Welcome Tina Donahue

Great to have you as my guest, Tina. Tell us about yourself. 
In addition to being a hopeless chocoholic, I’m an award-winning, bestselling novelist in erotic, paranormal, contemporary and historical romance for Samhain Publishing, Ellora’s Cave, and Kensington. I’m relieved to say that Booklist, Publisher’s Weekly, Romantic Times and numerous online sites have praised my work (I've been known to get quite giddy when I get an awesome review). Three of my erotic romances (Adored, Lush Velvet Nights, and Deep, Dark, Delicious) were named finalists in the 2011 EPIC competition (yay!). The French review site, Blue Moon reviews, chose my erotic romance Sensual Stranger as their Book of the Year 2010 (erotic category) (double/triple/quadruple yay!!!). The Golden Nib Award at Miz Love Loves Books was created specifically for Lush Velvet Nights, and two of my titles (The Yearning and Deep, Dark, Delicious) received an Award of Merit in the RWA Holt Medallion competition (2011 and 2012) (to say I was relieved/giddy/flabbergasted is an understatement). Take Me Away and Adored both won second place in the NEC RWA contest (different years). I’m featured in the 2012 Novel & Short Story Writer’s Market (a dream come true). In my pre-novel days, I was the editor of an award–winning Midwestern newspaper and worked in Story Direction for a Hollywood production company.

Wow! Impressive. Are you a full time writer or do you have a “day job”?
I have a day job, also know in the trade as an EDJ (evil day job). However, I do also write full time (before/after work and on weekends).

Do you have other talents? 
I have a talent for shopping.  Can usually spot a bargain a mile away.

What do you do to promote your work?
A better question might be – what don’t I do to promote my work? I do all that I can. I have a website/blog - http://www.tinadonahue.com/.
I’m also owner of Sweet n Sexy Divas -http://sweetnsexydivas.blogspot.com/ - where I showcase my work and that of other authors. I’m one of the resident members at Romance Books 4 Us - http://romancebooks4us.blogspot.com/. I visit other authors’ websites, The Romance Studio, and other locales to promo my new releases. Yes, I’m a promo addict and I’m not ashamed of it.

Tell us about your current series.
Just finished the cover art request for Stolen Desire, Book Four in my Outlawed Realm series for Samhain. It’s due to release March 11, 2014. Don’t have the cover art as yet. But here’s the blurb:

One touch is never enough.
Outlawed Realm, Book 4
Her freedom…her heart…depends on one man. A criminal to his realm.
Abducted from Seattle to E5—a hostile dimension of fire and ice—Paige has little choice except to trust a stranger who’s come to rescue her. A man like none she’s ever met. Potently masculine. His courage and honor remarkable. His past unknown and a shocking surprise.
Zekin was once one of E2’s ruling elite. Sentenced to E5 for his supposed crimes against the realm, Zekin and his men have taken over E5’s prison colony. Risking all, he rescues those brought to this dimension by the guards for their carnal pleasure.
In a stunning underwater world populated by strange creatures and liberated pleasure slaves, Paige experiences a sexual awakening within Zekin’s impassioned embrace. True intimacy neither of them has ever known. Their need becomes unquenchable.
Their future uncertain. From different realms, they must find a way to survive the dangers of E5’s harsh environment, the possibility of the guards’ attack and Paige’s eventual return to Seattle. A journey she will not—cannot—take without him.

Warning: Scorching hot sex and loads of aching tenderness between a drool-worthy hunk who’s determined to do the right thing and a woman who’s not about to give him up.

What inspired your latest book?
Stolen Desire takes place on the 5th dimension of Earth. In my Outlawed Realm series, I've explored the other dimensions, so it was natural that I’d finally get to the 5th one. J I actually created this other world while I was on a business flight to the home office for my EDJ. Most pleasant flight I've ever taken, because I was lost in this new world I was creating, along with the characters that would populate it.

What is most difficult for you to write? Characters, conflict or emotions? 
Emotions, hands down. Executing deep POV and emotional build is extremely difficult. I have absolutely no trouble with humor in my writing. In fact, my first books were romantic comedies. However, getting the angst the characters feel on the page, or the carnal hunger, their intense desire…wow. Sometimes there just doesn't seem to be enough words to convey what I’m feeling in my heart.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?
Definitely a plotter. I plot out everything fully before I write one word of the story. Most times, my outlines are longer than my novels. Plotting, to me, is like taking a road trip. If I want to get to New York City from Los Angeles, it’s easier if I use a map and a definite route, rather than hopping in my car, just taking off and hoping for the best.

Are you traditionally published, self-published or both?
Traditionally published.

How do you create sexual tension in your romances?
By keeping the characters out of each other’s arms for as long as I can, while also throwing in a lot of direct gazes, unexpected touches and quiet moments where the rest of the world seems to fade away for the hero/heroine. You know, those times when they’re aching to touch each other, share their heat, but something is in the way, forcing them to wait, increasing their passion, their intense desire to be together.

What is your writing routine like?
I write everyday of the year except for Christmas and New Year’s. I get up hours before I’m due in for my EDJ and write. I write after I work my EDJ. I write on the weekends.

What are you reading now?
Vanilla Ride by Joe R. Lansdale. Great book – awesome writer. I tend to read other genres (this one is sort of a crime/suspense), rather than romance. Keeps my writing fresh.

We’d love a blurb and an excerpt from your latest book.
That would be Deep Within Me, Book Two in The Prophecy series for Samhain.
Blurb:
Unrestrained desire…danger without end.
The Prophecy, Book 2
For one agonizing moment, Zeke Neekoma thought his most feared vision had come true. Liz was lifeless in his arms, murdered by her own clan for one traitorous act—loving him. Then her father’s healing touch brought her back.
She hasn't emerged from death unchanged. Now her healing gift leaves her drained, weak. Worse, Zeke is still tortured with visions of a woman covered in blood.
Liz aches for a future with Zeke, to always know the thrill of his body imprisoning hers with mindless pleasure. At her reanimation, she redoubles her determination to use her healing gifts to help his people—except Zeke refuses to allow her to use them.
But with her clan leader set to launch his next attack, Zeke and Jacob have no choice but to try to heal Liz with the same sensual force she used to save them. Yet it may not be enough to avert a merciless plan that will test Zeke’s humanity, risk Liz’s life—and threaten their timeless bond.
Excerpt:
Liz could feel Isabel’s glare and had to force herself not to glance over her shoulder at the woman. Once Zeke brought Liz past the last of the crowd, she murmured, “Where are we going?”
“My room.”
As he had during her first time in the stronghold, Zeke led Liz past a series of halls, each of them bullet-ridden now and filthy with blood. Earlier, they’d been filled with children playing games, watching TV. Liz’s stomach rolled. If Carreon’s men had harmed one of those innocents tonight…
At the awful thought, she squeezed Zeke’s hand.
He looked over. “What?”
“Were any of your people harmed?”
“Except for Jacob and Samuel, no.”
Samuel. He’d been guarding the outside door when Kele and Carreon’s men had arrived. One of those lieutenants had shot both of Samuel’s knees, leaving him in agony. Before Liz had left the stronghold, she’d healed him. Not to the extent that he was whole again. That would have taken time she hadn’t had in her determination to see Carreon dead. The last she’d seen of Samuel, he was sagged against one of the vehicles, shouting at her not to drive away.
“Wait,” Liz said.
“Why?” Zeke kept his pace, forcing her to follow.
“I didn't heal Samuel fully. I should—”

“Your father will take care of it.”
Was he joking? “He’s more tired than I am. He’s old, Zeke. I want him to rest, not tend to your men’s injuries when I can do it.”
“Samuel will be fine.”
They’d reached the stairway that led to the stronghold’s second level. Zeke directed Liz up those steps. The first time they’d done this, he’d taken her to his brother’s room where she’d pressed her body against Jacob’s, restoring him to full health. Unlike her father’s power that allowed him to heal the gravest injuries with a mere touch, Liz’s gift wasn’t as strong. When a man was near death, all of her had to touch him in order for her to push enough of her healing gift and life force inside.
It was only when the injury was relatively minor, like her father’s sprained ankle or even Samuel’s bloodied knees, that her touch alone would suffice.
A touch she hadn’t used since leaving Carreon’s stronghold.
When she and Zeke reached the landing, Liz asked, “Why don’t you want me to heal anyone?”
He went in the opposite direction of Jacob’s room, toward the end of the hall and a set of grand double doors. Constructed of a dark wood, possibly mahogany, they bore geometric designs—the same as those on the rugs gracing the walls—and had ornate silver handles. “Did I say that?”
No. But he kept keeping her from doing it. “I can heal Samuel’s knees without crawling all over him, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
Zeke stopped at the double doors and regarded her, his emotions well concealed. “Good to know.”
Was he teasing her…or was he worried about something? Liz recalled his weird questions in the Jeep, his unease as he’d studied her as a physician might, looking for signs of what? Sickness? Physical decline? Death?
She stared at him.
He ignored her and opened one of the doors. “Go on.”
She backed into the room, noting its limestone walls, the same as those in Jacob’s, decorated with similar snake totems in vivid hues. However, this space was three times as large. She regarded the wide bed of a rustic construction, its design matching the nightstands and lamps. What tourists would pay thousands for in order to possess authentic Indian art and craftsmanship.
“What’s going on?” Liz asked, wanting to know what Zeke was thinking. What worried him about her.
He closed the door. Its spring lock clicked faintly. The moment he touched the limestone wall, it glowed as it had in Jacob’s bath and room, the rock a soft golden shade, lending a dreamy, cozy feel to this space.
The setting should have relaxed, then aroused Liz with what was surely coming.
Zeke’s silence precluded that.
More questions poured from her. “Why won’t you let me heal anyone? In the Jeep, why did you ask if I’d fallen asleep? Wait.” She interrupted herself even though he hadn't said anything. Liz shook her head. “You said I’d passed out. Why? And why did my father ask how I was feel—”
He stopped her with his kisses on each corner of her mouth, surprisingly tender and gentle, his arms wrapped protectively around her.
Unable to resist, Liz twined her arms around his neck and sagged into him. “Zeke—”
“No more questions,” he said with a sigh, his mouth on her ear, his body pressed close. “Not now. Just hold me. Please.”
His weary plea did more than any command. The love Liz heard in those few words touched her soul. Drawing him as close as she could, she nestled her face against his neck and suckled his skin.

Thanks for being here today, Tina.

Details below of what one lucky commenter can win.*
More info: http://store.samhainpublishing.com/deep-within-p-7431.html

Email: tina@tinadonahue.com
Website: http://www.tinadonahue.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/tinadonahue
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/tina.donahue.75
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/authortina/my-books/
Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/author/tinadonahue
My page at TRR: http://erotic.theromancereviews.com/mypageprofile.php?location=tinadonahue

*One commenter will receive one of Tina's backlist ebooks from this list:

Adored – RWA award-winning; EPIC 2011 Finalist; 4 Stars RT
Deep, Dark, Delicious – EPIC 2011 Finalist; Holt Medallion Award of Merit
Lush Velvet Nights – EPIC 2011 Finalist; Golden Nib Award
In His Arms – SIX 5 Star Reviews; 4 Stars RT
Sensual Stranger – 2010 Book of the Year (erotic); 4 Stars RT
The Yearning – Top Ten Bestseller
Take Me Away – #1 Pick, Miz Love Loves Books
Unending Desire – Best Book Rating LASR
SiNN – Nominated for Book of the Week LASR
Sinfully Wicked – Magnificent – Romancing the Book
Claiming Magique – Top Pick – NOR
Illicit Desire – Four Stars Romantic Times
Come Fill Me – Five Stars – Guilty Pleasures

Latest Release Cover Reveal

Thanks again to the wonderfully talented Steven Novak for my latest cover.
Hearts and Crowns is the story of Gallien, grandson of the original hero of The Montbryce Legacy series.
Gallien has sworn never to wed again after a catastrophic marriage to a shrew who betrayed him with another man.
You know the old saying, Once bitten...twice shy.

Peridotte de Pontrouge has long dreamed of marrying Geoffrey Plantagenet, but her hopes are dashed when he is betrothed to the daughter of King Henry of England.
Political intrigue forces Gallien and Peri to marry against their will.
Here's a snippet from the betrothal ceremony, the first time Gallien and Peri meet.

Peri paused before the small wooden door to the Chart Room of Ellesmere Castle. “A moment,” she whispered to the Comte d’Anjou’s emissary.

Ballustre bowed, stroking his pointed beard. A tight smile flickered for only a moment, betraying his nervousness.

She smoothed her hands over her skirts and carefully adjusted the veil that threatened to slide from her braided hair. Alys had worked her usual magic with the wrinkled gown, barking orders at the maidservant sent by the Countess as if she were the lady of the castle. They had chosen the gown of forest green wool because it suited her skin and hair color—and her mood. This was not the festive occasion she had dreamed her betrothal ceremony would be.

She had not slept. None of the Montbryce men had returned by the time she had retired to her chamber the previous evening.

She raised her chin, then turned to her escort. Despite the dread churning in her belly, she said, “I am ready.”

He laid his palm against the door. It swung open without a sound and he ushered her inside. Her knees threatened to buckle as she stepped over the threshold into a new life she did not want. She was to be bound to a man who had not welcomed her and who had failed to appear this morning in the Great Hall.

She had broken her fast in uncomfortable silence with Fleurie and Isabelle, nibbling on a crust of freshly baked bread, feeling like a prisoner condemned to the gallows.

Determined to appear unruffled, she thrust out her chin. Her gaze fell on two heads of silver hair, both bent to the close study of some document upon the table. She faltered. By the wood of the true cross! Had King Henry betrothed her to an old man?

At her gasp, both men looked up. They shared a resemblance, except one was a good deal older than the other. The older man smiled, his eyes full of warmth and welcome.

The younger, taller knight straightened. Back rigid, lips in a tight line, he narrowed his eyes. Her belly lurched. Gooseflesh marched across her nape. She had never seen a young man with hair the color of moonbeams. It was strangely compelling. The unrelieved black of his doublet, hose and boots made his appearance all the more startling. Under his dark gaze, she felt like a rabbit caught in a snare.

He was much taller than she, a broad-shouldered warrior whose bearing and attire left no doubt about his wealth and power. It was immediately evident he did not welcome this betrothal. He did not want her.

Hearts and Crowns is available on Amazon.

Leanne Tyler Shares The Wealth

A hearty welcome today to Leanne Tyler. Tell us a little about yourself, Leanne.
I’m a single mother of a teenage son. I work full-time and write whenever I can find the time. I was first published in 2007 by The Wild Rose Press when my novella, Victory’s Gate won the American Rose category in the Through the Garden Gate contest. In 2009 Through the Garden Gate anthology was released and then in 2011 a novella It’s Always Been You and a novel Season of Love was released. My biggest year of publishing so far has been 2012. I saw four different stories published, a short story (A Country Kitchen Christmas), two novels (The Good Luck Charm and The Good Luck Spell), and a novella (Ava). Because of Rebecca and The Good Luck Potion along with the audio version of Ava have been released so far in 2013.

Sounds like you're a prolific writer for someone who writes when they can find the time! If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be, and why?
In 1997 I took a trip to Canada to visit a friend I made online and we stayed with her mom in St. Catherines before we traveled into Toronto. I really enjoyed the Niagara Valley in St. Catherines. It was so beautiful and I have always thought if I were to move outside of the U.S. I’d like to live there. Of course, I wouldn't have far to go to cross back into the U.S. because St. Catherines is right on the border.

That is a lovely area. I have two daughters who live not too far from St. Catherines. Have you had other careers before becoming a writer?
In college I studied communications and received my B.S. in Journalism: News Editorial. I worked at the college newspaper working my way from reporter, to beat editor, to Editor in Chief before I graduated. Thinking I wanted to go to graduate school and needing a way to pay for it, I took a job at my university as an administrative assistant because I could take up to two courses a semester and tuition would be waived. However, I wasn't sure what I wanted to study. Did I want to get my advanced degree in Public Relations or did I want to consider another field of study. So I worked, eventually got married and had my son. I decided graduate school really wasn't where I wanted to go, but I've continued to work at the university enjoying the environment and the department I work for.

Are you a full time writer or do you have a “day job”?
I still have my “day job”, but I am asked often by the professors I work with when I’m leaving them. I don’t see that happening just yet. I have a teenage son that will be in college in a few years. So I will stick around at least until he is finished with his education.

The security of a good job is a great thing. Do you have other talents?
I sing in my church choir as well as solo. I've been doing this since I was a teenager.

I envy people who can sing. How did you get started writing?
I was thirteen and I tried to write my first young adult love story. I had just started reading YA romances and modeled my story after those. I completed that story when I was in seventh grade and began another one when I started high school. I had friends who read my writing and even a few of the males in my class who knew I was writing would ask to read the stories as well. I finished four YAs by the time I graduated high school, but none have been published. It wasn't until I was in college that I took my first creative writing course. By then I had started several adult manuscripts but had never finished one of those because I kept writing and rewriting as I learned on my own from reading adult romances.

What genre do you write in and why?
I write both historical and contemporary romances. My historical romances have American settings and have been so far pre-civil war. My contemporary romances range from romantic comedies, to a high school reunion setting, to a Christmas Inspirational. My first love in reading is historical romances. If you look at my bookshelf at home that is what you will find, but I also like contemporary stories.

I know I write medieval romance because that's what I enjoy reading the most. How many books have you written? Do you have a favorite?
I have 9 different published works from short story, novella, and full-length. Five are full length which are available in print as well as ebook. Two short stories which are available in ebook. Both have been published in an anthology but only one anthology is still available, the other is out of print. I also have two novellas with one being available as an audio book.
A favorite? Do you honestly think a mother would pick a favorite of her children? Each are very special to me and each are a creation from the heart. Some take longer to write while others flow like a rushing wind onto the page. Though if I had to pick a set of characters that I fell in love with it would be Alex and Sue from The Good Luck Potion.

Tell us about your current WIP.
I’m actually working on two sequels right now. Both for my Christmas Time-Travel Season of Love. I was heavily into writing one when the other story popped up and so I spent a few days getting the opening down on paper (prologue and first chapter) before going back to my current story.

I tend to be the same. I actually like writing more than one book at a time. What inspired your latest book?
Well I was working on the final galley’s for Season of Love when I thought too bad Tabitha and Nicholas can’t have a story. And in the next instance I thought, why can’t they? I admit it has taken me two years to get around to writing it, having started it and put it aside while I wrote Ava and then finished Because of Rebecca and then I wrote The Good Luck Series but sometimes I think a good historical needs to simmer a while before its really ready to be put down on paper.
As for the second sequel, I was crawling in bed one night when the idea popped into my head. I’m not even sure what I was thinking about when it came together, other than I was surprised and a little miffed that I’d get an idea that late at night. Thankfully I was able to get it down on paper the next day and I polished and tweaked it until I have a good opening to go back to when I’m ready to proceed with it.

It can be infuriating to get inspiration late at night and then it's gone from your mind in the morning! Where do you get the ideas for your stories?
Ideas come from anywhere. A picture. A song I hear. A name that comes to mind. A situation I may see or read about. Sometimes I’ll get a title for a story first. Or I’ll come up with a set of names.

How does your family feel about your writing career?
My son urges me to go back and write, though I think that is his way of keeping me out of his hair. My mom has become a reader now that she has retired and she is my biggest fan I think. I had to have special business cards printed up so she could pass them out to people she meets because she is always plugging my books now.

That's funny. I know my husband passes out more of my business cards than I do! How has your experience with self-publishing been?
I have had a good experience with self-publishing my romantic comedy series. I think I released the first book in the series at the right time because it flourished and I had readers anxious for the second book and wanting to know when the third book would be released. I do plan to do another series, but I’m not sure when that will be since I am working on a historical again.

What advice do you have for other authors wanting to self-publish?
I feel it is good to have experience working with an editor at a publishing house, whether NY or a small press before becoming an Indie Author. This gives you a better understanding of the publishing industry. You gain experience in editing your own work by working with an editor. Being able to edit your work is very important.

What was the deciding factor in self-publishing your books? Did you decide on ebook or print only or both?
I went Indie with The Good Luck Series because the first book had been rejected by three houses. I had literally decided that book was never going to see the light of day. And there was no point in finishing the second book in the series. However, the success I had with it and am still having with it proves the editors who turned it down missed a great opportunity.

Isn't that often the case! Thanks, Leanne for being my guest today.
The Good Luck Series is available in print and ebook through Amazon and Createspace.

Social Media Links:
Leannetyler.com
facebook.com/author.LeanneTyler
Twitter: @LeanneTyler
Goodreads and LinkedIn
Buylinks:
The Good Luck Series:
The Good Luck Charm
The Good Luck Spell
The Good Luck Potion
Because of Rebecca
Ava: Love Letters 

Paty Jager Today's Guest

Welcome, Paty. Great to have you here. Have you had other careers before becoming a writer?
Wife, mother, clerk in a stationary store, freelance reporter, 4-H program assistant.

Are you a full time writer or do you have a “day job”?
I’m a full time writer with sort of a day job. We have 350 acres. Where we currently live, there is 70 acres in grass hay and we raise cattle. The other 280(where we want to move to) we have 60 acres of alfalfa hay growing. They are three hours apart. In the winter my chores consist of breaking ice on water troughs and feeding the cows and horses. In the spring irrigation starts up, summer in on the haying crew, fall we calve. So while it’s not a typical 8-5 job, I do have a “day” job besides my full time writing.

Definitely a demanding workload. Tell us about your current WIP.
This is three-fold. I have two ongoing series started. The first is the Isabella Mumphrey Adventures. Secrets of a Mayan Moon and Secrets of an Aztec Temple. These are action adventure romance books with Isabella Mumphrey, a genius doctor of anthropology who uses her wit and her “survival vest” to get her out of tough situations when she runs into drug trafficking, artifact thieves and drug lords while digging for the information she needs to write a thesis that will keep her funding for her project to link the North American natives with the Central American natives. Having a hot Latin DEA agent helping her not only helps her find her goals it also heats up her life.

The second series is the Shandra Higheagle mysteries. The first book is written and with my critique partners. This is a mystery series with a pottery artist who lives near a ski resort in remote Central Idaho. She is half Nez Perce Indian and was raised without knowing that half of her heritage except for one summer she spent with her paternal grandmother on the reservation. After her grandmother’s death, Shandra becomes involved in proving her friend didn't kill another gallery owner and while digging up information her grandmother comes to her in dreams sharing wisdom and visions that help her and handsome county detective solve the murder.

What I am currently writing is the first of a trilogy of historical western romances that are an offshoot of my popular Halsey Brothers Series. Jeremy Duncan is the younger brother of the heroine in the first Halsey book, Marshal in Petticoats. He went to Alaska seeking gold in 1893 and five years later is making his money with a pack train that takes gold seekers over White Pass. When a wealthy young woman offers him enough to money to finally fulfill his dream, he agrees to take her over the pass and ends up helping her search for her brother. The heir to the family business that needs to come home.

Wow! That's a diverse portfolio. How does your family feel about your writing career?
I've been fortunate that my husband learned early on that I’m not happy if I’m not writing and there were times when the kids were growing that I wouldn't get to write for days and he'd tell me to get to writing because I was getting grouchy. If momma’s not happy, ain’t no one happy. ;) My oldest daughter is my final proof reader and my other daughter has designed all my self-published covers and helps me with designing ads and promo material. My dad buys my books and leaves them in waiting rooms and hands them out to bank tellers. My younger brother and his family come to a lot of my book signings and support me in other ways.

Great to have such wonderful family support. How has your experience with self-publishing been?
Self-publishing was scary! I’m a person who, while I’m self-motivated, I like having someone giving me guidance. Luckily there are lots of awesome loops for self-published authors to join and learn the ups and downs and ins and outs of self-publishing.
I enjoy the ability to have control over the cover, the back cover blurb and the whole process of producing the book. When I first started getting my rights back from previously published books, I dipped my toes in the water and found I liked getting more for my books while keeping the prices low so readers could afford to purchase more than one in a month if they were on a budget.
The first six months of self-publishing I was making four times the money off of books that were priced way below the publishers price. I was excited. All last year my sales doubled every month. Then last October they started dwindling and have been ever since. I believe it is the glut of free books that has put sales at a low. But even having low sales, I’m making more than I did with my publisher.

I've heard that from writers before. What advice do you have for other authors wanting to self-publish?
My advice to others who want to self-publish is if it’s your first book you shouldn't publish it until it has been through 5-6 other authors/writers and one editor. You want your first introduction to readers to be your best effort not just something you wrote in a month and slapped up thinking it’s the next best seller. There is more to writing a book than putting a story down. There is craft. Each genre has its own nuances, and there is grammar and POV(point of view). Is there a good plot, subplot, no saggy middle. There is so much that goes into a book to make it good, that you need to have more sets of eyes than your own read it and make sure it’s your best work.
Then you need to get connected to self-publishing loops and learn the ins and outs of the different venues where you can put your book up for sale and then you need to decide how you’re going to format for the different venues. Pay someone or do it yourself. And once you do get the book up, sit your fanny back down in the chair and write the next book. It takes a backlist of books to help pay the bills. One will not do it. And if it’s a book reader’s like they will want more.

I agree about the loops. I've benefited greatly from them. Do you have critique partners? How did your critique group form?
I have four critique partners. I met my first and longest CP when I entered a contest and she was a judge. She helped me understand what I was doing wrong and when I sent her an email thanking her, she asked if I wanted to critique with her and a budding friendship began. The next CP I edited while with a small press and when I left the press I asked if she wanted to be a CP and she agreed. The other two are writers I met at my RWA (Romance Writers of America) chapter meeting. The way it works is we don’t all critique each other. I send my books back and for with each of them and they send their work to me when they need something critiqued. We don’t all critique each other.

Interesting. How likely are people you meet to end up in your next book?
I do tend to see people and think, oh that would make a great trait for a character or I like the looks of that person and they will end up in my book. Not exactly like them but I will take features and characteristics and put them on a made up character.

Give us an elevator pitch for your book.
The latest Isabella Mumphrey, Secrets of an Aztec Temple, it’s: Revenge isn’t always sweet.

Do you have a view in your writing space? What does your space look like?
Yes, I do have a view! When my husband and I designed and built this house I said I wanted a writing loft and that’s what I got. My desk faces out to the three huge picture windows that frame the Cascade Mountains. The Three Sisters, Black Butte, and Mt. Jefferson can be seen when there aren't any clouds rolling over them from the west.
I have two eight foot tall by four foot wide book cases that hold mostly research and reference books. And I have a glass case that houses a doll my fashion design daughter had to make for a college class. The clothing on the three foot high doll is an 1880’s bustle dress.

My mouth is watering! What do you have planned for the future?
The future consists of putting out more Isabella Mumphrey adventures, more in the Shandra Higheagle mystery series and a historical western now and then to keep my western readers happy. And while doing all this I hope we get moved to our Eastern Oregon property so I’m not running back and forth so much!

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts, Paty.

Anna thank you for having me here today!

About Paty
Award winning author Paty Jager ranches with her husband of thirty-four years raising hay, cattle, kids, and grand kids. Her first book was published in 2006 and since then she has published seventeen novels. She enjoys riding horses, playing with her grand kids, judging 4-H contests and fairs, and outdoor activities. To learn more about her books and her life you can visit her website.
You can learn more about Paty at her blog; www.patyjager.blogspot.com her website; http://www.patyjager.net or on Facebook; https://www.facebook.com/#!/paty.jager and twitter; @patyjag.

Secrets of a Mayan Moon blurb:

What happens when a brilliant anthropologist is lured to the jungle to be used as a human sacrifice?
Child prodigy and now Doctor of Anthropology, Isabella Mumphrey, is about to lose her job at the university. In the world of publish or perish, her mentor’s request for her assistance on a dig is just the opportunity she’s been seeking. If she can decipher an ancient stone table—and she can—she’ll keep her department. She heads to Guatemala, but drug trafficking bad guys, artifact thieves, and her infatuation for her handsome guide wreak havoc on her scholarly intentions.

DEA agent Tino Kosta, is out to avenge the deaths of his family. He’s deep undercover as a jaguar tracker and sometimes jungle guide, but the appearance of a beautiful, brainy anthropologist heats his Latin blood taking him on a dangerous detour that could leave them both casualties of the jungle.

Secrets of a Mayan Moon is available at Windtree Press, Kindle, Nook Kobo

Western Duets-Volume One
Western Duets is a novella with two historical western romance short stories.

Shanghaied Heart
Tossed together in the underbelly of a ship, strangers Finn Callaghan and Prudence Hawthorne must learn to trust one another in order to escape, but their freedom may be short lived once Finn discovers Prudence's brother wants her dead.

Last Stand for Love
U.S. Marshal Chas Brown agreed to be Sarah's proxy husband in order for her to keep her dead husband's ranch. Little did Chas know, he’d lose his heart in the process.

Available at: Windtree Press Kindle Nook

Welcome Mary Raimes Curtis

My guest today is Mary Curtis. Welcome, Mary.
Hi, Anna, it’s good to take a break for a chat. Thanks for inviting me over.
Tell us about yourself.
When I retired from writing for corporate clients I decided to retire to a beautiful place by a tidal river. So here I am, with wonderful new friends and finding it fascinating to be able to develop my own story ideas. What else can I tell you? Well, I have three cats and lately have been visiting feral cat colonies with a friend who is involved in a local TNR program. That means feral cats are trapped, visit a wonderful vet who checks them out to make sure they are healthy and then spays or neuters, as needed. Then they are returned to their habitat where volunteers make sure they have food and water. I tag along because the second book in the Gilded River Chronicles features an artist who also volunteers in a similar program. It’s fascinating to visit the colonies and I’m amazed at how healthy the cats are when taken care of. But it can be heart breaking too.

I have a soft spot for cats. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?
I love my here and now but I have always wanted a little white house on the Isle of Capri. I felt such a connection when I visited, I seriously wondered if I had lived there in another life. Besides, it’s a short ferry crossing to the mainland and then on to Venice. Oh, boy, I love that beautiful but threatened city. I spent hours wandering the narrow alleys, standing on a bridge and thinking of those who had been there long before me, and sitting sipping cappuccino and watching the passing parade.

Venice is a unique experience. Have you had other careers before becoming a writer?
It would take too long to recount and truly they couldn't be called a career. They were just stops on a long journey to make enough money to take the next bus, train, ferry, ocean liner to somewhere new. If anyone is truly interested I wrote a post about my convoluted writer’s journey a short time ago for Marion Sipe, the artist who developed both my book covers. It can be found here: http://marionsipe.blogspot.com/

What genre do you write in?
I have to chuckle when thinking about this question. My brainwaves are all over the place. Luscious & Lethal, the first book in the Gilded River Chronicles is a contemporary romantic suspense. However, the third book in the series will have a touch of paranormal. My first published e-book was Taming the Hawk, a historical romance with some villainy. I also have two paranormal stories waiting for serious editing, while more historical WIPs glower out at me from my files. So you see, I tend to jump around. It’s so much fun that way, although it can get confusing.

How many books have you written? Do you have a favorite?
As noted, I have two published e-books from MuseItUp Publishing. However, there are probably seven stories waiting for attention. Plus, I’m working to launch a new blog, called A Writer’s Journey. A while ago I had a really bad fall and was out of commission for two months and couldn't sit at my laptop for more than five minutes at a time. It was so frustrating but while lounging about I came up with the idea for my new blog. Plus it would involve a really scary notion—I would publish a chapter of a story once a month in the blog. It’s an old idea, Dickens did it as did other writers and some authors still do so today. My scary idea was to publish a chapter of a work-in-progress, not a finished manuscript. So, A Candle Without A Flame was born. The cover is also by Marion Sipe and it is wonderful. I hope you can stop by and check it out when the blog is ready to roll.

What is your favorite part of writing?
I love developing characters from a wisp of an idea. Then finding ways to harass and befuddle them until they do amazing things they never thought possible. Sometimes they surprise the heck out of me.

LOL! What is your least favorite part of writing?
Oh, I do hate to say this but it is writing the final scenes. I can agonize over the denouement until I’m frazzled. Then, maddeningly, the ending that I first visualized pops up and waves at me. Why does that happen? Please, someone tell me.

What is your typical day like?
Do you really want to know? Okay, here goes. A typical day means checking to see who has thrown up a hairball in the oddest places—once into a container holding a thriving plant. The poor thing never recovered. Next I feed the furry horde, go take a shower, come back to find piggy Pepper has stolen someone else’s breakfast. Finally, I make toast with peanut butter and marmalade and a glass of water for myself. It’s good for the system you know. Then I fire up the laptop, go hunting for the file I need, realize I forgot to jot down the page I was editing and have to riffle through a hundred or so pages to find it. By then I’m ready for my usual huge shot of cappuccino with loads of froth. Some of the froth goes to Gypsy. I know, I know, cats aren't supposed to have milk. But, hey, she will be twenty years old this year and I think that means she can have whatever darn thing she wants. Then I may go out to lunch with a friend, or decide to clean out my closet, or write up a new chapter, or…I think you get the message. I lead a very dull life but it has its moments.

What advice can you offer to anyone deciding to self-publish?
I haven’t actually done that yet, except for publishing my work in progress, Candle Without A Flame, in my own blog. But I do know this. You need someone to check over your work. I have been a freelance writer for a long time and an editor before that. YOU DON’T ALWAYS CATCH YOUR OWN MISTAKES. Please read and re-read that. Maybe tattoo it on your forehead or stick a flag on your computer. If you can’t afford an editor, and many of us can’t, find a willing reader who has a good grasp of grammar and an eye for detail.

All self-pubbed books are rumored to be shoddily edited. What do you say to that?
Yes. No. Sometimes. While I was lying here with cracked ribs and moaning in pain I read well over a hundred books on my e-reader to transport me into another life. Some were self-pubbed others were e-books from established publishers. And yes, quite a few e-books were poorly edited and had lousy design problems. But hold on, not all of the problem books were self-published. Far too many came from well-known publishing houses and included the works of some of my favorite authors. That said, not all the e-books on my list were poorly edited or had flaws in layout.

How likely are people you meet to end up in your next book?
Are you trying to get me in trouble? Of course people I meet don’t end up in my books. Well, hardly ever. Okay, occasionally. But it is surprising how people never see themselves as others see them. So, I hope I’m safe from a punch in the nose. 

Are you a plotter or a pantser?
I tend to fly without a flight plan. It gets me into a lot of trouble when the characters decide they want to go east and I’m headed west. I have tried plotting and found my writing tended to be flat and overworked.

Me too! Will you share some encouraging words for authors still struggling for that first contract?
Never, never give up. I wrote articles and copy for other people for many years, but my first novel was published when I was seventy three. If you love writing, just keep on keeping on. The more you write the better you get. I also received some very wise advice from one of my favorite authors. James Lee Burke. He said I should write my story, not the story someone else wanted me to write. So I did, and Lea Schizaz, at MuseItUp Publishing, accepted Taming the Hawk and Luscious & Lethal and I hope others to come.

What’s next for you? 

More of the same, I guess. Sometimes I wish ideas wouldn't keep popping into my head. It’s getting crowded up there. Of course, I have my work in progress being published as each chapter is edited. Then there is a story of a woman called the Gray Ghost who helps abused women to escape their abusers. It is developing into a series that involves a secret society called The Janus League. These are very bad guys and the Gray Lady will need all her strength and cunning to survive through the series and find her own HEA. I’m looking forward to finding time to get back into the war against wickedness. 

Right on! Where can readers find you?
Both my e-books, Luscious & Lethal and Taming the Hawk can be purchased from my publisher at MuseItUp Publishing, on Amazon and at Kobo. As soon as my blog, The Writer’s Journey, is ready to go, I will post it on my Facebook page, so please check in now and then at:
http://www.facebook.com/mary.curtis.9862
Thank you for sharing the wealth of your experience, Mary. Stay off the ice! Broken ribs are painful. Hope you are well on the mend.

It was great to spend time here with you, Anna. I hope visitors will leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of Luscious & Lethal or Taming the Hawk.

Taming the Hawk * Excerpt

Married...to a man who is a dark brooding stranger. As the carriage trundled towards Anton’s home, Amee wondered if it was possible to die of a broken heart Grief, sorrow, anguish, all flowed together threatening to overwhelm her. Perhaps it was the injury to her head that caused such distress. Could physical pain do that? She didn’t know…didn’t know anything anymore. How had she come to this? The world began that sick, dizzying whirl and her mind spun out of control. The hours since injuring her head had been purgatory. Last night she had finally fallen into an uneasy sleep and dreamed of Brampton Grange and heard her papa’s voice calling her to come see his latest invention.

When she woke the pillow was wet with tears and she recalled how her head hit something unyielding when Anton hit her. Now the ache in her jaw where his large hand connected was minor to the spears of pain shooting from the crown of her head to her neck and down her back. Perhaps her skull was cracked. That was it. She was broken like a china doll dropped on a rock never to be put back together again.

Arriving at the house in Grosvenor Gardens, Anton climbed from the carriage. Still she sat without moving. “Come, Amee. It is time to be done with your ill-temper.” He reached in and grasped her wrist remembering too late it was bruised. Still she did not move.

“Bloody hell!” He had put up with enough of her waywardness. The sooner he left for his club and got down to the business of drinking the night away the better. He climbed back into the carriage and dragged her from the seat.

His tone was harsh. “Enough of this nonsense you are not a child and I will not put up with your hostility.” He pulled her down the steps and turned to wave Sam away. Behind him he heard a small wavering cry and swung around a second too late to prevent her collapsing at his feet.

“Amee! What is wrong?” He crouched beside her and lifted her veil and saw the nasty black bruise on her jaw. Her eyes were closed. He laid the back of his hand against her cheek. It was hot and dry as tinder. He picked her up and mounted the steps to the front door. Sam ran ahead to open the door for him. Anton noted the groom’s grim face. He was definitely at odds with his master. The thought was dismissed for he had Amee to see to.

Cranley came hurrying across the hall and asked, “Mr. Templeton! Has there been an accident?” He seemed rooted to the spot as his master pushed past him.

“Send someone for the doctor, Cranley. Immediately. My wife is ill.”

“Y-your wife, sir?”

“Yes, my wife, damn you, get a move on.” He quickly carried her up the stairs to the bedchamber next to his. All was in order and ready for her. He strode to the bed, laid her down then sat beside her. Her face was dreadfully pale and yet high spots of color touched her cheekbones.

“Amee, pet. You must wake up and tell me what is wrong.” His hand cupped her hot cheek again. He removed the pins from her bonnet and pulled it off then opened the top buttons of her blouse. Fear made his gut roil.

“Water.” Yes, he should bathe her face with cool water. He went to the bathroom, wet a towel and brought it back. At the cold feel of it, she murmured something he couldn’t make out and turned her head away.

He brushed the tumbled hair back from her brow. “Be still, Amee. A doctor will be here soon.”

“Sir, may I help?” He turned to find Mrs. Grant standing behind him.

“Her skin is burning and she has fainted.”

The housekeeper took the dripping cloth from his hand, folded it neatly and gently laid it on the girl’s forehead. “I was afraid of this. Her fever is much worse. It would be best to remove her clothing so we can bathe her with cool water.”

“A fever, why? I know her face is bruised surely that could not cause a fever.” His fingers pushed the lapels of her jacket aside and fumbled as he opened the rest of the buttons of her blouse. The housekeeper reached out to push his hand away.

“I will call a maid to help me, sir.”

His look brooked no debate. “This is my responsibility, Mrs. Grant. I will lift her if you will strip the garments off.”

Mrs. Grant was red-cheeked as she said, “Please take care. Her head injury is nasty. She should really not have left her bed today but seemed intent on fulfilling a promise. The poor lady worried about something dire that would happen if she could not go with you.”

“Her head injury?” Anton felt like an idiot as if he had to repeat everything to try and make sense of it. He shook his head. “I do not understand.”

“There.” Mrs. Grady dropped the clothing at her feet and unfastened the laces of the small corset and pulled it free. “My goodness. The lass is hardly big enough to wear such a garment.” She bit her lip as if her words were too revealing in front of a man.

It took only a few more minutes to strip Amee to her chemise. Then he untied the ribbon garters and rolled down her well-darned stockings and dropped them with the other clothing on the floor. There was a band of steel around his chest as he pulled the covers over her. He had not failed to note, as Mrs. Grant probably had not, the purple bruises on her upper arms and around her wrists. A monster! He was a bloody monster and should be shot and hanged and…

MC—I hope this small ‘tease’ intrigues you enough to buy Taming the Hawk. Thank you for taking the time to check in.

Jill Hughey Shares the Wealth

Please welcome Jill Hughey to my blog today. Tell us a little about yourself, Jill.
My name is Jill Hughey and I write historical romance when I can squeeze it in between being a wife, mother of two teenaged boys, and a part-time job as an administrative assistant for the MacIntosh consulting company my husband and I own.

Sounds like you've got your plate full! Do you have other talents?  
My other talent is as a soprano. I started taking voice lessons seven years ago, as an adult, after singing for a few years in a community chorus. I had been involved in instrumental music in my youth so had a bit of a head start with reading music, breath control, and phrasing. Right now I am working on Lascia ch’io pianga by Handel, and another piece by Mozart, though I stray into Broadway musicals also.

What a wonderful talent to have! I've always wished I had a good singing voice. Tell us about your current series.
I have just completed the third book in my Evolution Series. I chose Charlemagne’s empire as the setting, during the rule of his son, Louis, because it offered the backdrop of political upheaval and some of the societal structure that romance readers like while being completely separate from England or Scotland, which have been pretty well covered in the genre. Each title in the series describes the hero. I know titles can be hard for authors to choose, but these were easy.
The first book, Unbidden, begins in 831 when Louis has just regained his throne. That turmoil sets the stage for the relationship between Rochelle, a noblewoman who resists the betrothal arranged by the emperor to David, a Bavarian soldier and second son of a nobleman.
Redeemed, features the villain of the first story, Doeg, David’s brother. Doeg, a withdrawn, tortured man, strives to become more principled. He seeks a wife only for her housekeeping skills, but the quiet widow he chooses wants more in return than he ever expected to give.
Vain is set in 839. The male lead is David’s best friend, Theophilus (usually shortened to Theo). He is a nobleman in the thick of the political intrigue. He finds himself responsible for a talented female tailor. They discover a mutual interest in fine cloth and interesting garments while trying to ignore a physical attraction that neither intends to act on.

I've read Unbidden and enjoyed it a lot. I've tried to wander away from England and Scotland too in some of my books. What is your favorite part of writing? 
This will sound like a dumb answer but my favorite part of writing is…wait for it…writing. I love hammering out that first draft when characters are growing in my head, sentences are being molded into what I want them to be, I solidify the details of locations, and anything is possible. 

Good one! What is your least favorite part of writing?
I do my own formatting, and even with the list of tasks and tips I've made for myself, it makes me absolutely crazy. The other less concrete thing I don’t like about being a writer is that I can’t turn off my internal editor when I read other people’s books. Even with a story I’m loving, I am analyzing what the author did to make it so spectacular.

All self-pubbed books are rumored to be shoddily edited. What do you say to that? 
Some are. I've read a few traditionally published books that are pretty sloppy too. I can usually tell from the book’s description if I will like a writer’s style. Even with that vetting, I sometimes stumble on a book that is too painful to read so I stop, delete it from my ereader, and move on. I don’t really understand why some authors get so indignant that such books exist. If you hear garbage on the radio, you change the station and get on with your life, you don’t rail against new artists who are destroying the musicality of the world and worry that all listeners everywhere will turn their radios off forever. A reader who gets a bad book will request a refund, know to never download anything from that author again, and go find a book with its sentences properly cobbled together.

Couldn't have said it better myself! How likely are people you meet to end up in your next book?
Not at all. My experiences certainly color my stories, but I definitely do not pick people out of real life to plug them into my books like paper dolls.

Do you have a view in your writing space? What does your space look like?
I work at my kitchen table with a nice view across a stone bench in our landscaping to a pretty blue atlas cedar and beautyberry bush all backed by the forest of the Pennsylvania gamelands. Very peaceful.

Sounds lovely! Give us an elevator pitch for your book Vain. 
A tailor’s abandoned daughter fashions a vain nobleman’s tunic, finding passion between the neckline and hem as misfortune forces her into his precarious aristocratic world.

Tell us more about your hero. 
The hero in Vain is Theophilus, Lord of Ribeauville. He is incredibly compassionate but he is vain, hence the title. I think of him as a medieval metrosexual, though my husband warns me about using that term because he says I will confuse readers. Metrosexual is a modern term for a man who is heterosexual, meticulous about his looks and willing to spend his money on his appearance. Anyway, Theo’s compassion leads him to help Lily whose skill with and interest in clothing meshes with his vanity, thus beginning an unexpected companionship.

What about your heroine? 
Lily’s strength is her ability to become immersed in her passion, which is designing and creating clothing. When her father abandons her, the work is her only escape from utter despair. She clings too much to the past, though. That weakness makes it difficult for her to accept the changes being forced on her.

How much time do you spend promoting your books? What works best for you?
Well, I’m not sure if I spend too much time promoting or not enough. I’m still searching for the magic formula to reach readers who can’t wait to share my books with all their friends! Hopefully my visit today will inspire your visitors to find Vain on the sites below and then tell everyone they know.

Vain is available from Amazon (kindle and print), Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and most other online book vendors. 

Thank you, Anna, for letting me visit with you today!

Thanks so much for sharing your insights and experiences, Jill. 

If readers would like to keep in touch with Jill, she writes a blog, has a page on Facebook, and tweets @jillhughey.

Cynthia Woolf Shares The Wealth

It's a great pleasure to welcome Cynthia Woolf to my blog today. To kick off the interview, tell us about yourself.
Thanks for having me as your guest, Anna. I was born in Denver, Colorado and raised in the mountains west of Golden. I spent my early years running wild around the mountain side with my friends.
Our closest neighbor was one quarter of a mile away, so my little brother was my playmate and best friend. That fierce friendship lasted until his death in 2006.
I was and still am an avid reader. My mother was a librarian and brought new books home each week. This is where I first got the storytelling bug. I wrote my first story at the age of ten. A romance about a little boy I liked at the time!
I worked my way through college and went to work full time straight after graduation and there was little time to write. Then in 1990 I and two friends started a round robin writing a story about pirates. I found that I missed the writing and kept on with other stories. In 1992 I joined Colorado Romance Writers and Romance Writers of America. In 2001, I saw an ad in the paper for a writers' conference being put on by CRW and decided I would attend. One of my favorite authors, Catherine Coulter, was the keynote speaker. I was lucky enough to have a seat at Ms. Coulter's table at the luncheon and after talking with her, decided I needed to get back to writing.
I credit my wonderfully supportive husband Jim and the great friends I've made at CRW for saving my sanity and allowing me to explore my creativity.

Sounds like it was meant to be. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be? 

Hawaii. We love Hawaii. The beach, the slow pace. I’d love to have a little bungalow on the beach where I could swim every morning and watch the sunrise every day.

Paradise! Have you had other careers before becoming a writer? I've been a sales and use tax accountant, a property tax accountant, a real estate appraiser, a waitress, a bookmobile page, a janitor, a statistician, a deputy assessor, and a tax manager.

Wow! You've worn many hats. Are you a full time writer now or do you have a “day job”? I’m currently a full time writer. I was lucky enough to be in a place financially that when I was laid off from my “day job” I could become a full time writer. I wouldn't change it for the world. I work much longer hours, about 18 hours a day between writing, promo, email etc. but it’s the best job ever.

I agree. How did you get started writing? I started writing as an adult in about 1990. I was going through a really rough patch in my life and needed an outlet. Writing gave me that. I loved it. I kept trying to get traditionally published and getting rejected. It’s probably one of the best things that happened to me. Now as an indie author, I can write what I want, how I want and at what pace I want. I’m only limited by myself.

What genre do you write in? I write historical westerns and sci-fi romance. I started out writing a western, inspired by my parents’ love story. Then I started writing a sci-fi based on a dream I had where I was a princess from Alpha Centauri and my people would be coming to take me back. Isn't that what all teenagers dream? That they are really adopted and their real family will come get them, because the family they are in is just too weird?

LOL. How many books have you written? Do you have a favorite? I've currently got out 10 books. Four westerns and six sci-fi, in four different series. My favorite is the first western I wrote. My mother, who is gone now, liked that book, except for the sex, and since it was inspired by the meeting and subsequent marriage of my parents, it enjoys a soft spot in my heart.

Tell us about your current series. My current series is the Matchmaker & Co. series about several mail order brides. It’s a historical western series and so far has been very successful.

What a great theme. What inspired you to choose it? The last book in my first western series was called Tame A Wild Bride and was about a mail order bride. I had a great time writing it and it became the best seller of that series so I thought I’d take it farther and write a whole series about mail order brides.

What is your next project and when will it be released? The next project I have is the second book in the Matchmaker & Co. series. It is called Heiress Bride. I’m hoping that by the time this blog is published that the book is done. It may not be published but at least I hope I’ll be finished writing it. After that is Fiery Bride, which may or may not be the last in the series.

What was the deciding factor in self-publishing your books? Did you decide on ebook or print only or both? As soon as I found out I could self-publish my books and not pay to have someone do it (vanity publishing), it was a no brainer. Why would I want someone else to publish me and I get only 8% of the gross, if I’m lucky, when I can make 70%? I decided to do both ebook and print, even though I sell almost no print books, because there is nothing like having that book in your hand with your name on it. I use my print books for giveaways and for reviewers mostly.

Thanks for sharing the wealth of your experience with us, Cynthia. Here is an excerpt from the first book in the Matchmaker and Co. Series, Capital Bride.

New York City April 10, 1867

   On the other side of the door was her last resort. Either this or prostitution and prostitution was not a choice. She couldn't raise MaryAnn in that environment, nor if truth be told, could she lower herself to live like that. At least this way there would be some stability in her little girl’s life. 

   Sarah took a deep breath, turned the knob, and walked through the door to a better future for her daughter and, if she were lucky, for herself. 

   The office was small and precisely kept. A single desk with a straight, high backed wooden chair, one in front and one behind, sat in the middle of the room. She’d noticed the flowered curtains were open on the way in, curtains tied to the side. The small area was flooded with dazzling afternoon light. The walls were whitewashed and the desk well organized. There were several tables with neat piles of files along one wall. The other wall held several rows of pictures of women and men. None smiling, as that was the way pictures were taken, but all appeared to be wedding pictures. Below each picture was a small brass place with the names of the bride and groom and the date of the wedding. 

   A small, woman in her late thirties with fiery red hair, sat behind the desk. When Sarah got closer she saw gorgeous dark blue eyes behind the wire rimmed glasses perched on the end of her nose. Her eyes were so dark a blue they could almost be called violet. They were striking and clear, honesty shone from them along with a “no nonsense” attitude. 

   “May I help you?” the woman asked. 

   “Um. Yes. My name is Sarah Johnson. I saw your advertisement for mail order brides.”

   The woman looked Sarah over, taking in her clothes, her hands clasped in front of her and ending at her face.

   “First, let me introduce myself. I’m Margaret Selby and I own Matchmaker & Company. Please, sit down. You’re older than the women we usually have. You’re also better dressed and don’t appear to be hungry. What would bring someone like you to my door?”

   “I've been living with my great aunt. She passed away suddenly two weeks ago and the lawyer says I need to find other lodgings. My cousin, William, has inherited everything except a small stipend she left for me. William is selling everything. MaryAnn and I have nowhere else to go.”

   “MaryAnn?”

   “My daughter.”

   “So, you are a widow?”

   Now was not the time to be less than truthful, if she wanted this woman’s help. “No.”

   “I see. How old are you, Miss Johnson?”

   “I’m twenty-eight.”

   “And your daughter?”

   “MaryAnn is five.”

   “Tell me, Miss Johnson, how did you come to find yourself with child at age twenty-two without being married? Surely you knew how those things happened by that age.”

   “My fiancé was killed at Bull Run.”

   “I understand. Many fine men were killed there and throughout the war.”

   “Yes, they were. Lee and I planned on marrying before he left. He still had two weeks before he was supposed to go back. He was sure the war wouldn't last long,” she sniffled and blew her nose into her handkerchief. “They called him back early, and then he was killed.”

   “No need to go into further detail, Miss Johnson. Let’s get down to business, shall we?”

   Sarah sat straight in the chair. “Yes, of course.”

   She was more nervous now than she had been showing up on Aunt Gertrude’s doorstep six years ago, pregnant and unwed. They’d planned on putting out the story that Lee was her husband but one of the servants overheard and passed the information on to other servants, some of them in the homes of her Aunt’s friends.

   Aunt Gertrude took it all in stride. She actually handled it far better than Sarah had. She’d cried for days until Gertrude shook her and said to get under control and stop feeling sorry for herself. So she’d had her beautiful MaryAnn and was raising her with Aunt Gertrude’s help. She would be missed for so many reasons.

   “Miss Johnson? Miss Johnson.” Margaret snapped her fingers bringing Sarah back from her memories.

   “Yes, Miss Selby. I’m sorry.”

   “It’s Mrs. Selby. Now, please pay attention. I have several candidates that might work for you. Two farmers in Kansas and a rancher in the Colorado Territory.”

   “Do you have a recommendation?”

  “Well, neither farmer has children, though they are not unwilling to consider a woman with children. It would be awfully lonely for your MaryAnn with only you and her new stepfather for company. The rancher, on the other hand, also has a daughter, who is seven, I believe. They would be able to keep each other occupied while you attend to the work you’ll need to do. Can you cook?”

   “Yes. Our cook taught me the basics. If I have a recipe, I can follow it.”

   “Then, I suggest you write down all of your cook’s recipes. You’ll need them no matter which man you choose.”

   “I’ve already got the ones I want. I’d hoped to put them together in a book one day. These men you’re talking about, how old are they?”

   “Raymond Jacobsen, farmer in Kansas, is thirty-two. Robert Kline, also a farmer in Kansas, is twenty-nine, and last is John Atwood, a cattle rancher in the Colorado Territory. He’s a widower, thirty-seven and has a daughter who is seven. I think he would be the best match for you.”

   “Have you checked out these men?”

   “Of course. I’m very thorough, Miss Johnson. I have an associate who travels for me and talks at length to each of our bachelors. We don’t have any brutes or other disreputable types with this agency. You can put your mind at rest.”

Capital Bride is available from Amazon or Barnes and Noble

Visit Cynthia's website.

Please Welcome Sydney Jane Baily

I am very pleased to welcome Sydney Jane Baily to my blog today.

Thanks for having me on your blog, Anna. We both write historical, though you are much, much further along in experience and in book count. (For that, you are an inspiration!)

Thanks,Sydney. I find that many writers are an inspiration to others because of their willingness to share their experience. 
Tell me, are you a full time writer or do you have a “day job”?

I am trying to be a full-time writer now, and am much more successful at staying on that track than I have been over the past few decades. I’ve been in publishing ever since I graduated from college and even in college, I was the fiction editor of one of our William and Mary college magazines. From there, I went straight to Time-Life Books in Alexandria, VA, as a researcher, which entailed some copy editing. From there to non-fiction editor for Weiser Books and then freelanced as a production editor and copy editor for too many book publishers to list here.

Now, I have my own company, Cat Whisker Studios, through which I still edit but also create websites. I learned website development about six years ago and love it. Still, I try to do less and less outside work and focus on fiction for the majority of my day, but I manage to really do that only about two days a week. Plus, I have two teenagers, a husband, a dog, and three cats. Since my office is at home, I’m at the beck and call of the entire household. Not saying, Poor me, just that it’s hard to stay focused much of the time.

I can empathize with that! How did you get started writing?

I finished my first novel when I was 17 years old, after spending way too much time as a teenager holed up in my room. I was shy and much happier in my own dream world than out with people. That novel was deservedly rejected by everyone I sent it too, though it was, perhaps, a bit cruel to receive the first rejection letter on my eighteenth birthday.

That's harsh! Tell us about your current series.

I have one novel published, titled An Improper Situation, set in the 1880s. It’s a bit of a blend, beginning in fictional Spring City, CO, so considered perhaps a Western, but halfway through the book, the setting changes to urban Boston, MA, the hero’s home town. I loved doing the research for this book and still am researching for the sequel and the sequel to that. The time period is rich, full of inventions and firsts. These people were modern and we would find them easy to talk to and to identify with. They just dressed better than us. Main characters: Reed Malloy and Charlotte Sanborn.

The sequel is called An Irresistible Temptation and my cover artist just finished so I’ll share the cover with your readers. The story again begins in Spring City, CO, as the sister of the first book’s hero, Sophie Malloy, arrives by train. This time, the novel moves to the other coast, as first the heroine and then the hero, Riley Dalcourt, a medical student, go to San Francisco, CA. What a happening and exciting city it was in the 1880s! I thought I was finished with this book, but I’m in the rewriting stage and trying not to rip the entire thing apart. 

 

The third and, I think, final book in this trilogy, actually begins on a train and ends up in Spring City, CO. The hero, Thaddeus Sanborn, is the brother of the first book’s heroine, Charlotte, and a female character from the first two books is the heroine, Ellie. It probably sounds confusing, but it isn’t. Thaddeus, has been kicking around in my head and trying to get out for months and is spurring the rewriting of the second book so I can get to his story as soon as possible. This one is not yet titled.

It takes me a while to settle on a title too!  What is your typical day like?

This could also be titled, “What Not to Do if You Want to Become a Successful, Prolific Writer”
Up at 6:30 a.m., make tea (number one important thing to do), then get the kids off to school, walk the dog (I promise you, Perry, I will walk you today), procrastinate by reading emails, get sidetracked by emails that lead me to websites or blogs that I open to skim now, read later, begin work either for paying customers (editing or website development) or for non-paying customers (my own website or my husband’s or various family members’ websites), and make more tea, try to do promo for published novel, then maybe, just maybe, get some writing done, lunchtime, make a fuss of the three cats if they’ve put in an appearance downstairs, throw tennis ball for dog, get my butt back in my chair, more work for various clients, lose focus, more tea, kids home or call me between 2:30 and 3, day grinds to halt, kids demand attention (even teens, especially teens), then idly think about dinner, sit at desk aimlessly, distracted by Facebook and more emails and by son who shares my office to do his homework or Skype with friends while he plays computer video games, make dinner in earnest (if I went to the market and can think of something quick), husband home, take daughter to dance studio every evening, then sit down and get some serious work done at desk (finally!), get daughter hours later from dance studio, wonder if I fed dog and cats, remember that I put laundry in at 8 a.m. and forgot to put it in dryer, stay at my desk until about 9:30, shower, read in bed, lights out by 10:23.

Some days have more horrible chores or errands: bill paying, laundry, grocery-shopping, vacuuming, dusting (ha ha, no really sometimes), litter box scooping. Days and weeks can go by with little writing getting done even though I have the best intentions every morning.

Sounds remarkably like my life! How does your family feel about your writing career?

Husband: Please just make some g_dd____ned money!!
Kids: What do you do again? Oh. Why?
Mom: Proud, though I’m not sure she’s read my first book.
Dad: Busy playing tennis in Heaven at the moment but he said I was a good writer and I think he knew I’d succeed some day.

Was your road to publication difficult or a walk in the park?

As I said earlier, I started early and was rejected, but I have always been my own worst enemy in terms of sending my work out. Really hard to get published if you leave your manuscript in a drawer or a box or in a doc file on your pc for years and years. An Improper Situation has been waiting for readers for about sixteen years. I finished it just before my first child, my daughter, was born and then put it aside. Last year, I rewrote it, had it edited, and published it in early October. It’s in some local book stores and, of course, all over the web at the usual ebook stores and in paperback on Amazon. But when I did send out a manuscript, I often received praise or interest. I have a contemporary women’s novel that I’m going to rewrite eventually, of which I was nearly always asked for a partial or full when I sent out a sample and query to agents or editors. Unfortunately, it has some flaws (obviously) that kept it from being snapped up, so it needs rewriting.

Anyway, the norm, for romance manuscripts at least, is to send one out and not hear anything for three to six months and then find the editor has changed jobs or sends you back a form letter with no helpful info. In my humble opinion, if you’re willing to put in the time to learn the industry, self-publishing is definitely the way to go to break in to the field nowadays. And I say that as an editor for traditional publishers. My caveat to self-pubbing authors is that they simply must hire a copyeditor and be as professional as a trad-pubbed author. Asking your Aunt Myrtle or your friend to read it over is not the same as hiring a copyeditor. And for me, a professional cover is a must. After all, that’s your first impression to a reader, so I hired a cover artist, too.

I agree. A professional cover artist can make a tremendous difference. Where can readers find your books? Print/Ebook?

I am terribly wordy (I guess I need a good editor!) so I’m going to stop and give you links to where you can find my first novel, and I hope to have the sequel out within a month. Fingers crossed.

First here’s the longish elevator pitch for An Improper Situation:

Charlotte should be the catch of Spring City, CO. But she cloaks her identity behind her male pen name. This reclusive writer won’t risk heartbreak, until a stranger arrives. Boston lawyer Reed Malloy has a mission—deliver two orphaned children to their cousin. He's not prepared for Charlotte’s irresistibility, or her flat-out refusal to raise her kin. When she forsakes everything familiar—and two thousand miles of America's heartland no longer separate her from Reed—sinister forces and scorned women conspire to keep them apart.

 Amazon: Paperback Kindle

Kobo:

Smashwords

iTunes

B&N Nook

All Romance Ebooks

Thanks for being my guest today,Sydney Jane.