!

Today I’m delighted to welcome debut contemporary romance author Jennifer Bernard to the JQs! If you like spunky heroines and very sexy fireman heroes, make sure you check out Jennifer’s first two books from Avon Romance, THE FIREMAN WHO LOVED ME and HOT FOR FIREMAN. Welcome, Jennifer!

I’m so excited to be here with the Sisterhood of the Jaunty Quills in celebration of my debut, THE FIREMAN WHO LOVED ME. I’ll talk about the book in a bit, but first I want to address a Very Serious Issue. Here goes.

I love hanging out with romance fans, online and in real life, for a whole boatload of reasons. One of them being, I don’t get comments like this: “Romance novels, you mean like those Harlequin books? With those covers?” You know what I’m talking about – people who look down on romance and make you feel vaguely ashamed of reading it, let alone writing it.

I used to take an “each to his own” approach. You read your gory serial-killer thriller, I’ll read my light-hearted Regency romp, thank you very much. But now things are getting nasty. People are writing poorly researched articles claiming that romance novels are a bad influence on women and promote unsafe sex. It’s time to take the gloves off.

So I’m here to say, I not only read, write and adore romance, but I think it ought to be REQUIRED READING.

Think about it. The world today is filled with so much antagonism. War, oppression, prejudice, mistreatment of people, animals, the planet. In so many ways, we find ourselves pitted against each other. This country against that one, this political party against that, this town against the next one over. Hostility and suspicion are everywhere.

Enter the romance novel.

Romance novels are about breaking down the barriers between two people. They’re about hope – optimism – happy endings. And no, a happy ending doesn’t mean we think everything’s going to be perfect forever. It means moments of perfect harmony are possible. Romance novels bring a note of sweetness and joy into a world where there’s so much conflict. Conflict exists in romance novels too, of course, otherwise there wouldn’t be a story. But the conflict is resolved. Which implies that it’s possible to resolve conflict in real life too. What a concept!

(Message to our leaders: take a break and read a romance. It’ll do you good.)

Romances show heroes and heroines overcoming challenges, looking beneath the surface, reaching new heights. Romance is about relationships, which are the foundation of our society. Romances are built on the idea that love is paramount, that committing yourself to another person brings joy, that harmony between two people is possible. No wonder it’s such a popular genre around the world. Love of romance crosses boundaries, geographical differences, cultural divisions.

Don’t you think our world could use a little more of that?

I’m not sure I’ll have much luck making romance required reading.  I’m just putting it out there. A little more hope and love would do us all good. Read a romance, save the world!

What do you think? Am I crazy? Or do I have a point?

Now here’s a little about THE FIREMAN WHO LOVED ME, available now in bookstores everywhere. The next book in the series, HOT FOR FIREMAN, will be out on May 29th.

Fearless, smoking hot and single: meet the Bachelor Firemen of San Gabriel. These firemen might be heroes, but it’s their bad luck in love that makes them legendary.

News producer Melissa McGuire and Fire Captain Harry Brody couldn’t be more different, though they do have one thing in common: they’re both convinced they’re perfectly wrong for each other.

But when Melissa’s matchmaking grandmother wins her a date with Brody at a bachelor auction… Sparks fly. Passion flares. Heat rises. (You get the picture.)

Add a curse, a conniving nightly news anchor, a stunningly handsome daredevil fireman, a brave little boy, a couple of exes, and one giant fire to the mix and Melissa and Brody’s love may not be the only thing that burns.

If you’d like to win a signed copy of THE FIREMAN WHO LOVED ME, please leave me a comment agreeing with everything I say. (I’m kidding!) But I’d love to hear what you think about saving the world, one romance novel at a time.

The winner will be chosen randomly and announced on Sunday, May 13th (open internationally).

JENNIFER BERNARD LINKS

Jennifer’s Website

Facebook

Twitter

Order THE FIREMAN WHO LOVED ME!

And just for fun… Hunky Fireman Shower Curtain. C’mon, you know you want one!

For the most part, I have a dream job.  I spend my workdays creating stories to touch a reader’s heart.  And better yet, I get to do that in the privacy of my own home.

While most people fight rush hour traffic on their way to and from work, I pour myself a second cup of coffee and remain in my jammies or a comfy pair of sweats.

But there are times when writing can be a lonely profession, especially when my family or friends are heading to the mall, the movies, or my favorite restaurant for dinner, and I can’t go with them because I’m struggling to make a deadline.  That’s when my office becomes a dark, dank writing cave.  And I have to admit, it’s not fun to be chained to my desk when I’m struggling with stubborn characters or plot holes.

However, that’s not the case when working on a continuity series, especially the Fortunes of Texas.  For those of you who aren’t familiar with the process, I’ll tell you know how it works.

Suddenly, out of the blue, my agent calls and tells me that I’ve been invited to take part in a new series.  And I’m thrilled.  I’ll even shuffle other deadlines, just so I can take part.

Next the continuity bible, a detailed account of the series, arrives via email.  There’s an overview of the series and the continuity plot that begins in book one and builds until the wrap up in book six.   A brief synopsis of each book in the story, is included, including a cast of characters, certain locations, and other details.

Last comes the list of participating authors, their contact information, and their assigned books.   The authors then contact each other and work together to create six solid romances in a successful series.

Some authors don’t like the constraints of following the plot details created in the series bible, but I’m not one of them.  I love looking over my story assignment and making those characters my own.  I also enjoy hammering out plot or character issues with the other authors.

My most recent participation in a continuity series was the Fortunes of Texas:  Whirlwind Romance.  My book, MENDOZA’S MIRACLE, was the third of six books. 

In book one, FORTUNE’S CINDERELLA by Karen Templeton, a tornado strikes Red Rock and affects the lives of all the characters.  My hero, Javier Mendoza, was critically injured in the tragic event.  And it’s not until book two that his family and friends learn that he’s going to live.

So what happens in my story?

Here’s the back cover blurb:

From the Desk of Leah Roberts

Review of Patient Case

Name: Javier Mendoza

Age: 31

Condition: Injured in Red Rock tornado—still hospitalized. Recovering nicely. Too handsome for a hospital bed. Too sexy for his own good.

Prognosis: Likely to cause racing pulse, sleepless nights and hospital gossip.

Course of treatment: Walk away, STAT!

The Fortunes and the Mendozas had been anxiously awaiting Javier’s recovery. Finally he was on the mend, and no one was happier than his nurse, Leah Roberts. She’d been his rock during the ordeal, but now she was having thoughts that were most unprofessional. She was losing her heart to her flirty, sweet-talking patient.

But did Javier also have a case of true love?

When the Jaunty Quills asked me to blog, I thought it might be fun to discuss continuities, especially the Fortunes of Texas, and their appeal to readers.

So if you have any thoughts, suggestions, or questions, I’d love to hear them.  In fact, I’ll be giving away autographed copies of MENDOZA’S MIRACLE to two lucky commenters.

***************************************************************************************

Be sure to check out all six books in the newest Fortunes of Texas: Whirlwind Romance series

Available now:

FORTUNE’S CINDERELLA – by Karen Templeton

FORTUNE’S VALENTINE BRIDE – by Marie Ferrarella

MENDOZA’S MIRACLE – by Judy Duarte

FORTUNE’S HERO – by Susan Crosby

Coming in May and June 2012

FORTUNE’S UNEXPECTED GROOM – by Nancy Robards Thompson

FORTUNE’S PERFECT MATCH – by Allison Leigh

First off, I want to thank Shana and the JQ gang for inviting me to blog. I’m really looking forward to chatting with everyone.

The story idea for A Lady’s Revenge came from a scene that flashed through my mind of a young woman chained to a wooden table in a dungeon. What sparked the image is a mystery, but it intrigued me enough that I wrote it down. Thus, the beginning of my writing career.

Then came the hard part—answering the multitude of questions needed to create a story. What was her name? Why was she in a dungeon? Who held her captive? Where were they holding her? When I set out to answer these questions, I had no idea they would lead me to the Nexus, my fictional group of international spies. I thought it would be fun for us to meander through the process I took to create this elite group of spies, which eventually resulted in a three-book deal.

Now about those questions…

My heroine’s location: I couldn’t come up with a good reason for her to be held in an English dungeon, so I turned my eye toward England’s enemy—France. That was one of my easier questions to answer. Next, I had to determine why she was a prisoner in a French dungeon. My story takes place in the year 1804, which turned out to be perfect fodder for an English-French political conflict. This revelation eventually led to the realization that my heroine needed to be a spy. Perfect! Then all I had to do was make the small connection of her getting caught doing spylike things by the villain.

As you can see, each step took me deeper into a world of espionage. A world I knew nothing about. I spent hours researching and collecting a good deal of valuable information about the political unrest of the time, but I eventually plateaued. No matter how hard I looked, I couldn’t find a single reference to a spy network operating in the Regency period. Finally, I broke down and contacted a researcher used by one of my favorite historical authors. Within a few days, she found an article by Elizabeth Sparrow in The Historical Journal titled The Alien Office, 1792–1806. From there, she located Sparrow’s book Secret Service: British Agents in France, 1792–1815.  Ever heard the term “gold mine?”

In these two resources, I found a wealth of research on an administrative office of what would eventually evolve into Britain’s secret service. The Alien Office’s origins were decidedly not glamorous—unless you think post offices are adventurous. The British government—fearful of a civil uprising that would match the revolution in France—established the “foreign letter office” to open mail sent to and from foreign embassies and their governments. The mail was opened, copied, deciphered and then resealed before being forwarded onto its proper destination.

Where did the Nexus come into all this fabulous research? Sparrow’s investigation revealed that the Alien Office had a connection to both the Home and Foreign Offices. This bit of information was music to my ears. It gave my network of spies a home base. So I created the Nexus, a division of the Alien Office, which took its direction from the Foreign Office. Convoluted? I agree. Positioning the Nexus legitimately within the British government took a great deal of time, ingenuity, and a wonderful research assistant.

But I’m really happy with the result and so glad I sought professional help with the research. It was well worth the money.

Has your research led you to a wonderful and unexpected discovery? What was the most interesting thing you’ve ever learned while doing research for your story?

Please leave a comment by 9:00 pm (Central) for a chance to win a print copy of A Lady’s Revenge (U.S. and Canada only, please).

* * *

BRIEF SUMMARY OF A LADY’S REVENGE:

A British agent flees her French captor’s torturous dungeon and falls in love with the decoder responsible for her imprisonment.

British agent Cora deBeau has spent the last three years seducing secrets from the most hardened of French spies while searching for her parents’ killer. When her latest assignment goes awry, she suffers at the hands of her French captor until Guy Trevelyan, the Earl of Helsford and master cryptographer, saves her during a daring rescue. Scarred and wary of men, Cora shies away from the one man who could heal her savaged heart.

After rescuing Cora from a French dungeon, Guy discovers it was one of his deciphered messages that led to her captivity. Guy strives to earn her forgiveness while outwitting their enemy. But will he find the scars on her wounded soul run too deep?

* * *

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Tracey Devlyn writes historical romantic thrillers (translation: a slightly more grievous journey toward the heroine’s happy ending). An Illinois native, Tracey spends her evenings harassing her once-in-a-lifetime husband and her weekends torturing her characters. For more information on Tracey, including her Internet haunts, contest updates, and details on her upcoming novels, please visit her website at:

TraceyDevlyn.com  |  Twitter.com/TraceyDevlyn Facebook.com/AuthorTraceyDevlyn

LadyJanesSalonNaperville.com

BUY LINKS

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository

Today I’m delighted to welcome debut historical romance author Leigh LaValle to the JQs! In addition to being a writer, Leigh is also a yoga instructor, and today she’s sharing how she incorporates some of her yoga practices into writing (and which can also be applied to other areas of our lives).

The Yoga Way for Writers

The Yamas and Niyamas, or yoga’s ten ethical guidelines, are easy to take off the yoga mat and into the writing chair.

Ahimsa ~ Nonviolence

The first yogic principle is non-harming to self and others. This rule is simple and easy to understand, yet quite hard to live. We are so good, exceptional, really, at beating ourselves up. “I am a terrible writer. This is the worst piece of drivel I have ever written. I should just give up.”

Or, if the mood is so inclined, we are very adept at turning that judgmental voice toward others. “How did she get that contract? Her book isn’t even that good. Obviously the editors are blind to real talent.”

Don’t worry, the yogic texts don’t tell us we must stop having these thoughts. I am sure the Dali Lama has his share of judgmental reactions everyday. The practice is to notice our thoughts and not act on them. These judgments are fleeting, temporary, and not even based on truth. If we can feel into what is underneath the criticism- the fear, jealousy, anxiety- then we can offer ourselves compassion for being human, heartfelt and vulnerable. And we can get back to what is really important- writing.

Satya ~ Truthfulness

We can be truthful in what we say to others- our colleagues and our business partners- as well as truthful to ourselves.  Honoring our life’s path, no matter the discomfort it brings, is a way yogis practice honesty. (Is it really the best choice to write this story now? Am I holding myself back, or holding others back, because of fear?)

In terms of editing, we can be experts at not allowing ourselves to see the true strengths and weaknesses in our manuscripts. Writing partners and editors are really helpful as they don’t have the same needs we do regarding our work. They have a clearer lens. (Do I really need this scene? Does the character arc work, or am I trying to impose something? Am I being truthful with my writing partners, or simply trying to spare their feelings?)

Asteya ~ Nonstealing

We honor the work and ideas of others. We give credit where credit is due. Period.

Brahmacharya ~ Nonexcess

This rule classically applies to the practice of celibacy. In a wider context it relates to self-restraint, or walking the middle path. It encourages us neither to be slothful nor restless with our life energy. Rather, it teaches us to be calm, diligent, and focused.

As we are writing, do we surf the internet incessantly? Consume six cans of soda? Turn into a lump of brain mush? Become a wild bundle of nerves?

Again, we don’t need to stop doing these things. The practice is to notice what we are doing and to bring our attention back with as much calm and focus as we can moment to moment. Otherwise, our bad habits just drag us around on a leash.

Aparigraha ~ Nonpossessiveness

I love this rule, which states there is enough abundance and success for all of us to share. We do not need to grasp or horde from others. Rather than looking at our lives or our careers in terms of what we lack, we look at what we do have, the successes and friends and creativity we are free to enjoy.

Also- this practice instructs us to let go of our stories, to open our hands and give our creations freely into the world without concern for how they are received. Everything passes! The next waves arises and falls away, then the next. Like breath.

Saucha ~ Purity

Yogis try to be clean in their actions and their deeds. We can bring this principle to our writing environments (unless you really do find creative inspiration in a mess) and our bodies. Clear thoughts and a healthy, restful body will go a long way toward inspiring the creative mind.

This is a beautiful principle to apply to writing as well. How can we pare down our words? How can we use the previous five rules to hone our skills, our honesty, our judgment, so that our writing is clean and crisp. How can we erase the excesses, the unnecessary elements, and rest in the simple beauty of our words and our story?

Santosha ~ Contentment

This teaching instructs us to let go of our narrow ideas of happiness- ratings, reviews, sales numbers- and open ourselves to all experiences. The truth is, ratings, reviews and sales numbers are fleeting and not even guaranteed to bring happiness. What is guaranteed to bring happiness? Simply resting in this moment without desire. Happiness is already the case. Suffering is what we are adding by assuming our lives need to look different.

The same goes for working on our manuscript. The more we focus on what is wrong- word count, or imperfect drafts- the less we are able to experience the creative flow that is arising moment to moment. The more we are attuned to the words before us, the deeper we can access our stories and our characters.

Tapas ~ Self-discipline

Another rather self-explanatory rule. Writers have excellent self-discipline. Even if it still feels hard, we are sitting down and writing. So pat yourself on the back next time you get work done on your manuscript.

Svadhyaya ~ Self-study

To improve our craft, we have to understand our talents and our weaknesses. We need to always be curious, open to seeing the truth about ourselves, and willing to learn new things.

Ishvara Pranidhana ~ Surrender

Ah, the final lesson. We can only write the best manuscript we can. After that, there is nothing to do but let go. It is ultimately all out of our hands.

As my teacher says, “Don’t worry. Nothing is under control!”

These rules aren’t only for writers; they can also be applied to other aspects of our lives. Which principle do you struggle with most? For me, it is brahmacharya, or non-excess.

Honestly, it sounds so boring. I do understand the usefulness of it, but I am too addicted to drama. One commenter, chosen at random, will win a digital copy of THE RUNAWAY COUNTESS (to be announced Sunday).

The Runaway Countess

Once the darling of high society, Mazie Chetwyn knows firsthand how quickly the rich and powerful turn their backs on the less fortunate. Orphaned, penniless and determined to defy their ruthless whims, she joins forces with a local highwayman who steals from the rich to give to the poor.

Then the pawn broker snitches, and Mazie is captured by the Lord Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire. A man who is far too handsome, far too observant…and surely as corrupt as his father once was.

Sensible, rule-driven Trent Carthwick, twelfth Earl of Radford, is certain the threat of the gallows will prompt the villagers’ beloved Angel of Kindness to reveal the highwayman’s identity. But his bewitching captive volunteers nothing—except a sultry, bewildering kiss.

And so the games begin. Trent feints, Mazie parries. He threatens, she pretends nonchalance. He cajoles, she rebuffs. Thwarted at every turn, Trent probes deep into her one vulnerability—her past. There he finds the leverage he needs and a searing truth that challenges all he believes about right and wrong.

Buy

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/The-Runaway-Countess-ebook/dp/B006VY8NIA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332527855&sr=8-1

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-runaway-countess-leigh-lavalle/1108218676?ean=9781609287689&itm=1&usri=leigh+lavalle

Samhain: http://store.samhainpublishing.com/runaway-countess-p-6667.html

iBooks: http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-runaway-countess/id494364216?mt=11

ABOUT:

Leigh LaValle was born in a time when ladies shopped at the modiste and rogues sent heated looks across a crowded ballroom. Time slipped forward a few hundred years, and she currently lives in the Pacific Northwest with her family. When she is not writing about said ladies and rogues, mommying, or reading, she is rarely seen cleaning. More often, she is found hiking or, when she is really lucky, in the white powder of the ski slopes. She is also a devoted yoga practitioner and instructor.

Connect

Website: www.LeighLaValle.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/leigh.lavalle

Twitter: www.twitter.com/Leigh_LaValle

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5432973.Leigh_LaValle

Blog: www.DashingDuchesses.com

The Jaunty Quills are excited to present historical romance author Kate Noble today. She’s the author of Compromised, Revealed, The Summer of You, and Follow My Lead. Her latest is If I Fall, and it is new on bookstore shelves or ereaders this month. Aren’t these covers gorgeous? I would buy the books for the covers themselves!

Fortunately, I’ve read a couple of Ms. Noble’s books, so I can attest that the covers are worthy of the interior content. If you enjoy passionate, romantic, witty romances, you’ll want to keep reading.

Shana: Tell us about If I Fall.

Kate Noble:  Hey Shana!  Thank you so much for having me visit the Jaunty Quills!

If I Fall is the story of Sarah Forrester, last seen having her heart and engagement cruelly broken at the end of Follow My Lead.   To survive socially – not to mention protect her fragile heart – she (with the help of Lady Phillippa Worth from Revealed) reinvents herself as the Golden Lady – the brightest light of the ton, with the most cutting wit and the sharpest laugh.   And it works, until her childhood friend Lieutenant Jackson Fletcher shows up, and can see just how hurt she’s been behind the façade.

But no matter what he does, Jack cannot seem to crack through the cold and beautiful Golden Lady to the happy, passionate girl he knew in their youth.  So, in a last ditch, desperate attempt to get through to her, he dresses up as the Blue Raven – the anonymous English spy that was Sarah’s idol as a child.

Too bad the real Blue Raven doesn’t find Jack’s costume amusing.  But he does need his help solving a murder.

If I Fall is a tale of romance, adventure, mistaken secret identities, faked paintings, Burmese aristocrats, murder, mayhem, climbing across rooftops, and a trail of black feathers.  Just your standard falling in love story. *grin*

Shana: Is it true you sold the first novel you’d written, and after only a year of deciding to become a writer? We are all seething with jealousy—and admiration.

Kate Noble:   Hahahaha…. Not so much, no.  While I did sell the first book that I finished – Compromised – it was a little longer from writing to publication.  The book itself took a little over a year to write, and then I had to teach myself the art of querying agents and writing synopses of varying lengths and submitting and submitting again.  About 20 queries in, I finally got an agent, who pretty quickly (within 6 months) managed to sell the book.  I’m going to estimate 4 years between writing the first sentence and seeing Compromised on the shelves.

 Shana: Okay. I like you a little more now.

Your books are set a little post-Regency (1820s). Why did you choose to write in this period, and what drew you to historical romance?

Kate Noble:  Historical romance is what I’ve always read and loved.  I consider the Regency endlessly fascinating, they way society was structured mirrors the way celebrity is structured now, and how London is such a bustling epicenter of the world.  I also adore the rules of the era – the way a glance across a room communicated volumes, and a simple brush of a hand against another could be scandalous.

My current books are in the 1820s, simply because the Blue Raven series began in 1816 with Revealed, just after the war ended, and time has passed in the intervening books.

 Shana: You’ve been compared to Julia Quinn, and I must admit that the tone and style of your work has much of Ms. Quinn’s wittiness and poignancy. How do you balance the two aspects – wit and poignancy — in your work?

Kate Noble:  That is such an incredible compliment, to be compared to Julia Quinn.  But I don’t consider wit and poignancy mutually exclusive.  In fact they can compliment each other.  Think of Elizabeth Bennett (to give us an example we are all familiar with).  A very intelligent, witty character, who could be brought down by the harder aspects of her life, but her wit buoyed her.  But that didn’t mean she couldn’t feel the true depth of circumstances, and when things are dire, we are with her 100%.

Shana: Do you have a day job? How do you balance writing and working?

Kate Noble:  I balance writing and working by the skin of my teeth!  The best way – for me – to get writing done while working is to prioritize my writing time.  Getting up 45 minutes earlier than I might otherwise and taking an hour or two after dinner to get work done adds up.

Shana: What do you like to do in your free time?

Kate Noble: Did you not read the paragraph above?  What free time??  Seriously though, I enjoy an unhealthy amount of reality TV and riding my bike on the beach in my very rare free time.

Shana: You live in Los Angeles, right? Do you ever see any movie stars? What’s your most exciting movie star sighting?

 Kate Noble:  My most exiting movie star sighting actually happened when I lived in New York.  I was working at a TV show and had to go to a city government office to pick up some filming permits.  While I was sitting and, naturally, reading a romance novel while I waited, who walks into the permit office but TOM. FREAKIN’. CRUISE.  As a producer on one of his movies he had to talk to the city officials himself to get permission to film a big NY scene, apparently.

Nothing has or likely ever will compare to when he met my shocked stare and smiled.  And then promptly went into his meeting.

Shana: I image the above picture was exactly what Kate saw when Tom looked at her.

Finally, tell us what you have coming next.

Kate Noble:  What’s coming next is already here!  I’m incredibly excited about my special e-novella, The Dress of the Season.  It’s sort of a side story to If I Fall, but you don’t have to read one to enjoy the other.  It’s about Harris Dane, Viscount Osterley, who orders a very fine and scandalously cut Madame LeTrois dress to be made for a certain lady he wishes to woo.  But somehow, the dress gets sent to his ward, Miss Felicity Grove, along with an affectionate note, setting into motion a tale of scandalous misunderstandings and finding love in the last place you might look.

(Author’s note:  I was having so much fun with Lady Phillippa Worth (of Revealed) making trouble in If I Fall, that it only made sense that she had a small hand in the mix-ups of The Dress of the Season, too!)

And after that, I cannot wait for you to meet Bridget Forrester in If I Fall, Sarah’s younger sister.  She is brash, passionate, and an incredible musician – something that she is desperate to prove to the world in her own novel, coming in early 2013.  Look for a sneak peek of Bridget’s story in the back of If I Fall!

Shana: Thanks, Kate! Another beautiful cover, too! Check out Kate’s website for excerpts and lots of fun extras.

Readers, now it’s your turn. If you could meet any celebrity or romance hero, who would it be?  One reader who comments will be randomly chosen to win a copy of If I Fall (U.S. and Canadian residents only).

The Jaunty Quills are thrilled to welcome Susan Crosby to the sisterhood today. She and I are chatting about her new book, FORTUNE’S HERO, the fourth book in the latest Harlequin Special Edition series,  Fortunes of Texas – Whirlwind Romance.

Nancy Robards Thompson: Welcome, Susan! Please tell us about your latest book.

Susan Crosby: FORTUNE’S HERO has an older hero and younger heroine who are such complete opposites you’d never think they could end up with a happily ever after.  Garrett Stone rescues Victoria Fortune after she’s crushed in the aftermath of a tornado, then he disappears into thin air.  Victoria never gets to thank him, so a few months later she goes in search of her unsung hero.  Garrett thinks he’s perfectly content with his life.  He and the many stray animals who come or are brought to him on his ranch are content together.  They don’t need a woman around.  But even his dogs start to favor the lively Victoria, and Garrett can’t fight his feelings forever.

NRT: What life lessons do the hero and heroine of FORTUNE’S HERO learn before they earn their happily ever after?

SC: Victoria learns about true passion, not just for the man she comes to love but for a particular, satisfying kind of work in a world vastly different from what she’s known all her life.  Garrett learns he can count on another person.  This is huge for him.

NRT: Why will readers enjoy this story?

SC: Garrett is an old-fashioned cowboy, a modern day knight in shining armor—and he wants no gratitude from the woman whose life he saved.  How Victoria wriggles her way into his life leaves him baffled, amused and ultimately deeply in love.

NRT: That sounds fabulous, Susan! I can see why readers will love it, but what will they enjoy the Fortunes of Texas series as a whole?

SC: I personally love the Fortunes, the whole continuity of family and all it entails—support, criticism and a love you can count on, no matter what–unconditional but also honest.

NRT: They sound like quite a bunch!  On another note, what’s a typical writing day like for you?

SC:  I start early in the day because I’m a morning person.  I’m generally done by 2:00, which gives me time for other things.  I begin by reading what I wrote the day before and making changes, if necessary, then move into new material.  When I stop, I almost always write a few sentences about what happens next so that I have a place to start the next day.  It’s rare for me to work on Saturday, and never on Sunday.

NRT: What was your path to becoming a romance writer?

SC: I read THE FLAME AND THE FLOWER by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss in my late 20s.  That fueled the fire for me.  I wrote a few historical romances just for fun, then abandoned that to return to college in my 30s.  After an 8-year pursuit of a bachelors degree in English, as well as raising a family, I got serious about writing for publication.  By then I was more interested in writing contemporary romance.  I went to book signings and talked to authors.  I read like crazy.  Then I sold the 2nd book I wrote—because I’d done so much preparation in advance, I felt.

NRT: What advice do you have for aspiring romance writers?

SC:  Writing is a learned skill.  Yes, you have to be a good storyteller, first and foremost, but the mechanics of writing is a skill you develop.  I had no idea was conflict was when I started.  I thought it meant fighting, and I didn’t like fighting.  Then I learned that conflict drives the whole story.  What is keeping this couple apart now?  More important, what could keep them apart forever?  How those conflicts get resolved in a believable way is the biggest challenge.

FORTUNE’S HERO is my 36th book, and my fourth Fortune continuity.  I love revisiting the Fortune family as much as I love creating my own fictional families.

Award-winning, nationally ranked #1 bestselling author Susan Crosby began writing in 1992 and made her first sale a year and a half later to Silhouette Books, a division of Harlequin Books.  She was selected as their Premiere Author, which is their “rising star,” for Silhouette Desire for her first novel, The Mating Game, released in 1994.

She has since published 35 more novels, including the current FORTUNE’S HERO for Harlequin Special Edition.

Susan has made the USA Today and Borders best-seller lists, and has been nominated for or won every major romance award, including having one of her books, His Seductive Revenge, named by Romantic Times magazine to their Top 400 Romance Novels of the past 2 decades, a list culled from 25,000 books.

Today I’m delighted to welcome debut author Joan Swan to the Jaunty Quills!

Creative Power of the Subconscious Mind

We are creative beings.  Creativity is inherent in everything we do from keeping our babies entertained to making that million dollar sale.  Financial planning is as creative as sculpting, just in different ways.  Understanding the power of the subconscious mind and tapping into its creative energy is a valuable tool for everyone.

I’ve always known that our conscious and unconscious minds work together as a team to some degree. The logical conscious mind’s strengths lie in details and analysis. The imaginative subconscious mind excels at visualizing the big picture and making decisions.  Different tasks within the brain are assigned to each entity according to their strengths.  What I didn’t realize until I started to study the subject was just how little of the subconscious we utilize and how powerful it can be for the creative person.

The power of the mind to change our perception of ourselves has always fascinated me. Since I’ve been writing seriously, about a decade now, I’ve become even more interested in the subconscious mind and all the ouija board-like promises of creativity, focus, productivity, self-esteem and happiness if we could just control the elusive, little understood entity.

When speaking of the conscious and unconscious mind, experts refer to the Iceberg Principal, comparing the conscious mind to the 10% of an iceberg that floats above water and the subconscious mind to the 90% of an iceberg that lies submerged below water.

Here are a few fascinating facts.

The subconscious mind:

• Does not judge what you tell it, only takes all information as fact.
• Can not tell the difference between true and false.
• Works 24hours a day.
• Takes everything literally.
• Never says no.
• Only recognizes the present.
• Can be seen as the source of night dreams and automatic thoughts.
• Is a repository for every thought, every visual, every emotion, every incident that has ever occurred in your lifetime.

As I’ve studied the conscious and unconscious mind through the eyes of knowledgeable professionals and tried various techniques created by experienced and renowned researchers, I’ve seen the benefits and know there are so many more to be cultivated with time, effort, knowledge and experience.

Here are just a few ways I’ve learned to harness the power of my subconscious:

• Meditation: Quiets the conscious, allowing your subconscious a louder voice.
• Distraction: Doing something completely different from the problem you’re trying to solve with your conscious mind allows your subconscious time and space to work on the problem, and it will usually produce a solution at the strangest moment.
• Trust your gut: Learning to pay attention to your gut instincts and act on them, then watching for results can teach you how to use those instincts more often in different areas of your life and your creativity.
• Engage theta brain waves: Theta waves are often induced by things of a repetitious nature when our actions become so automatic that our mind disengages. Theta waves are also engaged when we daydream.  Often great ideas will flow while experiencing Theta waves and there are many positive healing benefits to being in a Theta state.
• Ask your dreams: Our subconscious is most active during sleep for obvious reasons.  Thinking of a problem before sleep or asking the universe for an answer to a question before you fall asleep can often result in an answer coming in the form of a dream or simply knowing the answer upon waking.

What is your favorite method for engaging that creative spirit of the subconscious mind?  How do you feel you most use creativity in your life?

FEVER by Joan Swan

Dr. Alyssa Foster will admit to a bad boy fetish…

But when she finds herself face to face with a convicted murderer with determination for freedom and an eye on her as his get out of jail free card, Alyssa knows she’s in deep trouble…. Not just because Teague Creek is a prisoner desperate for freedom, but because his every touch makes her desperate for more.

A man with a life sentence has nothing to lose…

Teague Creek has one shot at freedom, but his plan to escape with a hostage develops a fatal flaw: Alyssa. On the run from both the law and deadly undercover operatives who know of his strange abilities, he needs to avoid trouble, but every heated kiss tells him the fire between them could be just as devastating as the flames that changed him forever.

Today Joan is giving away:

• ·         A print copy of FEVER, US/Canada shipping.
• ·         All comments are eligible for tour grand prize of either a COLOR NOOK or KINDLE FIRE. Enter: http://joanswan.com/giveaways/blog-tour-ereader

Buy FEVER!

Amazon| Barnes & Noble | Booksamillion

Connect with Joan!

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Last year, seven Harlequin Historical and Mills&Boon authors were invited to write short stories about real historical royal weddings to celebrate the upcoming wedding of Prince William to Kate Middleton. They were released in digital formats only in April 2011 and were a big hit with readers looking for stories about some of William’s ancestors or those on the throne (before he will be.) Since we know that not all royal matches have been love matches, we were invited to choose either the actual royal couple involved or to use our own fictional couple and set their story at the royal wedding.

And we were off! Time was short – we were invited right around Christmas week in 2010 and the stories were needed by mid-January for publication in April – so we were writing at breakneck speed. The collection spans more than 8 centuries and all include Author’s Notes to give some historical background or context to our choices and research. While others were shopping for fascinators to wear while watching Wills and Kate, we were hard at work creating these stories!

We were recently thrilled (and surprised) to learn that Mills& Boon would be publishing the collection IN PRINT as a February Special release and so it has – ROYAL WEDDINGS THROUGH THE AGES is a beautiful trade-sized paperback now available in the UK.

So — what are the stories about? Why did the authors choose their particular time period, royal couple or wedding? Let’s ask the authors!

My own story – WHAT THE DUCHESS WANTS – is about Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry of Anjou(who would be Henry II of England). I have always been drawn to Eleanor and have featured both her and Henry in several of my medieval HHs. I have always through that, since Eleanor had the extremely rare opportunity of choosing her (2nd) husband, there must have been something more personal, more attractive, more passionate in her choice of Henry of Anjou. She could have her choice from among Europe’s elite and eligible nobles and royals – so why Henry? That drove me to tell this story!

Michelle Willingham set her story in 1191 – LIONHEART’S BRIDE is about King Richard and Princess Berengaria. “I write primarily in the medieval time period, and choosing the story of Richard the Lionheart allowed me to create a second generation story from my MacEgan Brothers series of Irish warriors,” Michelle said.

Bronwyn Scott’s PRINCE CHARMING IN DISGUISE is set at the wedding of Prince George and Caroline of Ansbach in 1704. “I wanted to pick something in the Georgian period and mostly I wanted to pick a real marriage that was considered happy,” Bronwyn said. “When I saw this, I knew I had the one I wanted. I’ve always wanted to write ‘historical fiction’ ala Philipa Gregory or others of that genre and this seemed like a perfect chance to experiment with that.”

A PRINCELY DILEMMA by Elizabeth Rolls is set at the ill-fated wedding of George, Prince of Wales, and Princess Caroline of Brunswick in 1795. “I chose Prinny and Caroline because their marriage was such an unmitigated disaster from start to end and the scandal surrounding it from the start gave me lots to work with. I have to admit that with the Maria Fitzherbert – Prinny – Princess Caroline situation I could see certain parallels with a more recent royal marriage. Which just goes to show that there really is nothing new underneath the sun. Plus it was fun to slip back a little further in time into the late 18th century.

Going back to the continent, Lucy Ashford featured Napoleon and Marie-Louise’s wedding her THE PROBLEM WITH JOSEPHINE. “I chose the wedding of Napoleon and Princess Marie Louise of Austria in 1810, partly because I love the Napoleonic era, and partly because it was such a huge, lavish wedding – fabulous celebrations, ending with fireworks all along the Seine. The wedding took place in the Louvre, which was full of Napoleon’s prized art collection (much of it looted!),” Lucy reports. “And while I was reading up about it further, I discovered that at the last minute, some unknown courtier suddenly discovered that there were lots of portrayals of Napoleon’s previous wife, the notorious Josephine, still in the Louvre – but painted into larger works, which were impossible to remove. So, at the last minute, they had to be painted out, or Napoleon would have gone crazy when he saw them on his wedding day!”

Ann Lethbridge chose Princess Charlotte and Prince Leopold’s wedding in 1816 for her story – PRINCESS CHARLOTTE’S CHOICE. “I chose the wedding of Princess Charlotte and Prince Leopold because it happened in the Regency, which is when all my books are set, and despite all the odds against it, theirs was a real romance.”

And last, or most modern of the historical stories is Mary Nichols’ WITH VICTORIA’S BLESSING set at the wedding of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. “I chose Victoria and Albert for my Royal Wedding because I wanted to write a love story and theirs was a love true love match. So many Royal weddings in the past have been politically driven and consequently disastrous and I wanted to my fictional hero and heroine to overcome obstacles and be happy too.
In trying to be both romantic and also historically-accurate, the authors discovered some fun facts while researching for theirs.”

Since readers ask us where our ideas come from, I thought the authors could share a tidbit or two that they found interesting!

Elizabeth reported that “Since Prinny took back the pearl bracelets he gave Caroline and gave them to his current mistress, Lady Jersey, I thought I should try to find something positive to write about him, so I focused on his legacy to the British Nation which was quite extensive. Windsor Castle, the British Museum, Buckingham Palace, a Royal Collection to rival that sold by Charles I – and the Brighton Pavilion, which the Rev’d Sidney Smith described as looking as if, ‘…the dome of St Paul’s went down to the sea and pupped’! You can sort of see what he meant and it just made my day reading that.”

Bronwyn discovered that shortly after they married, Caroline came down with small pox and nearly died. George was so devoted to her that he stayed by her side at the risk of his own life—and it was a risk. He did contract the disease and nearly died as well. But they both recovered and went on to have a long marriage.

Surprisingly, Ann found that people often assume that women during this time were prim and proper and thoroughly subdued. Princess Charlotte was a very strong-willed young woman, who grew up in an exceedingly dysfunctional family. She regularly broke the rules set down by her father, the Prince Regent, and got into all kinds of scrapes. Sometimes the ladies set to watch over her turned a blind eye to her shenanigans and sometimes she found ways to avoid their eagle eyes and do what she wanted to do. In the summer of 1814 after Napoleon’s abdication Britain received a great many visits from European nobility and since the Princess was not officially “out” she was unable to participate in many of the festivities. Many thought this was unkind of the Prince Regent. Those Princes were a bit like the rock stars of today, and Princess Charlotte found her own way to meet with the glittering young men at her home and then rid herself of her chaperones. She walked a very fine line and could have been utterly ruined. It seemed to me, reading about her pushing the boundaries she was set, that she wasn’t much different to teenagers today.

Mary revealed that one of the things she learned was that Prince Albert was terribly seasick on his way to England and most of his staff succumbed too, and that also worked well her story, because it gave Richard the opportunity to speak to the Prince and meet a long lost relative destined to help with his courtship of Emily.

And scandalously, Lucy found a fact of ‘artistic’ interest — Jacques, her hero, talks about the famous Canova sculpture of a naked Napoleon, which Napoleon rejected in 1811 as being ‘too athletic’. This statue later came into the possession of the Duke of Wellington and is now on view to the public at Wellington’s former home, Apsley House, in London. How (in)appropriate!

So, real history, seven royal couples, seven weddings – seven phenomenal love stories in one collection for you all to enjoy! Different styles and voices from seven leading Harlequin authors – something for everyone and we hope you’ll give it and us a try!

The authors will be dropping in during the day from all over the US, England and even Australia, so please ask your questions — we all have more interesting tidbits to share and will tell you all about our other upcoming releases, too! Five lucky commentors will be chosen to win either a copy of the anthology or a copy of an author’s backlist — so post away!

For anyone interested in purchasing this special UK edition in print, I would suggest Book Depository – free shipping to most countries world-wide. (Digital copies will be available through only the UK sites like Mills and Boon or Amazon.co.uk.)

OHMIGOSH!! I nearly forgot to invite you ALL over to chat live with us tonight – Wednesday, February 8th — at 9pm EST on Romance Reviews Today. Here’s a link to their chatroom –just click on Mo’s Book Buzz — please stop by — we’re not really dangerous, we just write characters who are! LOL!

Hello! I’m thrilled to be back at the Sisterhood of the Jaunty Quills, and on my very first release day, no less! SWEET ENEMY, my debut Regency romance with a touch of mystery, is officially on shelves today!

When I visited last time, I talked a little about SWEET ENEMY and how I came to write it. (If you missed that visit and want to know what I said, you can find it here.) I know that I should probably be promoting the book today, too, but as I sat down to decide what I wanted to write about on my release day, my story wasn’t what was on my heart. Instead, I thought I’d talk about what got me to this place.

It all started with an armadillo…

Last time I visited, I mentioned I might bring Armando, my cravat wearing armadillo, to meet Jaunty! Well, as promised, here he is (standing so suavely next to Jane Austen, of course!)

Isn’t he cute? And oh, so dashing! Now, let me tell you the story of Armando and what he has to do with how I became a romance author.

I’ve always been an avid reader, and it wasn’t until my early 30’s when I decided I wanted to try my hand at writing. When I did, I set upon the task with fierce determination, and like any good scientist—with research. First I had to decide what I wanted to write. I flirted with mystery/suspense (a genre I love to read), but realized I just didn’t want to write something so dark. Literary fiction? While part of me loved to read it, the endings so often left me frustrated or sad. So I decided I should write historical romance—my first love after Nancy Drew, and my rekindled love after a foray into horror and crime novels for a few years (blast that Stephen King for being such a good writer and leading me astray!). With my decision made, I got to work.

First, I dissected six of my favorite historical romance novels to see what made them work (yes, Robyn, I promise one day to do a post on that!). Then, I went the library and checked out “The Idiot’s Guide to Writing Romance”. Oh yes, I did. I don’t remember anything about that book now, except that it was the very first time I’d heard of Romance Writers of America®. A professional organization of romance writers? Who knew? The book urged me to look into them, and I quickly joined my local chapter. Then I learned of a national convention that was coming up that summer with Lisa Kleypas as the keynote speaker (LISA KLEYPAS, OMG!), and I decided I really must go, to see if writing historical romance as a career would really be for me. I found some ladies to room with and off to Dallas I went.

What an eye opening experience. 2500 romance authors, writers, and industry professionals, all gathered in one place to bond, confer, network and celebrate romance. It was amazing. It was overwhelming. It was inspiring.

I’ll never forget Lisa Kleypas’ speech. I was already in awe of her, as a fan. Her writing is truly sublime…interesting, engaging, highly emotional…just beautiful. I also knew she was smart and savvy, a graduate of Wellesley College. Her career was flourishing. She was exactly what I wanted to be as an author and I was really interested in what she would say about it.

And what she said was this: to make it in this business, an author has to be an armadillo. I’m paraphrasing here, and do keep in mind this was 5 years and 2 kids ago, but she said basically that armadillos are tough. The only way you can kill them is to run them over with a car. Everything else bounces off their impenetrable shell, making them resilient little creatures. And authors need to be, too. Like when rejection letters arrive in the mail, or when your book gets a bad cover and there’s nothing you can do about it, or when your editor quits mid-book, or when you get a negative review, or when you’re interviewed on a radio station and the man says something like, “Lisa, you’re obviously an intelligent, talented woman. When are you going to start writing real novels?” You just have to yell “Armadillo!” and keep shuffling along.

That part of her speech was very funny and she makes a great point. Having only been in the business a short time, I’ve met a few obstacles that I had to let bounce off of my shell. However, the part that really moved me was a story she told about losing her home. Apparently there was a devastating flash flood that came out of nowhere and wiped out many homes in her area, including hers and her parents’ homes. They lost everything, including their 14 year old cat…very sad. They were staying at a cramped hotel and Lisa and her mom made a trip to Walmart to get essentials for the family. Since they were in such tight quarters, they promised only to get what was absolutely necessary before splitting up to cover their list. When they met back at the check-out, besides their essentials, each of them had a romance novel in their hands, too. And that’s when she realized that writing romance was truly important. When she and her mother were faced with such a difficult time, they both turned to romance for comfort and escape. They needed to be swept up into that author’s world for a time. It would make them feel better.

And that’s when I realized that writing romance was what I wanted to do. I’d been struggling a bit, you see. I’d just finished 5 years of running a prison ministry inside USP Leavenworth, and I was wondering if I was turning my back on something very important to write fiction simply to entertain. Would I really be using my talents and my time to do any good in the world? To help anyone? Was I being selfish by wanting to write?

Lisa’s speech made me think about times in my life when I turned to a romance novel to get through a difficult situation. Yes, I read mostly for pleasure, but there have certainly been times in my life when I NEEDED to read, NEEDED to escape. And that’s when I realized that pursuing a career as a writer WAS important. I COULD help people, though I’d probably never see them face-to-face. Romance is a genre that celebrates love, growth, positive emotions and happy endings, and putting more of that into a world where endings are not always so happy, putting more of that hope out there, IS important work.

Now, back to Armando. Later that year, one of the ladies who’d roomed with me at that conference gave Armando to me as a gift. She bought a beanie-baby armadillo and actually went and found that fancy doll vest and made a cravat for him, complete with a “diamond” stick pin! (Fran Abram, YOU ROCK!). Armando sits on a shelf in my office, and while yes, he reminds me that I have to be tenacious and thick-skinned in this business, what he REALLY reminds me is that my work matters. Because one day my stories will be there for someone who needs them, if only for a few hours of escape.

Has there ever been a time that a good book was just what you needed? I’d love to hear what reading romance means to you.

One lucky commenter will win a signed copy of SWEET ENEMY, as well as your choice of DREAMING OF YOU or DEVIL IN WINTER, my two favorite Lisa Kleypas novels.

Sweet Enemy…
A Veiled Seduction Novel ~ Book One
“Historical intrigue and heart-pounding passion make Sweet Enemy a great read. Romance fans will love it.” ~#1NYT Bestselling Author JULIE GARWOOD

Geoffrey Wentworth, a war hero and rising political star, never wanted to be the Earl, but when his brother dies, he knows his duty—take up the responsibility for his family’s estates. His mother’s definition of duty differs from his, however, and can be summed up in one word—heirs. When Geoffrey rushes home to answer her urgent summons, he finds himself host to a house full of women, all vying to become the next Countess of Stratford. But his love is Parliament, where he wields his influence and reputation to better the lives of ex-soldiers, until a tempting houseguest and a secret from his past threaten his freedom…and his heart.

Liliana Claremont, a brilliant chemist, doesn’t want to be any man’s wife, much less a countess. If she had tuppence for every time she’d been told her place was filling the nursery, not experimenting in the laboratory, she could buy the Tower Bridge. However, when she receives a coveted invitation to the Earl’s house party, she trades in her beakers for ball gowns and gladly takes on the guise of husband hunter—for the chance to uncover what the Earl had to do with the murder of her father.

Liliana believes the best way to get the answers she needs is to keep her enemy close, though romance is not part of her formula. But it only takes one kiss to start a reaction she can’t control…

Heather Snow is a historical romance author with a degree in Chemistry who discovered she much preferred creating chemistry on the page, rather than in the lab. She is forever trying to wrangle her left and right brain to work together (some days with more success than others!), but if her two sides had to duke it out, left would win every time—which can be a creative challenge. Luckily, she loves challenges…she just goes about solving them analytically.

Heather lives in the Midwest with her husband, two rambunctious boys and one very put upon cat. She sincerely hopes you find her stories have just the right chemistry.

Please visit her at www.HeatherSnowBooks.com, on Facebook www.facebook.com/authorheathersnow or on Twitter