A Book with a View... and 5 Wings!

Hey everyone! It's been a while since I got to visit here, and I'm now a few days late thanks to a South African cyber-connection failure. Still, I'm here, and I'd like to share a little on a Book with a View...

The Look is set in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, a wide sweep of land that climbs up to become the foothills of the mighty Drakensberg Mountains. Now, for those who don't know, I have a thing for mountains. I love the towering peaks and tumbling valleys, and the shifting of light and shadow that give them an ever-changing, breath-taking beauty I seem to never tire of. The valleys are as much a part of them, as they have given to create the heights, and been blessed with a singular beauty in return.

Morgan heads off into the back of beyond in search of the truth and stumbles on an old house that draws her inexplicably to explore. The house has truths of its own to tell, but it also overlooks one of these same sweeping valleys....

"Instantly, as if someone had wiped a chalkboard clean, her mood changed. The huge living room, a masterpiece of wood and stone and glass, took her breath away. The entire length of the room, unbroken except for the narrow frames of the picture windows, looked across a valley. The panorama rolled out towards the shadow of the hills in the distance. High up, so the entire vista was easily visible, the house seemed to own it, the view simply an extension of itself.

Swathed in the lazy haze of afternoon sunshine, the valley, the house, the whole picture seemed to take on a magical, other-worldly quality. An odd but comforting scent of what she thought could be lavender drifted through the slightly dusty smell that surrounded her, hinting at things beyond the here and now. The silence crept in, crept around her, but with a sense of welcome rather than isolation.

Spellbound, Morgan crept forward to lean her forehead on the surprisingly cool glass. The place had a sense of completeness about it, like a homecoming, odd and confusing, but strangely normal at the same time. She didn’t even try to explain it. Just soaked it up like a dry, thirsty sponge."

I'm always astonished at how vast and immeasurable is the beauty that defines Africa, and how the images remain long after you leave them. The valley in The Look could be any one of the many I have seen, or all of them. It's a vision that stretches the eye and the spirit, and makes one look beyond the here-and-now, into a world of possibilities.

Here's what the Classic Romance Revival Reviewer had to say:

The emotions in the novel are subtle and powerful, shown rather than told so the reader can feel with the heroine. Morgan is a perky, sympathetic character and Blake a good foil to her. Morgan’s a lovely tease and Blake certainly needs taking down a bit so I enjoyed their back-and-forths. Beneath their banter is a far more serious issue, the reason why Morgan has come to Thornleigh, and that is handled with great delicacy.

The cat is adorable - if you read the book you’ll see why and how - and the whole easy-going way of country life in South Africa is very appealing. Clearly Judah Raine knows the country and knows what she is talking about: the rhythms of life and people and their speech are perfectly caught. Fishing can be romantic, too - if you read The Look, you’ll understand!

To view the full 5 Wings review, visit the CRR blog at http://www.classicromancerevival.com/blog/?p=243

To find out more about my books, or see more of my Images of Africa, visit my website at http://www.judahraine.com or my blog at http://www.judahraine.com/romancewriteup Or visit the Neverending Story at my RomanticSynonymous blog at http://judahraine.blogspot.com

I hope to see you there! Take care,
Jude

Telescopes

Astronomy has always interested me. When I was a kid, I would take my little Golden Guide to the Stars and my flashlight to the back yard and gaze up at the constellations. Winter or summer, and winter in New England is pretty cold, on most clear nights I would go outside and look at the stars. Back then, I didn’t have a telescope, or even binoculars. When I was in college I received a small telescope as a gift. I still have it buried in the basement, but I haven't used it in years.

Maybe my childhood interest in the stars had something to do with the astronomy theme in Lady of the Stars. I'm still not sure how the idea came about. Anyway, the telescope the hero, Richard, owns is a real one. I looked up antique telescopes on the web and found this Pallant. http://www.antiquetelescopes.org/19thc.html

This telescope is ideal for my story. It's a real, 19th century English telescope, perfect for Richard to own. The telescope is also small, less than a foot long, so Richard or Caroline could easily carry it to an observation position. It figures in Caroline’s and Richard’s courtship, as well as providing a link between past and present.

I rarely look at the stars now. Too many lights and too many trees obscure my view. I still remember most of the constellations’ names, and I always stay up and watch any lunar eclipses that are visible in my area. But, as Lady of the Stars shows, I haven’t completely forgotten my childhood interest. Maybe art does imitate life.

Thank you, all,

Linda

Linda Banche

Regency romance--most with humor, some with fantasy, and occasionally a paranormal

Lady of the Stars--A legend spanning time, and the man and woman caught in it--Regency time travel, available from The Wild Rose Press

Pumpkinnapper--Pumpkin thieves, a youthful love rekindled, and a jealous goose. Oh my--coming September 30, 2009 from The Wild Rose Press
www.lindabanche.com

http://lindabanche.blogspot.com/

http://www.myspace.com/lindabanche

http://www.facebook.com/people/Linda-Banche/1059787652

http://twitter.com/LindaBanche

Crazy Mind Control - Help, My Characters Hate Me!

Have you ever felt that way while writing a story?

Have you ever had things you felt you were adament about doing or not doing and then you find your characters taking advantage? While I never say never because that seals my fate, there are just things I don't want to do. Writing first person is one of those things.

Oh, my gosh!

If I could set the heroine up on a pole in my backyard and enjoy some target practice, I would. Shame it's illegal to fire a firearm within city limits. LMAO

She's out of control. All of sudden, she's decided she wants to be written in first person. No, no, no, I keep telling her. I was going along, doing just fine. I've never had issues with writing third person. Then bam, I find this entire scene is first person. The only scene at this point that is first person. I've tried changing it, she won't let me. I tried switching to his pov -- no go. Right now, they are both in time out. He's enjoying it too much. He's the type to sit back, egg her on, and watch for fun. And he's so darn cute doing it, too.

I know this is only the first draft and I can worry about it in the fleshing out stage, but damn! I want my way in this story. It's my turn to have my way. The characters in Contemptible Service won.

I know the story has a HEA. So, does it really matter how it gets there? I think it does. At least for some readers.

After yet another fight with Jaycee yesterday, I was browsing review sites - something to do. I'm not expecting more reviews on current titles, though one popped up the other day. So, I was in this one site and my heart stopped when I saw a one heart given. I felt so bad for the author and wanted to wrangle the reviewer. It's just wrong to post a review under a three for any author. If an author wants to post it, fine.

So, anyway, I read the review, curious as to what the reviewers problem was. For her, the first person written format didn't work period. It didn't allow for enough characterization, didn't allow for the fleshing out of the plot and so on. The elements and potential was there, but the author didn't go anywhere with it. While we all know reviews are subjective, it struck a cord with me.

While not many authors can pull off writing first person so I don't notice it's first person or feel like I'm invading privacy, my interest in the reviewers comment was purely in the respect of what I may lose by letting Jaycee win this battle. Will readers lose who she is and only see the emotions of the moment? And of course, things escalated from there. I cut the first person scene and set it aside. We'll see what happens.

Since I've seen the end of the story, the happily ever end is still in intact - I haven't lost what is and will be between the main characters and that's the important part, I think.

I'll just be glad to finish this series of stubborn characters. lol Never thought I'd ever say that.

Bekki
www.bekkilynn.com

Gorgeous Men in Tight Breeches and Ruffled Shirts II

What's Wrong With This Picture/Excerpt?

In Part I, we discussed Regency men's clothes. Although the era saw the birth of modern menswear, Regency clothing is not exactly the same. Errors abound in many romances. In this post we'll discuss three common errors in the portrayal of the Regency gentleman’s wardrobe.

What's wrong with Gorgeous Gentleman #1's clothes? The problem is his shirt. Men's shirts didn't button all the way down the front until the end of the nineteenth century. The front was open to about halfway down the chest, much like a present-day man's polo shirt. There may or may not have been one or two buttons to keep the collar closed. And a gentleman always wore a cravat to keep his shirt top closed.

The only way GG#1 could show off that great set of washboard abs in a historically correct shirt was to pull the shirt over his head. Or, the heroine could tear it off him in a fit of passion--the modern version of the bodice ripper.

The shirt GG #2 is wearing is correct. But what's wrong here? His shirt is correct, and our hero even has ruffles at his cuffs (oh, I do like ruffles on a man!). The answer--GG #2 is wearing a belt. Regency men held up their breeches (generic term for what they wore on their lower bodies) with braces, also called suspenders.

My third example is a passage from Miss Lockharte's Letters by Barbara Metzger:

"And I saw you trying to corner her in the choir loft. If you ever managed to keep your pants buttoned, we wouldn't be in half this mess."

The error here? The word "pants" is an Americanism, first found in the works of Edgar Allan Poe, around 1840, according to dictionary.com. An Englishman would refer to the garment as "trousers". And if he were in the presence of a lady, he would call them his "unmentionables", if he referred to them at all.

I found lots of pictures of gorgeous gentlemen as I searched for images for this post. But I hit the jackpot with GG#2. Unlike some writers, I don't use a picture of an actor or model as inspiration for my hero. But when I saw GG#2, I knew I had found Richard, the hero of Lady of the Stars.

GG#2's hair is a little too long, he's wearing that belt, and he would never appear before a lady without a cravat, waistcoat and coat (jacket). I like to think he's in his bedchamber, early the morning after he met Caroline, the heroine. He's thinking about her, and already falling in love.

And here's our Happily Ever After.

Thank you all,

Linda

Regency romance--most with humor, some with fantasy, and occasionally a paranormal

Lady of the Stars--A legend spanning time, and the man and woman caught in it--Regency time travel, available from The Wild Rose Press

Pumpkinnapper--Pumpkin thieves, a youthful love rekindled, and a jealous goose. Oh my--coming September 30, 2009 from The Wild Rose Press
www.lindabanche.com

http://lindabanche.blogspot.com/

http://www.myspace.com/lindabanche

http://www.facebook.com/people/Linda-Banche/1059787652

http://twitter.com/LindaBanche

Marketing with Music

I have to say that the whole promotion and marketing aspect of writing is a challenge. I actually do PR for a local college here in NY. Promotion and community relations is what I do. It's really cool to do it for my own stuff though....especially for my books. Now, as an ebook author, it's a tad more challenging to promote your work to the masses. Traditional book signings aren't exactly the right fit. Also, the general public hasn't fully embraced ebooks yet. Some people, I know, look skeptically at me and wonder if I'm publishing "a real book". Sad but true. So...how does an ebook author do a signing or a book launch event without a traditional book? Borders isn't going to host one until it's in print.

Here's my solution. I'm burning my book onto CD's, packaging it in a DVD case (looks more like a book than a CD case does) and printing the book cover in color, which is then inserted into the DVD Case. Okay...that problem solved. Second issue....where do you have it and what else can you do to get people in the door.

I found an amazing musician, Amy Petty, thanks to a DJ buddy of mine. She's on a record label and has new album out. One of her songs, Honey on the Skin, is the perfect theme song for my second book. Gratefully she and her label are allowing me to use it in the upcoming book trailer. Now...take that a step further. She's an up and coming musician who want exposure too. Why not work together?

I approached a popular pub here in NY, Fogarty's, and asked if I could host a book launch in the bar. I also have a talented singer/songwriter who's willing to play the event. They jumped at it.

So...we've got a nicely packaged ebook that people can hold in their hands and I can sign. We've got an incredible singer who's performing to boost the texture and feel of the entire event. It's all good!

You can check out her songs at her website http://www.amypetty.com

But it gets better. John Campbell, my DJ friend, then spoke with another band he works with, The Strike Nineteens. He told them about the vampire series that I'm working on. They wrote me my own bloody song. No kidding. In like 3 days this total stranger sat down and wrote my WIP it's very own song. How cool is that? It's titled Forever in Darkness and you can hear it on my website http://www.novelromance.net it's pretty cool.

Check them out on Myspace http://www.myspace.com/thestrikenineteens

I'm finding that by combining music with the stories is a great way to really draw people in and enhance the entire experience. Marketing with Music ROCKS!!

Never Judge A Book By Its Cover

"Never Judge a Book by It's Cover". I know we've all been force fed this our entire lives. I've even written about it in my first book Charmed from Ellora's Cave where my heroine doesn't take the hero seriously because he's supermodel gorgeous. But today, while checking my email I ran into another top Buzz story on Yahoo!

Yes, I'm a sucker. And of course, I had to click on it and lo and behold the story was about one the UK's biggest moneymaker, "Britain's Got Talent" and one of its contestants, Susan Boyle who wowed the judges and audiences on a recent episode.

How did she do it? Ms. Boyle has a voice that rivals Leontyne Price or if you're too young to remember her, Charlotte Church (what happened to her anyway?). The Twist? Ms. Boyle is stuck in the body of Sesame Street's Oscar the Grouch sans the trash can.

So, add her appearance, the fact that she's never been kissed, and was seeking fame and fortune at the age of 47 (Simon looked epileptic when she gave her age - what's up with him and age?) they pretty much put her on the shelf with William Hung.

But before Ms. Boyle could complete the first line of "I Dream A Dream" from Les Miserables, the crowd was standing on their feet.

And no less than thirty seconds into her performance, Simon Cowell looked as if wanted to propose . Or maybe he was counting all the money he was going to make off the diva who lives with her cat, who will one day perform to sell out audiences on Londons' West End? I'm sure it's the latter.


To see Ms. Boyle's tear jerking performance visit:

http://buzz.yahoo.com/buzzlog/92464?#comments

My Baby is One Year Old

Darius Markum, a man Cheri London meets online, agrees to help her conceive a child she wants. Darius sets out to win Cheri's wary heart, but before they can meet, she's injured and a rescuer named Allen comes to her aid. After a night of passion, Cheri returns home without meeting Darius, until she discovers Darius and Allen...

A Psychic Hitch came out April 14, 2008. Today I’m celebrating the anniversary of my first erotic contemporary release. From those who comment, names will go in a hat for my husband to draw three winners. 1st – autographed copy of Servin’ It up, containing A Psychic Hitch and the second story in the series, Last Glass of Wine. 2nd - one of my logo hats. 3rd - A Psychic Hitch ebook.

Shush now, I know the real anniversary is tomorrow. We blog Monday, Wednesday and Friday here.

A peek into the history of the story:

This story came about in December 2006. In September and October of that year, I wrote a 60,000 word book in six weeks. November was NANO month where I wrote a bit over 50,000 words, had the flu and had a hard drive crash while working five shifts a week. Needless to say, when December rolled around, I was exhausted, burnt out. I had a couple of projects waiting, but I had no drive to dig into them. I needed something different.

So, one morning, I was on my way to work. I was thinking about a woman who didn’t need a man to be who she was and what she was. She could be strong, call the shots. One thing led to another and by the time I came home, I had the gist of the story and only needed to get it down on paper, so to speak. It was a much shorter story than the final product. I was encouraged to submit it for a ‘call’ and it was rejected within twenty-four hours.

I continued to work on the story, and after three more rejections it was picked up by Siren Publishing. While not all reviewers appreciated my a-typical heroine and hero, most did.

5 Stars – Manic Readers
4.5 Roses - The Romance Erotica Connection
4.5 Euros - Euro-Reviews
4 Angles - Fallen Angel Reviews
4 Cherries – Whipped Cream4 Cups - Coffee Time Romance
4 Moons – Moondance Reviews
4 Delightful Divas – Dark Diva Reviews
4 Stars – Joyfully Reviewed
B - Simply Romance Reviews
3 Stars - Review Your Book
Book Cove Reviews


It spent 59 days on the publishers general bestseller list and 43 of those days on the 30 day bestseller and has made multiple appearances back on the general bestseller. Basically, these are bragging rights, but still, I'm very proud of the response my first release has received.

Here’s an excerpt rated R:

“I’ve never met him,” she admitted.

“You came all this way to see a guy you don’t know? Why?”

She studied him, not quite sure how to explain. Would he think her stupid or worse—label her as a nutcase? “We met in an online service and I thought…well, he seemed perfect. Too perfect to follow through on the terms, I guess.” The thought of another wasted ovulation period threatened to depress her. She brushed her hands over her face to help wipe away the niggling fact she might never have the child she wanted.

“Terms?” He checked the cut and moved down on the floor. With his fingers, he checked the water temperature in the basin. “I need you to sit up and put your feet over the side of the bed.”
She scooted, wincing as she moved her foot. He cupped the heel as it came over the side. Instinctively, she pulled it back. The movement pronounced the throb, but his touch intensified the ache between her thighs.

“Go on, tell me about the terms.” Allen’s hand slipped up to her calf as he wet a cloth and washed the blood from her foot.

Cheri took a deep breath and let it out with a whoosh. He tried to be gentle, but it hurt. “I want to have a baby, so I went to see a psychic friend of one of my sisters. She confirmed I’d have the child I want.” Her breasts rose and fell when he ran the cloth between her toes. She’d never had anyone wash her feet before. Somehow it seemed intimate, sexual and a need spiraled through her midsection.

“And the problem is?” He dried her injured foot, being careful around the cut.

She jerked her foot when he again checked the depth, but he had a good hold on it. “It requires sperm to fertilize an egg.”

“Yes, it does, but that wasn’t what I meant.”

He tried to hide the smirk by keeping his head lowered, but she saw it. “Since the man I came to meet didn’t show, well, I can hardly produce it myself.” She swallowed the thickness lacing her voice.

“Isn’t that half the fun? Searching, getting to know someone, finding out if the chemistry is there, and setting up the meet to see if the online feelings flow into real time.”

“I’m not looking for a relationship. It’s a business deal. A weekend of free sex, and if conception occurs, he’ll sign a contract freeing him of all rights and obligations.”

“So, then, why not go to a sperm bank?”

“I have my reasons.”

He tilted his head, eyeing her. “So, are you doing this because of the psychic?”

“No.”

“I can’t believe you’d have trouble finding volunteers where you live.”

“It wouldn’t work for me.”

“So, you’d rather chance the history of a stranger than someone who could ease your mind about certain facts of family history?”

He touched the cut with the tip of his finger to apply the ointment. She groaned. “That stings.”

“Sorry. I should have warned you.” He set the tube down and picked up the butterfly bandages. “This is going to hurt, so take a deep breath and let it out.” When he pressed the open wound closed, she sucked in air and held it. “Breathe, Cheri.” She did, but gripped her thigh with tears in her eyes as she watched him put the Band-aids in place and tape a gauze pad over them. “Tomorrow, we’ll let it air, but tonight let’s keep it clean and dry.” His hand massaged her foot and up her calf. Damn, she could get used to his bedside manner. “How does that feel?”

“It’s fine. Thank you.” Allen picked up her other foot and set it in the warm water, rubbing the sand off with his fingers. She looked up at him and saw the corners of his eyes twitch. He knew what he was doing to her.

“So, what other requirements need to be met for this prospective donor to fertilize you?”

The way he said it made it sound so cold, and maybe it was. It’s the way she needed it to be. “Why? Are you offering?” She ran her tongue over her dry lips and watched him swallow.

____________________

A Psychic Hitch is a May-December themed story of an older woman/younger man. I hadn’t really thought about it being a series until I was asked by the chief editor if it was part of a series. I thought about it and realized, yeah. Last Glass of Wine also was May-December older woman/younger man, but they both had the same restaurant in common. I went even further back and recalled a piece I’d written for a contest in early 2007 – it also fit. While I was digging it up from the archives, I found yet another I had begun that also fit. So, yes, I told her it was part of a series. Last Glass of Wine was released July 17, 2008. Contemptible Service is awaiting the contract. Temptation & Temptation is being written.

I was allowed to run back through A Psychic Hitch and Last Glass of Wine a couple of times before they went to the printer to be released as ‘A Special Print Collection’ – so not only is the word count higher than the ebooks, but they are smoother – not perfect, but cleaner.

As with most POD books, Servin’ It Up can be purchased at most online paperback shops. Most common are Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

The Ebooks are available where most ebooks are sold. I push Bookstrand.com – as my publisher, the royalty rate is the highest. All Romance Ebooks would be next in line for higher payment, but they also have the best customer service. Amazon Kindle would be next.

Don’t forget to comment for a chance to win a prize.


Bekki

Contemporary romance with sizzling sensuality

http://www.bekkilynn.com/

www.myspace.com/bekki_lynn

www.bookstrand.com/authors/bekkilynn