Category: The Blog

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Blog Swap with Toni Anderson

Please welcome fellow Carina Press author Toni Anderson to my blog today, while I trade spots and blog over at her place.  

Toni’s novel, Sea of Suspicion, was released on 6/14! 

Thanks for letting me be on your blog today, Joely. 

JSB: From as early as I can remember, I loved books.  As a young reader, my favorite book–the first one I can remember reading myself over and over–was Heidi.  What’s the first book you can remember falling in love with?

TA: The Silver Brumby books by Elyne Mitchell.  I think I was about 12 when I discovered them and I read them over and over and could never get enough of them.  I was a horse-mad child who had to make do with the fantasy, plus they were set in Australia and even back then I needed to travel the world through other people’s words. 

JSB:  I love books that make me FEEL:  laugh out loud, cry like a baby, or even kick the hero (at least until he grovels enough).  Can you list a book or two that have made you emotional?

TA: Susan Elizabeth Phillips books do that for me.  Both Heaven, Texas and Kiss An Angel made me cry.  I also loved Elizabeth Vaughn’s Warprize books.  Sometimes you just fall in love with characters and what happens to them, happens to you!

JSB:  What popular book has everyone else loved but you just didn’t care for?  (I’ll tell you a little secret:  I refuse to read or watch the Twilight saga.)

TA: I haven’t read the Twilight saga either J and to my great sadness I can’t get into vampires in general.  There are a lot of literary novels I’ve tried and failed to read.  And to most people’s utter disgust I’m happy to watch the movie before reading the book. 

JSB:  Much has been made about the Maya “predicting” the end of the world on Dec. 21, 2012.  (If–when!–our readers check out The Bloodgate Guardian, they”ll learn the truth about the Maya calendar cycle.)  If you knew the world really was going to end on that date, what’s the one thing you’d make sure you accomplished before then?

TA: There’s not I’ve put on the backburner as far as ‘things I want to do’ in terms of life experience.  My passion is travel and I have traveled—on a shoestring with kids in towJ. One thing I wish I could do is take care of my parents more.  I live so far away from my family that I don’t get the chance to do much for them.  So I’d lavish more time and money (and if the world’s ending Visa can help) on my family! 

Thank you, Toni!  See an excerpt of Sea of Suspicion below!

About Toni Anderson…

I write Romantic Suspense/Romantic Mystery and my latest book, SEA OF SUSPICION, was released by Carina Press this week and I’m so excited! It’s a moody atmospheric sexy romantic mystery set on the misty shores of contemporary Scotland. 

I’m a former marine biologist and conducted my Ph.D. at the Gatty Marine Laboratory in St. Andrews, Fife, Scotland where SEA OF SUSPICION is set.  I worked there for 4 years and was lucky enough to meet my husband over the pH meter in my supervisor’s laboratory.  Now we live in Canada with our two children.  I set my stories in some of the stunning locations I’ve been lucky enough to live and work—the blustery east coast of Scotland, the remote isolated mining communities of Northern Labrador, the rugged landscapes of the U.S. and the Red Center of Australia.  I love to travel vicariously through reading other people’s experiences and hope readers feel the same way.  I think the most unique aspect of my writing is the use of so-called ‘foreign’ settings.

My first Romantic Suspense, HER SANCTUARY, was released in 2009 to some great reviews, but I was thrilled to be part of the Carina Press launch.  I found out I’d sold on Christmas Eve and it was the best Christmas present ever.  Although publishing is a team effort, writing that initial first draft is a solitary enterprise.  One of my favorite things is connecting with like-minded readers and writers online.  I write about my travels on my blog and give updates on Twitter.  Readers can sign up for my newsletter on my website, or friend me on Facebook.  I’ve also set up a fan page for SEA OF SUSPICION with location photographs and anecdotes.  Let me know what you think of it! 

SEA OF SUSPICION

Blurb…

Marine biologist Susie Cooper traded her life in America for a dream job on the rugged Scottish coast. Now all she lacks is the right man to start a family with. After their first meeting, she knows sexy Detective Inspector Nick Archer isn’t what she’s looking for. He’s the type of guy whose idea of commitment is staying the whole night. 

Nick has returned to St. Andrews for one reason only—to fulfill his vow to find his wife’s killer. Relentless in his twelve-year quest for justice, he has no problem using Susie to get close to his primary suspect: her boss. But the passion between them smolders, and as it ignites, Nick finds himself torn between his past and his present—with Susie. 

When one of her boss’s students is murdered, Nick’s investigation draws Susie into a web of madness and betrayal. They will have to learn to trust each other if they’re going to catch a killer…and come out of this alive.

********************************************************************************

Excerpt…

   The kitchen door flew open, the wind smacking it against the inside wall with a crash. Susie dropped the colander in the sink, shock stealing the moisture from her mouth. There, filling the portal, having to dip his head beneath the lintel, was Lily’s boyfriend, the same guy who’d stared at her in the bar last night.

   If the devil was blond, he was standing ten feet away in Leanne’s kitchen.

   “Nick! I haven’t seen you in ages.” Leanne bounced toward the tall, sharp-featured man and threw her arms around him and gave him a noisy lip-smack. Susie’s stomach bottomed out.

   “Get your hands off my wife.” Dougie ducked through the door and shoved a case of beer into the guy’s side before grabbing Leanne and bending her over his arm for a passionate kiss.

   Susie averted her gaze and inadvertently caught Nick’s.

   It wasn’t just the packaging that made him attractive. It was the sharp features and intelligent eyes that emanated risk like the Big Bad Wolf checking out Little Red Riding Hood on that wooded trail.

   But no matter how tempting he looked, Susie did not want to get gobbled up.

   Heat rose in her cheeks as his eyes swept her bare feet, her tight jeans and the big Mickey Mouse transfer plastered to her T-shirt. She crossed her arms.

   Amusement crinkled the corners of his eyes as he noted her response.

   “If you two lovebirds have finished, I’m waiting for an introduction to your guest.” His eyes pierced her. She’d thought nothing could be more unsettling than that soul-hunting gaze, but his voice… He wasn’t Scottish. English perhaps, some northern city with a regional accent she couldn’t place, but his voice. It was deep and smooth and strong, with the power of wind shaping granite and as warm as the summer sun sinking deep inside her like some magical spell that spun music into gold.

   “I bumped into Nick in the offy, gave him a ride out.” Dougie, six-foot-four of adorable dark-eyed male, crossed over to Susie and gave her a squeeze. “How’s my favorite bridesmaid?”

   She snorted. “Your only bridesmaid. What’s an offy?” She tensed as Nick came toward her, wondering how best to deal with the man. The guy was Lily’s boyfriend, but he made her intensely aware of every part of her body and every possible escape route.

   “What you’d call a liquor store.” Nick pushed aside the garlic bread, slid the box of beer and wine onto the counter next to Susie. Their shoulders brushed, but she didn’t flinch. She forced herself to remain still even though he was invading her personal space. He gifted her with a half smile when she didn’t flee.

   Dangerous and pushy.

   Leanne’s eyes sparkled. “Dr. Susie Cooper, meet Detective Inspector Nick Archer. Susie and I go way back. She just got a lectureship at the Gatty.”

   “You’re a cop?” Susie knew her mouth was hanging open, but she couldn’t believe Nick Archer was anything peaceable or law-abiding.

   His quick smile told her she’d made a common mistake. People must often figure him for a bad boy, a renegade, whereas apparently the opposite was true—he was a twenty-first century knight. Still, he emitted hazard like a pheromone, and instinct told her Nick Archer would be ruthless at getting what he wanted. Poor Lily.

   Yeah, right. Lily ate policemen for breakfast.

   He inclined his head. “At your service, Dr. Cooper.” His eyes drifted over Mickey Mouse’s ears, letting her know exactly the sort of service he had in mind.

   “How’s Lily?” she asked pointedly, conscious of the effort it took to hold his gaze. She wasn’t falling for the charm or pretending she didn’t know he already had a girlfriend.

   The kitchen suddenly felt as though it had been dropped into liquid nitrogen. Every particle of oxygen was sucked out of her lungs by the rapid chill.

   Leanne slapped herself on the forehead, at the same time rescuing the cheese sauce she’d made for the lobster thermidor. “I forgot you two had a connection.” Leanne wasn’t paying a whole lot of attention to dynamics; she was now looking for a corkscrew. “You’re getting a taxi home, by the way, unless you want a sleepover.” She waved vaguely over at Susie, or it could have been Nick, or both.

   “A connection?” Susie frowned.

   “Lily is Nick’s sister-in-law, or I should say…” Leanne paused, looking uncomfortable, a rare thing for the self-confident girl who’d grown up dirt-poor and desperate. “Former sister-in-law?”

   Rays of light cut oblique angles through the old farmhouse window and highlighted tense skin around Nick’s mouth. When he spoke, there was an odd glint in his eyes that was more complex than sorrow. “Lily was the flower girl at our wedding.”

   “You’re divorced?”

   “My wife is dead.”

Download SEA OF SUSPICION at http://carinapress.com

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A Monsterless Week & Craft Update

Mark this week down in history:  the monsters are going to be gone this week.  They’ve spent a night or two away before, but never all three gone at the same time for this long. 

Princess is going to church camp Tuesday – Friday with her older cousin, over on Lake of the Ozarks by Grandma & Grandpa.  It’s close enough that Grandma plans to go see them at least once.  When she heard that Princess was going, she invited the other two monsters to come spent time with them at the lake too.

So we dropped Littlest and Middle off today.  Princess leaves Tuesday afternoon.  Then we’ll be childless through Friday afternoon when she comes home.  Grandma & Grandpa will bring the two youngest home on Sat. when they drive over for Father’s Day.

That Man and I are celebrating………by working.  *rolls eyes*  Actually, I’m taking Wednesday off so I can dedicate most of the day to writing and Writer Wednesday.

I’ve promised some craft pictures since all our fun classes this summer.  The monsters aren’t here to model their finger-weaving scarves, but I have completed several kitchen scrubbies, crocheted from nylon netting:

Supplies from the class: strips of nylon netting and size J crochet hook.  One yard is supposed to make about 3 scrubbies.

Two completed scrubbies made with one strip each of blue, red, and white (the class had an Independence Day theme).  They’re supposed to be great for cleaning glass stove tops without scratching — which I severely need.

Immediately after the class, Princess and I stopped at Wal-Mart and bought some more netting in various colors. 

Want one?  Comment here and I’ll draw a name.

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Bribery AKA My Biggest Giveaway Yet

8/5/2010 Update – it’s not too late to enter!

I’ve always tried to be pretty laid back about promoting myself.  e.g. I really want the work to speak for itself.  I do like to give away stuff here on the blog, and free books are almost always welcome, aren’t they?  If some kindly reader posts a review or rating somewhere, I’m incredibly thankful.

Let’s face it:  reviews and ratings matter.  The more ratings and reviews a book garners, the more attention will follow.  It’s a gradual snowball effect, especially when you’re a very small fish in the big world of millions of available books. 

Thanks to Kait Nolan, I found this article Why Your Review Matters on Amazon and I’m curious.  Really curious.  Will a high number of reviews help a new release like THE BLOODGATE GUARDIAN?  Will more reviews help some of my older releases, especially the ones that so far haven’t won any ratings on Amazon at all?

But Amazon is only one piece of the puzzle.

So here’s the scoop (I’ll create a clean page for this contest, but here are the details):

1. Rate and/or review ANY of my releases on any book site, including but not limited to Amazon, Goodreads, Shelfari, B&N, Audible, etc.

2. Review any of my releases on your blog or website.

3. Advertise this contest on your blog, website, Facebook and/or Twitter.

4. Send me the links.  One link = one entry.

Prizes:  We’ll begin with two $50 gift certificates to ANY online book retailer of your choice. 

Optional Prizes:  If we hit 20 Amazon reviews or more on THE BLOODGATE GUARDIAN before July 31st, I’ll throw in another $50 gift certificate to any online book retailer.  If we hit 20 Amazon reviews or more on any of my other releases before July 31st, I’ll throw in an additional $25 gift certificate for each book that breaks the 20-review threshold.

To Enter:  send an e-mail with subject BREAK 20 GIVEAWAY to joelysueburkhart AT gmail DOT com with your link(s) to each review and/or rating (or capture a screen shot of your Tweet).  You may enter as many times as you wish before July 31st, 2010 midnight CST.

Please do write HONEST reviews for my books that you’ve actually read.  The more real and thoughtful the review, the more impact it’ll have on future buyers.  Obviously I hope you love my books, but I don’t expect raving fangirl 5 star +++++ reviews.  Honest!

Please note:  the reviews and/or ratings can be old!  (e.g. previously submitted on any of my earlier releases)  Please do send me the links, even if I’ve blogged about your wonderful review before.  I simply don’t have the time to go searching across the ‘net because I’m writing a new book.  I definitely want to reward people who’ve already reviewed me in the past.

THE BLOODGATE GUARDIAN is available for reviewers to download at NetGalley.  For any of my other releases, if you have a blog/website for which you’d like to review a book, drop me an e-mail and I’ll hook you up.

Any questions, comments, etc. that I should address before I write up the main contest page?

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Carina Guest: Kaz Augustin

Hello all. I’m another one of those Carina Press authors. We’re blocking all the intertubes at the moment, aren’t we? 🙂 Before I begin, I’d like to thank Joely for having me here. It really is a pleasure meeting all of you.

I was wondering what to write about, and going through the comments on Joely’s past posts, and I thought of…games. And school. And how things come from unexpected places.

Our son, The Wast, had a problem when he was about six. No matter what we tried, we couldn’t get him interested in learning. He couldn’t count from one to ten and got lost in his alphabet after “B”. There was no dearth of opinions about him, from being autistic to having major nervous system dysfunction to being severely handicapped. And I know this sounds like every parent who believes their child is an Utter Genius, but none of these off-the-cuff diagnoses seemed right to us. He was a bright child, liked to talk and draw, but just couldn’t get his head around maths and language.

Now, my husband J and I like playing games. And one that particularly caught our fancy at that time was “Spooky Castle” from Hamumu Software, a small indie game developer. It doesn’t have spectacular graphics or complex story lines but it was overflowing with fun and humour and, when you’ve had a hard day at work, there’s nothing better than killing zombies, vampires and skeletons with a hammer! The Wast would walk past and give sideways glances to the game as I played. Then he would settle on my lap and watch. It didn’t take too long for him to reach for the keyboard and try it for himself. And then the learning began. “There are three skeletons in that room. Think you’re fast enough to beat them?” “Put the mouse over that monster. Can you read what it’s called? Let’s spell it out first.” And before I knew it, our son was counting and reading with the best of them.

We’re settled in Malaysia at the moment, and we keep hearing about how “computer games” are evil incarnate. The principal at our children’s school even tells the children that if he hears of any of them playing games, he’ll come to their homes and confiscate the equipment! Of course it’s all bluster but, more importantly, it’s a narrow-minded way of looking at things. Of course we don’t let our children play games six hours a day, but surely there’s a happy, child-customised medium somewhere between “all day” and “not at all”?

What does this have to do with writing books? A few things. First of all, you never know where inspiration will come from. Second, what inspires you may not inspire anyone else, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad. And, most importantly, try not to accept anything just because it’s accepted wisdom. Think a little. That’s what I like about science-fiction. It makes me think. That’s why I write it.

IN ENEMY HANDS

The Republic had taken everything from Moon―her research partner, her privacy, her illusions. They thought they had her under control. They were wrong.

Srin Flerovs, Moon’s new research partner, is a chemically enhanced maths genius whose memory is erased every two days.

While he and Moon work on a method of bringing dead stars back to life, attraction between them flares, but that poses its own problem. How can their love survive when Srin forgets Moon every two days?

When she discovers the lethal applications her research can be put to, Moon knows she and Srin are nothing more than pawns in a much larger game. Together, they must escape the clutches of the Republic before they become its scapegoats. But there are too many walls around them, too many eyes watching. They want to run, but they’re trapped on a military vessel in the depths of space, and time is running out….

* My website and my blog.  You can also track me down on Facebook and Twitter. Just look for “ksaugustin”.

COMPETITION: I’m giving away two copies of IN ENEMY HANDS at my blog, Fusion Despatches. To be in the draw, stop by and comment at the Competition post, telling me at which blog you read about my book. You have till 30 June!

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Carina Guest: Carrie Lofty

Austria, 1804  
 
Eight years ago, composer Arie De Voss claimed his late mentor’s final symphony as his own and became an icon. But fame has a price: fear of discovery now poisons his attempts to compose a redemptive masterpiece. Until a new muse appears, intoxicating and inspiring him…  
 
Mathilda Heidel renounced her own musical gift to marry, seeking a quiet life to escape the shame surrounding her birth. Sudden widowhood finds her tempted by song once more. An unexpected introduction to her idol, Arie De Voss, renews Mathilda’s passion for the violin–and ignites a passion for the man himself.  
 
But when lust and lies reach a crescendo, Arie will be forced to choose: love or truth?  

*** 

Most historical romance readers will be familiar with the term “dowry.” In the European tradition, a dowry was a wedding gift provided to the groom or the groom’s family in order to secure the material future of the bride. If her husband died before she did, a woman was able to stave off poverty. This also gave rise to the term “dowager,” which indicates that a widow has had caused the access those dowry funds. 

Whether or not her husband or his family safeguarded the dowry for such an occasion is another matter entirely. Also, whether or not the bride deserved the dowry became a consideration. Some families insisted on waiting until the morning after the wedding before accepting a woman’s dowry and all the responsibility and connections that entailed. After all, if she proved less than virginal on her wedding night… 

In Austria, where my June 7 release from Carina Press, SONG OF SEDUCTION, is set, and in other Germanic countries, this process of waiting until the next morning became a common custom. They used the term “morgengabe” was used, the literal translation of which is “morning gift.”  

In the formal sense, a morgengabe was the culmination of the marriage contract. The engagement had been solidified by the posting of the banns. The vows have been said before a duly appointed religious official. And the wife had proven a virgin on her wedding night. All set! Commence with the handing over of funds and the happily ever after. 

In a less formal sense, however, a morgengabe took on personal significance for some couples. A husband might choose to give his new bride a token of his affection and respect upon claiming her purity as his prize. Necklaces, rings and other pieces of jewelry were often used for this purpose, as were parcels of land, livestock and household items. 

Arie de Voss, the hero of SONG OF SEDUCTION, was born and raised in the Netherlands, so he had a few questions on this topic. Here he’s asking the heroine, Mathilda, about a particular necklace she wears: 

“Who gave it to you?”

“You and your questions, sir,” Mathilda said. “My husband gave it to me. It is my Morgengabe.”

Arie winced. Since his crass drunkenness at the Venner ball, he had been reluctant to revisit the topic of her late spouse. “Will you make me ask the meaning of yet another word?”

“No.” A faint smile curved her lips. “You must ask someone else, because I won’t explain it.”

The woman. Her mysteries. Those infernal glimpses she provided into her genuine character. Arie hoarded them all.

“Then who shall I ask?”

Mathilda leaned close enough to make her words heard. “You seem a resourceful enough man, Herr de Voss. You’ll think of something.”

What he does once he learns the significance of the morgengabe, however, is not the most graceful thing a hero has ever done. It’s a good thing he’s so cute and talented…

***

Born in California, raised in the Midwest, Carrie Lofty (http://carrielofty.com/) met her husband in England–the best souvenir! Since earning her master’s degree in history, she’s been devoted to raising their two precocious daughters, wrangling the talented authors of Unusual Historicals (http://unusualhistoricals.blogspot.com/), and writing romance. You can find her on Twitter (http://twitter.com/carrielofty), her Facebook fan page (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carrie-Lofty/115375868486813), and her blog (http://lovelysalome.blogspot.com/).

“Historical romance needs more risk-takers like Lofty.” ~ Wendy the Super Librarian

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Busy Work

Sorry for my slow blog and e-mail responses lately.  I’m still trying to recover from MayNoWriMo and Coyote Con, which means I’ve got a thousand things I didn’t do last month that I have to get through now.

First and foremost, I finished the first-round edits on Victor (HURT ME SO GOOD) and sent them back to my editor tonight.  I’ve also got several guest blogs I’m working on for the Carina launch and release of THE BLOODGATE GUARDIAN on June 14th.  Whew!

Not to mention the MayNoWriMo prizes still need to be divied up.

Meanwhile I’m *this close* to finishing my synopsis, while I’ve started a new holiday novella that I’m shooting to finish this month.  I’m also excited about the opportunity to have a Writer Wednesday workshop at Debuts and Reviews (date TBD) on sex scenes. 

AND, the monsters are out of school so we have the fun chore of shuttling them to activities.  Luckily we were able to hire a very reasonable babysitter to help out during the day.  Tonight, I took all three monsters to a “finger weaving” class at Yarn Worx where I took my knitting class.  The two oldest have finished their scarves, and I’m still helping Littlest with hers (she was right on the border of being old enough to attend).  Overall they really enjoyed it, and the scarves are really, really pretty considering how easy they were to pull together.  Picture forthcoming once I help the youngest finish hers.

So let me get back to work!  I have a shipment of stuff going out to tomorrow, so if I still owe you a book, it’s coming very soon!

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Lynn Viehl Kyndred Giveaway

I loved Lynn Viehl’s Darkyn series and so I wasn’t surprised at all that I enjoyed Shadowlight too, the spinoff “Kyndred” series.  I absolutely loved Rowan’s sharp wit in Shadowlight, so I can’t wait to see how her story unfolds in Dreamveil (I keep typing Dreamviehl ha ha).  Plus, what a gorgeous cover!

So to celebrate Memorial Day weekend, I’m giving away a copy of both Shadowlight and Dreamveil.  This contest is open to anyone on the planet, whether you’ve won anything from me before.  I do not retain your name or information after the contest is over. 

To enter, comment on this post and tell me your favorite Lynn Viehl book, or drop me an e-mail at joelysueburkhart AT gmail DOT com to throw your name in the hat.  The contest will close on Monday, May 31st at midnight CST, and the winner will be announced on Tuesday. 

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Conn Writes a Poem

Never seen anywhere else, an exclusive poem written by the sexiest English professor alive, Dr. Connagher himself!  Check out his response to “Lecture vs. Teach” over on Susi’s blog and wish her a happy blogoversary while you’re at it, for a chance to win a free e-copy of Dear Sir, I’m Yours or an advance e-ARC of The Bloodgate Guardian, releasing June 14 from Carina Press.