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Showing posts from June, 2016

Linda Broday: Fairy Tales in Romance?

Long before I could read, I loved listening to fairy tales. I remember the magic I felt at the impossible happening. Fairy tales still fascinate. I savor good overcoming evil and bask in the knowledge that deep personal trials reap huge rewards. I’m still a sucker for stories like Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzul, Beauty and the Beast, and The Ugly Duckling to name a few. The prince or princess always had to go through some horrible tragedy to get the person of their dreams in the end. Like Cinderella, they’re often the underdogs. And sometimes they might’ve been ugly. Remember the princess who kissed the frogs until one magically turned into a handsome prince? (I tried that and it worked.) In the Ugly Duckling, the poor little duck who lost his mommy became a beautiful swan. Do some of these sound like our romances? Actually, a lot of romance stories are based on fairy tales. Love has to be tested to know if it’s real. Our characters have to prove h

Summer Reads by Terri L. Austin

Summer is upon us, and for me, that means YA all the way! Here’s a look at my TBR list: The Epidemic, by Suzanne Young is a sequel to the prequel The Remedy. This series has been completely addictive.  From A.G. Howard’s Splintered series, I have Unhinged.  And Ensnared. If you like an Alice in Wonderland theme with a teen twist, this might be up your alley.  Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo has been on my list for some time, as well as the sequels: Siege and Storm, Ruin and Rising, and Six of Crows.  So what is on your summer reading list?

Heroines

Today is the 127th anniversary of Maria Mitchell’s death. Mitchell (1818-1889) was the first American woman to work as a professional astronomer. Her life would make a fine (fictionalized) biography for a feisty intelligent heroine. Born in Nantucket, Massachusetts, Mitchell was a first cousin four times removed of Benjamin Franklin. Her Quaker community was unusual for its time in insisting on the same quality of education for girls and boys. She attended local schools, and her father taught her astronomy using his personal telescope. She opened her own school in 1835 and allowed non-white children to attend, a controversial move as the local public school was still segregated. Using a telescope, she discovered "Miss Mitchell's Comet" on October 1, 1847, winning a prize established some years previously by King Frederick VI of Denmark for comet spotters. Mitchell became the first female Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the

I'm late! I'm late!

I went to play all weekend. With the Book Obsessed Chicks. They had a fabulous beach BBQ and I was there! But I stayed late to tour wineries and forgot to blog. Have you ever been to Long Island? It's gorgeous. There are lavender fields! And there's wine! Plus lots of farm stands and of course, beaches and boating. And romance readers. Who could ask for anything more? My thanks to the Book Obsessed Chicks for a fabulous weekend! And as penance for being late to blog, I'll share my Sexy Fail of the week. Maybe the decade. I read a tip that if you wrap your wet hair in little coils around your head, you'll end up with soft, sexy beach waves. I tried it and... I ended up looking like Johnny Depp's Mad Hatter. Uh-huh. Not doing that again. Fortunately, I was able to tame the waves in time. Have you been to Long Island? Do you prefer beach or mountains? Any beauty tips to share?

Summer Fun

When I lived by the coast, ironically I almost never went to the beach. I love to watch the water, but now that I live in the mountains, moments and meals beside the ocean have become time spent listening to the waterfall behind my house while I relax in the sunshine and read a good book. I have become a member at the Biltmore House, and I enjoy going for walks on the beautiful grounds. The sun stays up hours after I leave my day job at the bank, so there is time to stroll in the beauty of that place and take in the scent of the flowers and the quiet shushing of the river as it slides by. More Things I mean to do this summer: *Yoga on my porch while the birds squawk nearby, wondering why this human has invaded their domain and what on Earth I'm up to. *Walk in DuPont Forest and watch Triple Falls wind its way down its mountain. *Watch the sun set from the top of Jump Off Mountain, and see the night rise up from the valleys below. I'll re

Be The First to Read AS RICH AS A ROGUE

Hello all!  I’m under such a deadline with getting ready for my new release, this blog is going to be pretty simple. Just leave a comment on what you’re reading now. One lucky commenter will get a signed advanced copy of AS RICH AS A ROGUE! Coming August 2, 2016  Third in the saucy, vibrant Rakes & Rogues Regency romance series from  USA Today  bestselling author Jade Lee A most unusual wager Mari Powel’s fiery Welsh temper is up. Peter Norwood, Lord Whitly, is back in town after six years romping around India making his fortune. Mari blames him for her social downfall and has spent all this time clawing her way back into the ton’s good graces. How dare he show up on his first day back and publicly embroil her in a bet involving long-awaited apologies, illicit kisses, and Lady Illston’s unruly parakeet? Mari is outraged, and is going to show him-and everyone else-what she’s made of. Little does she know, the unrepentant Lord Whitly has been dreaming of her all this

And Such a Fine 4th It Is!

by M. L. Buchman Wait, the 4th? As in July 4th? Yep! For authors, holidays start months ahead of time. Christmas books are released in October, which means they're written over the sweltering summers. Valentine's Day stories make some sense, written in the dark of winter about the hopes of, well, not spring, but at least February. And for my second Independence Day romance, the novel started well before that. For the fun of it, I thought I'd trace back through my notes for the origin of this one. Huh! Okay. In a way it started three years ago when I released my first July 4th romance: Frank's Independence Day . Now Frank Adams, head of the Presidential Protection Detail, has turned out to be one of the more popular characters in my Night Stalkers series, and not just the Night Stalkers White House series either. Of course his wife, Beatrice Ann "Beat" Belfour might have something to do with it. Two years ago they figured prominently in the Preside

Those Autumn Nights...During Summer

Last fall, I had the chance to work on a historical romance anthology with authors Shana Galen, Vanessa Kelly, and Kate Noble. I’m delighted to call all these ladies my friends—but before I got to know them at all, I was a reader and fan of their work. As you can imagine, it was a lot of fun working with them.  The result? An anthology called A Gentleman for All Seasons . We each set a novella during a different season of the year, with locations, characters, and events peeking into the different novellas to unify them. But. Each novella can also stand on its own, and so we’ve got some choices for readers. Maybe you want the whole anthology? Great! Go for it! But if you just want one of the novellas? We’re offering that choice too. Within the next few months, we will all re-publish our novellas as stand-alone titles. The anthology will still be available, but now readers can pick and choose if they want to. My novella, Those Autumn Nights , is the first to come out. Ok

What's Brooklyn Ann Been Up To?

Hey all! Brooklyn Ann here. I've been busy with so many things! My second Hearts of Metal book, WITH VENGEANCE released on May 19th and hit #1 in Heavy Metal on Amazon. I love that this is a category! I also finished my 4th Brides of Prophecy novel, Unleashing Desire ! It's up for Pre-Order now.  And I've also been busy painting squares for my Horror Movie Quilt. Here are some I've done. Now I'm currently working on my 5th Scandals With Bite book and getting ready for the RWA National conference next month. How have you been doing?

“Sumer is i-cumen in…”

Today, June 20th, is the solstice, and the first day of summer! And while spring is probably my favorite season overall, I have a longstanding affection for the early days of summer and the surge of energy and enthusiasm that often accompanies them. Celebrating the solstice, which can include Midsummer Eve and Midsummer Day   ( June 23-24), can take many forms. In Santa Barbara, where I lived for several years, there would be a parade on the Saturday nearest the official date. Spectators would line up for blocks to watch fantastically dressed people and/or elaborate floats travel from lower State Street to Alameda Park. Usually, there would be a theme. Last year, it was “Sci-Fi”—this year it will be “Legends.” (Click on the following link to see the 2015 parade in full swing.) 2015 Santa Barbara Solstice Parade A similarly festive atmosphere can be found in Sweden and other Scandinavian countries, where the solstice is celebrated with floral wreaths, dancing around the m