Taste of Kiwi: Blog of Author Shelley Munro

My special guest today is Brinda Berry. I met Brinda online last year and now read her blog on a regular basis. She writes the most informative posts on social media and other promo type things that are helpful for all writers. Today Brinda, who writes young adult fiction, is talking about young love. Over to Brinda! 

Young adult (YA) fiction has become very popular with adult readers in the past few years.  I became interested in young adult romance when I read the Twilight series.  To be honest, I inhaled those books. They were fun to read and reminded me of high school, youth, and first love. I then moved on to discover an entire genre of exciting books I had never considered reading as an adult.

What makes the genre so appealing to the adult reader?  I’d like to focus on the aspect of first love as a theme I see in many YA books.  In my opinion, first love is different from the love one experiences later in life.  There is a hot brilliance to the emotions because it’s so new.

Let me share with you Exhibit A from my own first love. The stack of letters you see came from my first love when I was eighteen years old. For one year, I received these love letters. It was a long distance relationship before email and cell phones with unlimited  text messaging.

I dug the letters out of the closet where I could take a picture just for you. Then I began to read through some of them. Whew *fanning self*.  Were we that in much in love? It was a long time ago. I guess I had forgotten. The declarations of love and longing are stamped into each word.

The letters were written by a young man I later married. Twenty-six years later, we still are.  Things change a lot as you become an adult and collect lots of life experience.  It’s nice to look back at the letters and remember what it’s like to be eighteen and in love.  Reading in the YA genre is another way to experience it again through some great characters.  So, go on, have some fun. Fall in love again for the first time.

Do you read in the YA genre? Do you remember your first love?

The Waiting Booth Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/xIBrZWsJ3Ls

BUY LINKS: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo Books, All Romance eBooks, Borders online

MARK IT ON: Goodreads

FIND BRINDA:  WEB  FACEBOOK  TWITTER

BLURB:  The Waiting Booth

A missing boy, government agents, an interdimensional portal…Mia has one goal for her senior year at Whispering Woods High—find her missing older brother. But when her science project reveals a portal into another dimension, she learns that travelers are moving in and out of her woods in the most alarming way and government agents Regulus and Arizona are policing their immigration. Mia’s drawn to the mysterious, aloof Regulus, but it’s no time for a crush. She needs to find out what they know about her brother, while the agents fight to save the world from viral contamination. But when Regulus reveals that he knows Mia’s secrets, she begins to wonder if there’s more going on than she thought…and if she was wrong to trust him…

BIO: Brinda lives in the southern US with her family and two spunky cairn terriers. She’s terribly fond of chocolate, coffee, and books that take her away from reality.

CONTEST: I won a copy of Brinda’s The Waiting Booth and enjoyed it very much. I’d like to pass on that opportunity to another reader, so I’m going to give away an ebook version of The Waiting Booth to one person who answers Brinda’s question above.

Note – I’ll be gifting The Waiting Booth from either Amazon or All Romance ebooks, and the winner will be announced 5 Feb, late Sunday night, here at my blog.

I’d like to welcome Janine Ashbless to my blog today. Janine is a multi-published author of erotic romance and erotica. Her first book was published in 2000 by Black Lace and she currently writes for Samhain and Ellora’s Cave among others. She’s always used elements of fantasy, mythology and folklore in her writing, with occasional forays into horror.

Janine lives in Yorkshire, England, with her husband and two rescued greyhounds, and is trying hard to overcome her addiction to semicolons.

1. Give us an elevator pitch for your book, Heart of Flame.

“The Adventures of Sinbad with hot romance. And extra djinnis.”

2. Where did the idea for your book come from? Did you need to do much research?

It’s a setting I’ve wanted to write about for years. When an editor asked me to come up with a romantic fantasy novel, the Arabian Nights was what jumped straight into my head. Heart of Flame ended up going to a different editor and a bigger publisher, in the end, but that’s how I started.

This is the first of my 5 published novels with anything like a real historical background, so I did a load of research, starting with the unexpurgated version of the One Thousand and One Nights. I borrowed a duffle-bag full of books on Middle Eastern history from a friend, and of course I used the internet. Honestly, how did writers ever manage before? Did you know you can Google Earth Iraq and look for the route to the ruined city of Ctesiphon? How awesome is that!

Also, I actually spent a few days in Damascus during the time I was writing Heart of Flame. That was a happy coincidence really, but it certainly didn’t hurt!

3. What does your writing space look like, and do you have a view?

I write sitting up in bed with my laptop. I have two large rescued greyhounds to keep me company with their strange doggy sleep-noises (and, um, smells). I have a big window, but from that angle all I can see is the sky and the top of a tree. Which suits me fine –the fewer distractions the better. I can’t work with TV or music on, for example.

4. What advice would you give an aspiring writer just starting on their writing journey?

Don’t do it for money – you aren’t going to be rich. Don’t do it for fame – you will never be a household name. Do it because you love to write. Do it because you want tell a story, and because you’re the only escape route this story will ever have out into the big wide world. And remember Calvin Coolidge’s advice:

Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.

5. Describe your hero. Tell us about one of his strengths and one of his vulnerabilities. From where did you draw the inspiration for your hero?

Rafiq is a real Sinbad type character: a merchant-master who accompanies his trade caravans all over the Middle East. He’s smart, restless and fair-minded. Looks-wise – well, I’ve no complaints about the model on the cover! That’s a pretty good likeness :-)

A strength? Well, in a culture where everyone is defined by their social position, Rafiq is unusually open-minded and non-judgmental. His wife died several years ago, and he learned a hard lesson then about how everyone has their own story and their own individual viewpoint on life. He doesn’t have a down on the heroine Taqla because she’s a woman, or because she’s a sorceress. (He has a down on her because she lied to him. But he gets over that.)

A weakness? He’s got a terminal case of itchy feet. When he was married he was an absent husband, never at home for more than a few weeks. He loves to travel, and cannot settle. This makes it very difficult for him to really love someone because, in his culture, where’s he going to find a woman who can share his travelling life? Heh.

6. And now a question from Janine for you all to answer:

What’s your favourite movie from your childhood, and what is it you remember about it? Mine was Jason and the Argonauts, even though (or maybe because) the bronze giant scared the pants off me!

Book Blurb:

And on the One-Thousand-and-Second night, Scheherazade told this story…

By day, Taqla uses her forbidden sorcery to move freely about the city of Damascus in the guise of an old sage. Her true identity known only by her faithful servant woman, Taqla is content with the comfortable, if restrictive, life that keeps her safe from the control of any man. Until she lays eyes on a handsome merchant-traveler. Suddenly her magical disguise doesn’t rest so easily on her shoulders.

When long-time widower, Rafiq, hears that the Amir’s beautiful daughter has been kidnapped by a scheming djinni—and that she will be given in marriage to her rescuer—he seeks the help of “Umar the Wise” to ensure he will be that man. Yet as he and the disguised Taqla set off, he senses that his prickly male companion is hiding something.

In a moment of dire peril, all of Taqla’s secrets are stripped bare—her fears, her sorcery and, worst of all, her love for Rafiq. Yet the princess’s life hangs in the balance, and there is no running away or turning back. Even though passion may yet betray them all…

Warning: Scary monsters and creepy ruins in the desert—check. Pagan gods that demand blood-sacrifices—double check. A handsome hero who looks good in a robe and even better out of it—oh yeah. Check, check and check. That’s worth a heroine dropping a veil or two.

Purchase Heart of Flame

To learn more about Janine visit her website or blog. You can also find her on Facebook.

CONTEST: Janine will be giving away a PDF copy of her previous fantasy/erotic romance novella, “The King’s Viper” to one randomly drawn commenter. All you need to do to go into the draw is to answer Janine’s movie question above or ask her a question about her book. It’s that easy.

I’m frolicking (visiting) at Sweet ‘N Sexy Divas today and talking about romance writers. Pop over to say hello and comment on my post – you know you’re a romance writer when…

And why am I frolicking here?

Because I’m hard at work on a historical romance where there is currently much frolicking. It’s rubbed off on me, hence the topic for my TT this week.

Thirteen Synonyms For FROLIC

1. Caper

2. Prance

3. Scamper

4. Tomfoolery

5. Skylark

6. Curvet

7. Dally

8. Carouse

9. Romp

10. Disport

11. Gambol

12. Cavort

13. Revel

I’m off to continue with my historical frolicking. Tell me – do you have any exciting plans to celebrate the arrival of the New Year? Will you be frolicking?

I’d like to welcome author Tina Donahue today. I’ll hand you straight over since she has some big news!

Did you get what you wanted for the holidays??

I certainly did! A contract for the next installment of my Outlawed Realm series with Samhain Publishing. Book 2 is due out September 2012. Woot!!

For those of you who don’t know me, here’s my official bio and links:

Tina Donahue is an award-winning, bestselling novelist in erotic, paranormal, contemporary and historical romance for Ellora’s Cave, Samhain Publishing and Kensington. Booklist, Publisher’s Weekly, Romantic Times and numerous online sites have praised her work; she has reached finals and/or placed in numerous RWA–sponsored contests. Three of her erotic novels were named finalists in the 2011 EPIC competition. Sensual Stranger, her erotic romance, was chosen Book of the Year 2010 (erotic category) at the French review site, Blue Moon reviews. The Golden Nib Award at Miz Love Loves Books was created specifically for her erotic romance Lush Velvet Nights; and Deep, Dark, Delicious (erotic romance) recently received an Award of Merit in the RWA Holt Medallion competition (2011). She’s featured in the 2012 Novel and Writer’s Market. Before turning to fiction, she was the editor of an award–winning Midwestern newspaper and worked in Story Direction for a Hollywood production company.

Email: tina@tinadonahue.com
Website/blog: www.tinadonahue.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/tinadonahue
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000458023097

For those of you who haven’t yet read Unending Desire, Book One in my Outlawed Realm
series, here’s the cover art, the blurb and an excerpt. Enjoy!

Blurb:

His hunger for one woman will make him a traitor to his world…
Outlawed Realm, Book 1

From a portal in his lab on E2, one of the five dimensions of Earth, quantum physicist Nikoli Zorr gazes on everything forbidden to him. Passion. Desire. The exquisite pleasure of running his hands over the lush curves of a young woman he should have stopped watching weeks ago.

His duty is to close the portals that keep the monsters out of E2—and never interfere with the inevitable fate of those on the other side. Yet he can’t bring himself to abandon the woman who has captured his soul.

Psychologist Regina Page is trying to keep her mind on her client, and off the mysterious, unbearable sexual cravings that consume her when she’s alone in her bedroom. The next moment she’s attacked by vampires, then swept into another realm by a stranger whose touch awakens that same raw desire. Whose eyes are already filled with farewell.

Yet beneath their undeniable carnal lust, something else stirs. The beginnings of illicit love. The unexpected need to protect him. Even if it means risking body, blood and soul to defeat the merciless horde…for a future that was never meant to be.

_______________________________________

Product Warnings
Contains a repressed scientist who likes to look, and the woman who delights in unleashing his inner caveman. And sex hot enough to burn a hole in all three dimensions…and maybe create a whole new one.

Excerpt:

Within seconds, she sensed it again…someone watching.

Anticipation made her look up; life experience made her wary. Peering right and left, Regina noted that no one glanced in her direction. Conversations continued. Patrons consumed their food and drinks.

Disconcerted, she glanced behind herself, seeing nothing different. No one acknowledged or even noticed her.

Heat continued to travel to her pussy, lingering there. It climbed to her throat and cheeks. A picture scrolled across her mind of large hands on either side of her face, gentle and caressing, lips brushing her skin, the rush of warm breath tickling her cheek, her lids closing on a lusty moan, her body sagging against hard male flesh scented with musk.

Where are you? Regina’s mind asked before she knew it would.

At the establishment’s street entrance a knot of people stood in the open doorway, shaking water from their umbrellas, brushing beads of moisture from their coats.

The edge of her napkin fluttered in the dank breeze. The patron closest to her, a young guy in a beautifully tailored suit, called out, “Hey, close the door. You’re letting in the cold.”

Regina experienced only building warmth. She rested her fingertips on the top of her table, noting how cool the polished wood was to her touch.

Her attention swung from the baristas behind the serving area to the individual facing it. A man who must have arrived shortly before those who’d left the door open. Tall, with a powerful build, muscled yet lean, he wore a black crewneck sweater, jacket and a dark blue topcoat. The ends fluttered above his similarly colored pants. Combed away from his forehead, his thick raven hair was wavy and worn longish in the back. Strong masculine features, ruggedly handsome, complemented his olive complexion.

Regina knew she was staring openly but couldn’t help herself. She guessed him to be in his mid-thirties and of foreign descent, possibly Greek or Middle Eastern ancestry.

Did he work in this building? Where? What floor? Who was he? Why hadn’t she ever noticed him?

He certainly wasn’t a man a woman could ignore.

The barista who’d waited on Regina delivered his order with a suggestive smile, clearly interested in him. He seemed not to notice her flirting as he handed over a twenty. Regarding him closely, Regina saw that the shoulders of his coat weren’t damp from the rain. Neither was his hair. Had he bought the coffee to take on his drive home? Did a wife and children await him in one of Seattle’s countless suburbs?

Chewing her lower lip, Regina checked out his large hands and long fingers. Naked. No ring.

She was unbelievably pleased, an obviously crazy reaction. It was possible his culture didn’t believe in the men wearing wedding bands. Even if he was single, she didn’t know him. Other than being in this coffeehouse at the same time, their paths would probably never cross again. They would never speak or touch.

To Regina’s surprise, brutal reality didn’t stop her. Fevered and wanting, she considered going up to him and starting a conversation. About what? With lightning speed, her mind considered and rejected numerous topics—the delicious pastry in the display case, the depressing weather, what films currently played. Through it all, persistent warmth engulfed Regina, a curious sensation of desire and well-being that continued to grow and draw her to him.

With his order in hand, he turned, looking directly at her. No one else.

Regina’s body softened with a rush of delight…an invisible connection between them. The psychologist in her knew it was ridiculous to consider such a thing. The woman in her didn’t care. She held his gaze, as dark as his hair, his irises sparkling in the tame lighting.

A whimper of pleasure bubbled in Regina’s throat.

Behind him, a middle-aged woman knocked his arm as she moved past to place her order. His focus remained on Regina, his manner composed yet commanding, his expression unguarded, filled with what appeared to be wonder.

Around them, people laughed and spoke, lights blinked, rain tapped the windows, the sounds resembling drumming fingernails. An instrumental piece flowed from the sound system, a tenor sax wailing sensuously.

Locking her knees, Regina leaned against her table for support.

He didn’t break their unspoken attachment. With an easy stride, he approached her table.

A current of expectation tore through Regina, tightening her nipples. She lifted her face, helpless in his presence.

He smiled.

At its comfort and beauty, her heart turned over.

He gestured toward her table. “Do you mind if I join you?” Regarding the area past her, he added, “It’s very crowded tonight.”

In his smooth, deep baritone, Regina caught the trace of an accent. Not Greek or Middle Eastern as she’d suspected but from some unknown locale. Managing a swallow, she cleared her throat and murmured, “Not at all. Please do.” Really, please.

Again, he focused on her. Only her. As if no one else existed.

Something inside Regina shifted, magnifying her sense of sight and sound, her pressing need to be close. She ached to touch him, wondering if he suspected as much and had noticed how her words caught. She had no doubt he saw her desire.

“Thanks.” He rested his cup on the table.

Unwilling to stop herself, Regina offered her hand, their fingertips nearly touching. “Hi. I’m Regina Page.”

Tell me who you are.

Buy Link: http://store.samhainpublishing.com/unending-desire-p-6491.html

* * * CONTEST * * * CONTEST * * * CONTEST * * *

One lucky commenter on this blog will have her choice of one of my following ebooks**:

1. Adored – RWA award-winning; EPIC 2011 Finalist; 4 Stars RT
2. Deep, Dark, Delicious – EPIC 2011 Finalist; Holt Medallion Award of Merit
3. Lush Velvet Nights – EPIC 2011 Finalist; Golden Nib Award
4. In His Arms – SIX 5 Star Reviews; 4 Stars RT
5. Sensual Stranger – 2010 Book of the Year (erotic); 4 Stars RT
6. The Yearning – Top Ten Bestseller
7. Take Me Away – #1 Pick, Miz Love Loves Books

** Winner chosen at random. Winner chosen January 5.

These are two santas we made out of salt dough. We used gingerbread men cutters and hubby painted them to look like Santa.

I’m visiting Lizzie T Leaf today over at What’s Cookin’ in Lizzie’s World to celebrate Christmas and my latest release, Christmas is Coming. I’m doing a giveaway, so come and say hello!

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along!

Just do the following:

~ Grab your current read
~ Open to a random page
~ Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
~BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
~ Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

I’ve just started reading Breaking Point by Pamela Clare. It’s a romantic suspense, very gritty and real. This week I’m cheating a little with a slightly longer teaser.

Unable to do anything else to help her, Zach gave her the only advice he could. “I know it’s hard, but you need to stay focused on what’s happening now. Do whatever it takes to survive. Do you hear me, Natalie? Just survive.”

page 28, Breaking Point

Blurb:

While investigating border violence in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, Denver journalist Natalie Benoit is caught in a bloody ambush and taken captive. Alone in the hands of ruthless killers, she will need every ounce of courage she possesses to survive.

Betrayed by another operative, Deputy U.S. Marshal Zach McBride has endured a week of torture and interrogation at the hands of a bloodthirsty Mexican drug cartel. Ready to give his life if he must, he remains unbroken—until he hears the cries of an American woman.

Although Natalie is only a voice in the darkness of their shared prison, her plight brings renewed strength to Zach’s battered body. With her help, he overpowers their captors, and they flee through the desert toward the border, the attraction between them flaring hotter than the Sonoran sun.

But past loss and tragedy leave both of them reluctant to follow their hearts, even when the passion between them reaches its breaking point. Faced with feelings neither expected, they fight to stay ahead of the danger that hunts them as forces more powerful than they can imagine conspire to destroy them both…

Purchase Breaking Point

What are you reading this week? Share a teaser from your current read in the comment section or leave me a link to your teaser.

I’m visiting Joanna Chamber’s blog, Isn’t It Romantic? today and talking about my new release, Christmas is Coming plus the scents and sounds of Christmas. Here’s a link to Isn’t It Romantic? Come on over and say hello.

Welcome to my guest today Renée Pawlish! Renée was born in California, but has lived most of her life in Colorado. When she’s not hiking, cycling, or chasing ballplayers for autographs, she is writing mysteries and thrillers that include the Reed Ferguson mysteries, Nephilim Genesis of Evil, the first in the Nephilim trilogy, Take Five, a short story collection, and The Sallie House: Exposing the Beast Within, a non-fiction account of a haunted house investigation.

Renée loves to travel and has visited numerous countries around the world. She has also spent many summer days at her parents’ cabin in the hills outside of Boulder, which was the inspiration for the setting of Taylor Crossing in her novel Nephilim: Genesis of Evil.

Hi Renee, and welcome! Give us an elevator pitch for your book, This Doesn’t Happen in the Movies.

Witty, intrepid Reed Ferguson is a wannabe private eye with a love of film noir, crime fiction and Humphrey Bogart. Amanda Ghering is a rich, attractive femme fatale who hires Reed to find her missing husband. It doesn’t take long before Reed realizes that all is not as it seems, and he is quickly thrust into a dark and daring investigation.

Where did the idea for your book come from and did you originally envisage more than one book featuring your lead character?

I usually get a hint of an idea and the more I think about it, a story forms in my head. This book was no exception. I had the femme fatale in my mind and I could picture her in an office, talking to a detective. Reed Ferguson came out of that scene – I first saw that old film noir detective, and then I modernized it. Once I had Reed created, I knew this could be the beginning of a mystery series. And now I’m working on book three, so I guess I was right…

What does your writing space look like, and do you have a view?

Right now my desk is a mess…maybe I shouldn’t admit that. I have lots of pieces of paper scattered around me because I jot things down that I want to remember, and they tend to stack up. I have set up my office where my desk faces a wall-to-wall floor-to-ceiling bookshelf. I love to look at books while I’m writing. And I have a ton of autographed sports memorabilia, and I look at all that too.

What advice would you give an aspiring mystery writer just starting on their writing journey?

I get asked this a lot and my answer is to hone your craft before you actually publish. Amazon has made it easy to put a book out, but for most authors (me included), that first or second book is not very good. You haven’t written enough to understand how to shape a story, and how to show a story, not tell it. Learn by reading books about writing, taking classes on writing. And then write. And write some more. And don’t be afraid to get feedback from others who will give you an honest assessment of your work. It might sting at the time, but it will make you a better writer.

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I always wanted to be a teacher. I do some of that now when I work with other writers. I’m also pursuing an opportunity to teach creative writing at a community college here in Denver, so maybe that childhood dream of teaching will become reality.

Now Renee has a question for you: What makes a book a “page-turner” for you?

CONTEST: Renée is giving away a print or eBook copy of her book Nephilim and a $25 Amazon GC to one randomly drawn commenter during her tour. Follow Renée’s tour, comment on every post and increase your chances of winning! The tour dates can be found here.

A wannabe private eye with a love of film noir and detective fiction.
A rich, attractive femme fatale.
A missing husband.
A rollicking ride to a dark and daring ending.

Purchase This Doesn’t Happen in the Movies
Print
Kindle

To learn more about Renee and her books visit her website or blog. You’ll also find Renee on Twitter, Facebook and at Goodreads.

Not that I’m implying animals have anything in common with aspiring authors. I just happen to be talking about both topics today. I have a real soft spot for animals and love to see them in their natural habitats. So far I’ve been lucky enough to visit several game parks in Africa, see the gorillas in Rwanda, watch rhinos in Chitwan, spy on whales in various seas and oceans, and during my most recent adventure I held a panda. All of these experiences are very special to me.

If you could sponsor one animal and save it from extinction, which animal would you choose? Your pet or a wild animal?

I like big cats and cheetahs in specific. They’re so fast and graceful and have gorgeous coloring. Very aristocratic in appearance. When it comes to animals that are already extinct, I’d like to save the New Zealand moas, which were huge flightless birds. The Haast eagle can stay extinct. They sound scary because they carted off animals, moas and small children. The dodo bird also sounds very cool, but from what I understand, they were a little stupid.

Which animals would you choose?”

Today I’m visiting Michele Stegman’s blog and talking about my tip for aspiring authors. Check out my post at Thoughts from a Writer’s Block.

I’d like to welcome author Meg Mims to my blog today. Meg is an award-winning author and artist who writes historical, western and mystery/suspense. Her first book, Double Crossing, is currently available from Astraea Press, Amazon and Barnes & Noble as an ebook and will soon be in print. Meg is also a staff writer for RE/MAX Platinum in Michigan and for Lake Effect Living, a West Coast of Michigan tourist on-line magazine. She earned an M.A. from Seton Hill University’s Writing Popular Fiction program in January of 2010. Today Meg is talking about romance and romantic suspense. Over to Meg!

How much romance does a Romantic Suspense have to include? Some are quite tame, some have hot sex scenes, and some include only a hint or promise of romance. Are readers pretty tolerant in this genre?

Romantic Suspense was once considered a “crossover” – blending traditional romance with the intrigue of mystery or crime, or even plain adventure. Juggling more than one plotline is necessary, along with striking some kind of balance. If the romance is stronger, then it must end “HEA” or Happily Ever After. If the suspense is stronger, then the outcome can be iffy—as long as justice is served in the end in some fashion.

In Double Crossing, heroine Lily Granville is focused on tracking her father’s killer. Like in many romantic suspense plots, she meets a man who can help her—and sexual attraction plays a part in the relationship that grows from necessity to friendship and total trust. The focus stays on the twists and turns of why Lily’s father was murdered, and how to avoid being the next victim. Being classified as “clean” fiction, the characters maintain a fairly “hands-off” level of romance and the ending reflects that. However, the promise is there for more adventure.

There are plenty of top-notch authors in romantic suspense. Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series blends romance, adventure, suspense, mystery—and sometimes a violent murderer. While Stephanie tracks down her bond skip, she has run the gamut from killers to a donut thief. There’s Ranger danger, hot sex at times with cop Joe Morelli, and adventures with Lulu the ex-whore or her Grandma Mazur at the local funeral parlor. Bizarre at times, irreverent, thrilling and funny, yet satisfying to a large readership, Stephanie always collects her bounty hunter fee.

Tess Gerritson’s thriller-suspense books incorporate romance also, but with more depth when she explores politics, business and intrigue style plots, with betrayals and gripping tension. You can find whatever you like in the romantic suspense genre, from inspirational to erotic, from historical to contemporary, from fantasy to science fiction, even ghosts or paranormal elements.

Oddly enough, if you do a search on Amazon for “romantic suspense,” you won’t find a single male author listed with a book. Perhaps “they” classify this genre as geared to and written by women only. A shame, because this genre can get down and dirty with the most complex plots and deep emotional characters.

The key is to keep the reader on their toes, to twist and turn the plot threads and produce a page-turning success.

Question from Shelley: How much romance do you prefer in your romantic suspense reads? Lots or just a dash to spice things up?

Blurb: A murder arranged as a suicide … a missing deed … and a bereft daughter whose sheltered world is shattered.

August, 1869: Lily Granville is stunned by her father’s murder. Only one other person knows about a valuable California gold mine deed — both are now missing. Lily heads west on the newly opened transcontinental railroad, determined to track the killer. She soon realizes she is no longer the hunter but the prey.

As things progress from bad to worse, Lily is uncertain who to trust—the China-bound missionary who wants to marry her, or the wandering Texan who offers to protect her … for a price. Will Lily survive the journey and unexpected betrayal?

Read an excerpt

Purchase Double Crossing from Astraea Press, Amazon or Barnes & Noble

To learn more about Meg and her books visit her website Meg Mims

My special guest today is author, Marie Astor who is celebrating the release of her new contemporary romance Lucky Charm. Marie Astor is a die-hard romantic who wholeheartedly believes in true love, which is why she writes in the contemporary romance genre. Marie is the author of a contemporary romance novel, Lucky Charm, and a short story collection, A Chance Encounter and Other Stories. In addition to being a writer, Marie is an avid hiker, an excellent swimmer, a good skier, and a capable badminton player. Currently, Marie is working on her next novel – stay tuned for details!

Writing Contemporary Romance by Marie Astor

Before I started writing contemporary romance novels, I was (and still am) an avid reader of romance. One of my favorite things about this genre is that it allows the reader a diversion from everyday life, but that does not mean that contemporary romance cannot undertake serious matters and approach them from a lighter angle.

Let’s face it, romance makes for a big part of women’s lives – whether looking for one’s soul mate or searching for ways to maintain sparks in an existing relationship, women spend a lot of time worrying about this part of their lives. Hence, comes the dilemma for a contemporary romance author to create an entertaining, uplifting work of fiction that readers can enjoy.

In my contemporary romance novel, Lucky Charm, the main character, Annabel is getting over a broken engagement. At first, she is so absorbed by heartache that she refuses to even contemplate the thought of dating again. But when her best friend invites her to Paris, Annabel begins to come to terms with her break-up, and as she changes her outlook, romantic opportunities begin to present themselves (yes, she does meet a love interest!).

Now, before you start screaming at me that things like that do not happen in real life, I will be the first to admit that, yes – usually, they do not (although, sometimes they do). But I am a contemporary romance author, and I write fiction that is uplifting and at times a little bit fantastic, in a good way.

The other day I was having drinks with one of my friends whom I have not seen for a long time. I was sad to find out that she had just broken up with her boyfriend of five years – the boyfriend she thought was the one and expected to get engaged to. Needless to say, my friend was in broken spirits, carrying on about how impossible it is to meet ‘the right guy’; meanwhile, she was completely oblivious to the cute guy on the other side of the bar who was casting glances in her direction. When I pointed out this fact, my friend dismissed me at first, but when I insisted, she did smile back at the guy. Long story short, he came over and asked to buy her a drink. Now, they did not go on to live happily ever after – she never even gave him her number, but after this encounter, my friend’s confidence was considerably higher, and a few weeks later she did go on her first date, albeit with a different guy.

I was very glad to hear that my best friend was finding her bearings in the wobbly world of dating and could not help by note a similarity between her story and Annabel’s – both women had to learn to step out of their comfort zones and take a chance on love again – a task that is just as difficult to accomplish in Paris as it is right in your own home.

Twenty-eight-year old Annabel Green is about to tie the knot with her college love, an aspiring author Jeremy Blake, but her plans for an ideal wedding are rudely interrupted when she catches Jeremy kissing his gorgeous book agent.

Shell-shocked by Jeremy’s betrayal, Annabel retreats into the quiet routine of TV dinners and solitary evenings. It is then that Annabel’s best friend, fashion designer Lilly Clayton, sets herself on a mission to draw Annabel out of her shell. In an attempt to persuade Annabel to keep an open mind on dating, Lilly takes Annabel for a stunning makeover, but after Annabel passes on a date with a dashing entrepreneur, Lilly decides that more drastic measures are needed. Lilly invites Annabel to see a palm reader who gives Annabel a lucky charm that is supposed to help her find true love.

A few weeks later, during her trip to Paris, Annabel meets a handsome Parisian, and as the two embark on a whirlwind romance, she starts to believe in the power of the talisman the palm reader has given her. But what Annabel doesn’t know is that Lilly is hiding a secret that could unravel her faith in her newly found luck in love.

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