Good days, and bad

It is painfully obvious I have failed to maintain one of my new year resolutions by not posting here regularly, as promised.  I plead 'revisions' as my excuse.  On the whole they have gone smoothly, been backed up regularly, and have kept me occupied almost to the exclusion of everything else.

Until last night, that is!

Not only did I lose all yesterdays efforts, not so much the information, but a full day's time.  On top of that, I discovered I've deleted several requests to guest blog here from my email. grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

So to anyone who recently requested a guest blogspot, my apologies, and please will you contact me again if I have not yet responded to your request?

Absolute Write ~ Book Review Blog Chain

Absolute Write is running two blogs chains this month, so I have dipped my toes into another new venture and joined both.  In the book review blog chain each member picks a book we enjoy, and offer a detailed review on our blogs.
Members of the Absolute Write Blog Chain --->
Collectonian - http://collectonian.livejournal.com/
Lost Wanderer - http://www.lostwanderer5.blogspot.com/
DavidZahir - http://zahirblue.blogspot.com/
RavenCorinnCarluk - http://www.ravencorrinncarluk.blogspot.com/
were before me, and I am followed by
Forbidden Snowflake - http://alleslinks.com/
veinglory - http://thefleam.blogspot.com/


Today I am reviewing one of my all time favourites, ~ Northern Lights by Nora Roberts.
I have the paperback which contains 535 pages, published by Piatkus (http://www.piatkus.co.uk/)
I have the unabridged audio version, read by Gary Littman.
And on New Year night I recorded the film version from the TV.
Did I say Northern Lights is one of my all time favourites? LOL

In this electrifying romantic suspense, Nora Roberts takes her hero, Nate Burke and plants him in Lunacy, Alaska, and gives him the job of chief of police. This suits Nate down to the ground as he’s haunted by the failure of his marriage and loss of his partner in a shootout in a dark ally in Baltimore. All he’s looking for is survival and time to come to terms with his losses in this out-of-the-way law-abiding small town.


What he does not expect is to meet his fate in the form of loner bush pilot, Meg Galloway. Nor does he expect to be confronted with a sixteen year old murder to solve. Suddenly the sleepy township is full of dark secrets, a spate of new murders, and more suspects than he’s had hot dinners, and the reader enjoys pitting their wits against the author to see if they can discover the muderer before Nora is ready to reveal all.


As always Nora plants plenty of clues along the way, but it is not until near the end of the book that the culprit is revealed. Her secondary characters all have vital roles to play and as ever Nora brings out the idiosyncrasies in each one including the mountain called No Name.


Not everyone enjoys ‘head-hopping’, but Nora’s skill, in moving fluently from one character to another, adds pace and intimacy to her books.


If you want a book that will occupy you for hours and keep you guessing until the end, you will enjoy this book.


When you’ve read the book it can be hard to come to terms with another’s interpretation of your perception of a story. In the audio version of Northern Lights, Gary Littman, added, rather than detracted from my enjoyment.


Sadly, I cannot say the same about the film. The screen writer has taken the story, squeezed the life out of it, picked up a few of the last gasps that still survived, changed the integrity of the characters, butchered the story and offered 90 minutes of dissatisfaction, disappointment, and discontent that you actually sat through the whole film in the vain hope it would redeem itself. The actors had no chance to bring the original characters to life, so their familiarity and personal success had no chance of redeeming the hatchet job done on an incredible story. This was all the more disappointing because I loved the first four film interpretations of her books.


So, if you decide to go out and buy Northern Lights make sure you buy the book whether paperback, hardback or the audio version.

Please give a warm welcome to my first guest, popular romance author, Barbara Edwards.

Thank you for inviting me to visit. Like every writer I love to talk.

Why did you choose to write paranormal  ?
I’ve written in several genres, historical romance and romantic suspense, before writing a paranormal. I’ve been told I have a dark aspect to my work. Since I love ‘the dark side’ I dove in.
What is your favored writing routine?
I like to write in the morning. I dream about my stories and it’s still fresh in my mind early. I put on instrumental music, brew a cup of tea and sit my butt in my chair.

What kind of goals do you set?
I set the goal of writing every day. I’ve never been able to say a thousand words or five pages. It comes as it comes. Some days are better and some worse.

What has been your greatest fear you’ve had to overcome as a writer?
My biggest fear has been that the next book will not be better than the last.

What do you do to relax?
I walk my dog or if I’m really stressed I find a place with running water to sit beside. It can be a stream, a lake, the beach or if I have no time, a long, soapy shower.

How have you grown as a writer?
My work is tighter, more focused. I think it’s stronger and darker. I’m much more critical of other work.

What advice would you give an aspiring writer?
The only way to be published is to write. As often and as much as possible. Find what works for you and do it. Don’t give up. Use criticism to learn and grow.

Do you like background music or silence when you write?
I can’t listen to the radio when I write. I love country music and find myself using the lyrics if I listen. I use instrumentals like the theme from Jurassic Park or the William Tell Overture.

Some writers stop reading while writing because the feel it influences their writing. Do you read while working on a current writing project?
I have to give up reading or it draws me away.

How do you deal with criticism?
Not well. I take it to heart and had to learn that it’s only an opinion. Of course, if several people say the same thing, then I have to think about solving a problem.

What do you do when your mind blanks?
I don’t have that problem as much as too much and having to eliminate and cut down.

What other works have you published?
Another Love, a historical romance set in 1892. Annie’s Heart is a historical romance set in 1872 and Rachel’s Rescue a contemporary romantic suspense. I have excerpts at www.barbaraedwards.net

What books and WIP are in the pipeline for this year?
I have a second Finding Rhodes End paranormal tentatively named Ancient Blood.

Thank you Barabra,for being such a wonderful first guest, and sharing your time with us today.
~~~

Please will you share excerpt from your  latest book, Ancient Awakening?


Here’s the blurb and excerpt from Ancient Awakening. In Ancient Awakening, Police Officer ‘Mel’ Petersen investigates a death only she believes is murder. By disobeying direct orders from the Rhodes End Chief, she risks her career to follow clues that twist in circles to her backyard and lead the killer to her.

Her neighbor Stephen Zoriak is a prime suspect. Steve worked for a major pharmaceutical company where he discovered a weapon so dangerous he destroys the research. He is exposed to the dangerous organism. He suspects he is the killer and agrees to help her find the truth.

In the course of their investigation Mel and Steve find the real killer and a love that defies death.



Excerpt:


“Don’t touch me, Mel, not unless you’re willing to do a lot more,” he warned as her hazel eyes flared golden.
“Don’t threaten me, Steve. You’re…”
He pulled her into his arms despite the alarm bells clanging in his head.
Danger! Danger! Danger!
Her widened eyes met his. Mel’s hands were trapped against his chest, but she didn’t push him away. Instead, her fingers curled into his shirt.
Her mistake. His mistake was to crush her mouth under his.
Mel’s soft lips parted. Need exploded. The taste of black coffee didn’t hide her sweet flavor. As her tongue tangled with his, her arms slid around his neck and her fingers burrowed through his hair.
Steve hungered to peel the starched shirt off her soft shoulders, lay her on the thick turf and ease his desire. He tasted her brows, her cheek, along her throat, seeking the source of her call. Her pulse whipped under his mouth, awakening another need.
His teeth gently closed on the vulnerable vein.
He wanted, wanted, wanted…
Cold alarm chilled his pounding blood.
Steve gasped for air. He’d forgotten his own ironclad rule. Mel’s eyelids flittered open to reveal the molten glow of desire but he forced himself free.
He had no right to touch any woman. Not until he knew he hadn’t become what he had set out to destroy.
~~~
Thank you Barbara, for visiting The Heartof Romance today.  I am so pleased you were my first guest and for answering all my questions. Please, everyone, leave your comments and questions for Barbara.

Another First!

This Monday, the 18th January the well known and well loved historical and comtemporary romance writer Barbara Edwards is my first interviewee, and will be talking about her latest books and other things.  Please come along and leave your comments.

On February 1st Clive Warner will be sharing  how he juggles his many hats as an author, publisher, editor and book cover designer. Although not a writer of romance he talks about the importance of romance to almost every genre of writing.  He has many valuable tips to share with readers.

 Nik Green will interview here on February 15th to promote her new book "Love Out of Order", which releases in February by Genesis Press and share her experiences of her recent book signing.

On March 29th Kristy Bock talks about the release of her first book, Divine Touch on April 8th in her 'The Divine Ones' series book contract with Red Rose Publishing. She plans seven books in series.   She shares with us, her secret of how she fits her writing in between working full-time from home, and parenting of her four children.


Prolific writer Lesli Richardson (who also writes as Tymber Dalton) and inspirational writer Robin Bayne will be guesting on dates yet to be arranged.

Please come along and support them all, and if you have a book you want to promote or a subject you'd like to share, there are plenty of spaces waiting for occupants, please email me

Happy New Year Goals and Guest Blogs

I hope you have all enjoyed a wonderful holiday and that 2010 is promising to be a good year for you.

As ever there is talk, all around, of goals and goal setting.  Knowing I break them before long, I used to make mine very simple in the vain hope I'd keep to them!  This year I am obliged to join the real world, so have set a couple of hum-dingers, for me.

The first is self discipline.  For some that is as easy as breathing.  For me it equates with standing on top of Everest, and I've never wanted to do that!  It is a real biggie.  Like crawling down into the deepest darkest, dankest cave on the planet.  I don't want to go there either!!  But I do want to acquire at least a smidgeon of self-discipline, so... here goes!!

The other is time management.  Again, I've promised to achieve this goal before, but...
Hmmmmmmm  I rarely wear a watch!  What!  be serious?  Oh!  must I? 
Very well, if you insist!  Seriously, I am an award winning procrastinist.  By 'putting it out there', I've made it official, if you like. I'm going to  have to make a greater effort to honour my committments this year, if I don't want to lose face..

Why ramble on about this, here and now?  Well it's  a long winded way of saying I hope to maintain a regular presence on this blog and post weekly. 

Also I hope to generate a regular Guest Spot here, and am taking this opportunity to announce that my first guest interview is with historical and contemporary romance writer Barbara Edwards on January 18th. 
Please come and support us and leave your comments. I'm sure Barbara will  respond.

If you are interested in Guesting on my Blog, please email me.  Being a 'new girl on the block', there's plenty of spaces waiting to be filled!!