Happy Halloween and Welcome To Our Party!

For our Halloween Party today I have contacted these lovely authors to play tag. Each author provided 10 quick fun questions for me and I pulled names out of the hat and then sent each author the questions she must answer that came from her tagger. (I love sneaky) Thus we tagged each other.


Firstly we have Erica Hayes who was tagged by Linda Wisdom (our very own snarky witch).

1. What town were the infamous witch trials held?
Salem, Massachusetts, 1692-3. They hanged nineteen people.

2. What animal is a witch’s favorite familiar?
Black cats seem to be popular.

3. Who has black and white hair and adores Dalmatians way too much?
Cruella DeVil! Love her!

4. True or False. Your urban vampire enjoys a good Bloody Mary – as long as she’s AB Neg?
I’d have to go for false on this one. Vampires don’t care about blood type, do they?

5. What’s the name of the witch in the Looney Tunes cartoons?
The fat green one with the big nose? Ohh... Witch Hazel!

6. What metal does a werewolf fear?
Silver. Silver bullets, silver knives, silver nitrate poison. Presumably x-rays would be a problem. Silver: get it into you.

7. What does a witch brew her spells in?
A big black bubbling cauldron... “Double, double toil and trouble...”

8. What infamous witch vowed, “I’ll get you my pretty and your little dog too”?
Ze Vicked Vitch of ze Vest! Played by a green-painted Margaret Hamilton in the movie: “I’m melting! I’m meltinnggg!!”

9. What is the name of the famous cartoon ghost who wants to be friends with everyone?
Casper the Friendly Ghost. Cute little smoky fella.

10. What’s the name of the lead character in The Nightmare Before Christmas?
Ohh... The Pumkin King! Jack something. Jack Skelleton? Voiced by the wonderful Chris Sarandon.


Casey Daniels was tagged by Candace Havens. (Both names start with C is for Candy.)

1. What is your favorite Halloween Candy?
Snickers. No doubt about it!

2. What's the scariest movie you've ever seen?
I don't watch scary movies. Ever. Nope. Not going to do it.

3. What are you going to be for Halloween this year?
Doing a booksigning on Halloween so I guess I'm going to be an author!

4. Has a book or movie ever scared you so bad you couldn't sleep? And what was it?
Don't read scary books, either. I think it has something to do with a writer's imagination. I scare too easily. And I don't like it!

5. Who does the laundry in your house?
Everybody does their own.

6. Do you have any pets? What are their names?
I have an Airedale named Ernie and a rescued foster Jack Russell (yikes!) named Oscar.

7. When do you start shopping for Christmas presents?
Not until after Thanksgiving. I won't think about Christmas/look at Christmas decorations/make a list until then.

8. What is your middle name?
I don't have one.

9. What's the last CD or iTunes you bought?
Too funny! I don't own an MP3 player and I hardly ever listen to CDs. I've probably bought them as gifts, but never for myself.

10. If you were a supernatural creature, what would you be?
I have enough trouble just being me! I'll pass on being supernatural!


Angie Fox was tagged by Terra (mwaahhhhhhhhaaaaa)

1. Name three games played at a Halloween party in the 1960’s?
Oh geez. I wasn't alive in the 60's. Maybe bobbing for apples? Go get mommy an olive for her martini?

2. What is Count Dracula’s favorite flavor?
Chocolate! Wait. That's mine.

3. Fishnet stockings or garter hose?
Fishnets. Might as well go all out.

4. What is your Favorite Halloween Treat?
mini Snickers!

5. What is a Blue Moon?
A yummy kind of beer

6. Which Halloween paranormal character do you like the best?
I have a soft spot for zombies.

7. Would you kiss a frog to get your Prince?
Of course!

8. What will you be doing on Halloween night?
Trick-or-treating with my kids

9. Pumpkin or Jack-o-lantern?
Jack-o-lantern

10. Finish this song: Trick or Treat, Smell my Feet,…………………..
Now give me some chocolate and be quick about it.


Linda Wisdom was tagged by Casey Daniels. (The Witch and the Slueth, they both broke a tooth. LOL!)

1. Is a pumpkin a fruit or a vegetable?
a) fruit
b) vegetable
c) Can I saw “all of the above?” X
d) Got me!

2. Halloween originated from a pagan Celtic holiday. What was the name of it?
a) Uh...Halloween?
b) Samhain X
c) End of Summer
d) I know nothing about pagan Celts, just hand over the Peeps!

3. When the Romans took over Britain, they transformed Samhain into a holiday honoring Pomona, the goddess of fruits and gardens. They considered one fruit sacred, and these days, the tradition of honoring her has been transformed into one bobbing for this item. What is it?
a) Pumpkins might be fruits, right? How about pumpkins?
b) Apples
c) In the Charlie Brown Halloween special, it was Snoopy! X
d) Peeps

4. With the rise of Christianity, the holiday was changed again to honor the Eve of the next day, a Holy Day. That day is called
a) All Saints Day X
b) All Souls Day
c) I Ate Too Many Peeps and My Stomach Hurts Day
d) Let’s Dig out the Snickers We Held Back from the Kids Day

5. What percentage of Americans say they decorate for Halloween?
a) 86%
b) 99%
c) 15%
d) What? You mean not everyone has a Halloween shower curtain? X

6. What percentage of pumpkins grown in the US are used for jack-o-lanterns?
a) 86%
b) 99%
c) 15%
d) All the ones that don’t get smashed X

7. The first official Halloween observance in the US was in 1921 in
a) Hey, Cleveland rocks! It must have been Cleveland
b) New Orleans X
c) Anoka, Minnesota
d) New York City

8. Jack-o-lanterns were originally used because people thought their light would frighten away ghosts. The first jack-o-lanterns were carved from
a) Duh! Pumpkins X
b) Turnips
c) Marble
d) Peeps. Big Peeps

9. Which company runs a “Flavor Graveyard” on its website?
a) Peeps
b) M&Ms X
c) Ben & Jerry’s
d) Jello

10. What is Casey Daniels’ favorite holiday?
a) Her birthday
b) Christmas X
c) St. Patrick’s Day
d) Halloween


Terra was tagged by Erica Hayes (Oh my, Oh my, Of coarse I'll try!)

1. Best vacation destination?
Unknown Cemeteries (I love walking through looking at the stones)

2. Favorite superhero (or villain)?
The Headless Horseman

3. Coffee or chocolate?
Oh come on I have to choose! Coffee, chocolate, coffee, chocolate, ah hell both!

4. Cats or dogs?
Dogs for sure.

5. Favorite flavour of ice cream?
Pumpkin with Creme Brulee' coming in a close second.

6. Sunbathing or skiing?
Skiing that way you can't see all the battle scars from having kids.

7. Vampires or werewolves?
Oh most certainly Vampires! I love the way they SUCK!

8. Favourite non-romance book
My cookbook collection.

9. Chicken or fish?
Another one where you have to make me choose, Sheesh! Hmm........Chicken!

10. Star Trek or Star Wars?
Oh now this is tricky but I'll go with Star Trek.





Did someone say Treats? Here is our list of delicious giveaways!

Linda Wisdom is donating a copy of Hex in High Heels, a broom pen and hexy body lotion to one lucky winner

Erica Hayes is donating a copy of her book SHADOWFAE to one lucky winner (unsigned as books are in US and she is in Australia).

Angie Fox is donating a Biker Witch Party Kit to one lucky winner. This kit consists of:
A Yankee Candle "Harvest" jar candle: A blend of cinnamon, cloves and musk with a hint of sweet apples and pumpkin
A "Kiss My Asphalt" t-shirt (name your size)
An autographed, first edition copy of the New York Times bestsellign book, The Accidental Demon Slayer
An autographed, first edition copy of The Dangerous Book for Demon Slayers
An autographed, limited edition chapter book for the upcoming A Tale of Two Demon Slayers

Casey Daniels is donating a copy of one of her Pepper Martin books.

Cindy Miles was not able to play but she has generously donated two copies of her book Thirteen Chances to go to two winners. One book to each. (These are signed copies and also come with a bookmark.)

I (as in Terra) am donating a $15 gift certificate to Amazon.com to one lucky winner.



Now for all of you readers. What do you have to do you say to have a chance to win one of these nice Treats. Hmmm..........Angie Fox has tagged you all so you must answer the following questions and leave your email addy in the comments section. Just cut and paste what you see in green below and post into the comments section. Put your answers below each question.

1. What’s your favorite Halloween candy?
2. The craziest costume you’ve ever worn?
3. What is your favorite thing to do when you have the house to yourself?
4. What is the one thing you hope I don’t ask?
5. If you weren’t an author, what would you be?
6. What genre do you read, but not write?
7. Name a pet peeve.
8. Name one of your pets.
9. What’s your favorite pig out food?
10. What’s the craziest road trip you’ve ever taken?

email addy:

Eligable entries must fall during the hours of 12:01 A.M. and 11:59 P.M. on Halloween. Any entries before or after those hours will not be counted. Winners will be posted on November 1st later in the day and you will have one week to claim your prize or it will be forfeit and another winner will be chosen.

Sweet and Spicy by Michelle Rowen

A funny thing happened to me last year. I was lucky enough to make a sale to two very different publishers within a couple weeks of each other.

First I sold to Harlequin Blaze, a fun line that I’ve always enjoyed reading and knew it would be a blast to write for and challenge myself to write hotter and outside of my regular comfort zone.

HOT SPELL is about two paranormal agents who find themselves investigating a haunted house and an enchanted clock that reveals their true but hidden feelings for each other at the stroke of midnight.

And then I sold two young adult novels, a genre I’ve been in love with since I was a young adult. DEMON PRINCESS: REIGN OR SHINE is the first book in a new series about a sixteen year old girl who finds out that the father she’s never met before is a demon king.

I write both of these under my regular pen name Michelle Rowen. I was open to taking a new pen name for the YA, but it was deemed unnecessary (although, you may note that I’ve now split my website off into two distinct branches -- adult and YA).

So I now write hot, sexy books and YA fantasy under the same name. My debut YA came out in October and my Blaze is out in November. It’s been very interesting, not to mention challenging, to promote both of them back to back! LOL!

One of the main questions I seem to get is how difficult is it to write for both?
I have to say... it’s not difficult at all. Well, the writing is sometimes difficult, but switching between the two genres isn’t as big a deal as you might think.

For Blaze, it all comes down to having a sexy hook. And a hook is just that -- a concept that you can hang your plot on. The hook itself must revolve around the sexual relationship of the hero and heroine.

I don’t need to do that for a YA.

That in itself keeps them as very separate animals in my head.

For YA, the hook is the teenage experience -- angst, fitting in, finding your way in life. Some YA does focus on the sexual awakening of its characters. Mine does not. Sure, dating and falling in love is a bit part of it (my YA series definitely has a romantic angle to it) but it’s in a whole different ballpark.

Also, since I’m not much of a multitasker, I’ve never thought to try to write two books at the same time. So when I’m writing one book, I’m not even thinking about the next. I immerse myself in the world of my characters. Then, when I’m done, I take a couple weeks off to “cleanse my palette,” so to speak, and then move onto to the next world.

My Blaze is solely focused on a growing relationship between two people. My YAs are focused on the teenage heroine’s journey.

Clear as mud? ;-)

All I know is that even though I write in both genres now, I don’t foresee this becoming a problem. I embrace (no pun intended) the chance to stretch my writing muscles in several directions and can’t wait to see where my characters will take me next!

I’m giving away a signed copy of HOT SPELL or DEMON PRINCESS: REIGN OR SHINE to two commenters. Please indicate in your comment which one you’d prefer!

Find out more about Michelle’s books at www.michellerowen.com.


Excerpt from Demon Princess: Reign or Shine --

Chris smiled at me. “You look great this morning.”

I guess I looked more relaxed than I felt, but it was great to see him—a wonderful, normal guy who made me happy just by his presence and didn’t give me any problems. “You look pretty good, yourself.”

He leaned closer to me and kissed me. It was a morning greeting I could very easily get used to. After a moment he pulled away and his gaze moved to the right.

“Nikki, we seem to have an audience again,” he said.

I turned around in Chris’s arms and tensed when I saw that Michael stood about fifteen feet down the hall on the opposite side. He watched us, his face void of expression.

“Do you want something?” Chris asked.

Michael eyed him unpleasantly. “Nothing from you.”

I tried to grab Chris’s arm as he pulled away from me. “Chris—”

But it was too late. Chris was already moving to stand in front of Michael. They were both about the same height, around six feet tall. But where Michael was all sinewy, all lean lines under those loose-fitting clothes, Chris was solid muscle under designer threads. Michael’s hair was shoulder length, dark and shaggy, but Chris’s was blond, recently cut and gleaming from whatever hair products guys use to get that controlled-but-tussled look.

“Do you have a problem with me for some reason?”

Michael’s attention was now fixed on me. “I’m not sure yet.”

“You’re not sure?” Chris repeated. “What exactly do you think you’re looking at?”

Michael was looking at me so intensely that I could feel it.

“I’m looking at Nikki Donovan,” he said. “I need to protect her.”

I found that I couldn’t stop looking at Michael. It was as if he’d captured me in his green-eyed gaze and wouldn’t let go. I wanted to tell Chris what Michael had said—all the crazy things about my father that didn’t seem to make any sense. But I didn’t say anything. I knew I should be looking at Chris, but the only person I could see was Michael—and that haunted, protective look in his eyes.

“I suggest,” Chris’s voice cut through, “that you look somewhere else and leave her alone.”

“And I suggest,” Michael said calmly, “that you mind your own business.”


Excerpt from Hot Spell --

Jacob cocked his head to the side. “You’re all ruffled now. Lost that cool composure from before, huh? Do I really have the ability to make you lose control of yourself?”

“I really think I hate you.”

He snorted. “Now it’s hate. Awesome. Before, I knew it was indifference, maybe a little bit of disgust, but hate is so much more interesting.”

“Why are you baiting me like this?”

“Because I don’t think anybody ever does bait you like this. Nobody challenges you, Amanda. Nobody pushes your buttons.”

“Maybe I don’t want my buttons pushed.”

He raised a dark eyebrow. “Maybe your buttons have never been pushed by the right person.”

Her cheeks grew warmer. “Let’s leave my buttons out of this.”

“I don’t think that’s possible.” His gaze slid down the front of her and she self-consciously crossed her arms as a feeble form of protection from his intense scrutiny. “What you can do is amazing. You’re amazing, whether you realize it or not.”

“Amazing,” she said the word with an ironic twist. “So amazing that my father was so freaked out by me that he abandoned my family when I was a kid and my mom was stuck raising me.”

His eyes narrowed. “He did that?”

“A ghost pushed him down the stairs. He kind of blamed me for that.”

“He blamed you?” Another flash of anger entered his gaze.

“Of course he did. It was my fault the ghost was there in the first place.”

She turned away from him wishing the heat would leave her face. But there was something about Jacob that definitely did push those hidden buttons of hers. Why did she let him get to her? What was it about this admittedly gorgeous jerk that totally flustered her?

Lynsay Sands Answers F.A.Q. and gives us a peek at The Renegade Hunter

Advice For Aspiring Writer
As for becoming a writer, just remember to try to write as much as you read. The practice will improve your writing (I think mine is still improving . . . at least I hope it is) and coming up with plots will increase your creativity.

Where Do Your Story Ideas Come From
Regarding story ideas, they just come to me. It could be triggered by a particular news story that I’ve read or heard, or something that happens in my own life. Other times it’s not based on anything factual but is just an idea brewing in the back of my mind.

How long did it take to write your first book?
That’s not a simple answer. I started writing when I was twelve and my stories just kept getting longer and longer. I sent in my first book at the age of 19. It wasn’t rejected but the publisher requested some changes and I never sent it back to them. I didn’t try to send anything in again until The Deed, which was published in 1997 and it took me a few weeks to write.

Dead Thing Not My Thing
As for my immortals seeming human... I just couldn't write about the dead and tormented thing. I found it very difficult to write romance about dead people and the scientific explanation was much more plausible for me. I have a great imagination but the dead thing was just too farfetched for my logical mind.

Can Mortal and Immortal Mating Lead To A Baby?
Essentially the baby takes after the mother’s mortality or immortality. And YES, a mortal man can get an immortal female pregnant (hence the reason Lucern was desperately trying to find a condom in Single, White Vampire) and immortal male can get a mortal female pregnant. It's very rare but it can happen.

Favourite Argeneau Characters
My favourite character(s)! That is such a hard question as they are all like my own kids. If I had to choose I would say Lucian but I have a soft spot for every one of them as they all have their own unique charm and qualities.

Who Are The Willans?
The Willans are the sisters that Garrett, Decker and Bricker met at the cottage in The Rogue Hunter. Sam (Mortimer's life mate) and her sisters all have the last name Willan.

What if someone goes against the council?
No one goes against the council. If they do then they are considered rogues, which is bad. That’s precisely why Jean Claude hid his new life mate from the council. Because he'd already turned his one when he turned Marguerite and turning his true life mate wasn't then allowed. Also his true life mate was pregnant and he had recently had a child with Marguerite so another was a big no no as well thanks to the one child every hundred years rule. If anyone had any pull, Jean Claude would because his brother was the head of the North American council but he knew it wouldn't make a difference when it comes to council rules. Break those laws and you forfeit your life.

Where did these fictional immortals come from?
There are immortal people living among the mortal population today. They are descendents of an ancient civilization (Atlantis) that was advanced technologically to the point that they began to work with bio-engineered nanos as a medical aid to fight disease and repair injuries from inside the body without the need for invasive surgery. These nanos used blood to make repairs and fuel themselves which meant the host needed more blood than a body could supply to support the nanos. In that civilization this was dealt with through transfusions. However, when a series of natural disasters (earthquakes and volcanoes) brought an end to Atlantis, only those people the nanos had been tested on survived, and they suddenly found themselves in a primitive society. Without their much needed blood transfusions, many died, but in others the nanos lived up to their programming to keep the host at their peak condition and forced a sort of evolution on them, bringing on fangs and other skills so that their hosts could get the blood they needed.

How would you describe the Argeneau Family?
They are your typical family. I think everyone would recognize at least one member of their own family among this group. My stories tell how each member finds his life mate despite all the good intentioned interference and harassment of their loving family.

What is The Renegade Hunter about?
Other than the synopsis on my website, I would say this story was fun to write. The chemistry between Nicholas and Jo was palpable and the suspense made my toes curl in anticipation. These two characters were a surprise from start to finish. BTW I love dogs so Charlie really added something to the story for me and made me want one even more!

Here are Lynsay's new and upcoming releases:
September 1 2009 – What She Wants - Reissue
September 29 2009 – The Renegade Hunter – Book 12 – Vamp
December 2009 – Tall, Dark & Hungry – Reissue
January 2010 - Bitten By Cupid – Tiny's Anthology
February 2010 – Taming The Highland Bride - Book 2 in Devil Of The Highlands Series
March 2010 – The Hellion and the Highlander - Book 3 in Devil Of The Highlands Series
Fall 2010 – Armand’s story – Book 13 – Vamp
Fall 2010 – Alex Willan's story – Book 14 – Vamp



The Argeneau family has a secret…one of their own is a rogue vampire!

Nicholas Argeneau was once a successful hunter who went after rogue vampires who break the immortal law. Except no one has mentioned his name in the last fifty years, not since he turned into a rogue himself. But once a hunter, always a hunter. When Nicholas sees a bloodthirsty sucker terrifying a woman, it’s second nature for him to come to her rescue. He had no idea he would also want to kiss her senseless…

One minute Josephine Willan is taking in a breath of fresh air, and the next sharp fangs are heading straight for her neck! Luckily a gorgeous stranger saves her life . . . and gets locked up for his troubles. Can a man who kisses so lovingly and passionately really have committed the crime he’s accused of? Jo isn’t so sure…and she’s determined to prove that this renegade hunter is worth fighting for.


Author's Comments

The third instalment of the Rogue Hunter series called The Renegade Hunter starts where The Immortal Hunter left off. It will introduce you to an Argeneau who has been out of the picture for quite a while. Intrigue and mystery surround this character and many of the Argeneaus you’ve met in the past will get involved in this story, along with your favourite enforcers and even a Willan or two. Like a fine wine, the Argeneau family just keeps getting more complex and flavorful... LOL.

The Renegade Hunter
Excerpt

Chapter One

Nicholas came to the edge of the small copse of woods and quietly cursed. Somehow he must have missed the rogue, must have walked right past him. The thought made him turn and glance back the way he’d come, but Nicholas was sure there was no way he could have missed him. The woods lining the road were only ten feet deep and he’d moved through them slowly, eyes searching the trees as he’d gone. He couldn’t have missed him, but it was the only thing that made sense.

Nicholas retrieved the signal receiver from his pocket and glanced at the screen. The small blip that was the rogue’s car was still exactly where it had been earlier. The fellow hadn’t doubled back and driven away. He slipped the device back in his pocket and turned to peer at the driveway before him.

There was no way the rogue had gotten in there on foot, he was sure. It was the entry to the new enforcer house. The equivalent of a police station for vampire hunters, it had better security than a mortal prison from what he could see. The gate blocking the driveway was ten feet high and made of thick wrought iron. There was an equally high brick wall that disappeared into the trees on either side of it. Every foot or so along the wall, metal spikes shot up and three lengths of barbed wire were threaded through them, running along the top as a deterrent to anyone trying to climb it. A sign on the fence warned that it was electrified. If that wasn’t enough security, there appeared to be a second gate some fifteen feet inside the first with a link fence, also topped with barbed wire and no doubt electrified.

He shook his head slightly. This was something Nicholas never thought he’d see. The enforcers had always been rather loosely based, run out of Lucian Argeneau’s home. However, it seemed his uncle had decided to make it all more official and organized. It was about time, Nicholas supposed. This should have been done centuries ago.

His gaze slid away from the gate and to the woods on the other side of the drive from where he stood. It was hard to believe the rogue he was following had slipped across that wide open expanse under the nose of the guard inside. Aside from that, there was a pillar before the gate with a camera and intercom system built into it. The rogue wouldn’t have risked trying to cross the open area and getting caught on that camera. However, either the rogue had risked it and snuck across, or Nicholas had somehow managed to move right past the man as he’d made his way here.

Nicholas glanced over his shoulder at the woods at his back. While his mind was telling him he couldn’t have walked right past the rogue without noticing, he was starting to worry that perhaps his instincts weren’t as good as they used to be.

The sound of an engine caught his attention and Nicholas turned back to the driveway just in time to see a catering van pull in. He watched silently as it stopped between the pillars.

“Yes?” a metallic voice asked over the intercom.

“Cally’s catering,” the van driver announced. “We’re here to pick up our people and dishes.”

“Come on in.” The first gate slid open.

Nicholas expected the vehicle to be stopped between the two gates and inspected, but instead the guard in the small guardhouse inside the second gate came out and manually opened the inner gate for the van to enter. He did wave it to a stop, however, the moment it was inside.

The guard spoke briefly to the driver, and then moved around and opened the back door of the van to check inside. With his attention on the guard, Nicholas almost missed the man who suddenly slid out from under the side of the van, shifted to a crouch and sprinted for the woods behind the guardhouse.

The sight almost made him shout out a warning, but Nicholas caught himself and instead reached for his phone. It was the damned rogue, of course. The tricky bastard must have waited at the side of the road for a likely vehicle to approach, taken control of the driver to make him stop and then slid under the van and clung to something on the undercarriage to hitch a ride in.

Clever little prick, Nicholas thought, frowning as he continued to search for his cell phone. He had to warn them inside and tell them to put a guard on the sisters and then start searching the property for the rogue that had gotten in. He’d tell them to start having the guard check under the vehicles as well. At least he would if he could find his damned phone, Nicholas thought with frustration as his search came up empty. What the hell had he done with it? It had been beeping a warning that the battery was low earlier in the evening and he’d plugged it into the car lighter with its special adapter to charge it up, and—

“Hell,” Nicholas muttered, glancing back the way he’d come. He’d left the damned thing in the car. He briefly considered running back to get it, but while the rogue he was following had merely pulled over and parked at the edge of this property, Nicholas himself had parked in the woods nearer the next property to avoid being spotted. The man, Ernie Brubaker, was one of Leonius’s spawn, and Nicholas hoped if he followed him long enough, Ernie would lead him to Leo’s hideout. Leonius Livius was one nasty rogue who needed to be dealt with, and Nicholas had set himself the task of doing just that. However, his caution meant that his van was a good distance away . . . and by the time he ran back and grabbed his phone to make the call, Ernie could have grabbed one of the girls and gotten out again.

That was the only reason he could think that the fellow was here. At least that’s what Nicholas had come up with when he’d realized he’d followed the man to the new enforcer house.

Nicholas sighed and swiveled back to peer at the gate and the driveway beyond again. The guard had already returned to his little shack and the van had disappeared from view. No doubt at that very minute the rogue was racing through the trees toward the house. He had to warn them, but the only way to do that without his phone was to walk up to the gate and flat-out tell the guard . . . and that would pretty much toast his cojones, Nicholas acknowledged. Unfortunately, he didn’t have much choice. If he didn’t—

Nicholas was distracted from his thoughts by the arrival of another vehicle. He turned his head to watch a van approach the gate, and felt a grim smile curve his lips as he noted the cleaning service name on the side of the vehicle stopped beside the pillar. It was blocking the camera and intercom from his view . . . and him from the camera’s view, he realized.

Without pausing to think about how risky it was for him personally, Nicholas slid from the cover of the trees and raced across the short open expanse to the back of the van. Once there, he took hold of the handle on the back door and stepped onto the back bumper, careful not to cause unnecessary motion in the vehicle with his weight. He then held on for dear life and waited as the driver explained into the intercom that they were there to clean up after the party.

The guard repeated his invitation to “come on in,” and after a short pause as the outer gate swung open, the van started forward with Nicholas clinging to the back like some bad imitation of Spider-man. He was passing the camera on the pillar before he recalled its presence, but by then it was too late. Telling himself the guard wouldn’t be inside the guardhouse to see him riding by, but had no doubt headed out to open the inner gate, Nicholas stayed on his perch until the back end of the van was even with the second open gate. He then leaped off and made a charge for the bushes by the guardhouse as he’d seen the rogue do. Nicholas prayed the whole way that the guard stuck to the routine he’d used the first time. If so, the van would block the guard’s view of his mad dash for the trees. If not, he was likely to get a bullet in the back.

Nicholas didn’t release the breath he was holding until he reached the safety of the woods behind the guard shack without anyone shouting out or shooting at him. He then allowed himself to breathe out and suck in a fresh gust of air, but barely slowed his step as he followed the trail he suspected the rogue had taken, heading straight toward the house on the hill.

Halloween Party with Tricks and Treats, Wohoo!

Make sure and put us on your calendar for Saturday October 31st for a fun day of Tricks and Treats during our Halloween Party!

I hear we are having some wonderful authors that are up to some fun with delicious treats to be won.

Not going to spoil it now by blabbing what treats to be had just want to say Oooooooo baby them is some wonderful things eeeeegads. I'm even throwing in a $15 Gift card to Amazon.com.

Wild Heart by Lori Brighton

Why do I write historicals? A few people have asked that question since I started writing. The truth is I’m not quite sure.

There’s always been a love of history in my family. When I was a child my mom dragged me to antique shops every weekend. Some people find antiques or “used objects” disturbing. But to me, every time I entered one of those old buildings full of even older objects, there was this surreal feeling, as if hundreds of souls were waiting to be found. I wondered, even at a young age, who owned that tortoise shell comb and those silver hair pins? How was her life different from mine?

The first romance I read was a historical so I suppose it’s not surprising that I write them. My older cousin brought home a handful of romance novels one day. I remember picking up Julie Garwood’s Guardian Angel and becoming mesmerized. Instantly I was transported to another era. I’d never read a book with such emotion and the life and death situations had me quickly flipping the pages and hoping for a happily ever after. I couldn’t put it down and pretty much stayed in the same spot all day. When I closed it my heart felt full, warm. I was only sixteen at the time, but I was completely and totally hooked.

Of course there are some people who attribute a person’s interest in a certain time period to reincarnation. Do you believe in past lives? Me, I’m not positive either way, to be honest, but I certainly hope I have an open enough mind to consider that anything is possible. From a very early age, I’ve loved history. I even went into Anthropology because of my love for the past. I didn’t want to live in a mansion, nope. I wanted a huge Queen Anne home. And those beautiful Victorian dresses with their intricate detail amazed me. Perhaps, at one time, I lived during the Victorian era. Who knows?

Or perhaps I love history merely because of the idealized romanticism we’ve placed on the past. No one can doubt there is an elegance and a simplicity of the past that calls to us. A time when one settled on their veranda and sipped tea while children played in the yard. A time when strolling through town in your best dress was the highlight of your week. A simpler time when the house probably smelled like cinnamon and fresh air. When clothing and homes contained such minute detail that they were a piece of art unto themselves.

While Regencies are popular, I choose to write during the Victorian era. In the United States fingerprints left by the Victorian era abound. There’s something about the Victorian era that has always called to me. I grew up in the Midwest where Victorian homes were a staple in small towns. And when I think of antique dresses, there are none more beautiful than the Victorian with their bell skirts and delicates laces. Not only is the Victorian era ornate and beautiful, but there’s also something to be said for their repressed and coquettish reserves toward intimacy. The flick of a fan could mean a passionate liaison. Women were working outside the home, people were traveling more, studying more…there was a surge of interest in everything, including sexuality. Underneath those confining dresses were lacy undergarments waiting to be revealed. Why do I like writing historicals? As I mentioned in one interview, tight corsets and fitted riding breeches…need I say more?

So which era has always appealed to you and why? Leave a comment. Three people will win a copy of my debut book, Wild Heart!


Excerpt

“What is it?” Leo asked.

His warm hand rested at the small of her spine, his fingers curling around to the side of her waist. Even though no one would notice the intimate touch, she noticed.

How could she explain that she didn’t know if she could stand another day with him? If her feelings already ran this deep, how would she feel in the end? Would they part and never see each other again? She didn’t think she could bear that.

His other hand rested on her arm.

Her stomach jumped. “You need to socialize,” she said in a rush of air.

“What?”

“You…you need to socialize.” She nodded toward the ballroom. “You said you’d come here to mend your reputation, so go fix it.”

He pulled her back and spun her around, so he was in front of her, blocking the guests from view. Ella took a step back, until her shoulder blades hit the wall. Leo followed, his body pressing closer.

He lifted a brow. “That is what has you bothered?”

She nodded. “Yes.”

He grinned and leaned closer, his hand braced on the wall beside her head, trapping her.

“What…what are you doing?” Was that her voice that came out in a high pitched squeak?

He leaned so close, his breath was a warm caress against her ear. “I think that dance made you uncomfortable, and my presence unnerves you.”

She couldn’t look at him for fear he’d read the truth in her eyes. “Don’t be ridiculous. Why would it?”

“Perhaps touching me reminded you of the folly.”

Her gaze jumped to his. Surely, no gentleman would mention what had happened there. Yet, he was very adamant that he was no gentleman. Her face burned with embarrassment, but she couldn’t seem to look away. There was a connection between them, a connection she couldn’t explain, yet it had been there from the very first moment she looked into his eyes.

“Of course not, why would it?”

“Some say that intimacy between a man and woman is like a dance.” He leaned so close, his lips touched her ear and sent shivers of heat down her spine. “I haven’t stopped thinking of the folly. It haunted me all last night.”

Ella swallowed hard, willing her heart to cease its mad race. Just when she’d decided to treat him as a friend, he went and did this to her…made her body ache with a need only he could satisfy.

She closed her eyes for a brief moment, praying for strength. “Why must you insist on teasing me?”

“Tease? I never tease.” He reached out and took a loose curl between his fingers. “Teasing implies that you flirt without satisfying. And I always satisfy.”

Congrat's To This Week's Winners

Booklover1335 ~ The Most Wicked of Sins by Kathryn Caskie

Bridget3420 ~ The Most Wicked of Sins by Kathryn Caskie

JaneAustin01 ~ The Most Wicked of Sins by Kathryn Caskie

okibi_insanity ~ Holiday Bride by Stephanie Worth

Please send your snail mail info to terraontop57 at yahoo dot com. Congrats to our winners and I hope you enjoy your prizes!

To Desire a Devil by Elizabeth Hoyt (5 Copy Giveaway)

Synopsis
NOTHING IS MORE INTOXICATING-
Reynaud St. Aubyn has spent the last seven years in hellish captivity. Now half mad with fever he bursts into his ancestral home and demands his due. Can this wild-looking man truly be the last earl's heir, thought murdered by Indians years ago?

OR DANGEROUS-
Beatrice Corning, the niece of the present earl, is a proper English miss. But she has a secret: No real man has ever excited her more than the handsome youth in the portrait in her uncle's home. Suddenly, that very man is here, in the flesh-and luring her into his bed.

THAN SURRENDERING TO A DEVIL.
Only Beatrice can see past Reynaud's savagery to the noble man inside. For his part, Reynaud is drawn to this lovely lady, even as he is suspicious of her loyalty to her uncle. But can Beatrice's love tame a man who will stop at nothing to regain his title-even if it means sacrificing her innocence?

I've got 5 copies to give away, many thanks to Anna at Hatchette for the books!!

So This Is What You Have To Do To Get An Entry!
1. Leave a Comment +1
2. Follow Me +1 already a follower +2
3. Post this contest on your blog (can be on your sidebar or a post) +3

PLEASE put your email in your comments or no entry (no exceptions).
This is for the USA and canada only please and no Po Boxes (publishers rule)!
Winners will be announced on November 23rd!

It Happened One Night by Lisa Dale (5 Copy Giveaway)

Sometimes love finds you when you least expect it.

Lana Biel has always wanted to shake the dust of Vermont off her feet and see the world, one exotic country after another. But when a lighthearted spring fling changes her life forever, she turns to the one man whose strong shoulders can lighten any burden: her best friend, Eli Ward.

Eli has always been there for Lana--after all, that's what best friends do. But Lana isn't the only one hiding something. Eli is keeping secrets of his own that threaten their relationship. Yet as summer turns to fall, new desires awaken between them, even as old fears tear them apart. Then, when another Vermont winter fills the valleys with snow, Eli and Lana are given the chance for an adventure greater than they ever dreamed possible...and a love that will last for all time.

I've got 5 copies to give away, many thanks to Anna at Hatchette for the books!!

So This Is What You Have To Do To Get An Entry!
1. Leave a Comment +1
2. Follow Me +1 already a follower +2
3. Post this contest on your blog (can be on your sidebar or a post) +3

PLEASE put your email in your comments or no entry (no exceptions).
This is for the USA and canada only please and no Po Boxes (publishers rule)!
Winners will be announced on November 23rd!

THE LOVELY BONES by Alice Sebold (3 Copy Audio Giveaway)

It is a story of unspeakable tragedy and loss, but also of abiding love and even joy. With its astonishing force, THE LOVELY BONES has captured the hearts of millions of readers around the world.

Synopsis
his edition of the New York Times best-seller and a Good Morning America "Read This" Book Club pick contains features available only in the electronic version! Included in this eBook edition are a Reading Group Guide, an exclusive interview with the author, and "The Oddity of Suburbia," Alice Sebold's comments on growing up in the suburbs of "No

I've got 3 copies to give away, many thanks to Anna at Hatchette for the books!!

So This Is What You Have To Do To Get An Entry!
1. Leave a Comment +1
2. Follow Me +1 already a follower +2
3. Post this contest on your blog (can be on your sidebar or a post) +3

PLEASE put your email in your comments or no entry (no exceptions).
This is for the USA and canada only please and no Po Boxes (publishers rule)!
Winners will be announced on November 21st!

Say You're One of Them by Uwem Akpan (3 Copy Audio Giveaway)

Each story in this jubilantly acclaimed collection pays testament to the wisdom and resilience of children, even in the face of the most agonizing circumstances.

“Each one of these stories left me really gasping and profoundly moved.” – Oprah Winfrey

Synopsis
Uwem Akpan's stunning stories humanize the perils of poverty and violence so piercingly that few readers will feel they've ever encountered Africa so immediately. The eight-year-old narrator of "An Ex-Mas Feast" needs only enough money to buy books and pay fees in order to attend school. Even when his twelve-year-old sister takes to the streets to raise these meager funds, his dream can't be granted. Food comes first. His family lives in a street shanty in Nairobi, Kenya, but their way of both loving and taking advantage of each other strikes a universal chord.

In the second of his stories published in a New Yorker special fiction issue, Akpan takes us far beyond what we thought we knew about the tribal conflict in Rwanda. The story is told by a young girl, who, with her little brother, witnesses the worst possible scenario between parents. They are asked to do the previously unimaginable in order to protect their children. This singular collection will also take the reader inside Nigeria, Benin, and Ethiopia, revealing in beautiful prose the harsh consequences for children of life in Africa.

Akpan's voice is a literary miracle,rendering lives of almost unimaginable deprivation and terror into stories that are nothing short of transcendent.

I've got 3 copies to give away, many thanks to Anna at Hatchette for the books!!

So This Is What You Have To Do To Get An Entry!
1. Leave a Comment +1
2. Follow Me +1 already a follower +2
3. Post this contest on your blog (can be on your sidebar or a post) +3

PLEASE put your email in your comments or no entry (no exceptions).
This is for the USA and canada only please and no Po Boxes (publishers rule)!
Winners will be announced on November 21st!

No Ordinary Love by Stephanie Worth

A friend of mine is totally fascinated by the process of writing a book. Thinking up plots, developing characters, prying words from my brain and splattering them across a keyboard. . .well, I guess it has it’s intriguing moments. My favorite parts of creating a story are (1) figuring out how I can complicate a perfectly simple relationship and (2) titling a story. Those are also my two least favorite parts of the writing process.

Maybe I’ll get better at this as time passes, but my stories seldom start out named. It’s like couples who say they have to wait and see how their new baby looks and acts before they label her Cynthia or Summer. My stories are similar because I’m not one of those authors who knows the ending when they start writing. Except for the fact that the heroine and her hero end up together, my outcomes always surprise me.

So far it’s been the journey that sealed the title. And, as of this blog posts, those titles have all been derived from songs. The name of my first novel, Where Souls Collide, came from a song called Heaven by Kem. After a gazillion working titles – and even being entered into contests as “Inkling,” I was working on revisions, preparing to submit the story to Dorchester (who did wind up as my publisher), and listening to a hodgepodge of music on my computer when I seemed to hear the tune in an entirely new way. The lyrics follow the transformation of a man’s heart and tell how he’s no longer the person he used to be, but a renewed individual ready for this woman’s love. And then I heard a line about a place where two souls collide.

Bam! That was it. I immediately changed the title of the story – even renamed all the computer files with the former title in it – and submitted the story shortly thereafter. It just felt right. Same way with last year’s novella, Can You Believe in The Holiday Inn anthology. In this story, a newlywed couple is thrust into a future where they find they’re no longer together. They’re journey tests their ability to believe in themselves, each other, and a tomorrow other than the one they’ve been shown. I have Robin Thicke to thank for that very fitting title.

Now, lately, I’ve been fixated with angels. Not your ordinary cherubs to hang out and play harps all day. No, I’m a paranormal writer, so even heaven has to have a twist. I wrote a (short) short story for Parker Publishing entitled Stealing a Moment. The title is a line from a song I remember from childhood called Stairway to Heaven. (Not Led Zeppelin’s, but one by the O’Jays). All I really remember from those long ago days is the hook and the plea, “stealing a moment.” So, when I wrote this 15-pager about an angel whose fondest desire is to return to her husband on earth – if only for a moment, yes, the song fit so the story wears it.

I carried my angel fascination through to HeavenSent.com, my latest novella in the Holiday Brides anthology. This year’s story depicts a very different hereafter with angels assigned to connect an earthly couple. I admit, this one was easy: online dating + guardian angles = definitely sent from heaven. Though Keyshia Cole gets the nod for inspiring the idea.

Alas, my trend took an unexpected turn with my current work in progress. Still named from a song lyric, this time, the story’s not finished but my title has stuck. I find that it helps set the twists and turns in the plot and provides me with a mini road map as I weave the tale. It’s a nice departure from the constant needling of, “Yeah, but what’s it called?” that’s plagued me from the back of my mind in previous works. Not sure I like this pre-titling enough to make it my new “process,” but we’ll see how I feel at THE END.

What about you? Have you ever heard a song that you thought would make a great story? I have a copy of Holiday Brides for one commenter who shares thoughts on stretching lyrics into a novel.





HeavenSent.com by Stefanie Worth
From the Holiday Brides anthology
ISBN: 978-0-8439-6319-9

Excerpt

Chapter One

“Sunday School heaven was all cherubs and choirs,” Kay muttered. “Now they tell me there’s more work?”

Certainly grateful to pass the Life Inspection Application Process, Kay wasn’t sure she liked the unexpected promotion that resulted. If they’d asked, she would have declined this job and opted for a role more appropriate.

“I would’ve figured that a life – albeit, short – of faithful service, daily prayer, and eager witnessing deserved more than being appointed Official Babysitter of Fickle Grown Folks.” Miffed and disappointed, Kay lamented her plight. “At least it’s only for twelve days.”

“Maybe it’s my profile picture.” At the end of the year, in less than two weeks, Brenna Campbell’s online match guarantee would expire and no one would be able to view the photo no one seemed to want anyway. “After five months, two weeks, and six days as a member of HeavenSent-dot-com can’t you find one single man to send my way?”

She stared at happily hitched couples proclaiming their finds and contemplated revising her Perfect Mate criteria. When Brenna first joined the site, she’d spent so much time agonizing over the questionnaire, the thought of re-working her heart’s desires in order to snag a suitor was unbearable.

A dialogue box appeared at the center of her screen: YOUR FREE MEMBERSHIP EXPIRES ON DECEMBER 31ST. CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE.

“So does that mean you think there’s hope for me yet, or that I need a full year of rejection to prove my lack of compatibility?” She asked the laptop its opinion since none of her family, friends or co-workers knew she’d reached the online dating level of desperation.

To Brenna, a goal was a goal. Five years of failing to achieve marriage meant she needed a change in strategy. That’s why, as another year wound itself to a fitful close, she found herself assessing her life list of things-to-do:

Spiritual life: check.

Healthy eating, regular exercise: check, check.

Job, savings, good credit rating: check, check, check.

But no matches to her personality profile meant she kept falling short of one particular aim, signaling a personal low that she had no tactics to address: Brenna still hadn’t managed to find a man.

“Nobody wants me.” She clicked on a video featuring a man supposedly searching for his soul mate. “Or could it be that they don’t know I am what they’re looking for?”
A split second pause in thought let the background sounds of Sunday night television news seep to the forefront of her consciousness. According to recent reports, she heard, about half of all African American women had never married, nor would ever.

“Oh, please let me be on the other side of that unwed half,” Brenna begged the universe, suddenly even more motivated to find her perfect someone among the profiles of HeavenSent.com.

Not as though she hadn’t tried this exercise before; skimming the pictures, searching for the optimum mix of rugged features – gentle smile, mysterious eyes, touchable hair – and then reviewing the selected faces’ profiles to see what they claimed to be about. Lastly, she looked at the qualities of the women they professed to want.

Most of them had entered few choices other than, No preference.

“You don’t care what my religious, political or relationship philosophies are?” Hmmm. “No man is that easy going.”

Yet, Brenna extended Nods – quick “I’m-interested-are-you?” notes – to five men in their late thirties, telling herself they were more likely to be ready to settle down than twenty-somethings. Last time she took this approach, no one Nodded back.

She could hardly wait to see who appeared in her results this time.

“I just don’t get this,” she whined to the laptop. “Maybe five-ten is too tall or they don’t like layered bobs. I’m brown-haired, my full lips and well-placed curves are original factory equipment, so to speak. So why is it that HeavenSent makes me feel outdated and used up?”

She tapped the SIGN OUT link and shut down her computer.

The chances of landing the man who made her heart flutter and let her check off the last item on her to-do list seemed dismally slim this close to the end of the year.

Singsong tones on her computer indicated the laptop was going to sleep and she probably should, too. She closed its lid, turned off her desk lamp, and swept her hand across the desk’s mahogany surface to shovel a palm full of the day’s dust and paper crumbs into the waiting wastebasket below. She picked up her PDA in time to catch an incoming text message.

The note from HeavenSent proclaimed Mr. Decent Nodded back! Login to meet up.
“Why not?” she whispered. A quick glance at the desktop digital clock let her know she’d be just shy of her eight hours of beauty sleep if she started tinkering around online once more. But she did it anyway; opening the laptop, signing on, and pulling up HeavenSent.com to read the message from the self-proclaimed Mr. Decent.

A face she wouldn’t notice if it passed her on the street, messaged, Hi! You’re beautiful!! When can we hook up??!!!

Her stomach flipped. “The profile says he’s thirty-eight, but he’s using teenage jargon. Maybe he’s trying to be cool. Maybe he thinks this is the booty call site.” She stared at his ordinary face, devoid of facial hair or personality. Her stomach flopped.

“It is your first nibble, girlfriend,” she argued with herself. “Bite back.”

His real name, he said, was Ron. They exchanged a flurry of polite electronic niceties and decided they’d meet for lunch on Tuesday at a spot of her choosing. Brenna opted for a familiar downtown eatery, public and escapable, in case he turned out to be a psychopath.

Tuesday at 2, she typed in confirmation, trying not to read more into the line than the words on the screen said.

Kathryn Caskie asks "Who would Jane Austen do?

Who would Jane Austen do?

~Creating a hero~

Yeah, you can read it again but that’s what it says.

Who would Jane Austen do?

Funny as it might seem, that is one of the things I ask myself each time I start a new book. I write fun, Regency-set historical romance with lots of 1940s movie-style repartee. So my heroine, while reckless at times and maybe a bit outrageous for her day, is also witty and clever, much like Jane Austen. Oh, I kick it up. Pile on some character flaws, wounds from her past, quirks. No one likes a perfect heroine. But still, at her core is the essence of Jane Austen.

So when dreaming up the perfect hero for my heroine, I ask myself, who would Jane Austen do?

In The Most Wicked of Sins, the latest in my Seven Deadly Sins series, the heroine is Lady Ivy Sinclair. Ivy has a bit of a problem with envy, so when the gentleman she intends to marry is snatched away by her rival, she isn’t about to take it sitting down. She uses the last of her money to hire actor Dominic Sheridan to impersonate a marquess who is in love with her to set her intended into a jealous rage. Only Dominic isn’t at all the man she thinks he is—and he isn’t acting.

Now, when I came up with Dominic, I got first pick. Always do. I like my heroes tall and brawny—which is probably why I often write Scottish heroes of Highland descent. But not this time. Ivy is Scottish, so an Englishman would be a much better match.

Jane ‘s turn. He must be a clever and moral man, who can match her wit. A man who is open-minded, or like her Mr. Darcy, becomes so during the course of the romance.

My turn: Her weaknesses are his strengths and vice versa. Together they are stronger. Her sin is released by his virtue.

Jane’s turn: she is a salve to his emotional wounds and he to hers.

My turn: He has ebony hair and sizzling blue eyes.

Jane: Agreed.

HarperCollins Art Department’s turn: The cover is going to be black and his head would disappear.

My turn: Good point. His hair is bronze but his are still blue.

QUESTION OF THE DAY: Who would be your perfect hero? It can be anyone, living, dead, fictional and why? Three copies of The Most Wicked of Sins for the best replies! Pics (G-rated please) encouraged.



Prologue

July 30th, 1816
The Sinclair residence
No. 1 Grosvenor Square, London

The day had begun like any other.

Lady Ivy Sinclair rose at noon for breakfast, still weary from a late-night gala at Covent Gardens. She spread the Times out upon the dining table and giggled with her sisters, Siusan and Priscilla, over the outrageous and much-exaggerated society gossip in the weekly on dit column.

And when Poplin, one of only two servants in the household, set a sterling salver before her, Ivy sorted through the disappointingly few invitations and letters their family had received. She sipped weak, twice-strained tea, setting the more interesting of the invitations to her right as she munched on a wedge of toasted stale bread dabbed with a lick of comb honey.

Aye, as far as Ivy was concerned, the day had been entirely unremarkable. Perhaps even a bit mundane.

Until, that is, she broke the crimson wax wafer and released from its folds a letter from Scotland—one that would change her life forever. Of course, she didn’t know this for certain at the time, though the first sentence sent an unmistakable torrent of panic through her body.

“Of late, ye, Ivy, more so than any of my other children, have brought shame upon the Sinclair name.”

Oh God. Her eyelids snapped high. Each word had very nearly been carved into the foolscap, and Ivy recognized the angry, heavily inked script as belonging to the Duke of Sinclair, her father.

Her vision blurred with a rush of accumulating tears and her hands went cold as she raised the foolscap closer to her eyes.

“Will anything ever be enough for ye, or will ye continue to spend yer life peering hungrily over yer neighbors fence, coveting her life, her possessions, wishing her ill?”

She lifted cup of tea to her lips to stifle the whimper rising in her throat, but her hand began trembling fiercely, forcing her to return the cup clattering to its dish.

“I willna accept yer spoiled behavior any longer. Reform at once. Raise yerself up as a true example of decorum and respectability. Become a lady deserving of yer Lord Tinsdale’s admiration and standards—worthy of his troth instead of merely his amusement. Earn the respect the Sinclair name deserves—or when I return to London next month, ye will be regret it.”

Ivy’s jaw fell open and the whimper she had tried to contain suddenly slipped from her mouth. Even in his brevity, her father had reminded her of his expectations—and his harsh penalties for not meeting them—perfectly clear.

“Siusan,” Ivy jerked her head up to her elder sister. Though she tried to school her voice, to sound nonchalant, Ivy’s words sounded think with alarm and this frightened her.

Siusan’s elbows were propped upon the table, her chin resting wearily in her palms. “I already told you. No, to the Cockburn tea. Aye, to the Whitehall picnic.” Her eyelids looked heavy and she forcibly blinked her pale blue eyes. Her sigh made clear her boredom as she blew away a wisp of dark hair that had become ensnared in her thick lashes.

“N-not that.” Ivy tucked a lock of copper hair behind her ear and swallowed, hoping the extra moment would allow her to rein in her nerves. “This.” She started to pass the letter to Siusan, but Priscilla, the youngest of the Sinclair siblings, playfully snatched it from her hand and began to read.

“It’s from Da!” Priscilla leaped to her feet the moment she made the realization. Her vivid blue eyes immediately began shifting wildly from left to right as she read the letter.

Siusan’s eyes widened with worry and she slowly straightened her spine. She reached out and took Ivy’s hand and squeezed it. “What is it? The expression on your face is...well, positively ghastly. Though her eyelids were raised high her eyes were also seeming to squint. “Why, those are tears in your eyes.”

Ivy sucked her lips into the seam of her mouth for several seconds before speaking. Blood seem to drain from the rest of her body and into her restless legs. She came to her feet, unable to sit for a moment longer. “Tell me true, Siusan. Do you think it possible to convince Lord Tinsdale to offer for me—within a month?” She paced nervously back and forth behind Siusan’s chair.

“A month?” Siusan sat up straight in her chair and swiveled to look at her. “I was under the impression you had grown bored with him.”

Ivy’s feet stilled and she stared at Siusan, astounded by the comment. “Bored? You could not be farther from the mark. He has my full attention and rightly so. He is a good man, titled and respectable. Why, Da commented upon Tinsdale’s upstanding nature when he met the family at Sterling’s wedding.”

Siusan tilted her head and studied Ivy. “Hmm.”

“You haven’t answered me. Do you think it possible to secure an offer from him within a month?” Ivy asked, clutching at Siusan’s hand. “Please. Answer me.”

“Alright,” Siusan replied, wrenching her hand away from Ivy. “Tinsdale may be somewhat smitten with you, I’ll concede that, but he’s hardly at the point of getting leg-shackled. A month, Ivy? Are you completely mad?”

Priscilla slowly lifted her gaze from the letter. “No, Su, she’s not.” She rushed to Siusan and thrust the letter at her. “One month. It’s all the time she has.” She pointed at the letter. “I daresay there is no misunderstanding Da’s meaning. Read it!”

Siusan lowered her gaze to the foolscap and quickly read down its length.

Ivy resumed pacing the short distance behind Siusan’s chair. “I have one month to change my life, Su. If I fail, Da will surely keep the promise he made the night he forced us from our home for...this pauper’s existence in London.” Tears welled up anew in Ivy’s eyes, “and I’ll be disinherited...and cast from this very house to the workhouse.”

Siusan dropped the letter on the table as she rose, grabbing Ivy and hugging her tightly to her. “Dinna fash, Ivy. It willna come to that. I promise.”

Ivy took Siusan’s shoulders and leaned away from her. Through her tears, she peered at Siusan, then at Priscilla too. “How can you make such a promise?”

Her sisters exchanged meaningful glances and then Siusan took Ivy’s chin in her palm and tilted it upward, not allowing her to look away. “Because we will do whatever we must to prevent this, Ivy. Anything we must to see Tinsdale’s ring upon your finger,” Siusan said.

“Anything?” Ivy’s voice broke.

Priscilla nodded in agreement. “Aye, Ivy— anything. You have our promises.”

Congrat's To This Week's Winners

*Woofer ~ One Pepper Martin Book by Casey Daniels

*CherylS22 ~ One Backlist book by Cynthia Eden

Please send your snail mail info to terraontop57 at yahoo dot com. Congrats to our winners and I hope you enjoy your prizes!

Terra's Reviews: A Couple of Treats to Consider

My Soul To Take by Rachel Vincent is a delicious telling of two creatures from Irish folklore. A book to catch not only your soul but your undivided attention as well. The writing I have come to love in Ms. Vincent's adult Urban Fantasy has most certainly been carried over into the Young Adult Genre with the same silky smoothness that we have all come to expect.

Kaylee has felt different all her life but little does she know how much the truth is about to change her. Her mother died when she was young and her father pretty much abandoned her with his turning over of guardianship to his brother and sister-in-law. Kaylee has felt this keenly and along with strange things that have been occurring to her physically, she's not sure if she might be going crazy or has some fatal disease. All she does know is that things are far from normal.

Along comes Nash, a hunky football jock, which not only gives Kaylee someone to hold onto while she is in the throws of her strange behaviour but also someone who can give her some explanation of what in the world is going on in her topsy turvy life. A sturdy anchor that she so desperately needs.

What Nash and Kaylee don't know is who or what is killing vibrant young healthy girls for no apparent reason. What they do know is that they need to try and find out and see what the connection is to the deaths and Kaylee's strange outcries.

Our author has given us a tasty Autumn Treat with this book. Granted it would be good anytime of the year but right now it is the perfect read along with a cup of hot cocoa. A story that makes your head snap up when things go bump just outside your line of vision. A story of the unexpected being accepted and of love so strong and true that even the ugliest evil cannot prevail. I for one am going to be biting my fingernails while waiting for the next book in the series.

Reading level: Young Adult

Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Harlequin (August 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0373210035
ISBN-13: 978-0373210039


The Physick Book Of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe is a delightful mix of present and past. A story that kept me wanting more and never leaving me feeling empty. It is a story of the Salem Witch Trials that dramatically changed the lives of a few but affected many and how it still creates a stir of interest some several hundred years later.

Connie is a Harvard Grad working towards her doctoral dissertation when she is assigned the task of cleaning up her grandmother's house so that it can finally be sold. In her meandering she comes across an item and inside is hidden the name of Deliverance Dane.

Connie gets excited by this because being a history major the name is familiar to her and she wonders if possibly this could be one of the women who was tried and executed during the infamous Salem Witch Trials.

The phrase, "The Past Comes Back To Haunt You" soon takes on a life of its own and Connie is caught up in the mystery of who this Deliverance Dane really was. Question is will she be able to find the proof needed to tie Deliverance Dane and the Witch Trials together to use in her dissertation or will it come to a fruitless dead end? Will the past life of Deliverance Dane come to haunt Connie as she travels down a road of possibilities, probabilites, sorrows and swamped in mystery.

I do think the author did quite a good job of keeping the story going without any lagging points. The mystery unfolds at an even spance and the little tidbits of magic interwoven create a savory warmth that keeps you entranced from beginning to end. Personally knowing a bit about the Salem Witch Trials and recognizing some of the women's names myself gave me that extra umph to keep me salivating for more.

Audio CD
Publisher: Hyperion; Unabridged edition (June 9, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1401393055
ISBN-13: 978-1401393052

Happy Birthday To Me!

Happy Birthday! Thought you might expect a couple of cracks about your age.



Today is my birthday and thought you might like to see a card I received from some really wonderful friends. And yes I do have a great sense of humor especially when it comes with a free meal. LOL!