Today’s guest is LK Campbell. Lucinda writes the most wonderful romances set during World War Two.
Brenda Talley from The Romance Studio said, “Ms. Campbell truly excels when writing her World War II books. She has an incredible way of grabbing my attention and absolutely not letting up! I love her style, the fact that she makes all of her characters so real, and the way her stories gift us with a bit of the unexpected.”
Today, LK Campbell is doing the unexpected because her first contemporary story is about to release. She’s also giving away a download of each of her three World War Two set historicals, so there will be three lucky winners today. Just post your comments about Christmas, World War Two or any questions for LK and you’re in the draw to win. (winner will be announced in the comments the following day).
My first ever Christmas story, In the Nick of Time, will be released tomorrow as part of Shadowrose Publishing’s holiday anthology, Unexpected Gifts. In the story, Julie is frustrated because her boyfriend, Nick can’t say those three little words that every woman wants to hear. Then, when she sees Nick having a cozy lunch with an old girlfriend, she’s ready to call it quits.
This story was my first attempt at writing contemporary romance, and I have to admit that while the story takes a different turn, the plot had a little assist from real life.
My husband and I had been dating for almost a year, and the man couldn’t say, “I love you.” Every time I said it, he either wouldn’t respond, or he’d change the subject. One weekend, he asked me if I wanted to go to the Grandfather Mountain [Scottish] Highland Games with him. Since it’s a four-hour drive from here to the mountains, we decided to leave on Friday and come back on Sunday. It was our first out-of-town trip together, and I just knew that he’d be able to tell me that he loved me. Once again, I came home disappointed. I told my sister that I was thinking of breaking up with Bryan. I had no intention of being one of those women who hangs on to a man who doesn’t love her until he dumps her.
He came over to the house a few days later, and I told him that I had something I wanted to say to him. He said that he wanted to tell me something, too. I’m so glad that I let him go first, because he said, “I love you.” Five months later, at a Christmas party, he asked me marry him. The next summer we went back to the mountains for our honeymoon.
I never told him what I wanted to talk about that night until a few months ago when I wrote In the Nick of Time. He said, “So you’re telling me that I was that close to getting out of all of this, and I blew it?” Men. What are you going to do with them?
L.K. Campbell, Author – visit at her website, blog or at her MySpace. If you enjoy trips into the past definitely check out her peek into the past section for war images and photos.
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December 6th, 2007 at 12:19 am · Link
Hey Lu! OMG! That is just like a man! LOL.
Well, congrats on your first contemporary.
No need to enter me in the contest since I already own all your books. :D
Well, all but the latest story in this new anthology. :P But I have added it to my wish list. :)
Wishing you the very best of all holidays.
C.C.
December 6th, 2007 at 4:41 am · Link
Thanks, C.C.!
December 6th, 2007 at 5:38 am · Link
Hi Lucinda! That’s a great story.
I’m looking forward to reading the WWII books. Are they set in the US or Britain, or overseas? And was there one book or resource which really helped you with research for this period?
Cheers!
Ansley Vaughan
December 6th, 2007 at 5:59 am · Link
The books are set primarily set in the U.S and focus more on the homefront than on the war. The first one, A Soldier’s Love, has a couple of scenes that take place overseas. A Different Tune begins when the hero is preparing to leave England and jump into Normandy with the paratroopers from the 82nd and 101st Airborne divisions. The remainder of book takes place in Florida. Two books come to mind that I read in preparation for A Different Tune, because I really wanted to get Scott’s character right. Those were Band of Brothers by Stephen Ambrose and Parachute Infantry by David Kenyon Webster.
December 6th, 2007 at 6:07 am · Link
Hi Lucinda!
You are a new author to me. I’m looking forward to reading your books.
Congrats on your new release!
December 6th, 2007 at 6:42 am · Link
Hello chica! Can’t wait to read your Yuletide story. Yeah, men can be pretty dense sometimes. Good thing they have us, women.
December 6th, 2007 at 6:52 am · Link
Thank you, Estella.
Tempest, that’s what my husband says, too. He says that men only have two things on their minds: sex and sports.
December 6th, 2007 at 7:18 am · Link
Well, Lucinda, you know I love your stuff. I’ll have to pick up this one.
Great story.
December 6th, 2007 at 7:23 am · Link
Thanks, Jen.
December 6th, 2007 at 7:34 am · Link
I haven’t found many great WWII romances so I am very excited and I’m going to check yours out for sure.
Great post, men are obtuse aren’t they? My DH had such a hard time telling me he loved me. It came out something like “You make me feel like scrambled eggs,”
6 years later I make him scrambled eggs every Sunday …just to remind him.
December 6th, 2007 at 8:22 am · Link
That’s funny. I think a lot of women will be able to relate to this story. That’s also why In The Nick Of Time has a little bit of a humorous side to it, too.
December 6th, 2007 at 10:03 am · Link
Hi, Lucinda,
What got you started writing? When did you know you were going to be a novelist? What advice would you give to aspiring novelists?
Thanks for your comments!
Donna
December 6th, 2007 at 10:31 am · Link
Congrats on the anthology and I loved the story. Glad to hear it “ended/began” so happily for you guys!
December 6th, 2007 at 11:02 am · Link
LOL at your story, Lucinda. I can’t wait for your Christmas release.
December 6th, 2007 at 11:32 am · Link
Hi, Donna
I’ve been writing for a long time. I think I started to take writing seriously when I had my first creative writing class in high school. My teacher told me that I was talented, and I guess I let it go to my head. LOL! I don’t know that I can put my finger on the moment I knew I wanted to write novels. I started writing a story and before I knew it, the story had grown into a full-length novel. I would tell all aspiring writing to never give up. If you love writing, do everything possible to be a good writer. Join wonderful groups like the one I belong to, Romance Divas, and gain all the knowledge you can from people who have done it.
December 6th, 2007 at 11:32 am · Link
Thanks Kaige, and yes we’re still working on the HEA, but I believe we’ll get there.
December 6th, 2007 at 11:54 am · Link
Hi Lucinda,
Love the story about your husband. Men…you gotta love ‘em! I love the cover for Unexpected Gifts and your stories sound very interesting.
Blessings,
Rhonda
December 6th, 2007 at 11:58 am · Link
Thank you for stopping by Rhonda. I love the artwork for the anthology cover. It’s very clever.
December 6th, 2007 at 12:37 pm · Link
If you can do with a contemp what you can do with a vintage, this’ll be awesome!
December 6th, 2007 at 1:08 pm · Link
Thank you for the words of encouragement. I hope it will be awesome.
December 6th, 2007 at 2:59 pm · Link
Lucinda, thanks for the giggle – I love ‘mere men’ tales! And I love the title of your Christmas story as well!!!!
December 6th, 2007 at 3:05 pm · Link
Thank you for stopping by Amanda. The title, of course, is a wordplay on the hero’s name.
December 6th, 2007 at 7:00 pm · Link
In the Nick of Time sounds like a great story. Some men can be really cautious about those three little words. I know my husband was like that when we were dating which was a source of frustration for me.
December 6th, 2007 at 7:20 pm · Link
Thanks for stopping by Cherie.
December 6th, 2007 at 8:46 pm · Link
Congrats on your first Christmas story! I enjoyed it.
December 6th, 2007 at 11:31 pm · Link
LOL – love your story. Maybe it took a four hour road trip for him to *make sure* of his feelings!
Looking forward to finding out how you resolved that in your story!
December 7th, 2007 at 3:08 am · Link
Congrats on the contemp, Lucinda, and lol on hubby. I liked Gold Star Wife, need to read some more of your stories.
December 7th, 2007 at 4:51 am · Link
Thank you to everyone who commented after I went to bed. LOL! Good luck to each of you in the drawing.
December 7th, 2007 at 6:59 am · Link
Congratulations! I’ve drawn the prize winners from all who commented.
Tempest Knight will receive a download of A Soldier’s Love
Cherie J. will receive a download of Gold Star Wife
Amy Ruttan will receive a download of A Different Tune
Please email me at lkcampbell @ lkcampbell.com and I’ll get these to you right away. (If any of you have already read the book you won, I’ll substitute it. Let me know when you email.
Thanks again to everyone who stopped by for a visit yesterday.