Six Sentence Sunday

I'm taking Six Sentences from my current Regency novel, Vidal's Honor, this week.  I hope you enjoy.

 

Vidal took her hand in both of his. “He didn’t make it.”

“I’m sorry.” And she was. If he’d spoken the truth he’d acted to save his own family, the same way Devlin would have protected her, and Vidal was doing so now. That didn’t mean she could forgive his duplicity, but in the hard cut and thrust of war, with betrayal and counter-betrayal rife perhaps he felt he had no option.

There are hundreds more six Sentence offerings for you at Six Sentence Sunday

Lisa Greer talks about her latest goal.

Please give a warm welcome to Lisa Greer who is talking about her latest goal, today.

Thanks for having me as your guest today, Sherry!

I have long loved to read, and now write, gothic romance. The first gothic romance I fell in love with was Wuthering Heights. I can't remember exactly when I first read it. I'd cut my teeth on Nancy Drew books and other mysteries with Gothic themes and elements, but Wuthering Heights was the novel that made me go wow. I wanted to write like that...since I couldn't live on the moors.

When I started writing gothic romance in the late summer of 2010, characters like Cathy and Heathcliff guided my vision. DuMaurier's Rebecca is another luminary example in the genre that inspired me. The tension and foreboding of that novel, not to mention the creepy story of hate as DuMaurier herself said it was, captured my imagination.

I've been writing different types of gothic romance for a while now, and recently, I've gotten into historical gothic romance. Think Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre and the works of Victoria Holt, to name many others.

Serials and gothic romance/historical gothic romance seem to mesh well—at least for me. I've written a couple sets of these (The Montmoors and Delia Daugherty serials) and some linked series with two or more stories or novels in the set. Recently, I decided I wanted to try my hand at putting out serials on a real serial schedule (ie, short installments every few weeks without big delays that break into the flow of the story). Think Sherlock or Breaking Bad for the reading set—stories with cliffhangers that pick up where they left off in each new serial. Each serial will resolve some issues while leaving others open...till the next installment.

A regular/fast publishing schedule that works best with serials isn’t always possible unless as an author, I have control over the publishing process. That’s where my project, Sorrowmoor, comes in. I’m planning at least twenty historical gothic romance serials over the course of 2013. My motto is under-promise and over-deliver in terms of what I’ve outlined for the serials. So, it’s likely I’ll have more than twenty serials or that they’ll be lengthier than the minimum of 2000 words each. These will land in backers’ inboxes or e-reading devices, and I’ll also put the serials in a combined e-book edition with a fabulous cover and a print edition that looks equally great. I’m planning lots of other cool stuff, too!

So, how can you get some good reads and back the project? If you have a dollar, that’s a start. As of the writing of this post, I'm 47% of the way toward the goal after just a few days! I've set a really low, reasonable goal that's a realistic look at the monies needed for editing, cover art, formatting, and extras. I want to provide good reads, rewards, and value to readers. There are all sorts of levels at which you can back Sorrowmoor, so please take a look. If you don’t like gothic romance (which is romantic suspense, just with paranormal elements), you can support the project and gift your rewards to a friend who will enjoy these serials. It’s like a year-round Christmas gift.      

Speaking of Christmas, my latest release is a Christmas gothic romance novella that's just .99, Menace under the Mistletoe in case serials are not your thing:

http://www.amazon.com/Menace-under-the-Mistletoe-ebook/dp/B009ZIJS06/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1352995651&sr=1-1&keywords=menace+under+the+mistletoe

As for the Sorrowmoor project, I appreciate the backing I have so far at 92% funded, and I’m really excited about this project! But this post is time sensitive. It's all or nothing with Kickstarter, and the funding deadline is November 20^th. Check my project out if you have a minute, and tell a friend who might enjoy reading these stories. You can see the video about Sorrowmoor and learn more here. If you like it, please back me today to keep the momentum going till the project is funded. There are only a few days left, and this is all or nothing.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1394602435/sorrowmoor-historical-gothic-romance-in-serial-for#project-faqs

Thank you all for reading and supporting my endeavors as a working writer!      

 

Tuesday's tales ~ sexy

This week's prompt word for Tuesday's Tales is sexy and while this is still a part of the previous TT scenes, in my Gasquet Princes series, it is from the heroine's POV. 

As sexy and handsome as ever, she noted, when the man walked into the room.  The last ten years had treated him well. He’d broadened out, of course, but his eyes… They still looked as though they held the secrets of the world. At least that had been her impression the first time they met. Deep set, shaded by dark brows she'd had to judge theman's mood from the set of his mouth rather than the emotions in his eyes.  A 'Window to his soul' not did apply to the newcomer's eyes, she decided.

 

One look, all those years ago, and he’d pulled her in. In where, she never quite worked out. After all, one look into those eyes and she’d reacted in a way quite foreign to her, and which she still found hard to understand. 

 

After all he could’ve refused.

 

Well— he could have, if she hadn’t grabbed his arm and hauled him up the chapel steps.  Looking back she saw the funny side, but at the time fear robber her of her sense of humour.  His alarm had segued into horror when she asked him whether he was married.

 

“Ten minutes,” she’d pleaded. “Ten minutes and you’ll never see me again.” Need had driven out any thought of the consequences of her actions beyond the moment. And certainly, she’d not given a thought to the impact of her actions on the poor guy.

 

Yes, in the intervening years she’d wondered what had become of her reluctant bridegroom, and whether he’d ever sought her out. She hoped not.  In the ten years since she’d convinced the guy to wed her before continuing on with his own life she’d moved a lot.  Always keeping at least one step ahead of the authorities, and since they’d never found her she hoped her bridegroom had not made any effort to seek her out either.

 

And now… now he’d stalked into the room as though he owned it, and made it plain he’d rather be anyplace other than here.

 

For more free reads hop over to Tuesday's Tales

The Big Thing Blog Hop

I've been tagged in The Next Big Thing Blog Hop, thanks to fellow author and friend, Amber Lea Easton. So here are the rules of the Hop:-
1 - Give credit to the one who tagged you -in FB-
2 - Answer the following eight questions about your latest work in progress.
3 - Tag five other authors and let them know you've tagged them.

What is the title of your book?

The working title of my latest wip (My NaNo project) is Consuela's Story.  It is the sequel to my current Christmas Regency novel, Vidal's Honor, available at Astraea Press, Barnes & Noble and Amazon

Where did the idea come from for your book?

Because it is the sequal to my current book, Vidal's Honor, the basis of the characters was already there.  It begins in Spain, as did Vidal's Honor, then returns to England where the hero is faced with a sibling vendetta.

What genre does your book fall under?

Regency Romance with suspense in this wip, and contemporary romance with a touch of suspense..

What characters would you choose to play the characters in a movie?

Sorry, I don't watch enough movies to answer this one.

 

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your novel?

As this is a work in porgress and I have made it my NaNo project I've been working on it for ten days so far.

What other books would you compare it to within your genre?

Because Consuela's Story also touches on the 1812/3 Peninsula War I would compare it with Bernard Corwall's Sharpe's Rifles, and Georgette Heyer's An Infamous Army and The Spanish Bride, with a tiny-weeny touch of Louise Allen's The Earl's Intended Wife, to name but a few wonderful books that over the years have left an impression with me.
 

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

I'd have to say the characters themselves.  I have loved Georgette Heyer books for as long as I can remember and read many other Regency books by a myriad of wonderful authors and yearned to 'have a go' at the Regency genre. Vidal's honor is my 2nd Regency, and Consuela's Story is the third and I'm having a great time writing in this genre.

What else about your book might pique the reader's interest? How about a teaser?

 

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Let me see.  As this WIP is only ten days old I haven't worked on a blurb yet, so I'll try to give you a bit of an idea...

After guiding the widow of a former English agent safely out of Spain with the help of Charles, lord Vidal, and compatriot Consuela, (Vidal's Honor) Juan has returned to Spain to hunt down and kill his brother for murdering his wife and daughter.
When he arrives it is to discover his brother is already on his way to England and has Consuela in his sights.
The snippet below is the first meeting between Diago, Juan's brother, and Consuela.

Excerpt:

“Good evening Mr. Jameson.”  Consuela allowed him to draw her hand to his lip and brush a kiss across her knuckles.

“A pleasure as always, ma’am.  May I introduce you Senor Ferdinand?”

“Ma’am.”

The foreigner bowed low over her hand but did not emulate his friend and lift it to his lips. The man taller than Mr. Jameson’s six feet. And if Jameson called himself a bean0pole, what did it make this man who was several inches taller still?  His dark hair shone beneath the ballroom chandeliers, dark, like a moonlight night, like Juan’s.  Her heart contracted. She missed him and looking into the stranger’s eyes she could almost image Juan looking at her. His smile was less calculating than this man’s, Consuela decided.

They were of similar build, wide shoulders slim hips, even beneath his purple frocked jacket she could tell he had slim hips.  And the soft cloth pantaloons, as white as the Pyrenean snow displayed well in contrast to the highly coloured garb of some of the fops parading around the ball room.

“Sir.” With studied care she withdrew her hand from between his fingers and laid it over her other in her lap, and fought to maintain an outwardly calm appearance.

All day she’d been plagued with a sense of unease, and could only imagine it had something to do with Juan.  How angry she’d been with him when he’d informed her of his arrangements to return to Spain. She’d flown at him, screaming and crying, and raining blows on his chest with her fists.  She’d told him she wouldn’t wait for him, and now —

“I would ask you to dance, but see you are perhaps not willing to.” The movement of one finger towards her dress indicated this stranger recognised her state of mourning.  “May I be permitted to sit with you?”

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Here are the authors I'm tagging--give them a day to catch up because they're just getting tagged now:

 

Barbara Edwards

 

Lindsay Townsend

 

Linda Banche

 

Paula Martin

 

Stephanie Burkhart

Sweet Saturday Sample

For today's Sweet Saturday Sample I'm offering a sample from my NaNo wip, Consuela's Story, although this is from Juan's pov.  Being a NaNo sample, please make allowances for the lack of editing. :-)

He couldn’t sleep. Wellington’s news had robbed the remaining energy from his legs and had him slumping into the nearest chair regardless of military protocol. Not that he was a member of any official army.  He’d returned to Spain with one goal in mind.  To hunt down his brother, and seek retribution for the murder of his wife and daughter.

And now…

The silent passage of the moon beyond his window failed to bring the usual sense of peace. Since his brother’s attack on his family he’d spent many a night staring up at the moon and pretending Maria and Francesca were riding across the sky while they looked down on him.

And now… he wondered again.

While he’d rushed back to Spain, his brother, Diago, had made his way to London, and according to his friend Lord Vidal, was even now making advances to Consuela.

The only available room left in the inn was tiny, with a window locked down tight against the night air, so the room smelled of stale ale and other unmentionable odours. He smote one fist in the other and strode from the edge of the bed where he’d sat to the window and peered out.

“You been and gone and missed it by five minutes.” The innkeeper told him when he’d rushed in to enquire when the next coach left for London.  “Won’t be another ‘afore tomorrow afternoon.”

His enquiries into hiring a coach hadn’t fared any better.  It seemed there was a prize cock fight in the village just five miles down the road and every available vehicle for hire was already spoken for. Assuming there’d be no spare horses for hire either he’d not even asked, but now as he watched the shadows shift across the ground below his window he wondered whether the plan forming in his mind would land him in prison if he was caught.

‘Another day won’t make a difference.’ A silent voice in his head urged, but instinct told Juan the voice lied.  If he didn’t know better he could almost swear he heard Consuela calling out to him, for him to help her.

 

 

For more samples visit Sweet Saturday Sample

Please Welcome Tmonique Stephens

 

Why did I choose to write a Romance series about the Egyptian Gods?

About five years ago, I decided I wanted to write a series. I’ve always loved paranormal romances, vampires, werewolves, the fey, shape shifters, novels about other worlds inhabited with different species. Naturally, I gravitated to what I enjoyed reading, but I was tired of the usual books populating the genre. I considered writing about the Greek Gods, but I had recently started reading a popular series about the Greeks and I felt I had no new ideas to offer.

Then I thought of the Egyptian Gods. Ancient Egypt is one of the most well documented cultures. Although the Egyptian Gods have a wealth of history and folklore, there aren’t many fiction books about them. Their story remains untold.

Five Egyptian Gods will comprise the series: Nu, mother of the Pantheon. SET, The God of All Evil. Nephythys, SET’s wife and Goddess of the Dead. Hathor, the Goddess of Love. Lastly, Anubis, son of Nephythys and SET. When theses five gods become involved in the lives of the Nicolis family, nothing will ever be the same.

Eternity is a story of reincarnation and redemption. Roman Nicolis, a mercenary falls in love with the Elyssian, the wrong woman. He seduces her, taking her virginity and cursing them both. For two thousand years, Roman wanders the earth searching for the only woman he can love. Time and again, Roman finds her, only to lose her horribly. Now, in present day New York City, they meet again. And this is his last chance to get things right. If only the gods would let him.

I love HEA aka the big moment at the end of a novel when the hero and heroine get their Happily Ever After. But they only get that moment after I torture them. I have to admit, there is a bit of a sadist in me that enjoys inflicting pain on my characters, though it is for a good cause. The cause of having my reader shed a tear and give a satisfying ‘Ahh’ at the end of the novel. That’s why I writing romance.

Cursed for 2000 years, Roman Nicolis has tracked his lovers’ soul through each reincarnation only to lose her horribly every time. Reclaiming their love is his only salvation. He’s been her friend, her father, her neighbor, but never again her lover . . . until now.

A late night walk home throws Stella Walker into the path of a killer. The last thing she remembers are the deep blue eyes of the man trying to kill her—and the first things she sees after a seven day coma are the same blue eyes in the handsome face of the man hired to protect her. Is he truly the owner of a security firm assigned to protect her or the man who wants to finish her off? Is it fears she feels when Roman touches her or the memory of something sweeter? She will have to push past her fears and reclaim a love that has lasted two millennia.

Past secrets haunt them. An angry demon stalks them. 

Roman will do anything to recover what they had. Though Stella’s ruined childhood has made her close her heart and body to any man, he must get past the walls around her to gain her love and trust, for it will take their union to defeat an unexpected enemy sent from the Egyptian Gods. A man Romans respects, and Stella trusts.

TWO HEARTS.ONE SOUL. FOR ALL ETERNITY.

Eternity is avaible to but at:-

AMAZON

BARNES & NOBLE

~~~

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PRINTEREST