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Ann B. Harrison has come back to visit in my chair. She is always welcome and is here to tell us today why she writes rural romance. Welcome Ann...
I often get asked why I write rural romance. It’s simple - write what you know. This great little piece of advice was given to me when I first started writing years ago. I’m a country girl. I grew up in a small rural town on the land doing everything I write about so it actually made a lot of sense. My father taught me to shoot at an early age. It’s what farming kids did and I loved it. I progressed from shooting cans to rabbits - the plague of the farmer and I still love a good rabbit stew. We grew our own meat and vegetables. All of my animals had a good life and nowadays they don’t make it to the table - the eggs do but that’s about it. I’m glad I know how to make my own butter and cheese, sausages and pickled meats. It was all a good learning curve and information for my stories. These days I’m too busy writing to be that involved but I still keep a pretty good vegetable garden and I love my chooks. What it has done is give me a good grounding for my stories. When I describe shearing sheep, I know how to do it because I’ve shorn my own flock of colored sheep. I’ve even spun the wool too so I know the feel of the lanolin coated fleece as it runs through my fingers onto the spindle. I’ve helped bring many a lamb or calf into the world. Sadly, along with that comes the burden of ending life. It’s the farming cycle of life and death most farmers face every day. I haven’t had to do that too often, thank goodness. I’m a bit of a softie at heart. When I wrote about the flooding in Taming the Outback, I had firsthand experience. The weather had been terrible when we survived our first major flood. Roads were cut, power was out and my husband had to get to town. Getting him across a raging river was scary but we managed it with help from neighbors. It’s not something I would like to do again but we were faced with it after the major flooding Queensland suffered a few years ago. This time it wasn’t so scary because we were on holiday and could wait it out. My latest series, Outback Heritage is set in the small town of Deepwater Valley. Each of the characters face their own unique hurdles and I’m hoping my love for the country shines through. Read Grady and tell me what you think. I love to hear from readers. Buy link : http://www.amazon.com/Grady-Outback-Heritage-Ann-Harrison-ebook/dp/B00Q50D5JW FB: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ann-B-Harrison-Author/311207972338638?ref=bookmarks FB reader group: https://www.facebook.com/TheRyansOfDeepwaterValley.com.au?ref=bookmarks Website: http://www.annbharrisonromance.com/
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Hi, I’m Incy Black. I met up with Annie when she visited London, and she is every inch one of the strong women celebrated below. Being in Annie’s company is like taking tea with the Queen (we did that at the Mayfair Hotel). She’s regal. She’s also knowledgeable, supportive, hilarious…and majorly Aussie hospitable. She extended an invite to visit her in Oz anytime I wanted, graciously promising she’d open her home to me... Lovely lady. It was an absolute bloody privilege to meet her. Ode to a Strong Woman Major Jack Ballentyne, mega alpha-hero in Hard to Forget (just released), tends to grab most attention, because when he’s being a dick, his behavior seemingly knows no bounds. However sexy, he’s still a man without conscience. A man in denial. And it was always going to take one hell of a woman to bring about this British Intelligence Agent‘s redemption. Enter disgraced Lowry Fisk—the woman Jack shot, then had court marshaled. Fragile on the surface, Lowry’s backbone is made of steel; her inner strength sets her apart. Buried within her are the qualities all women share, to whatever degree, though they may not realize it. · She’s a survivor. Life cuts, she recovers. · She knows when to advance, and when to retreat. When to battle, and when to negotiate—most of the time. (She’s not perfect). · She tempers compassion with humor, and practical action. · She has an instinctive map to getting her own way. (Detours allowed) · Forgiveness can be earned, but she never forgets. · Her inner war cry is, ‘No Surrender’. Lowry wasn’t easy to write, at times it felt impossible. But then I looked to women in the media, women sharing on line, and above all, to my friends (yes, you included, Annie), each was ‘making a difference’, quietly, in their own inimitable way. And, in each one of them, I saw strength. So, high-five to being female! Extract from Hard to Forget The absurdity of the situation struck, she started laughing. “Do you have to intimidate everyone, Ballentyne?” “If it gets the job done.” Her laughter stopped at the word ‘job.’ “And to hell with the consequences?” She flexed and wriggled against him. He released her. She stepped away to give them both some distance before turning to face him, appalled by the sob stuck in her throat. She wouldn’t cry. She never cried. She might never stop. “You should have asked your stupid questions and listened to my answers four years ago, Jack, because that was your job,” she said quietly. His hands cupped the curves of her shoulders. “I’m asking, and listening, now.” “I think you might have left it too bloody late. Patient Peter’s invincible, and he knows it. You and—” The kiss he brushed across her lips was as unexpected as it was shockingly inappropriate for its timing. But not as shocking as his second pass, his mouth now more certain. Firm and more insistent. Transforming from casual to demanding as if her surrender was not just inevitable, but worth the risk and what the hell. And nowhere near as shocking and inexplicable as her response. Feral and urgent. Like a wild animal caged for too long and suddenly released. It was she who closed the distance. She who raised her arms to clasp him closer. She who hung on tight. She who opened to allow him a deeper taste. And she who all but climbed his body in need. He was the one who pulled back. Unwinding her legs from around his waist, he set her firmly aside. “I kissed you to shut you up about Patient Peter, Lowry, not to start anything,” he said softly. “Think twice before you beckon me down that road, because I won’t apologize later for taking what’s freely offered.” A calm warning. A slap in the face. She returned the favor. Her palm made contact with the flat of his cheek with enough force to knock his face from front to profile. A spurt of bullets riddled an uneven line in the plaster above her head. Free, Full Chapter 1 available here: Entangled Publishing Buy links Amazon iTunes Barnes & Noble Connect with Incy Black Website Twitter @IncyBlack Welcome to Susanne Bellamy... who has a wonderful new book available!
I was privileged to read Engaging the Enemy a few months ago and it has just got better and better! Cultural Clash and Characters Our perception of the world is defined by attitudes, values and beliefs imbued in us from birth and which we hold to be ‘true’, usually at the expense of others whose world view differs from our own. People have a need to feel that the ideas they hold dear are ‘right’ and those who don’t accept the same view must be wrong. If the majority of people they know believe the same (the ‘bandwagon’ effect), that validates the belief while adding a layer of comfort in belonging to the herd. When ‘everyone else is doing it’, there is not a lot of potential for our protagonists. One way to add layers of conflict is by drawing on clashing cultural ideas and values. I love travelling and have a fascination with different cultures and exploring how people of other ethnicities from me think, how their world has been shaped. I studied several languages in my youth but became reasonably proficient in only one. Nevertheless, I think those studies added to my understanding of the cultural differences between nationalities. You cannot learn a language without learning something of the culture as well; the two are inextricably tied together. Some of my stories bring together characters from different places. Then I add a touch or a dash or a lot of conflict drawn from their cultural differences and stir. How those characters interact and deal with their differences intrigues me, both as a reader and as a writer. Expectations will be different and instinctive reactions may also differ. Imagine a Logan bogan greeted by an Italian kissing him on both cheeks. Unless the Italian is a modern Sophia Loren à Conflict potential! White Ginger, my debut novel, is set in Hawaii. Arne (Keanu) is French Hawaiian and proud of it but his ex-girlfriend dumped him because of his ancestry (and her own shallow inadequate personality!) Arne is aware of the potential for disaster based on racial prejudice. It is one of the key themes in South Pacific based on James Michener’s novel and one of my favourite musicals. While less of an issue today, cultural differences are still an excellent source of conflict. My new release, Engaging the Enemy, brings together an Irishman who is now boss of his own development company in Melbourne and Aussie girl, Andie (Andrea). Now you might think Irish and Australian cultures are similar; they share many ‘British’ elements and there is much in common. In fact, I chose to use their shared sense of social justice to give them common ground. As an Irishman, Matt is likely to have strong feelings about historical British injustice, which can be applied more broadly to local social justice issues. But I had some fun with language differences! Writing a character with a different style of speech requires balance between enough idiom to capture the colour of the language but not too much to make it difficult to read. There are also different sentence constructions that identify nationalities. Think ‘Star Wars’ as an example. “Difficult to do it is” immediately identifies Yoda but think how tiring it would be to read an entire novel with a Yoda-like main character! The best rule to apply is ‘a little goes a long way’. So while Andie hasn’t got a clue what Matt means when he refers to ‘bairns’, Matt cannot use ‘kids’ when referring to children as he thinks of goats; however, it’s enough of a point of difference to begin to reveal a cultural divide. As a writer, I have to be aware that there may also be a cultural divide between my reader and me. Our personal understandings of language as well as culture may lead us to read the same story in different ways. In the end, all I hope is that I have crafted a story that will touch their heart and characters they will want to cheer for, even after the bairns or kids have gone to bed. Visit Susanne's website Amazon buy link Looking back it seems that writing was and is a compulsive part of my life. As a child I wrote and illustrated stories for younger cousins, school essays and ten page letters to relatives away fighting during the war. After a commercial course I was launched on an unsuspecting business world as a typist, then a stenographer and then secretary before I fell into a copywriting job. I didn’t start writing fiction (sorry, I know advertising copy is fiction) until my children started getting older. Much to the embarrassment of my children I started getting children’s and teenage novels published and some romances. It was dead easy. No one runs out of material while they are neck deep in children, teenagers or working in offices. This is another fertile place for material, most especially for the what happens next when adults interact. As a writer I am continually intrigued by the attraction of opposites. I suppose you can’t get anything more opposite than male and female. Why is an outgoing person attracted to someone shy or a messy person attracted to an obsessively tidy person, or risk taker to someone cautious? Are the choices of who you fall in love with deliberate, or is it a nasty trick designed by nature to ensure a wider gene pool? Every time you study in more depth this weird phenomena of the human race, you immediately have lots more material to play with and so I play with it. You can view the Green Heart of Love on Amazon and Steam eReads Good morning, everyone! Thank you so much, Annie, for having me here today. I noticed you have some Valentine’s events going on this month, and I thought I’d share a little tidbit on my new Brazen release, Unravel Me, that fits the theme. How Unravel Me Came to Be As you know, every book undergoes some work before hitting the market, and in some cases, we have major surgery. I have to confess Unravel Me was one of my biggest challenges. I wrote the book during the Entangled Smackdown event for Nanowrimo in 2012. It was a Valentines story. We opened with Cassie going out for a drink, not wanting to stay home alone on Valentines and not wanting her friends’ pity. There was chocolate, roses, romance in the air…ah, makes me all warm and fuzzy on the inside. We even closed the book with Brad making a monumental gesture after having come to accept the magic of the holiday they met on, and recreating part of the events in the restaurant that night. (I really liked that scene, by the way). But alas, such was not meant to be. I’d be looking at a 2014 release date for it to be Valentines related. Yet, wait, there was a late 2013 opening for a Christmas theme! So all my hearts and flowers became mistletoe and holiday lights….and come to think of it, I liked that closing scene a lot too. I mean, candy canes in the snow, romantic candles…happy sigh. However, the story went through intense transformations. And literally twenty-four hours before we had to have the final version ready to hit a Christmas story, my editor and I had a mutual conversation about how we both intensely disliked what we had created. Back to square one, which I was delighted to do, except there went all my Christmas charm. And we were back to releasing in 2014. Heh. Only the initial target was January. So chop-chop-chop cut out Christmas trees, reinvent the ending so that it was totally not holiday related, and we have the book that’s coming out today. A book I LOVE in its present form. In a stroke of irony as I was doing my final galley review, I found a leftover piece of Valentines in the story. Here we were, after all these massive changes, and all these different holiday alterations, and now we were on a Feb release that fit with those initial hearts and cupids. I guess it just goes to show that when Cupid interferes with something, whether it be life or written words, you can’t alter that fate! While the holiday has passed, I hope you all had a wonderfully romantic time. And while Unravel Me is no longer a Valentines Day theme, I hope you’ll take a peek! This month all Brazen books are only .99 Cents to celebrate Entangled’s birthday. Thanks again for having me and congrats on your release, Hot Rock, today as well! ~Tori Website and Blog: www.toristclaire.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ToriStClaire Alter Ego: www.claireashgrove.com Twitter: @ClaireAshgrove Buy Links for Unravel Me: B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/unravel-me-tori-st-claire/1117313842 Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Unravel-Entangled-Brazen-Tori-Claire-ebook/dp/B00GEU7508?tag=entangpublis-20&link_code=ur2&creative=9325&camp=211189 iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/unravel-me/id737443948?uo=8&at=11ltS7 Back Cover: Letting go might be the key that unlocks her pleasure… Attorney Cassie Blaire has spent most of her life living by rules. Rules that keep her life sensible, and on the right path. But five years after losing her husband, Cassie is saying sayonara to “sensible.” And it starts now—with indulging a need she’s long denied. When he arrives in Colorado, all Brad Steele wants is a scotch before he has to play nice in the first face-to-face meeting with his co-counsel in an ugly divorce case. But instead, he finds her—a lush, inviting stranger whose dark eyes invite him to sin…and thirst turns into a raw, undeniable hunger. Now Cassie is initiated into a world that has nothing to do with being sensible, and everything to do with sensuality. Under Brad’s guiding touch, she’s receiving an education in desire—one that breaks all of the old rules, and explores tantalizing new ones. And once she learns that her naughty one-nighter is her arrogant co-counsel, all of her objections will be sustained… Author Bio: National Bestselling Author Tori St. Claire grew up writing. Hobby quickly turned into passion when she discovered the world of romance as a teen. Poems and short stories gave way to full-length novels with sexy heroes and heroines. She wrote her first romance novel at seventeen. While that manuscript gathered dust-bunnies beneath the bed, she established herself as Claire Ashgrove, an award-winning, contemporary, historical, and paranormal author. For those who prefer a taste of old-world charm and chivalry, she also established historical romance author, Sophia Garrett. Her writing, however, skirted a fine line between hot and steamy, and motivated by authors she admired, she made the leap into sexier stories where the intimate relationship forges unbreakable ties. www.toristclaire.com www.claireashgrove.com www.authorsophiagarrett.com Twitter: @ClaireAshgrove Facebook Tori Page Facebook Claire Page Facebook Sophia Page A couple of years back I exchanged emails with, and eventually met up for coffee, a delightful young lady by the name of Whitney. Look at her now! I am so proud to see what she has achieved in such a short time! Welcome to my chair! My Blarney Wish It was raining in Ireland, as it does, and I was wondering the grounds of Blarney Castle with my twin sister and two friends. The winds had just threatened to blow us all off the edge of Blarney Castle and my legs were still shaking from my exhilarating experience of hanging over the edge of the castle to kiss the Blarney Stone. Now, I’m not usually one to believe in magic. But there is no doubt there is something magical about Ireland. And my belief in magic grew when I walked the witch’s steps! On the grounds of Blarney, right next to a waterfall is set of steps (slippery ones on this day!). Now the legend is that if you can walk backwards up the stairs and then back down again, with your eyes shut, thinking only of your wish (which was hard for me, as I couldn’t decide what to wish for as I was tossing up between a handsome Irish boyfriend and a publishing contract hehe) the witch of Blarney would grant you that wish within a year! Now, it’s been a year, and I don’t have an Irish boyfriend. So can you guess which wish I made? Apparently the witch thought I was better off with a publishing contract! And I guess she did compensate for my Irishman. She gave me two contracts to sweeten the deal. Not long after I returned from my trip to the UK, I received a contract for my debut, What Happens in Ireland! And in October, I signed my second contract for Deceive Me in Ireland, which released on January 28th. So what I want to know is if you believe in magic? And what wish would you make if you walked the Witch’s Steps? Deceive Me in Ireland By Whitney K-E "Never call a Kerry man a fool until you're sure he's not a rogue." Her cousin, Kate had warned her about the Irish charm. And Cara had been foolish enough to ignore her. In Ireland to be Maid of Honor in Kate’s wedding, Cara hasn’t a clue that the handsome Irishman who is seated next to her is the infamous brother of her cousin’s fiancé. And William O’Reilly doesn’t plan on telling her. Not yet, anyway. Silver-tongued and devilishly handsome, William had Cara wondering if he is the same man she met on the plane. Should she give him a chance or heed her cousin’s warning and keep him at a distance? The same unique and quirky characters from What Happens in Ireland come together again to celebrate the wedding of Kate and Jack in the fresh and humorous sequel, Deceive Me in Ireland. Like Kate Barrow, her cousin Cara discovers that resisting the charms of an Irishman isn’t as easy as it seems. William O'Reilly is as silver-tongued as his brother, Jack and determined to make the woman realize his worth. And her own. Add Deceive Me in Ireland to your Goodreads list! Deceive Me in Ireland will be available in ebook on Itunes, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords and All Romance Ebooks! Buy it now! Website: http://www.whitneyk-eauthor.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whitney.keauthor Tempers and sparks fly off the page in Ann B. Harrison's latest Outback novel. FROM THE OUTBACK is set against a vivid backdrop of rolling hills in Australian wine country. Readers that have a sense of adventure and a passion for life and romance in a rural, county setting will love this book. About FROM THE OUTBACK: Although desperate to get out of her dead end job, Sami is cynical when she hears of an inheritance from the grandfather she never knew. But once she and her young brother arrive in the beautiful valley, she discovers they are not wanted...especially by the sexy vineyard owner next door. Will she persevere and make a home for them, or give in and take the easy money when the going gets tough? Available now on Amazon! And to check out other books available by Ann visit: http://www.annbharrisonromance.com/books.html Want to learn more about FROM THE OUTBACK? Check out this exclusive interview with Ann! Follow to the tour to win a $25 gift card to Amazon! Hi Annie, thanks for having me over to visit. Love your writing chair by the way, hint, hint. Mind if I try it out for size? Oh very comfy, no wonder you write so well sitting here with that wonderful view. You might find it hard to get rid of me today. You wanted to know more about me and my writing, so let's start with one of the questions I get asked the most. How do I deal with all the crazy ideas racing through my head? Believe me, there are lots vying for attention but I know that once an idea comes into my mind it usually starts an avalanche. What do I do with all of those crazy ideas? I write them down. A diary lives on my bedside table and my computer is never far away, neither is my phone and I use the notes app a lot. I was always told, write down your dreams, write down your ideas. You never know when you can use them. When you wake with an idea in your head, get up and record it. Otherwise you will go back to sleep and it will be lost forever. You will always be left wondering if that would have been the book that launched your career. Some of my ideas never get past the pages I write them on and that's okay by me. Last Christmas when we were driving down the coast of Australia toward a small town in the Hunter Valley to see if it was where we wanted to make our permanent home when the idea of a another story came to me. I tapped out notes as they came to me and settled back in my seat, happy I had the bones for a good story. By the time we returned home, I more ideas and I started writing. From the Outback Although desperate to get out of her dead end job, Sami is cynical when she hears of an inheritance from the grandfather she never knew. But once she and her young brother arrive in the beautiful valley, she discovers they are not wanted...especially by the sexy vineyard owner next door. Will she persevere and make a home for them, or give in and take the easy money when the going gets tough? Buy link: http://www.amazon.com/From-Outback-Ann-B-Harrison-ebook/dp/B00G1SIOAI Now, back to my note book. I'm sure there is something in there that is calling for me. Follow me on Facebook - Ann B Harrison Twitter - Annbharrison www.annbharrisonromance.com About Ann B. Harrison: Ann swears she was born with a book in her hands and has never put it down. A lifelong love of reading has finally culminated in achieving her dream of writing...and publication. She lives in the beautiful Hunter Valley with her own handsome hero of many years. Ann has always loved the ups and downs of life in small communities and she shares this with readers in her rural romances. Strong sexy heroines with a good dash of sass thrown in feature in her stories. Of course these women need an equally strong hero. Bring on the outback hero and watch the passion ignite. When not writing Ann enjoys reading, gardening, walking her very large dog Hugo and fighting with her computer. Connect with Ann on her Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads Today I would like to welcome Isabella Hargreaves to my chair. Congratulations on being an ARRA nominee with your debut novel! I’m an Australian author of historical romances, mainly set during the Regency period. I’ve read historical fact and fiction since I was a child growing up in Brisbane. That wasn’t enough, so I became a historian and now spend every work day researching and writing about people, places and events from the past. It seemed the perfect idea to combine my love of history and romance by writing historical romances. I write about strong, determined heroines and heroes that aren’t afraid to match them. How I came to writing Like many authors, I have a track record of writing stores as a child. Mine were inspired by Elyne Mitchell’s Silver Brumby series and never saw light of day, which is perhaps as well. I did eventually achieve a writing career of a different sort. I’m a historian by profession, so I write every day for my living. However, I still yearn to write fiction. I’ve read historical novels since I was a child and romance for many years, thanks to my mum’s influence. I made a start with romance writing about twenty years ago but didn’t pursue it because I was too busy fulfilling other dreams – becoming a historian and raising two children. In the last few years, since my children turned into teenagers and the ties of motherhood loosened, I decided to try again to fulfil my old ambition of writing historical romance. So, I re-joined the Romance Writers of Australia after a 10-15 year break and started attending conferences, writing and entering competitions. I’ve been really fortunate in that my first novel, The Persuasion of Miss Jane Brody, has received a great response. It was a prize-winner in the Steam eReads ‘Some Like it Hot’ Romantic Fiction Competition in 2013 and was published by Steam eReads in November. Since then, it has been short-listed in the ‘Favourite Historical Romance’ category of the Australian Romance Readers Awards. J The Persuasion of Miss Jane Brody was inspired by reading a biography of Mary Wollstonecraft (1757-1797) who wrote what is now regarded as the earliest feminist treatise, The Vindication of the Rights of Woman. The story came from asking “how would a supporter of Wollstonecraft’s ideas cope with falling in love?” I hope you enjoy it as much as I loved writing it. Prologue Grosvenor Square, London, August 1817 The door to his library opened abruptly and swung back on its hinges crashing into the bookshelves behind. An erect, grey haired lady dressed in the latest Parisian fashion marched into the room and stood before him as he sat behind his oak desk, bathed in early afternoon sunshine. Jonathan Everslie, Marquis of Dalton, gave her his full attention as she wanted and smiled in amused anticipation. Without hesitation she launched the frontal attack he knew was coming. “You must marry, Dalton, you must!” Lady Lucinda Mulgrave was emphatic. “You have a large family of dependent aunts and cousins and there is no heir to follow you. Do you want them thrown out on the streets when you die?” “I must have an heir somewhere Aunt Lucinda. It only stands to reason. If I were to expire, I’m sure he would be found.” The new Marquis of Dalton attempted to calm her with logic. “And would look after his dependents,” he added as an afterthought. The elderly lady raised her chin and stared down her aquiline nose at her nephew, her mouth set in a disapproving line. “There may be a cousin in New South Wales from my youngest brother who was sent there in exile - but his mother could be a convict for all we know. It is your duty to marry and beget an heir, and soon.” “Let me be clear. I know it is my duty to marry, and soon, Aunt Lucinda, but I won’t marry anyone I consider unsuitable.” Doggedly, Lady Mulgrave ploughed on with her lecture. “This is not the time to be fastidious. There are myriad young ladies every Season, more than suitable for the task – with impeccable backgrounds and some with money to match.” The Marquis was placating. “And I will consider them. However, the Season doesn’t begin for another seven months, so this conversation is premature.” “Nonsense, there are many families with eligible daughters whom you could visit, or invite to stay at Everslie in the meantime.” “And how do you suggest I do that?” “You have your secretary write invitations and send them, Jonathan.” She glared at him. “How do I know who these candidates are?” “I have a list already written.” She produced it with a flourish and laid it in front of him on his desk. “I expect to be presiding over a house party for these ladies and their families at Everslie by Christmas.” Having delivered her message and assuming agreement, Lady Mulgrave nodded to her nephew in conclusion and sailed from his presence. In frustration, the Marquis ran his long fingers through his hair, pushing the short brown curls from his forehead. He picked up the list and cast a knowing eye down its length. He had met them all and been bored to the point of irritation by their simpering ways. He groaned then crumpled the paper into a ball and threw it into the empty fire grate. “Stevens!” His man of business arrived quickly. “Send to the stables for Nate to saddle my horse. I’m going out for a ride. I believe we have concluded today’s business.” “Yes, we have my lord, but have you forgotten that you promised to take your sister to a lecture this afternoon, as Lady Mulgrave is unavailable?” Vexed at the impediment to his escape, he sank back into his chair behind the desk. “Ah, yes, I do remember. We shall be gone for the afternoon. Thank you Stevens, continue with your work.” He changed his mind. “No – send word to my solicitor that I shall see him tomorrow morning.” “May I tell him what it concerns, my lord?” “Yes, I wish to trace the whereabouts of my uncle in Australia, or his family, should he have met his maker.” Stevens nodded compliance and left to follow the Marquis’ orders. Alone again, Dalton sank into a reverie about the onerous obligations that befall those who inherit titles – that of producing heirs for the benefit of their families. Of course, he mused, it shouldn’t be an onerous task to find a wife and create a family - it should be a pleasurable duty. Why wasn’t it turning out that way? Welcome Tima and tell us a little about yourself... If someone had told me several years ago that one day I would be a writer, publish a novel which would be the beginning of a Gothic, paranormal series, I would have said they were nuts! I've always loved telling stories, but my goal in life was never to pursue a writing career. After all I’m a trained archaeologist and Roman historian. But, life has a way of surprising us. I began to write Bloodgifted as a way to pass the time while I watched the Australian Open Tennis on TV that summer. Ten months later I’d written a 115,000 word novel. But it needed editing. I sent it to a professional editor, and her comments were encouraging enough for me to hazard entering a writing contest. So, with trembling hands, I sent my “baby” to complete with a couple of hundred others in a competition held in Queensland. For me, it was a test to gauge how well my debut literary skills stood when thrown into the fire of a national contest. I got the shock of my life when I was, not only, shortlisted, but eventually came fourth. After a bit more polishing, I entered Bloodgifted in an international writing competition – Search For An Aussie Star – held by Choclit, a British publishing company. The prize was a publishing contract. My manuscript was now competing with some well-known, international stars of the romance genre. I didn't stand a chance! But I thought the experience would be good, and if I got some feedback in the process, then even better. I came seventh! As for the feedback? I got that from another British publisher. With their suggestions, I rewrote sections of the book and finally had it published at the end of August 2013. Author Bio Tima Maria Lacoba writes vampire books, but not just any vamp books – hers are Roman soldiers cursed by a Pictish witch in the 3rd century. So, how did she start this series? In a previous life (before writing) Tima was a practicing archaeologist and historian, specializing in Roman Britain. Later, she took up high school teaching, as it gave her the opportunity to take her students on overseas excursions to visit the amazing archaeological sites they’d only seen in books. Then one day, she surrendered to the itch of writing. After many years reading and correcting her students’ creative writing tasks and essays, she decided it was time to write her own. Bloodgifted is the result. In 2011, it was shortlisted in the Atlas Award – sponsored by a boutique Brisbane publisher – and eventually came fourth. In 2012, it was listed among the top seven in the Choclit, Search for an Aussie Star Competition. In 2013, she was offered a publishing contract, but declined in favour of going indie. The idea of being in charge of her creation was more appealing. Bloodgifted is just the start of a three part series entitled, The Dantonville Legacy. Later, Tima Maria intends writing individual books on the other characters in the series, for they all have their own story. Book 2 in the series, Bloodpledge will be released mid 2014. Currently, Tima lives on the Central Coast, an hour’s drive north of Sydney, surrounded by wooded hills, possums and seed-dropping rosellas. Between bouts of writing, she teaches English and History, enjoying long walks while dodging the nesting magpies and plotting the next series of books she’d like to write. You can find her on: Twitter – http://www.twitter.com/timamarialacoba Facebook – http://www.facebook/TimaMariaLacoba Goodreads – http://www.goodreads/TimaMariaLacoba Website – http://timamarialacoba.blogspot.com Bloodgifted Blurb How does a young woman live a normal life when she carries a rare genetic mutation? Descended from a cursed Roman soldier, Laura Dantonville has stopped ageing in her mid twenties and much of her past has been hidden from her. That includes knowledge of her true parentage and that her unique blood is coveted by The Brethren, the secret society of vampires who reside in the affluent suburbs of Sydney. She later learns it’s her blood alone that provides these creatures with the ability to tolerate daylight. As such, she is the epicentre of a power struggle between two rival vampire groups who want to claim her. The oldest and most powerful of these factions is led by Alec Munro, whose position as leader, or Princeps, gives him sole claim to Laura. Has she any other choice but to accept her destiny? Bloodgifted Excerpt I pushed open the heavy glass doors and stepped into the cool, dark recess. The scent of old polished wood rose from the rows of pews stretching the length of the nave. To my left, a well-worn stone-paved path led past them and through the length of the interior, while a shallow ramp on my right disappeared into a semi-concealed alcove ringed with high-backed wooden chairs. Which way? If in doubt, follow the yellow-brick road, I thought. Turning left I followed the stone-path down the aisle. What on earth am I doing here? I asked myself. Meeting a vampire, came the daft answer. ‘He will find you,’ my aunt had said. Right now, I didn't know if I wanted to be found! The truth is, I was nervous and even a little afraid searching for an unnatural creature in a Gothic building. How appropriate. All I need is for the cathedral organ to start playing creepy music! At least I wasn't totally alone. Here and there a few people milled around, even though most were outside grabbing that last minute Christmas bargain as shopping hours had been extended. It was only about nine p.m. In the balcony at the end of the nave a choir was rehearsing The Messiah. I’m sure they’d hear me scream if this Alec Munro proved less benign than the impression my aunt gave. Why didn't I bring Matt? I should have simply ignored her warning and dragged him along anyway. I followed the stone-path to the back entrance, around the massive sandstone baptismal font and up the other side. Every now and then the Choir Master stopped the singers mid-note for a correction before continuing their rehearsal. Three Christmas trees, bedecked with massive gold bows, had been positioned on either side of the communion table, while an impressive green wreath hung from the edge of the elevated pulpit. I realized that the stone path I’d followed led to the small chair-lined alcove I’d originally noticed on entering. It was separated from the aisle by an ornately carved wooden partition, and there, leaning nonchalantly against the narrow opening, arms crossed over his chest stood a tall, broad-shouldered, impossibly good-looking man with hair the colour of a raven’s wing. My feet stopped mid-stride as my eyes drank in this strikingly imposing figure who so dominated the space around him, that I wondered how I could not have seen him earlier? Nor the way his piercing lavender eyes gazed back at me, demanding my attention. I sucked in a breath, not just for the affect he had on me, but that he was the visual confirmation of my aunt’s words even if he didn't fit my image of a vampire. But then I really didn't know what to expect – black cape, nasty protruding fangs, glowing red eyes and as pale as death perhaps? The man before me belied those preconceptions, and no vampire I saw in the movies ever looked that good in cream silk business shirt and slate grey trousers which hung seductively low on his lean hips. His sleeves were rolled up at the elbows and the top button of his shirt left undone allowing his tie to hang loose. I swallowed. Was this the blood-sucking creature whose bite left those marks on my aunt’s wrist? No wonder she’d said I wouldn't mind! He smiled and softly called my name. ‘Laura. |
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