Guest Authors Archive
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Fall Treat with Elizabeth Means
Welcome to author Elizabeth Means who is here to share some yummy fall treats and info on her delicious new novel, Dangerous Charade!
Over the years I’ve done a lot of research in order to make my books credible. I’ve learned about guns, private investigators, police procedures and more.
--- Pamela Faye, Rolling Seas Promotions
FIVE STARS: "Excellent writing! Enjoyable hero and heroine! Great romance! Fast pace! I read it straight through! Author thorough in research! I lived the experience!"--A reader on Amazon.com
Click to purchase:
Trey gave her a hard shove.
"Get going!"
"But how?"
"Grab the vines and pull yourself up!" he shouted over the thundering rain.
"You must be joking! It’s got to be one hundred feet high!"
"Good calculation. Now move!"
She stood her ground. "But why?"
"A. There’s no other way. B. I’m ordering you to. And you’ll listen if you ever want to get out of here."
Trey stifled an urge to smack her luscious wet bottom and watched in amusement as she struggled to grab hold of the slick vines, then smirked as she scrambled up a few feet and then landed in the muck with a splat. Her thick mane of black hair, once so splendidly coifed, was heavily matted and caked in mud.
"Again!" he yelled.
Raindrops, big as bullets, pelted her mercilessly. "I can’t do it. It’s impossible."
"Watch the master," he said, stowing the camera in his backpack.
He brushed her aside and grabbed one of the sturdier vines, then pulled himself up arm over arm with the agility of a spider monkey until he reached the top of the cliff where he had a perfect view of the lush jungle canopy and could see for miles.
"Now you know how it’s done. Get your ass up here or I’ll leave you behind."
"You can’t do that. You wouldn’t."
Erica re-tied her sagging ponytail and pinned it to her scalp. Her breath was ragged, her heartbeat erratic.
From above, she heard the sudden monotonous drone of a plane’s engine cutting through the rain splatter, then listened to the sputter as the motor spit and coughed, struggling to stay aloft. Wings slashed through the jungle over her head five hundred feet from her, both turbo props flaming. The plane wobbled and rolled before hitting the ground with an ear-splitting shriek of steel against steel followed by a blinding explosion of light that knocked her off her feet.
A sickening sensation shot through her and she suppressed the urge to vomit. The stench of black smoke as dark as blood filled her nostrils. She knew what had happened. She hoped to God she was wrong, but more than ever she wished with all her heart and soul that she was still safely home in Miami Beach and that she had never come.
Curl Up With Your Favorite Romance Book and These Easy Fall Treats!
Fall is my favorite time of the year and I couldn’t be any happier with the weather right now. The string of 100 degree days finally broke and now we’ve got 50’s at night and high 60’s by day. It’s the perfect kind of weather for curling up under my favorite throw and getting lost in a great book.
For me, a great book equals a romance of some kind. It doesn’t matter if it is paranormal, historical or contemporary…I like them all. But what kind of reading session would it be without a snack?
I have a habit of making comfort food or drinks (especially during this time of the year!) to enjoy while I read and I thought I’d share three of my super-simple & quick recipes with you.
1. Caramel Apple Pieces
*Eating this one while reading a book requires a bit of coordination lest your book end up with pages stuck together. The good news is, practice makes perfect so practice, practice, practice!
-Core and slice one red delicious apple. If you have one of those handy round slicer-corer combo gadgets this step takes about 2 seconds. Place seedless slices in bowl.
-Heat caramel ice cream topping in microwave then pour desired amount over the apples.
-Sprinkle pecans on the caramel and apples.
-Sprinkle the whole mess with cinnamon.
-Grab a spoon and enjoy!
2. Fairly Healthy (and Dirt Cheap) Popcorn
-Place two tablespoons of regular un-popped popcorn kernels in a small plain brown lunch sack.
-Fold over top of lunch sack three times.
-Place sack with kernels inside in microwave and pop for 1 min and 45 seconds. Popping time may vary depending on age of microwave so listen for the popping to slow down. Or you may need to pop it a little longer.
-Once popped remove the bag from microwave and dump popcorn into a bowl.
-Drizzle almond oil, safflower oil, grape seed oil, any other light oil or melted butter on top. Mix.
-Add salt. Mix again.
-Viola! Super easy and much less expensive than even the cheapest bags of pre-packed popcorn. Healthier too! You can re-use the same bag a few times if you just can’t put your book down and one bag is not enough...
3. Dark Chocolate Almond Cocoa
- Warm a mug of milk in microwave to desired hot cocoa temp. (I usually do 90 seconds or so).
- Once hot add a heaping teaspoon of dark cocoa powder and two heaping teaspoons of sugar.
- Stir. Then add a drop or two of Pure Almond Extract or flavoring.
- Stir some more.
- Top with mini-marshmallows and enjoy!
New Release from Elizabeth Means: Dangerous Charade
BLURB: Dangerous Charade
To escape an arranged marriage Gabrielle Broussard flees her home to become an undercover investigator with an elite, all-female investigative agency. Her first assignment, as governess at Westford castle to investigate the suspicious death of the Countess of Westford, quickly becomes complicated when she finds herself attracted to her number one suspect.
Lord Julian Blackwell is a survivor. After his father’s bankruptcy, he becomes a self-made man in Victorian England’s booming industrial era. Trapped into a loveless marriage, he has survived the shock of his wife’s sudden death. But now he must survive rumors and outright accusations. Hiring a private agency to investigate and prove his innocence seems like a good idea…until desire threatens to compromise both the case and the life of the investigator.
EXCERPT: Dangerous Charade
Gabrielle raced across the lawn toward a side entrance most often used by the servants at Westford. Dawn was breaking and she needed to move fast. If anyone saw her, she would be hard-pressed to explain why she was returning from a ride at this time of day, in the dark. And carrying a fancy parasol, no less.
She’d almost reached the door when Julian’s voice cut through the still morning air like a knife.
“Gabrielle.”
“Oh!” Her free hand flew to her mouth as she whirled toward the sound of his voice. He stood close to the building, hidden in the shadows. “My lord, you nearly scared me to death! I didn’t see you there.”
“Clearly.”
“Just what are you doing out here, lurking about in the shadows?” she demanded, adrenaline pumping.
“What am I doing?” He stared at her incredulously. “Not that I owe you any explanation for my actions while on my own estate, but I came out to watch the sunrise. What the devil are you doing?”
“I was…checking on Buttercup. I’m told she’s been acting strangely.” Gabrielle took a few more steps toward the building. “But—good news—it appears she’s doing fine.”
In a flash Julian was between her and the door. He regarded her closely. “That doesn’t explain why you’re lugging a parasol around in the dark.”
Gabrielle swallowed hard. She saw his green eyes narrow. “One never knows what one might encounter lurking about in the shadows. I may have needed it to defend myself from something. Or someone,” she added pointedly.
Julian stepped closer to her; they were less than an arm’s length apart. “Do you think you need it now?” The suggestive tone in his voice was unmistakable.
Her breathing quickened, and she averted her gaze. “What I think is that you are most unnerving.”
Julian reached out and tilted her chin up with his fingers. “What kind of game are you playing, Gabrielle?”
She didn’t answer. And he didn’t ask again. Instead he brought his head down very slowly and claimed her mouth with his own.
Author Website:
Buy Link: ?? None yet, not until after Sept. 23rd.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Cheryl Wright, Guest Blogger.
Welcome and thank you to guest blogger, Cheryl Wright, author of Saving Emma.
Please leave a comment to let her know what you think and for a chance to win a ebook copy of Saving Emma!
For as long as I can remember I’ve loved reading romance and romantic suspense.
When I first began writing, I was still unsure of the genre I would write in, but it soon became apparent. Every time I sat down to write, my story turned into a romantic suspense.
In Saving Emma, the story revolves around Emma and her four-year-old daughter Sally being in danger of being killed by the people who murdered her husband.
When writing this book, I spent many months on research. A librarian told me I was “a very dangerous woman” when I was researching guns small enough to fit in a handbag. Truly. She was ready to call the police!
People often ask where I get inspiration for my stories. Sometimes ideas come from things I see, other times they pop into my head without warning. There are also times when I have to brainstorm, but more often than not I have so many story ideas and have to put them on hold.
It’s a common occurrence to be asked how I became a writer. Be warned, this story is a bit strange.
In grade six, my teacher went on long service leave. I was totally disappointed as he was my sister’s teacher and we both thought he was a dream-boat. (Looking back, he definitely wasn’t!)
So day one of long service leave begins, and in waltzes a hippy substitute teacher. He was weird, so weird in fact that I moved to the back of the classroom. He had a guitar slung over his shoulder, a book of poetry in his hand. To top it off, his hair was long and scraggly, and he wore the weirdest clothes. (Think Cat Stevens.)
These days no one would look twice, but this was back in the 60’s and he was way out of place.
He started off reading poetry and teaching the class the history behind each poem. Down the track we began to write our own poetry, then later moved onto short stories.
That was the beginning of my love for the written word, and it’s never left me.
What’s your favorite genre, and why? One lucky commenter will receive a pdf copy of Saving Emma.
Short Blurb:
Emma Larkin is running for her life--nowhere is safe.
Stalked by her husband's killers, desperate to protect her young daughter, Emma must find what the killers are looking for before she becomes their next victim.
When undercover cop, Gary Bedford, planned a relaxing break, he hadn’t counted on bumping into Emma. Now he can't resist the temptation to discover all her secrets.
But should Emma trust her life and heart to Gary Bedford?
...And can they solve the mystery surrounding her husband’s death -- and uncover his deadly secret?
Reviews of Saving Emma:
If you like your romance on the dark side with a little danger mixed in with your happy ever after or if you need your hero and heroine to be truly deserving of each other, look no farther. Just look for something to help ease those goose bumps you’ll get from the roller coaster ride that is Saving Emma.
--- LASR
Love, action, and suspense are all in one great book by Cheryl Wright that will keep you entertained all the way to the end. I loved that Emma Larkin is no damsel in distress, but a fighter all the way.
--- HEA Reviews
Secrets, treachery and Gary’s exuberant family are woven together into this brilliantly written suspense-filled romance.
--- Margaret Tanner, Published Author
This is the way romantic suspense should be done!’
--- Johnna, Novel Spot
Saving Emma is a well-written, humorous, story about trust and starting over again.
--- Michelle, Fallen Angel Reviews
Fans of warm characters and feisty women and suspense, will love this heart-warming story.
--- Pam Slade, Love Romances
--- Pam Slade, Love Romances
Cheryl Wright gives us a heart pounding, soul-searching story that is a definite keeper and will have you looking for more from this author in the future.
--- Briana Burress, Romance Junkies
Saving Emma is a story about the fight to save Emma and Sally before they are killed. It is a story of love and the family of law-enforcing Bedfords who use their farm to watch over both mother and daughter while the attacker is tracked down.
Once you pick up Saving Emma it is hard to put down!
--- Pamela Faye, Rolling Seas Promotions
Excerpt from Saving Emma (chapter one, in its entirety, can be downloaded from my website)
“But Mummy, I liked that house,” Sally said, pouting. “Why did we have to move again?”
Emma sighed, but explained patiently, “The bad people found us again, Sally. We couldn’t stay there any longer.”
Sally thought about it for a moment. “So does that mean the bad people can’t find us now? Can we stay here forever?” Sally looked to her mother for reassurance. “I like this place. Please can we stay? Please?”
“Sure,” Emma answered. “We’ll stay. We’ll make it so they can’t find us again.” Emma smiled at Sally with renewed confidence.
This large country town was the answer to their prayers; she was sure. She’d been so wrong in choosing small towns before. It was too hard to hide—everyone knew everyone. But Bairnsdale was large enough that they would blend in. Their arrival wouldn’t even be noticed.
And the hair dye was a nice touch, she decided. There was nothing like flaming red hair to make a person stand out.
*Available for purchase from The Wild Rose Press, Amazon, Fictionwise, and other online stores.
Visit my website and grab your free short story – http://www.cheryl-wright.com
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Guest Blogger Alison Chambers: Twenty Master Plots—The Key to a Bestseller
Welcome to my very first guest blogger, Alison Chambers! Alison is the author of The Montezuma Secret. Thanks for joining us!
Twenty Master Plots—The Key to a Bestseller
Can you believe it? In the entire history of writing, some books tell us there are only twenty plots in existence. But when we sit down to read or watch a movie, we have to agree. They share so many common threads. Whether it’s “Lord of the Rings” or “Star Wars” or “Psycho,” we see how each can be pigeonholed into a specific category, no matter how complicated the plot.
Even if we go back to Shakespeare or the simple tales of Aesop’s fables or Grimm’s Fairy Tales, each story will still fit into one of the twenty major plot categories: quest, adventure, pursuit, rescue, escape, revenge, the riddle, rivalry, underdog, temptation, metamorphosis, transformation, maturation, love, forbidden love, sacrifice, discovery, wretched excess and ascension and descension.
Think of forbidden love—“Romeo and Juliet” or a modern reworking of the same concept in “West Side Story.” How about pursuit? “The Fugitive.” Quest and adventure: Indiana Jones. Revenge, one of my favorites, “The Heiress,” also known as Henry James’ “Washington Square.”
What’s your favorite plot type to write about? Do your plots change from book to book or do they continue to center around a common theme? Whether the genre is mystery or romance, each story must have a specific plot direction.
My stories are about a quest for the truth, for a treasure, to find and reclaim a lost life. For example in “The Secret Sentinel,” Savannah Rutledge steals a treasure map. When her theft backfires and her father is killed, she must set out on a quest, not only for the treasure, but for the truth. Who killed her father and why? Only then can she truly begin to reclaim her own life and live again, this time in a better world. But something had to start her on her quest and jar her out of her hum-drum everyday life. That inciting incident was the theft of the treasure map.
In my latest book “The Montezuma Secret,” TV star Erica Kingsley must search for Montezuma’s lost gold because her father’s television channel is in financial trouble. To help him resolve his dilemma, she must accompany Trey Zacco, her ex-fiancé and a man whom she now detests, into the dangerous jungles of Belize to find the treasure as a ratings booster for his debt-ridden station. Only in her quest for the treasure does Erica begin to find her life and have an opportunity to correct her past mistakes. The inciting incident was her father’s financial problems and his desire to have a ratings smash by throwing fashionista Erica into the jungle with ‘Wildman’ and survivalist Trey Zacco to see what would happen.
EL Doctorow wrote: “Writing a novel is like driving in the country at night. All you see ahead is what’s lit up by your headlights. But if you just keep following your lights, you will eventually reach your destination.”
What’s your favorite plot type to write about and why? One lucky commenter will receive an e-copy of “The Montezuma Secret!”
Thanks to Gloria for having me!
Visit me on www.alisonchambersromance.com and http://alisonchambers.blogspot.com
Also for more information about how to write a romantic suspense novel, visit my hub page:
“The Secret Sentinel” available from www.thewildrosepress.com
For further reading:“Twenty Master Plots and How to Build Them”by Ronald Tobias
Five Stars and a Top Pick-Night Owl Reviews
“The Montezuma Secret”
Hunky Trey Zacco, gritty survivalist and host of the Miami-based Holiday Channel’s hit "Wildman" series and glitz and glamour girl, Erica Kingsley, host of the channel’s "Lap of Luxury" show, are thrown together in the steamy jungles of Belize as a publicity stunt. Erica’s father, Arthur Kingsley, the owner of the Holiday Channel, has proposed the angle, not only to boost ratings, but also as a way to toughen up his spoiled daughter. And Kingsley wants them to search for Montezuma’s lost gold, presumably moved to Belize from the Guatemalan jungle. Zacco cannot hide his resentment at having to share the spotlight with the flighty fashionista Erica, and he locks horns with her every step of the way even as both try to ignore the strong physical attraction growing between them.
But when Arthur Kingsley’s plane goes down in the jungle on his way to film the opening of the show, Trey and Erica launch a desperate search to find him. And when, one by one, members of the camera crew are killed and the equipment sabotaged, Trey and Erica find themselves stranded in the middle of the jungle with sultry producer Morgana Montez, Trey's ex-lover, where no rescue crew can reach them.
But when Arthur Kingsley’s plane goes down in the jungle on his way to film the opening of the show, Trey and Erica launch a desperate search to find him. And when, one by one, members of the camera crew are killed and the equipment sabotaged, Trey and Erica find themselves stranded in the middle of the jungle with sultry producer Morgana Montez, Trey's ex-lover, where no rescue crew can reach them.
Don't miss The Montezuma Secret!
SUMMER SALE: Only $.99
in e-book format for your Kindle, PC, MAC, iPhone, Blackberry, iPad, & Android
in e-book format for your Kindle, PC, MAC, iPhone, Blackberry, iPad, & Android
FIVE STARS: "Excellent writing! Enjoyable hero and heroine! Great romance! Fast pace! I read it straight through! Author thorough in research! I lived the experience!"--A reader on Amazon.com
Click to purchase:
An Excerpt from "The Montezuma Secret"
"Up?" she pointed, unable to believe her ears.
"Up?" she pointed, unable to believe her ears.
Trey gave her a hard shove.
"Get going!"
"But how?"
"Grab the vines and pull yourself up!" he shouted over the thundering rain.
"You must be joking! It’s got to be one hundred feet high!"
"Good calculation. Now move!"
She stood her ground. "But why?"
"A. There’s no other way. B. I’m ordering you to. And you’ll listen if you ever want to get out of here."
Trey stifled an urge to smack her luscious wet bottom and watched in amusement as she struggled to grab hold of the slick vines, then smirked as she scrambled up a few feet and then landed in the muck with a splat. Her thick mane of black hair, once so splendidly coifed, was heavily matted and caked in mud.
"Again!" he yelled.
Raindrops, big as bullets, pelted her mercilessly. "I can’t do it. It’s impossible."
"Watch the master," he said, stowing the camera in his backpack.
He brushed her aside and grabbed one of the sturdier vines, then pulled himself up arm over arm with the agility of a spider monkey until he reached the top of the cliff where he had a perfect view of the lush jungle canopy and could see for miles.
"Now you know how it’s done. Get your ass up here or I’ll leave you behind."
"You can’t do that. You wouldn’t."
"Pull yourself up, Kingsley. If you have to, use the side of the cliff to push off and boost yourself higher. But watch out for the holes. There may be spiders and bats hiding in those nooks and crannies."
Erica re-tied her sagging ponytail and pinned it to her scalp. Her breath was ragged, her heartbeat erratic.
From above, she heard the sudden monotonous drone of a plane’s engine cutting through the rain splatter, then listened to the sputter as the motor spit and coughed, struggling to stay aloft. Wings slashed through the jungle over her head five hundred feet from her, both turbo props flaming. The plane wobbled and rolled before hitting the ground with an ear-splitting shriek of steel against steel followed by a blinding explosion of light that knocked her off her feet.
A sickening sensation shot through her and she suppressed the urge to vomit. The stench of black smoke as dark as blood filled her nostrils. She knew what had happened. She hoped to God she was wrong, but more than ever she wished with all her heart and soul that she was still safely home in Miami Beach and that she had never come.
From a safe distance, comfortably positioned to witness the entire spectacle, a smiling figure breathed a sigh of relief. It had all gone according to plan. On schedule and on time. They were right where they needed to be. Soon they’d both be dead and no one would be the wiser. Untimely accidents. Marauding terrorists. Ancient Mayan curses. Any excuse would do. Completely believable, considering the dangers of the jungle. They’d just disappear. Perfect. Simply perfect.