Thanks so much for having me here today!

I don’t really believe that anyone is ever all good or all bad. I think we all have a little of both in us, though we probably lean more toward one side. It just takes the right situation to make that hidden side come out Being able to explore different aspects of a person’s personality is one of the things I love about writing.

My heroines all tend to be on the feisty side, but when it comes to being a good girl or bad girl, they run on both ends of the spectrum. For instance, in my first book, To Trust a Thief, my heroine Minuette is definitely a good girl. Well, she’s trying very hard to be. She had a bit of an unusual upbringing for a Victorian lady and spent the first part of her life running a little wild on a small tropical island. Trying to fit in with all the prim and proper Victorian ladies is a bit of a struggle for her, but she does try.

Her love interest Bryant, on the other hand, falls very much in the bad boy category. He’s a master jewel thief who works for a really nasty piece of work. However, Bryant has a good side to him, and meeting Min draws that out.

Now Cilla, the heroine from my newest book A Bandit’s Stolen Heart, is…well, a bandit. Which would put her a little more on the bad girl side. She’s a tough-as-nails, no-nonsense girl who spends her days running a horse ranch with her sisters, and her nights as a Robin Hood-esque bandit who robs the corrupt to help those in need. Life for those left behind in her tiny mining town once the Gold Rush dried up is tough, and Cilla is determined to do all she can to help those she cares for survive. She has a softer, nicer side, but she tries very hard not to let it out too often.

Until she meets her love interest, Leo. Leo is a kind, noble, city-bred cowboy who finds the adventurous side of Cilla fun. He’d never had the opportunity to be bad, not that he would have chosen to be anyway. But he believes in Cilla’s cause and he’s as determined as she to make sure those he cares for, specifically Cilla, are protected. He seems to get under Cilla’s skin and draws out the good, nice girl she could have been had life been a bit kinder to her.

It’s always fun to explore how characters will react in different situations, see which aspects of their personalities will emerge, watch them change and grow. You never know which good girl will sprout devil horns or which bad girl will suddenly find her halo

Who is your favorite heroine? Is she a good girl with a bad side or a bad girl with a hint of angel? Comment and you could win one of these books! One reader will win a copy of your choice.

About Michelle:

Romance and non-fiction author Michelle McLean spent 98% of her formative years with her nose in a book indulging in her love of reading and research. Expanding that love into writing was inevitable. Michelle has a B.S. in History, a M.A. in English, and tends to be a bit of an organized mess with an insatiable love of books and more weird quirks than you can shake a stick at.

She is the author of the historical romances To Trust a Thief and the Blood Blade Sisters trilogy, the zombie fairy tale retelling Wish Upon a Star, the non-fiction Homework Helpers: Essays and Term Papers, and several upcoming historical, paranormal, and contemporary romances. She is also a contributor on The Naked Hero, Operation Awesome, and Scene 13 blogs as well as maintaining her personal blog. If she’s not editing, reading or chasing her kids around, she can usually be found in a quiet corner working on her next book. Michelle resides in PA with her husband and two young children, an insanely hyper dog, and two very spoiled cats.

For more information on Michelle and her books, please visit her at her website, blog, Facebook, or on Twitter.

The Jaunty Quills are excited to bring back veteran author Heather Snow. Heather’s new book, Sweet Madness, is the third in the Veiled Seduction series. Keep reading to find out how to win one of Heather’s books

Shana: Welcome back, Heather. You’ve been our guest before, but I’ve never interviewed you, and I’m excited to have the opportunity. Tell us about Sweet Madness. I love the tagline: There is a fine line between love and insanity…

Heather Snow: Hi Shana! I’m thrilled to be here. The Jaunty Quills is one of my very favorite places to be…oh, and please tell Jaunty that Armando the Cravat-Wearing Armadillo says hello, too.

Unlike my first two novels, which featured a lady chemist and a lady criminologist/mathematician who reveled in pushing Society’s boundaries, Sweet Madness is about a young lady who is Society’s darling. She’s always been perfectly behaved. She has the perfect husband. And she’s perfectly content to live the privileged society life she was born to…until her husband’s tragic death changes her forever. It drives her to study the maladies of the mind and leads her to a traumatized soldier who needs her help…and her love. But she also finds that healing is a two way street. To be able to follow our hero to the dark places she must go to reach him, she has to open up wounds of her own. It’s really a story about the healing power of love, with a little mystery and some racy bits thrown in!

It was great fun helping Penelope discover her inner genius and learn that she, too, was brilliant…just in a different way.

Shana: I’m not currently speaking to Jaunty, Heather. I hope armadillos are nicer than porcupines–or at least not as interfering.

Gabriel Devereaux suffers from what we call now PTSD. I did some research on this condition when I was writing If You Give a Rake a Ruby and found there wasn’t a lot out there. What drew you to write a wounded warrior and how did you research Gabriel’s “episode” scenes?

Heather Snow: All three heroes in my debut series served in the wars in some capacity, and their experiences changed each of them. But I knew from the moment this series was planned that this third book would be the darkest. I sort of backed into how I handled Gabriel’s “episode” scenes. Luckily, there is a lot known about PTSD today, even if there was little available back then. I read texts, medical journals and firsthand accounts from today’s soldiers, pulling the signs, symptoms and effects I used to depict Gabriel’s struggles.

As far as figuring out how Penelope would help him, that part was a bit harder. Since little was known about “battle fatigue” at the time, I had to look at the remedies that help today and choose only those that could have been determined or intuited through what Penelope might have known or experienced in her life and her own common sense.

I am glad you brought up the PTSD aspect of my book. As I’ve said, Sweet Madness is a story of the healing power of love, and just as important, of hope. Gabriel is a fictional war hero but there are many real life heroes and their families suffering today. Therefore, my husband and I have decided to donate a portion of all royalties earned from the sale of Sweet Madness to Hope For The Warriors®, an organization dedicated to “restoring a sense of self, restoring the family unit, and restoring hope for our service members and our military families.” You can find out more at http://www.heathersnowbooks.com/Hope_For_the_Warriors.ht

Shana: You’re known for heroines who are smart and scientific, and I know you have the science background to make them authentic. Do you think you’ll keep writing scientifically minded heroines?

Heather Snow: I would love to, and maybe later on I will, but right now there’s a new series percolating in my mind that I’m itching to get started on. I can’t share until all of the details are finalized, but it will certainly feature the smart strong heroines readers have come to expect from me, if not scientifically minded ones.

Shana: What’s it like writing with two small children? How do you manage to get anything done? Is there a magic spell or secret password, and if so, please share with Emily, Robyn, and me!

Heather Snow: Ha! I was going to ask YOU that! You always seem to have it so together.

Let’s see…Bose noise canceling headphones and the infinite patience of my poor husband? Really, I don’t know how women do it. I don’t know how I do it and stay sane (which is debatable, really, my sanity). The last three years have been like running on a giant treadmill and trying not to go flying off of the back and crashing into the wall. I guess I just keep telling myself that the boys will be in school soon enough and then I’ll have more time. And yet, just typing that, I feel horribly guilty for wishing their toddler and preschool years away…

I guess the answer is there is no answer. We just all have to do what we can when we can do it, and rely on our families to pitch in when we’re down to the wire. I do, however, have a fortune from a fortune cookie taped to the top corner face of my laptop screen…it says “Focus your attention.” I look at that a lot when I’m working to remind myself I only have so much time to accomplish what I need to.

Shana: That all sounds very familiar to me. I’m glad I have you fooled!

Finally, tell us what you have coming next.

Heather Snow: Vacation! Sweet Enemy sold when our eldest was still in diapers, and the second was written right after the birth of our youngest—while my husband was finishing up his masters on top of his full time career! He graduated right after I finished Sweet Deception and we’d barely had time to enjoy a breather before I jumped into Sweet Madness. My family and I are looking forward to a couple of weeks on the beach together during the month of May—our first real vacation in three years. Then I’ll get started on my new series…

Readers, now it’s your turn. Do you enjoy historical (or contemporary) romance novels where the characters deal with real life issues like PTSD or miscarriage or a cancer diagnosis or do you prefer books that take you away from real life tragedies? One reader who comments will be randomly chosen to win their choice of Heather’s first two novels, Sweet Enemy or Sweet Deception (which just won the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence for published historical romance and was named a finalist in the New England Reader’s Choice Bean Pot Awards!). This giveaway is open internationally.

Ever since her husband’s sudden and tragic death, Lady Penelope Bridgeman has dedicated herself to studying maladies of the mind, particularly those of soldiers returning from the Napoleonic Wars, but Gabriel Devereaux’s unpredictable episodes are like none she’s ever seen. Even though she knows the folly of loving a broken man, she can’t help herself from trying to save him, no matter the cost…

Read the Prologue and First Chapter HERE…

Rainy Day Books (my local indie)
Amazon (Kindle Edition)
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IndieBound
Ibooks
The Book Depository (Free shipping worldwide)

Walmart (online only)

Heather Snow is an award winning historical romance author with a degree in Chemistry who discovered she preferred creating chemistry on the page rather than in the lab. She lives in the Midwest with her husband, two rambunctious boys, and one very put upon cat. Mr. Snow recently promised the boys they could have a dog when the family returns from their beach vacation. The cat is not happy.

The final book in her Veiled Seduction series, SWEET MADNESS, hit shelves April 2, 2013. RT Book Reviews Magazine gives it 4 ½ stars, saying “In this emotional, compassionate romance…the powerful love story will sweep readers away.”

Find out more at www.HeatherSnowBooks.com or connect with Heather at www.facebook.com/AuthorHeatherSnow , www.twitter.com/HeatherSnowRW or at her blog, Heather’s Historical Reader Salon at www.heathersnowbooksreadersalon.blogspot.com

Thanks so much for inviting me here today! I’m a huge fan of many of the Jaunty Quill authors, so please excuse me if I have to pause every once in a while to catch my breath. I’m having a serious fangirl moment.

There are no fangirl moments in either of my newly-released books, but there are celebrity elements. Sam, the hero of A Better Father, is a newly retired hockey player who set female hearts a-flutter with a series of body wash commercials. And in Call of the Wilder, my heroine, Gemini, is the daughter of the world’s second-most-famous folk trio – a group that didn’t restrict their harmonizing to the stage. (Ahem.)

But none of these celebrity sightings, either real or fictional, can compare to my own brush with greatness : the time that writing brought me, ever so briefly and indirectly, onto Harrison Ford’s radar.

More years ago than I care to admit, I was a member of a group for stay-at-home moms. It was a great way to connect with other women and I was delighted to write a number of articles for the national newsletter. One of my favorite articles discussed how I made it through the tedious chores of mommyhood by fantasizing about Harrison Ford. It was fun to write, and I got a lovely thrill when the newsletter landed in my mailbox and I saw that it had made the front page. Illustrated, no less, with a fun line drawing of Harrison – in full Indiana Jones mode – bullwhippng a LEGO structure. I grinned and sighed and added it to my writing file.

A month or so later, I got a call from a woman I had never met. She was another member of the group, a local chapter leader in the Chicago area. She had a sister who worked for an environmental organization. Guess who just happened to be on the board of that agency? Guess which agency had just completed a set of board meetings? Guess which board member had been approached by that awesome sister with MY ARTCLE in hand? And then – then – guess who read my article, chuckled, and SIGNED IT FOR ME???

I’m sorry. I still can’t discuss that call without getting a little excited.

A couple of weeks later I went to my mailbox and found the signed article. After sleeping with it under my pillow for a few nights and possibly rubbing it all over my body (I plead the Fifth), I had it professionally framed. (Something which I never bothered to do with any of my college diplomas, I confess, but hey – it’s not like Harrison signed those.) It still occupies a place of honor in my office, a vivid reminder of one of the most exciting events of my writing career. If my house ever catches fire, I’ll grab the kids, the file containing our passports, and the Harrison. If my hands are full and I have to make a choice, the kids are safe, but the passports are toast. My priorities are straight.

So there you have it – my brush with greatness. (And so much more fun to remember than my brush with history, which revolves around Jonestown.) I know that some of you have had moments like this. Tell us about them! Since I have two releases, I’ll pick two winners from the comments. Each can choose either a copy of A Better Father (paper or electronic, your choice) or Call of the Wilder (only available electronically.)

Four-time Golden Heart finalist Kris Fletcher grew up in southern Ontario, went to school in Nova Scotia, married a man from Maine, and now lives in central New York. She shares her very messy home with her husband, an ever-changing number of their kids, and the occasional grand-hamster. Her greatest hope is that dust bunnies never develop intelligence.

Jaunties, today we are thrilled to welcome bestselling historical romance author Grace Burrowes to the blog. Read on to learn about her newest endeavor and to find out how you can win a copy of Lady Eve’s Indiscretion.

Writers talk about “the book of my heart,” and “the book that writes itself,” usually in awed, respectful tones. We aren’t as vocal about the hard books, but some books come kicking and screaming to the page, even some novellas.

My first historical romance series, about the Duke and Duchess of Moreland’s eight children, will wrap up this fall with “Lady Jenny’s Christmas Portrait.” Perhaps realizing that the series is coming to a close, or maybe out of genuine curiosity, readers have started asking me about the story behind courtship and marriage of Percival, Duke of Moreland, and his duchess, Esther.

I came up with a house party romance for Their Graces, and was quite pleased with the results. First, it fit with the stories I’d crafted for the series going forward—Percival was not in expectation of the title, and he was a seasoned cavalry officer—and second, it was a fun, romantic read.

Madam Editor was pleased too, but she also pointed out that I’d left a lot of questions unanswered: When did Percival’s two by-blows, Devlin and Maggie, join the ducal household? When did the title befall Percival and Esther? How did Esther cope with these changes?

I didn’t want to write that story, though it took me a while to figure out why: I’d never written a romance for a married couple. Married people love each other. They are living the happily ever after. THESE ARE THE RULES, and they are the rules, says I, despite the fact that in my day job, I’ve handled the legal side of divorces for twenty years.

I recall all too well, though, that awful, uh-oh feeling when a committed relationship hits the rocks. It’s a far, far worse loneliness than when a casual relationship becomes troubled, or when life presents a stretch of solo years. I pondered that miserable, wretched, upset feeling at some length, and then began to write.

“The Duke and His Duchess” is the result, a novella of about 35,000 words. We come upon Percival and Esther when they’re broke and exhausted, overwhelmed with four small children, an aging duke who’s losing his memory, an heir whose heart is not strong, and an estate suffering significant neglect. Add to this two illegitimate children Percival and Esther were unaware of, Esther’s low spirits and lack of energy, and things are bleak indeed.

Some happily ever after, Madam Author.

The novella pretty much wrote itself. From those beginnings, which probably resonate with every married person who’s ever read a romance, Percival and Esther face choice after choice, and what saves them is that they choose to keep their faith in each other and in their love. They show courage despite fear, understanding despite resentment, and determination when giving up beckons.

The happily ever after won this time around is sweeter than the first, because now, now, I know that Percival and Esther’s devotion has a direct impact on the lives of their many children. And when the children grow up and face their own challenges, the example set by the Duke and Duchess helps the Windham siblings choose love too.

What about you? Does the romance crafted for a married couple appeal to you, or would you rather read about a courtship romance?

To one commenter, I’ll send a signed copy of “Lady Eve’s Indiscretion,” the most recent Windham sibling romance.

From Guilty Pleasure to Livelihood: How I Came to Write Historical Romance.

I never expected to write regency romance novels. When I first started putting pen to paper I’d envisioned myself writing epic fantasy, horror, and gritty urban fantasy. Those were the types of novels I read out in the open, unashamed. I never considered the historical romances I always had covertly tucked deep in my backpack, under my bed and, eventually, in my purple toolbox. You see, flowery historical romances are not at all suitable for a goth mechanic and an unapologetic metalhead. Never mind that I cheerfully devoured two Judith McNaught novels while camped out for Ozzfest tickets.

But those romance novels made their mark on me anyway. No matter what I wrote, my characters always ended up falling in love. That worked for my paranormal romance novels, but not so much for horror. I shrugged and accepted the fact that I was a romance author… but not, you know, a ‘girlie’ romance author. Meanwhile I kept reading said ‘girlie’ books.

Then tragedy struck. I lost my mother on Valentine’s Day, 2009. Through that devastating experience, I got the idea for a new book. It started when I began to wonder when the first vampire craze happened in pop culture. Lo and behold, it happened in the Regency when Dr. John Polidori, Lord Byron’s physician, wrote the first vampire story in English. Not only that, but The Vampyre was started the same night, in the same place as Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.

WOW! The Regency era was the birth of the horror genre. Why was this delicious fact never mentioned in my beloved regency novels? It was up to me to rectify this glaring omission. I began writing BITE ME, YOUR GRACE, a fun tale in which an aspiring gothic authoress bent on ruining her reputation encounters a vampire struggling to save his.

I’d never before had more fun writing. The things I learned in my research tickle my fancy to this day. The world building was an adventure. Most of all, writing regency romance provided new challenges to my writing and an insight as to why I always loved reading them. In the regency world, there are so many rules to break and so many ways for the character to handle the consequences. Physical contact is a bigger deal. The slightest touch is amplified and savored. The stakes are much higher. If a touch lead to a stolen kiss…or  ::gasp:: more, a marriage proposal had best be forthcoming. And marriage was FOREVER in those times.

BITE ME, YOUR GRACE taught me to abandon my shame for loving romance novels and embrace myself for who I am. And it was no surprise that my gruff, blue-collar drinking buddies still respect me and hail me as “one of the guys.” They still don’t understand what a “regency romance” is, no matter how many times I try to explain it, but they’re proud of me nonetheless and have promised to attend my release party.

BITE ME, YOUR GRACE will be released on April 2, 2013 by Sourcebooks Casablanca.

Author Bio: A lover of witty Regencies and dark paranormal romance, Brooklyn Ann combines the two in her new vampire series. The former mechanic turned author lives with her family in Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho. She can be found online at http://brooklynann.blogspot.com/.

Blurb:  England’s “vampire craze” causes much vexation for the Lord Vampire of London, Ian Ashton. To save his reputation, Ian enlists aspiring authoress Angelica Winthrop without realizing she has hidden plans of her own.

Angelica Winthrop’s life goal is to ruin her reputation, avoid marriage, and become a gothic authoress like her idol, Mary Shelley. To find inspiration for her new story, she breaks into the home of Ian Ashton, Duke of Burnrath, not knowing she will be coming up against the Lord Vampire of London. Romance sparks and reputations are at stake. But who knows the real difference between fact and fiction?

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I love romance novels. Mysteries are really fun. Paranormals have always been super intriguing to me and I’m currently having a love affair with romantic suspense. So you can probably guess why I have trouble committing myself to writing in only ONE genre. They’re all so great. But when my agent suggested I write something about horses I said… “Ahhh, I don’t know.” I’m not sure why. Maybe because horses are so near and dear to my heart. I’ve owned, trained, and shown them most of my life. Growing up on a cattle ranch, you learn to ride or spend a lot of time chasing recalcitrant cows on foot. I preferred horseback. Still do. In fact, there’s nothing in the world I’d rather do than spend time with my equine friends. I’ve been showing pleasure horses for decades, but just recently I started riding in speed events such as barrel racing. It’s a thrill a minute…or more accurately, a thrill every 9 seconds. So you’d think I wouldn’t have been scared to WRITE about horses. But I think I was.

Now, however, after seeing my first horsie book in print, I’m so glad I took the leap. Finding Home is set on a cattle ranch in South Dakota. It’s about hope and grit, and the invincibility of the human spirit. Because I’ve taken in a few rescue horses over the years, it’s also about horses that worm their way into your heart and make your life better in the process. I’m not sure how so many needy teenagers worked their way into the plot. But I love each and every character with ferocious passion.

That’s not to say I won’t be writing something else soon. My wonderful readers keep asking for another Chrissy McMullen mystery. (Which is on the way, by the by. Really.) And after the third book in the Hope Springs trilogy, I’ll be writing a romantic suspense about kick ass military woman. Then there’s the werewolf/witch story I’m doing with my daughter. But for right now, I’m really enjoying living vicariously on a cattle ranch in the Dakotas.

Here’s a little blurb for Finding Home:

1 broken down mare

2 baby lambs

3 lost teens

And a busted up bronc rider with more balls than brains

 It all adds up to trouble in Casie Carmichael’s book.  She’s come back to Hope Springs, South Dakota with only one thing in mind—selling the family’s tumble-down ranch and returning to St Paul and her very practical fiancé. But leaving isn’t as easy as she imagined, not when bedraggled strays desperately needing T.L.C. keep turning up on her doorstep.

Suddenly, angry parents, hairless goats and a former flame’s all-too-tempting seduction tactics aren’t Casie’s most pressing problems. Her own mixed-up heart is at the top of the list, and as she throws herself into making a safe haven of the Cowgirl Academy, she realizes she will be the first one to find her way home.

So what about you? What’s your favorite genre? I’m giving away an Amazon gift card to anyone kind enough to leave a comment.

Lois Greiman

Finding Home

I’m thrilled to welcome Laura Kaye to the Jaunty Quills today. Laura has been burning up the lists and contests with her books recently – currently writing for The Wild Rose Press, Entangled Publishing and Harlequin (and making me feel like a slouch!) and will be writing for Avon, too! Please welcome her!

How do you define success?

Thanks to Terri and all the Jaunty Quills for hosting me here today! It’s great to hang out with such an awesome group of women! Today I thought I’d talk about success, and the many paths open to authors to achieve it.

When I first thought of trying to get a novel published, what I imagined was seeing it on bookstore shelves. As I researched the industry, I quickly realized bookstore shelves would only happen if I got an agent and sold my book to a New York publisher. So from the beginning, my definition of success as an author was being traditionally published. But a year later, all I had was a pile of rejection letters. Twelve months after I started querying, I submitted my novel to e-publishers, and the very first one bought the book. I was thrilled. And they bought my second book, too. I was very happy to get a foot in the door and to know my stories would be out there for readers to read. But there was still a big part of me that defined success by an agent and traditional publishing, which meant I hadn’t really made it yet.

As I worked through edits on those first two books, I kept writing new ones. In the year between selling those books and when they released, I wrote a full-length novel, a category-length novel, and two short novellas. At just about the time my first two books released, I sold three of these four new stories, one to a e-publisher, one to a new e-publisher, and one to Harlequin, but “only” in one of their digital lines. Closer, but still not my ideal. The full-length novel I once again queried to agents, hoping this would be the book that got me in. I got close with two different agents, one of whom asked for a revise and resubmit. At almost the same moment, two of my new publishers asked me to turn my original single book submission into a series. I was thrilled. And very busy. I had no time to complete the revisions the agent had requested. But I was also very happy working on the projects I had in hand.

It was then that I realized: I’m very happy working on these projects. I’m very happy doing exactly what I’m doing.

I was reaching readers. One of my books was starting to sell really well. Two of my books won a couple of awards.

And my definition of success was starting to change.

It was at that moment that I let go of the idea that I had to have an agent to be successful, that the only definition of success was a book appearing on brick-and-mortar bookstore shelves. Two years after I’d sold that very first book, I had four books published and four other books contracted but not yet written.

I was busy. Really busy. Still too busy to revise that blasted manuscript that kept niggling at me. But I was less and less worried that I needed that manuscript to “make it.” So I focused on writing the books I’d sold and promoting the new ones as they released. Six months later, I’d published three more books and sold another seven. I counted all that up and WOW! I’d sold 16 books without an agent, two of which had sold very well. And changes at one of those publishers was going to land at least a few of my books on bookstores shelves.

That was the moment I realized what a disservice I’d done to myself at the beginning of my career by defining success as only happening in that one way.

Many of us do this to ourselves, don’t we?

I’m only a “real” author if I have an agent. I’m only a “real” author if a New York publisher says so, etc.

Without question, those ARE markers of success. But what I realized is that they’re not the ONLY markers of or paths to success. Especially today. If hitting the USA Today or New York Times bestseller lists are markers of success (and I’d say they unquestionably are), then all you have to do is see how many self-published and e-published titles have hit these lists to know there are more avenues to success for more authors than ever before.

Redefining success didn’t mean that I was ruling an agent or New York out—I still wanted those things, eventually. Instead, what it meant is that I was ruling everything else in. Traditional publishing, e-publishing, self-publishing, agented or not, it’s not about the path an author takes, it’s about the outcome—good stories produced, books sold, readers engaged with, satisfied, and begging for more. By those measures, I was starting to see success, and it made me happy and content with where I was in my career. I’ve often said that a writing career is more a marathon than a sprint, so I was no longer anxious for the “real publishing” to happen—it already was.

Ironically, not long after I’d achieved these insights into my career and my own feelings about it, I got an agent and a New York publishing deal. It was amazing and thrilling, and it had totally been made possible by the success of my e-publishing career.

So take heart with wherever you are in your writing career. If mine has taught me anything, it’s that I have absolutely no way of predicting what the future of my career will look like, because I never would’ve predicted all the wonderful things that the past year has brought. Find your own definition of success, and don’t worry about how others define it. Be true to you and your writing and your stories and your readers, and the rest will take care of itself.

What is your personal definition of success?   One commenter who answers will win their choice of any of my ebooks! Open to international! Good luck!

Thanks for reading!

Laura

     About Laura’s newest book, One Night with a Hero:

He wants just one night…

After growing up with an abusive, alcoholic father, Army Special Forces Sgt. Brady Scott vowed never to marry or have kids. Sent stateside to get his head on straight—and his anger in check—Brady’s looking for a distraction. He finds it in his beautiful new neighbor’s one-night-only offer for hot sex, but her ability to make him forget is addictive. Suddenly, Brady’s not so sure he can stay away.

…what they need is each other.

Orphaned as a child, community center director Joss Daniels swore she’d never put herself in a position to be left behind again, but she can’t deny herself one sizzling night with the sexy soldier who makes her laugh and kisses her senseless. When Joss discovers she’s pregnant, Brady’s rejection leaves her feeling abandoned. Now, they must overcome their fears before they lose the love and security they’ve found in each other, but can they let go of the past to create a future together?

Buy at Amazon | B&N | Kobo

   About Laura Kaye:

Laura is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of nearly a dozen books in contemporary and paranormal romance. Growing up, Laura’s large extended family believed in the supernatural, and family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses cemented in Laura a life-long fascination with storytelling and all things paranormal. She lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.

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With apologies for the delay ( my fault, not Blythe’s!) — the winner of Blythe’s prize – a signed copy of RETURN OF THE BORDER WARRIOR — is:

Stefanie D!!

Congrats! Look for an email with more info!

The Jaunty Quills are pleased to welcome debut historical author, Jennifer Delamere!!  Her new book sounds fabulous.  Comment on her post and enter for a chance to win it!  

What image do you have in your mind of the Victorians? Stodgy and repressed? Or wildly imaginative and inventive, like the characters in Steampunk novels?

 I’m here today to tell you why I find the Victorians so much fun to write about.

When I decided to write a historical romance, I got out my paper and quill (or, if you will, my 1874 Remington Model 1 typewriter), and the first question I naturally had to ask myself was: which time period will I set it in? (Hint: the typewriter really made the writing easier!)

Like many romance readers, I love books set in Regency England. Regencies are wildly popular, and for good reason. But here’s the thing: I don’t really know much about the Regency period, outside of what I’ve gleaned from novels.

On the other hand, I’ve been happily immersed in Victoriana for years. I’ve read many fascinating histories about Victorian life. I’ve read so many novels by authors of the time, such as Charles Dickens and others, that my head was already in that era, so to speak. I’ve been a big fan of the Gilbert and Sullivan comic operettas (written in the 1870s and 1880s) ever since my parents took me to my first production when I was twelve. When it comes to theater, Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest is one of my favorite plays. 

When I read Elizabeth Gaskell’s North and South (written in 1851), and subsequently found the fantastic BBC miniseries starring Richard Armitage, that sealed the deal. I knew then that I loved the world of the Victorians. Their lives were endlessly changing, always in flux, with the old order being challenged by the rise of factories and trains and telegraphs and new wealth, and all the endless inventions that were beginning to turn their world into one we’d recognize today.

In the early to mid-Victorian era (1840-1870) Englandbegan rising to a position of world prominence in trade, manufacturing, and colonization. The worlds of science were opening up in ways never before imagined. That glory would begin to fade toward the end of the century, but at the time the future seemed full of enormous promise. An Heiress at Heart and the next two books in the series are set right in the middle of that era. Many events that were bringing sweeping changes to England and the world—including the rise of the railroads, the invention of photography, and even the Australian gold rush—are going to have an enormous impact on the lives of my characters.

So I hope you will journey with me into the exciting and ever-changing lives of the Victorians. And while I’ll be the first to admit that the fashions of the Regency period were on the whole much more appealing, the bell-shaped dresses of the mid-Victorian era—before the tight skirts and bustles came in—could be beautiful, too.

And, lest you think the Victorians never had any irreverent “fun,” allow me to refer you once again to Gilbert and Sullivan and Oscar Wilde. Even in this brave, new world there is still plenty of room for humor and romance.

If you are a historical romance reader, do you read Regencies only? Or do you have some other favorite time period? If you’ve read Victorian-set romances, what did you like best about them?  I’ll be giving away a copy of An Heiress at Heart to one lucky person who comments. 

Jennifer Delamere earned her B.A. in English fromMcGillUniversity in Montreal,Canada, where she also became fluent in French and developed an abiding passion for winter sports. She’s been an editor of educational materials for over fifteen years. She loves reading classics and histories, which she mines for the details to bring to life the people and places in her books.

Book excerpt:  You can read an excerpt from An Heiress at Heart here: http://www.jenniferdelamere.com/books/heiressatheart.php

Website address:  www.jenniferdelamere.com

Twitter: @JenDelamere

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jennifer.delamere

The Jaunty Quills are excited to bring back veteran author Vanessa Kelly. Vanessa’s new book is His Mistletoe Bride.

Shana: Welcome back, Vanessa. Tell us about His Mistletoe Bride. It features an American heroine. I love that!

Vanessa Kelly:  Hi Shana!  Thanks so much to you and the rest of the Quills for having me visit.  His Mistletoe Bride is a bit of High Noon meets the Regency.  My heroine is, indeed, an American – a Quaker from Philadelphia.  I grew up in a very historic Quaker town in New Jersey, and I’ve always been fascinated by Quaker history.  I thought it might be fun to take a young woman from that setting and throw her smack-dab into the aristocratic world of the Regency ton.  My hero, by contrast, is a soldier and a war hero.  Lucas is smitten with Phoebe, but he doesn’t quite understand her view of the world.  His world view and her world view really collide after their precipitous marriage—they’re caught in a compromising situation—when they encounter a gang of smugglers on their country estate.  Naturally, Phoebe wants to help the gang while Lucas is inclined to turn them over to the law.  Add in a Christmas holiday with a lot of parties and festivities and you’ve got what I hope is a very fun and sexy story.

Shana: Is His Mistletoe Bride set in the Regency or later? What are some of the historical Christmas traditions you included in the book?

Vanessa Kelly:  It’s a bit later in the Regency period, in 1817.  Although it’s true that many of the customs we take for granted didn’t really bloom until the Victorian era, the Regency folk did enjoy celebrating the holiday.  They decorated their houses with greenery, hung mistletoe, burned the Yule log, and of course they loved the Wassail Bowl—a really strong sort of punch or ale that was usually mixed up by the master of the house from an old family recipe.  Carol singing and games were a big part of the festivities, which concluded on Twelfth Night with a grand party.  Eating Twelfth Night cake and appointing a holiday king and queen were just a few of the traditions observed for that end-of-the-season party.  I’ll say one thing for those Regency folks—they knew how to have a good time, and I brought a lot of that merry-making into His Mistletoe Bride.

Shana: You are also a part of Rock *It Reads. What’s RiR and how can we get your RiR books?

Vanessa Kelly:  Rock*It Reads is a collective or “brand” of traditionally published authors committed to bringing high standards and professional quality to their self-published works. Whenever readers see the RIR logo, they can be sure they’re purchasing a book that is held to an excellent standard of quality.  Members include Monica Burns, Kris Kennedy, Mia Marlowe and Pamela Clare.  Right now there are twelve of us, and we intend to keep growing.  Readers can find our books on the web at:www.rockitreads.com

Shana: What’s it like writing with your husband? What’s your process when working with a partner, and how is it different from when you’re working alone?

Vanessa Kelly:  Those are the contemporary romances and romantic suspense books I write with hubby as VK Sykes.  It’s actually not that different from writing alone, to tell you the truth.  Although we do brainstorm plots and characters in the beginning of the process, we tend to work separately.  Randy always writes the first draft and then I go in and revise—he leaves most of the love scenes and emotional stuff to me!  We keep passing the manuscript back and forth until we’re satisfied with it.  The process really works well for us.  Randy is great at plotting and characterization, and I enjoy writing the more emotional parts of the story.

Shana: Finally, tell us what you have coming next.

Vanessa Kelly:  Starting in December of 2013, I’ll be releasing a new historical series with Kensington Zebra called The Renegade Royals.  The heroes are the illegitimate, bad-boy offspring of the sons of King George III.  The stories will be released in two back-to-back trilogies, which I think is great for readers.  I’m really having fun working on this project, and the first book is essentially completed.

Readers, now it’s your turn. Do you enjoy picking up Christmas-themed books this time of year? Do they put you in the holiday spirit? What are some of your favorite holiday books? One reader who comments will be randomly chosen to win a copy of Vanessa’s last book, My Favorite Countess, and another reader will receive a digital copy of her VK Sykes book, Fastball.

BLAME IT ON THE MISTLETOE…

When Major Lucas Stanton inherited his earldom, he never dreamed his property would include the previous earl’s granddaughter. Phoebe Linville is a sparkling American beauty, yes, but with a talent for getting into trouble. Witness the compromising position that forced them into wedlock. Whisked away to Mistletoe Manor, his country estate, it isn’t long before she is challenging his rules—and surprising him in and out of bed…

Phoebe has no intention of bowing to Lucas’s stubbornness even though he offers all that she wants. His kisses and unexpected warmth are enticing, but Phoebe is determined to show the Earl of Merritt what real love is all about. And if that takes twelve nights of delicious seduction by a roaring fire, she’s more than willing to reveal her gifts very slowly…

Buy links:  Amazon  Barnes & Noble  Books A Million

Vanessa Kelly was named by Booklist, the review journal of the American Library Association, as one of the “New Stars of Historical Romance.”  Her Regency-set historical romances have been nominated for awards in a number of contests, and her second book, Sex and The Single Earl, won the prestigious Maggie Medallion for Best Historical Romance.  You can find her on the web at www.vanessakellyauthor.com

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