Researching Romance

As a writer of romance it’s not always easy to just put your thoughts in the computer and be done with it. Even a run of the mill romance needs a little research. Have you done your research?

With my newest book “Victoria” I had to do a lot of research. I printed 3 different Civil War Timelines. Each one had a little different description that went along with the timing of the story line. It’s amazing how a reader can pick up on even the smallest misstep in regards to history. I made sure the time and date was correct with aspects concerning the war itself.

A fellow author friend wrote a medical romance. She laughed telling me she felt like she was studying for the medical exams. Before she started the book, she wrote down her outline and got in touch with a doctor friend. She then told him what the book had in it medical wise and he gave her several books that would help make the medical part look real.

Another author was writing a thriller/murder mystery. She had to study several serial killer cases with the local police. They were more than happy to help her with the research. As she has a weak stomach she said a lot of the reading was hard to get through, but she made sure she did it on an empty stomach.

I’ve even researched romance itself. There’s a lot on it if you look around. It helps when you are coming up with story lines. You don’t want to write about what everybody is writing about. If everything coming out is about cowboys, well, maybe put cowboys but give it a different spin. Make your writing stand out.

So the next time you pick up a romance novel, think about the hard work the author went through to get it where it is. Especially when you look at the price. So many people want them for free or nearly free. That’s nice but the author put their heart, soul and hard work into that book you’re holding.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Contests, New Releases, and just WOW…

Well, as promised in my blog last week, I jump. I entered the So You Think You Can Write Contest at Harlequin. This has been a year long process of do I want to or not struggles. Suddenly two weeks ago I started feeling the tug and coincidentally I saw a post that entries were being accepted. That was the sign I needed to jump. Here’s the link: http://www.soyouthinkyoucanwrite.com/manuscripts-sytycw-2013/finding-the-right-time/ So go over and read my submission and let me know what you think. I’m really excited about this entry.

“Victoria” was officially released today. That’s an exciting thing also. I tried out the preorder with Smashwords.com, Barnes and Noble, Kobo and Apple iTunes. We will see how that goes because as you know those sales won’t show up for a little while. It you get a chance go over and check out this book. It’s also available on Amazon, CreateSpace and Allromanceebooks.com.

As with everything I do, I stay busy. Late last week “With All My Heart” was released in audio form. That was exciting, but what was really exciting was Apple iTunes picked it up immediately upon release. You may be saying, well iTunes is affiliated with Audible. The exciting thing is my other audio book that is out has not been picked up yet by iTunes, so this makes me wonder at the picking process.

I had another author ask my opinion of audio books and my opinion is they’re great. My sales have been good and I’m excited about the rest of the books that are in production even as we speak.

As Rosie Amber and I wind down our Romancing September Across The World Blog Tour, I sit to ponder the results. We were able to meet 30 talented authors in 30 days. As bloggers and readers alike we were able to see a small part of their lives and books for a moment. It went really well. If you haven’t check them out, just go through my last 30 days posts and you can see my side and the link to Rosie’s side.

So as I leave you today, think about the day. It’s Monday, a new week to make a better you. God made you in His image and that means do your best at everything you do.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Day 28 of the Romancing September Across The World Blog Tour

Welcome to Day 28 of the Romancing September Across The World Blog Tour. The question I put out to all of these authors was “What challenges do you face in writing romance in today’s society?”

Don’t forget to go over to Rosie Amber’s page and check out her page too. I’ll put the link at the bottom of this post.

Today my guest author is Alison Morton and I want to thank her for blogging with me today. Here is a little about Alison and her book Inceptio.

What Challenges do you face writing romance in today’s society?

Romances are defined by a central love story and a happy or hopeful ever after ending. But the stereotype ‘sweet young thing’ waiting to be rescued doesn’t cut it these days. Readers of contemporary romance like a more independent worldly-wise heroine who earns a living and takes on responsibilities of her own. Heroes are no longer universally masterful super-beings who know everything and can do everything while she flutters her eyelashes.

Respecting the genre conventions is very important, but writing needs to be fresh and original to succeed in a competitive writing market. Today, we see many sub-genres: paranormal, historic, fantasy, sci-fi, mystery and suspense. A survey conducted by the Romance Writers of America in 2005 found that nearly 50% of readers liked a side order of mystery with their romances. This can range from dark and edgy to cozy and lighthearted.

A romantic relationship can develop gradually or be the legendary coup de foudre. It can be tentative or intense – that’s something that doesn’t change – but readers like to see both hero and heroine change and mature during the story.

A heroine or hero who realizes they are falling in love has two choices: to accept it and revel in it, or refuse it. This is the challenge today: people don’t have to get married or partnered. They may not only be torn between so many other choices, but also struggling with pressures falling on them. They may think of sacrificing their potential emotional satisfaction for their career, their cause, to pursue education, new experiences such as living overseas or just for their own self-respect if they doubt their love interest is trustworthy.

This happens to my heroine who although in love with the hero cannot be with him because of his deception. But as she matures, she realizes she may have made the most colossal mistake of her life…

Biography

Alison Morton grew up in the United Kingdom. A historical fiction lover and ‘Roman nut’ since age 11, she has visited sites throughout Europe including the alma mater, Rome. But it was walking on the mosaics at Ampurias (Spain) that triggered her wondering what a Roman society would be like if run by women. Always enjoying well-written romantic suspense and thrillers with a twist, ‘what if’ alternate history fiction had particularly intrigued her.
So when she came to novel writing in reaction to a really dire film, alternate history thrillers featuring a strong female character in a Roman themed world weren’t so unlikely!
Before starting the Roma Nova thriller series, Alison published a history ebook, Military or Civilians? The curious anomaly of the German Women’s Auxiliary Services during the Second World War in March 2012.

New York, present day, alternate reality. Karen Brown, angry and frightened after surviving a kidnap attempt, has a harsh choice – being eliminated by government enforcer Jeffery Renschman or fleeing to the mysterious Roma Nova, her dead mother’s homeland in Europe.

Founded sixteen centuries ago by Roman exiles and ruled by women, Roma Nova gives Karen safety and a ready-made family. But a shocking discovery about her new lover, the fascinating but arrogant special forces officer Conrad Tellus who rescued her in America, isolates her.

Renschman reaches into her new home and nearly kills her. Recovering, she is desperate to find out why he is hunting her so viciously. Unable to rely on anybody else, she undergoes intensive training, develops fighting skills and becomes an undercover cop. But crazy with bitterness at his past failures, Renschman sets a trap for her, knowing she has no choice but to spring it…

Go over and check out Alison and Inceptio…

Here’s the link to Rosie’s side of the tour: http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-2u4

Day 26 of the Romancing September Across The World Blog Tour

Welcome to Day 26 of the Romancing September Across The World Blog Tour. The question I put out to all of these authors was “What challenges do you face in writing romance in today’s society?”

Don’t forget to go over to Rosie Amber’s page and check out her page too. I’ll put the link at the bottom of this post.

Today my guest author is Cassandra Giovanni and I want to thank her for blogging with me today. Here is a little about Cassandra and her book Love Exactly.

What Challenges do you face writing romance in today’s society?

The biggest challenge writing romance in today’s society, at least for me, is overcoming the stereotypes. As a New Adult romance author the biggest stereotype I face is in that New Adult is often considered only to be “Young Adult Smut”; my novels are anything but that. Yes, my characters have sex, but I refer to it as “clean steam”–essentially, they are adults, so yes they are having sex, but you don’t have to read all the dirty details. The sex scenes concentrate on the emotions of the action as opposed to the physical aspects. My novels also don’t concentrate on physical, physical, physical like smut novels often do (although, I wouldn’t really know because I only once happened upon an excerpt that could be described as such…and it wasn’t to my liking). My novels concentrate on the development of the characters are human beings, and overcoming the struggles which occur in everyday life. New Adult is a wide genre, just like Adult is a wide genre–and should be recognized as is such. Are there New Adult smut novels? Hell, yes, and there are a lot of them–my books just aren’t one of them.

Biography

Cassandra doesn’t remember a time when she wasn’t writing. In fact, the first time she was published was when she was seven years old and won a contest to be published in an American Girl Doll novel. Since then Cassandra has written more novels than she can count and put just as many in the circular bin. Her personal goal with her writing is to show the reader the character’s stories through their dialogue and actions instead of just telling the reader what is happening. In 2012 she became a published Young Adult author, releasing In Between Seasons (The Fall, #1) and Walking in the Shadows. In 2013 she branched out by using her artistic illustrating talents to publish her first Children’s novel, The Adventures of Skippy Von Flippy: Tales of Friendship (Skippy Tales, #1). Cassandra will also release her first New Adult novel, Just One Cup, in the Spring of 2013. Cassandra is a freelance professional photographer known for her automotive, nature and architectural shots. She is the owner of Gio Design Studios, a photography and publication marketing company that designs covers and marketing materials for authors utilizing the company’s photography. She is currently studying to receive a degree in Marketing. Cassandra is happily married to the man of her dreams and they live in the rolling hills of New England with the other loves of her life their dogs, Bubski and Kanga.

Love Exactly Blurb:
Emma Walker was a writer who’d lost herself to someone else’s anger–who had given up on ever feeling like herself again.
Evan Levesque was a rock-god–the one all the woman wanted, but he’d never gotten used to the loneliness between the stage and real life.
With just one cup of coffee they’ll begin a journey of self-discovery at each others sides, but can Emma handle Evan’s fame while dealing with her own demons? Emma’s checkered personal past, a bad relationship that haunts the edges of her memories, threatens to make everything implode on them when Evan takes matters into his own hands.
Sticks and stones may break my bones, but your words…they’ll destroy my soul–Can Emma handle being put back together and facing who she’s become because of it?

You can find my links below in my signature, and here are the book links in case you need them:

E-BOOK only $1.99

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Kobo

Paperback $12.99

Signed Author Direct (US-Free shipping + Free Bookmark + Free Swag)

Go over and check out Cassandra’s books.

Here’s the link to Rosie’s side of the tour: http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-2vN

Day 25 of the Romancing September Across The World Blog Tour

Welcome to Day 25 of the Romancing September Across The World Blog Tour. The question I put out to all of these authors was “What challenges do you face in writing romance in today’s society?”

Don’t forget to go over to Rosie Amber’s page and check out her page too. I’ll put the link at the bottom of this post.

Today my guest author is Ana Calin and I want to thank her for blogging with me today. Here is a little about Ana and her book The Blacksmith.

What Challenges do you face writing romance in today’s society?

In a world of romance where boy meets girl and their cheeks turn red with a heavy crush, we forget to give a chance to fiery, passionate love to those who’ve known the hardships of a worn relationship. Ex-husbands and ex-wives tend to seek thrill in new partners because that’s what society seems to promote. “The Blacksmith” explores the psychological depths of forbidden desires that are eating at the core of family people, seeking to shatter the legend of ‘born virtue’ but also to give romance a new track: girl met boy long ago, got married, now both lost interest and guess what? She’s into a much younger guy. Now where to? “The Blacksmith” is the electrifying story of a woman who will rediscover the power of youth and the bliss of falling in love, challenging head on the principles of society and the very human condition. I would yet add this for my beloved readers: don’t think you got this figured out…

Biography

Ana Calin was born in 1984 in Constanta, Romania. Avid for fairy tales and stories as a child, her mother taught her to read at the age of four and, discovering the girl’s love for foreign languages, hired an English teacher when Ana was eight. By the age of ten she had read Pride and Prejudice, Wuthering Heights and Great Expectations in the original language. Ana studied English and German Language and Literature in high school and later on in university. In 2005 she received a scholarship for one year in Bielefeld, Germany, and met her husband, also Romanian, upon her return to her hometown in 2006. Following her wedding in 2009 she returned to Germany with her husband and has been working ever since as a translator and interpreter of English, German and Romanian. Her area of expertise covers not only fiction but also psychology and science, which inspires her writing and allowed her to craft her first novel, The Blacksmith, as a grounded fantasy relying on concepts that are feasible at least in theory. She currently lives in Berlin.

A dangerous love story with a twist. Romance and thriller merged in a fantasy that is actually possible.

Aurelia Novac’s life and marriage to Damian take an abrupt turn when she meets the unnaturally handsome Ivan Grabianko. Ivan is Aura’s student, a forbidden fruit who challenges her morals and casts her in a fight against guilty desires, but also the main suspect when teachers start dying violent deaths. Refusing to believe that Ivan is a cold blooded murderer and convinced the police is covering the real killer’s tracks, Aura starts an investigation of her own, seeking to save herself and those she cares for. Following the available threads – DNA traces and an alias, The Blacksmith – she will find herself drawn in a war between secret societies led by superior humans, in which the Blacksmith is a purpose in himself, a deadly demon born of man. Aura will go unveiling the meaning behind the Blacksmith’s alias and dark mysteries of the very human race, yet all at a heavy cost – she will become consumed with love for a dangerous man whose innate nature ist to kill…

So, go over and check out Ana at Amazon, you won’t be disappointed.

Don’t forget to check out Rosie’s side of the tour at http://rosieamber.wordpress.com/romancing-september-tour/

Day 24 of the Romancing September Across The World Blog Tour

Welcome to Day 24 of the Romancing September Across The World Blog Tour. The question I put out to all of these authors was “What challenges do you face in writing romance in today’s society?”

Don’t forget to go over to Rosie Amber’s page and check out her page too. I’ll put the link at the bottom of this post.

Today my guest author is Kylie Sabra and I want to thank her for blogging with me today. Here is a little about Kylie and her book The Singing Dagger.

What Challenges do you face writing romance in today’s society?

The world is fast-paced—people rushing to and fro with little free time. No one wants to slow down, or worse, they fear they can’t slow down or they will fall behind. Even as a professional writer and artist, I suffer from this same delusion. So. I understand it well. In this digital age where movies, news and scoops du jour are delivered to our televisions, PCs, pads and phones; I fear that people are put off at the thought of picking up a 300+ page novel. To propound this problem is the growing number of e-books that call themselves novels—many numbering less than 100 pages. I could not for the life of me figure out how people who were 20 years my junior had 30-50 books under their belts. That’s when I discovered that these were really stories—maybe novellas.

How do I react to this craving for instant literary gratification? I don’t.

Mastery of language is a magical gift. I would prefer to anguish over the exact choice of one word to achieve that perfect nuance than to bash out 20 pages, just for the sake of writing to appeal to the masses. I love to excite all of the senses when I write.

I talk about scents.

“The comforting smells of smoked sausages and boiled potatoes hooked their fingers beneath the sleeping Shadows’ noses and pulled them into consciousness. “

I try to bring imagery to something as simple as the sound of silence . . .

“Just as suddenly, quiet quilted the room.”

. . . or the pain of loss.

“The clear sky turned sickly green. Ominous clouds gathered over the ocean and fingers of lightning beckoned Finn to the cliff’s edge. The wind whipped his golden hair back from his contorted face. As thunder hammered the earth, Finn and the climaxing gale released their pent up fury in one rending wail after another.”

I don’t believe these are things achieved without careful consideration. So my greatest challenge is not to fall victim to the demand to proliferate words, but rather to stay my course and choose my path—and my words—carefully.

Biography

Kylie Addison Sabra was born in the middle of the U.S. in 1956. She grew up in Texas and has lived the last 19 years in the Seattle area, which she thinks of as her forever home. She is the mother of two grown sons, Jason and James, and is fiercely proud of them both. Her husband Scott is her best friend, love and chief supporter.
Ms. Sabra has been writing and creating art for most of her life in one capacity or another. Now, they are her full-time children to foster and grow. For the past three years she has served as curator for The Rose Theatre Galleries, a virtual gallery in the Second Life Grid. It was here that she found the courage to make art her living as well as her life.

Visited by tragedy and heart-wrenching deception, Erin retreats into self-imposed isolation. But the Fates are not finished with her and she is uprooted from her respite to face the dark forces that threaten to swallow her entirely. Aidan, fettered by his dark parentage and past, is drawn to Erin by the duties of his position and is held to her by the love she awakens in him. Bradach is powerful, beautiful, immortal and ever struggles with his all-too-human jealousy. Erin can’t understand his hatred for Aidan, nor can she shake the feeling that she has known him from some other time, but the feeling is fleeting and can’t be held to grasp. Brieanna, Erin’s life-long friend, wears wisdom like a comfortable old shawl, and her quiet confidence is just what Finn, Aidan’s brother, needs to escape the terrors that drive him. The four humans find themselves the central figures in a centuries-old prophecy and bind themselves together to fight the encroaching horrors from the south that threaten to cover the four kingdoms of Tara in shadow. Tara must now return to the magic that was such a rich part of their heritage, now reviled, in order to save the lands they love. Standing together with the four immortal Elders of Tara; Erin, Aidan, Brieanna and Finn take their predestined places as the Bearers of the Promise and the saviors of Tara.

Check out Kylie’s book, you won’t be disappointed.

Here’s the link to Rosie’s side of the tour: http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-2uU

Day 23 of the Romancing September Across The World Blog Tour

Welcome to Day 23 of the Romancing September Across The World Blog Tour. The question I put out to all of these authors was “What challenges do you face in writing romance in today’s society?”

Don’t forget to go over to Rosie Amber’s page and check out her page too. I’ll put the link at the bottom of this post.

Today my guest author is Fay Cunningham and I want to thank her for blogging with me today. Here is a little about Fay and her book Forgottten.

What Challenges do you face writing romance in today’s society?

There will always be a market for light romance. A feisty heroine, a gorgeous hero, a blossoming love affair and plenty of excitement. Pure escapism. The perfect antidote to the stresses of modern life.

In spite of the e-book revolution, I don’t think the challenges for writers of romantic fiction have changed all that much. We still have to provide a good story with lovely characters and (usually) a happy ending. There are a number of sub-genres in romantic fiction, from erotica to the supernatural and everything in between, but we still have to keep our readers entertained – and that will always be our biggest challenge.

Biography

Fay lives in a small town in Essex, England, with her husband. She is now retired, so she has more time for writing. She has been published by Robert Hale, has several books with Lindford Romance in large print, and two books with Harlequin Worldwide Mystery Library in the USA and Canada. Her books are available on Amazon for Kindle. Fay loves to travel, and has visited many European countries. She has also been to Hawaii where her husband’s sister lives.

Check out Forgotten

Publication Date: February 8, 2013

Driving home in the dark Serena stops to help an injured man lying in a ditch, but that is only the start of her problems. Someone is watching the apartment she shares with her brother, her mother is being particularly secretive, and police detective Jack Armstrong is convinced Serena is hiding something. Just when she thinks things can get no worse, her missing father turns up. This is definitely not the time to fall in love.

Go over to Amazon and check out Faye’s books.

Here’s the link to Rosie’s side of the tour: http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-2uf

Day 22 of the Romancing September Across The World Blog Tour

Welcome to Day 22 of the Romancing September Across The World Blog Tour. The question I put out to all of these authors was “What challenges do you face in writing romance in today’s society?”

Don’t forget to go over to Rosie Amber’s page and check out her page too. I’ll put the link at the bottom of this post.

Today my guest author is Candace Knoebel and I want to thank her for blogging with me today. Here is a little about Candace and her book Embracing Flames.

What Challenges do you face writing romance in today’s society?

The biggest challenge I’ve found with writing romance today is sticking true to my values. There are so many different categories of romance and they all sell equally well. For me, I am not comfortable with writing erotica or explicit scenes. I haven’t approached that road in my writing just yet. But I know there is a huge market for it and a lot of avid readers who enjoy reading the simplicity of a love story, sex and all. So I guess that leads to the question, do you try to go mainstream or stick with what you believe in?

With Born in Flames, the focal point of the story was never meant to be about Aurora (the protagonist) and Fenn’s relationship. It was about her journey to self-discovery and self-belief. Don’t get me wrong, there is an element of romance in there and a hint of a relationship to come, but the story is so much more than that. However, I noticed in the feedback that a lot of people were missing the romance element. They wanted to see more of the gorgeous hero and how the feisty heroine would fall in love with him. Like most YA today. When I thought about it, I saw that the story would eventually come to be about their relationship. They were right. I myself always want to know more about the relationship than the actual story.

This in turn led me to struggle with how much romance I wanted to add in book two of the trilogy (Embracing the Flames) that was mostly epic fantasy.

When I wrote Embracing the Flames, I tried to incorporate a little more romance without selling out or jumping out of my comfort zone. Naturally, there would have been romance any how. Fenn and Aurora are drawn to each other (as they are soul mates), so in order for the story to progress, their relationship had to too. The next question would be: How far is too far in YA? Since my characters are between 18 and 20 (depending on which book you are reading), there would obviously be the conflict of the progression towards sex in the relationship.

I now found myself questioning how to broach that tastefully without jumping out of YA. I chose to leave subtle hints. While there is kissing and lots of flirting, I didn’t jump into the actual details of what transpires when they approach their ‘first’ time together. It was mentioned. I feel it rings true to who I am and to who my characters are and their values. If I went any further with it, I would have to move the genre into NA.

It has all been a learning experience. I have to remind myself how I feel when I read a good romance and then try to write from there. Stick to what you are comfortable with. I don’t think romance can be written wrong. There is an audience for everything. It’s just finding the right one for you.

Echelon out ♥

Biography

Candace Knoebel is the award-winning author of Born in Flames-a young adult fantasy trilogy. Published by 48fourteen in 2012, Born in Flames went on to win Turning the Pages Book of the Year award in February of 2013.

Candace Knoebel dreamed of being a dancer ever since she could remember. With a love of all things art, she saw herself moving to New York and pursuing her passion as an artist. But all that changed on October 10th, 2002 when she met the love of her life. Her dreams diverged and after marrying her high school sweetheart and having two beautiful children, she realized she missed her creative side. Through lunch breaks and late nights after putting her kids to bed, she built a world where she could escape the ever-pressing days of an eight to five Purgatory. Since then, she crawled out of Purgatory and has devoted her time to writing and sometimes heelying.

Author Links:

Blog: http://candaceknoebel.wordpress.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Candace-Knoebel/190993824332540?ref=tn_tnmn

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/candaceknoebel

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6458922.Candace_Knoebel

Publication Date: June 15, 2013

The Stone of Immortality has always been kept under the watch of the Draconta. That is, until the betrayal of a Fate. Now, everything is about to change.
Aurora Megalos accepted her destiny without blinking-even if it meant succumbing to her dragon side. Deemed the Progeny, she left the ordinary life she knew and has done everything in her power to learn the ways of her new home and what it means to be part dragon. But when her mentor, Astral, suddenly disappears, she is forced to take the reins with war on the brink. She sets out on an epic journey to find what her arch enemy, Zordon, is after. What she discovers is far worse than she could’ve ever imagined. She will be tested and pushed to the limit. Lives will be lost, love will be found, and most importantly, a battle will begin.

Go on over and check out Candace’s books. Candace has been my guest a couple of times and I can tell you that you won’t be let down by her series of books.

Here’s a link to Rosie’s side of the tour: http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-2w3

Day 19 of the Romancing September Across The World Blog Tour

Welcome to Day 19 of the Romancing September Across The World Blog Tour. The question I put out to all of these authors was “What challenges do you face in writing romance in today’s society?”

Don’t forget to go over to Rosie Amber’s page and check out her page too. I’ll put the link at the bottom of this post.

Today my guest author is Jade Reyner and I want to thank her for blogging with me today. Here is a little about Jade and her book 12 Days – The Beginning

What Challenges do you face writing romance in today’s society?

Great question – what is my greatest challenge writing romance in today’s society? Okay, here goes…

“For me, I think the greatest challenge is finding an edge. I grew up in the Mills and Boon era when romance was written a certain way and many books were written in a similar vein. In recent years however, I think that romance has moved on massively and has expanded into much more risque areas which is kind of where my book sits. Whilst this is a popular and rapidly expanding arm of romance, it is also hugely competitive and for me, it is trying to give my book something slightly different so that it can hold its own in amongst the much bigger names in terms of reviews and ratings. This is what I mean when I talk about finding an edge and it is something that I find the hardest to achieve.

In ‘Twelve Days – The Beginning’ which is my debut novel, I have included a thriller element which builds throughout the book and is explored in further detail in the sequel, ‘Twelve Days – The Future’ which is due for release later this year. I have also added an unexpected ending and as many twists and turns as I can to keep the reader engaged and guessing, and I hope that by combining this with a fantastic cover design and competitive price, I can begin to reach readers who will enjoy and even maybe identify with my work. To have complete strangers reading something that you have written is mind blowing and if I succeed in doing this, then I will hopefully have found my edge and thus my tiny slice of this fantastic and wonderful genre.”

Biography

Jade Reyner is nearing her fortieth birthday.. and has finally got around to publishing the book she always promised herself she would! She’s had a varying career working in a number of different industries including hospitality and surveying, before finally becoming a full time Mum, ten years ago. Now that both of her boys are at school, she has found the time to sit down and write, and after starting a creative writing course, she has found the courage to publish her first novel, Twelve Days – The Beginning. This is the first in the Twelve Days series that Jade plans to write throughout 2013/2014.

Jade lives in the UK with her husband, two boys and a cat.

Publication Date: April 29, 2013

Elise Grayson lives a life that no one should have to. Beneath the professional exterior lies a troubled existence, one whose ugly truth is known only to her best friend. With his support she gets through her day to day existence – just.

When Elise crosses paths with Vaughn Granger twelve days before Christmas, nothing could have prepared her for the impact that this man and this meeting would have on her life. During those brief twelve days, her world is turned upside down and as she begins to find the courage to leave the ugliness behind, forces outside of her control relentlessly work against her as friends become enemies and fear, betrayal and addiction form part of everyday life.

Ultimately the repercussions of those twelve days have a shattering impact on the lives of everyone around them and before the past can be finally left behind, a decision has to be made which has consequences more far reaching and emotionally devastating than either Elise or Vaughn could ever have foreseen.

Twelve Days – The Beginning is a powerful book about love, desire, hope and betrayal and is the first in the brand new Twelve Days series from Jade Reyner.

Go over and check out Jade

Here’s the link to Rosie’s side of the tour: http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-2rE

Day 17 of the Romancing September Across The World Blog Tour

Welcome to Day 17 of the Romancing September Across The World Blog Tour. The question I put out to all of these authors was “What challenges do you face in writing romance in today’s society?”

Don’t forget to go over to Rosie Amber’s page and check out her page too. I’ll put the link at the bottom of this post.

Today my guest author is Marina de Nadous and I want to thank her for blogging with me today. Here is a little about Marina and her book The Celestial Sea.

What Challenges do you face writing romance in today’s society?

The story, although a romance, was never planned. I faced no challenges apart from the huge ones interwoven through the tale—namely those of moral expectation and accepted codes of practice. My story is more of a personal discovery/quest and will resonate with readers interested in self-development, spirituality and mystery. I could speak about considered restraint versus overt sexuality; poetic nuance versus the currently popular BDSM, but I would rather readers read my books and decided for themselves.

Biography

For privacy Marina has kept her face in the dark. She is from Frome in Somerset, UK and has only been writing for 7 years.

Publication Date: June 20, 2012

A glorious, exciting and heart-wrenching tale, The Celestial Sea is the first book in a new series.

This is the story of an English housewife and mother and an artistic Kiwi man; musician, woodsman and teacher, who find themselves embracing life in the Southern Hemisphere in the most unexpected and extraordinary way. Plucked from the bosom of all she has ever known; she finds herself exploring the beautiful land of Aotearoa, New Zealand, in the company of a thrilling companion whose own settled, community life is challenged by her arrival.

Walking a fine line between blessing and disaster their creative liaison becomes a clandestine love affair of epic proportion, surprising them both with its spiritual truth. Dare they merge their growing affection into an everyday reality? Through the often hilarious adventures that make up their ‘ordinary’ routines they find themselves escaping to the tranquillity of their imaginary boat, The Celestial Sea; sailing for many months in uncharted waters and alighting upon shores of such passion and sensuality that they risk capsizing, causing an almighty scandal in the harbour.

The Celestial Sea culminates as the profundity of their connection leads to a tragic ending of thwarted love – but is it really the end…? Find out in the subsequent books planned for the series entitled Dry-Dock, Setting Sail, Calm Waters, No Horizon, Kookaburra on the Deck, Time is the Brake.

Go over to Amazon and check out Marina’s books.

Here’s the link to Rosie’s side of the tour: http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-2uM