I’m so happy to be visiting with the Sisterhood today, and a special thanks to Shana for having me on the blog.

One of the best things about writing historical romance is that I get to do a lot of cool research. My books are set during the Regency period, so my research is focused on British history from the late 1790’s to about 1820.

And what a time it was! If there was one thing the aristocracy knew how to do back in those days, it was party. Actually, most Brits seemed to party fairly hard back then. Beverages included ginger beer, ale, punch, gin, fortified wines like sherry or port, brandy, negus (mulled wine), cordials, and lemonade for the Regency misses. And, of course, everyone loved champagne.

And then there was the food. The upper classes in particular could really pile it on, often serving two or three courses that had up to twenty dishes in a course. Some of the favorites were roast chicken, stewed or boiled game birds like partridges, ragout of beef, stuffed goose, mutton, pastries, soups, fish with sauce, puddings, custards…well, you get the picture. No wonder so many people had gout!

Research isn’t all fun and games, though. My latest book, My Favorite Countess, features a doctor hero, who spends quite a bit of time in the slums delivering babies and caring for pregnant women. I had to do a fair amount of research on women’s medicine during the Georgian and Regency periods, and I can use one word to describe it—gruesome. Trust me, having a baby back in the 19th century wasn’t for the faint of heart.

I did get a few laughs, though, from period illustrations of Regency doctors—dressed like Colin Firth in Pride & Prejudice—discretely groping under the dresses of fashionable ladies. Touch but don’t look seemed to be the way many examinations were conducted.

I also did research on London slums. Also gruesome and disturbing, but fascinating in terms of social history. One of the interesting things about the Regency period was how frequently the upper and lower classes jostled up against each other. The worst slums of the city were only a few blocks from the luxurious mansions of Mayfair, and it was very common for wealthy young bucks to cut loose in the more unsavory districts of London. Mayhem, as you can imagine, was often the result.

Doing this kind of research is both fascinating and fun, but the part I like best is incorporating the really interesting bits into my story in a way that enhances plot and character. My Favorite Countess has the glitter and glamour we’ve come to expect in Regency-set novels, but I also included a riot, some dramatic scenes in the slums—an attempting kidnapping and murder, for one—and a birth that could go tragically wrong if my hero doesn’t arrive in time. Whew! That’s one of the great things about writing historical romance. You can use all those interesting, true-to-life elements to ramp up the drama and conflict.

But My Favorite Countess is first and foremost a romance, and I do have a lot of that good stuff too—including a very sexy scene between the hero and heroine in a deserted ruin in the woods. I won’t give you the details, but I will say that it takes place on a hot summer day, and that things get a whole lot hotter before my hero and heroine get out of there!

There’s always a lot of talk about period accuracy in historical romances. How much accuracy do you like to see in your romance fiction? Do you like lots of history and the nitty-gritty detail of what life was really like? Or do you prefer to keep the nasty bits out of your reading? One person who comments will win a copy of My Favorite Countess.

Named by Booklist as one of the “new stars of historical romance,” Vanessa Kelly writes Regency-set historical romance for Kensington Zebra. Her second novel, Sex And The Single Earl, recently won the Maggie Medallion for best historical romance. Vanessa also writes contemporary romance with her husband, under the pen name of V.K. Sykes. You can find Vanessa at www.vanessakellyauthor.com. She also blogs at www.vanessakellyauthor.wordpress.com.

“Drain Bamage” and “Spread-osis” by Mia Marlowe

First of all, let me thank the Jaunty Quills, and my hostess Ashley March in particular, for letting me reschedule today. I still cringe when I think about missing my blogging date with the lovely and talented Shana Galen earlier, but romance writers are a forgiving bunch. Wonder if it’s because we’re all “drain bamaged” half out of our minds because we live in alternate realities for major portions of each day?

Anyway, I’m tickled to be with you today and thought I’d talk about another chronic writer ailment (besides “drain bamage!”). It’s “Spread-osis.” Sitting at a keyboard for hours at a time means we’re not the most fit of folks and some of us tend to pack on the pounds.

To be fair, even before I started making things up for a living, I struggled with excess weight. I was the little kid who took up two spaces in the kindergarten class picture. All my life, it seems I’ve either been on a diet or cheating on one.

Last year, I scared myself by hitting the highest number my scale has ever seen. I took immediate action and worked my way back into familiar territory, but I’m still not where I’d like to be. So my DH, who had a few pounds to lose himself, offered to do Jenny Craig with me. We’ve been at it since late July. I’ve clawed my way down another 16. 5 pounds. My DH cheats like a fiend and still has lost 18. Truly, there is no justice in the world.

But there is hope. I’m down 35 pounds from that “scary” weight. My clothes are fitting much differently and I’m able to wear things I haven’t gotten into for about four years.

Of course, they’re all out of style now, but my fashion-phobia is best saved for another post.

How about you? Do you struggle with weight? Or is there another challenge that dogs you? Share it with us and you’ll be entered in a drawing to receive a copy of IMPROPER GENTLEMEN, my anthology with Diane Whiteside and Maggie Robinson.

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Click to order!

Mia Marlowe writes historical romance with a sparkle of magic for Kensington and Sourcebooks. She loves torturing her heroes and making them work for their HEA. She also loves connecting with readers. You can find her on Twitter, Facebook and MiaMarlowe.com.

Her newest release is A Duke for All Seasons, an e-novella that features the Duke of Winterhaven, a man who has good reason to mistrust women. Unfortunately, Arabella St. George will give him a few more before their love affair runs its course! But as in all of Mia’s stories, “happily ever after” is guaranteed. You just may be surprised at how her characters get there!

Thank you so much, Kristan et al, for having me today. I’m honored to be here with the Jaunty Quills. I’ll be giving away a free e-book copy of my newly released Contemporary Young Adult Romance, Heaven is for Heroes, to three of your lucky commenters.

Since this is my debut novel, I’m as excited and nervous as a new mother sending her first child off to kindergarten. I’m wondering if I’ve done all I could to make my baby successful and if anyone out there will love it as much as I do. That might be asking too much, but every mother looks forward to those wonderful reviews of what a fabulous child she’s raised. The reality is, just as with children, each book has a personality and not everyone will find it charming, fabulous and wonderful. So I’m following the advice I’ve given to my children—expect the best, but prepare for the worst.

In order for me to tell you about my book, I first need to fill you in on why I, a mother of two grown sons, chose to write for young adults. I’ve been writing romantic fiction for about six years and it took me until I’d written my 500,000 words of practice to discover that my “writer’s voice” was in the young adult genre. People have asked what my inspiration is for my stories and I guess I would say that I follow the old adage and write what I know. My teen life was memorable and anything but ordinary. “My life has been a tapestry of rich and royal hue”—that’s a line from an old Carol King tune that fits me perfectly. I have had a very colorful life with lots of drama, twists and turns.

My stories are my way of using my life experience to let teens know that no matter what awful things happen in their lives, they aren’t alone and that there is a hopefully ever after if they are willing to fight for it and choose it. It’s also my way of re-writing history a bit. I can create characters that I wish had been there for me, build worlds where my heroes and heroines can win the day, and share with others all the lessons and emotional journeys that have brought me to where I am today—happy, healthy, and hopeful.

In Heaven is for Heroes (HIFH), Jordie Dunn is a seventeen year old girl whose brother, Levi, dies in the war in Iraq. I had a brother who was a Marine. He enlisted when I was eight years old and got out eight years later when I was sixteen. Even though there was ten years between us, and even with all the years we spent apart, I loved my brother dearly. I wrote him letters, anticipated his visits home, and prayed every night that he would not have to go to war. He didn’t die in combat, but his death by suicide affected me profoundly when I was twenty-two.  Levi’s character is modeled after my brother.

In recent years, with the wars in both Afghanistan and Iraq, much attention has been paid to the tragedies of war and how the losses affect spouses, children, and parents of soldiers who die in combat or return home injured and devastated by their experience. But not much is said about how siblings are affected. I wanted to show that connection and bring to light the brothers and sisters who are suffering as well. We have a whole generation of teenagers who have lost someone they love or have had their world shattered by war. I wanted to give voice to their experience.

Since I also love romance, I gave Jordie a dreamy but challenging guy to test her patience. Alex Cooper was Levi’s best friend and a fellow Marine. The three grew up hanging out together, until Jordie realized in the ninth grade that there was more to Alex than a gangly computer geek hiding behind braces and glasses. When Alex returns home wounded and believes that he’s responsible for Levi’s death, Jordie sets out to prove him wrong and help him in his recovery. What she doesn’t understand is that Alex has more than a guilty conscience or a physical disability to overcome. Her quest for the truth and Alex’s quest for peace, at times put them in direct opposition.

Because the focus of the story is the tenuous romance between childhood sweethearts, Jordie and Alex, with the underlying plot of a family’s search for peace in time of war, I think HIFH will appeal to adult readers as well as older young adults. I’ve added a challenging mother-daughter relationship, and entertaining secondary characters like Brig, Jordie’s grandfather, who is a retired Brigadier general. I personally, think Brig steals the show.

I hope those of you who read the book enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it. It’s always hard for us writers/moms to let go of our children, but we have to trust that we’ve done our best and move on to whatever comes next. In my case, it’s my second release, On Thin Ice, coming out in December of this year. Yikes…must get on those revisions.

In ON THIN ICE, Penny Trudeau deals with issues like teen pregnancy, her mother’s cancer, date rape and an eating disorder. I know! Right? Crazy stuff, but all part of my teen age experience. That’s why I write Extraordinary stories of an average teen age life.

If you could re-write your own history, would you have been rich? Married Tom Selleck? Gotten a pony when you were eight? Maybe you would have been an astronaut. With writing, the sky’s the limit. So tell me, if you could re-write your story, what would be different?

Visit www.pjsharon.com for more information on PJ’s books.

I’m very excited to welcome my friend and co-Kensington author Tina Gabrielle to the Jaunty Quills blog today. It’s even more special because this is Tina’s VERY FIRST EVER BLOG! Wooohooo! So, please give a warm HUZZAH to Tina as she tells us about writing her wonderful Regency historical romances.

  First let me thank the Jaunty Quills and Terri Brisbin for inviting me to blog. It’s wonderful to be here!

I was a late bloomer. My transition from middle school to high school was…how politely can I phrase it?—awkward. A combination of genetic factors were against me—braces, a stature of five foot zip, and yes, there was that scoliosis brace. I hid beneath baggy clothes and often had my nose buried in a book. It didn’t help that I had two older sisters who were both very pretty and who never had to wear any type of brace, orthodontic or orthopedic. Boys called the house all the time, just not for me.

To my great relief, sophomore year brought change. Both braces came off, for the teeth and the back, and I had a perfect pearly white smile and straight posture. As for being petite, I reached the great height of five foot two inches, but I soon learned that being a petite female has its advantages. Self-esteem came in the form of sports, friends, and academics. Boys called, and this time for me!

Years later, I credited my difficult adolescence in making me not just stronger, but more compassionate toward others. My love of academics remained, and I went on to obtain a B.S. in mechanical engineering and a law degree. I used both my legal background and my life experience when writing IN THE BARRISTER’S CHAMBERS.

My heroine, Lady Evelyn Darlington is the daughter of a barrister and an Oxford professor. She goes through her own awkward adolescence, with her nose buried in legal treatises, pining away for her father’s charming student, Jack Harding. She is a funny-looking girl who follows Jack around like a lost puppy.

Years pass, and Jack is now the top criminal barrister in London. Evelyn has grown into a lovely, mature woman who has a passion for the law. She believes she has found the perfect husband in Randolph, one of her father’s University fellows. But things go terribly awry when Randolph is accused of murdering a Drury Lane actress, and Evelyn finds herself on the hunt for the best barrister to aid him.

When Evelyn shows up in Jack’s chambers, he is stunned to learn the beautiful woman standing before him is little Evie, the professor’s daughter. At first Jack is reluctant to take on Randolph’s case. Jack’s a smooth talking barrister, a jury master, who never mixes business with pleasure. His career is of the utmost importance to him, and although he enjoys the ladies, he has no desire to marry. But Evelyn is persistent, and Jack eventually takes on the case.

Our reluctant hero soon has his hands full trying to handle a murder case and battle his desire for Evelyn. As they travel throughout London investigating the murder, Jack grows to admire Evelyn’s intelligence and tenacity, along with her beauty. Eventually he realizes he wants Evelyn’s heart, not just her body. And for the first time in Jack’s life, he has to convince a woman that he’s the right man for her.

It was a pleasure to write the first book in my Regency Barrister Series about four sexy barristers and the women who wreak havoc in their chambers and steal their hearts. And yes, I loved writing about the ugly duckling that turns into the beautiful swan.

So tell me: What was your most awkward adolescent experience?

To celebrate my Jaunty Quills blog, I’m giving away a signed copy of the first book in my Scandal Series, LADY OF SCANDAL, to one commenter. Contest limited to US/Canada. Good luck!

Tina Gabrielle, an award-winning author, is an attorney and former mechanical engineer whose love of reading for pleasure helped her get through years of academia. After multi-publishing for a prestigious Law Journal, she fulfilled her dream of writing fiction. She is the author of In The Barrister’s Chambers, Lady Of Scandal, and A Perfect Scandal from Kensington Books. The second book in her Regency Barrister Series is scheduled for release by Kensington in 2012. Visit her website at www.tinagabrielle.com

Write What You Know (and Love)

Hello! Thank you so much to the Sisterhood of the Jaunty Quills—and of course, Jaunty—for having me on the blog today. My first novel, Sweet Enemy, has yet to hit stores, so I’m pretty new to this whole guest blogging thing, but it’s so exciting to be here! I was going to bring Armando, my cravat wearing stuffed armadillo to meet Jaunty today, but he’s a little shy. Perhaps next time…

Today, I thought I’d talk a little bit about how I got here—aside from being invited by the lovely and talented Robyn DeHart . Like most authors of historical romance, I grew up reading it. Once I discovered my grandmother’s hidden stash (stuffed on the lowest bookshelf, hidden behind her recliner), I was hooked! Well, after a degree in Chemistry, getting married, and several years in the workforce, I decided I wanted to write them, too.

Great! Good decision! But now, how to do so?

Well, I’ll skip all of the boring details about how the left brained chemist in me decided to thoroughly dissect my six favorite romance novels and examine each facet in detail. Instead, let’s jump right to the first bit of advice first time writers hear: Write What You Know.

Hmmm. Good advice. After all, I need my own unique voice, right? But what in the world could my life experience bring to a historical romance novel? I mean, after all, beakers and ball gowns don’t mix, do they?

Wait. Beakers and ball gowns don’t mix…Beakers and ball gowns don’t mix… That line stuck with me. And the idea for a Regency-era lady chemist was born. She would, of course, eschew Society (because of the aforementioned non-mixing). So what would make her enter the glittering world of the ton willingly? Well, what if she were searching for her father’s killer?

And here’s where I added to the first time rule: Write What You Know AND What You Want to Read. You see, I love a good mystery, too. I just prefer them to have plenty of romance. And, as a former scientist, I love a good experiment—and a good challenge. So I decided for my first time out, I’d tackle a romance AND a mystery. Why not, right? So my story line became this:

Beakers and ball gowns don’t mix, so when a lady chemist goes undercover as a husband hunter to investigate the earl she thinks may have murdered her father, romance isn’t part of her formula. But it only takes one kiss to start a reaction she can’t control…

And voila! I was off! Now, since we’re having such a fun time, I’ll spare you all of the ugly details about my first flailing attempts and about how, in the despairing place somewhere in the middle of the first draft I decided I was a terrible writer who was crazy to attempt to write a mystery AND a romance in my first ever manuscript and yanked out all of the mystery in an attempt to make it more simple (and subsequently couldn’t stand the story anymore and had to figure out how to put it all back in, only better). No, I’ll just tell you that in the end, I am so glad I stuck it out and I hope readers will come to love Geoffrey and Liliana’s story as much as I do.

Sweet Enemy – A Veiled Seduction Novel, will be coming out February 7, 2012—just in time for Valentine’s Day. It is the first in a series of three featuring science-savvy heroines with a touch of mystery. I will be giving away a signed copy to a random commenter (who agrees to be patient…February…long time off ☹)

So, to start off the conversation, tell me—what types of romances do you love best? Ones with a little mystery? Ones that focus strictly on the juicy inner angst of relationships? Light, humorous and witty? A little darker? All of the above?

Please visit me at www.HeatherSnowBooks.com I’d love to hear from you anytime!

First let me thank the Jaunty Quills for having me as part of my What a Duke Wants Blog tour.  It is great to be here.

As usual when I am going to write a blog, I spend some time reading through recent blogs on the site to see what people are talking about. The first thing I read was Kristin Higgin’s “Ten Things” post.  I was impressed by her ability to come up with all those things we didn’t know about her – but more than that I was impressed by her honesty in confronting a question she found difficult. (I personally am always happy to talk about what readers don’t know about me:  the only foods I truly don’t like are sea slugs and tripe; I’ve seen baby turtles hatch in Trinidad; I am trying to learn to walk in high heels after years of not wearing them.)

The question I always dread is, “Tell us about your book.”  This is not a good question for a writer to dread.  You get asked it at your first writing group, you are asked it by agents, by editors, on blogs – and of course by readers.  I know writers who have wonderful two-sentence answers that make me instantly want to read their books.

Me?  I stumble.  I ramble.  I wish I were doing anything but having to answer the blasted question.

Now, I love my books.  Each one is my baby and I want only the best for it.  So why can’t I talk about my books?

I want them to shine.  I want everyone to read them and love them as much as I do.

Originally, I thought the problem was that I didn’t have a high concept, a clever theme that would instantly draw editors and readers to my books.  And then this summer I had my concept, a set of novellas entitled The Real Duchess of London – a mixture of Bravo’s Real Housewives and the Regency.

Only, it still wasn’t easy to talk about.  I had a great first sentence and then I was stuck.  “Well, ummm, they’re Regency historicals mostly about well, ummm – they’re reconciliation stories.”

Even I know that is not going to grab anyone’s attention.  It really made me think.  I love my characters.  I spend time thinking about the plots and know they are well planned.  I work hard combining realistic relationships with the passion and heat that my readers want.

So why can’t I answer that simple question?

And then it hit me.  I don’t think about my books in words (although clearly that’s how I write them.)  They are always movies in my head, full of color and action.  I am so busy seeing them that it is hard to slow my thoughts down enough to describe them.  When I am writing them, I always feel that I am typing as fast as I can, trying to transcribe what I see in my head.

That still doesn’t help me answer the question.

And so I come to the answer to most difficulties in life – practice and preparation.  It may never be easy for me to describe my books, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t do it.  I have to do it.

And so . . .

Lavinia, can you tell us about What a Duke Wants?

Sure, I’d love to.  What a Duke Wants is the story of a duke who doesn’t want be a duke and lady who ran away from society long ago.  It is a story of mistaken identity and true love. 

My hero, Mark Smythe, the new Duke of Strattington, is on his way to London for the king’s coronation.  He is preoccupied with learning how to be a duke, as he had never expected to inherit his uncle’s title.  When he meets a young baby nurse, Miss Isabella Smith, he is delighted that she does not recognize him, and enjoys the freedom her company offers him.  When he is with her, he can simply be himself – not the duke.

As they travel toward London, stopping at the same inns each night – with only slight planning on Mark’s part – they slowly form a deep attachment and the beginnings of a great passion.

But, of course, no romance can be that simple.  I am leaving out the blackmail, accusations of murder, Isabella running away for a second time, a masquerade ball, a disapproving older brother, a scandalous sister, a loyal best friend, two more dukes, hot, sensuous interludes, and dancing with a very cute kitten.  To learn more you’ll just have to read the book.  I have an excerpt posted on my website – http://www.laviniakent.com/excerpt_duke.html.  It has the best first line I’ve ever written, so I do hope you’ll take a peek and check it out.

I am offering a signed copy of my first novella (or a Kindle copy if you’d prefer) along with a What a Duke Wants t-shirt to one lucky commenter.  So please let me know what your favorite first line is.  (And no going with “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness . . . .  I can’t handle the competition.) 

Thank you all for having me.  I look forward to chatting.

Lavinia

Winner will be announced in a separate post.  Please check back to see if you’re the lucky winner!

The winner of Ashley March’s guest blog on September 8 is Kirsten. Kirsten, email Ashley at ashley@ashleymarch.com with your address so she can send you the copy of ROMANCING THE COUNTESS.

First of all, thanks to the Jaunties for hosting me today as part of my ROMANCING THE COUNTESS Book Tour! I’m so excited to be back here again!

It seems like this question has been coming up a lot lately: Why did I decide to be a romance writer? What made me want to write romance? Okay, so maybe these are variations of the same question, but they all boil down to my relationship with writing romance.

And so far, when this question has been asked, it’s been asked through an oral interview. The first one was an interview for my local paper, and the second one was Tuesday night on the Romance Lately live video show. (Which was recorded and archived, so if you didn’t get a chance to see Shana Galen and I blushing as we talked about the “anatomy of a sex scene”, then here’s your chance. )

Watch the recording of Shana and Ashley’s Romance Lately show.

However, the truth is that while I might be a pretty good writer (and I can say this without sounding like I’m bragging because my hubby told me so ), I am not articulate at all when I speak in person. I ramble, I cut my sentences off, I pretty much don’t make sense. =)  It’s one of the ironies of life. So, now that I have the chance to write a blog for the Jaunty Quills, I want to answer this question again, because this time I know I can do it right.

Why have I chosen to write romance?

The truth is that I’ve been in love with love stories as long as I can remember.

My parents divorced when I was 5. I don’t know if that has anything to do with it, but I can tell you that ever since then I’ve hated divorce. I hate that it’s a concept used so easily in our society, and that it’s something that can be put on the table at any moment when a couple gets into an argument. Perhaps this is one reason why I write romance, so that I can always ensure that the couples have an HEA, no matter what issues they have to overcome in their relationship to get there.

I remember when I watched TV as a child I enjoyed the shows with the romantic relationships the best. I always wanted Zack and Kelly to end up together in Saved by the Bell. Of course, on Full House I always wanted Jesse to end up with me, but that’s another story (and,if you can believe it, John Stamos is still as hot today as he was back then). When watching movies I’m drawn to those that focus on romantic relationships.

I started reading romance when I was a pre-teen and haven’t stopped since. I actually believe that every little girl (at least in my experience) yearns for that special someone—not because we NEED someone else to fulfill us, but because we want that partnership and we want to feel loved and cherished. When I read romance novels, I get to experience this again and again and again. When I write romance novels, it’s the same feeling, except I can write characters that come from my heart and plots that I’m interested in seeing that I’ve never read before.

To be honest, I started writing because I wanted something more out of life than a typical 9-to-5 day job. And I started writing romance specifically because that’s what I loved to read most. But the reason why I continue to write romance and the reason why I believe I will write romance until I die is simply because I’m an optimist and I need hope. As a mother I’ve become suddenly and shockingly aware of all the truly horrible things that happen around us in our world (don’t get me started on how much I dislike our media for focusing on these things). My heart breaks nearly every day because of the reality of the human evil and the natural disasters that occur around us.

But, as a romance writer, I can give back hope and love. As an optimist, I believe that humans are capable of immense love. I show that in my romance. I like to write about characters that are flawed because I know that we are all flawed (well, at least I am; I don’t know about you guys , and I like to give these flawed characters hope through love. It sounds so simple when I say that love really can make a difference, but I know that as a romance reader you will understand what I’m talking about.

When I first started writing romance, I wrote because it was fun. It was an experiment, to see if I really could do this publishing thing. Of course, I was overjoyed when I did become a published author, and then I realized that I had readers (who are fabulous, by the way)! The messages I have received from readers telling me how much they enjoyed my writing means the world to me, and the personal ones mean that much more.

I’m going to tell you guys something very personal, if only to illustrate the power of a romance novel in two different ways, and why I am constantly inspired to write romance.

My mother died last year at the age of 49 due to lung cancer. She was only diagnosed a month before her passing, so it was very sudden. When I returned to my hometown for her memorial, I took a book with me, a romance novel. Specifically, it was Sarah MacLean’s historical debut, NINE RULES TO BREAK WHEN ROMANCING A RAKE. The night before the memorial, I started that book. I started it then on purpose, so I wouldn’t have to think about the next day. And I stayed up all night until I finished it. That book was my escape, and it truly did help. I don’t think anything else could have taken my mind off of my mother’s death or made me laugh at that moment than a romance novel. And that book will always be special to me because of it was there when I needed an escape the most.

That’s the first illustration of the power of a romance novel. The second illustration follows below.

Three months after my mom died, I found out that my step-dad married someone else. I was stunned, shocked, angry. So many words to describe how I felt. But basically I was heartbroken and I couldn’t understand. I can’t go into further details, but his new marriage in addition to other things that had happened made me question whether he’d truly loved my mother. At the time of her death, they’d been married for 18 years. Shortly after I found out, I pitched the proposal for ROMANCING THE COUNTESS. I’d had the idea for the book for a while, but suddenly it just felt like it was the right time to write it.

In ROMANCING THE COUNTESS, an earl and his best friend’s wife are drawn together after their spouses—who were having an affair—die in a carriage accident. One of the challenges of writing this book was how to deal with the hero and heroine who had loved their spouses in the past. How could they move on to loving someone else so soon after their spouses’ deaths, even if the spouses had cheated on them? When I began writing this novel, I didn’t realize it was a form of catharsis, that I was writing to explain something that I didn’t understand from my own life. But once I finished it, I realized that I was seeking to find a way to explain how my stepdad could move on so quickly and seemingly so easily after my mother died. The result of writing ROMANCING THE COUNTESS is that I found compassion for him. Somehow writing it as if it happened to one of my characters made it seem understandable. And that, for me as a writer, is the second illustration of the power of a romance novel. Not only can reading romances that another person writes help us; writing romance can help us, too.

As I finish this blog post I realize that I’ve actually rambled quite a bit, just like I do when I answer questions in person. However, as you can see, the answer to why I write romances isn’t simple: there are many reasons. Perhaps it all comes down not to the reason why, but to the way I approach my writing, and this can be seen in the tagline on my website: Choose love. Believe in love. Hope in love. To me this is the essence of the romances I want to read and the romances I want to write, and in the end, perhaps that is all that matters.

Thank you for taking the time to read about why I choose to write romance. I’d love to hear about any personal connections you’ve made with romance novels. Or, if you don’t feel comfortable with that, I’d love to hear why you choose to read romance novels over books in other genres.

One random commenter will be chosen to win a copy of my newest book, ROMANCING THE COUNTESS, and will get a chance to send a copy of my debut, SEDUCING THE DUCHESS, to a friend (open internationally)! Also, find out how to win the ROMANCING THE COUNTESS Book Tour Grand Prize of 50+ romance novels by visiting www.ashleymarch.com! 

The Greek philosopher Heraclitus once said that the only constant in life is change and I have to say I’m pretty much the embodiment of constant change. Barring three years in Huntsville, Texas, and five years in Springfield, Missouri, I’ve never lived in one place for more than two years. We moved regularly until I got into high school, living everywhere from San Diego to Montreal. I went to college in New York City and then transferred to Colorado. I think I’ve moved twenty-one times (not counting the three times I’ve moved to different houses in the same town). I’ve just completed my twenty-first move, leaving Stillwater, Oklahoma, for the beautiful city of Seattle, Washington. If there is anything I’ve learned from all this change is that change is good, in a lot of ways.

Change is Good for a Person
Stillness is the next closest thing to death. When we stop changing, we stop living. We stop learning, we stop growing. Change, whether it’s a change of time zone, a change of routine, or a change of pace, gives us a new perspective on the world and on our place in it. The more you know about the world, the more experiences you have, the more you understand your point of view. And, I like to think, broader experiences make you a more tolerant, understanding, and empathetic person.

Changes is Good for a Character
Every book is the story of a character on a journey. Through the twists and actions of the plot, the character grows, learns more about themselves, and becomes a slightly to very different person by the end of the book. Action-adventure heroes notwithstanding, a character who doesn’t change makes for a very boring book.

Change is Good for an Author
New York Times bestselling author Melissa Marr says, “If it’s not hard then what’s the point.” What she meant was that if, as an author, you’re writing the same book, the same story over and over, then you’re going to stop growing. My first four books were very similar. They were pretty straightforward teen romances with fantasy elements, told from a single first person point of view, and following a fairly narrow path toward a single major goal. If my revision letters are any indication, I got pretty good at writing those stories because by the time I had to face doing a revision on the fourth book my edits were pretty minor.

Then I decided to step outside the box. I came up with an idea that plays in the same mythological sandbox as my other books, but the structure and format of the storytelling is completely different. With Sweet Venom, my fifth book which comes out on September 6th, I moved from a single first person point of view to three first person points of view. I moved from a single, straightforward plot to a complicated trilogy that follows the paths of three very different girls. Plotting this trilogy is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. It was like plotting ten books in one—three girls, three stories, three books plus one overarching story. It nearly killed me.

But, like most things, it made me stronger instead. Sweet Venom is by far the best book I’ve written yet, and writing it made me a better author. I could have continued writing those single-focus stories, but I would have cheated myself out the chance to be a stronger writer. Change is good.

What kind of changes have you made in your life?

One person who comments will win a signed copies of Sweet Venom and Fins are Forever by Tera Lynn Childs. But you’ll have to wait until after Sweet Venom‘s release in September for me to mail both books.

  Terri B here — Please join me in a warm welcome for longtime author Deborah Cooke who many of you know as Claire Delacroix!

I probably should confess early that I’m not much of a numbers person. I don’t remember numbers very well. When someone asks my age, for example, I have to figure it out. Fast. Because it’s a dumb thing to not just know. It’s the same with my books – whenever I’ve asked how many I’ve written, I have to work it out. It’s not like I’ve never worked it out before. I just don’t remember numbers. So, it stands to reason that I’m not one of those people who get worked up about birthdays that end in zeroes, or reaching certain ages, or even achieving specific anniversaries.

The strange thing is that next April will be the 20^th anniversary of my selling my first romance novel. This isn’t strange in itself – what’s strange is that I can’t help reflecting on this milestone. As you may have guessed, this isn’t at all like me, which is also interesting.

   In April 1992, Tracy Farrell called me from Harlequin Historicals to offer for my medieval romance, THE ROMANCE OF THE ROSE. Even after all these years, that’s one call I remember very clearly. I as lucky because she called the first time when I was out, and left a message. So, I had a squeal and a bounce around the house – because I knew she wasn’t calling to reject my manuscript – then called back with my best professional voice. She was in a meeting but her assistant, Angela Catalano, whispered “it’s such good news”. It turned out that Angela had been the one to pluck my manuscript out of the slush and fall in love with it.

In almost twenty years, I’ve had a lot of career milestones. Let’s do the obvious ones first. I’ve published (give me a second here to count) eleven medievals with Harlequin, six with Dell, six with Warner, all under my pseudonym Claire Delacroix (http://www.delacroix.net) . I’ve published four time travels with Berkley and four contemporary romances with Berkley under another pseudonym Claire Cross. I’ve published a trilogy set in a post-nuclear pre-Apocalyptic future featuring fallen angel heroes with Tor as Claire Delacroix. Currently, I write Dragonfire (http://www.deborahcooke.com) , a contemporary paranormal romance series featuring dragon shape shifter heroes, with NAL – there are six titles in print and two more coming in 2012 – as myself, as well as a spin-off YA series called The Dragon Diaries (http://www.thedragondiaries.com) , also with NAL, also as myself. We can add that up together – that makes forty-one books in print plus another four that will be printed by the end of 2012. Forty-five novels. I think there are about six novellas, as well. (http://www.delacroix.net/novella.html) It’s been busy!

My books have been USA Today bestsellers, and my medieval, THE BEAUTY, was my first book to land on the New York Times List of Bestselling Books. I’ve had great reviews and horrible ones, been nominated for awards and even won a few of them. So, there have been lots of stories, and I’ve worked with a lot of smart editors who have taught me a great deal – both about the business of publishing and about my writing.

I call those the obvious milestones, because they’re the ones you’d expect from a career as a writer. But the two things that I didn’t think about in April 1992 are the things that have been the most important to me. First off, readers. Of course, books have readers and when you write a book, you hope that someone will read it. But I never expected to build such relationships with readers. I never expected to hear from so many readers, in letters and cards and emails. I never expected them to share their stories with me, or for them to be so very supportive of me and my work. Readers, and my relationships with them, have really become the heart of what I do.

The second thing I never expected was to develop so many very good friendships with other writers. I’m honoured to know so many talented and funny women, women who are smart and irreverent and practical and generous. I became one of those statistics very early on – it’s said that some percentage of romance writers are divorced. I don’t remember the percentage (it’s a number) but it’s high and I’m part of it. My first marriage ended between that call in April 1992 and the publication of that book in March 1993. I was blessed to have so many romance writers at my back, women I had only recently met but whose kindness and faith in happily-ever-after helped me through that transition. They were the first to cheer when I married again. (We do love our HEA’s, don’t we?) This summer, I decided to commemorate those friendships by inviting many of those women to guest on my blog, or to swap blogs with me. It’s awe-inspiring how many writers I know and admire – including Terri Brisbin, who invited me here today and will visit my blog in September.

There’s a line in a song by Mary Black: “we’ll never see what lies ahead if we keep on looking back”. I believe that’s true. I think it’s part of the reason that I don’t generally build lists of milestones – I’m too busy looking ahead, trying to figure out where I’m going and what adventures are in store. Can I publish another forty-five books in the next twenty years? Maybe! But one thing is for certain – it’s the stories, and the readers, and the writers who are my friends who will be with me every step of the way. That’s exciting.

Onward to the next twenty years!

  So, tell me, are you someone who keeps track of milestones? Do you commemorate birthdays that end in zeroes, or anniversaries, or other milestones? How do you celebrate, if you do, and what is your focus? Add a comment here today for a chance to win a signed mass market copy of THE BEAUTY BRIDE. It’s the first book in my Jewels of Kinfairlie trilogy and a title I’ve recently re-published in a new digital edition. You can read more about it, right here!

Deb, thanks so much for visiting us today and for offering a prize! I am such a big fan of all your work and am now addicted to your new Dragonfire romances. . . Anyone who posts through Wednesday, August 17th is eligible for the book prize. Terri B.